《Records of Rebirth》


 Chapter 1 - The Unknown

    Darkness.


    Endless darkness everywhere. What was happening?


    My eyes were open, so why couldn''t I see anything? It was just darkness... and pain¡­


    Wait, Pain?


    Ah! It hurts. It hurts everywhere.


    Why am I in pain?


    Did I hurt myself? How? And when?


    Thest thing I remember was sitting in my ssroom after school, with other kids. And that too for detention.


    So then, how did I end up blind and hurt? But, more importantly, where was I?


    I tried to move around but nothing happened. I couldn''t even lift my finger and it scared the hell out of me.


    What happened to me?


    I tried to feel my body and locate the source of the pain, but I realized it wasn''t hurting anymore.


    ''Huh? Was that only my imagination? Or did I lose my sense of pain?''


    Though I was unable to move, I could feel something heavy was holding me. It was an odd feeling as if all my limbs were wrapped up in thick glue, rendering mepletely immobile.


    Even if I tried long and hard, there was no response from my body. It was an extremely unnerving feeling.


    The space I was in was filled with aforting warmth, but the surrounding darkness made me feel suffocated and it was scary to me.


    What was happening to me? Where was I? What was this ce?


    So many questions but no answers.


    What was that feeling of pain earlier?


    It was a searing pain like I was jabbed with a burning hot poker right in the middle of my back. Too vivid a feeling to be something I imagined.


    My body seemed stuck to something and wrapped up like I was a package. The material substance around my body was also weird in the sense that I knew it was there, despite me not able to see it or touch it.


    That strange feeling was that of a confined space, dark yet warm, condensed, and malleable yet delicate. It had to be a container of some sort, albeit one with an unnatural stillness.


    If I could move, I would''ve tried to grab the container''s walls to find out what sort of material it was.


    It behaved intangibly, like a delicate membranous substance that was slippery in nature. It seemed to be in in sight yet evaded the perception like a ruse.


    But strangely enough, I could feel that If I could move, I could easily tear it apart like a wisp of smoke.


    I began to wonder.


    What sort of restraint rendered you sopletely immobile that you could not even feel your own body?


    If I was on the floor, I should''ve been able to feel the hardness or the cold of the ground. Any sensation would do.


    But I felt nothing. I could hear nothing, nor could I speak.


    I began to feel anxious and uneasy. This was definitely unnatural.


    The only thing I could think of was a scene in a sci-fi movie where someone was put in arge tank of water to simte death and preserve the body condition at the same time.


    Was this sensory deprivation? Was I in a vat of liquid somewhere, being poked and prodded? Or was I asleep in suspended animation, floating through midair?


    That would be cool though¡­


    But the one thing that surprised me more was that despite the loss of my senses, my mind was extremely calm and clear.


    There was no way I could be so calm under my current circumstances and maintain it. Something else was manipting my mental state and keeping me from going insane.


    I was terrified at that revtion.


    ''Damn. I should stop scaring myself and think of a way to get out of my predicament first.''


    I calmed myself and evaluated my body condition again. The more I observed, the more I started to realise all of my senses had been ''turned off''.


    It dawned on me that the mysterious feeling I''d been having only made sense in the absence of a body. It felt like only my consciousness was left floating in this space.


    But how was that possible? If my body was destroyed, I would be dead. But what was this neither dead nor alive state. How did I end up like this?


    Thest thing I remember, I was in my ssroom and the next, I was here. What had happened in between?


    Either I was in theb of some scary scientists, submerged in some chemical liquid.


    Or my body was in aatose state.


    Or maybe I was just dead, and my soul was waiting here to reincarnate.


    Damn. What kind of scary situation was I in!


    I refused to believe I was dead. I can''t be dead. I don''t want to die.


    Stop. Just calm down.


    There had to be a logical exnation for this. I shouldn''t let my mind run wild, imagining the plots of B-Grade horror films.


    It was certain I had been kidnapped and not dead, since I essentially ''woke up'' in this weird ce, and not in my bed.


    Now that begs the question of who and why?


    I had no money nor a prominent family background. Why would anyone want to kidnap a penniless girl like me? And more importantly, who would they ask for ransom? I didn''t have any parents or great benefactor.


    So then, that means it wasn''t a kidnapping. Any kidnapper would lose their mary incentive when they found out I was worthless. Then I''d either be released or promptly disposed of.


    Uhh... let''s go with the release option. Or better yet I should escape before they find that out but with my current condition, that wasn''t possible!


    Even if I was to be ''disposed'', I still hoped I was kidnapped. It was better than any other scenarios lingering at the back of my mind.


    That I was on the ground somewhere, bleeding out on the street from a stab wound. Or hooked up to a hospital bed in aa I''d never wake up from.


    Both options were inconvenient with unsatisfactory results! Kidnapping would be so much better, yeah.


    That''s what I thought, until the memory of two small children came to my mind. And in an instant, all my thoughts came to a halt.

 Chapter 2 - Bloodties

    The faces of two small children smiling as I handed them both ice creams floated up in my mind and suddenly, I felt an intense guilt and sadness.


    Seven year old James and five year old Nevara. How did I forget about them?


    Were they okay? They must be so worried I didn''te home. Had they eaten dinner yet?


    They must be really scared and alone in the apartment wondering where I was, while I was stuck here not being able to do anything about it. My panic filled thoughts flooded with even more anxiety.


    Would James be able to find the snacks I left in the top cab?


    He was not tall enough yet to bring them down, but he should be able to reach them if he were to climb a chair. He was a smart kid, so I was sure he would be able to figure it out. But what about after that?


    With no parents or rtives to take care of them in my absence, what would happen to them?


    No, I can''t let that happen. I have to get out of here.


    How long exactly had I been gone? It should have been a few hours at most, but I can''t be sure about that in this darkness.


    Had it only been a few hours or had a whole day passed? I was unable toe to a conclusion with nothing to base my assumptions on.


    The uncertainty made me extremely anxious and my mind was racing with wild thoughts again. This whole situation was something that shouldn''t have happened to me. I was just a nobody with a boring life. Normally I would go to my part time job right after school and then straight home to prepare dinner for my siblings.


    Two pairs of sparkling brown eyes would watch me in amazement while I rustled up meals in a frying pan.


    I would purposely put on a great show to entertain them as I expertly flipped omelettes and fried rice in the pan, while watching them admire my efforts with glowing eyes.


    But now that I did note home, didn''t that mean they did not eat at all? The thought of them hungry and staring at the door waiting for me pained me more than the searing pain earlier.


    Wasn''t the reason I was working so hard was so they wouldn''t go hungry?


    When would I get to cook for them again?


    I had to be the worst sister ever to actually forget about them and leave them like that. I needed to get out of this ce right now and get back to them.


    Being kidnapped was not the better option after all.


    The convenience store I worked part time was right below our apartment, so there was no creepy, dark street I had to walk through to get home. So there wasn''t any chance to kidnap me, and I usually bought all our food from the same store too, so I didn''t have to travel far.


    Then, was I abducted somewhere else?


    To get to work, I had to leave school first. I did not use public transport to save money and usually walked home.


    But howe I didn''t even remember leaving school.


    Thest thing I remembered was being in detention with other kids.


    Wait, that''s it. Detention. What happened there?


    Why was I in detention in the first ce?


    I was a good student. The responsible older sibling to two young kids in the absence of our parents. I was proud to say I''d raised them both up to be good children.


    They never act fussy even when we never had enough to eat, as the pay from my part time job wasn''t high and barely enough to just get through.


    They would even volunteer to help clean around the house and relieve some of my burden when all the other kids their age only know how to y around.


    I was only fifteen years old myself but since I was the oldest, I became the adult of the home. They were both so well behaved even though they had such a useless sister like me who left them alone.


    That thought made me want to cry.


    Why couldn''t I leave this ce? I struggled to feel something, anything, but all around me only darkness.


    My memories only served as torture due to my inability to do anything. I tried to cry and scream but my voice couldn''t pierce the quiet space.


    It was like a void that swallowed up every sound I made, leaving me totally helpless.


    I was not the kind of person to get into trouble like this. How could I, when the well being of my siblings depended solely on me?


    I worked very hard to get good grades year round and was always at the top of my ss because I wanted to get into a good university so I could get a high paying job to support them better. So they wouldn''t have to worry about anything.


    I was so determined I even became the ss president and head of the student council to get extra credits and stack up my resume for university application.


    Two roles with difficult responsibilities that ate up most of the time I would''ve otherwise spent taking care of my siblings.


    Unlike the majority of the kids in my ss, I was not someone from a rich family with apany waiting for me once I graduated or had parents that could get me a job in anypany I wanted.


    I had to do everything from scratch.


    I was ordinary, in a school full of privileged, rich kids who lorded their status over everybody.


    If not for my schrship, I would never be able toe within a hundred feet of the premises.


    Yet I did not let that deter me. I hoped to be able to pay for both of my siblings to attend better schools when I graduate, to smoothen their path so they wouldn''t have to go through the hell I did when it was their turn.


    I wasn''t even supposed to be working at my age, yet I had a job since I was twelve.


    The kind owner of the convenience store downstairs took pity on me and let me work for her, when I told her the money my aunt paid into my ount was only enough to cover the rent of our dingy apartment.


    And if we were lucky, maybe a week''s worth of groceries.


    She was ourndy and the only adult who ever looked out for us. James would know to go to her if he needed help.


    When I did not show up for work she would have been concerned. I''d never missed a shift before. I hoped she woulde to check on my siblings.


    Iforted myself with that knowledge.


    I was not a troublemaker. So then, how did I end up in detention?


    My memory was hazy, but I was able to recall a conflict between two groups that escted, leading to a fight breaking out.


    I was just a bystander and was happy to remain as such, until one of my ssmates noticed me and called me to settle the dispute before teachers got the wind of it.


    I was stopped and dragged into the mess just as I was about to leave the ss and go home.


    Normally I wouldn''t have bothered with any of their regr dramas, but as the ss president, I was obligated to intervene and settle the issue.


    Theter memories seemed to be scrambled. But I remember a teacher came in and the dispute seemed to end.


    And then, there was a lot of screaming.


    I remember myself running, reaching a door, only to find the exit locked.


    I felt a searing pain in my back and there was a lot of blood everywhere.


    All my strength seemed to leave my body at once and I fell into a pool of red.


    I heard a window ss breaking and soon, my vision went dark.

 Chapter 3 - The Conflict

    Parts of my memory at that point were broken and foggy, but it was clear something terrible had happened.


    As the representative of ss C-3, my role was to supervise others. I regted the twenty six students of my ss, each with diverging temperaments and quirks, to ensure there was never a reason for anyone to sh.


    A difficult job, but after taking care of two children since they were small, I considered this easy.


    Like the valves of a heart, I became necessary. I maintained the harmonious flow, utilising every means to keep them in control.


    There was never any situation dire enough for the ss to erupt to such a state because I was always there to diffuse it in time.


    I had arguments with others, bore the brunt of their dislike so they would leave their intended victim alone.


    I reported every bully I came across. Spoke with teachers tomunicate the needs andints of everyone in ss and organised school trips and field days in ways that satisfied everybody.


    No one could attack me because I never gave anybody a chance to find faults in me. The most they could do was throw snarkyments behind me in the corridors or leave rude notes on my desk.


    Their efforts only amused me, as they were far too juvenile to be a bother when there were other pressing things that needed my concern.


    My siblings, James and Nevara.


    I was able to stay immune to every attack and abuse because my only aim was to go home everyday to their smiling faces.


    Eventually, the ss came to understand and ept the need for my presence and gradually left me alone.


    And under my guidance, they stuck to the rules, rarely getting into trouble, or causing disruptions like before. So, the events of that daypletely blindsided me.


    Things were always clearer when looking in hindsight. Who would have thought that my one oversight could lead to such a disaster?


    I thought I had a firm grasp of everyone''s personalities, but it seemed I had underestimated the insanity of one particr person.


    Perhaps due to being too strict, I had inherently isted myself from everyone in ss. I didn''t have people to confide in that I could call friends, nor was I privy to the ss gossip around the popr circle.


    Which was how I missed the ring issue.


    In every conflict, there was always an instigator and a target. In this case, the instigator and the target happened to be one and the same.


    And for once it was not any of the usual troublemakers.


    It was a harmless, doe eyed, pretty girl.


    Now that I think about it, the fact that my death came about because of a row over ''who gets the girl'' made me depressed.


    How ridiculous.


    I''d like to think my presence there at that time was purely coincidental. If I had just packed up my books and left like I wanted to, I would not have been involved at all.


    Why did I always think I could handle everything? I should''ve ignored the appeals of the boy that pleaded for my help to break up the fight and just went my own way.


    But I didn''t. I just had to feel obliged to do my duties. That was my worst mistake.


    I remember a boy running up to me with a frantic expression, his sses tilted on his face, as he quickly exined what was happening in the hallway.


    Apparently, a girl was being bullied by another girl and her two followers, as they used the victim of seducing the ss prince with ''dirty tricks''. It had already escted into a heated quarrel by the time I was informed.


    I followed the messenger boy to the scene just in time to witness one of the bullies viciously give the cowering victim a p that resounded loudly in the empty hallway.


    At that point I could not just stand back and watch. I had to end the quarrel before it went too far.


    So from what I heard, it seemed like the victim had knowingly approached the ''prince'', when everyone knew he was already taken. Her attackers weren''t exactly lying. But that did not mean they had a right to hit her.


    Nobody deserved to be treated like that.


    I quickly got in between the three girls and the victim along with the messenger boy who stayed by my side for some reason. Together we managed to separate them, which more than annoyed the three girls.


    One of the attacking girls threw a fierce look at me and stepped forward with a malicious glint in her eyes.


    I turned around to see a handing in my direction and instinctively stepped back to dodge, raising my hand to catch the offending palm just in time.


    I was angry and upset as I gave the girl a fierce re, and I threw her hand aside with a frown. She had clearly tried to take advantage of the chaos and p me.


    I recognised her as one of those mean girls who used to verbally attack me in the beginning. She would always cause one trouble or the other and would always be there whenever something went wrong.


    Was that an act of revenge?


    Regardless of her reasoning, I don''t have the time or energy to deal with her petty grudge. She was only a follower, and this situation was not about her.


    I focused on confronting the centrepoint of the three bullies. Their leader.


    The ss ''princess''. Or should I say, ''the viiness'' in this case. Someone, who I thought was so much better than the two girls that lurked around her.


    The ''viiness'' was a pretty girl with long dark hair and a tall, slim figure, blessed with vivacious curves in all the right ces that made her the envy of other girls. She had a vibrant personality and was admired by the whole ss for her demeanour and poise.


    She never put on any airs when dealing with others even when it was expected of her as heiress of thergest luxury conglomerate, and the richest girl in ss.


    Although she was not as delicate a beauty as the victim who had stolen her prince, she had a confident aura around her that set her apart.


    However, her two friends| followers on the other hand were the typical bitchy side characters you would find in shoujo manga. They were devoid of personality, only existing to follow and agree and they dampened her spotless image.


    The cause - a viiness who was so deeply in love with a prince, that she would do anything for him.


    They were even engaged to be married from birth. It was so cliche I couldn''t believe it was real.


    So, how was I supposed to resolve a mess like this?


    The viiness and her two followers were ready to eat the girl alive and I was one standing between them.


    Why was it like this? I just wanted to go home.


    There were more important things I''d rather be doing right now. I waste for work and I did not want to stay here dealing with this drama.


    So, I calmly asked the viiness to call off her dogs, and to end the matter right then and there.

 Chapter 4 - Detention

    Although I never used the word ''dog'' in any of my sentences, they reacted as if they read the words in my mind.


    The viiness stayed quiet and did not speak at all while her two ''friends'' threw all sorts of insults at me and the victim.


    The one who tried to p me, even tried to pull me away by my hair when I got between her and the victim again. I had to get her dragged off me by the messenger boy who was still around.


    Instead of standing around uselessly, I wished he would call for a teacher or someone instead.


    No matter how I tried to diffuse the situation, it was taken as an insult by the two followers and they refused to let it go.


    It was then, the main cause of this whole mess arrived - the prince along with his best friend reached the scene, and things got much worse from there.


    Seeing the victim in trouble, they immediately dove in to protect her, shielding her from the attacks of the viiness and her followers.


    My presence was immediately relegated to the sidelines and I let out a relieved sigh. But then immediately after, another epic showdown began.


    One that started with the viiness shedding tears because of the prince''s actions and his best friend''s verbal attacks.


    The prince and his best friend shielded the victim from the viiness and her screeching harpy-like followers.


    And there I was, sidelined in the background, ignored and forgotten. Not that I mind but, where was the thanks for all my efforts up till now? There was no gratitude, no appreciation, nothing.


    Fortunately, a teacher was alerted by some other bystander and he quickly came over to forcefully suppress the chaos before sentencing everyone to detention.


    And I mean <em>everyone</em>.


    I didn''t include myself at first, because this was never my argument to begin with. I was already angry with the whole ordeal and couldn''t wait to leave.


    But just as I was about to slip away, the teacher caught the shoulder strap of my bag and held me back.


    I stared incredulously at him.


    Why was I included as well?


    It was not like I started the fight. I did not want to be there in the first ce.


    Our mild mannered biology teacher came strutting along like he had witnessed everything and casually put me and everyone else in detention.


    Where was the justice for my unfair treatment? Why did I have to be punished?


    The reason ording to him, was that my mannerism and cold method of handling the problem with logic and fact, had indirectly caused the row to escte.


    In simple terms, I''d bruised a few fragile ego''s with my sharp tongue.


    Okay, so maybe It was partly my fault. I did call out one of the viiness''s followers on her insecurities - the one who''s blows always seemed to find their way towards me.


    But I had not done it maliciously. I was deeply uninterested in their drama and wanted to end it as quickly as possible.


    I hoped to make her understand, the reason she found so many faults with the victim was because deep down, she felt she could not measure up to her.


    To make her realise she was better off addressing her own issues, to change for the better, rather thanshing out at everyone.


    This girl was a frequent troublemaker, and even before this whole drama, her antics were already notorious.


    She would attack the girlfriends of boys that had rejected her in the past. Always seeking to harm them in one way or another.


    There was a time she purposely broke a flower vase in the cafeteria, causing a girl to get cut on the cheek by one of its shards.


    She imed it had been an ident and paid the girls hospital bills, but nothing couldpensate for the scar that remained or the trauma she suffered. The girl''s face was forever scarred because of petty jealousy over a boy she knew nothing about.


    My words had only caused her tosh out more, achieving the opposite effect.


    Who knew she would get so enraged by the truth.


    At that point, the viiness had lost control of her own followers. She was not as outspoken as the two and most of her words got drowned out by their yelling.


    Until the prince and his best friend arrived, and things became as they were.


    Thus began the most awkward detention. Everyone sat in the ssroom in a circle facing one another in tense silence, while the teacher sat in the middle presiding over us.


    I was very upset.


    I had many other important things to do other than waste more time on this petty squabble.


    Even after exining it to the teacher I had to be at work, he did not relent. He offered to give me a written note exining my absence to my manager, insisting I had to make amends with the people I had upset with my words.


    I upset them? Ridiculous.


    Nobody here truly wanted to make amends. They would act friendly in the presence of the teacher then go right back to being enemies once they left the room. Our teacher was far too naive.


    I did not dislike him. He was one of the few teachers who would teach with enthusiasm instead of treating it as a job.


    Although he acted strange sometimes - more than once I had caught himughing sinisterly as he looked at some ss slides under a microscope.


    What he was staring at still remains a mystery, but his crazy behaviour which waspletely different from his usual manners made me cautious of him. I reminded myself to stay away and never to offend him, else I might end up with some mysterious, incurable disease that caused me to embarrass myself constantly.


    I suspected he spent his free time tinkering away at samples, probably creating some newplicated strain of virus.


    Why was I there, you ask? I was usually the first to arrive for his lessons and had caught him in his questionable acts quite a few times.


    Aside from that, he was truly a good teacher who made everyone feel engaged and have fun in his lessons. So when the detention exercise was revealed I was not surprised. Only he woulde up with something so contrived.


    The task for each of us was to write down a word to describe the person he pointed out on a piece of paper.


    That piece of paper was then passed onto the next person in the circle to do the same, continuing until everyone had written a word down before he switched to the next target.


    At the end, everyone would receive their own paper with seven words describing them from each person in the room.


    It was nothing more than a perception test.


    In his head he probably wanted to achieve some character building by making us confront our ws in the eyes of others to drive us towards growth. The problem was, he failed to realise this group of studentspletely loathed each other.


    This exercise would only turn into a match of who could insult each other the most. Each of the words on paper like a poison that only skewed any positive result he hoped to gain.

 Chapter 5 - Animosity

    In the world of darkness that once filled me with uneasiness, I now felt strangely calm. In theforting warmth and silence of the condensed space, I resigned myself to fate.


    It was the certainty of knowing something had already happened with no possibility of going back.


    Now I know I died in that ssroom.


    Though, thinking rationally I should feel ufortable - I actually died!


    It seemed I was too quick to jump to the conclusion of being kidnapped. But now, even being in aa was better than this, at least there was a chance I could still wake up.


    Death was just so¡­final.


    What was I supposed to do now?


    I didn''t want to feel sad. Knowing what I had lost would not change the fact that I couldn''t go back.


    I could only try to be optimistic and see this as a new opportunity. I put away the grief in my heart and tried to be brave.


    As I sorted through my fragmented memories I stumbled upon my name. I am Aurelia Ross, or I was Aurelia Ross. Now I was here awaiting a decision as to what I would be.


    If this followed the trope of a novel, I should be hearing a voice right about now telling me I am about to be reborn!


    I hoped I was right.


    So, does that make this limbo? The void between the world of the living and the dead, where souls wait for a chance of rebirth. Let''s hope so!


    If I was going to be reborn, I''d rather start over again as a baby, preferably born to a rich family so I could livefortably my whole life.


    In a romantic setting of the past, perhaps Victorian or Elizabethan so I could spend my days attending tea parties andughing wholeheartedly while I clutched precious jewels the size of my fist.


    A first-rate spoiled little miss. Preferably the daughter of a duke and duchess or a rich merchant.


    I''d eat plenty of good food and spend my days loungingzily in the shade like a true viiness.


    Ohoho¡­.


    I drool just thinking about it. How wonderful.


    But no voice spoke to me even after a while.


    I was met with dead silence in the dark void.


    How long was this supposed tost? Shouldn''t I be hearing the voice of god at this moment? I couldn''t wait to tell him or her the requests of my rebirth.


    Impatient and annoyed at the silence, I grew restless.


    Shouldn''t they hurry up already? What the hell was this ce? It was too boring!


    I resisted the urge to shake my metaphorical fists and curse, just in case there was any god watching me.


    Was rebirth supposed to be so slow like this? Shouldn''t someone be saying something to me?


    Was I supposed to just float around getting tortured by the memories of my past life and death for eternity?


    Was it because I was an atheist in my past life?


    Haah¡­


    So gods can be petty too. And here I thought things couldn''t get any worse.


    Maybe I should have believed in something, it wasn''t like I knew I was going to die so soon. I thought I still had plenty of time.


    Why were they taking it out on me right now? Shouldn''t I be getting an apology instead, that my life was too short and bitter?


    Truly worthless, these piece of shit gods¡­


    Ok, let''s calm down.


    In the unnatural space there was really nothing to do besides remembering my past life. Since I was getting reborn, these memories would eventually fade so it couldn''t hurt to reminisce for a moment.


    When I be a baby I would start with a nk te anyway.


    Perhaps it was due to thefort and warmth of the space I was in. I soon fell asleep.


    ______________


    In my dream eight students and one teacher gathered in a room, each of their faces, a shining white blur like someone has taken an eraser and wiped off all their facial features.


    It was oddly creepy the way they still moved around and conversed with no mouths. It seemed my memories were already starting to fade, since I couldn''t even remember their faces anymore.


    My teacher continued addressing the group. He exined to us that the piece of paper in front of us contained words written by each of us to describe one another.


    I stared down at the sheet of paper in front of me, words that made me want to scream stared up at me. Was this supposed to describe me?


    What sort of cruel joke was this?


    The words were:


    [Coldblooded] - Who wrote this?


    [Inhuman] - What the hell?


    [Ugly] - This must be that violent follower!


    [Hardworking] - Oh? I didn''t expect to see something nice.


    [Treacherous] - Hm? I''m a nice girl you know.


    [Shamelessly-cunning] - Was this a hiddenpliment? It''s nice, but it''s still cheating to use two words.


    [Slimy] - Who wrote that! I just want to talk.


    For a mere bystander like me to be blessed with so many lovely words, I didn''t expect this. I should give myself a round of apuse to have gotten under the skin of so many people.


    Wasn''t that amazing for someone who''d never had a proper conversation with anyone in this room to leave such strong impressions on them?


    What was wrong with these people? Why were they acting like I''d done things to offend them, when we hardly ever spoke?


    Why judge me so harshly? It was too unfair!


    Was I experiencing the anguish of someone who acted aloof but secretly wanted to be loved?


    It was the first time as the ss president that I was faced with such hate. Beside the hardworking and shamelessment, everything else had a negative connotation.


    Perhaps my attitude towards them was really horrible without knowing about it.


    I was just doing the best at my role. I needed to be strict to handle so many difficult people. That was not my actual personality. I was in fact a very kind and sweet person.


    I wanted to cry.


    We were meant to consider each word written about us that we disagreed with and try to improve our disposition to others. But how was I supposed to improve something that wasn''t even true.


    Clearly this group was surprisingly united in their mutual dislike of me.


    But it seemed I wasn''t the only one upset, because everyone who received their paper had a dark look on their face.


    The room was eerily quiet as everyone read through the seven words describing them. Like me, each person was trying to guess who wrote what.


    However, our teacher had been smart about this exercise, giving each of us the same type of pen in the same colour of ink to keep everything anonymous.


    There was no way to guess, unless we knew each other''s handwriting. But if they were sharp, they could just as easily have changed their handwriting like I did mine.


    Everyone looked unhappy except for one person, the girl that had been bullied. She alone smiled at everyone, thanking us all for the nicepliments we gave.

 Chapter 6 - The Lovers

    I wondered if she was being sarcastic or if she was just oblivious.


    There was no way everyone in the room wrote something nice. Perhaps only the prince and his best friend did.


    Those two who sat protectively on either side of her just smiled and praised her, saying she was a kind person who only saw the good in people.


    I shook my head in wonder at their conclusion. Wasn''t she just an airhead?


    Across the room from them, the viiness''s two followers scowled at the loving scene, calling the prince and his best friend blind and foolish for being deceived by the victim''s kind act.


    The viiness who sat in their middle had puffy red eyes from crying. She stared longingly at the prince who only had eyes for the victim and her gaze fell with resentment and anger.


    She was trying to put on a tough front like it did not bother her. Yet I could see her trembling even from where I sat. It was truly pitiful.


    The messenger boy who had intervened with me kept staring in anger at the prince, then back at the viiness with a sad gaze. I remember him mentioning he is her childhood friend.


    He probably felt an unrequited love for the viiness and hated the guts of the guy who had hurt her. It suddenly made sense why he stayed.


    I hoped for his sake the viiness would give up her fixation on the prince and explore better options.


    At some point during the evening, it had started to rain. Gazing outside the windows I watched many students scramble for their umbre''s in the downpour and wished I was one of them.


    Other students waited leisurely in the shade for their chauffeurs to arrive to drive them home. Soon the school building was empty.


    The only people remaining were those attending after school clubs. Or others stuck in awkward detention like me.


    Seeing the entire room about to erupt again, our teacher decided to figure out a solution by addressing the root of the problem.


    And so, I was chosen to exin everything that transpired between the prince, the viiness, the followers, and the victim, to the best of my ability as the nameless bystander.


    The only one who had zero rtion to the group, who was definitely not involved and should clearly not even be there.


    But even after stressing these things, our biology teacher only gave me his boyish grin.


    Why did my body instinctively shiver at the sight?


    I was convinced he was messing with me by having me there. I was the least rted person and had zero stake in this quarrel. I wished he would just let me go home.


    Our teacher''s innocent smile reminded me all too well of the creepyughter I''d witnessed that day in the scienceb, he was clearly up to something.


    ''Don''t smile like that when you have an evil agenda!''


    Why was I the only one noticing this? I couldn''t help but wonder what sinister thing he was plotting?


    Our teacher addressed the group, his words resounding like thunder in the pouring rain.


    "Solving this is fairly simple. The prince just needs to tell us which girl he likes. It''s not good to keep everyone guessing and wondering. Especially your betrothed."


    The prince nonchntly shrugged, and with azy smile he got up from his seat and walked towards the centre of the circle, with a confident smile on his face.


    Once there, he extended a hand towards the victim who blushed, her pretty doe eyes going wide as he pulled her up from her chair to stand with him.


    This was clearly a deration of love!


    The viiness bursts into fresh tears at the sight and her two followers began to screech in anger, throwing insults at the startled victim who cowered behind the prince to hide from their view.


    The quiet of the ssroom was long gone andplete chaos ensued.


    I really wanted to walk away.


    Why was this teacher fanning the mes? It was obvious from the start who the prince liked! Must he drag this on.


    Aren''t you supposed to be fixing this? Instead, you are making it worse.


    Our teacher was still grinning. I suppose he found all this funny because I did too.


    I never confessed to anyone or had anyone confess to me, so I didn''t understand what sort of emotion made people act in a frenzy, abandoning all logic because of the one they like.


    The viiness, a girl whose grades always followed closely behind mine hadpletely fallen from the top 100''s in the span of a month ever since her ''boyfriend'' started pursuing another girl. Completely bing a shell of her former confident self.


    If love made you transform to something so unlike yourself, that you would stoop to bullying another girl and sending your followers to harass her, was such love still a good thing?


    Our teacher finally intervened and asked the group to simmer down, threatening us with more detention if anyone disagreed.


    Ugh. He was truly evil. Who would want toe back here?


    Then he approached the victim next to the prince who has gone white as a sheet. Was the prince''s confession too strong for her?


    If someone confessed to you so brazenly in front of all the people that hate you, it definitely wouldn''t be romantic, that''s for sure. But even if one would feel ufortable, such a reaction was still a bit extreme.


    Wasn''t every girl''s dream to be swept away by a prince? Why was the victim acting so strangely? Was she just a tease, or was her shy, maiden heart fluttering too erratically for her to respond?


    Our teacher also seemed to notice her odd reaction and looked at her with a warm smile as he asked her to name the guy she liked.


    Eh? Shouldn''t it be obvious she likes the prince? What a silly question.


    But shocking everyone in the room, she let go of the prince''s hand, leaving him standing alone in the middle of the room and ran towards the boy who was still seated in his ce.


    And with a shy and sweet expression, openly dered her love to the prince''s best friend.


    The room fell to a silence once again.


    What just happened? Was this the famous plot twist?


    Everyone stared at the new couple in disbelief. The mouth of the follower who tried to hit me twice, kept opening and closing like a dying fish. The viiness stopped her pitiful crying, her sobs ending in hups.


    Meanwhile, the new couple embraced each other passionately. The victim had tears of joy flowing down her eyes while the best friend who always followed behind the prince enveloped her in his embrace with a loving smile. He looked surprised, in disbelief that she would choose him over the prince.


    Our teacher''s smile grew wide as he observed the scene as if he already expected such an oue.


    I slowly turned to the prince who still stood frozen at the centre, watching the pair in their loving disy of affection.


    He looked strangely lonely, as the usual haughty look on his face crumbled away. Then a look of intense hatred was revealed on his face.


    This was turning out to be more interesting than I thought. And for the first time, I was looking forward to seeing how things would progress. I wish I brought some popcorn.


    Looking forward to seeing the turmoil, I leaned back in my chair as an excited spectator.


    How would the prince who always had everything handed to him react to this betrayal?

 Chapter 7 - The Mad Prince

    And when the Prince did react, it seemed the earlier drama had restarted again.


    The prince strode forward and grabbed the victim''s arm, intending to pull her to his side. But she held onto her new boyfriend''s arm, struggling to get away from the angry prince. Her tears of joy from a moment ago have turned into actual tears.


    Was this the famous "If I can''t have you, no one else will?"


    Why not ept your rejection and move on? You may be the ss prince but it''s not necessary for every girl to fall for you. What shameless behaviour.


    That''s when something more shocking happened.


    *Thwack*


    The prince is momentarily stunned as he gets punched by his best friend. He releases the victim and staggers back a few steps in shock. He touches the corner of his mouth that is bleeding, dark eyes brimming with rage.


    The prince''s best friend threw a strong punch at the agitated prince which made him release his grip on the victims hand. He staggered back a few steps and looked at his friend in shock as he touched the corner of his mouth that was bleeding.


    The prince''s dark eyes were filled with rage as he red belligerently at the couple, like the impossible had just happened. His lips twisted into a snarl as he roared.


    "You dare to hit me?!"


    Our teacher quickly got in between the three to try to calm everyone down. He was initially happy that things havee to a tidy conclusion, but the mood between this former group of friends and the rest of the students had just gone from bad to worse.


    The prince was still stunned, his eyes surveying everyone in the ssroom. He had agreed to detention just to ascertain his status in front of everyone but now, he''d turned out to be the joke instead.


    He felt as if all the students present were secretlyughing at him, especially the teacher who had caused him to make a fool of himself.


    To make matters worse, someone dared tough at this absurd situation. And that acted as a trigger and pushed the prince off the edge, and he snapped.


    Wiping the blood on his lips, he turned around and walked back. He reached the door to the room and paused for a second, before proceeding to lock the doors.


    It was the type of lock with a keypad that needed a code to open. His father being one of the major shareholders of the school had recently renovated the entire north wing, including the building this ssroom was in.


    Naturally, he received a copy of the building ns, including all the default codes, which the school had never bothered to change. Beside himself and the teacher, there was no one else in the room who knew the code.


    I only realised something was amiss when the prince returned to the centre of the room, rather leaving the room altogether. I''m sure even the teacher would''ve excused him if he chose to leave, after the fiasco that happened.


    Someone who had just been painfully rejected would try to hide their face. Not to mention this person being the infamously arrogant prince, who was not seen as a normal person by students.


    Revered almost as a walking deity by every female student, his confidence had swelled to such a degree, that any stain on his person was like a besmirching of honour.


    There was no way any of his female fans would let the victim off after she rejected him so coldly. She had just dug her own grave.


    I sighed, knowing there would be so much work for me to deal with tomorrow. I expected more fights and quarrels to break out because of her.


    My peaceful days as ss president were so over...


    I nced at the Prince and saw him retrieve something from his pocket. When I got a clear look at what he had in his hand, my eyes went wide in shock.


    It was an automatic switchde with a sharp serrated edge, the type you would see used in the military.


    He stalked his way towards our teacher who was busy preaching to the couple and did not notice him approaching. As our teacher was still talking, the prince turned him around by his shoulder and shed his throat without any hesitation.


    It was done quickly and cleanly, like the practised movement of an experienced hunter. The prince had a nk look on his face like he was killing livestock, with no emotion or regard for a human life.


    Clutching his bleeding throat, our teacher stared back at the prince in disbelief. As he gurgled blood, he grabbed on to the prince''s pristine white zer that I was now sttered with his red. He grabbed the prince''s arm with all his strength, refusing to let go, as if he knew what he was about to do next.


    The prince was easily able to shake him off and he stabbed him one more, this time in the stomach.


    I saw our teacher fall but somehow I couldn''t bring myself to move.


    The shock of what I was seeing was too much, it froze me to my core. I sat there watching it happen like it was some absurd y.


    A loud shriek from someone raised the curtain to the massacre that was about to follow.


    It was one of the viiness''s followers, her terrified scream woke me up from my trance and drew the attention of the rest.


    At once everyone rose from their seats, the three girls were screaming in panic as they ran for the exit.


    The prince ignored everyone and moved towards his ex-best friend and ex-lover. The couple stood there stunned watching our teacher bleeding all over the floor, as fear and panic filled their faces.


    The best friend put on a brave front as he pushed the victim behind him, using his body to shield her. They were both trembling with fear as the princeughed and walked towards them, before he was stopped by something.


    He looked down to see our teacher holding onto his foot, desperately pulling him back despite bleeding profusely from his neck.


    The prince grew angry and quickly shook off his hands before viciously kicking the teacher''s head again and again to vent his anger.


    With that brief distraction, the best friend tackled the prince to the ground while trying to rid the knife off his hands. But the prince proved to be stronger, and he unhesitatingly stabbed his best friend twice in the stomach.


    The victim who stood back watching everything let out a shrill scream and copsed on her knees, tears flowing freely all over her face as she watched the blood spread all over on the floor.


    I was at the exit trying to break the door that refuses to open.


    My mind raced as I began to punch in numberbinations on the keypad trying to open the lock.


    I tried the dates of many significant events since the school''s founding, and I even tried the principal''s birthday, but none of them seem to work. The door remained locked.


    Soon the viiness and her followers reached me along with the messenger boy and saw me struggling with the door lock.


    The sudden quiet behind made me risk a look back and what I saw sent a chill and froze me from inside.


    The victim, the Prince''s ex-lover was lying on the floor in a pool of her own blood, next to the body of the Prince''s best friend.


    She was dead. He had killed her. He had killed them all...


    Suddenly, I was pulled backwards as one of the viiness followers took my ce in front of the door lock, trying her luck on the keypad with no sess.


    Then, I felt a sharp piercing pain in my back and turned around to find the Prince standing behind me with a crazed expression on his face.


    As the warm burning sensation spread across my back, I felt all my strength leaving my body. My legs buckled under me as I fell into a pool of blood forming around me.


    Seeing as the door showed no signs of opening, the messenger boy grabbed a chair and threw it towards the window. I heard the sounds of ss shattering opening a hole in the windowrge enough for a single person to fit through.


    Hearing that, the two followers scrambled towards it, as one even shoved the viiness out of the way as they hit each other in their desperation to flee.


    When the messenger boy saw the prince sprinting towards them, he grabbed another chair and threw it at him.


    The prince halted and took the attack with his hands crossed in front, before resuming the chase more fiercely like an angered beast.

 Chapter 8 - Conditions For Rebirth

    The messenger boy paled at the sight but still pulled the viiness behind him, shielding her from the iing prince.


    The Prince quickly closed the distance and raised his hand as he stabbed the knife directly into the messenger boy''s chest, piercing his heart in a single blow. The light in his eyes faded away as he copsed into a bloody heap, his eyes wide in fear.


    Lying in a pool of my own blood, my vision was gradually being enveloped in darkness as I saw the Prince grab the viiness by her hair before viciously shing her throat while looking straight into her pleading eyes.


    He watched as the viiness clutched her neck, desperately gasping for breath. She struggled painfully for a while before her hands fell limply by her side. He looked at her lifeless eyes and grinned before throwing her body aside as if it was garbage. He then looked up and saw the two followers who were trying to escape through the window.


    He rushed towards them and stabbed his knife into the back of the girl who stood there. He left the knife in her body as he used both hands to grab the girl that had managed to halfway climb through the window and pulled her by her legs, letting ss and other sharp things tear through her skin.


    He threw her back into the ssroom and turned to the other follower who was already lying on the floor, her body still twitching. He bent down and pulled the knife from her back before stabbing it a couple more times to ensure she died.


    Then he stood straight and stalked towards thest remaining survivor who was so terrified she sat still, frozen with fear.


    When he looked at her, he became enraged once more before he observed her expression and smiled at her.


    "Laugh." He taunted as he stepped towards her. "Why aren''t youughing now?"


    His cold, detached voice seemed to jolt her awake as the girl let out a loud scream and began to run away.


    The Prince let out a sinisterughter and immediately jumped towards her, with both hands holding the knife as he plunged it through her back and crushed her heart, reaping her life in an instant.


    He then stood up slowly and threw his head back as he stared at the ssroom ceiling with a nk look.


    In the end, no one had managed to leave the ssroom. Well, except for the prince. Thinking that, the world of my dream fades away and I wake up in the dark void once more.


    So that was death.


    Remembering how I died filled me with bitterness. What caused the prince to snap like that? He had always seemed normal to me. I''d walked past him so many times in the hallways not knowing he was insane made me shiver.


    I wondered what exnation he gave when the massacre was discovered. He was from a very powerful family, but I doubted it was possible to conceal such an event, even for them. He would end up serving a lot of time in prison.


    Strangely, that did not give me anyfort. He deserved to die just as brutally as the murders he hadmitted.


    Somehow the space of the void felt much smaller than it did before I went to sleep, like it had shrunk or...I had gotten bigger?


    I breathed a sigh. Must be my imagination.


    I recalled our teacher who had been the first to fall, trying to stop the mad prince. I would never think him capable of such acts of bravery, but he had given his best to protect us all.


    The face of a man in his early twenties with thick round sses, seemingly closed fox-like eyes, and permanently dishevelled overgrown hair, like he did not own ab, floated up in my memories.


    Wait! Howe I can remember his face clearly when everyone else was nked out?


    It was said the person you like shes before your eyes right before you die. Was it possible? Did I have a crush on that sly fox?


    Ha. No way!


    ?Conditions for Synthesis met?


    What was that? I thought I heard a voice just now. Wait, I can hear?!


    It had been so silent until now that I forgot what it felt like to have my sense of hearing. Does this mean I could regain the rest of my senses too?


    I wanted to see exactly where I was. The feeling of beingpletely blind was more than a little unnerving.


    ?You have recalled the end of your life?


    There it was again.


    Who was speaking? Where is this ce?


    I threw all the questions that had gued me for so long in the dark void at the disembodied voice. If this was the voice of god I should get some answers back, right?


    ?Initialising the Rebirth System?


    It seemed the voice did not intend to answer any of my questions. It sounded strangely robotic like the voice on an old answering machine. Emotionless and direct. Only saying just enough to get its message across. A cold and lifeless persona.


    Was that really a god?


    Did remembering my death clear some hidden condition allowing me to hear the voice? Was that why it had been quiet until now?


    ?You have been granted the title¡ºApostle¡»?


    I had so many questions to ask, like what happened to my siblings after I died; but I had a feeling the voice would not answer that question either. It seemed to only want to ry its own message.


    ?Unique skill¡ºDevour¡»has been acquired?


    Hold on a moment there.


    Titles and skills were cool, but doesn''t this sound a little too game-like. What need would I have for a skill when I''m about to be reborn? Wouldn''t all my memories disappear?


    And why did this skill sound so impolite.


    Was god trying to call me fat by giving me such a weird skill? My dream was to rx all day and eat but not to the extent that I''d gorge myself!


    ?You shall forge a new path using your skills and experience. Acquire the missing pieces to grow and survive. Go forth and conquer destiny on your new journey?


    Sounds like a nice pep talk. I used these same words to motivate my team during sports season, when we faced off against the rival team of scary hulk-like amazonian women on the basketball court.


    We lost miserably but at least we went down highly motivated! I was proud of myself for a whole week even with a ck eye.


    ?Wee to the world of Aeon, Aurelia?


    Aeon? Not earth? Does this mean I am respawning on a new?


    Hold on!


    Shouldn''t you give me more information than just a name? Was it a of humans or aliens? Oh god what If I''m about to be an alien?!


    ?Remain calm, you will soon be reborn?


    Calm? How can I stay calm after that kind of news? You should exin a bit more!


    The void went quiet once again.


    After rying its message the voice disappeared just as quickly as it came. What did it all mean?


    There were a lot of things said yet there wasn''t a lot of information given. It mentioned a new world, unique skills, and titles but I had a feeling there were a lot more things it wasn''t telling me.


    Did god just give me an info dump and leave without exining a single thing? What an asshole.


    Acquire the missing pieces. What was that?


    Conquer destiny? I just want to livefortably. I don''t need a convoluted backstory. It''s not like I''m trying to be a hero. Wasn''t this rebirth a bit too much?


    ?That was a bit abrupt, wasn''t it??


    I nearly leapt out of my skin as another voice appeared out of nowhere. It sounded like there was somebody right in front of me, but I could not see them in the pitch darkness.


    This time the voice was not robotic.


    Though there was something about it that felt familiar, a slightly mocking tone that seemed about to burst intoughter at any moment.


    Its familiarity was soforting in this strange ce that I immediately wanted to tear up.


    "Teacher Song, is that you?"

 Chapter 9 - Sensei

    "Teacher Song, is that you?"


    I asked tentatively, unsure if the voice I''d just heard was that of my teacher or a figment of my imagination. How could he be here?


    A low chuckle echoed out in the darkness.


    ?Ah¡­I''ve been caught just like that. To think I was about to pretend to be a ghost too. That was anticlimactic.?


    The voice was thoughtful and low with hints of mockery. It was definitely him. But his voice sounded more like he was talking to himself than to me, like he was thinking out loud.


    ?Students really are a pain. To tell me apart just from voice alone. Are you trying to put your own teacher to shame? Paying too much attention in ss is not always good, you know??


    Yeah, It really was him!


    Our teacher had always been a bit of an oddball. The type of person to get so caught up in their own thoughts to the point ofpletely ignoring everything around him.


    Aplete nerd who was prone to walking into poles while distracted and breaking out into long drawn out monologues on whatever topic caught his interest at any given moment.


    Most of the students found his rants annoying and would run out of ss the second the bell rang, but I never did because sometimes he would go on about a variety of interesting subjects.


    Although he was an irritating person, hearing his voice put a certain lightness on the dread I''d been feeling. But it begs a very important question.


    Why was he here too? Wherever they were at.


    "How could you talk nonsense even in this situation?" I chastised thezy voice of my teacher, and hurled all my pent up questions at him. "Do you know what this ce is? Where are we? Why are we here? Teacher Song?"


    ?Teacher Song sounds too cold. Since we are both dead there''s no need for such formality.? he replied offhandedly. ?Call me Sensei, it sounds a little less stiff.?


    Why did this person sound so calm andid back? And what was this sensei business? Does he really want me to call him that?


    "Teacher Song, Where ¨C"


    ?Sensei? He asserted.


    "¡­."


    Was he making fun of me?


    I took a deep breath and cleared my throat. I didn''t want to say it, but he remained adamant, refusing to say anything more until I uttered the magic word.


    Was this guy always this hateful in my memories? Or was everything just more intense because I''d been devoid of sensation for a while. Even my emotions seemed heightened.


    "Sen...sei?"


    There was no response for a moment and then....


    ?Tch. It doesn''t sound cute at alling from you. Keep practising, say it a little more warmly next time?


    "¡­."


    I wanted to cry. What was wrong with this person?


    Was he really alright in the head? How could he keep talking about such stupid stuff right now?


    I needed a moment to think. If I died and came here; and Sensei was also here. Does that mean the rest of my ssmates were going to appear here at some point too?


    Was this ce the gateway where souls meet before diverging on to their own rebirth path? Like some kind of central train station or airport for connecting flights. That would make sense.


    "Sensei¡­ why are we here exactly? You sound like you''re in front of me, but I can''t see anything. Do you know where we are?"


    ?No clue. I just suddenly appeared here. I was somewhere much nicer than this ce before. Did you just wake up? Why is it so dark and tight in here??


    Dark and tight?


    Now that he mentioned it. It did feel a little cramped in here. I still hadn''t regained my sense of touch but the ethereal feeling inside the void had begun to shrink, like the surroundings were closing in and suddenly there was not as much space to move.


    "No. I''ve been awake for a long time." I answered disappointedly.


    I suddenly felt resentful of my situation. Why did Sensei have to be so spiteful? Rubbing it in my face that he''d been somewhere good all this time, while I was here suffering.


    "Did you hear the voice that spoke just now?" I asked, hoping he would be able to provide some answers


    ?No, I just got here. I''ve only heard your voice.? he replied, not in the least bit helpful. ?But I think I know what you mean. You must have heard the voice of a god. I was summoned by one before I came here. Which one spoke to you??


    Voice of god?


    Wait, Which one? There was more than one? Wonderful.


    As someone who had lived the majority of my life being an adult, forced to act responsible and independent, I did not put a lot of trust in the belief of a supreme being.


    I never prayed or believed in them as I worked hard for everything and survived every hardship thrown at me, all by myself without any aid.


    Now I was in this weird ce and was being told there were multiple god like beings who would most likely decide her fate.


    Would I really get a chance to be reborn? But why would they do that? Did they expect some kind of loyalty in return?


    Aaahh.. Great. As if it wasn''t alreadyplicated, now I have to deal with gods whom I never believed in.


    I let out a defeated sigh and answered. "I don''t know, it sounded like a machine."


    ?Strange. That''s not what happened to me. What I heard was a woman''s voice and I saw her when I got summoned. Are you sure what you heard was really a god??


    How was I supposed to know!


    I was so angry. I was thrown into this dark ce alone without any exnation, or even any memories to begin with. I don''t know what I heard, it could have been a hallucination for all I knew.


    Though, it was strange how he got to meet the god and I didn''t. He also stayed somewhere nicer than here. Was this kind of preferential treatment normal?


    "Tell me everything the god said to you." I grumbled unhappily. I at least need to know about these so-called gods.


    ?Ok. Let me start from the beginning. After I died I was summoned to a surreal and majestic citadel floating high up in the sky. It was madepletely out of crystals in every colour and shade I''d ever seen. Past the edge of the building, thousands of meters below, all you could see was miles and miles of ocean.?


    ?There I met an extremely beautiful woman...?


    At this point I really wanted to check out.


    So he was summoned to some magic rainbow citadel to meet and greet with the gods and goddesses while I was thrown in here like an abandoned child. The difference in treatment was too much! I want to see the magic citadel too you know!


    Jealousy did not begin topare to what I was feeling.

 Chapter 10 - The Goddess And Her System

    ?She looked transparent like she was fading in and out of existence.? Sensei continued.


    ?And she had these antlers extruding from her forehead and something like wings on her back, only it was made out of tree branches and gold leaves. She called herself the Goddess of life.?


    Flying crystal citadels? Treedies? What was next, dragons and elves? His story was beginning to sound more and more crazy.


    "Are you sure you didn''t hallucinate all this?" I sniggered.


    ?I''m sure! The meeting was too scary to be something I''d dream about! Even though the Goddess of life looked kind, her aura was too imposing, it just made her smiling face look creepy.


    I felt like I was an ant she could crush at any time. Like I was only alive because she was allowing me to breathe. The pressure alone made me kneel before I even knew what I was doing. And she wasn''t the only god.


    I noticed five other powerful existences in the room, but I couldn''t see them, they were deliberately cloaking themselves. I detected four standing beside the Goddess, but thest one was the worst one. It wasn''t in the citadel like the others.


    All I felt was the presence of two eyes watching me through the citadel walls, from far away, somewhere across the ocean like there was nowhere the eyes could not reach. It was so disturbing.


    Anytime it looked at me I felt things crawling over my skin like I was put under a curse or something. The Goddess of Life was the only one that spoke though.?


    "What did she say?"


    I was stunned at what he was saying, his experience sounded like something straight out of a nightmare.


    It sounded like meeting these gods was not such a pleasant experience after all.


    Somehow my experience in the void didn''t seem so harsh after all.


    ?A lot of things. She exined a bit about this world. Did you know that it''s really simr to earth? Only it has nine continents and many intelligent lifeforms. There''s humans too but there are other races aside from them.


    She mentioned there were twelve. Seems like we''re entering into something a lot like a fantasy world. Imagine what it would be like to meet some of the creatures, their biological makeup must be vastly different from anything on earth - ?


    "Did she say anything about why we are here?" Sensing he was about to go on a tangent and start rambling, I cut him short.


    The excitement in Sensei''s voice dropped and his tone became dark. I didn''t have to think hard to guess why. He was probably remembering how he died.


    ?The Goddess said our lives ended prematurely. We were not meant to die the way we did. So she brought our souls over from earth to give us a chance at a second life.


    We will keep our memories and traverse thends using our experiences from earth to bring change to its native people. For that she has allowed us to let us be reborn as inhabitants of this world.?


    Oh? Wasn''t this god quite generous. But, was that all there was to it?


    Somehow I doubted there was a lot more. I wasn''t a believer in destiny, fate or a higher power. I always questioned any act of goodwill done seemingly without a reason.


    If the god was truly generous why didn''t she just undo our death, turn back the clock and kill the mad prince before he arrived at school, or heal our wounds to stop us all from dying.


    Or maybe some other thing to prevent our deaths. Surely a god could do something as little as that.


    I felt a bit resentful, I wished I could go back to my old life and undo my death but since that was impossible. I would rather not remember my past life and the people I left behind.


    "So we are all getting reborn. Everyone that died in our ssroom?"


    ?To some extent, yes.?


    "And let me guess, we are expected to fight off a hidden threat that is destroying this world like heroes and unite all the races under one banner with elves, dwarves and dragons living together as one."


    Sensei chuckled.


    ?Wouldn''t that make for an interesting story. Well, the good thing is, it''s a new life, you can make it exactly what you want it to be. You could battle demons and dragons if that''s what you wish.?


    "Ugh. No thanks. Why would I do that?"


    Senseiughed.


    ?You don''t sound excited. Why aren''t you excited??


    "I would be if someone actually exined to me what was going on, rather than being told ''nothing'' by some robotic voice and left in this dark ce for however long its been. Its feels like years since I''ve been here."


    I heard the clicking of somebody''s tongue.


    ?Has anyone ever told you, youin too much. Don''t you know nagging girls aren''t attractive and don''t get asked for dates. Why don''t you embrace this new reality instead of sulking??


    Sulking? Nagging? Don''t get asked for dates?


    Who was he to givementary on my love life, orck of one. So what, if I''d been single for my fifteen years of life. It wasn''t like I was sad about it.


    "I don''t want to hear that from someone like you!" I retorted angrily.


    ?Truly a nag. How am I supposed to guide a troublesome child like this? This is making me feel old already?


    "What do you mean guide?" I asked, surprised.


    ?Ah¡­ didn''t I mention it. I''m your Rebirth System.? He announced smugly, much to my shock and dismay.


    "What?"


    ?Didn''t I mention it. I''m your Rebirth System? Sensei dered proudly, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.


    I seemed to recall the robotic voice mentioning something like that though.


    When I heard it, I thought the voice itself was the system, like the voice in the tutorial at the start of a game introducing the story line.


    It had mentioned skills, which I assumed you could purchase in its store. If Sensei was the system, then what was that voice?


    Wasn''t a system an all-knowing, powerful existence?


    I hated to admit it, but it really suited Sensei, who was already the gatekeeper of all manner of useless and interesting facts, on a wide range of topics back on earth.


    Now that he had be a system, wasn''t this the perfect way to showcase his hobby?


    How had he arrived at such a fortunate scenario? I could just imagine the proud look on his face, the bright eyes shining excitedly behind his sses, dishevelled hair sticking up all over the ce. Wasn''t this something like a cheat?


    "How?"


    ?Ah, let me exin. When I met the Goddess, she asked me what my one regret was. And I told her I''d failed to fulfil my duty as a teacher.


    If I''d been a better teacher, I would have noticed the problem with my students earlier and fixed it so none of that would have ever happened? Sensei answered in a sombre tone.


    ?I didn''t think the Goddess would actually listen to my wish or grant it.?


    Like everything had fallen into ce it suddenly made sense.


    Sensei had died first, then he met a god-like being who asked what kind of new life he wanted? How lucky.


    But rather than saying something normal like make me a hero, or give me special powers, he instead had a long chat with the gods about his students, andmenting about their sad fates?


    I didn''t know if he expected me to feel touched or something. But I only had one thought.


    Was he stupid? Wasn''t that a once in a lifetime opportunity?


    Sensei was the true protagonist of this story. He could have asked any wish, requested for anything, yet he''d chosen to remain like a teacher!


    Ah, he really was an idiot.


    Though I suppose I had him to thank, because of his wish the god brought me back and I got the chance to live again. Although it felt like I was just being dragged along as an unwitting extra in Sensei''s tale.


    "You should''ve mentioned something like that earlier!" I chided him.


    Senseiughed embarrassingly.


    ?I only realised it after I appeared here. Be patient with me, I''m still processing through all my memories and the new information I received?


    How could he treat something important so casually. I wanted to facepalm.


    With him as the system wasn''t I screwed?


    Wouldn''t he make me do all kinds of meaningless tasks just to watch me dance around in his palm like a monkey?


    I shivered. With his twisted sense of humour I could only see bad days ahead.


    "So how does this work? Are you still human, or part machine? I really wish I could see in here."


    I was curious to know what sort of form he would take.


    ?I''m not exactly sure. From what I can tell, I seem to have be capable of parallel processing. Aside from that, I can sense parts of myself spread out across the continents. You''d have to wake up first to make proper sense of it. Try moving around to see what happens.?


    "I''ve already tried that before, nothing works¡­"


    I was about to say, when I suddenly hit something. What was that?


    I definitely felt something just now. Had my sense of touch returned? I moved my body once more and actually got a response.


    I could feel it! I could finally move!

 Chapter 11 - Rebirth? I Want A Refund.

    I excitedly turned towards the smooth surface I felt, trying to lift my arm to reach out and touch it, but weirdly I got no response again. Strange.


    It was like my arms had stopped working, they stayed firmly fixed at my sides. Why wasn''t it moving? I''d clearly bumped into something just now when I turned over to my right side.


    I tried to stretch my hand again and got no response.


    Okay¡­ This was getting weird. I moved towards the right, leaning with my whole body to meet it and once again I hit something hard and cool to the touch. It was smooth and oddly spherical like I was inside of a marble.


    I decided to try something else. This time I moved my head and it worked, I was able to bend my head and feel the smooth texture of the roof.


    I rested my body against the curved roof feeling its coolness on my skin. I tried to move my legs to see if it would work but I was met with resistance, it felt like the space was too tight.


    Alright, if I couldn''t move It, I should at least be able to mentally map out its shape.


    I traced the sensation of the smooth wall from my head to my stomach, following it all the way down to my legs.


    Odd¡­were my legs always this long?


    The coolness I was tracing flowed, following a line that never seemed to end, the odd elongated shape twisting and turning, taking the form of a long tube-like object, like some sort of rope.


    What was happening?


    I turned my head to tilt it away from the smooth wall. Somehow this was easy like I had be more flexible. My body leaned and curved, flopping along like a whip.


    Wait, how was that possible? That can''t be right.


    My head now seemed to be touching my stomach and my legs were somehow long enough to wrap around myself, curving full circle to touch the top of my head in two rotations. From this shape hadn''t I had formed a spiral?


    Um... What happened to my body! How did it be like this?


    And the feeling of being glued together by a substance intensified further. My body was still responsive to touch but when I tried to move anything from the neck down it just felt¡­wrong.


    My whole body seemed to have fused together into one long solid mass! As if I had be arge rope-like structure trapped within a cocoon!


    What the heck was happening! What happened to my body?


    I struggled some more, twisting and turning my body in morbid curiosity, and the more I turned the more tube like my body seemed to be. I was no longer fascinated, now I was twisting in panic and horror.


    What''s with this body? No way was I this flexible, bending like this was not even possible for Olympic athletes who trained all their life.


    How was I, who never did any extra physical activities other than my part time jobs, able to bend like this?


    When I tried to unravel the spiral that had formed, my legs recoiled and snapped outwards like a tight rubber band, hitting the smooth wall with a p.


    And then I suddenly heard a loud crack.


    The sound of something breaking was apanied by an explosion of sensation all around me. There was an intense burst of white light, and the noises from the rustling and scuttling of things nearby filled the air.


    I could finally hear something outside of my own mind! I moved more in excitement.


    The bright light intensified in my vision and I had to shut them to a squint.


    I can see!


    And I finally came out!


    Whatever I was encased in was gone, melting away, bing soft and rubbery like leather as my body pushed through it to emerge.


    I thought it curious how easily my prison had dissolved. I felt myself tumble out of something and fall with a st, like the sound of something wet hitting the ground.


    I blinked my eyes, momentarily blinded by the bright light.


    There were rustling sounds oddly close to me.


    What was this? Where was I?


    I blinked more to let my vision adjust. It was still a milky white but I could make out blurry shapes moving around.


    I couldn''t wait to take in the view of my new surroundings! I blinked around excitedly until my vision cleared¡­ and then I was stunned by the sight in front of me.


    All around me were bending, twisting mess of snakes slithering all over the ground!


    Eeeehh! What was this! Some kind of creature den? And what was that smell?


    I looked behind me.


    Eeeek! There were even more snakes there!


    "Sensei what''s happening!" I cried miserably. "Is this supposed to be how I''m born? Inside a snake nest?"


    Am I abandoned here to die?


    Sensei did not respond.


    "Hey Sensei! Don''t go quiet on me right now! Exin what is going on!"


    I was never someone with ophidiophobia but the sight of so many slithering bodies twisting, wriggling, and sliding over each other really grossed me out.


    And the noise? All that rustling and hissing was really unpleasant to the ears! The sight made me recoil. Jumping up in fright, I proceeded to run away.


    How Disgusting! I was supposed to be a baby, why was I here?


    Completely ncing over the fact that I was somehow able to run away with fully functioning legs, I sped away from the wriggling mess, running over bodies and dodging open snake mouths filled with vicious teeth.


    It was only when I''d gotten a good distance away that I realised the sensation of me running was actually my body sliding over the ground on my belly.


    I realised I did not have any legs or arms. I was nothing like a baby at all.


    I stopped running to look back at my body, and saw a long curved mass moving in an ''S'' pattern, exactly the same as the horde of snakes I was running from.


    I realised I was also a ''slithering, twisting and wriggling'' snake.


    "Sensei! What the hell is this? Why am I th-this?! What happened to my body?"


    Sensei coughed nervously.


    ?Remember that exercise I had you all write in detention??


    Of course I did! That annoying task that had me receive a list of rude words as a description of myself, words that did not match my personality at all.


    Why was he bringing that up now? Was he trying to annoy me further by making me remember what everyone thought of me?


    "What does that have to do with my situation now?" I gnashed my teeth in anger.


    Sensei coughed some more. His voice turning into a low mumble like he was trying to conceal his words.


    ?Er¡­ well. When I spoke to the Goddess she might have mentioned that she based your reincarnation on that list.


    Those words¡­ were written by your peers, they are the best judge of your personality. What they wrote served as a guideline for your rebirth.


    Which *cough* let her pick the race that suited you best from their descriptions of you.?


    It took me a second to process his words before exploding in anger.


    "What?! Are you trying to tell me that I''m a snake now because of your dumb perception test?"


    ?Erm¡­ yes.?


    "Are you serious! Why didn''t you tell the Goddess it was a joke!"


    ?It wasn''t up to me?


    I paced, no¡­ slithered back and forth dragging my elongated body as I moved around in the nest. What were the words again?


    Coldblooded, inhuman, ugly, hardworking, treacherous, shamelessly cunning and slimy.


    No matter how I looked at it, these were the exact qualities of a snake. My mood hit rock bottom, there was nothing like being forced to face reality. Itpletely made sense.


    The Goddess must have a twisted sense of humour to decide something so important based on that joke of an exercise.


    Didn''t she know students were spiteful and full of lies? How could she judge if what was written was anything urate to my character.


    Wasn''t this just beingzy, using someone else''s evaluation rather than figuring things out yourself. Like copying somebody else''s answers on a test.


    It was frustrating!


    Why not look into my memories to see the actual traits I possess rather than doing things like this? Besides, I was formerly a human, if she wanted to bezy why didn''t she just copy and paste the same race here.


    I heard Sensei chuckling.


    "What''s funny about this mess!" I snarled.


    ?Nothing. It''s just funny how you pacing as a snake still looks vaguely like a human?


    Human, my foot!


    There was nothing human about this disgusting snake body. How was I supposed to live like this!


    "Isn''t this your fault! You''re the one that thought up that silly exercise. Take responsibility!"


    Sensei burst intoughter while I felt like crying.


    This person was not sorry at all!

 Chapter 12 - Slithering Nestlings

    I wanted to wring Sensei''s neck. How dare he put me in this situation and act, like it had nothing to do with him.


    I couldn''t have done anything because I was not there as he alone had the meeting with the gods. But why didn''t he put in a good word for me?


    What a bad teacher.


    And to think he was my favourite teacher. He could''ve mentioned I was a good student, that I always handed in my assignments on time. Or better yet, he could''ve exined how I singlehandedly quelled an entire ss of would-be delinquents into submission.


    Although it was done through the threat of expulsion, I made it work when so many others before me had failed.


    He could''ve told them about all the ssmates I''d saved from bullying. Or the entitled heirs I''d put in their ce by stopping their tyranny.


    Even if he were to ignore all those, surely there were more traits that stood out about me than those of a cold blooded reptile.


    Tears of agony and shame filled me as I paced about in anger.


    This was just too cruel!


    There was far too much resentment, first from my ssmates and now from the ''gods''. When was I going to be vindicated?


    My innocence defended and avenged?


    I sighed, pausing my mini tantrum for a more important matter.


    Where the hell was Sensei?


    I looked around me, carefully examining my surroundings. I was inside a rocky cavern that looked to have been altered forfort.


    It contained clumps of dried grass all around , and what looked like wood shavings, covering the parts of the ground where the cracked eggs were located, like some sort of rabbit nest.


    It probably used to be a rabbit nest before it was ''taken over'' to be the den of a snake.


    Snakes were infamous for never building nests of their own, preferring toy their eggs in the dens of other weaker creatures. Naturally, after they had been conquered and eaten of course.


    The ground I was on was t and rocky until it sloped upwards, creating a wall which revealed a crack at the top where light poured in.


    There was no visible boulderrge enough for Sensei to hide behind. Come to think of it, this space was quite small. It would be about the size of a rabbit hutch back on earth.


    Considering I was a little snake right now it was the perfect fit.


    Newly born snakes were quite small, some snake eggs being as tiny as five centimetres long, producing a baby snake norger than the width of a pinkie.


    I wasn''t sure of my exact size but I assumed I was just as tiny.


    The nest did not go deeper or widen into arger cavern the further you went in, like a normal cave.


    It was very modest by human standards, butrge enough for a bunch of little snakes to livefortably, as you could tell from the sight of my brethren snake nestlings happily slithering around.


    The wall was so tall, I had to tilt my triangr head upwards to stare at the crack on the top. I assumed this was the exit as it was the only source of light.


    There was no way a human would fit in this space.


    If Sensei were here, he would tower over me and have to crouch down, tight like a cat stuffed in a box. He could easily break open the lid of the nest with his body if he chose to stand up.


    I was so small, he would probably lift me up by the tail and fling me about like a rubber band or crush me identally with his shoe.


    I shivered.


    Was this the devastating fate awaiting my lithe snake body? Death by crush or death by fling. Fun.


    I wouldn''t put it past Sensei to treat me like an stic band or worse, try to dissect me for his reptile collection. But I dare him to try!


    I had fangs and potent venom. I waspletely prepared to bite him if he tried.


    Behold my great power, foul human hybrid!


    I looked around my surroundings striking an attack pose, my head raised, fangs exposed and raring to go.


    But there was nobody.


    Where was he? I''d been hearing him talk for a quite a while now, he had to be here somewhere. Unless¡­ It couldn''t be.


    A smile slowly crept onto my face. The sound of mirthlessughter escaped my lips.


    Had Sensei turned into a snake too?


    The fleeting thought filled me with intense pleasure. Serves him right. The gods had served my due diligence atst!


    ?Why are you smiling like a pervert? What kind of dirty things are you imagining??


    Sensei''s droll voice appeared out of nowhere and I jumped.


    There was no mistake, he was nearby. But there was no snake. They were all still behind me where I''d left them when I ran. I could hear them hissing and writhing some distance away.


    So where was his voiceing from?


    "Nothing at all." Iughed while looking around. "Where are you hiding? Howe I can''t see you?"


    Sensei sighed, his voice containing a hint of frustration as if he were scolding a little child.


    ?We''ve been talking for a long time already. Don''t tell me you didn''t notice. Did you really think you could converse as a snake??


    I bristled at his mocking words. "Of course not, snakes don''t have vocal cords."


    I had indeed wondered how I was able tomunicate since before birth and even now as a snake, since the details were unclear I chucked it up to one of the inexplicable quirks of rebirth.


    Perhaps it was telepathy?


    Of course normal shakes could not talk but in this new world, what exactly was the standard of normal?


    On an alien with unknown biology, it was possible all creatures could speak.


    Sensei had said there were twelve intelligent races so maybe somehow, I had incarnated to one of them, but as a snake?


    An intelligent snake.


    Hmm¡­ wasn''t this quite problematic?


    If humans lived in the same world where snakes were as smart as them, wouldn''t there be nowhere safe?


    A dark foreboding thought hit me, perhaps humans were the hunted species.


    If this was a world filled with all sorts of intelligent monsters, imagine snakes who knew how to open doors, evade traps and set bait.


    Even worse, snakes that created their own traps to catch people! How terrifying!


    An intelligent snake race would be formidable, and I had be one of them! I had to find out exactly what the state of this world was and how high my ce was in the food chain.


    Sensei''s words broke through my train of thought.


    ?Then how have you been talking??


    I pondered his words,ing to one of many conclusions. "Is this telepathy?"


    ?Close, but no. We are bonded together, me as the system and you as the host. We canmunicate through that mental link?


    "Does this mean you don''t have a body?"


    I had yet to see anything resembling a physical form. It seemed Sensei had reincarnated as a disembodied voice. Suddenly I felt bad for him.


    Our poor teacher had just been scammed by the gods and he didn''t even know it.


    Even though a system was all powerful, it was still just a tool in the end. An item used by yers to achieve what they wanted, it was always bound to a host and without one, it was useless.


    What was the point of bing a sage-like existence if you couldn''t use all of that knowledge for yourself?


    I knew there had to be a catch somewhere. No one did anything good just because they could.


    He should have gotten the hint when I became a snake rather than a person, the gods were clearly selfish and up to nothing good, besides their own amusement.


    Sensei would probably have wanted to do other things with his life than being saddled with guiding a bunch of kids as they stumbled their way through life.


    I wondered how he had managed to survive all this while on earth, if he was this easy to dupe. He had gotten the worst lot, maybe even more than me.


    ?Of course not?


    Sensei snapped back.


    ?Systems are intangible existences. Our role is that of a guide. It would be counterproductive if we suddenly had to evade attacks while doing our job. That''s what the host body is for.?


    Eh... Hold on a minute.


    Why did it sound like he was describing a bulletproof vest? Was I the fleshy barrier to take all attacks and hurt, while he carried on as normal since they could not physically touch him.


    Well¡­ I was a monster after all. Monsters were typically attacked.


    But hold on! Do I now have to spend the rest of my life running away from attacks while Sensei was wrapped up all cosy inside his flesh vest?


    All the pity I felt for him instantly dissipated. Once again I cursed Sensei''s existence in my mind.


    "What happens if I take an attack and die? What will happen to you? Will you die with me?"


    He had to. There was no way he could survive if his host was dead.


    Sensei paused to ponder, before breathing a sigh.


    ?It is unclear. My existence right now is fragmented. I mentioned before there are parts of me spread all over.


    I assume as long as one of those parts still exists, there is no way I can truly die. At worst, if one of my hosts is killed the others will assimte the part of me that splits off from the dead body.?


    That sounded¡­ so cold.


    Was Sensei saying he was now essentially immortal. As long as one of his hosts lived huh?.


    Your mother!


    So I was supposed to die like a fleshy meat bag while he lived on to transfer to another host like some immortal cockroach.


    No way was I having that! I was not going to let myself die so easily!

 Chapter 13 - The Edge Of The Cliff

    I gritted my teeth in jealousy. Sensei had too much luck, his ability as a system was far too good.


    The hosts I assumed, were the rest of the ss who had probably been reborn by now. Which makes eight of us including Sensei.


    I wondered where they were now and what they were doing. And whetherthey were like me, stuck with the fate of bing a monster.


    If their rebirths went ording to mine, their races would be chosen ording to the words describing them on the perception quiz.


    I wasn''t able to glimpse anyone''s papers so I could only imagine what was written. Everyone in that room had been at odds with each other so I doubted it was anything nice.


    The only person to escape unscathed would be the messenger who was purely a spectator and had not offended anyone.


    "Are you aware of the location of the fragments?" I asked, trying to probe for more information.


    ?Not at the moment. I can''t sense any nearby. You''d need to explore this area more and reach the surface for me to get a better reading. You have to raise your level and be stronger. Your development is directly linked to my growth as a system, after all.?


    Ugh. How could he say that so proudly when he was just a parasite leeching off me? Had he no remorse? He was truly shameless!


    Senseiughed.


    ?I guess you could say I''m a shameless system. Ipletely agree.?


    Eh? Had I said that out loud? How was he able to hear it?


    If we had a mental link, was it ''that'' kind of mental link. The type where you could hear all internal thoughts?


    Eeeek! A pervert had appeared!


    How creepy! Get out of my head right now! Stop spying on my thoughts!


    Wasn''t this a great invasion of privacy? How could I, a delicate girl, have a man peek inside my mind!


    I decided to practice, to see what parts he could read and what parts he couldn''t.


    I imagined killing Sensei in many gruesome ways in my head to see If he wouldment. My personal favourite being necrotic poison.


    Watching Sensei''s skin peel off and melt into soup, as he keeled over many times gave me a grin of satisfaction. I wonder what my face looked like right now.


    Ahh¡­ what face? Right now I was a snake. What did a grinning snake look like anyway?


    The visage of something eerie and sinister flooded my mind.


    A snake''s grin.


    Wasn''t that just a wide open mouth filled with long jagged fangs and a lolling forked tongue? I immediately shut my mouth and stoppedughing.


    Let''s not imagine that right now. Moving on.


    Why did I immediately think of necrotic poison? Since I was now a snake, was this the effect of my new serpent brain?


    Was I being influenced by my new physiology? My brain unconsciously evolving to that of a reptile?


    Ahh let''s hope not.


    Nurture always won against nature in the end. I was born as a human and raised in a good family. There was no way I would be a foul monster just because my body had changed.


    And so far Sensei had not reacted to any of my evil thoughts.


    Heh, this was something promising. It could mean he could not read all my thoughts as well, unless I voiced them out loud. Lucky him.


    If he could hear my thoughts right now he would be so revolted, he''d definitely have toment.


    I asked inly. "Can you read my thoughts?"


    Sensei snorted contemptuously.


    ?No. It''s not that type of mind link. I can only hear your thoughts if you direct them at me and vice versa from my end. If it''s a normal thought I can''t hear it. Nor do I wish to.?


    "You make it sound like I''m thinking dirty things." Iined.


    ?Are you not? I might not be able to hear your thoughts but I can read your emotions quite clearly. I clearly felt your disgust right now. It''s been very vivid for a while, makes me wonder what nonsense is going through your head.?


    "Heyy! Pervert! You''re not allowed to do that." I yelled, embarrassed.


    I wanted to cover my eyes and hide in a hole. How could he have been spying on me all this time in this way and not say a word.


    ?Like I have a choice.? He grumbled. ?If you don''t want me to read your emotions stop thinking perverted things! It''s so obvious when you do?


    This. Unfair. System.


    ?Its not like I want to read your emotions. I''d be happy to be rid of that extra feature anytime. Your nasty feelings are really creeping me out.?


    I wanted to sob. After the great invasion of privacy, he had to go ahead and insult my emotions.


    "Why doesn''t this work both ways? Why can''t I read anything from you?" I asked, a bit annoyed. Being called creepy by him really ticked me off.


    ?I''m no longer a biological lifeform, do you expect me to have emotions? Those are created by the release of chemicals in the brain. Since I no longer have a brain, it is impossible for me to have them.?


    Damn it all. So unfair!


    After sulking for a while I ignored him andspent the entire day exploring my new nest. I call it exploring but it was more like sensing and smelling.


    Snakes were notorious for their poor eyesight, so they mostly made use of their forked tongues to pick up chemical traces and the heat sensors on their head to judge distance and sense the presence of warm bodies in their surroundings.


    I mostly looked around the nest. There were only baby snakes here. I sensed about 30 heat signatures writhing about in a messy pile.


    Contrary to my earlier assessment the nest extended quite far. Past the area with dried grass and wood shavings was another tunnel, almostpletely hidden from view.


    It was only wide enough to amodate a creature of my size. Anything bigger and it would get stuck.


    Venturing away from the nest that contained my brethren I entered into the tunnel.


    The further in I got, the more the path seemed to slope and shrink until it became that of a tiny hole. I had to wiggle through to move along, while being thankful to my minuscule size.


    The further I went, the more steep the slope became, seeming to delve deeper underground going on for miles without stopping.


    The temperature had also increased. While it was not to the extent that it was ufortable. The humidity in the hole constantly rose until it had be sweltering, like a particrly hot summer''s day.


    Totally opposite to the coolness of the upper cave I''d juste from.


    But just how deep did this tunnel go?


    I could feel the air current flowing up through the sloping hole, which meant there was a source of breezeing from somewhere.


    A fork up ahead in the tunnel, a gap in the hole, or the start of a much wider opening. Soon enough I came across it, the end of the hole.


    The tunnel abruptly stopped,ing to a dead end at a wall. I flicked my tongue searching for the direction of the breeze and came across a single crack on the left hand corner.


    Hesitant, I did not want to enter it. It could be the den of some creature or a trap with another creature waiting to attack on the other side.


    I waited for a while and when nothing came out, my curiosity got the better of me.


    Gingerly crawling through the crack it opened up to a short tform at the edge of a steep cliff.


    The tform was barely wide enough to take my entire body and I had to coil myself into a tight spiral to fit.


    Taking in the scene I was amazed.


    Beyond the cliff was a wide open cavern that spanned for miles, full of lush green trees and dense jungle. It was a rain forest.


    I could hear the sounds of exotic birds and the calls of various creatures in the greenery below. It was so big I could not see the end of the jungle.


    Somehow even though it was underground, it was not dark.


    Dotted here and there amongst the green were areas of white light. They looked artificial amongst the greenery like bulbs of electricity. How could there be a rain forest underground?


    Looking up at the ceiling of the cavern I saw the same white lights dotted in ces. My eyesight was not very clear but from the general shape they seemed to be crystals of some sort.


    Looking down from the cave I could see some wider gaps through the trees that were filled with water. It seemed what I initially thought was a rain forest, was actually a mangrove.


    I had not been able to spot the water because the surface was mostly covered in the green pads of water lilies.


    It was such an impossiblendscape to be located underground that I wanted to go down to explore it.


    But I quickly got rid of that idea.


    I still wasn''t fully aware of my environment or status and going ahead when I had so little information would only prove detrimental.


    To reach the jungle I would have to scale down the edge of the steep cliff and I wasn''t confident I had that ability yet. Besides what If I encountered other monsters?


    Scaling down the cliff, not being able to attack as I move, else I lose my footing would make me an easy target.


    And besides, I needed a map to track my whereabouts so I wouldn''t get lost. I also needed to increase my strength to the level that I was confident of beating any monster I came across.


    And so, with that harsh reality, I left the cliff edge and went back to the tunnel, to my snake brethren.

 Chapter 14 - Snake Spaghetti

    Leaving the tunnel, I returned to the cave where I was met with my snake brethren.


    Their thirty heat signatures crowded me at once, all standing up on their tails like little bendy straws.


    To say I was overwhelmed was an understatement. Why were their beady ck eyes glistening as they looked at me? Had they forgotten about me?


    Did they think I was an enemy since I didn''t mingle with any of them?


    Goldfish memory, noted.


    "Hey all." I said. "I''m just returning to the nest. Long-time no see."


    How exactly did snakesmunicate? The words turned into hisses out of my mouth and I hoped they understood me and did not take offence.


    "I''m one of you, you know. You don''t have to look so confused. I just haven''t been here in a while." I hissed again, trying to get my point across.


    I was surprised the nestlings were still in the same ce I''d left them. More than a day had passed since then, yet none had attempted to leave the nest or venture away from the cushioned areas to explore, showing no interest.


    Weren''t they curious at all of their surroundings?


    Short attention span, noted.


    They all had identical markings of ck speckles over a silverish grey body, with two miniature bumps above the eyes on each of their heads.


    These bumps were probably some sort of horn, but they were so tiny it was hardly visible. They could easily have passed for raised scales.


    The hopes I had of my starting specie being an intelligent race was beginning to fade. Why were these nestlings all staring at me like I was a stranger?


    They should recognise me as one of them by now, we all looked exactly the same. I''m not here to attack, you know.


    Poor perception, noted.


    I had to raise the white g, make them see I was not a threat. I gestured to them, my body bending into a curly shape as I moved my head from side to side, in a little body wriggle I thought looked sufficiently harmless.


    If I looked feeble like wobbly spaghetti they should leave me alone. Right?


    But something strange seemed to be happening.


    The nestlings had begun to track my movements, their heads turning this way and that, like how a cat''s eyes followed a swinging plush toy.


    If I moved left, they moved left. If I bent right, they bent right. Soon each of their bodies began swaying in the same way as mine. Following my movements with an exact copy of their own, as they wriggled together in a strange sort of dance.


    They had be multiple reflections of me, like I were walking in the house of mirrors. If my reflection hadn''t be that of a snakes, I would have been convinced I was in a funfair back on earth.


    Copycat nestlings, how adorable.


    Hold on. They''re not supposed to copy me! Why were they going along with this so easily? What if I was a real enemy? They would all be dead by now.


    It was not okay for them to be this rxed!


    Looking at all the wobbly spaghetti''s I sighed. This was clearly just a normal snake with below average intelligence, perhaps zero intelligence.


    What superior specie would be hypnotised to this extent by a dancing snake?


    To conclusion, my starting specie wereplete idiots.


    Senseiughed at the spectacle, offering a valid solution.


    ?Snakes recognise each other through pheromones. Move closer and let them smell you.?


    Right, pheromones. I should have done that from the start.


    I slithered over to the nearest snake. Soon many forked tongues jabbed in my direction, flicking as they sensed the air.


    Once satisfied I was one of them, they broke away from me to return to the nest. I breathed a sigh of relief.


    I had been afraid they would jump and attack me all together in a mass horde, like the creatures I''d heard that engaged in cannibalism as soon as they were born.


    I wondered if it were possible for a snake to be poisoned by venom.


    Snakes should have a natural tolerance since they carried venom themselves, but if I were bitten by so many fangs, I''d probably die more from the wounds than any poison.


    Luckily, my fellow snakelets did not seem to be hungry. I hadn''t eaten yet and I seemed to move around just fine.


    Just as I thought this, I saw the nestlings that left me, return to the nest and start munching on the dry cracks of their egg shells, like it were some sort of snack.


    I stared, mouth hanging open, transfixed.


    What did they think they were doing?


    Where was the intelligent species I hoped they would be? My dreams of an intellectual snake army proofed into thin air.


    Don''t do something so disgraceful! Egg shells are not food, I cried internally.


    But I didn''t lose hope, perhaps the adult of the species were smarter than the new-borns. I was yet to meet any, so I would remain hopeful until then.


    But for now, I wanted to hide my face at their shameful behaviour.


    Maybe because I was formally a human and had kept my memories, I was much smarter than the average snake. Which reminded me.


    "Sensei what are my stats?" I was a bit excited.


    A screen materialised in front of me showing the results. Just like in a game!


    ______________


    Name: Aurelia LV1 [Small Hatchling Snake]


    Specie: Cerastes Vipera


    HP: 30/30Defence: 15


    MP: 08/08Intellect: 38


    SP: 26/26Magic: 8


    Attack: 20Agility: 25


    Skills:


    [Bite: LV1] [Poison Fang: LV1]


    [Scent: LV1] [Heat Sense: LV1]


    Title: [Apostle]


    Unique Skill: [Devour]


    Experience Points: [0]


    ______________


    As expected, intelligence was the highest. But something else also caught my eye.


    Magic! But how exactly do you use it? Hmm.


    I stared at the rest of my stats, the values still unclear. My defence was low, my magic even lower. How did the magic in this world work again? I didn''t know any spells to cast, or have a magic wand like Sailor Moon.


    Its value was lowpared to the other stats, so it was probably very weak.


    The only things that seemed good were my agility and intellect. My attack was average.


    Sigh. This didn''t look good.


    I was surprised my name had followed me from my past life. It couldn''t be helped I suppose, since monsters were typically nameless, and I was a human before.


    All my fellow nestlings would probably show up as nameless. I wished I had a skill that let me see the status of others, so I couldpared my stats to theirs.


    I shouldn''t be a stretch to also have something like Status Inspection or Appraisal, since I possessed an all knowing system.


    I wanted to see if it would work so I moved to the area where the nestlings were gathered.


    The system window was still open so I put a nestling in my line of sight, and let the system window hover over it, to see if like a game it would detect a lifeform and show me its level.


    But, nothing came up on the screen.


    The nestling peered up at me curiously before continuing to bite its egg shell,pletely unbothered.


    I hovered over the nestling some more, yet the window did not see its values change. It seemed it could only disy my own stats.


    Useless! Can''t even do something so basic. Such a backward system!


    It could be Sensei was just ying a prank, since he was the type to want me to ask him for everything, so I swallowed my pride and spoke in my fake cute voice.


    "Sensei, can you show me the stats of one snake?"


    I wanted to see where I stood with my stats, but with nothing topare myself to, I couldn''t exactly be confident.


    For all I knew the average monster on this had triple digit stats, while I had stats still in singles like some weak grub.


    I had to see something else to check if I was truly weak or strong.


    But I shouldn''t be so weak, right. The goddess would not put me on this just to die in one hit, right?


    Haah¡­


    With that warped sense of humour she probably would. I was so screwed.


    ?No. I can''t tell you. You''d have to purchase the required skill in store.? He answered.


    "Eh? So you do know." I caught the key point.


    ?Of course. I can see the value of everything.? He replied, rather smugly.


    "Tell me. This is an emergency. How can you let me go out there not knowing how weak I am? What if I were to die in one hit?"


    ?That''s up to you.? He remained unfazed.


    Hieee! This uncaring person!


    I''m your former student you know. How can you be this heartless towards me where I have no one else to depend on?


    Alright, lets try the guilt approach, since you want to y that way.


    "So you''d be fine with me dying? Because that''s exactly what will happen if I go out blind."


    Okay, I knew asking this was low. He had died saving us in my past life, after all. But what was a girl to do when faced with an immovable wall? Be an emotional bulldozer to break through, of course!


    Sensei breathed a sigh of exhaustion. Was he breaking? Nice going, emotional me!


    ?Alright. Since you want me to sell you something when you don''t have any money. Would you rather I set the currency to the years of your life?


    Your species lives for 18 years on average, that''s worth... [260XP]. Appraisal costs [100XP]. Shall I deduct your life in exchange for it since it''s such an emergency??


    Wait¡­


    "NO! No don''t! Don''t even try it! It was a joke! A joke, alright!"


    Why did this system suddenly sound like the devil!? 18 years? 260 points. Are you telling me my life was only worth a measly 260 points? What the hell!


    Wait, did he just say I''d reach old age at age 18? How miserable!


    I forgot I wasn''t dealing with a fellow human. No way would Sensei be moved by emotional maniption now that hisposition was something else entirely.


    Ah. A snake''s life was truly hard, fighting all day in the dungeon only to die of old age when the typical human was just reaching adulthood.


    Why the hell was I born as a snake!


    ?Alright. The currency shall be reset to Experience Points as standard.?


    Sigh. Finding out I could actually deduct my life to buy skills was too cruel. What an absurd setting.


    Wasn''t this exactly like those people who invested all their money in apany, only to find out it was an empty promise of return on a pyramid scheme.


    Yeah¡­ let''s never use that one, not even on an especially bad rainy day. It just wasn''t worth it.


    "Okay, show me the store." I sighed.


    It wouldn''t hurt to see what was avable... and who doesn''t like a little window shopping.

 Chapter 15 - Quest

    The disy on the status window changed to that of a menu. Currently in the store there were three skills.


    Appraisal [100XP]


    Poison Resistance [100XP]


    Dragon Scales [250XP].


    Then my eyes went further down and saw my experience points that were currently at a heartbreaking [0].


    I patted my non-existent wallet, feeling its depressing tness and sighed. So this is what it felt like to be broke.


    "How do I increase my experience points?" I asked with a sigh.


    Sensei was strangely quiet for a while before he responded. ?You get points for every monster you sessfully kill. Each monster will give you a value depending on their level and difficulty. You can also gain points throughpleting quests.?


    I wanted the [Appraisal] but [Dragon Scales] looked promising too.


    Too bad I couldn''t tell exactly what these skills pertain to because a certain system did not include any descriptions.


    Even retail stores knew to exin the functions of the things they sold. What a wicked schemer this Sensei was.


    Wasn''t this just pushing me to purchase appraisal?


    Damn him.


    For now I had to focus on getting [Appraisal] first, [Dragon Scales] were too expensive.


    Without [Appraisal] even if I purchased other skills, it would be a gamble if I didn''t know what said skill did or how to use it.


    This was especially important so I wouldn''t make the mistake of purchasing a useless skill just because its name sounded strong.


    If [Appraisal] wasn''t there, I would have focused more on getting a map or a skill that helped improve my eyesight.


    But lucky for me as a snake I have other ways of navigating besides sight, like through scent and heat sense.


    Snakes could tell which direction a prey went solely through their chemical traces left in the air.


    These traces were caught on the tongue, which was why snakes typically had their tongues flicking in and out at all times.


    The tongues are inserted into pits in the roof of the mouth where the traces are analysed. Then the snake follows the direction, depending on which side of the fork on its tongue the chemical trace came from.


    Heat sense worked in a simr way, allowing the snake to judge their distance from the prey using the difference of temperatures from their surroundings. It let the snake know the size and shape of any prey at a certain range.


    This worked especially well in the dark. So even if I waspletely blind I was not totally helpless. I would manage with this for now until I earned enough points.


    For now, I had another concern.


    Why was Poison Resistance a skill? Surely I naturally had that?


    "Hey Sensei, can skills be disyed in the store if you already have them?"


    ?Once you possess a quality simr to a skill, it bes redundant and would not appear in the store.? Sensei replied calmly.


    So I didn''t have poison resistance? Wow. I was d I had managed to calm down the nestlings. If even one of them had bit me I''d probably be dead by now.


    "Is it possible to die from a snake bite as a snake?"


    It sounded like such a silly question out loud but it was a pretty important factor to know in case I encountered another snake whilst outside. What if I were bitten and had no resistance?


    They didn''t exactly make antivenom out in the jungle.


    ?Snakes have evolved to be immune to the venom of their own species. You wouldn''t die if one of the snakes here bit you.


    Biting is in fact, a fairlymon activity amongst snakes. It is seen as a disy of fondness.


    Your species engages in a lot of biting especially while in coitus, it engorges the pleasure senses, increasing the chances of fertilisation...?


    Oh god. My delicate ears.


    I wish he had a mute button. A little warning would be nice Sensei! I don''t want to hear about snakes getting freaky.


    Especially not from my teacher!


    ?You would however, die if bitten by a venomous snake from another species.?


    Okay. Got it. Just stop talking about biting.


    "How strong would you say I ampared to other monsters?"


    ?That I can''t say. You have to learn that experience for yourself.?


    I heard a faint ding and the system window shed once again with words flitted across the screen.


    [Quest Issued: Leave the nest]


    [Reward: 50XP]


    [(ept | Reject)]


    Ooh a quest! I was thrilled.


    50XP just for leaving the nest? Wasn''t that too easy? Sorry I misjudged you Sensei, you''re amazing after all.


    I happily epted the quest.


    If I couldplete this, I would be halfway to purchase [Appraisal] from the store. I just needed to earn fifty more points and I''d be able to see the skills of others!


    "Sensei, you''re all knowing and powerful. It would be so easy for you to tell me what my skills did right? I''m sure it wouldn''t cost you anything..." I tried to butter him to see if I could get something out of him.


    ?If I did that, there wouldn''t be any need for the store.? He replied in a deadpan tone.


    Tch. It was worth a shot to try. Too bad this miser wasn''t giving in at all.


    ?This works both ways. The more points you get, the stronger I be and the more benefits I can provide to you. In this situation we both benefit through each other.?


    Yeah sure, you simply gain while I do all the work.


    "Doesn''t that just mean things will get more expensive when monsters get easier to kill and I have too many points?" I was worried about the future.


    Sensei chuckled.


    ?Yes, but by then there will be higher quality items and skills to buy. A skill''s value in experience points is equivalent to its worth, so the higher it is the more beneficial it will be. It''s not like I''m trying to cheat you. You''d be receiving more things for the price.?


    Yeah right! Wasn''t this the same tactic retailers used by covering up old items in fancy new boxes to make you think you were buying something different when really it was the same standard as the rest? Just more expensive.


    I wasn''t buying it.


    I had too much experience with these sorta things in my past life to fall for such tricks.


    ?Besides, you will find it tiring to hunt monsters much weaker than yourself after a while.?


    "Why would I when it''s the easier option?" I retorted. Did he think I was battle obsessed? Why would I fight strong monsters when I could kill weak bunnies? I''d rather spend my timezing about in this life.


    Perhaps his caution was because he did not want me to hunt anything to the point of extinction. If it was so, I couldn''t really fault his ethics.


    Sensei did not respond and I wasn''t too keen to continue either.


    In order toplete the quest I set about exploring and practising my skills. Before leaving the nest I had to make sure I was familiar with every facet of this new body so I knew exactly what to do if I encountered a predator.


    I started with [Bite].


    Since it would be improper to bite one of my fellow nestlings, I decided to practice on some of the dry branches in the nest. Rearing my head back, I bit down on one of them with force, to have the branch snap in two.


    Amazing!


    Could it be I was actually really strong? I kept on practising, breaking more and more branches like I were karate chopping, until this happened.


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase¡ºBite LV 1¡»has be¡ºBite LV 2¡»?


    It was that voice again! The one I''d heard while I was in the egg!


    Was it some sort of system announcement? If so, it meant you could increase the level of skills just by practising using them. Nice!


    Why didn''t Sensei mention this? That sly fox was just content with leaving me to stumble around in the dark.


    Spurred on by my aplishment I continued biting more branches to see if it would increase again, but after that initial announcement nothing else happened. I wondered why.


    Maybe using the same material over and over was no longer effective?


    I decided to try something else. This time I moved towards the walls of the nest. My eyes attracted to a set of rocks jutting out of the slope.


    Rearing my head back, I lunged with force, biting down hard on the piece of rock.


    Ouch!


    Sharp painful pangs flowed through by teeth and the taste of blood filled my mouth as I writhed around on the floor in pain.


    That was extremely painful! I hope I hadn''t broken any teeth.


    Flicking out my tongue, I wasforted by the presence of my fangs still in my mouth, but my gums hurt sorely.


    What was I thinking biting rocks? I thought the bite force of my jaws pretty strong, but forgot to factor in the fleshy parts of my mouth. Luckily, I had not cracked any teeth.


    But my fangs were pretty strong too. They left two deep holes drilled into the rock. My bite force must be amazing!


    ?Skill¡ºPain Resistance LV 1¡»has been acquired. Activating status effect now. Sess?


    I was still rolling around in pain when the voice came again. Immediately after, the pain in my mouth reduced. It still hurt but it was not as excruciating as before. For that I was grateful.


    I immediately checked the system. As it said, a new skill had appeared in my status under resistances. So you could gain skills passively like this too?


    Why hadn''t Sensei said anything? Was he deliberately sabotaging me, so I would depend more on the skills sold by the system? That sly fox!


    "Why didn''t you mention I could get skills like this?" I demanded angrily.


    ?You would have figured it out eventually.? He wasn''t bothered at all.


    Ugh! I wanted to hit something, preferably his face.


    ?I wouldn''t depend so much on it. You mostly gain physical skills and some resistances. It won''t give you anything most monsters don''t already have.? He added.


    "It doesn''t matter. I still would have liked to know."


    I felt Sensei had been failing to mention a lottely. Was it now his new nature to gloss over things he didn''t deem important? Like me, was he also dealing with the effect of his new existence?


    Regardless of his advice, I was going to try to gain skills passively. The system was great to have but I didn''t know exactly what sort of effect it had on Sensei.


    He didn''t really talk about his experience and what it felt like to suddenly be a system so I didn''t know if he was dealing with any negative side effects.


    ?Alright, I will exin more next time.? He relented much to my surprise.


    I sighed in relief. The suspicion I had lifted when he agreed so easily. Had he really just forgotten?


    The Sensei I remember was already a goofy person who never took himself seriously, so it was very possible.


    I really hoped he was telling the truth and not hiding anything.

 Chapter 16 - The Wall

    My mouth and teeth were still throbbing in pain so I decided to practice something else for a while.


    Like¡­Crawling for example.


    I wanted to see just how fast I could move when I give it my all.


    My agility was high, so I ended up speeding around the nest in circles, piquing the interest of a few nestlings who decided to join the race too.


    It became funny because they did not know how to control their speed and some ended up crashing into the wall.


    They probably gained pain resistance though since that looked like it hurt a lot.


    I continued to practice more until I was confident with my speed that I could outrun any prey, but I had to stop because my stamina points had begun to fall.


    I already lost one point of HP when I bit the wall, so I had to take it easy.


    While resting, I focused on lunging strikes and replicating a constriction hold using a rock to represent the prey. I assumed I just had to squeeze tightly to smother it, as I''d seen snakes do in nature documentaries.


    As I focused on my practice, more nestlings left the nest toe watch me.There were two in particr who kept repeating my examples, albeit very clumsily, to varying degrees of sess.


    I paused to observe them, curious of their results.


    Most gave up after a few attempts, returning to eat their egg shells in content. I ignored them but the ones who continued to practice had potential and can be groomed further as my minions.


    "Why do they keep eating the shells?" I asked Sensei, as I turned to the other snakes who were happily munching on their egg shells. "Are they starting to get hungry?"


    ?New born snakes can go up to a week without eating, they only feed once they have shed their skin.? Sensei answered calmly. ?They''re not really hungry, they just like the texture.?


    The texture, huh?


    His voice sounded amused at my concern, like it was not something worth taking seriously. I did not want to doubt Sensei but so far he had been a little unreliable with information.


    Whether it on purpose or for some underlying reason, Sensei was acting differently than I remember.


    I felt like I should not trust him blindly because the Sensei right now was not the same as the one I''d known.


    It had been subtle at first, his mannerisms changing from his usual friendly tone to that of a stoic detached voice right before my eyes.


    Something inside me told me to be wary of him. Perhaps it was a new instinct of this body.


    "Are you sure these babies won''t resort to cannibalism as soon as I''m gone?"


    ?That''s very unlikely. It''s rare amongst your species. They may look like babies, but they already know how to hunt. They will leave the nest exactly like you as soon as they are able to.?


    I still did not feelfortable. I felt an urgency to leave the nest and the feeling did not go away. It was like a little warning siren of impending danger.


    But what was the danger?


    I looked around the nest once more. There was nothing other than the nestlings who were still innocently munching away at shells with no concern at all. Well, they weren''t exactly the sharpest tools anyway.


    Should I feel the need to be concerned for them? Sensei had said they could defend themselves. And maybe, this warning of danger wasing from the nestlings themselves.


    But with that thought in my mind, the way they crunched on the shells started to look ugly. I got the feeling they were trying to fill an insatiable hunger and I did not want be here when that hunger finally burst.


    What would happen when there were no longer any shells? Would Sensei really tell me it was safe to stay when it wasn''t?


    He had already issued me a quest so surely his intention was for me to get out of here. Yet he had brushed off my concern for their eating habits even after they had nearly attacked me.


    How much of what he''d said was actually the truth and how much of it was said to fulfil his agenda.


    An ugly thought flowed through my mind, seemingly from nowhere and once it got in, a bad feeling began to take root. Sensei''s single concern was that I grow strong which was why he urged me to leave the nest before my siblings.


    What if he wanted me to get stronger than them so when they eventually started eating each other, I would be the only one strong enough to win.


    The dark thought had firmly taken root. Now that I thought about it, the nestlings were like sitting experience points.


    If I were only a smidgen stronger I would easily overpower them. Was that his intention?


    The system was another being different from Sensei, just like I was no longer the same Aurelia from earth


    What if it only cared about getting stronger?


    As I looked at the nestlings eating egg shells, the feeling of fear increased. I had to leave the nest right away.


    I looked up at the wall, the single crack of light that shone above the slope of jutting rocks made for the only exit. But from any viewing angle, it was incredibly tall, with a sheer steepness leading to a dangerous curve right at the top.


    It was shaped like a ''C'' starting with a slow slope at the bottom, stabling out in the middle into a t wall before bing a curve again, one that left you hanging from the top, before reaching the exit in the crack above.


    Could I really climb something like that?


    Looking back at the nestlings who may soon start to eye each other, I decided there was no other option. I had to reach the exit.


    Snakes are naturally able to climb so it shouldn''t be that hard if I try carefully.


    I reached the wall and started with a vertical climb up the slope, using the muscles of my underbelly to grip closely to the wall''s rough surface.


    It was easy at first, as the bottom half was a gradual incline simr to a small hill, until I got halfway to the top where the wall curved backwards so I was almost dangling upside down off the roof of the cave.


    If not for my body being secured using muscles on my underbelly, I would have already fallen.


    The upside down view from the top was dizzying, the bottom of the cave in my vision so small that the nestlings looked like worms.


    Suddenly my grip on the wall loosened and I slipped, the weight of my body along with the gravity pulled me down as I I fell to the ground in a painful st and passed out


    ?Skill¡ºImpact Resistance LV 1¡»has been acquired. Initialising status effect now. Sess?


    I could faintly make out the voice of the system through the haziness of my mind. The painwracking through my body made me feel like I''d broken all the bones in my body.


    I did not have a carapace like a centipede that could resist a fall, so the impact was felt through to my bones, like something had been forcefully crushed.


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase¡ºPain Resistance LV 1¡»has be¡ºPain Resistance LV 2¡»?


    I felt a soothing relief spread over my body and the searing pain reduced to a bearable level. Iy on my back on the ground unable to move as I suffered waves of pain until, eventually, I felt myself slowly getting better.


    The soothing feeling increased and the pain gradually became much more muted.


    But I didn''t move again until feelings besides pain returned to my extremities. My back felt especially bruised since I hadnded directly on it.


    My HP had dropped by more than half and by the time I was able to move again, it was at a meagre 17. I waited for a while as I watched the bar fill up until it was 23. That ought to be enough.


    After I regained my strength,I returned to the wall to try again. This time going even more slowly to be careful.


    I had fallen from the top of the wall because I had not properly secured myself to anything solid, depending solely on my muscles for grip.


    I underestimated the the top wall with a dangerous curve that left you hanging upside down due to its ridiculously steep curve.


    If I had something to adhere myself to, while climbing the areas before I got to the top and after, I would not be in so much danger of falling. This time rather than relying on my muscles alone, I proceeded tactically like a rock climber.


    Weaving around the slope in a zig-zag pattern, while attaching myself to whatever protruding rock or ridge on the surface of the wall that I could find.


    They would act as stepping stones to secure my body, when I reached the truly steep parts to prevent me from slipping down again.


    If I were to lose my grip again, this time I had anchors to ensure I would notpletely fall off the wall.


    ?Skill¡ºGrip LV 1¡»has been acquired?


    The system announcement was a pleasant surprise as if encouraging me for my effort.


    Nice! It must mean I was doing something right. So, I continued going like this until I reached the part of the reverse curve of the wall I had fallen from.


    Nervousness and anticipation hit me at once and I felt myself sweat. I wished I had some sort of adhesive or slime to stick myself to walls, but my body was only that of an ordinary snake. It was no use thinking of impossible scenarios so I focused on what I could do.


    I examined the reverse curve and found a protruding rock that I could hold onto. With that as my target, I decided to move quickly unlike my climb till then.


    Gravity would be working against me here so the slower I went, the easier it was to fall. I darted across the surface reaching for my target rock, making sure to properly adhere myself to the first one before finding and moving on to the next.


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase¡ºGrip LV 1¡»has be ¡ºGrip LV 2¡»?


    This method seemed to work, and I did not fall down on the steep part again. I continued my climb not daring to look down in case I got distracted.


    The light at the top seemed to be getting closer but I was too focused on maintaining my climbing pattern, managing to adhere myself to almost every nook and protrusion in the steep wall to secure my grip.


    I did this with a total of 13 rocks, not pausing to stop until I felt the light of the exit hit my eyes.


    [Quest Complete! 50XP reward has been issued!]


    The system announcement made me jump with joy. I had reached the top! I was sessfully out of the cave atst.


    The sight of so much light made my eyes squint. I had finally arrived!


    I hear some rustling and hissing from below and looked down at the nestlings from the top of the wall. It seems more of my snake brethren hade to watch my attempts.


    More than twenty curious eyes peered up at me from below, filling me with a sense of euphoria.


    As I watched them, two nestlings came up to the wall and started attempting to climb themselves. The sight filled me with a strange sense of pride.


    Had my efforts inspired them?


    If more of them attempted to climb at least they would leave the nest early and hunt for food rather than resorting to eating themselves.


    I wished the climbing nestlings a silent good luck and left the mouth of the cave.


    Let theme after me, if they can.


    I decided to bring back something for them to eat if my hunt proved sessful. I refused to let Sensei''s ne to fruition.

 Chapter 17 - The Labyrinth

    Spread out in front of my eyes was a world of misty grey.


    In the midst of the grey, I made out a towering forest of twisty knotted trees, their tall woody trunks stretching up to extreme heights, like arrows piercing the sky.


    The trees did not seem to stop growing, stretching up so high that their trunks tore through thick clouds of mist above, the top branches of the trees disappearing from view. Leaving neither the shoot nor their leaves to be seen.


    The eerie cloudy forest of hidden trees was dark as night with no moon or stars.


    The sky was obscured from view by a cover of icy white mist, resembling tightly packed stratus clouds. Itseemed to constantly be in motion, twisting and weaving their way through the tall trees like billowing smoke.


    With no leaves or branches visible, the forest took on rather bleak appearance. The trees seeming to resemble a sea of rod like appendages falling from the clouds, ominous like burnt out wooden stakes, or the long knotty limbs of a giant spider.


    It would have beenpletely dark, if not for sources of lights in the form of luminous lichen and moss that dotted every tree.


    They were spread out so thoroughly that the lights from these small sources when umted in the forest, became a brightness akin to the light of stars in the night sky.


    Only unlike normal stars, their muted lights came in colourful hues of blues, greens, yellows, and purples, forming a myriad of refracting lights scattered throughout the forest.


    Its illumination stood out vibrantly amongst the majority of grey and ck, like the diffused glow in the skies of a misty morning in the early hours of five am.


    I diligently observed my surroundings, finding more things that caught my interest.


    The trees and vegetation were simr to those on earth, but their overall features were too different.


    The tree trunks were woody and strong, yet in some parts, sinewy tendrils grew from those same trunks, dropping flexibly to the undergrowth like loose vines, but thicker than the width of a human arm.


    Other times they draped across to the next tree trunk, attaching themselves to them to form inky overhanging limbs that spread even more shadows across the already dark forest.


    It would be a perfect tool for climbing animals, which made me wonder if this forest had monkeys. Perhaps they made their homes above inside the cover of mist, hiding in the branches for safety.


    It was a thoroughly creepy forest of opposing elements that should not naturally coexist, looking at it sent chills down my snake spine as I wondered what mad man... or god had created this.


    Peering out from the undergrowth, I observed the passing thick mist that obscured the tops of the trees.


    I wondered what sort of shape the hidden branches took. I could make out shadowy silhouettes just beyond the mist but anything more was unclear.


    The view in front of me was made all the more difficult to appraise with my vision alone. I could only see properly up to certain range and it was not crystal clear like the eyes of a human.


    I could make out the dark shadowy trunks in the dim light, but anything above where the trees met with the mist was the limit.


    It made me apprehensive wondering what else was concealed inside. Any predator could be hiding within the safely of the mist cover, just biding its time as it watched the ground below, before jumping down to attack at any given moment.


    Regrettably, my eyes could not make out what was above the misty clouds.


    The forest was already monochromatic like all colours were seen through a filter of grey, only the things up close like the low shrubs, grasses and weeds were visible in vibrant lush green.


    Seeing through the thick white clouds already proved difficult. Up at that height my vision petered out into a blur, straining my eyes when I tried to look through.


    I notice a foot path between the shallow vegetation. It was barely discernible, mostly covered by clumps of bushes and the ck inky trails of vines that grew from the tree trunks, along with other crawling nts snaking through the soil.


    I approached the pathway, hiding myself deeper in the undergrowth where I continued to observe my surroundings through the leaves.


    Then I heard the guttural cry of a bird from up high.


    Peering up into the passing clouds I briefly glimpsed a nest made of dry twigs at the intersection of two branches.


    I strained my eyes further to look through the patches of floating clouds but they quickly moved back into ce, obscuring my view of the birds nest.


    I did not find any trace of the creature itself, but I could still hear its cry.


    It was probably perched up higher inside the misty clouds where it could not be seen, leaving only its voice echoing to the surroundings.


    If a bird could make a nest that high within the branches, it must be veryrge indeed.


    An enormous predator that could snatch me up instantly. I would not even be much of a snack.


    Staying low to the ground my nostrils were assailed by the scent of rich earth, rotting leaves, pine needles, all sorts of fungus and the faint whiff of flowers.


    Amongst these scents, I picked up the odious musk of many animals that had passed where I hid, leaving behind their scent trail.


    Some of the scents caused my instincts to scream danger while others, possibly prey, urged me to move forward to find them. But I did not.


    If I could smell them they could probably sense me too. Before doing anything else, I made sure to dig myself deeper into soft soil, covering myself in the scent of dead leaves and earth to mask my own musk.


    The more I looked, the more I felt like a little lost child amongst it all. The scale of the forest alone was immense making me feel smaller than the lowest creature.


    The new world was indeed amazing, I only wished my eyesight was much better to process it all.


    So I stopped looking, switching to interpreting what my eyes could not, through the vibrations all around me.


    I instantly felt a wave of sensations.


    All at once, I felt the vibrations of winds whipping through the trees, the creaks of the knotty tree trunks, the heavy beats of winged creatures hidden in the clouds.


    I felt the coldness of the soil I was concealed in, the vibrations through the ground asrge creatures trampled the undergrowth as they traversed through the forest and the snap of twigs as smaller animals fretted about in hiding.


    Through the trees I felt sound waves caused by the calls of many animals.


    The scene painted so vividly by vibrations left me in awe. Firstly, all of this was underground. Its totality, an impossiblyrge cave.


    Just how high was the ceiling that the trees could stretch that far up? How were trees able to grow sorge with no trace of sunlight?


    How could an atmosphere exist in a space that was supposed to be below the ground? The environment did not seem to follow any sort of rule.


    "Are we really underground?" I asked Sensei in disbelief.


    ?Completely. Thebyrinth is a ce that can be said to defy any facet of logic. Don''t expect things to be the same as what you are familiar with. We are no longer on earth.?


    With Sensei''s confirmation, I began to share his sentiment. I should not expect the samews that governed all matter on earth to work here.


    From what I could see we were truly underground, every sound seemed to echo and bounce back meaning the space was bordered by walls, albeit extremely far away.


    The trees here were not like those I grew up seeing. The air itself was potent and felt heavier to breathe in, like It wereprised of fluid particles rather than air.


    A heaviness that left me lightheaded just by breathing, like the effect of a helium balloon but more intense.


    Yet, at the same time, it seemed to refill my body with something it was missing, restoring my HP much faster out here than it did back in the cave of my nest.


    Leaving the nest made me finally realise a few things. I did not look like a baby snake at all, well, not in size anyway.


    I had assumed I was the width of a pinkie as a normal snake would be at birth back on earth, buting out made me realise I was muchrger.


    The trees and vegetation around me was not at the scale I had imagined. The leaves I passed looked normal sized, as normal as a leaf could look to a former human who was now the height of a medium sized dog.


    To my estimation I was about the width of a human palm, spanning a length of about 30 inches long. If I were truly the width of a pinkie the leaves would look gigantic.


    Either the forest was a miniature full of stunted trees, or my size right now was actually that of an adult snake back on earth.


    Which made me wonder.


    If I was already this big as a baby, exactly howrge were my parents?


    Was my specie the constantly growing type like an anaconda that could reach monstrous proportions?


    It was thrilling yet daunting at the same time. I couldn''t imagine what I would eat at that size¡­ horses, cows, perhaps humans?


    I shuddered.


    If I were that big other monsters would be wary of me, but I would also make an obvious target. I didn''t know exactly how big the adult of my species werepared to other creatures of the forest.


    Who''s to say there weren''t otherrge monsters. Titanic ones that would make even an anaconda look small. For now I would take advantage of my small size and its ability to hide in small spaces, until it was otherwise safe to do so.


    I was excited to hunt, after all right now I was a baby snake whose venom was more potent than the adult of my specie.


    "If anything attacks me I can easily ovee it with a single venomous bite." I thought.


    But Senseiughed at my hopes.


    ?That''s a famous misconception that will leave you dead. Baby snakes have even less venom than adults because their venom nds are smaller. And their venom isn''t stronger, it is extremely weak because its amount is limited. They also have less control over the toxicity.?


    Thank you, Sensei, what a nice way to rain on my parade.


    Receiving his criticism, I reevaluated my attack n to favour the hit and run approach. Right now I was concealed well in the undergrowth, waiting for any creatures to pass.


    My skin was a silvery grey speckled with ck, that blended well with the dead leaves, making it the perfect camouge. I waspletely silent as I waited and watched, so still you wouldn''t think I could breathe.


    My waiting was rewarded, the more I breathed in the dense air the more my HP refilled until it became a full bar, all the pain and damage from my fall earlierpletely gone.


    ?Skill¡ºSilence LV 1¡»has been acquired?


    Finally, my vigil was rewarded.


    Through thettice of leaves in the undergrowth I watched it approach. A gigantic creature with a strong thick hide of shaggy fur, a tuft of fur like a mane around its head.


    Its hooves beat tremendous vibrations into the ground the closer its approach to me. I could hear its loud breathing, the hot breath that became foggy mist as soon as it left its mouth.


    It was grazing on the grass of the undergrowth next to my hidden location, the closer it approached the more I willed my presence to disappear.


    I did not dare to move or breathe as I watched it draw nearer.


    ?Skill¡ºStealth LV 1¡»has been acquired?


    The enormous creature came so close I could make out the shape of its head. It was a creature that looks simr to a bison from earth, with some differences.


    Aside from the tworge horns on the side of its head. It had an extra one in front of its snout which it used to raze the ground digging up the roots of nts and worms which it ate.


    Its feet, or should I call it ws, were nothing like hooves. They ended in two jagged spikes that raised up more tufts of earth as it walked.


    It looked cumbersome for the creature to move or run away, but such hooves made for a great weapon. Specially to crush the head of any slithering little snake that came in its vicinity.


    Perhaps it did not even need to run, something that big would not have many predators.


    I could not let any of its dangerous tusks or hooves hit me. I would be killed instantly.


    I watched the creature absorbed in eating, its back facing me. I let it continue until it sessfully passed by my spot and I breathed a relieved sigh. It had failed to notice me!


    Was this because I buried myself in dead leaves to match my scent to my surroundings or was this the effect of stealth?


    Either way, it worked out well. With the creatures back to me, I instantly moved out of my hiding hole to strike.


    Embedding my fangs deep into its thigh, I pumped in copious amounts of venom and before the creature could even grunt, I immediately dove back into the undergrowth.


    With the venom administered, I stayed away from the range of its beating hooves and continued to observe it.

 Chapter 18 - Scavengers

    As soon as it turned around to charge at me, I''d already slithered away to its blind spot.


    Sticking close to the ground, I used its huge bulky body to my advantage to hide myself, making sure to always stay behind its huge frame to note into visual range of the eyes on the sides of its head.


    A snake''s agility was high, and the bison was a lumbering slow creature. Before It could move its huge body, my lithe flexible one had already covered the distance from it to the undergrowth.


    Moving in quick bursts, it only took a few seconds till I was safely hidden from view, all before it realised it had been bitten.


    The bison charged.


    Viciously stomping the ground with its hooves, it beat up innumerable dust clouds in a disy of its fury.


    The earth trembled in its ferocity, the powerful vibrations of the charge through my skin akin to an earthquake.


    Its intensity sent a ttering through my teeth like a particrly bumpy rollercoaster ride. If I was still close to it, I would have been pommelled to dust.


    I watched it confusedly search for me. It knew something was wrong but with no creature in sight, it did not know what had bitten its thigh.


    Failing to find me, possibly chucking it all up to a mosquito bite, it continued to eat.


    As I watched the bison calmly chewing away at grass, when only a minute ago it had been so enraged. I began to feel dissatisfied.


    What I expected to happen after, was certainly not this. Was my bite that weak?


    Over the next few minutes I watched it continue eating, the time ticking away left me feeling disheartened. Was my venom really that ineffective against arge creature?


    Perhaps I should have tried something smaller as a tester first.


    I was about to confront Sensei to argue with him over giving me weak stats, when something began to happen.


    The bison that had been happily chewing away began to slow down. Gradually its grunting and uprooting of roots became difficult andboured.


    Its deep guttural breathing bing hoarse as its thigh began to exhibit some horrendous swelling.


    The wound was red with purplish blotches, in a tensely swollen area extending right through its leg, with blisters containing a disgusting yellow fluid.


    It grew so fatigued and nauseated, it actually vomited up all the grass it had eaten.


    The wound failed to coagte, and a wide area of necrosis was already noticeable around the bite. Its thigh had begun to fester.


    The constant bleeding out caused there to be small pools forming on the green grass, staining it with blood an ugly dark shade that was almost ck.


    The bison''s enraged guttural cries echoed loudly. Frustrated, it trampled the earth with its jagged wed hooves, in ast effort to seem threatening.


    Grasses and tree roots were strewn about everywhere by the tremendous hooves and tusks that trembled as it moved. It had sensed something was deeply wrong and it was restless. Its body had be weak, but it was desperately trying not to appear so.


    The Bison left the area in aboured run, swaying weakly as its leg continued to bleed, leaving behind a grisly trail.


    Safely hidden within the camouge of dead leaves I watched the creature''s reactions. Creeping through the undergrowth I went after it, following the scent.


    I made sure to remain hidden in the soft soil and was able to manoeuvre with my head below the ground, following it not with my eyes but through the vibrations its heavy body made in the ground.


    asionally I would peek out of the soil to see it, and every time I did its state had grown worse.


    The bleeding did not stop. The blisters only swelled more, the fur around the bite melting away in a mess of wet hairs.


    Each time, the creature looked more and more frantic, its hoarse wails sounding pitiful in the air.


    In the distance I felt vibrations made by the calls of many creatures moving through the trees. Had they smelled the blood?


    Instinctively I buried myself deeper just in case any was within the vicinity. As I followed the bison I became aware of more presences hiding in the trees, warm heat signatures smaller in size than the bison, possibly coyotes or a pack of hungry wolves.


    I did not see them yet, but the growls reverberating through the air as they tracked the bison, told me they were more than six.


    Luckily, they did not notice me!


    The bison had sensed them too, in its weakened state it struggled more trying to appear big and threatening.


    The stalking creatures did not dare toe near and continued to evasively move through the trees. The bison''s tusks were not able to strike anything.


    The creatures seemed content to continue watching it as though they knew it would fall soon.


    As for me, I decided to wait it out. My aim was never to eat the bison but to see the effect of my venom on arge creature. My experiment allowed me to learn a few things.


    Firstly, my poison was limited. The bite I gave the bison contained three shots of venom, yet it took this long for it to show its effect.


    Either my venom was not very strong, or the creatures here had built a certain tolerance. I had about seven shots left before I ran out and I did not know how long I would have to wait for a refill.


    I didn''t want to risk running out and bing defenceless, so I never tried to bite the bison again to end its life. Leaving the existing poison to slowly ovee it.


    Fortunately for me, it didn''t gain poison resistance.


    The amount of venom I had made sense, Poison Fang was only LV1. If I continued using it, the potency was bound to increase along with the toxicity of my venom, but for now I could only make a few shots.


    I watched the bison struggle itsst, its poisoned hind leg copsing to the ground in an exhausted heap bringing down the great bulking creature.


    From my bite to its fall, I estimated the process took about 20 minutes. I had followed it for that long just watching, but the result was impressive considering its size.


    Now that the stalking creatures saw the bison fall, the first began its graceful approach.


    The vibrations made by light feet padding the ground along with the drag of a heavy tail alerted me to the new arrivals, even before I heard them snarl.


    In the dim light I made out many pairs of blue eyes gleaming like open mes, the smooth moving silhouette of a body with ferocious jagged teeth that glowed a pale blue in the dark.


    The first wolf wasrge and elegant, with its bristling steel grey fur and elongated ws, it was clearly the alpha.


    Since it was dark I saw their teeth first. They appeared like sinister maws floating in the dark, filled to the brim with vicious fangs.


    They lit up the bushes around them with the eerie blue glow of their cruel mouths, one at a time, like twinkling christmas lights when each wolf opened its maw.


    As the approaching wolves snarled, the bison picked up the fight, writhing and struggling, kicking its powerful front legs that could still move at the wolves when they attacked it as a group. It seeded in wounding one with a blow to its chest.


    The weakened wolf stood no chance as it limped away weakly, thereafter, choosing to stay out of the fight. Nipping instead at he bison''s already bleeding leg, while the others attacked its front.


    This wolf was closest to my hiding spot, so I took the opportunity to attack its leg while it was biting the bison''s.


    My lunging strike out of the sand was swift. I managed to deliver a bite in less than a second before disappearing into the undergrowth once again.


    The wolf''s reaction was much faster than the bison''s had been. Once bitten it whirled around to sniff at the undergrowth snarling in rage. I quickly made my escape.


    This time I only used one shot of venom, it would not fall as quickly as I would have liked.


    The wolf who sensed my presence made to follow, but it did not move as quickly. Weakened by the bison''s earlier blow its sprint was more like a jog, but its single stride covered a wide distance and it was gaining fast.


    I slithered swiftly through the undergrowth eager to get away from the rows of glowing floating fangs that came after me like a nightmare.


    The struggle of the wolves against the bison was already reaching its peak. Taking into consideration the bison''s weakened state, I was surprised it put up much of a fight.


    In the aftermath two more wolves were wounded but the alpha wolf had managed to deal the bison a critical blow, lunging forward its maws gripped firmly on the bison''s throat ripping out a chunk of flesh.


    The bison, bleeding even more than before howled in pain, its guttural voice reverberating loudly through the forest.


    I could not see any more of the fight due to dealing with a pursuit of my own, but I heard the bison''s howl get cut off, reced by the sickening crunch of shattered bone.


    The bison''s pitiful wails finally stopped.


    The surroundings fell toplete silence. Thereafter the alpha''s triumphant howl was heard, with the other wolves excitedly joining in on its chorus.

 Chapter 19 - First Kill

    The wolf was almost upon me. I could feel its ragged heavy breaths on my skin as I continued to evade it.


    I weaved erratically through the leaves of low bushes, concealing myself as I tried to confuse it.


    I had run in the direction away from its pack, hoping it would give up and return when away from the safety of numbers, but the bitten wolf was determined to continue its dogged pursuit.


    It only stopped asionally to sniff the air for my whereabouts. I was thankful for the masking I''d done earlier.


    The wolf''s sense of smell that it always relied on was ineffective this time. It looked confused at theck of scent and continued to follow in my general direction.


    But, It could not keep its eyes on me as I darted through the vegetation. It resulted to scratching at the nts with its ws, hoping to beat me out.


    If I was a normal creature his action would cause me to flee the shrubs I was hiding in, but I felt no fear for a creature who didn''t even know where I was.


    He was scratching the branches of the low shrubs when really I was buried under the ground.


    The chase had driven us away from the other wolves, but as I ran I kept circling around the area, keeping them in sensory range so when they decided to follow after their missing pack member I would know.


    I observed the vibrations made by the five wolves. They were all gathered around onerge cold object. I realised they had started eating the bison and felt satisfied.


    The wounded wolf chasing me would receive no back up, at least for now. I shuffled in the sand to reveal a bit of my head. I watched the wolf sniff around the trees in confusion. It still hadn''t noticed I was close by.


    Soon the frantic wolf shuddered, releasing a frightened yelp before falling over in painful spasms right next to the undergrowth I was hidden in.


    The venom''s effect had finally kicked in!


    Wary, I watched its body with caution withouting out further. I was unsure if it was really dead, fully weakened or just pretending. Wolves were known to be very smart. I wouldn''t put it past it to try and y dead.


    Had only one shot of venom done this?


    It acted much quicker whenpared to the bison that had taken three shots to even show a noticeable effect. Was it because it was already wounded before I bit it?


    At the wolf''s yelp I turned my eye towards its pack. None of the wolves seemed to have heard it, except the alpha whose long ears twitched. It turned towards the direction where the wolf had fallen, his eyes staring directly at the low shrub I was hidden in.


    Our eyes met.


    The alpha''s startling blue eyes stared directly at me like he could see through the leaves, causing me to nearly jump in fright.


    My little snake heart snagging in my throat.


    Had he seen me?


    Shit shit shit. I need to get out of here!


    But at my righty the wolf, its hairy chest moving up and down even as its head was buried in the soil. It was wounded, but still very much alive.


    My eyes were filled with the view of those glowing jagged fangs that could tear me in half with a single bite.


    However weak the wolf seemed right now. A cornered animal was always the fiercest. It only needed to move its head to kill me.


    Still, I couldn''t wait anymore!


    Damn ying it safe. If the alpha reached me I was dead anyway.


    I crept out of the undergrowth, moving away from the striking range of the wounded wolf''s teeth, towards the chest that was still heaving up and down in itsboured breathing.


    I quickly sunk my fangs deep into its warm body pumping in another shot of venom to finish it off. This time it howled painfully.


    The wolf''s body spasmed, bleeding copious amounts before bing still. The pack who no longer had to fight with the bison were all rxed, so when its howl shattered the silence all the wolves heard.


    ?You have defeated LV7 Iuvenis Lupus?


    ?You have gained a level?


    ?You have earned 25XP?


    Ignoring the flurry of system announcements. I risked a look back at the pack. To see the alpha stalking in my direction!


    Its fiery blue eyes fixed on me with fearsome maws open, showing glowing jagged teeth that leaked a blue saliva.


    ?You have gained a level?


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase¡ºPoison Fang LV 1¡»has be ¡ºPoison Fang LV 2¡»?


    I darted out of the undergrowth cursing the corpse of the dead wolf as I ran. Itsst howl had been deafening. It was impossible for any of its peers to ignore it. They would all being in my direction right now.


    The wolves did not pursue me at once. The alpha growled outmands at the four remaining wolves, leaving three to guard the bison''s corpse while it approached my hiding ce with one other.


    I ran as fast as my nimble body could take me, my vision nearly a spinning blur.


    The steady vibrations in the earth made by the two wolves showed them following the alpha''s direct sight of me to myst location where I''d been hidden in the sand.


    Seems they didn''t know I''d left.


    I curved as I passed the wide trunk of a tree, changing direction, hoping they would continue to think I was running straight. They couldn''t smell me. The wolf I''d killed faced the same difficulty.


    Somehow I had a sinking feeling.


    It was confirmed when the other wolf continued to run in a straight line, and the alpha did not. His senses were a lot keener than the rest having managed to hear the wolf''s small yelp when the others didn''t.


    He stopped at the base of the tree I had turned at, sniffing twice at the undergrowth before sharply turning in my direction.


    Fuck.


    I had hidden myself under some rocks, diving into the sand underneath to cover myself. I had been confident in this hiding ce expecting the wolves to run past it, but who would''ve thought one wolf would actually act smart. Now i was stuck.


    The alpha approached the shrubs sniffing at them with his keen nose. I could feel the hot breath of its mouth through the rocks. I cowered deep into the sand.


    Although, I was already buried my instincts screamed at me to dig myself deeper, but how could I dare to. If the alpha saw a single grain of sand move he would know I was right there.


    I held my breath. In the dark hole I could not directly see the alpha, but the vibrations in the air caused by his breath told me he was still close.


    I shrunk my body, willing myself topletely disappear in to the darkness.


    I stopped every bodily function bing as still as the rocks around me. My body mimicked the temperature around me bing cold like that of a dead corpse.


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase¡ºStealth LV 1¡»has be¡ºStealth LV 2¡»?


    Suddenly, I felt the sands give way. The alpha had begun to dig the rocks!


    The vibrations cause by its ws digging the dirt were like metals grating. The screech of sharp ws on rock like nails on a chalkboard.


    My heart pounded in my chest. Just a little deeper and his ws would reach me.


    Should I bite him?


    Poison Fang was now LV2 but the other wolf had taken two bites to die and only after getting weakened by the bison. From what I could see, the alpha suffered no damage.


    I had five shots of venom left. Would that be enough to kill the alpha if I pumped in all five?


    Even then, I doubted he would die instantly.


    I didn''t know what level the bison was but the Alpha wolf''s abilities ced it much higher than it and its peers.


    I wasn''t hopeful I could escape from him fast enough after my bite, without taking any damage.


    It wouldn''t even be a battle of attrition.


    A single bite from me might kill him but a single bite from him would definitely kill me.


    I could bite him with all my venom but was I quick enough to evade his bite after?


    I would die instantly if I was caught by his fangs, while he would suffer from my venom and dieter. Either way I would die first.


    Victory solely depended on who could outwit the other with their speed.


    Should I run?


    If I dug deeper, the rocks would move, and he would know exactly where I was! If I came out he would catch me in less time than it took him to breathe.


    What should I do!


    I had two options, fight or flee.


    One option left my chances of surviving at a dismal 30 percent, the other a pitiful 0.


    If I managed to escape from the rocks without attacking him there was a chance he wouldn''t catch me quick enough, a very slim one.


    I''d seen how quickly he managed to kill the bison, crushing its jaw bone with his fangs before the bison could evennd a kick. If I tried to bite him both of us would certainly die.


    I was fast but so was he!


    My thoughts turned to Sensei, should I risk it all and ask for help.


    I thought of the three skills avable in the store. Which one would help me right now? Could dragon scales resist the ws of the Alpha?


    As I''m about to ask Sensei, I sense a disturbance in the air that causes the alpha to stop digging.


    The air pulses with intense vibrations as somethingrge moves around creating soundwaves. I hear the beating ofrge wings as a creature descends from the thick clouds of mist, in the direction where the bison had fallen.


    The alpha sniffs the air, the new scent causing him to snarl, revealing vicious glowing teeth. He leaves.


    Immediately taking off towards the direction of his pack inrge bounds quick as lightning.


    At his departure I am stunned.


    I still felt intense fear over what just happened. I couldn''t believe he left just like that. Disappearing so quickly like he lost interest after terrifying me so much.


    My heart was still pounding. I was so scared I still didn''t dare to move.


    I wonder what had caused it.


    Soon my question was answered when the sounds of another battle raging in the distance reached me.


    Curious to what had startled the alpha. I slowly crept out from the rocks looking towards the direction it had run.


    My body shook like trembling jelly but I persevered, managing to drag myself out. I didn''t need to look far to see the new arrivals.


    Falling from the misty clouds in a gust of wind created by massive wings were two bird like creatures.


    Pitch ck in colour with a fiery red head like the crown of a cockerel, their enormous wings spanned twice the length of the bison, with a section of each wing marked in startling white fur in an ominous shape that looked vaguely like a skull.


    They floated down slowly at their leisure, like nothing on the ground could bother them. Their gliding would have resembled the graceful flight of a hawk if not that the birds were so ugly.


    The overgrown things had the head of a turkey, the body of a vulture, the massive yellow ws of an eagle and carried the fowl odour of rotten flesh on their wings.


    Aplete mismatch of various parts that made them unnaturally hideous.


    Once down they began a fierce battle with the wolves over the bison''s corpse. The three wolves that remained to guard the quarry were instantly knocked down by the fearsome force of wind from their wings.


    Just as the alpha arrived.


    He quickly attacked one of the birds that grasped a member of its pack with its talons, angrily biting down on the foot of the opportunistic scavenger that hade to steal his food.

 Chapter 20 - Shameless Kill Stealing

    Watching the Alpha''s fierce reaction to the two thieving birds, you wouldn''t think he was guilty of doing the exact same thing.


    Hadn''t he and his pack stolen the prey that was initially mine.


    Sure, I may not physically be able to swallow a bison whole, but I would''ve appreciated them leaving me a few bites.


    I didn''t score any XP either even though half of the damage had been done by me.


    I was the sole reason the bison had been so easy to kill.


    If only the wolves had waited for the bison to die first, the kill would have belonged to me. I''d have preferred that over the shameless fighting over the corpse of my stolen kill that was happening right now.


    I guess XP only counted when you dealt the final blow, as proven by the dead wolf.


    Well, for now I would make do with the corpse of their brother. I needed to retrieve it.


    The hideousrge bird managed to fling away the Alpha that bit it. The two birds beating theirrge wings in unison, whipped up a gale that knocked down all the wolves.


    One scratched a wounded wolf with its huge talons causing the Alpha to retaliate with his ws. But the birds were sneaky, at any iing attack they would rise up into the air, hovering above the ground out of reach before descending to strike again.


    The wolves could not reach them no matter how high the alpha jumped.


    In the end they were defeated. The Alpha choose to abandon the bison''s corpse to the birds. It growled an order for retreat to its wounded brethren and they scattered into the trees.


    Staying low in the undergrowth I watched the wolves leave, their silhouettes disappearing swiftly like shadows blending into the dark.


    Satisfied with the fleeing wolves the two birds grasped the bison''s corpse by its limbs, held evenly between their strong talons.


    They beat theirrge wings creating a powerful gale of fowl stench as they flew into the air. I watched the massive silhouette of the bison grow smaller until it disappeared into the mist above.


    I felt mixed feelings watching them vanish to their hidden nest in the clouds. It was disappointing watching my prey vanish like that. The effort I put into the bison rendered futile first by the appearance of the wolves and now by these birds.


    It seemed everything here knew how to steal. How shameless!


    Those birds had onlye when the fight was over, earning the catch without any effort just because they had the aerial advantage. I wondered how annoyed the wolves must feel.


    They must be royally pissed off exactly like me, and rightly so.


    Speaking of wolves, once the birds left I searched for a better hiding spot. There was no telling when they would return.


    Though the bison was gone, the wolves coulde back for the scraps of meat left behind from the fight, or to retrieve the corpse of their fallen brethren.


    No way was I letting that happen. For all my efforts today I deserved some food!


    Slithering under the soil away from any prying eyes I moved towards the fallen wolf.


    On the way I sensed arge empty space under the ground through vibrations, in the shape of a long cylinder. Which could only mean one thing. It was a tunnel!


    There had to be an entrance somewhere.


    Surfacing, I spied a hole in the ground, hidden by branches, grass and fallen leaves. It was perfect!


    It was concealed enough to hide myself andrge enough to fit the wolf''s corpse. I could tell it was arge tunnel from the echoes of the space within. I wish I''d passed it during the chase by the Alpha.


    It seemed like the perfect hole to escape where he could not follow. And it wasrge enough to travel through too.


    The tunnel covered a far distance. I sensed other exits above the surface besides the one I''d found. At the time, I could have entered it and exited from another hole leaving the Alpha confused. If only I''d found it then.


    But the fight was already over. If I ever encountered him again and needed a ce to hide I would return here. For now, it seemed like the perfect ce to hide away my catch in case he returned.


    I grasped the wolf corpse by my teeth, dragging it away from the scene of the battle towards the hole. Although the wolf was twice my size, it wasn''t so heavy for me to lift. My strength must have increased since the level up.


    I wondered if it were possible for me to swallow something as big as a wolf.


    Hmm. Wouldn''t that be a cool thing to test?


    It would be like finding out how much you could eat at an all-you-can-eat buffet!


    I would go to restaurants like that in my past life with my siblings, eating as much cheap food as we could shovel into our mouths in a single sitting to save money.


    Snakes were capable of expanding their stomachs to consume creaturesrge than themselves. However, it took a long time and left them incapacitated while it was being digested.


    It was certainly too risky to eat. I would rather take the corpse back to the nest to share.


    While it would be possible to eat a wolf who stood at 3ft tall, the Alpha was out of the question.


    It was enormous inparison to its peers, twice the size of a normal wolf and nearly as big as a horse. I wonder if it was the adult of its specie.


    I drag the body of the dead wolf into the undergrowth locating the hole. Entering, I found a cavern of tunnels broken up like a maze. They were spacious but notrge enough to contain the Alpha''s body if he came calling.


    I felt satisfied It was safe to hide here for now.


    The tunnel was the same size as the dead wolf. So when I dragged its body inside it somehow became stuck to the sides of the wall.


    Great. Of all the wolves in the pack I had to get the fat one.


    As I pulled it through, the wolf''s foot got caught on a root. With no hands to pry it apart I could only yank at its body forcefully.


    A section of the tunnel copsed in a sandy rubble and the hole was plunged inplete darkness.


    Ugh! Why was my luck so bad? Did Sensei nerf its stats?


    Switching my senses to navigate the tunnel with sound, there were no vibrations aside from the ones I made, until I was about half way in. Then, I began to hear the sound of something moving about.


    Hmm. This can''t be good.


    The vibrations eluded to something smaller than me that moved in an erratic way as if swaying left and right. I heard scuttling soundsing up from the tunnel ahead and the sound of something scraping.


    I froze. Had I unwittingly entered the den of another snake?


    I stopped dragging the wolf corpse, leaving it in the middle of the tunnel to use as a shield. I crawled into its furs spreading myself t against its cold belly to hide myself from sight, while I waited to see what would appear.


    I was lucky the hole was narrow, It left a limited direction to strike if anything came near. There weren''t any other passages.


    Rather than facing attacks from multiple directions, my back was covered by the rubble and the wolf''s body. I could face whatever wasing head on.


    I waited, the scraping grew nearer, sounding like the noise made by an elongated body dragging on the ground.


    Until it didn''t.


    As it drew nearer the sound depth increased, revealing a tinge of sharpness to it. Like something hard dragging along the ground along with the ''clink'' sound it made whenever it hit a stone.


    That doesn''t sound like a snake.


    Curious to what I would see, I braced myself as I curled inside the wolf''s corpse ready to strike, waiting for the new monstrosity to reveal itself.


    The scraping sound halted, as the creature made its appearance. It was small in size with a furry appearance, long front teeth and soft wed paws like that of a cat.


    It was a rabbit!


    What scared me most was not its appearance but the source of the scraping sound. It came from two curved horns that scraped against the roof of the tunnel as it moved.


    Two long horns growing from its forehead, ribbed like those of a gazelle and twisted like a spiral. They were ck in colour and gleamed like polished marble.


    The vicious horn came charging at me like a spear.


    I panicked.


    In the tight space the creature had the advantage. Its horns jabbed straight, spread apart to cover any side escape as it plunged towards me like a wooden stake.


    I quickly scrambled out of the wolf corpse twisting to avoid its path, before the horns impaled the wolf corpse and me with it.


    But it was not enough, It had already covered some distance to me with its charge. The space left was not enough for my coiled body to fully straighten.


    I was linear so I was able to pass between its horns, avoiding the strike however, the rest of my coiled body was not so lucky. Before my fangs could reach, my body was stabbed.


    Luckily the bones of the wolf corpse managed to stop the horn and I was notpletely skewered.


    My fangs dug deep into its soft fur, pumping in venom.


    ?You have defeated LV3 Novus Lapin?


    Its body grew stiff at the system''s notification. Impaled and stuck against its horn my body throbbed with pain, there was no way to move out of it without tearing my skin.


    The creature was dead but I was now trapped.

 Chapter 21 - Devour

    I had to free myself from the horns before more things came to attack. I felt around the wound, careful not to pull too much, moving was already painful.


    I heard something scrape from deep within the tunnel. It seemed another one wasing.


    Unable topletely unravel myself in time, I moved around the dead rabbit using its soft body as a shield, just as another pair of ribbed horns charged at me.


    This time I was able to evade. Bridging the gap, I fully extended myself. The new arrival missed its mark as I slipped over its horns. It stabbed the body of the dead rabbit instead.


    I quickly delivered a bite to the rabbit who was now stuck.


    ?You have defeated LV1 Novus Lapin?


    Behind it, I saw a third. I skilfully dodged the hornsing at me. Utilising the space between them to strike its head. My attack stopped the rabbit before it even saw meing.


    ?You have defeated LV1 Novus Lapin?


    The tunnel was now jammed with the three bodies, bing too tight to move. My lower body was still stuck to the wolf corpse by the first rabbit''s horns.


    The bleeding was not as much because I didn''t try pull the horns out, but it was still agonising.


    I breathed an exhausted sigh. My lower body tingling with pain made it very hard to think. It took everything not to make too manyrge movements that would force my injury to tear.


    But if I didn''t remove the horns, the wound wouldn''t be able to heal and the pain would only get worse. With the three rabbits dead my focus returned. I needed to break the horns to free myself.


    As I was about to start, I heard more scraping sounds from the tunnel.


    Just how many of these things were there!


    Struggling with pain, I hastily raised my head to bite down on the horn of the first rabbit, breaking it with the force of my jaw.


    To my surprise it shatters like a ss, the broken pieces splintering, cutting up soft tissues on the roof of my mouth. I screamed from the pain, my mouth letting out a furious hiss.


    My head felt cloudy from the blood loss. Biting it was a stupid idea but what else was I supposed to do to break free. I could only endure it.


    I managed to disentangle myself, pulling out the broken horn from my skin, just as another rabbit arrived.


    Finally free I slipped through the bodies until I was right before it. I wrapped the rabbit tight in a constriction hold before it was able to impale its horn in my flesh.


    It squirmed about trying to shake me off but my grip was too strong.


    I was about to bite it when another pair of horns reared out of the tunnel, appearing out of nowhere from a hole that wasn''t there before.


    Another rabbit, a much smaller one had broken through to this tunnel from another one,pletely taking me by surprise.


    It had hidden in the shadows just waiting for an opportunity to strike. Even as I used the rabbit in my constriction hold to shield myself from the new set of horns, it still managed to pierce me.


    I resisted the urge to pass out as sharp pains riddled my body. The horn skewered through me and the constricted rabbit like a knife through a block of tofu.


    Gritting my teeth I quickly tightened my hold, smothering the caught rabbit before striking out at the one that had impaled me. It could not escape considering its horn was lodged through me.


    ?You have defeated LV1 Novus Lapin?


    ?You have defeated LV2 Novus Lapin?


    The notifications did not bring me any pleasure. I was far too unhappy to be dealt with so easily. Releasing my constriction hold I threw off the now dead rabbits, angry at their repeated attacks.


    I quickly got to work, releasing myself from the new horn stabbing me. Shattering it with my jaws, I could taste the metallic tinge in my mouth.


    My whole head hurt. I had lost quite a lot of blood causing me to feel faint. My whole body was shaking but I forced myself to stay awake.


    My eyes hyper focused, I scanned around me for any vibrations or sign of somethinging through the walls. And I felt it, a subtle vibration deep within the tunnel. There was another one!


    These persistent pricks!


    It waited just further down in the tunnel, seeming to watch me, hesitating. I focused in on its direction, watching its every move. Why did it not attack? Was it waiting for the others to return?


    Too bad that wasn''t going to happen.


    Those annoying things had actually managed to harm me twice. How embarrassing! As a former human I couldn''t even handle a bunch of rabbits. I was pissed.


    I refused to wait for it to attack, slithering into the tunnel after it. It saw me approach and readied its horn. I skilfully manoeuvred between the gaps embedding one strike of venom in to its flesh. The rabbit instantly keeled over.


    ?You have defeated LV1 Novus Lapin?


    ?You have earned 32XP?


    Shrugging off the dead rabbit I patiently waited in the tunnel, alert to every sound. I kept expecting another rabbit to appear out of nowhere with its frightening horns.


    I did not dare to rx, conducting one more sweep with heat sense after scanning around for any vibrations.


    When nothing came I rxed enough to check my wounds. The punctures in my skin were lightly bleeding, already beginning to clot. The pain was horrible but somehow I was able to endure it.


    I felt exhausted like I could pass out at any time but I steeled myself. To fall asleep here would be suicide, especially if more rabbits came. Luckily, the rabbit''s horns did not contain any poison and my wounds were just that.


    I looked at all the rabbit corpses around me and sighed.


    I needed to leave the rabbit hole before more trouble arrived. But what was I to do with all the bodies? There was also the wolf corpse.


    I should eat them but the thought made me feel disgusted. Rabbit meat was nice, but in its raw form? Even a glutton like myself who ate anything was reluctant to try it like this.


    "You wouldn''t happen to know how to start a fire?" I asked Sensei.


    ?With which hand??


    His blunt response made me want tough. I would have if I wasn''t in pain. As usual he was right. If I was in better condition I would have thrown a tantrum.


    Whose fault was it again that I didn''t have any arms?


    I wanted to p the face of that smug voice.


    I missed being able to do the simple things. How easy would everything be if I actually had hands? I could climb out of this hole, skin the rabbits, make some furs, and set a fire to roast the meat.


    The memory of roasted meat made me want to drool.


    I moved over to a dead rabbit, looking at it from every angle. It shouldn''t taste too bad if it was fresh. How should I start. Snakes couldn''t chew. They swallowed everything whole, horns, furs, bones and all.


    Gulp.


    I tentatively nibbled at the corner of a rabbits foot.


    ?Just open your mouth and swallow. It''s not quantum physics.?


    "S-Shut up! Don''t make this awkward!"


    The barbed horns got in the way. If I swallowed the rabbits whole, that thing would definitely get stuck in my throat. Could snakes die of asphyxiation?


    I began by snapping them with my teeth. Ignoring the pain that sprang up in my mouth. I started with the first bunny, crunching down hard on its dark horn with a big bite before following through with three more.


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase¡ºBite LV 2¡»has be¡ºBite LV 3¡»?


    It was just like chewing ss. Awesome but painful.


    I felt the pain from the cuts numbing over after the system alert. It encouraged me to continue. I guess my mouth has gotten stronger.


    I continued till I snapped every horn. Six rabbit corpsesy in front of me in a neat pile. I chose the juiciest looking one and began to eat.


    Yuck.


    It was nasty. Just as I thought.


    I forced myself to keep it down, continuing to eat until I had swallowed all six rabbits. I felt lethargic from eating so much and decided to rest.


    This would be a good time to look at my stats. A bunch of things had happened since Ist checked them.


    ?You have been granted the title¡ºColdblooded¡»?


    Heh?


    "Hey! How am I coldblooded? How rude."


    ?You just killed six baby rabbits. They were defending their home from you, the invader.?


    "What? Those were babies? They looked so big, how was I supposed to know? They came after me. Its not like I could talk to them to tell them to stop attacking. It''s not like I wanted to do it."


    ?I''m not judging you, I''m only exining the reason for the title.?


    "What an impolite title! Who decides these things?"


    ?You''d have to make yourints to the gods. I''m not responsible.?


    It was not that I didn''t feel remorse. My actions were only natural. Rodents were the prey of snakes.


    I had entered their nest, It was instinctive for them to attack me, simr to what the nestlings would do if anything strange entered our nest. It was kill or be killed. What I''d done was just natural pest control.


    ?Devour has reached maximum satiation for specimen¡ºNovus Lapin¡»


    Evolution tree of ¡ºAilith Jackalope¡»has been unlocked. Would you like to acquire attribute¡ºObsidian Horn¡»(ept | Reject)?


    Eh?


    Another weird thing has appeared.


    Wasn''t this that skill that didn''t seem to do anything? I''d nearly forgotten about it. What was the system trying to say?


    I chose ''ept'' purely out of curiosity.


    Immediately I felt a burning pain on top of my head right above my eyes. It was so painful I felt my eyes water. Was I going blind?


    I closed my eyes feeling the headache growing more intense. I felt something slowly grow out of my skull. Its weight getting heavier the more it grew.


    I wished I had arms to feel exactly what was happening.


    Why the hell did I ept!


    The thing continued to grow, the pain felt like something was digging deep into my skin to draw something out. After what seemed like an hour it stopped, all pain vanishing.


    What just happened?


    I look at my reflection through one of the horns lying on the ground.


    On my head were a set of inky ck horns, tworge curved ones above each eye and two smaller ones sticking out from the side of my head, reaching towards the back.


    Horns exactly the same as the rabbits I killed.

 Chapter 22 - Appraisal

    I stared at my four horns from every angle. They were not as long as those of the rabbits but smaller, curving upwards from my forehead like those of a bull.


    Looking at their sheen, the glistening sparkling quality that looked like a fresh coat of gloss had just been applied, I was deeply impressed.


    So this is Devour.


    "How does it work? Do I get the physical abilities of anything I eat?"


    ?To some extent. You must eat the maximum amount of that specie for an attribute to manifest. It varies depending on the level of each creature you eat.


    If you manage to consume something higher than yourself the chances of you getting an attribute increases. Things like the difficulty and the rarity of the creature are also considered.


    They must be freshly killed by you and consumed within the hour to be counted.?


    "Hmm. There''s so many rules but this is nice. My very own cheat ability! Is this a gift from the goddess?"


    ?Yes. At your point of birth the skill manifested based on your innate desires.?


    "So, I got Devour because I wanted to spend my days eating and rxing? What a gluttonous skill."


    ?Indeed. It is truly fitting for a greedy person such as yourself.?


    Ignoring Sensei''s scathing remark, I marvelled at my view. My horns were so freshly polished! Amazing. I examined myself here and there like I''d just gotten a new haircut.


    Those fearsome twisted spears that had given me so much trouble were now on top of my head as weapons belonging to me. Why would I let him upset me when I''d just stumbled upon some good luck?


    The process of acquiring my horns were still unclear but it seemed I had undergone an evolution, albeit a small one that only improved on what already existed. But, It was still impressive. If I were to headbutt something like those rabbits did, would it result in casualty?


    Heh¡­ definitely not.


    My horns were not as long as theirs had been. Besides, those rabbits were only able to charge because of the strong hind legs boosting them forward. The body of a snake could not exert such force.


    Snakes were not masters of brute force. They excelled in speed, able to strike any prey with venom within seconds. Their bodies themselves were weak.


    If the rabbit was a spear, the snake was more like a thin sharp de. Both could be used in quick thrusts, but where a snake could easily retract after a bite, the rabbit''s horns remained lodged into their targets because of their size. Especially when fighting in tight spaces.


    It wasn''t an efficient method of killing, if an opponent could easily evade it. The rabbits were more likely to get stuck to things after they attacked.


    If I used my horns as a knife to sh an opponent rather than skewer, it would be enough to bleed and weaken the prey to slow them down until I could finish them off with my bite.


    The rabbits hade at me with no n besides hitting me, except that one rabbit who used surprise tactics by breaking through a wall. That one was an anomaly.


    The rest seemed pretty stupid. Once I figured out how to evade their charge, their attack was rendered useless.


    Was it because they had low levels? Could the adult of the specie have figured out a way to ovee this attack weakness?


    The wolves I met earlier were a higher level and seemed to exhibit a level of thinking. Especially the Alpha who moved unlike a wolf. He was able to make strategic decisions.


    From waiting until the bison got extremely weak before attacking, to leading only two to chase after me while the rest watched over the prey, and when he called for retreat when the battle became a losing one.


    All these were things animals would never do.


    Wolves in general, were very smart and loyal creatures but they did not have the ability to think and n like a human.


    These wolves did, or at least the alpha did. Which made me wonder if all the creatures of the Labyrinth had the ability to learn. It could be their intelligence got higher with every level increase.


    At level 1¨C3 the rabbits seemed pretty standard, aside from the crusade weapons they wielded on their heads. The wolf I killed at level 7, had faster reactions and better senses, but it was still a little stupid.


    The alpha''s level was unknown. He was much smarter than the rest and his level had to be higher to be able tomand them.


    I wished I had seen what level he was. At the time it was impossible, but the next time I encountered him I''d be sure to take a look.


    "Sensei, let''s get appraisal!"


    ?Alright.?


    My experience points instantly trickled down until they became a single, pathetic number.


    ?Confirmed¡ºAppraisal LV1¡»has been acquired?


    I looked at my new status.


    ______________


    Name: Aurelia LV3 [Small Hatchling Snake]


    Specie: Cerastes Vipera


    HP: 40 Defence: 25


    MP: 10 Intellect: 38


    SP: 36 Magic: 10


    Attack: 30 Agility: 35


    Skills:


    [Stealth: LV2] [Appraisal: LV1]


    [Bite: LV3] [Poison Fang: LV2]


    [Grip: LV2] [Scent: LV1]


    [Heat Sense: LV1] [Silence: LV1]


    Titles:


    [Apostle] [Coldblooded]


    Unique Skill:


    [Devour]


    Attributes:


    [Obsidian Horn]


    Resistances:


    [Impact Resistance: LV1]


    [Pain Resistance: LV2]


    Experience Points: [7]


    ______________


    Still weak.


    The wolf I''d killed only happened by chance. If it wasn''t wounded I would have died. I said a silent prayer over the wolf''s corpse for its sacrifice.


    Thank you for bing my experience points!


    The alpha wolf was probably twice the level of the dead one. Considering I faced it and did not die, perhaps I was lucky after all.


    I looked at the corpse of the wolf and used appraisal for the first time.


    ______________


    LV7 Iuvenis Lupus


    Specie: Ailith Lycaon


    HP: 0 Defence: 37


    MP: 0 Intellect: 10


    SP: 0 Magic: 8


    Attack: 40 Agility: 45


    Skills:


    [Silence: LV2] [Stealth: LV1]


    [Howl: LV2] [Scent: LV2] [Bite: LV4]


    [Paralysis Poison: LV1]


    Title:


    [Pack Member]


    Resistances:


    [Fear Resistance: LV1]


    [Pain Resistance: LV1]


    ______________


    The wolf seemed quite strong. Paralysis poison was also interesting. Its saliva must have contained its venom, which was probably why it glowed.


    Knowing now that its bite was poisonous, it was stupid of me to have attacked it like I did. Its stats had been superior to mine from the beginning.


    I wished I''d left a rabbit corpse to appraise, just to see to what extent our skills differed.


    "It said I reached maximum satiation for the rabbit, does that mean I can''t get any more attributes from the specie?"


    ?Those were babies, they didn''t have many to begin with.?


    "So, I''d be better off attacking an adult."


    ?Precisely.?


    "Alright. But, not right now when I''m weak. I should practice and gather more skills first. This ce isn''t safe."


    I straighten myself and examine my lower body. It had stopped bleeding. The wounds forming a scab. It was alright to move now.


    I needed to leave the rabbit nest in event of more rabbits, or worse, an adult returning. It would certainly kill me if it found out I''d eating all the children of its nest.


    Unlike snakes, rabbits were true maternal creatures who stayed with their babies till they could sustain themselves. I did not want to be here when the angry mother returned.


    Crawling out of the sandy rubble I grabbed hold of the wolf corpse, pulling it through the hole with my teeth.


    ?What are you doing??


    "What does it look like I''m doing? I''m taking the corpse back."


    ?Why? The hour is almost up since you killed it. If you don''t eat it now you will gain nothing from it. The energy within the corpse will spoil.?


    "Yeah, I know. The rabbits are enough for me. I''m bringing this back for the baby nestlings."


    There was a pause like he was thinking.


    ?Why do you care for them? They are just snakes.?


    "They have potential to be better if I trained them."


    When Sensei''s voice sounded again, it was sharp with undisguised contempt.


    ?What nonsense. Train them? They are bound to die. They won''t survive long once they leave the protection of nest. Most hatchlings die on their first hunt. Of the group, only five or six will return and that''s if you''re lucky.?


    "And I''m supposed to leave them to their fates?"


    ?You can barely survive yourself as it is.?


    "I didn''t know you were so cold Sensei. It''s almost like I don''t know you at all. Would you rather I eat them to gain their XP?"


    ?Hardly. They are even weaker than the rabbits. They would not yield much. But since there are over thirty of them, they should suffice. Quantity over quality is also a gain.?


    "Sensei! How could you!"


    ?Why not? They are not your siblings. You have every reason to eat them.?


    The word siblings made me wince as I remembered my own.


    How could he say something so disgusting? What a joke. He did not need to tell me twice. There was no way I would ever acknowledge them as my family. How could some snakespare to the real thing.


    "Just because I can do something doesn''t always mean I should. I''m not as coldblooded as you would think. Those snakes have the potential to be my personal force if I train them like the alpha wolf did with his pack."


    I wasn''t thinking irrationally by leaving them alive.


    The memory of the coordinated attacks of the wolfs made me admire them. If the nestlings coulde under mymand like the wolves, hunting would be more efficient.


    With a joint force, it would be easy to take down any creature in thebyrinth with little damage, unlike when I attacked by myself.


    To make up for the disparity of our abilities, quantity over quality was better. Any foe would perish no matter how strong, when swarmed by multitudes of ants, so why not snakes?

 Chapter 23 - A Challenge

    If I attacked together with the nestlings the damage dealt would double. To increase their incentive, I would share the spoils ording to their contributions.


    Sensei was right to be reluctant.


    Meeting the quota for Devour this way would be slower. But, if I let the nestlings hunt for me while also hunting separately, the amount of prey gathered would be great.


    I could instruct them to huntrge numbers of a specific creature then bring them back to the nest.


    I wondered if there was a skill that let you exert your will over others.


    Like a pack leader who thrived on intimidation, my orders would be absolute. They were not allowed to eat any of the food until I did, neither were they allowed to eat while on the hunt.


    Only when the prey was safely in the nest would I give them a share. This way I got the maximum benefit. Selfish yes, but necessary for my survival.


    The only problem was the time limit of one hour.


    At a time like this, I really wished I had an ability like teleportation. If I had that and followed them on the hunt, I could deliver the food back to the nest instantly. It would really stop the interference of thieving scavengers.


    I wonder if such a skill exists.


    ?Wishful thinking isn''t fact. You have yet to prove you can seed in this Labyrinth and now you want to add more burdens.?


    "Then allow me to prove it to you. If my n doesn''t work I will cut them loose."


    ?As you wish?


    [Quest Issued: Train Nest Mates. Reward: 50XP. [Time Limit: 336 Hours]]


    "Hey! I didn''t say make it into a quest! Why is there no option to reject?"


    ?Are you saying you can''t do it??


    Sensei''s condescending voice prickled at my overachievers pride. I felt thoroughly looked down on, like he didn''t expect a single sessful thing of me and all my effort would be futile.


    No one had spoken to me like that in such a long time and it brought up unpleasant memories that filed me with bitter loathing. I swallowed the impulse to spit venom. How dare he bait me like this.


    I grew livid as I struggled to calm my thoughts, remembering he could read my emotions. If he realised he''d struck a nerve, he would just keep prodding.


    "No. I definitely can. But in two weeks, I''m not so sure. Why the time limit?"


    My voice remained emotionless while my insides churned. Calm down. Don''t give into such childish provocation.


    ?Allow me to prove it to you. Weren''t those your words? Now I am, don''t tell me your promise was false.?


    Tch.


    Was he questioning my ability to fulfil a promise. Did he think I had no morals?


    For all my faults, deep down I was honest and always stuck to my word. I never made any promise that interfered with my goals, just so I wouldn''t have to renege when the time came.


    These were all things Sensei would know, so why was he acting like he''d forgotten.


    "Training does not happen instantly. It''s a work in progress that takes time. If it is rushed, problems would urter. I need more things to make sure it is a sess."


    ?Like what??


    "A pack leader skill. Something to mark and store all the caught prey. A fast delivery method."


    Sensei''s voice chuckled ominously.


    ?If you want them, you''d have to earn it with experience points. As for the option to reject, you can''t. The quest became mandatory when you issued a promise that risked your very survival. Your words alone can''t be a guarantee, I have to enforce them with a quest.?


    So he was just punishing me because I didn''t agree with him. How immature.


    "What If I can''tplete it in the time specified?"


    ?Then you have a choice. You can either face a penalty or fulfil your promise by eating them. Are these conditions satisfactory??


    Eating them? I never said I would.


    Sensei was really brutal. To take my idle words as a promise and then force me to fulfil them. Wasn''t this just bullying?


    What sort of penalty? Would he deduct my points to negative digits since he was so greedy for them?


    "What are the conditions forpletion?"


    ?They must reach LV5 with an additional five skills.?


    Heh. That didn''t sound too bad.


    I had gained three skills just by hunting normally and all on my first try. It didn''t take long for me to level up either, although I had to kill a higher level monster to do it.


    At the time I was by myself, so it was hard. If the nestlings were in groups, all attacking together, killing another would be easy.


    "Fine. I''ll do it."


    ?For all of them.?


    "What? For all thirty, are you insane? Are you trying to work me to death?"


    Sensei chuckled.


    ?Can you not do it? What a shame. You can admit your failure now and spare yourself the trouble.?


    The lighthearted, feathery voice floating through my senses, emphasised the words ''shame'' and ''failure'' in such an irritating way that I grew angry. Those patronising words were clearly meant to bait me but I was confident.


    "I can."


    Sensei grew quiet, the tense silence causing me to feel ufortable. Was he angry?


    ?You''re very reckless. As my former student I thought you were smarter.?


    Why did he sound so disappointed?


    I was livid. Who does he think he is? Like his opinion meant anything to me. He was just a teacher. He did not know anything about me.


    "I''m neither. I''m just confident in my ability."


    ?A ridiculous amount of confidence for someone so easily provoked. How foolish. You are clearly underestimating this Labyrinth. Just because you managed to survive doesn''t mean they will. You will lose them to other creatures. What will you eat when the quest ends and you ultimately fail??


    I put Sensei''s negative voice out of my head. If I was going to prove him wrong I didn''t have time to argue. I descended into the misty forest once more.


    It was clear Sensei would never approve.


    What I had nned was a risk, but if it yielded results it would be worth it. I wasn''t fond of the nestlings nor was I keeping them alive due to some familial affection. If I was able to use them, they could be a valuable resource.


    I couldn''t understand why he refused to acknowledge this. Was he that concerned I would be in danger, or was he more worried my collection of experience points would suffer during the time it took to train them.


    Was that why he shortened it to two weeks?


    I arrived at the scene of the battle, to find everything had been scraped clean. The torn limbs of the bison were no longer there. All that was left was arge pool of blood, some scraps of flesh, and pieces of shattered bone.


    Had the wolves returned to clear the scene? It was very likely.


    It was a truly gruesome sight. The putrid stench of old blood filled the air along with unpleasant scuttling sounds. Looking closely at the blood I noticed little things moving inside it.


    It was filled with wriggling maggots, a sea of beetles and what looked like cockroaches swimming. They all seemed to be eating whatever flesh was left with relish. I watched the disgusting sight.


    How gross.


    They were the bottom feeders, the clean-up crew that only came out in the aftermath of a fight. I turned my head and moved on.


    Even insects like them had to eat.


    Arguing with Sensei only confirmed my suspicion. He was different. Sensei was always weird, but he was never this cold.


    It scared me to think the system was changing him in ways I couldn''t predict. What was happening to him right now? Was he still the same person or had his persona been switched out for something else?


    "How is it going with assimting your memories?" I probe.


    There was a long silence before he spoke. Was he sulking?


    ?It''s going well. I am currently absorbing the history of this world to understand the current level of civilisation among the races. There is a lot of information.?


    He sounded exhausted. It must be hard to get through. Did he need to do that to guide me properly?


    "Is this world in a dangerous state?" I asked.


    Perhaps the reason he was pushing me so hard was because of a crisis that needed me to be stronger to survive it. Aing extinction event or one that had already decimated the.


    ?All major races are at peace. There is no war due to the existence of a peace treaty. Only minor squabbles within countries exist.?


    Peace. That was unexpected. If the world was at peace then why did he seem so urgent.


    "If it''s peaceful. I would love to see outside."


    Sensei sighed.


    ?Are you unaware of your status in this Labyrinth? Do you think you can easily walk out of here. You are one of the lowest creatures. Anything here can kill you, even those rabbits. You may not want to get strong but since I am bound to you, you leave me with little choice. I''m not about to perish for your stupidity.?


    "I thought you couldn''t die."


    I felt like teasing him for the things he put me through but he did not rise to my provocation.


    ?What do you think of your situation? You don''t have the luxury of stability where you can grow up safely. As your teacher I have to ensure you remain alive. To ovee the difficulty of your environment, you must work even harder for me.?


    Eh?


    There was concern in his voice but it sounded twisted. Not at all like an affectionate teacher, It was more like a trainer determined to whip my chubby body into shape. Help.


    ?If I don''t, you will surely die in this ce. If you don''t want to live, you might as well lie down here and let those roaches eat you.?


    Was he insane? How could I?


    I look back at the squirming mess of bottom feeders that had managed to devour all the blood and flesh that the bison left behind, in such a short time. I felt deep disgust. They didn''t even leave bone!


    There was no hint of blood anywhere. It was almost like rain had fallen and wiped everything clean. How thorough!


    The creatures notice me pass with the wolf corpse and they all look up at me with salivating maws.


    I immediately curl myself, rearing my head threateningly to appearrger, as I hiss at them.


    The creatures took onest look at me, then at the wolf corpse resentfully, before crawling back into the forest.


    I felt relieved.


    It was for the best. I didn''t want to eat such dirty creatures anyway.


    I drag the wolf corpse through the low vegetation until I arrived at a familiar crack in the rocks that housed a deep cavern below.


    I was finally home.

 Chapter 24 - A Familiar Greeting

    I peer through the crack that was the entrance of the cave, to see the nestlings all gathered up in one area, peacefully asleep.


    How could they all sleep with no one left to keep watch. How careless!


    An enemy could have passed by and raided the nest in my absence. They were so lucky the cave was well hidden.


    I drag the wolf corpse and fling it over the edge.


    It falls from the entrance to the ground with a loud bang.


    The sound wakes up the nestlings. It started with a slow ripple as they began to stir, slowly crawling out of the nest that was a tangled mess of sleeping bodies. Soon, they were all alert.


    Awake and ready for an attack, the nestlings look around the cave for the source of the loud noise.


    I look at them all from up high, displeased.


    So now you wake up.


    When I hiss, they all turn to look up.


    Something begins to happen to the group. First it was just two, then ten, and suddenly they are all doing the same wriggling dance as they look at me.


    Each of them with a pleased look as they gyrated about like little bendy straws.


    Was this spaghetti dance supposed to be a new form of greeting?


    I stared at them with a deadpanned face as Sensei bursts outughing.


    This was not what I intended by showing them how to do this!


    I was d they recognised me this time, but was this going to happen every time I saw them?


    That is not a greeting you idiots!


    If another creature saw this, weren''t they advertising to the world just how stupid they were?


    How embarrassing for me, their aspiring leader!


    They were absurdly cute creatures.


    No! I refuse to think of this as cute.


    They were going to be my force from now on. My little terror minions were not cute! How could they look so pathetic!


    I helplessly sighed. To think I was going to have to train these idiots.


    I was annoyed at their stupidity and myself for showing it to them. Great job Aurelia, you''ve really outdone yourself.


    ?At least they learn fast?


    "That''s not helping, Sensei."


    I climb down the cave wall, carefully navigating a path to the ground by gripping on to cracks and any jutting rocks.


    Once down, I drag the wolf corpse away.


    I notice the nestlings have begun to look at it with hungry eyes. They must be ravenous at the sight of fresh meat and I would use that to my benefit.


    As I take the wolf away, the nestlings follow me. Some salivated at it while others just followed silently.


    For a second, I thought they were about to swarm and attack me for it, but they don''t. The all cautiously stare at me, then at the wolf, their eyes glistening with undisguised hunger.


    I was surprised they had such self control.


    I remembered Sensei''s words. How he''d said they weren''t truly hungry and just liked the texture of the egg shells. What a liar! This was clearly the sign of ravenous hunger!


    I appraise the nearest nestlings and see its stamina points are dangerously low.


    Not hungry indeed! I should have a word with himter.


    I stop dragging the wolf corpse and face off with the hungry nestlings. They don''t move like they will attack me, they just stare. They seemed more afraid of me than before.


    My new horns marked me out as different, even though we were still the same size with the same markings.


    I stand in front of my quarry like a stern guard.


    I suppose they couldn''t attack because I looked differently than I used to. They were probably wary of my horns, or of me.


    I wasn''t that strong to confidently take on all of them at once. However, they did not seem to realise this.


    I watch one of the nestlings tentatively take a step forward, cautiously approaching me and the wolf. It attempts to take a bite.


    I immediately strike at it, shing its body with my horns. It reels back in pain from the two shallow cuts on its body. While it retreats I follow it, constricting its body in a tight hold that forcibly stops its blood flow, until it suffocates.


    It is already fatigued from hunger and does not stand a change. I release the nestling as soon as it faints.


    It was better for me to overwhelm them with brute force, before they wizened up to attacking me together.


    The others look at me, confusion in their beady eyes.


    I really wished I couldmunicate with them to clear up the misunderstanding, but I couldn''t, so I had to settle for doing things this crude way.


    They all looked hungry, but none tried toe forward. Not after seeing what had happened to thest nestling who tried.


    I bite deeply at the wolf corpse, cutting off a chunk of flesh which I set on the ground. The nestlings all follow it with sparkling eyes, their mouths drooling.


    It only took one look to know what they were thinking, they probably thought I wanted to divide it amongst them myself.


    A nestling approaches the meat but watches me hesitantly.


    When I don''t do anything, it sees this as a sign of approval and moves to eat. Its caution wiped away by the hunger that blinds it.


    I immediately sh at it and it backs away, my horn just narrowly misses its head. The other snakes all step back in confusion, looking at me with terrified looks.


    This isn''t how I wanted this to go.


    I take the meat and set it before them, gesturing up at the wall with my horns and then down at it. Hoping they would understand.


    The nestling just continues to stare at the meat and me in confusion. The others that are further away look on at us.


    I carry the meat over to the wall and point at it.


    They keep looking confused, even after I repeat the same instruction, gesturing at the wall over and over again. Until finally, one snake moves to the wall and starts to climb it.


    I felt so happy that I wanted to cheer it on. Finally somebody gets it!


    I watch the nestling climb, getting about midway through before falling down.


    Its body twitches painfully on the ground, as it struggles to get up. It must already has pain resistance because it didn''t pass out immediately.


    With this fall it would gain impact resistance, that was a second skill down.


    This quest was not so bad after all!


    The nestlings were pretty good at following instructions as long as they understood what I meant. Having amunication barrier was the only thing that made this difficult.


    I carry the piece of meat over to my fallen brethren and set it down beside it. It quickly gobbles it down, its pain momentarily forgotten.


    As it eats, I watch its diminished HP replenish to half.


    Hmm... so food refilled it much quicker than just waiting around.


    The others that watched, see that I have allowed him to eat and soon more begin to climb the wall. They are lethargic but are spurred on by the promise of food.


    I watch their attempts.


    After repeated tries, some have managed to reach a quarter of the wall but keep falling.


    I reward each one with a small piece of meat which disappears into their mouths instantly. If they wanted more, they would have to resume the climb after they recovered.


    I let them continue their attempts until I see each one has fallen at least twice. After each fall I check to see who has pain resistance, impact resistance or both.


    After so many falls, their earlier enthusiasm is gone.


    With only so much meat to go around, their HP and SP are not recovering as fast as they lose them by falling.


    I look around at all the tired, demotivated nestlings and start to demonstrate the proper climbing method to them.


    They watch as I scale the wall, using grip to strongly attach myself to each rock before moving to the next. I do this repeatedly until I have climbed up to the exit without a single fall.


    The nestlings watch but I am unsure if they understand what I am doing.


    I climb down and just as I am about to demonstrate the climb again. I see some of the nestlings have begun to follow my example.


    Half of them manage to grip the wall without falling, while the other half is not so sessful.


    Of the better half, I see two nestlings that have managed to properly implement my strategy and have climbed half of the wall without falling once.


    The upper half where the curve steeps upside down is the most difficult part. Yet, somehow they managed to reach up to this point, until it got too hard and they had to crawl back down.


    I was impressed at how quickly some of them were catching on.


    The two that reached the highest point, I awarded with huge chunks of meat.


    Seeing this the others try harder, emting my climbing method until fifteen more reach the midpoint.


    I also reward them with meat.


    The ones who weren''t as sessful only received a small portion.


    I let them keep practising and appraise the sessful ones. I see they have managed to get [Grip] to LV2, along with [Impact Resistance] and [Pain Resistance] which was pretty fast.


    The constant falling seemed to do the trick!


    After what felt like hours I bring an end to the training session.


    The nestling all gather in one ce and fall asleep, their bodies in various stages of bruising, all looking worse for wear. I felt slightly sorry for them.


    Imagine having peaceful days and then suddenly getting thrown into difficult training. But it was all for their own good.


    The ones who worked hard here were one step closer to surviving the Labyrinth when they got out.


    There wasn''t much meat left on the wolf corpse, but I took it away with me while I found a good corner of the nest to rest.


    I curl myself and drift away to sleep.

 Chapter 25 - Commander

    I woke up to the sensation of movement around me.


    Hushed hissing sounds, the asional rustling noise of bodies moving over the ground, and the sound of something getting dragged away.


    I calmly activated heat sense to scan my surroundings for enemies.


    It revealed the heat traces of several snake figures around me.


    Some in the act of taking away the wolf corpse and others gathered around my sleeping form, watching me warily.


    I opened my eyes just as a pair of fangs swiped towards me. I immediately twist away and the snake''s fangs stab the ground. Getting up, I look at the offending nestlings surrounding me.


    For a moment, I was blinded by rage as I realised what they were attempting in my sleep. I propelled my head forward, immediately attacking the nearest snake with my horns.


    In my haste I did not control my strength and it left a deep gash in the snake''s body.


    The nestling fell back, bleeding and hissing in pain.


    The others saw this and came after me, the rest of them attacking together. I looked around me, counting about twelve of them.


    ''Why were they so few, where were the rest?''


    Heat sense revealed more snakes further down in the cave, unmoving. I could hear their deep breathing, they must be asleep.


    I was d.


    At least I wouldn''t have to face a horde of thirty angry snake babies at once! Twelve was easy.


    To think I would be plotted against by my own nest mates. I expected something like this to happen but not so soon.


    Perhaps when the training got tougher, but not after the first day!


    Ah, thesezy children.


    I appraised the three nearest snakes and saw their dangerously low stamina levels and barely half bars of HP.


    ___________________


    Nameless LV1 [Small Hatchling Snake]


    Specie: Ailith Cerastes


    HP: 13/30 Defence: 15


    MP: 06/08 Intellect: 9


    SP: 07/26 Magic: 8


    Attack: 20 Agility: 25


    Skills:


    [Bite: LV1] [Poison Fang: LV1]


    [Scent: LV1] [Heat Sense: LV1]


    Resistances:


    [Pain Resistance: LV2]


    [Impact Resistance: LV1]


    ___________________


    As I thought, they were weak.


    I went to sleep peacefully because the wall climbing left so many in a damaged state. It was impossible for them to have recovered so soon.


    Their movements were slow and clumsy. I was able to easily evade their bites, using their momentum against them. My side horns shed each snake just as they passed by me.


    This would be quick.


    From their diminished HP, I could tell these were the nestlings that failed to climb the walls properly.


    They had received less foodpared to those that seeded. It seemed they hade to steal what was left of the wolf corpse while I slept.


    To band together and retaliate by relying on numbers.


    Their efforts were amusing.


    It showed they were thinking, at least.


    There was some hope for them yet.


    From their earlier meek behaviour, I thought I had beaten down all of their courage but it seemed their intense hunger had given them some unexpected strength.


    I should have been more vignt.


    I was d they were thinking, buting after me was the wrong use of their brain.


    I only created shallow cuts on each snake as I moved through their midst, sticking close to the ground, to stay out of the range of their fangs.


    The cave was filled with the sounds of their furious hissing.


    I did not bite because I didn''t want to seriously harm them. Aside from the first snake that I identally shed too deeply, I controlled my attacks thus far.


    I didn''t want to unintentionally kill any of them, that would only please Sensei.


    Their movements were slowpared to mine, I could sense every snakeing with my heat sense, and their vibrations told me which direction a bite wasing from.


    I was able to easily evade theirbined attacks because I was more familiar with my skills than they were, and most importantly, all my stats were full and I was not hungry.


    They came to attack me as a group, but their hunger did them no favours. They had the element of surprise before, but now that I was awake, their ns fell apart.


    Their attacks were simple, easy to read andcked any strength behind them. They did not cooperate between themselves during their attacks. When they moved to strike, their intention was always revealed in their eyes.


    They should have used heat sense, then they wouldn''t have to look at all!


    Their dependence on their eyes, made weaving through their messy attacks simple.


    The hungry snakes could barely follow my movements, their bodies simply failed to keep up with my agility.


    Their attacks only grew weaker with time and more of them got wounded.


    After a while, some of the snakes began to retreat, while only a few remained to fight even when their attacks had grown dull.


    Haven''t they lost their confidence yet?


    I appraised the remaining snakes and found a surprising new skill.


    ___________________


    Nameless LV1 [Small Hatchling Snake]


    Specie: Ailith Cerastes


    HP: 09/30 Defence: 15


    MP: 03/08 Intellect: 9


    SP: 05/26 Magic: 8


    Attack: 20 Agility: 25


    Skills:


    [Bite: LV1] [Poison Fang: LV1]


    [Scent: LV1] [Heat Sense: LV1]


    Resistances:


    [Pain Resistance: LV2]


    [Impact Resistance: LV1]


    [Fear Resistance LV1]


    ___________________


    So they were resisting their fear. I wanted tough at the irony.


    Higher level skills would bring them closer to levelling up. That was good for the quest, but not so much for me right now!


    To think they would gain a skill that could be used against me.


    I need to end this quickly before they gain more skills that could make this fight more difficult. And so, I decided to switch to a different offensive tactic.


    I sank my body low to the ground, burying it in sand.


    It would be harder to guard against something they couldn''t see.


    Once hidden, I immediately gave them a ferocious beat down.


    I struck each snake in session as I swam through the ground, opening up cuts all over their bodies and depleting their HP bars, but I made sure not to hit any vital parts and left them with single digits.


    By only revealing myself when I was about to strike, I gave them no opportunity to retaliate.


    I couldn''t use any venom since they were already resistant, so the only option was to exhaust their remaining stamina by bleeding them.


    To my annoyance, their fear resistance went up another level.


    At the sound of the continuous fighting, the other nestlings were starting to wake up one by one.


    I was running out of time.


    If more came to join in the attack the fight will drag longer and I would definitely lose some HP.


    I didn''t look at the stirring snakes, I simply kept my heat sense on to alert me when any new snake slithered within striking distance.


    I hastened the beat down, striking quickly until none of the twelve snakes were no longer able to move properly. They were all twitching in pain from multiple cuts on their bodies.


    Hunger really was a terrible thing.


    The more I hit them, the more they seemed to lose their sanity. They just kepting at me even when the ones before them hadn''t managed to hit me once.


    If they kept up with these attacks I would have to stop going easy on them.


    As one more poorly aimed bite came my way, I sensed a new snake approaching with heat sense.


    Before I could turn to attack it, this new snake deflected the blow directed at me, by tackling the attacker with its own body.


    And then another snake joined it and grasped one of the wounded snakes with a constriction hold, squeezing it hard.


    The new snakes, rather than attacking me with the hungry group, havee to defend me.


    What was happening? Was this a rescue?


    As more snakes woke up, they rushed to join them, soon there were more than fifteen of my snake siblings in front of me, shielding me. And the wounded snakes no longer dared to attack again.


    Huh? Were they trying to save me?


    With two snakes standing fiercely on either side of me, the others arranged themselves like a shield wall. I felt like a real damsel in distress.


    Eh? I would have been fine either way. Thatst attack was really slow too.


    As I looked at the snakes surrounding me, I realised that these snakes were the ones that had sessfully climbed the walls.


    I recognised them because although their bodies bore signs of bruising, their stamina points were not depleted and their HP was full, meaning they had been fed.


    They were much stronger than the snakes attacking me.


    With theirrge numbers and better physical ability, they quickly overpowered them. After this, the hungry snakes who were now heavily injured, were left quivering in a corner.


    Then I heard a ding and the emotionless voice of the system.


    ?You have earned the title¡ºCommander¡»Activating status effect. Sess?


    Eeeeh!


    I looked at all the nestlings in front of me, and directed a fierce gaze at the defeated snakes. If snake eyes could convey emotion, I could have sworn they looked angry.


    What was going on here! Shouldn''t they be helping their fellow nest mates?


    ?These group of snakes have acknowledged you as their leader. And so they havee to defend you.?


    "Ah really? Still, to beat up those snakes so badly. Isn''t that too mean."


    Although I said this I couldn''t help feeling pleased. All these little snakes were at lower levels than me, none higher than LV1, yet they came forward to defend me. I felt more than a little happy.


    Ah, they were so adorable.


    I didn''t need a rescue but thank you so much!


    I thought they would hate me because I made them climb the wall earlier, but it seemed that was not the case.


    ?Why is it suddenly so pink in here??


    "Quiet Sensei. You''re ruining the mood."


    ?Are you that happy??


    "Yes and no. I''m just a little surprised. This is the first time anyone has ever defended me like this. Well, technically they are not people, but this is still great."


    ?You''re a strange one. Of course they will jump to your defence when they see you winning. There''s nothing great about that.?


    Sensei was quick to dampen my mood but I didn''t let him affect me.


    "If I''m strange then what should I call you?" I retorted, as harshly as I could.


    ?Am I supposed to feel insulted??


    "Shh stop talking. This is a proud moment for me, stop ruining it! And more importantly, why didn''t you wake me? You don''t need to sleep as a system. If you knew they wereing to attack me, you should have done something!"


    ?You weren''t in any danger.?


    Ah, indeed I was never in any real danger. From the moment they attacked I could have killed them if I were truly serious. But still! It was the principle. Themon courtesy of not waking up just as a blow was about to hit your head.


    "If I was, would you?"


    ?Of course.?


    Ah! Why didn''t I believe him! He sounded sincere enough but would he really? This system was far too suspicious.


    I looked around at the beaten up snakes and the nestlings that guarded me with triumphant looks on their faces.


    Now, it''s time to face the real problem.


    I couldn''t possibly let a threat to me remain in the nest. What was I to do with these nestlings now?

 Chapter 26 - Adorable Nestlings

    There was no concept of jail here. I couldn''t exactly put them away somewhere, to make sure they didn''t attack me again.


    After the fight, there were twelve heavily injured, exhausted nestlings, and one unconscious one.


    That was the first snake I hit.


    Its wounds had already closed but it showed no sign of regaining consciousness. I checked for a pulse and found it was still alive, so that was a relief.


    To conclude, it was a one sided victory!


    Take that! You colluding snakes!


    I would''ve felt more at ease if they were no longer there, but throwing them out of the nest would be too cruel.


    They were too weak to survive even a day out there and when you add the wounds on their bodies, their chances of survival were reduced even more.


    The wolves would smell their blood from a mile away, and worse, those unsightly bottom feeders would find them much quicker.


    At that point, they were weak enough to be overpowered by anything, even bugs.


    Still, it was dangerous having them around.


    ''Should I just kill them?''


    I could get their experience points and end the threat. That would be a double win!


    Hm... but doing that would only prove Sensei right. I didn''t want to hear his smug voice telling me ''I told you so.''


    Besides, it was their first offence, and they were basically still infants. Ending their lives now would be too extreme. It would also inhibit my ns.


    With less snakes, how could I put together enough forces to hunt?


    I need enough nestlings to be able form hunting teams, which meant every member was essential.


    I should not be so hasty.


    The nestlings kept the wounded ones on guard, constantly watching them so they didn''t try to make any moves.


    Their wounds had stopped bleeding, but their HP and SP levels were recovering at a sluggish pace. At this rate, It could take hours or maybe a full day for them to recover their vitality.


    I slithered around the cave, deep in thought.


    What I needed was something that couldpel them, to make them willingly listen to me.


    Brainwashing with a skill was out of the question. At present the store only had two skills with neither of the intended effects.


    [Dragon Scales: 250XP] and [Poison Resistance: 100XP]


    ''So should I just break them?''


    I could always condition them by beating them so badly they never again think of rebelling again.


    Huh... what was I thinking? That would be too cruel for babies!


    Killing them here would also have a negative impact on the other nestlings that had chosen to follow me. It would paint me in a bad light.


    Like an unmerciful tyrant who lorded their strength over the weak.


    Hm... what to do? But first things first.


    "What are the effects of [Commander]?"


    ?It grants the wilder authority as a leader. Your words can now convey instructions they understand.?


    That wasn''t too bad. I could now essentially speak the snake tongue. It made my job so much easier.


    But from the sound of it, they had to be willing.


    I could not enforce my will over theirs or coerce them to follow me if they didn''t want to.


    If I thought of it like a pack, any member was free to leave if the conditions did not suit them.


    What I needed in this situation was something that could override that choice, like the reverence a subject had towards their queen.


    But to have something like that, they would have to be indoctrinated from birth like a queen bee did to the hive of worker bees.


    Would I have to be their mother then? I shuddered at the thought.


    Did I really want mindless followers like that? Hm...


    The nestlings were adorable because of their little personality quirks. They weren''t an intelligent species in the first ce, but to reduce them to mindless drones would be terrible.


    I would rather have loyal subjects.


    But, what does one do when faced with a betrayal? What would be the more impactful decision here as a leader?


    Was it to show benevolence?


    I didn''t want to, but thinking it through logically, this was the only right way.


    As annoying as it was to spare them. The ones who stayed with me would remain loyal when they see they made the right choice by defending me.


    If the nestlings saw how mercifully I acted, they would be reluctant to betray me again.


    In the fight earlier, they could have easily taken the side of the wounded nestlings to overpower me, yet they didn''t. And now, I have to prove that their choice was right.


    Rather than act like a tyrant, I would like to be a noble leader.


    So, without wasting any time, I used my new title and instructed the nestlings to resume their training.


    Previously, when I tried to speak, my words came out as hisses. Now, It was still a hiss, but this time it conveyed a meaning that the nestlings could understand.


    After receiving mymand, they left to resume climbing the walls, all except two nestlings who remained to watch the wounded rebels.


    This [Commander] title sure was great!


    It felt awesome that they could finally understand me. Although, it felt a little lonely because they could not respond, it was still progress.


    Sigh. I wish there was a way to help themmunicate.


    There had to be a snakenguage or something! Or maybe something like telepathy or mind reading would be fine too!


    I decided to practice more with [Commander].


    I instructed the two nestlings beside me to bring over the wolf corpse.


    To my surprise, they did not move and just stared at me. Then one of the snakes turned to me and then at the wounded nestlings, its small eyes filled with worry and reluctance.


    Ah, It seemed they didn''t want to leave me alone.


    I wanted tough. I was the strongest of them all and yet they were acting so protectively of me. How adorable!


    I shake my snake head and repeat my instruction. After what felt a bit like a standoff, only one of the two snakes went off while the other remained by my side like a stern guard.


    What was going on here? It seemed I didn''t have to do as much to inspire loyalty in them. These two snakes were already treating me like I was their leader.


    "Does [Commander] have a hidden effect I don''t know about?" I tentatively asked Sensei.


    ?Influencing people solely depends on your decisions as a leader. They must see you as kind and just.?


    Was this because I didn''t kill the nestlings?


    This only confirmed I made the right choice and gave me some confidence, especially with what I was about to do next.


    With the wolf corpse brought over. I instructed the training nestlings to stop.


    As soon as I hiss out themand, all the nestlings paused climbing the walls and gathered in front of me like soldiers. It was a cool yet strange scene to witness.


    The two previous snakes stayed by my side, following me around like they were my personal guards. I was grinning from ear to ear at how precious they were.


    As I slithered my way towards the wounded nestlings, they shrunk away in fear when they saw me approaching them.


    My grin must''ve looked extremely menacing because the closer I moved towards them, the more they trembled like broken leaves amidst a wild gale.


    I really should work on my smile.


    It wasn''t entirely the fault of my scary smile though, you know. I med the two overprotective snakes by my side with their fierce gaze directed at the rebels.


    It seemed the strong presence of the three snakes approaching them together was too much for them to handle in their weakened state. Oh, I''d hate to look like a bully.


    I''d shown them too much of the stick, and the poor injured nestlings were sorely due for some carrots.


    Their states were too pitiful to leave them alone.


    With all the nestlings gathered before me, I gestured to the wolf corpse and instructed them all to eat.


    The wounded nestlings were hesitant at first but after I repeated myself again, more strongly, they eventually slithered out of their group and huddled around the corpse with the others to eat.


    They would however, asionally peer over towards me as if they were afraid I would attack them once they took their eyes off me.


    I let out a helpless sigh. Just eat, you idiots!


    I approached thest one who was still lying unconscious. I''d hate to see it miss out on all the food as this one was in a more desperate state. It needed to eat immediately to regain its stats.


    Although it had attacked me first, I couldn''t fault it since it was starving. With a sharp prod from my horns, it woke up with a start.


    Seeing me still alive and well, the snake does something odd. Rather than attacking me, it bent it head, to what I think resembles a bow.


    It seems the nestlings weren''t entirely stupid. They do know when to bow down to the strong.


    I appraised its stats out of curiosity.


    ___________________


    Nameless LV1 [Small Hatchling Snake]


    Specie: Ailith Cerastes


    HP: 02/30 Defence: 15


    MP: 02/08 Intellect: 10


    SP: 00/26 Magic: 8


    Attack: 20 Agility: 25


    Skills: [Bite: LV1] [Poison Fang: LV1]


    [Scent: LV1] [Heat Sense: LV1]


    Title: [Pit Member]


    Resistances: [Pain Resistance: LV2]


    [Impact Resistance: LV1]


    [Faint Resistance: LV1]


    ___________________


    I noticed it now had the title [Pit Member]


    I appraised all the nestlings around me and noticed they all had the same title, even the wounded ones. Was this due to [Commander]?


    I was surprised the nestlings that attacked me also got the title. I didn''t believe they truly saw me as their leader. At least not yet.


    The fight had shown just how easy it was to overpower them, even when they attacked in groups. They must have realised I wasn''t fighting seriously with my full strength.


    Did they decide to join the pit out of their fear of me?


    I watched the group carefullye together, along with all the other nestlings. As they ate the wolf corpse, their HP bars slowly increased to full.


    If they were smart, they would not repeat their insurrection again.


    Because, the next time I would not be so merciful.


    I hoped that with this gesture they would eventuallye to see me as their true leader and not obey me simply out of fear.


    There was still a long way to go before I could inspire true loyalty, but at least I was certain I''d managed to charm at least two of the nestlings. My own personal guards! They were just too adorable!


    After the nestlings finished their food, I instructed them to resume their training. This time, they went at it without anyints.

 Chapter 27 - Anomalies

    As I observed the nestlings over the course of the next few days, I began to notice a few things.


    Firstly, my guards were adorable. And secondly, I seemed to have gained an admirer of sorts. It was the unconscious snake from the rebel group.


    For some reason it seemed to have grown especially fond of me.


    It would follow me around the nest everywhere. I had to hiss at it few times to resume training, just so it would leave me alone.


    It was extremely clingy, especially when it was time to sleep.


    ''Why did this snake always want to huddle up next to me?''


    Did it think I was its mother or something?


    Even my two loyal guards did not bother me as much.


    However, because of this snake''s annoying behaviour, the mood around the nest had been more rxed. When the other snakes saw that I didn''tsh out at him, they began to feel encouraged. And soon more and more snakes beganing to me.


    They couldn''t really talk so they would just linger next to me.


    But soon enough, I faced another problem at the end of the day.


    All of the snakes wanted to remain close to me. I would sleep alone and wake up with additional snakes in my nest area. At first it was just two, then five and the numbers just kept on growing with every passing night.


    I couldn''t tell them apart by appearances, since they all looked almost the same. I need to spend more time with them to be able to tell them apart from each other. But judging from the shape and thickness of their tails, I could at least tell their genders.


    The nestlings were split evenly with fifteen males and fifteen females. The clingy snake was a male and I could tell him apart from the long scar right across his belly that I''d given him.


    My two guards were respectively male and female. The female one seemed to have an abundance of white stripes while the male was almost entirely ck, with only a few white stripes at his neck and midsection.


    As I woke up, I was not surprised to find my body half buried under a pile of eighteen sleeping bodies.


    I let out a helpless sigh. What did I expect from a bunch of infants?


    It now happened so often I was already used to this.


    Waking up to this everyday was beginning to exhaust me. The nestlings were behaving like cats more and more. They would wake up at the slightest movement and then follow me around the nest. Everyday, it was the same thing all over again.


    So I stayed in ce and let them continue sleeping.


    They worked really hard yesterday. They deserved their rest.


    The nestlings were making steady progress on climbing, after falling repeatedly on the first day most of them had gained [Grip LV1] and could understand the proper climbing method.


    But most of their stats were simr.


    __________________


    Nameless LV1 [Small Hatchling Snake]


    Specie: Ailith Cerastes


    HP: 30/30 Defence: 15


    MP: 08/08 Intellect: 9


    SP: 26/26 Magic: 8


    Attack: 20 Agility: 25


    Skills: [Poison Fang: LV1]


    [Scent: LV1] [Grip: LV2]


    [Heat Sense: LV1] [Bite: LV1]


    Titles: [Pit Member]


    Resistances: [Pain Resistance: LV2]


    [Impact Resistance: LV1]


    __________________


    The wounded nestlings were making progress, but they still chose to stay away from me.


    Unlike the rest of the nestlings, they did not try to sleep near me or gather around me. I felt they were still wary of me because of the beating but, there''s nothing I could do about that.


    That was all in the past.


    They followed my instructions and did not try anything suspicious. So, I left them alone. They woulde around eventually, I just had to wait patiently.


    For the moment, their progress was slow, but they were quickly catching up with their siblings.


    ___________________


    Nameless LV1 [Small Hatchling Snake]


    Specie: Ailith Cerastes


    HP: 25/30 Defence: 15


    MP: 08/08 Intellect: 9


    SP: 20/26 Magic: 8


    Attack: 20 Agility: 25


    Skills: [Poison Fang: LV1]


    [Scent: LV1] [Grip: LV1]


    [Heat Sense: LV1] [Bite: LV1]


    Titles: [Pit Member]


    Resistances: [Pain Resistance: LV2]


    [Impact Resistance: LV1]


    [Fear Resistance: LV1]


    __________________


    But unlike others, they also possess an additional skill [Fear Resistance: LV1]. The clingy one had another additional skill on top. [Faint Resistance: LV1].


    Out of all the nestlings I noticed some that had taken my climbing form and improved on it. Developing skills I could only call extreme.


    My female guard for one, had found a way to prevent herself from hitting the ground when she slipped off the wall. Rather than falling like the rest and gaining [Impact Resistance] she had figured out a way to glide to the ground.


    She would jump off the wall while ttening her body and form an ''S'' curve in the air.


    By undting her body from side to side she was able to carry herself through the air, it looked as though she were swimming through air currents, with the added ripples slowing down her descent to the ground.


    It was incredibly cool to watch.


    She was much smaller than the other nestlings and I often wondered if a tree snake had gotten mixed up in the nest without me knowing. However, her patterns bore a simrity to the others, so I was confident she hatched from the same eggs.


    With my appraisal, I could notice her stats were also different than the others.


    ___________________


    Nameless LV1 [Small Hatchling Snake]


    Specie: Ailith Cerastes


    HP: 30/30 Defence: 10


    MP: 12/12 Intellect: 15


    SP: 26/26 Magic: 12


    Attack: 20 Agility: 30


    Skills: [Poison Fang: LV1]


    [Scent: LV1] [Grip: LV3]


    [Heat Sense: LV1] [Bite: LV1]


    [Floating Ribs: LV2] [Leap: LV2]


    [Buoyancy: LV1]


    Titles: [Pit Member]


    Resistances: [Wind Resistance: LV2]


    ___________________


    Her intellect was a little higher than the others. It was very possible she developed the skills [Floating Ribs] [Leap] and [Buoyancy] because of her aversion to falling.


    Her gliding skills were very interesting but as a result of them she did not have some important skills like [Pain Resistance] or [Impact Resistance].


    I wasn''t sure if that was a good thing or bad thing.


    The second guard was also different than the others, but he had taken apletely different approach to the female guard. Rather than resisting the fall, he embraced it wholeheartedly and gained his own skills.


    ___________________


    Nameless LV1 [Small Hatchling Snake]


    Specie: Ailith Cerastes


    HP: 18/30 Defence: 20


    MP: 08/08 Intellect: 15


    SP: 20/28 Magic: 8


    Attack: 20 Agility: 18


    Skills: [Poison Fang: LV1]


    [Scent: LV1] [Grip: LV2]


    [Heat Sense: LV1] [Bite: LV1]


    [Steel Skin: LV2] [Rugged Scales: LV3]


    Titles: [Pit Member]


    Resistances: [Pain Resistance: LV4]


    [Impact Resistance: LV4]


    [Faint Resistance: LV2]


    [Shock Resistance: LV1]


    ___________________


    He seemed far closer to getting dragon''s scales than I was!


    My male guard was very sturdy, his scales were much rougher than the others due to his many slips and falls. He was practically covered in little dents and scars.


    Still, he remained unwavering and would continue the climb. But even after he reached the top of the wall, he would still find ways to fall down. I wondered if he simply loved pain or if he was just a very clumsy snake.


    Apart from my two guards, I observed another nestling who was also very unusual.


    He would bite down repeatedly on wooden nks with never before seen speed, his bites were not necessarily strong but his speed was outstanding.


    When I appraised him I found another surprising skill [Rapid Strike: LV1].


    Ah, are they really my dumb nestlings?


    Where did these strange anomaliese from? These three were simply too brilliant!


    They were just like that rabbit I encountered in the tunnel who was different from its siblings and knew surprise attacks!


    They were outliers of the nest, just like I was.


    How interesting. I decided to pay more attention to these three in the future to determine how far their skills would develop.


    I followed in the steps of the fast one and gained [Rapid Strike] too.


    How could I let mere infants outdo me, their leader!


    The rest of the nestlings were normal. They kept up with the climb and were progressing at the standard pace. With repeated falls, their existing skills had increased two levels.


    All that was left was for them to learn new ones.


    Most of them werecking four more skills while some of the better nestlings like my male guard only needed two, and the female needed just one.


    The two anomalies were performing better than the rest and in turn they also gave me an idea. If I had the others practice the same way they did, the others would also eventually gain the same skills.


    My two guards could act as instructors to teach the rest. Even I wouldn''t mind learning few extra skills. And besides, I really want to learn that [Floating Ribs] skill!


    But first, I need to wake them all up.


    Shaking myself awake, I threw off the eighteen snake nestlings piled on top of me.


    They groggily stared at me, blinking a few times to wipe away the sleep.


    There was no time to waste! There should start practising!


    As soon as they gained the same skills as my guards, I only needed to take the nestlings on their first hunt and let them gain [Stealth] or [Silence] to finish the quest.


    Everything was progressing really well.


    I hiss fiercely at the sleepy nestlings, ordering them to get up. Soon they are all lined up in front of me.


    Turning to my two guards, I instructed them to teach the nestlings. My male guard gave a curt nod, his eyes showing a determined glint. Whereas the female guard''s eyes were full of excitement.


    They were like little lieutenants! How adorable!


    First, I made the nestlings practice quick strikes by biting down on wooden nks hoping they would gain [Rapid Strike]. While my guards took a small troop of them through their own activities.


    Soon, the cave was filled with the miserable hisses of snakes who failed. Most, in their attempts at gliding crashed and tangled into each other in the air, while others who managed to reach the ground did so at a weird angle, falling awkwardly on their sides, instead ofnding t on their bellies.


    The wailing hisses of the snakes continued to echo throughout the cave. I felt sorry for them but I ignored their howls because nothing would go in vain. Because, even in their suffering, they would gain another level in [Impact] and [Pain Resistance].


    My guards were strict and ruthless too. They never gave them enough recovery time, and resumed the training only after a short 10 minutes of rest.


    Ah, they were a little too enthusiastic.


    Still, I let them continue, choosing only to monitor them, to let each nestling find their own way. I had to practice my own skills before these brilliant nestlings overtook me.


    [Quest: Train Nest Mates. [Time Remaining: 240 Hours]]

 Chapter 28 - Poison Resistance

    I was wrapped up cosily in the warmth of my nest area, when the peace and quiet was shattered by the ''Ding'' of an alert. I sleepily open one eye to see a message floating above my head.


    [Quest Issued: Increase your poison tolerance to gain the skill [Poison Resistance]. Reward: 50XP]


    "That''s not funny Sensei."


    Ignoring the alert, I close my eyes once more to return to sleep, hoping it would disappear. It must have been a bad dream.


    ?I assure you, it''s not. It''s quite genuine. Now, wake up.?


    "You can''t be serious. I''m right in the middle of a quest and you add another one?"


    ?You have more than enough time to train your nest mates andplete this quest as well. Your resistance to poison is incredibly weak and it is a serious problem.


    If you encounter another creature with poison more potent than yours, it will be difficult for you to survive. I thought you would choose Poison Resistance over Appraisal to counteract this, but you didn''t.?


    Was he saying I chose wrong?


    A skill like [Appraisal] was more essential, giving me information I wouldn''t get otherwise. In a battle, information was worth more than a thousand soldiers. The merits of [Appraisal] over [Poison Resistance] weren''t small. I''d hate to think I made the wrong choice.


    If Sensei was so vehemently against it, he must think I did. But, wasn''t that was just his opinion. It didn''t mean he was right.


    "The main point here is, If. You can''t say I will definitely encounter one."


    ?You can''t leave things up to chance. You must eliminate every variable before they have a chance to strike against you.?


    Why do I feel he was no longer talking about my [Poison Resistance], but the nestlings.


    "What would you say is worth more in a war? Having many soldiers or one skilled general?"


    ?....?


    "The general, no matter how skilled, can''t do everything by himself or be everywhere at once. At such a time, you need good pawns to reach the ces you can''t."


    ?That works only when the pawns are willing to act ording to orders, and not betray the general. Your pawns aren''t reliable, I''d rather stake my bets on the lone general to do the job right.?


    "But one person can''t win a war by themselves!"


    ?What do you think the rest of your ssmates are doing? Unlike you, most of them are in stable environments facing no danger. You can''t leave your fate to unconnected parties that can betray you on a whim.?


    Ah, those guys. I hadn''t thought about them for a long time.


    Regardless of what happened in the past, they must all be confused and terrified at what was happening to us. Wherever they reincarnated they were probably alone or with strangers they didn''t know.


    As the survivors of the massacre, such a petty quarrel didn''t matter anymore when looking at the bigger perspective. Past grievances aside, I wouldn''t mind seeing a familiar face. We were not friends but I didn''t exactly hate them either.


    "You know where they are?"


    ?Yes. They are young and protected. One is close by, above the ground. But she is still an infant.?


    Eh, so she was a human! A momentary pang of pain shed through my heart. These unfair conditions! I was trying my hardest not to hate them but I already felt a bubbling rage and deep jealousy.


    Sensei said she, so there were four possibilities. I wondered who the ''lucky'' one was. I wouldn''t mind paying them a surprise visit.


    "And the others?"


    ?Far from here, across the sea.?


    It was not Sensei''s fault they ended up as babies and I ended up as... this. It was the fault of that petty goddess. Still, I couldn''t help the simmering rage surging out of me.


    Technically I was a baby too but the difference was just too much! I was forced to fight for my survival while they were leisurely enjoying their childhood.


    Ah, this is so unfair! Did that shameless goddess have some grievance with me?


    "Can I see where they are?"


    Sensei breathed an exaggerated sigh.


    ?That''s not the issue. I''m just making a point here.?


    "You can''t just mention something like that and expect me not to ask for details."


    ?Stopining. Remember you have two quests now. If you keep whining like this, I might just add another one.?


    Tch. This ass hole! Did they all have this nagging bastard in their heads too?


    ?What was that??


    "Nothing." I grumbled.


    ?You can''t hole up in here forever. Your precious nest mates are getting hungry. Sooner orter you''ll have to hunt. You can''t have such an obvious weakness in battle.?


    I sighed helplessly, he had a point.


    My time in the nest had been mostly spent training the nestlings and familiarising myself with my new abilities. During this time, I''d learnt more about the shorings of my skills, and with [Poison Resistance] in my arsenal, I could at least cover my bases.


    As the nestlings kept up with their training, I explored the extent of my horn''s abilities. Since gaining Obsidian Horn, this was the first time I truly wielded them for an extended period, but I found they were not as strong as I initially thought.


    I wanted to see the mangrove forest again so I crawled through the small tunnel in our nest to the Cliff''s edge. It went well until halfway through when I nearly chipped them on some overhead rocks. If I wasn''t careful while crawling through tight spaces, they could be easily damaged.


    To test that point, I used them on my male guard''s rugged scales during our spar.


    He''d obliged willingly of course! I would not deliberately hurt any of my adorable nestlings, not if they didn''t try to harm me first!


    And I certainly wouldn''t harm someone as loyal as him.


    I would''ve happily used the traitorous ones as my punching bags, but theypletely avoided me.


    Anyway, I was disappointed to find my horns could only slightly pierce his scales.


    His [Rugged Scales] at LV3 and [Impact Resistance] at LV4 could rebuff them, which showed a skills impact was not necessarily restricted by the level of its wielder.


    Obsidian Horn was a great tool, only if used on the right parts. They worked best on soft flesh, not tough hides, neither could they slice through bone.


    To counteract their weakness I could either increase the strength of the attribute by constant practice, or through levelling up.


    For now, I settled for getting a ranged attack that would keep anything I couldn''t cut at a distance. I haven''t practised to the extent that I broke a horn, but there was a high possibility of that happening in the future if I was careless.


    So far, I had learnt to shoot my venom like a water spray, gaining the skill [Venom Rain: LV1]. It would do damage to any target that had an open wound, or, if I sprayed it directly in their eyes or mouth. It was still a work in progress and its range was limited, but it was an effective evasive attack.


    To cover for the weakness of Obsidian horn, I also tested the limits of heat sense.


    The rabbits had made me wary of attacks from creatures in multiple directions and I found the only way to counter that, was to trace their presence with [Heat Sense] beforehand. By forming a detection sphere around myself I could do exactly that.


    The only problem was that the spheres were extremely expensive. Every time I used it, [Heat Sense] would instantly use up all my MP, only keeping the sphere for a mere three seconds before it dissipated like a dead light bulb.


    My aim was to develop a detection skill that worked passively with my other skills that I could keep on at all times, but it was proving difficult. I practised it so many times, yet I could not find a way to keep it on permanently, without draining my MP.


    However, as a result my [Heat Sense] rose to LV4, so it wasn''t aplete loss. I concluded such a defensive measure was beyond my current capabilities, especially since my MP was so meagre.


    It was exhausting. The more skills I gained, the more ws I found in my defences. Sensei was correct. Without Poison Resistance I was only leaving myself exposed to yet another ring weakness.


    I shook off the eighteen or so snakes in my nest area and they rolled off me like droplets of water, groggily blinking in session at me in protest. The one clingy snake though, crawled up to me and nuzzled its head on me once more before falling asleep again.


    The sound of its faint snoring made me sigh in defeat.


    I resisted the urge to p the silly snake away as I reminded myself that it was only an infant. I had to be more patient and act like an adult, even if it was just an borate show of kindness to keep their support.


    The sooner I obtained more power, the less this would matter.

 Chapter 29 - A Deceptive Title

    The nestlings eventually woke up from their slumber and stared at me, waiting for amand. Their bodies bore signs of their hard work from our training sessions and each one looked much stronger than before.


    It had been a full day since I entrusted my guards with their training and their progress was steadily increasing.


    In the skilful hands of my female guard, some had acquired the [Leap] skill, while only a few of them acquired [Buoyancy]. [Floating Ribs] was proving far more elusive as earning it required a certain uracy and deftness of movement that many of the nestlings were stillcking.


    I myself also only managed to gain [Leap: LV1] and [Buoyancy: LV1].


    On the other side, my male guard''s student''s were progressing smoothly. There wasn''t much difficulty in terms of learning, as all they had to do was fall repeatedly.


    His batch of the troops had already gotten [Rugged Scales] and [Steel Skin] which helped cushion their bodies from repeated falls while learning how to glide. Following them, I also gained [Rugged Scales: LV1] and [Steel Skin: LV1] while my [Pain Resistance] and [Impact Resistance] rose up to LV3.


    I didn''t want to leave the nestlings alone right now, not when they were so close to a breakthrough. If I could push them a little further, I was sure they would gain all the skills I needed to end the quest.


    And Sensei was quick to sense my hesitation.


    ?A small rendezvous won''t affect their progress. You can bring them along to strengthen their [Poison Resistance] too.?


    An outdoor trip, how generous of him. But should I really take them?


    There was no guarantee they wouldn''t be a hindrance in the face of a strong enemy. I didn''t want to have to choose between saving them and having to flee.


    So I decided not to take them.


    Looking at my two guards I issued themand tomence their training and all the nestlings left my side. The sleeping clingy one was dragged away by my male guard, who didn''t listen to any of its hissing protests.


    The new quest didn''t sound too challenging, and I was sure I could do it alone.


    Improving my poison resistance could be done through either of three ways.


    The first. I could eat a toxic creature and hope I''m lucky enough to get the skill [Poison Resistance] with my [Devour]. This method would be quick, but it would not be easy. The creature I had to devour should be a high level monster, and not something I could easily take on.


    The second. I could hunt enough weak monsters to add up to a 100 experience points and then simply purchase the skill in store. It would be efficient and the skills from the store were of the finest quality from our evil overlord Sensei himself, so they were the very best. But, it was time consuming.


    Killing a lot of monsters was both risky and inefficient. If I wanted to do this safely I''d have to grind a lot of weak monsters. And what kind of monsters were ssified as weak? A bug?


    Those rabbits were weak, but they had been difficult to kill, and yet they only gave around 5XP each. If each bug was worth 1XP, I''d have to kill a hundred! It would take days to get 100 points!


    I could always target a dumb monster like the bison again. But would it die fast enough for me to im the XP for the kill. It was highly unlikely. I would just be feeding the birds and wolves again.


    Ugh. It still made me mad how my kill was stolen!


    And thest option was to go the smart route. In movies and books, people always gained resistance to poisons by eating poisonous things. If I found enough poisonous nts and ate them, wouldn''t I gain a natural resistance? It was a decent idea.


    It was an easy and safe method. Although there was a chance of dying through over poisoning, albeit a very small one.


    Well, I wasn''t being over cautious for no reason. Some foods were not meant to be consumed by humans in high quantities, so it was safe to assume the same applies to snakes. Even though I wasn''t knowledgeable enough of what snakes could and couldn''t consume!


    Eating in moderation was the key to gaining a resistance to the substance before its quantity was poisonous enough to kill. But, I didn''t know the limits of this new body.


    What if I ate something that caused an adverse reaction right away!


    Ah. Why didn''t I consider that? Could a snake even get food poisoning?


    That, I wasn''t sure of but the third option was the most attractive one so far. Foraging was a good way to explore the dungeon and if I was lucky I might even find other edible fruits!


    Memories of all the delicious fruits littered my mind. The softness of peaches, the mild sweetness of apricots, the crisp freshness of grapes! How exciting. I wondered what sort of exotic vours I would find in this world.


    I really missed the taste of sweets. Since I was born I only consumed tasteless raw meat.


    I wasn''t picking this route just for food though. It was genuinely the best option!


    I could forage for fruits at the same time as looking for poisons, aplishing two tasks at once. Some fruit seeds were even naturally poisonous!


    Poisonous things were typically stuff like mushrooms and nts. How hard could finding them be?


    A task like this would need a map to pinpoint the location of those nts and I wondered if the store had anything like that.


    I pulled up the menu and all the avable skills were disyed before me.


    I looked at the list and saw there was a new skill as well as an additional menu for items.


    Skills: [Dragon Scales: 250XP] [Poison Resistance: 100XP] [Mark: 100XP]


    Items: [Labyrinth As: 300XP] [Dimensional Box: 350XP] [HP Recovery Potion: 50XP]


    Three additional items and one extra skill. I was amazed.


    Nice one Sensei! I totally misjudged you. You were actually looking out for my best interests all this time!


    But the prices disyed made my fondness grow cold. Thepliment I was about to give him dying on my lips.


    So expensive! How mean could he get!


    "300XP for a map? You shameless system! This is daylight robbery! I don''t even have dragon scales yet!"


    ?Work hard. I am cheering for you.? Sensei''s replied in his droll voice.


    "Is that all you have to say? This pricing is too outrageous!"


    ?My store items are all reasonably priced for their worth. It''s not my fault you have no XP to exchange.?


    Tch. With only [7] experience points, there was no way I was getting that map today. What a stingy person.


    ?Here I thought you would be happy I added the extra items you requested.?


    What use was my happiness when I couldn''t get any of them! To see them, knowing they were out of reach was torture. I was sure Sensei was secretly mocking me.


    Still, the skills and items got me curious so I appraised each one, starting with the ones I was most curious about.


    [Mark] - Allows the bearer to trace the location of anything containing their essence.


    [Poison Resistance] - Provides immunity to low level toxins. Subsequent level increments enhances the bearer''s tolerance.


    [Dragon Scales] - Harden''s the bearer''s body to repel attacks. Subsequent level increments enhances the bearer''s tolerance and pain resistance.


    [Labyrinth As] - Map showing the upper stratum of the Great Ailith Labyrinth.


    [Dimensional Box] - Small pocket dimension 10 cubic metres in size. It can''t store living things.


    [HP Recovery Potion] - Low level health recovery potion. Once used, will refill 25% of the existing health bar. It does not negate the effects of stamina loss or mana.


    The results of appraising the items and skills were interesting which made me more curious for the things I didn''t know. Specifically the meanings of titles like Apostle, Coldblooded and Commander so I appraised them too.


    [Apostle] - Agents chosen by the gods. Keepers of this title will receive ess to the [Rebirth System] with status conditions reflective of their unique skill.


    [Coldblooded] - Reduces feelings of guilt in the bearer.


    [Commander] - Grants the bearer sovereignty over the lives of those under itsmand.


    The results were not surprising but they did make me think. I didn''t felt any different after acquiring the title [Coldblooded]. So, to think I was unconsciously reacting to things in an unfeeling way was scary.


    I still felt like myself and my thoughts and actions were the normal things I would do but I didn''t feelfortable. If I continued gaining titles like that, would theree a day when my character morphed into somethingpletely unrecognisable to myself?


    It was terrifying to think about.


    I watched the nestlings as they continued climbing the wall and sighed. What was I thinking? As long as I had my memories, I was me. There was no title or status effect that could overwrite a person''s basic character. It didn''t matter if I was a so called ''Apostle of the gods'', I was still Aurelia.


    I bitterly shook off my worries and proceed to leave the nest.


    I expertly climb up the walls, astonishing the watching nestlings who still couldn''t climb uppletely without falling. Just as I''m about to reach the top, I see two nestlings chasing after me.


    My two guards.


    Hmm¡­ was this alright?


    I was tempted to take them along. It was just a quest for gathering nts, it shouldn''t be too difficult right.


    Well, lets see if they can climb the walls first. I was curious to know if they could actually make it out by themselves.


    I watched them from the top and to my surprise they were able to climb up past the dangerous slope of the wall and actuallye out without falling once. I was shocked and amused.


    If you coulde out all this time, why wait to do so until now!


    And then I looked at my male guard in disbelief. If he could climb so well, why the heck did he keep falling down earlier!


    The two were so eager toe with me but I refused them.


    This was an exploratory quest. I was mostly going to be wandering about, this was much easier to do so when you were alone.


    Imand them to return to the nest and wait. Someone had to stay behind to keep the nest in order and I trusted these two. I instructed them to keep training the nestlings and wait for my return.


    There was strong reluctance written all over their faces but they could only turn back and resume the climb down. As their leader, mymand was absolute.


    [Quest: Train Nest Mates. [Time Remaining: 192 Hours]]

 Chapter 30 - Monstrous Ecosystem

    Illuminated by the faint hue of luminous moss, the misty forest was awash in a colourful afterglow.


    Rays of mellow light filtered through the leaves of verdurous shrubs, casting a ghostly green¨Cyellow luminescence over the ground. The tall ckened tree trunks seemed ancient and timeless as they disappeared into the clouds of mist above, rough with age, yet this roughness was worn down by the soft greenness of lichen that transformed the trees overtime, slowly making it their home.


    Twisted roots dipped in and out of the ground and smooth sinewy branches reached down from the clouds like fingers grasping at anything they could find. Wreathing the trees like vines of ivy, ever frozen in a twisted embrace.


    I slithered over the ground that was dark and wet from little droplets of water, over curled brown leaves half-embedded in the soil, trampled further down by the asional wandering beast.


    The small foot prints of flitting creatures and birds were still crisp, remembered by its form in the soil. I observed each print as I passed by, adjusting my course ordingly as I avoided the distinctive paws of wolves and other predators that were currently out of my capability.


    In the misty canopy, things twittered and chirped in ghastly tones, calling in distant melodies to their kin. Large rustlings from above could also be heard as enormous creatures scampered through the hidden foliage, though it was drowned out by the great rumblings of creatures on the ground.


    Deep low growls, hisses and the scraping of ws were perceived in rebounding vibrations through the air. They seemed toe from every direction, assaulting my senses all at once with the constant noise.


    Quickly as I could, I darted under the cover of leaves, continuing my journey undetected.


    The forest air was as humid and dense as I remembered, the air filled my lungs once again with that strange lightheaded feeling, like being able to breathe underwater without any difficulty. As I breathed in, I saw my MP bar that had been depleted from using the heat sense sphere in the cave move up a point.


    I had theories about this but since this was a foreign world I couldn''t be sure.


    Air wasposed of many gases and water, yet the air I breathed felt thicker than I remembered, like it had an abundance of water molecules and something else mixed in. I would call it magic but that was too broad a term.


    I remembered how quickly my wounds seemed to heal out herepared to the cave.


    "The air of the Labyrinth has healing properties, am I correct?" I asked the ever present voice in my head.


    ?In a sense, yes. Theposition of the air in this world is simr to that of earth. A mixture of gases coincide to form the atmosphere, one of which is Ether.


    ording to mortals, It is theorised to be the purest essence of life created by the gods, a breath of sorts filling the entirety of Aeon, equivalent to the air you breathe back on earth but with charged particles of energy.


    It is the essential element for every living thing on Aeon, and what causes you to heal faster. The Labyrinth has a higher content of it than the surface does, so the feeling is more prominent here. The deeper into the Labyrinth you go, the more the amount of ether increases.?


    Sensei''s words caused me to ponder as I struggled to understand. If Ether waspared to something like oxygen back on earth. Could all creatures really withstand breathing it in at higher volumes?


    Something as beneficial as oxygen became a poison that caused cell damage at higher concentrations, so wouldn''t that make breathable air with a higher concentration of ether toxic? Was there no detriment to this, or condition caused by ether poisoning? Did every creature simply evolve to withstand this?


    What about the nts and animals on the surface that had normal conditions? Would they survive if they were brought down into the Labyrinth?


    Was this why I felt so lightheaded whenever I came out of the cave?


    An overabundance of any gas in the atmosphere typically threw the harmony of lifeforms out of sync. It would exin the incredibly tall trees, and therger than average bugs. But it failed to exin why I felt fine inside the cave, and not out here.


    As I moved through the trees thinking of an answer, the only obvious sign pointed to the mist. It covered the top of the forest and parts of the forest floor but did not seep into the cave. Was it because of this?


    "What exactly is this mist?" I questioned Sensei.


    ?It is a mixture of ether particles and water. The upper stratum has a varying concentration of ether. It has coalesced with all bodies of water within the Labyrinth.


    There is a magma chamber in the warmer regions north of this ce. The rocks there are heated which forms geysers from the groundwater. This heat is the source of the continuous torrent of mist you see here.?


    The mystery behind the mist intrigued me. I was fascinated by a Labyrinth containing so much ether, it even affected areas with different climates. If I explored this area further would I reach the geyser?


    I sighed helplessly. It was very difficult to get anywhere without a map.


    Would I be able to find it?


    The thought of wandering around aimlessly did not appeal to me at all.


    Sensei''s exnation made sense, but he failed to rify something. He mentioned the Labyrinth had a higher quantity of ether than the surface. If ether was like a normal gas, its quantity should be constant all over the world, not more in certain ces than others.


    I doubted conditions here were the same as outside.


    If the outside had less amounts of Ether, where did all the additional ethere from? There had to be something producing it here. Wouldn''t it be dangerous if high levels here were the same as above the ground? Having too much of anything was no better than poison.


    "What is the percentage of ether in the upper and inner stratumpared to outside?"


    ?It stabilises around 23% reaching upwards of 28%. Outside the Labyrinth conditions are bnced at 20%?


    "Wouldn''t that mean the air here is toxic? What about the creatures outside the Labyrinth, can they live in here? What about the nts growing here, are they safe to eat?"


    ?The air here can be breathed only by creatures above the ground that have mana within their bodies. But yes, it is indeed toxic. If you were to leave the upper stratum and go to the inner or lower stratum as you are, the air itself would kill you. The nts are only mildly toxic to some species and can be fatal to others if eaten unprocessed.?


    How can he say that so casually?


    My mana levels were low but so far I''d been able to breathe just fine. Aside from the lightheaded feeling which wasn''t ufortable.


    I thought back to the cliffside overlooking the mangrove forest I''d visited so easily right after birth and I shivered. Wasn''t that part of the inner stratum? I never stayed longer than a few seconds, but did that mean I nearly died twice? What if I stayed longer on both visits!


    "The mangrove forest, whatyer of the Labyrinth is it?"


    ?It is still part of the upper stratum.?


    I breathed a sigh of relief. It was astonishing that a forest that big was only part of the topyer. This made me wonder just how manyyers there were exactly.


    "How many levels are in the Labyrinth?"


    ?There are seven levels of the Great Ailith Labyrinth. You are on the very first. The first twoyers ss as the upper stratum, the next three are the inner stratum and the final two are the lower stratum.?


    That meant, right now under the ground there were six more pockets ofnd to explore. How huge! The enormous scale of thebyrinth felt scary and inconceivable. I was doubtful of its actual size. How could such a thing still exist without getting crushed by gravity pulling it down. Did this world even have rules?


    "How big is it exactly?"


    ?Ailith is a continent, thebyrinth covers the entirety of the underground space.?


    What a monstrous ecosystem!


    As I navigated the forest floor I kept thinking about it. A whole world under the ground like a hollow earth. I would find it cool if my mind wasn''t racing at the idea. Just how long would it take to explore it all. Was that even possible? What sort of creatures lived down there?


    Almost immediately I saw the glowing outline of two monsters amidst the trees through my [Heat Sense]. I activated [Silence] and [Stealth] as I warily approached the scene.


    I moved closer, enough to see what was happening but far enough to stay undetected. Peering through the leaves of my concealed area I saw two monsters facing off against each other.


    A slender feline monster with elongated sharp ws red at its opponent - another monster with thick hardened fur resembling a wild boar. I watched the boar getting ready for a charge by digging its hooves into the ground. The vibrations ringing in the air because of the movements of theirrge bodies made me tremble.


    Would I dare to stick around and explore such a terrifying Labyrinth?


    The answer was no.


    It was interesting but I refused! As soon as I was strong enough, I was breaking out from here to the surface. I wanted to see people, cities, taste different kinds of food, and hopefully find my ssmates. I''ve had enough of these deadly, ravenous creatures.


    A fragile gir-snake...a cute little snake like myself did not belong in this savage ce.

 Chapter 31 - Poisonous Banquet!

    The feline monster stalked the wild boar, its sleek ck fur moving over taut muscles. Its vicious long ws tore deep gouges in the earth and its cruel mouth bared, revealing rows of sharp elongated teeth. It had a short thick tail and high pointed ears like a lynx.


    The tawny, spottedtter half of the feline''s fur was a striking contrast to its top half that was dark as night. Its build andplexion a cross between that of a jaguar and a leopard.


    Its stalking of the wild boar was notcking in grace or ferocity, although its size was not seen as much of a threat due to the boar being equally asrge.


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase: ¡ºSilence LV 1¡»has be¡ºSilence LV 2¡»?


    Observing them from my hiding spot, the feline was locked in fierce stare down with the boar monster whose rough thick skin resembled fragments of broken rock. The hardened serrated tusks extending out of its mouth looked like they could rip through flesh as easily as butter. The tightly packed muscles rippling under its skin made it very much a formidable opponent.


    The monsters gauged each other, both assessing their opponent before making their next move.


    The movement of a hawk''s wings created a swoosh of wind that broke through the tense air, interrupting the fierce standoff between the two enormous beasts.


    It was the catalyst they both needed.


    My sight was blocked by the clouds of dust as the boar charged forward ramming its tusks into the feline''s neck, paralysing its vocal cords with the strike.


    The feline threw up its wed forearms in an offensive block that struck at the boar''s head drawing blood. But it could not dislodge the embedded tusks, so it absorbed the blow, settling for wing at the boar''s softer underbelly in an effort to kick it away.


    The boar swallowed the pain from the many open cuts, persisting to hang on to the wounded feline. Its red eyes brimming with rage as it readied its hooves by beating the ground, preparing for a second charge that would be the final blow.


    The kicked up dust revealed many hidden creatures and a number of rodents who scampered out of the way, but I wasn''t worried. With thebined efforts of [Stealth] and [Silence] I was undetectable. By remainingpletely still, I allowed my body heat to blend with the surrounding temperature.


    The hawk emerged from somewhere within the stampede, swiftly taking off in flight with the struggling body of a ferret caught in its ws. I wasn''t able to get appraisal results for it due to its quick speed, so I focused on the tworge beasts.


    From what I could see, the feline monster had already lost. Although it had caught the boar''s head in its ws and blinding one of its eyes, the tusk was still lodged in its throat and it kept bleeding out. Compared to a missing eye, the throat was more important.


    I targeted the feline first, but the results of my appraisal were muddled.


    __________________


    LV14 Melior Aurum Panthera


    Specie: Ailith Felinae


    HP: ???/??? Defence: ??


    MP: ???/??? Intellect: ??


    SP: ???/??? Magic: ??


    Attack: ??? Agility: ???


    Skills:


    [????? ??????: LV??] [??????: LV??]


    [??????: LV??] [?????: LV??]


    [???????: LV?] [????????: LV?]


    [????? ????:LV??]


    _____________________


    The scrambled wall of text made my head hurt and a strong wave of nausea hit me.


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase: ¡ºAppraisal LV 1¡»has be¡ºAppraisal LV 2¡»?


    Why was there a recoil? Was it because its level was too high?


    "Why is the result hidden?" I questioned Sensei.


    ?Appraisal at low levels, only works on creatures the same level as you or lower. The only exception to this is when you appraise something already dead.?


    So that was why it wasn''t working. I wondered if it was worth me sticking around for one of the monsters to fall so I could appraise the corpse.


    My attention returned to the fight to see the two monsters still going strong. The feline monster persevered through its wound, managing to free itself from the boar''s tusk. It was now fiercely attacking the underbelly of the beast with its fangs and ws.


    It would take a while before either of thempletely bled out.


    asionally I would hear the soft padding of creatures nearby and I knew it was no longer be safe to keep watching. So with [Stealth] and [Silence] fully active I made a hasty retreat.


    Staying under the cover of leaves, I moved over the damp ground making as little noise as possible and soon I was able to leave the grisly fight behind.


    The forest was mostly dark. Using this as cover I travelled for a time without stopping. Until I came across my first sighting of a suspicious nt that just begged to be investigated.


    Growing from a ckened rotten log that had once been an enormous tree, was a colony of sporadically growing fungi. Their small brightly coloured purple domes, glowing faintly in the dark like radioactive goo, with tufts of what looked like fur growing out in strings beneath them.


    I approached the log warily, staring at the mushrooms from every angle. How suspicious.


    Their colour alone screamed ''danger'' and the hairs swaying lightly in the breeze reminded me so much of independently squirming octopus legs.


    They wouldn''t choke me if I ate them right?


    With that weird appearance, what if they contained hallucinogens?


    I quickly appraised it before taking another step.


    _______________________


    Name: Fool''s Silk


    Specie: Filum Mortem


    A small but deadly mushroom that grows in clusters on tree stumps and bark. It is particrlymon on the Ailith continent. It thrives on dead and decaying, coniferous wood. It also contains poisonous toxins that when ingested will cause blood vomiting, internal damage and slow agonising death. Effects are seen 8 to 24 hours after ingestion, proceed with caution.


    [Rarity: E-]


    _______________________


    Hah¡­ I knew it.


    Internal damage and death? What a funbination. Would a snake really be okay if they ate this? How troubling.


    Noting the appearance of trees in the vicinity to remember the location of this mushroom, I went away to find more options. Perhaps something mildly poisonous to start with, to build a tolerance. I wouldn''t want to die horribly on the first try.


    I searched through the area until I stumbled upon another mushroom growing in dark rich earth at the base of a tree.


    This one was bright, pearly white in colour and tiny. Its purity glowed almost like a halo with its shiny round cone no bigger than a pence coin. It had no visible markings or weird things growing from it which I thought was a good sign.


    It reminded me so much of white button mushrooms back on earth, although it was shiny like a pearl and much smaller. They were incredibly tasty when me roasted with spices. Imagining what these would taste like made me drool.


    I should collect some of them! I couldn''t roast them right now, but if I could find some spices or salt they would still be tasty!


    Sensei mentioned there was a geyser somewhere in the upper stratum. Once I found it, the possibilities were endless! Not just roasting mushrooms, I could also grill meat on the hot rocks. How wonderful!


    I appraised it anyway, just in case.


    ______________________


    Name: Angel''s Chalice


    Specie: Pura Patera


    A pure white mushroom that grows in nutrient dense soil, particrly in broad leaved lush woond. Beware of its harmless appearance for it contains deadly poison. Effects are seen 30 minutes after ingestion with death urring within 2 hours.


    Initial symptoms include vomiting, diarrhoea, and severe abdominal pain. Causes internal injury and multiple organ failure. Ingestion of just half a cap can lead to death.


    It is often mistaken for its harmless sibling [Treus Patera]. Just a piece of Angel''s Chalice in a soup made from otherwise edible species is enough to kill up to 50 people, proceed with caution.


    A single mushroom spore can generate dozens overnight, making it a nuisance. It has been known to take over entire farms if left to grow unchecked. If found, it is advised to burn immediately.


    [Rarity: C]


    ______________________


    I was stunned. This innocent looking mushroom was actually a heinous killer.


    Burn immediately. I would but I didn''t have any fire!


    Some of the mushrooms already showed signs of being eaten. How awful! I was so d I had appraisal now. If I didn''t, I would have been one of those creatures to mistake it for a harmless mushroom.


    "Do you see the benefits of appraisal now?"


    I couldn''t resist a little jab at Sensei, who only huffed in reply. Serves him right for thinking his knowledge was ''so superior''.


    I crossed this mushroom off my candidate list. Death in two hours from a single bite? No thanks!


    The mushrooms so far were too problematic. Poisonous things were not isted to just nts. Perhaps, I would fare better by licking the skin of a poisonous frog or eating a poisonous bug. I looked up to the trees for inspiration, hoping to see something brilliantly coloured sh by.


    Above, the numerous twisted vines and trees did not reveal much, but I was able to pick up some faint movement on a nearby tree stem.


    I focused my senses, isting the location from what I could pick up using vibrations. It revealed a creature''s light and flitting footsteps as it scampered down the length of a tree. It was very fast and the faint ''cking'' of its legs reminding me of an insect.


    I followed the sounds hoping to see the creature emerge from under the foliage, but only the unassuming dark tree bark was seen, even as I continued to hear the faint creeping sounds getting closer.


    It had clearly crawled out from under the leaves, so where was it? The tree stems bore no trace of any animal or insect which was an odd sight.


    The noises made by the creature seemed to have increased and I heard the same sound nowing from another tree. I looked up at both trees to find the source, and the noise stopped.


    I surveyed around me with my heat sense, and once again nothing was revealed. But as soon as I looked away, the noise picked up again, much louder this time like the creatures watching me had increased.

 Chapter 32 - The Mimic

    Just what was going on? There was a lingering sensation of being watched by many eyes that made me feel uneasy. My instincts were clearly warning me of something as I examined the surroundings, scanning all the trees in the vicinity with [Heat Sense].


    The lush leaves continued rustling, carried by the light gusts of wind swirling through the forest, and the misty clouds and hidden foliage above were like that of any other day. Yet, the tense feeling persisted, making me increasingly unsettled.


    The creatures were clearly watching me. So why couldn''t I find them? Was it possible there were suddenly more of the same creatures, or had they always been there and were only moving about now?


    It was impossible for their numbers to have increased in such a short time. From the crawling sounds I heard, I counted as many as fifteen.


    I was beginning to get worried.


    The scampering sounds of ws kept getting closer with every second and I was getting anxious of the noises made by numerous things I could not see. The more I listened, the less it sounded like an insect.


    Insects had multiple legs while the sounds I heard were consistent with something with only four legs.


    Was it a tree dwelling mammal?


    Its footsteps weren''t heavy, so it might not be an enormous creature, but the nimbleness of its body made it difficult to tell its exact size. It could be anything and that was what scared me.


    I raised my head up to observe, and the forest fell quiet once more.


    The noises disappeared like the creatures just froze in ce as soon as my eyes were upon them. It was starting to feel like they were ying the equivalent of a game of cat and mouse in this world with me.


    It would be easy to figure out their location from the sounds of their movements, so they were moving only when I wasn''t staring at them. As if they were afraid to scare me away. I found this trait of theirs mildly amusing.


    It meant the creatures possessed some level of intelligence.


    I felt like they were watching to gauge my behaviour, so it was likely they weren''t individually strong. They seemed just as wary of me as I was of them.


    So, I continued my search and looked through the undergrowth for mushrooms again, ignoring them like I hadn''t noticed their presence. I continued doing this for a while until I heard it.


    The distinctive sound of one of the creaturesnding close to a tree stem right next to me. As predicted, my aloof behaviour had made them drop their guard.


    The creatures did not run and only froze in their positions when I looked up at them. I immediately aimed my [Appraisal] at the tree bark where I located the sound. Even if I couldn''t see it, appraisal would pick up its trace as long as there was something there. Its exact location was unknown, but it was worth a shot.


    To my delight a status window appeared before me.


    _____________________


    LV3 Novus Milia Pellis


    Specie: Ailith Mutare


    HP: 14/14 Defence: 6


    MP: 12/12 Intellect: 10


    SP: 22/22 Magic: 12


    Attack: 8 Agility: 20


    Skills:


    [Binocr Vision: LV1] [Grip: LV2]


    [Bite: LV1] [Sticky Slime: LV1]


    [Stealth: LV3] [Sprint: LV3]


    Title:


    [Lounge Member]


    Resistances:


    [Fall Resistance: LV1]


    _____________________


    Its status told me many things. Firstly, the creature had a weak defence. This was likely why it waited and did not attack. I suspected they were lying in wait here in groups for another creature to wander into their ambush and I just happened to be the unlucky one.


    I appraised its name and more information was revealed.


    I wanted to leap with joy! Having appraisal was so useful!


    _____________________


    [Milia Pellis] - A lizard with mirror-like skin that can reflect anything. It has been known to y tricks on its predators, directly reflecting their own face on its skin to scare them off. A unique monster that can be found on trees in the Upper stratum of the Great Ailith Labyrinth.


    It normally feeds on insects but would asionally form groups upwards of twenty to attack small lone creatures. A skilled runner, this lizard is prone to hasty retreat whenever it encounters a threat and it is very difficult to catch. It is hunted mainly for its reflective skin that retains this property after death.


    _____________________


    Reading this made me even more interested in the creature. A lizard whose skin could directly mirror anything behind it. No wonder I couldn''t find it!


    With thebination of its unique skin and the effects of [Stealth] it hadpletely erased its presence from detection. Its temperature was no different from the surroundings that I couldn''t even detect it with my [Heat Sense].


    I was not put off by their numbers, actually, this made me want them more!


    It so seamlessly blended into the trees that I still couldn''t see it, even with appraisal revealing there was one right before me. How amazing would it be to possess the unique properties of its skin through [Devour]?


    Their numbers here would be more than enough to reach the quota. If I could get its skin with [Devour] I would basically be invisible!


    Individually, their stats were weak, they would be easy to kill. However, I did not like the sound of their [Sticky Slime] skill.


    These creatures most likely swarmed predators bigger than them, trapping their movements with their slime before surrounding them to deal the finishing blow, all while avoiding detection. It was fascinating yet terrifying at the same time. Their incessant crawling was likely them trying to get in range of me to fire.


    Like I would let them catch me!


    The description mentioned it was a skilful runner so I wondered if it wouldn''t just run away if I attacked it. How difficult would it be to catch something I couldn''t see? So, rather, than doing that, I wanted to set a trap of my own.


    They weren''t the only creatures who knew how to hide!


    Quickly burying myself in the ground. I covered my entire body from exposure to ward off any sticky slime while leaving my horns exposed to act as bait.


    I peered through the sandy ground, watching to see what they would do next. Keeping still while alert for any movement, I waited for them toe.


    Before any movement urred, I was awarded with my first glimpse of the creature.


    On the dark bark of a tree azy eyelid opened up to no more than a crack, revealing arge yellow eyeball with a ck slit vertically in the middle.


    Its peculiar pupils quickly darted back and forth, scanning the entirety of the ground before shutting again. It was followed by many other eyes I spotted all over the trees. I counted seventeen pairs.


    The bodies of the creatures were still hidden so it is rather eerie to see so many floating yellow eyeballs. However, the creatures soon stepped off the trees and I was able to observe them moving until they were within my striking range.


    I burst out of the ground biting the first creature in range. It took only half a shot of venom to feel it weaken in my grasp before going still. Itsrge yellow eyes open and petrified in death.


    ?You have defeated LV2 Novus Milia Pellis?


    ?You have gained a level!?


    ?You have earned 6XP?


    The lizards approaching me red open their eyes, simultaneously shooting globules of murky slime from their mouths. I dived into the ground as thick blobs rained down on where I once stood.


    Somehow they were able to aim well even after only opening their eyes for a split second, their [Binocr Vision] was indeed not to be trifled with.


    And with their eyes shut again, they were once more invisible. But not to me though.


    The vibrations made by their feet on the ground were very clear! I crawled through the soil, leaving my exposed horns as a trail for them to follow.


    They chased after me, opening their mouths ever so slightly to gather enough globules of slime to shoot, but it was futile. My constant movement only made their shots at my horns miss. There was a slight pause before they could shoot again and I used this time topletely bury my horns.


    The lizards scampered to the spot where my horns vanished, theirrge eyes open in confusion.


    Well concealed, I circled back to the spot, bursting out of the ground again to grab another of the creatures. I didn''t use my venom, only pulling it under the ground to trap it there.


    With my head exposed, the others immediately reacted by opening their eyes for a split second to take aim with their slime.


    Globules of slime soared through the air aimed at me. Rather than retreating, I closed the gap between us, causing the slimes to miss, and then I shot a spray of [Venom Rain] directly at one of the creature''s still open mouth.


    My [Venom Rain] hit its mark, causing the creature to fall to the ground in a writhing heap with itsrge yellow eyes open.


    ?You have defeated LV3 Novus Milia Pellis?


    ?You have earned 8XP?


    As the others saw this, they hissed at me with their long forked tongues, their yellow eyes incensed at their fallen brethren. I didn''t hesitate and quickly buried myself, ready for another deluge of sticky slime.

 Chapter 33 - Sairons Bell

    The expected attack did note. I was waiting for more globules of sticky slime to hit the sand above me but instead, the vibrations on the ground showed the mimic lizards scatter, their paths diverging in many directions. Abandoning all care, their swift feet sprinted through the forest in retreat! Some escaping through the leaves and others climbing up the ckened tree trunks, disappearing from my sight as quick as lightning.


    What the heck?


    I immediately dug myself from the ground and chased after them. How could I let such unique creatures escape! I tore through the undergrowth following the lizards. But which one to follow?


    They scattered in different directions and even if I went after them. I could possibly catch only one. What use was that?


    My bubbling excitement at the prospect of a new skill snuffed away at the bitter reality. What tricky creatures!


    Appraisal had mentioned they were extremely cautious, but I hadn''t really expected them to flee so quickly. This was troubling. How was I supposed to catch enough to meet my quota if they fled like this at every encounter? I''d only killed two out of fifteen and trapped one! Maybe I should have gone easy.


    Returning to the spot in a bad mood, I approached the sand where I''d trapped thest lizard. Nearby vibrations revealed it was still struggling under the sand and not yet dead. I watched as onerge yellow eye emerged from the ground, blinking warily. I mercilessly sunk my fangs into the sand, killing the weakened lizard before it made any move to escape.


    ?You have defeated LV3 Novus Milia Pellis?


    ?You have earned 7XP?


    A half shot of venom was enough to finish it off and I quickly gobbled down all three of the corpses, but there was no alert from [Devour]. How disappointing!


    The creatures were so evasive, and their climbing skills were much better than mine. It would be really difficult to catch a number of them, but I was determined to have its skin for myself. I stealthily followed one of the ground trails left behind, following after the creature. If I was lucky, it would lead me to their nest.


    The trail continued through the dense forest, before the path diverged over an area where the ground was far rockier than I was used to, the trail there bing much harder to follow.


    The dense trees thinned out here, leaving more space between them forrger creatures to move around and not many ces for me to hide. There were many instances of luminous lichen on the trees, filling more of the forest floor with their muted light and I suddenly felt very exposed.


    I came across a dip in the ground where the rocky area split, forming a miniature valley, where the trail stopped. In the middle was a little flowing stream.


    The lizard must have vaulted over the valley to reach the opposite side to flee.


    I chose to do the same with my [Leap] skill, but I wasn''t confident enough to cover such a distance. I peered down at the flowing stream, where something below caught my interest ¨C a cluster of reddish brown mushrooms growing on the exposed roots of a tree.


    The water wasn''t deep, and the current wasn''t forceful. I was confident I could swim through to the other side once I investigated them. So I decided to enter the stream instead.


    The mushrooms were a deep red colour, triangr in shape with rough outer caps and long ridged white stems with intricate spines growing outwards, like curled webs. Their appearance was peculiar, but it did not look as weird as the first purple mushroom I found, so I was less wary of it.


    That was until I saw its slender spines reach out with terrifying speed to snatch a passing bug from the air, depositing it into the ravenous mouth that opened up at the top of its triangr dome.


    I watched it eat the bug with deep relish, its web-like spines wriggling around in a strange dance.


    Never mind¡­This one was too disgusting. And also carnivorous, what bad luck.


    I appraised it.


    ____________________


    Name: Lernean''s Vault


    Specie: Esuritt Rubellus


    Named after Vaitkus Lernean, a Ranger whose half dissolved silver tooth was found inside its tuberous roots nine days after he was dered missing. It is an unusual nt that can dissolve anything, storing the liquefied remains in its deep roots. It normally targets insects but overtime it has developed a particr fondness for fleshy tissues. It is seen as a delicacy in certain woond tribes who hunt it for the mineral deposits in its tubers and high amounts of crystallised salt. Excessive consumption can result in vomiting and delirium.


    [Rarity: C]


    ____________________


    Yeah¡­no thanks. A mushroom that eats flesh, how insidious!


    It wasn''t poisonous but the thought of eating it made me feel queasy. Who knew how many humans the innocent looking mushrooms had consumed in its lifetime?


    I crossed the stream to avoid it and carried on with haste.


    Heavy mist settled over the surface of the water making me feel lightheaded. If I followed the stream I was bound to encounter more mushrooms. Higher concentrations of ether in the air made the mist toxic, so it made sense for the stream to be one of the damp ces where poisonous things grew. I should follow it to end my quest early. But that would mean abandoning the trail of the mimic lizard and I didn''t want to give up on either so easily.


    I memorised the scenery around the water for when I returned, choosing to pause my quest while I continued looking for the lizards. I climbed over the stream to the path it took once more, spotting its trail almost immediately.


    The sooner I found their nest, the quicker I could return here to finish the quest and I had a feeling they were very close. The scenery of the forest had changed, the trees more spaced out and there were more instances of rock and short tufts of grass.


    I traced the lizard''s path over damp rocks covered in greenery. The w marks made by its scratches and theck of water droplets showed its swift darting path where it jumped over many stones. I traced the marks with my full focus following it from every rock, until I came across a new area of the forest where the ground was different.


    The soil was soft and dark, with a particrly pungent smell. The area was devoid of rocks with more grass and short nts growing. It was the sort of ce a lizard would make its nest and I knew I was close. But before I could venture further, I spotted another mushroom cluster, much smaller than the others with only six unusual mushrooms growing.


    These ones were bright yellow in colour with the unique shape of flowers. Their upturned domes were thick and pleated with elongated gills that extended outwards rippling in the air like feathery flower petals. They would have been pretty if each petal wasn''t covered in thick inky ck veins that you could see through the mushroom''s translucent skin.


    Its disturbing appearance made my skin crawl, reminding me too much of the veins in the human circtory system from my lessons in the past. Why would there be veins on a mushroom? What creepy purpose did they serve? Of the four mushrooms so far, this one looked the most sinister.


    ____________________


    Name: Sairon''s Bell


    Specie: Ostium Nervorum


    This mushroom grows wherever death is prevalent, sometimes on the skin of dead creatures aiding their dposition, or on blood soaked ground. It emits a mild airborne toxin that causes severe body pains. When consumed, this toxin merges with the blood causing bodily spasms, culminating in muscle paralysis and a cold pale skin, giving one the appearance of death.


    There may be a deceiving period of respite for 2 days afterwards where the body''s functions return to normal, before the second wave of internal poisoning urs.


    If left untreated, the venom directly attacks the host nervous system driving the host delirious with feelings of intense pain in every extremity. It interferes with nerve signals, leading to full body paralysis and eventual death from respiratory and cardiac failure.


    Effects ur up to an hour after consumption with the semnce of deathsting up to 24 hours. Relief from its poison can be found by eating the cone of its symbiotic pair [Funus Amanita] another poisonous mushroom often found growing beside it.


    Rarity: [B-]


    ____________________


    This time the results of appraisal did not put me off. The mushroom, albeit unusual, would serve my purpose. It was deadly but it also provided an antidote.


    I noted a ck mushroom growing near Sairon''s Bell, this one was so dull in appearance, it blended in with the colour of the ground,pletely hidden by the mushroom''s bright yellow plumes, but it was there all the same. Appraisal revealed it was its symbiotic pair [Funus Amanita], the antidote I needed!


    I gingerly took a bite of the bright yellow veiny mushroom. Its bitter taste, apanied by the feeling of numbness in my mouth, reminding me too well of a particr horrible trip to the dentist in my past life. Still, I carried on eating until I swallowed three mushrooms.


    As for the antidote, I cut a few stems of the ck mushrooms, keeping them near while I waited for the effects of the poison to start.

 Chapter 34 - Synesthesia

    The trail of the mimic lizard continued over the pungent earth for a distance until the trees opened out into a clearing where its trail disappeared into a field of grass.


    The widely spaced forest floor finally ended, giving way to a meadow of grass spread out over ins as far as my eyes could see.


    The continuous grass bordered the forest edge, growing in thick tall clusters. At my upright height I could see over some of the heads of grass but only at the periphery.


    There, their size was no more than ten inches high, but further down the grasses increased in height, soaring to heights of ten feet and above, obscuring my view of the horizon.


    It was the perfect ce for any creatures to wait and hide in ambush, and it wasn''t wise for me to enter it so carelessly. But the lizards trail led me right to it, meaning its nest must be somewhere inside.


    A creature like the mimic lizard couldpletely camouge itself by mirroring the des of grass on its skin. In there, it would bepletely at home. The only benefit for me was that the grass would hide me from passing airborne predators, but once inside - it was highly unlikely birds would be my only problem.


    Countless predators, small andrge would be perfectly hidden by the tall grass just waiting for a careless creature like myself to wander into their path. In the tall grass I would be utterly blind.


    The vibrations I could sense were distorted by the many des of grass rustling in the wind so closely together, which made it difficult to detect any movement from within.


    My [Scent] was muddled by the smell of grass mixed with the distinct aroma of fetid earth, and the rustling sounds of many small animals scurrying inside the tall des of grass, over thousands of brittle branches and twigs on the ground did not help my hearing either.


    The constant vibrations in the air carried with it a variety of chemical traces both predator and prey, all melded together in the gently swaying caress of the breeze. The many sensations altogether overtaxed my senses, making it difficult to focus on anything.


    I stopped at the edge of the tall grass and did not enter. Remaining close to the small cluster where bright yellow mushrooms and another dark mushroom grew in pairs, I stayed alert to guard against any flying predators that could be nearby.


    My senses felt unusually heightened and the more I observed the movements of the grass, the more everything became confusing. Unable to bear it anymore, I buried myself in the dark earth to shield my body from the excess input on my senses.


    Yet the simple action took longer than usual, my body''s movements somewhat slow.


    Each vibration made by a swaying de of grass was like a voice, in multitudes they became like a chorus of voices assaulting my senses, making spotting any movement of creatures within the grass immensely difficult.


    With my body in the ground and in the absence of winds carrying vibrations from above, the sounds were muted. I was able to focus on [Scent] alone, in an attempt to identify the smell of the mimic lizard amongst the sea of odours.


    I felt an inexplicable rush of euphoria as I breathed in the thick humid air. Winds blowing over the tall grass carried with it the red and orange glow of fireflies and pollen dust.


    ?Was it really a good idea to eat three mushrooms at once?? The sound of Sensei''s droll voice interrupted my reverie.


    Mushrooms? I ate three at once?


    What was he talking about?


    Why would I eat mushrooms?


    But then it struck me. I was out looking for something to improve my poison resistance. And then I found one with the antidote beside it.


    And I''d consumed three of those mushrooms. But why didn''t I hear the alert of the system telling me I''d gained [Poison Resistance]?


    My health and stamina bars were also full, so I was confused as to what Sensei was worried about. The longer I waited here, the faster the lizards trail went cold, and the more frustrated I became at my current situation. Still, I wasn''t brazen enough to simply enter the grass no matter how urgent my desires were. I had to draw the lizards out somehow.


    It suddenly dawned on me that the mushrooms could be a dud. I had gone more than an hour without showing any effects. I couldn''t ignore the possibility that the mushrooms were simply ineffective against snakes.


    "I feel fine." I answered. "It''s either a slow acting poison or I didn''t consume enough of it. Each mushroom is about five centimetres long,pared to the size of my body it is insignificant. The three I ate haven''t shown any effect after an hour, I should''ve eaten more of them."


    But which one was it, the yellow ones or the dark ones?


    I experienced a feeling of weightlessness as all unnecessary distractions faded to the background. The swaying grass seemed to be moving slower than usual which enabled me to really hear things. Rather than merely hearing the rustling noises, I felt like I was getting drawn deeper into the grass to feel the sounds carried over the winds.


    It was no longer overwhelming to hear, and I suddenly realised I was able to make out the swaying sound of each de of grass in an organised rhythm like a song resonating deeply through the ground.


    My senses all seemed enhanced somehow, their effects subtle but ever present and I began to feel different. I checked my surroundings and after about a minute I noticed my peripheral vision had be blurred.


    While I found this strange, I felt my breathing slow down, the colours of the forest bing noticeably brighter. My surroundings seemed to appear frame by frame like a session of photographs were ced in front of my eyes only a fraction of a second apart, rather than my normal snake vision.


    I felt a sensation like time itself had slowed down and my observations of my surroundings were far more detailed than usual. It gave me a greater appreciation for the scenery of the forest, but there were instances when the detailed flood of information overburdened my body, causing momentary blots of pain over my skin and eyes that made me wince.


    At the same time I was flooded by immense feelings of euphoria that felt incredible, letting me ignore the pain.


    ?I don''t think that''s a good idea.?


    Sensei response sounded genuinely concerned, setting off a host of thoughts and malignant emotions that stirred and churned inside of me, spilling out in the form of rage.


    Why must he scrutinise my every action like I was his own personal puppet? Within a few seconds, I felt myself fighting the inexplicable urge to engage in an argument with him. My anger grew greater whenever I heard his voice like a mad beast struggling to w its way out of my throat. Why did he feel the need to contradict me all the time?


    ?The size of a mushroom doesn''t indicate its poison content and it''s only been a few minutes. Do you truly feel fine??


    "I''m not your puppet! I''ve had enough of you telling me what to do!"


    Unable to control myself I felt the insane urge tosh out at him and the anger did not seem to disappear.


    ?What on earth are you talking about? I didn''t mean anything by it.?


    I focused my senses on something else to ignore Sensei''s pestering. My attention was drawn to a noiseing from inside the grassy meadow.


    Something was moving there.


    Focusing my hearing, I cut through the vibrations of the swaying grass, zoning in on a deeper sound. A dull thumping, like the sound of a heartbeat as somethingrge moved through the tall grass with its enormous figurepletely hidden. Under the cover of the ground I was confident no one could see me, so I crept towards it.


    The sound of the creature came from deep within the grass, and to attack it I would have to move further inside.


    As the creature moved the grass swayed, the winds scattering more dust and pollen that floated in the air. They refracted the floating incandescent red lights of the fireflies, engulfing the tops of the grass in glowing embers in hues of gold astir with life.


    In my enhanced vision, the lights appeared brighter, the forest broader, the swaying grass seemed to swim before my eyes and the pollen dust appeared aze in the air like sparks, their red and gold lights dancing in the dark like fireworks.


    ?Are you sure you are okay?? Sensei asked, concerned.


    I wanted to tell him I was not. I realised something was deeply wrong with me, but before I could respond, the tall grass parted revealing the creature.


    It was shaped like an antelope and at six foot tall it was enormous. Its hulking framerger than anything I''d seen so far. It''s body that should be covered in fur was a deep green carpet of moss-like growths and leaves.


    Its long majestic beard was unlike any hair, it was a curtain of green vines nearly reaching its feet that housed many forms of entangled nt life, from spindly thin ferns to furry lichen growing in strings like hair, each with leaves that snaked around its body, covering it in a coat of deep green fur.


    Entombed in overgrown moss, the creature would have been mistaken for a moving hedge if not for the pair of giant opal horns in the shape of a spiral growing from its head that added an additional five feet to its height.


    The beautiful horns were made of crystal and disyed a dizzying array of colours in shifting spectral hues, creating shimmering glowing lights fragments of pinks, light blues and silvers reflected on the tall grass.


    I was astonished at the sight of the creature but something was clearly wrong here. My body''s movements were more sluggish than usual and I observed through my overly heightened senses, slight tremors moving over my muscles through my skin. Something that should not be happening.


    My breathing had slowed down significantly too and Sensei had mentioned something about mushrooms.


    It dawned on me that everything I was experiencing was the effect of a poison, and that the creature I was seeing could very well be a conjuring of my delirium.

 Chapter 35 - The Visitors

    I looked at the impossible creature quietly grazing on the grass, spellbound by its visual appearance that seemed like something straight out of a dream.


    The creature was meters away from my position but our paths would eventually cross when it came out of the grass.


    Somehow, asrge and heavy as the creature looked, its footsteps made very little sound. I could only hear the loud thumping of what I assumed was its heart.


    ''What''s really happening here?'' I wondered.


    And as I did, things began to click. Either the creature was much lighter than it looked or it simply wasn''t there. A mere figment of my imagination conjured under the influence of the mushrooms.


    It would exin my overly enhanced senses, the erratic emotions and everything odd that was happening to me. I wondered if the effects of the mushrooms included memory loss.


    I was unsure if I was witnessing an unusual Labyrinth creature or if its appearance was just the result of my muddled mind.


    It could very well be a smaller creature that only appearedrge in my eyes due to the delirious effect of the mushroom''s toxins. It would exin why its steps were unusually light.


    However, the movement of its sinuous nt-like body seemed all too real and natural to be delusive and the sharp horns that glimmered in the colours of the light spectrum were far too vivid to merely be a hallucination.


    ?What are you talking about??


    Sensei answered calmly.


    ?Besides your overly erratic emotions, everything is just as it should be.?


    This meant I wasn''t hallucinating and the creature was real?


    I came out of my hiding hole, drawn towards the grazing creature and its shimmering horns. Not for their beauty but out of curiosity. How was it able to move like that? If I sessfully hunted it, would I get that trait too?


    It didn''t look like a predator that would attack and seemed quite docile, but that was just my wishful thinking. Anything that had managed to live in the Labyrinth for so long was certainly not something I could tame.


    I appraised it and as I thought its level was higher than mine.


    ______________________


    LV12 Melior Arkhor


    Specie: Ailith Oryx


    HP: ??/?? Defence: ??


    MP: ??/?? Intellect: ??


    SP: ??/?? Magic: ??


    Attack: ?? Agility: ??


    ______________________


    The Arkhor looked up from the grass as if sensing my ill intent. Its ck orb-like eyes scanning over its shoulder for predators.


    As I approached, I picked up some unusual vibrations, a disturbance in the air as something slender slipped through it.


    Eyes transfixed, I stared up in rm to see a single silver arrow whizzing through the air. Originating from somewhere within the forest, the arrow came flying in my direction at an insane speed that was fast even in my eyes. My enhanced eyesight tracked its path frame by frame, but in contrast to my sharpened vision, my body crawled at a sluggish pace when I tried to evade it.


    It all happened in a fraction of a second. The arrow I feared wasing towards me slipped right over my head, depositing itself in the right eye of the Arkhor with enough force to break out from behind its skull, killing it instantly.


    Dust clouds of golden pollen rose through the air as the glorious creature staggered and fell.


    The lights of the fireflies seemed to shine directly on it, reflecting a myriad of colour on its horns, like a rainbow paying homage to the once great beast. The stunning visuals only made its sudden death all the more frightening to me who was still out in the open.


    The arrow had been shot with startling uracy giving the Arkhor no chance at all to react or resist. All I could think of was that at any moment another arrow coulde down at me.


    Without hesitation I entered the grass to conceal myself as I scanned my surroundings.


    Where was the archer?


    The arrow''s path was at an angle descending downwards, meaning the archer had to be somewhere up in the trees. Curious to their identity, I peered up at the forest to see what would appear.


    But before anything could happen I heard a rustling in my vicinity as a group of fiery red ants appeared from within the tall grass.


    There were seven monster ants in total, each one three feet tall in height, covered in spindly ck hairs all over their bodies, with fearsome gnashing mandibles and jagged teeth. They quickly swarmed the body of the fallen beast, each ant grasping a separate limb and horn in an attempt to carry off its corpse. Together they lifted the body of the Arkhor with ease.


    I quickly appraised them.


    ______________________


    LV3 Novus Ignis Formica


    Specie: Ailith Ictus


    HP: 16/20 Defence: 12


    MP: 08/08 Intellect: 4


    SP: 14/14 Magic: 8


    Attack: 15 Agility: 26


    Skills:


    [Formic Acid: LV1] [Scent: LV1]


    [Bite: LV1] [Grip: LV2] [Dig: LV1]


    Title:


    [Colony Member]


    _______________________


    The ants moved quite quickly and would have disappeared into the tall grass as quickly as they came if not for the arrival of two more contenders.


    Emerging from the tall grass was a swift figure dressed in dark green clothes brandishing a long sword that cleaved the nearest ant cleanly in two.


    What the heck!


    I warily peered through the grass at the neer to find two more figures approaching from behind him. Another male and a female.


    The man was dressed simrly to the first but he carried two short swords which he used to attack the nearest ant. The girl who remained behind was dressed in white and gold flowing robes.


    With her eyes closed she chanted verses in words I could not understand. And as she repeated them, the long wooden staff she held glowed a white light that covered the bodies of the two male fighters.


    I stared at the three transfixed, was this magic?


    They had long flowing silvery white hair and eyes that shone a brilliant green, the shade of freshly budded leaves. borate silver patterns of leaves on vines were etched onto their high cheekbones, extending down past their necks to their shoulders in intricate shimmering designs.


    Their appearance was somewhat ethereal, their lithe nimble bodies moving with otherworldly speed as they fought off the ants with supposed ease. I was convinced they were human until I noticed their elongated ears.


    Elves!


    Neither of them carried a bow which meant the archer was still somewhere in the trees.


    I wanted to appraise them, but I was stopped by Sensei.


    ?I wouldn''t do that if I were you. High level magic users can sense when they are being appraised. If you do, you will immediately reveal your location, breaking the effect of [Stealth].?


    I was curious about their statuses, but it was too risky for me to reveal myself in front of so many formidable beings. Especially with my current confused state. I wasn''t convinced I could take them on. But if there was a chance, I wanted to im the body of the Arkhor for myself while they were distracted.


    Burying myself in the sand I snaked across the battlefield, weaving paths that avoided their footsteps. There were only five ants left, one dying after being shot by an arrow and another cut apart by the sword wielder. I approached the corpse of a dead ant, quickly pulling it into the tall grass to hide it.


    My movements were slow but with [Stealth] and [Silence] activated I navigated the sea of grass unnoticed. Taking full advantage that the elves were busy fighting I was able to bite one of the weakened ants just as its HP bar was about to run out, earning a kill.


    ?You have defeated LV4 Novus Ignis Formica?


    ?You have earned 8XP?


    As the ant died from my venom, it crossed my mind to also bite the Elf swordsman that fought it.


    In the battle the two sword wielding elves kept bickering with each other in their foreignnguage, it sounded like they were arguing about which ant monster to kill first. With their backs to me, I could easily crawl through the ground and bite the nearest elf before they could react. Especially the elf girl who had her eyes closed chanting a mantra.


    But, I hesitated. They looked far too human and I couldn''t get myself to follow through.


    It was not so easy for me to kill them aspared to the monsters of the Labyrinth. I was a former human after all.


    I was about to decide my next action, when a silver arrow veered out from inside the forest striking with scary uracy at an ant not too far from me. It struck its eye and just like the Arkhor, it barely had any time to resist. It died instantly leaving the swordsman who fought it without a target.


    He grunted disapprovingly before switching to fight another ant. The decision was out of my hands.


    The hidden archer who kept firing supporting arrows was an issue. I wasn''t sure my body could move fast enough in its current sluggish state to attack the elves without getting caught.


    The moment any of them noticed me, I was done for.

 Chapter 36 - Open Target

    I retreated into the safety of the grass, dragging the body of the dead ant with me to hide it. As I did, I was able to draw nearer to the Arkhor''s corpse, my main target.


    I appraised it and now that it was dead, its status was revealed.


    ________________________


    LV12 Melior Arkhor


    Specie: Ailith Oryx


    HP: 00/87 Defence: 65


    MP: 00/75 Intellect: 32


    SP: 00/55 Magic: 53


    Attack: 74 Agility: 85


    Skills:


    [Sturdy: LV4] [Endurance: LV4]


    [Silence: LV4] [Night Vision: LV4]


    [Enhanced Hearing: LV6] [Sprint: LV7]


    [eleration: LV4] [Earth Magic: LV2]


    [Soil Maniption: LV7]


    Title:


    [Herd Member]


    Resistances:


    [Hunger Resistance: LV1]


    [Faint Resistance: LV1]


    _________________________


    Looking at its stats, the only skills that could exin its quiet footsteps were [Silence] which I already had or [Earth Magic] and [Soil Maniption] which I didn''t.


    I suspected it used [Soil Maniption] to make the ground under its feet soft to cushion the sound of its approach.


    I wasn''t sure of the exact application of [Earth Magic], but I was sure it was also useful. I wondered if it was something I could gain passively without the aid of [Devour], if I wasn''t sessful in eating the Arkhor.


    Entering the soil again I drew nearer to its position, but I faced another problem. Where the Arkhor fell, its huge body had ttened all the grass around it, leaving it in full view from the vantage point of the hidden archer. If I tried to take it away I would surely be noticed.


    The Elves moved quickly, fighting off the remaining attacking ants that were now at a disadvantage due to their reduced numbers. With only three left and in addition to the damages they had taken, the battle ended all too quickly before I could reach the Arkhor''s corpse.


    The surroundings grew quiet once again, save for the rustling of the grass.


    The three elves came together, talking amongst the fallen corpses and I watched the broad shouldered swordsman grasp one of the Arkhor''s horns, his voice full of tion.


    "Can you understand them, Sensei?"


    ?They are speaking in Sidrian, themon tongue of the elves. Do you want to know what they are saying??


    "Only if they are discussing my location. If not I really don''t care."


    ?Their Cleric, the elf girl is afraid of getting pursued by the whole ant colony.?


    Sensei continued with a light chuckle.


    ?This specie of Formica is known to be fiercely protective of their young.?


    ?They mark them with pheromones when they leave the nest and they have been known to break out of the Labyrinth in hordes while chasing after people who have captured or killed their brethren.?


    ?She wants to avoid detection and insists on taking only the horns of the Arkhor, to leave the body behind to cate the ants for their dead. The Rogue and the Swordsman, however, refuse. They both disagree with her, insisting that every part of the Arkhor is of value.?


    I wondered about the archer and if his opinion could sway the group, but he failed to make an appearance.


    The elves kept talking amongst themselves,pletely unaware of Sensei listening to their every word.


    In the end I watched as therge body of the Arkhor disappeared into the spatial ring worn by the swordsman, along with the bodies of the dead ants. They didn''t seem to notice there were a few missing or if they did, they chose not to pursue it.


    The elf girl remained tensely silent, clutching a dark velvet satchel in her palm.


    ?Do you n on attacking them?? Sensei asked.


    Somehow I felt a little bad for the elf girl whose opinion had been ruled over.


    "Do I have a chance of winning?" I retorted.


    ?Not at your current level.?


    I sighed helplessly. That much was obvious.


    The elves soon left, emerging out of the grass to enter the forest, hopefully, along with the archer who never revealed themselves.


    The path they took led them in the same direction I arrived. From there they would cross the stream leading them into denser jungle and for that I was relieved at their departure.


    Returning to the ce where I''d stashed the bodies of the ants, I retrieved them.


    In the safety of the tall grass I was content to eat. The bitter, acrid taste of the ants burned the roof of my mouth, making me gag. Why couldn''t anything ever taste good?


    With the source of danger gone I was able to eat my fill undisturbed. Unfortunately, the bodies of two ants were not enough for me to gain any abilities. Their terrible taste aside, I was tempted to follow after the elves to see what they were after. I was under no illusion that they were friendly, but they probably carried some tasty food I could steal.


    Yet I did not. I hesitated to leave the area because I had a feeling there was something important I had to get.


    Moving through the ground amid the many vibrations of the fight had been too tasking on my senses but with the quiet, I was now able to turn my full attention to my body. To my surprise, the trembling I noticed earlier was gone. Was that because I''d eaten?


    However, as I traversed the grass I noticed my body was still slow. Paying close attention to my movements, I saw that the lower end of my body remained still while I crawled. Stiff, like the very blood under my skin had hardened, leaving me to drag the frozen section through the ground as I moved. No wonder I was slow!


    My thoughts spun at a frightening realization. Was this paralysis? But what was the cause?


    I reyed the events in my mind, trying to remember what had happened since I came out of the forest but there was a gap in my memories, an event that remained out of focus just in the periphery of my mind.


    Panicked, I crawled out of the grass to retrace my steps. Everything began with the mushrooms! I had to start from there.


    My eyes scanned my vicinity, drawn to the spot of dark earth where the yellow mushrooms shaped like flowers grew. Dragging my stiff body I crawled over the ground towards it when I felt a familiar distortion in the air.


    Instinctively I twisted my body. Clenching my muscles to a tight coil, I withdrew my head from its current position. If it was an arrow, the archer was surely aiming for my eyes.


    Contrary to my expectations I failed to see the glimmer of silver in the air. Instead I felt a thunderous crash in the ground as something thicker than an arrow gouged a hole in the earth right where my head had been.


    The object was pitch ck in colour and shaped like arge needle.


    I was immediately pushed back by a sudden gale of wind that threw dust and sand in my eyes, but I didn''t dare look away. My gaze followed the length of the needle up to the bulbous abdomen of a winged insect hovering in the air above me, before I felt my whole world spun upside down.


    Retracting its stinger from the cracked earth the creature swerved in the air before making a plunge down at me and its six limbs snatched up my body from the ground.


    Suddenly vaulted in the air I was riddled with pain from where the sharp serrated des on its arms snagged at my soft underbelly, my vision spun in circles at the unsteady flight of the creature. It seemed to be trying to bnce ourbined weights.


    But before it managed to, I frantically twisted my body, loosening its grip. The arms of the creature were segmented but theycked the proper grip like an arm would have and as I hung loosely from its grip, I was able to slip away.


    The wind whooshed over my slender body as I plunged like a stone to the ground. Remembering the teachings of my female guard, I twisted in the air, expanding the shape of my body to an ''S'' shaped curve.


    With my form erged, I was able to ripple over the winds slowing down my descent. But since the lower end of my body was still sluggish, I couldn''t execute it perfectly, and I painfully crashed onto the ground onnding.


    I looked up and was finally able to get a good glimpse of the creature.


    It was shaped like a wasp with six limbs extending from a lithe ck thorax and body that glimmered in a dark green metallic sheen.


    Its abdomen was slim, and from there extended its needle-like stinger that was half as long as its whole body. Its whole length gleamed brightly, its serrated edge looking just as deadly as a de.


    I couldn''t let it hit me!


    The insect''s wings buzzed in the air, vibrating so fast it appeared like a blur of silvery light to my hazy eyes before the creature flickered from my view. Appearing next to me in the blink of an eye, it readied its vicious stinger to stab me once again.


    Fast! It was too fast!


    My body was heavy and I barely managed to twist out of the way of its plunging stinger a second time.


    Following up, I lunged at the abdomen of the creature with my fangs while its stinger was still stuck in the soil. But it quickly spun around on the axis of its stinger, releasing itself. My fangs only managed to scrape the hard shell of its abdomen before I was pped away by the spinning force of its streamlined body.


    My fangs could not pierce it.


    The insect immediately took off, the vibrations of its wings sending waves of sound crashing down on my amplified senses.


    My head spun with piercing pain when I tried to filter through it to find its position. But I failed to keep up with the insect''s speed. It blinked behind me in an instant, hovering over my body. There was nothing I could do as its stinger plunged down from the air with force, breaking through my skin.


    I was flooded with excruciating pain as a scorching heat spread through my body. I felt the burning pain even in my extremities that had frozen over from the mushroom''s poison.


    I twisted around to bite the creature and as I did, I felt my skin tear away from where my body was stuck to the ground with the stinger of the wasp. I heard the sharp sound as if something was ripped apart.


    The sinister insect retracted its stinger and no matter how high I lunged I was unable to reach it. Noticing my inability, it stopped attacking and simply hovered over the ground out of my range, watching me.


    And then I felt it. A rigid sensation spreading fast through my blood, up to the rest of my body from my unmoving tail.


    In an instant the fluidity of my body was gone, reced by the sensation of heaviness as the searing heat spread to my upper body. It felt like my mass had increased and I was now too heavy to move. My sight blurred once the rigid feeling reached my head and my enhanced vision quickly turned dark.


    Thest thing I saw was the insect flying down to clutching me in its sharp limbs.


    In my fading consciousness, the tall grass shrunk away, disappearing to mere specks of green as I rose up in the air. And like stars in a bleak sky on a dark night, the many lights of the fireflies and moss faded away to nothing.

 Chapter 37 - Graveyard

    Ding!


    ?Skill¡ºFaint Resistance: LV1¡»has been activated?


    The familiar robotic voice of the system alerted me.


    In the darkness, my consciousness flickered in and out as I resisted the urge to fall asleep. Battling fiercely against the rhythmic swaying that seemed to lure me with the promise of relief from my injuries.


    Somehow I was still alive.


    However, when I tried to move, I was met with resistance. I felt myself trapped in the cage of my own body, a world apart, for what felt like days until atst, something stirred.


    I felt the air running along the fissures of my scales again, returning my blood from its cold state to a basic warmth. With the feeling returned to my body, I was able to gauge the passage of time through changes in the temperature around me, until finally¡­


    ?Skill¡ºParalysis Resistance: LV1¡»has been acquired. Activating status effect. Sess?


    I jolted awake as soon as my body was freed.


    Throwing off the darkness of something over my head, I was able to regain my sight. The sudden lurch of my body set the object in motion and it fell,nding with a soft thud beside me.


    Realising my mistake I lowered to the ground, staying still to recover my bearings. Wherever I was, it seemed to be my saving grace that I appeared to be dead.


    I took in my surroundings warily, hoping nothing had heard. Luckily, the object was light and the noise it made when it fell was small. There were no movements of wasp creatures in my vicinity in response to the sound.


    I was in a tall spacious cavern with rounded walls that looked simr to the inside of a cave. But the ground felt rough against my skin, like I was crawling over a woven surface like dried grass instead of soil. The area was quiet and devoid of movement, not at all what I was expecting to wake up to.


    Where was I?


    Besides the dull paining from my injured tail, there were small cuts on my underbelly from where the wasp had grabbed me. The wounds had since scabbed over, but they were still painful. My body feltpletely battered, but to my relief I was able to move around without feeling any stiffness.


    ?You are finally awake.? Sensei said with a sigh.


    I nced at the object that had fallen and was surprised to see a huge palm covered in fur, followed by the body of a monster resembling a primate lying on its side. It was white in colour with its red face contorted in an anguished snarl.


    I nearly jumped in back fright, but the creature remained still. As if frozen in time.


    Its wide open mouth exposed rows of sharp teeth, and it''s cloudy pair of eyes were, staring lifelessly at nothing. It was dead.


    It was not the frozen expression of anguish on its face that frightened me, but the state of its body.


    When I identally touched its palm, it had easily rolled off, when it shouldn''t have for something thatrge. Peering closer at it, I saw the reason why.


    The body was stiff and coarse like it had been ced to dry in the sweltering sun for days. The once lustrous white fur was brittle and shedding, the skin on its forehead and chest copsing in on itself, deted and loose, like there were no internal bones to speak of.


    The ape''s corpse was so gaunt and shrivelled that its skin looked more like tanned leather with fur attached.


    Was it alive at the time of its mummification or had its body just contorted to that expression in death?


    I was horrified to think of how it had died. Its face with that screaming expression made me imagine scenarios that made me shiver.


    I pierced the ape''s skin with my horns expecting to hit something hard but there was little resistance. My horns passed through like its skin was made of a stiff membrane rather than flesh, easily punching in two holes.


    When I retracted them, there were snowy particles of dust from where they had touched.


    For flesh to be hardened and brittle that it crumbled away was too strange. I peered through the holes and saw the inside of its body waspletely dry and devoid of blood. Even stranger was that there was anotherrge hole cut away at its back.


    No wonder it felt so light when pushed. The inside waspletely hollow!


    The ape''s skin had hardened while its insides werepletely emptied out of every bit of flesh and blood, leaving only a shell.


    Had its bones been melted?


    There was no trace of them inside, only the hard shell of skin that made up the entirety of its mass. This was clearly a dangerous situation.


    I looked around me and noticed the dead ape was not the only one.


    There were corpses of creatures strewn about everywhere, in a great upheaval of the dead. I saw every sort of monster ¨C ants, spiders, caterpirs, rodents, slugs. All dried up and shrivelled like raisins with holes cut out of their heads or backs. There were even a fewrge felines!


    It looked like a mass grave.


    I wasn''t sure at all what to make of the strange dumping site with dead creatures spread out all over the rough ground. Had someone deliberately ced them there?


    It all felt very eerie. But I couldn''t understand why I was here? Wasn''t I carried off by the wasp?


    Unless this was actually the wasp''s nest. However, it didn''t exin why I was still alive.


    I''d read about species of arthropod who ate by injecting their digestive fluid into prey, before sucking up the melted insides through their feeders. It looked very simr to the remains of the corpses, but wasn''t that method of feeding limited to spiders?


    But among the dead, there were spiders too.


    Not that this ruled them out as the culprits because spiders were also known to eat their dead. But there was no sign of webbing anywhere and the cavern looked nothing like the den of a spider.


    Shouldn''t they have just eaten me? It didn''t make sense to discard my body among those of the dead, unless¡­ they needed me to be alive and they thought I was dead.


    I recalled the appraisal results of Sairon''s Bell, giving the eater the appearance of death for 24 hours.


    "What happened?" I asked Sensei.


    ?The wasps brought you to their nesting chamber, but you arrived dead, so your remains were discarded.?


    Sensei replied in a voice so nonchnt, I felt my body twitch in annoyance.


    How could he say that so casually!


    My heart sank. I really thought I was going to die when I got captured, so to wake up here was a relief although my situation was still uncertain. I wasn''t happy toe so close to death while being helpless to do anything. So for him to react so heartlessly made me annoyed.


    As terrible as Sensei was, I didn''t want him to leave me for another host. If I knew how, I would seal him with me so that our fates were linked together permanently whether he liked it or not.


    Let''s see how he could remain unbothered when he was just as much at risk as me. He would be very concerned for ''our'' safety then.


    ?Of course, that was only after I slowed down the poison, extending the length of its effect to the intended time of 24 hours. You ate three mushrooms at once instead of one. If I didn''t slow it down your fake death would have onlysted eight hours before your heartbeat returned.?


    His response left me speechless. I didn''t know how to respond to that. Had I misjudged him? To think that he would help me. How did he do it?


    ?I didn''t do it for your benefit.? Sensei responded. His voice was cold as ice. ?I realise I may have assigned you this quest prematurely. You make rash decisions based on emotion. You are not prepared to handle the risks of your actions and behave immaturely when things don''t go your way. This sort of selfish behaviour will only lead you to danger in the future. Frankly, I think you are unworthy of the goddess''s gift.?


    "Is that all you have to say?" I received his admonishment serenely. "I could have told you all that myself. Why don''t we leave that to the Goddess to judge. I''m the Apostle here, not you, despite all the traits you find so defective."


    ?Is stubbornness your only good trait?? Sensei retorted.


    I wasn''t sure if it was imagined but I detected a hint of amusement in his voice. I couldn''t help but think consuming Sairon''s Bell had be my curse as well as a blessing.


    However, it didn''t make sense why the wasps had discarded me. Wasn''t the best prey the non-struggling kind?


    I had a creepy foreboding feeling as I looked around. The corpses I saw were all shrivelled up with holes in them like they''d been sucked dry.


    Were the wasps the kind to only feast on live prey? Did they puncture the skin to suck up the liquefied remains after injecting their acid?


    Now that I was alive, didn''t this put me right back on their menu?

 Chapter 38 - Dilemma

    Exactly how long had I been asleep?


    My mind raced at a mile a minute the sight in front of me.


    Curled up in a spiral, its lifeless eyes staring nkly, was the body of another little snake. I froze at the sight of it because It looked exactly like one of my nestlings!


    --------------


    As satisfyingly devoid of predators the graveyard currently was, I knew it wouldn''tst for long. If I faced any enemies, it wouldn''t end well for me. Also, whatever happened to the mummified corpses was rted to a creature or creatures that lived around here.


    The staggering amount of dead bodies hinted at a nest or colony and I didn''t want to be around when they finally showed themselves. So I had to leave before any of that happened.


    This little snake was done enticing danger - I still had two quests toplete!


    I nced around and scanned for gaps in the rough walls, looking for an exit. However, as I looked past the body of therge primate, my eyes fell upon a familiar creature.


    It had the same ck and white speckled design with miniature horn growths above its eyes, only the lively dark eyes were now clouded over and rigid like all the others. Disturbed by the sight of it, I approached the body, half curious and half dreading my worst fears woulde true.


    Unmoving, the curls of the dead snake''s body appeared to have fused together. Its spiral was perfectly formed, leaving no gaps in its grisly pyramid dome, with its head ced on top like a decorative seal. There was arge hole cut through its spiral pyramid and when I poked it, the brittle scales fell away to nothing, their insides empty.


    Was it possible? Had the nestlings fled the nest?


    The thought gave me a bad feeling. The bad snakes could have overpowered my two guards and escaped? Not without a struggle of course, but escaped nheless, to be victims for the wasps.


    Exactly how long had I been asleep?


    Remembering the training quest had a timer, I pulled up the system window and it read.


    [Quest: Train Nest Mates. [Time Remaining: 132 Hours]]


    The disy of the system aligned with my doubt.


    Observing it, the skin was so shrivelled it was difficult to tell its age, but it was impossible for it to only be days old. It looked to be at least a few weeks.


    I left the nest a little over two days ago. No matter how remarkable the resemnce, the timing was too wrong for this to be any of them. But I couldn''t help but feel pity for this unfortunate cousin.


    Or was it a stepsibling? Hm, snake gics were twisty.


    Still, the sight of it left me restless when I thought of how close I came to my own ending in the same way, bringing me back to the main problem.


    My escape.


    I checked my status.


    __________________________


    Name: Aurelia LV4 [Small Hatchling Snake] |Poisoned|


    Specie: Cerastes Vipera


    HP: 34/49 Defence: 32


    MP: 08/15 Intellect: 45


    SP: 32/43 Magic: 12


    Attack: 38 Agility: 45


    Skills:


    [Bite: LV3] [Poison Fang: LV2] [Grip: LV2]


    [Scent: LV1] [Heat Sense: LV4] [Silence: LV2]


    [Stealth: LV2] [Appraisal: LV2]


    [Rapid Strike: LV1] [Leap: LV1]


    [Buoyancy: LV1] [Steel Skin: LV1]


    [Rugged Scales: LV1] [Venom Rain: LV1]


    Title:


    [Apostle] [Cold-blooded] [Commander]


    Unique Skill:


    [Devour]


    Attributes:


    [Obsidian Horn]


    Resistances:


    [Impact Resistance: LV3]


    [Pain Resistance: LV3]


    [Wind Resistance: LV1]


    [Shock Resistance: LV1]


    [Faint Resistance: LV1]


    [Paralysis Resistance: LV1]


    _________________________


    For a creature of the wasp''s speed, killing me would''ve been easy. It seemed it had intended to do as little damage as possible with its stinger to capture me alive. Though things didn''t turn out the way it envisioned.


    However, I was still poisoned.


    My HP had not recovered at all through my paralysis spell and it did not seem to increase however much the time passed, yet neither did it fall though.


    Which could mean one of two things. Either the poison was inhibiting my recovery, or my HP was indeed increasing but also decreasing at the same, or a much faster rate.


    In either scenario, I was in trouble.


    I never got the chance to grab the antidote before the wasp abducted me and if I didn''t take one now, my HP would steadily fall until it hits zero. However long this process took was how long I had.


    But the timing still doesn''t add up.


    I spent a day in the forest before eating any mushroom, and the impression of death was supposed tost for 24 hours. My body was feeling free of any poison now, despite the disparity in health and stamina of my status. Which could only mean I was in the two day period of reprieve for Sairon''s Bell.


    So shouldn''t I have more time? Why did the quest''s timer suggest I had less than two days left?


    "Do I still have the full 48 hours of normal bodily functions before the poison''s second stage?" I asked Sensei. "Did it change when you slowed down the poison?"


    ?Not 48, you have 35. The wasp that stung you also carried a paralysis inducing venom. In species without any resistance like yourself, it normallysts between fifteen to eighteen hours.?


    ?However, thebination of the two poisons in your system enhanced its effect. So while the mushroom''s death effect ended thirteen hours ago, your body remained paralysed. Fortunately for you, you were already here by the time the effect wore off.?


    That exined where the missing time had gone, but there was also something else that was bothering me.


    Since I ate three mushrooms, didn''t this mean I would experience three times the normal pain if the time ran out before I could take the antidote?


    I doubted slowing down the rate at which the poison''s spread could reduce its potency once it was already in my system. I wasn''t looking forward to such a terrible bacsh.


    Slithering past the grisly remains of the snake, I searched around for an exit.


    And I spotted one just huddled behind a particrlyrge pile of corpses. I had to crawl between the mummified bodies to reach it, giving me an unsettling feeling.


    It wasn''t that I was afraid of the dead, it was just the idea of them rising back up. What if, not all of the corpses were dead?


    I med it on all the horror movies I binged in my past¡­


    As the thought was still in my head, I heard a sound. An unusually light tap from somewhere within the room that had me cursing in my mind. Did I just manifest my worst fear?


    Using [Heat Sense] I scanned my vicinity for any living creatures and surprisingly it came up empty.


    Had I misheard?


    It appeared as if everything around me was dead, but I wasn''t relieved yet as I''d already encountered a creature who specialised in [Stealth] who could easily get past my [Heat Sense]. To be doubly sure I listened for sounds, in the event there were any slime-spitting mimic lizards that could be present.


    However, the noises I picked up were unusual.


    I heard many separate bursts of vibrations at a frequency much lower than the first sound I''d heard,ing from below the ground. Other than this distracting hum, I was able to trace the light tapping sound to a monster shaped like a grasshopper crouching in the middle of the passage of bodies.


    It was just as ky and dried out as the other corpses, so I missed it before, but now that I looked at it closely I noticed its colours weren''t as faded.


    It still retained a greenish tinge to its shade rather than the muddy brown of the shrivelled corpses. Its body was battered and covered in injuries, but it wasn''t full of holes or hollowed out from the inside.


    Raising itsrger hind legs it rapped them on the ground, creating a scratching sound when they met with its wings. There was a visible tear in its wings when it opened them, and I presumed it had earned its injuries during its escape.


    Considering it was right in the middle of the passage, I had to get past it to reach the exit in the wall. So I moved in a roundabout way, weaving between rows of corpses so it would not spot me.


    In its injured state it would likely attack me thinking I was an enemy, or it might simply target me for food to recover its injuries even if I didn''t attack first.


    My hidden strategy went well for a while until I came upon an area where the bodies were more spaced apart. It was closer to the creature than the exit and if I continued on the path it would definitely expose me.


    The creature who was nearer to the exit than myself would likely try to block my path or intercept me before I could make a run for it. I would have concealed myself under the ground to crawl past it, but unlike in the jungle the ground here was too hard to burrow through, leaving mepletely exposed.


    I was better off drawing the creature''s attention away by making it chase me, and then double back for the exit when it wasn''t looking.


    What better way to this than to y hide and seek in a gross graveyard of bodies?


    The sudden sh of inspiration made me grin. I could get away with it if I hid myself properly. I was smaller than the grasshopper and my slender body structure and pattern made it much harder to spot me among the pile of bodies.


    I retreated some distance away from the exit before crossing between two bodies in direct sight of the creature.


    I was tempted to hiss out a taunt, but I changed my mind - I was sure it could see well enough. I would only do so If it failed to take the bait.


    The creature spotted me almost instantly. Its long body reared up from the ground, itsrge eyes focused on my far away figure. But rather than approaching me, it backed away.


    What the hell was it retreating for?


    You''re supposed toe after me, not run away!


    Perhaps in its wounded state, it perceived me as more of an threat than I ounted for. That certainly made my job easier.


    I didn''t pursue, but followed just far enough away to give it the impression I had a difficulty keeping up, hoping it would run further away.


    I was more than thrilled to continue doing this, until the creature stopped its retreat and settled down next to the massive corpse pile, blocking the exit.


    Taking up a stance on its four frontal legs, it unfurled its wings and a high pitched sound emerged from them taking mepletely by surprise.


    The shrill ringing prated through my scales down to my skin causing my whole body to feel unbearable pain. It shattered my sense of hearing leaving me unable to perceive anything else in my vicinity besides the irritating sound.


    Leaping behind one of the corpses I curled myself to a spiral pyramid much like my snake cousin, to defend against the waves of sound, wincing as the shrill stridtion attack continued.

 Chapter 39 - Bitter Comrades

    I couldn''t understand why it started to attack me. Of all the creatures here, we were the only two alive so, shouldn''t we band together to fight off the wasps and escape since we were in a simr situation?


    I only scared it a little but didn''t try to attack in anyway. In its battered condition, the more logical move was for it to retreat and try to escape; yet it had chosen to attack.


    I wondered if it was possible tomunicate with the creature.


    However the high pitched ringing of its attack was everywhere, forcing me to curl up tightly and trying to hang on, much less finding a chance to try andmunicate with it.


    I couldn''t make any signs with my body or dance defencelessly like I had with the nestlings because any attempt of doing so was met with a st of excruciating noise.


    Defeated, I hid in my spiral cocoon where the noise was reduced as I thought about my next move. Inside, the echo of the noise was muffled and not so ear shattering, but the aftereffects were still there.


    The longer I heard the shrill noise, the more needle-like stabbing pains pierced through my skin, like it were a mere water barrier. My vision blurred and my head pounded with a headache so intense I had to squint. As I felt the waves of disorientation strike through me I felt like I could faint at any time.


    I couldn''t ignore it anymore.


    Even worse, the grasshopper-like creature didn''t want to stop. I barely managed to track it through the rows of bodies through [Scent]. I''d hoped it would stay in ce so I could sneak up and attack it, but it effortlessly maintained a steady st of noise while moving around.


    It created the ringing by rubbing the rough spines of its hind legs against the scales of its wings. And with six of its legs, it could simultaneously create the noise while walking with the other four, making it much harder to target.


    It was on offence and defence at the same time and there was no way to interrupt its attack. I was left with no choice but to keep enduring inside my cocoon, and with each stride of its lengthy body it made its way towards my hiding ce.


    I was sure I was pretty well hidden, yet its almost linear approach towards me made me realise something more upsetting. It was tracking me, and very urately at that. It was just a matter of time before it reached me.


    "Any suggestions, Sensei?" I ask humorously.


    ?Obviously, you need to stay out of sight and mask your scent. It''s a locust, it won''t stop until it finds its food.?


    And that food was me. You forgot to add that.


    And such detailed and helpful advice too, like I didn''t already know that!


    But the question was, how? Coming out of my cocoon would only cause more damage and hearing impairment and there was nothing around me that could help me...


    Other than a mummified corpse lying next to me.


    It was that of a huge grey spider with a hole cut out in its bulbous abdomen.


    Wait, that''s it!


    I released my coil and my head was immediately assaulted with painful jabs from the locust''s infernal screech. My head swarmed with dizziness, but I forced myself to move and quickly leapt over the spider''s body, slipping inside the hole in its abdomen. I crashnded in the hollow space inside, causing bits of disintegrated particles to spread all over myself.


    My eyes felt irritated as I held back the urge to sneeze. Ugh¡­ Do snakes get allergies too?


    Even in a new body I could not escape those!


    I slithered inside its body and I curled myself into a cocoon once again to get a brief reprieve from the locust''s noise attack. However, the smell of the spider''s body made it impossible to keep using [Scent] to track the pesky locust.


    Out of options, I tried using my [Heat Sense] once again.


    Thest time I used it, I was unable to pick up the locust''s presence but perhaps I had scanned the wrong ce and missed it entirely. Now that it was moving, I hoped that would change things.


    And it worked!


    As the creature stalked towards my hiding ce I was able to visualise it, but its insides were unlike anything I''d ever seen.


    In the surroundings that showed the deep blue hue of cold, [Heat Sense] picked up a quickly moving blur shaped like wings surrounded by arger red and yellow blurred mass that had be the locust''s body. The radiating heat on its wings from all the friction of its sound attack, made them glow a bright white colour.


    My eyes, however, were drawn towards another heat source that glowed white with radiated heat that wasn''t as a result of its friction or speed. It was much smaller than the locust and what shocked me more was that it was situated inside the locust''s thorax.


    I was astonished. I thought we wererades in arms! Turns out you were just a puppet.


    Following the locust''s movements made me realise it also relied on [Scent]. Since it couldn''t see me, its path towards me wasn''t direct but it was steadily gaining. I watched its antennae flicking in the air, changing its direction whenever it detected any chemical traces left behind, which gave me an idea.


    I poked another hole in the spider''s abdomen and crawled out of it, but not before leaving a spray of venom inside. Then I slithered over to the next corpse, entering it to do the same.


    I repeated this action for five more corpses in a circr loop that would draw in the locust who relied on [Scent] to track me. My n depended on the scent of my venom being a more potent lure than the actual scent of my body. It would lead the locust to my first mark, the spider''s body, before drawing it further down my trail, sealing off its retreat from the area.


    Hopefully, the locust would blindly follow the trail I left behind, not knowing which of the corpses I was residing in. There I made ns for the perfect ambush where I would attack it from my hiding ce, using relentless hit-and-run tactics on it until it was dead.


    I finishedying my scent trail and waited for the locust to reach me.


    Nestled inside the body of a centipede monster, I observed the locust''s antennae sniffing the body of the spider I''d left a spray of venom in. Failing to find me, it left the spider''s corpse, moving on to follow the scent of my venom to the next corpse, bringing it further inside my scent loop and closer to my current hiding ce.


    As it neared, I crawled outside the dead centipede through a hole I''d made in its head which I thought was the perfect spot tounch myself off. The locust''s close proximity to me caused my fangs to tremble from the sheer force if its vibrations and my body rattled as I fought to keep still.


    Unfurling myself from my cocoon I was perfectly poised to strike, even with the barrage of excruciating noise. I stayed still and observed it draw closer and I hid myself with [Stealth] and [Silence].


    If the locust followed my exact trail it would bring it directly to the first trap Iid, from my higher vantage point I could jump directly onto its body and finish it.


    I watched with bated breath as the first flicker of the locust''s antennae appeared in my sight. It had followed my scent trail, leading it to the curve of the centipede''s body where I''d deposited a small puddle of my venom. The locust bent down its flicking antennae until it reached the puddle.


    It was at that point that Iunched myself from my hidden position to the locust''s back. I''d drawn it close enough so that I wouldn''t miss my mark. Its noisy wings were fearsome attack tools, but their noise were also a drawback because they allowed me to approach it undetected.


    Landing softly on the locust''s back I directly went for my target. I didn''t bother biting its body because its exoskeleton looked far too tough, so instead I lunged at its stridting wings, ripping off the first of its two pairs with my sharp fangs.


    I started from the already damaged section, shattering the thin membranous wings that came off easily with the force of my [Bite] causing the locust to shake erratically and fall over in a bid to throw me off.


    The high pitched sound attack came to aplete halt.


    I revelled in the sudden silence that felt like pure bliss to my pained head until the creature lurched, raising its hind legs. It moved quickly despite its injuries and I wouldn''t have been able to hold on, if not for my quick reflexesbined with my recovered sense of hearing. I immediately mped my fangs down on the stubs of its two remaining wings, eliciting a screech from the creature''s maw just as it leaped up into the air.


    I felt my body go loose on the locust''s sides as it jumped, and I had no choice but to hang on to its shattered wings right before it shot off into the air. I nearly got knocked down from the force of wind bearing down on my body, but I bit down hard with all my strength.


    If I were to fall from such height, my injuries would be terrible, that is if I were to survive at all.


    The locust jumping ability was incredibly high, so high that it cleared out of the [Scent] loop of corpses that was my trap in a single leap of its powerful legs,nding in an entirely different part of the graveyard.


    Unfortunately, I was still attached to it at this time and the forceful impact of itsnding jolted my body, mming me down hard on the shell of the locust''s back.

 Chapter 40 - The Puppeteer

    ?Skill Aptitude Increase¡ºSteel Skin: LV1¡»has be¡ºSteel Skin: LV2¡»?


    I tasted blood on impact, so I chomped down harder on the locust''s wings provoking another screech. It squirmed and struggled hard to shake me off, but its body frame was its biggest hindrance.


    Its hind legs were shaped just for jumping and they were not flexible enough to reach me, while its other four legs were nted firmly on the ground to support its weight, with the addition of a vengeful snake on top.


    Retracting my body closer, I used my tail end to deflect the blows from its hind legs then I curled myself around its thorax, in the space between its shorter legs to protect myself. Once I was sure I was safe, I proceeded to rip off its two remaining wings.


    I felt satisfied at the crisp sound of its wing membrane tearing apart. It was its own fault for provoking me when all I wanted to do was leave. Let''s see how you fight back now, without those annoying wings!


    Without the sound attack that rendered me almost defenceless, there was nothing stopping me from going on the offence, and now, all that was left was for it to die.


    Tightening my hold on its body through [Grip], I lunged at the spot underneath its wings where the flesh was softer to render a bite. But unexpectedly, my fangs rebounded off something hard and I stared in disbelief at the new ''armour'' covering the area.


    Had its exoskeleton just moved?


    I felt a lurch as the locust''s feet pounded the ground and the sudden tilt of its body broke my bnce, forcing me toy t on its back again as it leaped into the air again.


    Laying down, I noticed a small gap in its extended armour. If I could lodge my horns into it and seed in ripping out a scale or two, it would be easy to inflict my venom from there.


    But the locust did not remain still enough for me to attempt it. With each jump, there was a little pause before it attempted another leap, each one sending dizzying waves and spasms through my body. But with my body tightened around its thorax, I resisted most of the waves and did not suffer much from the impact.


    However, once in the air I noticed something odd. With every jump the locust made it seemed to be getting closer to the walls of the cave. I wondered if it was on purpose. The locust''s behaviour seemed to simply want to throw me off it back but could it actually be nning something?


    If it were to hit the wall with the sheer force of its jump, my body would be crushed.


    But so would the locust.


    I didn''t cover enough of its body to leave itpletely exempt from harm. Its longer hind legs, especially those that extended past its abdomen would suffer the most damage. If that was its n, it was a terrible one.


    I wondered if it even cared about its own body or if it was so desperate to get me off its back, it would do anything. It made no sense for it to attempt such a thing...


    Unless this was actually not its own strategy but someone else''s. I decided on thetter.


    From the state of the locust''s already battered body I could tell it approached situations without a care for its own well being or the damage it inflicted on itself. Remembering the other life form [Heat Sense] revealed, I was doubly sure this was the puppeteer''s doing.


    No sane creature would deliberately put their own lives at risk just to put an end to a perceived threat or foe. The locust was indeed pitiful to be used in this way.


    As we reached closer to the wall, I released my grip on the locust''s thorax andtched on to the stubs of its wings again with [Bite]. My bite this time did not provoke a reaction from it as it just kept up its jumping momentum.


    Mindlessly moving even though each jump pulled my body further along to hang loosely on its sides. My entire weight pulling on its wing stubs should have been excruciating for it, and itsck of reaction only confirmed my suspicion.


    The creature inside it was gaining more control and gradually the locust was losing all of its senses, including the sense of pain. It must''ve been extremely confident in its n. That my ending was inevitable and my futile attempts were not worth a reaction. The scary creature intended to crush my body with enough force against the cavern wall, letting me take the brunt of the impact.


    And it was half right, with each jump the locust made, its impact on the ground made me lose two points of HP but I persisted and hung on longer as it closed the gap. If I were to hit the wall it would indeed be the end for me, but the locust''s puppeteer was na?ve to think I wouldn''t notice its n.


    Once it was near enough to the wall, I released my bite on its wings.


    I winced as my fangs scraped along its hard shell, but I used the wind generated by the force of its jump to slip under it. Latching onto one of its longer hind legs at the joint with [Bite], Iunched myself off its body towards the wall with [Leap] to avoid getting pulled along with the insect.


    And as I got closer to the wall, I tried to attach myself to it with [Grip] but the angle of my jump and the force of my impact made it impossible. I tumbled down the wall as soon as I hit it, and immediately coiled myself into a roll.


    It took less than a second for the locust to realise I was no longer on its back and it screeched iprehensibly, however the trajectory of its jump was fixed ¨C it could not avoid the impact now in midair.


    Without its wings it was impossible for it to manoeuvre itself the other way however much it struggled, and it crashed into the cavern wall with tremendous force.


    I barely managed to avoid getting crushed by the body of the falling locust but I ended up scraping my scales against the wall''s hard curved surface as I fell, incurring more damage.


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase¡ºRugged Scales: LV1¡»has be¡ºRugged Scales: LV2¡»?


    Inded on the ground with force with the battered, twitching body of the locustnding not too far from me.


    But it was still alive!


    Looking at its body, it suffered the most damage on its legs. The two used for jumping were twisted badly, but not broken. Its main body had a dent in its thorax while its abdomen only suffered scrapes and bruising.


    My impact on the wall had been rough and I''d suffered slight razor burn, but at least I''d fallen from a height that was not so steep, unlike the locust whose jump had crashed it into the top of the wall, so I was surprised it had survived after all that. I''d hoped the impact would finish it off, but its exoskeleton was resilient beyond my calctions.


    Pushing off the ground, I shook off the remnants of a few scales that hade off during my fall and I went after the locust again. Compared to its battered body mine fared better. What better time to finish it off than when it was injured.


    The locust''s weathered body struggled to get up, its limbs twitching uncontrobly. As I approached it, its body contorted, the long limbs spasming unusually as they extended as if it found the action of moving its limbs difficult and unfamiliar. But once it stood, its trembling stopped, and its limbs went rigid at its sides while its head hung limp from its thorax in a defeated stance.


    I started to get confused. Did it give up?


    And then, suddenly it''s body contorted as something pushed up from inside the hard shell of its head. Scanning it with [Heat Sense] I noticed the smaller heat source inside it had started to grow bigger, and with it, the heat of the locust''s body had begun to fade. The locust turned cold in hues of deep blue and faded yellow while the zing white light of the smaller creature intensified.


    Something strange was happening.


    The locust''s heat was almostpletely wiped out when its head cracked. On its bug face, a seam opened right across the creature''s cloudy eyes. As it did, the locust''s body convulsed erratically, trembling so much its front legs copsed under the weight of its head, bringing the creature down to the ground.


    The slim crack on its eyes continued to widen as something pushed out from the inside of the locust''s head in a horrendous crack.


    I watch in horror as a long leg slipped out from the opening in its face, the locust''s two antennae rose up over its head and then I noticed a second pair of eyes staring at me with malicious intent from inside the hole in the locust''s head right between the long crack across its own eyes.


    The new pair of eyes were sharper, their colour and lustre a pearlescent ck, more alert than the cloudy muddy ones the locust had before.


    I recognised that horrid limb. They were simr to the ones of the wasp whose sharpness had dug into me as I soared through the air, only, this one was a translucent pale shade rather than its usual dark green.


    Its glistening wet limbs were slender, sporting fewer des as they ripped apart the locust''s skull.


    I assumed this wasp''s body hadn''t fully matured, but the barbs on them were dangerous all the same.


    It wasn''t the locust I had to be wary of now, but the juvenile wasp residing inside it that was about to emerge.

 Chapter 41 - Host

    The sharp des on the limbs of the juvenile wasp easily pierced the skull of the locust as they made their way out.


    But I wasn''t about to let that happen!


    Before itpletely broke out, I leapt over to the locust''s lowered head. Evading the wasp''s barbed ws reaching out for me, I coiled myself around the locust''s thorax where the wasp''s main body was located in a constriction hold.


    I felt sorry for what was happening to the locust - we could have beenrades in arms, but sadly it was under another''s control and I had no choice but to kill it.


    If I were in the same situation, I would rather die than be someone''s puppet. If my death also meant killing the perpetrator of my repression, I''d be more than willing. Regardless, the locust was doomed to perish as soon as the wasp emerged and there was no way I was letting the wasp spawn break free from its host''s cage.


    The tough fight with the wasp that caught me and the near-death experience after were still fresh in my mind. Dealing with another aerial predator like it in my current state was simply too dangerous. It was best to end its life before it made it out - for the sake of the locust and myself, I would give it a quick death.


    I wrapped myself twice around its head and thorax to hold over the cracked opening of the locust''s head. As I activated [Steel Skin] and [Grip] I wrung myself tightly around it, causing the gap in the opening to close.


    This made the emerging juvenile wasp retreat into the locust''s head, but I didn''t stop there. I continued to grip tightly over the locust''s thorax, until cracks began to form over the surface of its hard exoskeleton.


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase¡ºGrip: LV2¡»has be¡ºGrip: LV3¡»?


    The wasp that retreated inside put up a fierce struggle. It fully utilised its strong limbs to widen its escape hole by extensively pushing against my constriction hold.


    The hideous cracking sounds they made against the hard shell did not deter me as I continued to squeeze, closing the very space it had to manipte its limbs around itself, to quash the very force of its escape.


    Using [Heat Sense] I witnessed the warmth of the locust''s body continue to fade. It was now a dull red colour and in some parts of its body it had begun to change to cold hues of blue. These parts assumed the appearance of the other corpses, dying and shrinking like their vitality had been sucked out.


    Imended the wasp who even in that state was expediting the absorption of its host''s life. It perhaps hoped to strengthen itself fully in order to break free of my grip. And as I realised its n, I decided to finish it off as quickly as I could using all my strength.


    I distracted the wasp who continued to struggle unsessfully by squeezing harder on the locust''s body, while I approached the weakened scale over the locust''s wing.


    Finding it unguarded, I jabbed at the scale using my horns to widen the gap. And once its fleshy tissue was exposed, I embedded my fangs into the underside of the locust''s wing, pumping in two shots of venom for good measure.


    The locust was close to death, but the wasp and it were still connected through the shared nutrients in its body, which the wasp was absorbing at a fast rate. If I were to introduce poison into the locust''s system, the wasp would also ingest it and it would be doomed to die as soon as it was born.


    It was the ultimate drawback for a parasite, and in this case, the best method of punishment.


    The locust''s body remained immobile and I was unsure if it was aware of my bite after its sensory loss, but I continued to squeeze like before so its puppeteer wouldn''t notice anything amiss.


    Soon enough, however, I noticed the locust limbs begin to twitch.


    I was quick to rte it to one of the effects of my venom and was takenpletely by surprise when the locust''s body suddenly regained its motor skills. Its long hind legs immediately lunged forward, managing to leave a gouge in my skin in its attempt to swat me away.


    I twisted up higher on the locust''s thorax, away from its reach, while knocking away the shorter legs that had also begun to attack.


    Their hits did not pack as much force whenpared to the locust''s hind legs, but they were still painful as they rebounded off my scales. It was difficult topletely avoid them while pressing down the opening so I could only endure their blows.


    I ignored the locust''s erratic struggling and squeezed harder, causing more cracks to appear over the locust''s thorax.


    The wasp must have realised its strength alone was not enough to throw me off, as it had once again picked up the controls of the locust''s body. But after trying and failing to knock me off with the locust''s legs, it catapulted into the air, aiming again for the curved wall.


    As I was fully wrapped around its body, there was no way for me to avoid the collision this time and, I could only brace myself for impact. However, it couldn''t jump as high as before and the force of the impact this time was not as painful. I only got a few scrapes which were rebuffed with [Steel Skin].


    The locustnded on the ground with unsteady limbs, twitching from all the damage they had taken. But soon it readied itself to jump even higher, seeming to no longer care for its host''s body.


    Hoping to stall its jump I squeezed harder with [Grip], bracing with [Steel Skin] right before it catapulted into the air. The sudden weight of my body caused it to stagger unsteadily, and its frantic jump veered off course, bringing its body crashing against the cavern wall.


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase¡ºSteel Skin: LV2¡»has be¡ºSteel Skin: LV3¡»?


    I heard the crinkling sound of its hardened shell breaking and revelled in my small victory. Due to my meddling at the time of its jump, its change in angle had helped me avoid most of the injuries on impact and its legs took the majority of the beating.


    However, my joy was short lived. In its descent, the locust redirected its fall, kicking off from the wall with its injured leg. It aligned its body to swerve headfirst in such a way that when wended, it would be on its side where my body would take the most damage from the fall.


    The wasp was clearly insane. If we fell in that way, the curved wall would scrape some of my skin and injure me but surely the locust''s limbs on the sides of its body would be torn off as well.


    They extended past my body and they would bepletely destroyed even before the wall managed to touch me. Its strategy waspletely psychotic and bordering on self harm. It probably thought as soon as I was badly damaged, it could emerge out of the locust unharmed to finish me off.


    As we plunged to the floor I contemted leaping off the locust''s back to avoid injury, but if I were to let go, the wasp would immediately break free, foiling all my ns. I cursed at its persistence and braced myself for impact with [Steel Skin].


    I could choose to release it and let it die by poison, but in the likelihood that the wasp did not absorb all of it - since the locust was still alive and well. I was better off crushing its body from the outside. So, before we hit the ground, I squeezed with all my strength.


    There was a loud crack as the locust''s thorax broke apart.


    A high-pitched screech echoed from inside the locust''s body as we tumbled down, shattering the quiet in the cavern. There was no time for victory, however, as the tilted fall of the locust''s body had it grating against the wall.


    The two legs on the left side of its body werepletely torn off and my body dipped low enough to scrape the rough wall, sending trembling pulses of pain through my skin. I reinforced myself with [Steel Skin] but the injuries felt even worse than my initial fall, especially in the ces where I had some missing scales.


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase¡ºRugged Scales: LV2¡»has be¡ºRugged Scales: LV3¡»?


    Both of our bodies were dragged along the wall until finally the body of the locust crashnded onto the ground in a crumpled heap. Its limbs twitched as it tried to get up but with three legs missing and only one to support the weight on its left side, its bnce was uneven.


    Its unsteady limbs trembled and I tightened my grip for thest time, crushing the locust''s thorax with one final squeeze. Its body copsed, lifeless.


    ?You have defeated LV9 Ivenius Adficio!?


    ?You have earned 45XP?


    ?You have gained a level!?


    I released my grip and my battered body dropped to the ground beside it.


    __________________


    Name: Aurelia LV5 [Neonate Snake]|Poisoned|


    Specie: Cerastes Vipera


    HP: 16/49>55Defence: 32>40


    MP: 03/15>33Intellect: 45>53


    SP: 18/43>51Magic: 12>15


    Attack: 38>45Agility: 45>50


    __________________


    My status was abysmal from incurring so much damage but at least I aplished my goal of crushing the juvenile wasp, literally. But my HP wasn''t recovering at its usual speed, due to my poisoned state, so I only had one other way to recover my strength.


    I crawled over to the wall and gathered the limbs of the locust that had fallen off, assembling them into a pile.


    Using [Heat Sense] I scanned the withered body of the locust that was nowpletely cold with only the weak heat source of the wasp remaining inside. Observing it uneasily I wondered if it had enough strength to break out of the locust''s back now, or if it would remain trapped inside?


    As I waited, I appraised the body of the locust.


    __________________


    LV9 Ivenius Adficio


    Specie: Ailith Gryllus


    HP: 0/92 Defence: 76


    MP: 0/36 Intellect: 20


    SP: 0/86 Magic: 48


    Attack: 77 Agility: 67


    Skills:


    [Stridtion: LV3] [Flight: LV2]


    [Leap: LV4] [Exoskeleton: LV4]


    [Bite: LV1] [Scent: LV2]


    [Compound Eyes: LV3]


    [Grip: LV2] [Stealth: LV1]


    [Endurance: LV3]


    Title:


    [Larvae Host]


    Resistances:


    [Piercing Resistance: LV2]


    [Wind Resistance: LV2]


    [Pain Resistance: LV1]


    __________________


    Seeing the title of [Larvae Host], I came to understand the reason for all the mummified corpses around me. This was not a graveyard as I initially thought. Rather it was the ce the wasprvae came to when they were close to shedding off the bodies of their hosts, before emerging as a brand new wasp.


    But in this case, my appearance had interrupted the wasp''s process, forcing it to hasten the absorption of its host body due to its life being threatened. I was curious if it could still emerge from the locust''s shell even after the beating it had taken. If it did, the process would be painful and difficult, and it was likely it would not be intact. That is, if it even emerged at all.


    However, I soon heard something cracking again, my attention focused on the crushed thorax.


    The sound of the shell breaking was clear in the quiet cavern, but its progress was slow and strenuous as the limbs of the wasp fought with difficulty to break free.


    Preparing for its arrival I grabbed one of the fallen limbs of the locust and began to eat in a bid to regain my HP.

 Chapter 42 - Snakeskin

    I cracked open the outer shells of each of the locust''s limbs with [Bite] and with their exoskeleton removed, I was able to dig into their fleshy parts. The taste was revolting as usual, but I couldn''t afford to be picky so I persisted. My HP was recovering at a snail''s pace and I needed more strength.


    My thoughts went to the [HP Recovery Potion] avable in the store. With [81] experience points, I had enough to purchase one, but doing so would be a waste and would leave me with only [31] points.


    If my fears came true and I was indeed inside the wasp''s nest, my XP would be very important for my survival. I need every single point to strengthen my defence while I nned my escape from here. But as I looked over at the locust''s main body, the juvenile wasp hasn''t made much progress at all.


    At first, its struggle against the locust''s shell had been forceful and relentless but gradually it lost its strength and its efforts became weak. The loud scraping noises it made earlier reduced to no more than a scratch, and now there was barely any sounding.


    The hole on the locust''s skull was wide enough for the wasp to break through, but it made no attempt to. It seemed to have drained all its strength and was unable toe out. The longer it stayed in, the more it would soak in a bath of poison, weakening itself even further, but I wasn''t going to let my guard down yet.


    I hastily ate all three of the locust''s limbs, bringing my HP up to [29/55] before turning away from its corpse - I needed to move about to find more sources of food. But once I moved away, I heard the light cracking sound of the hard shell opening.


    As I thought, the wasp simply chose to wait inside because of my presence but now that my attention was elsewhere, it decided to step out of the shell. Its act might have worked on other creatures, but unfortunately for it, I had my [Heat Sense] fixed on it the entire time.


    The effort I put into crushing the locust''s thorax was simply to destroy the wasp''s wings, or at least damage them enough so it wouldn''t be able to fly. The warped shape of the locust''s body thereafter was only an added bonus that made its host''s body tougher to break out from, keeping the wasp inside long enough.


    However, from looking at the wet glistening limbs that were still pale green in colour and the body armour that had not yet hardened - it had also realised something was amiss. Its premature appearance rather than the strong armoured wasp I was expecting meant it had stopped absorbing the locust''s body fluids after some time.


    Doing so would have been a wise decision if it was any other creature, but this was my venom which could stay undetected until it was toote. My very first victim the bison, had only noticed it was poisoned when it nearly died from blood loss.


    What made this wasp think it was any different?


    It had only begun experiencing symptoms when it was deeply afflicted. The wasp made the wrong move by stopping its absorption and hindering its own growth. If it had continued, at least it would have finished its growth process and might''ve had a fighting chance. But now in its current state, it was bound to die.


    As it broke through, its movements were slow and it trembled with every step. Its limbs were far too soft to be those of aplete creature. Two of its six limbs were bent at an awkward angle and its silvery translucent wings, that should move as fast as a blur, were now awkwardly twisted and unable to support its flight.


    I was satisfied at the sight of the wasp, it had absorbed more of my poison than I anticipated, plus because of the fight before, it was damaged too badly. But unfortunately, it was still a higher level so I couldn''t appraise it. Yet.


    In its state, even if it was not killed by me it would eventually be devoured by its own brethren for being defective. Its fate had been sealed the moment it ingested my venom. I wondered what it would choose to do now as it too must have realised it would no longer be weed in the hive.


    Observing it with [Heat Sense] I saw it shakily lift one of the shattered wings on its back, but its other pair failed to respond due to it being crushed beyond recognition. The wasp was in a terrible shape, but when it zeroed in on my presence and made an attack without any hesitation, I knew I could not afford to show it any mercy.


    Easily evading its clumsy strike, I turned around and tackled it to the ground, before curling myself around its limp body. I applied most of my strength in the gap between its head and thorax to prevent its gnashing mandibles from biting me.


    I was amazed a creature could hold a grudge that strong. The wasp was like an embodiment of hatred, programmed to fight even on itsst legs. It reminded me of the human''s that never knew when to admit defeat.


    I had hoped the wasp would run so it could serve as a distraction for the other wasps which in turn would give me a chance to escape. But it still chose to attack despite its life being nearly exhausted!


    The wasp was so different from the other monsters I''d encountered, and I could no longer take it lightly after everything I''d been through. I had little doubt it was capable of sound reasoning and thought, so for it to waste the possibility of freedom to engage in a death match really puzzled me.


    It fought against my hold with the barbs on its arms, but without any hardening they did not do much harm. My scales were much tougher now and it could only w at my body without breaking the skin.


    It''s tougher mandibles snapped loudly as it bent over to reach my body, but I tightened my hold over its head and bit down on one of its struggling legs, forcefully ripping it out of its socket.


    This caused the wasp to screech loudly and its attacks to increase in fervour, until I increased my grip over the weak connection between its thorax and head, stifling its movements. From then on, it could only struggle uselessly in my grasp as I squeezed harder over the weak connection, before deftly taking off its head.


    ?You have defeated LV11 Melior Hesperia!?


    ?You have earned 55XP?


    ?You have gained a level!?


    The system messages came all at once in a flurry of ''dings'' and I barely had time to appreciate them before my vision suddenly turned cloudy. My view of the wasp disappeared, lost in the haze of something covering my eyes and I shook my head to throw it off, but it refused to budge.


    Scanning around me with [Heat Sense] I saw no sign of any living creature, but I wasn''t confident this wasn''t an enemy attack. I was so d the wasp had already fallen, or I would be in serious trouble.


    What the heck could this be now?


    I slipped off the wasp and rolled over on the ground, rubbing my skin that felt unbearably itchy against the rough surface. Then I heard the sound of something tear and the film that covered my eyes was suddenly ripped away. My vision became stunningly clear, much better than it had been since my birth.


    The colours around me were much brighter, the figures of both corpses in my vision now devoid of any blurring. It was almost as good as the eyes I had as a human, except for its range. The objects up close were much clearer and I still could not see very far away. I was stunned at this new development, it had to be due to my levelling up!


    The cloudy film that had obscured my vision turned out to be a piece of skin that was stuck halfway down my body. As I wriggled about, more of the skin loosened and I sessfully crawled out of it, leaving behind a pale husk that looked like a replica of myself.

 Chapter 43 - The Walking Ghost

    But it wasn''t exactly the same as I soon came to realise. When I measured myself against the piece of skin I realised I was a few inches longer, however, looking back at my body, my actual width had not changed much at all.


    I noticed all my scars were left behind on the old piece of skin I shed. It was starting to harden, and all the injuries appeared much more prominent. My new body inparison was without any scarring and felt much lighter to move. But I still felt tired, so I checked my status with the system.


    ______________


    Name: Aurelia LV6 [Neonate Snake] |Poisoned|


    Specie: Cerastes Vipera


    HP: 29/55>64Defence: 40>46


    MP: 08/33>38Intellect: 53>59


    SP: 43/51>59Magic: 15>22


    Attack: 45>50Agility: 50>55


    Skills:


    [Poison Fang: LV2] [Bite: LV3]


    [Venom Rain: LV1] [Grip: LV3]


    [Scent: LV1] [Heat Sense: LV4]


    [Silence: LV2] [Rapid Strike: LV1]


    [Stealth: LV2] [Appraisal: LV2]


    [Buoyancy: LV1] [Steel Skin: LV3]


    [Leap: LV1] [Rugged Scales: LV3]


    Title:


    [Apostle] [Coldblooded] [Commander]


    Unique Skill:


    [Devour]


    Attributes:


    [Obsidian Horn]


    Resistances:


    [Impact Resistance: LV3]


    [Pain Resistance: LV3]


    [Wind Resistance: LV1]


    [Shock Resistance: LV1]


    [Faint Resistance: LV1]


    [Paralysis Resistance: LV1]


    Experience Points: [136]


    ______________


    There had been a few changes since levelling. My stats had improved obviously, but the most pressing issue of my depleted HP had not changed at all. I was a little disappointed with this and had hoped that with levelling, my HP bar would replenish a little and my body would be more adept at dealing with the poison. Unfortunately, it seemed that was not the case. Besides my lighter, faster body, nothing much had changed.


    But with all my predators dead I felt more secure, yet I reminded myself to stay vignt. There was no telling when my new found peace would be interrupted, and I still had to eat to recover more HP.


    I ced my newly shed skin in one of the hollow corpses to hide it away, before proceeding to eat. I approached the dead wasp first out of curiosity. When I''d killed it, its level was much higher than the locust although it had clearly been weaker, so I appraised it.


    ______________


    LV11 Melior Hesperia


    Specie: Ailith Vespoidea


    HP: 0/80 Defence: 26


    MP: 0/34 Intellect: 42


    SP: 0/58 Magic: 18


    Attack: 35 Agility: 31


    Skills:


    [Sting: LV1] [Scent: LV2]


    [Compound Eyes: LV2]


    [Bite: LV3] [Grip: LV1]


    [Lift: LV1] [w: LV1]


    [Pain Toxin: LV2]


    [Paralysis Venom: LV1]


    Title:


    [Hive Worker]


    Resistances:


    [Pain Resistance: LV1]


    [Shock Resistance: LV1]


    ______________


    Most of its skills were at LV1 and its attack stat was even lower than mine, before I levelled up. I could only conclude its premature birth had affected its stats, making them weak.


    If it had sessfully absorbed all of the locust''s blood and other substances its stats would have been much higher. The wasp I''d faced before had not been so weak. I doubted I could recover much of my HP from it, but I ate it all the same. My HP went up to [37/64], before I moved on to the body of the locust which finally boosted my HP to full [64/64].


    I was most curious about my own physiology. How was I able to eat a creature three times the size of myself, without feeling bloated or being full. If I wasn''t currently aware I''d just eaten two creatures, I would certainly have eaten more! What I wanted to know now was where it all went.


    And since when was I such a glutton? I wasn''t this bad in my past life, although I''d been constantly teased and envied for my slim figure that never put on any weight, even after consuming copious amounts of junk food. I wondered if I inherited this quality along with my memories to my current body. The only difference this time was that I actually had some curves. I had so many now that my bullies would be left speechless!


    Fond memories aside I was deeply curious about this new body of mine, but as I examined my status from inside one of the hollow corpses I realised my HP had fallen again. It was down to [63/64] and this time it was not from getting hurt. I watched my HP bar, to see if and when it would fall again, but nothing happened.


    Regardless I was already spooked, and it reminded me of what little time I had left, so I did not linger anymore in the cavern.


    But aftering out I was not met with an exit but a continuous curving tunnel with high walls that gradually sloped downwards. The tunnel was wide and spacious and the humming I''d picked up earlier was more pronounced out here than before.


    It no longer came from under the ground but reverberated through the tunnel walls. Luckily for me, the tunnel was empty, and I did not meet any wasps, but everywhere I looked was the same rough ash coloured wall with no end or exit in sight. With nowhere else to go, I followed the humming vibrations, keeping close to the wall with both [Stealth] and [Silence] activated for safety.


    The tunnel broadened into a wider corridor and there were many other tunnel openings wide enough forrger creatures to fit through, each one leading off to their own separate cavern. They were all centralised around arge circr opening sculpted into the ground, and there I found the source of the pulsating hum.


    Drawn towards the sounds, I peered over the opening and was greeted by the sight of many wasps in flight below.


    Their bodies whirred nimbly in the air, busily undertaking some task or another. Some armoured wasps moved in groups, carrying an assortment of paralysed creatures bothrge and small, flitting into the many tunnels below, disappearing from view.


    Other wasps with noticeably less armour purposefully navigated the open space carrying clusters of pollen in their arms. Each one was fully grown, dark green in colour with that brilliant metallic sheen, unlike the wasp I just killed.


    The swift movement of so many wings in the air created waves of pulsating sound that when diffused through the cavern walls became a low hum. It was a social gathering of hundreds or more and the terrifying sight of so many wasps with barbed stingers, made me feel a psychological pain throughout my body.


    At the bottom of the central cavern of the flying metropolis, I located another hole much smaller than the one I was looking out from. That was where the majority of the wasps emerged from.


    The tunnel I was currently in was at the very top of the hive, on one of the upper levels, leaving anything below sorely out of reach. To get down I would have to take a plunge or learn to fly ¨C while guarding against many stingers. My mind swam with scenarios on how toplete the impossible task, all of which had to be feasible enough for myself to survive.


    I couldn''t exactly leap down, so retreating for now seemed like the safest option. The cavern I''de from had been devoid of nearly every wasp except one. To me that was much safer than proceeding anywhere forward, so I hastily backed away from the opening, yearning for the familiarity of the dusty graveyard.


    But before I could retreat back to my tunnel I sensed new vibrations of somethingrge approaching from the tunnel directly ahead of me. I''d have to cross it before I could enter the tunnel I came from and yet I did not stick around to see whatever wasing. I hastily crawled into the tunnel nearest to me to avoid the encounter.


    The rhythmic vibrations it made suggested it walked on four legs and not six like a wasp would, so I was curious to what it could be. While I hid myself, I peered out of the tunnel using [Heat Sense] to get the heat profile of the creature and I spotted something familiar.


    Satisfied it was not a wasp I peered out sneakily from the tunnel to catch a glimpse of the creature. Its appearance was the same as that of the white ape I''d seen earlier in the graveyard, only its reddened face was not twisted in an agonised grimace.


    Its hair was long and soft with a healthy sheen and its body was not thin or shrivelled up, but flexible and densely packed with muscles. The two whenpared with each other, was a contrast so stark they could hardly be said to be of the same species.


    What a difference it made to be healthy and not a dead drained husk.


    As the ape approached the opening it immediately leapt down. Soaring through the air ittched onto the opposite wall with the grip of its fingers and toes and deftly climbed the walls to the bottom. Its absence made me confident enough to peer over the opening again, and I was able to watch the figure of the ape get smaller until it disappeared into the second hole below.


    If the exit was anywhere, I knew it had to be somewhere below there.


    But it was odd. Why had no wasp attacked it? Why was this ape allowed to move so freely in the hive even as the wasps brought in other creatures exactly like it? And if the ape was a [Host], how were the wasps able to differentiate it from the others?


    My exploration of the tunnels only threw up more questions and I knew escaping was impossible until I figured out how the wasp''s society worked ¨C for now anyway. Retreating from the hole I entered one of the tunnels.


    That ape had just given me an idea.

 Chapter 44 - Host Dungeon

    I couldn''tpletely understand what I''d just witnessed but if there were other creatures living in the hive alongside the wasps, there was a higher chance of me escaping by blending in with them as a fake host.


    The only way to get out of here alive was to learn more about my new environment, so I explored the tunnel where the ape came from, to search for clues. Perhaps it was not the best idea, but I had to make sure there were other creatures here.


    By bing a host, it had acquired the wasp''s protection, exempting it from their attack. This could mean its scent was now considered familiar to them unlike when it was newly brought into the hive. If I retraced my own abduction process, I was rejected as a host because I was already ''dead''. Since the living creatures here were only necessary to provide theirrvae with nutrients for their growth.


    But then, why was the ape allowed to roam around so casually? Even if its body was a host to the wasp''srvae, it would serve them better to keep it paralysed until thervae absorbed it thoroughly and emerged fully grown.


    The same could be said for the wasp I''d killed. Exactly what purpose did it serve for it to move around in its host''s body? I could understand if thervae needed to reach a level of maturity before they began but having another creature freely wandering the hive seemed pretty unusual and confusing.


    Unless they served a purpose.


    I wondered if the wasps were using them to protect the hive.


    That would exin their presence, however, when I got a good glimpse of the hive earlier, there were barely other creatures beside the wasps. So far, the ape and the locust were the only two hosts I''d seen. If they were there as a security measure, they were too few and with so many wasps in one ce, there was no need for them at all.


    Inside the curved tunnel, there was no trace of new vibrations other than the ever present hum, but I proceeded cautiously nheless with [Stealth] activated. The hum was not overbearing but I realised it could be possible I was missing other sounds because of it. So I decided not to rely on it too much and flicked out my tongue in search of the trail of that ape using [Scent].


    The stale air of the hive I perceived was a mixture of the chemical traces of creatures both overpowering and insignificant. It seemed many had passed this tunnel before the ape and all those different scents merged together, creating a trail going further down the tunnel than I felt safe to follow. And in the middle of it was an opening in the rough wall.


    I stopped and scanned the tunnel with [Heat Sense] and red and yellow heat signatures of other creatures were revealed. They were all still alive. And they had to be the hosts! I continued to observe them with [Heat Sense] and realised they weren''t moving. It seemed they were either paralysed or unconscious.


    In the cavern, I counted thirty creatures but without a closer look I couldn''t tell what type they were. I would hate to fight another strong creature like the locust and there was no telling when they would rise to exit the tunnel like the ape did, but, it was worth the risk. If I was able to steal one of thervae and use its scent to mask my own, I would be able to pass as one of the hosts and exit the hive without any trouble.


    However, just as I was approaching the cavern, [Heat Sense] detected another red and yellow mass further along the curve of the tunnel, and it was moving.


    From its steady approach, I could tell how fast it was moving. The only reason it could not see me right now was because the tunnel sloped around in a curved shape. If it came around the bend, our paths would intersect in seconds.


    This new creature hade from another cavern further down the tunnel and I didn''t want to wait for it to get closer. The unconscious hosts were currently in the next cavern and I could reach it first if I moved fast enough.


    Since this creature was allowed to roam the tunnels, it was either another host, or worse an actual adult wasp. Compared to a live one, I''d rather take my chances in a room full of unconscious creatures.


    In a bid to avoid the confrontation in a confined space, I quickly entered the opening.


    Once inside, I looked around for a ce to hide, but the new cavern spread out around me was disappointingly bare, there were no objectsrge enough to hide behind like the corpses in the graveyard, and its walls were the same rough ash grey colour with no nook or crevice in sight.


    But the floor was different, rather than the usual rough ground, it was covered in hexagonal shaped chambers, evenly spaced out in apact matrix. They were spread out all around, leaving only thin lines in between to walk across the whole cavern.


    The chambers would have been perfect for hiding, however, the chemical traces of the creatures I detected all came from within them. I scanned the ground with [Heat Sense] and it revealed the outlines of many bodies separated from each other by the thin walls of the chambers that formed a barrier.


    The creatures were all unmoving, but I wasn''t sure if they were truly unconscious or merely waiting for the best time to move like the ape.


    Nervously, I peered over a hole in the floor before looking back at the opening. The creature in the tunnel was nearly upon me. It would pass by soon and there was no guarantee it would continue past the craven''s walls without looking in. Even with [Stealth] and [Silence] activated it could still perceive my undisguised scent in the tunnel ande looking for the source. If it entered now it would spot me immediately.


    With nowhere left to hide, I entered the nearest hole. Gingerly crawling down the walls using [Grip], I made sure not to alert the creature inside. The hole went deeper than I initially thought, with the creature inside barely visible, and I didn''t want to proceed any further into its sensory range.


    I draped myself over the wall of the hole and listened out for vibrations of the creature passing, while waiting for my vision to adjust. I knew I couldn''t hang on the walls forever but as I listened out for the creature, the sounds from the tunnel seemed to have increased in number!


    I adjusted my perception and counted more than ten separate sources of vibrationsing from either side of the tunnel, all converging on the cavern I was in!


    In my panicked state, I couldn''t hang on the walls and immediately crawled down the hole. If more than ten wasps wereing, it wasn''t enough to just hide from them, I need topletely erase my existence to be able to fool them. And in my current situation, the creature inside the hole was much less of a threat!


    At the bottom, I could now see the faint outline of the creature. It wasid down on its four limbs in the centre and seemed to be sleeping. From what I could see, its body was long and shaped like arge lizard with a thick tail at the back. With no chance of retreat, I approached the creature''s head. It was better to attack it first and kill it quickly before it could sense me and start to attack me.


    Yet it didn''t react even when I was right in front of it.


    I thought it would immediately defend itself, but it didn''t move at all, and justid there. I was suddenly unsure how to proceed. I was so used to creatures attacking me first that the sight of a truly defenceless creature made me pause and think.


    It was either an unconscious host with a very slow reaction, or merely a creature fallen victim to the wasp''s paralysis. I quickly scanned its body with [Heat Sense], searching for the presence of any lifeform inside it, and to my surprise it came up clean.


    There was little time for relief, however, as I felt many vibrations from above as numerous creatures entered the cavern. I turned back to the creature beside me - it was just a normal creature, it seemed wrong to harm something defenceless. But the wasps were here and I couldn''t let them find me again.


    What to do? I wracked my brain anxiously and let out a sigh as I watched the sleeping creature. I just hope I won''t regret itter.


    I crawled closer and slid under the unconscious body of the lizard to hide myself. If the wasps or the other creatures above were searching for me they would look into this hole and only see the lizard unless they decided to climb down to investigate.


    Hidden under the creature, I remained still and activated [Stealth] willing my body to grow cold to blend in with the coolness of the floor. With [Silence] also activated, the functions of my body slowed down, and I could no longer hear the flow of blood in my veins nor the pounding of my heart.


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase¡ºStealth: LV2¡»has be¡ºStealth: LV3¡»?


    The ''ding'' of the system nearly made me scream. The robotic voice was incredibly loud in my head due to the silence around me. It made me wish the system had a mute button - what bad timing.


    However, when I started to hear the pounding beat of a heart, my temper subsided, and the feeling of dread rose instead. It was much louder in my head than the system had been, and my eyes widened as I realised it was not my own.

 Chapter 45 - Imprisoned

    I was filled with stress and anxiety at the thought of the creature''s awakening, and my body remained still as I tried to conceal my presence. Yet the lizard''s body stayed in the same spot and didn''t make any attempts to move. I wondered if it was awake but unaware of my presence, or it was awake but paralysed.


    I would''ve slid out from under it, if not for the soundsing from above the cavern. The creatures were moving around getting closer and closer to the chamber I was in. I began to wonder if I was hidden well enough, but before I could continue down the path of self-doubt, I felt droplets of liquid dripping on my skin and I panicked.


    The lizard''s underbelly had be much hotter than before and it was practically covered in fluid! Fearing the substance might be poison I was d I didn''t have any open injuries. I turned my eyes away from the liquid and kept my mouth closed when I didn''t feel any tingling or pain.


    The lizard hadn''t made any move, and its heart just kept pounding furiously above my head, almost like it was afraid.


    Was it afraid of the wasps?


    I wondered how long it had stayed in this hole. Its body was covered in injuries of various degrees, from fresh wounds to partial scars, with some evenpletely healed. It must have been repeatedly stung and tormented by the wasps - the poor thing, and now they were here again. No wonder it was scared.


    I pulled my body further in, curling myself so I wouldn''t be visible under it from any angle. The lizard''s body began visibly trembling, which hinted to me that something very scary wasing. The lizard''s paralysis was clearly wearing off, but I wished it wouldn''t shake so much, it was drawing attention to itself and to me!


    I heard the rippling of wings as somethingnded right above the lizard''s body. I drew myself in close, willing my shape to be smaller, my temperature was already cold, and I was quiet as a dead corpse.


    The lizard on the other hand was trembling so much, its fingers regained their movements and began darting about as it struggled to run away. Its fear was so intense it had begun to affect me, and I had to quash the rising instinct to flee as I started to doubt if I could stay concealed.


    But before I could do anything, I felt the force of a stinger stab the lizards back so forcefully that I felt myself get pressed down by its heavy weight, and yet I forced myself to remainpletely still.


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase¡ºSilence: LV2¡»has be¡ºSilence: LV3¡»?


    Unsurprisingly, the lizard had be the victim of the wasp''s brandished stinger once again. I felt its furiously beating heart slowing down, and its body temperature returned to normal as its struggles ceased. It was still warm and alive but strangely frozen. It''s paralysis state had been restored.


    Hidden under the body of the lizard monster, I listened to the sounds of movement from the wasp, waiting for it to leave, but after it withdrew its stinger there were no more sounds. I knew it was still in the chamber, so I didn''t attempt to move.


    It hadn''t sensed me right?


    Under the lizard monster our scents were practically the same. So what was it waiting for?


    I remained still but I was able to pick up more vibrations from the cavern. In the hole opposite mine, I heard muffled sounds of struggle as another wasp stung the helpless creature within. All around me the same actions were being repeated again and again and I concluded this must be some sort of routine.


    An inspection of the cells to ensure all the creatures stayed under. It seemed if regr stings weren''t implemented, the paralysis would eventually wear off and the creatures would all escape. I couldn''t arrive at an exact amount for the time I spent paralysed due to the mushroom''s influence, but I estimated itsted around 18 hours for creatures with no resistance. That was more than enough time to travel to the hive, fail an inspection and get tossed out with the dead.


    With [Paralysis Resistance] at LV1, the timing should shorten to somewhere around 10 to 14 hours, but that was still too long. I couldn''t afford to get stung at all.


    However, to my relief I started to hear the sound of wasps leaving the other cells, and the one in mine also stopped lingering. It unfurled its wings and flew out through the opening. I waited until there were no more sounds from the cavern above before crawling out from under the lizard.


    My eyes stared up at the opening where I noticed something new. There was now a membrane attached at the top covering the hole, like a lid, and further up, attached to the wall was a spherical white egg.


    I''d seen enough horror movies to know where this was going.


    Luckily for the lizard, I needed the egg for thervae it contained, and so it would be spared from a grisly possession, for the moment. As I attached myself to the wall in a zigzag pattern and began to climb up to retrieve it.


    Reaching the height of the egg in its spot on the wall, I wondered how cing the egg so high up benefited the wasps. Wouldn''t thervae have a much harder time finding the host after hatching from up here,pared to if the egg was ced on the ground. Perhaps it strengthened their climbing skills?


    But then again, their questionable breeding methods were hardly my concern. I just needed to retrieve the egg and its contents.


    I saw it was secured to the wall by a fluid substance. It seemed like the same stuff used to cover the hole opening, only it was more viscous.


    If I casually touched the fluid, I risked getting myself attached to the wall, so I circled around the egg, poking at it with my horns to break it open. I made sure to control my strength as I didn''t want to risk knocking it down. If it sttered below, it would create a mess and the wasps would be alerted. I simply wanted to open it enough for thervae to crawl out, to make it look like the egg had hatched naturally.


    However when I poked it the second time, the egg cracked open by itself and arge bulbous creaturetched itself to my head.


    I was aback by the sudden attack and with my vision getting blocked by the creature, I lost my grip on the wall and I tumbled down before I even realised what was happening.


    In the middle of the plunge, my vision became clear, but I felt something prick my midsection and I realised thervae was still attached to my body and was attempting to burrow under my flesh.


    Hell NO!


    I curled myself to a roll and used the roughness of the wall and my scales to knock the creature off my back. And even as I fought it off, it still struggled to hold on but the impact with the floor was thest push that sent it flying away from me.


    Therva was milky white with no eyes, a slightlyrger head with mandibles attached and spines covering all over its body. Unperturbed after getting knocked down, it started crawling urately towards my position, much quicker than a creature with no legs should be able, to my sheer revulsion.


    But before it could reach me. I closed the gap and sank my teeth into its bulbous flesh, killing it instantly with my fangs.


    ?You have defeated LV1 Novus Hesperia?


    ?You have earned 2XP?


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase¡ºPoison Fang: LV2¡»has be¡ºPoison Fang: LV3¡»?


    I tried to shake off the feelings of dread as I imagined what would have happened if it had been able to take over and I realised how the lizard must have felt being trapped here all this time.


    If there was a way to free it, I had to give it a try. But first, I approached thervae and appraised it.


    ______________


    LV1 Novus Hesperia


    Specie: Ailith Vespoidea


    HP: 0/08 Defence: 3


    MP: 0/06 Intellect: 2


    SP: 0/08 Magic: 4


    Attack: 3 Agility: 10


    Skills:


    [Scent: LV1] [Bite: LV1]


    [Paralysis Poison: LV1]


    [Mind Chain: LV1]


    ______________


    Even with thervae dead, I wasn''t exactly enthusiastic about my next task. I had to cover myself with its scent and I could do that only by tearing it open and rubbing its secretions all over my skin.


    How gross.


    I trembled at the thought but there was no other way. Tearing open its skin with my fangs, I shuddered at every rip as a clear fluid pooled on the ground. I sighed mentally and rolled around in it, to cover every bit of my scales.


    "I feel so unclean!" I grimaced. "I miss baths! The first thing I''m doing once I leave this ce is taking a swim!"


    ?Make sure you cover yourself fully.? Answered Sensei without a care.


    "How cold!"


    Once I waspletely covered in its fluids, I realised it might not be the best idea now that I needed to climb. To kill time while I waited for myself to dry, I approached the wall to look at the egg shell that was still stuck up there and asked the question presently on my mind.


    "Why ce the egg on the wall when it serves no benefit?"


    ?This practice ismon in hives with more than one queen.? Sensei responded in a casual tone.


    ?The workers would ce the egg of the queen they least favour at the top of the wall, giving the egg of their preferred queen a better chance to take root.?


    Wasn''t this open revolt against the current wasp queen?


    I backed away from the wall, realising the significance of his words. It would make sense, but I paused.


    Wait, wouldn''t that mean there was more than one egg.


    I stopped moving when I hit something solid behind me. But before I could turn around, I felt a strong impact on the back of my head and I was knocked down to the ground by a powerful attack swing.

 Chapter 46 - The Consequence Of Mirth

    The sudden strike expelled thest bit of air from my body and I felt a sharp pain throbbing all over my head from where I was hit. My vision spun rapidly as I found myself getting hurled across the cavern, crashing into the opposite wall with a deafening boom.


    My body crumbled down into loose curls around me as I began to ache all over with pain after getting flung away. Ignoring the ringing in my ears, I focused on my surroundings with [Heat Sense], zeroing in on the figure of a creature some distance away.


    My vision was still unclear, but its form was that of the lizard who was supposed to be paralysed.


    I had been struck by the lizard''s thick tail that was twice the length of its body, with rough scales covering along the top ridge of its back, extending down to its tail.


    After confirming all the wasps had gone, Ipletely ignored it and lowered my guard. There was only one reason the lizard was able to move despite its paralysis state and I could''ve prevented it if I was a bit more vignt.


    In the dim light I made out the glint of the creature''s eyes, alive and focused, without any hint of panic. Even with my faint vision I could tell it was armoured with muscle, the sound it made as its tail swung through the air was like a whip cracking with electricity.


    As I raised myself up, I hurriedly curled into a defensive position, ready to strike in preparation for its charge. My body prickled with new pain as I moved, and I couldn''t help but flinch when my wounded scales rubbed together. But with my surroundings still ringing with the vibrations from its tail and my eyes blurry, I couldn''t allow myself to be distracted right now.


    I stared down my new foe with a mixture of anger and helplessness.


    The lizard''s image weaved in and out of my vision, as I was unable to properly gauge the distance between us. I tried to focus solely on its figure to shake off the lingering traces of unconsciousness.


    It appeared to be far away but being disoriented and unable to judge the distance I focused on the trembling vibrations of its tail, which revealed it was actually much closer than it appeared!


    I barely managed to dodge as its tail swung low, sweeping over my head. It had only grazed me, but my quick movement sent my already disorientated head reeling with dizziness.


    I suppressed the ufortable feeling and retreated away from it as I scanned the room with [Heat Sense] for the presence of the other eggs ¨C I couldn''t afford anymore surprises.


    But the lizard was the only heat source present, aside from those in the other cells and it was swiftly approaching. Outside of having the wind knocked out from me, when I checked my stats, my hard earned HP had dropped to [46/55].


    Because of this, I grew even more enraged at the sight of the creature. I decided if I ever saw the wasp again, I would definitely pay it back.


    I took a deep breath to clear my head of distractions and focused on sensing the vibrations alone. On reaching my position, the lizard''s tail swung down again, to finish the job.


    Paying full attention to the sound of its tail extending, to the height of its swing, I predicted the impact area and gathered myself pre-emptively into a protective coil and its rigid tail struck the ground heavily, missing me by a mere breath.


    Then I immediately sprung forward with all the speed I could muster. When the lizard''s swipe struck empty ground, it followed up with a backswing, but this time I was ready for it. Ignoring the searing pain in my muscles, I slipped under its tail in a sidewinding motion ¨C and it missed again.


    It was a very strong attack that could do so much damage with just one hit. I could not afford to get hit again. So I continuously moved around, sessfully evading its strikes, by predicting the path of its attack. But suddenly, the lizard broke its attack pattern and followed up with a third strike - an additional backswing right after the second sweep, finally hitting its target.


    I could not evade quickly enough, and the heavy tail struck my midsection, sending me sailing backwards through the air. I struck the cavern wall once again but [Impact Resistance] softened the blow to arge extent.


    That helped me to recover quickly and prepare myself to fight. But when the lizard swung around to attack once again, I caught a quick glimpse of its head and saw a bleeding scar from a wound just below its neck.


    Through the open scar I could see a familiar bulbous white body inside and I grimaced at the sight as I thought of how thervae must have eaten through the lizard''s skin to burrow in.


    The sight of the partly exposedrvae made me wonder if it was possible to save the lizard. If I was to bite therva directly with [Poison Fang], would it only kill thervae and leave its host? Or would they both perish?


    Either way, It was worth a shot to find out.


    Seeing that I had recovered, the lizard''s attacks grew furious and its tail repeatedly struck the ground, beating bits of the surface ground into debris. It closed the gap between us in a few bounds, ready to bite me with its jagged teeth that dripped with strange fluid, but I swiftly dodged by lowering my body out of reach.


    From a lower vantage point, I observed the sinuous motion of its body and the sudden lurch of its head told me it was going in for another backswing. I dodged the first and slipped backwards to avoid the second as the repeated swinging of its weighty tail had me retreating further and further backwards.


    The reverberating vibrations told me I would soon reach the wall and I wanted to stop but there was no way to avoid the lizard''s follow up strike. It dragged low across the ground leaving no gap for me to evade under.


    There was no longer any space to retreat as the lizard continued to push me into the corner. But if I used [Poison Fang] on it, the lizard would likely perish along with thervae, so I could only keep evading it for now. And I was not driven that far to be out of moves.


    As the tail swung for me again, I leapt over it and the arcing shot grazed the skin of my underbelly, narrowly missing a critical hit by perhaps a centimetre. From there I moved under its tail, following the cover of its sweep to enter the blind spot under its body.


    Before the lizard could make any additional moves, my fangs scraped across the bones of its heels that were too hard for me to break, but I quickly bit down, with all the force of my jaws.


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase¡ºBite: LV3¡»has be¡ºBite: LV4¡»?


    The system alert came with an increase in strength and I felt the resistance over my jaws lessen. My fangs sunk easily into its skin and came away with a chunk of its flesh.


    Although I''d rendered a [Bite], without the assistance of [Poison Fang] it was just as effective, and the lizard howled in pain. Its body staggered as it erratically swung its tail around to strike at me, but I remained underneath its body, moving along with it so it never got a clear shot.


    With its body set in motion for another swing, I targeted the hind leg bearing most of its weight and bit down hard,ing away with yet another chunk of flesh. This time with both its heels in pain it was unable to support the full rotation of its body and it was thrown off bnce by the swing of its tail.


    When it cried out in pain, the floor dripped with more of its viscous saliva in a greenish glow, as opposed to the clear secretions from its skin and I couldn''t help but think it was poison and I made a conscious effort to avoid getting bitten.


    While the lizard tried to regain its bnce, I prepared to climb its back. Before it retaliated, I had to kill thervae burrowing into it and break the lizard free from its control.


    But as it stumbled, my triumph was only fleeting. The lizard, while falling backwards, used itsrge tail to support itself to stand on its hind legs, exposing me under its belly.


    On spotting me it charged with hooked ws outstretched. I was met with the vicious re of cold eyes as it body descended downwards and with one sweep of its arm, I was snatched up from the ground and left to dangle helplessly from its grasp.

 Chapter 47 - The Thankless Hero

    Its legs were still bleeding from where I''d bit it but as the ws tightened around my body I was d for the first time that my scales were still slippery from thervae''s fluids.


    I easily slid through the grasp of its ws, travelling quickly over its arm like it was a branch, before hooking around the bearded skin of its neck. And from there I caught a closer look at the open wound where thervae burrowed.


    Realising its mistake, the lizard''s grip tightened, hooking its ws over my body to stop me, but I''d already climbed over most of its arm.


    Wrapped around its neck I reared my head and aimed with [Poison Fang] to strike with a shot of venom. Not into the open wound but at the exposed body of thervae. But before I could attack, I was abruptly yanked away from my target.


    My fangs only managed to graze thervae''s skin before the lizard forcefully pulled me away from its neck.


    I tightened my [Grip] over the lizard''s neck and arm, to slow my descent but in the pull, both of its arms gripped my lower body and began to squeeze ¨C shortening my reach with every tug, not caring at all that its throat was being suffocated by the tightening of my grip.


    The lizard''s eyes now bulged out of its head, deeply reddened. I''d only managed to inject a drop of venom due to its quick intervention and I was doubtful such a small amount would work. But from the enraged growls the lizard made as it struggled to pull me away, I clearly offended it.


    As its ws dug into my scales I felt the pain of its grip even with the protection of [Rugged Scales]. With my continued resistance, its skin began to moisten with fluid once again and I felt my grip begin to slip.


    Tightening myself around it, I struggled to bring myself up to the wound''s opening again. As I did, I was astonished to see the opening of the wound was slowly closing as the fluid of the lizard''s body dripped over it. And before long, the wound had considerably shrunk in size.


    Was it healing itself?


    It would exin why the lizard had so many closed wounds from stingers that should have appeared fresh. But before I could look further, the lizard brought its jagged maw up to bite and I immediately loosened my grip, slipping out of its bite range. With the added force of its pull, I was immediately flung off its body.


    When I was over its shoulder, I didn''t want to use [Venom Spray] on the open wound in order not to risk poisoning the lizard along with therva but now with its fully enraged eyes fixed on me, I regretted my decision.


    It was the same pattern with the Locust before. As soon as therva was hurt even a little, it began to attack more furiously,ing at me with everything like it had gone mad.


    The lizard moved to sweep its tail over the ground in its frenzy, not minding its hurt legs, and like before I instinctively moved backwards to dodge. But the swing of its tail did note.


    When I looked back the lizard had disappeared from view ¨C it was a feint!


    I frantically looked around but there was nothing in sight. Instinctively, I looked up and saw its gaping maw plunging down from the roof!


    I immediately leapt out of its path, but its sharp teeth snagged on my scales ripping a few of them off. The close impact caused a dent in my midsection and the wind got knocked out of me once again.


    The lizard swiftly recovered, shaking off bits of debris from over its mouth like it felt no pain from its attack.


    It lunged towards me again, close enough to bite and I quickly leapt backwards to dodge, ignoring the pain I felt. But I wasn''t fast enough, and its extended ws reached out and grabbed me from the ground, pulling me towards its salivating maw.


    Rows of its sharp teeth were exposed, curling up on the lizard''s face to what looked like a smirk, but the sight of it only made me furious.


    Was it mocking me?


    I had to admit, it was resilient, but I could have killed it ten times over if I used [Poison Fang].


    In its grasp I curled myself taut like a spring, evading its gaping maw to lunge at its eyes using [Rapid Strike]. In a sidewinding sweep across its face, I speared them with my side horns, leaving behind a long grisly scar.


    The lizard released its grip as it howled in pain, tossing me away to clutch at its bleeding eyes. Once released, I targeted its legs and saw that my previous work had already scabbed over. I immediately bit down again on its heels. I had to work fast before it restored its eyes and I lose my advantage.


    With the added force of [Bite] blood sprayed messily at its feet as it stumbled, slowing its movements greatly but it didn''t stop, it simply ignored its pain and kept attacking. It couldn''t see me and in its confused searching, it brought its head lower to the ground to trace me using [Scent].


    It whirred around sweeping its tail, but its aim waspletely off unlike before. This confirmed to me that the masking of my scent has worked!


    It''s [Scent] would have been urate, but my smell was no longer my own but that of arva, so it couldn''t distinguish me. I circled around it until its back faced me before climbing over its tail.


    The lizard swung its tail down on the ground like a hammer, jolting my throbbing skin with waves of pain, but I gripped tight around its tail and was not thrown off.


    The residual shock of its attack was dispersed through my body with [Impact Resistance] sending trembling ripples through my injuries but I quickly made my way to its back.


    The lizard struggled to grasp me with its ws but to ensure I didn''t fall I squeezed hard around its midsection with [Steel Skin]bined with [Grip] so its ws wouldn''t get a proper grip like before.


    Unable to get a hold on me, it kept producing the slippery secretion over its skin to make it difficult for me to climb, all the while snapping at my body with its teeth.


    I kept myself out of the range of its maw and its vicious mouth by wrapping tightly around its midsection. From there, I was able to reach the wound behind its head.


    The wound was almost covered in arge scar, so I tore it open wider to expose thervae inside, promptly sinking my fangs into it.


    The Lizard shrieked in agony and after struggling for a while, it copsed lifelessly on the ground in a crumpled heap.


    Still reluctant to release it from my grip, I wondered if it had died. But I hadn''t nned to kill it though.


    ?You have defeated LV3 Novus Hesperia?


    ?You have earned 4XP?


    Did killing thervae mean its host also died? If so, then what was the point of protecting it all through the fight? I was slightly annoyed at that thought.


    Before I released it, I scanned the body with [Heat Sense], just to make sure.


    It revealed the outline of thervae around the spine of the lizard, in a shade of deep blue in the midst of a dull red colour. The lizard was still alive, although it only gave off a weak heat signal and I was relieved I didn''t identally kill it after all the effort.


    I was about to cut open its back to remove the deadrvae, when I heard Sensei''s amused voice.


    ?Why save the creature? You could have killed it easily with your venom and spared yourself a pointless battle.?


    I looked at my HP that was now [34/64] and had to admit he had a point.


    I had done it to test if a Host was capable of being recovered after getting infected by arva, in the event of myself getting infected or any of the nestlings in the future.


    And the lizard had shown that saving hosts was possible and knowing that brought me a bit of sce.


    "The wasps are well organised." I responded. "The hole may be sealed off, but that doesn''t stop any wasps from returning if things seemed wrong. I can''t leave the cell vacant for this reason."


    ?And you''re not tempted at all by the creature''s regenerative properties??


    "I need somewhere good enough to hide, and for the moment I can continue to use it as a shield so I don''t care about its ability."


    It wasn''t necessarily true - I just didn''t want an ability that essentially made me into a walking slime, however useful it proved to be.


    Sensei, as if knowing my thoughts, began to chuckle and I ignored him. Luckily, the system alert that came next interrupted his inappropriate response.


    ?You have earned the title¡ºHero¡»Activating status effect. Sess!?


    Oh? How wonderful!


    At least something acknowledged my efforts! I checked my stats and saw some improvements.


    ______________


    Name: Aurelia LV6 [Neonate Snake] |Poisoned|


    Specie: Cerastes Vipera


    HP: 34/64Defence: 46>58


    MP: 26/38Intellect: 59


    SP: 42/59Magic: 22


    Attack: 50>62Agility: 55


    Skills:


    [Poison Fang: LV3] [Bite: LV4]


    [Venom Rain: LV1] [Grip: LV3]


    [Scent: LV2] [Heat Sense: LV4]


    [Silence: LV3] [Rapid Strike: LV1]


    [Stealth: LV3] [Appraisal: LV2]


    [Buoyancy: LV1] [Steel Skin: LV3]


    [Leap: LV2] [Rugged Scales: LV3]


    Title:


    [Apostle] [Coldblooded]


    [Commander] [Hero]


    Unique Skill:


    [Devour]


    Attributes:


    [Obsidian Horn]


    Resistances:


    [Impact Resistance: LV4]


    [Pain Resistance: LV4]


    [Wind Resistance: LV1]


    [Shock Resistance: LV2]


    [Faint Resistance: LV1]


    [Paralysis Resistance: LV1]


    Experience Points: [142]


    ______________


    The title [Hero] increased my [Attack] and [Defence] by 25%! Suddenly the battle didn''t seem so pointless after all. I''d saved a life and gained a passive stat boost, what else could I need?


    A mute button for Sensei?


    Perhaps the gods granted wishes if one prayed hard enough.


    I approached my defeated foe with renewed enthusiasm. Luckily for the lizard, it was already unconscious at this time, or the emergency surgery I started would have been quite gruesome for it.


    Unbothered by the bloody mess, I opened its injury wider and quickly removed the deadrvae.


    I watched with fascination as the hole began to knit together. It would have made a wonderful ability if it wasn''t so slow. If it was slightly better perhaps I would have been the defeated one. It healed at a rate just above my normal healing and wasn''t much help to the lizard during the fight.


    Once I got out of the hive, I was better off learning how to cast healing spells like that elf girl.


    I inspected the deadrvae that was not much different in appearance from the one I killed before. In a separate corner of the hexagonal chamber, I spotted traces of another egg closer to where the lizard had been paralyzed.


    Thervae too must have also been newly hatched, yet its appraisal results were different.


    ______________


    LV3 Novus Hesperia


    Specie: Ailith Vespoidea


    HP: 0/10 Defence: 6


    MP: 0/08 Intellect: 4


    SP: 0/10 Magic: 6


    Attack: 6Agility: 10


    Skills:


    [Scent: LV1] [Bite: LV1]


    [Paralysis Poison: LV1]


    [Mind Chain: LV3]


    ______________


    Its stats had improved after spending only a few minutes inside a host body and I''d killed it even before it started to absorb the lizard''s bodily nutrients.


    If thervae''s strength increased the longer it remained inside its host, then the locust I''d killed had probably been recently turned too.


    I wondered what would happen if the hosts were allowed to live for a much longer time with theirrvae intact.


    I shuddered at the thought.


    Wouldn''t that just produce wasps of absurdly stronger levels?

 Chapter 48 - The Early Worm

    The lizardy unconscious in front of me, but I didn''t think much about it.


    Hiding traces of the deadrvae, I proceeded to tear open more wounds on its skin, by biting the hidden lower half of its body.


    I didn''t want it to regain consciousness while I was away and to hopefully avoid any nasty surprises, I had to disable it enough that it did not recover the strength to fight.


    If I was lucky, it would bleed just enough to remainatose without dying. I''d rather do this differently, but without possessing any paralysis skills, there wasn''t much else I could do.


    Its scars should heal slowly, and it would look no different from before if observed from above, like it was still hosting arvae.


    I couldn''t afford to take any chances.


    I thought back to the ape who had leapt down the opening of the hive''s centre ¨C what if it actually left the hive to live on the outside?


    My nervous heart quickened at the idea.


    If host bodies became something like training wheels for the juvenile wasps, the ape would get progressively stronger with each battle, and so would therva inside it that siphoned its power.


    If while under its control, the ape was made to return to its own area of the Labyrinth to hunt. As soon as the wound thervae crawled into was healed, it would look no different from a normal ape.


    But what stopped it from infiltrating its own group to cause chaos? Or better yet, assist the wasps to lure out and catch even more susceptible apes?


    Once outside it could do anything depending on how long thervae dyed the absorption.


    I shivered at the thought. What scary insects!


    In that time it could be used for anything, from assassination to recon, and nothing would stop it. But as I thought to myself I came to realise, all of this hinged on whether thervae could sessfully infiltrate without raising any rms.


    Was I overestimating them?


    The ape could only return to its own group if there was no way of telling it apart. But was it really possible for thervae to emte the ape in everything?


    The locust had been able to fight well but its attacks at best were only a shade of the locust''s. The brute like tactics it employed were entirely of thervae''s making. Its behaviour was one major tell that couldn''t be concealed and it would immediately be singled out and killed once it was revealed to be a fraud.


    ?You want to know if thervae can survive indefinitely inside the host?? Sensei asked, reading my thoughts.


    "Yes, is it possible?"


    I could only put forward my questions to him to see what he knew. The only problem was if he would actually respond with answers I could use.


    There was also another question lingering at the back of my mind, one that had to do with authority. Once a wasp was strong enough, why didn''t it go off to start its own colony? What need would it have to submit to a queen?


    "What would tempt a wasp to return to the hive where its only role is to be a worker, when it already obtained its freedom outside?"


    And to my surprise Sensei answered.


    ?I can tell you right now that it''s impossible. Thervae can''t maintain itself independent of the hive indefinitely. It has to absorb its host at some point, or else what would be the point.?


    ?From the moment it is inside its host, the two are tied together in a race to outdo the other. [Mind Chain] is what allows it to exert its will over the host creature, but as a skill it is not passive and to use it, thervae has to expend quite a lot of its MP.?


    "Surely that increases as it grows?"


    ?Yes, but when thervae is newly hatched, it barely has any.? Sensei continued exining. ?When its MP runs out it can no longer keep the host under control and has to use paralysis to prevent the host from ripping out its own neck. [Paralysis Poison] gives it a chance to survive by freezing its host, but at LV1 it barely gives it enough time.


    Thervae must remain alert while it waits for its MP to refill all while hiding from the natural predators of its host. It is very difficult for another creature to live inside a foreign body, which is why the host staying dormant is so necessary at the beginning.


    Somervae will resort to debilitating their own hosts by attacking any creature theye across so that their host is weakened and cannot challenge them over the control reins. Their paths are fraught with risk and most don''t survive long.?


    "What''s the rate of survival?"


    ?Of all the hosts that make it outside, only 1 in 5 make it back, so this method isn''t exactly failproof. As soon as they hatch they take hosts only for protection, until they mature enough to absorb them and shed. And they would rather do this as quickly as possible.?


    "How long on average do they live inside hosts?"


    ?The longer they remain, the more they grow in strength. The average wasp could take a day, but any that don''tst up to a week will remain weaker than those that cross this threshold. Once shed, they can only be workers that live exclusively in the hive.


    These cells were built specially for thervae to practice subduing their hosts. Any thatsts up to three days would have developed sufficient control over their hosts with their paralysis increasing. And those that can withstand it longer get better adapted for life on the outside, and be strong enough to qualify as soldiers.?


    "What''s the longest a wasp has eversted?"


    Sensei paused to consider before saying. ?The longest record is held by the very first Hesperia to evolve. It came across the dying body of a bird while being pursued by one of its predators.


    With no other way to escape, it hid by crawling inside the creature''s wound. From then on it realised the true nature of itself, and the potential held by its trifling ability that could only be utilised inside the body of another. It didn''t hesitate to take control of the dying bird to kill the creature pursuing it.


    The strong eat the weak, that has always been thew, but the weak worm had adapted to survive. By consuming that which was stronger than it, it grew exponentially.


    The Labyrinth has always thrived on strength, the more creative the method, the more the reward. The first Hesperia wasn''t even aware it had the ability until it''s desperate actions to save itself, yet the more ruthless its conquest became, the more its descendants thrived.


    Every creature at one point of their life is prey to another. It only bypassed this fate by giving itself the best chance. The creature you are so fearful of is nothing more than a parasite. Its true form is that of a bottom feeder that would never have been a threat to you, yet it has been so sessful where others have not.?


    I stared down at thervae I''d killed.


    It was indeed nothing without its host, yet it sounded like Sensei was telling me I could learn a thing or two from it? Surely, he didn''t mean I had to eat it. I shuddered.


    It might be nothing without its host but that didn''t mean I was going to emte it by putting myself ahead of everything just to save myself. The wasps were dangerous and with more soldiers born, they could easily increase to uncontroble amounts, yet they hadn''t taken over the Labyrinth.


    What stopped them from expanding infinitely was in the end, a weakness of their own ability. Everything had order and nothing was so powerful as to not have a weakness.


    My [Devour] gave me the attributes of others but the strength of those attributes and how I used them were my own responsibility. It wasn''t perfect and [Obsidian Horn] had its own weaknesses. They weren''t going to get stronger simply because I willed them to be.


    But when I thought about it, a single ability had taken the original Hesperia so far. What made it so different from myself?


    Rather than collecting many weak abilities, I will be better served by figuring out how to improve the ones I already have. Maybe what Sensei was trying to say in his roundabout way was that everything needed the right environment to grow ¨C or for the Hesperia ''the right food''.


    To improve, I just had to find mine.


    With that thought, I climbed out of the hole.


    Looking back at the lizard, there was nothing that stood out of ce. It stilly in the centre of the hexagon, showing no signs of consciousness and I left it to explore the rest of the chamber.


    I counted thirty holes, each covered with by a membrane with various creatures inside, in simr states of paralysis.


    I tore open a gap in each membrane and peered inside to see each egg. Including the one that infected the lizard, all but nine were still unhatched. It would make these nine eggs the very best of the batch, fortunately one had already been cut short. But I had to do more, the wasps were simply too dangerous an existence to leave unchecked.


    I slipped into one of the chambers containing a paralysed slug-like creature. Landing on top of its back where an unhatched eggy attached on top of its skin, my fangs sunk into the leather like material of the egg and my venom coursed through it, killing thervae inside.


    ?You have killed LV1 Novus Hesperia?


    ?You have earned 2XP?


    Seeing it die instantly, I couldn''t resist onest jab at Sensei.


    "I just realised something."


    ?What??


    "You share so much inmon with thervae, you might as well be their brethren."

 Chapter 49 - A Game Of Numbers

    Sensei scoffed.


    ?If I agree, you essentially admit to being no better than a lower life form, and nourishment is all you''re good for. Are you a lower life form??


    My body twitched in annoyance at his taunting voice.


    "Do you confess to being a leech?"


    ?If only one of us is meant to survive.? Sensei casually replied. ?I''d rather be the one that wins, as should you.?


    "Can you even call yourself a human, don''t you have any empathy?"


    ?My empathy has nothing to do with it, sentiment won''t help you when you''re dead. You either adapt or perish.?


    I focused on the egg that was already dead. Knowing it would be the first of many, I couldn''t help the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.


    My HP was already low, and I needed a refill, but I knew I couldn''t risk eating any of the eggs here. The cells had to remain as undisturbed as possible, but could I just let thervae infect the creatures as they pleased?


    Doing so would make me no different from Sensei and I refused to rise to his provocation. To confirm this egg was the only one, I scanned around the chamber with [Heat Sense]. Once satisfied, I climbed out.


    With nothing else to vent my irritation I could only look closely at the other twenty nine cells. I wasn''t delusional to think I alone could save all the hosts, but there had to be something I could do.


    All of the hexagonal chambers contained creatures that were predators of some sort, and earlier, I counted nine eggs that had already hatched but now that I looked at them. I noticed they all shared onemonality.


    Only these out of the thirty, held additional eggs in their cells.


    Like the lizard''s cell, there was one egg affixed to the wall along with an extra egg ced over the backs of the paralysed hosts.


    These eggs were all hatched now, some like the lizard''s had even burrowed into their hosts, and were currently controlling their bodies to test the use of their new limbs. Whereas the eggs fixed to the walls had yet to hatch.


    What were the chances that only these nine eggs had hatched when all their counterparts had not?


    If it was just the odd egg in the lizard''s cell, I would have dismissed it all as the random action of one wasp. But different wasps going out of their way to ce additional eggs made it more than a coincidence. I could only surmise the wasps were split into more than one faction.


    The likelihood of there being more than one queen as Sensei had said, increased. The disparity between the numbers of those eggs showing even more that, one queen was weaker than the other, and the hive was not as unified as it seemed.


    If the eggs were split evenly I would have been less sure.


    The slug creature in the cell whose egg I just poisoned, had been one of the normal ones. They amounted to 21, with the weaker queen having only 9.


    However, the weaker queen was not so weak. Her 9 eggs hatched much quicker than the other queen''s, whose had not even begun to peak. With all nine out, and burrowed into their host, it left me no chance to try to save any of them.


    I would have to beat them all like I did with the lizard and my HP was not enough to survive that.


    So, I had no choice but to let thervae continue.


    The first victim to fall was a feline monster with dark arrow-like ears, wicked hooked ws, and extended twin tails. Within seconds of thervae taking control, it swiftly climbed up the walls, knocking down the unhatched egg.


    It shattered on impact, and the feline monster promptly closed in to eat thervae inside.


    Almost identical scenes repeated in the other cells and once all the eggs were destroyed, the eight new hosts resumed their positions in the centre of their hexagon cells, falling back to unconsciousness.


    Their very first action as hosts was to destroy what was unneeded, and it made sense. In an effort to increase her power, the weaker queen had likely imbued her eggs with a shorter incubation time to get the host body before her rival did.


    What better way to win than to get a head start over your opponent?


    Even the creatures chosen for the ninervae were different. They all favoured stronger, vicious monsters, as opposed to the majority of insects in the other cells.


    There wasn''t any weak Labyrinth monster but it was better to use those that actively hunted, rather than those that set traps. So If they did return, they would be much strongerpared to those that lived in rtive safety.


    Forcing thervae host outside the nest where only the strongest survived, with odds of only 1 in 5 to return, wasn''t exactly terrible as long as you started off with the right tools. If I was an aspiring queen withpetition, I would likely do the same.


    Fortunately, I did not have such grand ambitions.


    "This queen likely doesn''t want her actions to be discovered." I said to Sensei. "So her rival''s eggs were immediately destroyed. With all thervae looking the same, it would be impossible to tell which eggs have been switched."


    ?Well done figuring that out, but you''re thinking way too hard. You''re better off killing the hosts that are still petrified now before they get strong enough to resist.?


    "They can already move. They will attack me like the lizard as soon as they see me."


    ?That is different. Thervae assimted the lizard quickly to defend itself. It attacked you because it saw you destroying one of the eggs and thought it would be next. Excluding it, only eight are aware, the rest of the hosts are still paralysed.?


    "I''d rather not waste my venom. Even if I control the amount I use, the effect on each one won''t be the same."


    ?The potency of your venom has also increased. Using less will go a long way.?


    With [Poison Fang] at LV3 I did indeed have more shots of venom, but that didn''t remove my concerns. Excluding the lizard there were 29 creatures in total, would 15 shots really be enough?


    "That wouldn''t matter if some of the hosts are resistant."


    ?You haven''t encountered any that are.?


    "That lizard had the ability to heal itself, who knows what other defensive abilities these hosts have."


    ?It''s a risk you''ll have to take.?


    I didn''t want to consider it but as I watched these new hosts, a n began to form in my head.


    "What if I don''t have to? The one thing I''m confident of is the system the wasps have already set. They know toe just when each host''s paralysis is about to wear off. Everything in the chamber has to be under a fixed timer from the moment these hosts are brought in, to every sessive round of paralysis stings, so why not use their careful set up against them?"


    By sealing the holes with a membrane, the wasps had to be confident all the eggs would hatch. By that time, the hatchedrvae would continue to use their own paralysis to subdue the hosts, until they were no longer at risk.


    I already lost 9 hosts, but there were still some left. If I destroyed all those eggs, before they took over their hosts, naturally the paralysis keeping the creatures contained would wear out, and with nothing left to restrain them, they would all break free.


    ?You mean to release them??


    "Not all of them, just 21." I answered, with a smile.


    Sensei chuckled. ?It''s not a bad n but let me remind you, this is all just conjecture. Have you ever stopped to consider the two queens could be equal? The eggs could all just be miscounted in this chamber.?


    I thought about it and shook my head. "That''s very unlikely, but I will be going to the other chambers to see if there are still some eggs that haven''t hatched. We can confirm the truth then."


    Could two queens really live in peace without any problems? There was no way.


    To be a queen, you had to be the only one standing, and what ambitious person was willing to give up their power? Such an ideal world would only be possible somewhere outside the Labyrinth, perhaps in the shimmeringnd of fairies.


    There was only a slim chance, at best. Even if they were peaceful at first, the two wouldn''tst for long. And if they were truly peaceful I just had to manipte the conditions to make sure they ended in conflict.


    With all eight hosts paralysed along with the lizard who was safely asleep, the cavern fell into tense silence once more, taking on a semnce of peace, which did nothing to stave off my nerves. I was anxious whether my n would work at all, but I didn''t dwell on it and immediately moved into action.


    Reaching the first hexagonal chamber I scanned it with [Heat Sense] before climbing in. There was only one creature, a host in the shape of arge centipede. It''s hard shell was covered in dark gouges, like scorch marks in numerous ces where it had been stung. As I approached it, I focused on its numerous legs and its fearsome mandibles, so I could be ready to attack at first sign.


    However, the creature which should have been terrifying was renderedpletely harmless with paralysis and it was easy for me to ess the egg glued to its segmented body.


    A single bite with venom was all it took to kill thervae inside the egg, and from there I proceeded to visit the other paralysed hosts in the other chambers, repeating this action until I''d poisoned all the unhatched eggs in the cavern.


    Excluding the 9 eggs that already hatched, I''d poisoned only those of the stronger queen.


    Destroying 21 eggs did not give me a lot of creatures to fight my way out of the hive, considering the hundreds of wasps I''d seen. But the freed creatures would at least cause a little havoc which would increase my chances.


    But the real show would be the aftermath.


    What would happen when out of the original 30, only 9 eggs survived with 21 hosts escaping after their eggs were destroyed?


    They would conclude there was sabotage and who else would get the me if not the weaker queen? They would assume the remaining 9 hosts had destroyed them to lessen their numbers and the two factions of wasps would likely begin to attack themselves to settle the blood debts.


    And once all the wasps are busy fighting in their internal war, escaping would be a piece of cake.

 Chapter 50 - Becoming A Host

    ?Don''t get too happy. I''ll remind you that their paralysis still needs time to wear off. It will take hours and even then, there''s no guarantee the creatures wouldn''t start fighting amongst each other.?


    Sensei''s sarcastic chuckle put a damper on my good mood as he brought up even more problems. I checked the timer on the system.


    [Quest: Train Nest Mates. [Time Remaining: 129 Hours]]


    The hours counting down to my doom were moving too fast!


    "Why would they fight against each other instead of confronting the wasps. Are they stupid?"


    ?Their intellect is on par with your nestlings.? Sense said as if stating the obvious.


    This bastard.


    I refuted him. "Predator or prey, inside the hive, the wasps are themon enemy. Regardless of their differences, as long as these hosts aren''t affected by thervae, their goals of escape should all be the same."


    ?Are you trying to convince yourself or me??


    "Neither!" I continued to scold Sensei for his negative view. "They won''t fight each other like fools, these creatures are smarter than you give them credit for. The hive is neutral ground, they will bind together and fight themon enemy. If they make it out, they can then address their grievances with each other."


    Sensei chucked dryly. ?Just long enough for you to escape and leave them to their fates.?


    "Until we all escape." I corrected him. "Without my interference, they will all be ughtered without mercy. With this, I''m giving them a fighting chance."


    Sensei sighed . ?I suppose they should be all grateful to you then.?


    I ignored his oozing sarcasm and calcted how long I would have left from looking at the system''s timer. I would need 10 hours or more at the least for the paralysis to wear off and I had 33 hours until my poisoning became fatal. Could I really afford to waste that amount of time?


    The poison was still in my system and the time I had left was slowly ticking away even if I wasn''t experiencing any symptoms. Once that grace period ran out I would be in deep trouble.


    I really couldn''t think about the hosts right now. Surviving was entirely up to them, but I would definitely make use of the opportunity they provided. I didn''t need Sensei poking holes in my ns for his own amusement.


    The cavern made an excellent hiding ce and the sealing membrane over the chambers meant the hosts did not intend to return. It was a good thing I already had one ready and waiting, the lizard''s. If it tried anything like attacking again I''d just have to beat it until it was half dead again. But did that mean I just had to be patient and wait the time out?


    Of course not!


    There were only 30 hosts in this chamber. Setting 21 free was hardly enough to cause a ripple in the horde of wasps! It simply wasn''t enough, to improve my chances of sess I had to find and set more loose.


    The eight newrvae hosts and the Lizardy still in their hexagonal chambers and they showed no sign of waking up any time soon, so I left the quiet cavern and went out into the unknown.


    Exiting the chamber to the tunnel I stuck closely to the ash grey walls, hiding my presence with [Stealth].


    There, I listened for any noises I could pick up with my senses. The slim tunnel spread out in front of me was quiet if not for the insistent humming vibrationsing from under the floor.


    I looked towards the opening at the end of the tunnel, watching for approaching footsteps. But the exit was too far down to gauge properly and exceeded the range of my [Heat Sense].


    It looked empty now but travelling along the tunnel was too dangerous. It left me exposed to anything that could being from both ends. I chose to go left of the tunnel this time, going right would lead me to the centre, to the opening where the ape had vanished from.


    Ideally, I would want to be as close to the bottom of the hive as possible for the exit, but I didn''t want to leave as of yet. The top mostyer was a prime location. It wasn''t entirely safe from wasps but at least it was not as densely popted as the ones below.


    This corridor had received its final sting wave so there wouldn''t be any more waspsing for a while. I could move freely if I hid properly and avoided any hosts. It was the perfect ce to stay with a vantage point of the hive where I could observe the wasps moving around the nest in case of anything I needed to be aware of.


    I could hear the waspsing since there were only two openings on either side of the corridor. In addition, I could retreat back to the host graveyard that wasrgely empty, if this ce grew to no longer be safe.


    Once I climbed down, there would be too many eyes to guard against. Even though I had the scent of arvae now, there was no telling if it was enough to fool a wasp. I had to bide my time until the best moment.


    I kept going, slithering briskly over the rough ground until the slim tunnel ended, opening up into a wider corridor with a much taller ceiling and pirs scattered all over for support.


    The space wasrgely barren with nothing else in it but the same ash coloured walls but past the tall pirs. I could see rounds of more tunnels leading off to other spacious caverns in an borate maze.


    If these new caverns were like the one I''de from, each would contain about 30 hosts or more. That is, if this was actually the onlyyer of the hive that served as a bonding chamber. That would bring the total amount of hosts to a lot more than I initially counted.


    ?These wasps are more ambitious than I thought.? Sensei said in a surprised tone.


    ?In typical nests, mostrvae assimte their hosts in the first 1 to 3 days. It happens so quickly, there is never any need to build a hive with so many cells, since they just get reused. Here they have purposely built more cells. It seems they are nning to expand. The number of hosts present here is also three times that of a normal hive.?


    "The wasps must be preparing an army." I suggested. "Do you think the two queens are about to fight each other?"


    ?It is likely a suggestion put into action by one of the queens as a defensive strategy to increase the soldiers.? Sensei added.


    I looked around the space trying to count the number of tunnels - it seemed their civil war was about to begin even without my help. Since the wasps were so organised to assemble such a maze, why not lend them my assistance? There were bound to be tons more host creatures here!


    I quickly entered the nearest tunnel, leaving the open space behind. I was so eager to find more eggs to poison that I almost forgot to be careful and nearly came face to face with a host.


    It was crouched just behind the tunnel wall, a mere step away from me. If not for the quick glimpse of the outline of a heat source behind the grey walls, I would have slithered straight into it.


    It crouched by the exit, waiting for unsuspecting prey and as I backed away in retreat, it raised its four legs to lift up its body. The two des on its arms swing up stiffly in a jerking motion, covering the entirety of the entrance as it began to approach.


    I backed away from the tunnel, but behind me was open space, sorelycking any sort of boulder to hide behind. The only option were the pirs. I quickly slithered over to them but the creature was already out of the tunnel. With quick jerky movements it stalked over, the sickle like arms sorge they scraped along the floor as it moved, creating a grating sound.


    My eyes fixed over its huge arms. If it swung at me I''d definitely get cleaved in two.


    To my horror, the creature''s eyes fell on me before I could reach the nearest pir and it continued to approach. Swiftly covering the distance, it was almost upon me, until suddenly it wasn''t.


    The huge creature simply slipped past me and proceeded towards the next tunnel like I wasn''t worth paying attention to.


    I stood frozen on the spot for a moment as the creature''s actions slowly dawned on me. Then as I regained my senses, I broke into a wide grin. My scent hadn''t given away the absence of arvae and to it I was just like any other host.

 Chapter 51 - Fierce Rivalry

    I watched as the creature disappeared down the corridor, and with it gone, I trembled with excitement at how smoothly my ns were progressing. If I was essentially the same as them, I could move freely around the hive without having to hide from other hosts. And under the same, doesn''t that also apply to the wasps?


    The wasps didn''t attack hosts, so I would be safe, right? I had to try to be certain, though. To test this I would have to find another wasp in one of these tunnels and pass by it to see how it would react. If I could fool a wasp, that would mean I could simply slither out of the hive and no one would stop me.


    I sighed helplessly, the hosts had it so easy.


    But what if it didn''t work?


    If it didn''t, this risky action would likely be thest thing I would ever attempt. An encounter with one wasp would likely not kill me if I could escape from it, but if there was more of them, I shivered at the thought.


    Furthermore with the way things were, if I left the hive now, the growing number of wasps would be an even bigger problem. The next time I happened to be caught asrvae food, I might not be so lucky to escape. And as if that wasn''t enough problems, I still didn''t know exactly where the exit was, I only had a hunch that it was somewhere down below.


    I''d still have to bypass arge number of wasps to get there! Even in the off chance that my masking was a sess, they were still horrible odds. Every action had its own set of problems, but standing out in the open wasn''t going to help me decide, so I quickly entered the nearest tunnel.


    This one was long and dark with an opening in the centre of its wall. I scanned once more with [Heat Sense], it showed me there were more hosts so I quickly entered. However the cells were all open and there were no eggs inside.


    Disappointed I exited the cavern, it seemed the wasps had not made their rounds here yet. The creatures inside were still paralysed but I had no use for them. I continued out of the tunnel to the open space and chose another tunnel to enter.


    This one showed heat signatures of more host creatures and I entered its cavern, hopeful. However, instead of fresh eggs, all that was left were their splintered shells. I was toote and all the hosts here were already assimted.


    Looking through the sealed openings of the hexagonal chambers, I watched the sleeping hosts getting assimted and I grimaced. I could clearly see thervae wiggling under the skin below their necks.


    How creepy!


    I resisted the urge to climb down and poison all of them. Even though their states looked dormant, thervae reacted and fought like normal creatures when threatened. They would likely be active as soon as I tried to enter their cells, so I didn''t. However, looking around the cavern I observed one more thing.


    Of the thirty chambers, some had damage done to their membrane lids, and it wasn''t anything like the precise cuts I would make to crawl in. The lids were ripped apart where the host creatures had crawled out and I counted three of these.


    The possibility that the creatures had actually escaped crossed my mind, but the likelihood was low. I realised the hosts that awakened to leave the hive were only a few. Most of the remaining hosts here would likely spend all the time in the sealed chamber until they fully matured.


    If all thervae here were already inside their hosts, then those three must have hatched earlier than the others. There was no extra egg in the cells so there was no way to tell, but they were likely eggs of the weaker queen.


    It dawned on me that this must be the cavern the creature earlier had exited out from. If there were three missing, one must be the ape, another was the creature and there was one other unknown.


    But as I looked around the cavern at all the unconscious hosts and my eyes fell on something that made me freeze. I''d missed it earlier but there was one more hole with a torn membrane. Unlike the others, this one was deted, and it looked like something had crawled in!


    I activated [Heat Sense] in that direction and immediately revealed the outlines of two host creatures in the same cell. One had a much stronger heat signature while the other was so faded and weak, it was barely noticeable. No wonder I''d missed it.


    Thest host was still inside! It had just changed cells to eat another.


    I slowly inched towards the cell and saw a truly bizarre scene inside. There was arge cocoon with inky ck tendrils attached to the wall that covered the entirety of the chamber. And perched on this cocoon, was another creature, feasting on its flesh.


    A huge bat-like creature with a ming red back whose fangs had impaled the cocoon to suck the blood of the creature inside. The vine-like off shoots would asionally swat at the bat to attack it but its heat source was gradually getting weaker and the bat didn''t even bother to deflect them anymore.


    I slowly backed away from the membrane opening of the host chamber, taking care not to make any sudden noises.


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase: ¡ºSilence LV 3¡»has be¡ºSilence LV 4¡»?


    What the hell did I just witness? Host cannibalism?


    There was a tense moment as the creature raised its wings to p away a moving tendril, but it didn''t detect me as I slipped past. I didn''t breathe until I was out in the tunnel and thankfully I remained undetected.


    I wondered if it was thervae''s motive or simply that of the creature it inhabited. It could have attacked its rival to strengthen itself. But once therva was inside, it was impossible to distinguish, so unless it knew beforehand a host wouldn''t simply attack another unless they had a way to tell.


    So did that mean I wasn''t safe from attacks from hosts either?


    Any host could belong to either queen so if they were attacking each other even before they left the hive, there wasn''t much safety here. Maybe the reason that the host didn''t attack me earlier was simply because we were eggs of the same queen.


    But since there was no way of telling which host belonged to which queen as I wasn''t a host myself, I was better off avoiding any moving ones in general. I recovered quickly and exited the tunnel.


    My time was better spent finding a third cavern to increase my host count, and I quickly spotted another. This time I didn''t make the mistake of entering the cavern and observed from outside, to make sure the hosts wereplete.


    There were 30 here and for once the conditions were viable. The eggs in this tunnel had not yet hatched and all the creatures were still immobile from paralysis. Once again there were eggs attached to the wall, but only 8 this time. Destroying the remaining eggs would bring my host count to 43. It wasn''t too bad.


    I slithered into each chamber and used my venom on each egg I located. It was just as Sensei said, my proficiency had increased, and I only had to use a little each time. It wasn''t unlimited but it was enough to destroy everyrvae egg I located and by the time I finished I felt empty.


    ?You have gained a level!?


    ?You have earned 44XP?


    My venom had reduced to only a quarter of its original capacity and my MP had fallen to the lowest it had been since my birth. I had to eat again and soon.


    The nest would face upheaval when my actions were revealed and it wasn''t worth dying before I could see that. It was better to find a food source before I tried another cavern.


    I was about to exit the tunnel, when I felt some familiar vibrations out in the open space. The wasps wereing!


    I retreated back to the cavern and observed them to see where they would go. I counted ten wasps and they all flew past the tunnel openings with none of them stopping to go inside.


    Moving forward at fast speeds, they all converged to a central tunnel at the end of the open space, with a pathway twice the size of the others. I peeked out of the tunnel watching them depart, the vibrations of their wings still echoing through the pirs.


    Something told me there was more than one way to the lower levels of the hive and I immediately followed after the wasps, keeping at a safe distance. They had a knack of appearing out of nowhere, and it served to reason there were more openings to the ground.


    If I continued following them, maybe these secret tunnels would be revealed.

 Chapter 52 - A Questing Snake

    Crossing through the pirs of the open space, it led me past the maze of pirs and through the wide central tunnel, where the path deviated sharply to the left before descending downwards.


    The corridor continued, the ash grey ground changing into a descending slope and I wondered just how far it went. Using [Heat Sense] I could still detect the wasps further down but their traces kept growing faint as they continued to move.


    I channelled [Stealth] and felt my body temperate merge with the grey walls, while I focused [Heat Sense] to fully detect my surroundings.


    The [Heat Sense] expanded around me, filling my vision turning the bare corridor and all inanimate objects into dull shades of blue, with the wasps appearing as the only bright red sources of heat.


    With it activated I was prepared for any surprisesing my way. I''d just have to react quickly and retreat if I was alerted to any new presence.


    Gradually, as I moved closer to the vibrations, I noticed the curve of the walls had be less steep. As the path of the corridor became a more inclined slope, the walls also changed and dipped to something more curved and wider so many wasps could fly through at the same time.


    I hesitated at the top of the slope. Rather than the sounds of the wasps reducing as they moved away, at the bottom of the corridor I was met with even more intense vibrations. The wasps must have stopped.


    The closer I got to them, the more pronounced the vibrations below the slope became. The group of wasps were close, the increasing sounds revealing to me there were at least ten wasps ahead.


    The opening had to be here!


    As I proceeded [Heat Sense] revealed the red outlines of more than twenty wasps. They were all fixed into arge chamber overlooking an opening where I could sense even more wasps flying up from the hive below.


    Some wasps disappeared into other tunnels carrying creatures with them, while others followed up from the opening in a steady stream, changing direction to enter other caverns after depositing their cargo.


    When two wasps left the cavern to enter the corridor I was in, I immediately turned around. I switched tactics to retreat to avoid the oing wasps, just as another three heat sources entered my sensory range. This time flying in behind me from the open space.


    The two entities were headed for a collision course with me smacked in the middle!


    My attention turned to the sloping walls which reached a stable height, and the corridor that was wide enough for both groups to fly past without having to fly over each other.


    So I quickly scaled the sloped wall, using my nimble body to attach myself to the rough surface near the ceiling to avoid the wasps.


    With [Grip] already at LV3 it wasn''t difficult to hang on to the wall and the wasps soon flew past without detecting my presence.


    I smugly watched the wasps fly past, while safely tucked into a groove at the top of the wall. From there I overlooked each cavern in the corridor to observe the wasp''s activities.


    In one chamber there were two openings and the wasps swarmed them in groups. They wererge enough for many wasps to pass whilst carrying their creature cargo. The openings were likely linked to the lower levels because the wasps who flew in swiftly dumped their cargo in the cavern, before flying out of the other opening.


    There are as many wasps inside as there were host creatures. These new hosts were checked by the wasps who separated them into three sections before carrying them away to one of the chambers.


    One small pile I assumed contained those that didn''t make the trip, while another had paralysed hosts who bled from many injuries and thest pile contained perfectly normal hosts without injuries other than puncture wounds.


    I knew the less injured pile of hosts would be used to fill the hexagonal chambers and the dead ones would be disposed of, but I didn''t know what the wasps used the injured hosts for. They were likely still alive under that paralysis.


    With [Heat Sense] I tried to see what was happening inside each chamber but my range didn''t help much unless I moved closer. I slithered along the wall with [Stealth] and from there I was able to spy on all the wasps.


    The sloped corridor opened up to manyrge hexagonal shaped chambers adjacent to each other where different activities were taking ce. The wasps carrying in the paralysed hosts, all looked exactly like the wasp that stung me. They were the only kind of wasp I''d seen so far but now I realised there were other types.


    The wasps waiting in the openings to identify and separate the less injured hosts were much smaller and looked noticeably weaker than their hunter counterparts. They had fewer ws that did not look as sharp and they carried off the less injured hosts to a second chamber. These wasps still brandished barbed stingers but they did not look as dangerous as the others.


    I directed my appraisal at them and the results only showed.


    ______________


    LV11 Melior Hesperia


    Specie: Ailith Vespoidea


    ______________


    How insightful.


    I noticed another chamber filled exclusively with these weaker wasps, only they did not house host creatures, and wereposed entirely of eggs.


    Large identical clusters of 20 plus eggs covered in viscous membrane filled the surface of this room and these wasps were busy sorting out the clusters into identical rows of spherical eggs.


    These wasps were more suited to carrying as their arms did not have as many sharp barbs as the hunters did. They passed through and from the opening, receiving the clusters of eggs carried in by other wasps.


    I spied on them, trying to detect anyone acting suspiciously. If these wasps were the egg handlers, some of them had to be changing the eggs.


    But all the eggs were stacked uniformly together and there wasn''t any identifiable trait to separate them. I wondered how these wasps could tell them apart. There had to be some hidden dissenters among them helping to move the weaker queen''s eggs, but unlike my expectations, they all worked harmoniously together without any conflict.


    So when were the eggs switched out?


    Alongside the workers and the hunters, I noticed another ss of wasp.


    This one was much taller and bulkier than the others, it walked on four legs, with tworger front arms which it used to carry the hosts. The shell covering its segmented limbs was thick and it hadrger sturdy mandibles and a wide body without the presence of wings.


    I watched its lumbering body move through the corridor, entering and exiting chambers at random. I was perplexed at what its role was. It looked too clumsy and slow to be a hunter, and its arms were too bulky to be skilled enough to handle an egg.


    It meandered aimlessly through the chambers until it came to the one with the opening. Its eyes settled on the pile of dead creatures and it lifted up thergest of the bodies with its thick arms and proceeded to carry it out of the chamber and up the sloped ground back into the tunnels.


    And then it clicked. This one was for maintenance!


    The small pile of dead bodies instantly reduced when more of its kind appeared to carry them away, they had to be taking them up to the graveyard and since I already knew where that was I wasn''t too interested.


    But then one wasp came to the pile of injured bodies, and lifted them up. The injured bodies were taken down the slope of the corridor, through another chamber where the changed depth made the wasps disappear from my sensory range and I grew anxious.


    It just took away a potential new source of recruits!

 Chapter 53 - A Useless Attribute

    The disappearing figure of the bulky wasps gave me a bad feeling. If they disposed of the dead creatures and kept the living as hosts for theirrvae, what happened to the ones that were too injured to be useful?


    Food - the answer seemed to be obvious.


    They were most likely being used as food.


    Injured creatures would be much better,pared to dead ones that would not keep for long.


    I shivered, those bulky wasps were just carrying them off to their deaths!


    The wasps flying through the openings slowly reduced the longer I watched, but no bulky wasp or their injured cargo ever resurfaced. With the hunting wasps depositing thest of their cargo, the steady stream petered out to a stop, until there were no new wasps emerging from below the chamber.


    I spent time observing them, but all that was left was the activity of the wasps who navigated the egg chambers. Most of it was empty but as the wasps inside continued to separate the clustered eggs from their viscous coating, the empty ceholders that covered the walls and floor were gradually refilled.


    But like a never ending routine, more wasps appeared to remove the refilled eggs, transporting them back up the sloped corridor to the host tunnels, depleting the egg room once more.


    And with the bustling wasps gone, the corridor fell back into silence again.


    I scanned around for any passing wasps with [Heat Sense], and when the path was clear, I scaled down the corridor wall.


    There was only one worker wasp left behind to tend to the eggs and it was one of the weak looking ones. My confidence increased enough to slip out of my hiding spot into the egg room, but the wasp was not my target.


    I located one of the remaining egg clusters and entered it to refill my HP. I couldn''t eat the eggs in the host chambers but these ones were just right. They were nowhere close to hatching and they were so many of them in a single cluster no one would realise if a few went missing.


    I had eaten about three eggs when the remaining wasp worker started moving around suspiciously.


    It flew over to an egg cluster in a hidden corner at the far end of the chamber and slowly pushed it aside. As the cluster moved out of the way, it revealed a hole underneath where the wasp retrieved a small clutch of eggs and quickly separated the eggs from their protective membrane.


    I watched it working and sighed helplessly. The traitor finally revealed itself! I knew it couldn''t stay hidden for long.


    The hole must lead to a tunnel where the eggs were fed through to reach here. Like little smugglers, the wasps must be working hard behind the scenes.


    What a brilliantly sneaky scheme!


    I wondered if the hole would lead somewhere to the lower hive if I entered it, but I quickly crossed off that idea. It likely fed directly to the quarters of the weaker queen and I definitely could not enter there.


    The wasp refilled the shelves with the new eggs and quickly exited the chamber, leaving mepletely alone.


    With it gone I could eat more eggs without a care for how much noise I was making and I stuffed my face, watching my Health and Stamina points increase!


    But I couldn''t stand to eat more.


    Why?


    Because these eggs weren''t tasty at all! These were nasty and nothing like the eggs I was expecting.


    Bleh! So Bitter! I had to force myself to continue eating.


    ?Devour has reached maximum satiation for specimen¡ºNovus Hesperia¡»Evolution tree of ¡ºAilith Vespoidea¡»has been unlocked.?


    ?Would you like to acquire attribute¡ºMind Chain¡»(ept | Reject)?


    The system alert came so suddenly that I nearly choked.


    Hold on. Mind Chain?


    Wasn''t that the thing that made the wasps control others?


    I was surprised, I hadn''t expected to gain any ability from just eating eggs alone since they couldn''t even ss as a species yet. Should I really ept it?


    Did I really want to be such a loathsome parasite?


    The answer was no, but I was really curious as to what sort of form it would take. Would it be just like thervae or like [Obsidian Horn], that had evolved into something more suited to a snake?


    ?Why are you hesitating?? Sensei prodded. ?It can be a powerful ability if you train it well.?


    I hit [ept], and immediately felt a burning sensation, like the skin on my body was being peeled back and reshaped by hot coals. My scales felt extremely hot and I closed my eyes, resisting the urge to twist about in pain. The eggs felt especially cool over my skin, so I rubbed myself against them to try and ease the pain.


    Gradually, the burning sensation faded and once I recovered, I looked over my body to see that not much had changed. My scales were still the same marbled ck and white pattern.


    I was partly disappointed but a little d as well.


    It was silly of me to think my body would actually change into that of arvae. I wouldn''t know what to do if that happened! Save for never looking at my reflection again - as if bing a snake wasn''t already bad enough.


    I checked my status window.


    ______________


    Name: Aurelia LV7 [Neonate Snake] |Poisoned|


    Specie: Cerastes Vipera


    HP: 75/75Defence: 66


    MP: 49/49Intellect: 64


    SP: 70/70Magic: 27


    Attack: 76Agility: 68


    Skills:


    [Poison Fang: LV3] [Bite: LV4]


    [Venom Rain: LV1] [Grip: LV3]


    [Scent: LV2] [Heat Sense: LV4]


    [Silence: LV4] [Rapid Strike: LV1]


    [Stealth: LV3] [Appraisal: LV2]


    [Buoyancy: LV1] [Steel Skin: LV3]


    [Leap: LV2] [Rugged Scales: LV3]


    Title:


    [Apostle] [Coldblooded]


    [Commander] [Hero]


    Unique Skill:


    [Devour]


    Attributes:


    [Obsidian Horn] [Mind Chain]


    Resistances:


    [Impact Resistance: LV4]


    [Pain Resistance: LV4]


    [Wind Resistance: LV1]


    [Shock Resistance: LV2]


    [Faint Resistance: LV1]


    [Paralysis Resistance: LV1]


    Experience Points: [234]


    ______________


    It was toote now to regret the skill, I might as well practice using it.


    I activated [Mind Chain] and felt a tingling sensation over my skin. I expected to feel a headache or some sort of mental strain, but I felt nothing which was odd. Wondering whether it was because there was no creature in range of me, I started to leave the egg cluster when I realised my scales had be wet.


    I looked down at the slimy film of ichor that covered my body and I almost gagged with revulsion. What sort of attribute is this? I want a redo.


    It was exactly like arvae!


    If the fluid I secreted was something like a cocktail of chemicals to numb a host topliance, did I always have to be inside a body for it to work?


    The heck was I supposed to do with that?


    What creature would casually let me enter it without resisting? It didn''t evene with paralysis to assist me! What a trash skill!


    Sensing my discontent, Senseiughed. ?You can''t undo it once you''ve epted it.?


    "This has to be one of the most useless abilities I''ve ever seen." I grumbled.


    ?I disagree. It can be your safety depending on how you use it.?


    "And let myself live inside another creature? I knew you had poor taste, but this is too much."


    ?Suit yourself, you can choose not to use it if it bothers you so much. But keep an open mind.?


    I wanted to wring his neck.


    Keep an open mind? I had to essentially be a worm. I was more pissed off than anything.


    I''d avoided eating the lizard to prevent myself getting any slimy sort of ability yet I ended up getting one anyway. I might as well just eat the lizard now.


    I slipped out of the egg cluster, trying to shake off the wetness coating my body by rubbing against the ground, but to no avail. Wherever I slithered, I left behind a slimy trail without meaning to.


    Ugh. It even felt so dirty to use.


    With the egg chamber empty and my HP refilled, I exited the chamber. Before long my body dried but it took a lot of brushing against surfaces to achieve. I definitely wasn''t using that again.


    I already knew where the dead creatures were taken to, and that the living ones became hosts. All that was left was to follow the path the bulky wasp took to find out where the injured ones were held, and hopefully find an exit.


    I followed the opening to the lower level, mapping out a safe route using [Heat Sense] to detect any wasps in the passage. So far the corridor was empty but I used the curved walls to my advantage, scaling up them whenever I detected any movements.


    I was perched on the wall overlooking the corridor, when I spotted another one of those bulky wasps. It was carrying a heap of injured bodies and its tall heightbined with the stacked bodies, made it look like a moving mountain.


    The staggered weight of the bodies also made its walk quite slow so I craftily followed it from above, making sure to keep a good distance. It was soon joined by other wasps of the same kind carrying simr, but smaller loads. Since they all couldn''t fly and neither of them bothered to look up, my position remained safe.


    They all headed in the same direction except the wasp carrying the heaviest load. It veered away from the rest, in the opposite direction, which I found odd.


    Its actions were weird so I paid more attention to it, choosing to pursue this wasp instead of the majority that followed a single path.


    To diverge away from the others, it had to be up to something.

 Chapter 54 - The Crumbling Maze

    I continued along the ridge of the wall, quietly following behind the bulky wasp. From high up, I saw the corridor ahead open outwards, branching off into tunnels on the left side of the passage with asionally a few wasps making an appearance.


    They followed each other in a spacious queue but always stuck to the left side of the corridor, travelling along the distance before entering one of the tunnels on the left, and exiting afterwards much lighter than before, without their creature cargo.


    All except the wasp I followed. It stuck to the edge of the corridor, moving suspiciously away from the others. Its load was thergest, yet it did not enter the tunnels and simply continued itsborious walk.


    This I found strange, shouldn''t it drop the creatures like the others?


    Was it stashing them secretly to eatter?


    Scanning with [Heat Sense], I detected no signs of heat in the tunnels except for those close to the entrance, with the depth of the chamber sadly out of range for me to figure out anything more. However, from the echoed vibrations of the wasps inside I guessed the tunnels extended to a spacious chamber at the bottom.


    But I wouldn''t know for certain until I entered and I scanned again. I focused my mind and increased the range of my heat sense into the tunnel and saw the red outlines of the wasps going further ahead.


    But I realised my MP started to drain at a faster rate, so I stopped and my [Heat Sense] flickered back to normal.


    Disappointed, I continued to move along the wall. But then.


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase: ¡ºHeat Sense LV 4¡»has be¡ºHeat Sense LV 5¡»?


    The system''s ding made me realise it would be worth training to test the limits of my abilities, but perhaps at another time.


    It was likely the chamber inside was where the injured creatures were kept but I couldn''t gauge its size to know how many to expect, so I didn''t enter.


    I continued following after the strange wasp but it was much further ahead so I increased my speed to catch up. But it was strange, the path it took kept moving it away to more isted areas and soon the tunnel entrances came to a stop.


    At the fringes there were very few wasps remaining, they had all dropped off their cargo and were returning to the upper levels.


    Looking ahead from my high vantage point I saw there was nowhere else to go other than a corridor veering sharply to the right that looked very rundown.


    The ash grey walls were ky and covered in imperfections with parts that were new and smooth along with older dusty patches that made it look out of ce. It seemed like part of an older structure that had simply been built over, rather than destroyed.


    Just where was this wasp going?


    The bulky wasp and its heavy load had entered into this area, quickly vanishing from view and I feared I''d lost it when I suddenly felt loose grains of sand shifting beneath me followed by a whooshing sound as the little debris cascaded down the walls. Realising the wall I crawled on was starting to break off I immediately stopped moving.


    But it was toote.


    The falling debris already showered a wasp below and I saw it stop moving and look up in the direction of the wall with [Heat Sense].


    Luckily, it was the only wasp that noticed, as the others continued moving along the corridor and did not pay it any mind.


    However, the bulky wasp left the ground, much to my horror and started to climb. It was slow and heavy but it made up for it with brute strength and I felt deep tremors as its limbs punched through the ash grey walls and the falling debris from the sands it shook loose.


    I quickly slithered along the top of the wall, fleeing into the worn out tunnel.


    The wasp did not immediately detect that I had moved as the falling debris from its own climb masking that of my escape. But as I slithered away from it, more dust was shaken loose from the old walls, cascading below like a trail showing my direct path.


    The bulky wasp was slower and dumber than the average wasp but even it wouldn''t miss such an obvious clue.


    The interior was the size of multiple host caverns, only it was crumbling and covered with dust. The room was like arge honeb with thin walls shaped like hexagons reaching up from the ground to make up a cell, unlike the hexagonal chambers on the top level that had them as holes in the ground.


    The walls covered everywhere on the surface in scattered rows like a formed maze with a tall spacious ceiling that went on for ages.


    The cavern looked like a very old host chamber that had fallen to misuse and when I entered it, I almost crashed into one of its walls.


    There was no sign of the wasp that entered earlier and I wasn''t sure where to proceed but I quickly found some crumbled gaps between the cells that I could navigate and hide from view.


    However, the wasp pursuing me was not so lucky. As soon as it turned the corner it mmed head first into one of the thin walls with enough force to punch through, raising up clouds of dusty debris in its wake.


    Whenever it came close to where I was I quickly moved away behind another wall. But it did not stop. It seemed this bulky variant of wasp was not very bright. Although it did not know my position it kept chasing me and without the patience to find a path through the maze of walls, it was attempting to break each one relentlessly.


    Right after I hid, the wasp came crashing through with brute strength, like the walls were merely made of paper and I had no choice but to continue moving. Itmovedrgely in a straight line so I veered left and right, weaving a sporadic path through the hexagons.


    The chaotic chase brought me further into the maze than I would have liked and I almost reached the centre, when I was suddenly struck by an unpleasant sensation.


    [Heat Sense] detected arge creature up ahead. It didn''t bother to hide its presence and was emitting an aura so intense and terrifying, my consciousness splintered like shards of ss when I came into contact.


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase: ¡ºStealth LV 3¡»has be¡ºStealth LV 4¡»?


    My immediate instinct was to flee but I was struck by an overwhelming fear that rooted me in ce and I could barely hear Sensei''s voice in my head.


    ?Stay still. Don''t move. Any closer and it will detect your presence. That thing can see minute traces of heat that aren''t covered by [Stealth.]?


    Even as all my instincts were screaming to turn about and run away, I willed myself to stay there and coiled myself tightly as I pushed the limits of my [Stealth], trying to conceal everyst minute trace of mepletely. Chilling cold permeated my whole body and I hoped I''d done enough to escape notice.


    A crashing noise was heard on my left and the bulking wasp emerged from the chaos shaking off clouds of debris from its body.


    I was certain it would attack me but surprisingly it continued to move past me with surging speed, plunging deep into the centre of the hive, right where the terrifying creature was.


    It only took a few steps when I felt the vibrations of a fast moving object slicing through the air and in less than a second the wasp''s hardened head and thick mandibles were cleaved cleanly from its body in a glorious rain of purple ichor.

 Chapter 55 - A New Enemy

    Shot from the direction of the terrifying aura, the flying object refracted what little light there was, its form shimmering a vibrant green in the air as it cleaved through many rows of hexagonal walls in a straight line until it reached its target.


    A diagonal sh appeared across the wasp''s face and its head burst open where the projectile struck, beheading it in a single shot.


    The decapitated wasp''s head soared through the dusty air, bursting out in a rain of purple, before dropping with a loud tter on the ground.


    The wasp''s huge body however, stayed in the same ce as it slumped into a tragic heap among the dust and debris. I stared at it in horror and disbelief as the body fluids emptied out from what was left of its head, leaving a hollow husk only a few paces ahead of my position.


    The weapon was not a de but something like a curved and elongated w that was thin and delicate like paper. However the devastation it left in its wake was unbelieve when considering its appearance.


    It was strong enough to slice through the wasp''s hardened shell and its thick mandibles like it was nothing. That power along with its speed made it all the more terrifying.


    As the w continued on its path of destruction, all around me were the dry crackling sounds of crumbling, now amplified in the quiet as the long w sliced through more of the walls unimpeded, before curving in the air to return back to the creature.


    I held my breath at the raised dust and scattered debris, bing as still as possible to erase all traces of my presence. I was frozen in fear as I helplessly looked on. The wasp chasing me had died without even setting eyes on its killer.


    I stared at the sliced open head of the bulky wasp where bits of brain matter sttered across the floor and the grisly purple ichor sshed against the surrounding walls.


    It made me shiver.


    If I''d crawled just a little closer, would I also have ended up in the same way?


    What sort of absurd creature was this to kill so efficiently?


    With my instincts screaming to flee and Sensei''s warning, I knew better than to approach it. There were walls in front of me so I could not look ahead, but with how easily it had cut through those walls, I remained still so my presence would not be known.


    Yet my curiosity to see the creature eroded all the rational thoughts and won over the fear restricting my body. I lifted my eyes, extending [Heat Sense] past the limit towards the creature.


    If I was going to die again, I would like to look at the face of my killer this time rather than helplessly getting stabbed from behind.


    The creature''s heat trace revealed an outline resembling a wasp, but it was vague, and it moved too sinuously unlike its rigid brethren.


    Hovering over the ground was an upright figure that was taller and more streamlined than any other wasps I''d seen. It had a lean abdomen as opposed to arge one with six limbs like the usual hunter wasp but less distinct separation across its body.


    Its lower legs were much longer than the other four and shaped for running like that of a feline, with a body that was meant to stand upright rather than a hunched form. The wings behind its back were long and thin and although they were vibrating behind its back at a fast speed, the wasp''s body hardly moved and stuck high in the air like it was levitating.


    I was amazed at the hexagonal walls that had been sliced through. The cuts made were as thin as wire where not even a de was as precise, which made me wonder where the projectile hade from.


    Looking at the wasp''s heat outline, it''s barbed stinger was still attached, until I focused [Heat Sense] on its other limbs. Unlike its legs the remaining four limbs were shorter and attached to its streamlined thorax like two pairs of arms.


    Disying muscr segmented ridges, many ded long ws extended from its arms below the elbows, separated evenly like ribs glistening in metallic green. The one that had been shot earlier was now resting in the creature''s arms. This wasp was unlike anything I''d ever seen, and I could only watch, spellbound by its aura.


    Which begged the question, if I appraised it, would it know?


    Sensei had said it could pick up my temperature if I came closer, but he didn''t say anything about its detection.


    ?Appraisal is out of the question.? Sensei''s response was curt. ?It wouldn''t show you its full status and the ufortable sensation the wasp would feel after being appraised will alert it immediately.?


    I was even more curious about this terrifying wasps identity. It wasn''t carrying any injured bodies like the bulky wasp earlier so it wasn''t for maintenance. Its appearance was simr to that of the hunting wasps that brought in fresh hosts, yet it was uniquely different and it wasn''t small like those wasps handling the eggs either, so what was it?


    Where had the wasp I followed earlier gone? Did it get attacked by it as soon as it entered like the wasp that pursued me, or had it escaped?


    Scanning the spacious chamber around the wasp, I didn''t see any extra bodies so I couldn''t be sure, but the space wasrge enough with plenty of spaces it could be hidden.


    The wasp was very likely to be dead, but for what reason was this wasp attacking its own brethren? The likelihood of it being a ''Queen'' wasp was high but if so, what is it doing in such a shabby ce?


    The head and the body of the dead wasp were close by. If it was hunting, wouldn''t ite to pick up the corpse soon?


    Anticipating this, I started to move backwards, away from the corpse, extending the gap between myself and the source of the terrifying aura in case it came close.


    In order not to get noticed, I had to retreat extremely slowly, to not increase my own body heat. But the wasp after retrieving its long w, stopped hovering in the air and started to move almost at the same time as me!


    The terrifying wasp took off into the air and flew to the centre of the cavern in a quick blur. However carefully I was moving, it still seemed to have noticed me!


    I stopped my movements, alert and focused on the flying figure. But instead of approaching me, it ignored the dead wasp''s corpse and entered therge hole at the centre of the cavern''s tall ceiling, disappearing from view.


    The suppressing aura of the wasp vanished with it and I could finally breathe easy, but I did not feel any relief. With it gone I waited a moment to be sure it wouldn''t return before releasing [Heat Sense], and once again my vision was plunged in grey.


    My MP had reduced considerably, but for the moment that wasn''t my concern. My body felt cold and in shock like water had been poured over my head, waking me suddenly. Whether it was unaware of my presence or it had chosen to ignore me, this wasp was still a dangerous w I''d overlooked, and with the existence of this uncertain element, I lost confidence in my ns of escape.


    My whole n had been based on the wasps I''d seen previously, but now that an unknown kind existed, would the same n hold up?


    With such an entity around, would all the host''s I''d assembled survive long enough to matter? If they could all be destroyed just as easily by this wasp, was there any point?


    The futility of my endeavour so far made me realise I should have stayed in the host chamber like a well behaved snake instead of moving around recklessly. The exit I was looking for was nowhere in sight. If anything I was now too afraid to proceed.


    Traces of its heavy aura still lingered and the fear I felt refused to subside. It was no longer here but its impact on my psyche was all too real, like a raw nerve that had been touched.


    I tried to shake off the effect to no avail. Was this intimidation the result of it being a higher level than myself or was it caused by a skill?


    "What kind of skills does it have to emit such an aura of death?" I tentatively asked Sensei.


    There was no way for me to peek since its level was higher than mine but luckily my system wasn''t bound by such constraints. He had to know what skills it had so why not ask him.


    Sensei''s response was blunt as usual. ?You have appraisal, yet you still ask me such questions. If you want to know then get [Appraisal] to LV10. There''s no free passes or short cuts.?


    Seriously? Even at the brink of death he remained so stubborn.

 Chapter 56 - The Core

    Level up [Appraisal]? That was easy enough to do.


    To get it to [LV10] I''d just have to appraise a ton of things. However it was still stuck at [LV2] and that would take a while.


    Thest time, [Appraisal] got a slight increase and levelled quicker was when I trained it on the feline monster that was levels higher than myself, but there was some mental bacsh in the form of pain. If I did the same now, since my pain resistance was much higher than before, it wouldn''t hurt as much.


    Perhaps levelling it this way would work faster.


    Unfortunately, the only thing around me to appraise were the dusty cavern surroundings and the wasp that was already dead.


    This trick only seemed to work on the living, because since then I''d been appraising creatures that were the same level as myself, lower, or ones that were already dead, and so far there was no mental strain and neither did [Appraisal] gain a level.


    It seemed my progress could only be achieved through some measure of pain. I''d have to go back out of this old cavern to the outside tunnel to get practice on a live subject, perhaps I could even try this on the lizard to see how it goes. But for now this ce was as safe as any.


    The terrifying wasp was gone and due to its interference, the two other wasps I should have been wary of were gone also. There was still a chance that other wasps would enter the cavern, or for the terrifying wasp to make a return but the cavern''syout that was filled with many walls was one that was difficult to discern.


    I was confident I would not be discovered as long as I kept up my vignce.


    I aimed [Appraisal] at my surroundings.


    [Broken Cell Wall] [Dust] [Broken Cell Wall] [Old Wall] [Dust] [Old Wall] [Old Wall] [Abandoned Egg Cell] [Dust] [Abandoned Egg Cell]


    There really was nothing to see. After so many mundane appraisal results I quickly grew bored. My eyes naturally fell on the dead wasp''s corpse and I drew closer to it. I could eat it but since I didn''t kill it directly I would gain no skills from it, which was a let down.


    But there was nothing wrong with overeating, plus my MP needed to be refilled! So I nibbled on one of its arms but quickly withdrew at the sound of a loud ''clink'' when my fangs struck shell like armour.


    How was I supposed to eat something this hard?


    I examined the wasp''s body to look for weak spots. Its hardened shell was especially tricky, but under it the wasp was mostly soft tissue and fluid.


    The long w that sliced through it was absolutely terrifying to have created such a perfectly clean cut through such a tough body. I couldn''t hope to recreate something like that, but even the tough shell had to have a weakness.


    If I thought of it like a lobster, the shell was especially hard around its body to cover its soft inner parts, but the weak pointsid at the joints of its legs where the shell wasn''t fully hardened and still rubbery. The wasp was simr in this way.


    When I pulled on its limbs they resisted for a time before I felt them tear. The stubs of its wings would also have this problem but the bulky wasp was unique in that it could not fly. I used appraisal on it to learn of its skills for defence if I came across another.


    ______________


    LV11 Melior Hesperia


    Specie: Ailith Vespoidea


    HP: 0/98 Defence: 79


    MP: 0/26 Intellect: 22


    SP: 0/66 Magic: 28


    Attack: 61 Agility: 44


    Skills:


    [Sting: LV3] [Scent: LV3]


    [Compound Eyes: LV2]


    [Bite: LV4] [Grip: LV4]


    [Lift: LV5] [w: LV2]


    [Pain Toxin: LV3]


    [Paralysis Venom: LV3]


    [Exoskeleton: LV4]


    Title:


    [Hive Builder]


    Resistances:


    [Fatigue Resistance: LV3]


    [Fear Resistance: LV2]


    ______________


    The appraisal results of the wasp were much worse than I imagined and the precarious reality of my situation became all the more apparent.


    Where I had begun to convince myself it wasn''t as strong, since it fell so quickly, the appraisal results showed the full picture,pletely destroying that notion.


    It was every bit stronger than I was, it just faced an even stronger opponent.


    I let out a defeated sigh. "If that wasp is around, it will kill every single host I release."


    I wasn''t seeking Sensei''s council, but I knew he could also sense my disappointment.


    ?I agree, it is too strong to face head on.?


    His response was encouraging as usual.


    "But it''s not invincible." I muttered, trying to convince myself.


    ?It will keep destroying everything you send.? Sensei deadpanned. ?It is futile to execute your n with it still around.?


    I didn''t disagree with his statement, but what of it? It wasn''t like I was facing the wasp head on.


    "It''s just one wasp, it can''t prevent everything and it''s not a Queen." There was no way I could know this myself, I was simply following my hunch and fishing for answers from him. "It has to leave the hive at some point to hunt."


    Everything about the wasp from its figure and flight was built for speed and lethal attack. There was nothing suggestive of eggying in its razor edged form.


    When Sensei did not disagree, I knew my hunch was correct.


    Rather than a queen, it had to be another form of hunting wasp, a guard or perhaps amander. It was much smaller than the Queen''s would be from the size of the egg clutches brought in from below.


    To produce that many eggs, the Queen had to be significantlyrger than the wasp, or at least twice its size. The weaker queen''s egg clutch wasn''t asrge but the size of its eggs were the same, which ruled it out.


    It was up to me to see my n through. In the hive there was an abundance of two things, the wasps, and their hosts. If this wasp was too strong to subdue there were more than enough hosts to overrun it, and if it managed to beat those too, why not throw in some wasps!


    The memory of my fear in its presence was far too embarrassing to forget. Even if there was only a slim chance of sess I was determined to beat it.


    After eating a bit of the wasp to recover my MP, I dragged its corpse away from where it originally fell to set it behind one of the walls that was still intact, hiding it for when I got hungryter.


    Nothing else entered the cavern, from the entrance or the opening at the top so far, giving the old cavern a deste and isted look.


    As I looked around the chamber, I kept wondering what the wasp was doing here in the first ce. I aimed my [Heat Sense] at the hole at the top to detect any heat traces.


    Like I''d done in the tunnels I pushed it to see further than normal, but this time I channelled it like I did with my [Heat Sphere], only rather than a detecting circle around me, it extended towards the ceiling like an arrow.


    It onlysted for a second before my MP plummeted again, but a second was enough. There was no heat detected and the hole was just another continuous tunnel.


    The wasp was really gone so I decided not to waste anymore time on it, focusing on appraisal instead.


    Further from the hole, there was more. Hidden in a copsed area of the cavern where many crumbled walls piled over each other. There was a little gap in the opening that was too small for anythingrger than myself to fit through.


    Entering it, I was brought to a whole new section. But this one was so old it made the cavern I was just in look luxurious. Covered with thick films of dust and other sandy debris, it looked like it had not had any visitors in years.


    With far too many crumbled sections and broken walls it was difficult to crawl through but I continued until the uneven floor ttened out and a circr room with a low ceiling was revealed.


    The area housed a number of tunnel entrances with some having crumbled into disuse, their openings blocked by debris and other matter. I scanned around for any heat traces, just to be careful and detected none. It was like this part of the hive had been forgotten, and when I aimed appraisal into the room it revealed something different.


    ______________


    [Hive Core]


    The firstyer of the original hive. Every existing chamber in the hive has been built up from here as the central foundation.


    ______________


    It wasn''t safe for me outside since that wasp could return at any time, but it waspletely sheltered and protected here since the entrance was so small. Since this was the centre, didn''t this mean I could ess any part of the hive from here? If only the tunnel walls weren''t decayed or caved in.


    I counted fifteen tunnels but only five of them had their openings unsealed. Entering one of these tunnels was a risk but it could also bring me closer to the exit.

 Chapter 57 - Deathwish

    ?Don''t you want to find out where they lead?? Sensei casually offered. It seemed he was more than willing to take the risk, so perhaps there wasn''t much danger ahead.


    "Probably..."


    Before I could finish, I heard the ''ding'' of the system and a screen shed in front of me showing an alert that made me annoyed the more I read.


    [Emergency Quests Issued!]


    This asshole.


    [Novice Level Quest - Explore Till Tunnel End. Reward [150XP]


    Status: [0/15]]


    [Novice Level Quest - Defeat a Hesperia. Reward [90XP]


    Status: [0/3]]


    [Adept Level Quest - Find the Queen''s Chambers. Reward [100XP]]


    Did this guy just...


    "Do you have a death wish for me, Sensei?" I asked with gritted teeth. I wasn''t able to beat a single one of those wasps and he was asking for three! Does he like seeing me get beaten up? Was he a sadist?


    Find the Queen? What for? Do I look insane enough to go seek death?


    This evil maniacal bastard!


    I cursed Sensei a thousand times in my thoughts. Just what was he thinking?


    I thought about my other two quests that were still ongoing and sighed. Wasn''t it getting a little too crowded?


    Sensei simply chuckled. ?It''s not what you''re thinking. These quests are purely there for your benefit. It is up to you to decide if you want toplete them or not. There will be no penalty for you if you don''t. Think of it as an additional means to earn rewards.?


    I was suspicious but now that I knew these quests were optional I kept ncing at them and all the EXP points I could collect were extremely tempting. However, if they had a time limit they wouldn''t be worth undertaking. I was still pressed for time on my other main quests, and despite all the rewards, keeping my life was my only concern.


    "Do they expire?" I asked tentatively.


    ?They will be avable until you eitherplete or abandon them.? Was Sensei''s unexpectedly pleasant reply. ?They are arranged in order from the easiest to the hardest for this reason.?


    The tunnel quest in particr was simplepared to the other two, yet it had the highest EXP reward. The only thing was, I could only attempt the five tunnels that were open.


    The debris blocking the others were unnaturally ced. Unlike a cave-in because of old age, the tunnels showed signs of damage like their walls had been deliberately destroyed to obstruct their passages.


    I couldn''t help thinking where the tunnels would lead for such actions to be taken. Was the quest really as straightforward as it seemed?


    The blocked tunnels were filled with sandy debris and parts of solid wall. With enough force, these things could be pushed back, but for something as small as me there was no need. There were still gaps I could use to fit my way through.


    ?Exploring the tunnels is entirely your choice, there are two more options if you''re unhappy.? Sensei''s voice was light and easy but that only made me more suspicious.


    The chances of heavy things falling down on me or getting trapped inside made it risky to force my way through. If there happened to be a dead end, or a wasp approaching on the other side I would be stuck with nowhere to retreat.


    It was a simple quest but it still contained an unknown level of risk, perhaps that was why the points were so high!


    As for the second quest, killing a Hesperia was out of the question. I couldn''t begin to attack a hunter wasp or a builder wasp when the difference in our strength was that high.


    That only left the smaller worker wasps as an option. To target one, I would have to wait until it was alone, but those wasps moved around in groups and they were only seen near the egg chambers.


    To avoid discovery it was better not to attack them unless it was absolutely necessary.


    That left me with thest quest.


    It was a little ambiguous because it said nothing about finding the Queen herself, just her chambers. So, if I proceeded carefully enough I''d likely have no need to engage the Queen at all.


    And if one of these tunnels could lead me to her chambers, that''d be even better. I could essentiallyplete two quests at once!


    I finally made a decision and entered one of the open tunnels. I would find the Queen''s chambers and search for an exit along the way.


    Slithering along the tunnel I scanned ahead with [Heat Sense] for any upants, but aside from the dust and fallen debris, there was nothing. It kept a constant width all through, aside from ces where the floor or ceiling had copsed but there were no major obstructions and I came to a stop when I was met with a dead end.


    A wall blocked the tunnel''s path, sealing off its exit. It was made of the same grey substance as the tunnels, only it was new and cleanpared to the old tunnel walls.


    I found this unusual so I scanned over the wall with [Heat sense] but I was unable to detect anything beyond it, so I retreated back to the central room to try another tunnel.


    I repeated this for the four other open tunnels but was met with the same result. It looked like they had been built over following an extension of the hive and were no longer in use. The new wall was proof.


    It seemed these tunnels had genuinely been abandoned, so I took the risk of entering one of the rubble filled ones. I travelled carefully through the slim gaps between the rubble to see what I would discover, making sure nothing got shaken loose in the process until I reached another dead end.


    Once again the tunnel was blocked off but this time the new wall was thinner. I could not see past the debris but with [Heat Sense] I picked up warm outlines just past the tunnels end.


    Beyond the wall, there was a wide open area where the outlines of various wasps soared through the air like a swarm. When one of those wasps flew very close to the tunnels seal, I immediately retreated back into the rubble.


    The wasp''s outline continued past in a quick blur without taking notice and asionally more would fly past.


    The wall it seemed, was now part of a different room after getting sealed shut. If I was to break through, I would enter apletely different part of the hive but rather than a quiet chamber it was somewhere many wasps gathered.


    Deeming it too unsafe to enter, I returned to the central room to try another tunnel.


    This time I was led to a sealed wall overlooking a host cavern. The end of the tunnel overlooked the host chamber from above and I could see many hexagonal cells filled with Hosts below. There were no wasps in sight, however the wall covering the tunnel''s end made it impossible to enter so I returned to try the other tunnels.


    Back in the central room I began entering the rubble filled tunnels one by one. One tunnel led to an egg chamber where I encountered more worker wasps. It was highly likely Sensei hoped these tunnel exploits would lead me towards ces where I would meet more wasps to attack.


    But counting the heat traces, there were ten worker wasps in this cavern alone, attacking them all by myself would be suicide, so I returned to the hive core to try another tunnel.


    This time, however, I was led to a dead end, ced high over a dangerous drop that was filled with many wasps below. This tunnel end wasn''t sealed like the others so if I wasn''t moving carefully, I would have fallen right through.


    Excluding the dangerous wasps below, the drop was so high that if I fell I would be so gravely injured I wouldn''t put up much of a fight. Perhaps rather than forcing me to fight the wasps, Sensei was actually trying to kill me!


    I slithered back to the central room in a dark mood to try another tunnel, and this time I was led to a sealed end overlooking a cavern filled entirely with heat traces numbering up to twenty.


    All the forms gathered were split into groups of five and as I watched, more outlines began to file into the cavern, swelling until their numbers increased up to forty.


    From the speed at which they moved, these outlines could only be hunting wasps. With so many in one ce, their numbers were formidable, and at this point I was convinced Sensei had bad intentions.


    What was I supposed to do here?


    No, what could I do here? Other than to die.


    I quickly retreated into the tunnel when one of the inquisitive wasps flew close to the tunnel''s seal.


    If I came out, my snakeskin would definitely be shredded within seconds. By this time, I''d explored 10 of the 15 avable tunnels and there was still no sign of the Queen''s chambers or an exit, but one thing was clear.


    The hive''s core was indeed linked to everywhere and was a convenient means of getting from one end of the hive to another and I was lucky to have discovered it.


    I checked the system window.


    [Novice Level Quest - Explore Till Tunnel End. Reward [150XP] Status: [10/15]].


    And I was close topleting the quest and getting full points!

 Chapter 58 - Glutton

    When I tried to enter the remaining tunnels, they were blocked with debris with no room for me to go further or were entirely sealed.


    I needed a way to get past them if I was going toplete the quest, so I returned to the central room to think of my next steps. Unfortunately, It wasn''t long after I returned that I started to hear faint noises of something moving nearby.


    I turned my attention back to the pile of rubble that formed the wall I had slithered through to enter the hive core.


    The sounds seemed to being from back in the maze of broken walls where I''d left the wasp corpse.


    Did that terrifying wasp return?


    It was madness to return and meet it head on, so I remained inside the core where I could hide myself and observed it with [Heat Sense].


    It was still far so [Heat Sense] did not pick up an outline until I came closer to the pile of rubble that was the entrance.


    Out in the crumbled maze, a wasp was wandering through the hexagonal walls. Thankfully, its heat outline was not like the terrifying wasp at all, but of a wasp withrge mandibles, a thick body and a tough shell that could only belong on a builder wasp.


    I was deeply relieved at this revtion, because a builder wasp was not an imminent threat. I didn''t have to be as cautious of it because its senses were not as keen. I just had to wait for it to pass. It seemingly appeared from nowhere inside the maze and I had to wonder if it was the same one that had disappeared earlier.


    Had it not died?


    However, from its outline, the wasp was empty handed and I wasn''t sure it was the same one. This one could''ve easily wandered in from the outside tunnel.


    The wasp did not leave even after a while and it kept moving in a fixed area around the broken walls. I grew curious as to what it was doing outside in the cavern, so I slipped out of the hidden area back to the damaged maze.


    Keeping my attention on the wasp''s heat outline, I carefully navigated through the dusty walls to circle around it, so I was never in its line of sight. The wasp seemed to be drawn to the areas where the thin walls had been sliced, and I followed after it until it came across the bloodstained trail of the dead wasp. The wasps antennae rhythmically flicked in the air above its head at the purple trail and I took that as a sign of excitement.


    Was it looking for the body?


    It followed the grisly trail to the walls covered in fleshy matter, arriving at the bloody spot where the body should have been. But it was empty. I recalled I had moved the wasp''s corpse away and hid it nearby, not expecting anything toe after it. But now, I grew anxious.


    If it didn''t find the body, would it sound an rm?


    I quickened my pace towards it, ready to jump out and stop it at any moment. My target, itsrge mandibles where I expected a loud screech to sound at any moment.


    At this time I realised no other wasp had entered the cavern, because the corpse was still in the same ce I left it. The silence of the cavern was more than a little ominous as I watched it. The wasp eventually located the body after many long moments, by following the small trail I left behind after dragging the corpse.


    Its huge body was blocked by one of the hexagonal walls so I slithered closer, climbing over a nearby wall to get a better view. I thought it would carry the corpse out of the cavern upon discovery, but to my surprise, it grabbed and twisted off each of the wasp''s limbs, cracking open the hard shell with its thick mandibles and began to eat it.


    The floor was soon covered in a mess of ichor and bits of shattered exoskeleton and my mouth dropped to the floor.


    What the heck, that was my food!


    The cavern truly had an abandoned feel, and I couldn''t help thinking that this was the same wasp that had disappeared earlier. The answer of where the pile of bodies it carried had gone was obvious. The wasp had clearly eaten them. If it could eat its own brethren, then that wasn''t outside the realm of possibility.


    As I watched it from over the wall, I considered attacking it to fulfil Sensei''s quest. This would be the perfect time since it was distracted with eating. That is, if I could fight it and seed.


    It seemed different from the other builder wasps with a much sturdier body, it was likely a higher level. From how easily it had broken apart the dead wasp''s shell, its own strength was much higher than the dead wasp.


    Perhaps it was stealing the corpses to grow stronger?


    Although the wasp wasn''t intelligent, it would be a difficult opponent to beat, even if I utilized the element of surprise to attack it. It''s tough shell was the biggest hindrance and the reason for my hesitation.


    Silence filled the cavern, except for the crunching of its eating. I decided to appraise it to see its level as I might as well use this opportunity to raise [Appraisal].


    "If I use appraisal, do you think it would notice?" I asked Sensei. If its detection was simr to that scary wasp I would be in trouble.


    ?The higher the level of appraisal, the less it will be detected by lower level creatures.? Sensei answered. ?However, if that creature''s detection is simr to the level of appraisal, there is a greater risk of discovery.?


    What a roundabout way to answer. A simple no or yes would have sufficed!


    I set my sights on the wasp who was gleefully eating. I doubted its senses were anything to brag about. Wasn''t that giving me the signal to go?


    I aimed my [Appraisal] at it and the usual simple disy was shown.


    ______________


    LV11 Melior Hesperia


    Specie: Ailith Vespoidea


    HP: ??/?? Defence: ??


    MP: ??/?? Intellect: ??


    SP: ??/?? Magic: ??


    Attack: ?? Agility: ??


    ______________


    The wasp kept on eating, showing no signs of detecting my appraisal, so I kept on going, appraising it repeatedly until my head filled with a sharp sensation that made me wince.


    I felt that [Appraisal] was close to levelling so I endured it to appraise it again until I noticed a deep tremble running along the wasp''s back. The limbs it used to grip onto its half eaten brethren were now unsteady as the trembling flowed through them. The wasp did not stop eating and continued like it didn''t notice.


    What was happening with its body?


    As I was wondering, I heard a crinkling sound and noticed a vertical crack had appeared along its back. A small seam had begun to open in its hard shell and behind it, a pale green skin like material was revealed.


    ______________


    LV11 Melior Hesperia


    Specie: Ailith Vespoidea


    HP: ???/??? Defence: ??


    MP: ??/?? Intellect: ??


    SP: ??/?? Magic: ??


    Attack: ?? Agility: ??


    ______________


    My appraisal results had a small change which actually shocked me. The HP parameter seemed to have gone up in number. Was it levelling up?


    The tremor through its body increased and the painful sensation in my head only swelled in intensity as its power grew.


    And then the wasp''s shell began to crumble.


    The seam on its back got wider until arge shard fell open and the full extent of its pale new skin could be seen.


    Interesting... was it shedding?


    The new skin forming underneath looked softer, and reminded me of how the juvenile wasp had looked when it hatched prematurely. If it possessed the same weakness, it''s yet-to-harden skin could be something I could exploit.

 Chapter 59 - Evolution [1]

    I kept up with my Appraisal, but without seeing the numbers it was difficult to tell by how much they were increasing by.


    And then, after the nth attempt at [Appraisal].


    ______________


    LV11 Melior Hesperia


    Specie: Ailith Vespoidea


    HP: 104/104 Defence: 79


    MP: ??/?? Intellect: ??


    SP: ??/?? Magic: ??


    Attack: ?? Agility: ??


    ______________


    I wanted to jump with joy! But then I noticed the numbers kept rising. Suddenly, the wasp that had been eating peacefully began to nce around irritably, like it was experiencing some difort.


    ?It''s evolving.? Was Sensei''s calm response. ?It''s best to strike now when it''s most vulnerable. If you let it pass this critical stage you won''t be able to kill it anymore.?


    "I''m not doing the quest. Give up already." I grumbled irritably


    My attention returned to the wasp. I wondered if its detection was getting better too? Yet, it didn''t stop eating so, probably not. The pain in my head receded for a second and then I heard a familiar ding.


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase: ¡ºAppraisal LV 2¡»has be¡ºAppraisal LV 3¡»?


    The system alert was a weed sound and I tried one more time to test the improved ability of [Appraisal].


    ______________


    LV12 Melior Hesperia


    Specie: Ailith Vespoidea


    HP: 108/108 Defence: 80


    MP: ??/?? Intellect: ??


    SP: ??/?? Magic: ??


    Attack: ?? Agility: ??


    ______________


    It had risen again!


    However, this time, the wasp stopped eating and looked around, sensing something was off.


    I wasn''t expecting the sudden reaction but I was fairly hidden with a wall between us. I was confident it could not see me, but I could sense the wasp''s eyes fixed directly at the wall I hid behind.


    I felt a cold chill creep through my body. It definitely knew where I was. But then, rather than attacking, it turned its head back and continued eating,pletely ignoring its instinct.


    At this point, it had eaten most of the wasp''s body and only bits of flesh remained. Was it waiting until it finished? Its body kept trembling as more shards of shell fell.


    The more I let it eat, the more the wasp''s stats would rise, and I was sure it had already noticed me. If I let it continue, it would attack as soon as it was done and by that time it would be much stronger.


    And It was already too strong to beat now. But by then, I would have absolutely no chance.


    What to do? Should I attack it or should I escape?


    After a moment of contemtion, I slithered towards it, regretting my decision before I even began. The wasp was focused onpleting its evolution and didn''t notice my advance. It couldn''t afford to be distracted due to the difficulty of the process and I took this as an opportunity to strike as fast as I could.


    I gathered my body close and sprang at it with a burst, immediately coiling myself tightly around the base of its thorax. And before it could react, I bared my fangs and sunk them deep into the flesh with [Rapid Strike], releasing two quick shots of [Poison Fang] near the exposed seam.


    The tissue of its back was softer than I expected, with a membranous texture simr to rubber that was soft at the surface but stiffened to hardened pulp the further in my fangs sunk. I encountered some resistance inches below the wasp''s skin, like its flesh was solidifying from the inside.


    Whatever evolution it was undergoing, was a blessing for me, to have weakened its shell to such a degree, but that would notst for long.


    Fortunately my bite was strong enough to crush the new shell that had not yet formed. They made short work of the wasp''s flesh, tearing open two gaping wounds that bled profusely like a burst sac.


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase: ¡ºRapid Strike LV 1¡»has be¡ºRapid Strike LV 2¡»?


    The burst of pain on its back shocked the wasp to alertness. It let go of the corpse and immediately raised its arms to sh at my body with its sharp ws, but it missed. The front facing joints of the wasp''s limbs made anything behind it difficult to reach and its inability to fly made its body inflexible and awkward.


    Not giving it any chance to retaliate I struck again with [Rapid Strike], targeting its lower abdomen where cracks had begun to appear. Formed like shattered ss, they spread from its barbed stinger upwards across its bulbous abdomen like thin spider webs, increasing until even parts of its legs were affected.


    With more cracks appearing, the softer parts I could attack increased and with each swift bite, more wounds opened up across its body.


    The wasp who had long stopped eating was now shrieking in pain. Its body convulsed as more cracks appeared over the surface and more shards of its shell dropped to the floor. Its sharp ws sliced through the air in wide sweeps as they reached for me but they kept missing.


    Its rigid shape made it all the more difficult to catch something on its back. Its arms weren''t flexible and as long as I stayed put along its centre they would never reach.


    With my improved agility I evaded them whenever they drew close by changing my position on its body. Therge mandibles that were its fiercest weapons snapped angrily in the air with nothing to bite into.


    The two puncture holes in its back were barely noticeable now with the barrage of injuries it possessed and I continued to evade while dealing more damage.


    Poison was, and would always be, my strongest weapon against an opponent. The wasp was fierce but it was not thergest creature I''d faced. I calcted I had ten minutes at most before my venom brought it down.


    Yet, the wasp showed no signs of slowing down, barely reacting to its wounds. Aside from the trembling of its body, it weathered my attacks like nothing was wrong.


    The damage I had done looked plenty but as time went on, it became apparent it was focusing more on controlling the energy spilling from its body, than attacking me. Its movements were slow andcking in ferocity.


    I recalled how after my skin shed, all the wounds of my body had healed. Perhaps it wasn''t bothering with the wounds because it knew at the end of its evolution they would all be repaired - especially with the new shell that was forming.


    After inflicting more injuries and another missed swipe of its ws, I prepared to leap off its body to get away from sight, but a sudden thought made me stop.


    Refusing to lose my nerve, I loosened my grasp and slithered up the wasp''s thorax towards its head, just as its sharp ws whizzed over my head. With no time to lose after the near miss, I embedded my fangs into the socket of its right eye.


    The wasp let out a shrill shriek as spurts of purple ichor gushed out from its eye. Unlike before, it seemed to be in genuine pain and I retreated from its head to stay out of range of its ferocious attacks. Compared to its body or limbs its eyes were delicate and could not be reced or healed as quickly.


    Almost as I had the thought, the shrill scrape of ws on hard ground alerted me to the wasps sudden movements. Increased vibrations pounded in my senses as the wasp flew across the floor at a fast pace, before suddenlying to a halt. The force as its ws gripped the floor was enough to throw me off its back and I mmed into one of the crumbling walls in a cloud of debris.


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase: ¡ºSteel Skin LV 3¡»has be¡ºSteel Skin LV 4¡»?


    I felt the cushioning effects of [Impact Resistance] more than ever. As I crashed through the walls, I rolled to soften the blow but my body still felt the sting. Landing meters away from the wasp, I raised myself to attack again.


    Surprisingly, the wasp did not chase. As the seam on its back widened, its trembling increased to fierce lurches and its body contorted even more than before. It seemed to undergo a metamorphosis right before my eyes. The wed arms it used mostly to attack split open at their segments, revealing rope-like sinew that held together each section, linking them together to form some truly bizarre long arms.


    The two ws at the end of each, extended outwards before splitting and forming an extra appendage. The wasp now looked to have three long ws at the end of its limbs, with two on its arms shaped like opposable thumbs. Its sinewy arms pulled in on themselves, twisting in grotesque snaps to form knotted limbs that were tense and wiry with unknown energy coursing through its body.


    Its evolution was progressing at a steady speed and I wondered when my poison would take effect. Had enough seeped through, or was its new body simply making it lose effect? I really couldn''t afford to let it evolve further or its next meal would certainly be me.

 Chapter 60 - Evolution [2]

    Dust and debris lifted off the ground in swirling waves as the wasp struggled to control its newly forming body.


    Battered and covered in bruises, it swelled in size as it struggled. New parts grew to rece the old ones. Its sinewy arms hardened and vicious ws erupted at their tips. Its serrated limbs exposing ded spines at their edges that glinted a brilliant green.


    The soft flesh under the cracks of its former shell ripped and tore as something forced its way through. Spines that were sturdier and more robust than the original were breaking their way out of its body to form a new shell, and just like that, its defence increased once more.


    Its body seemed to be reconstructing itself from inside out. Its evolved form was still in the process of settling, and it was getting stronger as more time psed.


    There was enough dust in the air to hide my presence but the wasp''s level of perception was abnormal. Even through all this, it stayed alert, it''s good eye unwaveringly fixed on my distant figure.


    I needed more confusion and camouge if I was going to approach it again. I looked around and slithered behind a wall to hide from its sight.


    "Its body keeps rearranging itself." Iined to Sensei. "Evolution must be extremely painful. Shouldn''t it be asleep during something like this?"


    To me, it looked painful. Like a patient being awake during surgery, watching their body open, their bones stretch and meld without any anaesthesia, to form something new. With the wasp''s body constantly transforming while it was awake, surely the pain it felt was beyond excruciating.


    It was no wonder the wasp was so ravenous, its energy was being depleted for its own deconstruction. So how much more would it need to develop an improved version of itself?


    Once it was done, everything in its vicinity would be plundered beyond recognition.


    ?Evolution isn''t painful.? Sensei corrected. ?It is a sensation much closer to ecstasy than anything. Most of the time, creatures undergo this change during their sleep and all they remember is experiencing a pleasant dream.


    However, from the moment you were detected, it had to stay awake to defend itself in the case of attack. It will resit its fatigue until the unwanted party either retreats or its evolutiones to an end.?


    Obviously, neither of the two had urred yet, and we were left with this situation. If I wasn''t here the wasp would have gone away to somewhere hidden to evolve. Suddenly I felt a little awkward, like an observer watching a private moment.


    ?But it is indeed more dangerous to do so while awake.? Sensei continued. ?The creature is more likely to get overwhelmed at the height of its ecstasy, and push past its limit to continue chasing the euphoria it feels. Even after all of its energy is depleted.?


    Was the wasp incapable of going all out because of this?


    "What happens then?" I asked, perplexed.


    ?They can never return to how they once were.? Sensei added with a solemn voice.


    I imagined the wasp imploding in a pir of mes as its body spontaneouslybusted - talk about going out with a bang. Onest ze of glory before its life was snuffed out like a candle. Itsst moments would at least be...not painful.


    If it depleted its energy attacking me it wouldn''t have enough to continue and would have no choice but to go past the limit and destroy itself. A malicious grin spread across my face and my thoughts filled with new ways I could torture it.


    I moved through the walls concealed, tracing with [Heat Sense] to find a blind spot that did not reveal itself until I''d circled around the wasps figure. It kept its eye trained high on the walls, expecting an attack from above, but this time I came up from behind. I knew I only had this chance. Before its body settled, I aimed to kill it or damage it as much as possible.


    Sneaking up on it, I attached myself to its hind leg, curling around as I crawled up swiftly.


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase: ¡ºGrip LV 3¡»has be¡ºGrip LV 4¡»?


    But before I could reach its abdomen the wasp stomped the ground causing tremulous vibrations along its legs that threatened to unhinge my [Grip]. The ws along the joints of its front limbs, now slightly elongated, bore down eagerly to slice at me.


    I used [Leap] to clear out of the way, aiming for the spot nearest to the wasp''s abdomen, where its segmented legs had the most cracks. Vicious ws swiped past, narrowly missing my body as I wound along the wasp''s leg.


    If I was still there, I''d surely have been injured. I secured myself out of range using [Bite] to grab hold, just as an awful screech escaped the wasp''s mandibles. I happened to bite an area of its cracked shell filled to bursting with delicate fleshy sinew.


    Noticing the wasp''s adverse reaction I continued to attack the same area, eliciting more shrieks. The wasp''s attacks increased their ferocity, its wed arms swirled about, recklessly slicing gouges in the floor like they were made of butter, throwing up more clouds of dry debris.


    It kept up its movements wide but this time I didn''t roll off its body. It''s arms that were still evolving changed once again, their serrated segments opening at their joints to reveal rope-like sinewy parts that added more length to both of its arms.


    What would be its shoulder joints, at the closest point to its head where its arms and thorax met, now housed unnaturally long arms that drooped loosely from their sockets. When the wasp picked up its arms, they swung flexibly from their sinew, dropping down in swift whirring motions like a knotted whip covered in barbs.


    Their movements were flexible and these new arms could bend to reach ces that were impossible before. Its arms snapped grotesquely, their loose joints twisting to reach its back as they moved and suddenly the ws on its three finger tips melded together to a single long w, ending the tips of its arms like the de of a spear.


    I knew it wouldn''t risk attacking itself, any blows that reached its back would risk injury to itself, but the sight of its bizarre arms and their increased range made me worried. I spread myself t across its abdomen and slowly inched my way up to its thorax, just as its whip like arms came down, ws slicing right where my head would have been.


    The cut itself wasn''t deep, rather than injuring itself it only served to remove some of the old shell that remained. I could only guess it was limiting its force to not injure itself.


    Iid low, forced to stay immobile as its ws hovered dangerously close to my body, not quite attacking but poised to move at any sudden movements. I slowly gathered my body, painfully inching closer to form a coil. The bizarre arms twitched slightly in the air but there were no sudden attacks.


    Once I curled enough to gather the momentum to strike I immediately rearing my fangs, attacking with a burst of speed with [Rapid Strike] and [Bite] to strike at the nearest sinewy cluster on its thorax.


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase: ¡ºPoison Fang LV 3¡»has be¡ºPoison Fang LV 4¡»?


    I knew they were incredibly sensitive to pain and as my jaws mped onto them, the wasp shrieked. The bizarre arms immediately came down, ws stabbing at reflex in the ce where I should have been.


    Bursts of purple blood spread over its thorax like the scene of some grisly sacrifice, eliciting further screeches from the wasp as fragments of cracked open shell fell. Its pain excruciating, its body shuddered violently, the energy contained within swirling out of control.


    The wasps body spasmed from the pain of its own attack and while it was distracted I quickly made a break for its head. Slithering up its body I bared my fangs to take out its other eye.


    But I was not so lucky to escape unscathed. I was crouched low and barely survived my flesh getting carved to pieces when one of its arms passed over my head in a swift attack, but the other knocked mepletely off the wasp, sending me flying. The first arm had missed but I was cut by the serrated ws of the second.


    If not for the hardiness of [Rugged Scales] the cut would have been deeper. I collided with the nearest wall and a coppery taste filled my mouth, but not before I felt the stinging pain.


    Getting knocked down was like the finishing blow and the impact left me disorientated. I didn''t curl myself to soften the blow and I smashed through two walls before falling loosely on the ground.


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase: ¡ºRugged Scales LV 3¡»has be¡ºRugged Scales LV 4¡»?


    The cut stung painfully even with the effect of [Pain Resistance] and because of the wasp''s interference, I was unable to blind itpletely. Both of its eyes bled profusely but the second was only slightly injured.

 Chapter 61 - Messy Battle

    The wasp''s enraged shrieks rebounded through the cavern walls but the sounds were dull in my ears as I blinked the sleepiness from my eyes.


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase: ¡ºFaint Resistance LV 1¡»has be¡ºFaint Resistance LV 2¡»?


    Gathering my aching body I struggled to get up, my vision blurry, but luckily the wasps outline in [Heat Sense] remained stunningly clear. Its figure turned towards the copsed wall, bleeding eyes affixed on me with a re.


    ?Congrattions, you have its full attention now. But you might want to start running.?


    Sensei''s calm voice sounded in my head, just as the wasp''s outline vanished from my vision and the wall in front of me copsed in a cloud of dust as it sted through.


    The wasp scuttled towards me, closing the gap with frightening speed. Without an inch of grace, its bleeding face was filled with unbridled wrath, and still full of energy after bashing through two hexagonal walls in a row.


    It showed no signs of slowing down, even with piles of broken fragments of wall and dust falling everywhere, it was already close to me before I could clear my head.


    Its surprisingly speedy legs scuttled forward like a man on stilts, stomping down with its barbed feet like it intended to run me over.


    The wasp seemed to have been truly angered. No longer conserving its energy, it attacked everything in its vicinity without regard.


    I immediately made a break for it, slithering away quickly to widen the gap between us, but soon the walls opened up to an unwee sight.


    I had reached the cavern''s centre with therge hole in the ceiling. What if the noise from our battle attracted an even stronger opponent?


    I immediately regretteding out of the maze of walls and veered away from the centre, to enter into it once more. But I soon realized I''d lost sight of my pursuer.


    I scanned around repeatedly with [Heat Sense] before proceeding further towards the walls. Rows and rows of crumbling partitions spread out in blue as far as [Heat Sense] could reach and then I caught a glimpse of the lone red figure, just as a crescent shaped hole sted open the space in front of me.


    Embedded in the floor was the wasp''s arm that missed me by a margin, but it soon pulled itself from the hole, forcefully breaking off shards. It shrunk in length to that of a normal arm as its sinew was pulled in.


    The debris had yet to settle and the wasp''s spear like arms already made a reappearance, whirring through the air with the intent to cut everything in its path.


    The wasp had halted its evolution to focus on attacking me, but since it was in the middle of shaping its new form, its strength was still unstable. Its energy was being consumed for the wrong thing and even though that was good for me I didn''t know how long I could keep up with it.


    I quickly retreated in a sidewinding motion, weaving irregr patterns through the walls in hopes to get out of its sight. Our speeds were almost at the same level but the wasp''srge body unexpectedly gave it the advantage over me with the distance it could cover with a single sprint.


    As it chased, Its arms kept being shot forward like projectiles, breaking up the wall ahead of me before I could reach them. Wall shards rained down like sand dunes trying to bury me in their rubble but I managed to swerve out of the way with my agility and flexible body.


    But the fallen wall knocked into the next and kept going, causing a row of walls to copse into each other like dominoes, blocking my path ahead.


    I steeled myself with [Rugged Scales] as fast ws came down. With the path of retreat obstructed, it wasn''t long before the wasp reached me, cutting and shing through the floor, but I kept moving, darting left and right to avoid its attacks.


    I shot through a gap in the walls as its ws came down, barely missing me by a hair as I weaved through the gouges in the floor to the other side.


    I climbed over the rubble and pivoting with [Leap], I shot towards the wasp with a single bound. If I came close to it, its long arms would lose effect, so I focused on closing the distance. But the wasp was alert for ambushes from above, the memory of what happened to its body still fresh in its mind, it swiftly retreated when I came close, using its arm to deflect.


    It was so fast and ferocious I could barely keep up, and in a moment of carelessness I was suddenly flung into the air. Caught by one of its arms I refused to be sent flying and immediately bit into the exposed sinew of its segmented arm.


    My fangs sunk deep, ripping out a mouthful, severing the sinewy connection in half. The wasps arm cut out mid swing, lolling limply with a section loose as it retracted its wounded arm on reflex to get away, just as I was hoping for.


    I instantlytched on, tightening my grip around it until I was pulled closer to the wasp''s body then I sped up its arm as fast as I could, preparing to leap onto its body.


    But halfway there the wasp controlled its other arm to intercept my path. I almost got struck by its swinging sharp ws and I barely managed to dodge.


    To let it hit me would be too dangerous so I released my grip and let the momentum carry me off its body. Landing on the ground I retreated away from it and put a wall between us. If it had to crash though that to get to me, it would lose more energy.


    Like an unstoppable force, the wasp followed, bashing through every wall single-mindedly to get to me. All I wanted was to stop the wasp''s evolution and I''d managed to do that, but who told it to chase after me so determinedly?


    The vibrations of its feet drawing closer told me I didn''t have much time and I didn''t know what else to do than to move towards the hidden entrance of the hive core. I stood a better chance of dealing with it if I lost it in one of the tunnels, rather than out here where too much was exposed.


    But I felt the vibrations reach me before I got there and its arm struck ahead at the wall. Causing another rubble avnche that blocked my path. I braced myself for the hit and shielding myself with [Rugged Scales], but I was knocked off my intended path.


    Catching up to me in the blink of an eye, the wasp closed in viciously, stomping down with its barbed feet. I slithered quickly through them, moving strategically to align myself with the blind spot of its injured eye.


    It stabbed down with its ws, arms swinging wildly at me, but they only scraped the ground. I struck at its legs, injuring where its sinews and shell were exposed.


    It swept its ws close by in retaliation but its aim was off. The strike on its legs caused its bnce to teether and it shrieked, arms swinging blindly in a wide attack. One of its sinew arms was half broken and limp but the other didn''t lose speed but it had lost its uracy.


    I deliberately made it crash into things, taking the long path towards the hive''s core. This way it kept injuring itself and expending more energy.


    I moved within its blind spot until I spotted a gap through the shattered wall. I quickly crawled through to the other side, leaving the tumultuous sounds of crashing behind me.


    The wasp came crashing through the walls soon after, creating more clouds of debris. I used this as camouge to continuously weave through the open path, making just enough of an appearance as a lure to get it to follow.


    The area around my bite was particrly sickening to look at. With its evolution stalled, its body wasn''t healing and it kept bleeding. There were purple markings of its blood all over the floor like an abstract painting and its movements were no longer as agile as before.


    It moved in quick bursts like it had started to conserve its energy so now I was able to evade it without much difficulty.


    In full view of it, I slithered through the crack leading to the hive core.


    Once inside, I moved far away from the entrance towards a specific tunnel and predictably the wasp crashed through after me. The wall of copsed rubble was brushed away like nothing and for a second I considered how much damage the tunnel could endure before it all came down.


    But if I could bring down a section of the hive along with the wasp, it wasn''t a badpromise.


    I quickly selected my tunnel and I was immediately met with a wall of rubble. But the wasp was following and I couldn''t afford to stop so I continued forth anyway. The wasp followed in pursuit and I wasn''t even half way in when I heard the sounds of copsing rubble all around.

 Chapter 62 - Wavelengths

    The wasp haphazardly rushed in, not caring about the delicate state of the walls and as a result the tunnel caved in as a pile of rubble fell over it. I was too far in to be affected but I kept alert, looking out for any signs of copse.


    When things seemed to settle down I doubled back towards the tunnel entrance. Whether the copsed tunnel was enough to kill the wasp, was still to be seen, but the important thing was not to be in the tunnel when it awoke.


    It waspletely silent as I slithered over the rubble, passing the wasp''s body toe out on the other side, but soon I detected tiny movements.


    It started with a few falling particles of debris and by the time I exited the tunnel, the entire rubble mountain was getting raised. Whole fragments of wall were being pushed back as the wasp stumbled out of the debris to regain its footing.


    Some rubble spread towards me but I quickly backed away. In the hive core, I watched the rubble wall that once blocked the entrance start shifting.


    The wasp still had some strength even though it was covered in injuries as it pushed the rubble aside to free itself. With nowhere else to go, the rubble rolled fast towards the ends of the tunnel like an avnche.


    I guessed the wasp was trying to push the rubble forward in hopes of trapping me. If I was ahead of it, the rolling rubble would have buried me alive. Little did it know I was already out of the tunnel.


    The more it pushed, the closer it got to its own demise, because past the tunnel there was nothing but empty space, where the tunnel opened up to a dangerous drop below. I''d chosen this tunnel for this very reason and I remained silent to not alert it of my presence.


    With one final push, the rubble wall gave way and then I made my move. Keeping a good distance away, I slipped into the tunnel that was now rubble free and waited for the moment the wasp was about to fall.


    However, there was no need for my intervention as once the rubble gave way, the wasp fell through after it to the chasm below with a surprised shriek.


    I was incredibly relieved to watch its figure disappear into the darkness. I was a little regretful to let go of its corpse as it would have been a great way to replenish the HP and SP I lost. But it was finally dead and with it gone, I could rx.


    Luckily, this time there were no buzzing sounds of wasps flying below, so there was no chance of a rescue by its fellow wasps. I scanned over the edge of the yawning chasm with [Heat Sense] to make sure. However, when I looked down I saw the wasp had stretched out an arm to catch the jutting surface at the ledge under the tunnel''s exit.


    To stop it, I immediately struck its hanging arm with [Bite] severing more of its exposed sinew. But before it couldpletely cut them off, the wasp''s other arm stretched out to grab hold of me, painfully proving that its arm still worked well.


    I felt my body slide across the floor as the weight of the wasp pulled me towards the tunnel''s end. I tried to break free but the wasps grip was too tight. I could feel its ws digging into my scales and I winced in pain.


    I was truly in a precarious situation. If I chose to break its hanging arm, it would fall through pulling me with it and if I didn''t, we would both fall eventually. I had to cut it loose somehow!


    Angry at its persistence I bit down hard on its wed arm that grabbed me, crushing pieces of its shell between my jaws. Its purple blood flowed out, yet, the wasp stubbornly refused to let go.


    It desperately clung to the sides of the wall, slowly inching its way up to try to get a stable foothold. For every second that I couldn''t free myself, it climbed up closer.


    I struggled to think of a way to loosen its grip and my mind immediately went to the skill [Mind Chain]. Didn''t it make me slippery when it was used?


    Thinking that it could serve a purpose and I desperately needed to be free before I got pulled down to my death, so I immediately activated it. And to my surprise I felt the wasp''s grip immediately loosen.


    It was so sudden that the wasp lost its grip on the wall and stumbled back against the pull of its own weight. I easily slipped through its ws with the slime from [Mind Chain] and without its grip on me its ws desperately scraped the floor to hang on.


    What just happened?


    Thest thing the wasp needed was to fall, yet it released me almost like it had done so against its will. [Mind Chain] was a skill that controlled others, but didn''t that work a little too easily?


    "Did I just use [Mind Chain]?" I asked Sensei in disbelief. But wasn''t I supposed to be inside a host body to control one?


    ?Yes.? Sensei answered simply.


    I was annoyed at hisck of input.


    "How?" I asked.


    ?Contact with a Hesperia''srvae fluid, in this case you, and the host''s blood creates a link between the two creatures that for the time of contact, the creature with the stronger will can exert their willpower over the other. Your innate desire to free yourself from its grip got transmitted as an order and it immediately let go.?


    Oh...It wasn''t a bad attribute after all! If I coulde in contact with the wasp''s blood once more, maybe I could control it fully. The many possibilities sent my mind reeling.


    But my thoughts grinded to a halt when a wed arm appeared over the tunnel''s end, followed by another that was more battered with ripped sinew.


    The wasp was making a reappearance. It sluggishly dragged itself over the wall, body shaking with painful spasms. Its huge figure nearly blocked the entrance, with its wounded eyes staring menacingly at me.


    The wasp was battered and covered in countless bruises and so was I, but it had more injuries and was suffering from ack of energy along with poison. The winner would be the one with the most endurance and I intended toe out on top.


    And now, I even wanted to use [Mind Chain] on it to test how the attribute worked.


    The wasp was bleeding from so many cuts on its body, it seemed too good an opportunity to miss. The tunnel was empty and the hive core was isted, the setting was the perfect ce for such an experiment and before it regained a stable footing I attacked.


    Quickly slithering up its legs I reached the bleeding cut on its thorax. The wasp''s arms came up to deflect but I was faster and its slow moving speed wasn''t much of a deterrent. I slipped through its wed arms and wrapped myself over the cut, feeling the wet film of ichor over my skin meld with its blood, and suddenly there was a system alert.


    ?Synchronising consciousness...?


    The wasp''s arm veered forward to attack my location and remembering what had happened before I thought really hard of how I wanted its arms to avoid me. To my shock, the arm veered off its path, changing direction to strike above my body. I thought hard and visualised the wasp''s arm embedding into its own thorax and the arm propelled itself to achieve my will, driving itself steadily into its own chest until...


    ?Failure - Synchronisation 10%?


    Suddenly I lost control and the arm that was so close to its chest loosened, slipped through the air to strike the wall. What happened? I was so close!


    The wasp regained control and turned its attack to me once more. Confused and a little panicked I forcefully projected my will again.


    ?Synchronising consciousness...?


    The arm stopped in the air as it was about to plunge down, trembling under the control of two wills. I fought for control over it but the wasp was fighting back. The frozen arm visibly trembled moving closer and closer towards me.


    I could move my body to dodge in time, but doing so would break my control and release my hold over the wasps blood. I had to take control of it, or I would die.

 Chapter 63 - Battle Of Wills

    ?Failure - Synchronisation 25%?


    Somewhere in my consciousness I felt something break and the arm plunged down, but unlike before it was slow. Instead of stabbing me it veered off course, scraping the shell of the wasps back before lodging itself into the tunnel wall. It had seeded, but I ultimately failed.


    "Why isn''t this working?"


    I was worried. I had properly controlled the wasp before, what did I do then that I wasn''t doing now?


    Should I have injured it more to suppress the will it had left?


    But if I did, its body would be useless.


    ?You need to calm down.? Sensei chastised in an amused voice. ?A head muddled with emotions can never seize control of a foreign mind.?


    I wanted to say something mean to him but the wasp was moving once more, this time both of its arms were poised to attack as they hovered over my head. The only reason I wasn''t a skewered snake kebab was because I was holding them back with what limited control I had.


    And he expected me to be calm in such a situation.


    I thought back to every deep breathing, tai chi, yoga, rxation technique I ever heard about and put to practice all their teachings. Clearing my head of all thoughts and breathing deeply to fill my snake lungs.


    Soon enough, my thoughts and worries were pushed to the side, bing much more faint. My furiously beating heart rxed and the fear was reced by a familiar chill.


    I began to hear my own steady heartbeat and the blood rushing through my body. And most spectacrly, I could hear that of the wasp''s. Its heart beat was loud and erratic, irregr and so much more chaoticpared to my slow one that it was somewhat scary.


    I reasoned this must be the effect of its injuries and my poison, so I actively projected my own will over it and soon its harshly beating heart began to slow down.


    ?Failure - Synchronisation 65% ?


    The trembling arms that hovered over my head had stopped shaking but they did not move to attack either.


    ?Failure - Synchronisation 70%?


    Unworried, I continued to try. This time hoping to make the wasps arm move. I pictured its arm opening and extending and a single barbed w twitched. I focused on it and exerted more pressure and soon, it slowly began to open.


    ?Sess - Synchronisation 75%?


    I did a little victory dance in my mind as I watched the system''s disy. My synchronisation was so high! Directing it like a puppet was no longer a mere idea if it was already happening!


    But before I could cheer, my coloured vision faded to ck and even my sight through heat sense disappeared like my skill had been shut off. Startled, I blinked around at the sudden blindness looking for any glimmer of light, confused and half tempted to let go of the wasps body.


    What was happening now?


    But suddenly, there was a harsh flicker of light like a dying bulb in a dark room and I was introduced to sight once more.


    However, this new vision was blurry. Its ne of view broke up among many hexagonal cells, with a wide aerial vision like I was looking down from somewhere up high. I began to see things from a different angle, through many eyes that formed a collective view, and sensations from a body that was arguably not my own.


    Before I could feel shock, I saw the rubble tunnel walls reflected back at me and recognised where I was. It was still the same tunnel only I was seeing through the wasp''s eyes like it and I had be one.


    It was still the same ash coloured dusty wall but now it was lit up and shone with a fluorescent blue tinge that was nothing like before. It reminded me of the glow of chemicals under ultraviolet light, cold colours with hues more intense and bright than my snake vision had ever been.


    And the kicker?


    When I looked to see myself from the wasps eyes, I didn''t find any trace of my original body. It was like I had disappeared. Or rather, the eyes of my puppet subconsciously avoided me, leaving an eerie empty space where my body should be.


    It was a rather disturbing sight that chilled me for a few seconds. But, before I could process the supposed illusion, the suffocating terror and anxiety of the wasp under my control quickly seeped through my own awareness, dulling my senses and filling me with urges that were not my own.


    I was ovee by a rush of euphoria followed by a maddening feeling of dread. Intense pain assaulted my mind and I recoiled with horror when I saw I was bleeding out from everywhere.


    My purple blood was painted across the tunnel floor like a crime scene and I felt like I was slowly being driven to madness.


    Sharp pangs arose from the depths of my carapace and my mandibles now salivated with a hunger so intense I began to search around for anything I could sate my hunger with.


    Distracted by the foreign sensation, my awareness was plunged into a dream-like state where glimpses of memories shed across my eyes, all the while a twisty knotty feeling kept gnawing under my carapace.


    I was now a youngrvae having its first taste of flesh, a freshly hatched young wasp, then I was in a chamber meeting an enormous wasp I could only describe as sinister, whom I automatically acknowledged as ''Queen''.


    I bowed low, filled with dread, not daring to look directly at her, the surrounding drones or the ghastly pool of blood at her feet.


    A sharp stab of pain cleared my mind and I suddenly realized that these memories were not mine.


    The only thing keeping me sane was the throbbing sensation of something in my thorax. A mist settled there like a cloud, zing a fiery red and vibrating at speeds that caused everything around it to hurt, as if trying to burst out.


    There was the feeling of loyalty, helplessness and deep regret in these memories unlike anything I''d ever experienced since my rebirth, and at that moment I heard Sensei''s frantic voice calling out to me.


    I couldn''t make out his words but his voice felt like an anchor in the vast ocean not allowing me to drown.


    Realising what was happening, I snapped out of the memory before it was toote and I quickly followed the chain of memories up to the surface where to my surprise, I appeared in my human form.


    My mind was much clearer in that moment and I was able to notice the wasp''s memories invading my consciousness before I was swallowed whole.


    I quickly began my counter attack on the wasp''s consciousness. It was a mental battlefield to see who could devour the other first. Remembering the weightless sensation and intense loyalty I felt as a newborn wasp, I grew instantly repulsed.


    So, I unleashed thebined memories of two lifetimes on the wasp, proceeding to suppress all of its attacks with a flood of memories of my own.


    Before long everything became quiet, its consciousness now a tranquil sea with only one voice.


    Mine.


    Outside of the mental arena, the wasps'' limbs dropped to the floor, its eyes dull as I heard a ding.


    ?Sess - Synchronisation 100%. Assimtion Complete?

 Chapter 64 - Natural Selection

    I stared at the system''s alert with a full grin, but I was met with an unusual silence, which was surprising.


    "What''s wrong? Why are you so quiet, Sensei?"


    It seemed he was being a downer as usual.


    Expecting him to nag me for something trivial, I was surprised when the scolding didn''te.


    ?Well done.? Sensei said in a voice that was both surprised and pensive, like he too was surprised at his own words.


    ?I expected you to win the mental battle but never did I expect the wasp to be suppressed sopletely that it would lose all of its memories. Normally, there should be some left.?


    Wait, what?


    The wasp lost all of its memories? How?


    I was shocked at the sudden development. Had I done something terrible without realising it?


    But then again, it was impossible for it to win over me, who had lived two lives and had more memoriesbined than a normal creature. If I didn''t suppress it, wouldn''t I just end up getting attacked again when I released my control?


    Now, nothing like that would happen because it had no memories of anything.


    I stopped myself from feeling remorse. So what if I took control of it by crushing itsst will? If I didn''t fight, I would surely have been swallowed up by it without hesitation.


    Seeing my internal turmoil Sensei asked calmly. ?How did you do it??


    "I didn''t do anything. I just didn''t want to disappear."


    Sensei pondered it over for a moment before giving up. ?Nevermind, it''s done. Now tell me, what is the reason for taking control of a creature that is near death??


    When he posed the question, I couldn''t help examining my motives. It felt wrong to admit that in the heat of the moment, I simply wanted to know if I could. And now that the deed was done I wasn''tpletely sure what came next.


    I looked around at the strewn rubble in hues of blue and green thinking of my next steps. Most of it had been cleared in the wasps charge and I wondered if more of the blocked tunnels could be cleared.


    But, not yet. Before I could do this there was more of the searing pain in the wasp''s chest and I looked down at my carapace that bled from various bites. Its injuries were terrible but more unsettling than this was the intense rush of euphoria that was out of ce, followed by a rising surge of energy.


    Something was deeply wrong with it. The energy was plenty but it was in a constant state of depletion. It felt much worse to be in this wasp''s body than when I''d suffered my first fall without [Pain Resistance].


    Its strength and energy just kept disappearing no matter what I did and I struggled to ovee the waves of sleepiness that followed.


    "What''s wrong with its body?" I asked Sensei.


    ?You dealt the damage yet you ask such a thing. It should be obvious that it''s dying. It prolonged its evolution to fight you and now its body can''t recover the energy it expended to evolve. Its core hasn''t settled and now the energy that remains is wasting away to nothing. Unless it eats soon, its evolution will be iplete.?


    That would exin the insane levels of hunger.


    Sensei continued. ?You should be able to shut off the pain by separating the physical aspect of control from mental control with [Mind Chain] so you won''t feel a thing. It shouldn''t be long now.?


    "Are you saying I should wait it out until it dies?" I asked


    ?Do you want to save it then?? Sensei retorted in a mocking manner.


    Of course not. Without its memories, it was as good as finished.


    I cleared my thoughts and channelled my intentions through [Mind Chain] and almost immediately, the feeling of pain dulled to a bearable amount. A searching probe went through the wasp''s body and true to what he said, the gathered energy throughout its body was disappearing fast, and there was no sign of a ''core''.


    But I found an unusual void in the middle of its thorax, where all of its energy was being sucked into, disappearing to nothingness like a bottomless hole.


    Sensei continued. ?Most creatures have the capacity to experience an evolution at Level 12, but only when it has reached peak levels in at least three of its skills. If they don''t meet this criteria, their evolution at that level will be missed and they can only continue to live out their remaining lifespan.?


    "Lifespan?" I asked curiously. It seemed like an important thing to know.


    ?An evolved creature is a monster with variant skills and profound power. Normal creatures all have a varying but limited lifespan, which will be extended after evolution. An evolved monster can live upwards of 50 to a hundred years.


    But until Level 12, these creatures are not much different from other regr creatures and do not have much capacity for mana. Evolution helps them form a core, which in simple terms is condensed ether absorbed through the body.


    Before this, the energy is spread out through the body and present within the blood and flesh in a gaseous state. During evolution the excess is condensed into a core at the centre of their being.


    At the first stage of an evolved monster, their internal energy will be condensed from the normal state of ether which is a gas, into a liquid core that grants them a boost of power and better control over mana.?


    "So without an evolution, my lifespan will be short? Is this why you said I''d only live for 18 years?"


    Sensei chortled withughter. ?You still remember that? It must upset you to realise how weak you are.?


    "That doesn''t matter." I retorted, more than a little annoyed.


    He continued, bemused. ?But to answer your question, yes. If you fail to evolve, your capacity for magic will be limited and with that, the increasing density of ether in the Labyrinth will eventually kill you.?


    "And if I can evolve?"


    ?Your mana will go through a qualitative change from a gaseous state to liquid and then to solidter. At that point, the creature will have abundant amounts of internal mana to be unaffected by the outside. They will be capable of manipting that energy and may even manifest the ability to control an element through mana.?


    Control an element? Like magic?


    ?However, evolution is a rare opportunity and differs from creature to creature. Most can only evolve once in their lifespan, and the majority die prematurely before they can fulfil the criteria again.


    A Hesperia has a lifespan of 44 years and that extends to 84 if it evolves. Yet this one barely reached LV 12 after 40 years. That is how difficult it is to trigger an evolution.?


    Only reached Level 12 after 40 years? I was mind blown. Were the monsters really that weak? Or was it that difficult to gain levels?


    ?And if for any reason the evolution is not sessful, the creature will be malformed by the strain of the process and turn into a weaker, degraded version of their evolved form, and would never be able to evolve again.?


    His words were enough to strike fear in me.


    "That''s awful."


    If I couldn''t evolve, my life would be short and if I did evolve, it had to be under specific conditions and there was a risk of failure. I did not want to end up like this unfortunate wasp.


    "You could have mentioned this earlier!" I scowled.


    Was he knowingly sabotaging me? To think he would omit such important information!


    ?Where''s the fun in that?? Sensei arrogantly said. ?I''m confident this wouldn''t be difficult for you. Challenges have always been your strong suit, I''m sure you''ll make the most out of it.?


    I glowered at him and if I could hiss to vent my anger, I would have.


    Too bad he was ethereal, and I just happened to be possessing a wasp. To berate him would make me a hypocrite.


    What an unlikely duo we made.


    "What do I need to evolve?" I asked furtively.


    ?Some proficiency over the control of your mana and a mastery of your skills. If you can get your skills to LV10, I guarantee you will evolve without any risks.?


    I would haveined more if he had not sounded so sincere, so I let it go and focused on the pulsing gaseous mass of energy inside the wasp''s carapace.


    The cloud-like mass kept getting pulled to the centre where a hazy sphere of mist formed from energy sucked in from all over its body. Therge mass contracted even more until it became a fraction of its original size and I glimpsed the clear sphere form in its centre.


    It was no longer hazy and spun with energy and life, all the while vibrating at an rming frequency and the mist grew smaller as I watched,pressing until it changed to glistening, molten liquid.

 Chapter 65 - Even Odds

    Was that the liquid state?


    Then, a moment after, the liquid sphere dissipated.


    Like a copsing star, thepressed energy mass shot back out of the sphere and spread all over the wasp''s body in an explosion of smoke.


    In an effort to regain its shape, the dispersed energy tried to gather again. But it was too unstable and the condensed gaseous mass could not hold long enough to properly fuse to liquid.


    Due to its iplete evolution, this event urred repeatedly, and after many failed attempts, the time the sphere took to form increased.


    I knew it was only a matter of time until the core stopped forming entirely.


    After Sensei''s exnation, I knew it was fruitless to try to salvage its evolution. It could copse at any moment and even if I purchased a HP recovery potion from the store, the mana it contained would just get sucked into the bottomless abyss that was its failed core. And if all that energy was swallowed up, I didn''t know what state the wasp would be in, or if it could even stay alive.


    The wasp''s body was wasting away but I was able to read the flow of its mana. While some energy remained I focused on redirecting the flow, channelling a small amount away from the pulsing centre, towards its damaged limbs.


    Since its evolution was unsessful, I wanted to heal the worst of its injuries to see if I could use the energy to stabilize its condition at least.


    And it worked, I experienced the feeling of everything beingpletely under my control, the sinuous body moved and changing aspects of itself ording to my thoughts. Its bleeding soon stopped, its extended limbs retracted and the severed tissues slowly reconnected at the joints. I continued to fix it as much as I could, but then the energy I stole got sucked back into its core and I could do nothing.


    However, I felt stronger than before and I imagined this was how it felt as arvae to control a host, freely, and without any side effects. It was too exhrating a feeling to stop. Before itpletely copsed from exhaustion I would get the most use out of its body.


    Although its evolution was iplete, this wasp''s was now a better version of the former, with its toughened shell making it better than others inparison. The only problem was what to do after.


    I could locate the queen.


    From the memories I received from the wasp, I knew she was strong. I also knew roughly where her chambers were. Unfortunately, the penalty for any wasp caught trespassing was death. I knew I would note out unscathed.


    However, while I may not be able to kill the Queen, with this wasp I had more ess than before.


    I controlled it to get out of the destroyed surroundings through the passage of the Hive core. Its walls had copsed when the wasp broke through, and the hidden safety it provided was now gone. It no longer made sense to remain here, so why not make use of it?


    The other tunnels needed to be opened and now I had a good idea how.


    The wasp passed the crumbling maze of walls, out of the chamber to the outside. With its bleeding stopped, it regained a semnce of its normal appearance and it seamlessly blended into the corridor, joining the rest of the wasps present.


    The only difference was that it wasrger and looked more intimidating than the others.


    As for my actual body?


    I was currently wrapped around the wasps thorax, up over its shoulder,ying motionless. I couldn''t see myself through the wasp''s eyes but as I went along, no other wasps spared me more than a casual nce.


    I realised I must look like a paralysed host being carried away by it, which was not so out of ce considering where I was headed.


    We soon arrived at the entrance of the series of tunnels where the wasps would go to drop off the paralysed hosts. If I estimated its size from what I''d seen, it would beparable to a host chamber and contain thirty creatures at the least.


    They weren''t used as hosts so I was unsure what condition I would find them in. But if they were too injured, they would be of no use to me.


    I passed by a builder wasp at the entrance just as it dropped off its creature cargo and to my relief, its eyes did not settle on me as it exited the tunnel.


    Inside, it was empty of wasps and I noticed many different creatures. They were still under paralysis and unconsciousness was the only thing keeping them from escaping.


    I also saw arge hole in the middle of the chamber where the floor opened up to a chute below. It reeked of blood and when I peeked in with the wasps eyes, I could not see the bottom.


    I knew from the wasp''s memories that it connected to the Queen''s chambers. These paralysed creatures were only here, waiting to be thrown down below to be feasted on by wasps while still alive. It was truly an unfortunate way to die.


    But today was their lucky day.


    I walked through the chamber looking at the different paralysed creatures and only selected the ones with the fewest injuries. Piling on as many on the wasp''s arms as it could carry.


    I exited the chamber, blending in with the other wasps by pretending I was transporting the bodies to another tunnel, before disappearing down the isted path to the crumbling maze.


    There, I ced the bodies inside the Hive core before returning to the creature tunnels once again. I made many more trips in a simr fashion, emptying tunnel after tunnel until I''d gathered as many bodies as I could fit inside the Hive core.


    Other than a few curious looks, not once was I stopped by any of the other wasps. Likely because my wasp wasrger and stronger than them all.


    With the creatures safely rescued, I ced them by the blocked tunnels while I waited for their paralysis to wear off but I soon started to feel exhaustion. The wasp''s energy had drained substantially after the activity and its body was growing weak.


    ?What are you nning?? Sensei asked suspiciously.


    "Waiting." I answered curtly.


    ?You n to save them?? Sensei scoffed in disbelief. ?When they wake up and start running amok, who do you suppose would get eaten first? The sooner you realise you can''t save everyone, the better things would be for you...?


    "It''s not what you think." I interrupted Sensei. "I know I can''t save everyone. The most important thing is to stop the hive from expanding more than it already has. Its threat is already too big. I''m just using them for my ns."


    ?You think by saving them, they will owe you and want to help you.? Sensei added. ?You overestimate these creatures. They''d tear you apart as soon as they get the chance. How do you n on convincing creatures that are unknown to you, when you can''t even speak to your own snakes.?


    It stung that Sensei was still doubtful.


    "I don''t need to. With [Mind Chain], I can directly pass on my thoughts."


    Sensei continued to fire questions. ?What if you eviscerate their memories like you did to the wasp.?


    "That was a mistake." I immediately defended myself. "It took me by surprise and I reacted too strongly. But if I''m calm, I don''t think that will happen again."


    ?How can you be certain??


    Unlike before he didn''t outright refuse. He was considering my suggestion and it was a considerable improvement.


    "I don''t know if it would work." I begrudgingly admitted. "But with all of them working together, we can clear the rubble in the other tunnels and make them essible. The tunnels lead to ces all over the hive, If these creatures followed them and appeared all over the hive, the wasps would be attacked on all fronts. Isn''t it worth a shot?"


    ?Even if [Mind Chain] worked, it can''t overtake basic survival instinct. How do you n on convincing them to take on such a suicide mission??


    "I just have to give them the idea."


    At the worst, if it failed the creatures would go berserk but I wouldn''t be in the Hive core to experience the fall out. But, if they followed the tunnels, the result would be catastrophic.


    "It''s better than doing nothing." I added.


    ?It might work.? Sensei reluctantly replied.


    "You think so?"


    ?The chances are 50/50, depending on what thoughts you convey.?


    To try this, I would have to release the wasp.


    As it stood, the wasp was getting weaker and would soon outlive its usefulness. But ording to Sensei, since all of its memories were gone, nothing would happen even if I chose to release it from [Mind Chain].


    Didn''t this mean it also wouldn''t struggle if I returned to repossess it?


    I released my control, and the wasp''s body copsed, its head on the ground like a marite with its strings cut.


    It did not rise up.


    It was an unsettling, yet oddly thrilling experience.

 Chapter 66 - Duplicity

    But it felt ufortable. As if the wasp would rise again to take its revenge the moment I turned my back.


    I watched it ufortably for a few seconds before gathering the courage to slither off its back. Cold shivers ran along my spine as I took in the crumpled heap that was once a formidable creature.


    "I don''t think I''ll ever get used to this." I shivered.


    ?Don''t. It is best to kill it. You can''t keep it as a pet.?


    "Do you have to be so morbid?" I chastised.


    ?Morbid? I''m not the one ying around with the dead.? Sensei retorted.


    The wasp was still alive and it wouldn''t drop dead immediately since it still contained mana. Failed evolution or not, it would keep its life. But with the constant energy drain and theck of its own will, it would starve to death eventually - if I didn''t kill it first.


    I gave the wasp onest wary look before slithering over it to the unconscious creatures lying on the ground. Although I wanted to eat it while it still contained its precious energy, there were still things I had to do.


    Half evolved creatures should taste better than normal ones, right?


    Since I only picked creatures that looked strong, the ones I rescued were as varied as they were many. I took a bite out of the closest creature, an eyeless, green scaly bipedal monster with fanged maws and series of protruding spikes along its back - and nearly balked at the foul taste of its meat.


    Ah, what I would do to get something decent to eat once in a while?


    Then, I turned to the next creature, a bristly spider and therge scorpion covered in barbs. After biting the scorpion like creature I wrapped myself over the blood and began to use [Mind Chain].


    I didn''t want a repeat of the wasp, so rather than panic at the sudden onught of its memories appearing before me, I calmed myself and began to experiment.


    I wanted the creatures to clear the tunnels and break out all over the hive so I put myself in the mind of the scorpion. Its subconscious was filled with torturous scenes of panic and fear after being captured and repeatedly stung.


    But I infused my thoughts into it like a soothing balm, showing it the memory of myself passing through the Hive core''s tunnel path. But when I came to the end I cut to the memory of my time outside the hive. Rather, than show it the real end of the tunnel - the endless maze of horrid imprisonment chambers and bleak grey walls. I imagined the tunnel ending in endless lush greenery like the memory of a dream.


    I pictured the staggering forest of the Labyrinth, the wide expanse of lichen covered trees, the mysterious fog and numerous lights, with the many sights and sounds captured vividly. All of that and more, which would be avable to them once they dug past the rubble tunnel to the other side.


    When they awoke, they would have the knowledge that the exit was right at the end of each tunnel and they would rush towards it with hopeless yearning. It was a cruel dream filled with the promise of hope and escape, and only the truly desperate would heed my false memory and chase it.


    I released the scorpion and moved on to the next creature, repeating the gaslighting memory sequence until I had imbued the same idea within every creature. Then I regained control of the wasp and disappeared into one of the tunnels myself.


    -------------


    My wasp crouched at the end of the tunnel overlooking a chamber. The rough patched over wall was a flimsy form of protection and I easily poked a hole through it with a single barbed w, to see inside.


    With a perfect vantage point from above, I watched the gathering of wasps below. It was the egg room located at the end of one of the tunnels and it was muchrger than the one I''d seen prior. I watched the lithe wasps handling the eggs along with the hunting wasps that shadowed them, bringing with them their usual delivery.


    My focus was not on the hunters but their smaller counterparts, specifically the wasp who was an aplice. It seemed it would be a while before the hunter wasps left and the workers were alone, so I changed tactics and switched tunnels.


    This one was overlooking a host chamber where I spotted a lone carrier wasp emerging from one of the holes in the ground. It was thest of the group to leave and I suspected it was one of the wasps cing additional eggs.


    I waited silently and watched it with malice. As it buzzed its wings, it rose higher in the air,ing ever so close to the tunnel''s flimsy seal. I retreated some paces backwards before breaking out into a sprint. The wasp''s agile legs ttering loudly before shattering the flimsy seal as it burst out of the opening.


    I reached out for the flying wasp, grabbing it in mid-air. Its wings beat hard as it struggled to fly against the pull of gravity, but with both our weights the lithe wasp soon plummeted. I hung on to it its thorax, twisting the limbs that iled in the air to hold on for grip. It tried to defend itself repeatedly aiming for a single spot on my wasp''s thorax, so I tightened my grip on its arms, twisting them both out of their sockets.


    The wasp let out a hideous screech, its flight derailed, spinning uncontrobly in the air before rotating upside down. It took out thest of its coordination, and we crashed into the chamber wall. I took little damage but I nearly slipped out of grip but not before tearing off one of its membranous wings.


    There was a crash as we tumbled to the ground.


    It didn''t get up.


    I went over to it and covered its head with my mandibles. There was a crackle as its exoskeleton shattered. Blood pooled, wet and sticky as the virulent taste filled my unhinged mouth. The empty chamber filled with hideous cracking noises as the link between its head and torso was severed.


    ?You have defeated LV9 Ivenium Hesperia?


    ?You have earned 40XP?


    I released what was left of its head.


    Too messy.


    With the wasp dead I quickly got to work on destroying the eggs, adding another 22 to my collection. Once I was satisfied, I dragged what was left of the wasp''s corpse with me and disappeared into the tunnel once more. I made the wasp eat it in the tunnel, away from sight so it could regain a little bit of its energy, thus extending its life for a while more.


    Returning to the former tunnel, the egg room was now quiet. All the bustling had subsided, the hunter wasps had gone and there was only one carrier wasp left. I watched it for any signs of suspicious activity and all was quiet for a while, until it pushed open a hiddenpartment full of eggs.


    That was my cue to attack.


    I descended down from the ceiling, sprinting over to it before it knew what was happening. To keep its secrets, I didn''t kill it right here. I pulled it into the tunnel with me, leaving the secretpartment open for all to see.


    It struggled desperately, crushed wings beating fervently to fly away. But inside the tunnel its dying screams were not heard. I pinned it down striking it repeatedly in the thorax until it was a dented mess of broken shell and fragments of shattered limbs.


    ?You have defeated LV10 Ivenium Hesperia?


    ?You have earned 45XP?


    This time I didn''t eat the corpse and took it with me back to the Hive core. I passed by the creatures that were still unconscious, cing it inside the tunnel that ended in a dangerous drop. In the false memories I nted, there was no room to leave a warning, or else I risked shattering the illusion I created.


    In the event of my n working and the creatures entered every tunnel looking for the exit, when they reached this one, I wanted them to run across the wasp''s corpse right in the middle.


    I propped it up like a mannequin, making it look as intimidating as it could. It would serve as a deterrent or a stop gap so they would pause instead of rushing off to their deaths.


    However, I was having trouble. It wasn''t exactly intimidating after getting pummelled beyond recognition, and everything I did to straighten it out only mangled the corpse more.


    "Don''t say a word." Iined in frustration, anticipating Sensei''s sarcastic remarks.


    ?I wasn''t going to, but I''m deeply disturbed. Mentally scarred even.?


    "You''re not helping!" I grumbled.


    There wasn''t anything more I could do to fix the corpse. I only hoped the creatures stopped in time and missed the drop at the end of this tunnel entirely.


    Later, I left the hive core, joining the other builder wasps as they travelled along the corridor. It was about time I returned to my original cavern at the topyer of the hive.


    I wondered if any of the hosts there had woken up yet.

 Chapter 67 - Hunt [1]

    AN: I use [] when the nestlings are speaking in...parseltongue.


    --------------


    Painful howls, hisses and scraping sounds bounded off the cave in waves as numerous snake bodies, worn from repeated practice and exhaustion, leapt from the walls to the ground.


    From the raised bed that used to be their nest, an iridescent white snake with no pattern or scars - Aurelia''s female guard, oversaw their progress with an exasperated look.


    Somended perfectly, others in awkward, tragic positions that even made the female snake wince.


    This practice that had been going on for days was much more maddening than training brainless animals to follow orders.


    Since their leader had ''abandoned'' them, she had quickly done away with all traces offort, turning the cave from a warm gathering of helpless snakes to bare surrounding akin to spartan training grounds. The previously smooth cave floor was now marred with deep gouges and traces of blood, sweat and tears.


    Yet, it wasn''t enough.


    Overall there were only four snakes besides herself that could execute the technique properly. Abysmal results after all the effort she had put in to teach them something so simple. Perhaps she should have listened to her brother when he proposed a more practical and primal method - throw them all outside to fend for themselves.


    He had already given up on them and didn''t want to be bothered. But she wasn''t about to give up. If this was a test set by the leader, then she was determined to seed and prove herself.


    Unlike others, the male guard spent most of his time outside training his own abilities and was often irritable on his return.


    She understood how he felt very well. They shared the same lingering fear and unease since their leader disappeared. She knew his many trips outside were to search for her and his frustrations only increased when he returned with no clues. The uncertainty was frustrating indeed.


    [One more round. Crawl Faster.]


    She hissed outmand aftermand, startling the tired snakes before they could even think to rest.


    When their leader returned, she hoped to impress her by the results of her training.


    As for those that didn''t want to work - the small group ofzy bums that never listened to her instructions and always seemed to linger in the corners doing nothing. She has decided to rmend the leader in evicting them when the time came. Those who refused to work hard and only thought of obtaining the benefits, did not belong in their Pit.


    Annoyed at the group of snakes pitifully huddled together, she breathed an exhausted sigh. If it wasn''t for their leader''s instruction to look after them, she wouldn''t have bothered with them either. Aside from her brother who was very dedicated, they were all disappointingly slow.


    [You can do it, Sprinkles! Focus and don''t think about anything else]


    She shouted up at the snakes in an encouraging manner. She had since taken to calling the snakes ording to their respective patterns. They were far too many to keep track of and this way she would be able to keep track of each sake and guide them individually.


    Sprinkles, the snake poised on the wall - named after the speckled dots on his scales, immediately lost his grip.


    Landing awkwardly on his belly, his eyes met with the domineering ones of his instructor and he immediately shrunk away. At the sight of the smile devoid of warmth, he knew she knew promised nothing but more pain.


    Rather than being disappointed, her eyes glinted with delight as she thought of more methods to make their training sessions more severe. Unknown to her, the slight grin on her face caused every single snake on the wall to shiver. They looked away from their instructor, their every instinct warning them of uing danger.


    [What is sprinkles?]


    The trembling snake gathered up the courage to ask, but it had its eyes closed in fear of meeting hers again.


    The iridescent snake looked at it with an innocent smile. [It''s something sweet. What else?]


    [Sweet?] [What''s that?] The exhausted snakes all hissed as one.


    The smile vanished from her face and she shook her head in irritation. Unsure of how to answer the questioning gazes of the many orb-like eyes staring at her, she tried to retrieve the faint memory but doing so only made her feel exhausted.


    [It''s something to eat.]


    [Food?] [Meat?] [Sweet?] [Scary Snake?] [Meat?]


    Their repeated questions only served to annoy her. [Is eating all you know how to do? Get back to climbing!]


    The snakes immediately scrambled away to resume their training and she observed them for a while. Waves of vibrations battered her senses as she observed their movements, before leaving them alone to look for her brother.


    Climbing the wall had be second nature to her and she quickly found her way outside the cave, to the forest where she knew her brother would be.


    The deep vibrations in the earth told her there was a creature moving close so she concealed herself immediately. It took a while to spot it, but between the leaves a short deer-like creature with pointed horns was chewing away at the leaves.


    She slithered through the shrubs drawing close to the creature with the intent to strike if it attacked her. So focused was she on the creature that she overlooked another snake concealed in the leaves just like herself.


    It was silent and with an stillness so terrifying, it moved through the shrubs without revealing its presence. Before she could notice him, her brother was already beside her, startling her at his sudden appearance. His mastery of [Stealth] was already so advanced, unlike hers that still needed some work.


    She was about to say something when the snake nced at her, its pitch ck eyes shing dangerously in the dark, and then back to the grazing creature. And like an unknown signal in the weighty silence, she knew exactly what he expected her to do.


    Silently moving through the shrubbery, she climbed up the nearest tree, while her brother''s outline melted into the trees, vanishing like a formless shadow. The deer-like creature kept on eating, unaware of the predators steadily encroaching on it.


    She slithered ahead of the creature''s location, peering down at it from high up on a sinewy branch while her brother shadowed it closely from below. Completely focused on attack, they coordinated as a single entity, surrounding the hapless creature in seconds with all escape routes cut off.


    The moment it came into range, the female guard ttened out her body to form a threatening hood that made her appear twice her size. Moving quickly in a sh of blinding white she suddenly revealed herself to the creature by hissing out a threatening taunt.


    The startled creature looked up at her, giving her brother the opportunity to attack it from below,unching a quick strike of venomous bite on its leg.


    Once bitten, the frantic creature immediately looked around itself for its attacker, its leg swelling painfully, but it found no trace of its attacker. And right at that moment, the female guard used the opportunity to strike with rapid speed.

 Chapter 68 - Hunt [2]

    After another bite to the neck, the creature turned its attention back to her, lunging forward with fury, its horns at the ready to skewer her to the tree.


    The fierce momentum of the creature''s charge pulled it forward, but it was quickly distracted by another painful bite on its opposite leg from the male guard, earning her time to get out of the way, and it mmed into the tree.


    Poisoned, disorientated and its horns temporarily embedded, the creature grew more enraged as it tried to free itself. But the female guard was not letting go of such a perfect opportunity. She quickly struck it from above with a poison filled bite while her brother circled it from behind.


    He mped down on the creature legs, pulling with brute strength until it fell to the floor. Caught off guard, the creature struggled to defend itself but its recklessness in those few seconds made itpletely vulnerable against their fierce attack.


    It was once again struck by the male guard who kept it from rising to its feet, while the female guard leapt down from the tree and tightened her [Grip] around its limbs like a restraint.


    The two snakes''bined attacks quickly became a blood frenzy, tearing through every bit of the defenceless creature''s exposed flesh. Before long, it was too wounded to fight and locked in a constriction hold by the male guard, its neck bones were shattered, ending it''s pitiful struggle.


    With the short battle at an end the two snakes dragged their prized corpse home. They both knew the dangers of hunting alone so they always worked in pairs and targeted the creatures they perceived as weak. And so far they have done this several times without any casualty.


    But after entering the cave, the female guard immediately noticed that something was wrong. A strange silence filled the usually bustling atmosphere and all the nestlings looked defeated, some even with fresh cuts on their bodies.


    Looking around, she counted and realized there were fewer snakes than usual. And the remaining all shied away from her gaze like they were hiding something.


    Her eyes fell on Sprinkles who appeared even paler than usual and cowered away from her like he was expecting a beating.


    [What happened?] She growled, trying to maintain her temper, lest she scared them all.


    Sprinkles immediately fell to the floor with a bow, looking incredibly pitiful. She noticed he was bleeding from a cut above his eye.


    [I couldn''t stop them.] He cried out. [They left the cave saying they would return after their hunt. Everyone who tried to stop them got beaten. I''m so sorry.]


    The female guard was immediately furious. [Those fools.]


    Her brother beside her didn''t have much of a reaction. He always held a firm opinion on trimming the herd, and now that an opportunity presented itself, he was more than pleased.


    [If they choose to die so quickly, let them.] He said with a cold snort.


    [We can''t. We promised to take care of all of them.] The female guard disagreed. However much that troublesome group of nestlings annoyed her, they still held a purpose for their leader.


    She turned to the defeated Sprinkles and asked. [You must have followed them. Which way did they go?]


    Sprinkles fearfully raised his head and without meeting her eyes, the three snakes exited the cave, with him leading the way.


    Despite his initial reluctance, the male guard apanied them since their leader indeed left those snakes under their care - their life and death was still their responsibility.


    Outside the cave, Sprinkles led them through dense undergrowth, cutting a crooked path through the dark forest. The overgrown leaves scattered across the path hid the trail, and he would stop asionally to regain it, looking at the odd shapes of tree trunks as a guide.


    He had yet to grasp the use of [Scent] but the two guards following on either side of him treated this more as a training exercise for him and did not try to assist. Until Sprinkles stopped.


    The trail hade to an end but the missing snakes were nowhere to be found.


    [This is as far as I came before they discovered I was following them.] Sprinkles said with a downcast look. [They forced me to go back. But they promised not to go far. They were supposed to be somewhere around here.]


    Sprinkles turned to the two guards and was surprised to see that neither of them were listening to him. The female guard was looking around for traces of the snakes, while the male guard was on extreme alert as he scanned the area for any attacks.


    Sprinkles grew worried something had happened. [Is something wrong?]


    The female began to go in another direction as she ordered. [Follow behind me. And stay close.]


    From the scattered trail the missing snakes left behind, she guessed they had followed the scent of another creature from there, moving quickly without even bothering to conceal themselves.


    Unlike she and her brother, they were just as na?ve as Sprinkles and had not acquired [Stealth] or learnt to move with [Silence]. She had no trouble tracking them, but it was the additional traces of predators that worried her.


    [Scent] picked up the traces of many wolves and although [Heat Sense] was active it would not detect them until they came into range.


    They followed the trail and soon found the battleground, it seemed they had caught the creature. But rather than kill it immediately, it seemed they''d decided to y around with it, as there was too much blood in the air.


    [Those idiots.] She hissed in anger.


    Hiding under the smell of blood was the first true sign of danger - the faint scent of a predator.


    The male guard found an imprint covered by dirt and leaves not far from where the snakes had killed the creature and the size and depth of it suggested a big and powerful creature they couldn''t possibly win against.


    It was stalking them, and had been for a while.


    Following the trail further, they found signs of another bloody battle. It seemed just as the snakes ate their fill, they were attacked by the creature stalking them, but there were no bodies.


    The female guard was disheartened, but the absence of their bodies gave her hope they could still be alive and she began to observe the area for clues.


    She noticed another paw print steeped in blood and her heart sank, but suddenly the male guard rushed towards her and Sprinkles. Without sparing her a word he hurriedly shoving them all into the lush thicket.


    Suddenly under the cover of leaves, she stared up at him usingly, but the apprehensive look in his eyes made her fall silent.


    He anxiously surveyed the path they were just on and a few secondster, a huge shadow fell across it, followed by the low growls of a creature.


    Appearing before them was a monster shaped like a feline, with deep ck fur, devilish red eyes, a bristling white mane and vicious teeth as yellow as sunlight. A monster over 6ft tall, whose powerful strides werepletely silent despite the weight of its body.


    It crossed their path, and with each w the size of a snake''s head, it missed their hiding ce to prowl over to the seemingly innocent trunk of a tree, which it began to attack with relish. It seemed intent on ripping it to shreds and repeatedly struck the tree, tearing off chunks of bark with its ws.


    Just as they were relieved it didn''t notice them, the female guard looked closely at the tree and was shocked to see four snakes scrambling over each other to escape from the creature as they crawled up through an opening at the base.


    Three were ahead, and thest of them looked injured and was falling behind. Set in the sights of the monster hunting them, it was difficult to escape, and each second it wasted more of the tree was destroyed, bringing it closer to its demise.

 Chapter 69 - Rewards

    I entered the upper section of the hive. Now in familiar territory I made my way down the empty pathway that was devoid of activity, reaching the wide opening filled with pirs.


    There was a noticeableck of wasps in the area which was a wee sight. Memories from the murky depths of the wasp floated to the surface and my subconscious mind looked through them for the needed information.


    The halls, I realised, were devoid of activity because the squadron of wasps I''d seen in the lower sector had already left the hive.


    The quiet was only for the moment, until they returned with fresh victims.


    It was good news for me, because without them I could move more freely. However, my host would stand out as builder wasps rarely made their appearance on the upper levels.


    They only did their duties of retrieving the damaged hosts and left almost immediately. They were also one of the only wasps that waspletely barred from entering the domain of the queen.


    So it wasn''t exactly the ideal candidate for espionage and besides, it was getting weaker too. If I lingered around in the upper area too much, it would be a problem.


    The many cones of the wasps vision were crystal clear and I passed through the hall with rtive ease. I didn''t encounter any obstructions and I soon arrived at the entrance of the egg chamber. There, I located it''s only inhabitant and I paused at the entrance to observe the ''traitor'' before entering.


    The wasp looked up and screeched something inaudible at me before continuing its egg sorting duties. I did not approach it and walked straight towards the hidden egg space. When it saw I hadn''t left, it grew anxious and quickly abandoned its duties to fly in my direction, screeching all the while.


    It hurled itself towards me like a blur, brandishing its barbed stinger. But it was toote as I was already in front of the area.


    I pushed open the stack of eggs, revealing the hole in the floor and before its stinger could touch me, I raised one arm and caught the wasp in the air, quickly tossing it down.


    It squirmed around uselessly on the floor as it tried to get up, but I reached over with my three wed fist, grabbing both of its mandibles in one hand, before crushing them with a squeeze like a seized vice.The screech in its throat turned to a whimper and then it was gone, the sound fizzling away to nothing.


    I was aware that carrier wasps were much weaker than their bulkier counterparts so I controlled my strength before knocking it down with what I thought was a light blow to the head.


    But when it went limp immediately, I panicked thinking I had identally killed it before I could make use of it like the others. But when I saw one of its limbs twitch in pain, I was relieved.


    It was very much alive and stared at me with an expression that I read as disbelief. I didn''t waste another thought and quickly grabbed some of the membranous webbing covering a cluster of eggs and using it like a rope I tied the wasp''s wings and limbs together, much like a kidnapped victim. Then I bundled it up and threw it over my back, much like a bad guy.


    With my hostage secured, I left the secretpartment wide open before exiting the chamber. I exited the egg room and arrived at my original host chamber. It was then that the wasp began to struggle, a dyed reaction, like it did not believe what was happening to it.


    Aside from my delight at making it back in one piece, not much had changed since I''d left. The many hexagonal chambers were still sealed and there wasn''t much movement from the creatures inside. When I peered through the cells, the host creatures inside were still asleep.


    I was pleasantly surprised to see my cellmate, the lizard-like creature awake, and licking its wounds.


    I expected it to still be unconscious since it suffered quite a lot of injuries. It seemed its injuries were already almost healed. And once again I marvelled at its intriguing ability.


    As though it sensed a presence with malicious intent, the lizard stopped and peered up at the hole. As our eyes met, a panicked expression red in its eyes and it became still, stopping every action, before dramatically dropping to the ground on its sides.


    "...." I was speechless.


    Why was it still here? If it was awake, shouldn''t it have fled by now?


    Its feigned sleep wasn''t fast enough, nor was it very convincing.


    The wasp on my back continued to struggle and I irritatingly tossed its body down into the lizard''s cell, breaking the membrane barrier before leaping in myself.


    Even after the loud noises, the lizard continued to pretend to be asleep so I strode over to it and directed a strong attack on its head, making it unconscious for real.


    The lizard was either a reckless creature with a deathwish, or one with a better perception of danger than I cared to admit. However, with it unconscious, it wouldn''t try to attack me.


    And with that, my attention returned to the wasp and I pondered for a moment if I couldmunicate with it using the host wasp''s body, but when I turned to look, the wasp was no longer there.


    I frantically nced around the hexagonal cell and found it halfway up the wall, climbing up frantically to escape.


    The webbing that bound its body had been ripped to shreds by its ws and now hung loose around its limbs. I quickly shrugged off the idea ofmunicating as pointless and sped towards it.


    Although its limbs were somewhat free, its barbed ws were caught on the remnants of the membranous webbing, making its climb unsteady and difficult. Its wings were still caught in the webbing so it kept slipping as it gained and lost its grip frequently.


    I hastily led my wasp to climb the wall and once it was within my reach, I yanked it down by the leg and pressed it to the ground. Its ws scraped noisily against the surface in its effort to flee, the tangled limbs persistently reaching out to attack me.


    Although its crushed mandibles let out no sound, there was a desperation to their noiseless snaps. The wasp fiercely resisted and with my increased strength, it was a thin line between keeping it still andpletely crushing it.


    "How do I stop it from escaping!" I panicked at myck of experience in such an area, wondering whether bundling it with more webbing will be enough to hold it.


    ?Break its legs.? Sensei advised in a calm manner.


    "No. I need it to be fully functional." I hissed in annoyance. The builder wasp''s wouldn''t allow me near the queen''s chambers so I intend to use this wasp as my next host.


    I wanted to knock it unconscious but I couldn''t properly control the wasp''s strength and I was worried about identally killing it.I knew that once it broke apart the webbing covering its wings, it would be able to fly away. So, I decided to damage it in a way that will keep it from escaping and won''t hinder regr movements.


    Firstly, the ws it used to climb - I snapped them at the tips so they were unable to grip, and then the barbed ws on its joints that it used to cut the membrane - I ripped out from the root.


    The wasp''s twisting body fiercely struggled against the webbing holding its wings but to no avail, its mandibles making inaudible noises. They were already crushed so I didn''t have to worry about its sound attracting others.


    Its most dangerous weapon was its stinger but I left that alone as I was confident it couldn''t use it to free itself without its wings. And even if it tried to attack me when I get close to taking over its body, I could easily avoid it with my improved agility.


    By the time I was finished, the wasp was now a harmless trembling lurch but all of its limbs were still in working condition.


    ?You''re not going to eat it?? Sensei questioned.


    "Are you disappointed?" I asked with a smirk.


    ?No. I''m curious.?


    Iughed. "Now you know what it''s like to be left in the dark."


    Without waiting for his response, I released my wasp from [Mind Chain]. My crystal clear luminous vision flickered in and out, and then faded until the waspletely dark, then I saw the wasp drop to the floor, motionless but still alive.


    I coiled myself tightly around its neck and granting it peace by squeezing out itsst breath.


    ?You have defeated LV12 Melior Hesperia?


    ?You have earned 98XP?


    ?You have gained a level!?


    I slithered away from the wasp''s corpse, reading the system messages andI heard another ding.


    [Novice Level Quest - Defeat a Hesperia.]


    [[3/3] Complete!]


    [Quest Reward 90XP has been issued!]


    ?I''m proud of you.? Sensei added.


    I stopped dead in my tracks as a chilly sensation spread through my body. What was this fool saying?


    I sputtered and nearly choked as my brain fumbled to find an appropriate response.


    Then it dawned on me. This was just him making fun of me as usual.


    Senseiughed. ?What is that reaction? Didn''t you want apliment??


    I rolled my eyes and decided to ignore him. He was still an idiot.

 Chapter 70 - Skill Spree

    I opened my status window.


    --------------


    Name: Aurelia LV8 [Neonate Snake]


    Specie: Cerastes Vipera


    HP: 92/92 Defence: 74


    MP: 60/60 Intellect: 64


    SP: 85/85 Magic: 33


    Attack: 88 Agility: 81


    Skills:


    [Poison Fang: LV4] [Bite: LV4]


    [Venom Rain: LV1] [Scent: LV2]


    [Silence: LV4] [Rapid Strike: LV2]


    [Heat Sense: LV5] [Grip: LV4]


    [Stealth: LV4] [Appraisal: LV3]


    [Buoyancy: LV1] [Steel Skin: LV4]


    [Rugged Scales: LV4]


    [Leap: LV2]


    Titles:


    [Apostle] [Coldblooded]


    [Commander] [Hero]


    Unique Skill:


    [Devour]


    Attributes:


    [Obsidian Horn] [Mind Chain]


    Resistances:


    [Impact Resistance: LV4]


    [Pain Resistance: LV4]


    [Wind Resistance: LV1]


    [Shock Resistance: LV2]


    [Faint Resistance: LV2]


    [Paralysis Resistance: LV1]


    Experience Points: [551]


    --------------


    Wait, 551 Exp points?!


    What an amazing harvest of experience points!


    I was surprised to see I had umted so many.


    Was this what it felt like to be rich overnight?


    Now, I no longer needed to be content with just window shopping. If I could rub my palms together like a viin I would have.


    And so without wasting any time, I quickly essed the system and the store''s list disyed the avable skills and items.


    Skills: [Dragon Scales: 250XP] [Mark: 100XP] [Mana Sense: 220XP]


    Items: [Labyrinth As: 300XP] [Dimensional Box: 350XP] [HP Recovery Potion: 50XP]


    What? That''s it?


    Where was that damned [Poison Resistance] skill?


    I confronted Sensei. "Why is [Poison Resistance] not there anymore?"


    ?The quest is still active, purchasing the skill now would be cheating. So it was removed.? He answered with augh, while I seethed in rage.


    What sort of twisted logic was that? I was so mad.


    Even if it''s reasonable, I''m still mad.


    My current situation was looking more and more bad as I again calcted how little time I had without taking the antidote and before my body sumbed to poison.


    When I left the cave the timer on my training nestling''s quest had [192 hours] left. Then I ate the mushrooms a whileter, and the poison took effect. Then I got abducted by the wasps and awoke with the timer at [132 hours].


    I checked my timer again.


    --------------


    [Quest: Train Nest Mates]


    [Time Remaining: 122 Hours]


    --------------


    Now the training quest had psed to [122 hours]. From the moment I awoke in the hive I had 35 hours left of my grace period to search for an antidote and from that time 10 hours had been spent.


    So with roughly about 25 hours left, I was currently headed towards a very painful death.


    Now that [Poison Resistance] was unavable, what was I supposed to do?


    For Sensei to remove the very skill I needed right now was too much. He was essentially ying with my life.


    ?There''s no need to re like that, Aurelia.? Sensei''s voice preened in delight. ?Let me exin it to you since you don''t already realise. Even if you were to buy the skill, [Poison Resistance] at LV1 would be ineffective in your current situation anyway. Considering the potency and the amount of poison you ingested, once the grace period ends there isn''t much a LV1 skill can do to help you. For such a unique poison, only its antidote would work.?


    I felt a chill.


    Was I going to die again so soon?


    Sensei continued on in his irritating tone. ?But I suppose getting it isn''t entirely useless, it would keep you alive for a while longer after you reach your breaking point, at least a bit longer than you would without it anyway. But It would be interesting to test how much a skill like [Pain Resistance] would progress in such a situation.?


    Ahh...What kind of horrible mess did I get myself into, and why did it seem like this person was thoroughly enjoying it.


    So, instead of dying quickly, I would stay alive to endure more pain until my heart inevitably gave out?


    And of course [Pain Resistance] would definitely rise in level in such a scenario, but what use was that if I was going to die anyway.


    My fear turned into full blown terror. I was beginning to panic and that was not good. I had to calm down and focus.


    ording to the timer, I had 25 hours left until I face the sudden death. But there should be a way out of it, right? There was always hope, right?


    Right?


    I began to slither around wracking my brain when I caught sight of the corpse of the dead builder wasp. I looked at it with a solemn and pensive look.


    Was that my future?


    The antidote had been growing nearby to the poisonous ones all along and I regretted not eating it right away. But I was under the effect of the poison''s delirium and hysterical. I couldn''t recall if I had picked it up or dropped it after the fight with the wasp.


    Either way I did not have the antidote with me right now. It had been lost somewhere in the time after I got captured.


    My first thought had been to return to the forested area where I found it in the first ce. But I''d have to get out of the hive first, and to do that I needed help. Which brought me back to my current situation.


    But after seeing the hive and how things were progressing - none of the hosts I rescued had woken yet. I realized that even if my n were to seed, there wouldn''t be enough time for me to make it out and find the antidote.


    I had to think of an alternative solution.


    I recalled the description of the poisonous mushroom, Sairon''s Bell and suddenly the thought struck me. Why didn''t I think of it before?


    The appraisal results had mentioned that it only grew in ces of heavy bloodshed. I realized there was a simr ce in the hive that meets the conditions.


    If the memories I''d gleaned from the wasp were anything to go by. Somewhere in this hive was a chamber filled with corpses, consumed so often that their copious blood stained every inch of the ground. In a ce with that much bloodshed, it was possible for that same mushroom to be growing there.


    It was a 50/50 chance, but it was still worth a trip and I have no other choice either so I just hoped my luck wasn''t too bad.


    But that was just another problem in a long line of problems that I didn''t want to think too hard about, after all the quests and horrible hoops I had to jump because of Sensei. If I didn''t find the antidote there, I would have to risk it and try to escape with my host wasp. The end.


    With my thoughts organized, I bit into the fleshy shell of the wasp and began to eat. I need to replenish before the start of the operation.


    But what was this feeling of being watched?


    I looked up and saw the unconscious lizard on my left and a particrly pissed off wasp staring daggers at me on my right. I locked eyes with it and took arge bite out of its brethren, unbothered by its silent judgement.


    Hmph! I would eat you too if I didn''t have a use for you, so you better behave.


    ?It is thinking ''how can my abductor be such a glutton''.? Sensei offered his thoughts.


    "Are you sure these are the wasp''s thoughts, and not yours?" I retorted immediately, still pissed off.


    Before Sensei could reply, the captured wasp started crawling away with a visibly terrified look, as if trying to prove Sensei''s point.


    But I couldn''t care less as I continued to eat the builder wasp. It couldn''t climb anyway.


    I helplessly sighed at my choice of food. ''It wasn''t as though they were tasty either.''


    But the wasp I ate tasted...different. It was foul and rubbery in texture but also weirdly...spicy?


    What was this strange vour?


    Rather than simply refilling my stats, it gave me a feeling of enrichment unlike ever before. It was oddly fascinating. I suddenly had more energy and my body felt lighter. I continued to eat more of it, delighted at the feeling, until the system gave an alert.


    ?Devour has reached maximum satiation for specimen¡ºMelior Hesperia¡»


    Evolution tree of ¡ºAilith Vespoidea¡»has been modified. ?


    ?Would you like to acquire attribute¡ºStinger¡»(ept | Reject)?


    To say it was an alert I''d been waiting for was an understatement. I was extremely happy and curious at what form my new attribute would take.


    I immediately epted it.


    ?Activating status effect. Sess?


    I was hit by the familiar stinging sensation down the length of my body.


    Directly on both sides of my coils I felt a stinging pain spreading from my horns down the length of my body to meet at my tail in two rows.


    The scales in the area hardened and needle-like spines extended from their tips. It was irritating as the spines continued to grow across the length of my body, but not very painful after being subdued by [Pain Resistance] so I looked on with curiosity.


    They appeared both delicate and sharp with a silvery metallic sheen, very much like the spine of a feather quill.


    Laid over each other they resembled an array of deadly spikes.

 Chapter 71 - Senseis Resolve

    When the pain receded, there was another system alert.


    ?Skill¡ºPain Toxin: LV1¡»has been acquired?


    This skill seemed to be the by product of [Stinger] since there was no option to ept or reject. And I would not object either.


    What was the point of having a stinger without being able to inflict pain?


    With the new changes I was excited to test its effects!


    But for the moment, I continued to eat the wasp and was surprised to hear another alert.


    ?You have consumed low grade core?


    ?Status: Iplete?


    ?Magic Ability: +5?


    Really?


    I quickly checked the improvements on my stats.


    ----------------


    Name: Aurelia LV8 [Neonate Snake]


    Specie: Cerastes Vipera


    HP: 91/92 Defence: 74


    MP: 59/60 Intellect: 64


    SP: 84/85 Magic: 33>38


    Attack: 88 Agility: 81


    ----------------


    It seems eating a core could grant stat points.


    I unexpectedly gained a lot from this quasi evolved wasp. Feeling cheered up and a little more motivated, I decided to appraise the dead wasp too.


    The results were as follows.


    --------------


    LV 12 Melior Hesperia


    Specie: Ailith Vespoidea


    HP: 000/112 Defence: 82


    MP: 00/64 Intellect: 35


    SP: 00/76 Magic: 39


    Attack: 73 Agility: 74


    Skills:


    [Sting: LV4] [Scent: LV5]


    [Compound Eyes: LV6]


    [Razor w: LV1] [Grip: LV8]


    [Perception: LV1] [w: LV10]


    [Lift: LV10] [Pain Toxin: LV4]


    [Bite: LV7] [Chitin Armour: LV2]


    [Ultraviolet Vision: LV8]


    [Paralysis Venom: LV4]


    [Exoskeleton: LV10]


    [Mana Sense: LV2]


    Title:


    [Hive Builder] [Kin Eater]


    Attributes:


    [Directional Stability: LV1]


    Resistances:


    [Pain Resistance: LV5]


    [Fatigue Resistance: LV4]


    [Piercing Resistance: LV6]


    ---------------


    Its skills were very impressive!


    So this was the difference between a normal creature and a semi evolved one. It''s skills were all mostly high level.


    Compared together with mine I still had some ways to go. With my current status, my highest skill [Heat Sense] was LV5. I had to get my skills up to LV10, all before reaching LV12 if I wanted to evolve any further.


    Judging from the wasp''s skills, I needed at least three skills at LV10, while the other conditions were still unclear. I had more skills than it but they were all improving at an even rate and if it stayed like that, I won''t be able to get any skill to LV10, much less three.


    New attributes like [Stinger] and [Mind Chain] were interesting, but to survive I had to focus more on strength and effectiveness, particrly, of [Stinger]. Adding to that I had to increase my agility and my current skills until most of them were LV10 at least.


    To achieve this, testing them to their limits was necessary and for that I needed to spar! But with whom?


    I looked around me.


    Unfortunately, my only opponents were one cowering wasp and an unconscious lizard. Things already weren''t looking good.


    Releasing the wasp from its binds would just set it free, so that was not an option. I would have to make do with testing my skills on the cell''s other upant. But after approaching the lizard I felt it would be too terrible to use my skill to harm the it while it slept, so I let it be.


    It would be worth it to invest in a sparring partner in the future.


    One of the nestlings, perhaps?


    I opened the store again to look at the skills avable and I appraised each one now that [Appraisal] was LV3.


    --------------


    [Mana Sense] - A spatial skill that allows the bearer to observe the mana around them. Subsequent level increments increase the bearer''s capacity to manipte their own mana and the range of their ability. [+4 INT]


    --------------


    The wasp also had [Mana Sense] as a skill, and from inhabiting it, I was able to observe the energy changes within its body which I would not have been able to do myself.


    I deemed it extremely important. My magic had also increased quite a bit after eating the wasps quasi core, so with enough practice I should be able to use it like the wasp.


    I decided to purchase it.


    ?Confirmed¡ºMana Sense: LV1¡»has been acquired?


    ?Activating status effect. Sess?


    All at once I felt an intense ache in my head and suddenly the vision around me changed. The lights in my eyes went dark and everything grew numb. My surroundings became ayout of silhouettes, much like a 3D projection where everything, except for some exceptions, was inky ck shadow.


    It was truly horrifying to see nothing but dark and I panicked, until I noticed some light shining from somewhere. There were two figures I could make out, because their silhouettes shone internally in cyan blue rather than ck. One was a perfect cut out of a silhouette in the shape of the wasp, while the other was the shape of the sleeping lizard.


    The ck could only be inanimate objects while the outlines in blue were things that contained mana. The wasp''s has a faint blue gaseous cloud of mana blooming on the inside while the sleeping lizard''s was aze with a much denser cloud of mana. The lizard obviously had a stronger mana signature than the wasp.


    Lastly I concentrated internally on myself and saw a simr mass of cyan blue mana, circling around in my body. It wasrger than the wasp''s but not as dense as the lizard''s.


    However, something else that drew my attention. It was another mass of mana, small in size but so dense, it shone like a blinding blue light. It was nothing like the lizard''s bright cloudy haze but solid blue, like a condensed ball of lightning that made me unable to observe it for long.


    I could only concentrate for so long before my head started to hurt and I had to cancel [Mana Sense].


    What was that?


    It was fixed right next to my weaker mana signature like it was attached to me and I could only think of one thing it could be.


    Sensei.


    Who else other than he could be that obnoxious?


    I pretended to not have seen anything and went back to the system window to look at skills.


    Sensei also did notment, so perhaps he did not notice either.


    I looked at the appraisal results for [Dragon Scales] and [Mark].


    --------------


    [Dragon Scales] - Increases the hardness of the bearer''s body to repel attacks and absorb damage. Subsequent level increments enhances the bearer''s tolerance and pain resistance. [+5 DEF +4 AGI].


    [Mark] - Allows the bearer to trace the location of anything containing their essence. Increases movement speed by 20% while in pursuit. [+10MP +4 AGI +3 MAG]


    --------------


    Compared to [Dragon Scales], [Mark] was not necessary right now so I held off on purchasing it and decided to get dragon scales because it improved my defence.


    The spikes growing out of my sides might seem strong when used on flesh but I felt they were too delicate when considering the hardness of a wasp shell. So, hopefully [Dragon Scales] would make up for any weakness and increase its strength in order to pierce them. It was a long shot but it was worth an attempt.


    ?Confirmed¡ºDragon Scales: LV1¡»has been acquired?


    ?Activating status effect. Sess?


    I felt another wave of stinging sensations, only this time it was all over my body. My scales formed a tough barrier over my stinger spines, strengthening them, and when I moved I was faster than before.


    I checked my new stats.


    --------------


    Name: Aurelia LV8 [Neonate Snake]


    Specie: Cerastes Vipera


    HP: 91/92 Defence: 74>79


    MP: 53/60 Intellect: 68


    SP: 84/85 Magic: 38


    Attack: 88 Agility: 81>85


    Experience Points: [81]


    ------------


    My defence and agility had improved and I also gained a level in [Pain Resistance]. I should have been happy but instead I felt uneasy.


    It was necessary to improve but I didn''t know what changes were urring in Sensei due to my utility of the system.


    I told myself I would not use the system for skills I could get myself, yet because I barely got the chance to breathe, I was doing the exact opposite just to survive.


    I knew Sensei couldn''t have predicted what woulde after I left the cave, but due to his quest I found myself locked in an inexplicable situation where I had to keep using the system or die.


    He would not mention the effect it had on him and I''d been too afraid to ask before because I felt it was doing him more harm than good but now I wasn''t sure anymore.


    "Why did you be our system?" I asked Sensei.


    There was a brief pause before he responded. ?Isn''t protecting students the duty of a teacher??


    "Protection?" I scoffed. If things were progressing exactly as he intended so far in the name of protection, then Sensei might not actually have my best interest at heart!


    Still, I felt guilty. "You didn''t have to do that. No one would have med you if you decided to live your own life."


    ?I didn''t know I had such a good student that even looks out for me.? Sensei listlessly sighed.


    It was annoying.


    For someone who was not much older than I was, he was acting way too superior.

 Chapter 72 - The Spectator

    All jokes aside, I couldn''t shake the feeling that things weren''t as simple as he said.


    I resisted the urge to inflict bodily harm and calmly asked. "Are we in danger?"


    ?The world is a dangerous ce to anyone who acts recklessly because they are na?ve enough to think it will do them no harm.? Sensei replied without pause. ?I felt bing a guide was the least I could do to protect you all.?


    "That''s why you want me to get stronger¡­"


    ?I know you hesitate when using the system store because you think it harms me in some way but I assure you it doesn''t. The system is subject to no agenda. It is only there for you to use its items as you wish.?


    "Until you reveal you never cared about me, and all you wanted was my XP all along." I sarcasticallymented.


    ?I''m not your enemy.? Sensei replied. ?To me you''re simply a resourceful student I don''t want to see perish. I want to help you as much as possible but even as a system I am not allowed to interfere in your decisions. I can''t y favourites, I can only support you with items through the store.?


    "Sure. You don''t have to exaggerate." I deadpanned, but I really felt self conscious.


    "Don''t act like I was your favourite student, it''s gross."


    Seeking to end the awkward conversation, I ignored his sheepish response and curled up next to the warmth of the lizard to rest and workout my next move.


    The n was simple and straight.


    First, find the antidote to stop my premature death. Again.


    And then, finish the Emergency Quests [Explore Till Tunnel End] and [Find the Queen''s Chambers].


    So simple right.


    Completing those quests would give me an additional [250XP] points, bringing me ever so close to that oh so expensive sweet dimensional box that cost [350XP] points.


    It wasn''t like I was worried about the quests though. I mean, how could I?


    What was adding another new problem to the already long list? It wasn''t like it made a difference when things weren''t going my way anyway.


    A queen? What was she other than a pebble on the path to domination! She would be but the first to be dethroned and conquered on my journey to victory.


    What was the worst that could happen?


    ?You may want to restrain your maniacal thoughts.? Senseiined.


    ?They are leaking over to me.?


    I scowled at his remark, unable to remain calm.


    After the Queen. He would be next!


    I rose up from my slumber. ns were not enough. If I hoped to finish both quests or exit the hive at all, everything had to be foolproof.


    First, I had to find that bloodstained room from the wasp''s memories, then deal with my poisoning to prepare for what came after.


    "You seem to be having fun at my expense." I frowned.


    ?I would never do something like that.? Sensei nkly responded, but his amused tone of voice did not match his words. I was so annoyed. How could a person be this shameless?


    I approached the trembling body of my kidnapped wasp, circling around it to slip through its bindings. It struggled when I made contact with its body, but with it effectively dewed and its mandibles crushed, it couldn''t resist for long.


    I easily wrapped myself around its thorax, iming the most unassuming position, before tightly constricting with thebined efforts of [Steel Skin] and [Rugged Scales].


    With a firm position secured, I activated [Stinger].


    Rows of ovepping scales on both sides of me shifted as they began to change. What normallyy t, now tilted at an angle like an open vent, sending the stinging spines at the keeled tips of my scales jutting outwards.


    However, due to the direction my scales were moving and the smooth surface of the wasps body, squeezing tightly in one forward motion was not enough to prate its shell. So, I changed direction and locked my constricting motion in reverse. Multiple stingers plunged into its shell at once, drawing blood.


    The wasps body hitched and began to writhe.


    Droplets of purple pooled and I felt the tug from thebined pressure generated from constricting with [Steel Skin] and the hardness of stingers reinforced by [Dragon Scales]. I considered what might happen if I moved with my stingers embedded, while I continued to apply pressure.


    I imagined a taut rubber band squeezing over a watermelon - if the rubber band had teeth. Not only would its shell burst like a melon, if I was to twist while constricting, it would be shredded along as I moved like frayed cloth.


    Granted, the shell of an egg wasp was not as tough as that of a builder wasp and I could not exert that much pressure yet, but what would happen when I got stronger or [Steel Skin] reached LV10?


    I felt like my body itself had be a weapon!


    Aside from the wasps fervently tapping limbs, it put up no resistance whatsoever, which made me wonder. Just what were the limits of attributes inherited from [Devour]?


    Considering thervae with [Mind Chain] assimted their victims, could I do the same? With the attribute [Mind Chain] I was effectively like one, and I wondered if it were possible to burrow under its skin to fully control it.


    What would actually happen if I tried?


    I was eager to know if I was able to do just about everything a Hesperia could. But how that would work filled me with more confusion so I put forward the question to Sensei - who seemed to know everything, hoping he would answer.


    ?Theoretically, you could constitute a body.? Sensei replied ndly. ?If that''s what you''re asking.?


    I gasped with shock and nearly released the wasp I was constricting. What?


    ?But you''re not truly a Hesperia. It is best not to attempt it when there''s so many things that could go wrong. Yourck of experience using the skill without the system would be your biggest hindrance for one.?


    I was shocked but I pressed on. "What''s the difference between possessing it like arvae and what I''m doing now?"


    Sensei continued. ?It''s one thing to control a host with [Mind Chain] with the matrix of the system to assist and another to immerse yourself and navigate a body''s thoughts and sensations on your own.?


    ?Absorbing a memory and manipting a body is one thing, right now you can because you understand the basic workings through the context of the host''s mind. Full control is another. Processing all the contrasting sensations would be a sudden influx of foreign matter to the brain - like suddenly having two minds. It would be stressful.?


    ?The Hesperia as a species has adapted to do this and holds a unique advantagepared to other creatures. Without having all their innate traits, you won''t be able to process the full onught of every sensation without a filter. It would be like learning how to breathe as a nt when you''ve always done it another way - and trying to figure it all out without an instruction manual.?


    "Why can''t I just continue to use the system?"


    ?The system is only a guide to help you earn skills and use them. What you are thinking of attempting is something else entirely. You will be reconstructing the entirety of your body. To do so you''d have to understand the process and adjust things to specifications that will suit your body.?


    "What sort of things?"


    ?The duration for example, you would have to adjust that, what would take arvae days could take you months. And in that time you could be locked into a host body that is likely unsuitable for you. And let''s say you do manage to assimte it, do you know how? And are you confident at the end of it you would even resemble something remotely human??


    "So my chance of sess is zero?" I was a little depressed.


    Sensei humorously sighed like he was scolding a child.


    ?At the moment, yes. It''s too much of a headache for the slim chance you could seed. In the time that would take, you could have evolved many times as a snake.?


    I was disappointed. I had hoped he would be just as curious as I was to try, but the firmness in his voice told me he truly believed it was a bad idea. Part of me wanted to attempt it anyway to see how far I could get and I was about to crack open the wasps shell when something made me stop.


    From the corner of my eye, I noticed the lizard now had its narrow eyes open, watching me warily.


    How long has it been awake!


    I immediately activated [Heat Sense] to monitor its proximity in case it nned to sneak attack.


    The lizard didn''t move now that my eyes were on it. It simply watched me throttle the struggling wasp like it was an entertaining spectacle.

 Chapter 73 - Prelude

    "How long has it been watching?" I hissed at Sensei.


    What was it nning? Was it waiting for me to rx before it attacked? To think it had been pretending to sleep!


    ?It has been for a while.? Sensei deadpanned.


    ?It didn''t seem like it was going to attack. But you need to work on your awareness.?


    Ugh!


    My eyes fixated on it, watching it tensely, but the lizard made no moves.


    Rather than continue our strange stand-off I bit through the membranous bindings on the wasps wings to free them and it immediately took off into the air.


    Iughed when I saw the figure of the lizard shrink from up high.


    Want to sneak up and eat me? Not a chance!


    With its wings now free, the wasp attempted to free itself onest time but I constricted tighter as multiple stingers plunged into its shell and activated [Mind Chain].


    ?Sess - Synchronisation 72%?


    The wasp dipped from the air as soon as [Mind Chain] began to work, its flight askew like a bird with its wings clipped. I couldn''t imagine what sort of pain it was in right now - it''s silent mandibles gave no indication. But by now, I was working on taking over the control of its body.


    I proceeded to suppress its memories with my own. It dipped lower and nearly fell towards the cell with the waiting lizard. But my consciousness sessfully invaded its mind


    ?Sess - Synchronisation 100%. Assimtion Complete?


    I immediately took control and rose up in the air and out of the lizard''s reach. Now buzzing in the air, I could see all thirty hexagonal chambers and the height made the lizard look small to my eyes.


    But more spectacrly, I saw something else that made me smile.


    The host creatures in the other cells had begun to wake up and move around!


    Soon it was only a matter of time.


    -------------


    The sensation of flight, although unsteady - was riveting.


    With the aid of the wasp''s memories, I flitted through the air, rising and falling like a drunken wasp with a hole in its wing.


    I was actually flying!


    It was a feeling I wasn''t bound to forget in a while.


    I soared unsteadily through the air, trying to go even higher.


    But before I could relish in the moment, I took a sharp plunge, about to crash onto the ground but I quickly focused on my flight and rose up once again, with only seconds away from smacking the floor.


    Iughed, ecstatic and hysterical. That was close.


    It looked so easy when the wasps flew around but controlling two pairs of wings at once was actually very stressful.


    I casually looked down and saw the lizard-like creature climb had out of its hexagonal cell and had started trailing me from the ground.


    Did it want to follow me?


    What was its problem? Did it want payback that much?


    Whatever. Lets see if you can keep up though.


    I channelled all my strength to my wings and surged forward with a burst of speed, making a beeline for the exit.


    I followed the descending slope down the length of the tunnel, towards the wide opening in the distance. When the tunnel came to an end, I noticed every other tunnel converged to this single opening and I realised I hade full circle.


    Suddenly a deep chasm cracked open on the floor and the incessant buzzing from many wasps in flight assaulted my hearing.


    Looking down the deep chasm I was presented with the full workings of the hive and the strange ecosystem that the various creatures shared. There were host creatures roaming the tunnels, builder wasps carrying the corpses of dead hosts and other wasps transporting eggs and other misceneous items.


    If I flew across the chasm and took the tunnel on the other side, it would take me back up to the host graveyard where I woke up. But right now, quiet and safety was not an option.


    Only by following the opening below would I be able to enter the chaotic mess that was the hive, and find the antidote in the bloodstained chamber.


    However on reaching the chasm I froze. Rising up from below, I spotted a swarm of hunting wasps heading in my direction. They were exactly like the one that had captured me, unbelievably fast and unforgivably ugly, serrated limbs like knives and every vicious stingers designed to kill.


    They could rip my little snake body apart into numerous pieces before I couldnd one attack and I tensed at my own imagination, and turned around ready to run for my life, when I remembered.


    I was now a wasp. I''m one of them.


    As I cleared my mind, I was surprised to see the lizard still in pursuit, despite still a distance away.


    I decided to ignore it and pressed onwards without any fear. What was the use of a disguise if I couldn''t blend in with them? On the contrary, they would surely notice something amiss with my wasp, if I swerved to avoid them.


    But I still wasn''t to mingle into such arge group of hunter wasps.


    So, before they came around the curve of the chasm, I adjusted my flight path to rise above them so even when crossing paths I wouldn''t need to confront them. And since I knew the lizard was still pursuing me, I also figured they would deal with it as soon as they passed me, saving me the effort.


    What was the saying, to kill two birds with one stone?


    I''d rather kill the lizard with a bunch of wasps, than do it myself.


    Fortunately, the hunting wasps did not spare me a nce as we crossed paths and I watched them disappear into the tunnel towards the lizard. I considered its fate sealed and turned around as I did not wait to see its grisly end.


    But as I was flying away, I felt something was odd. There were no sounds of fighting even after the wasps entered the tunnel and I risked a look back, to witness an inconceivable sight.


    The wasps, who were supposed to tear the lizard to shreds, just flew on like they did not see it at all.


    While the lizard itself panicked at the sight of so many of its tormentors heading towards it, the wasps, did not even spare it a nce.


    "What the¡­" If I didn''t see it happen I would not have believed it.


    I was shocked - what unbelievable luck!


    I regretted not appraising it when we shared a cell.


    But I had to wonder if its luck was really that good, or if this was the result of something else.


    That was thest I saw of the lizard before I descended into the hive below. And almost immediately, I was obstructed by other egg wasps carrying things and I had to swerve out of the way to avoid a collision.


    With the tunnel openings everywhere on the walls, it was a busy sight as many wasps were flying back and forth carrying out their tasks.


    I had to be careful here as the continuous stream of flying bodies did not help much with my navigating. And anypse of concentration could lead me towards an entrance I did not want to go.


    The hive walls curved downwards like a cylinder with many tunnels opening out of the walls leading to different ces in the hive. I mapped these areas from my wasp''s memory, trying to locate the blood stained chamber from the numerous tunnel entrances avable.


    Luckily the wasps were busy and didn''t pay much attention to my host wasp hovering there, looking around. I tried to find the memory of the right tunnel so I flew higher to hover closer to the wide chasm ceiling for a better view.


    From above, I looked down at the rest of the hive and I felt something from the tform at the bottom. I felt it like a shift in the air, a steady draught that rose up from the darkness below and I could almost smell the wet leaves and forest damp.


    I was immediately drawn towards the bottom where I believed the exit would appear. However, before I could move, I heard a weird noiseing from the ceiling above me, a faint scratching sound that kept on getting louder and louder like something was crawling behind it towards me.


    I was caught between this new sound and the cold rising air from below, and when I looked down, none of the other wasps seemed to have heard it. So with that, my attention returned to the ceiling where I hovered.


    The sound did not stop and as it drew closer and louder, I felt a fleck of dust hit my wasp''s face as a crack appeared in the ceiling. Loose debris and dust floated down like snowkes as more of the ceiling was broken through, and I blinked in disbelief at what I saw - a scaly grey appendage peeking out from the gap.


    I moved away from it on instinct and the next moment, a sizable chunk of the ceiling broke apart, revealing the creature in its full glory.


    It was a formless grey blob, with the numerous appendages attached to it all moving independently. In a way that was like a worm, but with tentacles propelling it forward to move much faster than any worm I''d ever seen.

 Chapter 74 - Unexpected Attack

    The creature had the bulbous body of a seal, with many sharp tails like those of a squid. It had no face, only a circr salivating maw which housed many reams of needle-like teeth that it had used to chew through the chasm ceiling.


    The only redeeming feature it had, giving its nightmarish appearance, was that it was hopelessly blind.


    As I watched, it hurled itself through the opening, falling from the fractured ceiling into open air. With nothing to hang on to, its scaly tentacles iled around like whips, stabbing everything in sight as they tried to hang on.


    I barely avoided getting impaled and swiftlyunched myself out of the way, just as its tentacles lodged themselves into the walls above me.


    But the other wasps around were not so lucky, many of the egg wasps flying were skewered instantly by the monster''s attack, the numerous membrane covered clutches they carried sent flying in a cascade of eggs from above.


    Messy yolk mixed with purple blood rained down on the wasps below, in the aftermath of an unexpected attack.


    My abdomen bled from a scrape left behind by the monster''s tentacles but I knew I''d avoided the worst of it.


    The creature was now suspended in a secured position in the air by its tentacles. But that wasn''t the end of it, suddenly there were buzzing sounds erupting everywhere.


    Wasps flew out from all over the hive in a chaotic manner with several host creatures in pursuit.


    A horribly injured humongous centipede slithered out from one tunnel across to the next, grabbing and crushing every wasp in its path with poison filled mandibles.


    Tunnels copsed as more monsters burst forth to climb all over the walls.


    The tentacled monster near me did not cease its attacks. Once it had taken out every wasp in its vicinity - its tentacles dislodged and it plunged rapidly to secure itself to a new position below, before resuming its chaotic attacks once more.


    Creatures appeared all over in the most unexpected ways, taking the wasps by surprise. They seemed to have settled within a pacified state so familiar with normalcy, they never expected an attack from inside.


    Thiscency now made them scattered and confused when facing an immediate threat. The wasps were unable to rally together quickly and that made matters much worse for them.


    The attacking creatures, although not fighting in unison, all shared amon enemy and they immediately targeted the Larvae hosts moving around in a frenzy.


    Unlike normal creatures, the Larvae hosts moved slower due to not being used to controlling the hosts'' bodies yet and were easily identified.


    As I watched, two Larvae hosts in the form of spiders got skewered by the legs of the roaming centipede as it travelled across tunnels, before moving below to kill more Larvae hosts. And soon there were barely any left.


    More creatures poured out from the new cavities created in the walls. And once the tentacled creature descended below, it too punched in more openings leading to the copse of whole sections. And like an infestation, creatures poured out from everywhere.


    The wasps even with their numerous numbers, found it difficult to keep up with the onught of creatures and the fights only got fiercer.


    Amidst the chaotic sea of monsters and wasps, I saw the centipede and tentacled monsters wrecking the most havoc, either through the number of wasps they killed or through the tunnels they copsed. Egg wasps escaped upwards to safety, leaving the builder wasps behind in the tunnels and the few hunter wasps around to fight for their safety.


    It was chaos in its truest form and I was very pleased to watch it unfold much more spectacrly than I envisioned.


    But just then, a low rumbling that sounded like growls along with other noises pulled my attention back to the broken ceiling. I immediately flew away from the opening just as huge maws filled with fangs darted out of the ceiling.


    From the very hole the tentacled monster hade from earlier, more monsters began to stream out. They looked like wolf dogs with matted, spotted fur, heads and mouths far toorge for their bodies with rows of exceptionally sharp fangs.


    Five in total jumped out of the opening, each one making a swipe at me, before free falling towards the ground with pitiful whines. I watched their plight, unsure if any would survive the fall.


    Some were lucky enough to knock into wasps on the way down, breaking their fall and escape death while others were not. And I, distracted, was unable to see another freefalling monster before it grabbed onto my wasp, pulling me down along with it.


    It was a creature I could only describe as a gargoyle, with the face of a diseased rat and dirty membranous wings filled with veins I could see through. I tried to shove it off me but its sudden embrace flung me off course and we began spiralling down to the hive.


    I fought off the creature thattched onto me. Ourbined weight was proving too much for my wings and we went into a freefall in the matter of seconds. As I looked down, the bottom of the hive rushed up at me and I panicked as I wondered if we would survive the fall.


    But then I noticed a giant ape-like creature below us that was pummelling everything in its path into bloody mush and I realised things could be much worse.


    Regrettably, we were headed right for it.


    I immediately began to struggle harder and finally threw the gargoyle off of me. It fell straight down into the path of the furious giant ape and was obliterated in an instant, while I desperately struggled to gain some height and distance.


    I finally stopped my freefall and by then, the giant ape already turned its attention towards a new contender, the centipede. I regained control of my flight and hoisted myself out of their chaotic path and watched as a squadron of hunting wasps appeared before the two creatures.


    The ape grabbed a wasp out of the air and hurled it towards the squadron, clearing a bunch of them in one straight shot. But with their numbers advantage, more wasps arrived to rece them. They gathered around the giant ape and began to sting it from several directions.


    The centipede who tried to attack them from the ground was unable tond a hit and was gradually pushed back as it was no match to the hunter wasp''s speed. Both monsters were now stung several times and had begun to get sluggish.


    I didn''t like where this was going - slow monsters were much easier to kill. It could not go on like this. So without much thought, I flew towards the attacking squadron of hunter wasps.


    Once behind them, I began to target the wasps one by one. They were fully focused on the tworge creatures and were not expecting to be attacked by one of their own so none were wary as I approached.


    One thing I''d noticed from appraising the wasp I''d killed, was that it did not have a resistance to paralysis, as they were always the ones administering the paralysis on other creatures. So when I stung them, I hoped the hunter wasps were the same so I could use this weakness to my advantage.


    While the ape and centipede could withstand the paralysis, after building up a resistance from getting stung repeatedly, it was a first for the wasps and so, they began to drop like flies after getting stung by me, much to my delight.


    With each sessful sneak attack, a wasp would fall leaving the centipede enough time to impale it with its many legs. The fallen wasps were soon overwhelmed in a stabbing series of gore. And soon there was a pile of dead wasps on the ground. The situationpletely reversed while my presence was barely noticed.


    But in victory, another squadron of hunter wasps arrived out of a tunnel, stinging the creatures they came across before flying out of range. However, a huge shadow fell over them and a red crested bat monster surged out to tackle the wasps out of the air, knocking two down into the mouth a vicious crocodilian monster with armoured skin.


    It was enormous, and had so many puncture scars on its back, it needed all the wasps fighting together to subdue it, yet it did not back down an inch. Refusing to submit, it deftly climbed over the walls while snatching the wasps from mid-air to crush within its jaws.


    I saw the remnants of those dog-like beasts teaming up to attack a hunter wasp they seized out of the air. Another wasp was flung away by the giant ape and I swerved to avoid it in flight.


    The bottom of the hive was too chaotic with battles constantly breaking out everywhere so I looked towards the top. I knew it was better to gain some distance away from the battle before therger monsters reached me.


    The walls were copsing rapidly due to their chaotic movements and it seemed only rising up to a stable height would be safe, so I left the monsters to their fight.


    Unfortunately when I rose higher, I collided head on with a new squadron of wasps, fresh from the tunnels.

 Chapter 75 - Disorder

    I had the option to fly closer to the walls to avoid them or back down to the battle so I chose the former.


    I was flying close to the walls when a new tunnel opening appeared ahead and a familiar monster appeared. It was the gross bipedal monster without eyes. It stood right before a dead end where other monsters were fighting and I came to a screeching halt, doubling back immediately.


    Somehow it already sensed my presence and began to chase after me like it had excellent vision. It had to be tracking me by scent, so I flew into a tunnel that looked like it would soon copse. It moved quickly and came so close to biting my wasp until I increased my speed, pushing my wings with all their strength at thest second to get out of its path.


    The tunnel copsed just as I flew out, leaving the monster to fall into the path ofrger monsters below, and it was swiftly trampled in the stampede.


    Now hovering above, I saw a group of wasps surrounding a wolf monster that was wounded and falling to paralysis. I quickly snuck behind them and attacked, confusing the other wasps which would give it enough leeway to flee.


    The other wasps immediately came after me but I managed to shake them loose in one of the tunnels. However on my return, I began to see this urring more and more.


    A hunter wasp would get taken down by a monster only for more to appear in its defence to take it down.


    Near me, some hairy yellow spiders were swarming a group of builder wasps when more hunter wasps came to their defence and were able to get it free.


    A scorpion creature was sent spiralling down below after taking a number of stings, and other monsters kept getting taken down by the increasing number of wasps. I had to keep moving because I knew there was no way to save them all, when even I was not safe.


    Gradually the wasps had begun to regain their momentum, the escaped monsters were few to begin with and inexperienced at fighting together which made for many casualties.


    The massive centipede was still going strong, however, the number of wasps kept increasing and it was soon surrounded again.


    The tentacled monster was also still attacking, but even its numerous tails couldn''t catch all the wasps - and some creatures had started to retreat towards the bottom of the hive, breaking away for the exit.


    The furious ape monster on the other hand was finally drained of its strength after numerous stings and eventually died.


    But before long, there was a loud rumble from above the chasm. I looked up in anticipation and immediately perked up.


    It was the arrival of more monsters from the host chambers that were now rushing over, eager to join the fight.


    ------------


    Hunting wasps were precise and deadly, and although Carrier wasps were weak, when a number of them gathered, they could do a lot of damage together.


    Builder wasps were not so bright, but they were much harder to take down.


    Yet, despite their varied strengths, every single wasp quaked at the slew of creatures heading in their direction.


    Wolf monsters, Furious apes, Spiked scorpions, Flying monsters spewing out noxious venom were wreaking havoc everywhere. The Hunter wasps were struggling to givemands before getting overwhelmed by the frenzy. Hordes of beasts had woken, each threatening to destroy the hive in all-out war.


    I was overwhelmed with happiness as I watched the chaos from the shadows.


    The newly arrived creatures faced formation after formation of wasps in a chaotic battle that left many harmed. Without any pause to consider if they containedrvae or not, they were immediately set upon by the wasps, which I found odd. I would understand if they were breaking out from unexpected ces like the others, but they were not.


    However, now that the creatures were the ones with a numbers advantage, they saw a chance of sess, which encouraged the ones that were previously hurt to return to fight, further boosting the strength of my rebel forces.


    The odds of battle were once again optimistic, so I decided to lend my assistance, not allowing the wasps any chance to make aeback.


    I darted through the air blending in with the other wasps to reach their formation, before breaking away to attack those nearest to me with paralysis stings. As more wasps sumbed to my attacks their formations were no longer effective.


    The creatures immediately swept through them, not missing the opportunity to kill those wasps that were weaker and more confused.


    While observing the battle from above, I was tempted to attack the wasps myself, but coordination was their biggest strength and direct frontal attack wouldn''t do me any good. And besides, breaking up their formations was key to ensure they were unable to disy their full strength and it was also the safest approach for me to do the most damage to their ranks.


    So I watched everything from the background, waiting for the right opportunity to attack, and then disappearing into the chaos. I was having way too much fun as I felt like a mastermind, pulling the strings from the shadows, controlling everything from a distance, unknown to anyone.


    I continued observing the battle for weak points I could probe, throwing off the creatures that came close to attack me by leading them to battle with other wasps.


    There were casualties on both sides, but it leaned more for the wasps - and now, they seem to becking a noticeable chunk of their fighting force and were being suppressed from all sides.


    I was preparing to make another sneak attack when I became aware of two presences flying towards me, and from their speed they had to be hunting wasps.


    The heck? Did they suspect me? Did I act too brazenly?


    To throw off their suspicion I immediately stung the monster closest to me, causing it to copse and get swallowed inside the creature horde. Yet, it was not enough to convince the wasps to stay away as they confronted me.


    They were buzzing inquisitivemands which buffered my wasp''s antennae with sound waves. I did not understand a word but somehow got the general gist of it.


    Why was I not defending the hive? Was what I understood, but I couldn''t reply as it was just buzzing to me.


    So, I pretended to be busy fighting the nearest creature until one of the them went away. The other however, continued to hover some distance away, its attention focused on me.


    I could feel its cold gaze on me and I scoffed in my mind.


    ''Hmph, do you think I''m afraid of you? I''m the mastermind, I don''t need to attack you directly. If I did attack, you won''t even know how you died!''


    To get clear of it, I plunged down into the midst of battle, and quietly slipped out through a tunnel towards the bottom of the hive.


    I was flying low when I glimpsed something in the periphery and sighed - It seemed I was unable to shake off my follower.


    Below the hive was misty and dark, I felt that familiar dampness in the air and knew I was close to the exit. Although I was followed by a hunter wasp, if I could reach the exit and get clear, there was nothing it could do - as a wasp it would not leave the hive to chase another while there was such a crisis, not even to pursue a traitor.


    With that thought, I increased my speed to outdo my pursuer, however when I was close to the exit, I found it was blocked by many ongoing battles.


    There were more wasps here, fighting off the host creatures that threatened to escape. It would be a different story if I got pursued by a group of wasps, so I had to be extra cautious.


    The hunting wasp that was following me, however, moved to attack me and I grew annoyed with it so, I rushed into the midst of the battles, evading poison, fangs, and ws to draw nearer to the exit.


    The wasp chasing me also plunged into battle, expertly dodging the fighting creatures to reach me. I stabbed a couple of wasps in my flight path with my stinger, in hopes that their fallen bodies would deter it but with no luck - it just made it more persistent and added another wasp to the chase.


    In the midst of the confusion and the bloody battle of creatures, I evaded several severed limbs, ruthlessly dealt attacks, and protected myself from retaliation all while being pursued, to bring me to the edge of escape. And when I finally got there, I wished I didn''t.


    Through the cold air and mist of the exit, I saw thendscape of the forest but approaching fast was a dense cloud of buzzing creatures swarming towards the hive with speed.


    The hunting squadron had returned - and leading them at the forefront was the terrifying wasp I encountered in the crumbling maze.

 Chapter 76 - Potential

    After seeing themotion, the wasps were rushing ahead and some had already reached the entrance. If I flew out now I would meet them head on.


    Suddenly the hunter wasp following me, crashed through an opening in the battle, brandishing its stinger toward me.


    But, before it could reach me, it was torn from the air by a creature who caught its head in its jaws, in an attack that nearly ripped its head off.


    As I looked at its attacker, I was surprised at the sight of a familiar creature. It was my cellmate, the lizard who had been following me all through the chase. It had somehow gotten through the battles unscathed and appeared in front of me now.


    With the wasp restrained, I immediately stung it and its struggle ceased between the lizard''s jaws where Its head was promptly crushed, leaving behind a bleeding mess. But then the second wasp that had been supporting it in its chase appeared.


    On seeing the other wasp''s death, it screeched an rm towards the wasp squadron, alerting two hunter wasps nearby who immediately moved towards us, and I knew I couldn''t pretend anymore.


    Rather than risk attacking in full view of the squadron, I turned and retreated towards the ongoing battles, hoping to lose the wasps in their midst.


    The lizard, following my example, also made itself scarce. It melded into the battle between some creatures and the wasps, and quickly got lost in the crowd. Unfortunately, it left me with three unforgiving wasps on my trail that made me want to curse at the lizard''s sneaking ability. What a wonderfulrade I had!


    I was back into the hive but following behind me was the squadron of numerous wasps and their deadly leader. I really wanted to cry.


    I gave the hunter wasps closest to me a challenging chase by weaving through the crowd and drawing close torge monsters, in hopes that the two got taken down by stray attacks from others and it went well too. One got hit by an attack that damaged its carapace and it fell while the others still pursued but were greatly slowed down.


    But at that moment, that terrifying wasp made an move and reversed the situation in one deft stroke.


    I felt the threatening aura of danger and my instincts set in. I already knew from experience it used a ranged attack, so I immediately started flying upwards to get away from its reach.


    And as soon as I did, the bodies of monsters started falling everywhere. Ahead of me, body parts cleaved cleanly in half began to rain down. Flying projectiles darted in and out of the air, glinting like water on the surface of ake as they spun.


    Impossibly sharp des that severed the head of an ape monster mid leap - its face stuck in permanent grimace, shot into the path of my flight in a glittering rain of blood.


    I nearly collided with it because I was speeding away so fast, but I was lucky enough to divert my path before the ape''s head hit me head on, so the blood only sttered across my wings.


    The chaos of the battle stilled as life left clusters of my fighting force in rapid session. Everywhere I looked, there was a glint of a de before blood rained down.


    I didn''t catch a glimpse of the terrifying wasp, but I knew it was somewhere within its squadron delving attack after attack, decimating everything I carefully set up, like it was nothing.


    It was a sobering reality.


    Once I was a safe distance away, I turned around and watched the battle with awe.


    I came to realise that even in the face of carefullyid out ns and perfect odds, absolute strength would always triumph. Because power was potential itself, and that had the capacity to surpass anything.


    But, on a brighter note. I''d finally lost my tails.


    I watched the wasp squadron push back my rebel forces with disastrous consequences.


    Therge crocodilian monster with tough skin charged towards the centre, towards the terrifying wasp, with six other monsters in tow. Several wasps were killed as they made their way, and the members of the wasp squadron had to stay clear or risk getting mangled in its jaws.


    The creature soon came face to face, and the two creatures stared at each other. The terrifying wasp caught its long ws that returned, now brandished them in its arms like des. Its aura and presence didn''t diminish although it was much smaller than the crocodilian monster inparison.


    Suddenly there was a shimmering blur and I lost sight of the scary wasp.


    Dust, rubble, and blood rose up in the aftermath, yet I missed the moment the two actually collided. The next moment, the wasp reappeared on the other side of the monster, leaving arge wound along its midsection which bled copiously. The crocodilian monster stayed still for a few seconds before falling over on its side.


    But the wasp did not stop there and continued to move towards the other creatures, ughtering them one by one, uninterrupted, unrivalled and unmatched.


    As if dancing with the wind, its movements were fluid and graceful. It wreaked havoc among the creatures, wielding de-like ws in each arm like a harbinger of doom.


    None of the attacks aimed at it managed tond, because it moved too quickly and disappeared with blinding speed. Wherever its des went, body parts and blood followed, and I could feel a chill slowly enveloping me at the gruesome scene.


    I hadn''t expected to meet this freak so soon after our previous encounter, and now my carefullyid out ns were crumbling to pieces. With a single appearance it had killed off more than a quarter of my forces and I was just as furious, as I was scared and in awe of it.


    My mind ran with thoughts on how to defeat it, and my eyes fell on the tentacled monster that was still going strong. It was further away from this chaotic scene, dealing attacks on its own enemies.


    In the turmoil created by it, all of the hunting wasps and arge portion of the builder wasps that attacked it had been defeated, leading to the copse of whole sections of the hives structure.


    None could match it and the wasps surrounding it were yet to do it any serious harm due to its attacking tentacles, so I flew into battle after it.


    I was curious what the oue would be in a fight between two creatures that dealt damage on arge scale.


    At this moment, the creature was adhered to the walls by its tentacles, looking very harmless. However, as soon as anything moved close, its tentacles spread out, stabbing everything indiscriminately like a harpoon.


    Although it was blind, it could attack things urately by following noises and vibrations, much like my snake self.


    Some wasps were hovering out of reach of it, intent on attacking, so I blended in among them, pretending to be there to assist.


    For this creature I devised a simple n, I just had to make it attack itself. And to do so, I needed to be difficult to hit. To start out, I lifted a fragment of fallen hive matter, shaped like a boulder and tossed this at it.


    The creature''s tentacles immediately shot out, smashing the fragment to bits. I continued to throw more at it, aiming for the spots where its tentacles adhered to the walls. It was so keen on attacking, its tentacles would smash the tossed debris and also the walls they struck.


    The attacking wasps nearby watched on, puzzled by my actions.


    I got closer to the creature, barelying into its attacking range, but close enough that it could detect my movements. I then began to flutter my wings, quickly in intermittent bursts to create an annoying whirring sound simr to the locust''s stridting attack.


    Almost immediately, all the creatures free tentacles lunged forward to attack, pulling hard on the wall that it were already weakened.


    I was safely out of its reach, so its tentacles stopped short, some inches away from me. Then, I began to move across from it as I continued to make the irritating sound.


    The creature had such an adverse reaction to it, that it forced its tentacles to move and follow me. Soon the force it exerted on the walls from its pull could no longer hold its own weight.


    The wall shattered and it fell down into a pile of rubble.


    Flying over to the site of its copse, I tauntingly hovered just out of its reach, angering the creature even more by creating the sounds over and over, until it burst out in roaring fury.


    Its needle filled hole of a mouth let out an eerie scream, and its tentacles jutted out everywhere attacking everything indiscriminately. The wasps that hade closer to watch were swept up by its tentacles and impaled.


    Not satisfied with that, the creature proceeded to destroy everything within reach before resurfacing from the rubble, fully intent on chasing me.

 Chapter 77 - Royal Purple

    I was thrilled my n had worked!


    Although I was being chased by a crazy angry monster, I wasn''t too bothered. I swiftly fled in the direction of the terrifying wasp as nned.


    I flew through tight spaces it could not fit through, causing the creature to create more destruction. Then I used this chaos as an opportunity to sting every wasp I came across until I cleared a direct path from it to my target.


    But as I encroached on the terror wasp''s vicinity, more of its squadron took notice of the tentacled monster and took off to fight it.


    I was having too much sneak attacking the wasps, but I knew I couldn''t y around for long.


    As soon as they got close, I attacked them openly, bringing their attention to myself, all the while keeping up my noise attack so the tentacled creature continued to chase.


    I wove a twisted path through the air, dodging obstacles as I lead the wasps that pursued me through the monsters sharp tentacles. The culminating forces of which were brought down on the scary wasp.


    In the midst of battle it now had to contend with a barrage of attacks from the tentacled monster. Finally, the two creatures were brought face to face and another chaotic battle began.


    To my delight, the scary wasp was at a disadvantage. The tentacled monster was surrounded by the wasp squadron pursuing me, which deterred the scary wasp from using its terrifying long ranged attacks on it, in order to avoid hitting one of its own wasps.


    Or so I thought.


    While I slipped away, pretending to be just another carrier wasp, I saw the scary wasp unleash a barrage of ded attacks, slicing through members of its own squadron to cut down the tentacles of the monster without any hesitation.


    A few of those des rushed upwards towards me and there was no other ce to go but down. So I immediately halted the movement of my wings and plunged to the ground like a stone, narrowly avoiding getting sliced to bits.


    What the heck! How could it do that to its own wasps.


    Of the seven hunting wasps that had been chasing me, three were killed by the scary wasp''s attack, while another two got skewered by the monster''s tentacles.


    The remaining two wasps sessfully evaded the attacks without injury. I slipped past them and went after the tentacled creature, knowing an attack from it would skewer them if they dared to follow.


    Amidst the interference of their battle, the two creatures carried on fighting like nothing was wrong and I found myself evading strikes from both the monster tentacles and the wasps long w.


    I fought to keep myself alive and out of any collision path while taking some bashes and scrapes, to emerge out from the flurry of falling debris, and deadly attacks, into a quiet tunnel devoid of any creatures.


    Finally away from the chaotic battle, I was relieved to breathe in the air free of the scent of blood.


    As I took in my new surroundings when I heard a buzzing sound behind me and found the two wasps had also exited the battle to rest here.


    However, they were not as lucky as I was, both were heavily injured and covered in bruises.


    Annoyed by their persistence I ignored them and made a beeline for the tunnel''s end. I would have taken them on, but I didn''t see a need to attack them, even though it would''ve been a two vs one - they were injured.


    And besides, I was confident I could outrun them in a race, even if they were both hunting wasps.


    Unsurprisingly, as more tunnel openings whizzed across my sight, the two wasps behind me struggled to keep up. I entered into a thin tunnel passage that was no wider than my wing''s width and came across a chamber that was dark and shone with an eerie glow.


    It wasrge with a tall ceiling covered in stgtite, and walls that were a curious shade of purple.


    As soon as I entered, I heard the system ding and an alert appeared which sent a shiver down my spine.


    --------------


    [Adept Level Quest - Find the Queen''s Chambers]


    [Complete!]


    [Quest Reward 100XP has been issued!]


    --------------


    The alert immediately put me on defensive. I flew at low altitude, peering around cautiously. I noticed the colour of the walls hadpletely changed to deep purple and I could hear warning bells inside my mind, screaming at me to turn around and flee.


    But then, the system dinged again, and a new alert appeared before me.


    --------------


    [Required conditions met. Secondary Quest had been added]


    [Adept Level Quest - Find the Hidden Queen. Reward [80 XP]]


    --------------


    What?


    "Sensei! What the hell" I snapped. I wanted to scream.


    But before I could demand an answer, arge shadow fell over me and I felt something fast and sharp stab into my wasp, striking its carapace with a deep blow.


    In the silence, the sound of the flesh tearing apart was mind numbingly loud.


    It took me a moment to realize what just happened. There was a deep cut across my abdomen that was bleeding profusely.


    The moment I looked at the wound, my body seized up with cold shock as intense pain seeped through my senses. My HP dropped by more than half in an instant and I couldn''t stop my flight from spiralling towards the chamber floor.


    ?Calm down, you''re not actually hurt.? Sensei''s voice reminded me.


    I quickly cleared my thoughts and tried to steady the descent of my wasp.


    ?Suppress the pain and stay focused. This isn''t over yet, there will be moreing.?


    What? More?


    I tried to get my wings to beat faster, tensely looking around while bracing for attacks from the shadows.


    All around, my surroundings were dark but as I got closer to the ground, I began to make out some forms. A series of half eaten corpses and other remains were spread out all over the ground, filling the chamber in numerous messy piles.


    Some were very mangled, and others had so little remaining of them that it was hard to tell what they were originally.


    Unable to fly upwards, the terrifying scene only made me feel more helpless. The corpses everywhere filled the chamber with the overbearing stench of death.


    Will I also end up like them?


    The terrifying atmosphere and the unknown presence in the shadows overwhelmed me with fear and I began to crash towards the ground.


    ?Aurelia!? Sensei tense shout snapped me to my senses and I shook out of my thoughts. ?Don''t let your mind wander. Fear is equal to death here.?


    I used the still lingering pain in my abdomen to stay alert and rapidly focused on my flight. And just as I rose higher, a massive wed limb sliced through the air where my body was a moment ago.


    I felt a chill and before I could heave a sigh of relief, several wed limbs closed in on me from the shadows. They were so fast, they seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, and if not for Sensei''s warnings I would have been cleaved into pieces.


    I hastily moved out of the way as those wed limbs crashed through the floor. It was then, I caught a glimpse of the monster in its full glory.


    It was a massive wasp covered in a thick hide that threw off reflections of its surroundings. Streamlined and glossy it moved like a ghost, its enormous body covered in spikes like a wreath of thorns that oozed bright green venom at their tips.


    It was a creature so huge, it filled the spacious chamber with a permanent shadow.


    The Wasp Queen.


    It moved much quicker than should have been possible with a body thatrge and its limbs alone dwarfed the entirety of my wasp.


    A single hit was all it needed to cause the instant death of my wasp. But that would be the least of my problems, because the queen was clearly an entirely different ss of monster than all those I''d seen.


    I was fortunate its previous attack did not damage my wings, so I focused on staying afloat, while ridding myself of the sensation of its pain. My host wasp was on the verge of death as its HP kept falling with every movement.


    Although my wasp was hit, I had to remind myself that it wouldn''t affect my original body. A single attack had the power to split me in half so there was no room for error. So, even when I felt a lot of strain on the wasp''s body I ignored it and pushed even further to fly out of the monster''s attack range.


    I was barely able to dodge the wed limbs and quickly pulled myself further up from the ground.


    However, as I was flying at a considerable height, my attention was drawn to a bright yellow floret, shaped like a pretty flower.


    It rose from the bloody mangled corpse of a creature, right beneath the formidable wasp queen.


    I started at it with pure disbelief. Like a lure my attention was fixed on the new target I had to get to at all cost.


    So much so that the wasp queen faded into the background, as did the attacking wsing my way.

 Chapter 78 - The Wasp Queen

    I spun in mid-air and slipped through my attacker''s limbs, barely avoiding the oing attack from the wasp queen. But too many evasive manoeuvres had strained my injured wasp and its wound had expanded so much it was currently bleeding out.


    ?Focus on getting out of the air first.? Sensei urged.


    Get out of the air? How?


    With the queen keeping up its relentless attacks, I was forced to push my wasp to move even faster, while evading the limbs that came from every direction. I zig-zagged along with a burst of speed, hoping to outrun the queen''s attacks but all of a sudden, my sight was filled with the shadow of a looming w.


    Eeeek!!


    It was too fast for me to react and I was pierced by the tip of a w, before getting dragged around and thrown into the pile of corpses. I felt an excruciating pain as my wasp''s body coursed with venom that melted its insides and I knew there was no hope of my wasp rising again.


    With no choice, I released it from our connection and escaped in my snake form by activating [Stealth]. The waspy there unable to move as its body eroded from all the wounds.


    But the gigantic wasp was stilling after me so I burrowed into the pile of corpses to escape its notice. The queen, seeming intent on destroying the corpse, continued stabbing repeatedly until my former host waspletely crushed under the queen''s massive w, and soon its life blinked out of existence.


    But the queen was not satisfied and continued to search through the corpse pile as though it knew I was there.


    The queen''s formidable strength made me once again realize the insignificance of my puny existence and I lowered my presence as much as possible while noiselessly slithering through the bodies, away from the queen''s position.


    But soon, there was another disturbance as the two wasps that were chasing me finally caught up and burst into the chamber,ing face to face with the queen.


    Although the two wasps immediately fell down and bowed, the enraged queen snatched one from the air with her mandibles and tore the other wasp apart in a wondrous spray of blood.


    I was frightened by the scene and also thrilled - because I knew I was sessful in hiding from the queen. That''s why it projected its anger on those two poor wasps.


    But more importantly, not far from my current position was the flower-like mushrooms I saw while evading the queen''s attacks.


    I was unsure if they were the same mushrooms I was looking for but their resemnce to Sairon''s Bell was uncanny - as were the conditions they needed to grow. I had to find out since they were so close.


    ?Don''t even think about it.? Sensei read my thoughts and tried to talk me down.


    ?That is too risky. You''ll get yourself killed.?


    But after being made to feel helpless again and again under overwhelming odds, I refused to cower anymore. If I didn''t dare to take such risks at this time, there was no way I could leave the Hive alive.


    "I will be fine." I replied offhandedly as I observed the distance between me and the mushrooms.


    And while the queen was upied, I burrowed under the corpse pile and made my way towards the mushrooms. Perhaps because the queen was distracted by the two wasps, or my [Stealth] was that effective, I managed to safely reach the mangled corpse.


    Growing from the same stem were two florets identical in everything else but their colour, the poisonous bright yellow one and the antidote I needed which was the barely visible dark one.


    They looked like the same mushrooms I saw back in the forest but I appraised them nheless to be safe.


    --------------


    [Sairon''s Bell]


    [Specie: Ostium Nervorum]


    --------------


    The yellow one read, and for the dark one.


    --------------


    [Sichilde''s Paramour]


    [Specie: Funus Amanita]


    --------------


    Seeing the appraisal result made me grin and I quickly ate the dark one without any dy, setting off a series of system dings.


    --------------


    [You ate [Sichilde''s Paramour], nullifying the status effect of [Sairon''s Bell]]


    ?Skill¡ºDetox LV1¡»has been acquired?


    [Quest - Increase Your Poison Resistance. Complete!]


    [Quest Reward 50XP has been issued!]


    ?¡ºPoison Resistance LV1¡»has been acquired?


    --------------


    I was happy to finally be cured of my poison, evading an impending death. It felt as if a burden had been lifted off of me and I was so relieved.


    However, not faraway, the fearsome wasp queen eating the corpses of the two wasps that just flew in and I heaved a depressed sigh.


    I''m very close to death still...


    But as I looked at the system notifications, I grew curious of the new skill I gained.


    [Poison Resistance] was a given due to the nature of the quest, but what exactly was [Detox]?


    It seemed to be the result of eating Sairon''s bell or maybe the effect of its antidote.


    Either way it looked like a useful skill to have.


    Poking my head out from the pile of corpses, I looked around the queen''s chambers to figure out a way to escape unnoticed. When I noticed the queen did not turn her attention to me, I grinned. It seemed [Stealth] was still infallible to certain creatures.


    Ever since I encountered the scary wasp, I had begun to doubt the effectiveness of not just [Stealth] but all of my skills, due to its terrifying might. It made me feel weak and powerless in a way that not even the queen was able to.


    Granted, the queen was further away from me than it had been, but still.


    I shook off my thoughts and soon spotted an opening up in the purple walls of the wide cavern. It was sizable enough for a creature of the queen''s size to fit through and I knew it was the exit.


    Unfortunately, there was no way to reach it without alerting the queen who was having her precious meal right beside it. It seemed my only option was to wait until the queen moved elsewhere.


    But at that moment I picked up some vibrations in the air, followed by the crunch of bone as a squadron of hunting wasps entered the chamber to bow at the foot of the giant wasp queen.


    This time they were not attacked which made me wonder if they had some superioritypared to the others. They came in carrying the mangled corpse of a carrier wasp and the body of a host creature, which theyid at the foot of the queen.


    They seemed to bemunicating with her and the queen stopped eating to observe the bodies, only to let out an enraged screech that visibly shook the chamber at something one of the wasps said.


    The remaining wasps flew back in fright, and I too retreated further into the corpses because I recognised that mangled carrier wasp - it was the one I left behind in the Hive Core.


    Before I could wrap my head around what it was doing here, I felt a shiver down my spine as yet another dangerous presence entered the chamber.


    It was a wasp whose formerly glistening armour was now covered in blood. Like a vision of terror the scary wasp that decimated my forces flew over to the wasp queen, exuding an aura full of threat that filled the chamber and made my heart sink.


    I shrank away and more than ever I wished to disappear from there at that instant. It was the culmination of all my nightmares and bad decisions appearing at once to p me in the face.


    And as if mocking me, I heard the system ding.


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase: ¡ºStealth LV 4¡»has be¡ºStealth LV 5¡»?


    As the scary wasp descended from the tunnel entrance, I held my breath to eliminate any sound and stayedpletely still. Even with [Stealth] active I didn''t feel safe.


    I was hidden well, but I had a feeling that this wasp''s detection was much better than the queen''s, so I did everything to erase all the traces of my presence.


    With [Silence] working alongside [Stealth], all traces of warmth vanished. My body appeared a shade darker than before, as though a film of intangible substance had spread over my scales, blending them further into the shadows.


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase: ¡ºSilence LV 4¡»has be¡ºSilence LV 5¡»?


    And it seemed like my efforts were not wasted.


    The scary wasp simply bowed before the queen in an isted spot, the bloodstains on its armour like coarse rust staining its former bright lustre. The scary wasp looked like it had taken a beating and I hoped it was hurt bad.


    Although, I was unsure how the hive fared after the battle, it meant some part of my n had worked.


    However I noticed that even when the other wasps rose up, it continued to kneel and I found the situation rather odd.


    The wasp queen did not excuse him to get up and instead, threw the half eaten corpses of the wasps that chased me at his feet.


    I seemed to recall those wasps being a part of his squadron.

 Chapter 79 - Broken Facades

    The scary wasp did not flinch or react at the withered bodies and continued bowing respectfully towards the queen.


    Was he being punished?


    Why did it feel like the Queen was humiliating him?


    Even though I was hidden a safe distance away, I could feel the sparks flying between them.


    The wasp queen seemed to enjoy bullying him by keeping him kneeling for such a long time, while the scary wasp was silently suppressing its raging fury.


    Their formidable auras battered my senses and I felt either of them could attack each other at any moment.


    The surrounding wasps knew well enough to keep a distance. However, to avoid being detected I was unable to move at all.


    They remained at odds, until finally, the wasp queen snapped.


    With an iprehensible screech she threw out her wed limb at the scary wasp, knocking him back through the air.


    The scary wasp didn''t retaliate but rebuffed the queen''s attack by nting his des deep in the ground to slow his backward momentum, and endured in silence as new injuries opened up on his body.


    When he finally stopped moving, he returned to his original position and bowed like nothing had happened.


    Just what was going on?


    It was clear they detested each other and yet he was still serving her.


    Two of my dangerous opponents fighting each other should have made me happy, but seeing the enemy that had given me so much trouble getting bullied like that made me feel disappointed for some reason.


    "You didn''t expect me to fight this queen, did you?" I sulked.


    ?No, I didn''t.? Sensei replied, seemingly annoyed. ?Despite what you may think, I don''t want you to die.?


    ?I''m well aware this queen is beyond your current capabilities. I merely wanted you to gain some awareness of the creatures on this level. There was always a very low chance of you encountering the queen. She spends majority of her time underground and only resurfaces to eat. You just have poor timing.?


    I sighed. Was it just bad luck on my part?


    ?I think you should forget about the secondary quest. With how things are now, the risk factor is very high.?


    Ah yes¡­ the secondary adept quest, [Find the Hidden Queen].


    ?Although the other queen is weak, it is still much stronger than you.? Sensei continued.


    ?The quest is not mandatory so, I would focus more on getting out of the hive.?


    Hmm¡­ that was true and he sounded reasonable¡­ But why did it feel like Sensei was looking down on me all of a sudden? Did he think I would get killed by the other queen so easily?


    My thoughts were interrupted as the fearsome wasp queen screeched out something towards the scary wasp and he bowed again before flying out of the chamber.


    The baffling spectacle was brought to an abrupt close and the other wasps also dispersed along with him.


    After a short while the queen also started to move. I watched her leave the chamber through the wide opening, her heat trace vanishing below the ground into the hive''s inner sanctum.


    Even then I carefully scanned my surroundings with [Heat Sense] just to make sure I was alone, and I didn''t move until I was confident the wasps wouldn''t being back.


    Outside the ''food chamber'' was the deep tunnel the queen had vanished into. I wondered where it lead, but I knew better than to linger around, so I quickly moved past it to reach the rest of the cavern, where I encountered a problem.


    The cavern was sealed off with a single exit in the form of a tunnel high up in the walls. Without my wasp to fly over it, the only way was down, and there was no way I was going back there. I did not want to see that wasp queen ever again.


    The formerly busy ce was eerie in the absence of activity. The wasp squadron were nowhere to be seen and I assumed they were still busy dealing with the escaped hosts.


    I wanted to leave here as fast as I could before they returned, but I had no idea how to return to the top of the hive. With nowhere else to go, I began to look around, when something caught my eye.


    There were two chambers nearby, one piled high with clusters of wasp eggs and another that waspletely empty, whose walls were stained in that peculiar shade of purple.


    It seemed to be the bloodstained room I had glimpsed in the wasp''s memories.


    Its interior was more vivid in colour than in the chamber of corpses and there was an abundance of mushroom florets growing from the very surface of its purple walls.


    Although I had no need for the antidote anymore, that room made me extremely apprehensive. For such an amount of blood to stain its walls, something terrible had to have happened there. But seeing all those poisonous mushrooms gave me an idea.


    I appraised my new skill.


    [Detox] - Negates all toxins in the bearer''s body.


    Hehe¡­ very interesting.


    I wanted to test the limits of this skill so I entered the bloodstained room and began to eat all the mushrooms I could find.


    There was no hallucinogenic effect this time as it was instantly nullified by [Detox] which consecutively increased in level the more I ate, along with my [Poison resistance].


    I stopped when it became clear I would no longer gain any benefits from ingesting them. But by the time I was done, I''d gained three additional levels in [Detox] and five in [Poison Resistance].


    It was simply amazing!


    If [Poison Resistance] provided immunity to low level toxins, then [Detox] was like its omniscient grandfather that was even more potent!


    With this, I no longer needed to be afraid of poisons anymore.


    With a sinister grin on my face, I exited the bloodstained room and went into the chamber next to it that was filled with clusters of eggs.


    When the hive returned to its normal state, I knew these clusters would get taken up to the hive by carrier wasps. And what better way to get to the safer host chambers than to hitch a ride along with them?


    I quietly slipped inside one of the clusters and concealed myself with [Stealth] as I waited for the unsuspecting wasp to take it away.


    And I did not have to wait long as, soon after, the air filled with vibrations as multiple wasps converged into the cavern. They then began to carry away the egg clusters one at a time.


    I felt one of the wasps attach itself to the cluster I was in and the next thing, I was getting carried through the air along with them,pletely undetected.


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase: ¡ºStealth LV 5¡»has be¡ºStealth LV 6¡»?


    I was curious about the aftermath of the battle and I even worried about the fate of that whimsical lizard that had followed me.


    I hoped it had survived the battle and left the hive to safety. But I didn''t dare poke my head out of the cluster to see. I scanned the surroundings instead with [Heat Sense].


    The atmosphere was incredibly tense and I could clearly see the oue of my meddling in progress.


    There were more hunter wasps moving around in squadrons, patrolling much more strictly than before, and I spotted several silhouettes of builder wasps moving along the tunnels, gathering the bodies and parts of the wreckage to work on fixing the hive''s broken parts.


    It was extremely satisfying to see.


    However, the more I scanned around, the more I noticed something was amiss. Rather than continuously rising towards the uppermost parts of the hive. The cluster I was in, seemed to be moving down, heading somewhere else.


    I poked my head out and saw that the wasp attached to my cluster had diverted to an isted ce that did not look at all like a host chamber.


    Whole sections of the hive around here had copsed, but they looked too old to have been caused recently. Also, there were no bodies around at all as you would expect from a recent battle.


    ?Stay alert. You are being observed.? Sensei said suddenly, and I was immediately wary.


    Observed? By whom?


    Without any thought, I scanned around with [Heat Sense] but it did not reveal any threatening presence, or any being at all, aside from the wasp carrying the cluster. This made me even more confused.


    ?Try using [Mana Sense] instead.? Sensei suggested.


    I immediately activated it and almost instantly, arge mana presence exploded before my eyes.


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase: ¡ºMana Sense LV 1¡»has be¡ºMana Sense LV 2¡»?


    It was intense, yet there was no hint of anything before this. There was no trace of any creature or the heat outline of a body. It had somehow stayed undetected until now, like it possessed both [Stealth] and the ability to suppress its own aura.


    And now suddenly, this flood of mana came from somewhere inside the isted ce, and I panicked.


    Did I walk into an ambush?

 Chapter 80 - Friend Or Foe?

    I hoped it was not toote to turn this around.


    I quickly slithered up the egg cluster and attacked the carrier wasp by strangling it.


    As far as I knew, the creature did not know I was aware of it yet. So the sooner I took action to stop the wasp from going further in, the better chance I have to escape.


    The carrier wasp struggled under my constriction hold, as it tried to throw me off, but I quickly revealed my stingers and ground them into its skin in an attempt to control it with [Mind Chain].


    With the knowledge of previous experiences, I was able to take control of it with ease to make a hasty retreat.


    But then, I felt the rush of wind and something fast zipped over my head, slicing off one of my wasp''s antennae.


    I felt a shiver. I recognised that attack after seeing it in action so many times. And soon, the lithe figure of a wasp with bloody armour emerged from the isted tunnel, confirming my suspicions.


    The red sh of the scary wasp was a striking sight among the crumbling grey tunnels as it sped through the air with a blur, moving towards me much faster than I could retreat.


    Only then did I realise my mistake in taking control of the wasp. There was no way I could outrun something like it with a weak carrier wasp with luggage. I should have found another escape route instead!


    But I couldn''t abandon it now as that would make things much worse, so I pushed my wasp to fly with all its strength, rising high among the tunnel walls to put more distance between my nemesis.


    Deep down I knew it was impossible. The scary wasp was faster and an expert at ranged attacks. It was only a matter of time before it sent out another wind de.


    So when I rose high enough, I sliced open the cluster''s membranous bindings, allowing the eggs to roll away.


    The scary wasp would not expect to be bombarded by a slew of eggs, and I hoped this gave me enough time to get away.


    But just as I thought I''d slowed it down, it spun insanely fast in the air, pushing back with its wings to create an undercurrent that let it evade all eggs ande out unstained.


    Before I could get out of the shock, two of its des shot out and nicked my wasp''s abdomen on either side.


    I was beginning to get more and more frustrated.


    I thought flying would be difficult for it due to its injuries, but it was every bit as fast as usual. I did not slow it down at all, if anything I''d just seeded at angering it more.


    My earlier tactic was a failure, so I rushed into an old chamber filled with broken walls and a series of unupied tunnels to get out of its sight. The scary wasp continued to follow so I ducked behind one of the walls, to sting him as he crossed the threshold.


    But as I lunged forward, the scary wasp jabbed out its de in an attempt to stab me. My reflex kicked in and I sprung back to evade, but that only put me in a disadvantage as it immediately sped towards me, closing the gap in seconds to throw a kick at my abdomen.


    I felt a crushing weight that knocked me back through the walls of the chamber and I ended up under a pile of rubble.


    I was disoriented and my wasp was still alive, but when I attempted to fly, I felt a sharp paining from my back, where the impact had bent my wings out of shape.


    They still moved but they were too twisted to allow a smooth flight.


    But I couldn''t think about that right now, because the scary waspnded at the crash site soon after me. I only had one shot at getting out of there so I tested my wings. They trembled weakly, but it was enough to get myself into the air.


    Iunched myself at it, intending to keep it busy before finding a chance to fly away, but on closer inspection I saw the wound on its thorax that was inflicted by the wasp queen earlier, so I made a jab at it.


    But the scary wasp quickly sidestepped and my ws only managed to graze the wound. I failed with my attack but it seemed I seeded in making it angry.


    It retaliated with a raging screech and in one fluid motion, the limbs of my wasp were cut clean.


    I shrieked at the sudden assault of sharp pain and tried to turn away but the scary wasp which should''ve been behind me, was now flying overhead with a de in hand.


    It unleashed a barrage of attack towards me and I felt shes of pain as its des sliced through my wings,pletely rendering them useless.


    Unable to stay afloat, my wasp quickly plummeted to the ground and with ast bit of effort, I turned it around midair in a bid to shield my original body from the impact of the fall.


    I released [Mind Chain] as soon as we hit the ground but the wasp was still alive so I swiftly killed it by crushing through its thorax.


    ?You have defeated LV8 Iuvenis Hesperia?


    ?+ 39XP?


    ?You have gained a level!?


    But it was not enough to make a difference!


    "What do I do?" Panicked and out of options, I asked Sensei.


    ?Something feels odd. I think it is testing you? Sensei replied calmly. ?It had many chances to kill you, yet it did not. It must be after something, so try to find out what it wants.?


    I gritted my teeth in anger. The only thing it could possibly want was to have me for dinner. How could Sensei suggest something like that?


    However, when I thought about it, this wasp''s speciality was long ranged attacks but it barely used them. It had ample opportunity to kill me even before I noticed its presence and yet its first shot had missed.


    My visibility was low with all the dust raised by the fallen debris. I couldn''t find the trace of the scary wasp and just as I was about to use [Mana Sense] again, I heard somethingnd softly against the rubble.


    The next moment I was bombarded by a long piercing sound that seemed to echo inside my skull, invading my senses. It was painful as if someone was stabbing my brain over and over.


    ?Calm down, Aurelia.? I was able to hear Sensei''s voice even through the pain and the loud screech ringing in my head. But I was shocked by what he said next.


    ?It''s just trying to establish a mental link. Bear with the pain and try not to fight it.?


    What?! Mental link?


    The more I heard it, the more the high pitched, harsh grating tones resembled those that the wasp''s used tomunicate. Now that I knew, I listened more and soon the sound got quieter, the painful screech shifting to something resembling a low, deep voice.


    [The Queen''s chambers.] I froze at the cold tone of themanding voice in my head.


    [Why were you in there?]


    I shrunk my head back in reflex. It really did speak!


    With a voice as sharp as its wind des that froze me in terror, the scary wasp stepped out of the shadows, its bloodstained armour looking every bit as foreboding as a reaper of death.


    ?It is conversing telepathically. You can project your thoughts through the link it established and respond ordingly. Why don''t you try it?? Sensei advised, not at all bothered by what was happening.


    I was petrified. There was no appropriate response I could think of that would let me keep my life.


    And what was I supposed to say? It sent shivers down my spine.


    [I hate those who use pawns to fight their battles.]


    It sounded furious. Was it angry because I killed its fellow wasp?


    The scary waspnded close to my dead wasp and began to inspect it with its back towards me, like it did not view me as a threat at all. I felt helpless which soon turned into frustration and anger.


    Even if it was extremely strong and I was going to die, I wouldn''t go without putting up a fight.


    So with that thought, I decided to attack it first.


    But as I approached it, something about its behaviour seemed odd.


    The wasp had its back to me and it was moving slowly, almost as if it was baiting me into attacking it.


    [Why did you stop?] The wasp spoke out, seemingly noticing my hesitation.


    [If you cannd a hit on me, I may forget I ever saw you.]


    I scowled at his rudeness and gave an arrogant reply. [It''s pointless if my opponent isn''t even trying.]


    The scary wasp turned around to face me. [I''ve never seen a snake fight the way you do. All the chaos in the hive, was that your doing?]


    It seemed like a question but I could feel he already knew the answer.


    I considered my next words carefully.


    There was no point in lying, but If I admitted to the truth, there was a chance I would be killed for all the destruction I caused. There was no correct answer, but one thing about its actions so far was clear. He had an obvious distaste towards his queen.


    So maybe I could use that...

 Chapter 81 - A Display Of Arrogance

    [You asked why I was in the Queen''s chambers, right?] I began to answer, ignoring the sinking feeling that I was gambling with my life.


    [I was there to poison her food but I was interrupted when the guards arrived.]


    There was no response which meant I was on the right track so I continued. [The chaos in the hive is indeed my doing and... I have more things nned.]


    The wasp was still silent, its eyes firmly fixed on me. Emboldened by itsck of response, I pressed on.


    [I am only after the life of the tyrant. If you can help me, we can easily kill -]


    My words were cut short as the wasp''s silhouette flickered. The next instant, I felt a sharp de lodged against the side of my throat, digging into my scales, and I felt the numbness of paralysis seep in.


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase: ¡ºParalysis Resistance LV 1¡»has be¡ºParalysis Resistance LV 2¡»?


    Stunned by the sudden attack, I held my tongue.


    [Kill the Queen?] I could feel the mockery and ridicule in its tone as it looked at me coldly. [Bold words for such a weak creature like you.]


    [Tell me, why shouldn''t I kill you right here, right now?] He spoke as if it was a simple task and wouldn''t take much effort at all.


    Though it might be true, I was extremely upset at being looked down upon like that. I stared hard at him without fear as I was too pissed off to be afraid.


    Surprisingly, the scary wasp turned away leaving a warning behind.


    [Stay out of my way or I will kill you the next time.]


    I wanted to rebuke him, but by the time I formed the words he had gone.


    I was left behind in the deep darkness of the tunnel, feeling deeply unsatisfied by the way things ended.


    I fumed with anger.


    How rude to tell me to get out of his way when he had no loyalty to his own queen!


    Ourmunication link was broken and with the wasp gone, I felt as if a heavy weight was lifted off me. I was left with an empty feeling after such a rush of excitement.


    All the exhaustion from the constant battles came rushing back and I just wanted to curl up and take a long nap.


    However, as more of my panic wore off, I realised just how lucky I was to have survived the encounter with the scary wasp. Anything could have happened in that time and I felt almost faint just thinking about it.


    But first, I had a few words for Sensei.


    "You! What was that you said before? Let the scary wasp into my head? Do you realise just how dangerous that was?"


    I knew I was just annoyed andshing out at him, but I was too angry and didn''t care.


    "What if he wanted to hijack my thoughts? Or what if heunched some sort of mental attack through the link?"


    Sensei sighed with a hint of amusement. ?That didn''t happen...and you''re still alive, aren''t you??


    "That''s not the point! It was irresponsible and reckless advice on your part."


    ?More reckless than killing a wasp in front of it?? Sensei retorted sharply.


    "Oh, please... he doesn''t care if any of those wasps get killed. And besides, he killed more wasps than I did in the chaotic battle."


    Sensei softened his tone as he spoke. ?I know you are agitated and scared, but you have to understand, that could have gone far worse than it did. And I knew you could handle the situation well, and you did.?


    "That''s not the point! Also, I wasn''t scared!" I grumbled irritably. "And don''t divert the topic without giving an answer!"


    ?You already have your answer. A show of amiability was better than attacking it outright. Lets not forget that it is absolutely impossible for you to beat it anyway. You''re only upset because of how helpless you were in its presence.?


    "I''m not upset!" I denied outright, although it may have been the truth.


    ?Then, we have nothing to argue about.? Sensei replied and I could feel him smirking at me. ?Aren''t you going to take a short nap? You need to get some sleep.?


    I was angry, but I wouldn''te up with the words to refute him.


    And as a further reminder, the system dinged.


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase: ¡ºFaint Resistance LV 3¡»has be¡ºFaint Resistance LV 4¡»?


    I realised just how exhausted I was.


    ?Here is as good a ce as any to take a nap.? Sensei suggested. ?There aren''t any wasps nearby besides the one we just met, so you could let down your guard for a little while.?


    Sensei''s words seemed to imply the scary wasp was still around, but I was too tired to do anything about it. The wasp said he wouldn''t kill me if I didn''t get in his way and for some reason I believed him.


    And it''s not like I would survive long if he was truly serious about killing me, so I found a rtively hidden ce and soon fell asleep.


    --------------


    Although the cavern was a mess from the fight before, it was quiet when I woke up, which lulled me into a false sense of calm, until I moved outside the cavern to where I was able to observe the hive unseen.


    There were many wasps flying about with activities but the tense atmosphere was still very palpable. And as I watched, a group of hunter wasps gave chase to a carrier wasp and killed it with a frenzy of attacks turning it into a shredded broken mess, without giving it any opportunity to resist.


    Through the tunnel exit I observed simr scenes and realised the wasps were fighting amongst themselves.


    The seeds of suspicion I''d nted earlier were starting to bear fruit and I knew it wouldn''t be long before the hive was faced with its second wave of chaos.


    Oddly enough, none of the wasps came anywhere close to this tunnel, leaving its tranquillity undisturbed, and it made me wonder why. It couldn''t just be because this ce was old, right? Or was there something else going on there.


    But then I recalled Sensei''s earlier words.


    "You said the scary wasp was close?" I asked Sensei. "Where exactly is he?"


    If this ce was really the scary wasp''s ir'', then that would exin why none of the wasps dared to get close. Even if the whole hive was going to hell, no wasp would get close to here because the scary wasp seemed to be keeping them at bay.


    And so, to me, this was the safest ce to be right now.


    Sensei hesitated and asked another question instead. ?Why? What are you thinking of doing??


    "I just want to understand some things. The only way to do that is to speak to him again. Don''t you want some answers too?"


    ?No, I don''t.? Sensei replied immediately. ?It''s a bad idea and I doubt he would speak to you again.?


    "It''s worth a try." I insisted, slightly irritated.


    ?Weren''t you just yelling at me about how dangerous it was letting him into your head? You want to take that risk again??


    That was true but there was a fire burning inside me that was thirsting to challenge the wasp again. All the encounters with it had me seriously doubting myself and I felt like I had to beat this wasp to regain my confidence.


    And also, he was very rude and arrogant so there was that too.


    His scathing words were already embedded into my brain and I couldn''t stop hearing them. To absolve myself from disgrace, I had to hurt him at least once, even if I were unable to defeat him!


    "It''s fine. I just want to talk so¡­"


    ?Are you sure that''s all there is?? Sensei probed suspiciously.


    "Of course, what else can it be." I replied offhandedly as I looked around.


    Unfortunately, as I went deeper, the feelings I''d forcefully suppressed began to make a reappearance.


    But I quickly shook them off and focused on the raging me burning inside me. I absolutely was not afraid of meeting him again.


    ?He''s on the upper level, just past this chamber.?


    I retreated further into the cavern and entered a tunnel sloping upwards. With [Stealth] and [Silence] activated, I came across an old cavern lined with damaged walls, making it harder to see anything ahead due to the many obstructions.


    The closer I came, the more I noticed these walls were marked with ugly cuts that seemed to have been caused by a de, and I felt uneasy.


    Suddenly I sensed some movement followed by the dull echoes of many sharp objects embedding into the walls repeatedly. Their continuous motion sent vibrations through the cavern''s air in a disordered pattern. However, the moment I came close, it became eerily quiet.


    Suddenly surrounded by dead silence, I froze, hackles raised.


    Did he sense me already?


    I was on full alert, ready to dodge the wind des but nothing happened. So I activated [Mana Sense] and continued to explore the area as my vision switched to a pitch ckyout. Then, I saw that enormous pale blue source of mana that was the scary wasp.


    He was just up ahead but he made no moves to attack and seemed to be waiting for me.


    His calm,idback attitude made me feel that much more weak and I suddenly wanted to turn around and flee. Without the element of surprise, would I even be able tond a hit?

 Chapter 82 - Reckless Behaviour

    It seemed my attack n had failed before it even began. Nevertheless, I suppressed my anxiety, gritted my teeth and vaulted over the walls tounch myself at it with [Leap].


    The wasp didn''t even bother to evade, as if taunting me to do my worst and this nonchnce made me more furious.


    Since it willingly gave me a chance, Itched onto its body and tightened my grip around its thorax with my stingers raised, constricting it more and more to tighten its airway, but the wasp''s shell was proving much tougher than I imagined.


    Even as I was squeezing with all my strength, it was not even enough to cause a dent so I targeted his wounds inflicted by the queen. My stingers cut across them like a razor and the wasp finally reacted with a startled screech.


    Hope that hurts! That was for underestimating me!


    But before I could relish in my small victory, the wasp''s wed arm pulled me away from its body in one sweep.


    I immediately attacked its body with [Bite] but once again I could not prate its shell, and before I could constrict around its arm, I was swiftly sent flying out of the cavern.


    I mmed through a wall on the way out and my body hurt all over from the impact.


    Several indents had formed where the wasps ws dug into my skin and a couple of my stingers had snapped in the process too.


    Finding myself in a sad heap on the ground within mere seconds of my attack, was a shocking reality that begged belief.


    I felt even more upset.


    ?He already knew you wereing, so what did you expect?? Sensei mocked, before mumbling quietly. ?But why isn''t he attacking? What exactly is he after??


    Again. I wanted to fight him again. Right now actually!


    [Pain Resistance] seemed to be in good order as I wasn''t hurting that much anymore, so I straightened myself and got back up.


    ?Aurelia, wait - ?


    I was in no mood to listen to Sensei''s input so Ipletely tuned him out and got ready to attack again.


    This time I attacked from below thinking it wouldn''t spot me if I changed angles, but as soon as I came close, the wasp took off in the air, throwing off a series of wind des towards me.


    I frantically moved around in a bid to dodge them, yet, I was not fast enough and many of the des brushed across me, damaging my scales in the process. I had to activate my [Heat Sphere] just to predict where the des woulde from, to get an advantage of a few seconds.


    It worked at the beginning but as there were too many des released in quick session, I couldn''t keep up and my MP soon drained to nothing.


    I was fuming with helpless rage with nowhere to vent. Even though some of the attacks had been rebuffed by [Steel Skin] and [Dragon Scales], those that hit left deep injuries and I was once again forced to shrink away in defeat in order to preserve my pathetic life.


    I was disappointed, angry and extremely upset. I seemed to be losing my rationale in a mad obsession to beat the wasp but I was already too far gone to care.


    As soon as my MP bar filled halfway through, I was back attacking it once again desperately.


    I continued to face it again and again, my attacks bing more and more reckless with each attempt.


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase: ¡ºDragon Scales¡»has levelled up ?


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase: ¡ºPain Resistance¡»has levelled up?


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase: ¡ºSteel Skin¡»has levelled up?


    My skills were improving at an unprecedented rate and yet I couldn''tnd a proper hit since the first time and this was driving me crazy.


    After several attempts, I only managed to get close enough tond a [Bite] imbued with [Pain Toxin], eliciting a screech from the wasp before I was knocked away and eventually tossed out like a limp snake.


    ?You will never defeat him like this.? Sensei''s voice rang in my head like a gong, pulling me out of my stupor. ?Your attacks are reckless, uncoordinated and all over the ce. He''s not any ordinary wasp you could subdue with a barrage of attacks.?


    I scowled at the amusement in Sensei''s voice.


    I was battered and bruised, physically and mentally. The arrogant wasp kept pummelling me with ease, all the while maintaining that insufferable silence like I was unworthy to be spoken to!


    In the quiet chamber, the sounds of impact of my body crashing through the walls was loud and overbearing as my mental fatigue kept inching closer to the breaking point.


    ?You have to be calm and calcted yet unpredictable. You have to erase your aura and disappear first if you want to get close enough deal a fatal strike ?


    "I already have [Stealth] active and it''s not working." Iined in frustration.


    The problem was that it could always see meing, beating me swiftly before I could evenunch a proper attack.


    ?Try hiding by withdrawing your mana presence.? Sensei advised calmly. ?It''s rare but some creatures have a detection so strong, they can sense individual mana traces, although they are unaware of what they are doing themselves. This wasp is one of them.?


    "I don''t know how to do that." I snapped grumpily.


    ?Use [Mana Sense] on yourself and find any trace of energy that has leaked past your body''s outline. Then try to pull that energy back into the centre to contain it, this way you can reduce the chances of him sensing that energy and figuring out your position.?


    I was frustrated but did as Sensei suggested and activated [Mana Sense].


    The mana I had was barely enough to leak out and if my efforts to contain it were anything of note, there was no telling if it was working or not.


    But I decided to give it a try and prepared to attack the wasp again. I approached the wasp from a blind angle and had it in my sights yet, it stayed still and I hoped I finally managed to hide from his senses.


    I was ecstatic and was about to attack with [Rapid Strike], when it noticed my presence and jabbed out its des in an attempt to cleave me in half. I was able to avoid it in thest second and only got away with a small, bleeding cut.


    I turned around and attacked it again, this time I was able to leap onto its body, tightening over its arm in hopes of incapacitating its arms. Its ded ws nged together, under my grip and I squeezed them with all my strength until its joints snapped and cracks began to appear over its arm.


    But at that moment I was hit by a st of wind that pierced through my scales as if they were paper.


    The excruciating pain made me loosen my grip, enough for the wasp to break through my hold and throw me away unceremoniously.


    This attack was soon followed by the painful sensation of noise ring in my head and the sound of an unimpressed voice.


    [Not enough. Try harder.]


    Even if its tone was as arrogant as ever, I felt the haze in my head clear away.


    I finally managed to make it speak. I was making some progress!


    With [Mana Sense] aiding me in hiding my presence, even if only for a while, I felt as though I was finally moving forward.


    With a newfound energy and excitement, we continued to trade blows, but the result was more or less the same.


    After suffering countless losses , it became painfully clear that the scary wasp was way stronger than me, and this feeling only amplified the moment I used [Appraisal] on him and saw the disparity in our stats. From then on, the anger I had was soon exhausted and reced by the sinking feeling of dread.


    I saw that the scary wasp was about to send a wind de in my direction, so I immediately trained [Appraisal] at him, hoping to irritate its senses so that he would miss.


    The scary wasp let out an irritated grunt but shot out its des regardless. As they crossed the perimeter of Heat sphere, I quickly moved to avoid them but more attacks followed after, crushing the ground where I was a moment ago and pelting my scales with a barrage of sharp stings.


    My body throbbed with pain but I ignored it and reached closer to attack with [Rapid Strike].


    Unfortunately, he was swift and slipped away before my fangs could sink in, and then I had to scramble to dodge the multiple wind desing at me, that shattered the ground around like scraps of confetti.


    Once his attacks got in range of my heat Sphere, I could predict where they wouldnd, but I realized predicting was so much easier than sessfully evading - especially when his des sped through the air much faster than I could move.


    I was destroyed so many times that I''d lost count the number of times [Rugged Scales] had levelled up. My body felt heavy from the soreness and all the bruises as I waited for my HP to recover.

 Chapter 83 - Motives

    Even though my skills were improving at a tremendous pace, the scary wasp made sure to adjust his strength ordingly, so it felt like I was stuck in some kind of limbo, repeating my first attempt again and again. He no longer revealed any openings for me to attack and without that leeway, I was tragically pushed back and buried hard under piles of rubble.


    ?Are you done yet?? Sensei asked as Iy there waiting for my HP to refill after suffering the nth defeat.


    "I don''t know..." I pondered in response. "I want to know what he''s thinking ying around with me like this, but I doubt he will answer."


    I would have to be dumb not to realize that he had never taken me as a serious threat. The wasp was pretty much uninjured after so many fights, while I was covered in scrapes all over.


    But the main question was, why was he keeping me alive?


    Crawling out of the rubble, my body felt akin to limp spaghetti and I justid down beside all the debris to take a short breather.


    The scary wasp threw a sneering nce at me and returned to sting the walls around it, in what I could only assume was a training exercise.


    Although, I wasn''t sofortable as to let down by guard. My HP recovered fully after a while but I waspletely drained mentally, so I justid there and continued to observe the wasp for any behavioural traits that might help me fight it more efficiently.


    "What do you think it wants?" I was curious. My attacks were never enough to unsettle the scary wasp, yet his attacks were never too strong to fatally wound me even after so many rounds.


    ?My guess is as good as yours.?


    Now that I was at a safe distance and the scary wasp was busy with his own training, I tried to aim [Appraisal] at him once more.


    --------------


    LV31 Horothia


    Specie: Ailith Vespoidea


    HP: 490/490 Defence: 340


    MP: 236/240 Intellect: 137


    SP: 420/425 Magic: 180


    Attack: 388 Agility: 548


    Skills:


    ?????: LV:?? ??????: LV:??


    --------------


    Powerful!


    It was way too powerful than anything I''d ever fought!


    But just then, I felt a painful sensation in my head, followed by an irritated voice.


    [Enough!]


    Wind des flew out from across the chamber, tearing through everything in their path and I barely managed to dodge them while holding onto my life.


    What a terrible temper!


    And such impressive stats too.


    There was no way I could defeat it in my current state even though my skills were constantly levelling up. I have to think of another strategy if I hoped to get through to it.


    ?There are many other ways to show your admiration than stubbornly throwing yourself at him, even when you know you can''t beat him.?


    "Admire whom?" The blood drained from my body and I nched in revulsion. What was this stupid Sensei saying now? How could I admire something with such a condescending attitude?


    ?I don''t make a habit of reading your emotions. But I will if it''s to make sense of your behaviour.?


    "You''re imagining things." I frowned. "Is the mindlink with him still open?"


    ?You are within range.? Sensei answered. ?As long as the wasp doesn''t reject it, you can freelymunicate.?


    I suppressed the sense of intimidation and mustered up the first words I could think of.


    [Erm...]


    [M-My name is Aurelia. W-What is your name?]


    ?....?


    Why did that sound so childish?


    I could feel the disappointment from Sensei and I wanted to bury my head into the ground.


    [Name?] was the reply.


    The scary wasp seemed confused, so I tried to phrase it differently. [What do your brethren call you?]


    [The hive is a collective. We have no need for individual traits such as names.]


    His response was perfectly rational. It made sense that he saw the many beings of the hive as part of a whole. However, it felt wrong not having something to call him by.


    Feeling a little brave, I pressed on. [Is the Queen also a part of this ''collective''?]


    I knew this topic was something he did not want to talk about, but I needed answers so I continued. [You say you are a part of a collective and yet, it seems your Queen doesn''t treat you as such, why is that?]


    I regretted the question as soon as I asked.


    The scary wasp did not respond and I felt I used up all the leeway I had with him. The silence that followed after only made me more uneasy. It was clear the wasp wasn''t going to say anymore.


    Sensei spoke in a calm voice. ?You need to be more rational. Analyse the situation without getting your feelings involved.?


    "Maybe I got carried away." I admitted. "I thought I could get some answers and find out his intentions."


    ?A direct approach like that won''t help you in the long run. Not every monster you meet will be as friendly as this one.?


    My eyes strayed to where the Scary wasp was training. "He is friendly?"


    ?Maybe ''friendly'' isn''t the right word here but it at least doesn''t see you as an enemy since you are still alive and well so...?


    "Alive and well?" Hmph, I''m alive alright, but definitely not well.


    ?Familiarity allows ''humans'' to let down their guard. Don''t forget this is a monster, it has no concept of morality nor any loyalty towards you.?


    I sighed. Sensei was right.


    [She was never my queen.]


    I froze. He actually answered!


    [She came from the outside and killed my queen to take over the hive.]


    I fell into a deep thought. If the original queen was killed and reced, it would exin why there was only one queen in the Queen''s chambers. But was that really the truth?


    If the original queen was dead, where had all the other eggse from? I knew for a fact that they were two queens from the quests, and I had Sensei''s words as proof.


    It only made sense if the scary wasp was lying, so I pretended to be oblivious and agreed with him.


    [Aren''t you here to kill the queen because of our rising numbers?]


    The scary wasp spoke in a questioning tone and I froze up.


    It seemed to be under the impression I hade here for a purpose rather than getting captured like the other hosts, so I backtracked and came up with a fitting response.


    [Yes... I''m here because the hosts in your hive have surpassed the required amount and they need to be... culled.]


    Would he believe me?


    I observed the scary wasp warily but it simply grunted in agreement and continued to speak.


    [The new queen ordered us to hunt in excess. She does not fear anyone, not even your king. If she is allowed to get too strong, her hunger for power will eventually overthrow the bnce in the Labyrinth. The only thing holding her back is that we are still too few, but that won''tst for much longer.]


    I had no idea what it all meant but it exined to some extent why he wanted to kill her.


    And also other questions, like why he did not harm me. If he thought I was rted to this ''king'', it all made sense.


    However, its next question left me stumped for a response.


    [So where are the rest of your kin?]


    My heart thudded as I struggled to think of a passable excuse. My kin? Was he referring to snakes as a collective group?


    ?It''s a trick question.? Sensei said. ?He is trying to find out whether you are telling the truth.?


    Was this a test? Would my response now determine if he''d made the right choice in keeping me alive?


    "Uhh... they are on the way." I cringed at theme excuse but I couldn''t take it back so I continued. "I separated from the others¡­ and snuck in on my own so that I could prove myself."


    Phew¡­ that was a good save. I nodded in satisfaction as I''d managed to connect everything reasonably and not leave any holes.


    Even if he was still doubtful, he wouldn''t be sure enough to act on them.


    I observed the wasp for any reaction but it stayed silent for a while, and then he flew over to me.


    I immediately started to panic. Did I miss something? Was my answer not good enough?


    However, upon reaching me, he didn''t try to harm me but gave me an order instead.


    [Create more chaos and lure the queen out of her tunnel. Then I will find an opportunity and eliminate her.]


    It was scary and I was speechless. He was quite possibly the most terrifying creature I''d evere across andcked the concept of loyalty as Sensei had said. Yet, it seemed all he wanted was revenge for wrongdoings against his queen.


    I was already in deep water and I found myselfpelled to agree to his demands.


    [Okay.]


    So, it seems I saved my life... for now.


    It urred to me toote that the chaos I''d created was over and I no longer had any more strings to pull. If anything, my actions would soon reveal the existence of the ''dead'' queen that this wasp was trying so desperately to hide.


    Suddenly the system dinged, its robotic voice deeply contrasting with the dread I was feeling.


    ?You have earned the title¡ºTrickster¡»Activating status effect. Sess?


    How encouraging. Rewarded for deceit.


    The scary wasp withdrew and my thoughts filled with turmoil as I struggled to think of what to do next.


    Did I just make a pact with the devil?

 Chapter 84 - A Dangerous Pact

    I somehow found the entire situation exciting.


    It didn''t matter what sort of pact we made - if the chaos in the hive continued, the scary wasp would eventually get his chance. But, it would be a different matter if the wasps managed to subdue the crisis and everything returned to normal.


    If that happened then the scary wasp would have no reason to work with me and I might actually lose my head.


    I trembled at the thought. It was a risk, but right now it was better to support the "friendly" devil before it became an evil one.


    With my HP filled, I approached it with more confidence than before.


    [Since we are friends now, I will do all I can to help.] I proimed.


    The scary wasp paused his practice. [Friends?]


    [Acquaintances¡­or allies maybe?]


    [I am only loyal to my queen.]


    I scowled at his stubbornness and the scary wasp scoffed before looking away. I had to make sure he would keep me alive afterwards but the wasp stopped speaking.


    "That''s why you don''t have any friends." I hmphed angrily at him, which made Senseiugh.


    ?I imagine loyalty to someone else would be a foreign concept for him.?


    I was perplexed, from what I had seen so far, the wasps were the cold and unfeeling sort. Even this scary wasp was every bit as vicious as the rest, plus more. Was it stupid of me to consider it an ally when it could kill me at any time?


    I helplessly sighed. "Is this sort of loyalty usually the norm? Maybe the hidden queen is much stronger than him and is pressuring him to support her?"


    ?Not exactly, this one is just unusual. It stayed longer than usual in its host''s body and its host species was one that thrived off the concept of loyalty to superiors. He likely imbibed more of these traits in his developmental stage than was necessary.?


    I didn''t even think that was possible! So, was he like, a quasi-hybrid wasp?


    ?All wasps return to the hive. The longer they take, the powerful they be, but there is always a downside. Too long in the host bodies and they can get confused over their own skills or what they are. Most of them will have their loyalties to their queen subverted and challenge her. Others will resist the hive and go off on their own.?


    The scary wasp fit every criteria of the renegade wasp, so why was he still here?


    "Surely, it would never submit if it was strong enough to overthrow its own queen." I questioned.


    Sensei''s exnation made the scary wasp''s behaviour far too odd. It was more likely the queen had him under some sort of control. As I was yet to appraise a queen, I couldn''t exactly conclude, they lost their [Mind Chain] skill when they hatched from their host bodies like the other wasps did, or if they developed a better skill as a recement?


    As if sensing where my thoughts were going, Sensei responded.


    ?He did not rebel. He actually became more loyal because of his "upbringing". You could say he is a unique case.?


    His answer did not entirely convince me. I still suspected the hidden queen had something to do with it.


    "Is this usual with Hesperia?" I asked, but I already knew the answer.


    ?What do you think?? Sensei added sombrely. ?Lots of things affect how loyal a subject will be. Most times it depends on the qualities of their leader. It''s up to you toe to your own conclusion.?


    There was an unspoken agreement, our new "friendship" depended solely on the approval of a third party. The only thing keeping him here was the loyalty for his queen and if that queen ordered him to kill me, he would do so with no hesitation.


    Even if I didn''t want to admit it - I felt this was deeply unfair. Did we really have to be enemies?


    But just then, the scary wasp spoke.


    [I have to take care of some things. You stay here until I return.]


    He immediately took off in the air, and I had to hold back what I was going to say. And right on queue, I heard the buzzing of numerous wasps approaching.


    Outside the cavern, I could make out many wasps with the help of [Mana Sense], thergest source being the scary wasp in their middle, with more wasps joining him.


    Soon they numbered more than forty and soon an entire squadron of wasps was meeting in the opposite tunnel. I wondered if he had left to meet them outside so I wouldn''t be noticed by any of them.


    After a brief instruction, the scary wasp led him away from the tunnel to the main hive and with that, ourmunication link finally broke.


    In the now quiet cavern, suddenly I missed talking and wished more than anything to possess amunication skill.


    "Can you make that avable in the store?" I asked Sensei jokingly.


    ?It''s a naturally urring skill.? Sensei replied. ?Keep levelling up and you will get it on your own.?


    "Tch. How Stingy." I scoffed.


    The scary wasp had said to wait, but I had other ideas. Although the scary wasp''sir provided safety, the things I could do here were limited. If I wanted to hunt and improve, I knew I had to leave. After fighting with it for a while, my skills had improved quite a bit.


    ----------------


    Name: Aurelia LV9 [Neonate Snake]


    Specie: Cerastes Vipera


    HP: 107/107 Defence: 92


    MP: 53/68 Intellect: 73


    SP: 95/95 Magic: 47


    Attack: 96 Agility: 110


    Skills:


    [Poison Fang: LV8] [Bite: LV6]


    [Venom Rain: LV3] [Scent: LV4]


    [Dragon Scales: LV4]


    [Silence: LV6] [Rapid Strike: LV5]


    [Heat Sense: LV9] [Grip: LV8]


    [Stealth: LV8] [Appraisal: LV5]


    [Buoyancy: LV3] [Steel Skin: LV9]


    [Rugged Scales: LV8]


    [Leap: LV5] [Pain Toxin: LV4]


    [Mana Sense: LV4] [Detox: LV4]


    Title:


    [Apostle] [Coldblooded]


    [Commander] [Hero] [Trickster]


    Unique Skill:


    [Devour]


    Attributes:


    [Obsidian Horn] [Mind Chain]


    [Stinger]


    Resistances:


    [Impact Resistance: LV7]


    [Pain Resistance: LV7]


    [Wind Resistance: LV3]


    [Shock Resistance: LV6]


    [Faint Resistance: LV4]


    [Poison Resistance: LV5]


    [Paralysis Resistance: LV4]


    Experience Points: [270]


    ----------------


    But it want enough to beat him. When he returned, a rematch was certainly in order to avenge my mistreatment! Before that, I had to improve myself further.


    With [Heat Sense] activated to scan for presences, I moved through the damaged walls with multiple de marks and crumbled debris until I reached l the end of the chamber, where I found an opening leading down below.


    It was a vertical tunnel, overlooking a steep drop below whose views looked vaguely familiar. Through it I could see arge chamber below that contained many rows of aged hexagonal walls that were worn to disrepair and sections of walls had copsed to dust like a blizzard had run through it. There were obvious signs that some of its fixtures had been blown right open in the chaos.


    It was no longer a surprise, I was clearly looking at the old crumbling maze - or what remained of it. The wreckage caused by the escaping creatures had utterly destroyed it, and what was left was a barren wastnd of dust.


    If I continued down this way I would eventually see the Hive core - if there was anything left of it. But then I remembered, I still had toplete the [Explore till tunnel''s end] quest, so either way this was good news.


    However, this steep drop leading to it was not. It was clearly an exit meant for beings that could fly and I remembered seeing the scary wasp enter through here during our first encounter. I knew I could not cross its steep drop, so I explored in the opposite direction to find another passage.


    I soon came across another chamber''s entrance that made me pause. It was directly above where the hive core should be and its entrance waspletely concealed behind the walls.


    I would have walked past it, if I did not detect a faint heat signatureing from the inside. To be sure I wasn''t imagining it, I used [Mana Sense] and sure enough I picked up a faint aura from inside.


    Its mana presence wasn''t as strong as that of the scary wasp, yet it was noticeably stronger than that of a regr wasp and it was certainly not average.


    My heart thudded in my chest as I scanned the outside of the room. From what I could tell, it wasn''t really aware of my presence, or if it was, it chose to remain unnoticed or was perhaps asleep.


    Was that really what I thought it was?


    If I entered the chamber I was sure my quest would ''ding'', but, I ignored the temptation and continued to move past it into the tunnel below. It didn''t move, so I didn''t dwell on it and made the decision to ask the scary wasp about it when he returned.


    I would not expose his secrets, since we made a deal, but I just couldn''t believe the scary wasp would keep the hidden queen in in sight!


    I soon arrived at the crumbled remains of the Hive Core and almost immediately the system dinged with a notification.


    [Novice Level Quest - Explore Till Tunnel End. Status: [15/15]]


    [Complete!]


    [Reward [150XP] issued.]

 Chapter 85 - Crumbling Order

    Looking at the Hive Core, there was no telling where the old hive ended or the core began. Aside from the first four open tunnels that remained the same, everything else was in disarray.


    The walls dividing the sealed tunnels of the hive core had copsed, with all their rubble pushed out to the other side. It was thrashed so hard when the creatures spread out from every direction that every semnce of order was gone.


    But with thepletion of that quest, I finally had the points I needed!


    I immediately opened the system''s Item store.


    Now I have a choice to make between [Labyrinth As] priced at [300XP], [Dimensional Box] at [350XP] or the skill [Mark] at [100XP].


    After some thought I decided to buy [Dimensional Box].


    My thought process was simple. Although [Labyrinth As] was very important and useful, I had no need for a map right now, as I wont be exploring the corners of the Labyrinth anytime soon.


    With that said, [Dimensional Box] is a very practical choice as it can help me store my hunted prey and other things. And with [420XP] points avable, I would have some remaining, which I could easily use to purchase [Mark] as soon as Iplete other quests.


    After confirming the purchase of [Dimensional Box] my [420XP] points sharply fell to a mere [70XP].


    With it now in my inventory, I began to wonder how I would actually use such a thing as It took on no form of any kind. I didn''t want to ask Sensei either as I figured he was silently waiting for me to ask.


    So I decided to figure it out on my own and focused on fallen debris of the tunnels within a metre from me, setting my sights on a ratherrge piece of broken wall. Since [Dimensional Box] was 10 cubic meters, it was much wider than the tunnel I was in. So, I tried to imagine thatrge piece of wall disappearing into it.


    As soon as I did, the wall fragment simply disappeared, like a hole had opened up under it, swallowing it whole like it was never there. All the rubble around it was left to copse without their support, in a way that was so much more dramatic than I would have imagined.


    Pleased by the shocking result, I tried it on smaller pieces of debris. smaller openings equal to their size appeared, swallowing them too. I wondered if it was restricted to even pieces so I tried it on weirdly shaped bits of debris and openings equal to their size and shape appeared.


    Encouraged by this, I was on to seeing if whole sections of wall would fit, making sure to avoid any surviving pirs, lest the entire tunnel came crumbling down on me. Shockingly, they also got swallowed.


    It was like [Dimensional Box] was taking on the silhouettes of these objects as it opened up, to make sure everything fit. It seemed there was no limit to how wide an object it could contain - how cool.


    The only thing I was unsure of was how far away it could open away from my body, and if it would close if I moved away.


    I experimented by swallowing the debris near me, moving further away until I could no longer see the object itself.


    I found the further away I was from it, the harder it was to keep it open. It was much easier to use [Dimensional Box] when the object was less than a meter away from me, and it only got more difficult the further away from it I got, even failing to open as soon as it was more than 5 metres away.


    Anything more than that and it failed to open at all. This measurement, I noticed, roughly corrted to the range of my [Heat Sense].


    When I tried to release an object, it was much easier. I just had to recall its shape from my memory but if I was unable to - a whole barrage of debris would spill out, since that was the only thing it contained right now.


    At the moment there were no wasps around the Hive Core, but I had to be careful not to make too much noise, so doing this wasn''t exactly a good idea.


    But when I started to hear noisesing from one of the tunnels, I stopped all my tests and travelled down the length of the tunnel to investigate.


    However what unfolded before my eyes was more than a little surprising. Outside the tunnel was a chaotic scene involving a number of hunter wasps and a group of hosts they were pursuing.


    Turns out far more survived of my rebel army than I initially thought. The wasps had finally cornered them into one chamber and were moving in for the kill.


    The stronger creatures who could break through did so in a frantic stampede, leaving behind the few weaker ones that were too slow. Among them was also my former cellmate, the lizard.


    With most of the creatures gone and more wasps arriving to assist, it was besieged from every angle. Three hunting wasps specifically targeted the lizard and it would try to resist but with their aerial advantage, his efforts amounted to nothing.


    It was almost like bullying and it was painful to watch.


    Fortunately, it was smart enough to escape into one of the host chambers with two of the wasps in pursuit. Once thest wasp flew near the tunnel, I leapt onto it and quickly tightened around it, I didn''t bother using [Mind Chain] but I dug in with my [Stinger] instead, killing it instantly.


    ?You have killed LV9 Iuvenium Hesperia?


    ?You have earned 40 XP?


    Although the wasps were strong, after fighting the scary wasp numerous times, these were not worth mentioning at all.


    After throwing the wasp body into the [Dimensional Box], I stared down into the host chamber where the lizard was trying to survive the two wasps. It seemed to be holding itself okay and I considered leaving it to look for more prey.


    However, it noticed me almost immediately and its eyes stared in my direction, almost like it was pleading for help.


    This, of course, led the wasps to notice me as well. I cursed it in my head and with no other choice, leapt into the cell to attack them before they could get out and make things more difficult for me.


    The lizard was too battered and useless, but with four creatures, the space became tighter and it made it so much easier for me to slither around and pick off the wasps one by one.


    ?You have killed LV8 Iuvenium Hesperia?


    ?You have killed LV7 Iuvenium Hesperia?


    ?You have earned 74 XP?


    With the wasps dead and their bodies collected, I climbed out of the cell. And the lizard, who was happy to see me for some reason, began to follow.


    Outside the chamber, the wasps that were pursuing the hosts were gone and more wasps had reced them, except these seemed to be fighting amongst themselves.


    They seem to be isting some and killing off others. Unrest had begun and the wasps kept attacking other wasps. Many host chambers had been raided and the unconscious hosts inside were killed for the sole reason that they contained additional eggs.


    It seemed the entire hive was in the midst of dealing with the aftermath of the earlier chaos.


    Unfortunately for me, the wasps around were all stuck together in groups and the only ones I could pick off were the wounded wasps who supported the hidden queen and they were only a few.


    In this chaos, there was no way I could improve my skills without bing a target myself, so I returned to the quiet of the scary wasp''sir to wait for our rematch.


    I realized the lizard was still following me and tried to scare it away but no matter how many times I tried to get rid of it, it continued to follow.


    I could only sigh and let it do as it wished.


    As it was licking its wounds I took the chance to appraise it and was pleasantly surprised.


    --------------


    LV8 Ivenium Stilio


    Specie: Ailith Drake


    HP: 51/78 Defence: 72


    MP: 40/55 Intellect: 29


    SP: 45/80 Magic: 42


    Attack: 86 Agility: 79


    Skills:


    [w: LV7] [Scent: LV8]


    [Bite: LV6] [Poison Slime: LV7]


    [Silence: LV8] [Stealth: LV7]


    [Sprint: LV5] [Toxic Roar: LV5]


    [Grip: LV9] [Tail Swing: LV9]


    [sh: LV5] [Tail Spike: LV8]


    [Sturdy: LV6] [Column Spike: LV3]


    [Red Mane: LV7]


    Title:


    [Larvae Host] [Pit Member]


    Attributes:


    [Regeneration]


    Resistances:


    [Cutting Resistance: LV3]


    [Pain Resistance: LV7]


    [Faint Resistance: LV6]


    [Paralysis Resistance: LV4]


    --------------


    Wait, what?


    [Pit Member]?


    I was stunned. How did it be a member of my [Pit] without my permission?


    The audacity of it, after putting me in so much trouble.


    "How is this possible?" Iined.


    Did I trigger something that made it join, or did it voluntarily do so because it felt like it?


    The lizard was now already peacefully asleep, and Sensei had noments, so there was no one to answer me.


    Why was I the only one who found this concerning?

 Chapter 86 - The Snake And Her Lizard

    I curled myself beside the walls, grumbling at the fact that I could never get rid of the pesky lizard now.


    Unfortunately, before I could rest, I picked up vibrationsing from below the tunnel opening and instantly became alert.


    Five heavily armoured hunting wasps arrived into their soon after, moving through the cavern slowly and carefully like they were afraid to make themselves known.


    I suspected they were searching for the hidden queen, now that they knew she was alive.


    With the scary wasp gone, there was no one to stop them. Or were they using this opportunity to search around his things?


    I appraised the nearest one and its status shed up at me.


    --------------


    LV14 Melior Hesperia


    Specie: Ailith Vespoidea


    HP: 120/120 Defence: 96


    MP: 44/44 Intellect: 40


    SP: 74/106 Magic: 56


    Attack: 92 Agility: 86


    Skills:


    [?????: LV?] [?????: LV?] [????: LV?]


    --------------


    They were closing in on the chamber that housed the hidden queen and I was faced with the moral dilemma. Was it best to retreat with the lizard and allow them to discover her, or attack them to protect the queen who would most definitely consider me an enemy.


    There wasn''t much of a choice.


    If I did not defend the scary wasp''s queen, not only would I lose a possible ally, but most likely I would be killed on his return.


    My sudden alertness woke the lizard beside me and without anymands, it too began to watch the air with caution.


    I appraised each of the wasps as they came through. The first happened to be the strongest at LV14, while the others consisted of two LV12''s and one LV10, with the weakest being a LV9.


    If any of them had unique detection skills, it wouldn''t be long before they found the queen''s hiding ce.


    The group moved above their''s walls, cautiouslybing through the spaces in between them that could possibly conceal anything. When I saw them searching manually I felt relieved to move even closer to observe them. The lizard followed behind me in tow, but I red at it causing it to stay back.


    Unlike me, who was smaller and could hide in the shadows with [Stealth], it was far too conspicuous. I couldn''t let it make us a target so soon.


    I hid myself in a dark corner and observed the wasps looking around. The entrance to the queen''s chamber was hidden behind an additional wall that made its opening hard to see. If they did a simple search and moved on, there would be no need for me to take action. And I hoped that would be the case.


    The wasps had split up to cover more ground, two searched near the periphery while the remaining three went off to search other areas.


    However, one of the LV12 wasp''s flew nearer to the chamber''s hidden entrance, its antennae flicking with curiosity.


    But before it could encroach any further, I opened [Dimensional box] and threw out arge piece of wall debris that fell with a loud bang.


    The two wasps immediately flew in my direction, separating further from the group as I concealed myself nearby, waiting for the moment theynded.


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase: ¡ºStealth LV8¡»has be¡ºStealth LV9¡»?


    And as soon as their antenna came into view, I set free all the debris I''d stored in [Dimensional Box], letting loose an avnche of dirt over both wasps.


    In the end one of the wasps had its wings crushed while the other was buried underneath the rubble.


    While the wasp struggled to free itself, I immediately attacked the injured one . There was some resistance on my fangs but unlike before, they were able to sink into its tough shell.


    With my fangs sessfully embedded, I made quick work of it with [Poison Fang], pumping out two shots of venom.


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase: ¡ºPoison Fang LV8¡»has be¡ºPoison Fang LV9¡»?


    ?You have killed LV10 Melior Hesperia?


    ?You have earned 50XP?


    I then quickly moved on to the buried wasp who had managed to free itself halfway through. But before it could free its ws, I constricted around its exposed neck with [Steel Skin] and [Stinger], tearing off its head swiftly.


    ?You have killed LV12 Melior Hesperia?


    ?You have earned 76XP?


    Although I managed to kill the two wasps, I made too much noise by throwing out all the wall debris. I knew the other three wasps would descend on me any moment, so I quickly withdrew into a hidden corner again.


    Soon after, a wasp flew over to investigate the noise, followed by the lizard and the two began to sh. I quickly slithered over to them and watched from the sidelines to see how the lizard would fight.


    It had followed me long enough, and now I had to determine if it was an asset to keep or a liability.


    Surprisingly the wasp whom I expected to quickly beat up the lizard was having trouble keeping up with it. It fought well and managed to sting the lizard a couple of times, but the sly fiend whose HP had recovered, actually used this to trick its opponent into thinking it was paralysed!


    Lulled into false safety by its stiff opponent, the wasp came closer and was swiftly knocked down by the lizard who proceeded to viciously tear it apart. I was more shocked that it did not give me any chance to jump in and save it.


    Before long the wasp was dead and the lizard stood over its corpse with its head held high in what I presumed was a stance of victory.


    I pretended not to see this and quickly moved on.


    ?Your new pet is quite interesting.? Sensei added with a chuckle.


    "Pet?" I scoffed. "He''s just a dumb lizard."


    ?He''s keeping up with you just fine.? Sensei taunted.


    "Hmph. I had no problem beating him before. I could easily do so again."


    I scowled at the lizard who cheerily walked beside me, oblivious to our conversation.


    ?Concentrate now¡­You don''t want to get distracted.?


    My attention returned to the battle and with [Heat Sense], I spotted the remaining two wasps heading in our direction.


    I looked at the proud lizard and wondered if I could make use of him. Since he was now my [Pit Member] I instructed the lizard to go ahead and approach the pair, in hopes of tricking them into thinking he was alone.


    As soon as they spotted him, the two wasps gave chase and I watched their outlines draw closer until finally, the LV14 wasp came into range. Without hesitation Iunched myself at it, grabbing it out of the air by its wings and sinking my poisonous fangs into it before it could manoeuvre free.


    [Poison Fang] worked fast, weakening it in seconds, but it was not enough to kill it - much to my disappointment.


    The other wasp was left to the lizard. Its fighting skills were quite good and it too managed to pin it down, but before it couldnd its killing blow, the wasp I was constricting suddenly let out a terrible screech.


    In its weakening state, its dying wail was louder and coarser than anything I''d ever heard. It sent vibrations through the entirety of the chamber, and sounding out even further outside.


    I felt it especially harshly through me because of my close proximity, the continuous vibrations causing my fangs to tremble.


    I realized it might be a cry for help.


    To stop the terrible sound I immediately constricted tighter, pumping in an additional shot of venom and finally managed to kill it.


    ?You have killed LV14 Melior Hesperia?


    ?You have earned 92XP?


    ?You have gained a level!?


    Without a doubt, a sound that loud would not go unnoticed and I was annoyed at myself for not killing it faster. I had seeded in defeating all the wasps with the lizard but after such an rming cry, I was sure more were headed our way soon - if they weren''t already.


    I considered collecting all the bodies to conceal traces of the battle but there wasn''t any time for that. By the time I managed to do so, reinforcements would have already arrived.


    I wondered if the queen had also heard the cry, so I aimed my [Mana Sense] towards the hidden room. There were movementsing from within but no sign of hering out.


    But now the situation has changed and this ce might not be so safe anymore. If more wasps were to arrive - or worse, if the other queen came here herself, she would be in deep trouble.


    Arriving at the entrance of the hidden chamber with the lizard in tow, I wondered what to do next.


    I didn''t know how many wasps heard that cry of help or how many wereing this way.


    I also didn''t know if the stronger Queen woulde her or send more squads of hunting wasps.


    The only one who could help me in this situation was the scary wasp and I didn''t know where he was or when he would return.


    Did I have to face another queen head on? And fight passively while trying to convince I was there to help her? Would she even believe me?


    I sighed, it was something I just had to try. With that thought, I entered the queen''s chamber.

 Chapter 87 - The Hidden Queen

    The queen''s chamber felt like an isted world, the hollowness of the space snuffed out every sound - from the general buzzing of wings both far and near, to the usual bustling atmosphere of the hive.


    Silence befell everywhere like a nket of chill, leaving nothing but a deathly stillness.


    Before me was a wide chamber, shaped like nature''s amphitheatre, full of pristine grey walls that spanned many columns stretching high up to the ceiling.


    These pirs were evenly spaced on either side in distant rows that made the chamber appear never-ending.


    Like a visage of calm and tranquillity, it appeared to be a space cut away from it all, and the further I ventured in, the more I began to feel uneasy.


    It almost seemed designed to intimidate.


    nked on either side by tall pirs, I followed the path inside, keeping my eyes open for any surprises.


    The lizard followed behind me closely, looking all around tensely as we moved.


    I focused ahead, keeping calm and alert.


    However, I soon came to a stop as I noticed something ahead. The feeling of uneasiness only amplified at the sight of a tall shadow behind one of the pirs.


    I immediately scanned it with [Mana Sense] but it revealed nothing. There was no trace of mana or aura to indicate a presence.


    Yet, there really was something there.


    I was confused.


    Was it actually possible for something alive to not contain any mana?


    Unsure if it was simply a product of my imagination, I reluctantly moved closer to investigate. The ambiguous shadow was still there and I was now more curious than scared.


    And as I further inched closer, I was able to make out a hunter wasp every bit as intimidating as the scary wasp.


    They possessed the same streamlined build with sharp, powerful limbs. Except it was not him.


    There were subtle differences. Its colouring was off, the shade a tad too lightpared to the deep green lustre of the scary wasp''s shell. The ws were a bit more hookedpared to the straight ones that had injured me many times.


    After fighting him for many days, these subtle differences seemed too obvious to me.


    It gave off no sign of life so I appraised it.


    ----------------


    LV19 Verum Hesperia


    Specie: Ailith Vespoidea


    HP: 0/170Defence: 119


    MP: 0/68Intellect: 59


    SP: 0/139Magic: 72


    Attack: 128Agility: 120


    Skills:


    [Sting Whip: LV10] [elerated Flight: LV4]


    [Pain Toxin: LV6] [Exoskeleton: LV7]


    [Paralysis Venom: LV10] [Bite: LV8]


    [Scent: LV4] [Compound Eyes: LV8]


    [Aerial Manoeuvring: LV2] [Grip: LV5]


    [Directional Stability: LV7] [Lift: LV8]


    [Leadership: LV5] [Razor w: LV7]


    [Deadly Stinger: LV8] [Flight: LV10]


    Title:


    [Hive Member]


    Resistances:


    [Piercing Resistance: LV7]


    [Wind Resistance: LV8]


    [Pain Resistance: LV9]


    ----------------


    The differences in the results were far too big. It wasn''t nearly as powerful as my rival.


    In the overall bleak surroundings, this wasp stood out even more. There was a perfectly cut spherical hole on its thorax, like it had been pierced by a ratherrge drill. It bore no other injuries besides this, or sign of force and there was not even a shred of dust on its body.


    The corpse lookedrgely undisturbed, even though it looked like it had been dead for a long time. I noticed a faint glow of light rebounding from one side of its lustrous shell.


    I didn''t want to think too deep about its circumstances so I turned around to venture deeper into the chamber, where I was met with the sight of another dead wasp - this one kneeling in a prone position on the ground.


    There was a simr spherical hole cut out of its thorax like the corpse before and noticing this pattern, I continued down the path and as expected, I spotted yet another corpse.


    And that wasn''t thest one either.


    The further I ventured inside, the more corpses I discovered.I began to follow the trail of bodies and moved deeper into the chamber. After travelling a fair distance, I began to pick up the unmistakable scent of water.


    Water?


    I felt like I was being thrown for a loop, until my eyes were attracted towards arge hole cut out of the wall, perfectly oval in shape and so high up, it showered the rest of the chamber in a faint glow.


    Eerily quiet, the view from the ''window'' was lined with many kinds of glowing moss, creating an idyllic scene that took my breath away.


    And at the bottom of this window were multitudes of wasps that all looked like the scary wasp, frozen in many forms, some kneeled, some stood, some had their heads raised high gazing up at the oval window. All of them were devoid of mana and had the same vacant looks and spherical holes cut into their chests.


    But as we crossed the scattered line of corpses, I noticed the lizard appear beside me, trembling from head to tail.


    Seeing it so agitated somehow made me feel amused and I smirked.


    ''I dare you to follow me again. Hmph.''


    I ignored it and scanned around each corpse with [Mana Sense] and finally, I was able to pick up traces of mana which surprisingly brought me back to the window.


    As I looked up, there was a lone figure sittingnguidly on the ledge. It was a wasp that looked simr to the others, and yet different. It had the same proportions, only slightly smaller and unmistakably female.


    Her armoured body was a lustrous green, tinged heavily in luminous hues of blue and red. Translucent red wings draped down her back like a cloak and the eerie white light upon touching them broke into tiny little stars that Illuminated the chamber with a reddish glow.


    No sound came out from the shimmering emptiness around the figure, making the rustling of water from outside and the faint echoes of small animals echo inside.


    Ding!


    [Adept Level Quest - Find the Hidden Queen. Complete!]


    [Quest Reward 80XP has been issued!]


    I immediately lowered my head and urged the lizard to do the same.


    Her regal appearance and calm demeanour were enough to convince me she was the queen and I did not risk appraising her because I knew it would be perceived as an attack.


    Unruffled by the breeze, the queen was still and restful -zy even.


    As I begun to think of the next step, I felt a familiar, sharp pain in my mind. It was much sharper but way less painless than when the scary wasp did it.


    Then after a brief silence, I heard her voice, low and smooth like liquid silver,cking all the harshness and difort that was evident in the tone of the scary wasp.


    [Wonderful isn''t it? Ekharkai carved out this view for me so I wouldn''t feel lonely.]


    Her words were that of fondness, like a mother describing a wayward child. But her tonecked the warmth that made it convincing.


    [Ekharkai?] I asked, confused by the term.


    [You spent so much time with that child, yet he did not tell you his name.]


    Suddenly I felt under scrutiny, like she had judged my appearance and found me inadequate.


    I did not like the feeling at all.


    Nevertheless, I relented. [He said he did not have one.]


    The queen sighed.


    [Ah yes, he wouldn''t know. I name all my children as soon as they return to me, but none of them can bear these names. They only breed individual thoughts and rebellion.]


    I snuck a glimpse at all the wasp corpses around me. Each one was above LV 17 and they were all simr to the scary wasp Ekharkai, in style and physique. But like poor imitations of the original that allcked something that made them unique.


    [What are these?] I asked, feeling a bit more brave.


    [My children. Berak, Setra, Umie, Tesik, all of my greatest works. I infused my will upon them,manded them to eat their fill of their enemies and every creature that crossed their paths. [Yet none of them could surpass him in strength and power.]


    There was a brief but heavy silence before she spoke again.


    [Ekharkai was my first and my most perfect creation. The others simply couldn''t catch up to him no matter what I tried. Disappointing.]


    Despite what the Queen said, I couldn''t ignore that they all bore perfectly identical holes in their thorax.


    Contrary to what I thought, the queen did not look injured at all and it dawned on me that I had made a big mistake. I was expecting to find her weakened or near dead, but her body didn''t have a single scratch on it.


    But why did all these wasps have gaping holes where their cores should have been?


    I could not appraise the Queen so I simply took a closer look and examined her appearance more carefully.


    Her body on the outside was uninjured but her mana told a different story.


    Under [Mana Sense], her outline that should have been a vivid cyan blue was marred with shes and other puncture wounds.


    Parts of her body werepletely devoid of mana, appearing pitch ck in a patchwork of scars that looked like she had been savaged by a mob of vicious attacks.


    The circr mass of liquid at the centre of her thorax, that should have been a deep blue, was dull and almost murky white. Unseemly and misshapen, like a chunk of it had been pierced and left to bleed out. From the extent of her internal injuries I was surprised she was even still alive.


    [You killed them.] I said unhesitatingly and that got her to move.


    The queen unfurled her red wings on the window''s ledge and slipped down, descending slowly in an updraft.


    [You sent them out to hunt and return stronger, so why?]


    I asked the question although I already guessed the answer.


    The queen did not react. She simply hovered above the corpses like she was immune to gravity.


    And the moment she spoke all of my tension faded away and I found myself lured in by the low hypnotic voice that sounded peaceful.


    [Their lives were never theirs to begin with. They were born for me and shall live out their lives, only to serve me.]


    Then I heard the system ding as a new alert shed in front of my eyes.


    ?¡ºObsidian Horn¡»has neutralised the effect of low level¡ºCoercion¡»?


    I felt as if a ss shattered and my mind became clear again. And as I realized what just happened, I noticed the lizard at my side was not so fortunate.


    Its eyes were zed over and its open mouth was drooling.

 Chapter 88 - The Vicious Queen And The Deceptive Snake

    I had a bad feeling about it and tried to instruct the dumb lizard to snap out of it, but it didn''t even react. Its eyes were out of focus, its tongue sticking out of its open mouth.


    That stupid idiot! I wanted to yell.


    I looked up at the queen and her inky ck cavernous eyes stared back. Hovering indifferently above the numerous gored corpses of her children, the light shining through her wings bathed the sinister scene in an ominous red glow.


    Her intentions were obvious.


    "Coercion? Is that some sort of skill?" I asked Sensei.


    ?It''s a mental attack that projects its wielders will to suppress the consciousness of weaker beings. It''s simr to [Mind Chain] but without the need for contact. At its least effective, It reduces the victim''s momentum and at its best, it overrides their awareness.?


    ?That you can resist it is purely your goodluck for obtaining [Obsidian Horn].?


    I was surprised that [Obsidian Horn] which I had thought was useless woulde in handy at such a critical time. A purely offensive weapon that also possessed qualities that negated mental attacks? How rare.


    But then again, the system alert said it was low level - how much could it withstand before the queen''s [Coercion] truly started to affect me? If she decided to crank it up a notch, I doubted I would fare better than my drooling follower.


    "How do I make him snap out of it?" I asked.


    ?You can''t. You need to defeat the Queen first.? Sensei replied, as if it was a simple thing.


    It was obvious his mania for power was returning to the forefront.


    "We didn''te here for that." I snapped at him angrily. He was back to his devious ways of trying to set me up to get stronger. "This was supposed to be a rescue in the first ce."


    ?It''s up to you.? Sensei said without sympathy.


    Just at that moment, my [Mana Sense] picked up more presences flying around outside the hidden chamber''s door. I counted about twenty more wasps that had gathered in the scary waspsir and my anxiety rose through the roof.


    Things were going from bad to worse.


    Yet, my most pressing concern was, when the queen in front of me would attack us. And where the heck was the scary wasp? Why had he not returned yet?


    Looking at all the surgically removed cores of the dead wasps around me, and then at the hidden queen''s pale bleached one. I could only wonder if she had done this to replenish her own.


    How else could she retain her perfect outward appearance even with all the damage done to her mana core?


    All the wasps here should''ve had liquid cores or higher if they had evolved before they died.


    But then, the thought hit me that the scary wasp could also be party to her actions and suddenly my head was in turmoil.


    There was no good or bad in this situation. However, I felt the need to justify the scary wasp because of my admiration for him and somehow, I did not want him to be aware of her actions


    It was one thing to kill a wasp that got in your way and another to sacrifice countless others purely for the selfish need of one.


    The desperate actions of the queen - if she was alone in this, would taint the loyalty and respect he had for her... and perhaps that would benefit me.


    My only saving grace was that the queen was attacking us with her voice and not whatever ominous method she had used to poke holes in the chests of the wasps around me.


    Was she testing the waters first by trying something small¡­ or?


    The thought gave me an idea and I peered closely at the mesmerised lizard, wondering if I could get some information from her by pretending to be under her spell.


    [Ekharkai¡­] I slowed down my speech. [Does he know...you are... doing this?]


    The queen slowlynded on the shoulder of a dead wasp, light as a feather. I had to admire her deftness as she did not disturb the corpse in the slightest.


    She stared at me for a moment and I began to panic inside.


    Did I give myself away?


    [He does not.] She finally answered, with a derisive tone as she looked away.


    [He believed me when I med their low numbers on that ''imposter''. As strong as he is, he would never doubt me. Everyday, he strains himself to beat her because he promised me her head.]


    [Such a good child.] She concluded, the mockery clearly evident in her voice.


    Ugh... she waspletely rotten.


    [If I asked him to offer his body to me, he would do so immediately.] she continued as if she was talking about someone disposable. [But, he is far too useful for that. And the loss of a few failures like them would not matter to him anyway.]


    I was disgusted.


    The scary wasp was working so hard for a queen that took him for granted. No, not just him but every wasp was just a means to an end for her. The favourable impression I had built up for her from the scary wasp''s words was practically nonexistent.


    Was she even worth saving after all this?


    I was so tempted to expose her hideout to all the wasps gathered in the cavern. As we talked, I could sense more converging behind the chamber''s doors.


    [But I am curious. Did he permit you to enter in here?]


    Before I could say a word, I detected some movement inside the chamber,ing from the ''window'' behind the queen. She heard it too and we both looked towards it with suspense.


    A wasp flew into the chamber and looked towards us. I immediately activated my [Heat Sense] and set up a heat sphere, anticipating the iing attack, but to my surprise itunched itself at the queen, with its stinger at the forefront like ance going for the kill.


    The queen moved aside in a smooth movement and evaded it with calm and grace, her wings flickering behind her.


    After a quick exchange and a ssh of ichor, her elbows were deep inside the wasp''s thorax and then the wasp let out a loud screech and fell limp.


    She had killed it so effortlessly, I wondered whether all the damage done to her mana core slowed her down at all.


    Was she still considered weak?


    The chamber once again fell into silence, aside from the wet slurping that came from the queen as she chomped down on the wasp in her hand.


    I knew the wasps outside were getting closer to finding this hidden chamber. If one had already discovered the location, it wouldn''t be long until more followed.


    [I came here...to warn you.] I continued to pretend. [Wasps are...heading this way...and the queenes with them - ]


    My speech was interrupted when the queen let out an enraged screech.


    I was shocked out of my snakeskin by the sudden screech out of nowhere and I sensed something pass through the heat sphere I''d created around myself.


    I leapt backwards on instinct and just narrowly missed a windde that tore open the ground where I just was.


    [I AM THE QUEEN! You will not address that imposter with my title in front of me!]


    I immediately corrected my mistake, bowing low to apologise and hoped she didn''t realize anything from the way I moved away from that windde.


    [Forgive my error...Eherakai would not...want you harmed...we need to leave.]


    There was a heavy pause as the queen pondered my words before she spoke again.


    [Why isn''t he here himself?]


    Damn, she was not buying it.


    I knew I shouldn''t have reacted earlier! But if I didn''t, I would probably be dead or in a terrible state.


    [He is away...and did not say...when he would be back.]


    [How am I to know this isn''t an borate ruse to expose me.] She asked as she observed me carefully. [You addressed the imposter as queen before me. You clearly revere her more than me.]


    It was suffocating - like she could see through to my basest desires. I had tried to keep my voice as neutral as possible. Had my dislike for her somehow seeped through.


    [Why should I believe you? After all, Treachery is the way of your kind.] She seethed in disgust.


    That''s it. I ran out of my luck.


    I snuck a nce at her and saw a perfectly formed sphere of wind in her hand that still dripped with purple ichor.


    The rm bells in my head were ring at their loudest and I ducked low, moving sideways without any hesitation, just as a lick of wind sliced past my head.


    ?Skill Mastery Achieved: ¡ºHeat Sense LV9¡»has be¡ºHeat Sense LV10¡»?


    Although I managed to avoid it, I wasn''t fast enough and a thin cut opened up on the side of my neck.


    The queen looked at me, amusement clear in her eyes.


    [Finally stopped pretending?]

 Chapter 89 - A Queens Dominance

    [I''m not here to pick sides.] I angrily hissed at her, no longer bothering to pretend. [I''m only honouring the will of a friend.]


    [Friend?] The queen''s tone was full of ridicule. [You are something like a pet, fun for only a while. As soon as he gets bored, he will kill you and offer your body to me.]


    [My children could betray, and attack their own queen, in favour of a new one - what makes you think he is any different? What makes you think he will hesitate to kill you?]


    Like the missing piece of a puzzle, it finally fell into ce and I understood the nature of her demise. The bloodstained room wasn''t something that simply existed as an ident. Her words echoed with a bitterness and loathing that was difficult to ignore and I truly felt sorry for her.


    Unfortunately, we had run out of time.


    As if someone had thrown a switch, the entrance to the hidden chamber burst open and the swarm of hostile wasps flooded in.


    Previously they were twenty, but a few more had joined since then.


    With the timely distraction, I quickly sped towards the lizard and stabbed it with the [Pain Toxin] from my stingers to release it from her [Coercion].


    It was just a desperate move and I wasn''t sure it would be enough to break it out but luckily it worked! The lizard''s grogginess faded and its eyes regained focus as it looked around with renewed fright.


    The Queen who had been preparing to release another windde at me, switched targets and immediately swept past me, flying towards the oing wasps.


    I realized that her willingness to adapt to situations was what led her to survive for so long in the hive that waspletely against her. In an instant she understood we needed to cooperate if she wanted to survive this without Ekharkai by her side to help.


    The harsh buzzing of wings resounded throughout the chamber as the first squadron of wasps appeared around the bend. Numbering five and packed tightly in formation, they sped through the round of pirs, surrounding the Queen from every angle.


    The Queen seemed unfazed and began to spin her body while extending her wed arms, releasing a massive windde in a sweeping arc that tore through their tough shells and the surroundings walls unhindered.


    Unlike a perfect circle, the attack from her spinning form stretched out like a warped ellipse, increasing its range and slicing through everything in its path.


    Purple blood sshed across the chamber walls giving it a more ominous impression.


    The whole squadron was rendered incapable with a single attack as the wasps went down with guttural cries of anguish - with some missing limbs, some whole chunks of their thorax and vital parts - others their head.


    She slowly came to a stop and looked around with derision. The hidden chamber lost its guise as the surrounding pirs were damaged and the walls were painted in purple like a scene from Armageddon.


    I gave the lizard some instructions and immediately hurried in another direction without waiting for it.


    I quietly slipped into the shadows of the frozen corpses with [Stealth] and [Silence] activated. But the Queen noticed me and let out a loud screech as if she was cursing me for not joining her in battle.


    Hmph. Did she really think I would assist her even though she was about to kill me just earlier?


    Although I said I was there to help her, that was before I knew her character.


    Now¡­ I''m not so sure.


    As expected, the Queen immediately turned around to attack me, but I stayed still. And right then, I heard a sharp screech that drew the Queen''s attention back to the entrance.


    Arge hunter wasp burst into the chamber followed closely by ten more wasps. Answering the cry, several more wasps flooded into the chamber, gathering around the hunter wasp.


    All their eyes were focused on the queen and the massacre surrounding her, before rushing towards her with blind fury until they besieged the queen.


    I was surprised to find the queen frozen in shock. Like a deer caught in headlights, she continued to stare even as the wasps made swipes at her. Each one drawing blood as more and more gathered to surround her in a death trap.


    I watched everything from the shadows and wondered what the heck was happening to her?


    Was she scared by theirrge numbers?


    No, that was highly unlikely based on the power she showed earlier. Even if she couldn''t defeat them all, she shouldn''t be in such a miserable situation.


    So, what happened?


    At this time, I saw therge hunter wasp deal a powerful blow to the Queen''s shoulders that severely injured one of her arms and sent her crashing to the ground.


    The other wasps immediately swarmed her with theirrge numbers, stinging and wing repeatedly in a frenzy that nearly ripped her to shreds.


    Damn it. Was she trying to lure me out by appearing weak and helpless?


    No, she wasn''t the kind to use such self harming tactics. If anything, exposing my position and dragging me into battle was much easier to do.


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase: ¡ºSilence: LV6¡»has be¡ºSilence: LV7¡»?


    So the only usible reason might be... trauma?


    I felt it was ridiculous but it made sense.


    The Queen must be reliving the shbacks of her battle which led to her current damaged state.


    I couldn''t care if she could snap out of it or not but I have no interest in staying around to watch her get pummelled either.


    I was better off taking this chance to grab the lizard and getting out of the chamber before it was toote.


    Just then, my mind was flooded with a familiar numbing sensation that dissipated just as quickly as it came.


    ?¡ºObsidian Horn¡»has neutralised the effect of low level¡ºCoercion¡»?


    This again, I scoffed.


    But then, I looked back worriedly and spotted the lizard lurking in the shadows far away from the queen. So far he was unaffected by her [Coercion] and I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw him grab a wasp that strayed too close, finishing it off silently by tearing off its head with a swift bite.


    The longer we stay here, the bigger the chance of getting dragged into the fight and the smaller the chance of surviving.


    On the other hand, the wasps that were focused on shredding the queen had slowed down, their frenzied blows pausing like stop motion before they could hit.


    Just as I noticed that, all the wasps swarming the Queen were sted away with a strong gust of wind and the queen slowly emerged from their midst.


    Despite theirbined onught, she didn''t have any major injuries other than one of her damaged arm thaty limp. She grabbed the closest wasp with her remaining arms and, mercilessly pulled out its stinger from its abdomen with her bare ws.


    The wasp let out a loud screech and dropped to the ground, rolling around in pain, as its lower abdomen, was in a bleeding mess.


    As if the spell was broken, the wasps regained their senses and took off after the queen, trying to swarm her once more in a hysteric rush of attacks.


    Therge hunter wasp tackled her into a pir, disrespectfully ripping through her wings with its barbed ws as the other wasps followed behind.


    The queen ignored its attacks and grabbed it with two of her arms before pulling it back to face her. And while she looked straight into its eyes, raised her other wed limb and pierced through its thorax with enough power to impale its core in one motion.


    Purple ichor sprayed out from it and coloured the other wasps surrounding her, causing them to pause in terror.


    And before they could snap out of it, she shed through with sweeping wind des to throw away the wasps attached to her and the moment a gap emerged, she rushed out of the swarm, her blood spattered form appearing like a death god.


    I was stunned for a moment by such a quick and ruthless dominance and couldn''t wrap my mind around the fact that she was actually severely injured. So, I ignored the possible consequences and aimed appraisal at her.


    The queen reacted with an irritated grunt but did not pursue it any further.


    --------------


    LV28 Horothia Decoris |Damaged Core|


    Specie: Ailith Vespoidea


    HP: 142/295 Defence: 218


    MP: 100/196 Intellect: 115


    SP: 98/212 Magic: 146


    Attack: 285 Agility: 240


    Skills:


    ?????: LV:? ?????: LV:??


    --------------


    I was shocked, her HP, MP and SP stats were all less than half and I was sure she didn''t use all those in this battle. The reason was clearly the |Damaged Core| disyed beside her name.


    I appraised the wasps that pursued her, the lowest being a LV13 and the highest a LV17. The sole reason they could keep up with her was due to their numbers and because she was wounded and not in her best state.


    Although the queen appeared vtile and ruthless, her stats revealed the opposite. It was only a matter of time before her remaining stamina was exhausted and she became powerless.

 Chapter 90 - Unexpected Ally

    Regardless of her diminishing stats, the queen seemed not to care as she swept through the wasps, changing tactics to lead them around while picking off the slower ones whenever possible.


    After appraising her, I checked my own stats topare.


    --------------


    Name: Aurelia LV10


    Specie: Cerastes Vipera


    HP: 110/129 Defence: 108


    MP: 71/79 Intellect: 85


    SP: 106/108 Magic: 58


    Attack: 119 Agility: 130


    --------------


    Although she used skills far more advanced than mine. I would say I was fairly strong at level 10. My stats were rtively better than hers from what I could see, and would be even more powerful if I was able to evolve.


    I felt pleased at the thought, but that didn''tst long.


    I was minding my own business when the detestable Queen decided to pull me into her mess by purposefully knocking down three wasps that were pursuing her, with a wind attack thatnded them in my direction.


    I cursed her silently and switched positions before the wasps crashed into the corpses near me.


    I did not hesitate to move in on the closest one, a LV15 wasp that was already injured. I pulled it into the shadows and wrapped myself around its thorax, deciding to attack it before the others were alerted to my presence.


    But it proved to be much stronger and managed to alert the other two wasps with its screech.


    The two wasps immediately noticed me and one tried to sting me around its constricted brethren, while the otherunched itself straight at me without a care.


    I swiftly moved my body to reveal a gap and its stinger plunged into its fellow wasp, eliciting a painful cry. This allowed me to crush its thorax with ease and finish it off.


    ?You have killed LV15 Melior Hesperia?


    ?You have earned 96XP?


    I lunged at the other wasp with [Rapid Strike] and embedded my fangs into its abdomen, pumping in multiple shots of [Poison Fang] until it dropped to the ground.


    Then I turned towards the wasp that assisted in killing its own.


    It attacked me with its ws to deter me but couldn''tnd a solid hit because its attack was too weak to get past my [Rugged Scales] and kept getting deflected. It wasn''t long before it too became a victim of my poison.


    ?You have killed LV12 Melior Hesperia?


    ?You have killed LV11 Melior Hesperia?


    ?You have earned 105XP?


    ?Skill Mastery Achieved: ¡ºPoison Fang: LV9¡»has be¡ºPoison Fang: LV10¡»?


    When the third wasp was dead, I noticed the queen and what was left of the swarm had moved closer to where I was and were now fighting among the corpses. Before long, there were multiple wasps finding me and attacking at once.


    In the midst of this chaos, I found myself fighting on the same stage as the queen.


    The unleashed wasps rushed towards us and I moved swiftly to coordinate with the Queen''s chaotic attacks to kill off the wasps that were injured. She used her wind des to hold back the swarm and I used my [Poison Fang] on those that sumbed in a smooth and efficient manner.


    Despite us working together, I made sure to keep an eye out for the queen. Throughout the fight she did not kill any wasps that attacked me and neither did I kill the wasps that went for her.


    And by watching her, I was able to observe the pattern in her fighting method.


    She rarely used her coercion and when she did, it was to slow down the wasps and break their momentum - but it onlysted for a while before they regained their movements. And the timespan seemed to reduce the more she used it, with a longer dy each time afterwards.


    During the cool down period, she substituted with wind des, and when those also ran out, she went in with her chaotic fighting style, tearing them limb from limb.


    I noticed she never slowed down for a moment, as if she felt no pain as she fought, not even when she suffered an injury.


    I also found the lizard amongst the chaos, it too was fighting its own battles without pause.


    The higher level wasps were mainly attacking the queen and were not paying much attention to me, but because of that, the queen kept throwing more and more wasps in my direction, causing me to fight non stop.


    I decided to change the pace of the fight and sped away from the two wasps focused on me, trying to lure them into stinging me. Once they took the bait, I evaded the stingers and attacked one with [Poison Fang], proceeding to wrap the other in my constriction hold before it could turn around, killing it off quickly.


    ?You have killed LV10 Iuvenium Hesperia?


    ?You have killed LV8 Iuvenium Hesperia?


    ?You have earned 84XP?


    ?You have gained a level!?


    Wooo!


    But as I cheered, a third wasp came into the fray and my happiness soon vanished. It advanced into my [Heat Sense], before I could evade it and I was stabbed by a wayward stinger that pushed me through the floor, denting my scales in the process.


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase: ¡ºRugged Scales: LV8¡»has be¡ºRugged Scales: LV9¡»?


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase: ¡ºImpact Resistance LV7¡»has be¡ºImpact Resistance LV8¡»?


    Pissed off by the sudden attack Iunched myself at the offender, striking it with [Poison Fang] over and over until it was dead.


    ?You have killed LV14 Melior Hesperia?


    ?You have earned 92XP?


    It seemed like an endless battle between myself, the lizard and the Queen, and only after more time had passed did I notice the numerous wasps on the ground and just how many we had killed.


    With their numbers in decline, the remaining wasps weren''t as enthusiastic to attack as before and it became easy for the Queen and I to clean them uppletely.


    I spotted the lizard on the other side, trying to reach me through the pile of corpses strewn all across the ground.


    The aftermath was a chamber whose walls were covered with whirlwind marks that resembled scars. Many pirs had copsed in the turmoil and the ground was covered in holes that resembled scorch marks.


    Somehow we had weathered the storm and came out alive and now, there was an unspoken agreement between us.


    We both knew this wouldn''t truly end, until one of the queen''s was dead. Yet, in the brief reprise of the battle, I couldn''t help having contradictory thoughts.


    The queen in front of me was not good - it could be argued that her reluctance to die was the cause of all this. At the same time, I admired her tenacity and resilience to have survived everything she did.


    The queennded on the ground before me and although she was covered in blood, she was still as elegant as ever.


    [The imposter would not simply ignore this chaos.] She spoke, a tinge of tiredness evident in her voice. [Before we were interrupted, you mentioned something about leaving this ce. Is that option still open?]


    We had no choice but to leave quickly. Although we killed many, some of the wasps managed to get away in the chaos and were possibly alerting the Hive Queen in her chamber - if she wasn''t already aware.


    I pondered whether or not to suggest we go to the host graveyard as a possible hiding ce, when suddenly I felt the sensation of something crossing my heat sphere.


    Before I could react, the windde was upon me and I instinctively moved aside, dodging at thest second. But even though I managed to avoid the worst of it and save my life, it still cut through a chunk of my flesh.


    "Aaahh!" I couldn''t help yelling out loud in pain.


    ?Skill Mastery Achieved: ¡ºRugged Scales: LV9¡»has be¡ºRugged Scales: LV10¡»?


    But following the system alert, I heard a loud groan and the sound of a thud. It was only then that I remembered the lizard was not far behind me.


    By avoiding the wind de, I unwittingly let the lizard take the brunt of the Queen''s attack.


    My scales were utterly destroyed by the powerful wind de and the continuous blood flow made my head faint. I looked back and saw the lizard whoy bleeding on the ground not far from me, with a wound that was much worse than mine.


    But before I could fullyprehend the situation, my heat sphere detected another wind deing in my direction, attempting to cleave me in half.


    My reflexes kicked in a flighty response, and by the time it crossed my heat sphere I was sprinting away from the Queen.


    The imminent threat of death pushed my body beyond the pain and I instinctively moved away from its path. The next second, the wind de tore through the ground in a cascade of debris.


    Using this as cover, I disappeared amongst the many wasp corpses, activating [Stealth] to hide my presence.


    As painful as it felt to move, I did not stop until I''d created enough distance.

 Chapter 91 - Life And Death

    Painful stings wracked through my body as I tucked my curls around my shredded stomach in an effort to stop the bleeding.


    I could hear the lizard''s groans echoing through the chamber but it would have to bear with it for a while.


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase: ¡ºPain Resistance: LV7¡»has be¡ºPain Resistance: LV8¡»?


    I suppressed my pain and focused on maintaining [Stealth] and tried to stay alert. I could feel the vibration of wings as the Queen soared through the air, searching for me.


    ?How can you let your guard down so easily?? Sensei scolded. ?Just because you fought together for a brief period, does not make her your friend.?


    "I¡­ I didn''t." I tried to argue but I couldn''t refute him. "I thought she would understand the big picture, like the scary wasp did."


    I sighed regretfully. Although I didn''t see her as a friend, I did drop my guard against her and she didn''t miss the chance. I lost more than half my HP with just one attack and subsequent bleeding kept draining it further, making my recovery much slower.


    Sensei sighed. ?Fortunately you reacted quickly, so the wound is not deep.?


    Not deep? The horrible pain in my side begged to differ!


    I realised that I needed to heal and quickly at that. Luckily I had enough XP points so I essed the system and purchased a [HP Recovery Potion] for 50XP.


    With that my plummeting HP bar stabilized.


    ?Yourpanion on the other hand¡­? Sensei trailed off solemnly.


    My eyes scanned through the bodies and found the lizard. I would need to get over there if I was going to feed him a potion and soon.


    Ding!


    ?Skill¡ºPain Mitigation LV1¡»has been acquired?


    I felt a cool sensation spread over my wound, like a salve over a burn. Although the wound did notpletely close or recover my HP further, the flow of blood stopped.


    My movements also be much easier and that helped me remain hidden until my woundpletely healed. But the Queen had other ideas.


    [You seem to be forgetting something.] She spoke through the link as shended next to the lizard.


    I watched her reach over to touch his rough skin, and with a swift strike, she dug her ws deep into the lizard''s wound, eliciting a torturous scream.


    I forced myself to ignore his cry and remain still as I felt myself turn cold.


    ?Skill Mastery Achieved: ¡ºStealth: LV9¡»has be¡ºStealth: LV10¡»?


    The lizard squirmed, its eyes twisted in pain and his cries rang with agony, but the Queen had just begun.


    Seemingly ying with his wound, she ripped out a portion of his flesh and ate with relish. His heart wrenching cries filled the chamber and I shut my eyes unable to watch the horrifying scene.


    This psychotic b****!


    I was trembling with uncontroble fury, raging to go out and sink my fangs into her.


    ?Don''t. She''s baiting you to reveal yourself. You can''t win against her in a direct confrontation while he is her prisoner.? Sensei reminded in a strict tone.


    As the lizard screamed, everything within me yearned to rip her to shreds. I never had any impression towards the dumb lizard before and I even found him annoying - but he didn''t deserve to suffer like that. Not after all the torture he''d been through already.


    Taking note of Sensei''s words, I let down my [Stealth], exposing my location for a brief second and almost immediately, the Queen left the lizard and rushed in my direction.


    [Found you.] The queen screeched in an ecstatic thrill.


    A wind de sliced through everything in the vicinity, reducing the spot to rubble. But when the dust settled, there was nothing other than debris and some blood stains I left behind.


    I evaded the wind de readily and then used the smokescreen to quickly switch my position with [Stealth].


    As the Queen set foot on the ground to observe the blood trail, I zeroed in on one of the pirs still standing behind her and opened [Dimensional Box]. It had shown to be capable of taking in objects both big and small, but that was only when I looked at an object in its entirety.


    If it could swallow something in its entirety, why not a smaller piece in the middle? I wondered what would happen if I focused on only a section of the object.


    And so, rather than arge opening forming to absorb the entire pir, only a sliver of darkness formed across the body of the pir. Like a crack chipping across its centre, the pir split in half, sending a portion of it into [Dimensional Box] and letting the rest of it crumble down towards the Queen.


    The Queen''s reaction was instantaneous, she sent out two wind des that shattered the falling pir into smaller pieces of rubble that did not harm her at all.


    But harming her was never the point, it was merely a distraction so I could get close to the lizard.


    [Reveal yourself. You can''t hide forever.]


    Although the Queen was unharmed, her voice held hints of anger.


    But I was more astonished that my flimsy y on [Dimensional Box] had actually worked.


    As she took to the air again, searching from above, I used the same trick with [Dimensional Box] again, this time targeting something smaller and closer to the Queen.


    Focusing on a dead wasp on the opposite side, I created a thin slice that took away its neck, causing its head to roll.


    It sessfully drew her attention and she immediately sped off in that direction, unleashing more of her destructive wind des, tearing through the deceased creature like it was made of paper.


    But upon finding nothing more than the shredded remains of the wasp and shattered rubble, she screeched angrily. [Enough of the games. Come out and face me.]


    I ignored her taunts and waited for the moment she would exhaust her wind des.


    From observing her battle with the wasps, I noticed she couldn''t fire more than ten wind des in a row. One she did, there was a cooldown period thatsted roughly about a minute, where she would only use her body to fight in closebat.


    Since her [Coercion] didn''t work on me, her wind des were the only problem. And if my count was correct she could only fire two more before the cooldown set in.


    The queen was fast, but she could only elerate with singr bursts at a time, unlike the scary wasp who had free reign. I was confident I could keep up with her speed if it came down tobat.


    I continued to target stationary objects to lead her around, but surprisingly she didn''t react at all. I knew the more times I did this trick, the less she would fall for it but subverting my expectations once again, the Queen had caught on early.


    Her dark eyes turned towards the lizard again, filled with untold horrors.


    [You want to y with me? Alright, we will y. But by my rules.]


    Without any dy she took off in the air. Malicious intent clear in her eyes, she fired two wind des ahead of herself towards the lizard.


    I immediately rushed out towards the lizard, but as the wind des tore through the ground with devastating speed, I realized I wouldn''t make it in time.


    He might be able to survive an injury or two, but what if she severed its head?


    He would surely die.


    Desperate and out of options, I aimed [Dimensional Box] at the lizard.


    The space in front of him distorted for a moment - seemingly about to copse, a ck hole the size of his frame opened up, and just as the wind des were about to smash into him, disappeared mere seconds before they could hit.


    When the dust settled, everything up until reaching him was destroyed by the Queen''s wind des, but the lizard remained untouched.


    I was stunned by the sight, and very much thankful. I knew the lizard would be rejected because he was still alive, but nothing prepared me for the surprise at a risk that actually paid off.


    I quickly shifted my attention toward the Queen who''s attack had vanished into nothingness.


    And with that, it made ten.


    With the Queen out of wind des, she hovered above the ground, furious eyes ring at me like ominous ck holes.


    [What did you do?]


    Although I was also shocked by the oue, I tried to pretend as if everything was under my control.


    [I saved something other than myself. Something you could never do.] I answered, equally furious and daring.


    [Why don''t you ept the truth and leave? This hive is no longer under your control.]


    The Queen''s eyes were cold as she snarled. [Leave?]


    [Just fly out of that window. Nothing is stopping you aside from your rotten pride and selfish thoughts of revenge.]


    An unsightly expression crossed the queen''s face and she swept forward with a mad screech, lunging forward me with wed limbs poised to strike. But I was waiting for her.


    With the assistance from my heat sphere, I easily slithered away from her path. She instantly turned around and charged at me again and again, not realising her anger had made her easier to read.


    I evaded her mad strikes with ease and eventually found an opening to sink my fangs into her leg.


    I attempted to cleave her footing with [Poison Fang], but she gave no reaction of pain nor panic and instead grabbed onto me, her sharp ws digging into my stomach at once.


    I immediately twisted away from her ws, slipping away to recover. I couldn''t let her grab hold of me - she was strong enough to tear me apart in an instant.

 Chapter 92 - The Inevitable Fact

    [You know nothing of my pride.] The Queen sneered as she took off in the air. [You speak of selflessness, yet you ran away by yourself before saving your kin.]


    I scoffed. [No matter how many of your brethren you consume, your core won''t be restored to its previous state. Don''t you think Ekharkai deserves more than serving a weak queen like you?] I threw back at her. [Release him from his bond to you, your actions are just holding him back.]


    [And what sort are you?] The Queen taunted. [The wicked one who is greedy for everything, or the benevolent one who gets stolen from and betrayed?]


    [Neither.]


    I appraised her and saw that her HP was already halfway down to [104/295]. I needed to inflict more damage to her before the minute ran out and she regained the use of her wind des, but I didn''t think it''d be easy.


    I wanted to retreat and find a better opportunity, but doing so would leave the lizard vulnerable to the Queen''s torment.


    As I was pondering my next move, the Queen dived down towards me and I jumped back, right before her serrated legs jabbed through the floor, creating a rumbling echo throughout the cave.


    I got away with a bleeding slice, but my previous wound opened up again.


    Ignoring the ache, I tackled her from the air before she could take off again by digging into her injured leg with [Bite].


    The Queen took off regardless and grasped me in the air, attempting to rip me off her bad limb. Her sharp ws dug into me once more, but I resisted the pain and bit into her wings instead, seeding in tearing them.


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase: ¡ºBite: LV6¡»has be¡ºBite: LV7¡»?


    I thought it would bring her down, but it only served to alter her flight path as she mmed me against a pir. I recoiled in pain as her ws dug under my scales but I constricted around her arm without letting go, exerting just as much pressure with [Dragon Scales] for cracks to form across her shell.


    Noticing the damage, the queen released her grip but it was toote as I used the opportunity to coil further across her body, constricting it with all my might!


    With more and more cracks appearing across her carapace, the queen began to panic. She twisted in an awkward angle and forced a gap through my tight grip to release her arm, in order tounch a wind de towards me as soon as her cooldown period ended.


    At such close proximity, the result would be devastating so I struggled to keep her arm from extending by constricting even tighter.


    But ultimately my minute would soon be over.


    After learning I could open smaller fissures with [Dimensional Box], I scanned the Queen once again with [Mana Sense]. Fixating on the locations of various ckened scars where her body was devoid of mana from repeated damage.


    Like inanimate objects around the chamber that showed up dark because theycked mana, they were also simr to dead creatures in the same way. Was it farfetched to think they could be swallowed too?


    As the Queen''s arm broke free to fully extend, I visualised fissures opening across the many ckened scars of her arm.


    In the next second, there was a visceral screech from the Queen. The wind de that was about to go off, fizzled out to nothing and her arm fell away, moth bitten and severed in a myriad of clean cuts and rough gouges.


    There was no time to be thrilled by the result, I immediately focused on another one of her arms, repeating the same action before she could fire.


    [Release me!] With two of the queen''s arms amputated at their joints, her struggling intensified. I constricted even tighter as she cried out, to ensure she didn''t try any more tricks.


    I could see the Queen was enraged but without her wind des there was no way she could break free. To ensure she stayed this way, I went in on her remaining two arms.


    [Give up. Without your arms, what kind of Queen can you be? Ekharkai is better off free than serving a useless queen that can''t even defend herself.]


    At this point her cries were impossible toprehend and were more like curses than screams. I had damaged her carapace enough to destroy her - there was no recovery from this.


    With her HP near zero, I rushed over to check if the lizard was still alive. The system''s HP Recovery Potion was an ace but it would no longer be effective if I took too long.


    Before the battle I had instructed him to stay far away from the queen because I knew she would exploit him as a weakness, either through [Coercion] or other tactics, but even with that he ended up getting tortured by the Queen.


    His HP was hanging at a dangerous [11/89] and after dousing him in potion it recovered to [31/89]. I fed him just enough to refill his HP over halfway, allowing his body to start regenerating his wounds naturally.


    ?He should be fine now.? Sensei mulled over in thought.


    "He better be." I replied nonchntly, but the moment the lizard opened its eyes, I heaved a sigh of relief.


    The lizard blinked, bleary eyes darting around in confusion like it had forgotten where it was. His eyes fell on me and they regained their focus as he shakily rose to his feet.


    I gave him a curt nod and returned to the Queen, my eyes cold and indifferent.


    All four of her limbs were ripped off, her bright wings torn apart and her carapace shattered. There was no semnce at all of her former arrogance, and instead she resembled a discarded old toy.


    Despite her ravaged state, she did not bleed at all, but then again, I did not expect her to. She was merely living on borrowed time with a body that was far too damaged. Anything that remained of a functional body was long gone after her first defeat and subsequent butchery by her children.


    [I have been outdone.] Her voice was a low rasp. [If I wasn''t so gullible, I would have killed the imposter as soon as she arrived. If I had, I would not be in this state right now.]


    The Queen was slowly unravelling with her defeat. As her HP slowly dwindled to nothing she called out the many names of her children, and I did not understand why she did that. She had killed just as many of them, if not more, yet she spoke of them with affection.


    I was not at all saddened by her impending death. Showingpassion and weakness caused her downfall. It was best to always show superiority through strength.


    Only the strong survive. No matter what kind of world, that fact remained the same.


    I didn''t dy anymore and swiftly moved in and crushed her neck under my fangs with [Bite] and ripped it right off without much resistance.


    ?You have defeated LV28 Horothia Decoris!?


    I tried to make her death as painless as I could. Her pitiful existence was merely the result of her inaction.


    ?You have earned 398XP?


    ?You have gained a level!?


    ?You have gained a level!?


    ?You have gained a level!?


    ?You have gained a level!?


    ?You have gained a level!?


    With the queen dead, I collected her body with [Dimensional Box] and a few other wasps around the chamber forter consumption. But then the system dinged once more.


    ?Conditions for evolution satisfied. Evolution tree of ¡ºAilith Cerastes¡»has been unlocked.¡ºNeonate Cerastes¡»can evolve into¡ºSmall Cerastes¡»(ept | Reject)?


    I looked at the disy window with disappointment.


    Was that it?


    What was the difference between the two, anyway? Wasn''t I just exchanging one level of small for the next?


    Where was the gigantic anaconda evolution option?


    What a microscopic rip off!


    ?You don''t have time to dy, ept it and go. The other Queen will be here soon.?


    Sensei hurried, but then he hesitated. ?No wait, don''t ept it yet, it will - ?


    But I already did¡­


    ?...put you to sleep.? Sensei sighed in disappointment.


    Almost at once, waves of drowsiness hit me and the cavern walls distorted before my eyes, warping like melted candy. My vision began to grow cloudy, shapes swirling and blending into each other in my periphery.


    The scene of carnage before me swept across like stretched film, like a distorted nightmare and I was filled with a rush of euphoria.


    The lizard in front of me tilted its head as it stared at me with a puzzled gaze.


    It too looked a little weird. Why did I suddenly want to eat it, like I was staring at a piece of meat?


    And then I heard it. A low rumbling ringing across the tunnel and getting slower with every second.


    The sounds amplified by my distorted sensations, sounded heavy, like something scraping along as it dragged a tonne of bricks. I soon realised it was the warped pitch of many wasps moving together in a group but I could no longer tell if it was far away or close.


    Pulling the lizard out of the cavern, I activated [Mana Sense] to scan in the direction of the sound and I spotted a thick cloud of wasps moving together as a swarm and in their middle was arge ominous mana presence that could only be the Queen.


    But she was toote and the original Queen was already dead.


    Without wasting any time, I leapt down the tunnel in the Scary waspsir which led to the Hive Core. It was sufficiently hidden and I could wait out my evolution there to escape the carnage.


    Although it wasn''t a safe location, it would do until the sleepiness that came with evolution wore off.

 Chapter 93 - Sweet Escape

    I seemed to be having a pleasant dream. There was a field of blood red spider lilies and I was happily running through it like a little girl.


    I scowled. This fever dream did not suit me at all!


    It was something I would never do in my right mind. Although it was beautiful, I was allergic to pollen for one.


    Unfortunately, I couldn''t do anything about the dream itself so it continued, until I looked down and was shocked to see the lower half of my body was that of a snake.


    Then I heard a monotonous voice echo in the back of my mind and the flower field in front began to fade into darkness.


    ?Undergoing Evolution... ?


    Ding!


    ?¡ºSteel Skin LV10¡»has synthesized with ¡ºDragon Scales LV5¡» to be¡ºMeteor Scales LV1¡»?


    ?Skill¡ºPoison Fang LV10¡»has evolved to¡ºDeadly Poison Attack LV1¡»?


    The space around me was shrinking. Soon all that was left was a withered patch of grass under my snake half.


    Ding!


    ?Skill¡ºHeat Sense LV10¡»has evolved to¡ºHeat Sphere LV1¡»?


    ?Unique Skill¡ºArea of Authority¡»has been acquired?


    Ding!


    ?Skill¡ºStealth LV10¡»has evolved to¡ºShadow Shroud LV1¡»?


    ?¡ºRugged Scales LV10¡»has synthesized with¡ºStinger¡» to be¡ºEmpowered Stinger¡»?


    The field of flowers waspletely gone, reced instead with scorched earth burning through my skin.


    I jolted awake.


    I looked around and saw a ce I never expected to be in again - The Host Graveyard.


    I was surrounded by the hardened shells of corpses and powdery remains where some shells had begun to disintegrate.


    Ugh¡­There were no fond memories here at all. Wasn''t this where I nearly died twice?


    I was frantic. How did I get here? Thest thing I remembered was running away before the other Queen arrived at the hidden chamber.


    And then¡­


    What did I miss?


    But more importantly...


    I was starving.


    So unbearably hungry!


    My snake belly ached with emptiness and it felt sluggish to move.


    What was this terribly ravenousness?


    I felt a warm presence beside me and I turned towards the source to see the lizard sleeping beside me.


    Hmm...it couldn''t have been the same one. Why did it seem much smaller than before?


    My mouth began to water as I looked at it. A lizard steak didn''t sound very appetizing, but I was too hungry to be picky.


    ?What are you doing?? An annoyed voice sounded out as I fastened my jaw around the lizard''s neck.


    "Eating?" I answered absentmindedly.


    There was a sigh. ?As much as I want you to get rid of him, he''s not your food. Release him.?.


    "But I''m hungry¡­"


    I felt a mild electric current sh through my body and my jaw around the lizard''s neck ckened.


    Ouch! What was that?


    ?You will regret your actions when youe to your sensester.? Sensei scolded. ?And besides, he''s the reason you''re still alive.?


    My jaw was slightly sore as I turned from side to side to try to relieve it.


    "What happened?"


    Sensei scoffed. ?You passed out like a log and this lizard was smart enough to carry you away from danger, before the wasps found your temporary hidey hole.?


    "Ah¡­" I was surprised.


    Wait!


    So, does that mean I had sessfully evolved?


    And was that shock earlier, like a cramp or growing pains?


    It was possible, I did just grow a significant amount in a short time.


    I slowly turned towards my sleepingpanion and sighed. Never did I think the dumb lizard would actually save my life.


    I appraised him out of curiosity and saw his still recovering stats.


    -------------------------


    LV9 Ivenium Stilio


    <Name your¡ºPit Member¡»>


    Specie: Ailith Drake


    HP: 55/89Defence: 89


    MP: 23/62Intellect: 30


    SP: 15/92Magic: 47


    Attack: 105Agility: 88


    -------------------------


    I saw that he had a new title, [Saviour] and I somehow felt annoyed and felt the urge to p him awake. However, he was still healing from his previous injuries so I relented.


    I was still hungry, but it felt unfair to eat him after everything.


    More so, there was a new option after his level. <Name your¡ºPit Member¡»>


    What exactly was I supposed to name him?


    I was too hungry to think, so I opened [Dimensional Box] and brought out the Hidden Queen''s corpse to sate my hunger.Looking at her, memories of the previous battle resurfaced in my mind, and I wondered how long had I been passed out.


    ?It''s been 28 minutes since you fled.? Sensei was kind enough to give a response.


    28 minutes? That meant I still had time! I appraised the Queen''s stats and wondered if eating her was enough to gain a skill with [Devour].


    -----------------------------


    LV28 Horothia Decoris


    Specie: Ailith Vespoidea


    HP: 0/325Defence: 218


    MP: 0/196Intellect: 97


    SP: 0/212Magic: 136


    Attack: 285Agility: 240


    Skills:


    [Flight: LV:10] [Deadly Stinger: LV7]


    [elerated Flight: LV7] [Lift: LV10]


    [Aerial Manoeuvring: LV9] [Bite: LV7]


    [Leadership: LV5] [Razor w: LV7]


    [Grip: LV10] [Compound Eyes: LV10]


    [Wind de: LV8] [Oviposition: LV8]


    [Perception: LV6] [Pain Toxin: LV10]


    [Chitin Armour: LV7] [Coercion: LV6]


    [Ultraviolet Vision: LV8] [Scent: LV7]


    [Bloodless: LV9] [Overeating: LV8]


    [Exoskeleton: LV10] [w: LV10]


    [Pheromonal Telepathy: LV8]


    [Sting: LV10] [Air Burst: LV10]


    [Directional Stability: LV7]


    [Paralysis Venom: LV10]


    --------------------------------


    Title:


    [Hive Queen] [Ruthless]


    [Foul Feeder] [Kin Eater]


    Magic Skills:


    [Air Magic: LV8]


    [Wind Maniption: LV4]


    Resistances:


    [Mental Warfare: LV8]


    [Pain Negation: LV10]


    [Poison Resistance: LV2]


    [Piercing Resistance: LV8]


    [Wind Resistance: LV10]


    [Pain Resistance: LV10]


    [Impact Resistance: LV10]


    [Paralysis Resistance: LV2]


    [Cutting Resistance: LV8]


    [Fear Resistance: LV6]


    [Faint Resistance: LV10]


    ----------------------------


    Her stats were impressive.


    If I could gain something like her [Wind des] or [Telepathy], I would be ecstatic.


    With those thoughts, I began to eat the Queen, satiating my bottomless hunger. But I was met with disappointment.


    ?Devour has reached maximum satiation for specimen¡ºHorothia Decoris¡»Evolution tree of ¡ºAilith Vespoidea¡»has been unlocked.?


    ?Would you like to acquire attribute¡ºCoercion¡»(ept | Reject)?


    Reject.


    I wanted to reject it.


    I slithered around the graveyard in a huff. Only one skill? Where was the justice?


    I already had [Mind Chain], and it seemed wasteful to ept a skill that was so simr in effect. I wondered if I rejected it, would another option appear?


    Sensei sighed at my hesitation. ?Just ept it.?


    "I want a do over?" I retorted stubbornly.


    ?Do you have another Queen in storage that I''m unaware of??


    I sighed. There was another Queen alright, but it was highly unlikely she would let me eat her. And she may have an entirely different skill set too.


    The only one simr to this Queen was the Scary wasp and I wasn''t confident I could kill him yet. I paced some more in frustration before finally hitting [ept]. What a waste.


    Well, at least I had amassed [1237] XP points from the battle and from killing the Queen. I consoled myself with the idea of going on a shopping spree and thoroughly spending every hard earned point until I''m satisfied.


    Opening the system store, I first saw some familiar skills like.


    [Mark: 100XP] [Labyrinth As: 300XP]


    And as I looked below them, some new skills were added.


    [HP Recovery: 100XP] [MP Recovery: 100XP] [SP Recovery: 100XP]


    I appraised each of the new skills to determine their worth.


    [HP Recovery: 100XP] - Auto recovery of depleted HP at the rate of six points per minute and fifteen per minute when HP is less than 25%.


    And it was simr for [MP Recovery: 100XP] and [SP Recovery: 100XP]


    These were useful skills to have, so I purchased them all and checked my status window.


    --------------------------


    Name: Aurelia LV16 [Small Cerastes]


    Specie: Cerastes Vipera


    HP: 258/258Defence: 230


    MP: 158/158Intellect: 170


    SP: 216/216Magic: 126


    Attack: 238Agility: 260


    Skills:


    [Poison Fang: LV10] [Bite: LV7]


    [Venom Rain: LV4] [Mark: LV1]


    [Scent: LV5] [SP Recovery: LV1]


    [MP Recovery: LV1] [Grip: LV8]


    [Silence: LV8] [Rapid Strike: LV7]


    [Heat Sense: LV10] [Pain Toxin: LV4]


    [Stealth: LV10] [Meteor Scales: LV1]


    [Buoyancy: LV4] [Steel Skin: LV10]


    [Rugged Scales: LV10] [Leap: LV6]


    [Appraisal: LV5] [Heat Seeker: LV1]


    [Mana Sense: LV5] [Detox: LV4]


    [Heat Sphere: LV1] [HP Recovery: LV1]


    [Deadly Poison Attack: LV1]


    [Poison Synthesis: LV1]


    [Shadow Shroud: LV1]


    ----------------------------


    Titles:


    [Apostle] [Coldblooded]


    [Commander] [Hero] [Trickster]


    Unique Skills:


    [Devour] [Area of Authority]


    Magic Items:


    [Dimensional Box] [Labyrinth As]


    Magic Skills:


    [Poison Magic: LV1] [Shadow Magic: LV1]


    Attributes:


    [Obsidian Horn] [Mind Chain]


    [Empowered Stinger] [Coercion]


    ----------------------------


    Resistances:


    [Impact Resistance: LV9]


    [Pain Resistance: LV9]


    [Cutting Resistance: LV1]


    [Mental Warfare: LV1]


    [Dark Resistance: LV1]


    [Wind Resistance: LV6]


    [Shock Resistance: LV9]


    [Faint Resistance: LV6]


    [Pain Mitigation: LV2]


    [Poison Resistance: LV7]


    [Paralysis Resistance: LV6]


    -------------------------------


    Experience Points: [537]


    --------------------------


    I was satisfied with my new stats and the remaining exp points.


    My evolved form wasrger than before and I realised I was now just asrge as the lizard and could easily coil around him four times over. I wondered if I would keep gettingrger with each evolution?


    I could easily eat thirty of my former self right now...or a human child.


    Well, that was a chilling thought process.


    The lizard was still asleep so I let him rest. But I was curious to know what had happened to the Hidden Queen''s chamber after I left. The other Queen must have arrived there to see so many wasps dead and her rival disappeared.


    Wait, did the scary wasp return?


    I was worried what he would do when he learnt of his Queen''s demise.

 Chapter 94 - One Against The Grain

    I exited the Host Graveyard, leaving the exhausted lizard behind and almost immediately, my senses were assaulted by the loud buzzing noises of numerous wasps. I sped to the end of the tunnel to see the state of things and was met with a devastating scene.


    The Hive that was once so organised, now resembled a disintegrated building.


    On my left where there should have been a tunnel leading to the Host Chambers was a gaping hole of nothingness. Where structure should have been, there was nothing - like a massive tornado had swept through, taking the entire floor with it.


    I looked down at the rest of the Hive or what was left of it, that had copsed below. And there, amongst the rubble, an intense battle raged.


    In the midst of the madness, I sensed the familiar presence of the scary wasp, fighting through hordes of wasps to reach the Hive Queen who stayed at the back.


    It was an ultimate battle to the death between two powerful forces. Just that one side had an army while the other side was a lone wasp.


    It was literally one wasp against everyone.


    And the result was an obvious one.


    No matter how strong and powerful he might be, the scary wasp was unable to get past the army of his own brethren.


    He tried to tear through them and go after the Queen, but before he could reach her, the wasps around her swarmed him at once and pushed him back again.


    They were like mindless drones throwing themselves at him without any care for their safety.


    Watching this scene, the events that transpired after I passed out were very clear. The scary wasp must have found the Hive Queen in the Hidden chambers. He must have seen the wrecked chamber and the amputated remains of his Queen ande to the conclusion that the Hive Queen was the one behind it.


    I thanked the lizard once again in my head.


    No doubt If I remained there, I would have been killed by the Scary wasp.


    It was the second act of chaos in a hive that had been through much cmity ofte. The scary wasp was a whirlwind of fury, bringing chaos wherever he went, and the wasps around him all fell to their deaths in droves.


    But unfortunately, his foe was just as underhanded as he was destructive.


    Safely sheltered behind the wasps that formed a protective wall, the Hive Queen did not need to retaliate and continued to oversee the battle with derision.


    For every one of the scary wasp''s attacks that managed to pass through the buzzing barricade, there was a wasp that diverted its path to receive the attack on her behalf. I didn''t think the hive would make aeback from the drastic losses in their numbers after all this.


    Cloaked in shadows, I sighed with disapproval as I watched the battle from one of the hives'' few surviving tforms.


    The decimated corpses of the many wasps that had tried to challenge him littered the ground. To reach the Queen, he mercilessly trod underfoot the scattered dead across his path. But more resurfaced from the tunnels to take their ce and the battle continued.


    All he was doing was killing more weak wasps instead of his actual target.


    This was simply more bullying on the part of the Queen. And she probably didn''t even care about the numerous dead wasps.


    It was truly unfortunate that the revenge he wanted the most, would only ur at his Queen''s death, yet she was still toying with him. Such a pity.


    Wait...why am I feeling pity for him?


    If the scary wasp ever learned I was the one behind the Hidden Queen''s death, there was no way he would let me go free.


    I sighed. If I left them alone, they would certainly kill each other. So, wasn''t it better to let the two battle it out until they both be weak, and then take them out?


    Ohoho¡­how deviously underhanded.


    However, if I waited too long and he died by her hands, I would miss the chance to get his skills.


    Just then, I heard a strained screech and followed the sound. There was a tag team of wasps fighting the lone scary wasp, headed by a significantlyrger LV 21 wasp. They managed to deliver a tactical blow to the scary wasp as a barbed stinger plunged into the centre of his back, when he was too busy aiming for the Queen.


    The blow sent him crashing to the ground and the other wasps swarmed him once more, pulling the small chipped pieces out from the break in his shell to w the flesh off his injured back. He wailed in anguish to no avail, and was pinned down by their weight restricting his movements.


    I winced at his heartrending screams of frustration.


    ?If it makes you so ufortable, why not just leave?? Sensei asked, amusement clear in his tone. ?You do know how he''s going to end up, right??


    Miffed, I unravelled the cosy cocoon I had formed around myself, but there was no one to vent it out on. He just had toment right when I was gettingfy.


    But I was deluded to think their flimsy attacks would keep the scary wasp down for long. He reacted like a blizzard, spinning hard with force that tore through the wasps pinning him down, then he lunged after the queen with the same intensity.


    I saw a gap open up in the Queen''s defence in the aftermath of his non stop attacks and I felt relief.


    And in my own carelessness and inattention to my surroundings, a wasp rose up from behind me to sting my tail. However, I only felt a light pin prick of sensation before its stinger bounced off effortlessly, leaving my scales unmarked.


    After its efforts had failed, the wasp kept hovering around for another opportunity. But before its behaviour alerted the others, I quickly grabbed it from the air, nting a bite with [Deadly Poison Attack].


    I watched a process that should have taken minutes, get reduced to mere seconds as the wasp''s blood bubbled and fizzed from my venom. Its thorax had cracked from the force of my jaw, and soon it''s twitching stopped as I discarded the body which seemed to have melted.


    ?You have killed LV16 Melior Hesperia?


    ?You have earned 98XP?


    I then turned around and continued watching the conflict between the scary wasp and the queen.


    He had killed the LV 21 wasp that wounded him and now he was attacking everything around him in a reckless rage.


    The arrogant Queen had stayed back at safety, not deigning to fight him and leaving her drones to exhaust him to easy pickings.


    Where was the cold calcted scary wasp from before, I wondered. At this rate he would die before he got his revenge and that would mess up my evil, devious n.


    I was curious about the Hive Queen so I took this chance to sneak aim appraisal at her.


    -----------------------


    LV42 Hestehoria


    Specie: Dyrsyn Vespoidea


    HP: 560/600  Defence: 431


    MP: 125/280  Intellect: 106


    SP: 460/476  Magic: 220


    Attack: 459   Agility: 265


    Skills:


    [?????: LV:??] [?????? ???????: LV:?]


    ------------------------


    Oh?


    Seeing her stats I couldn''t help but smirk - was she not from thisbyrinth?


    The scary wasp tried to get to her but he was swarmed by more of her drones. He had killed plenty, yet the wasps numbered in hundreds, and there was no way he could kill them all and still take down the queen.


    This entire battle was merely a dy tactic to hinder him so she could retreat under the ground to her den. And surely he must know this too.


    I already noted the unusual behaviour of the wasps surrounding her. A normal worker wasp, even with limited stamina and terrible injuries, would still brainlessly fly into the path of the scary wasp''s wind de like it was nothing.


    I was shocked at the scene so I immediately appraised the scary wasp.


    --------------------------


    LV31 Horothia


    Specie: Ailith Vespoidea


    HP: 382/490  Defence: 340


    MP: 205/240  Intellect: 137


    SP: 190/425  Magic: 180


    Attack: 388   Agility: 548


    Skills:


    ?????: LV:??  ??????: LV:??


    --------------------------


    His stamina was far too low.


    ?Honestly, I''m surprised you are not diving headfirst into the fight to help him. I thought you saw him as a friend.? Sensei casually remarked.


    Ugh¡­


    Did Sensei only know how to rile me up like a scrooge?

 Chapter 95 - Soldier Vs Queen

    "I would like to assist too, but in his current state...he can''t tell a friend from a foe. If I interfered, I would likely die by his hands rather than another wasps'' attacks."


    Also, what if he mes me for her death? I mean, he left me in his chambers and yet, I''m safe and sound while his Queen ended up dead?


    I didn''t know how to answer that question. And I didn''t know if I could lie to his face.


    ?You don''t need to feel guilty. You didn''t have a choice.? Sensei spoke as if he sensed my thoughts.


    I hate it when he does that.


    He sighed before continuing. ?We don''t know how he''d react when he learns you''re behind his Queen''s death. But if he dies here, I know that you''ll me yourself for a very long time.?


    ?You can choose to leave him in the dark or own up to your actions and exin your side to him. Whatever you do, just make sure you don''t regret anythingter.?


    I hate to admit but Sensei was right.


    As I looked on, the gap that opened up, instantly closed around the scary wasp, like a trap the Queen had set before she finally made her move.


    Jabbing out a swift w, purple blood sttered everywhere as her w went through the side of his thorax. He was unable to dodge, and the wasps around him blocked his path.


    He sliced through her massive limb, breaking free of her grasp and blood sprayed as he slid off of her ws. And almost immediately, swarms of wasps gathered around herrge body, closing the gap to protect her against his counter assaults.


    Limp, weak and body dripping with bright green venom, the scary wasp was a pitiful sight. Although he was fast, they gave them no chance tond any blows and his wound was deep.


    While he continued to attack, the Hive Queen simply hid and used all the wasps gathered around her as shields.


    It was too uneven.


    I was getting upset from watching - she really beat the Hidden Queen at how scummy she was.


    What he needed was a gap in the Queen''s defence, however small.


    If I let him die, there was no telling if the Hive Queen would let me go, but if I saved his life, maybe he wouldn''t care so much about his dead queen.


    Was there a reason he was fighting so hard to keep her above the surface?


    Using [Shadow Shroud], I blended into the darkness and quickly joined the fray while the Queen''s wasps gathered around the wounded scary wasp.


    Silently moving through the crowd of wasps, my n was simply to reduce their numbers in particr spots to give him a chance to breakthrough. But with all their focus on attacking him, a ratherrge gap had opened up in the Queen''s wasp defence on its own.


    They saw him as the only threat and had gotten careless!


    After evolving, I realized my abilities had improved in proficiency quite a bit. Using my [Heat Sphere] barely depleted my mana, like before. [Shadow Shroud] worked like an active camouge and the range of vibrations I could detect had also increased.


    I had gone from barely making out shapes in the distance through my eyes to spotting a gap in their defence from so far away.


    And I didn''t hesitate to rush in.


    The Queen had all her attention on the scary wasp and did not notice me sneaking up on her. On reaching her, I swiftly sank my fangs into one of her six limbs. She reacted by stomping the ground with her venomous legs.


    But I evaded her attempts to stab me by slithering around her leg with agile movements. Twisting upwards to cement my hold, I tried to constrict her as best as I could. My reinforced stingers smoothly dug into her flesh, before crushing her exposed limb.


    The Queen let out a loud screech and tried throwing me off her leg but to no avail. The scary wasp was quick to notice her distress and the gap in her drone defence.


    But that wouldn''t longst as the wasps around already noticed me and rushed to close the gap and trap me inside. I just needed the opening to stay just a little while for the scary wasp to rush through. So I tested out my [Coercion] on the wasps closing in on me to try and slow them down.


    I felt a searing headache immediately after I activated it, that made me wince.


    My head throbbed with intense pain from the visceral bacsh that made me see ck spots. Had I tried toorge an effect for a beginner skill?


    But somehow, I was still able to convey my intentions and the wasps in my surroundings that were about to rush to the Queen''s defence slowed down while some even collided with each other, creating an evenrger gap for the scary wasp to use.


    Now if only he could get through. Or we''ll both die here.


    The scary wasp was intensely fighting through the swarm of wasps that tried to block his path, but he soon noticed the unusual behaviour of the Queen who seemed to be fighting off an invisible enemy.


    He quickly tore through to the attacking wasps and came in front of the queen, before immediately sending out a wind de towards her crushed leg.


    Sensing impending danger, I immediately let go - and barely escaped the wind de that brutally severed the Queen''s limb from her main body, opening up a gaping wound in her thorax.


    The cries of the Queen were deeply satisfying, but my body trembled in annoyance at my narrow escape.


    This reckless wasp! How can you not see this cute snake here?


    The Queen was being drowned by a destructive barrage of wind des ravaging her body and I quickly put myself at a safe distance.


    My intention was to scale her and find a chance to use [Mind Chain]. But now, I didn''t have much thought aside from staying clear. I wasn''t reckless enough to attempt it, with the scary wasppletely unleashing his fury onto the Queen.


    The wasps around her were caught up in his attacks, and even the ground around the Queen was utterly decimated.


    Just how effective was the [Shadow Shroud] skill that he didn''t notice me?


    I wasn''t invisible per say - aside from blending in with the darkness when I stayed still, if one looked closely they would definitely feel my presence.


    I could only imagine the scary wasp was too furious and had no interest in anybody else at the moment.


    The Queen''s swarm was still recovering from my incognito attack, so I was able to slip away to practice [Poison Magic]. I had to think which attacks of mine would be effective at a distance.


    The wasps were still gathering around the front to protect the Queen when the scary wasp burst through their midst, seizing a nearby wasp from the fold with insane speed and proceeded to tear its limbs apart in a series of attacks that left it unrecognisable.


    Soon all that was left of it was its barbed stinger which he used like a de to beat off the other wasps that pursued him, before sending it soaring through the opening that had yet to close. Like ance it pierced through the injury of the Queen''s severed limb. And before the wasps could cover the opening, more wind des followed soon after, creating more devastation.


    I could hear the Queen''s cries of anguish echoing through the chaotic sounds of battle - but I was too caught up in my own pursuits to feel pity for her.


    Gathering in the air in front of me were two orbs of liquid. [Poison Fang] was a noxious shade of green while [Pain Toxin] was clear like water. I fused them together with [Poison Synthesis] to create a substance that sizzled on contact even before the poison set out to work.


    Then, I took advantage of the chaos created by the scary wasps attacks to contribute my share of the battle.


    I directed the liquid shot of poison towards the gigantic Queen, especially targeting her open wounds. She recoiled violently with a sharp shriek, and the wind de that she could have avoided, ended up dealing a terrible blow that severed a second limb.

 Chapter 96 - Slaughter

    The Queen''s furious cries left the wasps around her shaking in terror and almost instantly, one flew in towards her and my shot of poison was deflected.


    I was disappointed it had missed. My poison was slow to form due to it being a new skill and myck of practice.


    But fortunately, there were many other injuries across the Queen''srge body that I could target. And as her visceral reaction showed, my poison was particrly effective in irritating her.


    So, when I saw the scary wasp getting ready to attack again, I purposely attacked the Queen from the other side. This way she would be forced to divert some of the wasps to cover, creating more openings for him.


    And it proved to be an effective strategy.


    Even with the aid of so many wasps, the Queen was severely injured from abination of attacks that led to her losing three limbs, alongside the terrible wound in her abdomen where the scary wasp managed to break through her toughened shell.


    With her defensive formation in tatters, the Queen went on the defensive and began to retreat.


    I felt great gusts of wind where her membranous brown wings lifted her up in the air. And then, the majority of the formation of wasps around her scattered at once, all surging towards the centre, towards the lone figure of the scary wasp in a terrifying swarm.


    I lost track of the scary wasp among them and the Queen was fast disappearing into the depths of the hive with a few wasps in tow to protect her.


    I appraised the Queen again and as expected, she was on the verge of losing the battle and her life.


    -------------------------------


    LV42 Hestehoria


    Specie: Dyrsyn Vespoidea


    HP: 120/600 Defence: 431


    MP: 139/280 Intellect: 106


    SP: 98/476 Magic: 220


    Attack: 459 Agility: 265


    Skills:


    [?????: LV:??] [?????? ???????: LV:?]


    -------------------------------


    Her HP had fallen drastically, however her MP was recovering fast.


    I knew she couldn''t be allowed to retreat and recover so I quickly moved in to pursue. She was already terribly wounded and if she died by my hand, it would be even better.


    I heard a crash behind me where the scary wasp was fighting through the wasp swarm like a mad beast, using the bodies of his fellow wasps as shields in order to break out, even though he was already injured himself.


    The Queen was controlling a quarter of the wasps and using the rest to dy him, while maintaining a steady retreat. And through the copsed tunnel walls, I caught glimpses of her familiar chambers and therge chasm in the ground where she preferred to stay.


    If I want to kill her, I have to cut down the number of wasps around her first.


    I knew I couldn''t fight her alone as yet, so I ignored all the wasps around her and focused solely on attacking the Queen''s consciousness with [Coercion].


    I didn''t know if it would work on her but I only hoped to interfere with her orders to the wasps, even just for a moment to allow the scary wasp to break through.


    I felt a searing pain between my eyes and soon ckspots appeared across my vision. My head felt fit to burst and I struggled not to pass out.


    Although she was weakened, the difference in our levels made her too formidable an opponent to attack. I managed to freeze her movements for only a second before she broke free of my control, yet it felt like I''d taken a severe beating like I was the one being attacked.


    Fortunately, I seeded in what I wanted to do and I felt better for it. The short second where she was distracted by me was enough for the scary wasp to break out of the cage she had sacrificed majority of her protection to form.


    Once free, he sped towards her flying form like a tornado and instantlyunched his own counterattack.


    The Queen tried to attack him, but he used his speed to avoid her attacks, while throwing one wind de after the other to damage her as he went. It was like he had gotten faster - but that was impossible... unless the Queen was slower than before.


    Was it my poison? Was it finally starting to be effective?


    With more than half of the wasps left behind, her defence was weaker and much more spaced out than before.


    The scary wasp fought through the formation around her, killing the few remaining wasps tond on her flying form. Once he achieved a stable footing, he proceeded to cut down her wings, before plunging his ws deep into her thorax, as if to peel off her shell.


    The Queen''s flight derailed, and she plummeted to the ground below the chasm, taking herself and the scary wasp out of sight.


    I followed, curious and somewhat anxious of what woulde next.


    Soon, the ground of the nest gave way to a fresh earth and the scent of dew and moss. I could feel the vibrations and tremors through the ground and realized they were up ahead. I immediately activated [Mana Sense] and spotted two presences in the darkness.


    However, what I found was not what I expected. The scary wasp was impaled through the leg by a spike of earth rising from the ground.


    The Queen must''veunched an attack with what could only be earth magic and instead of two glowing figures fighting, the battlefield waspletely lit up in cyan, so much that it was almost blinding.


    There were splinters of earthing from every surface and each one contained a trace of mana that made it seem like there were more than twenty presences in the chasm.


    My [Heat Sphere] was alsopletely ineffective - it was impossible to predict where these lifeless spikes would rise from at a moment''s notice.


    Suddenly, I felt more tremors through the ground and noticed the gathering of mana in specific spots on the surface, right before a spike rose up. I quickly evaded thoseing out from under me and used [Dimensional Box] to swallow thoseing out from the walls.


    I heaved a sigh of relief... it was far too close forfort.


    I nearly got speared from the ground, while the scary wasp escaped by snapping off the spike impaled through his leg. He had taken off into the air, but his escape was not so fortunate and his wings were pierced in the next strike by spikesing down from the roof of the chasm.


    Without a doubt, down here the Queen was in her element. Although wounded, she was much stronger than before.


    It was bing much harder to see - with earth spears appearing everywhere and mana pouring through the ground from the Queen, my vision through [Mana Sense] had beenpromised so I switched to [Heat Sense] to locate the Queen hiding deep inside the chasm.


    She truly was like a cornered rat.


    I heard a snap of an earth spear and soon the scary wasp had freed himself. And, rather than retreat, he set out for the Queen as more splinters appeared around to impale him, but this time he flew much too fast for them to pierce. And even when they got close enough, he cut through them with his wind des.


    His path through to her was just as reckless as it was destructive, but he finally reached her. Then after, all I could hear were the horrendous sounds of hardened carapace breaking, followed by screaming and the shredding of wet flesh.


    As soon as he set her in his sights, it was a singr act of one sided brutality I could only describe as a massacre. From her antennae to her eyes, down to her shell, there was nowhere left untouched from his savagery.


    I couldn''t even interfere because an attack from him would likely end up severely injuring me. And by the time he was done, there wasn''t much left that was recognisable of the former arrogant Queen who looked down on him with contempt.


    I only knew she was dead when she stopped screaming, and I was left traumatised from what I had witnessed.


    ?You have gained a level!?


    In my terror I didn''t even read the system message. I was simply struck with fear. I wanted to back away before he realised I was there too.


    How was he still so strong after the hell of a battle he''d been through?


    I was afraid of making a sound that could alert him, and turn his fury onto me. I was still cloaked in shadow, but as the scary wasp emerged from the mess of a corpse that remained, I began to doubt if it was enough.


    All I could imagine was the scary wasp ripping me apart in the same way as the Queen.


    Fortunately, the wasps that had defended the Queen soon poured into the chasm and I used this disturbance to retreat further.


    I expected them to battle the scary wasp that had killed their Queen, but on seeing her savaged remains and the triumphant wasp smeared in blood, the wasps all fell back, much to my horror.


    The wasps that previously attacked him with ferocity all lost their incentive and now cowered before him like leaves, while others fled the hive in fear, without waiting for their deaths.


    But, the scary wasp did not seem interested in them at all or even the Queen''s corpse.


    After dismembering her body, he retreated away from the crowd without addressing anyone and simply took off, disappearing from sight.

 Chapter 97 - Fragile Bonds

    The deep, dark chasm took on a hollow feeling that reeked of loss.


    The shredded corpse of the Queeny at a distance and the wasps who bore many scars from battle looked almost lost. After being controlled for so long, I wasn''t surprised that they knew very little of what to do.


    I expected them to get enraged - after all, she had brainwashed them to loyalty over their true queen through nefarious means, but there was none of that.


    They began to fritter away, reducing in number until only a few remained. Then again, I didn''t expect any of them to be as smart as the scary wasp who had never been fooled.


    With the wasps scattering away in confusion, I quietly made my way over to the body of the Queen.


    On closer inspection, the state of her corpse was appalling. Her limbs were twisted beyond recognition and there was an outpouring of purple blood that struck me with an urgent fear.


    Could I really survive here, if I wasn''t capable of the acts of brutality needed to ensure I live?


    I could see why Sensei was so concerned.


    I didn''t want to think about it, so I appraised her corpse out of curiosity to see what I could learn.


    -----------------------------


    LV42 Hestehoria


    Specie: Dyrsyn Vespoidea


    HP: 0/600Defence: 431


    MP: 0/280Intellect: 106


    SP: 0/476Magic: 220


    Attack: 459Agility: 265


    Skills:


    [Earth Shard: LV8][Debilitating Poison: LV6]


    [Herculean Strength: LV4][Razor w: LV7]


    [Paralysis Venom: LV9] [Bleed Toxin: LV5]


    [Rapid MP Regeneration: LV6] [Swarm: LV7]


    [SP Recovery: LV8] [HP Recovery: LV9]


    [Sting: LV10] [Deadly Stinger: LV10]


    [Ultraviolet Vision: LV8] [Pain Toxin: LV10]


    [Grip: LV10] [Directional Stability: LV7]


    [Flight: LV:10] [elerated Flight: LV10]


    [Aerial Manoeuvring: LV10][w: LV10]


    [Leadership: LV10] [Cooperation: LV10]


    [Oviposition: LV10] [Marite: LV9]


    [Exoskeleton: LV10] [Chitin Armour: LV9]


    [Pheromonal Telepathy: LV5]


    [Bite: LV10] [Crushing Bite: LV8]


    [Scent: LV10] [Perception: LV3]


    [Lift: LV10] [MP Recovery: LV10]


    [Compound Eyes: LV10]


    Title:


    [Hive Queen] [Usurper] [Puppeteer]


    Magic Skills:


    [Earth Magic: LV6]


    [Earth Maniption: LV5]


    Resistances:


    [Poison Resistance: LV4]


    [Piercing Resistance: LV7]


    [Wind Resistance: LV7]


    [Fear Resistance: LV10]


    [Pain Resistance: LV7]


    [Mental Warfare: LV10]


    [Pain Negation: LV3]


    [Impact Resistance: LV7]


    [Paralysis Resistance: LV8]


    -----------------------------


    There seemed to be a noticeable pattern of advancement between skills, depending on how many evolutions a creature had gone through. For this Queen I could guess she had gone through two.


    Unfortunately even if I wanted to eat her, it was a shame she did not possess any of the skills I desired - especially the [Wind de]. Her skillset waspletely different from the first queen and the scary wasp in that regard.


    Also, since I didn''t kill her myself, I was unsure if [Devour] would work on her anyway.


    But she did possess exceptional mental maniption skills which mighte in handyter, so I tested my luck and tried eating a sizable chunk of her mangled flesh, however no alert came.


    It seemed even though I had levelled up from the kill, it was not the same.


    Why did I level up anyway?


    I remembered Sensei saying I could only gain XP from kills. Surely I must have gained something if I levelled up, yet no change was reflected in the XP points of my stats menu. It was still at [635]. Something was definitely fishy about this.


    Sensei never fully exined in detail how I earned XP, only that I was better off fighting solo. I was still unsure about the matter, so I decided to question him in detail about itter.


    For now, I collected a sizable portion of the Queen into [Dimensional Box] to add to all the wasps I''d collected prior. Even if I couldn''t gain anything from her, she was still a quality specimen that would help my nestlings improve.


    I didn''t take it all. The scary wasp probably had some grisly ns for her corpse, and I did not wish to aggravate him further by stealing her body, but I did make sure to collect her core. He likely had no idea what it was, and I needed every advantage I could get if I was going to survive here.


    I returned to the top of the hive where most of the wasps had already fled, and of those that remained - they all looked terrible, the living, scored with injuries not much different from the dead.


    In the state of confusion, the waspscked all vignce and did not pay any attention. I wondered if there was any point to using [Shadow Shroud] to move around.


    I was curious about their behaviour, so I asked Sensei.


    "What normally happens when a queen dies?"


    ?Some aggressive behaviour is expected, and a few murderous rampaging swarms, nothing too serious.?


    "Wait what?"


    ?A collective typically can''t function without a leader. At the time, the first queen was defeated, another was there to take her ce. But not so much now, so...?


    "Don''t say things like that so casually!"


    I thought back to all the wasps that had fled earlier, rather than submit, and my anxiety increased. What if they were all outside raising hell?


    I couldn''t let that happen. There had to be a way to stop it before it was toote.


    There was only one wasp left capable of reining them all in and I wondered if he would entertain me once more.


    Perhaps it was selfish to make him clean up the mess I''d made. Knowing his character, he had no intention of leading the wasps, let alone keeping them alive - he might even have left already, but I had to make sure.


    I arrived in hisir but there was no presence there. That left the hidden queen''s chamber, which I was hesitant to enter. It felt like a criminal returning to the scene of a crime, but there was nothing else I could do.


    Asughable as it sounded, he seemed like a wasp of honour and I trusted that he would not harm me. At least as long as he didn''t know I was the one who killed his queen.


    I shuddered at the thought of the Queen''s corpse. Nevermind, he should never be aware of that dark secret now that everyone who knew was dead.


    I shook off my thoughts and entered. Inside I spotted him beneath the oval window. Among the wreckage and scattered corpses of the queen''s chamber, he looked positively tranquil - aside from the bloody injuries across his body that told a different story.


    Defeated, and in anguish, he stood among the corpses in silence. It would have been a great time to attack him, but I''m sure he''d grown more powerful since killing the queen.


    I watched him mourn from afar. Sensei had said creatures did not feel any emotion, but how could I believe it after seeing this?


    I thought the scary wasp would abandon his queen after seeing everything she had done, yet he was saddened by her death? I was filled with disappointment at myself. Why did I expect more from a demented creature who killed without hesitation?


    ?You seem surprised.? Sensei mockingly said. ?Did you really think he would follow you simply because his Queen died. Do you think rtionships are so trivial??


    I felt my body get heated. How could he have seen through my intentions so tantly. I wanted to die of embarrassment.


    "Should an emotionless system be saying such sappy things." I shot back. "I don''t understand him. Why would he linger here over a dead corpse?"


    "There''s no such thing as true loyalty. Benefit is what truly drives people." I paused. "Yes, I know he''s not a person, but he has to have gained something from staying with her."


    I was truly confused at the wasp''s actions that made no sense at all. Had I miscalcted by overestimating him?


    ?Aurelia¡­? Sensei snickered.


    "People betray each other over the simplest things. Do you expect me to believe a cold, unfeeling insect has better principles than a human being?"


    ?I didn''t know cute girls could speak such scary words.?


    Th-this idiot! Didn''t he know what was at stake.


    "If you can''t be serious, don''t say anything at all!"


    ?Have you always been this shallow of a girl? Diminishing a bond because you can''t control it is pure folly.?


    "Shallow?" I was annoyed.


    ?You need to have more faith in others. Not everything is a transaction and not everyone is going to disappoint you. Case in point.?


    I wished he would be quiet.


    I looked at the scary wasp and wondered if I could kill him. With my current abilities it wasn''t possible and I didn''t want to take any unnecessary risks.


    The level difference between us was just too high and he wasn''t injured like his Queen was. I would have to return when I''d gotten stronger than him.


    I appraised him to grab his attention.


    -----------------------------


    LV37 Horothia


    Specie: Ailith Vespoidea


    HP: 270/580Defence: 405


    MP: 310/320Intellect: 169


    SP: 494/504Magic: 225


    Attack: 460Agility: 646


    Skills:


    [?????: LV:??] [???????: LV:?]


    -----------------------------


    If he had a vague sense that I was there before, now he had proof.


    I heard the scary wasp''s harsh gravelly voice in my head.


    [No need to hide. I know you''re there.]


    Heh?


    Before I could think, he turned away from the window, staring directly at my figure in the dark like he was gesturing for me toe. I wanted to remain far away, but his eyes kept ring at me and I felt pressured to move.


    I moved closer, without any fear until I was next to him.


    I felt uneasy. What did he want to say that he couldn''t say from far away?


    Suddenly I felt a breeze and when I looked up there was an outstretched w reaching out for my head. I panicked immediately and leapt back to dodge, but I was caught in a vice-like grip.


    [Did you really think I wouldn''t know what you did.]

 Chapter 98 - Rescue

    The enormous feline monster stalked the base of the tree, wing away at the opening where the sneaky tails of the four snakes could still be seen. Although they were trying to escape with all their might, it was a pathetic effort.


    What was the point of all the training if they couldn''t put it to use when necessary?


    For a moment, annoyed as he was, the male guard couldn''t bring himself to start moving. The grouchy snake oversaw their plight with eyes filled with disdain. Until the female guard nudged him impatiently.


    [We need to save them. What are you hesitating for?] She frowned at hisck of interest.


    If it were left to him, he would leave those useless snakes to their fate and retreat now that the monster was paying them no attention. But of course, if he did that, he would never hear the end ofints from his sister.


    She just couldn''t resist saving the puppies and kittens of the world and would never let him get away with it.


    He did not want to look at the white snake. Only the slight twitch at the edge of his mouth revealed his irritation. Of the six snakes present, five were okay, and only one was injured. There was no reason they couldn''t all get away unharmed.


    He sighed and made up his mind.


    [Alright. I''ll be the bait. While I lure it away, you take the others and run.] He said while ring at the quivering snakes, and then as if remembering something, he turned to his sister to add. [Leave the injured one behind, it will only slow you down.]


    The female guard gave him a cold stare. [That''s not a n. Its a suicide mission.]


    [Don''t be dramatic. I can take care of myself.]


    [I''m the fastest among us. If anyone should be the bait, it''s me.] She hissed stubbornly.


    [Please don''t fight.] The sprinkled snake said worriedly from the side. [We need to work together.]


    [Be quiet.] The male guard red at him and turned to his sister. [No, I should be the one doing this. Don''t worry, I won''t get hurt.]


    [How can I not? You will be up against something like that.] The female guard countered. [I refuse, I''m not leaving you behind.]


    The male guard was stunned by her fierce deration, she was normally aloof about everything, but he shook his head firmly. [I don''t need your permission. We''re doing it this way. Don''t make a move until it starts chasing me.]


    But as he stared at the two pairs of concerned beady eyes, he felt he had to add. [If I don''t return after some time, I trust you wille back and rescue me.]


    [That''s not the point]


    [I''m going now.]


    Without waiting for confirmation, he ducked out of the sheltered alcove and climbed up a tree to get a better view of the monster.


    With heckles of thick fur raised, the beasts eyes shone a delighted red hue as it focused in on the terrified snakes. As powerful strikes from its hooked ws splintered off crisp chunks of deadwood, he caught glimpses of four trembling snakes through the cracks.


    The wounded one looked much paler than before.


    Without any more dy, he leapt off the trunk, and curling himself into a spherical roll in the air, he shot down at the creature, crashing against the side of its head with a loud bang.


    There wasn''t much he could do for them except to provide an opportunity. To distract such a monster for a minute would not be an easy feat, and it was up to them if they could grasp it.


    The creature staggered backwards and away from the tree, stunned from the sudden and forceful impact. It let out an enraged roar that shook that area of the forest.


    The trembling snakes all snapped to attention at once, scrambling over themselves to break away from the tree, while the male guard deftlynded on the ground in full view of the creature.


    As soon as its zing red eyes fell on him, it made a staggering leap to attack, but he already expected as much and quickly slithered out of range and away in the other direction.


    He could feel every tremor of its movements through the ground as the monster pursued, and even as his danger perception was telling him to hide, he continued to move about in the open.


    Once he sensed the heat trace of the third snake clear away from the base of the trunk, he dove into foliage to find a decent spot to disappear with his camouge.


    However, as soon as he conceal himself, he noticed the pounding footsteps behind him had stopped.


    Looking back, he saw the female guard had ignored his instructions. She along with the sprinkled snake were assisting the injured snake left behind in the tree who was too weak to move by itself.


    The monster had noticed their presence and turned back to intercept them.


    He cursed and raced back to help them but therge feline monster had already caught up. Its ws came crashing down on the three snakes and the female guard facing it alone, charged protectively ahead of the others to let out a shrill hiss at the creature.


    It was a dreadful sound at a low frequency that struck the male guard and all the snakes around her with deep feelings of difort and fear.


    Even from the distance, it was potent enough to petrify the male guards movements. He instinctively felt he had to protect his senses and his fangs began to chatter, so he couldn''t imagine what the monster she targeted was currently feeling.


    It was a skill specifically designed to elicit a fearful response in its victims. Under the effect of the sound, the monster''s instinct was to retreat. Its vision blurred and the ws it raisedpletely missed her figure, creating a deep gouge in the ground. Its body twisted and recoiled away from the sound in irritation, allowing the sprinkled snake and the injured one to get away.


    But the effect was fleeting.


    As soon as her hissing stopped, the monster regained proper control over its limbs and attacked. She attempted her intimidation, but the monster would not allow her trick again.


    Enraged at being bested twice, its ws came down all too swiftly and her eyes widened in panic. Her movements were fast, but she was not quick enough to keep up with a monster of that size.


    The male guard made a desperate sprint for her, intercepting the attack with his own body just as the creature''s vicious talons bore down to rip her apart.


    His body coursed with pain and a burning sensation where his rugged scales drew blood, but it was bearable. The female guard on seeing this however, surged with anger andshed out at the monster''s paw that pinned him to the ground.


    But the monster proved stronger than she imagined, although it released the male guard to evade her strikes, it looked physically unharmed, like her venom had no effect at all. If anything, it was much angrier than before and she was struck with a blow to the head that sent her tumbling into the shrubbery where she mmed against a tree.


    Cornered by the savage beast, he saw the female guard wasn''t getting back up as quickly as he expected her to, neither was she moving and his thoughts filled with worry. But he could not afford to stop, and continued to attack with fury.


    With the monster''s full attention on himself, there was no other choice but to lead the monster away, to prevent it from attacking her again.


    Blood sttered everywhere as his fangs went all the way through the monster''s thigh. He slipped through the monster''s limbs as it roared in pain, confusing it by weaving a scattered pattern, and only when he saw the sprinkled snake dragging away the female guard, did he rx.


    However, he felt an inexplicable chilling sensation from the direction the sprinkled snake fled towards. There was a lingering suspicion they were being observed and he heard a distinctive skittering sounding from somewhere above.


    Even with the feline monster in pursuit, he risked a look back and was shocked to see clusters of bright yellow eyes lighting up the trees.


    Knowing there were many more monsters watching the battle and the retreating snakes, he nearly froze with panic. He could not identify the monsters, but he made out multiple sets of eyes and the speed at which they scurried through the trees made him feel uneasy.


    What if the injured snakes were attacked after he left? His previous n of leading the monster away won''t work anymore if more reced it.


    The sprinkled snake was not aware enough to take a roundabout path back to the cave to lose the watching monsters. He had to shake the feline monster off his tail and return somehow.


    He darted into the undergrowth, slipping behind a tree to hide. But the enraged feline came crashing through right after.


    Moving stealthily through the undergrowth to evade detection, he began to pick up traces of movement ahead - this seemed like a good opportunity to lose his pursuer.


    If he encountered another monster strong enough to take on the feline, he could sessfully escape!


    He slipped out of the undergrowth where he was confronted by two monsters battling against each other.


    A slender reptilian monster with elongated sharp ws that kept ring at its opponent - and a serpentine monster sprouting dangerous spikes all over its body with hardened dark scales of an unusual lustre.


    The feline monster leapt out right after him,ing face to face with the two monsters. Its attention now focused on the stronger opponents ahead, the male guard was able to slip away unseen.


    He cast onest nce back and rushed towards his nestmates, hoping everyone was still alive.

 Chapter 99 - Kingmaker

    My senses went on high alert and my thoughts filled with panic. Was he going to kill me?


    [Thank you for your assistance.]


    The scary wasp spoke after a pause and I sighed with relief.


    However, the scary wasp''s ws were still ced between the horns on my head and I tried not to move. He didn''t squeeze or press down at all, yet I felt their sharp sting.


    What the hell?


    It took me less than a second to understand the ramifications of such a gesture and my face immediately darkened.


    W-wasn''t this a...head pat?


    It was a head pat.


    I felt mortified andpletely insulted. This wasp did not see me as anything threatening, rather my status had been reduced to that of a small animal. I didn''t know which was worse - suffering multiple defeats at his hand or this.


    Yeah, this was worse.


    "I''m going to kill him." I seethed with rage.


    I heard Sensei''s teasing snicker and didn''t know which of the two pissed me off the most.


    "He needs to die." You both need to die.


    ?Calm down.? Sensei nervously coughed. ?At least he''s not suspecting you for his Queens death.?


    Was that supposed to make me feel better?


    How am I supposed to go around confidently in the future after this? How can a snake be the pet of a wasp? Wasn''t that subverting the evolutionary chain?


    I felt something sting my eyes.


    [Did you forget how to speak?] The scary wasp''s gravelly voice sparked with annoyance.


    [No!]


    I slowly slipped away from his wed limb and responded curtly, suppressing my anger to give him a nk stare.


    [My contribution was only a small part of your victory, I''m surprised you noticed at all.]


    No, you would''ve be the Queen''s snack if I didn''t intervene and distract her at the right time.


    [You would have won even without my help anyway.] I continued to speak all the things I don''t mean, while keeping my inner thoughts private.


    I couldn''t wait for the day I carved this scary wasp up.


    ?Why not speak your true feelings?? Sensei interjected with augh.


    Ugh¡­ I should learn to hide my thoughts from him first.


    And then maybe eat Sensei too.


    The scary wasp remained harsh, my words having no effect.


    [Your ttery is not needed. Tell me, why have youe here?]


    He was definitely a tough one.


    I reasoned he was tense because of his injuries. His body had several deep wounds that were healing, albeit slowly and there was a horrible stab wound on his thorax too.


    Yet, he was still standing like nothing was wrong. Either he had incredible mental fortitude or his [Pain Nullification] or some other unknown skill was at max.


    [You are wounded. I can help you to heal.]


    My potion probably wouldn''t have any effect on wounds that severe, but I suggested it as a sign of goodwill. It would be a shame if he died before he could prevent more wasps from leaving the hive and wrecking havoc outside.


    However, the scary wasp would not let me get near him.


    [It''s not poison.] I frowned. Wasn''t he a bit too wary of me?


    Even after reassuring him, the scary wasp remained tense. Not that I didn''t think of using my poison on his wounds, I simply reasoned he would kill me faster than my poison could kill him.


    [Why did you attack the queen alone?] I asked instead.


    Scary wasp winced. Perhaps it was too soon to ask.


    If I went off the assumption that everything he told me about his queen was correct, there was no need to reveal anything if I thought she was already dead. To an outsider like me, it would simply look like he voided our initial n and attacked the hive queen alone without any cause.


    [My reasons don''t matter anymore. The act is already done.]


    There was a touch of sorrow in his voice, but he no longer backed away from me, so I grew confident and pressed on.


    [What will you do now that she is dead?]


    As was often with acts of revenge, there wasn''t much nning beyond the deed. From how recklessly he fought, he probably didn''t expect to survive the fight, let alone kill her.


    I was met with silence.


    He really was difficult to talk to. If I didn''t keep asking questions, entire conversations would pass like this, so I pressed on.


    [Some of the wasps are leaving the hive. How can they do that when you are rightfully their king.]


    The scary wasp was taken aback. [King?]


    [You are the strongest now, and you are the only one who can lead them.]


    [I am nobody''s king, I am just a-]


    He directed his eyes towards the open window, stopping his speech mid-sentence. I sensed he wanted to say more but I was startled when I heard the buzzing vibrations of something fast moving through the air.


    Something wasing. Two ''somethings'' in particr.


    Appearing abruptly through the window, were two evolved wasps that looked simr to the scary wasp, but not quite. They entered the queen''s chamber and began to look around, taking in the wreckage. They were less impressive, clumsy in appearance, duller in colour and somewhat less deadly.


    They looked more simr to the dead wasps around us with holes in their chests, and on seeing the battle worn scary wasp, the two wasps became alert like they wanted to flee. I could only conclude they were outside and just now returning to the hive.


    I appraised them ordingly.


    ---------------------------


    LV20 Verum Hesperia


    Specie: Ailith Vespoidea


    HP: 183/183Defence: 126


    MP: 75/75Intellect: 68


    SP: 146/146Magic: 89


    Attack: 137Agility: 140


    Skills:


    [??????: LV??] [????????: LV?]


    ---------------------------


    LV23 Verum Hesperia


    Specie: Ailith Vespoidea


    HP: 198/198Defence: 139


    MP: 110/110Intellect: 95


    SP: 158/158Magic: 127


    Attack:118Agility: 154


    Skills:


    [?????: LV??] [??? ?????: LV?]


    ---------------------------


    They were impressive for mere fledglings.


    If the queen was still alive, she would no doubt have used [Coercion] on them to stop them from fleeing, then gored them while alive to take the power they possessed for her dying core.


    In a way they were lucky it was not her meeting them today.


    The two wasps on seeing the scary wasp stopped fidgeting - abandoning their ns to run, they fell on their knees, heads bowed low in respect.


    And on seeing this I smirked - there was no way he was getting out of this now. Seeing he was the strongest in the room, they must have equated his presence to that of the queen.


    With the hidden queen dead - the hive would expand even without the capacity to make more, because the new wasps that returned would be kept alive. And once they rounded up the escaped wasps, thebyrinth would be a much safer ce for my little snakes. Problem solved.


    [You are their king.] I insisted with a smirk. [A leader must not abandon their kin!]


    There was no way I was letting him off, he had to take responsibility.


    [Silence! Why would you suggest such a thing?]


    The scary wasp did not look convinced. [What do you want? You must be after something to suggest this farce.]


    Damn, he was perceptive! I felt myself sweat.


    [The queen was cruel, and she did not treat you well - just look at how many dead wasps fill this chamber. I want nothing more than to restore order.]


    The scary wasp flinched. If my guess was right, he knew all the wasps here were dead due to his own queen. My intention was to make him feel guilty for her wrongdoings.


    Watching him carefully, I put on my most sorrowful voice.


    [I understand you wish to leave, but you can reverse what the queen did by bing a proper king. If you gather the survivors and train them under your leadership - without distinguishing between which wasps belonged to which queen, you could create a great force.]


    [Why would I do something so troublesome?]


    [You''ve always wanted to do something about her. Now that you finally stopped her, shouldn''t you finish what you started?]


    I was betting on him. Although he was vicious, he seemed more reasonable than the previous two rulers, maybe even less of a tyrant. If he took the two new wasps as captains and trained them, he would certainly be more powerful.


    Since I saved his life - although he was initially so against epting my help, he probably felt he owed me something. And I knew he would maybe perhaps listen to me?


    It was a good exchange, but for how long?


    The only way to guarantee a promise was through submission. I was willing to take the chance - at least until I was capable enough to defeat him. Then he would be my captain and all the wasps under him would belong to me by proxy.


    Hehehe¡­ what a beautiful dream.


    The scary wasp gave a low grunt.


    His face revealed nothing. Did he agree? I really couldn''t tell.


    But I took him not killing the new wasps as a good sign. Since the two were still kneeling, I decided to retreat. It was a good time for him to get more acquainted.


    [Wait.]


    Unfortunately, the scary wasp noticed me leaving.


    [For your efforts in helping me, I will forbid my brethren from hunting any hatchlings.]


    I froze. How did he know I had hatchlings?


    [Like you.]


    Hatchlings like me? Didn''t he see how much this snake had grown?


    This *******.


    I grumbled and turned around to leave.


    Outside the hidden Queen''s chamber, I took in a big breath and immediately sped towards the host graveyard. I better grab the lizard and finally leave this damn hive before anything else unexpected crops up.


    Suddenly, I began to yearn fondly for the cave I was born in and my cute, clumsy siblings.

 Chapter 100 - The Cave

    Was it callous of him to dump the furious feline monster on an innocent pair?


    Maybe, but he couldn''t be bothered to care.


    To him no monster was innocent, only the weak died, while the strong survived.


    He moved away from there but soon heard a startled yelp from the feline, followed by the heavy thud of something flying across the ground, apanied by more anguished yelps.


    It seemed to be suffering?


    What the heck was happening over there?


    He looked back in the direction of those creatures and hesitated for a while on whether to just leave, or find out what was happening.


    The snake did smell oddly familiar.


    However in the end, he paid them no mind and continued to track the scent trail left by his brethren. The thought of wasting more time simply to spectate a battle, when his sister might be in real danger was inexcusable.


    Soon he arrived at the ce they faced off against therge monster but there was no sign of the snakes. Only traces of blood and footprints from unusual tracks in the ground - they were clearly followed.


    He grew anxious and chased after the trail as fast as he could. The tracks were small but numerous and he wondered what sort of creature had left them.


    Before long it came to an end and there was still nothing - no trace of the mysterious creature nor the corpse of a nestling. Like they had all vanished into thin air.


    The misty grounds of the forest were somewhat empty, but the nocturnal sounds of small creatures and insects could still be heard.Anxious and confused, he looked around for any signs but paused and slowly raised his head up to look into the never ending trees.


    Dangling down from one of the thick vines, staring unblinking, was a green and purple hairy spider. The male guard trembled at the sight but he red at it fearlessly. The spider''s eight yellow eyes flickered back, clearly unfazed.


    Behind it, numerous yellow eyes lit up the trees as more of its kin revealed themselves.He counted three, then six, then ten - just how many were there?


    His anxiety began to manifest his worst fears. What if these monsters captured the snakes and...


    With the injured snake as a burden, getting away was near impossible. This was one of the rare times he got angry at his sister''s stubbornness.


    One of the spiders scuttled forward with frightening speed,unching itself off the vine tond before him with a soft thud. A sticky web shot past his body, spreading out into attice behind him just as another shot sped towards his head. He ducked andunched himself at the spider, coiling around it without mercy.


    The spider struggled against his grip - numerous legs pelting him like bullets as itsrge mandibles snapped erratically. And with a weak crack it stopped its resistance as its limbsy still.


    The male guard, emerging unharmed, slipped through the webbing as the second spider lowered itself from the tree. It shot out a series of webs to deter his approach, but the sturdy snake evaded them all, and sunk his fangs into it before turning around to flee.


    A third spider descended, its swift legs ttered across the ground trying to skewer him with its sharp edges. But its attacks were simple and he was able to get closer and injected it with poison.


    As the spider fell, the remaining watching in the trees became wary.


    On the contrary, the male guard was on high alert. If they rushed him all at once, it would be difficult to fight through them all. But as he waited, none came down and he realised theyckedbat experience. That gained him a few seconds to hide himself.


    By the time the spiders realized their mistake, he was already a distance away, concealing himself under the sands of the undergrowth. They came down in droves but he had already disappeared from view.


    Surrounded by dense jungle he was unsure where to begin, he had lost the spiders but also the scent trail of his brethren. Rather than continue cluelessly, he scanned with the full range of all his senses to find traces of them again.


    With injured ones, it would be difficult to move - if they had seeded in escaping the spiders, they couldn''t have gone far.


    In his quiet focus, the sensations of the misty forest speeded through his tough scales in waves of vibration.Until suddenly everything went quiet.


    The once bustling forest became unnaturally still as hidden creatures from every direction collectively held their breaths. Something was wrong.


    His danger perception rose to its peak as the feeling of intense dread crept through his skin. It was a clear warning sign that a very powerful creature was passing through and he too fell intoplete silence as he observed through the leaves.


    Within the nket of silence over the area, it wasn''t long before he picked up the vibrations of something approaching him from behind. Something cool touched his scales and heshed out on instinct, but stopped short when he saw a familiar white snake.


    It was the female guard, who urged him to follow her as she slipped further into the shrubs, disappearing to a cavity in the ground. He followed, eager to get away from the sense of danger, and as soon as he vacated the spot, he felt vibrations of what sounded like a stampede.


    The shrubs where he once hid, were split apart by a flurry of fast moving bristly legs where groups of spiders bothrge and small, tore through the vegetation in swelling numbers.


    Therger spiders each carried thick bundles of thick webbing above their heads with hordes of smaller spiders crawled between the spaces.


    Hidden in the ground, the male guard was relieved to see all the snakes present and huddled together in their makeshift shelter - including the injured one.


    He was more relieved to see his sister was fine - although she looked paler than her already white form. He wanted to know what happened earlier, but she gestured to him to be still.


    He didn''t risk peering out of the shrubs, and the nestlings huddled together in silence until the vibrations from the stampede were over.


    With the danger past, the noiseless forest soon regained its sound and the tired and worn out group of snakes emerged from hiding to make the sobering trip back home. The injured snake, who had lost a lot of blood, was helped along by the sprinkled snake while the stronger snakes both guarded their backs while on the look out for predators.


    Their arrival at the cave was awash with cheers from the rest of their siblings. Like heroes returning from a journey, they were weed with greetings and encouraging words, while those that could not yet speak contented themselves to perform that ridiculous dance. However, the returning snakes remained quiet.


    The male guard didn''t think the injured snake would survive the night and he wanted to scold his sister for her recklessness, but he stopped when he saw the terrible look on her face. It seemed she was already feeling down and decided to let her be.He only hoped she would no longer underestimate how real the danger was outside this cave.


    But that did not deter the snakes around from clinging to them. Even though both guards acted cold and strict, they had each seeded in attracting a following of snakes who regarded them as leaders.


    Two snakes began to help the injured snake, but they could only do so much - surviving the night was entirely up to the wounded snake''s determination.


    [He looks very pale] One of the snake''s asked worriedly. [Why won''t he wake up?]


    [He''s hurt.] The female guard answered shortly.


    [What will happen to him?] Another snake asked pitifully.


    The female guard was trying to figure out how to exin death when a slender snake with spade-like markings came forward from the crowd.


    [He''ll die.] The snake answered and she sauntered over confidently with a sh of disdain in her eyes. [We shouldn''t waste time on such a failure and try to get stronger instead. I don''t understand why you bothered to bring him back when he''s going to die anyway.]


    [You don''t know that. Stop spouting nonsense.]


    The female guard red at her and turned to her brother for support, but her mood darkened when the male guard looked away, showing he agreed with the spaded snake.


    [But I''m not wrong. You''re avoiding the main issue instead of saying it outright.] The spaded snake''s words were reasonable, but her forked tongue heldyers of mockery.


    One of the little snakes gasped in horror, looking tearful. [Won''t he be fine if he wakes up.]


    [The weak die first, that''s how it is.] The spaded snake answered and moved in close to the injured snakeying on the floor. [The only thing we can do for him is to put him out of his misery, instead of letting him suffer.]


    Then she swept forward to grip the wounded snake''s head between her fangs in an attempt to crush his skull.


    [Get away from him. That is not your decision to make.] The female guard''s voice was filled with unspoken danger. But the spaded snake did not look at her, and turned to male guard instead, as if waiting for his signal.


    The Female guard red up in anger on seeing this. She moved quickly to intercept the snake in hopes of saving the wounded snake''s life. But before she could attack, the male guard spoke up.


    [Release him.]


    The simplemand was all it took


    The spaded snake released the wounded snake with a disappointed sigh. [If he starts to stink, you''ll be the one to throw it out.] She added, before sauntering away, leaving the female guard feeling very ufortable.


    [You said you would keep her under control.] The female guard turned to re at her brother. [If she keeps acting like this, our leader will kick her out when she returns.]


    He spoke after a brief silence. [We can''t afford to think like that anymore. We''ll need snakes like her more in the future.]


    [What are you trying to say?] The female guard bared her fangs with rage.


    [Isn''t it time you understood. The master isn''t returning - she probably died a long time ago. We''re alone from here on out. We need to look out for ourselves.]


    [How could you say that?]


    [Wake up and stop daydreaming. You saw how crazy it was out there. Do you think she''s still alive after all this time?]


    The male guard turned away from her to make an announcement. [No one is to leave the cave from now on without my orders. Not to hunt, not even to train. Am I understood?]


    Hismand was met with a chorus of agreement, much like he had be their new leader and the female guard was left speechless.

 Chapter 101 - Labyrinth Atlas

    In the misty spread of forest where no light could prate, the raw scent of earth and the crisp dew of fresh foliage felt like a soothing balm on my nerves.


    I''m finally out of the hive! I wanted to scream with joy but it would alert the other dangerous creatures nearby so I kept quiet


    However, up in the misty canopies where birds should have been chirping in melodious tunes, the excruciating offkey screeches of monstrosities was heard. And in the lush vegetation below, distorted low growls from every corner from what sounded like rabid animals.


    But I smiled and paid it no mind - thinking happy thoughts. Just how wonderful was it to finally be out in the open - to see the sights and sounds of the forest. My body coursed with a strange exhration.


    At first, the sudden onught of sensation had been overwhelming, but as I curled upfortably on the raised tform at the entrance to the scary wasp''s hive, I was able to experience it all without getting disturbed.


    Behind me was therge rock formation of reddish earth that the hive was located in. It was a real stronghold that stood like an imprable fortress, and none of the shadowy creatures I glimpsed through the mist in the dense forest below, dared toe close.


    The scary wasp had already gained the loyalty of all the wasps in the hive and kept his word to me as well.


    None of the wasps passing to and from the hive''s entrance attacked me, as all they did was spare me a few nces before buzzing away. It was like I had be some sort of important figure in the waspmunity overnight - such a difference from before when I had to sneak around in the hive, trying to avoid all creatures. It was a great and wee change.


    I couldn''t help but smile - what a good wasp.


    Although I was a little worried about the wasps that had fled the hive before he gave his instructions - I was confident he could wrangle them all back, either dead or alive, with the assistance of his new captains.


    Feeling satisfied, I made my way down to enter the dense forest and cloaked myself with [Shadow Shroud] as a precaution.


    Better safe than getting abducted again, right?


    A deep green carpet of small nts spread under my curls, and the colourful spores of luminous lichen carried in the wind by the ever present cloudy mist, lit up my path through the forest that concealed untold dangers and many more adventures.


    It was such a relief to breathe the cold crisp air and feel the cool sensation of earth under my scales. I wanted to say hello to all the ravenous monsters, the weird looking nts and even the nasty bottom feeder bugs that crawled all over the ce.


    It was just that good it was to be outside!


    Unfortunately, my mood was spoiled when I heard the snap of a twig behind me. I looked back and glimpsed a familiar shadow moving quickly between the trees and I frowned.


    How long was he going to keep this up?


    I was surprised it could still track me even when I was under [Shadow Shroud] - just how good was its sense of smell?


    I''m back outside and all was right in the world again. But there was still one stubborn, persistent and, annoying problem - the lizard.


    Right now, it was quietly stalking me with a rather sloppy [Stealth]. I could hear its footsteps on the crushed leaves, and I sighed - you are doing it wrong, brat!


    When I returned to the host graveyard after my ''talk'' with the scary wasp, he was nowhere to be found.


    Of course, I thought the wasps must have captured him again, so I searched all over the ce to no avail. It was only aftering outside that I realised he ran away by himself, and then for some reason decided to follow me instead of going his way.


    And to make matters worse, when I tried to approach him, he bit me and took off into the trees like a startled fawn. That dumb lizard.


    What was wrong with him?


    I wondered why he suddenly attacked me and, yet still continued to follow me. I could only conclude he was trying an another-world-lizard-version of ying hard to get.


    I didn''t want to think too hard when I already have too many things to worry about.


    Firstly, the snake king mentioned by the scary wasp.


    I had guessed there were other snakes besides my nestlings, but his words provided conclusive evidence. If there was a king, there had to be argermunity of snakes somewhere, perhaps even on the same scale as the wasps.


    Yet, of all the snakes I''d encountered so far, none were any bigger than my neonate form. I would have asked him more about them and where I could find them but doing so would have revealed I wasn''t with them like I led him to believe. And for that, I regretted lying but at that time, it seemed like the best way to save my life.


    Perhaps the nestlings and I were intended to grow up isted and eventually join therger snake colony?


    From what I''d observed so far, with each stage of evolution, the intelligence and abilities of the monster also increased. If the scary wasp''s level was an example, I guessed there were one or two more evolutions left before I got the telepathy-like skill.


    So I couldn''t rule out thoughts of a snake hive mind with higher intelligence existing somewhere.


    But then again, did I really want to merge with such high numbers? Thirty was already too much for me. And any organised colony would already have its own leaders like the snake king, with lesser hierarchies and annoying rules to follow.


    Somehow, the idea of blending in with snakes to fit an ideal mould did not appeal to me and besides - I had already formed my own [Pit]. To join theirs would be a little...odd - I might even get killed or something, depending on how strict they were with rules.


    Also, how was I to exin the disrespectful lizard that was part of my pit but did not listen to me, and was also not a snake?


    How did these things work anyway? There were way too many questions!


    For my safety and peace of mind - it was better not to join them at all!


    Ahh¡­much better. With a decision made, my thoughts were finally clear.


    I pulled up the system''s menu disying the [Labyrinth As] to figure out how to get home.


    At first I was impressed as it showed the entirety of thebyrinth''s upper stratum on a singlerge ne in 3D. I could make out sections of lush forest, with steep tops that looked like mountains, many rivers crisscrossing thendscape like a tapestry and even Ekharkai''s hive behind me.


    Until it zoomed out, and to my surprise, showed a much wider space that was entirely dark with no definition like it had been sloshed with ck ink. I realised, what I was seeing was only a small portion of the real upper stratum, and worse, under the visible firstyer were six more nes ofndscape that were entirely dark.


    Rather than show me the full map, everything apart from the small corner I was in was pitch ck and outlined in inky shadow. Only the ces I''d visited before showed up in full colour, with myself indicated within thendscape as a small snake, no different from a squiggly line.


    I grimaced. Which five year old made this?


    The middle and lower stratum that I most wanted to see, was just a ne of inky ck silhouette with no distinction whatsoever. I couldn''t even tell what a tree was from a river.


    What kind of knock off map was this, that didn''t even show everything? For something so expensive, it was about as useful as a bag of hot air.


    ?Very detailed, isn''t it?? I heard Sensei gush. ?You can unlock a new section of the As by visiting the area, or by paying a small starting price of [300XP]...?


    300XP is a small starting price? Isn''t that what I bought the damn thing for?


    "You! You tricked me!"


    I could see the bag of coins flying away in my head. Just how much [XP] would I need to spend to unlock the whole thing?


    I regretted ever trusting in Sensei. He was nothing more than a pariah and snake oil salesman!


    ?How did I trick you? Isn''t it a detailed map? Youe from a modern world - so why are you surprised by a pay per use system??


    That he could scold me even after swindling me out of [XP], just showed how shameless to the core he was.


    "Why should I pay even after I already bought it? This is robbery." I retorted as I focused on reading the as.


    There was a straight path through the forest from my original territory to the hive. I assumed this was because the wasp that carried me had been flying in the air.


    Following it onnd, was a much tracker issue. Aside from my lizard stalker, I encountered many more creatures along the trail, and each time I had to change course to avoid them.


    It helped that my eyesight was much better than before, and I could spot them early.


    It wasn''t that I was afraid of facing any monsters - I simply wanted to get back as quickly as I could after being gone for so long.


    I followed the path with haste and before long, I began to see familiar ces. I passed by the tall field of grass where I was taken, and the trail stopped.


    Fortunately, I knew the rest of the way back. I even stopped for a while to give the lizard a chance to catch up. But rather than thank me, the ungrateful lizard leapt out of the tall grass, and attacked me out of nowhere.


    In my carelessness, he actually managed tond a bite, and in that same arrogant demeanour of his, I saw the delightful glint in his eyes, like he was proud ofnding a hit on me.


    That''s it!


    I''m done ying your stupid game.


    I quickly swerved around and grasped him in my constriction hold before he could run away again.

 Chapter 102 - Fire Vs Poison

    As I saw my HP bar decline, even just by a few points, it made me angry and upset. What was he attacking me for? Although it didn''t hurt, it doesn''t feel good to be attacked like that.


    ?Go easy on him.? Sensei cautioned. ?He''s just confused. Your scent is familiar but he doesn''t quite recognise you. He probably thinks you are a new snake that ate his leader.?


    Eh? What kind of stupid reason was that? Clearly I was still the same snake, only bigger.


    But then I remembered he was never that smart to begin with.


    I slowly released him from my grasp.


    The lizard prowled around me, looking for another opportunity to strike. He was so serious about avenging me that I wanted tough. How adorable!


    I suppose if I did die, I wouldn''t mind the lizard going after my killer for revenge, only he was mistaking my identity here! I couldn''t wait to get [Telepathy] so I could finallymunicate.


    I stared down the lizard to show I was unfazed, but I heard a loud roar echo through the forest and the pounding of heavy footsteps.


    We both turned towards the sound and to my surprise, I saw a familiar little snake emerge from the foliage.


    Wasn''t that my male guard? Did hee to wee me back?


    I appraised him just to make sure.


    -------------------


    Nameless LV7 [Neonate Cerastes]


    Specie: Ailith Vipera


    HP: 87/87 Defence: 108


    MP: 52/52 Intellect: 60


    SP: 98/98 Magic: 34


    Attack: 80 Agility: 75


    Skills:


    [Poison Fang: LV7] [Danger Perception: LV2]


    [Scent: LV7] [Grip: LV8] [Heat Sense: LV9]


    [Bite: LV10] [Steel Skin: LV7] [Stealth: LV6]


    [Rugged Scales: LV8] [Determination: LV4]


    [Impact Enhancement: LV4] [Leap: LV9]


    [Shock Enhancement: LV5] [Solidity: LV4]


    [Piercing Enhancement: LV7] [Silence: LV7]


    [Strength: LV5] [Motion Perception: LV5]


    [Spherical Form: LV6] [Camouge: LV4]


    [Rapid Strike: LV4] [Shockwave: LV3]


    [Farsight: LV1] [Persistent: LV1]


    [Poison Generation: LV2]


    Titles:


    [Pit Member] [Captain] [Assassin]


    Resistances:


    [Piercing Resistance: LV6]


    [Pain Resistance: LV10]


    [Impact Resistance: LV10]


    [Faint Resistance: LV8]


    [Shock Resistance: LV10]


    [Pain Nullification: LV7]


    [Heat Resistance: LV1]


    -------------------


    And...I wasn''t sure it was him after all.


    His status was not the same as I remembered. Hadn''t he improved a little too much in a mere 11 days?


    However, as soon as I saw the monstrous creature chasing after him, I realised he wasn''t here for a visit.


    The monster was easily ten timesrger than him and could easily crush him in seconds. Wasn''t this y a little too hardcore?


    And he didn''t even bother with a greeting before leading the monster towards me then slipping away with a sharp nce.


    Don''t tell me he didn''t recognize me either.


    To think I had such high hopes for his intelligence.


    It seemed he was too afraid to stop, the poor thing. I appraised the creature chasing him.


    -------------------


    LV19 Verum Aavrox


    Specie: Ailith Felinae


    HP: 175/212 Defence: 182


    MP: 164/164 Intellect: 110


    SP: 176/176 Magic: 125


    Attack: 296 Agility: 274


    Skills:


    [Hit:LV10] [Stealth:LV10] [Night Vision: LV10]


    [Anger: LV7] [Scent:LV10] [Roar: LV10]


    [?????: LV?] [????:LV??] [??????????:LV?]


    -------------------


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase: ¡ºAppraisal: LV5¡»has be¡ºAppraisal: LV6¡»?


    It had to be because of this overgrown cat!


    I stared down the feline creature with rage.


    Terrorizing a couple of little snakes¡­why don''t you pick on a snake your size?


    With powerful strides, the feline monster stalked forward, seemingly unfazed by our presence. It seemed to be looking down on me simply because of its size.


    And the lizard, for whatever reason also turned his attention towards it and went to attack. But the monster let out a harsh roar in its face, as its white mane red up and its red eyes started glowing.


    The might of its roar rattled the trees and stopped the lizard in its tracks, trembling under its intimidation effect.


    Any normal creature would''ve turned tail and scampered for the hills, but surprisingly, the lizard did not retreat despite its obvious fear, and for that I approved. But when the feline''srge ws rose to strike him, he was yet to recover, and I quickly moved in, before tackling the feline''s midsection to intercept the attack.


    The feline seemed startled that I wasn''t petrified like the lizard and did not expect my counterattack. I smashed into it with all my newly gained weight, sending it mming against the thick trunk of a tree with enough force.


    With no intention of letting it catch its breath I sped towards it and wrapped myself around its neck in a chokehold.


    As it began to suffocate, its ws fought and scraped against my body. I felt their sharp stings against my scales, but they couldn''t break through my defence and soon I restricted its limbs in a tangle of my own to prevent it from trying anything else.


    I squeezed out its breath while my stingers freely dug into its skin and injected the [Pain Toxin] to subdue its efforts. And the roars which were filled with fury at first, soon died down into whimpers.


    It writhed about pitifully but the more it struggled, the more my hold tightened. And just as I thought it was done, It let out a deafening roar that sent dull tremors through my body.


    And then, I heard the system.


    ?¡ºObsidian Horn¡»has neutralised the effect of¡ºRoar¡»?


    Otherwise unaffected by its effort, I sunk my fangs into its flesh, feeling my poison coursing through its body. But aside from slowing down a fraction, the feline continued to struggle. I dug into it repeatedly and continued to constrict, as my stingers drew blood as I twisted.


    It was only a matter of time before the feline sumbed to my poison.


    However, I felt something hot on my body followed by the sound of sizzling. And as I continued to constrict, the burning hot sensation increased and ck smoke began to rise from around the feline.


    What was happening?


    There was no way I was burning, right?


    Suddenly bright red mes burst out around me and I hissed in pain. Unable to stand the heat on my scales anymore, I loosened my hold around it and the feline immediately pulled away from me in a desperate break for freedom.


    I rolled around on the ground in a bid to try and salvage my body. There were noticeable scorch marks where my scales had been burnt raw. Ouch!


    My shiny, beautiful scales!


    Ah! And the pain too!


    ?Skill¡ºHeat Resistance LV1¡»has been acquired?


    The feline, groggily rose from the ground, trembled from the effects of my [Pain Toxin], in addition to all the cuts and bruises.


    Although the monster could still move, it wasn''t as fast as before, but it made up for it with destructiveness. There were now mes all over its lower body, most notably from its paws and they sizzled when in contact with its blood, mingled in the air to create an unusual stench.


    It didn''t waste time and immediately set out after me, glowing red eyes brimming with rage, as its mes burned the ground and vegetation it came in contact with.


    I was still recovering from my burns and my HP had taken a severe hit. Also, I didn''t want toe into contact with it anymore, so I adjusted my path to evade it before darting away with [Shadow Shroud].


    Unfortunately, the feline had no problems tracking me with its vision as the mes dispersed all shadows.


    Although its movements weren''t as sleek, it was even angrier than before.


    I was able to create distance between us and used that time to form spheres of poison which I aimed at its wounds with the aid of [Heat Seeker]. However, it remained unrelenting in its pursuit and evaded my attacks by leaping from tree to tree.


    Ipressed my poison spheres to t discs, whipping them at it much like a wind de to make up for their slow speed. But my hasty technique was ineffective, as the discs were not thin enough to slice through - all they did was douse the mes on the feline''s fur.


    I was running out of room to escape. With trees surrounding me from every angle and an angry monster closing in fast, I had no choice but to face the creature head on.


    However, as I turned around, I caught a glimpse of the feline''s horrible maw, lined with rows of vicious fangs set to bite into my flesh and I immediately activated [Coercion] at the risk of bacsh to redirect its path.


    My head swam with dizziness but there was no pain - the feline bite missed as it slipped past me to m into a tree, its aimpletely off.


    But it recovered quickly and released more mes, as its ws came bearing down on the softer scales of my under belly. But I lunged past it and grasped the monster''s neck again. With all my strength and effort into it, There came a loud crack as its neck was broken and it''s body went limp. The mes on its paws died out with one final sizzle as it dropped to the ground with its red eyes now lifeless.


    ?You have defeated LV19 Verum Aavrox!?


    ?You have earned 180XP?


    ?You have gained a level!?


    I brushed the limp corpse away from me and grimaced at the still stinging burns on my scales.


    Water! I needed to find some water quickly to cool off before the burns got worse. I essed the as, searching frantically over the map for a source of water but before I could zoom in, Sensei spoke.


    ?On your left, behind the line of trees.?


    I immediately sped off in that direction, but not before collecting the feline''s corpse. Past the line of trees a wide silveryke appeared and I immediately leapt into it.


    Curse that damn cat! To use fire when I wasn''t expecting it, how underhanded!


    As I relished the cool sensation of water over my scales, I happened to glimpse my reflection in the water.


    The little cute snake from before was gone. My scales were now a deep purple with vivid dark markings and a metallic lustre that was much closer to the body of a wasp.


    I was covered all over in des from the wicked curved stingers that rose at the tips of my scales and my obsidian horns were now bloodred to match the deep red hue of my underbelly.


    The change was so drastic, I myself was stunned for a long while!


    Was that really me?


    Damn!


    I look so much more cool now. Haha!


    Now it made sense why my male guard couldn''t recognize me and had run away. He probably thought I was a rival snake and went to protect the other nestlings.


    I wanted to cry. I''m a harmless snake, please don''t run away.


    But then, I heard Sensei exim in surprise. ?My! What beady ck eyes you have!?


    I really wanted to deck him.

 Chapter 103 - Sylrin

    Theke water was shimmery and cool to touch. And when I tasted it, there was a tingly sensation like ice on my tongue. Drinking it also seemed to refill the HP I lost in the battle and my scales that had been torched, also stopped throbbing.


    It took me a moment to process - what mysterious water.


    Normally, my regeneration was slow, but it seemed whenever I level up, my status got reset, more so if I was severely injured. And the water only seemed to expedite this process.


    I wriggled around more in the shallow end, a tingle spread across my body. My burnt scales began to loosen and soon arge sheet came off in the water to form an exact replica of myself.


    It seemed, I had shed again.


    Thest time it happened was also when I levelled up after taking a lot of damage - perhaps that was the key to resetting physical damage.


    I looked at my shiny, new scales and how they glistened prettily over the water and stopped.


    Wasn''t this bad?


    With such eye catching scales, I could see myself attracting all sorts of predators. Even in my old world there was such a thing as rare animal collectors and I didn''t want to end up as some big wigs fancy carpet.


    I was about to turn back but paused and pocketed my shed skin first - it seemed a waste to leave it lying around.


    As long as I was left undisturbed, such practices were none of my concern. As a snake, I didn''t demand much except for some peace and quiet.It was a good thing I had [Shadow Shroud] to conceal myself for times like this.


    I activated it and watched as multiple tendrils of inky ck shadow appeared from seemingly nowhere, to twist and wrap around my shimmering scales. In a second my bright scales were gone, only a dark silhouette remained.


    Since my eyes were already dark, there wasn''t any noticeable thing to tell it apart, but if you looked hard enough you could make out a slight glint.


    What an eerie looking skill!


    I activated and deactivated it repeatedly, watching the shadows move with morbid fascination. The effect only got creepier each time! Even the lizard came over to poke his head in the water to see what I was doing. I wasn''t sure how I felt about it, but I suppose it would do until I got something better.


    Which reminds me¡­


    I left the water, and took out the corpse of the feline from [Dimensional Box], appraising it again, now that it was dead.


    --------------------------


    LV19 Verum Aavrox


    Specie: Ailith Felinae


    HP: 0/212Defence: 182


    MP: 0/164Intellect: 110


    SP: 0/176Magic: 125


    Attack: 296Agility: 274


    Skills:


    [Hit:LV10] [Stealth:LV10] [Night Vision: LV10]


    [Anger: LV7] [Scent:LV10] [Roar: LV10]


    [me: LV3] [Bite: LV10] [Overeating: LV7]


    [Spatial Manoeuvring: LV3] [Sprint: LV10]


    [Olfactory Enhancement:LV6] [Silence: LV10]


    [Fire Enhancement:LV3] [Lethal Strike: LV6]


    [Predatory Grace: LV3][Crushing Bite: LV4]


    [Vision Expansion: LV4] [Stalking: LV10]


    [High Speed Movement: LV4]


    [Auditory Enhancement: LV7]


    [Instantaneous Sprint: LV2]


    [Heat Perception: LV5]


    Titles:


    [Hunter] [w Member] [Monster ughterer]


    Magic:


    [Fire Magic]


    Attributes:


    [Heat Expansion]


    Resistances:


    [Heat Nullification: LV2]


    [Fire Resistance: LV4]


    [Heat Resistance: LV10]


    [Poison Resistance: LV6]


    ------------------------


    The feline was actually a pretty powerful beast. I was curious what it was doing bullying little snakes, when it clearly wouldn''t gain anything from them.


    Did it have a noodle craving?


    Regardless, I hoped I would get something from its corpse. My eyes glittered from all the possibilities - that [me] skill didn''t sound too bad. Right now, parts of the forest were still aze from where the feline had run amok. As a skill it was quite powerful.


    However, halfway through eating, the system dinged.


    ?You have consumed medium grade core?


    ?Status: Complete?


    ?Magic Ability: +25?


    ?Agility: +30?


    Oh? Not bad.


    I epted everything and felt my body tingle with the changes. I felt lighter almost immediately and I could move much faster.


    I heard a loud ssh and looked over to see the lizard had jumped into theke, to chase the stringy tube-like things inside. They were more like mindless fish than monsters, so I didn''t pay much attention to them, but I suppose they were a source of food. Perhaps the lizard was hungry.


    The system soon dinged again.


    ?Devour has reached maximum satiation for specimen¡ºVerum Aavrox¡»


    Evolution tree of ¡ºAilith Felinae¡»has been unlocked. ?


    ?Would you like to acquire skill¡ºInstantaneous Sprint¡»(ept | Reject)?


    It wasn''t the one I wanted, what a bummer.


    Still, it was better than nothing.


    When I was sure I would gain nothing more from it, I offered to share the leftovers with the lizard. And in typical fashion, I was snubbed. Rather than take the food, he continued trying to fish.


    He was really testing my patience here.


    "Surely he knows who I am by now. Why is he still ignoring me?" I sulked.


    ?Young drakes are extremely arrogant. He probably doesn''t like that you''re bigger than him now.?


    Hah!


    ?You should try giving him a name. He might change his mind.? Sensei advised and I began to think.


    I went over to theke to observe the lizard''s food hunt, so far he''d caught a couple of silvery tube fish that he quickly gobbled down.


    The option <Issue Name of¡ºPit Member¡»> came up once again.


    A name huh?


    "Oh I know! I''ll call him Sylrin."


    The system dinged.


    ?Confirmed. ¡ºPit Member 31¡»has be ¡ºSylrin¡»?


    The new name now appeared above his name.


    Woah...how cool.


    ?What sort of name is that?? I heard Senseiin. ?You''re naming potential resources, not pets!?


    "I can''t keep calling him Lizard. What''s wrong with it?"


    I was puzzled - was it not a cute name?


    Sensei let out an exasperated sigh.


    I peered at the lizard to see what he thought of it, but he kept eating like normal, and when he was done, he gave me a look before taking off for the trees.


    Was that it? No reaction at all? Did he not like it?


    But then I heard the sound of a twig snap and the lizard reappeared from the trees, carrying something between its jaws that was struggling to escape - a hairy something with multiple twitching legs.


    My body froze, mouth agape. What was that?


    The sight of the hairy green and purple, twitching thing made me shudder and I moved backwards without even realising.


    Was that what I thought it was? No!


    Wait, why on earth was he bringing it closer!


    Eeek! Why was he giving it to me with that happy look on his face?


    Suddenly the lizard let go and my worst fears were realised. The huge hairy spider scampered away from him at the speed of light and leapt on me like a spring, eight legs fastening themselves to my midsection like sticky gum.


    An unholy screech escaped my snake mouth.


    I rolled over the ground to remove the spider, but the damn thing held on fast like it had suckers for legs - while the lizard watched on with a confused look, instead of helping. But on the fifth roll, it finally got squished and died under my weight.


    For once I was d to be big and somewhat fat.


    With my heart beating frantically, I shook off the dead spider and straightened myself to regain my dignity.


    It was dead! And I was d nothing more woulde of it, but I moved far from it just to make sure.


    Ugh! That damn lizard! How dare he look like he did nothing wrong!


    ?I''ll pretend I didn''t see that.? Sensei was clearly unimpressed.


    I quickly appraised the spider.


    --------------


    LV5 Novus Karhkkov


    Specie: Ailith Aranea


    HP: 0/21Defence: 8


    MP: 0/14Intellect: 5


    SP: 0/28Magic: 16


    Attack: 23Agility: 60


    Skills:


    [Poison Fang: LV3] [Grip: LV1]


    [Bite: LV2] [Stealth: LV1]


    [Thread Weaver: LV3]


    [Night Vision: LV2]


    Title:


    [Spiderling]


    Resistances:


    [Acid Resistance: LV1]


    --------------


    How weak!


    However, I couldn''t keep looking at its stats because my attention was drawn towards the noisesing from the forest where Sylrin hade back from.


    Don''t tell me!


    I heard rustling sounds from behind me and I spotted something fast and purpley green moving across the river bank. Then another glimpse of a something fast zipped through my periphery on the left.


    When I looked towards the forest, there were multiple yellow lights appearing all around like glow flies.


    Wait.


    I appraised the trees at random and multiple ?LV5 Novus Karhkkov?''s appeared.


    No way! There had to be more than thirty spiders just casually hanging out in the trees!


    Then arge shadow moved and a massive LV12 spider came into full view -a hairy, nasty thing withrge snapping mandibles surrounded by smaller LV5 spiderlings. It was easily three times the size of the spider I just killed!


    No, please no.


    The hairy posse began to surround us, and I felt tremors running through my scales and my soul was ready to leave my body.


    I closed my eyes, turned around.


    And ran.


    I''m sorry for my shameful disy, lizard. It was nice knowing you!

 Chapter 104 - Shifting Dymanics

    The cave that was once bare, now had a fresh earthy smell. Its stony ground was covered in a generous spread of spindly weeds and the cluttered leaves of sinuous vines were everywhere, you could barely tell the difference between the ground and the forest floor.


    The male guard circled around the leafy foliage with a nk look, and stopped before ten snakes that looked proud of their work.


    [It''s not enough.] He grumbled in dissatisfaction and the snake''s happy faces immediately fell


    [Is this the most you could gather?] He asked. [If we want it to look natural, we need more.]


    The anxious snakes all began to exin at once.


    [We wanted to, but...]


    [There were many awooo¡­]


    [awooo awooo awooo]


    [Scary¡­aooo aooo]


    [So we run¡­]


    The male guard scrunched up his face, at their nonsensical ramblings.


    But soon, a new voice spoke up to exin.


    [I think what they are saying is¡­ this was the most they could gather before the ''howling'' came close.]


    The male guard was not surprised to see the spaded snake appear beside him. He turned to the rest of the snakes and sighed helplessly.


    [Gather more once the wolves have passed. For now, rest.]


    At his words, all the snakes scattered, except the spaded snake who nced at the gathered foliage with curiosity.


    [I thought you needed these to hide the entrance. Why did you make them bring it inside?]


    [Some of the spiders were small. What if one got inside?]


    [We kill it.]


    [The don''t move alone.]


    The spaded snake fell silent in thought, but quickly jerked awake when she saw the male guard leaving, hissing after him. [Are you going to look for her again? You need someone like me to fight beside you, not that na?ve snake.]


    The male guard stopped and hissed at her harshly. [Address her with respect! She is every bit your Captain ¨C just as much as I am.]


    The spaded snake grew stiff for a moment but she recovered quickly. [I know, but...you don''t share any of your ns with me. I''m every bit as smart as she is.]


    [Then act like it. You''ll achieve nothing from antagonising her. Prove you''re worthy by getting stronger.]


    The spaded snake looked away, but he didn''t miss the eager glint in her ck eyes. Fostering some rivalry was necessary for her growth, it seemed.


    Once she was gone, the male guard scowled.


    He didn''t like the idea of others thinking he and his sister were joined at the tail. So annoyed was he by the usation that he wasted a few seconds prowling around the nest ¨C even going so far as to visit the injured snake he had zero interest in, instead of looking for his sister as he intended.


    Unfortunately, when he arrived, the very snake he was trying to avoid was the first thing he saw.


    The injured snake was deathly pale and unconscious, and the female guard was pacing around anxiously. Next to her were five other snakes that were trying to help the injured one.


    The female guard noticed him and immediately rushed over. [He''s not responding. I want to go outside to look for something that can heal him.]


    The female guard and the snakes around her all looked sorrowful but he steeled his heart, and shook his head.


    [It''s not safe to do that.]


    There was no point in risking her life over a snake that didn''t have long to live. [We don''t know which nts are medicine and which are poison, but you can have a look through the nts we just brought in.]


    [Show me.] She then slithered away without waiting for him.


    But they heard a loud tter from the cave''s entrance and saw another snake rushing in from outside. The snake had streak-like patterns, and was the fastest among the nestlings and their designated scout.


    [There...There''s something... in the trees!] He eximed on seeing the two guards.


    [What did you see?] The male guard frowned.


    [Red... bright light¡­and hot.]


    The two guards exchanged a look.


    [Fire?] The female guard muttered in disbelief.


    [It''s possible.] he replied and turned to the scout. [Did you get close?]


    The streaked snake shook its head. [I couldn''t. It was too hot. It made me choke.]


    [You were right toe back.] The male guard nodded in approval, if there really was a fire, it could get dangerous quickly.


    First, the spiders and now a fire ¨C things really weren''t looking good. He did a quick head count around the cave and was satisfied to see everyone worth taking note of was inside.


    The streaked snake looked at them anxiously and continued. [Also...There was another snake there. A big one.]


    Hisst words made the two guard''s freeze.


    [Start with that first the next time!] The female guard snapped.


    [Show me where you saw it.] The male guard added, it was possible it was the same one he''d seen before. But was it possible it had defeated both the feline and the reptile? How strong was it then?


    The streaked snake fidgeted. [No need. It wasing over here - that''s why I had to run away.]


    It wasing here?


    The male guard''s eyes darkened with resolution while the female guard''s glinted with hope ¨C could it be?


    [It''s not.] He could already guess what she was thinking without reading her mind.


    [You don''t know that!] The female guard shot back.


    [I don''t need to. A strong creature ising our way, and we can''t afford to be careless] he looked back at the scout and asked. [How far away did you say it was?]


    [Not very far.] he replied timidly.


    The female guard grew angry at being ignored. [Don''t jump to conclusions! We can''t rule out the possibility.]


    [I can''t risk everyone''s lives over a whim.] The male guard was firm. [Tell everyone to prepare for attack.] He instructed the streaked snake who sped off immediately.


    He wanted to leave too but the female guard blocked his path. [Aren''t you forgetting someone? We''re not all here.]


    The male guard scowled as he was reminded of yet another annoyance, the scarred snake who never listened to anyone. [If he chooses to stay outside after I forbade everyone from going, his safety is his own concern.]


    [My brother isn''t some heartless monster. Stop acting like this.] the female guard tried to persuade him.


    [I''m not. You''re the one who keeps acting impulsive.]


    The female guard shook her head and sighed.[Attacking such a strong creature unprovoked, will only enrage it and turn us into enemies.]


    He went silent for a moment and asked. [Alright, What do you suggest we do then?]


    [We hide and watch what it does.] She replied with a smile.


    [That''s your big n?] The male guard scoffed.


    [We set a trap and see how it reacts...] She trailed off in thought. [But we''ll need everyone present first.]


    She thought about the scarred snake who took their leader''s disappearance the hardest.


    [I know where he is, I''ll go get him.]


    Before he could object she already stormed off, leaving him alone with the five snakes who had witnessed their entire conversation. Pairs of blinking ck eyes turned away from him at once ¨C awkwardly pretending like they didn''t see anything.


    The male guard sighed before leaving himself.


    It wasn''t that he was against their leader''s return, he just didn''t want his sister to unnecessarily get her hopes up.


    He remembered thinking their leader would return the day after she left the cave, but when that didn''t happen he''d practiced tracking again and again until he got good enough to chase after her scent. Unfortunately, the trail stopped in the middle of a field of grass like she''d simply disappeared into thin air.


    His sister often asked if he thought she was going to return, and he nevermented because he didn''t know why, the thought of her not doing so made him feel extremely concerned ¨C it wasn''t like they were close.


    At first it was only him who starred listlessly at the cave they were born in, before he noticed his sister doing the same thing, but then there was her.


    The one snake who was always apart from the others, doing unexpected things. From the moment he hatched from the egg, watching that entric snake misbehave was the only thing distracting him from dwelling on the absurdity of his reality.


    When she climbed the walls and left the nest, he realised she was special and was probably their best chance of survival. So when the other snakes tried to attack her, he and his sister defended her to get on her good side.


    Together, they were always watching her, thinking to themselves that she had to be the silliest snake to ever exist. She''d charmed them with her odd behaviour and her strong will, but he knew better than to keep hoping.


    It had been a while since that entric snake was seen and he didn''t think it was possible for her to have grown so quickly, so he ruled out this new snake.


    The rest of the nestlings were just like children - easily attached and easily disappointed - even the ones that preferred to act tough all felt the sting of abandonment from her disappearance.


    He and his sister had to stand in to rece what should have been there, but it was not the same.


    The streaked snake had moped around for a long time with no one to show off his speed to, and the scarred snake who normally acted cheerful, startedshing out at the other snakes, preferring to be alone.


    He himself was only putting on a brave face by acting tough and in doing so, his attachment to the other snakes had suffered ever since.


    That was exactly why the spaded snake held him in such high regard ¨C seeing him as dependable when their leader was not. Although she purposely annoyed his sister, she admired her all the same.


    He really hoped ''she'' would return, but until that happened he would have to pick up the pieces as usual.


    Soon all the snakes gathered in formation in front of him and the female guard returned with the stubborn scarred snake in tow. And together they figured out a n to take down the approaching intruder.

 Chapter 105 - Ashes To Dust

    ?Why are you running?!? Sensei''s voice cut through my hysteria. ?You just beat a LV19 monster, what are you doing quivering from mere LV5 spiders??


    "They''re hairy and gross! And don''t ignore that big LV12 one right there!"


    Sensei scoffed. ?Stop acting like a girl. Get back there and kill them!?


    "No way!" I refused without any hesitation.


    Also, I am a girl, snake or not!


    But that''s not the point. The thought of any of those things touching me with their hairy legs - even to brush up against them - made me shudder.


    ?You''ve dealt with spiders in the hive, so what''s the problem now??


    "That''s different. They were unconscious and just a few in number. And they didn''t look anything like that!"


    All the hair, on top of the creepy crawling feeling - and the mandibles going SNAP SNAP. It was just too much for me.


    ?Fight them even if you have to do so with your eyes closed!? was Sensei''s unhelpful advice.


    Like I would really listen to him.


    But even as I ran, the sound of multiple legged creatures fast on my heel did not let up. When I looked back, I saw multiple shes of yellow eyes and the noisy drumming of multiple feet pelting the ground.


    They seemed to be intent on following me - are you freaking kidding me?


    "Why are they all chasing me?!" And where was the damn lizard when I needed it?


    ?Fleeing prey makes for easier pickings.? Sensei scoffed, unsympathetically.


    I decided to use my new skill to escape towards the flickering lights of the smouldering forest where mes were still burning.


    Unfortunately, the massive spider wasn''t far behind. It shot out a web with startling uracy that struck my curls to the ground in a woventtice. But they couldn''t hold me back, so I paid it no mind and continued to flee.


    Yet the longer I ran, the more vine tendrils and fragments of ground vegetation stuck to me. Initially malleable and soft, the webs seemed to solidify like rubber once in contact with the air.


    It was just sticky now, but if it continued to harden, it would seed in slowing me down.


    I halted for just a moment and twisted around to free myself from the sticky stuff ¨C but I felt the tremor of legs pelting the ground, followed by therge spider who appeared in front of me. That second of dy was all it needed to catch up!


    I shrieked in horror as therge spider leapt towards me with speed. The sharp ws of its legs stabbed the ground around me like pegs, stopping me by shirking my moving space even further.


    After preventing me from escaping again, its snapping mandibles drew ever so close to my face. I was hit by a wave of foul stench as droplets of acidic fluid dripped onto me, stinging my scales and I felt my body shiver from sheer revulsion.


    I had to look away! If I didn''t, I would surely faint! And I couldn''t ¨C the smaller spiders were here! There was only one thing left to do. I lurched forward with my eyes closed, and aimed a jab at its face.


    There was a wet squelch as I came into contact, followed by a shrill screech. I opened my eyes to see the huge spider had been impaled. I had intended to do a head butt,pletely forgetting I had very sharp and pointy horns!


    So, I pulled my horns out and stabbed again.


    The spider wriggled, but with its own legs nted firmly in the ground, it had nowhere to dodge. While it struggled in pain, I slipped out and evaded the small spiders before speeding towards the nearest tree.


    I found a burning branch and grasped it between my teeth before turning back with a wicked grin.


    Weapon acquired! Round two, begin!


    I drove the burning branch straight into therge spider''s body, and watched with delight as its hairs burst into mes. It writhed in agony and soon became a screeching mess of ckened contorted limbs.


    ?You have defeated LV12 Melior Karhkkov!?


    Not satisfied, I turned my attention to the rest of the spiders and swung the burning branch in a wide arc around me as they tried toe close and multiple spiders caught alight at once. And I watched with relief as they fell after one by one.


    HAH! That''s what you get for chasing after me. Hmph!


    ?You have defeated LV5 Novus Karhkkov!?


    ?You have defeated LV4 Novus Karhkkov!?


    ?You have defeated LV6 Ivenium Karhkkov!?


    ?You have defeated LV5 Novus Karhkkov!?


    ?You have earned 178XP?


    The series of alerts rang true, but I wasn''t satisfied.


    First I burned off the webs holding me back, and with renewed vigour and courage... and an evil grin, I chased after the remaining spiders with manic glee, intent on burning them all. Those that were lucky enough to arrivete - all took off running without a backward nce, but that didn''t stop me chasing after them with my new speed.


    In a daze of smells and sweet colours, the mes licked deliciously at their hairy behinds as they escaped through the trees. Sensei was right! Fleeing prey was far more exciting to hunt and I wouldn''t be satisfied until I saw them all turn to ash.


    Ahahahahaha! I''ll have you all burn for me!


    I waved my ming stick like a baton and a spider caught fire wherever it went. The smaller ones were slower, and I burned half in a single wave.


    Some of the fleeing spiders climbed up the trees, and out of my reach but I went on to burn five more on the ground before the spiderling''s escape path diverged. The line of trees opened up, bringing me to a wide space with arger group of spider monsters and six huge ones, each carrying monsters wrapped up in thick webbing.


    Was I led into an ambush? These damn spiders!


    Rather than feeling scared, I was actually ravenous with glee. What were a couple more insects against the wrath of my mes?


    The thought of the carefully wrapped bundles and the free food they contained just waiting to be taken spurred me on, and I ran into their midst without hesitation.


    But I heard a sizzling noise as something hot touched my body. The smaller spiders weren''t much of a problem but therge ones, along with shooting out webs ¨C seemed to have an acid spray as well.


    It wasn''t enough to hurt me but¡­ it was extremely annoying!


    I swung the burning branch, aiming mostly for therge ones and managed to burn two out of the six.


    ?You have defeated LV12 Melior Karhkkov!?


    ?You have defeated LV13 Melior Karhkkov!?


    The rest didn''t need much incentive before taking their wrapped cargo to flee. Those that escaped into the trees had long fled, and I pursued in a frenzy until the spiders on the ground were either dead or rushing forward in a chaotic stampede.


    ?You have defeated LV8 Ivenium Karhkkov!?


    ?You have defeated LV5 Novus Karhkkov!?


    ?You have defeated LV3 Novus Karhkkov!?


    ?You have defeated LV4 Novus Karhkkov!?


    ?You have earned 248XP?


    Run, run! Don''t let me see you here again!


    Once they fled past the forest edge, I stopped chasing - pushing them out of the area was good enough.


    The thought of the hairy things crawling into the cave while I slept was enough to give me nightmares. With them gone, I returned to theke to look for the lizard and collect the fallen spiders.


    But s, when I arrived I was met with disaster.


    The burning spiders that fled into the trees had managed to set a portion of the forest aze and now theke was surrounded by burning trees! Also the lizard was nowhere to be found.


    Not good.


    I searched through the burning parts of the forest anyway just to be sure.


    As for my prize?


    The bodies of therge spiders were all burnt to ashes and the webbed bundles they dropped were also crisp.


    I ced the charred remains into [Dimensional Box] with a sigh. However awful they may taste, I still hoped to gain an ability from their corpses. If I was lucky, they would taste better than the wasps.


    Unfortunately, the mes were spreading and getting worse. My vision got hazy from too much smoke, and there was still no sign of the lizard, so I left the forest to take a breather.


    Knowing the lizard''s nature, he probably escaped so I wasn''t too concerned. I only wished there was a way to track his whereabouts.


    As I cooled off, I heard the system ding.


    [Warning]


    [Quest: Train Nest Mates. [Time Remaining: 53 Hours]]


    [Failure toplete the quest will result in a penalty.]


    Ah, I hadpletely forgotten.


    But a penalty? Pfft¡­what a joke!


    I had a little over two days left, but what could an incorporeal Sensei even do to me?


    "What''s the penalty for failure?" I asked innocently. It was likely a scare tactic.


    Still, considering the quest was initially my idea ¨C it seemed pathetic to fail it.


    ?If you fail the quest, I shallugh at you.? Sensei replied.


    What?


    ?And remind you of your failure forever.?


    This... I didn''t like the sound of that at all! I hate being teased! By this Sensei even more so.


    I was about to rush back to the cave when I heard the sound of crushed leaves and saw the lizard jump out of the bushes, dragging an unburnt spider corpse.


    I was pleased to see him alive, but that happiness quickly died when he refused to share. What an insolent and selfish pit member!


    Still, I had a lot of things stored in my [Dimension Box]. One spider wouldn''t matter much. In my system''s view I could see the dimensional box''s growing list of random items and figured it would take a while before I could go through them all.


    My wealth was as follows:


    Hive Debris [36], Hestehoria Core [1], Hesperia Corpse [134], Feligre Corpse [1], Karhkkov Corpse [5], Ostium Nervorum [42], Funus Amanita [42].


    There would be some spare left even after I distributed them between all the nestlings. I expected the cute noodles would be very pleased with my return and myrge bounty.


    I only hoped the fire would burn out quickly and not spread any further.

 Chapter 106 - Chaotic Reunion

    [You said she was here.] The scarred snake grumbled as he followed the female guard back into the cave.


    [I said Speedy spotted a snake.] She replied while staring ahead, unable to look at him right now. She didn''t want to deceive him like that, but it was the only thing that would bring him back to the cave so quickly.


    She handed out instructions to the snakes busily and her surroundings transformed quickly. The leafy foliage they collected was draped over the sides of the walls to resemble a woven trellis of creeping nts while the leftovers were spread across the floor in an attempt to create a natural camouge.


    It was an almost perfect disguise. However, the scarred snake took it all in with a bored, unimpressed look.


    [I''m going back.]


    [No you''re not.] The male guard scolded. [There''s no time to waste. She''ll be here soon.]


    The scarred snake jerked up immediately. [Where?]


    How predictable. She wanted tough but she couldn''t ¨C not with the situation being so tense.


    [Everything looks ready. We should all hide.]


    [I really should tell you two something¡­] The scarred snake wanted to say something, but the female guard hushed him.


    After spending a good few minutes searching for his hideout and then nning the trap that took all her effort, she chose to ignore him for now.


    [Tell uster. But right now, we need to hide]


    With that, she nudged him along with her brother under the makeshift camouge. Inside, she spotted an intensely focused, spaded snake, a panicked Sprinkles and the Speedy snake who returned with thetest information.


    Based on his feedback, the snake was already in the vicinity of their cave and everyone became nervous on hearing that.


    The entrance was concealed with foliage as a protective measure. To the casual observer looking in from above, it would appear as though the cave was empty and overgrown, while in reality, there were snakes in defensive positions all around the opening, waiting and watching.


    If they were lucky the snake would simply pass by, but if it entered, they had nned to kill by ambushing from all sides at once.


    Unfortunately, today luck was not on their side as a shadow fell across the cave opening, blocking off all light. The atmosphere inside turned to a heavy suffocating air as somethingrge began to slither into the cave. It was fast, yet the touch of its scales on the rocks made no sound.


    The nestlings collectively held their breaths in terror as therger snake crept onto the ground. But while everyone was scared stiff, the female guard flicked out her tongue to sniff the air.


    This scent, it was mixed with others but still vaguely familiar.


    She peered through the leaves and glimpsed the snake''s appearance. It wasn''t doing anything aside from staring at the cave walls, but the aura it released was suffocating. She couldn''t help feeling like a meal for this starving predator.


    Its gaze was indifferent and unwavering while the inky ck eyes were a bottomless void of darkness. It terrified her to look at it and took all of her mental fortitude not to break down under the pressure. She then nced at each of her tense brethren and uttered the words no one was sane enough to.


    [I¡­ I think we need to wait.] The words flowed from her mouth even as all the snakes shot her looks like she was crazy. [We should wait a while more. This snake has the same scent as our leader!]


    [Have you gone mad?] The spaded snake hissed. [The longer we wait, the more danger we will be in.]


    The female guard ignored her and turned to her brother. [Please, let''s watch what it does first, I guarantee it won''t attack.]


    [I disagree.] The spaded snake addressed the male guard. [We should attack now while it still hasn''t seen through our little n.]


    The male guard had also noticed the snake''s calm state, but his sense of smell wasn''t as good as his sister''s. And with the terrifying aura it emitted, he was more focused on the survival of the group.


    The only one actually listening was the scarred snake. He was focused and all signs of his earlier disregard had gone the moment the snake arrived ¨C but he too looked sceptical.


    But the arguing stopped the moment the ''intruder'' stopped looking around and stared in the direction of the back of the cave.


    It immediately sped off and the female guard''s heart sank as she realized ¨C she''d forgotten about the bait.


    [What do you have to say now?!] The spaded snake hissed at her angrily and looked in the direction of the new snake.


    They had left the wounded snake at the end of the cave, exposed to lure the predator in.


    All the snakes had learnt to hide their heat to some degree, so even if they arrayed in front of the snake, it wouldn''t detect them until it was toote. The only one that couldn''t do that was the injured snake who was unconscious, so naturally it became the bait and target.


    Although she agreed to the n, the female guard began to feel worried. If she made a mistake with the scent and it really wasn''t ''her'' ¨C her reluctance to attack now would kill the injured snake.


    However, as the new snake ventured further into the cave, she grew more confident in her gut feeling. All the snakes watched in absolute silence as it passed the foliage covered walls to reach the unconscious snake. If they were worried about the danger, they did not show it.


    [You''re all mad!] She heard the spaded snake whisper. Everyone thought the injured snake would be eaten, including her, but their obedience to the female guard made them stay quiet.


    But right at that moment, something shimmered in the air next to therge snake and they saw the spaded snake was out in the open.


    [What is she doing?]


    It took the female guard a moment to realize the spaded snake left their camouge to attack the snake all on her own!


    Has she gone dumb?


    She might have thought to attack while it was distracted, but therger snake detected her movements almost instantly and spun around to meet her head on.


    Its movements were fast! Way faster than itsrge body should have allowed!


    And the female guard panicked. Ignoring her brother''s order to stay put, she rushed out after the spaded snake, determined to stop her from attacking. Although she was strong, fighting therger snake alone would definitely end with her death.


    Unfortunately, the tense nestlings waiting on the walls, took her appearance as the signal to attack andunched themselves from strategic points as nned, pulling the creeper nts down with them to form arge woven that trapped therger snake.


    It twisted and spun around to evade,shing out at everything in its path, but it was stuck inside the tangled mess of nts. And the agile snakes, after casting theirs, fled from the scene to make way for the next wave of attacks.


    However, the female guard felt something was off. Weren''t things moving along too smoothly?


    The makeshifts were her idea, but she never imagined it would work so well.


    The male guard chased after the both of them, leading the charge from the ground and all the snakes trained by him rushed towards the trapped snake. The scarred snake and the speedy snake raced against each other tond the first blow and the speedy snake outran the others by a wide gap.


    Yet, the spaded snake ignored every order from her to stay back and leapt on therger snake herself - seemingly determined to attack first. And the female guard was stunned when she missed.


    With a flick of its tail, therge snake instantly shook off the bindings. The speedy snake swerved at thest second to dodge, but the others weren''t so lucky.


    The spaded snake was simply flicked away, in an attack that sent her soaring backwards, and all the male guards'' troops were knocked hard against the cave walls. When the majority didn''t get up, she knew there was no chance of pinning therger snake down now.


    The female guard stayed at the back, wondering how the snake had escaped their. Her eyes fell on the creeper nts, noticing how they were ripped to shreds, then on the unusual lustre of their opponent''s scales. And she had a nasty premonition.


    As more snakes leapt down from the walls to help, she hissed at them to stop but with the attack underway, it was toote.


    Therge snake''s body twisted, and the hidden weapons of its scales were revealed.


    The snakes in the air heard her warning and although they twisted to dodge, most couldn''t make it in time. Some avoided therger snake entirely, othersnded in various forms of disarray, but the really unlucky ones fell in the path of a de.

 Chapter 107 - Status Inspection

    Her ns were quickly falling apart.


    The ground troops were hit the most. She saw her brother in the midst of fallen bodies, pushing back against therge snake to prevent it from crushing him and the six other snakes behind him.


    The speedy snake was isted from them by another group of panicked snakes that were slowly descending to chaos ¨C only the scarred snake remained behind to help him.


    They are able to hold on and push back, but therge snake applied more pressure as if it was just ying around with them. And soon the scarred snake grew weak and passed out from exhaustion.


    Fearing the worst ¨C the female guard used her cry as ast resort.


    The sudden screech filled the cave affecting everyone around her ¨C including the snakes that were already weak. It was one of its major drawbacks, in that her cry couldn''t be focused on any specific target. She wouldn''t have used it if the situation wasn''t dire.


    Therge snake was also affected by the sound, allowing the snakes behind the male guard to flee ¨C but it was only for a moment. It quickly began to move again like it didn''t feel any adverse effects and like nothing had changed, it approached her brother with reared fangs.


    Just when she thought it was the end, therge snake was suddenly struck by a ssh of water that drenched its scales.


    Stunned, the female guard looked in the direction it hade from, and saw a floating orb of water. It appeared above the unconscious scarred snake, transparent in colour but glowing from the inside with greenish blue light.


    Whenever therge snake came close, more water shot out from the mysterious orb in the form of a whip it used to sh at the snake ¨C almost like it was protecting the scarred snake.


    What was it, and how did the scarred snakee to possess it, the female guard wondered.


    Therger snake also looked stunned, and a little annoyed at suddenly being drenched with water. However, it was mostly unharmed and continued to approach, but after taking a couple of water attacks, therge snake was nowpletely wet, and a picture of fury.


    The orb continued to generate more water, keeping therger snake at bay and giving them a much needed hope...until it was sliced in two and shut down from the air by a t spinning disk.


    The snakes looked on in disbelief as the cave gradually became drenched in water ¨C some scrambling out of the way of the attacks and others getting hit by sprays of water. But the mysterious orb reformed itself and continued to attack and soon, the once serious battle devolved into a chaotic water fight you would see amongst children.


    However, the battle soon came to a standstill where neither opponent was able to take a step closer as both therge snake and the orb grew exhausted.


    It formed a shield of water over the scarred snake, leaving the others in various stages of undignified defeat, with many even unconscious ¨C yet it only seemed concerned with the scarred snake.


    And then, rather than continue attacking the orb or the other snakes, it ignored them all and turned towards the injured snake, leaving the female guard extremely confused ¨C did it not want to eat them?


    Of the few snakes that could still move, only the male guard was exhausted but unharmed. The speedy snake freed itself from the other snakes and rushed over to them in confusion.


    But as the other snakes slowly began to wake up, they realised something - despite its overwhelming strength, none of the snakes were heavily injured, and none had died.


    Therge snake had gone to the back of the cave where it then began to heal the injured pale snake, and the three snakes all stared at it with conflicting emotions, unsure of what to think.


    They had attacked it without provocation when all it wanted to do was heal one of their own, so perhaps this result was deserved.


    In her heart the female guard waspletely convinced - there was no way this snake was anyone other than their leader. Her brother realized it too, and there was a glint of amusement in his eyes - he seemed both surprised and impressed.


    The female guard was the least injured, so she thought it best to approach the snake to try andmunicate.


    If the scarred snake was awake, he would have rushed over to meet her without question. Unfortunately, he was still unconscious and locked under the mysterious orb''s water shield.


    So, the female guard decided to do it on his behalf. She cautiously approached therge snake after urging her brother and the speedy snake to stay further behind.


    She was scared any move from them as a group would be perceived as an attack ¨C alone she was less of a threat. Not that therger snake would have any difficulty taking them all down, instead she was more afraid of getting attacked.


    When she spoke to it, therger snake did not respond so she moved next to it to observe its actions and watched with wonder as it materialised a red coloured serum from somewhere and fed it to the injured nestling and some of its colour returned instantly, although it remained unconscious.


    The female guard tried speaking to it again and this time she was able to get its attention ¨C yet there were no words exchanged. As the dark pair of eyes fell on her, she began to tremble, but not from fear ¨C if anything, she wanted to hug their leader but was afraid the sharp des on her body would impale her.


    What to do?


    Wait, what was the greeting again?


    Ignoring the snickers behind her, the female guard shut her eyes in embarrassment and began to do the wriggly dance she hadn''t repeated since their leader left. Once she was done, she stared at therger snake, eagerly waiting for her to do the same.


    After a long awkward pause, the vibrant snake began to dance too, although her movements were stiff and there was hesitation evident in her eyes.


    With that, all of her fears wereid to rest. The male guard and the speedy snake rushed over to do the dance too. And all the snakes that were still conscious soon joined in with them. The cave soon exploded with cheer.


    Their leader had finally returned!


    The female guard was the happiest of them all ¨C their leader had returned even stronger than before! And it seemed, things will change for them all now.


    In the midst of the celebration, she suddenly felt a harsh pain in the base of her skull that made her wince.


    Looking around, she saw some of the nestlings were experiencing the same thing, the male guard and speedy had their eyes shut like they were experiencing untold amounts of difort ¨C while some of the other snakes remained the same.


    And then she heard it clearly, a voice speaking inside her head that was neither male nor female.


    ?You have been granted the name ¡ºOphelia¡»?


    ?Confirmed:¡ºStatus Inspection¡»has been acquired?


    A basic screen showing words she couldn''t understand, appeared in front of her eyes.


    ----------------


    Name: Ophelia [LV7 Neonate Cerastes]


    Specie: Ailith Vipera


    HP: 74/74 Defence: 40


    MP: 88/88 Intellect: 80


    SP: 65/65 Magic: 76


    Attack: 75 Agility: 106


    Skills:


    [Buoyancy:LV10] [Scent: LV9] [Grip: LV8]


    [Evasion: LV8] [Opalescent Scales: LV5]


    [Farsight: LV7] [Enhanced Agility: LV4]


    [Compulsion: LV7] [Cooperation: LV9]


    [Descant: LV8] [Critical Thinking: LV7]


    [Vision Expansion: LV2] [Silence: LV6]


    [Concentration: LV10] [Glide: LV9]


    [Rapid Strike: LV7] [Fortune: LV8]


    [Poison Fang: LV6] [Insight: LV8]


    [Floating Ribs: LV10] [Leap: LV9]


    [Stealth: LV3] [cial Skin: LV7]


    [Heat Sense: LV5] [Bite: LV7]


    [Probability Corrtion: LV3]


    [Danger Perception: LV4]


    Titles:


    [Pit Member] [Captain] [Siren]


    Attribute:


    [Status Inspection]


    Resistances:


    [Wind Resistance: LV9]


    [Mental Warfare: LV7]


    [Dark Resistance: LV4]


    [Pain Resistance: LV1]


    [Faint Resistance: LV1]


    [Shock Resistance: LV1]


    [Heat Nullification: LV1]


    ----------------


    As she read, the meaning of the words slowly became clearer in her mind. She was amazed at what she saw, but as the female guard became aware of what had happened, her thoughts centred around her new name.


    To which she concluded their leader really had poor taste.


    [Did you feel that?] The male guard approached her.


    [Yeah, it was amazing. What did she name you?]


    He looked away, shying away from answering. [Not important. We need to regroup and recover all the injured first.]


    Ah¡­It was probably embarrassing too.


    At his words, Ophelia remembered the spaded snake and her unfortunate defeat - she wouldn''t take it well when she woke up.


    [I''m surprised you won''t fight harder for your position as leader.]


    [The stronger snake has to lead.] He answered simply.


    [Your admirer wouldn''t like you giving up so easily.]


    [What admirer?] Her brother looked puzzled.


    [Nevermind.]


    Ophelia taunted him, but really she was relieved. She looked at their leader who was now curled up next to the injured snake. The uninjured snakes crowded around her and they all kept wriggling without any care, even when their leader closed her eyes.


    [You noticed it too, right?] She said.


    Her brother nodded.


    After her mortifying dance, which thankfully not many saw, she was able to grasp their leader''s major weakness.


    She couldn''tmunicate at all like they did ¨C if she even spoke at all.


    If the spaded snake knew, she would think her lesser than them. But, something like that didn''t bother Ophelia at all ¨C if she couldn''t speak, she was ready to be their leader''s mouthpiece.


    [We tell no one about this.]


    The male guard curtly nodded.


    Since they alone could receive hermands. It was up to them to convey her instructions to the others as best as they could.


    Eventually she would pick it up like they all had, until then it would remain their secret.

 Chapter 108 - Not So Adorable Nestlings!

    So, it seems like... I''m a mother now.


    Well, I felt like one.


    The nestling''s reaction to my appearance was to be expected really. After all, I did storm in and destroyed their carefully constructed snake haven. It was the equivalent of a moody teenager telling their mother off for entering their room unannounced ¨C not that I had any experience in such matters.


    When I arrived, all I could think was ¨C what''s with all the leaves? I even missed the cave a couple of times, what with trying to find the entrance while also dealing with an arrogant lizard that refused to follow me inside. The leafy decorations were strange but now it made sense ¨C snakes liked tight ces and shade.


    How was I to know they would be so protective over it and even attack me? My nestlings were no longer silly noodles. They had all gotten quite fierce!


    I thought returning to the cave would be a rather sombre affair. I expected to see a few nestlings ¨C maybe a silly dance or two but instead I was met with hormonal snakes.


    For what it was worth, I was really sorry I''d upset the little snake tweens. However, although I was impressed by their growth, I was disappointed to see them so obviously bullying one of their own.


    Why was one snake left out from their cool shade? It was even injured.


    Naturally, I had seen through their attempts at [Stealth] quite quickly, but I pretended not to and yed along. I hated to think they were treating the little snake badly. Now half of the nestlings were either unconscious or injured and I realise I might have yed with them a little too harshly to teach them a lesson onradery.


    Still, I never expected them to grow so much in my absence.


    Speaking of growth, what was up with these nestlings and their skills? I expected them to be the same as I left them, perhaps only one or two would have experienced a change, with the exception being my two guards who always seemed smarter than the others.


    But if the average nestling had skills like this.


    --------------------------


    Nameless [LV3 Hatchling Cerastes]


    Specie: Ailith Vipera


    HP: 10/40 Defence: 25


    MP: 12/12 Intellect: 22


    SP: 36/36 Magic: 14


    Attack: 30 Agility: 35


    Skills:


    [Grip:LV3] [Poison Fang:LV4]


    [Scent:LV2] [Heat Sense:LV3]


    [Rapid Strike:LV2] [Stealth:LV1]


    [Rugged Scales:LV4]


    [Steel Skin:LV4] [Bite:LV3]


    Titles:


    [Pit Member]


    Resistances:


    [Pain Resistance: LV4]


    [Impact Resistance: LV3]


    [Shock Resistance: LV2]


    -----------------------


    I was sorely mistaken about them.


    I would say I had more confidence in mybat experience than they did. Their coordinated fighting was clumsy and in need of refinement. Having skills was great but using them to the best of their ability was another matter entirely. Most of these skills were below LV5 ¨C I still had a lot of work to do with them before I could finish the quest.


    That aside, I had appraised four nestling so far, whose skills could very much rival mine when I was their level. Even this injured snake had eleven skills.


    Was it just my two guards working extra hard to train them? Or was it the result of having the free time to experiment and gain skills naturally?


    Take the cute white snake staring at me now, for example. Some skills I''d seen from her were ones I couldn''t even discern how she had got them.


    [Descant] [Insight] [cial Skin]? What''s with these weird skills? Even if I appraised them ¨C it didn''t tell me how to get them. So how did a little snake like this get them before me?


    Well, wasn''t this a bit embarrassing as their leader?


    Sigh¡­running around trying to keep my life really didn''t help me in the creative department. I found it odd how she had so many LV1 Resistance skills, like she''d only got them recently.


    Also, why does she keep staring at me?


    And¡­She''s dancing.


    Oh god. Please stop.


    Don''t look at me with such hopeful eyes! Like hell I''m going to dance with you! Just No.


    Look away¡­Look away. Focus on healing¡­


    I saw the female guard was now next to me. So close, we were almost touching.


    Can I help you, snake tween?


    Didn''t she know of personal space?


    Could her beady eyes not stare into my soul so eagerly?


    Sensei snickered.


    "If I don''t do the dance, she won''t leave me alone, huh." I sighed.


    Also, what''s with my male guard hanging over there at the back with the other snakes? Did he build his own faction or something since I left?


    Or maybe I hit him too hard and now he''s angry?


    It was like if I didn''t dance, he wouldn''t acknowledge me or something. Did that mean all the others wouldn''t either?


    This. What was this pressure!


    I looked from the male guard intimidating eyes to the cute white snake in front of me. If hers were a subtle probe, his were knives stabbing through my guts. How intense!


    I felt like I had a gun to my head. Was this what you''d called a sis-con?


    In the end I gave in and did the wriggly dance.


    My female guard''s eyes lit up like sparkles and my male guard finally came over, bringing all the snakes with him. Well, I guess they were cute. I couldn''t reallyin.


    The option came up for me to name the female guard and I was thoughtful for a second. She looked soft but fierce, like a little princess snake, so I suppose ''Ophelia'' would do.


    ?Confirmed. ¡ºPit Member 2¡»has be ¡ºOphelia¡»?


    I had Sensei''s disapproving sigh and chose to ignore him.


    2 not 1? Well that was unexpected. I wondered who was first?


    As for my male guard I had to think of a strong name, something reminiscent of a storm.


    That''s it, I''ll call him Typhon!


    ?Confirmed. ¡ºPit Member 1¡»has be ¡ºTyphon¡»?


    Well, what do you know!


    There were more disapproving noises from Sensei. ?Your namesck refinement.?


    This guy! Hmph.


    "If you''re so good with names ¨C why not suggest your own? Name that one ¨C the speedy one!"


    ?Alright then, he''ll be Cygnus.?


    "Huh? What''s that? I was expecting something great." I burst intoughter. "How is that better than any of my names?"


    ?I named him after the Cygnus constetion, to signify a great snake soaring on the wings of a swan.?


    A what now?


    ?Confirmed. ¡ºPit Member 15¡»has be ¡ºCygnus¡»?


    Pfft¡­kill me now.


    "Isn''t it rather grandiose to name him after a star."


    How could he name my snake after some fat bird! Wasn''t he cursing him to be fat in the future?


    ?That''s a hypocritical thing to say ¨C considering you''re named after an emperor.?


    I scoffed in derision.


    I didn''t identify with such a grandiose name ¨C in fact, it wasn''t even mine.


    My mother had named me Aurelius, feeling confident she would have a boy, after a particrly violent bout of morning sickness. ''He'' was to be her golden goose egg and the proud heir to her lover.


    So, at 28 weeks in when she realised she was having a girl, she wasn''t too concerned about changing the name. And so, I got stuck with the girl version. Yay me!


    But onto brighter things, it seemed like I''d acquired a few capable nestlings.


    Cygnus had an agility of [136] ¨C pretty high for a mere LV6 snake.


    And aside from Ophelia, Typhon was pretty strong too. He seemed steadily on the path to bing an immovable rock.


    By gaining [Status Inspection], I wouldn''t need to guide them so much, as they would know which skills to develop. I wondered if the lizard had also gotten that ability.


    Also, the scarred snake who was still unconscious, seemed to have an annoying bug attached to him. In his appraisal results, I saw he had a strange title, [Guardian of Loiarn].


    It had to be the name of the creature, so I appraised it.


    --------------------------


    Loiarn - Neutral elemental spirit that attaches itself to worthy candidates. Will remain with their guardian until they get injured or destroyed. Multiple Loiarn can share the same guardian, if they all deem he/she worthy.


    Will use their powers to help protect their guardian, but that is very rare. Can be extremely aggressive against those they deem unworthy.


    Rarity: S-


    -----------------------


    Somehow this description made me angry.


    What the heck did a ball of water know about worth?


    ?They''re parasites.? Sensei exined. ?Mischievous spirits who trade in mayhem. When in danger they bring their troublesome foes to their protectors to fight off. He will have tons of trouble in the future if he insists on keeping it around.?


    Hmm... as annoying as it was, I thought the opposite. Didn''t it already protect him from danger?


    Maybe this Loiarn liked him.


    It could stay, as long as it didn''t develop a taste for blood or bring more to join it ¨C I thought the scarred snake was a little knight-like actually.


    Soon my thoughts filled with the names of famous knights and before I could think it through, the system dinged.


    ?Confirmed. ¡ºPit Member 27¡»has be ¡ºGhad¡»?


    Sensei groaned loudly. ?Are you purposely being terrible with these names??


    "It was an ident, this time."


    I felt awkward. I ought to apologise to the snake when he woke up.


    But, aside from those outliers, it seemed none of the nestlings were ready for evolution. At least for now. My immediate goal was to train them up to standard ¨C in less than 3 days. There was no time to waste!


    I hissed out instructions to my two guards and they began organising the cave with the other snakes, gathering the unconscious snakes in one area, much like a field hospital.


    I essed the system to purchase potions. And much like a drill sergeant, I went around sshing them with it, evilly watching the nestlings rise up like resurrected dead.

 Chapter 109 - All Out Training

    There were 27 snakes arrayed before me. Some awake and excited, others beardly eyed from exhaustion.


    On both sides of me stood my two guards, waiting to ry my instructions. Together, they divided the nestlings into three groups of nine. For their training I wanted to focus mainly on building their strength, agility, and teamwork.


    Most of the nestlings stats were skewed. Likely because they focused on their interests rather than considering their overall status. And, not even my guards were an exception to this ¨C as my male guard Typhon, seemed to favour defence.


    --------------


    Name: Typhon [LV7 Neonate Cerastes]


    Specie: Ailith Vipera


    HP: 87/87 Defence: 128


    MP: 52/52 Intellect: 60


    SP: 98/98 Magic: 34


    Attack: 80 Agility: 75


    --------------


    Ophelia, my female guard, seemed to have abandoned defence in general and was more inclined towards magic and agility.


    --------------


    Name: Ophelia [LV7 Neonate Cerastes]


    Specie: Ailith Vipera


    HP: 74/74 Defence: 40


    MP: 88/88 Intellect: 80


    SP: 65/65 Magic: 76


    Attack: 75 Agility: 106


    --------------


    Andstly, Cygnus seemed the more bnced of the two but one-sidedly preferred speed.


    --------------


    Name: Cygnus [LV6 Neonate Cerastes]


    Specie: Ailith Vipera


    HP: 68/68 Defence: 85


    MP: 56/56 Intellect: 42


    SP: 102/102 Magic: 45


    Attack: 67 Agility: 136


    --------------


    It didn''t really harm them, but these inconsistencies likely came about from their inability to look at their own stats. But with [Status Inspection], hopefully that would change.


    Yet, they weren''t my immediate concern. Even with their shorings, their skills inparison to the other nestlings were far more superior.


    Cygnus was only one skill away from meeting the quest''s requirements whereas Ophelia and Typhon had already met them a long time ago. So, I exempted from training and allowed them to figure out their own stats and the direction they intended to take with them.


    The fastest way to get them to evolve was to improve at least three of their skills to LV10, preferably those of my choosing that I deemed more suitable for them. And they didn''t have any objections so...


    For Typhon, I chose.


    [Rugged Scales: LV8] [Strength: LV5] and [Shockwave: LV3].


    And for Ophelia.


    [Descant: LV8] [cial Skin: LV7] and [Probability Corrtion: LV3].


    I instructed them to work on those skills in private. They would be geared towards the first batch of evolutions, and hopefully others would improve enough to join them. And I was equally excited to see Cygnus and Ghad''s growth too.


    For the other nestlings, the quest''s requirements were an additional 5 skills at LV5. So it didn''t really matter what level their default skills were, as long as the additional five were raised for all 30 snakes.


    With the focus being on every nestling getting 9 skills as the standard, their individual levels don''t matter so much right now.


    Along with the default skills of [Bite] [Poison Fang] [Scent] [Heat Sense] they needed five more to make nine. They would easily reach Level 5 when they started hunting, as having better skills in ce at the start would make everything easier.


    I narrowed down the simplest five skills, and these were [Rapid Strike] [Stealth] [Rugged Scales] [Grip] and [Steel Skin]. Most of the nestlings already had these skills, only they weren''t up to LV5.


    I just had to put them to work by practicing their skills through the training regimen I designed.


    For [Rapid Strike], I set up scattered columns of wall debris from the hive around the cave, much like an obstacle course. The nestlings would then have to race through to improve their agility and at the end, each would strike at their respective columns with their fastest speed, before repeating the course again.


    For [Stealth], it was a simple game of hide and seek. The hider would have to stay concealed with [Stealth] while the seeker would try to find them with [Hear Sense] in the shortest time possible. It doubled as practice for both skills, and if any gained the use of [Heat sphere] it would be an added bonus.


    [Grip] was simply passing the baton in climbing form. Each nestling would climb up a portion of the wall and would have to hang on there, until the next snake climbed up to meet them. Once there, the relieved snake could finally leap off the wall to the ground, levelling [Leap] and [Buoyancy] in turn if theynded safely.


    And if they couldn''t stick thending, they would level up [Rugged Scales] and [Steel Skin].


    All in all, if they trained nonstop it was a very realistic thing to achieve in the time I had left. And good thing too because resistances weren''t included. Thus, in their three groups I ryed the instructions and my guards set about ensuring each grouppleted every activity.


    "This quest is already in the bag!" I couldn''t resist a jab at Sensei.


    ?Gloat when you actually finish.? He said dryly.


    My training may be a form of endless torment for the nestlings, but as their leader it was abour of love.


    I''d noticed most of the damage done to them came from my stingers. Those that had gotten hurt either weren''t fast enough to avoid them, or their defence was too low. Although my focus was toplete the quest, all of these things were important for little snakes without much to rely on aside from poison.


    Those that got to LV5 quickly could move on to the next set of skills, all in rotation until every skill was LV5. Once that happened the sessful nestlings could then join my two guards and try to fill the requirements for their evolution.


    But even with this, I was careful in maintaining the bnce between reward and punishment. I made sure to keep food on standby as they trained to ensure they took breaks when necessary, and in less than two hours, the nestlings had eaten their way through a tenth of my wasp supply.


    But this was only the beginning, and soon they would all go out hunting to refill the stores they depleted.


    I was prepared for some of the nestlings not to listen, as there was only so much food could substitute for actual rest. There was one snake in particr who didn''t seem too happy with my methods. A tiny slip of a snake with spade-like patterns who stood apart from the others in defiance.


    Unfortunately, whenever she tried to deflect, she found herself caught in the crosshairs of Typhon, who would stare her down in silent threat until she shrank back in line ¨C he was rather terrifying in that way.


    I actually felt sorry for her. We were bothrades in a way, having both experienced his re of doom.


    But after that stare down, none of the snakes dared to contest me again. It was somewhat terrifying the level of influence these two guards had.


    His effect on the nestlings was rather profound ¨C quite the contrast to Ophelia who showed hers in subtler ways.


    She didn''t leave my side at all, always following me around happily like my shadow. She acted quite cheerful but underneath that exterior, there was an intimidating air around her and a steely glint to her eyes that was quite simr to my male guard.


    In a way she was even more unapproachable. The only snakes she allowed toe close were those she introduced herself and since then, I''d been surrounded by herself or, three or five of her posse when she wasn''t around. It was like I was being shielded from the others in an invisible barrier.


    Not that I minded, for the first time I was able to sleep quite soundly in the cave without any snakes crawling over me ¨C potentially risking getting impaled by my stingers if I happened to roll around.


    Her barrier was especially effective against the clingy Ghad who ever since waking up, had tried every tactic to stick to me. He didn''t seem all too concerned about his name either, rather he seemed to have adopted a permanent shit-eating grin whenever he was around the other snakes.


    The moment he finished a round of training, he would rush towards me and always looked dejected whenever he was sent away. His water ball even came out to y a couple of times, even sshing some of Ophelia''s followers.


    And in that moment I was able to appraise it properly.


    ---------------------


    LV14 Melior Nyn


    Specie: Ailith Loiarn


    HP: 136/136 Defence: 57


    MP: 128/128 Intellect: 26


    SP: 46/46 Magic: 105


    Attack: 52 Agility: 65


    Skills:


    [Transform: LV4] [Hydrokics: LV5]


    [Full Restore: LV10] [Buoyancy: LV10]


    [Water Whip: LV4] [Levitation: LV4]


    [Intangible: LV3] [Ssh: LV10]


    [Gravity Negation: LV3]


    Magic Skills:


    [Water Magic] [Light Magic]


    Resistances:


    [Wind Resistance: LV10]


    ---------------------


    I initially thought it simple ¨C but wasn''t this an evolved creature?


    Why did it need protection from a level 6 snake it was clearly much stronger than?


    Wasn''t this Loiarn rather shameless?


    And suspicious.


    Typhon had toe over personally and drag Ghad away before the water attacks ceased and since then, the creature hadn''t appeared again.


    I wonder what would happen if I ate it?


    I guess I would have to find out when it appeared again.

 Chapter 110 - A Suspicious Brew

    Cygnus became the first nestling to pass my training, followed quickly by Ghad.


    Both showed a surprising level of determination to surpass others.


    Even after raising their skills to LV5, they went after other snakes, challenging them to perfect their skills in exchange for their share of food. This led to more nestlings burning out to keep up with them.


    However, thispetitive streak wasn''t all bad, as two more snakes from Ophelia''s group also took inspiration from them.


    One of the two, a sprinkled snake, with a surprisingly high intelligence was also one of the few named snakes.


    --------------


    Name: Artemis [LV6 Neonate Cerastes]


    Specie: Ailith Vipera


    HP: 57/57 Defence: 55


    MP: 40/40 Intellect: 76


    SP: 45/45 Magic: 38


    Attack: 44 Agility: 42


    --------------


    And a pale snake with wavy patterns, whose skills were very simr to Ophelia''s, favouring magic and agility while neglecting defence.


    --------------


    Name: Morgana LV7 Neonate Cerastes]


    Specie: Ailith Vipera


    HP: 70/70 Defence: 38


    MP: 72/72 Intellect: 54


    SP: 64/64 Magic: 69


    Attack: 68 Agility: 92


    --------------


    Those two were always together, so I reckoned she was influenced by her.


    For the next stage I hoped they would correct the divide between their stats and shape their individual progress to form their own skills. But for now, I thought they would make good captains.


    Aside from their personalities, there were many things surprising about the nestlings. I would be a blind if I didn''t notice they couldmunicate very well with each other.


    But the problem was ¨C why couldn''t I understand them? Was I a fake snake?


    Whenever I spoke it came out as a hiss much like them, but only my two guards could understand the meaning.


    I wondered whether the [Commander] skill was restricting my voice to only those that had a corresponding leadership role. It would exin how my two guards could understand me when no one else could.


    But then, before I got [Commander], my guards couldn''t understand me either ¨C so that ruled out that idea.


    It was more likely that I wasn''t actually speaking, but channelling my intentions across through [Commander], like a minor form of [Coercion] that only ryed orders. So, the main issue would be my ownck of knowledge of the ''snake tongue'', seeing as I wasn''t actually around to learn it with them all.


    Regardless, I didn''t think it mattered much since I would be getting [Telepathy] soon, since all the higher level monsters she appraised have it. But if it bes an issue, I suppose I could try to learn thenguage.


    But wait, didn''t I have a cheat system?


    "Sensei I need the answers to thenguage test. Is there a snakenguage skill?" I asked hopefully and a bit eagerly. "A ''hiss'' skill? Or a Parseltongue maybe?"


    ?As a teacher, I don''t condone cheating.? as usual, sensei decided not to be helpful.


    "Oh, shut it! You stopped being my teacher when I came out of a damn egg!" I retorted angrily.


    Sensei remained silent.


    "Come on¡­ be useful for once." I sobbed.


    What if the nestlings thought I wasn''t one of them ¨C or worse that I was mute?


    ?Learning thenguage properly will be a good experience for you.? Sensei replied with a mocking tone. ?Who knows, it might even fix that empty space between your eyes.?


    I gasped. "Don''t be an ass!"


    "I''ve already passed my snake developmental stage! It will be much harder to learn anything now."


    Why did I have to grow up so fast?


    ?The best the system can do is, provide a conversion skill that works on everynguage. I can''t improve your ability to understand thenguage or help you speak it, without one.?


    I frowned. A skill like that would likely be too expensive! But If he could understand elves, snakes shouldn''t be a problem. "You can understand them, right?"


    ?Of course. I know everything.? Sensei replied proudly


    I smirked. "So why not trante for me?"


    ?It''s bothersome...?


    "A good teacher supports their student''s endeavours ¨C now what are they saying?"


    I gestured two the two nestlings chattering away in front of me.


    ?¡­they''re saying ''Apollo'' feels cold to touch.?


    At his words, I got up immediately and left the training grounds ¨C how could I forget?


    Everything was going well in the cave, except for one minor issue ¨C the injured snake who was yet to wake up.


    I rushed towards the back of the cave as Ophelia and Morgana followed behind, along with the two snakes who had been chatting.


    I remembered seeing them from before. The two were prone to sneaking away from the training grounds to watch me feed him potions, and whenever they took their breaks, they would be around to help me watch over him. They may have been friends with the bullied snake from before, so I let them continue.


    I found it adorable how they were always looking after him, so I made sure to feed him a potion every once in a while to aid him to recover. But now, I was beginning to think he wouldn''t make it.


    I named him Apollo, because his scales bore a striking resemnce to the white sprinkled snake, Artemis, only in reverse. I thought naming him would speed up his recovery, but now I couldn''t help thinking he was going to ruin the quest for me. He was part of the 30 and although he had 11 skills already, most were still under LV5.


    "Why isn''t the potion working properly?" I asked Sensei.


    ?How many did you feed him??


    "I don''t know, two or three?" I couldn''t quite recall how many times I''d gone back and forth.


    ?You fed him four.? Sensei corrected. ?It''s not a cure-all option, it''s only a low grade potion. Such a low level snake cannot process that many impurities in such a short time. It will act like a poison andpromise his system instead.?


    "Impurities? But it worked on the lizard." I asked doubtfully.


    ?And what level was he??


    It also worked on me¡­I wanted to say, but then I remembered I had the [Detox] skill and that I always took one potion.


    I thought about feeding him a poisonous mushroom and letting him eat the antidote to gain the [Detox] skill, but with the little snake already near death, I didn''t want to risk harming him further.


    I sighed, epting defeat. "Is there any way to save him?"


    ?You''ll need to detoxify his system, then apply a higher grade potion.?


    Oh¡­ okay. That sounds like a n.


    Then I essed the store to see what expensive gifts he had for me.


    --------------


    Skills:


    [Floating Ribs: 350XP] [Paralysis Venom: 250XP] [Regeneration: 300XP]


    Items:


    [HP Recovery Potion: 50XP] [SP Recovery Potion: 50XP] [MP Recovery Potion: 50XP]


    [Detoxification Potion: 100XP] [Healing Potion: 100XP] [Sensei''s Brew: 150XP]


    Experience Points: [1193]


    --------------


    [Regeneration] as a skill would have been perfect ¨C if I could use it on someone other than myself. Reminding me yet again that the system was fundamentally meant for me alone. And I should be thankful that the items were transferable, and could be used on others.


    But what was thatst one?


    I blinked a couple of times to make sure I wasn''t seeing things.


    And to my horror it wasn''t going away!


    I appraised it with hesitation.


    --------------


    [Sensei''s Brew: 150XP] ¨C A potion swirling with undetermined magic, brewed by Sensei.


    --------------


    Undetermined magic?


    Did he make some untested potion to see if snakes could explode?


    Did he think I was a guinea pig?


    No way I was ever buying that.


    Feeling a shiver over my shoulder ¨C I quickly moved on to appraise the next thing that caught my attention.


    --------------


    [Detoxification Potion] ¨C This potion reduces the effect of Mana Poisoning by 50%.


    --------------


    Hmm¡­ nice.


    --------------


    [Healing Potion: 100XP] ¨C This potion refills the existing Health bar by 50%, while negating the effect of stamina loss by 25% for 50 seconds.


    --------------


    Much better. Normal items I could actually use.


    The [Detoxification Potion] seemed the most appropriate, so I purchased it and a pale yellow serum materialized in front of me. I guided the liquid towards the pale snake''s mouth and his cold body quickly regained its warmth, and I began to hear a steady heartbeat.


    I let out a sigh of relief and was about to get the [Healing Potion] next, but Sensei stopped me.


    ?The [Detoxification Potion] will put a heavy burden on his body already. Administering the potion on top of it will be too much for him right now. Wait until his system processes the impurities first.?


    "How long will that take?" I only had [44] hours left for the quest. Could he me me for being impatient?


    ?Give him an hour.? Sensei''s droll voice was smug. ?You refused to kill off your precious nestlings, I wouldn''t want you risking an ''ident''.?


    The bas****. Why did he have to say it like that?


    It crossed my mind that he was just ying tricks with this detoxification to waste my time. But without a method to prove him wrong, I could only believe him. And there were more pressing things to consider ¨C such as the nestlings eating through my food stores at an incredible rate.


    If they continued eating like this, there would be nothing left soon.


    As for myself. I already tried to eat the crisp spiders and got nothing aside from a bitter taste. There was no alert from [Devour], instead the system dinged with a new message.


    ?Failure to identify consumed biomass. Devour has rejected specimen.?


    And that was the end of that tragic event ¨C all my efforts wasted to nothing. If there was anything I wanted to eat the most, it would be more of that feline beast.


    I needed to hunt again and soon.

 Chapter 111 - Magic Theory

    While the nestlings trained their skills, I went off on my own to look at mine.


    Since evolving, there were a lot of new things that popped up, some I was already familiar with and others, not so much. My focus was to level up my older skills and to get familiar with the new ones, in particr [Area of Authority] and [Obsidian Horn] which had saved me from quite a few tricky situations.


    --------------


    [Area of Authority] ¨C Increases the likelihood of sessful attacks within a given area. Applicable for targets of simr level or lower, anything more will deduct 50% of MP.


    [Instantaneous Sprint] ¨C Improves movement speed by 25% for 60 seconds.


    [Obsidian] - A dense material that nullifies the effect of magical forces in high concentrations. It is naturally found where water meets molten rock, and in some species of magical beasts.


    Rarity B-


    --------------


    Hm¡­weren''t they a little dangerous?


    If the little obsidian in my horns could repel magical forces, what if I was covered with [Obsidian Scales]? Wouldn''t that make me invulnerable to magic attacks?


    Hehe, that sounds awesome.


    Maybe, I could get it if I ate more bunnies..?


    But then, wouldn''t it work both ways and also nullify my own magic?


    And for [Area of Authority], just how far was its range? When I activated it, there didn''t seem to be any noticeable changes.


    As for my magic skills, [Shadow Magic] and [Poison Magic]. They both seemed to work through their proxy skills [Shadow Shroud] and [Poison Synthesis]. I couldn''t use them directly yet and I suspected it was because their levels were too low.


    I activated my [Shadow Shroud] and it creepily covered my body in shadow, but that was the extent of it. And much like the system, my skills were only limited to me.


    Also, my shadows only seemed to work in darkness, and fire and natural light seemed to easily dispel them!


    I scowled.


    Shouldn''t [Shadow Magic] be stronger than that?


    But what if I wanted to cover something other than myself?


    I thought of a crazy idea and looked towards the nestlings ¨C what if I tried to envelop a snake within?


    Might as well try.


    And I know a perfect victim - I mean guinea pig - guinea snake?


    I called my guard, Typhon over and when he arrived, I tried to stretch the shadows towards him.


    Nothing happened immediately, but when I persisted, a tiny tendril of shadow extended past my body to reach him. I was thrilled and continued to test it, pushing further until the shadow fully extended to cover him.


    And the system dinged in encouragement.


    ?Skill Aptitude increase: [Shadow Shroud: LV2] has be [Shadow Shroud: LV3]?


    Yes! We were finally getting somewhere.


    If I continued trying, soon enough I should be able to shroud all of the nestlings!


    I released Typhon and returned to training as I continued to practice other skills. With a stamina potion to replenish my energy, I could train nonstop, so I focused on perfecting my poison attacks.


    [Poison Synthesis] couldbine both [Pain Toxin] and [Deadly Poison Attack] to improve the effect of my poison, so was it possible tobine other skills?


    I was interested in finding out what more I could do with it.


    Surely if I could generate poison, and even change its form, then creating more types had to be possible. [Paralysis Venom] in the system store seemed very attractive now. If Ibined the three, it would make an excellent poison!


    However, I couldn''t continue my tests as the disy of my fancy skills had attracted the nestlings attention and disrupted their training. And now, most of them were watching me instead.


    So I brought my session to an end ¨C perhaps I should find a bigger cave first?


    In the brief moments when the cave was quiet, and exhausted nestling bodies sprawled everywhere, I took out the core of the Hestehoria Queen. A cleanly cut cube of raw flesh materialised, and once outside of stasis, it began oozing purple blood over the cave floor.


    I wanted to analyse her core, but sadly, I couldn''t go about this unseen.


    The scent of fresh blood attracted the attention of my two guards and the nestlings around my invisible barrier, and they all stared at me like ravenous wolves. I guarded my quarry preciously, ring at each of them in turn to assert my dominance and let them know it was mine. And after some reluctance, they all turned away.


    Phew. That was close.


    Hidden in the centre of that chunk meat, there was something small and hard like a stone, surrounded by a membranous sack with a liquid inside.


    Unlike what I was expecting, it was small, rather¡­ fleshy, and unmistakably solid.


    I wanted to jump with joy! I was seeing a solid core for the first time!


    With [Mana Sense], I peered inwards to see my own core that had since condensed into a ball of liquid the size of a tiny gem and I wondered how long it would take for it to condense to solid like that of the queen''s.


    However, lurking sinisterly in the corner, was arger core steadily orbiting around mine.


    If this was scientific, his core would be like a moon orbiting mine, the ¨C except the size was all wrong. His core was therger one!


    I didn''t pay much attentionst time, but wasn''t his corepletely solid? Where mine was shrouded in hazy mist and only clearly visible in its liquid centre ¨C his was clearly defined in high definition.


    I was more like the moon inparison to his in size, yet he was orbiting me.


    Isn''t this all in reverse? Surely his core had to be affecting mine in some unseen way?


    In reality, if a had a moon bigger than it, the two would smash together in a catastrophic chain reaction.


    ?Why are you staring at me so intently.? Sensei squirmed ufortably. ?Close your eyes, you perv. Where is your sense of decency??


    "MY sense of decency?" I wanted to cough blood.


    The nerve of him to say something like that. He was the one illegally upying my body. How dare he turn this around on me?


    ?Stop looking like you want to eat me...? Sensei nonchntly said.


    I let out a helpless sigh and closed my eyes as I quietly consumed the Queen''s core.


    And soon, the system dinged.


    --------------


    ?You have consumed medium grade core?


    ?Status: Complete?


    ?Magic: +45?


    ?Agility: +45?


    ?Attack: +55?


    ?Defence: +55?


    --------------


    Oh yes! Now this was a reward!


    "Is evolving the fastest way to get a solid core?" I asked Sensei.


    ?Creating a core is an exercise in sensing the natural energies within the body and gathering that energy until it condenses to form a centre of power.? Sensei exined.


    ?Evolution is one way to simplify the process, as it urs unconsciously, but it isn''t necessarily the fastest. A body simply evolves when it reaches the level of energy required to progress to the next stage. If you gather that energy beforehand and meet the skill requirements, it''s possible to expedite the process.?


    "And how would I do that?"


    ?By continuously consuming higher level cores.?


    Ah. So to get a solid core, I would need a steady supply of monster cores to help me build up a solid base faster. That would mean eating more creatures and gaining more attributes, the thought of which made me shiver.


    My scales had be like a wasp''s shell, not because I got an exoskeleton, but because I got the [Stinger] attribute that needed the added hardness as reinforcement.


    [Devour] was collecting skills just as much as it was moulding them to fit me, and vice versa. It was terrifyingly efficient!


    But this wasn''t what I was most afraid of.


    Considering I''d been alive for less than a month. I predicted it would take ten times that to get a solid core. So, about a year.


    If I kept collecting attributes like this ¨C what would I look like at the end of it?


    Should I say farewell to the memories of my adolescent girl body and open the doors to some monstrosity in the shape of a snake? It was annoying having small boobs before, but at this rate I don''t think I would ever have boobs again!


    What the heck?


    This wasn''t even counting my original body''s capabilities. Being a natural cker didn''t leave me wanting much aside from turning thebyrinth into a safe haven to achieve a life of rxation. Even if it was something most people couldn''t get, I would usually get it one way or another through barter or sheer persistence.


    But, do I have to sacrifice my body to get what I want?


    Surely I, being a natural strategist could figure out a way to get both!


    At least that was what I hoped. I was going to die eventually, if I didn''t at least try that, death woulde much sooner. Life itself was like a tough opponent. If It didn''t give me a way, I would make one. I was better off not wasting time contemting the what and the why.


    First, I should get a solid core. Once I gained the proper use of magic, the rest would follow. But for now, it was continuous practice and luck.

 Chapter 112 - Queen Or Tyrant?

    Typhon oversaw the training of the nestlings from a small tform above.


    The three groups they created, the snakes struggled toplete one activity after another in a tense atmosphere that did not allow for failure.


    He observed their progress very strictly, making sure there were no mistakes and none were cking. With the exception of the snakes that had passed their leader''s test, the rest of them were continuing the gruelling training.


    Yet in the tremulous air, he heard the ring ofughter followed by the sound of a body smacking into one of the pirs.


    [Stay still, you cheat!] Ghad bellowed with rage, while nursing a ratherrge bruise to the head.


    [I told you there''s no winning here. You can''t catch me.] Cygnus replied in a cheery voice.


    Typhon looked at the two and sighed. In one of the activities set out by their leader, Ghad was the seeker whose task was to use [Heat Sense] to find the hidden Cygnus.


    [You''re not supposed to move around! I would have won already if you didn''t keep cheating!] Ghadined angrily.


    He wasn''t wrong.


    Anytime Ghad came close to catching him, the gap between the two would widen ever so slightly and Ghad would end up missing him, before colliding into one of the pirs of the obstacle course.


    Normally he would reprimand Cygnus, but the problem was that even he couldn''t see Cygnus move. He was still in his original position looking innocent.


    Besides, Ghad had been acting far too arrogant since ''she'' had given him a name and he was due for some humbling.


    [Winners don''t make excuses! Continue!] Typhon called out, and the two immediately stopped arguing.


    Ghad resumed his training with a dejected look, while Cygnus continued ying his tricks with an innocent look. However on Ghad''s fifth miss, a ssh of water appeared right in front of Cygnus, washing him clear across the floor until he was directly in the path of Ghad.


    And with that, Cygnus was finally caught.


    Typhon sighed and looked away, while the exhausted Ghad started his long awaited victory celebrations.


    Was the training still fair, if these two could cheat so casually like this?


    Typhon nced at their leader who wasfortably coiled around herself and settled inside her perch of decorative flora, courtesy of Ophelia and her group. He then noticed that her gaze affixed on the training grounds.


    Was she really watching them train?


    But why did her gaze seem to trail Ghad like he was a juicy piece of meat?


    Did she really have a crush on him like his sister said?


    He shivered at the thought and turned away.


    Anyhow... Ghad? Cygnus?


    At first he thought his name was weird, but these two really pulled it off. Their leader seemed to be throwing out these names like nothing, yet none objected. Now he didn''t even blink when the nestlings began referring to themselves with names, as if it was something normal.


    He overheard some of them talking while he passed by. Most of their conversation were geared towards their leaders'' size and her shiny scales, with many looking at her with amazement. It was unusual of them to see such brightly coloured scales since all they were used to was ck and white.


    [She''s so big and shiny. Is she our mother?] One of the nestlings asked.


    Wait. What?


    Typhon nearly gagged at their words. This was not something he expected to hear!


    Who was teaching these kids such nonsense?


    Ghad also overhead and knocked them over the head with his water creature. [What mother? Don''t you remember who she was? She was born with us.] He hesitated, flustered as he tried to find the words. [S-she''s only gotten bigger for some reason, but she''s the same snake! I always knew she woulde back.]


    The nestlings gushed at his words. [No way? She''s back? How fat!]


    Ghad looked incredibly proud, like he''d aplished something. [And, I have a name now. And so, you should all call me Ghad from now on.]


    Typhon scowled and turned away from them. What disrespectful snakes.


    He suspected his sister had something to do with their silly ims as she wouldn''t stop gushing about how strong their leader had be. It was like she had put a spell on all of them. Or rather, it was the effect of having something powerful in their midst that put them in their ce.


    All the snakes cheered for her arrival and everything had seemingly returned to normal. If there was ever any resentment because of her previous absence, it was gone now. Overall the response to her training methods wasrgely positive ¨C aside from a few whoined about the overwork, no one could really fault her.


    The effect of her presence was simply too scary to contend with.


    Typhon had experienced the drastic change of the cave since training began. The named nestlings had be quieter, seemingly focused on staring at nothing in front of them and training even harder like they are under a curse. He was just the same as them, and even more since he was made to enforce their strict regime.


    Although he could see their leader''s intentions of making them stronger because he had [Status Inspection]. The other snakes who did not have the skill had been swept up in a frenzy without knowing what was going on.


    Apart from the few named snakes who could see their stats, the others thought their leader was tormenting them with excessive training, and it didn''t help matters that some other snakes were pushing this narrative and spreading misinformation.


    The spaded snake that used to follow him around had started moving suspiciously ever since her terrible defeat and seemed to always be in a dark mood.


    Unsurprisingly, she didn''t know what was going on, and she hated it. So he could only imagine her surprise when the snakes she knew started calling themselves strange names.


    And it didn''t help when the other snakes who she used to ignore, quickly began to surpass her in ability.


    He''d tried to exin to her, but she was stubborn and refused to listen. It wasn''t surprising that she wouldsh out when she was suddenly weaker than before and couldn''t understand what was happening or why.


    Typhon also wasn''t sure why their leader had not named her. After all, she''d been one of the snakes he trained after she left Ophelia''s group and he thought she was skilled. But perhaps their leader was searching for something else. And indeed, whenpared to the snakes that had been named, she was subpar.


    Artemis was timid in nature, but she was always careful and analytical while Morgana was quiet and thoughtful, yet crafty. He''d always thought she was like a mature older sister to Ophelia, who sometimes let her emotions get the best of her.


    And yet Morgana knew when to be discreet.


    She was skilled, perhaps not as skilled as Ophelia, but she was good all the same. Yet he''d never seen her show off or try to challenge her once. Whereas the spaded snake had done nothing but that the moment she left Ophelia''s side.


    As for the others, there was Cygnus who seemed to possess extraordinary speed and Ghad whose determination to improve himself was positively infectious.


    Compared to them, the spaded snake would look ordinary in anyone''s eyes. Especially since their leader seemed to be looking for higher level or unique skills.


    And the spaded snake wasn''t training as much as the others. Instead, she was capitalizing over the difort of the confused nestlings and spreading rumours.


    Typhon shook his head in disappointment. Right now she was physically in the training grounds, but her thoughts were elsewhere. How was she going to improve and get noticed by their leader if she continued acting like this? She might as well not have been in the training grounds from the progress she was making.


    He was going to ignore her, but when he saw Cygnus making his way over to her, dripping wet and still annoyed at his loss ¨C he knew it wasn''t going to end well.


    Cygnus was normally well behaved, so he never guessed he would do something like this. But when they began to converse, it quickly grew heated.


    Typhon arrived just in time to hear the spaded snake speak.


    [I don''t need something stupid like a name! I''m fine without it.]


    He was unsure of what Cygnus had said, but the spaded snake was very upset. And then Ghad who just happened to stroll over couldn''t resist a jab at Cygnus. [Why are you being so mean to her. It''s not her fault. She didn''t get a name because her skills aren''t good.]


    He hade to defend her, but all his words did was anger her more. The spaded snake couldn''t respond and stormed off in a huff, and the two snakes were left staring at each other.


    Ghad looked confused. [What did I say?]

 Chapter 113 - Her Shadow

    Their names might have made them more confident, but the two snakes were still stupid in a lot of ways. They would have never challenged the spaded snake before, but now look at them.


    Typhon wanted to chase after her, but he noticed Ghad''s water creature peering out at him from behind the little snake. He didn''t like the way their leader kept looking at it, so he warned Ghad to keep the creature out of sight, before leaving to resume his own training.


    The cave had undoubtedly changed.


    The tense nature had transformed to one of fondness after their leaders return, with the nestlings feeling more protected and secure enough to make their true feelings known. And Typhon found it very peculiar.


    He couldn''t decide yet if she was really a tyrant or a queen.


    While he thrived on the ambiguity of his emotions, and sometimes outright disdain towards his fellow snakes. He made it clear he was impartial to them from the very start. That way, it was easy to brush them off like they didn''t exist.


    It made them fear him and set clear boundaries of what they could and couldn''t do. Whereas their leader was different. She did not seem to care about such things, nor was she concerned with how they saw her.


    Although they attacked her, she did not kill anyone and had even helped them recover when they were down, making the snakes see her in a favourable light.


    Those that cked off before were now fully at attention due to abination of fear and awe she inspired, like they had something to prove. But their leader,pletely oblivious to the changing dynamics, carried on like she cared for nothing.


    In their eyes, she was simply aloof. But he saw things for what they were.


    There was an air of detachment about her, like she didn''t really care what they thought at all. It was like she didn''t really see them and always seemed to be looking through them like she was thinking of many things at the same time, and Typhon didn''t know what to think about this at all.


    On the surface, the nestlings could all be sorted into three groups.


    One that held a favourable impression towards their leader and was genuinely excited for what came next.


    Another was almost fanatic in nature and seemed to have an unusual fascination with their leader, paired with a strong desire to follow her around. Ghad easily fell into this group, as did the snakes who saw her as a divine figure because of her ability to heal and materialise things from thin air.


    They would linger around her instead of training because they sought to learn from her directly, aspiring to do the same one day. And although she was yet to give many of them names, they remained just as devoted.


    Typhon sighed.


    His sister Ophelia also seemed to be a part of this group.


    She had convinced herself she was their leaders'' protector and would not allow any snake toe near her.


    And her reason for barring him?


    Apparently his re was too strong, and she was afraid he would scare their leader away - as if he wasn''t the one most wary of their leader''s intentions!


    Andstly there were those that remained neutral, like him and the spaded snake.


    Although calling her neutral was a bit of a stretch as she seemed to detest their leader outright and preferred to stay alone sulking than participate in any form of training and would often fan the mes of discontent whenever she could.


    She felt like a fool after being bested by their leader and made it clear she wanted her gone. It was partly his fault for asking her to prove herself, but he never expected she would do so in such a stupid way.


    What exactly did rushing out all by herself prove?


    If the leader had been a real enemy, her reckless action would have endangered them all.


    But aside from those sour notes, he wasn''t too concerned.


    He wondered why the leader had asked him to focus on particr skills and not others. She had given no exnation for her instructions, only an order. Yet, his skills had greatly improved from that little input.


    And now that he could see his stats, there were quite a few that were near to LV10 so it made more sense that he should focus on them and not the ones she instructed. He would have gone back to ask, but he decided to try and figure out her motives from the little he was given.


    Not everyone could be as shameless as his sister who jumped at every opportunity to be near their leader like an impulsive brat.


    Hm... Perhaps he was jealous? He''d never seen her look that excited before.


    No. It was just as he feared ¨C she was bing too attached.


    While he admired their leader, he thought it was best not to rely on her too much. After all she had left before, nothing stopped her from doing so again.


    And aside from that, there were too many suspicious things about her that he just couldn''t ept. It wasn''t just that she could make mysterious items and strange liquids appear out of nowhere. It was that she seemed to have an unusual number of corpses.


    The wasp creatures she had fed them, all looked strong and yet their bodies were damaged in so many ces from sh marks. Just what had killed them?


    If it was truly their leader that did it, she had to be extremely strong and if it was not. Just how strong was she to have gotten those corpses anyway?


    He''d witnessed some of her skills during the times she practiced, while some were destructive, he hadn''t seen any that could have made those marks.


    He didn''t know enough about their leader to deem her harmless to them and the pile of wasp corpses was a big red g.


    In short, it was too suspicious.


    And it wasn''t just the wasp corpses that made him wary.


    When he faced her during training, she''d done something interesting with her shadow. When it spread towards him, he thought nothing of it, until the shadows covered him fully.


    Then his vision faded to darkness and he experienced his body grow heavy while he struggled to move and breathe like he''d sunk into thick mud. In the darkness his body was deprived of all sensation, except a persistent aura of dread that evoked feelings of fear.


    It was only for a few seconds but his body feltpletely bound for a long time. And when she finally released him, he felt relieved to leave like he''d just escaped death.


    -------------


    As his training for the day came to an end, Typhon met up with Ophelia and her group who seemed to be heading outside.


    [We''re going to find more flowers to decorate our leader''s perch.] Ophelia dered excitedly and he sighed in defeat.


    Although their leader did not seem dangerous despite her actions, wasn''t it going too far if his sister saw her as a figure to protect?


    He was still worried about them getting too close, yet here she was doing something silly again.


    As a precaution, he agreed to apany them outside. But as they were about to leave the cave, two nestlings came up to him to report about a gathering of their fellow snakes outside the cave.


    When he looked around the cave to confirm, he saw there were less snakes present than usual.


    Ophelia, who was with him, wore a dark look too. If there was such a meeting and he was unaware of it, he knew it wasn''t anything good.


    He had his suspicions on who the likely culprit would be, but he didn''t want to use anyone without evidence. So instead of going outside to search for nts as nned, it became a hunt for traitors.


    Outside the cave, the air was filled with smoke from where parts of the forest still burned but they followed the scent trail left behind and soon found the gathering of snakes led by the spaded snake not far from the cave.


    There were only about seven snakes, but it was already one too many. They were all tired from training and barely had any fight to them, and they were quickly taken down.


    [Do you think we wouldn''t know you were nning something?] Ophelia confronted them.


    The spaded snake stared up at her defiantly. [I have nothing to say to you.]


    Typhon was more disappointed than angry - theyined about being overworked, yet all the times they were up training, so was their leader.


    He had been watching her very closely and he could see from her movements that everything she made them do was something she was deeply familiar with herself.


    So to say she was punishing them was shallow at best.


    [Haven''t you all improved your skills because of the training?] He questioned them. [What exactly are you trying to prove by gathering here?]


    [How could you let her take over?] The spaded snake shot back. [We were fine before she came back and made everything worse.]


    Typhon agreed in part. He thought it''s a shame she didn''t name them all. If they could see their own status, maybe things wouldn''t be this way.


    [I didn''t ''let her take over'', she is the strongest of us all and could easily destroy us but hasn''t. Do you think she would waste time training us for no reason?]


    He was confident she was not a threat to them now, and until he believed otherwise he would not move against her.


    The spaded snake hung her head in defeat and said no more.

 Chapter 114 - The Coming Of Rain

    I woke up in the cave with a lot of sleeping nestlings sprawled around me as usual. But I was distracted by something else. The air had a heavier feel to it and the cave that was dry, had taken on the scent of wet mud.


    Odd.


    Lastly, there was a distinctive pitter-patter sound from outside that made me blink with disbelief.


    No way¡­was that rain?


    I rose from my bed of leaves and climbed out of the cave, careful not to touch any of the sleeping nestlings on my way out. Passing the curtain of leaves that concealed the cave entrance, I was met with the usual sombre forest, but wet.


    ckened tree trunks dripped water, creating plinking puddles on the ground as the rain water became heavier. The top of trees were thick with white mist that moved like clouds, and except for the loud cries of airborne creatures amidst the murmur of rain ¨C the forest floor was silent.


    Whatever creatures there had scattered for cover as the water thundering turned the ground into mud.


    Just how?


    It served to say rain was thest thing I expected to see. Was rain even possible in an undergroundbyrinth?


    I stared up at the sky of mist and was hit by a fat water droplet that made my eyes sting. Fortunately for us, the cave entrance was at an elevated point above the ground so whatever puddles formed did not seep inside but flowed downwards in a steady stream.


    But as I looked around, I noticed the trees no longer sizzled with mes and the raging fire that was once present had been snuffed out. The coincidence was almost suspicious, which made me think.


    Was it really rain?


    If the fire had continued to burn, it would have razed whole sections of forest to the ground. What if the Labyrinth simply responded by putting it out? Like a body''s immune system reacting to a disease.


    It was likely the Labyrinth''s response to prevent a major ecological issue, but it was almost like it was alive.


    But just how much was too much destruction? If I felled a section of trees, would more grow back to rece them in less than a day? It was interesting to imagine the Labyrinth as a living organism, but I didn''t really have proof unless I actually saw it happening.


    I wished the rain would stop as quickly as possible, it was messing up my senses and I wasn''t a fan of these kinds of wet surprises.


    Just breathing in the rain made me feel cold, my visibility went down and when I tried to use [Mana Sense] everything around me lit up obnoxiously in cyan like a luminol crime scene ¨C even the mud.


    I felt like I was going blind just looking at it, so I switched back to normal vision ¨C just in time to spot arge centipede that was almost the same size as me approaching.


    I activated [Shadow Shroud] a moment toote but the creature skittered past without stopping, its multiple legs sloshing muddy water everywhere.


    I thought it was strange how it didn''t try to attack me, but the ground was getting quite sloppy, so maybe it just wanted to get out of the rain. As I watched how its many legs threw up water, I had an epiphany that brought a grin to my face.


    There was a creature that was usually well concealed on dry ground. This rain would be its worst nightmare as it would make it harder to hide its footsteps as it moved. There was no time to waste! With so much water on the ground it would be the perfect time to hunt it!


    I hurried along down to the forest floor, cloaking myself properly this time. While the nestlings were asleep, I had maybe an hour or two before they realised I was gone.


    Unfortunately, I missed the ominous eyes of a creature that caught sight of my transformation, as it descended to the ground with a swish of a long tail.


    ----------------


    I sped along the forest floor, bypassing parts of muddy ground with [Leap].


    I could hear the sounds ofrge creatures in the trees. In the rain, their calls were distant and muted, but I made sure to pay attention to unexpected sounds.


    The charred trees here were familiar and I soon came across the first poisonous mushroom outcrop that had somehow survived being burnt to crisp. I wasn''t searching for big prey so when I heard a twig snap from the weight of a creature I turned around instantly.


    I activated [Heat Sense] and I didn''t pick up any heat traces but there was definitely a presence in the trees. I heard a rustle and the leaves parted, revealing a lone dark figure.


    In [Heat Sense] the cold quickly dispersed revealing a centre of heat in the creature chest that glowed an intense white and as the creature roared, a ball of purple slime, covered in ck smoke shot past the tree line.


    I leapt out of the way and the slime ball struck a tree, melting a smoking hole into its bark.


    The creature let out another roar and I glimpsed a purple maw rimmed with sharp fangs with red leathery skin fanned out on the sides of its head, making it appear twice its size.


    I appraised the intimidating creature and was surprised to see a familiar name.


    ----------------------


    Name: Sylrin [LV10 Ivenium Stilio]


    Specie: Ailith Drake


    HP: 142/142   Defence: 129


    MP: 110/120   Intellect: 45


    SP: 109/110    Magic: 72


    Attack: 125    Agility: 125


    Skills:


    [ws: LV9] [Scent: LV8] [Fortune: LV2]


    [Silence: LV8] [Stealth: LV7] [Grip: LV8]


    [Smouldering Breath: LV2] [Solidity: LV3]


    [Impact Enhancement: LV7] [Leap: LV2]


    [Strength: LV6] [Enhanced Agility: LV2]


    [Night Vision: LV2] [Toxic Roar: LV8]


    [Sturdy: LV8] [Column Spike: LV6]


    [Tail Swing: LV10] [Wisdom: LV1]


    [Bite: LV10] [Poison Slime: LV9]


    [Sprint: LV9] [Perception: LV2]


    [sh: LV6] [Tail Spike: LV9]


    [Fiery Mane: LV7]


    Title:


    [Larvae Host] [Pit Member] [Saviour]


    Attributes:


    [Regeneration]


    [Status Inspection]


    Resistances:


    [Cutting Resistance: LV5]


    [Pain Resistance: LV8]


    [Heat Nullification: LV4]


    [Faint Resistance: LV6]


    [Piercing Resistance: LV2]


    [Paralysis Resistance: LV6]


    [Acid Resistance: LV2]


    ----------------------


    Whoa! Wasn''t it the dumb lizard, Sylrin?!


    Was he trying to ambush me? How cute.


    I rushed forward and leapt on him, ignoring his fierce stance to wrap him up in a smothering hug between my coils. The lizard twisted around, trying to w his way out but I squeezed even tighter.


    His stats had improved tremendously! What exactly did he do all this time?


    And what was that attack?


    I examined him from all sides. He hadn''t evolved yet, but he was slightlyrger than before, and the spikes across his back and tail were taller and much more prominent, he''d even gained some muscle since I''d seen him, along with a rougher skin.


    How had he improved so much? Was he hunting spiders all this time?


    The lizard whined pitifully after trying and failing to escape my embrace, but I didn''t want to let him go just yet, he could only endure the crushing hug.


    Finally when I had enough, I released him, and he dropped to the ground where he tried to recover his dignity.


    I slithered around him to examine his scales properly. His ws were sharper, his [Stealth] was also a lot better than before. That smoky slime ball had to be his [Toxic Roar] but what about the red leathery skin? It had since been tucked away discreetly below his neck.


    I was impressed!


    Sylrin looked even more arrogant as he stood on his hind legs, baring his chest proudly like he didn''t care, yet the long tail smacking the ground excitedly told a different story. I couldn''t figure out how, but he had improved! I had even mistaken him for a predator!


    And since he obviously wanted to follow me, I brought him along to the forest where Ist saw the mimic and we both took shelter under the foliage. Hunting these invisible lizards required a smart strategy and patience so I pretended to take a nap.


    We ended up waiting in the shrubs until the rain stopped, and then, I heard some movement in the trees.


    I wondered if Sylrin would have a problem hunting his scaly brethren since they were both technically lizards. But aside from checking out his impressive spikes, he didn''t bother with anything else.


    The mimic lizards started to creep ever so closely and with the wet ground, I soon heard the sshes of their invisible little feet. Sylrin heard them too and he started paying attention, but he became confused when he didn''t see anything.


    However, I already had my target locked.


    Anticipating where the next footstep wouldnd, I shot out apressed sphere of poison at the mimics and I heard shrill squeaks followed by a spray of blood.


    ?You have defeated LV2 Novus Milia Pellis?


    ?You have defeated LV4 Novus Milia Pellis?


    ?You have defeated LV5 Novus Milia Pellis?


    ?You have earned 33XP?


    No!


    My single attack had sliced three in half. That wasn''t my intention at all!


    I''d forgotten just how weak these things were. And how strong I''d gotten since thest time I fought them.


    Sylrin wasn''t having much luck either. He had taken too long to find a target and now the mimics werethering his body with shots of [Sticky Slime].


    With his back to the sneaky creatures, and more leaping on him to attack in numbers, he soon got freaked out by the invisible creatures.


    I sighed and helped him out by spraying the bodies of the mimics with [Pain Toxin] to get them off him without killing them. But the lizard had had enough. He roared at them, unfurling his red mane to look extra threatening. And at the sight of him, the mimics all got scared and ran away.


    Damn!


    I chased after the fleeing lizards, following their frantic footsteps through pools of water, until I arrived at a small stream that had turned into rushing rapids after bursting its banks.


    Across it was the field of tall grass where the mimics had vanished, disappearing from sight. The lizard followed behind, although not quite matching my speed.


    The mimics had escaped, and I was disappointed to waste such a good chance to catch them.


    However, knowing their flighty nature I''d made sure to get my poison on them so I could trace them easily with [Mark]. So, now no matter which way they fled, they cannot escape from me this time.


    Hehehe...


    We crossed the rushing water, following the mimic lizards deep into the tall grass, where atst we came across the entrance to a deep underground tunnel that glowed from inside with shards of white crystal.


    Aha! I''d finally found the mimic lizard''s elusive cave.

 Chapter 115 - The Crystal Cave

    The cave entrance was a small hole in the ground, barely seen from the surface due to it being covered by tallgrass. If not for [Mark] I would have traversed the tall grass for days and likely starved to death before I found it.


    I watched the steady progress of the mimics with [Labyrinth As] as they descended the deep cave entrance. The part of the map that used to be dark lit up as their scurrying paths diverged to illuminate the cave''s entire tunnel system.


    It was a multiyered with many channels branching out from where the opening began, before leading to a central cavern below that was about a quarter of the entire grass field.


    I was pleased to see that, much like a creature''s burrow, the mimics did not exit through any other opening in the ground, which meant there was only one entrance.


    Excited to see more, I peered inside the cave. The cave floor was dried grass, and it gave off a warm and dry feeling. Its walls were littered with glowing white crystals that jutted out of the cave walls.


    It would have made a nice new cave home for the nestlings, if not for the tall grass above, that was infested with monsters.


    From the numerous sounds and low growlsing from the grass, I knew many monsters shared this living space with the mimics. If not for their near invisibility they would have been picked off a long time ago.


    If I were to move my snakes in here, we would be fresh meat for the starving.


    Sylrin arrived soon after, and together we looked at the hole, trying to figure out if we should go inside. It was tempting, we would be like snakes in a cage full of chicks, but I had a better idea.


    The rain had stopped and the inside of the cave was so temptingly warm and dry. It would be such a shame not to burn their grassy upholstery with some poison slime.


    Hehehe¡­


    But how to make him shoot?


    A dragon''s reverse scale was under their chin, the principle should be the same for drakes, right?


    I stared at the lizard, who had stuck its head inside the hole and slithered over to tickle under his chin with my tail. The surprise encounter made Sylrin react violently.


    With a single roar he shot out his [Poison Slime] and the area around the tall grass was quickly covered in purple slime that sizzled and melted the ground with ck mes, releasing a noxious fume.


    His slime was rather viscous and once it clung to a substance, it would continue to burn until the substance either melted or his mmable slime burnt off. I thought the inside the cave would be perfect for this, so I let Sylrin know my intentions.


    The lizard immediately fixed his gaze at the cave and let out a deluge of slime below. This caught alight on the dry grass, spreading more noxious fumes further down the cave''s system.


    Satisfied with the results, I sealed the cave''s opening with sands gathered via [Dimensional Box]. Now all that was left, was for the mimics to run out of air and return to the surface, where we would be waiting.


    I delightfully watched as thin tendrils of ck smoke seeped through the sands, getting thicker and thicker as more grass burnt below. Soon, I felt tremors of vibrationing from under the ground and a small hole opened up in the sands where an invisible face poked out.


    Sylrin immediately fired another shot of [Poison Slime] stopping it from wriggling out forever.


    But it wasn''t thest mimic to try.


    More and more frantically surged out of the mound in hordes and the sted surface that already melted into purple soup, scorched their emerging bodies, staining them in purple slime that allowed me to track their movements.


    I also noticed there was more than one type. The smaller mimics that had stats like this.


    --------------


    LV4 Novus Milia Pellis


    Specie: Ailith Mutare


    HP: 16/26      Defence: 10


    MP: 11/16      Intellect: 10


    SP: 21/32      Magic: 15


    Attack: 19      Agility: 38


    --------------


    These were mostly already weak from inhaling toxic smoke and died as soon as they were struck with my poison.


    ?You have defeated LV4 Novus Milia Pellis?


    ?You have defeated LV4 Novus Milia Pellis?


    ?You have defeated LV5 Novus Milia Pellis?


    ?You have earned 39XP?


    I noticed another type of mimic that was muchrger and jumped on their hind legs for greater agility while fleeing.


    --------------


    LV10 Ivenium Milia Pellis


    Specie: Ailith Mutare


    HP: 28/52     Defence: 36


    MP: 20/34     Intellect: 14


    SP: 53/65     Magic: 30


    Attack: 45     Agility: 76


    --------------


    They were much harder to catch and weren''t weakened from smoke but that didn''t deter me or Sylrin.


    They gave far better XP and with their advantage of concealment gone ¨C they made for easy pickings. Their defence was also poor, and I threw outpressed spheres of poison that tore through their bodies and they soon died as poison filled their wounds.


    ?You have defeated LV10 Ivenium Milia Pellis?


    ?You have defeated LV8 Ivenium Milia Pellis?


    ?You have defeated LV9 Ivenium Milia Pellis?


    ?You have earned 81XP?


    We continued until the horde started to thin out, the lizard attacking the mimics with even more ferocity. Many stained corpses littered the ground and I counted 24 amongst my kills. I was fairly satisfied the amount was enough to gain an attribute, so I allowed the rest to flee.


    But as I was collecting their bodies, I felt the ground beneath my body begin to shake. The lizard felt it too and we both stopped to look.


    Suddenly, the sands beneath my scales tilted as arge tremor passed through the ground. I felt myself slip through wet ground as the grassy horizon took on arge dip. The smaller mimic lizards all fled instead of staying to fight and I quickly saw why.


    Arge hole had opened up in the ground swallowing arge section of the grass field into it like a sinkhole.


    And where the tips of grass vanished under the ground, I saw arge pair of yellow eyes staring back at me.


    They belonged to a humongous lizard about twenty feet in length with bright scaly blue skin that reflected any light that touched it. It would have been mesmerising to look at, if not that its luminous skin was covered in smoky tufts of grass and melted sands that smeared its body in purple slime.


    Was that a mimic?


    The creature''s head and shoulders emerged from the sink hole with a loud roar that visibly shook the earth, and Sylrin and I shared a look.


    My lizard seemingly did not want to disturb the monster further and was already backing away. And since I''d already collected the mimic corpses I needed, it seemed like a good choice as well.


    However, therge mimic seemed to be having some difficulty getting out of the hole because of its size. So before it emerged fully, I aimed apressed sphere of poison mixed with [Pain Toxin] at its eyes for good measure.


    And it shed across the mimic''s face, tearing open a long scar.


    Eh? It actually worked.


    As the mimic screeched in pain, the colour of its blue skin changed, gradually fading until it was clear like ss, bing near invisible like its peers.


    I was surprised my attack actually worked. Unlike the smaller mimics that were weak, it was unexpected that my poison de would cut its body. I''d only intended to blind it temporarily while we fled and didn''t expect to cause any serious damage.


    Unless¡­ it wasn''t nearly as strong as it looked!


    I quickly appraised the massive lizard.


    ------------------


    LV25 Milia Pystall


    Specie: Ailith Mutare


    HP: 134/154     Defence: 112


    MP: 250/280     Intellect: 68


    SP: 110/140     Magic: 200


    Attack: 130      Agility: 192


    Skills


    [Grip: LV7] [Bite: LV10] [Evasion: LV7]


    [Night Vision: LV10] [Earth Tremor: LV10]


    [????????? ?????: LV?] [????: LV?]


    --------------------


    Bah! It was big for nothing!


    It seemed to be some variant of mimic. But what was with its size?


    For something so weak, it was obnoxiously huge! It nearly fooled me for a minute there!


    Therge mimic, unaware of my mocking analysis, crawled out of the hole with surprising deftness. It shot out a globule of [Sticky Slime] at me and Sylrin, sweeping its ws across the field in a wide motion to try and knock us down.


    However, its speed was nowhere close to mine. I slithered through its limbs, as its slime attack soared over my head, while Sylrin circled around it, appearing in its blind spot to take a bite out of its tail. The mimic''s size clearly put it at a disadvantage when its prey was much smaller and faster.


    Sylrin attempted to pull the massive creature down by its tail and I approached from its side, aiming at the soft flesh of its underbelly with another poison sphere. But the enraged mimic spun on its tail, flinging the lizard aside before bringing its head to face me.


    With its fangs bared, it swept the ground, nearly catching my tail but I retreated backwards to get clear. Behind the mimic, I saw Sylrin had recovered and was already rushing back to continue attacking.


    The frustrated mimic let out another roar, but this time it wasn''t to release its slime. Itsrge body rose over the ground, crashing down to create massive tremors that opened up more sinkholes.


    Caught up in its attack my footing copsed in waves and I found myself free falling along with the sands of the grass field, down into the tunnels below.

 Chapter 116 - The Thing In The Rain

    Typhon woke up early.


    In the cave, his concept of time was shoddy but he always woke up with plenty of time to spare before the others. And today was no exception.


    Moments like this were the only times he got to be on his own. Well, as alone as anyone could be in a cave of 30 sleeping snakes, no make that 31.


    All around him, snakes were sprawled in awkward sleeping positions everywhere, a reminder of the intense training they endured the day before. He even had to push away a snake that was in his way to get up ¨C he had Ophelia to thank for his less than ideal sleeping spot.


    But now, as he looked towards his sister, a mild annoyance flitted across in his dark eyes, when he saw that ''she'' was nowhere to be seen.


    And here he thought today was going be a quiet day.


    The spot was still warm so it couldn''t have been long since she left.


    He immediately roused Ophelia who appeared even more startled that their leader had left so easily without her noticing.


    With all the snakes she''d ced around her as effective barriers, they should have realized something when she slipped away.


    But even now, all those snakes were peacefully asleep, not knowing their prisoner had escaped.


    [Useless!] Ophelia seethed.


    Typhon knew they were in for some trouble when they woke up, and suddenly he felt a sort of excitement that their leader had managed to escape so smoothly. But he kept a neutral expression as he didn''t want to be the target of his sister''s wrath.


    He watched her pace around, trying to keep a straight face until she came to a decision.


    [We need to go after her now.]


    [I know, but... we don''t know where she went.]


    This wasn''t like thest time she left, the snakes were a lot more organised and could easily survive outside with his guidance.


    [I''ll track her] Ophelia insisted.


    His sister already seemed pretty troubled.


    [Alright then.] Typhon reluctantly agreed. He was also curious about their leader''s whereabouts and if they could find her, it would be a way to learn more about her. However, if it was too dangerous, he would stop their excursion at once and bring Ophelia back without hesitation.


    On exiting the hive they ran into the first sign of trouble. Rain.


    [Can you still pick up the scent?] Typhon asked.


    When theypared their stats, she was actually better than him at this skill.


    [It might be a little difficult.] Ophelia admitted. She prided herself on being meticulous, but even she found it hard to pinpoint a particr scent in the rain. In that mix of chemical traces, the lingering trace of their leader was thin and her [Scent] couldn''t filter it all.


    [We should get to higher ground first.] Typhon suggested.


    They would have better luck escaping the flooding, and if they were lucky they might be able to see her from overhead.


    The two began the steady uphill climb, passing the steep tree line. They didn''t normallye this way due to the hill being unusually steep and filled with rough stones that were ufortable on their scales, but after the training they had endured, the hill didn''t seem all that difficult anymore.


    Looking down at the forest from the hilltop, what met them was a scene of chaos.


    A nearby river was overflowing and the bottom of the forest was filled with creatures scampering to escape the flood, while the unlucky ones got washed away.


    The flood water had softened the ground a great deal, leading to a lot of the heavier monsters getting stuck in soft soil.


    Typhon spotted a four legged creature with massive horns that was frantically struggling to keep its heads above the water, right before it was hit by a tree trunk, pulling the creaturepletely under.


    And to make it worse, the areas without flood were teeming with scavenging monsters.


    He spotted a pack of dog-like monsters with pointed ears, tearing apart the carcass of a monstrous bird, and across from them, swarms of bottom feeding bugs were out in full force, feasting on all the dead and more daringly, all those creatures whose were powerlessly stuck in the sand.


    It was insane how the rain had changed the situation.


    In the distance, Typhon spotted the quickly moving shadowy figure of their leader,pletely unaware of the carnage behind her.


    Fortunately for her, she had cleared this stretch of forest before the real chaos began and hadn''t encountered any danger.


    However, Ophelia eximed when she spotted another creature following behind her. [She''s being followed! We need to warn her..]


    Typhon looked towards where she indicated and spotted a vaguely familiar reptile.


    Realising he''d seen this very creature before, he wondered if that was true. It seemed to be following their leader, as if looking for an opportunity to pounce, but to him it looked more like it was ying.


    Yet, Ophelia saw the same thing and chose to panic.


    Typhon sighed. [Aren''t you underestimating her too much? She doesn''t need our help. I also don''t believe it''s an enemy.]


    And soon enough, Ophelia watched as the reptile get repelled, and then smothered in a hug that made her twinge with envy. What exactly was their rtionship?


    [I''ve seen them together before. I think they know each other.]


    Typhonughed when he saw the look of rage on his sister''s face. He was also astonished that their leader could be so friendly towards another creature when she was always so strict with them.


    Ophelia didn''t seem to care though and they both watched their leader interact with the lizard with Ophelia expressing many fits of envy. Typhon was thoroughly amused at her worked up state, until he heard the sounds of leaves rustling behind them.


    Both snakes snapped to attention and turned to face the darkness. A familiar voice yelled out and the spaded snake came crashing down in front of them from up in a tree.


    It seemed she had been eavesdropping on them when the branch she crawled over snapped from her weight, and they both scowled.


    Ophelia spoke first. [What''s the use of [Stealth] if you''re just going to make an entrance. Anyone could spot you a mile away.]


    [Yet you didn''t notice until now.] The spaded snake retorted.


    [What are you doing here?] Typhon asked her.


    [Isn''t it obvious? I''m here to find out whatever evil thing she''s doing and report back to the others.]


    Typhon signed in exasperation.


    [This again?] Ophelia frowned. [We''ve been over this.]


    Sensing they were about to break into an argument, Typhon hushed both of them.


    It was careless to argue here, and their leader was already on the move with the reptilian creature.


    The spaded snake gasped in fright as she looked ahead. [W-What is that?]


    Typhon hushed her again. [It''s a lizard.]


    If they were to continue following their leader, it was best to move now. But as they were about to leave, they heard more rustling from the trees.


    [Don''t tell me someone else followed you.] Ophelia scowled.


    The spaded snake ignored her. [It doesn''t look like a lizard.] Her voice had a ring of fear as she asked again. [What is that?]


    Typhon looked down and saw their leader and the lizard were gone.


    In their ce were hordes of milky white creatures with fleshy skin that glistened wetly in the rain. They stood on two legs withrge ws much like a raptor, with an extended curved tail like a scorpion, ending in arge three pronged stinger that looked like bone.


    They had no eyes, only a jagged opening for a mouth that was crammed full of irregr needle-like teeth. Even without eyes they seemed to have supreme senses and their movements were a blur as they sped through the forest inrge groups, filling the air with their high pitched cries.


    It was such an eerie looking creature that Typhon took a sharp breath and turned back to the spaded snake...[Were you followed?]


    [No.] she shook her head and retreated from the edge, about to enter the shade of the trees when Typhon stopped her.


    He heard the rustling in the trees again.


    It didn''t sound like a snake''s slither either. He could make out the distinctive padding of feet followed by the sound of something sharp scraping on stone.


    Ophelia soon caught on to his distress.


    The leaves parted, revealing the bony white head of a three pronged stinger with two ominous ck holes in the front that looked like dead eyes. They heard the creature''s low growl, followed shortly by its drooling maw filled with needle-like teeth.


    It was alone but Typhon had already seen them move in packs. This one had probably strayed from the others to hunt some na?ve snakes and they couldn''t afford to make any noise to attract more.


    The creature''srge ws clinked on the stone as it stalked towards them, its ominous curved tail twisting flexibly as it moved with its pronged stingers raised.


    Of the three prongs, the shortest one in the middle was the real stinger, it looked extremely sharp while the two on its sides acted like pincers to hold down their target.


    The three snakes were spread wide apart, but the creature rushed towards the nearest snake without warning, grabbing Typhon as he pushed the spaded snake away from harm.


    Its two prongs held him down firmly while the central stinger extended outwards like a needle dripping poison, ready to stab him in the throat.

 Chapter 117 - Sylrins Cave

    The tunnels below were littered with many crystals that cast bright light over therge cave. But the scene was one of chaos.


    The dry grass that covered the ground had burnt to crisp, making it difficult to see due to the ck smoke in the air and poison slime everywhere.


    Most of the tunnel entrances were clogged with the bodies of suffocated mimics, and it was hard to move without bumping into invisible obstacles. Fortunately, the noxious fumes did not seem to have any effect on me.


    I collected their corpses along the way and some of the unusual light crystals as well, being careful to skip across parts of the tunnels that hissed with heat. It was difficult to see the top because of the smoke but I continued through to find the exit and began to climb out of the hole.


    Near the surface, I spotted the trail left by the mimic''srge body that had emerged from the hole.


    It was currently fighting with Sylrin who ran up and down the length of its invisible body, sting it with scorching slime that caused it to writhe in pain.


    Sylrin''s attacks were proving effective and therge mimic was about to fall. But there was another opponent waiting above. In the distance, I spotted therge shadow of a monstrous bird with inky ck feathers and ominous red eyes.


    I immediately appraised it and sucked in a sharp breath.


    --------------


    LV45 Vossipiter


    Specie: Ailith Ussilus


    HP: 670/670 Defence: 485


    MP: 320/320 Intellect: 156


    SP: 526/526 Magic: 290


    Attack: 509 Agility: 345


    Skills:


    [Herculean Strength: LV7] [Blindsight: LV6]


    [Night Eye: LV8] [eleration: LV10]


    [????????: LV?] [??????: LV?]


    --------------


    It was as big as the mimic lizard as it was perched on the branch of a tree, spectating the battle with curiosity.


    I knew the bird was just waiting for the opportune moment to swoop down to attack us and steal our kill. So, I quickly joined Sylrin, attacking the mimic with abination of [Pain Toxin] and [Deadly Poison Attack].


    The mimic retaliated by swinging its weight around, but it was far too slow. And although it was invisible, I could see its tail swinging because of the amount of debris it dragged along.


    And Sylrin, who had climbed on its back was in the best position to deal as much damage as possible. The giant mimic''s head and shoulders sizzled from his [Poison Slime] attacks and therge beast was severely weakened.


    I readied mypressed poison spheres and aimed them at it in a series of attacks that tore open its body, revealing its enormous form with the blood of its injuries.


    Aiming to end it all quickly, I threw out another poison disc which struck its neck, tearing open a savage wound and therge beast staggered with a loud scream before falling with a tremendous crash.


    ?You have killed LV25 Millia Pystall!?


    ?You have earned 150XP?


    In death, its outline quickly traced itself in blood and dirt.


    And right on que, I heard a harsh guttural cry as the huge bird swooped down from the tree with arge gust of wind that ttened the grass field.


    I immediately pulled the mimic''s body into [Dimensional Box] and hurried back into the mimic''s crystal cave. With no time to exin, I used [Coercion] on Sylrin, who was still catching his breath and instructed him to follow me.


    Despite being tired and exhausted, my [Coercion] forced him to move with me and together we jumped into the tunnel below, barely avoiding getting disembowelled by the monster''s talons.


    The Vossipiter let out a loud cry of anger as we vanished below the ground. It tried to follow but its wingspan was three times the size of the hole and when it could not get in, it could only watch us disappear through the smoke.


    Inded on something hard and felt the sizzle of [Poison Slime] on my scales. Ouch!


    It felt sticky and with the heat and smoke, I felt like I was being roasted, but I was too exhausted to get up.


    The lizard next to me didn''t fare any better, he was immune to his own [Poison Slime] butnding on the ground like that had to hurt. I felt bad for using [Coercion] on him, but it was the only way I could make him move and save his life.


    Nevertheless, he was mostly unhurt, he even yawned and stretched, seemingly at home amongst the heat and poison.


    The enormous bird stuck its beak into the hole, screeching at us from above. Large gusts of winds blew down, clearing away the smoke that concealed us to reveal our shameless figures.


    Seeing us, the bird monster only seemed to get more enraged, its incensed eyes red, and its talons scraped the dirt from the cave''s entrance to widen the gap.


    I was worried it would break through so I forced myself to get up and retreated further into the cave to hide from view. Maybe if It didn''t see us, it would give up.


    The crystal cave was a lot bigger than I initially thought, and without the smoke to obscure my vision, I was able to explore the inside of the cave filled with a treasure trove of things.


    Among an impressive array of bones, there were bronze and silver helmets with skulls still in them, armour and swords that were once shiny now rusted like relics from a bygone era.


    It was bing more apparent the Labyrinth was a cesspool of death, why anyone would choose toe here was a mystery to me.


    There were even jewels the size of marbles in a variety of colours and bags of gold coins and Sylrin who was attracted to their colours, kept gnawing on the gold.


    It seemed the mimics were like magpies, with a knack for collecting shiny things. Unfortunately, there were no books or scrolls among their strange collection. It would have been nice to find an adventurer''s journal, but I guess I wouldn''t be able to read them anyway.


    Inside, there were even more of those white crystals, so I collected all that I could find and also some of the biggest jewels, coins, swords and armour that may prove useful in the future.


    The monstrous bird was still biding its time, waiting for us to surface. asionally it would swoop down to screech at us from the cave''s entrance, sting away the sands withrge gusts of wind and the tunnels boomed from its repeated assaults.


    Cracks began to form in the walls and muddy water leaked through, slowly flooding the shiny artefacts. Before the entire cave went down, I had to find another way for us to escape.


    I began to collect the sands with [Dimensional Box], quickly opening a new hole to the surface. The lizard and I activated our [Stealth] and slowly climbed out, reappearing on the surface in the furthest point from the monstrous bird.


    And with the tall grass shielding us from view, we quickly fled in another direction.


    Once we passed the grass field, Sylrin took the lead. He seemed to know the area very well, moving away from the widely spaced forest into much denser jungle and up a hilly line of trees. With no better alternative, I followed him and we quickly cleared the forest, emerging in a quiet stretch of forest that housed another massive cave.


    It was a pretty steep climb but up here, there was no rain, and it was strangely warm. There weren''t many creatures either and the ce in itself was pretty hard to find. I rushed into the cave and saw the familiar corpse of a half-eaten spider, together with a mix of bones from other monsters, and the remnants of those silvery fish from theke.


    The cave was warm, I realised because most of its surface was covered in [Poison Slime] and it reeked of smoke. This had to be where Sylrin stayed all this while.


    Once inside, he seemed at home, like he has been living here for a lot longer, maybe even before the hive incident. Perhaps he was born here?


    It was very spacious and tall too ¨C was this why he refused toe back with me?


    What a snooty brat. My cave wasn''t that small! Hmph.


    I found a decent corner and went through my loot.


    In total, I had collected over a hundred mimics, along with their boss. Sylrin had also fought well, and gained a level, so I split some with him. As for therge mimic, I took out its core and gave a quarter of the meat to Sylrin, and the rest would go to the nestlings.


    Then I began to eat. With this many mimics I was hoping to get a new attribute and I was ecstatic when the system finally dinged.


    ?Devour has reached maximum satiation for specimen¡ºMilia Pystall¡»


    Evolution tree of ¡ºAilith Mutare¡»has been unlocked. ?


    ?Would you like to acquire the attribute¡ºMimic¡»(ept | Reject)?


    Ahh yes. ept!


    I felt a painful tingling sensation over my scales as if they were being roasted and I winced in difort.


    Yet, it showed no sign of stopping even after a few minutes!


    And then, I heard another ding.


    ?You have consumed medium grade core?


    ?Status: Complete?


    ?Magic Ability: +30?


    ?Agility: +28?


    But I was in too much pain to be happy about it.


    Unable to bear the scorching heat anymore, I ran out into the rain to cool myself and the rain acted like a cool salve over my body.


    And I was actually thankful it was raining. If anything, it had saved me.


    After a while, the pain finally stopped and I sighed in relief.


    Excited, I tested out my new ability and watched with amazement as my vibrant metallic scales turned clear, and my body seemed to disappear.


    Sylrin, who was watching mezily, was stunned and jumped back warily.


    And I was too thrilled to be bothered. Today''s hunt was a great sess!

 Chapter 118 - Marked

    Ophelia reacted quickly and leapt on the creature''s tail, tightening her grip around it to stop its stinger from plunging into Typhons neck.


    If that stinger pierced Typhon, who knew what kind of poison it would inject?


    Typhon was doing everything he could by coiling his body around the creature''s, to stop its numerous teeth from biting her, and there was only so much the two could do with him restrained.


    The rain made the creatures sinewy body slippery and she felt her grip slip as it resisted her efforts. Its stinger inched even closer to Typhon, and Ophelia could see it touching the skin of his neck.


    With her brother''s life hanging in the bnce, she gathered everyst ounce of her might and forced the creature''s tail away, just enough for Typhon to slip out of its grip.


    Once he was free, the creature sensed things were no longer going its way and its struggling became fiercer. Ophelia couldn''t hold it back any longer and the creature''s three pronged tail stabbed the ground with all the force she''d used to restrain it, sending her crashing to the ground.


    [Don''t just keep watching!] Typhon yelled at the spaded snake who stayed at the back, watching them with terrified eyes, as he moved towards the creature. [Attack, now!]


    The spaded snake was petrified with fear. What exactly could she do? She was the weakest one there.


    Although Typhon was constricting its body, the vicious teeth gnashing in every direction could still bite her.


    Ophelia was down, and with her no longer restraining the creature, it dug its ws into the ground for more leverage to pull its stinger free.


    As its tail waved around wildly, its ominous stinger was tensed and ready to strike at anything that came close.


    Aside from Typhon, who was already restraining it with his constriction hold, she had no chance. If she tried toe closer, its stinger would simply slice her to shreds.


    So, she did the only thing she could do which was to check on Ophelia.


    Her nemesis winced in pain, but she was mostly unhurt.


    Ophelia got up and saw her brother struggling alone, and she quickly returned to the battle. But the creature''s thrashing tail prevented her from getting close.


    It had no eyes, but it could locate her quite easily and it swung its tail around aggressively to keep her at bay. She was thinking of another way to restrain its tail, when she heard low growlsing from the creature''s jagged maw.


    [It''s trying to lure others!] she quickly surmised its intent and yelled out to warn her brother.


    Typhon tightened his hold around its throat, cutting off the sound immediately. And as the creature struggled fiercely to free itself, itsrge ws tore through its own skin when they could not pierce his.


    Typhon smelled the blood in the air and began to feel the burn of something acidic on his scales.


    Ophelia knew Typhon was too twisted up in the creature to deal the finishing blow, so she instructed the spaded snake to hide and wait for an opportunity, before she approached the creature out in the open.


    Typhon was constricting the creature and resisting its attacks, when suddenly the creature stopped moving and its three pronged stinger turned to point towards his sister, the ominous holes staring at her like the empty sockets of a skull.


    It was then that he heard the low vibration of a hiss in the air, and he saw his sister guiding its movements like it was in a trance.


    Somehow, it only affected the monster and not them, and he wondered when she had learnt to control it.


    Even as the creature gasped from ack of air, it didn''t resist her, and with its body frozen, the spaded snake slithered over to bite it with as much venom as she could muster.


    But her attack had the opposite effect, as the poison shocked the creature out of Ophelia''s spell. It began to il around again, its stinger swinging down to attack.


    The spaded snake leapt back to avoid it. But rather than stab her, the creature''s stinger took a sharp dive through the base of its skull, cleaving its own head clean.


    As the creature fell and Ophelia fell with it, and the ground hissed where its blood came into contact.


    Typhon released the creature and rushed towards her, along with the spaded snake. They saw she was okay and not physically hurt, but the mental toll of controlling the creature had severely affected her.


    He couldn''t rule out the risk of more creatures being alerted, so while the spaded snake waited with Ophelia, he activated [Stealth] and went in the direction the creature had emerged from.


    And he didn''t have to look far.


    At the bottom of the hill, there was a group of them gathered together to feast on the carcasses of the monsters they killed.


    Highly aggressive and exceedingly violent, their pale flesh glistened horribly with a mix of blood and rain as they ran amok attacking any creature they came across. In the chaos, Typhon watched as they sliced through the tendons of a fleeing fox, bringing it down with numerous stings, before leaving it to bleed out.


    The group was in the middle of a hunt and fortunately for them, the creature they faced hade alone. He concluded it was much safer to stay uphill where the creatures could not see them.


    It was only when he felt the wind on his scales that he became wary, and he remembered where the creature''s acidic blood had touched him.


    He didn''t stay any longer and immediately retreated.


    If the scent of the blood from their dead kin flowed downhill, they would be in trouble. He quickly returned to his sister and urged them to get moving. In the rain, he hoped the creatures could not pick up the scent, but he wasn''t taking the chance.


    The three snakes immediately left. There was no point trying to hide the body, doing so would only waste time.


    [Are you sure they can track the blood?] The spaded snake asked anxiously.


    [They will, if they find the one we killed -] Before he could finish the sentence, he heard a series of low growlsing from behind them and the sharp ''clink'' of numerous ws striking against stone.


    The sounds were getting louder quickly so he increased his pace.


    The spaded snake started to panic as she kept looking back. [Are theying? What do we do?]


    [The river.] Ophelia suggested groggily.


    She was exhausted but she was able to keep up with them so far.


    Typhon agreed. [Let''s shake them off our trail, for now. Then we can go find ''her''.]


    He considered returning to the cave, but he couldn''t risk bringing danger to the others. There was no other option. So they quickly slithered down the hill in the direction of the river.


    The smell of blood hung thickly in the air and they witnessed the carnage up front. There were manyrge beasts scrambling for safety, nearly trampling them on more than one asion.


    In their haste to reach the flood, they spotted arge puddle, and the spaded snake suggested washing off inside.


    But in the distance, there was the ever present screech of the pursuing creatures and they didn''t have the luxury of stopping. Typhon was also quick to notice the sands around it were too soft and they narrowly avoided drowning into it like many poor creatures before them.


    Soon, the line of trees stopped, giving way to the sight of rushing water.


    The flood had split the forest ground in two, carving out a solitary piece ofnd with rushing water. But the flood had calmed down a great deal since the start and the wet banks of the river were filled with the half buried corpses of many creatures that had tried to cross it while it was at its peak. And they were all teeming with bottom feeders writhing around in their flesh.


    There was a fallen tree that had submerged into the banks, creating a flimsy bridge where smaller logs and other forest debris had piled up. And on the other side of it was an ind surrounded by rushing water where they could be safe for a while.


    The creatures pursuing them would catch up soon and they didn''t have much of a choice other than to cross the log bridge.


    The banks on the other side soon filled with terrible growling noises as more of those creatures arrived.


    Typhon counted more than thirty of the stinger wed beasts and watched as they sniffed the air and the ground where they had been. Then they quickly reached the log bridge inrge numbers, and on seeing the snakes, they began to climb behind them.


    The three snakes sped across the bridge, evading the asional stinger thatshed out at them. But the logs physically trembled under the weight of so many creatures climbing on it at once.


    Typhon was sure it would end in disaster as the creatures were moving about recklessly, and the logs were unevenly stacked, only held together by debris.


    Soon, as more of the water flowed, the mud began to shift, and thebined weight of the creatures caused the stacked logs to split apart in the water.


    Fortunately, the three were closer tond as the logs burst apart. But as they made it across, Ophelia who was slower than the two was struck in the back by a stinger which knocked her to the edge of the bank where the water surged dangerously below.


    Typhon immediately jumped in to save her and managed to catch her, just as a log pushed by water swept over their heads.


    The three snakes fell onnd while the creatures grasped onto whatever they could hold to stay above the current, but there were too many of them and they promptly fell into the water, where they were washed away.


    On the ind, Typhon immediately checked on the two snakes and was relieved to see they were mostly unhurt. Ophelia was drained but her spirit was still strong.


    The creatures were long gone and now they just had to wait for the flood to subside so they could return home.


    He spotted the spaded snake peering into the water and was worried she would get too close, so he told her to stay back. But she remained frozen to the spot, so he called out to her again.


    [They''re in the water.] she responded with a shaking voice.


    He rushed to the banks and saw the creatures that had been washed away, pushing hard against the currents to reach them.


    They could swim!


    Typhon immediately backed away from the water and headed for the trees, instructing the spaded snake to climb up, as he grabbed Ophelia with him.


    The first of the creatures to reach the shore, burst out of the water with its stingers raised, and its vicious ws sinking into the soft soil as it stalked the banks with an enraged screech.


    Soon more appeared from the water, increasing their numbers until they werepletely surrounded.

 Chapter 119 - All Out Attack

    The air was filled with the screeching cries of angry creatures as more emerged from the water to swarm the banks.


    The first to arrive spotted them fairly quickly and took after them in a brisk run. The others who emergedter, immediately followed after it.


    Typhon knew they couldn''t outrun the creatures with Ophelia in her injured state, so they dove into the nearest thicket and dug into the wet sands in hopes of losing their scent.


    The three snakes also activated [Silence] and [Stealth] as they waited for them to pass but the creatures lurked around stubbornly.


    One came very close to their hiding ce, furiously sniffing the ground and the leaves like a bloodhound.


    [Find a better ce to hide and get as close to the ground as you can.] Typhon instructed the spaded snake and Ophelia who was breathing hard. [I''ll find a way to distract it.]


    Then he slipped out to face the creature alone.


    He easily spotted it from the glimmer of its pale skin under a thick coat of mud and quickly blended into the camouge of the thicket, intending to strike the creature from below.


    But the creature''s stinger stabbed at the bushes, narrowly missing him and it moved with speed, its sightless face appearing through the leaves with gnashing rows of needle-like teeth in a low growl.


    It leapt at him with ferocity, forcing him to jump back as its sharp teeth grazed his scales. Typhon twisted to the side but its stinger struck once more and there was a loud ''thunk'' as it embedded into the trunk behind him.


    Typhon dashed forward, sinking his fangs into the creature''s pallid flesh. His poison, unlike that of the spaded snake was more potent and with his poison in its system, the creature began to spasm, its movements bing clumsy.


    It managed to pull its tail free and its stinger lunged at him again, but Typhon snatched it from the air, biting with enough force to sever its tail. Blood spattered everywhere and the creature screeched loudly in pain before he leapt on it and coiled around his neck, smothering its voice and the creature struggled weakly until it went still.


    However the damage was done. The creatures already heard its cry and all began to sprint towards his location.


    When Typhon returned to their initial spot, he saw the two snakes had gone.


    He was considering leaving them to lure the creatures to him, when a voice called out to him.


    [Here!] The spaded snake''s head appeared out of a crevice in the ground.


    Inside, he saw Ophelia had recovered enough to move. But the creatures outside were gathering, they''d found their dead and their enraged screeches filled the air.


    In the distance Typhon counted thirty creatures where he left the corpse, and then his eyes traversed the length of the river searching for an exit. Thest of the log bridge had already washed away, which left only way to leave the ind - jumping into the river against creatures that could swim.


    Compared to their movements onnd, they were even faster in the water like it was their true habitat. Going further ind seemed to be the only hope they had.


    The creatures each sniffed the air for a trace of their scent and Typhon was painfully aware of the acid blood that had spilled on him. They had to be tracking them, no, him, seeking revenge for their dead.


    And that gave him a third option.


    Ophelia''s scales were still recovering from where the creatures had struck her, and she was trying her hardest not to show the fatigue. The spaded snake on the other hand was trembling with fear, as she counted the number of creatures appearing.


    If he moved without Ophelia and the spaded snake, the creatures would most likely follow him and that would give them the chance to escape.


    However as he tried to leave, Ophelia fixed him with a dangerous stare. [Don''t even think about sacrificing yourself for us.]


    The spaded snake''s eyes went wide. [S-sacrifice? No, if you leave, they''ll kill us. You can''t.]


    Typhon remained adamant. [It''s the only way. I will lead them away while you both escape.]


    [You think they''ll be satisfied with killing just you?] Ophelia shot back. [Splitting up here won''t end well for any of us.]


    [But they''re tracking the blood on me.] he replied indignantly.


    The spaded snake fidgeted nervously. [You can''t do that!]


    [That doesn''t matter. I''m injured.] Ophelia chuckled darkly. [Even if I run, they''ll catch up to us sooner. You''re better off leaving me while you two escape.]


    [Never!] Typhon replied instantly.


    [No way!] The spaded snake stubbornly shook her head for emphasis. As much as she disliked Ophelia, she wouldn''t leave her to die while she escaped.


    [I spotted a dead tree on the way here.] Ophelia suggested with a sigh. [It''s high enough to get out of reach and it''s not that far away either.]


    Typhon looked out into the distance and saw the tree she mentioned. It was indeed tall, spaced out all around from the other trees, with knotty branches that served as a vantage point from the top of its trunk. And unlike its neighbours, it wasn''t covered in thick vines that would allow the creatures to climb.


    It was perfect.


    The longer they waited, the quicker the creatures discovered them. So, the three snakes activated stealth and made a break for it. On reaching the tree, they each scrambled up with ease.


    However his scent carried in the winds, bringing the creatures to them, and Typhon heard the loud screeching ofrge numbers of the creatures as they raced towards the trees.


    As the snakes reached the top, they formed defensive formations around the easiest points of ess.


    Below them, Typhon spotted three of the creatures sprinting through the leaves to arrive at the base of their tree. One dug its ws into the tree''s bark, attempting to climb up, but it only managed a few steps before slipping to the ground. With only two legs and a bare trunk, it was impossible to get a stable footing.


    Another jumped up on its powerful legs, ramming the tree with force, hoping to pull them down.


    Typhon felt the tremor of the hit, but the tree stood firm, and both creatures fell to the ground without sess, in screeching masses. More creatures followed their attempts to climb the tree, some jumping, others slicing madly at the trunk with their ws to destroy.


    They were persistent and after a few tries, one creature slipped but it stabbed the tree with its pronged stinger for added grip and seeded in stopping its descent and then began to climb up slowly by digging its ws firmly into the tree bark.


    Typhon saw that and allowed them to continue, until the first reached the top, and on queue each of the snakes struck out against them with poison. With their stingers and ws embedded in the trees to climb, they made for easy targets.


    His creature spasmed immediately and fell, knocking down those below it and Ophelia''s wasn''t much different.


    The spaded snake''s poison wasn''t potent enough and her creature freed its stinger from the tree to attack her. However, the moment it did, its ws slipped, and it quickly fell below, much to her relief.


    Seeing this, Typhon switched sides with her and had her watch the back of the tree which had the least number of creatures.


    He turned to Ophelia who had since recovered and was surprised to see she was attacking with poison.


    [Why aren''t you using yourpulsion on them?] Typhon shouted over the loud screeching.


    [There''s too many to focus on. If I attacked a wide area, it would affect you both as well.]


    [Don''t worry about us and do it. We can''t keep them back for long.]


    Typhon was confident he''d built up some resistance to her skill, but when she used it, the result was unexpected.


    He felt a shrill piercing sound in his skull, like a howling scream shattering through his senses that made him want to curl up in difort. But he forced himself to move and resumed his attacks. The spaded snake on the other hand, couldn''t resist and coiled around herself to reduce the noise.


    But the effect on them seemed mildpared to the creatures. When her scream echoed out, the screeching rabble descended into madness, attacking each other with their weapons.


    The scene below dissolved into one of chaos with many creatures dead and more bleeding out.


    But unfortunately, her scream could notst forever. And after killing so many, their bodiesy dead in the mud, forming bloody piles for their kin to step on and resume their attacks.


    Yet their numbers remained endless, even as many died, more arrived from the river to rece them. And unfazed by death and defeat, their rage was even stronger than before.


    The creatures continued climbing, their tenacity unchanged, but at the top the result was always the same and the snakes swiftly dispatched them as they came.


    Until one of the creatures took a different approach and climbed a nearby tree with vines, andunched itself at their tree in a surprise attack that propelled it onto the top from behind them in an attack and caught the spaded snake unaware.


    She was stung and knocked off her defensive position as the creature gripped on to the tree by its ws to climb up fully.


    Typhon rushed over to shield her, preventing the creature''s stinger from stabbing her further but the wayward stinger hit him and recoiled from his hardened scales. Typhon immediately swung at it, knocking the creature back before sinking his fangs into its neck. The creature spasmed as poison flowed through its veins and soon fell to the ground below.


    He rushed over with Ophelia to check on the spaded snake.


    Seeing their anxious faces, she tried to get up and gave a shakyugh. [I''m okay. Don''t look at me like that.]


    Typhon could see her body trembling with fever, so he instructed her to stay down.


    Below, more of the creatures swarmed, and the corpse pile even higher than before as more continued to climb over the corpses on their kin. If their numbers didn''t reduce soon, it wouldn''t be long before the base of the tree was buried.


    Ophelia looked out over the swarm with an anxious look on her face. [I don''t think we should stay here any longer.]


    Typhon looked over the river and saw the muddy water was frothing with bubbles where arge obstacle was blocking it. The flood water washed over what he thought was a boulder, until it revealed pale flesh with raw w marks across its back.


    A massive tail emerged from the water; its three pronged stinger hissing and poised to strike. The creature''s face was a hideous mess of teeth the same as the other aggressive creatures, only muchrger and its ws were damaged, like it had just been through a fierce battle.


    The creature rose out from the water, its wed limbs breaking into a sprint, headed directly for their tree.


    [Grab onto something!] Typhon screamed, as the tremendous force of impact knocked him off the tree branch.


    The tree was uprooted from the base and pushed to one side and the snakes were left dangling dangerously over the ravenous horde below.

 Chapter 120 - Overwhelming Victory

    I watched my scales reflect the shapes and colours of the trees and the ground like a mirror, seamlessly blending my body into the surroundings.


    And when Sylrin saw half of body disappear like an apparition, he was scared out of his wits and scurried back in shock and fear.


    Grinning in satisfaction, I turned this way and that, watching the colours shift ordingly. My new skill is simply awesome and worth all my effort.


    No longer did I have to stick to dark recesses to use [Shadow Shroud], because with [Mimic] I could go around unseen in both light and darkness!


    I deactivated it and my scales slowly regained their brilliant metallic lustre as my body became visible again.


    Unlike a true mimic who could use the ability nonstop and let it remain active even after their deaths, I could only use it sparingly because of its heavy burden on my MP.


    But that wasn''t too much of a concern since I had a lot to spare anyway!


    And as I turned back to a ''normal'' snake again, Sylrin returned to my side with a bounding leap, curious and excited about what I just did.


    I waited for him toe close and activated it again, just to watch him scurry off in fright.


    Hehehe. This skill was useful in more ways than one.


    What a silly lizard, I couldn''t wait until he evolved.


    Ah¡­ but if he did, he would probably get much bigger than me. So, maybe I shouldn''t tease him too much then. At the rate he was going, the next time I saw him, he probably would have evolved already.


    I deactivated it, and had to reassure Sylrin that I won''t do it again, before he returned to my side.


    He''d chosen quite a good spot for hisir. It was high above the forest and quite warm even with the rain, and as I looked down, I spotted the jumping figure of a horned rabbit below. If he wanted to hunt, he just had to go down and pick a bunny.


    But prime real estate aside, I was desperate to bring him home with me to witness his evolution. I wasn''t losing out over a shabby cave ¨C even a lizard should know to pick friends over property!


    Ah!


    I eximed when the rabbit monster I was watching suddenly dropped dead with an arrow to the head.


    A figure in huntsman gear appeared from behind a tree to snatch up the rabbit before retreating. Further below I saw the burning fire pit and a campsite with more figures wearing light armour gathered around the fire, some were unmistakably human, and others were not. I could make out some pointed ears and silver hair among the group.


    Their hideout was across from the lizard''sir, in a thick wooded area without flooding, which would''ve been harder to find if I wasn''t so high up. I looked over their retinue with interest.


    I wondered if they had supplies, maybe some books I could learn from. But really I was interested in something edible. A fire pit meant cooked meat and other edible foods!


    It had been too long since I ate something good. I could almost smell the roasted BBQ in the air, and I had to stop myself from drooling.


    I saw one of the figures remove something steaming from over the fire. Was that a baked potato?


    Don''t tempt me!


    Normally I would avoid humans like the gue, but with my new skill, it was almost too good. Maybe I could grab a supply bag if I was stealthy enough.


    I activated [Mimic] and was about to head down, when Sensei spoke.


    ?Are you really so carefree, you don''t see the main problem??


    I looked away like it would hide my drool. "What do you mean?"


    ?Don''t simply stare at the obvious. Do you see the river behind them??


    River?


    I looked past the group at the campsite and there was indeed a river below the hilly slope. I didn''t notice it before because of the trees concealing it, but now that I focused I could make out the muddy water.


    But wait, there was something else.


    There was arge tree pulled down to one side and a gathering of strange creatures surrounding it.


    And that was not all, as I spotted some familiar snakes fighting for survival.


    I immediately took off after them with an angry scowl.


    Just who told those brats toe out? It was like I needed a way to keep track of their movements at all times.


    I was more surprised that I cared if they lived or died.


    It was stupid to hold on to anything that could die so easily because everything had been dangerous since I was born.


    The lizard saw me speeding off and followed behind me.


    In a way the lizard was an exception, as was a certain wasp who appealed to me in a surprisingly human way. They both had power that could assist me, so they were worth caring about. Sensei was also an exception, for obvious reasons.


    Compared to them, the nestlings were absolutely useless. They were simply snakes I was born with who were only following me out of fear. Yet, here I was rushing down to save them, like some overbearing parent when thest thing I wanted to do was get attached to something.


    Why was I so keen to help them when the people I truly desired, only existed in my old world?


    I shouldn''t have feelings to spare for those that were not functional.


    I had no good reason for it and the anxiety I felt just seemed wrong.


    --------------


    Meanwhile, the fierce battle raged on across the river.


    The spaded snake shrieked as the force of the impact sent her sliding across the tree, but because of Typhon''s forewarning, she was able to grab hold of a branch to stop her descent, leaving her tail dangling down to the screeching horde below.


    One of the creatures saw her plight and jumped up to bite her but Ophelia reached over and pulled her up in time.


    Although the strong impact had damaged the tree, some of its thick roots were holding it down to the ground and keeping it from keeling overpletely.


    The creatures that managed to climb up were pushed back by the snakes and so far none had made it up the tree. However the danger was still present.


    Thergest monster of the horde was still at the base of their tree, using itsrge stinger to stab the exposed roots to sever them further. They could feel the tree tremble and as it dipped further down, the spaded snake burst into tears.


    [I know I should''ve said it soon, but I''m sorry for how I''ve been acting. I really love you both.]


    [Shut up! Use your strength to fight back and survive instead of crying helplessly.] Typhon shot back at the feverish snake.


    Ophelia grimaced. What was this silly snake saying? Had the poison gotten to her brain?


    She focused herpulsion on therge beast. However, her attempts to influence the creature were rebuffed.


    There was a cracked te of ck stone on top of its sightless head that shone slightly and she wondered if that had somehow nullified her attack. Instead of trying to subdue therge creature again, she focused on the smaller creatures around it, controlling some of the group to attack it.


    [No, I want to say it, I''m sorry for always being mean. I wish I behaved better towards you both.]


    Ophelia was shocked to see the stubborn spaded snake crying, but she couldn''t be distracted by her right now. Her head throbbed with a terrible pain, but to control several creatures to attack the fearsome beast, her influence could not wane for even a second.


    Ophelia watched as the monster''srge tail swept across the swarm, killing many with a single blow. And they were able to get a brief reprise from the battle with it focused on the creatures and not the tree.


    [That ck te on its head is somehow protecting it from my attack. We need to find a way to break it.] Ophelia said to Typhon.


    Typhon looked down at the monster''s head where there was indeed a ck te with some cracks on it. If he could get past the swarm with [Stealth], he might be able to break the tepletely but going down there was simply suicide.


    Although therge monster was attacking the others with a frenzy, if he left the tree, Ophelia would have to switch her focus to fighting off the creatures instead, and the result would be very risky if he wasn''t able to break the te soon.


    However, he noticed there was some chaos on the banks of the river.


    There seemed to be a shortage of the endless hordes of creatures that once covered the banks. The numbers that used to be so many seemed to have reduced to nothing since hest checked, like they''d simply vanished.


    The only sign that something wasn''t right was the significant amount of blood on the ground, but without any corpses.


    Now as he began to look closely, he glimpsed a sh of something moving through the creatures at a fast speed, knocking them down in a spray of blood and body parts wherever it went. Most of the creatures were still unaware until they were either dead or dying.


    Typhon tried to figure out what kind of creature it was, but it was moving too fast for him to make out anything.


    Ophelia saw his nk stare, and when she looked in the direction he was staring at, her eyes sparkled with a mixture of fear, excitement¡­and hope.


    They just watched as the blizzard-like thing moved around with incredible speed, killing the creatures and making them vanish into thin air as it reached therge monster.


    The creature that seemed so powerful until then couldn''t even screech as it kept turning its head this way and that, anxiously trying to follow the mystery creature''s movements.


    And as the snakes watched from the top of the tree, its body was ripped apart in an instant, bing unrecognisable under the terrifying force of unseen des, before it fell down in pieces without even a fight.

 Chapter 121 - The Hunting Party

    The bloody corpse of the hideous monster fell away in a spray of blood as its head separated from its body.


    ?You have killed LV18 Verum Adavaak!?


    ?You have earned 165XP?


    ?You have gained a level!?


    Nice!


    I looked around the stretch of the cordoned forest that was now devoid of monsters. With thest of those creatures dead, the ind now turned quiet.


    I looked at therge corpse of the Adavaak with curiosity.


    Its death was rather odd. It had clearly been attacked by the smaller members of its own species, before I arrived, which had reduced its HP, and I wondered why.


    I stared up at the tall tree that had nearly copsed, and immediately spotted the shimmering eyes of Ophelia, staring eagerly.


    Why was she so excited? She shouldn''t be able to see me!


    Typhon on the other hand was shocked and rather than happiness, he was more wary. His reaction was more appropriate than Ophelia''s.


    That''s how you''re supposed to look, you silly snake!


    I wanted to scold her. Perhaps she was just too happy to be saved, but I could have been a more dangerous predator who would turn to kill them next. There was no way to tell¡­


    Unless, she already recognized me by scent? No, that was just wishful thinking.


    The third snake just turned this way and that, with a confused look - which was also an eptable reaction.


    I collected the Adavaak''s body, wondering who among them had caused its initial damage. It was impressive they had handled this much on their own. The smaller monsters were quite strong too, just from their skills alone.


    --------------


    LV8 Ivenium Adavaak


    Specie: Ailith Fruore


    HP: 0/65     Defence: 34


    MP: 0/37     Intellect: 16


    SP: 0/75     Magic: 24


    Attack: 78    Agility: 77


    Skills:


    [Poison w: LV3] [Acid Blood: LV6]


    [Cooperation: LV5] [Blindsight: LV3]


    [Venomous Bite: LV5] [Scent: LV8]


    [Revenge: LV5] [Persistent: LV6]


    [Sprint: LV6] [Anger: LV8]


    [Deadly Stinger: LV4]


    Title:


    [Cast Hunter]


    Attributes:


    [Water Regeneration]


    Resistances:


    [Fatigue Resistance: LV6]


    [Pain Resistance: LV2]


    [Acid Resistance: LV4]


    --------------


    The position the nestlings had chosen on the tree was also strategic and I apuded their quick thinking. With their strength and skills, the monsters would have been beaten eventually ¨C if they were in any other ce.


    These creatures which were naturally amphibious and also possessed an attribute that made them near impossible to kill in certain ces.


    --------------


    [Water Regeneration] - Restores 1 point of health for every 5 seconds underwater.


    --------------


    That means, they could go from near death to full health in just five minutes.


    With near inexhaustible regeneration and a water source nearby, they were lucky I arrived when I did. Poisoning them or knocking them off the tree was all well and good but If any that didn''t die and went back into water, they could re-emerge much like before.


    Unless they were killed thoroughly, their numbers would never reduce, and they would keep returning with endless reinforcements. Which was why I decided to kill them quickly and silently, ensuring to cut off their heads for good measure.


    But, of course, my method wasn''tpletely without fault.


    I heard the ssh of water behind me and Sylrin came out of the river, dragging with him the writhing bodies of five smaller Adavaaks that he pulled out by their tails.


    Regardless of how silently I approached the creatures, some had been spooked when their fellows started dying and had run away. So, before I ventured onto the ind I''d instructed Sylrin, who also happened to be amphibious, to wait under the water and catch all of those who tried to get away.


    And as he dragged the screeching monsters before me.


    I mercilessly attacked them with poison spheres, killing them with one blow and the system dinged with a flurry of alerts as they died.


    ?You have killed LV8 Ivenium Adavaak!?


    ?You have killed LV10 Ivenium Adavaak!?


    ?You have killed LV8 Ivenium Adavaak!?


    ?You have earned 126XP?


    And with that done, I added them to my ever increasing creature surplus. Now, the only thing that remained was to rescue the little kittens from the tree.


    I deactivated my [Mimic] and Ophelia started swaying left and right with excitement and slipped off the tree. She followed it with a stylish leap, soaring through the air tond before me.


    Pfft...what a recovery.


    Typhon had a look of relief and thest snake seemed to be ring at me.


    What? Did she not want to be rescued?


    Was she a tsundere?


    As the remaining two snakes came down, I saw they were all covered in bruises, and one was even injured. So I gave them [Detoxification] and [Healing] potions to restore their health.


    Typhon had a burn on his scales that had a lingering scent, so I made him take a dip in the river to wash the scent off before leaving.


    Then, the lizard came over and sniffed at the three snakes, familiarizing their scent I suppose...


    He seemed oddly fascinated with their tiny sizes and would not stop patting them over the head with his tail, with an arrogant glint in his eyes. This annoyed Typhon, who furiously hissed at him before moving away with a sulking look.


    Well, they seemed to be getting along nicely. Right?


    On the other hand, Ophelia saw it as a challenge and leapt over the lizards back, curling up between its spikes and boldly proceeded to take a nap, much to Sylrin''s dismay.


    Thest snake was the most injured, and was not amused by his actions at all and kept him away with just her menacing re and her fangs out, ready to attack.


    I did not want them to start fighting so I instructed Sylrin to leave her be and left the ind after collecting the rest of the creatures.


    --------------


    Back at Sylrin''s cave, I made all the nestlings rest as they had gone through quite an ordeal, but because of the potion I''d given them, my two guards were already back to full health.


    As opposed to being tired, Ophelia seemed almost hyper energized and was trying to tame the lizard and make him her mount, while Typhon looked on with disapproval.


    As for me, I stared down the corpse of therge Adavaak, wondering if I should eat it or not.


    It looked quite hideous and was one the ugliest creatures I ate so far.


    Those horrid teeth and that terrible breath¡­


    If I ate it, I wouldn''t gain an attribute that would give me needle-like teeth or be some revenge driven monster right?


    Hmm¡­ It was a risk but I can reject the attribute if I find it suspicious so I began to eat and the system dinged after a while.


    ?Devour has reached maximum satiation for specimen¡ºVerum Adavaak¡»


    Evolution tree of ¡ºAilith Fruore¡»has been unlocked. ?


    ?Would you like to acquire the attribute¡ºAcid Blood¡»(ept | Reject)?


    Oh...phew, no hideous teeth. Yes, ept!


    Wait, wouldn''t that hurt like hell?


    Ah! Ouch!


    OWWW!


    It was toote.


    I could already feel the scalding sensation and heat coursing through my veins as the quality andposition of my blood began to undergo change.


    My body trembled with pain as if a hot poker had been burning my insides, and once again I found myself outside in the cooling rain, with the three snakes and the lizard staring nkly at me, like I had gone crazy.


    Droplets of rain sizzled as they touched my skin and when the burning sensation finally stopped, I felt like I''d been molded under fire.


    Why did it have to be so annoying and damn painful every time?


    The system dinged once again, with some good news.


    ?You have consumed medium grade core?


    ?Status: Complete?


    ?Attack: +38?


    ?Agility: +38?


    I quickly regained myposure and remembered why I''de back here, instead of going back to the cave.


    The hunting party!


    With the nestlings safely recovered, I could finally go down and see just what they were up to! I looked past the treeline to where I spotted them earlier. Their campfire was out, and the people all seemed to have retired to their tents.


    I immediately activated [Mimic].


    Now was the perfect time to go stealing ¨C no, scouting!


    As I reached the campsite, I stayed back at a distance to observe them first. I could pick out thirteen heat traces of individuals that consisted of both humans and elves.


    There were all in prone positions, breathing steadily and seemed to be asleep. There were two human guards in light armour manning the campsite and one elf that was crouched up in the trees.


    I knew it wasn''t going to be easy! But I crept in silently.


    One of them had to be the archer so I stuck closely to the shadows to avoid detection.


    Before moving further, I scanned the area with [Mana Sense] for any concealed traps of a magical nature, and almost immediately, the entire camp lit up in cyan, forming a bright dome of swirling magic.


    HA! That was very close!


    Good thing I checked beforehand. What if I''d crossed it and it alerted everyone, or worse, it triggered hidden traps! I imagined ropes springing from the ground to tie me up like a trussed up chicken¡­


    Hm¡­maybe not that. But still, I had no idea what that magical trap was.


    ?It''s an illusion barrier.? Sensei offered an exnation.


    ?Any creature thates close will see nothing but normal forest, and if they happen to pass through, they will experience extreme difort and disorientation until they turn around. It seems there is a skilled mage in this party.?


    Ah! Now it made sense why they had so few guards. How smart.


    I likely wasn''t affected because of my [Obsidian Horn], but in such a ce teeming with monsters, you couldn''t be too careful. I stuck to the shadows until I passed the guards, and sessfully arrived inside the campsite.


    And instantly, my eyes turned to the bags of supplies containing cooked meat and fruits, along with some nkets and weapons. I shamelessly ''collected'' them all and looked around for more goodies.


    These were mostly from the human side. The elves I saw, didn''t seem to carry any items at all and instead they all bore storage rings.


    I was too excited and almost bumped into a gruff looking older huntsman covered in furs beside a tree. He was sitting upright, but fast asleep, sporting a well kept beard and long dark eyshes.


    What a handsome older gentleman! His face and muscles were exactly my type!


    My eyes must have lingered a little too long because Sensei scolded me in an annoyed tone.


    ?Do you want to get caught? Have you forgotten you''re surrounded by enemies??


    I quickly snapped out of it and saw the pile of monster corpses of various types that he''d huntedying besides him.


    My eyes shone with greed. There must definitely be some good cores among the bunch!


    It was almost too good to be true and I didn''t dy grabbing them all before exiting the campsite to return to the cave.


    I took onest look at the campsite and bowed. ''Thank you for your generosity and kindness. I hope you stay well and get out of thebyrinth alive.''


    And then I went back with a big grin. It looks like we''ll have a feastter!

 Chapter 122 - Improvements

    Not far from the cave, Typhon was trying to assess the security and safety of their location.


    He climbed the tallest tree to get a good glimpse of the area, and spotted a flock of hideous bird monsters in the distance, squabbling over the meat of a shredded carcass.


    They were too far away to cause a problem for them, but he kept an eye on them regardless. Along with the other creatures he spotted near their cave in the event that any drew near.


    The location of the cave was well hidden and high enough to overlook many acres of forest where he could see any creatures approaching before any became aware of him.


    It also wasn''t affected by the flood like the rest of the forest and was rtively peaceful, so the creatures here hadn''t devolved into chaos like the rest below.


    As the rain pelted his scales, he sensed an abundance of energy swirling around him. He could almost grasp it but when he tried, there seemed to be a resistance keeping it out of his reach. It was likely because his level wasn''t high enough to manipte the foreign energy yet, but he continued to attempt it anyway.


    His skills had improved a great deal since the battle, and when he checked with [Status Inspection], he found he gained three levels.


    --------------


    Name: Typhon [LV10 Neonate Cerastes]


    Specie: Ailith Vipera


    HP: 109/124 Defence: 183


    MP: 74/74   Intellect: 86


    SP: 121/140 Magic: 56


    Attack: 80   Agility: 107


    Skills:


    [Heat Sense: LV10] [Rugged Scales: LV10]


    [Farsight: LV4] [Persistent: LV3] [Grip: LV9]


    [Bite: LV10] [Steel Skin: LV9] [Scent: LV8]


    [Shock Enhancement: LV7] [Solidity: LV6]


    [Spherical Form: LV7] [Camouge: LV6]


    [Danger Perception: LV5] [Silence: LV8]


    [Impact Enhancement: LV7] [Leap: LV9]


    [Strength: LV7] [Motion Perception: LV7]


    [Rapid Strike: LV8] [Determination: LV6]


    [Poison Generation: LV5] [Stealth: LV7]


    [Poison Fang: LV8] [Shockwave: LV6]


    [Piercing Enhancement: LV8]


    Titles:


    [Pit Member] [Captain] [Assassin]


    -----------------


    He felt he was close to bridging the ability barrier and after taking ''her'' potion, he also seemed to have excessive amounts of energy, so he decided to practice his skills. But, he was alerted of some movement below and looked down with a scowl.


    With the forest below being so still, he quickly picked up the presence of an annoying lizard that seemed to have taken a fancy to follow him everywhere.


    Sylrin decided to stick close to Typhon in an effort to avoid Ophelia''s advances. Hey in wait at the base of his tree, but Typhon wasn''t the least bit interested in being used as a shield so he gave him a dismissive look and remained in the tree.


    But the lizard took an offence to that and red back at him with a low growl.


    Typhon leapt over to another branch just as a smoking ball of poisonous slime came towards him. The branch he had just been on was instantly melted into soup and the lizard stared up at him with a triumphant look.


    And finding it a bit fun, he fired another shot, this time at the stem of the tree and as the bark melted, Typhon felt the tree totter unsteadily.


    This brat!


    As Sylrin was admiring his handiwork, Typhon plunged down from the tree in his spherical form, aiming for the lizard''s body. However, he collided with the rocky ground when the lizard barely managed to dodge, but the impact formed a crater that threw up pieces of smashed rock all over.


    Typhon slithered out of the crater without much dy just as Sylrin''s chest glowed with heat, preparing to shoot another smoking ball.


    But he didn''t get a chance tounch it as Typhon coiled around his head in a constriction hold that forced its mouth shut. The smoking ball soon died out in the lizard''s chest and a ck smoke fizzled out of his mouth.


    But they could continue their battle, Ophelia burst out of the bushes and eximed with an evil glint in her eyes. [I finally found you!]


    The lizard''s eyes shed with panic and he quickly threw off Typhon before taking off into a sprint, with Ophelia in hot pursuit, leaving Typhon alone and unwanted.


    Why was he so daring with him, but he could only flee when it came to her? Was he not so scary anymore?


    Typhon sighed and nced at the crater he just made with a satisfied smirk, it seemed his [Shockwave] had improved by a lot.


    He returned to the cave after shrivelling the area another time and saw his sister again, along with her ''captive'', and the spaded snake who was trying her hardest to ignore their leader, who was in turn, too busy eating.


    From what little he''d gathered from his observations, she seemed to spend far too much time eating and her diet was also really terrible. Rather than trying a variety of things, she seemed to focus on eating one type of creature at one time. And sometimes, after eating her fill she would break out into insane behaviour.


    Like now for example. She had just eaten a whole lot of that three pronged stinger beasts and immediately rushed out into the rain as we all watched her with perplexed looks.


    [I don''t understand why you admire her so much, when she''s clearly mad.] The spaded snake rebuked.


    Since their death battle with those creatures, she was no longer as hostile towards Ophelia.


    Typhon felt that their near death experience had changed her mindset and strengthened the bond between them, but the one thing that hadn''t changed was her dislike of their leader.


    And for some reason, spaded snake was under the feeling, ''she'' had stolen their kill when they did most of the work ¨C a view neither Typhon nor Ophelia shared or deemed to convince her otherwise.


    She was especially angry whenever Ophelia looked at their leader with admiration and began to me their leader for wandering off by herself, and that they wouldn''t have encountered any of those creatures if not for her.


    Typhon was quickly running out of patience with her but decided to hold back his criticism for now.


    [Would you rather she left you behind with those creatures to fend for yourself?] he asked, and the spaded snake immediately became flustered.


    [N-No, but she''s acting strange.]


    Typhon did not respond, but he agreed.


    He noticed their leader''s eyes had changed since thest time he saw her. They were a deep ck colour before, but now, they seemed to shine, like they had been given a polish. They were still ck, but were oddly reflected the colours of anything and everything in her sight, much like a dark mirror.


    Typhon couldn''t ignore that this change just happened to ur right about the time she had learned how to turn her scales invisible. And he began to wonder if her eating habits had anything to do with it.


    [Stopining and improve yourself. So the next time we face that sort of situation, you won''t be the weak link.] he advised with a stern tone and the spaded snake nodded fiercely much to his relief.


    It seemed she had made up her mind to improve.

 Chapter 123 - The Twins

    After eating a couple of the stinging creatures himself, he felt a strange power welling up inside him and he noticed he was able to use his abilities for longer periods without tiring out.


    Ophelia had also felt her strength growing in the same way, so she tried to pel'' the lizard into following her.


    However, when it didn''t work and she learnt there were limits to what she could do.


    Her abilities seemed to manifest differently from one creature to another. With her brother, it didn''t make him do anything, he only reported feeling a sense of danger.


    With the lizard, he simply blinked at her ¨C seeminglyughing at her efforts. She was sure it wouldn''t work on their leader, so she tried it on the spaded snake instead.


    The result? The stubborn spaded snake went over to rest beside the lizard she so despised, only waking up when the lizard''srge paw came to rest on her head.


    [So, if it works on snakes, what''s the difference?] Ophelia asked Typhon who looked thoughtful.


    [Maybe it has something to do with their levels?] he suggested.


    [I thought so too, but some of those stinging creatures were stronger and I could still control them. It must be something else.]


    They both looked at the spaded snake who hissed fiercely at the sleeping lizard.


    [Maybe, their intellect?] Ophelia suggested.


    Typhon tilted his head and stared hard at the spaded snake. Was it possible she wasn''t as intelligent as the lizard? Without knowing her stats, it was difficult to confirm but she was certainly impulsive and even acted stupidly sometimes.


    If anything she was just like their leader whom she disliked.


    Both were impulsive, the only difference was that one had the power to back up her behaviour.


    And when ''she'' left soon after, he''d thought nothing of it. Until Ophelia informed him the spaded snake had followed after her, much to their annoyance. If their leader was hunting, she was sure to get in the way.


    So, he roused the lizard and they went after her into the stretch of forest below.


    There, they found the spaded snake who was sick, but Ophelia who had been next to him,pletely vanished into an area much to his shock.


    One moment she was there and the next it was like she had been swallowed.


    Rather than panic, he''d ventured further in with them to find her, and for a moment, his vision had be warped as he experienced severe nausea. Until the effect cleared, and he found himself somewhere else entirely.


    It was a clearing devoid of trees and he quickly spotted Ophelia, who was hidden behind some bushes. She hushed them as they arrived and they all stared at the scene before them.


    Their leader was looking around mischievously, as she observed a group of creatures. Fortunately, the creatures were all asleep and they weren''t spotted. And then they watched in astonishment as her figure vanished into her surroundings. Typhon quickly activated his [Heat Sense] but that too faded quickly.


    He could make out faint imprints in the ground as she moved and as things began to disappear from the clearing and he knew it was her doing. They all hid and watched in exasperation as their leader, rather than attack the creatures, decided to ''hide'' their possessions with one of her strange abilities.


    Typhon sighed with relief ¨C why did he automatically think she was going to kill them? And why was he relieved she didn''t? As a snake shouldn''t he be rooting for blood and ughter.


    It was the spaded snake who scowled at their leader''s behaviour instead. [Is she an idiot, they are all asleep. Why isn''t she attacking them?]


    Ophelia defended her. [Can''t you see, it''s because they are all strong.]


    Then they watched their leader break away from the clearing like a thief in the night and as they followed her back to the cave, the spaded snake scoffed in distaste. [She''s so scared, she couldn''t even fight them.]


    Typhon scowled. If that was all she took away from this interaction, perhaps she was truly an idiot. As for him, he was displeased to realise that not only was their leader impulsive, she was also a glutton.


    Was the lure of food that appealing to do something so risky?


    With the incident over, they parted ways with the lizard and prepared to return home. Typhon was d, he didn''t have to get tormented by the annoying lizard anymore. Finally something was going right.


    --------------


    Meanwhile back at the cave¡­


    The nestlings were panicking in the absence of all their leaders, and after waking up to see the forest flooded with rain, they had turned to Ophelia''s progenies, Artemis, and Morgana for answers.


    The two snakes quickly took control of the situation and were calming the frazzled snakes who kept staring at the creatures rampaging outside.


    But some saw this an opportunity to vent their frustrations. Even in the absence of the spaded snake, the rebellious snakes questioned their authority and refused to listen, which only made Morgana smile.


    She was furious on the inside, but none of that showed. Rather she approached one of the rebellious snakes with an innocent smile.


    [Don''t bother trying anything else. Do you see those things outside?] She gestured towards the swarm of bottom feeders that were attacking a creature whose body was submerged in mud with only its bones visible. [Keep acting stupid and I''ll feed you to them next.]


    Artemis shivered in fear from her words while the rebellious snake turned pale and looked about to faint. They both knew she would do it if they angered her anymore.


    Without the spaded snake, the rebels weren''t as brave, and they soon fell silent.


    However, Artemis soon heard a scream from inside the cave and they both rushed in, fearing the worst ¨C had something entered while they weren''t aware?


    But when they arrived, they saw the culprits were the two snakes that were always around the injured snake. Ophelia had called them twins, since they were mirror images of each other, and so the name had stuck.


    Artemis and Morgana rushed over to the injured snake wondering if something was wrong with him and saw an absurd sight.


    He was still unconscious but there was blood on the ground and the twin snakes were crouched in front of him.


    [What the hell are you two doing?] Morgana panicked as she thought they had harmed the snake in some way. But when the two turned to stare at her, she saw they were both bleeding from their nostrils.


    [Look! Look! We fixed him!]


    [We made him better!!]


    They both rambled on as they tried to exin. There was a faint glowing light around the two bleeding snakes who were giggling madly.


    And when she looked, the unconscious snake had opened its eyes to stare at her.


    Morgana stared at the twin snakes in disbelief. [Just what the hell did you two do?]

 Chapter 124 - Bad Nestlings!

    The cave was bustling with activity by the time we returned, the nestlings training like usual, only this time Morgana was in charge. On seeing us, the nestlings stopped everything they were doing and began to dance, much to my annoyance.


    Will they ever stop this silly behaviour?


    Although they danced happily, I noticed none of the nestlings moved from their training areas to wee us. They all looked haggard and would either nce at Morgana with terrified looks or stare at us with pitiful eyes like they were begging to be rescued. It seemed Morgana was a far more strict captain than Typhon.


    I counted all the nestlings and was relieved that none of them had left the cave to venture outside in the rain. Typhon and Ophelia quickly joined the others, and I offered the nestlings a share of my surplus food supply to reward their efforts.


    Not much seemed to have changed in the cave, when in fact many things were different. My two guards had levelled up, with Typhon and Ophelia getting ever so close to their evolutions.


    --------------


    Name: Ophelia [LV10 Neonate Cerastes]


    Specie: Ailith Vipera


    HP: 105/105 Defence: 68


    MP: 125/125 Intellect: 114


    SP: 92/92    Magic:109


    Attack: 107  Agility: 152


    --------------


    Name: Typhon [LV10 Neonate Cerastes]


    Specie: Ailith Vipera


    HP: 109/124 Defence: 183


    MP: 74/74   Intellect: 86


    SP: 121/140  Magic: 56


    Attack: 80   Agility: 107


    --------------


    Ophelia''s defence was steadily getting higher and Typhon''s defence was the highest of any nestlings ¨C even mine when I was his level. Of course, I am on a higher level than everyone so I was technically still the strongest.


    But still, these nestlings were growing like weeds. My indoor training was no longer enough, at most it could improve their skills, but they needed to experience more battles to realize their true capabilities.


    And I was excited to see how strong they would be.


    Even the little snake that apanied them had improved a little.


    --------------


    Nameless [LV4 Small Hatchling Cerastes]


    Specie: Ailith Vipera


    HP: 50/50  Defence: 52


    MP: 42/42  Intellect: 33


    SP: 48/48  Magic: 39


    Attack: 47  Agility: 44


    Skills:


    [Spherical Form: LV3] [Camouge: LV2]


    [Bite:LV3] [Poison Fang:LV4] [Grip: LV4]


    [Rapid Strike:LV2] [Mana Sense: LV1]


    [Steel Skin:LV3] [Cooperation: LV3]


    [Strength: LV1] [Floating Ribs: LV2]


    [Scent: LV3] [Heat Sense:LV3]


    [Rugged Scales:LV2] [Leap: LV3]


    [Stealth: LV2] [Silence: LV2]


    Titles:


    [Pit Member]


    Resistances:


    [Pain Resistance: LV4]


    [Impact Resistance: LV3]


    [Shock Resistance: LV4]


    [Wind Resistance: LV2]


    --------------


    Her skills were subparpared to my two captains, but she was getting along nicely. Her skills were interesting in a way thatbined both evasive and defensive skills, like she had two different teachers.


    What I''d seen from other nestlings was that they tend to favour speed and stamina while neglecting their defence, but with her it was not the case. Although the skill levels were still low, they were bnced. If she were to level those up, she had the potential to be very powerful.


    I watched the little snake slither away to join Ophelia to continue her training. It seemed I had nothing to worry about. I left the nestlings to train and returned to my familiar perch to rest.


    Speaking of differences...When I waved my tail, there was a hiss and I looked at my tail with curiosity. It now housed a stinger on its tip that resembled a diamond headed spear.


    Should I have kept eating those stinging Adavaak creatures after I got [Acid Blood]?


    Probably not.


    But that didn''t stop me from being curious and now I was stuck with an ominous looking tail, with its own sound effect!


    Why did everything turn out to be so sinister?


    I was thinking of all the ways I could use it, like say, stabbing something with it, and as I thought of it, the two prongs on its sides that were normally tucked away, extended with a loud snap like a sprung knife.


    Well, there''s another morbid detail.


    If I choose to stab something with it, the two prongs might extend inside the wound, preventing my stinger froming free. And I didn''t like the sound of that at all!


    Applying added force to remove it while extended would allow me to rip the bodies from inside. I could imagine it getting stuck inside the bodies of creatures I attacked, or even getting snagged on rocks or even bushes!


    But I hoped thetter would not be the case because it looked so cool.


    After resting for a while, I decided to test out my new stinger, but first, I went to check on the nestling''s training. They were all doing well, and theirbat abilities were increasing, with over half already passing the quest requirements.


    When I checked the quest timer, the system showed my results.


    --------------


    [Quest: Train Nest Mates. [Time Remaining: 26 Hours]


    Status: [18/30]]


    --------------


    Twenty six hours was a lot of time, right? I was still optimistic.


    However, with the rain changing things outside, I couldn''t exactly proceed with the hunting activity I nned previously. With the floods, quicksand, lurking spiders and who knew what other creatures were running rampant out there.


    And those stinger creatures seemed to love the water and I was confident they would not leave until the rain stopped.


    I could take them back to Sylrin''s Cave to hunt above the flood, but the journey itself was filled with danger. That massive bird we barely escaped from, and also the elf/ human hunting party as well. They were probably waking up right now to find their supplies gone.


    Hehehe.


    Serves them right for daring to eat in front of me.


    Regardless, it was too dangerous, and I couldn''t take such a risk. Hunting in this situation would likely result in at least half of my nestlings ending up dead.


    I would rather put the hunt on hold temporarily, until the rain stopped, and the ground hardened. Sure, if I failed the quest, Sensei would have a goodugh, but it was better than taking them out to die.


    The nestlings soon finished a round of training, and the exhausted snakes were free to escape Morgana''s tight reins. But I soon saw Morganaing over to my perch with two mischievous looking snakes and a third snake I realised was Apollo.


    The unconscious snake was finally awake!


    He still looked deathly pale, and he was just as exhausted as the others, perhaps even more. I appraised him to make sure there was nothing else wrong with him.


    --------------


    Name: Apollo [LV5 Neonate Cerastes] |Starving|


    Specie: Ailith Vipera


    HP: 21/45 Defence: 44


    MP: 32/32 Intellect: 31


    SP: 19/36 Magic: 30


    Attack: 35 Agility: 34


    Skills:


    [Rapid Strike: LV3] [Stealth:LV3]


    [Rugged Scales: LV5] [Leap: LV5]


    [Steel Skin:LV4] [Silence: LV2]


    [Bite: LV4] [Poison Fang: LV4]


    [Scent: LV4] [Heat Sense: LV5]


    [Grip: LV5]


    Titles:


    [Pit Member]


    Resistances:


    [Impact Resistance: LV2]


    [Pain Resistance: LV4]


    [Faint Resistance: LV3]


    [Fear Resistance: LV5]


    [Hunger Resistance: LV1]


    --------------


    Why was this snake starving? And what''s with that [Hunger Resistance]?


    Don''t tell me he had started training as soon as he woke up, without even eating anything? Was Morgana that scary?


    I didn''t want him to die after all the effort I put into him, so I sent him off quickly to join the others for a break. Aside from his starved state, his skills were progressing well. He only needed to level up three more skills to be in the clear.


    With Apollo gone, it left Morgana and the two snakes that hid behind her. As she brought them forward, I recognised the two snakes from before.


    I eyed Morgana and the snakes suspiciously, why did they both seem to be bleeding? They had mischievous glints in their eyes and Morgana looked exhausted, as if just bringing them here had taken a lot of effort.


    But she clearly wanted me to examine them, so I appraised the two snakes, and then I felt my breath leave my body like I''d been punched in the guts.


    --------------


    Nameless [LV3 Small Hatchling Cerastes]


    Specie: Ailith Vipera


    HP: 23/34 Defence: 28


    MP: 24/55 Intellect: 46


    SP: 22/27 Magic: 40


    Attack: 26 Agility: 25


    Skills:


    [Bite:LV3] [Poison Fang:LV2] [Grip:LV3]


    [Rapid Strike:LV1] [Mana Sense: LV2]


    [Rugged Scales:LV1] [Leap: LV3]


    [Scent: LV2] [Heat Sense:LV3]


    [Steel Skin: LV1] [Cure: LV2]


    [Cooperation: LV5]


    Titles:


    [Pit Member]


    Resistances:


    [Impact Resistance: LV1]


    [Pain Resistance: LV4]


    [Faint Resistance: LV4]


    --------------


    I''d never appraised them before, but now that I looked¡­


    WHY was this snake''s skills so low?


    I appraised the second snake.


    --------------


    Nameless [LV3 Small Hatchling Cerastes]


    Specie: Ailith Vipera


    HP: 28/34 Defence: 34


    MP: 36/50 Intellect: 42


    SP: 15/27 Magic: 38


    Attack: 36 Agility: 30


    Skills:


    [Bite: LV3] [Poison Fang: LV4] [Grip: LV5]


    [Scent: LV3] [Heat Sense: LV3]


    [Rapid Strike: LV2] [Mana Sense: LV1]


    [Rugged Scales: LV2] [Leap: LV3]


    [Steel Skin: LV2] [Heal: LV2]


    [Cooperation: LV5]


    Titles:


    [Pit Member]


    Resistances:


    [Impact Resistance: LV3]


    [Shock Resistance: LV2]


    [Pain Resistance: LV4]


    [Faint Resistance: LV4]


    --------------


    Hmph! The second snake was a little better. But it was still BAD!


    The two snakes seemed to be giggling without any care and I could see why Morgana was so exhausted. From the state of their skills, she must''ve been chasing them both to train without much sess. These bad nestlings!


    But their skills were interesting, they both had pretty high levels of MP for mere hatchlings. And I noticed they both had [Mana Sense] and the skills [Cure] and [Heal] respectively.


    My thoughts ran with many theories.


    Could it be they had manifested such abilities while trying to heal their brother? Perhaps their MP was so high because of the repeated attempts to use their mana, which finally culminated into skills.


    And why did one have [Heal] and the other [Cure], what exactly was the difference?

 Chapter 125 - Broken Skills

    Their skills were all a mess fromck of training, but it shouldn''t have depleted their HP and SP to such a low value. They even had their HP shed by half. Just what had they been doing?


    The two snakes were both chattering away with what I assumed was an exnation, but I couldn''t understand a word as usual.


    ?Interesting¡­? Sensei mused.


    "What are they saying? Sensei, quick! Trante for me."


    Sensei spoke after listening for a while. ?Gibberish mostly. The two are just happy to have ''fixed'' Apollo. They''re saying how much they wish to heal others like you do.?


    Ah¡­but all I did was use a potion. I couldn''t really take credit there.


    The two snakes moved in circles around Morgana as they excitedly gave a demonstration of their abilities. Morgana began to glow with a faint light, and I saw her HP increase by two points, while one of the snake''s stamina reduced by two points. Then it became dizzy, slumped down and began bleeding from its nose.


    Hold on. That didn''t seem right. I appraised the fallen snake who had the [Heal] skill.


    --------------


    [Heal] ¨C Once active, it allows the user to amplify their target''s healing process with their own magic. Healing time depends on the strength of the user''s magic. For every point of health recovered, stamina from the user is substituted. If the amount of stamina is less than what is required, health points will be substituted. [Heal] cannot restore lost limbs.


    --------------


    Woah. No way! Wasn''t this quite good?


    The snake with [Heal] looked up proudly as if sensing my approval.


    If [Heal] only amplified his target''s healing process, there were bound to be limitations. I couldn''t expect it to heal a limb that had already been separated¡­but, if those two limbs were connected via surgery, surely it could speed up the healing process and fuse the two parts together. It really wasn''t bad at all.


    However, when I applied the same principle toplex fractures, more problems began toe up. If [Heal] was used on a fracture without setting the bones first, would that limb still work?


    If we were only dealing with simple wounds, it was perfectly fine to use, just not on anything else. I could imagine the flesh connecting to close the wound without fixing the shattered bone inside.


    Boosting his target''s healing abilities did not automatically correct the things that were out of ce. I hoped the problems would be resolved as the snake increased his strength and ability.


    I appraised the snake with [Cure] next.


    --------------


    [Cure] ¨C Once active, it is a powerful skill that allows the user to reverse all ailments in close proximity. For every point of health restored, stamina from the user is substituted. If the amount of stamina is less than what is required, health points will be substituted. Sessive level increments will increase the range of [Cure].


    --------------


    Hmm. Wasn''t this one a little¡­broken?


    It was also troubling because it seemed to work by range, rather than by target. Did that mean it would heal both enemies and allies? And with each level increasing its range, it didn''t seem very worthwhile to use in battle.


    However, it didn''t mention any limitations like [Heal] did. Did that mean it could be used on broken bones without needing them to be set first? Could it regrow whole limbs too? Surely that couldn''t be the case because it would be too powerful a skill. Also who knew what kind of effect it would have on the little snake.


    There were too many questions that needed answering!


    It was worth testing both [Heal] and [Cure] on a target to see what would happen. But first, I decided to give them names. The two were still busy chattering amongst themselves, seemingly unaffected by my prying eyes and I thought both snakes were interesting.


    I decided to name the male snake ''Europa'' and the female snake ''Lyra'', and for the first time Sensei did notin.


    The nestlings that were on their training break, soon started to gather and they watched us with bright eyes. Among them, there were no other nestlings with depleted HP''s aside from the newly awoken Apollo, so he was brought over once more to be our guinea snake.


    I appraised Apollo as he came forward, then I had Europa use [Heal] on him.


    ------------


    Name: Apollo [LV5 Neonate Cerastes] |Starving|


    Specie: Ailith Vipera


    HP: 21>26/45¡­.Defence: 44


    MP: 32/32........Intellect: 31


    SP: 19/36...¡­....Magic: 30


    Attack: 35...¡­...Agility: 34


    ------------


    Apollo''s HP increased by [5] points, and Europa''s stamina reduced by the same while his MP also dropped by [7] points.


    ------------


    Name: Europa [LV3 Small Hatchling Cerastes]


    Specie: Ailith Vipera


    HP: 28/34......Defence: 34


    MP: 33>26/50¡­Intellect: 42


    SP: 13>08/27¡­..Magic: 38


    Attack: 36.......Agility: 30


    ------------


    I quickly stopped him before his SP drained to nothing. it was only active for a short time, but the speed of his healing meant if he continued, his SP would have depleted into his HP. This really wouldn''t be a problem if the snake with [Heal] was a higher level with far more SP to spare.


    Next I had Lyra use [Cure]. I was unsure how far its range was at LV2, but I had all the nestlings stay far away from her, aside from Apollo.


    However as she started, I was quickly made aware of its devastating effect. Lyra''s MP instantly dropped to [0], and her stamina also took an abrupt plunge, followed quickly by her HP. It all happened so fast and Imanded her to stop before too much damage was done.


    ------------


    Name: Lyra [LV3 Small Hatchling Cerastes]


    Specie: Ailith Vipera


    HP: 23>11/34¡­Defence: 28


    MP: 24>0/55.¡­Intellect: 46


    SP: 22>0/27.¡­..Magic: 40


    Attack: 26........Agility: 25


    ------------


    Lyra was freely bleeding from the nose, but she still looked excited as she stared at me with sparkling eyes. Apollo on the other hand, looked fully refreshed with his stats restored and he was no longer starving either. And even the faint scars on his body had disappeared.


    ------------


    Name: Apollo [LV5 Neonate Cerastes]


    Specie: Ailith Vipera


    HP: 26>45/45¡­.Defence: 44


    MP: 32/32......Intellect: 31


    SP: 19>36/36¡­..Magic: 30


    Attack: 35...¡­...Agility: 34


    ------------


    I was horrified.


    What the heck! These two snakes didn''t have nearly enough mana or stamina to be ying around with such dangerous skills! Lyra was at the point of dropping dead so I quickly fed her some [Healing Potion] and for Europa, a potion to recover his stamina.


    These two were walking hazards!


    In no situation were they allowed to use their skills unless in extraordinary circumstances, especially Lyra. And for heaven''s sake, they have to increase their HP and SP levels before they try to improve the skills itself.


    But what if I took my eyes off them and they went and healed something and ended up dead?


    NO!


    They both looked at me with tworge snake grins and I resisted the urge to smack them with my tail. But they were so weak, doing so would probably kill them too!


    Seeing my panicked state, Typhon appeared with Ophelia and I quickly gave them instructions. They were to keep an eye on the two at all times and stop them from healing anyone without my direct order.


    Also they were to train them until they had every defensive skill, to increase their stamina to the maximum. Even if they dropped from exhaustion in the process!


    With their break over, the snakes soon dispersed, and I witnessed Lyra and Europa stare at me with pleading eyes as they got taken away by Morgana, whom they were too weak to resist.


    It was for their own good and I hoped their training would prove to be effective! I was looking forward to seeing some good resultster.


    These nestlings were far too stressful to handle, it was a good thing I had other things to distract my mind.


    I pulled up the system menu showing the contents of my [Dimensional Box].


    --------------


    Rankhor Corpse [5], Ignis Formica Corpse [3], Lignum Corpse [4], Lapin Corpse [8], Adavaak Corpse [59], Jewellery [54], Pgian Armour [8], Thieves Light Armour [3], Thieves Hood [2], Pgian Laurels [120], Clearstone Crystals [40], Milia Pellis Corpse [82], Hive Debris [6], Hesperia Corpse [68], Feligre Corpse [1], Ostium Nervorum [42], Funus Amanita [42], Misceneous Supply Bag [3].


    --------------


    Ohoho. It was getting a little crowded.


    But I felt like a kid in a candy store with so much to choose from.


    I retrieved one supply bag first. It was a leather backpack with a bunch of survivor items inside like ropes, torches, a dagger, a leather map. There was even a change of clothes and what looked like whisky. Where was the food?


    I quickly moved on to the next supply bag.


    Inside was a mix of dry meat, hard bread, some dry fruits, and a pot of what looked like¡­honey?!


    Ahhh! No way!


    To taste something sweet after all this time was too amazing!


    I tipped the pot over, savouring the taste until everyst drop of honey was gone. Feeling drunk on sugar I checked the next supply bag, but it contained food without any honey and I wanted to cry.


    It was nice while itsted. I paced around the empty honey pot, feeling sad.


    But wait¡­If there were monster wasps¡­surely they were monster bees as well?


    Ohohoho. Maybe I''ll get to eat some monster honey soon.


    Next, I began to eat the cores of the monsters I''d ''borrowed'' from the huntsman. There were 20 in total and I was curious what kind of cores they contained.


    I started from the highest level monster, hoping to get a high grade core.


    ?You have consumed a medium grade core?


    ?Status: Complete?


    ?Magic: +15??Attack: +30?


    ?Agility: +35??Defence: +35?


    Well, that was encouraging. I happily went on to eat the next.

 Chapter 126 - Overeating

    ?You have consumed a medium grade core?


    ?You have consumed a medium grade core?


    ?You have consumed a medium grade core?


    ?You have consumed a low grade core?


    ?Status: 3 Complete, 1 Inferior?


    ?Magic: +46??Defence: +45?


    ?Agility: +54??Intellect: +47?


    ?Attack: +53?


    What the heck was thatst one? Inferior grade?


    Some of the creatures contained no core at all, but I continued to eat until I consumed three more medium grade ones and two inferior ones. Before I knew it, the pile of creatures was gone.


    None of them was a high grade core. Tch!


    I was slightly disappointed, but it was to be expected. The first monster was only level [38], to be high grade, it would have to surpass the Hesperia queen I''d eaten prior. I had some idea of how the cores were graded.


    Low grade cores would have to be from newly evolved creatures either LV12 to LV17, medium grade would be LV18 up to LV42, depending on what their skill levels were and maybe, how old they were.


    High grade cores were still unknown since I was yet to consume any, but I would keep a lookout for them in the future, as well as monster honey. After eating so many cores, I felt a little sluggish and decided to rest for a while, but suddenly the system dinged.


    ?Skill¡ºOvereating: LV1¡»has been acquired?


    Was that an insult?


    It seemed interesting so I appraised it.


    --------------


    Overeating ¨C User will not feel sluggish or gain weight after eating copious amounts of food. Excess food intake will be stored as emergency stamina points. When the user''s stamina falls to thest bar, this emergency reserve will automatically activate. Subsequent level increments of [Overeating] will increase reserve capacity.


    --------------


    Not feel sluggish?


    Not gain weight?


    Why did it seem like this skill was shaming me for my eating habits by granting me fatty stamina?


    Was it saying I would have gained weight without it?


    I examined my body cautiously to make sure I didn''t have any fat rolls. I did feel surprisingly light after eating 10 times my body weight so maybe it was true.


    Hmph! I refused to believe a monster could get fat!


    With a new skill gained, I was reminded of the system skills I''d been ignoring for a while.


    --------------


    Skills:


    [Floating Ribs: 350XP] [Paralysis Venom: 250XP] [Regeneration: 300XP]


    --------------


    I appraised [Regeneration] because it seemed the most useful and expensive!


    But I could afford it because I had more than enough skill points after my recent killing sprees.


    --------------


    [Regeneration] ¨C Allows the bearer to restore themselves to optimal health depending on their mana capacity. If the amount of mana is less than what is required, regeneration will cease. Subsequent level increments increase the speed of regenerative abilities.


    --------------


    This seemed quite broken too. If I had plenty of mana I couldpletely restore myself, and unlike [Cure] it would only cost me some mana. So, I purchased it without hesitation.


    ?Confirmed:¡ºRegeneration: LV1¡»has been acquired?


    Woo! It was too bad I wasn''t injured or I would have tested it. All in all, my stats were looking pretty impressive, if I say so myself.


    -----------------


    Name: Aurelia [LV19 Small Cerastes]


    Specie: Cerastes Vipera


    HP: 440/440    Defence: 454


    MP: 397/397    Intellect: 273


    SP: 470/470     Magic: 362


    Attack: 516      Agility: 605


    Skills:


    [Meteor Scales:LV5] [Shadow Shroud:LV4]


    [Scent: LV8][SP Recovery:LV4][Leap:LV8]


    [Rugged Scales:LV10] [Rapid Strike:LV8]


    [Poison Fang:LV10] [Bite:LV10] [Grip:LV9]


    [Instantaneous Sprint: LV2] [Detox:LV4]


    [Mana Sense:LV6] [Overeating: LV1]


    [Buoyancy: LV5] [Steel Skin: LV10]


    [Appraisal:LV6] [Heat Seeker: LV4]


    [MP Recovery: LV5] [Silence:LV10]


    [Heat Sense:LV10] [Pain Toxin: LV8]


    [Heat Sphere:LV5] [HP Recovery:LV4]


    [Stealth:LV10] [Poison Synthesis: LV5]


    [Venom Rain: LV4] [Regeneration: LV1]


    [Deadly Poison Attack:LV4] [Mark: LV3]


    ----------------------------


    Titles:


    [Apostle] [Coldblooded]


    [Commander] [Hero] [Trickster]


    Unique Skills:


    [Devour] [Area of Authority]


    Magic Items:


    [Dimensional Box] [Labyrinth As]


    Magic Skills:


    [Poison Magic: LV4] [Shadow Magic: LV3]


    [Poison Maniption: LV4] [Shadow Maniption: LV3]


    Attributes:


    [Obsidian Horn] [Mind Chain] [Mimic]


    [Empowered Stinger] [Coercion]


    [Acid Blood] [Death Rattle]


    ----------------------------


    Resistances:


    [Paralysis Resistance: LV6]


    [Impact Resistance: LV9]


    [Cutting Resistance: LV5]


    [Poison Resistance: LV7]


    [Pain Resistance: LV9]


    [Heat Resistance: LV2]


    [Mental Warfare: LV5]


    [Dark Resistance:LV4]


    [Wind Resistance: LV6]


    [Shock Resistance: LV9]


    [Faint Resistance: LV6]


    [Pain Mitigation: LV4]


    -------------------------------


    Experience Points: [2696]


    -----------------


    No longer was I a small fragile snake¡­


    I was now a slightly chubby medium snake with her own sound effect. Such progress!


    Feeling pleased with myself, I left myfortable perch and moved further into the cave, a distance away from where the nestlings trained, in order not to interrupt them. Here the walls were filled with markings from where I tested out my poison attacks.


    For a while I''d been trying to create a [Poison de], simr to the scary wasp''s wind de. However, my technique was not quite perfect. While they worked on creatures with weaker defences like the mimics and the Adavaaks, I wasn''t sure it would work on creatures with much tougher shells.


    I needed something that cut deeper. Although I could change theirposition to equal parts [Pain Toxin] and my [Deadly Poison], it didn''t help much if they had high defensive skills. I needed to make the spheres move faster to hit moving targets, and increase their power to improve their deadliness!


    I generated more poison spheres with [Poison Synthesis] and fired them repeatedly at the wall. Multiple scrape marks appeared across it, but when I came closer, the dents were no more than five inches deep. I repeated this again,pressing the spheres to even thinner discs this time.


    The thinner they got, the faster they began to spin and thepressed spheres grew to nearly twice their size. I could feel the great force of their movement and it became much harder to keep myself from losing control.


    I activated [Mana Sense], focusing on the pathway of energy contained within each sphere.


    A hazy cyan mist surrounded each poison sphere, and I could see it dissipating into the air, the more I tried to maintain their shape. Before itpletely scattered I fired it at the wall and there was a bang as the rock split. A tear ten inches deep had appeared across the cave wall.


    The system dinged as I examined the cut.


    ?Skill¡ºPoison Maniption: LV1¡»has been acquired?


    I wanted to scream with happiness. Take that wall! Soon you will be nothing but rubble!


    ?Not bad.? Sensei said after a pause. ?You''ve taken the first step to grasping [Mana Control]. You''ll need more practice in the future...preferably on moving targets. That wall did nothing to you.?


    I pouted. Did he just make a joke?


    ?Shaping your poison should be easier now.?


    I tried creating my poison spheres again and this time I was able to maintain its thinner,pressed form without much trouble. But there was still some resistance, like I was training a muscle I''d never used before and the thin spheres could only take shape for a few minutes before dissipating.


    ?You should practice somewhere with more magical ether in the atmosphere, to improve the effectiveness of your magic, until you''re good enough to do it on your own.?


    That sounded like a good tip, but where exactly would I find somewhere like that?


    As I observed the cracks across the wall, I remembered an important detail. Sensei had mentioned before that the lower levels of the Labyrinth had higher concentrations of ether, high enough to be poisonous.


    Since I was only on the firstyer, I ought to consider going lower. Going a step lower should be enough to meet those requirements.


    The only known entrance was the tiny tunnel inside my very own cave. But there was the obvious problem of my size which had increased since then!


    I was no longer small and cute. Just how could I fit into that crack now? Was the mangrove forest of the Labyrinth''s lower stratum forever out of reach?


    I opened up the as and it showed in colours only the part of the forest i''d been in. New ces like Sylrin''s cave had lit up and even the underground Crystal cave was clear, but there was no area that showed a connectingdder from the top ne to the lower one.


    This poor quality map! It never showed anything useful!


    There had to be another way to get down that I didn''t know about. Arge deep hole, or maybe a geyser leading to the bottom!


    But why despair, when I could dig!


    With my [Dimensional Box] all things were possible! I moved over to the spot I discovered the crack and was pleased to see it was still there. While the nestlings trained, I began my digging adventure using its devouring capabilities, opening a rectangr sized holes of a slightlyrger width than myself, before sticking my head inside.


    From there I was able to wriggle through, widening the hole further, the deeper I went. It was long and difficult because the little crack went so far, it must have spanned miles and the ustrophobic space was deeply ufortable.


    It was always a concern that the tunnel I was digging could copse and crush me, but luckily that didn''t happen.


    Eventually I reached the end of the tunnel and slithered out onto a tform overlooking a deep chasm below.

 Chapter 127 - The Middle Stratum

    The mangrove forest appeared before me, spanning for miles below the chasm in a lush dense jungle that floated above the water. The forest was well lit, crystals dotted all over the cavernous ceiling illuminated the forest from above, their bright glow casting light over the forest canopy.


    Below, the water shone brightly from the crystals in their sunken depths, illuminating the tuberous mangrove roots in green.


    I stood warily over the edge of the cliff, observing therge forest below, before peering down at the cliff.


    Unfortunately, I couldn''t appreciate the spectacr scenery, because unlike before, my vision had improved, and I could now clearly see the massive monsters that were moving through the forest below.


    The cliff was steep, the dark rocks meeting with the water of the forest at the bottom before continuing down for miles and I could also seerge bodies of strange marine monsters swimming inside the water. I tried to see just how far it went, but I detected movement right below.


    There was a gigantic centipede monster above the water, steadily crawling up the steep cliff. And there wasn''t just one either.


    I discovered the walls were riddled with holes, and there was even a massive cave, with that centipede crawling in to join what looked like twenty more centipedes of simr size in a massive writhing pile.


    Okay¡­so even the wall was infested with bugs. Nothing so bad, r-right?


    But then, I heard a loud crashing from the forest and before my eyes, an enormous hairy spider with excessively long limbs appeared and I felt the soul leaving my body at the sight.


    Far bigger than any of those I''d seen above, its bulbous hairy body stood high above the trees, its long spindly legs stabbing down through the roots to touch the water below.


    The simple act of moving its legs felled trees in its path, leaving a trail of devastation through the forest like it was nothing. My heart pulsated in my snake chest. Why did I not see any of these creatures before? Curse my poor eyesight!


    I only had fond memories of this ce and forgot that higher levels of ether also meant more evolved,rger monsters.


    And it wasn''t just the huge monster spider giving me second thoughts. Down here, I wasn''t big at all! Anything could casually eat me, from the creatures in the water, to those onnd and I wouldn''t even be enough for a snack!


    Okay, calm down. I activated [Mimic] and watched my scales blend into my surroundings. I was only here to practice magic. Yeah, just magic.


    I wasn''t here to hunt at all and I don''t need to encounter any of these creatures. I could just explore around without being seen. Which wasn''t difficult at all.


    With that thought, I rxed and saw the centipedes below the cliff settling down inside their cave, not knowing I had my eye on them, and the gigantic spider continued moving through the forest unhindered.


    I watched its figure shirking into the distance the further into mangrove it went and my fiercely beating heart slowly rxed.


    There was no need to venture into the forest for now, unless I wanted to be food for them, and since there were centipedes below me, I decided to go up.


    The steep wall of the cliff looked unforgiving to climb but I wanted to see where the top met with the middle stratum''s ceiling, so I essed the As.


    My tunnel from the cave to the cliff was illuminated, and as a result I could see the cliff ending in a teau that was not that far up, so I began my climb.


    But before leaving, I made sure to cover the entrance to the tunnel I just made with more rock debris. I couldn''t risk something following my trail back to the cave.


    Halfway up my steep climb, I spotted something wriggling across the cliffside and I nearly yelped out of my skin. But when I focused on it, I saw it was only arge worm. I added ''only'' because unlike the creatures I''d seen down there, I was much bigger than it and it gave me more confidence.


    Maybe not everything down here was gigantic after all.


    Ah¡­but if that was the case, didn''t that just make every small creature prey?


    I shivered.


    I appraised the worm and its stats made me sigh with relief.


    --------------


    LV11 Ivenium Carmivern


    Specie: Ailith Terrestris


    HP:94/94     Defence: 78


    MP:37/37     Intellect: 15


    SP:88/88     Magic: 28


    Attack:75     Agility: 105


    Skills:


    [Egg Laying:LV1] [Endurance: LV4]


    [Exoskeleton: LV4] [Scent: LV10]


    [Corrosive Acid: LV3] [Grip: LV8]


    [Regurgitation: LV3] [Dig: LV6]


    [Echolocation: LV8] [Bite: LV4]


    [Tail Spike: LV3] [Stealth: LV1]


    Title:


    [Gross Feeder] [Kin Eater]


    Resistances:


    [Poison Resistance: LV2]


    [Rot Resistance: LV1]


    --------------


    It was pretty weak, so I ignored it and continued to climb.


    However, the worm spotted me even with my [Mimic] activated and immediately gave a disgruntled screech.


    I wanted to smack the stupid worm. If its sound attracted a flying predator, or those centipedes below, I would be screwed too!


    And on that thought I looked down and saw movements before multiple limbs extended from the centipede''s cave.


    I immediately turned around and fired my poison sphere at the worm knocking it off the cliff and falling down with a st.


    ?You have killed LV11 Ivenium Carmivern!?


    ?You have earned 88XP?


    I was not letting a stupid worm get me killed.


    I breathed a relieved sigh when I saw the centipedes'' multiple limbs return to its cave and continued my climb.


    However, I soon spotted another worm along the cliffside and I instantly prepared another sphere just in case it screeched. But instead, the worm began to chew the rocks of the cliff, before disappearing inside.


    I blinked in surprise. What hard teeth!


    I felt the cliffside rumble as the worm drilled its way under the ground towards me. I could make out its heat trace under the ground and decided to climb even faster.


    So when a hole opened up in the cliffside and the worm''s round toothy maw appeared with a screech, I immediately cut off the sound by slicing through its face with mypressed poison sphere.


    ?You have killed LV9 Ivenium Carmivern!?


    ?You have earned 72XP?


    It was indeed much easier to keep its shape in that form and I continued to scan across the cliffside for any other possible worm ambushes, but there were none. There were also no noticeable movements from below, so I continued my climb peacefully.


    I finally reached the teau and climbed up. However, what I saw up there was far worse than what I imagined.


    There were more worms on the teau, their wet bulbous bodies basking on the t rock face. They all looked up at my arrival, sightless faces promptly burrowing under the ground with jagged maws toe after me.


    Since I was already discovered, I couldn''t back out. There was only one way, which was THROUGH them!


    I whipped out my poison spheres, shooting them into the ground wherever my [Heat Sense] picked up their traces. The rock face rumbled as the rocks split apart revealing their bodies that had been sliced apart, but I didn''t stop there.


    I activated my [Shadow Shroud], extending my tail outwards to impale any that tried to sneak up from behind me. I heard the hiss as the prongs released inside the body of a worm and when I yanked it out, a chunk of its disgusting flesh came away with it, leaving a hole in its body.


    I felt my speed had increased, or rather the worms were too slow for me. The furious creatures screeched with pain as my poison openedrge gashes across their bodies, and I continued my assault, firing out shots at lightning speed to cut down more of the wounded creatures until there was none left moving.


    ?You have killed LV13 Ivenium Carmivern!?


    ?You have killed LV11 Ivenium Carmivern!?


    ?You have killed LV12 Ivenium Carmivern!?


    ?You have earned 384XP?


    The system dings went off in a flurry as the bodies dropped like flies.


    Standing triumphant over the dead, I could hear the calls of various creatures in the greenery below, like cries cheering me on and a savage grin spread across my face.


    From the height of the teau I could oversee the entire middle stratum. The t in was a lotrger than I initially thought, with the mangrove forest only being the edge of its true beginning. Further in, the water was more scarce and all there was dense jungle I could not see the end of.


    Somehow even though thebyrinth was full of ravenous creatures, I couldn''t help thinking it was strangely beautiful.


    "It''s amazing how big it is." I eximed in awe.


    ''Was this eptance, or had I finally gone crazy?'' I thought, as I gushed to Sensei. I hadn''t quite made peace with my slithering existence yet, but this wasn''tpletely bad.


    Sensei chuckled. ?You seem to be in a good mood.?


    I was surprised that I was. There was a kind of beauty in the simplicity that was found living as I was. There were no convoluted rules, aside from keeping what you killed, which was easy to understand. And I seemed to have found my ce here quite easily.


    "You''re just jealous because I was right about the nestlings and you were wrong."


    Of course, it was still dangerous in a way that I coulde under a creature''s ws at any minute, but this realisation did not scare me anymore. I just had to continue winning to carve out my ce here, amongst the monsters and other rabid beasts.


    Crush them all underfoot if I had to and continue to live infort.


    Sensei spoke with caution. ?I admit I was wrong about them. But you have to be careful not to project your feelings for your siblings onto them.?


    "I won''t." I snapped angrily.


    Why did he have to bring them up when I was finally able to let go and move on?


    Sensei sighed. ?I agree I was wrong, but I won''t apologise for looking out for you. At the time of the quest, it would have been foolish to try to lead them when you weren''t that much stronger than they were. If they levelled up as a group like they are now, your life would have been in danger.?


    Hmph. I couldn''t help feeling smug.


    Although I understood his reasoning, I understood the nestlings better.


    It shouldn''t have been easy to lead them, but somehow it was, and I had faced little to no resistance. This was mostly due to the presence of Ophelia and Typhon.


    Otherwise, it really shouldn''t have been this simple.


    I revelled in my victory. Because of those two, although the nestlings demonstrated impressive results, none had tried to challenge me, and this was because they supported me.


    And if not for my amazing personality, why else would Ophelia and Typhon adore me so much?


    As usual, Sensei was just a killjoy who couldn''t understand my impressive charisma and he was simply upset that I''d proved him wrong.

 Chapter 128 - Meeting The Neighbours

    I had killed enough of the worm creatures to gain an attribute, but somehow their icky worm bodies didn''t appeal to me at all.


    Of the few skills they had, some like [Echolocation] and [Corrosive Acid] had some appeal, as did [Exoskeleton], but I was pretty sure my inbuilt wasp''s exoskeletonbined with [Meteor Scales] was far superior to that of a mere worm, so I didn''t really bother.


    Others like [Regurgitation] and [Egg Laying] werepletely repulsive. Why did I need toy eggs when I already had enough pesky brats? And I''m pretty sure my snake race already had that ''skill'', if not, how else did Ie to be¡­oh.


    Did that mean I could alsoy eggs? Was I in a horror movie?


    I imagined a bunch of little metallic purple snakes, bursting out of a million eggs with their obsidian horns, to bite unsuspecting human faces like those horrible face hugger creatures.


    Oh no no no no. Fire was the only solution!


    ?Stop imagining absurd things.?


    "What is the snake n like?" I asked after a pause. I was curious and Sensei was unusually talkative today.


    ?In what way??


    "Do they have a single leader or many?"


    ?They respond to a single sovereign and it is always one with overwhelming power, otherwise it would be impossible to control so many without the n splitting into factions.?


    "Are snakes really that powerful?" I seemed to remember being so incredibly weak when I was born, that even a group of bottom feeders could cause me trouble.


    ?They are difficult to rule, being argely solitary and independent species. They may be weak while young, but they are still, out of all the creatures of the Labyrinth, the ones with the strongest poison. Unlike other poisons, it can cripple even the most powerful creature if a bite is left untreated.?


    Oh? That definitely changes my impression of the nestlings a little bit.


    Once they evolved, they would only grow stronger, but until then, time and poison was their biggest advantage.


    I distractedly took a bite out of one of the icky worms.


    I had some hopes of getting [Echolocation] but the taste made me regret this immediately. It was bitter. The flesh underneath the exoskeleton of the worm was hot, with a chunky texture reminiscent of vomit. The foul acidic taste burned my tongue, and when I was led by my snake''s instinct to swallow, it turned my stomach immediately.


    Everything that went down, fought toe back up and my body gave out from sudden weakness. I flopped on the ground grimacing in agony as my stomach did somersaults. My tongue trembled for water as it burned with the bitter acidic taste. Eating this was my worst decision ever.


    The system dinged.


    ?Skill¡ºRot Resistance¡»has been acquired?


    "I don''t care! Water! I''m dying!"


    I twisted and turned in anguish as my stomach heaved like I''d been punched a million times. And even my HP had taken a dip of 50 points! Just what the heck did I eat?


    ?Dead snakes don''t talk.? Sensei snickered.


    "Shut up, you horrible system! Give me a potion quickly!"


    The cool liquid of a [Healing Potion] dribbled down my throat and after many horrible seconds of waiting, the terrible pain in my stomach finally subsided.


    I was so furious, I stabbed the body of the nearest worm with my tail and hurled it far away with a fling.


    To forget the horrible taste, I ate some of the cooked meat from the human''s supply bag and after a while, I regained some feeling in my tongue.


    What a horrid creature! Never mind collecting their bodies as food ¨C I never wanted to see another worm again!


    Earlier, I''d seen the centipedes leave their tunnel as they ventured down into the mangrove forest to hunt, and now I thought they weren''t nearly as bad. asionally, an airborne insect would fly past the steep rock wall, but my lookout spot from the highest teau remainedrgely undisturbed because it was so far up.


    I then spent the next few hours practicing my skills. So far I''d already made great progress in the ether rich environment. [Poison Maniption] had levelled up twice from my training efforts, and the ease at which I created the spheres had improved. I could make veryrge poison des and smaller precise ones, as well as increase the speed of their attacks.


    I also made sure to practice [Shadow Magic] and had seeded in gaining [Shadow Maniption]. Now, I could extend my shadowy tendrils outside of my body and rather than sticking to the darkness to remain active, the darkness of my [Shadow Shroud] had be so dense and thick that I seemed to be creating the shadows this time.


    No longer epassing my figure alone, I could project the tendrils to spread out past my body in a dark mass that could envelop things around me. If I chose to, I could extend it much further, but only to a point before my entire shroud dissipated.


    I also found that when I moved while cloaked, my speed increased by a fraction, although this was only while it remained active. I was really curious about it and wanted to y with it more, but if I stayed here for too long, the nestlings would start to panic.


    With that, I dispersed my shadows in favour of [Mimic] and began my climb down the wall. In the brighter surroundings of the Middle Stratum, a shadow on the wall of the cliff would be far too noticeable.


    Once down, I uncovered the tunnel I''d concealed and made my way back to the cave, ensuring to seal it from the other end.


    Back in the cave, the nestlings were still diligently training and when I checked the system I saw, two more had fulfilled the conditions of the quest.


    Could it be my two healer snakes? I was excited to see their progress!


    However, Typhon was in a bad mood and Ophelia seemed to have passed on her ''snake-sitting'' duties to Morgana, who was also in a hissing mood.


    And I could see why, when I appraised the two healer snakes - their training results were abysmal.


    They had only managed to level up one of their defensive skills [Rugged Scales] and that was only from constantly falling while trying to climb. Turns out that aside from being difficult to train, they were also ident prone.


    I silently cheered on Typhon and Morgana before moving on to see the progress of the rest of the nestlings. And it wasn''t long before I spotted Ghad who was chasing after Cygnus along with the water creature that had failed to make an appearance for a while!


    Thinking I wouldn''t get another chance again, I immediately activated [Mimic], and slowly moved closer to the training area, and Ghad. However, the tricky water creature quickly vanished out of view, as if it sensed it had sensed my arrival.


    With my ambush failed, I grew annoyed and cancelled [Mimic].


    Ghad was surprised when I suddenly materialised beside him, but he thought I was ying a game so he attempted to sneak up on me next, much to my annoyance.


    Like a mouse stalking a cat, his attempts at y were cute but I didn''t want to identally crush him or stab him with my tail, so I shook him off and went over to the cave''s entrance to see the state of the forest outside.


    The downpour continued and the forest was alive with the excited calls of creatures. It was chaotic and filled with creatures fighting over meat. There were many of those stinger beasts so I activated my [Shadow Shroud] before I exited the cave.


    But I didn''t go far. I wasn''t out to explore, rather, I was scouting.


    If I was going to carve out my own territory, I needed to learn how my neighbours fought. And what better time to observe the creatures I shared the Labyrinth with, than during a time of mass disorder?


    The first of the creatures I observed were wolves. A pack of them appeared to be fighting off a group of the rampaging stinger beasts, and from further up the hill I could make out therge glowing fangs of a massive grey wolf that could only be the alpha.


    He seemed to be watching the skirmish from above, while he fought one of therger stinger beasts.


    I stared on admiringly. Perhaps he too was training his wolf pack?


    I also noticed another group of creatures shing with the stinger beasts, these ones I''d never seen before. They were smaller feline beasts that resembled panthers with midnight blue fur and bright purple ears, and light blue lightning streaks across their bodies.


    Extremely agile and quick with a venomous bite, they attacked the group of stinger creatures, even managing to beat them back where the wolves had not seeded.


    Once they fled, the agile felines took off after the stinger creatures, leaving the wolves behind. The grounds were littered with so many corpses of creatures that had either downed in soft sand or sumbed to the bottom feeders, and in the absence of another predator, the wolves soon dominated the field, seizing all the corpses for their own.


    While the wolves pack gathered around, some taking back the dead quarry to their dens, another monster soon appeared to prey on them. I was busy trying to spot the alpha when a pale flying figure flitted through my periphery.


    A ghostly looking creature was flying in the air. It looked simr to a moth, if a moth could grow to be the size of a human. Its appearance was mesmerizingly beautiful, with pale translucent wings and a pristine white body that seemed to shimmer. It flew above the wolves, and some sort of dust particles fell off its wings.


    And almost instantly, the wolves that inhaled the fine dust, became sleepy. Their heads dropped to the ground and their bodies became limp. That''s when the moth swooped down and made off with the catch the wolves were so carefully guarding.


    It was pretty to look at, but very sneaky!


    The pack of wolves didn''t know what hit them. They are only out for a second but by the time they became aware, their hard won prey was gone.


    It seemed marking my own territory was going to be more challenging than I initially thought.

 Chapter 129 - Fennelis Moonriver

    It glinted silver and was very high up in the mist, the thing that Fennelis was watching. The wood elf wondered what it might be.


    Perhaps a monster? But it was too far away to tell. He strained to make out what the airborne figure could be, but it soon vanished from view behind a cloud of mist and soon Fennelis came down from his spot in the trees.


    There were nine figures drenched in rain around the soldering fire. None spoke as he came down, each sticking to their respective groups to whisper amongst themselves.


    Fennelis joined the group and began to stoke their weakening campfire in silence. The mood around their campfire had darkened since they were attacked in the middle of the night by a mysterious creature.


    The men on his right were whispering in quiet voices. They seemed like soldiers, but he wasn''t sure he could call them that. They were dressed in a mix of different armours.


    Their tanned leather had designs from the desert country of Insar, but the rough make up of their steel armour was clearly barbarian in origin, even their curved ornate daggers looked like those of elves ¨C he wasn''t sure if they were truly soldiers or mercenaries.


    However, the ones that seemed like real soldiers were more concerned with finding treasure and wealth. The Pgian captain, Rokian, and his four infantry soldiers were discussing the price of rare monster cores and Fennelis picked up pieces of their conversation with his keen senses.


    ording to them there were many cores scattered across thebyrinth, dropped by the monsters as they died, and their shrewd captain was determined to break off from the group to go find them.


    Their ims werepletely false, of course, but Fennelis pretended not to hear any of this. He wasn''t surprised the Pgian soldiers were considering this. Entry to the Ailith Labyrinth was strictly controlled by the high elves and it would be extremely difficult for them to get another opportunity to enter.


    Which was why, instead of returning to a victory parade in their country after their sessful battle against the mutant horde, these unlikely soldiers had broken away from their legion to sign up for this exploratory mission.


    The shrill sound of steel scraped against stone interrupted his thoughts. Fennelis looked towards the base of the tree where a hairy man covered in fur, was sharpening a battle axe that was nearly as tall as himself and three times as wide. It was a fearsome weapon that could cleave even a dragon in two.


    Fennelis wondered how that man could lift such a weapon so easily.


    Of their entire group, the worst so far had to be this wandering barbarian that had tagged along. A huge man, but of a few words, Fennelis thought his blood had to be a mix of something, for he was nearly as tall as a giant. Much taller than their tallest half elf who could already look down at everyone.


    His bulk, along and the weight of the weapon he carried only showed off his strength. The only thing the man had done so far was to hunt monsters, and he had been hit the hardest by the night''s thievery, since every one of his monster corpses had been stolen clean.


    The barbarian''s icy blue eyes soldered with rage and Fennelis looked away. The soldiers around the campfire had seized their chatter, each trying hard not to look over in his direction. Fennelis decided his time was better spent scouting.


    At the start of their expedition, the group was in harmony, even with their dubious assembly of members, but after many long days of long fruitless search, repeated encounters with monsters, and now with their food shortage, the mood had quickly gone sour.


    The unrelenting rain and the rushing rapids they created had also done plenty to strain the elf-human rtionships amongst the party.


    There were only so many ant monsters that came through the barrier before they realised it was suspicious. It was soon revealed that one of the half elves had taken the corpse of an ant monster into his storage ring, leading to so many encounters with the creatures and their relentless pursuit.


    The tempers of the group had changed ever since. They had discarded the monster''s body and fled uphill to get away from them. And now this happened.


    Ulrick, their group''s only ranger, had a detection stone to warn him of approaching monsters. The stone had been with him through many solitary journeys through the bordends and was quite expensive.


    It was his lucky charm, and he was reluctant to part with it or even share it with the group while he slept. So, it wasn''t a surprise none of them had been aware of the monster''s presence, or what it had taken until it was toote.


    Luthera, the only High elf among them, and the leader of the group had said it was an aberrant monster that had made away with their supplies, but Fennelis himself hadn''t seen any, and he was awake. Also what sort of monster would only take supplies when there were people in front of it?


    His suspicionsy with the elf ranger, Ulrick. He was the only one in the group who had an argument with the barbarian who was better skilled at tracking and hunting monsters than he was. Why else would all of his kills have been taken?


    They were probably all in his storage ring right now, and he prevented anyone from checking its contents while he kept up the lie. However, Luthera came to his defence insisting it was indeed a monster, the jewel she wore around her neck had gone off while she slept, and it only did so in the presence of demonic energy.


    Ulrick had supposedly slept through the rm of his detection stone, while Luthera only seemed to know about the monster after it had gone. Fennelis suspected there had been no monster, that it was just an excuse made up by the two half elves to cover up their mischief and they had seeded in fooling Luthera into going along with them.


    Since it happened, they had decided to move camps, just in case the monster returned for them this time.


    They were still no closer to finding the mysterious temple that was supposed to reside within the Labyrinth. And Luthera along with the two half elves spent all of their time in their tents, pouring over maps and ancient scripts.


    Finding the temple was a mission from her master, Grandmaster Lothrein, but Fennelis thought the difficulty of her mission was too high. If there was such a temple here, why had no elf aside from the Grandmaster discovered it before? And why would he send a single disciple to look for it, instead of a more capable hand?


    It felt like an impossible task. Perhaps it was a test from her master that she wasn''t supposed to pass?


    But Luthera was just as determined to not give up. She had been keeping an eye on the Labyrinth''s exit and tracking it via pendulum on her map. It had already moved since they''d been camped here so she suggested moving camp, right before the rain started and their progress had been halted. The rain was another obstruction she did not predict, which had made their progress difficult.


    Thebyrinth itself changed all the time, with an exit that could appear anywhere on the upper stratum, they had to keep moving if they wanted to keep up with it and not get stuck there forever.


    And so, while the high elf continued her search, he would scout ahead to spot any dangers.


    The tent flung open and the elf swordsman, Aetoris emerged. He was tall with a muscr build, pale blonde hair, and bright green eyes with an extremely haughty look on his face. Ignoring the tense mood around the fire, he called out to Fennelis.


    "Moonboy, why are you out there with them? Luthera needs you inside."


    Fennelis did not like his tone.


    "Did you not hear me?" Aetoris called out again. Ever since Fennelis discovered he was the one with the ant monster''s corpse, he took an issue with him and was often rude to him for no reason.


    Instead of following him into the tent, Fennelis left the campfire and ran ahead of the group, scaling the nearest tree to get a better look from above. As they prepared to move camp, Fennelis grew even more concerned they were still being followed ¨C it wasn''t so easy to throw hunting ants off a fixed scent.


    He focused on the ground below, but then he noticed the gleam in the sky had gotten closer to them since then. He couldn''t remember ever seeing anything quite like it. He could make out individual flying figures in the air and the silvery glimmer seemed to be their wings.


    It implied things, things that disturbed him almost as much as the growing conflict within their camp. The creatures seemed to be Hesperias and it wasn''t the typical hunting squadron of eight, he had never seen them move in such numbers before.


    "What are you staring at so intently, Moonboy?" The arrogant elf questioned.


    Fennelis nced at the elf for a brief second before directing his attention back up to the mist, listening to the whisper of the creatures that transpired within. He heard the drone of the Hesperias, followed by the shuffle of leaves as the fast moving creatures swept through them, counting each one.


    "Ignoring me now?" Aetoris was enraged, but Fennelis nimbly leapt down from the tree as he eximed.


    "Hesperias iing. It looks like a swarm. I counted twenty but it''s likely there are more." He warned, quickly grabbing his bow and arrow. The Pgian soldiers all rose to their feet, fastening their amour before extending their weapons.


    Luthera was frantic as she came out of her tent, a map in hand. "What did you say?"


    "Hesperias!" Fennelis repeated.


    Lutheria looked even more frantic. "They shouldn''t be in this area; their territory is much further south. I made sure to avoid that ce!"


    "Your calctions are wrong." Aetoris snapped. "Wait in the tent and gather your things. We''ll wait out the swarm to see if it moves on. Where is Ulrick?"


    Ukrick came out of his tent, smelling strongly of alcohol, just as the Hesperia swarm passed though their illusion barrier without stopping. They quickly spotted the group as the members took up arms.


    Aetoris took out his appraisal stone, aiming at the first wasp that reared its ugly head, to determine its level. His already pale face turned a shade whiter, but he stood firm, hisbat training kicking into ce.


    "Weapons at the ready! The monsters are upon us!"

 Chapter 130 - The Vanishing Lake

    I appraised the ghostly moth in the distance, as it made its skilful getaway.


    If I ever faced it again, I wanted to have some idea of what I was dealing with.


    --------------


    LV14 Melior Solinum


    Specie: Ailith Vespoidea


    HP: 92/92 Defence: 82


    MP: 80/84 Intellect: 65


    SP: 96/96 Magic: 70


    Attack: 75 Agility: 142


    Skills:


    [Olfactory Enhancement:LV6] [Flight: LV10]


    [Ultraviolet Vision: LV8] [Bite: LV7] [Lift: LV6]


    [Grip: LV8] [Perception: LV3] [w: LV4]


    [Silence: LV10] [Directional Stability: LV3]


    [Paralysis Venom: LV4] [Dreamer: LV7]


    [Compound Eyes: LV10] [Scent: LV10]


    [Exoskeleton: LV5] [Stalking: LV8]


    [Predatory Grace: LV4] [Dust: LV8]


    [Vision Expansion: LV4] [Stealth: LV8]


    Magic Skills:


    [Air Magic]


    Attributes:


    Resistances:


    [Wind Resistance: LV8]


    [Pain Resistance: LV6]


    --------------


    Rather than join the wolves to fight over the kill, it had left the two creatures to fight it out and only revealed itself when the stinger creatures were gone, and the wolves were weak. Although its stats were pretty weak for an evolved monster, it was quite intelligent. It seemed to depend solely on surprise attacks, and use its speed to steal.


    The pack of wolves that had their prey stolen, kept looking around for the moth, and when it couldn''t be found, they howled desperately for their leader. Compared to the wolf pups, the pale moth was rather interesting.


    But from what I spotted through the trees using [Mana Sense], I could see the alpha was fighting off what looked like therger version of those stinger beasts. It was clear he was too busy toe, and the wolves could only look around confused and helpless.


    There were only twelve wolves here, so while their Alpha was busy, I quietly stalked them in my cloaked form.


    They had already started moving away to hunt something else, and each one looked around warily for predators, but I stuck closely in the shadows of the trees, inching closer to them whenever they turned their backs to me.


    There were three wolves further behind the pack than the others, so I moved quickly to snatch the stragglers, extending my shadow to envelop them within.


    The sinister tendrils of darkness surged ahead, swallowing the bodies of the wolves instantly. I managed to get two, and the third was sadly out of my range.


    When the lucky wolf looked backwards, it didn''t find anything amiss and continued to move, not thinking twice about its missing pack members. Wolf pups weren''t very bright, it seemed.


    I could see the two wolves very clearly in the darkness of my shadow. Their behaviour was unusual. Instead of trying to run out of the dark, they cowered in fear and kept whimpering as they looked this way and that in a confused state.


    I was right next to them but neither of them could see me, but one of the wolves tried to move around and bumped into my tail and fell. It quickly stood back up and snarled with luminous blue fangs, before leaping to attack, but it missed and ended up harming the other wolf.


    Did my shadow make it difficult for them to see?


    Before the two wolves ripped each other apart and made a ruckus, I sliced their throats with my poison des, ending their lives. And when I dispersed my shadows, all of the wolf pups had fled into the trees. It was a shame I couldn''t catch more.


    The Alpha was still battling with the stinger beast and the sound of their battle was attracting other creatures to the area.


    I was curious about who would win, so I sneaked close to witness their showdown. However, on climbing uphill, I was shocked to see therge body of the stinger beast, already dead. Its pale body was riddled with massive w marks and even a part of its tail was missing.


    Did I arrivete? It seemed the Alpha had already won.


    It was nothing unexpected really, but I felt cheated. I''d wanted to see his fighting methods ¨C and what kind of magic he had, if any.


    But I soon heard a low growl from a nearby spot in the trees, and I could make out a pair of piercing blue eyes.


    Ah¡­were my prayers about to be answered?


    However when I looked towards the wolf, I noticed its eyes were rather high up.


    Er¡­had the alpha always been this big? The grey wolf seemed to be the size of a horse now.


    His chilling eyes passed over me, settling to re over at the spot where his wolf pups had been, they seemed to pick up something off the ground and I got nervous. It just happened to be where I''d killed the two pups.


    Had I left bloodstains when my poison shed them?


    But it was so far away, he couldn''t possibly see the blood, right?


    I remained still and watched as the alpha sniffed the air, before it padded away to drag the corpse of the stinger beast towards the rest of his pack.


    And I was relieved.


    With him gone, I slithered away with speed, and immediately regretted it.


    Should I have appraised him? He may have gotten bigger, but that huge mimic lizard showed me that size didn''t always equal strength. What if, he was actually really weak, and I''d just missed the opportunity to get a third meal?


    By the time I doubled back, the alpha was nowhere to be found.


    Hmm¡­I had to meet those wolves again. But then again, I wasn''t here to hunt, as tempting as it might be.


    I looked around and noticed the trees were extremely bare without any leaves¡­almost like they had been burnt¡­by a recent fire.


    Eeek! I remember this ce! Isn''t this where those spiders lurked?


    I scanned through the bare trees with [Heat Sense] and [Mana Sense], wary of encountering those hairy critters again.


    Fortunately, the area was empty, seemingly devoid of life. Although it rained, the trees still smelled of smoke and most were hollow shells after being torched.


    I seemed to remember there being water around here, so I tried to find the silveryke from before. But, when I went to the spot, all I saw was more forest.


    I did a double take. I could have sworn theke was here ¨C did the fire burn it up? Was that even possible?


    I wondered if I was in the right ce, so I checked the as. If there was water nearby, ake would be shown on the map. But then again, there was nothing. It was strange, I was certain I was in the right ce.


    I wanted to cry. It would have been so convenient to have ake near the cave, to take a bath s and spend some time alone.


    Did I walk through a mirage before? Or swim in disappearingke water? Did I have to find anotherke to take a bath again? How annoying!


    I scanned around the area one more time just to make sure there were no enemies, and stepped out of my shroud.


    There was something in my [Dimensional Box] that I had been ignoring for a while now. That one silvery fish I''d stolen from the lizard was from thiske.


    I essed it quickly and the silver eel like fish plopped down in front of me.


    It was real. I hadn''t imagined the whole thing.


    This fish was my only proof that theke had existed! I quickly appraised it.


    --------------


    LV13 Ivenium Feligre


    Specie: Ailith Arima


    HP: 0/36     Defence: 22


    MP: 0/60     Intellect: 8


    SP: 0/32     Magic: 10


    Attack: 28    Agility: 25


    Skills:


    [Bite: LV1] [Swim: LV8] [Ssh: LV4]


    [Silence: LV4] [Hydrokics: LV2]


    [Water Regeneration: LV5]


    Resistances:


    [Water Resistance: LV4]


    --------------


    The heck? It was so weak.


    I sniffed it and a briny watery smell wafted over. There was no hint of the water it had swam in, it just seemed to be a typical fish. I sighed in disappointment and ate it.


    The system dinged, giving me quite a surprise.


    ?You have consumed a low grade core?


    ?Status: Inferior?


    ?Magic: +20?


    I didn''t expect to gain anything from something so weak, so this was a pleasant surprise. And now, I wish I had taken more from the lizard!


    I ate the corpses of the two wolf pups and this time the system did not ding.


    I sighed. For now, it seemed I had to find a new source of water for myself and the nestlings. I knew of anotherke, but it was much closer to the lizard''s cave than ours. But thest time I saw it, it was filled with those stinger beasts and it wasn''t exactly the safest choice.


    As I searched the as for clues, I felt as if I was being observed so I scanned around again carefully and spotted a faint mana trace in the trees.


    I looked closely and it didn''t seem like a creature, it looked more like a tiny orb of light, so tiny, I almost thought it was a flying speck of dust, until it moved.


    Golden in colour, it hovered above the bare trees watching me, seemingly wanting to stay out of sight but there were no leaves to conceal it, so it went behind a tree branch to lurk.


    Its behaviour was kind of cute¡­ but I wasn''t going to fall for its innocent and harmless appearance, so I immediately appraised it.


    --------------


    LV7 Ivenium Ellydian


    Specie: Ailith Fae


    HP: 63/63    Defence: 17


    MP: 78/78    Intellect: 76


    SP: 46/46     Magic: 65


    Attack: 52    Agility: 45


    Skills:


    [Allure: LV5] [Buoyancy: LV7]


    [Photokinesis: LV6] [Flight: LV8]


    [Telepathy: LV2] [Dash:LV10]


    Title:


    [Trickster]


    Resistances:


    [Wind Resistance: LV6]


    --------------


    Eh, some kind of fairy? No way!

 Chapter 131 - Pet?

    The ball of light immediately took off, flying through the trees with insane speed.


    I really wanted to take a look at a real magical creature, so I chased after it without much thought.


    Maybe eating it would boost my magic?


    I was so fixated on catching it, I didn''t notice the group of stinger beasts ahead. There were more than ten, surrounding a tree where a small feline creature was, hanging down from one of the tree branches, while the stinger beasts were jumping up to try and catch it.


    Why does this scene feel so familiar?


    The tiny ball of light hovered above the tree for a second more, before blinking out of existence.


    It was gone!


    Like it was just my imagination, leaving me alone with a group of angry stinger beasts that turned their attention to their new prey.


    I snapped out of my thoughts and quickly generated my poison des, firing at the attacking creatures one after another.


    As I shot down five of the stinger beasts, the others were more wary with their attacks and began backing away from me.


    I wasn''t exactly sure what had just happened.


    Did the light ball lead me here to rescue the feline creature? Or just to get me off its pursuit?


    This wasn''t how I remember fairies to behave¡­


    Then I noticed the stinger creatures seemed to be staring up at the mist with fear. And then I felt it.


    The forest had suddenly be quiet and the droplets of water that fell on my scales seemed to have paused.


    I stared up at the mist, equally curious and cautious.


    The rain had stopped.


    The area around me grew silent like a graveyard, as if all signs of life had been wiped out. The water that covered the ground, receded into the soil right under my eyes and the ground became dry again.


    As I watched in shock and awe, the stinger beasts all collectively let out panicked squeals. And those that survived my attacks, immediately scattered in different directions like they were fleeing from something terrible.


    Their actions made me rmed and I retreated away from them.


    They seemed to be searching for a source of water but couldn''t find any. Soon, their pale skin became powdery and dry as red cracks and open sores began to appear over their skin before they shrivelled up.


    They then crumbled to the ground one after the other and stopped moving, as their movements became stiff, and their limbs brittle like stone.


    I stared at them in horror, finding them twice as repulsive as I did before.


    Wha¡­ What was happening to them? How creepy!


    "Are they¡­alright?" I asked Sensei.


    As one of the stinger beasts stopped wiggling and fell nearby, I poked it with my tail, to see if it was alive but its skin crumbled like ash, causing me to leap back in fear.


    ?Ack of moisture is fatal to them. They need to be around water all the time or their skin will break down in a matter of seconds. They usually live inside bodies of water, but the rain removed that restraint.?


    So water was their strength as well as weakness, it was their home and prison.


    What a nice piece of knowledge he was imparting sote. I was d I didn''t gain [Water Regeneration] from them.


    My ominous tail hissed as I stared at it, and for once I was d for it.


    Well, good riddance! I didn''t care if they died, even though they were now also a part of me. Without them, thebyrinth was a great deal safer.


    But then again, where was that fairy?


    I stared up into the trees, trying to find some traces of it.


    Come back, I won''t eat you! I promise.


    What bad luck, running into those stinger beasts.


    From the generalck of noise, it seemed the absence of rain had affected those things everywhere and I sighed with relief. My nestlings could nowe out to train...in minimal danger.


    But there was still the problem of keeping track of their movements. I wanted to be able to find them if they were to be separated or lost.


    The sound of a low whimper from the trees interrupted my thoughts, and I made out the small face of a feline with light purple eyes staring at me.


    Its midnight blue fur was thick like fluff and the light blue streaks on its body were rather vivid. It was small for a monster, and not intimidating at all. In fact I thought it looked like a house cat, only it was the size of arge dog.


    But what was it staring at me for?


    "It''s because of you, I''d lost track of my light ball" I grumbled in annoyance and appraised it anyway.


    --------------


    LV6 Ivenium Vegara


    Specie: Ailith Felinae


    HP: 16/56Defence: 45


    MP: 22/40Intellect: 36


    SP: 14/72Magic: 38


    Attack: 78Agility: 80


    Skills:


    [Auditory Enhancement: LV7] [w: LV10]


    [Pounce: LV7] [Scent:LV6] [Purr: LV10]


    [Sprint: LV9] [Silence: LV6] [Bite: LV5]


    [Stealth: LV2] [Night Vision: LV10]


    Resistances:


    [Pain Resistance: LV3]


    [Fatigue Resistance: LV7]


    --------------


    Yeah, you''re cute, but you''re too weak. There''s no point in eating you at all.


    Since there was no point staying there any further, I turned around to get back to my cave.


    But I heard the creature purr loudly, as it climbed down the tree to follow me, its fluffy tail wagging excitedly. It was quite fast, and caught up to me, although the short sprint left it out of breath.


    I red at it with my fangs out, and releasing shadowy tendrils around my body, trying to look as scary as possible. The feline monster let out a sharp squeal and jumped behind a low shrub with its hackles raised.


    Heh, much better¡­I didn''t want it getting any ideas.


    I didn''t want any feline pet following me around. The only feline I was interested in was that Aavrox creature, just so I could get its fire skill. I had no need for this decorative ball of fluff.


    However, when I turned my back, I heard more pitiful whimpers and more purring. And when I looked back, the tiny feline hid behind the shrubs again.


    The heck? You are a monster, stop behaving like a cute cat.


    I was beginning to feel bad. Its HP was so low. What if, after I left it was attacked by something else and died? But that was normal here, why should I feel bad for it?


    However, before I left, I threw some [HP Recovery Potion] into its mouth until its HP recovered to halfway point.


    That should do it.


    ?Pathetic¡­? Senseimented unnecessarily, as always.


    "Be quiet!" I snapped but he didn''t want to let it go.


    ?It''s a predator, just like everything else here. How can you be fooled by its cute face?? He seemed to be disappointed that I didn''t kill it instead, but I think it was worth it


    And as if trying to disprove him, the feline creature mewled and stretched beforeying on its back to expose its belly.


    "You call this a predator?" I asked mockingly. "Look at it, it''s just begging to be killed." A single stab to its exposed belly would finish it off instantly.


    ?Don''t you see its ws? It''s only acting defenceless to lure you in.? Sensei continued to ''warn'' me.


    "What? You''re way too paranoid. Sensei, are you by any chance, afraid of cats?"


    Haha, that sounded absurd even to me but surprisingly, Sensei did not respond.


    "Hah! Don''t tell me..."


    ?Their paws are creepy¡­? he answered in a low voice.


    "BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA" I couldn''t hold back myughter.


    What was he saying? Of all the scary things we''d seen in the Labyrinth so far, how could he be afraid of cats?


    ?Are you done?? he asked in a rather annoyed and grumpy tone and I was pleased about it.


    And he dared toin about my fear of spiders.


    I continuedughing until I had tears in my eyes. The cat monster stared up at me, its purple eyes blinking in confusion. I imagined It must look quite scary to see aughing snake, but I didn''t care. It had been a while since I heard something so amusing.


    Sensei waspletely silent, and I imagined he must be feeling quite mortified.


    Anyway, feeding the kitten had given me an idea of how to track the nestling''s whereabouts and perhaps how to unlock more ces on the Labyrinth''s as.


    Since the as only responds to my presence...feeding them something of mine would let it count them as me.


    If I feed them with something that contained my magical essence. I could, in a sense, create multiple duplicates of myself and follow their progress on the as to keep track of them.


    If the nestlings explored much further, it would also cheat the as by being in more than one ce at the same time,pletely uncovering its unlocked areas for free.


    Hah¡­it was worth a shot. If it was sessful I would be killing two birds with one stone.


    "Sensei! Do the potions from the system contain my essence?" I was impatient to hear what he had to say. I had to be right, right? And he better not lie either!


    Sensei remained quiet. Was he on to me?


    "If you don''t answer I''ll take the cat with me." I threatened.


    ?I don''t care what you do with the creature.? Sensei shot back.


    I smiled evilly; he was clearly bothered. "Answer the question then."


    ?Potions from the system do not contain your essence.? He replied with a sigh. ?That would only be possible if they were created with your magic.?


    Well¡­that was a little troubling. If the potions don''t contain my essence, there was no point feeding it to them.


    It had to be something created with my magic, huh?


    So far, I have my shadows, but they don''tst long when extended far away from me.


    Which left my poison.


    If I bit something, I could trace their location with [Mark] so the same should be possible if I simply fed It to them, right?


    It was a crazy idea, but it might just work. Of course, I couldn''t just feed them my venom, that would be bad, and they would most likely die. But if I mixed a fraction of it with some recovery potion, they wouldn''t notice a difference.


    ?Why are you smiling like that? You look scary.?


    "Was I? Oh, it''s nothing." I smiled even wider. Call me scary all you like, I don''t care. This system didn''t even realise he was about to get swindled by me!


    I stared down distractedly at the cat creature that kept jumping around trying to catch my hissing tail.


    Why was it still here?


    I nudged it away from me with my tail and it bounced across the ground on its back.


    Once it was far away, I proceeded to run.


    The cat monster didn''t give up and began to sprint, in an effort to follow me. It managed to keep up for a while, but when I started moving at my full speed, it quickly fell behind.


    I didn''t look back. I couldn''t wait to get home and try out my insane idea!

 Chapter 132 - The Pit

    Typhon felt a sudden chill.


    However, the cave was noticeably warm, so he couldn''t exactly exin why he felt unsettled.


    Was someone nning an attack on him, or was he just imagining things?


    Anyway, he shook his head and went back to overseeing the nestlings'' training activities from the raised tform above the ''pit''.


    ''She'' had created therge hole in the ground, along with six other training stations all on the same day. Its purpose was so the nestlings could spar amongst themselves after they were done with basic training.


    But right now, it was a spectacle because it wasn''t two snakes in the pit, but rather a single snake and a ''fake'' one.


    It was Ghad and his water ball, which had taken the shape of a snake made entirely out of water.


    The creature hade out to y as soon as ''she'' had gone. No surprise there.


    And it hadn''t stopped showing off its strength and skills ever since.


    After his initial warning, the creature had stopped appearing, only making itself known in the moments their leader went away. And as if that wasn''t weird enough, the two seemed to be able tomunicate with each other, as he had caught Ghad seemingly talking to himself a couple of times.


    Ophelia thought it was hrious, but Typhon remained cautious of it, insisting that if it was harmless, it wouldn''t avoid their leader. However, after witnessing the creature almost get eaten, he too felt it had a good reason to hide.


    Typhon wasn''t so sure anymore. After bonding so fiercely with Ghad, it seemedpletely harmless. He had observed the creature for a while, and it was yet to attack anyone. If anything it seemed to want to befriend them.


    At first, it stuck closely to Ghad, but it soon grew more confident and began to explore the cave away from him, beginning to interact with every snake inside. Sometimes it acted as a cool water nket for the snakes after training, and other times it used its ability to transform into a variety of shapes to amuse them, its favourite being the shape of a fish, followed closely by that of arge eyeball.


    Typhon saw its attempts to y with the other snakes as mingling and getting to know Ghad''s family. And the culprit himself, said the same thing. So far, none of the snakes disliked it and Ghad had even given it a name too.


    And now, the two were sparring inside the pit for the excited crowd of onlooking snakes who cheered them on. Typhon joined them too, but at the back of his mind he kept remembering the order ''she'' had given him.


    [Find out where it came from.]


    The simplemand had left him feeling uneasy.


    Surely, she didn''t just want to eat it?


    Knowing the nature of their leader, this wasn''t too farfetched. All she seemed to do was eat.


    But he liked to think she was simply curious about its origins out of concern for Ghad.


    Typhon sighed as he thought of how to broach the question to Ghad without arousing suspicion, however as he passed through the crowd of snakes, he heard a faint conversation that made him frown.


    [I''ll give you all of my food for one day if Ghad wins.] One snake excitedly whispered.


    [Not possible.] Another snake said with augh. [He will lose. I''m so sure of this I will give you mine for two days!]


    [Really? Okay, then! Don''t cry when I win.]


    Typhon stopped cold. What was this suspicious conversation? He quickly spotted two grinning snakes in the middle of the crowd.


    The snakes around them were listening in on their conversations, and some even started offering suggestions.


    [Can I join too?]


    [I''ll exchange half my food.]


    [Me too, but only for a day.]


    [Let me in.]


    The grinning snakes were all too happy to ept their offerings, and Typhon realised this was their n all along. Rather than cing bets themselves, they had incited the crowd to do so and now they proposed a collection fee of a fraction of the total winnings.


    Typhon couldn''t believe it. He didn''t know if he should be shocked or impressed at the two schemers. He immediately went up to the pair. And upon spotting him, they quickly stopped their conversation and ran away, leaving the crowd disappointed.


    Typhon didn''t know if he shouldugh or get angry. He immediately cornered the two trouble makers who had fled to the training grounds.


    [It was a joke.] One whimpered pitifully.


    [He''s right, we weren''t serious at all.] The second added. [It was just a tiny fee ¨C a small fee ¨C ow!]


    [Return all the food you''ve collected and don''t let me catch you doing this again.] Typhon growled menacingly as the two snakes cowered in fear.


    [Go.]


    [Yes captain!]


    [Yes captain!]


    The two snakes ran away and Typhon shook his head.


    Where did these greedy bratse from?


    By the time he returned to the pit, the fight was over and Ghad had lost. His water creature remained in the ring to challenge other snakes, and this time it changed its form to a stinger beast.


    Typhon watched it battle against a snake and thought it would make a very practical training tool. However, he soon spotted Ghad sulking in a corner and approached him.


    [So you lost.] Typhon said unsympathetically.


    [I didn''t lose!] Ghad sulked. [Hestia''s just stronger because I''m small. When I grow up I''ll be able to beat her.]


    Typhon thought he was just trying to justify his loss but he was intrigued about something else. [Hestia?]


    [Yeah, she said she wanted a name, so I gave her one.] Ghad''s eyes sparkled as he spoke. [Isn''t it a good name? Hestia likes it, but she''s a little shy and she doesn''t want to meet the leader.]


    Typhon sighed. The talkative snake seemed to want to tell him everything without him even asking and so he no longer hesitated. [How did the two of you meet?]


    [I... don''t really remember¡­Let me ask Hestia.] Ghad lowered his head and tried to leave but Typhon stopped him.


    [Did Hestia ask you not to tell anyone?] He asked, growing suspicious of his behavior.


    Ghad hesitated. [Yeah, she''s afraid. She says she doesn''t want to leave me, and she hates where she used to live.]


    [Do you remember where you met her?] Typhon continued to probe.


    [I can show you, it''s not very far from here. I was sleeping in a tree when I saw her getting chased by a scaly monster, its skin was too hot to cut with water, so I hid in the bushes and bit it before running away. When I came back it was dead and Hestia hasn''t stopped following me since. She says I saved her life, but I didn''t really do much.]


    Typhon was thoughtful. It seemed the creature was running away from something. He wondered what the ''scaly creature'' was.


    [You won''t send her away, will you?] he looked at him with pitiful eyes, not that they had any effect on him.


    Before he could answer, Ophelia and Morgana came up to them with amused expressions.


    [What are you two whispering about?]


    [Nothing!] Ghad replied immediately and Typhon decided to go along with him for now. If he ever needed a spy, Ghad might just be useful¡­well, after he toughened up a bit.


    [Aren''t youing to watch, you won''t believe who''s winning?] Morgana said.


    Ghad and Typhon exchanged looks of disbelief, who could possibly be winning when he had already lost?


    They all went to the pit and to their surprise, they saw the spaded snake had seeded in pinning the water creature in its stinger beast form to the ground.


    [She''s improved very quickly.] Morgana''s eyes shone with delight. [I wonder what made her change.]


    Typhon had taken notes of her progress since they returned from their little adventure. The spaded snake had been training harder than everyone else and no longer cked off. Although he couldn''t see her stats, he could tell she had improved a great deal.


    The spaded snake looked up from the pit and saw him staring at her and proceeded to constrict the water creature even tighter in her excitement.


    [Don''t hurt Hestia!] Ghad called out in panic as the stinger shaped water creature struggled to break free.


    The spaded snake soon realised her mistake and released her coils.


    The water creature immediately shrank to the size of a fish, frantically swimming away in the air to return to Ghad.


    Typhon didn''t know what to think, she had improved a great deal, but there were still certain aggressive behaviour she was unable to control.


    In particr, she seemed to treat snakes that had been named before her as enemies, especially Artemis and the twins whom she deemed unworthy.


    She was always eager to prove herself and he was all for her to improve, but he hoped she wouldn''t offend all the others in the process.


    Morgana came up to him and whispered. [She''s so excited you came to watch her fight. Isn''t she just the cutest?]


    The spaded snake red at her from the pit, before returning to the training grounds as Morgana giggled evilly.


    Soon, another match began and Ghad left with the other snakes before he could ask him more questions.


    Typhon noticed Ophelia was a little quiet and although she was watching the match, her mind seemed elsewhere.


    [If you''re worried about ''her'', don''t be. I''m sure she''ll be back soon.] he assured her, as he didn''t like the idea of them going after ''her'' again.


    There was a particr spot in the walls that had gotten wider where their leader had been digging, and suddenly, shepletely disappeared under the hole and was yet to return.


    At the time he didn''t panic because he knew she was strong. But he did wonder what was beyond the exit she had disappeared to.


    [I''m not worried about that.] Ophelia said. [I had a really strange dream, you were in it too and I think ''she'' was there too.]


    They''d both had simr dreams in the past that he really couldn''t exin and Typhon wondered if this was another one of those.


    [Was there food in this dream?] Morgana interjected with a mischievous grin.


    But before they could continue ''she'' finally returned from the cave exit, looking extremely excited.


    She quickly shook off the water from her glistening scales and made her way over to them. From the way her eyes sparkled, Typhon already knew she was up to no good. Again.

 Chapter 133 - Thats Not A Health Potion

    ''She'' seemed to be smiling at them.


    A smile that made Ophelia perk up instantly while he felt rather uneasy.


    Morgana remained stoic at their side and simply looked on as they went up to meet her.


    Soon, all the snakes were assembled in neat rows behind Typhon and Ophelia with Morgana not far behind, in the same way he had them practice countless times.


    A chill emanated from their leader as her dark, mysterious eyes observed them. Typhon saw an image of himself reflecting in her dark eyes, but they quickly passed over him to settle on the snakes behind him. Seemingly observing everyone, they passed from one snake to the next, staring at something only she could see.


    Typhon was so used to being probed by her, he didn''t feel the sting anymore, but for some of the snakes it was a new experience. Some eximed in shock while others recoiled after experiencing difort that left them feeling exposed, like all their secrets had just beenid bare.


    The feeling went away as soon as she moved on from them, but it was still frightening to experience.


    On his left side, Morgana suddenly eximed with delight. [I got a new title! I think she just made me [Captain]!]


    Ophelia cheered her on and the two giggled with happiness.


    Morgana''s im was soon repeated by others as more of the named nestlings began to check their stats. Ghad noticed he also had the title, as did Cygnus, and Artemis. But it wasn''t every nestling with a name that reported this change. Typhon noticed the twin snakes, Lyra and Europa and Apollo were noticeably silent.


    Now, Typhon was truly suspicious of her. What was the reason to make them captains all of a sudden?


    The twin had improved a lot after training under him and Morgana and they weren''t as weak as before, with their abilities improving from their dismal state to above average. They had also stopped trying to heal everything they saw, much to his relief.


    Apollo was also doing well, although he seemed a little withdrawn. He hadn''t recovered to his former self yet, but his training was progressing smoothly. They were risky choices, so for them not to be picked was obvious, but he was also wary of her other choices.


    Typhon was not shocked about Morgana and Cygnus getting picked. Morgana was strict, and she had been instrumental in keeping the snakes together while they were away. And Cygnus who rarely spoke, had improved his speed immensely since he had been named. He had even started teaching some nestlings how to move like he did and had even amassed a group of followers.


    However, Ghad was a bit of a surprise. Aside from levelling up his skills, he hadn''t shown any notable skills or leadership qualities, but perhaps ''she'' has some hidden ns for him or maybe his creature.


    Artemis on the other hand was even more shocking. He was studious and always keen on improving his shorings, but what hecked most was the confidence to be a leader. While Ghad could pull it off by falling back on his enthusiasm to lead, Artemis was logical to a fault and somewhat stiff.


    He wasn''t sure what to make of the two being picked. When he looked at their leader, he saw she was coiled up on her perch, resting without a care. This left the nestlings to disperse from their organised rows to congratte their new captains.


    However, not every snake took this news happily.


    The spaded snake stared daggers at their leader, barely managing to conceal her anger as she spoke. [First she named the sprinkled weakling and now she makes him a captain? Are we really following someone who doesn''t know what she is doing?]


    Artemis, who got called out, didn''t seem offended at all and replied calmly. [I am no longer Sprinkles, you may refer to me as Artemis like everybody else.]


    [She made me Captain too.] Morgana disagreed. [I wouldn''t call anything that happens to me a mistake.]


    [You can''t expect to be made Captain by doing nothing.] Cygnus added definitively.


    [Are you still upset you don''t have a name?] Ghad innocently asked.


    [I''m not!]


    The spaded snake was furious and distressed but Morgana went over tofort her.


    Typhon shook his head and left them to talk. Their leader wasn''t paying attention to their conversation either and seemed to be staring off into space. Just what was she looking at?


    He noticed something faint next to her, shimmering out of the corner of his eyes, like a disturbance in the space he couldn''t quite make out.


    [Why aren''t you saying anything?] Ophelia asked.


    Typhon snapped back to the discussion when the question was posed to him.


    [I agree with Cygnus.] He hastily added, without hearing anything. [She does everything for a reason, this isn''t any different.]


    But suddenly the spaded snake burst into tears.


    [Cheer up, you''ll get your chance soon.] Morgana smiled at the spaded snake. [''She'' would have noticed you by now, if you didn''t spend so much time staring at Typhon during training.]


    The spaded snake leapt away from her in shock. [I-I wasn''t!]


    [I saw you looking, and so did Hestia.] Ghad firmly added.


    [You followed him outside.] Artemis confirmed.


    [T-That''s not true!] The spaded snake couldn''t speak, between her frustrated re at Morgana and avoiding Typhons eyes, there was nothing else she could do but run away.


    Morgana burst intoughter as she rushed away, and Ophelia sighed. [You shouldn''t tease her too much.]


    [She makes it too easy.] Morganaughed.


    [I don''t think she likes me very much.] Artemis looked upset.


    [Nobody does.] Cygnus added with a smirk, before he left too.


    This unsettled Artemis so much that he started to stare at each of them in turn in panic. [What? Is this true?]


    Morgana slithered away with Ophelia without giving an answer and Typhon wasn''t interested in the topic so he left with a frown, leaving Ghad alone with Artemis.


    Ghadughed and shook his head at the panicked snake. [He''s only joking.]


    However, Typhon was soon dealing with a separate mess of his own. When he found the spaded snake in the training grounds, he knew she was still angry.


    [Morgana is evil. Artemis is¡­stupid!] she grumbled out loud as she paced around. [If ''she'' names them instead of me ¨C then she''s wrong!]


    [Yes, you''re way smarter than they are.] A mischievous voice added.


    [You were right to follow her.] Another mischievous voice said. [If you didn''t, we wouldn''t know about her second cave, or the other creature, or the treasures. Now tell us¡­where did she get those shiny hard things?]


    [I just want to know where she got the food¡­]


    Typhon recognised those voices. These were the two snakes he''d told off not too long ago for cing bets. Now here they were, doing something much worse. It was obvious they weren''t truly on her side and were just using her to gather information.


    The shiny things they were referring to was probably the armour ''she'' had revealed to them one time. Much like everything about their leader, its origin was unknown, but she had shown it to them when she tried to teach them about the dangers on the outside.


    Sometime ago she had drawn some squiggly lines in the ground, that looked like a face with scary sharp teeth and long ears. Shebelled them as ''elves'' and said they were to be avoided.


    As for the armour, she showed it to them,belling it as ''human'' and emphasized that they were extremely dangerous, more than the elves, and to be avoided at all cost.


    She then drew some monsters to run away from, along with nts, and mushrooms they were never supposed to eat.


    It was very important information and Typhon had a feeling ''she'' was preparing them for a long trip outside, by teaching them about dangers.


    But the nestlings seemed more interested in her drawings, food, and the shiny things she showed them than the important information. And this was the result of that.


    The spaded snake was confused. [Why are you asking me about food? Don''t you care that she''s ruining everything?]


    [We care. That''s why we want to know everything.] The two snakes pressured her.


    They were no different from the rest, except they always seemed to know everything that was going on in the cave before anyone else did and Typhon was beginning to see why.


    They preferred to stay hidden ¨C only trading what they knew, for things that interested them.


    He wouldn''t be surprised if they were the ones spurring her on this entire time.


    [That''s enough.] Typhon interrupted their conversation, and the three scheming snakes froze. [What are you all doing here? Exin yourselves.]


    The two mischievous snakes knew they were cornered and instead of running away, they dropped their heads in fear. [It''s not what it looks like, Captain. We were just talking...]


    Typhon red at them, making them more nervous. [Oh, really?]


    The two snakes began to panic and blurted out everything. [We just want to know where she hides the food. We want more, that''s it.]


    [There''s plenty of food on the training grounds!] Typhon snapped.


    [Not that. It''s bitter.] One snake hissed. [We want the nice stuff.]


    Typhon frowned. He couldn''t believe it.


    Were they really scheming just so they could get hold of ''her'' secret stash? What childish motive.


    [We won''t do it again.]


    [We promise to be good.]


    The two snakes pleaded but he was fed up with them.


    Typhon wondered if she would punish them or let them go? She didn''t seem cruel, but then again, he couldn''t make any guesses as to what went on in her mind.


    He brought the two troublemakers with him, but unfortunately, he didn''t get the chance to report them just yet as ''she'' had called for everyone to assemble again.


    [Don''t even think about running away.] He red at the two before leaving to meet Ophelia at the front.


    All the snakes had assembled, only this time they were split into six teams, ording to her instructions. And assigned to each team was a captain.


    Once the teams were organised, she created many small orbs of liquid in the air and made them drink.


    Thinking it to be a normal health potion Typhon did so without hesitation, but he soon began to feel strange.


    Why did his body burn hot like he just swallowed something poisonous? And why were his surroundings suddenly hazy?


    [Brother¡­I don''t feel too good.] Ophelia whimpered beside him. Her slitted eyes were thin like needles and sparkled with feverish delirium. He expected her to be ufortable, but why did she look excited instead?


    However, he soon felt an insane craving for bloodshed like he was no longer in control of his body''s instincts or thoughts. When he looked around, he saw all the nestlings were all reacting in the same way.


    It was everything he fearede to life ¨C just what did she feed them with?

 Chapter 134 - Symbiosis

    Once the nestlings left the cave, I could see their teams disyed on the as. With the cave as the centre point I''d instructed them to move off in every direction and as they spread out to reach as far as they could go. So, for every snake I fed my venom, there was a tiny snake figure representing them on the as.


    There were only 9 hours left for the quest, and at the time they left, I was still waiting on 8 nestlings. The goal for them was to hunt and improve their levels in the remaining time. But what I was really after was the added bonus of messing with Sensei by increasing the scope of the as, free of charge.


    Even now, the nestlings hadn''t gone that far, but already the crappy map was showing the ces they had passed in full colour.


    Gone were the shadowy outlines that once gued them and the as before me was quickly being filled in colour and information. I saw areas of rocky outcrop appear where the forest''s green thinned out, as a team seemed to be encroaching on a barren cavernousndscape.


    Another team seemed to be up in the trees, and I could see the twistedttice of leaves above that was normally hidden in the mist while another team seemed to have stumbled onto water.


    My nestlings were simply too awesome. And so effective!


    For now, most were still within the confines of the misty forest, but they were spreading out fast, and I was looking forward to seeing more diversendscapes. If they seeded in reaching the very edge of the Upper Stratum, I would be very happy and reward them with many treats for their hard work.


    ?You must feel very proud of yourself.? An unhappy voice cut through my musings.


    Ah...maybe I had gone too far this time. Sensei''s usual calm tone was dangerously low and rough. A voice that brimmed with anger but was trying very hard to not show it. However, what peeped through was unpleasant and scary. It was so strange to hear emotion in his voice, when he was supposed to be an impassive system.


    "I have no idea what you mean." I replied innocently and continued to track their progress through the as. I refused to feel upset. What I really wanted to say was ''how does it feel to be outwitted by a snake'' and thenugh in his face. Why was he angry when I had every right to use his tools as I pleased?


    So what, if I had cheated him. He deserved it.


    ?Don''t pretend to be innocent.? Sensei grumbled. ?This was clearly a calcting move on your part, and I have to say, it was well yed.?


    His wording was suspicious. Did that mean he was not upset?


    ?But you should have told me you were nning something this irresponsible.?


    "What do you mean irresponsible? They were all fine and you said poison doesn''t affect snakes of the same species."


    ?And what else did I say about it? Or were you not listening??


    I turned to face the wall. A certain ufortable conversation came to mind, but I''d since blocked out the details from my mind.


    Sensei sighed. ?Your poison won''t kill them, but it will still affect them to some extent. It can make them bloodthirsty and seek to challenge opponents that are far stronger than them.?


    Well, that wasn''t so bad since they were in groups. Actually it was perfect ¨C the more they challenged, the more they would level up!


    ?Don''t forget your two guards are very close to evolution and now, they could fall asleep in the middle of battle.?


    Oh.


    "That''s bad. That''s really bad!"


    I checked the six teams on the map and they each had split off in a different direction. And I just realized I couldn''t tell which one was who. My instructions had been to hunt until every member on the team had experience, but if my poison made them bloodthirsty, they might target much stronger monsters and die in the process.


    Ophelia and Typhon were in danger! I had to recall them somehow.


    ?If you had told me, I would have warned you against it for this very reason.?


    "I should go after them!" I eximed.


    Luckily, I could trace each team and reach them even faster with [Mark].


    But then I heard Sensei''s sinister chuckle. ?Rx. It would take more than one monster for them to evolve. Don''t forget how difficult it was for you. With the kill split among members of the team, it may take even longer.?


    Did he just say all of that to mess with me? This bastard!


    I regretted ever feeling bad for him.


    If the nestlings were truly bloodthirsty like Sensei said, it may turn out to be a good thing. They might work together to take down foes greater than them and level up even faster.


    Although I was still worried about them, I decided to give them a few hours to hunt first. If any hadn''t returned after a while, I would track them with [Mark] and bring them back.


    It may be hard to just stay and wait, but I trusted each captain I''d picked to keep their teams together. I may trust Typhon and Ophelia more than others and that was because they''d already proven themselves, but the others were pretty capable too.


    Morgana had a simr temperament to Typhon and while Cygnus mostly kept to himself, he was smart enough to guide his team away from danger.


    The ones I wasn''t sure of were Artemis and Ghad, and I had paired each of their teams with one of the healers just in case.


    I was confident the nestlings were going to be okay, but I decided to watch the As a little while longer to observe their progress, before I moved on to do other things.


    I''d been thinking about extending the cave for a while now. Eventually it wouldn''t just be Ophelia and Typhon evolving, hopefully all 30 of my nestlings would too.


    And if that happened, our little cave would no longer be suitable. If possible I would prefer to find a new cave, but until then I could extend it by a few meters by eroding away at the walls with [Dimensional Box].


    Now that the nestlings were outside, it seemed like the best opportunity to do so.


    The cave had a rather uneven shape, from the opening that was ced high up on the wall, it had a curved, rather roomy interior. Roughly rectangr in shape, it extended further down the deeper you went. If I pushed back from the entrance wall, it would be difficult for the nestlings to climb down when they returned.


    So, I started eroding the cave on both sides, making sure to avoid the sealed area in the back that housed the tunnel to the middle stratum. It would be a mistake to extend there, before my cave became the doorway to the hell that was the Middle Stratum and its gigantic monsters!


    I thought about creating different rooms. Aside from the training area, there should be spaces for the nestlings to stay when they weren''t training.


    Also, there had to be light! And some decorations!


    The items in my [Dimensional Box] were perfect for this. The crystals from the mimic''s cave gave off light and as I stacked many around the cave, it instantly gave off a cosy feel. Some of the supply bags had nkets and furs in them, so I used those too. The weapons, jewels, and armour I collected also made perfect decorations!


    Soon all the spots of the nestlings training area would cease to be of use so I left them unchanged, only extending the pit to make it muchrger and deeper. Then I looked around at my handiwork.


    With the many nts and vines already present, it was like the spaciousir of a mythical forest creature! All that was missing was a kidnapped prince or princess. This was all perfectly functional, alright. The standardir was cosy by default! I wasn''t just creating some cosyir for myself to sleep all day.


    I should have collected some skeletons too to ward off trespassers! What a missed opportunity!


    In the middle of extending one of the walls, I encountered a particrlyrge piece of bedrock that blocked my path. It wasn''t much of an effort to move it to [Dimensional Box] but because of its size, I was afraid removing it would cause the entire cave to copse.


    It looked solid too, like it was part of the very structure, so I left it as it was and carved around it instead. However, as I extended past the obstacle, I realised there was nothing more beyond it.


    I had burrowed so far, it seemed my cave had connected with another cave, and there was lighting from the other side.


    My first thought was that it might be another snake''s cave, but the vibrations I sensed from within told me there were too many creatures. So, I took a peek inside first to see.


    What I thought was a snake''s den was actually a much wider cave, with a wide hole in the ceiling where the twisty knotted roots of huge trees had crept inside. I scanned the cavern with [Heat Sense] and picked up multiple presences.


    There was more than one type of creature residing inside. Hanging from the open roof of the cave were dark creatures that looked like bats, with leathery red wings and long spiked tail. They seemed to cover every spot on the rocky cave wall, and there was one sleeping next to the hole I opened.


    It reacted to the sudden change in the air flow. However, even though its eyes were openly staring at me, it didn''t attack. It seemed to not see me, but it hung so close I could make out its pointed ears and tiny sharp teeth.


    The cave''s second inhabitant was much smaller. From the open roof, I could make out multiple insect-like creatures that floated silently around the cave''s opening. They had stick-like figures, with four pairs of silvery membranous wings that moved independently.


    For some reason, the bat monsters did not attack or seem to notice them flying around. They would have made easy prey, yet they left them alone.


    I backed away immediately.


    It was better to cover up the hole I''d opened and just forget about it.


    But with so many winged creatures in one ce, the temptation to grab one was just too much.

 Chapter 135 - Feeding Frenzy

    There were too many of the creatures to count.


    If I was to estimate the numbers inside the circr cave, I would say there were easily up to a hundred. And that was just the ones that resembled bats.


    And if I counted the semi transparent sword-like insects hovering around, their numbers would easily triple.


    The odd thing was, none of the creatures had reacted to me and I noticed the bat creatures all had their eyes closed, while the sword-like insects who were awake, were hovering far away from me, in arge swarm near the cave''s open roof.


    It was simply too good to be true.


    I stared at the closest creature which was the fanged bat monster that had its ck eyes open. I wasn''t sure if it could see me, so I poked my head out from the opening I created, slowly bringing my face up close against it.


    Earlier it seemed to have reacted to the wind blowing from my cave, rather than my physical presence, so I made sure not to touch it, or breathe.


    The open dark eyes stared at me, unblinking and after a few anxious seconds of staring at it, its lids dropped down to close. And soon, I could hear its steady breathing.


    I was shocked. I''d never seen such a carefree monster!


    To fall asleep with a predator staring right at it was too brazen! It seemed I had been cautious for nothing. Was I just not a threat to it or... could it really not see me at all?


    I was curious so I appraised it to find out.


    --------------


    LV27 Verum Dactus


    Specie: Ailith Crodon


    HP: 135/135 Defence: 84


    MP: 64/64 Intellect: 76


    SP: 116/116 Magic: 52


    Attack: 95 Agility: 100


    Skills:


    [Tail Spike: LV7] [Echolocation: LV10]


    [?????: LV??] [????: LV??] [????: LV??]


    --------------


    Its level was much higher than I expected! Thatbined with it''s low stats made it rather unusual.


    I knew it wasn''t much of a threat. But regardless, I was on edge. The cave was simply too perfect an opportunity for there not to be some kind of trap.


    And maybe this was it.


    I appraised more of the sleeping creatures and to my shock, none of them were under LV25.


    This reality caught me off guard.


    In such arge gathering, there tend to be some that were weaker than others. And my n was to pick those off first, but everyone of these had high levels and shared the same terribly low stats.


    What was this situation?


    It seemed stupid to be afraid of them when my stats were easily four times higher. Yet their high levels along with theirrge numbers made me hesitant.


    Maybe there was something I wasn''t seeing here?


    "Are they evolved monsters?" I asked Sensei.


    ?No.?


    Huh? Surely with their high levels that couldn''t be.


    "Not a single one?"


    ?None.? Sensei repeated. ?If you are curious about its stats, kill one and find out.?


    It was hard to believe. The only way to find out was to see their full stats for myself. So I targeted the one that dared to fall asleep right in front of me.


    But before attacking it, I looked up at the insects hovering above. I was most wary about them.


    They were thin, but their segmented bodies looked too solid for it to be a mere coincidence.


    The way they flew was unusual too, both pairs of wings moved independently from their joints, allowing the creature''s body to move in interesting ways, or simply stay fixed in the air.


    The fact that they could change direction at any time, made it hard tond an attack.


    If they were alerted, I imagined they would all swarm down towards me.


    Uwuh...that''s scary.


    As I examined them, I observed one that was noticeablyrger than the hundred others in the air.


    The movements of its body were much faster than its peers and I could barely make it out as it moved back and forth in the air, so I quickly aimed appraisal at it.


    --------------


    LV16 Melior ino


    Specie: Ailith Mesurpet


    HP: 148/148 Defence: 108


    MP: 109/109 Intellect: 48


    SP: 134/134 Magic: 98


    Attack: 126 Agility: 180


    Skills:


    [Grip: LV5] [Pierce: LV6] [Coordination: LV5]


    [Soundwave: LV4] [elerated Flight: LV6]


    [Stridtion: LV10] [Deadly Venom: LV5]


    [Paralysis Venom: LV6] [Endurance: LV7]


    [Sting: LV10] [Flight: LV10] [w: LV3]


    [Pain Toxin: LV6] [Exoskeleton: LV7]


    [Scent: LV3] [Compound Eyes: LV6]


    [Directional Stability:LV8] [Bite: LV3]


    Title:


    [Colony Hunter]


    Magic:


    [Air Magic]


    [Sound Maniption: LV3]


    Resistances:


    [Piercing Resistance: LV4]


    [Wind Resistance: LV8]


    --------------


    Compared to the higher level bats, I was more wary of this creature.


    Fortunately, all those insects seemed far too upied with keeping watch on the ceiling. So, I quickly formed a ball of poison and aimed it at the bat''s head with lightning quickness.


    The creature''s reacted immediately as its eyes flung open and its mouth let out a cry. But the sound was nothing more than a gurgle as opening its mouth allowed the poison that covered its head to flow through its nostrils and mouth.


    The creature wed away at my poison sphere to try to get rid of it, but it simply reformed itself. When it failed, it dropped down from the ceiling to try to fly away, its frantic eyes bulging as my poison took effect.


    I instantly reached it and caught the creature between my jaws before it got too far, before dragging it with me back to my cave. There I waited and watched as my poison ran its course.


    Then, as the creature stopped struggling, I heard the system ding.


    ?You have killed LV27 Verum Dactus!?


    ?You have earned 102XP?


    With its death, I was able to check its full status and find all its secrets.


    --------------


    LV27 Verum Dactus


    Specie: Ailith Crodon


    HP: 0/135 Defence: 84


    MP: 0/64 Intellect: 76


    SP: 0/116 Magic: 52


    Attack: 95 Agility: 100


    Skills:


    [Tail Spike: LV7] [Echolocation: LV10]


    [Scent: LV10] [Bite: LV10] [Grip: LV10]


    [Flight: LV10] [Enhanced Hearing: LV10]


    [Frenzy: LV10] [Night Vision: LV10]


    [w: LV10] [Coordination: LV8]


    Title:


    [Colony Hunter]


    Resistances:


    [Wind Resistance: LV10]


    [Pain Resistance: LV10]


    [Fatigue Resistance: LV10]


    --------------


    It was good, yet so bad at the same time.


    Its defence was low, it couldn''t use any magic. The only thing working for it was that most of its skills were maxed out.


    It likely missed out on its evolution window at LV12 and never got the chance to do so again.


    Never evolving would exin why it''s stats were so low, even with its maxed out skills. It had to be decades old, depending on how long its species could live.


    Yet, it didn''t exin how it had managed to live so long.


    Such a weak creature should have been killed off a long time ago.


    Nevertheless, I collected it and returned to the ''food supply'' cave.


    The creatures were still asleep, so I activated [Shadow Shroud] and slithered in between them, picking targets to kill among the bats that were roosting far away from others.


    I approached the first with my poison ready, making sure topletely cover its head so it wouldn''t be able to scream, and waited for it to drown like the one before.


    ?You have killed LV25 Verum Dactus!?


    ?You have earned 94XP?


    In this way the bats were truly defenceless.


    I stared at the cave roof where the insects were hovering but none of them were alerted.


    I continued my silent hunt, moving further down the cave. After drowning the fifth bat in poison, it too died without much notice.


    I felt very much like a snake among a flock of chickens, but still I remained quiet in order not to wake them. They may be individually weak but if they attacked together, I would be their snack.


    With the death of my eighth victim, I decided I''d gathered enough. I can''t be too greedy now, can I?


    I should save the rest forter. But for now, it was time to return and cover up the hole.


    I was about to head back to the hole, when I noticed the insects had started acting strangely. Their movements in the air were frenzied and they seemed to be flying around faster than usual. And then I heard the hoarse cry of a bird, followed by the p of great wings.


    The pale blue light from the forest was coveredpletely by a shadow and I caught a sh of yellow ws, followed by the overwhelming stench of rotten flesh.


    It seemed the insects were about to be a meal and I decided to retreat immediately. It was none of my concern.


    However, before the bird could grab one of them, the cave filled with a high pitched ringing that drowned out every other sound.


    The waves of vibrations reverberating from every insect so loud it felt like a physical attack on my senses.


    I wanted to cover my head to block the disorientating feeling. But I couldn''t do so with so many creatures around and when I looked ahead, I noticed the bats had begun to stir as well.


    It seemed the sound was meant for them and now every one of the creatures was waking up.


    They pped their leathery red wings in multitudes, rushing madly towards the winged creature with gnashing fangs like insatiable beasts. The bird''s body quickly disappeared as it was beset by hoards of bats that bit into its flesh and tore apart its body.


    Soon the quiet cave began to rain feathers and blood.


    I resisted the painful sounds around me and ran.


    To my horror, the remnants of their feeding frenzy rained down on my cloaked form and the insects that were feeding noticed me and began to swarm in my direction.


    Multiple sword-like insects swiped past my body like bullets, their bodies piercing the ground as they barely missed.


    Sharp! They were too sharp!


    I was able to dodge most of them by weaving a scattered trail but they were far too many to keep dodging!


    But soon I spotted the opening in the cave wall and immediately leapt for it. I quickly snuck back to my cave, eager to get away before I ended up looking like a porcupine, or worse, became a part of their meal.


    The insect creatures chasing after me were moving too fast to change their path and from inside of my cave I could see them all rushing for the opening.


    I quickly released all the excavated debris in my [Dimensional Box], sealing the opening firmly.


    I breathed multiple sighs of relief as I sprawled on the ground, exhausted to have saved my snake butt from a very splintery end.

 Chapter 136 - Second Thoughts

    But there was no rest for the wicked.


    Just as I sprawled over, I heard a familiar high pitched whine and¡­


    OUCH!


    As I rolled over, I pressed down on something and I felt a sharp object dig into my back.


    Eeek!


    There was something there!


    I jumped up from the ground and frantically twisted around to check. When I looked back, I caught a glimpse of a crushed transparent wing and my mind raced at the sight.


    One of the horrid insects had followed me back!


    Its rigid sword-like body had pierced through my scales like a thorn. Although it wasn''t painful, it was irritating, like a splinter I couldn''t get rid of.


    And to my surprise, instead of trying to embed itself further, the thin insect screeched in anguish as it frantically tried to pull itself out. There was a sizzling sound as steam began to rise out of my puncture wound.


    The creature forcefully pulled itself out just and I saw the lower half of its abdomen had already melted away.


    HAH! That''s what you get for stabbing a creature with acid blood!


    But surprisingly, the creature was still alive, and it began to flutter around my cave like a fly, all while making that annoying high pitched whine ¨C as if it wasn''t annoying already.


    I chased after it to snatch it out of the air. But then, I began to hear another high pitched whine responding to it from behind the opening I just sealed.


    There was no time to waste!


    Before more of its pointy brethren tried to force their way through, I readied a poison de and shot it down, silencing it forever.


    I then listened closely at the sealed doorway as the creature behind it continued to call, but when it heard nothing back, it soon went away.


    Phew.


    My puncture wound had already begun to close, and soon my scales were smooth again, like nothing happened. I was extremely excited as [Regeneration] was proving to be quite handy and I was eager to add a new skill to the list.


    That means, it was time to eat!


    I retrieved the bodies of the bat creatures and also that of the sword insect. They were both winged creatures so the chances of me getting a [Flight] skill was very high and I was equally excited.


    However, when Ipared the wings of the two, I was beginning to have second thoughts. The wings of therger ino were more impressive, they were faster, more flexible, they could also change directions at a split second, whereas the wings of the Dactus were quite ordinary to say the least. I wasn''t even sure how fast it could fly.


    With two readily avable specimens to choose form, surely I could afford to be a little choosy.


    Hmm...


    I went back to the sealed opening and listened quietly, before opening a tiny hole, just enough to see and hear the sounds of the creatures still in a frenzy.


    The walls were covered in dents, from where they had stabbed through to get me, but none of the creatures remained stuck, much to my disappointment.


    High up at the cave opening, I could also see the evolved version of the sword insect, skilfully gliding through the air. Although it was fast, it didn''t collide with any of the bat creatures flying around it, because it was that much faster than them, they looked so slow inparison.


    I sighed. If only I could catch it.


    There wasn''t much left of the bird''s corpse and I wondered if it was best to attack it while the entire cave was distracted with eating.


    ?Your time is running out. Aren''t you going to eat them??


    "I haven''t decided which wings I want." I grumbled.


    Sensei chuckled. ?How can you be so sure you will get wings? Blindness is also possible.?


    What?!


    "Is that supposed to make it more appealing?"


    Sensei justughed and didn''t say anything more.


    Tch.


    With no other choice, I ate the winged ino, but nothing happened because there wasn''t enough of it. And then, I started to eat the bats.


    If they weren''t enough either, I would just continue hunting them until it did. Nevertheless, on my fifth bat, I heard the system ding.


    ?Devour has reached maximum satiation for specimen¡ºVerum Dactuc¡»


    Evolution tree of ¡ºAilith Crodon¡»has been unlocked. ?


    ?Would you like to acquire the attribute¡ºFlight¡»(ept | Reject)?


    Yesssssss! And on the first try too! My luck was simply too good!


    ept! ept!


    But soon after, I felt a horrible burning pain in my back. The row of spikes there burnt hot and there was a grating noise from under my scales as if my bones were being shattered.


    Then I heard multiple cracks.


    AHH!


    And then more followed as I writhed around in pain.


    AAAAHH!


    I was hyperventting. My midsection was on fire.


    AAHAAH! OUCHH!


    The bones of my spine seemed to be shifting around under my skin. My ribs bent horribly wrong, merging together as they grew in size to extend past my body.


    It was the worst pain I''d ever been in.


    My bones were growing too fast and already, I could see the bony structure of my wings forming. I felt every muscle stretch and tear, and then reform, and then tear again, my skin rearranging itself to stretch over the exposed bones while I screamed my lungs hoarse.


    Nothing I did helped the process run faster. Using [Regeneration] did not heal me, if anything I seemed to be interfering with the process by trying to seal the holes my growing bones had opened. And I could onlyy helpless as the excruciating process continued.


    If only I had known it would be this painful¡­


    I didn''t think I would have to grow them.


    Was it wishful thinking to wish they would just appear instead?


    Iy on the ground trying to breathe for many seconds, before I felt it safe to try to move. And as soon as my flesh coated my new wings, the pain went away in an instant.


    I tried moving my new wings, feeling a little giddy.


    After all the hard work it took to get them, they better work perfectly!


    My wings were dark, with the same purple iridescence as my scales. They were quite broad and when I stretched them out, they covered my curled up body and ended in sharp spikes to match my stingers, with a longer wingspan than I initially thought.


    I tested them out, stretching and folding them repeatedly. They were surprisingly light and seemed to be fast too and I was eager to test them!


    I returned to the opening to peek at the creatures inside. The bird monster was nothing more than a bony corpse, and the bats were settling down to rest after their meal.


    The winged insect creature was still soaring high up and appraising it had shown me some interesting things like [Air Magic] and [Sound Maniption].


    Maybe [Air Magic] was how it was able to move so fast. If I went after it, there was a chance I could get any one of these skills.


    Its [Sound Maniption] would also be handy. I kept thinking of how I couldn''t really talk as a snake and if I leant anguage in the future, maybe I could use this to speak instead of having to wait for myself to gain a human form or [Telepathy].


    I had to proceed with caution.


    I waited tensely at the opening until the bats closed their eyes once more. The hovering insects returned to the opening in the roof to begin acting as bait again for any passing creatures.


    I widened the hole a sufficient amount and crawled out as quietly as I could, after activating [Shadow Shroud].


    My wings when folded on my back, pressed closely against my body, and didn''t take up much space, so I was able to crawl among the bats, inching my way up the wall to get closer to the cave roof.


    asionally a sleeping bat would unfurl its wings, but I made sure to carefully avoid each one.


    Surrounded by a mass of flying insects, the swift figure of therger ino changed paths frequently. Anticipating its movements, I continued to inch closer.


    My n was simple. I only had to use their own tactics against them.


    Once I was close enough to the winged insect, I leapt forward and snatched it out of the air with [Bite] and my fangs pierced through its rigid body.


    Immediately, the high pitched ringing started, and the surrounding insects all rushed towards my free falling figure. Multiple angry insects pierced my body but I spun around in the air to shake them off.


    They weren''t the real danger, and as I endured their stings, I stared down at the cave in anticipation of what wasing.


    The awakened bats all rose up to the air, and all I could see was a dark cloud of wings and sharp teeth as the frenzied rush began to form.


    I spread out my new wings, catching the updraft to rise higher in the air. And just as the bats were about to reach me, I released one of the remaining corpses from my [Dimensional Box].


    Since the bats were hopelessly blind and only reacted to the presence of food, they attacked the fresh bat corpse that I gifted them, ripping the corpse to shreds in seconds.


    Only the insects pursued me as I flew out of the cave opening with my new captive.


    As the forest above came into view, I wondered just how my nestlings were doing with their hunt.

 Chapter 137 - Bloodthirst

    After the rain stopped, everything changed for the better. The air was denser and with every breath he took, Typhon could feel something powerful welling up inside of him.


    Once the initial shock had worn off, he''d suddenly felt calm and intensely focused, his thoughts filling with a singr purpose, which was to hunt as far away from the cave as possible. And so, he had taken his team and split up from the other captains.


    The creatures they met on the way had been surprisingly few. Most were solitary as they searched for wounded prey to kill, while others were injured and hiding away from sight after their numbers had been severely reduced. Typhon and his team used this opportunity to their advantage, by preying on the would be predators.


    They would follow therge monsters they found at a safe distance, waiting for the exact moment they came upon another wounded creature to strike. Once bitten, they would wait for their venom to work, following until the creature was too weak to resist them, before attacking and finishing it off altogether.


    They had defeated a tough skinned, one horned creature in a simr way, and after making a meal of its corpse, they began to search for another. To Typhon''s relief, they did not meet any stinger beasts among the creatures they encountered, and their journey was fairly safe andrgely uneventful.


    One of his team members soon discovered another creature. This one was alive but weakened after being trapped in sand for so long. Normally he would have let it go unless it attacked them first, but the bloodthirst he was experiencing made him more cautious and wary of his surroundings. If they let it go and it turned back to attack them, it would be his fault.


    Typhon knew he was ountable for the lives of his teammates and so, every single weakened creature they discovered from then on was swiftly in with no mercy.


    He consoled himself that he was helping them in this way. To die by poison was rather cruel but it was much faster and less painful than being eaten alive by the bottom feeders that would eventually find them. He had to apud their leader''s foresight in the matter though ¨C it seemed she had sent them out at this time solely to get easy prey.


    Since then, they hade across only a few beasts and his team had taken to exploring their surroundings while theyy in wait. Typhon knew their leader wanted his group to get stronger, she had said so right after feeding them the unknown potion. But he was still furious.


    She couldmunicate with him and Ophelia, yet she had chosen not to - treating them just like any other snake. Why did she feel the need to exin only after she had already done the deed, giving them no choice in the matter?


    The bloodthirst activated right after he drank her potion, and for a split second he thought she had poisoned them all. It was a good thing she had exined right after or he would have attacked her right there and then.


    It wasn''t so much for himself, but the thought of Ophelia dying because of his negligence was something he could never forgive himself for.


    Had she exined what she required of them before feeding them the potion, he would have gone ahead with it regardless. Training others or exploring their surroundings weren''t anything troublesome for him. It was theck of trust she obviously had in them that was especially hurtful.


    However, not everyone thought the same way he did. Most of his team did not see anything wrong with what she had done. At this moment, the four members of his team were hidden under the brush, waiting for something to pass by. The two mischievous snakes he had the misfortune to be paired with, had not stopped singing her praises.


    The hunting environment she had sent them out to was indeed ideal. But with all the easy kills they have had so far, perhaps they had started to think there wasn''t much to fear.


    They were surrounded by wild grasnds with plenty of hedges to conceal themselves in. But directly ahead of them was a monster herd.


    They easily stood out because of how tall their bodies were, each creature looked like a curved boulder, with their rough grey hides that looked like stone. Their bodies were segmented, each section topped with a spike and many more along the creatures back.


    Their movements sluggish as they moved from ce to ce and they all had a very distinctive crystal tusk growing from their nostrils.


    The herd had appeared rather suddenly and Typhon had found their paths blocked, so he had instructed them all to hide in the nearest shrub until the herd passed. However, the boulder creatures didn''t go away and started to graze and they had no choice but to wait it out. So far, the creatures hadn''t noticed they were being watched from the bushes.


    His team members kept saying they were bored with simply watching and wanted to go after them but Typhon firmly refused in order to prevent a stampede. If a single snake was spotted, the heavy monsters would surely go wild and stomp them dead.


    More than anything, Typhon was in a bad mood because he felt he had been used by their leader. This bad mood was so palpable among his team that most of them refused to speak in fear of angering him more. One of the mischievous snakes had expressed their discontent earlier, but neither of them was stupid enough to leave on their own.


    [Captain, can we explore a little over there?]


    [No.]


    The two snakes urged him. [Are you still angry with us?]


    [We said sorry.]


    Typhon sighed. [We are surrounded by enemies. This isn''t the best time. We can discuss thister.]


    [We just wanted to let you know we didn''t mean anything by it.]


    [Yeah, we like the leader.]


    [If you like her so much, why were you two having that discussion?] Typhon asked.


    [No reason.]


    [It was just a bit of fun.]


    Typhon frowned. Was it that the two were just teasing the spaded snake or did they have some ulterior motive? But their next words made him stop.


    [We want her to stay forever and not go anywhere.] One said.


    [Yeah, she brings us a lot of fun things. And she''s fun.]


    The other snakes on his team nodded enthusiastically, and Typhon didn''t know what to think. Although the two nestlings acted suspiciously sometimes, when it came down to it, they were all basically children who didn''t know any better. He sighed and continued to watch the herd, noticing the mood of his team had gotten a bit light.


    One of the snakes nudged him with a grin. [But there is something we want to know.]


    [What''s that?] he asked as he kept a lookout on the herd.


    [What''s our leader''s name?]


    [She''s much bigger than us, she has to have one right?] the two snakes chimed in one after the other.


    [Her name is¡­] Typhon stopped cold. It was such a simple question, and yet he did not know it.


    How could he have missed out on such an important detail?


    His teammates all stared at him for answers. But what was he supposed to say? Somehow he felt telling them he didn''t know would make him look bad.


    She always called to give them instructions, but he couldn''t remember ever waiting around afterwards to talk to her. It didn''t help that she didn''t understand him when he talked normally. But perhaps he didn''t know because he never gave her the chance to tell him.


    [Don''t tell me... you don''t know¡­?] One of the snakes said.


    Another sighed pitifully. [Of course he knows, he just doesn''t want to tell us because we don''t have names.]


    Typhon felt his heart thudding fiercely, but he could only stay silent in the face of such a misunderstanding. But the nestlings had already moved on to discuss other things. To confess to them now would be like him admitting he wasn''t the Captain they all believed him to be.


    Typhon made a decision right then, to learn her name by every means necessary. He may not know, but perhaps Ophelia who spent far more time with her than anyone did. As soon as he got back he would ask her.


    He huddled under the shrubs and continued to watch the herd. The stone creatures seemed to be moving on. Once the majority was gone, they could finally sneak away to hunt again.


    [Ooh what''s that?]


    The cry brought his attention back to his team. One of the nestlings seemed to have discovered something within their shrub. They had burrowed into the sands, uncovering a bright green stem with a red flower attached to it.


    [Don''t eat that!] Typhon called out immediately when one of the snakes tried to bite it.


    [Why not? It''s not on the list of what not to eat.]


    Typhon sighed. [It could still be poison.]


    He observed the nt carefully. The buried stem seemed to go on for much longer underground and after they dug more, the nestlings couldn''t seem to find the end of it. Neither did it have any roots.


    Typhon decided to leave it alone, ultimately it was just a nt. However, as soon as he turned his back, one of the mischievous snakes decided to eat the red flowerbud.


    [It''s sweet.] the snake mused as she swallowed it with satisfaction.


    Typhon wanted to smack the silly snake over the head! But the snake reported she didn''t feel strange at all. And after checking her eyes and tongue, there was no sign of poison.


    [I feel fine.] The mischievous snake said, as she twisted around to take a look.


    [I should have tried it too.] The second snake grumbled.


    [Don''t eat everything you see!] Typhon scolded them both.


    Was it simply him overreacting to a false rm?


    However, it was not the case.


    The red flowerbud that was previously limp suddenly stood upright and more appeared from under the sand. Soon the ground around their hiding ce began to rumble as the mound of soil. And what they thought was a small hill, stood upright on long legs.


    The bushes they were hiding in, was actually a creature''s camouge. Its leaves were fake, and the flower that was eaten, was also a part of the ruse. The tall lumbering monster stood up with a roar, its long neck stretching up from below to peer over its back at the snakes that suddenly had nowhere to hide.


    The stone creature herd that had been grazing, all broke out into a stampede as they saw it. No longer did they seem big, because the new monster now towered above them.


    And as the creature''s face came into view. Typhon just hoped the rest of the teams were having a much better day than he was.

 Chapter 138 - Bloodlust

    As it turned out, at that very moment Morgana was having the time of her life. She had already hatched an evil n to destroy a system and now she was waiting for it to run its full course. She and her team were settled up on the branch of arge tree, watching the entrance of a cave below.


    It was the home of arge number of reptile creatures she had discovered while scouting. They were grey in colour and stood on two legs with noticeably smaller arms. Their backs had rows of spikes and their bodies were covered with vivid green and yellow streaks.


    They were clearly dangerous with theirrge numbers and each reptile had a mouth filled with rows of serrated fangs that oozed with poison while their spiked thick tails swung around dangerously as they roared in anger.


    But Morgana was unperturbed as she watched, because her team was not their target.


    Across from this pack of reptiles, stood another pack of reptiles that looked exactly the same, apart from some minor differences. They were also grey in colour and stood on two legs with simrly smaller arms, but their backs bore a plume of ck feathers instead of spikes, their small arms ended in long feathers and their bodies were covered with ck and white streaks.


    Resting on top of the tree branch, Morgana watched the forest floor teeming with life as the members of two separate colonies came together to vie for supremacy. The two reptiles could be said to be the same creature ¨C once plucked of all their decorations, of course. Yet they were so openly at odds with each other and this was not due to any fault on their part.


    The team of snakes who stood back to watch the ensuing feud were the true cause.


    Some hours earlier, Morgana''s hunt had failed on two separate asions. First her poisoned prey had been stolen by the group of reptiles with ck feathers, and the second time a four legged majestic, winged beast she had been wanting to capture had been cruelly ripped apart by the hunting group of the spiked reptiles.


    Unwilling to ept the loss anyway, Morgana decided to get back at them, once and for all.


    She dispatched her team to stalk both reptiles to find their respective caves and once located, she visited them herself. At the feathered reptile''s cave, she''d picked up a scent and traced the location to an empty field. There she instructed her team to dig below the ground and to her surprise they found a cache of buried eggs.


    And soon the evil n was conceived.


    She instructed her team to move all of the feathered reptile''s eggs, making sure to break a few to make them extra angry. Then she visited the spiked reptile''s cave to do the same.


    With her leaving a trail of broken eggs, going from one reptile''s cave to another''s, it wasn''t a surprise each reptile thought the other was responsible. Although they didn''t destroy all their eggs, they had buried them elsewhere to make it seem like they did. And now Morgana''s despicable n was ying out right before their eyes.


    Each side had stormed off to attack the other, furious over the loss of their eggs and now it had devolved into a confrontation of reptile against reptile, fighting each other with poison.


    Morgana watched the battle from up in the tree. Her team was tense, but she was not. She kept thinking it shouldn''t be this fun to spread disharmony, but as more and more of the reptiles sumbed to blows, an exhrating feeling spread throughout her body.


    Who would have thought it would be this easy? And this exciting.


    Morgana rxed and spread herselfnguidly on the tree branch. Three members of her team were watching the battle progress with the same fascination as her, but she glossed over them. Her eyes settled on thest member of her team that was looking away disappointedly. She observed this snake with interest.


    When she instructed everyone to dig, she had been the only one to disagree, but eventually she had sumbed to the pressure she exerted as Captain.


    [You wouldn''t feel bad if you tried one of their eggs. They are quite tasty.] Morgana pondered in a low yful voice. Something about this snake defying her thrilled her and she felt the urge to tease her a little.


    Their eyes met, but the snake looked away almost immediately, making Morgana sigh. [You feel sad. That''s reasonable.]


    The snake peered over at her, seeming to tremble a little. [I-I don''t feel anything¡­]


    Morgana''s face lit up with a smile as the trembling snake came closer to her, it was like she was trying to prove she wasn''t afraid. And together they looked down at the battle raging below.


    [Isn''t it interesting how, to one half a bite is harmless but to the other half it is fatal.] Morgana mused. [And yet they both look the same. It must make you wonder if the same thing applies to us.]


    [What do you mean?]


    Morgana was thoughtful. She had been trying to figure out why she felt strange since leaving the cave. The substance their leader had fed them was not deadly, but it made her feel strangely excited. She wasn''t sure what it was, but watching the reptiles battling below was beginning to give her an idea.


    [I don''t understand what you mean Morgana. We should return their eggs back. We shouldn''t have taken their young.]


    [Hmm...not yet. Haven''t you ever wondered how it works?]


    [How what works?]


    [Our poison.]


    [No, I ¨C ]


    [To me and you, it is harmless. But if you take another type of snake, perhaps it would be fatal ¨C just look at them.]


    The reptiles fighting below had reduced by half their initial number. The feathered reptiles who had been bitten by the spiked reptiles had sumbed to poison and nowy weakened on the ground. The same thing was also happening in reverse with both sides suffering casualties. The reptile colony that was once cooperative had now devolved into total anarchy.


    [This is wrong. We shouldn''t have done this.]


    [Why is it wrong?] Morgana asked. [Fighting your enemies is the best way to guarantee your survival, is it not? Do you really think you won''t have to participate in it? Or do you see yourselfpletely above it all?]


    [I-I...It''s wrong! We shouldn''t have done it!] The trembling snake waspletely unravelling at her words. On one side, she wanted to maintain her principles and be against unnecessary violence, but on the other hand, Morgana''s words were true. [We should have done this another way.]


    [What other way?] Morgana''s smile was cruel. [Appeal to them to leave our food alone. Say please?]


    The trembling snake shook her head.


    [We are all so lucky, we don''t have other snakes living near us. Imagine having to squabble amongst ourselves over territory or something like food when every bite could kill.]


    Morgana paused. [But I often wonder just how close we came to that reality in the beginning.]


    [Are you saying we can''t kill each other with our poison?]


    Morgana peered over at the snake, observing her carefully as her head looked down at the battle below. She wasn''t sure either, but if it was the same for the reptiles below, it was very likely. The creatures were still fighting but the majority were now weak and slow.


    Morgana knew it was time to finish them off. But first, she had to be sure.


    Before the snake beside her knew what was happening, she was tackled on the branch in a constriction hold. Wrapped up and bound tightly, the snake could barely struggle as Morgana brought her fangs to her neck.


    [What are you doing!] The snake squealed.


    The rest of the team who was watching the battle turned to look at them with wide eyes.


    Morgana spoke in a low voice that was barely a whisper. [Why didn''t ''her'' poison affect you? You should want to kill them just as much as I do. Are you just ying pretend? Or are you really unaffected?]


    The snake struggled to get free, desperately trying to get away from Morgana''s savage eyes. But when she could not, her eyes flickered towards the rest of the team, pleading for them to help her.


    Unfortunately, the remaining three snakes were too afraid to move closer. Rather than challenge Morgana, they looked away like they didn''t see anything.


    Morgana sneered at her. [Don''t pretend to be above us. It''s ugly.]


    [I''m not, I''m not pretending. Help me!] The snake shook her head and cried, but something sharp pierced her body and she immediately went limp. Afterwards her breathing came fast, her eyes zed over and her screaming quickly became a whisper.


    Morgana released her and the snake fell limply on the branch and began to pant for breath. [You bit me¡­how could you¡­do that.]


    Morgana frowned. [I''m only testing our poison. Why did you scream like that?] she gave the trembling snake a once over. [You''re not dead. Maybe it takes a different sort of poison to affect us?]


    [You!]


    The trembling snake from before was now unrecognisable. She may have been able to suppress their leader''s poison, but after Morgana''s bite, the bloodlust surging inside of her from two poisons was too potent to resist. Her righteous facade was gone and the anger swelling inside of her made her even more insatiable than the others.


    Morgana turned away and looked down at the weakened reptiles in satisfaction.


    [Let''s hunt until we are full. Kill them all and don''t hold back.]


    [Yes Captain!]


    [Yes Captain!]


    [Yes Captain!]


    [Yes Captain!]


    With a new set of orders, her team descended from the tree with killing intent, ready to go wild.

 Chapter 139 - Facing The Music

    While Morgana''s team relished in the feverish mour of chaos and ughter, Ophelia was struggling hard against her base instincts to ovee this haze. She didn''t want to show her team an unsightly appearance or give in to the bloodlust when they were counting on her steady hand for leadership.


    Her team members were hidden in the low shrubs as per her instructions. Due to their leader sorting through all of the nestlings, every team had been created to have a mixture of different skill sets. So she had instructed them to wait below for her and the creatures she would send towards them, because not all of them could skilfully traverse the treetops as she did.


    However, her temperature was dangerously low, and yet her body burnt hot with a raging fever. As she suspended herself over the high branch of a tree, listening to the sounds of the forest below, every breath she exhaled formed a feverish mist.


    Hyper focused eyes darted up and down the tree''s canopy, fixating on everything in her immediate surroundings. She directed her gaze to the flowers that crowded the base of her tree, listening to the whisper of lives transpiring within them.


    The droning sounds of small insects, the satisfied calls of the bottom feeders as they feasted on flesh, the snickering movements of the little monsters that hunted the bottom feeders.


    The sounds were a greatfort and listening to them helped keep her calm in the face of the raging bloodlust. The more she listened, the more order returned to her senses, undermining the unsavoury effects of ''her'' poison but keeping the intensity.


    She saw the silver streak of something moving ahead of her, bringing with it a low rumbling sound. There was a soft grunt, and the mist parted to reveal arge creature shaped like a doe.


    The first thing that stood out were its two rigid antlers, followed soon after by the shadowy outline of the creature''s two separate heads.


    One half was ck as night and the other a pure silver that shone like moonlight. It had a body split down the middle like two creatures had merged together to be one, with each of the heads having a separate antler growing out of its forehead. It breathed a pale mist, and she heard the sound of its hooves striking the ground as the forest ground soon covered in frost.


    Finally, the prized creature of the hunt had revealed itself.


    Ophelia listened to its footsteps gradually fading in the mist. She had been tracking it for hours, and every time her team came close to it, a cold fog would appear, confusing their surroundings. And soon after she became too cold to follow it. Yet here it was appearing again like a dreadful tease.


    Ophelia raised her head, holding it suspended out in the frosty mist towards the creature.


    There was another scent in the air, one of blood and sweat as a group of wild creatures returned from their hunt. She made out the glowing eyes of canines. They regarded her prey with their wary eyes, unaware of the creature ring at their figures from the trees.


    As they began converging in the direction of therge doe, Ophelia''s bloodlust peaked. She was suddenly filled with anger. A wave of desire came over her and she began to sing. There were no particr words, just a droning hiss that fit her mood.


    Soon, the insects below her tree began to whir loudly. The feeding of the bottom feeders became chaotic, and the little monsters that hunted them began squealing in excitement. The leader of the canine pack became feverish and began to pace back and forth, panting. Then he rushed at the canine next to him and savagely bit its throat.


    The canines squealed in confusion and began to attack each other, some furiously pawing at their peers, others frantically making their escape. But those that fled all seemed to head in the direction of the same hedge, where they were quickly set upon by a group of eager snakes.


    When Ophelia stopped, the wounded canines tucked their noses into their chests, whimpering in the absence of her song. The bottom feeders stopped eating and curled their legs beneath them. The little monsters went back beneath the shrubs where they hid from predators and the droning of the insects stopped.


    However Ophelia frowned. Once again the frosty mist was all that was left and the two headed doe was nowhere to be found. She descended from the tree and into the chill to meet with her team.


    The frost covered ground was the only sign left of the elusive monster. The cold was afort and she craved more of it tobat the heat of her feverish body.


    But she couldn''t go after the creature and abandon her team. The canines may have been confused by her sound, but they were still savage creatures. So instead, she went to locate the shrubs she''d instructed them to hide in.


    The area was littered with the bodies of the canines they had killed and here, she was met with her team members who were equally as feverish with bloodlust as she was.


    Ophelia was relieved none of them was injured, but she noticed they were down by one member.


    [Where is Apollo?] She asked.


    [He went after thest one. It got away.]


    Ophelia counted the corpses and saw that they were right. She had sent seven canines in their direction, but she noticed there were only six bodies. But she wasn''t happy. [Why did he leave on his own?]


    [He said too much noise would startle it.] The snakes responded.


    Ophelia frowned. It wasn''t that long he''d been wounded. If he had moved from the ce she told them to wait, who knew how her sound had affected him. He was fast but he couldn''t outrun the effect of confusion. She wanted to go and look for him, but there were other things to take care of first.


    The canines she affected were still wounded, so she rushed over with her team members to finish them off. In addition to the creatures they had killed before, their hunt was quite a sess. The only thing bothering Ophelia was the absence of the main meal that had run away.


    For now, the logical thing to do was to hide the corpses. If they waited any longer more creatures would appear, and their hunt would be fruitless. She had found a cave not far from their current position while scanning the ground, so she directed them to it.


    [Stay here, while I go off to find him.]


    With all the corpses inside the cave and her team members safe, she took off after their lost member, determined to bring him back.


    It didn''t take long to find him ¨C she simply followed the trail of the canine who had fled, and her sense of smell was strong. Ophelia soon came upon the dead corpse of the savage creature with bristly fur.


    Apollo wasn''t far from it. He was crouched next to the dead creature. Seeing he was not in any danger, Ophelia went over to him immediately, but what she saw left her stunned.


    The body of the canine had been overrun by writing bottom feeders and Apollo simply stood by, without doing anything while they ate his kill, seemingly watching them with fascination.


    [What are you doing? Why are you letting them eat it?] Ophelia said with disgust.


    Apollo didn''t look up as she approached him, but his voice was calm. [They''re harmless, they only hurt those that can''t fight. Besides I''m more interested in them.]


    [What''s interesting about them?]


    Ophelia simply couldn''t understand why he would abandon his hard won kill for nothing. He didn''t seem afraid of the disgusting creatures. Rather, it seemed he had willingly let them take it. She wondered if he hadpletely recovered from his previous injury. Maybe he wasn''t quite himself yet?


    However his next words stopped her cold.


    [I heard you left me there in the cave as bait.]


    Ah¡­It seemed he was talking about what happened when ''she'' finally returned.


    [She was never going to hurt you, surely you must know that now.]


    Apollo wasn''t convinced. [You didn''t know it at the time. It could have been anyone, aplete enemy and yet you did that.]


    [But it wasn''t an enemy, was it?] Ophelia stopped him short. She wasn''t ready to have this conversation. Especially not out in the open, so she ordered him to stand up and follow her.


    If he was okay with letting his prey get stolen, that was entirely up to him, and so, Ophelia left.


    Overhead, she began to make out the shapes of creatures moving through the trees as their location was quickly filling with creatures, drawn to the aftermath of the battle.


    [You didn''t answer!] Apollo said as he followed after her.


    [Shhh!]


    They both stood against a tree, watching, and listening for the creatures approaching. They were still far but if they moved fast they could make it to the others before anything attacked them. So, Ophelia ran as fast as she could, making sure Apollo was following behind her.


    They made their way through the low shrubs without stopping until they arrived at the mouth of the cave where the others waited.


    [Will you at least be honest with me?] Apollo panted as they came to a stop. [Was it the punishment for leaving the cave? Did you want me dead?]


    Ophelia was at the limit of her patience. She quickly pushed him inside the cave to shut him up.


    Inside, she saw the rest of her team was all safe and she rxed enough to confront Apollo''s questions. [We would never have let anyone get to you. You were only there to distract her, no one was ever going to get hurt.]


    She thought exining to him would make him stop asking questions, but instead of understanding Apollo pushed back with resentful questions of his own.


    [Just what do you see us as? Are we mere things to be yed with just because you''re more intelligent than us? In all of your ns do you ever consider what we think? You don''t treat us like individuals. You treat us like things.]


    Ophelia was stunned at his outburst and the rest of her team was silent. [That''s not true.]


    [Don''t lie. You have always thought you are better than us, like we''re no different from those bottom feeders you despise, and I want to know why.]


    [That''s not¡­] Ophelia didn''t know how to answer. He was wrong of course, but as she looked around the cave, the words she wanted to say vanished from her head.


    The cave walls were charred and burnt ck, and there were skeletons scattered all around the inside. She only now noticed her team members were amongst the bones.


    And of the numerous bones found, they were of a simr size to them and all seemed to belong to snakes.

 Chapter 140 - The Whispering Forest

    The feeling of air flitting between my horns, the delicate stroke of wind against my scales, the rushing sound of air along the length of my body ¨C It was all a rush to experience, like a delicate feeling I couldn''t help but savour. I could even hear the buzzing of a crowd behind me, cheering me on as I flew.


    I closed my eyes - it was pure bliss, in and simple.


    Except the buzzing was from the swarm of rather angry sword insects, absolutely determined to pierce me to death as payback. And they were quickly catching up to my tail.


    Oh hell.


    I pped my dark wings once more and rose out of the cave opening and into the forest. I could make out the gnarled roots of trees, followed by the ckened trunks as the darkness gave way to light.


    I cast my eyes higher, following the faint light of the forest like a guide. And with every stroke, the wind on my wings was soft and delicate, like the breath of¡­a baby? Huh?


    I stared transfixed at the forest before me.


    The knotted trees loomed before me followed by a rather thick smoky fog. Spindly roots spread out so close together there was barely any room to fly, but I persisted and crashed through them to rise even further, reaching high and higher, until I saw¡­pink.


    The dark trees were in bloom, but their leaves appeared before me in pale fleshy shades of pink like the fuzzy skin of a peach. They looked so fluffy and soft, like I was flying through a nket of cotton candy and my eyes blinked in disbelief, at the scenery. How pretty.


    I smiled to myself as I flew through them, but a sharp jolt of pain in my wings snapped me from my thoughts, making me look back in annoyance. The angry swarm of sword insects were catching up fast and one had pierced through the skin of my wings, creating a small hole.


    That hurt.


    I took a sharp swerve to the side, and the swarm of fast flying insects all swept passed me, vanishing into the pale mist. I continued to fly, d to be free of my pursuers but the sword insect caught in my mouth began to create a high-pitched whirring noise that was painful to my senses.


    I suppressed the urge to scream as doing so would free the creature immediately. However, the pain caused my flight to take an abrupt dip and something sharp struck my scales as I crashed into one of the tree''s spindly branches.


    I mped down hard with my fangs to silence the creature and it screeched in pain, but to my relief, the painful noise stopped. But I couldn''t afford to rest so I pped my wings harder to get higher into the air.


    I slowly recovered but all around me was mist and with so many trees growing closely together, the forest was more of a hazard of sharp branches than anything. In the mist, they were hiddenpletely, appearing only when I flew close to them. And I didn''t have to fly long in low visibility before another tree branch appeared to block my path.


    ?They''re tracking the scent of their leader.? Sensei informed. ?In this fog, that is enough to lead them to you.?


    Damn it.


    In such a tight space there weren''t many ces I could go. I tried going up, but the trees were tall, and their spindly branches were endless. I twisted to fit between the gaps in the branches, determined to get out. However, I soon heard the buzzing behind me again. Wherever the insects had flown off to, they had recovered fast.


    ?You''re not ready for flight yet.? Sensei said, thoughtfully. ?Attempting to fly when you haven''t mastered the ground is a recipe for disaster. Didn''t you learn a thing from the tale of Icarus.?


    "My wings aren''t some art project glued together with wax." I scoffed. "They won''t melt."


    ?Oh, they won''t melt.? Sensei chuckled sinisterly. ?They''ll just get torn to pieces.?


    The swarm of insects was catching up with frightening speed and I began to feel their stings battering my body. Another insect had punched through my beautiful wings, leaving a small hole. I decided it wasn''t worth flying higher and so I activated [Mana Sense] right before diving into the forest below.


    The forest scenery turned dark immediately and I could pinpoint the faint mana presences of the insect swarm like dots, between the trees illuminated in cyan. Without the mist involved, I could see even better, but it was too bad I could no longer get to see the peachy leaves.


    The insects followed after me as I slipped through the scattered branches, but I pulled up at thest minute right before I should have crashed into one of the trees. I heard rapid pops in the distance as the tree was pelted with multiple bodies of insects. Some were strong enough to pierce through and some trees were decimated in the process.


    Still, it wasn''t over. The insects had reduced in their numbers somewhat but I could still make out their pursuing figures in the distance. I began to weave through more trees in hopes of weakening the trail.


    "What was that about not having mastered flight?" I asked proudly.


    After my brief stint as a wasp, I was confident in my abilities, if anything I was a flying expert!


    However my confidence didn''t count on the unexpected happenings. I was actively dodging the stray branches when one seemed to veer across out of nowhere, directly crashing into me. I was forced into a tree where more sharp branches smacked into me.


    What the heck! I''d clearly avoided it. What was going on?


    I straightened myself, preparing to fly again when I heard more creaking and rumbling sounds. The tree I had crashed into had started swaying slightly, its stiff knotty branches turning soft as they began to weave around me like rope.


    What is this? A no fly zone?


    I immediately leapt off the tree, swerving backwards as the flexible branch reached out to grab me. It barely missed my tail and I pped around in the air, moving around constantly to avoid the other branches nearby.


    I was freaked out. All the trees around me had started to move their flexible knotty branches in my directions, and I fled through the trees immediately, dodging wherever a branch reached out for me.


    But the more I did, the more I began to hear whispering from every corner. More trees flexed their stiff limbs, and I heard rumblings of discontent.


    Was this a gathering of the elderly or something?


    Fearing I was about to get punished for disturbing them, I wanted to get out of the forest even more than before. However the insects were still after me and as the buzzing got even closer, the one in my mouth started struggling more fiercely than before.


    ?You''re not ready for [Air Magic] if you can''t handle basic flight.? Sensei continued.


    I mped down harder, determined to keep the creature quiet. "Air Magic will get me a [Wind de] and sound, amongst other things. Flight is the least of my concerns."


    However much to my dismay, the sword insect started its high-pitched screeching and the shrill sound shocked through my senses, momentarily stalling my flight. Something fast smacked into me and this time I was shot down mercilessly.


    Landing painfully on the ground, I saw the attacking branches pull away as soon as I was no longer airborne.


    I flipped around on my back to see numerous tiny mana spots flying up in the air. The swarm had followed, each one rushing down to the ground to impale me. I immediately activated my shadows, spreading them as far as I could to conceal myself.


    The sword insects came down in force and I had no choice but to pull back my extended tail, shrinking my body under my wings as much as possible. It wasn''t clear exactly where my body was in the shadows, but the insects had spread out to attack at random. Some missed, while others poked more holes in my wings.


    I grimaced in pain. If I could withstand it, maybe they would move on eventually.


    I felt a little remorseful. While I wasn''t against reducing their colony by a few bats. This one seemed integral to the colony''s survival. Without their rm, would they still be able to tell when a predator wasing?


    Probably not, because they were fighting so hard to get it back.


    "If I release it, will they leave me alone?" I asked sensei.


    ?They depend on its abilities so they won''t leave without it.? he answered.


    Ahh...so they weren''t going to move on any time soon. I still wanted to kill it but doing so didn''t seem so right anymore. If this was their leader, I felt like some devil damning them all to die for my own sake. And every stab that met with my body felt like their retribution.


    ?Do you really want a wind de that much.? Sensei asked.


    I nodded fiercely. Its ability to cut was powerful and if I wanted to grow stronger I needed such an offensive skill. It wasn''t just myself I had to protect anymore.


    Sensei sighed. ?I can show you how to create an even better de.?


    Huh? My eyes widened. What did he just say?


    "Repeat that again?"


    ?Will you do it??


    "Not that!"


    The creature struggling in my grasp screeched again, but this time its high-pitched voice didn''t hurt as much, its voice seemingly lost within my shadows. But I wasn''t focused on it so much as I was in shock at Sensei''s revtion.


    "You can use magic?"


    ?Will you do it?? Sensei repeated.


    "Sure."


    I released the creature immediately and it writhed about inside my shadow as it tried to fly. Two of its wings were torn where my fangs had ripped them, but soon the insect eagerly flitted out of my shadow, to join the others.

 Chapter 141 - The Dark Fae

    I waited patiently in my shroud, listening out for any movement. The sound of buzzing continued but the insects were much further away than before. It was only when their sound recededpletely, that I retracted the shadows around me, shirking it closer to myself but remaining covered.


    The trees had stopped moving but the forest was too suspicious to let my guard downpletely. First was the whispering and then the attacking branches. Quite frankly, I didn''t feel it was safe toe out, so I stayed in my shadows. At least if anything entered, I could face them in the dark where I had an advantage.


    I counted down the seconds while I waited, but as my frantic snake heart calmed down, I began to feel pain. I examined my injuries and saw my beautiful wings had been poked full of holes! I''d just got them, and they were already damaged like this.


    It was simply too much!


    I activated [Regeneration] to heal them, but at LV1, it took quite a while to repair the numerous tears. In that time, I observed the forest, but it remained quiet with no movement at all. I was beginning to feel a little silly for remaining hidden like that when there was no one interested in me anymore.


    I sighed. And since I had some free time, I decided to interrogate Sensei.


    "Don''t you have some exining to do?"


    Sensei was calm as usual. ?You should start your journey back to the cave, it''s dangerous here.?


    Hmph, this sly fox.


    Like I would be distracted by that. Trying to change the subject won''t work!


    ?Your nestlings will be on their way back by now.?


    Ah! I wonder how their hunt went!


    Since I checked the timer, six hours had passed. If I wasted more time here, I would miss their return, so I started moving back towards the insect cave as it was the quickest way back.


    While the forest was silent and quite beautiful, it was still eerie, and I didn''t want to stay there any longer. With every tree I passed, I kept feeling eyes staring at the back of my head. I would hear some angry whispers but when I turned back to look, the trees were perfectly still.


    Honestly, I did not feel safe to release my shadows yet. Neither did I want to risk flying again, as my wings were still sore, so I stuck to the ground. Still, I couldn''t shake the feeling that I was being watched.


    Sensei saw where I was headed andined.


    ?Do you want to get stabbed by insects again??


    My n was to distract them with bait, or maybe use [Mimic] to slip past them, but Sensei firmly opposed it. ?If you don''t know the way, use the As. It''s there for a reason.?


    But your As is rubbish, I wanted to say.


    However when I essed it, to my surprise most of the forest area was illuminated.


    ?You''ve already explored most of it while underground.? Sensei added tly.


    True to what he said, I could see the pathway and the rooms I''d created to extend the cave, disyed on the as underneath the pink forest. I could even see where my path stopped to enter the insect cave and my uneven flightpath that illuminated more parts of the forest.


    Was it actually not as big as I thought?


    I followed the underground path leading back to the cave and although it went up a slope, it was actually quite straightforward. The forest seems quite devoid of creatures and there was quite a lot of damage done to the trees where I''d crashed into them. But the presence of something hostile never seemed to fade.


    I thought I saw a small face peering at me from behind one of the trees. In the mist, it was hard to tell, but when I looked at it, I only saw the glowing outline of a tree. So I appraised it.


    --------------


    Name: Valdium Tree


    Specie: Common Cermifer


    A fruitless tree native to the Ailithbyrinth. It is home to a variety of creatures and can grow for centuries on fertile soil.


    [Rarity: F-]


    --------------


    My appraisal result was also normal.


    The ground was covered in soft pink leaves where a bunch had gathered after falling and I couldn''t imagine any of it would try to hurt me. But I peered warily at the tree and continued to move.


    "How can you use magic?" I asked Sensei.


    ?The same way you can.?


    "What kind of magic? Can you use air magic?"


    ?No.?


    "How long have you been able to use it?"


    Sensei sighed at my repeated questions. ?As long as you have.?


    "Ahh, no way. Show me. Can you use telepathy?"


    ?If you can''t use [Telepathy], how do you expect me to?? Sensei grumbled.


    But then he added. ?I don''t have true ess to magic, but I can use it with you as the conduit.?


    Ah¡­so he was useless without me.


    "I didn''t think you could do anything at all." Iughed. "So, knowing you can do something is impressive enough. Now, what else can you do? Is it because our cores are connected?"


    ?Do you ever stop talking?? Sensei said in an irritated voice.


    And Iughed out loud. "Now you know what it feels like to have you in my head all the time."


    Sensei fell silent and I smirked proudly.


    He must be thinking how much of a saint I am for putting up with him for so long.


    But what he said next shattered my illusion. ?You do realise, I can choose not to hear your voice if I wish it.?


    I was stunned. "What do you mean?"


    Sensei chuckled sinisterly. ?Okay, say something¡­now?


    "You are a useless piece of **** system and I want to drag you out of my head and smack the hell out of you."


    There was silence.


    ?Done??


    I nodded, feeling like a weight had been lifted. "So...What did I say?"


    ?I don''t know, I didn''t hear a single word.? Sensei said proudly.


    "What? Damn it!" Does that mean he just muted me?


    ?Your endless chatter is intolerable, and your pace is slow. So, hurry up.?


    "You ass! How long have you been doing that?"


    ?You really don''t want to know.?


    This stupid...I wanted to scream! Now it made sense why he sometimes went quiet for long stretches at a time. It never even crossed my mind that I could be put on mute.


    How dare he! The shameless bas-


    Ahhh!


    I felt the ground give out under me and I was tumbling down a deep hole. My vision spun and everywhere I looked was dirt and soil. I spread out my wings, in a bid to fly but numerous tree roots appeared to tangle around my body, pulling me further down.


    "What''s happening!" I screamed out loud.


    ?I told you to hurry. Now, you have to deal with them.?


    I finally stopped tumbling and hit the bottom of the hole with a loud bang. Looking up, I saw more tree roots gathering to cover the opening like webs.


    "Deal with who?"


    I heard more whispering ¨C this time they seemed to being from down inside the hole. More roots twisted and spread to hold me down, and I shed through them with my poison de. But with every cut I made, the whispers turned angrier and much louder than before.


    So loud that for a second I thought the ground around me was talking, but I''d already scanned around and there was nothing aside from me.


    Soon however, none of the roots tried to touch me, instead spreading upwards to cover the opening of the hole like prison bars.


    I spread my wings and rose up in the air, I''d already prepared my poison spheres again to sh through the roots, when I felt a severe pain in my head. I winced and ducked my head, but the pain persisted until I heard a small voice speak directly into my head.


    [Don''t do that! You''ve already angered them enough by destroying the trees!]


    It was a frantic voice that sounded like a child''s and since I''d experienced [Telepathy] before, I searched around for the source.


    Focusing on the opening above the ground, I saw a tiny figure peering at me from behind my root cage bars.


    No more than four inches tall she looked like a tiny girl with bare feet and almond shaped ck eyes. She wore a delicate dress made out of moss and leaves in the same shade as the tree''s and her skin was dark grey and there were two ominous horns growing out of her head.


    She didn''t seem angry, rather she smiled savagely, showing two rows of perfect tiny fangs.


    I hesitated, she was very tiny, but her appearance was quite sinister. I could probably kill her easily, but what the heck was she talking about?


    [Who did I anger?] I asked.


    [The spirits.] The tiny girl replied. [They want payment for the damages you caused.]


    What damages? She couldn''t possibly mean the trees I hit, right? I seemed to recall getting bashed first.


    [You hit me first.] I grumbled angrily.


    [You trespassed. And stole.]


    [What? I didn''t steal anything!]


    [You did.]


    [I did not.] Wait, why was I arguing with a child.


    [The spirits demand payment.]


    As she spoke, more roots crawled down from the opening, the entrance to the hole seeming to shrink the more she talked. Hold on.


    [What payment?] I had a bad feeling about it.


    [You be fertilizer.] The tiny girl smiled with fangs exposed. [The price of destroying our forest is to be buried forever with us. Our roots will grow stronger with you as nourishment.]

 Chapter 142 - Dissonance

    Ghad looked down at the creature he and his team had killed.


    It was rather long like them and covered in scales, but aside from that, there weren''t any other simrities.


    The creature had been dragged out from theke, and its body was streamlined with a lot of appendages along its back that helped it swim. It also had long delicate fins around its head with two rope-like whiskers around its mouth. And its markings were a dark grey-green colour, very different from their striking ck and white ones.


    The creature''s triangr shaped heady open in death, showing its exposed fangs that still dripped with water.


    Ghad''s team crowded the dead creature, examining its corpse to make sense of what it was. There were six members if you counted Hestia who was now in a snake form.


    Lyra and the other snakes were still in shock after they had been attacked, but Ghad had already witnessed a simr creature when he lived away from the cave, and so he remained unfazed.


    Initially, he had suggested they go fishing for smaller prey like he used to in the past and following Hestia as their guide, they had arrived at thergeke in no time. And once there, they fished in the shallow end, but unbeknownst to them, therge creature had been eyeing the group in the water and attacked soon after.


    The snakes had worked together to take down the creature, while Hestia assisted by pushing back the water to slow it down.


    With the creature dead, thergeke had be quiet but now, none dared to approach the water ¨C not after encountering one of its creatures.


    Its peaceful surface was just a ruse to lure more creatures into its dark depths. Even now Ghad spotted a shadow in the shape of a fin, breaking the water''s surface and a creature''s eyes red at him, before quickly disappearing below.


    And so, he decided to hunt elsewhere and escaped with his team in the other direction.


    The six snakes stopped behind a tree line a distance away and took a moment to catch their breath while eagerly observing the corpse they had taken as their prize.


    [What do you think it is?] Lyra asked in a whisper, fidgeting from behind him where she hid.


    [It doesn''t matter now because it''s dead.] he replied. But his response did not satisfy her and so the tiny healer snake gathered her courage and inched closer to examine the creature.


    She was not convinced it was dead and it was only when she touched the lifeless body that she heaved a sigh of relief.


    The creature''s physical appearance scared her, as did its powerful abilities. In fact, a great part of the reason they had survived the creature was due to Hestia, whose water des had injured it a great deal before their poison could take effect.


    While they rested, his team discussed the creature amongst themselves as they ate, eaching up with their own theories on what the creature could be.


    Ghad kept his eyes towards the direction of theke. And as time passed, he began to see more creatures approaching theke to have a drink, but surprisingly, none of them were attacked.


    It seemed something else caused the creature to attack them and he remembered that the creature was especially focused on Hestia. And it wasn''t the first time Ghad had been attacked suddenly either.


    His first encounter with Hestia had been him saving her from a simr creature that had tried to kill her, but unlike that day he had some help in the form of his team today.


    He nced at the water creature usingly, but what he saw made him smile. Hestia was coiled up with his team, nodding along with them as they exchanged theories, although it was clear she didn''t understand a word they were saying.


    Hestia could onlymunicate with him after all, and she kept looking his way, wondering why he wasn''t joining them.


    Their victory should have been a cause for celebration, but he couldn''t help feeling unhappy. In all the excitement from before he could feel the effects of ''her'' potion fading, and he no longer felt the same closeness or bloodlust from before.


    It was maddening just thinking about it because it reminded him so much of the first day ''she'' had utterly destroyed him and not paid him any attention since.


    The scar left on his underbelly was a constant reminder. But what he wanted was not revenge¡­it was, after all, a very fond memory for him now.


    She had beaten him so ruthlessly, shed him with her horns, made him feel small and fearful like never before, so much so that he had submitted himself to her, just to stay alive.


    The memory of the event was so fresh in his mind that he broke out in a rather cheerful smile as he thought about it. Hestia, who was with the others across from him, smiled back, not realising what he was truly thinking.


    So enamoured was he, that afterwards he abandoned his former group and followed Typhon, restraining himself and acting as one of ''her'' followers. He thought in this way he could get closer to the one who made him experience defeat.


    And for a while, it worked, and he was allowed to stay by her side.


    But then what happened?


    She left.


    Without a word.


    Typhon, her precious guard had no idea where she disappeared to and neither did Ophelia. At that point, he couldn''t take it anymore. Her cruelty was simply too unmatched! How could she just leave, after all the efforts he had made to grow strong? It was like she was mocking him all along.


    Staying with the others in the cave had be useless so he left them and went hunting several times on his own, eventually encountering Hestia, whom he saved on a whim. If Ophelia hadn''te to get him, he probably wouldn''t havee back at all and for that he was grateful.


    But on their first encounter after a long time, she had easily beaten him once again.


    Hestia told him how she''d protected him, but he was only amazed by how much she had grown. Just how did she get so strong in such a short time? His urge to surpass her came back in full force and he had been doing everything, so he could defeat her before she got too strong.


    [What''s wrong?] Hestia asked. She crept up beside him and watched him with curious eyes.


    [Nothing, I''m just keeping watch over theke.] he replied as he turned away. [Stay with the others, I''ll join youter.]


    [Okay.] Hestia nodded cheerfully and returned to the group where she watched Lyra test out her healing on the others.


    Ghad''s eyes lingered over her for a few seconds before looking away. If Hestia continued to stay with them while he remained weak, it was only a matter of time before he would lose t her to another predator, and he couldn''t afford to do so yet, not when ''she'' was finally looking at him.


    He had managed to make Hestia look far more suspicious than she really was by asking her to hide whenever ''she'' was around.


    By convincing Hestia, their leader didn''t want her and wished to eat her, he had seeded in making ''her'' more curious of him. Refusing to tell Typhon where she was from had only added more fuel. And so, he relished her eager gaze lingering behind his head.


    Eventually he nned to reveal the location of Hestia''s former cave, but only when he had gained ''her'' trust. If he took an attack in her ce, he would get the chance to prove himself, and maybe ''she'' woulde to like him.


    But so far this was proving difficult. The spaded shake was yet to go berserk and attack, even after provoking her so much.


    He had to think of another way to prove his worth.


    Perhaps Hestia''s cave was the key to this. If he defeated the creature that made her run away, he might be strong enough to ovee ''her''.


    As Ghad absentmindedly watched theke, a group of creatures soon came into view. It was a family of birds, and from what he can see ¨C tworge ones and a hatchling.


    They looked like hawks withrge wingspans and dark luxurious feathers that blended out into vibrant shades of violet, pink and blue along the tips of their wings and lengthy tail feathers.


    The two gracefully came from the air to drink from theke with their little one who was a fluffier miniature of the two, with short feathers and watery eyes. From the looks of it, it might be a newborn.


    Since the three were flying so close to the dangerous water, he thought it was best to leave them alone. However as Ghad watched, something seemed to be approaching them from below.


    The newborn bird got excited at a fin that broke the surface of the water. And Ghad remembered ''she'' seemed rather fond of colourful and shiny things, from the many items she had shown to them in the cave.


    His eyes shed in excitement as he settled on a nice little ''gift'' to give her.

 Chapter 143 - Kindred

    The scenery of the forest seemed to blur as Cygnus moved, and forcing his eyes to stay open, he was able to take quick nces at everything he noticed within the sea of green leaves.


    The dangerous predators with sharper eyes that lurked inside them, all happened to glimpse a spark as something shot past them. And, four more blurred snake figures followed after the first in quick session.


    They were not quite as skilful as the first, but their speed was formidable all the same. Unfortunately, before the hungry creatures could give chase, the figures disappeared into the undergrowth, never to be seen again.


    The force of the wind rushing over his scales was the only true indication of just how fast Cygnus was moving. He sometimes felt the wind was an obstruction and yearned to move so fast it would no longer bother him. Nor did he want to feel the sting in his eyes as they watered, or the pain when his muscles tore from overuse. But that was just his wishful thinking.


    With repeated practice, the pain had continued to lessen, and this thrilled him to no end, but it neverpletely went away. His pain resistance was only a temporary measure that didn''t fix the real problem. And this told him one thing.


    He had yet to perfect it ¨C which meant he wasn''t the fastest, yet.


    His team traversed the forest floor in the arrow shaped formation Typhon had taught them. He stayed in the lead with two snakes nking him on either side and this was how they had continued to travel without facing any obstructions. However, he was much faster than them and he often found himself surging farther ahead than his team.


    Rather than stoppingpletely, he practiced slowing down to a normal pace and maintaining that for two breaths, before picking up the speed for five. Doing this repeatedly had slowed him down enough to prevent himself from outpacing them, and all without causing a break in their formation.


    However it wasn''t without fault. His team had encountered some dangerous obstacles in the form of creatures toorge to bypass. Since he was the fastest one, he always spotted them first and would scout the creature for a while to determine if it was something they could beat as a group. But sometimes, these obstacles proved too difficult.


    Flighty feline creatures were always the worst because of their heightened senses, but they were other beasts that were dense and slow but came with the added protection of tough hides his fangs could not prate. Whenever these obstacles urred, he would mark out a new scent trail for his team to follow, making sure itpletely avoided the creature.


    However, if the obstacle he encountered was weak, he would poison it and chase it down while waiting for his team to catch up, and then they would finish it off together. They had defeated many foes in this way, with Cygnus remaining cautious enough to never underestimate any creature they encountered, by ensuring they cut off every possible escape route. Due to this, nothing had slipped through his team''s formation yet.


    Cygnus took his role as scout rather seriously. Before he was made captain, it was his role to lead away any predators that strayed too close to their cave. This measure of security had enabled him to practice his speed as much as possible, so it wasn''t a surprise that he became very good at running. It had also taught him to recognise the signs of predators from the w markings they left on trees in a particr area.


    He knew theyout of thend, which monsters resided where, and from the tracks they left behind he could tell just how many they were altogether. An additional goal along with training his team was to cast a wide of the area, to spot the nests of any creature that could prove to be a real problem for themter.


    Due to his hunting methods, he had spotted numerous such problems, but fortunately, only four were close enough to their cave to matter.


    The silver wolves were first, followed by a rather vicious gathering of canines that hunted together inrge groups. There was also arge flying monster that prowled a particr area up in the hills, and below it he had discovered a deep pit in the ground, housing many gnashing multiple legged creatures.


    Because of his speed he had traversed much farther than any other, but after scouting for many hours he had seen everything that needed to be seen. They could have continued hunting like this without any problems, however, with repeated practice, their kills began toe all too easily, and Cygnus was starting to lose interest.


    Most of the thrill of hunting came from that fact that the danger was unknown. And by refining the hunt down to a series of steps, the thrill factor had lessened a great deal.


    The hunt left Cygnus wanting more - this was why he wanted to go further.


    He sought a challenger he could not outrun and hoped to find this in another snake that was much faster than himself. And so, once he and his team had killed to their fill, he set out to explore, intending to reach much further than he''d ever done before.


    He had never been given the free reign to go wherever he wanted like this before, so he was rather surprised when Typhon had given him his instructions. Usually he would stay around the cave to spot any threat before they came close enough to hurt them, but with ''her'' return, all of that had changed. But he didn''t know when he would get such a chance again.


    His decision to leave the area took his team by surprise, but none of themined. Just being able to keep up with him at his speed was alreadymendable enough. Yet they stayed quiet and waited on hismand out of respect.


    [Letting you go alone would be much worse.] One of the snakes said to reassure him.


    [We can''t leave our Captain behind.] Another added.


    Cygnus frowned. How could they say such things. Were they so ready to die with him?


    He recognised most of them from the speed training he taught, and all had shown they were capable and fast - still he felt rather strange about them agreeing so easily to his selfish request.


    [You''re not the only one who wants to see more.] Another snake mused in thought. [I too want to see what''s beyond the forest.]


    His team members all nodded in excitement and Cygnus frowned more. He didn''t like the idea of being in charge of their lives. The role of captain did not suit someone like him who preferred to be on his own. If he took a risk, at least it was only his life he was gambling with.


    But when his team stared back defiantly, Cygnus sighed in defeat. [It''s decided then. There''s no turning back now.]


    He instructed them to move in formation again, separated but maintaining a much wider distance between them than before as they followed him. They were travelling much further this time and if they remained close together like before, their group would be easier to spot through the trees. However, there was greater danger in being spaced apart. If any predator happened to spot them and decide to give chase, it would be much harder for the others in the team to know.


    But Cygnus did not want to stop for anything until they made sufficient headway, so he told his team to do what he usually did when he encountered a creature too hard to beat on his own ¨C shake them off with their speed, and if that proved impossible, then head underground immediately because most creatures could climb.


    Their pace was steadily maintained. Twice, he got ambushed by a predator, and both times he was able to skilfully manoeuvre his way out. However, since he couldn''t see his team, he wasn''t sure how they were faring. If he had encountered a predator, chances were high that they had too. And so after travelling for a long time, he decided to stop and do a head count.


    However, it wasn''t long after that he heard a crash from the trees behind him. One of the creatures he had bypassed, arge, segmented creature with a spiked tail, had spotted one of his team members. The snake saw iting and rather than retreating like he expected, the snake stopped to confront the creature.


    As it lunged to attack her, she seemed to disappear as she moved to evade with a burst of speed, it onlysted for a second, but the creature missed, allowing her to slip through the gaps between its legs.


    Cygnus watched on in amazement as she shot out from the other side where she continued to run, getting out of the creatures attacking range with ease. He thought she had handled that quite well and all without any fear. It wasn''t so far off from what he would have done in her situation.


    In no time she arrived on the side of him, and they vanished into the undergrowth, leaving the enraged creature behind.


    [What is your name?] Cygnus asked the snake.


    [Name? I don''t have one.] The snakeughed in reply, before tilting her head to ask. [Do I need one?]


    Cygnus couldn''t believe it. She was clearly capable, so it was strange that she was still unknown.


    [And if I say you do?]


    The snake seemed to think for a while before answering. [Then give me one.]


    [Hah!]


    Cygnus was taken aback. Didn''t she know only the leader was allowed to do so?


    The snake smirked at his shocked face. [Do you dare to?]


    Cygnus was stunned, but at the same time he was intrigued. He could already tell this one was going to be troublesome for him. But as carefree as the snake appeared to be, she also highlighted a w in an otherwise perfect n.


    How did ''she'' n to highlight talents when the majority had no names? Ghad had been noticed for his rebellion and Typhon and Ophelia for their ''oddness'' and Morgana and Artemis because of their proximity to them. But what about snakes like her who stayed quiet?


    He too was only noticed because his ability was one that was difficult to conceal.


    Cygnus quickly made up his mind. When they returned he nned to speak to their leader to ensure she wasn''t overlooked. And also to discuss the other creature he had spotted, so further steps could be taken to maintain their safety.

 Chapter 144 - No Mans Land [1]

    They had been running for what seemed like forever. All four members of his team had made it to him eventually and they had continued their journey together. From their reports, there was no dy from getting ambushed by creatures, meaning their formation had worked.


    Cygnus turned to the snake he ''rescued'' beside him and she smiled. Of the four snakes, she was the least out of breath and seemed to almost be keeping pace with him. It looked like she had been following him far more closely than she let on.


    Cygnus didn''t see much of a problem with it. If she hadn''t followed him, her little skill would have remained unknown for a long time. However, even if she wasn''t exhausted, he could see the rest of his team was and it didn''t seem right to continue without a break. So, Cygnus called for the group to stop.


    The exhausted snakes were all relieved to catch their breaths and Cygnus looked out of the undergrowth to see where they were. He had no particr destination, only the desire to see the end of the forest, and he had been following the markings left by the monsters in the area to find his way out of their territories. But what he could see around him made little sense.


    They were in a space so vast that dwarfed everything he had ever seen. Each tree was incredibly tall and spread wide apart, so much that there was barely any ground vegetation connecting them and the wide path between the trees was also busier than normal.


    Cygnus found various tracks, some were deep and left by heavy creatures while others were light and barely noticeable. The trees were also very busy with the scratch marks of various monsters.


    The ce they had stopped was interesting indeed.


    Normally, an area would only have a few marks for the specific monster that frequented it, but this ce seemed to follow no such rules. It was obviously visited a lot, yet he didn''t see any of the creatures he expected.


    [What are you looking at?] The snake came up to him to ask.


    [Marks.] Cygnus replied.


    The imprints all seemed to being from everywhere before converging in one direction. For so many creatures to head here, there had to be something attracting them. However, there weren''t many imprints showing the reverse. It seemed only those of the heavier creatures made it back.


    The snake''s eyes were bright and filled with curiosity as she stared at the marks. [Should we follow them to see where they lead?]


    Even without her asking, he was already curious. The temptation to unravel the mystery was great, and if there was something interesting at the end of the tracks, it would be fun to see the reactions of the rest of the nestlings when they returned. His team was also in agreement that they should follow it. And so, they did.


    The further they followed, the more spaced out the vegetation became. The ground soon became dry and coarse like rock, with hardly anything growing. The trees scattered in between were tall with their tall canopies concealed by mist.


    He couldn''t see anything that far up, but he could hearrge monsters moving above them. They called to each other with strange cries and he could make out what looked like a series of overhead nests.


    He was immediately on edge. It was getting harder to conceal themselves with the ever shrinking vegetation, and they stopped at thest line of shrubs overlooking the vast space.


    There, Cygnus saw a rather bizarre gathering.


    There were a few creatures that had arrived before them, arge feline monster, a small tawny canine with a rather bushy tail, an armoured creature that could roll into a ball, four hairy spiders and a group of slender four legged creatures with feathered tails. They were creatures bothrge and small, yet none seemed to be attacking anyone.


    They all growled and hissed at each other with wary looks, each one making sure not to stand too close to the other. Some newly arrived creatures saw the gathered group, and quickly returned to the forest, seemingly giving up.


    Cygnus eyes sparkled at the strange sight. Between those that were gathered, some were on the smaller side. He had to make sure they wouldn''t get attacked if they chose toe closer, but there was no way to tell.


    However, he soon heard the sound of beating wings and the creatures all stopped ring at each other, to stare up at the trees. Cygnus could make out shadows moving within the mist, but nothing came down ¨C it seemed the creatures in the trees were the groups biggest concern.


    Beyond the trees was a stretch of emptiness. A wide canyon with many rocks jutting up from the dry ground with more rocks on either side, and nothing in between to conceal themselves with.


    Some of the creatures decided to try their luck. Cygnus saw a pair of tall four legged creatures'' stride onto the rocky ground. And at once, a burst of sound erupted from the trees as massive, birds shot down after it. The pair was quickly snatched up by sharp talons and taken up into the mist before they even made it a few steps.


    Cygnus wanted to continue exploring further but he could see why the creatures were all in a standstill. If any strayed past the cover of trees to barren ground, what awaited them was death after being picked off by the creatures in the trees.


    The creatures that were taken were very tall, and normally this would make them difficult to hunt, but the birds wererge, and they worked in pairs. But most of all, they had been slow.


    As the group watched this happen, some of the waiting creatures retreated back into the forest, but Cygnus grinned. It seemed only those that were fast could make it across safely.


    It was the feline''s turn next and Cygnus saw the creature sprint across the dry ground, swerving to avoid the birds that made a pass at it, until it entered the canyon beyond, to safety. Cygnus thought it curious that the birds did not chase it further, but he didn''t pursue the thought further.


    The group had seen it pass sessfully and more prepared to cross, each gearing up to run as fast as they could. Cygnus and his team came out from hiding to join them. The armoured creature rolled into a ball to cross next, and in its rush it didn''t see one of his team members approaching and nearly ttened the snake. Fortunately, Cygnus was paying attention and moved quickly to push it to safety.


    The armoured creature moved on without stopping and it soon forged across the sparse ground, moving too fast to get caught. The angry birds lingered in the air, but refused to chase it past a certain point, yet again.


    [Let''s go! We can make it. We''re just as fast!] The female snake called eagerly from his side.


    [Not yet.] Cygnus replied as they watched more creatures attempt to cross over.


    Soon it was the spider''s turn and he watched them make it across without any issues. His group was beginning to get impatient, but Cygnus ordered them to wait. He retreated from the area, settling down behind one of therge trees to hide.


    Atst, it was only the small canine left.


    It stared at them curiously, wondering why they had refused to cross. And after watching them for a while, it too also settled down not far from them to watch the canyon.


    Cygnus red at the creature, but even as they werepletely alone, it didn''t try to attack them.


    Soon other creatures approached the area to cross, each new one more confident to cross than thest, with varying sess. Some crossed safely and others were cruelly snatched up before they could make it past.


    And just as Cygnus expected, none of the creatures that crossed made it back. There was nothing beyond the canyon that should have made them stay, and he could only conclude something else had gotten them.


    His team members looked at him with worry, but they chose to wait with him all the same. Along with the canine.


    Soon, the creature he was waiting for appeared through the trees. It was a massive four legged creature with powerful jaws and many sharp teeth, it had short legs with wed toes, thick ted skin with tough armoured spines along its streamlined body. The creature waved its powerful spiked tail and ripped arge gouge out of the tree it struck.


    The birds above were in an uproar as therge creature appeared and all seemed to scatter away with loud cries, but it paid them no mind. It was far toorge for them to attack and so powerful, their ws couldn''t even prate its skin.


    Compared to it, the birds were like mere bugs.

 Chapter 145 - No Mans Land [2]

    Cygnus watched the terrifying creature approach and walk past where they hid without noticing them.


    Even without their [Stealth] they were still not even a contender for its next meal as they were too small. The imprints in the ground had given him an idea of what to expect, but the creature was a lot more frightening than he ever imagined.


    This gave Cygnus a measure offort for his rather risky n to go ahead.


    He gave his team a signal and they all crept out stealthily to follow behind the creature, taking care to avoid its dangerous tail as it swung about. The wary canine was still with them and when it saw them moving, it looked from them to the creature, before warily moving with them.


    Cygnus didn''t know what to think. It had actually followed them!


    His team members were also confused.


    [It''s still here.] The female snake looked wary. [What do you think it wants?]


    The other three snakes gathered around him and put some distance between himself and the tawny canine, some even raring their fang to attack it. But since it wasn''t attacking them, Cygnus told them to leave it alone.


    Together, they followed underneath the creature''s and escaped the birds without getting attacked.


    If he canine wanted to follow them, as long as it didn''t try anything, he was fine with letting ite. Regardless, his n was a risk with a high chance of failure, his major concern being whether therge armoured beast will continue to not notice them.


    They followed it past the line of trees, each of them looking up in the mist for the birds to attack - but none of them made a move. The only danger left was the canine so he made it walk ahead of the group, to prevent it from attacking their backs.


    Across the canyon, the stony ground was littered with corpses and bones, both fresh and old. Cygnus saw the hastily abandoned half-eaten corpse of the feline that crossed first, followed by that of the armoured creature who had been eaten right out of its shell with the remnants of the spiders were not far ahead.


    All of them dead, with not a single one making it across.


    Cygnus was d he had followed his instincts, but so far all he saw was corpses and there was no sign of the creature that had gotten to them.


    The giant armoured beast continued to move, it was quite fast even with itsrge bulk swaying from side to side, and Cygnus instructed his team to move much closer under its tail to keep from getting exposed. They were now walking right beneath its wed feet, sticking close together to keep themselves from getting crushed.


    He saw shes of movement and stared out at the grey canyon walls, but they were all normal and there was nothing to be seen. However, there was plenty of noiseing from behind the bleak stone.


    He heard the guttural cries of numerous unseen creatures and heard the scrape of scales against stone. They had to be strong for the birds to not enter their domain. Although he couldn''t see what they were, their sounds were too many to count.


    They had to be the ones that had abandoned the corpses to flee in haste.


    Fortunately for them, it seemed they too were afraid of the armoured beast to show themselves, so Cygnus and his team confidently followed it without fear. They kept up with the armoured beast''s pace and soon the grey canyons began to shrink behind them, and the sounds of the creatures became faint.


    Cygnus watched the canine walking ahead of them. It had its ears down and its fur raised high as it heard the cries, and its pace had slowed down as it tried to huddle even closer to them. But his team members hissed at it, forcing it to move faster.


    They followed the massive monster into the wide area beyond where the coarse ground changed to one covered in sand, and soon they left the howling creatures behind. The canyons here were reddish brown in colour andpletely free of corpses.


    But the canine creature was still tense. It frantically looked around until it spotted an opening in one of the canyon''s hills and sped off towards it, without the huge beast noticing. Cygnus watched it leave, wondering if perhaps his team members had spooked it, but then he saw its small head poke out of the hole to wave at them, seemingly gesturing for them to follow.


    Cygnus wondered why it had fled when there wasn''t any more danger. If they continued following therge beast, it could lead them out of the canyon safely since it was strong.


    But then, he heard a loud cry and the dark shadow of something evenrger than the armoured beast appeared, covering the sandy ground around them. His eyes went wide as he spotted the flying figure of a ginormous bird behind them. It hovered in the air above the canyon, before it began its swift descent to attack.


    The armoured beast heard its cry and its huge bulk spun around to face it, its wed feet causing tremors in the ground. Huge grooves opened up in the sands and suddenly the snakes werepletely exposed, caught between the tworge beasts that were about to sh.


    They immediately dashed out from under the armoured beast and into the canyon, following after the canine, right as the armoured beast was tackled by the ginormous bird and flipped on its sides. They narrowly avoided getting crushed by the bodies of the rampaging monsters, but they managed to slip out from between their thrashing limbs.


    The two creatures were too focused on attacking each other to notice a few fast moving stowaways. They were about equal in size and they quickly tore up the surroundings as they fought. But the bird creature proved to be stronger as it''s ws sunk into the armoured beast, like it''s armour was butter, lifting it up briefly before throwing it across the canyon.


    Cygnus and his team did not stay to see the aftermath. They were already inside the canyon where he and his team members caught their breaths. It was far more spacious than what was seen from the outside. The walls were smooth stone like it had been carved, and there were many curved tunnels diverging from the one they had entered.


    Inside, he saw the canine was waiting. It stood across from them and watched them recover, before nodding to him.


    Seemingly repaying the favour of saving their lives, it quickly dashed off into one of the tunnels, leaving them without another look.


    [Wait!] Cygnus called after it.


    He wanted to chase after it, but between his team that was still recovering and their unfamiliar new surroundings - he couldn''t.


    He''d never seen the canine run before and from what he could see, it was pretty fast ¨C perhaps even faster than all the creatures that crossed the canyon so far. Cygnus waspelled to go after it, but he didn''t want to leave his team behind.


    [Go after it.] The female snake shouted towards him as she saw his hesitation. [We''ll be right behind you.]


    Feeling a bit of gratitude, he immediately took off after the canine. The sandy tunnels were twisty and curved around in circles, seeming to go on for miles. The sounds of rapid footsteps echoed all around him - the canine was familiar with the tunnels and seemed to know its way around. It constantly vanished from view, even with him following not far behind.


    Without any distinctive markers, it was easy to get lost inside, and for anything to hide within. Who knew how many creatures used this ce as their home? Cygnus stopped chasing it and soon the sounds of its footsteps grew faint.


    [Why are we stopping?] The female snake asked as she caught up.


    [We don''t know what else could be inside.] he replied.


    [But it''s getting away!]


    [We can''t follow it any longer. What if it is leading us to a trap?]


    [But it was nice.] she grumbled. [We should make it follow us, like Hestia follows Ghad.]


    Cygnus frowned at her. [I don''t think it''s the type.]


    He was more interested in racing against the canine, rather than making it follow them. Soon the rest of his team caught up and amidst their protests, he decided it was best to head back outside. If they climbed to the top of the canyon, maybe they would see another armoured beast to hitch a ride back with.


    In the end, they chose to travel through the canyon tunnels, drawn towards the exit by the flow of air. Outside, they looked around to see their new surroundings and what met them was a wide expanse of rocky ground, dotted with areas of vegetation here and there.


    The openndscape was marred by several blue streams of water and there were many creatures drawn towards it to quench their thirst.


    Cygnus spotted several armoured beasts and also another unusual creature. They stood on two legs and seemed to have very little hair to speak of. He tilted his head in thought ¨C they weren''t very shiny at all, contrary to what their leader had said, neither did they have any sharp teeth to speak of.


    They hid in the limited vegetation and appeared to be hunting the smaller armoured beasts, but he recognised them clearly. When ''she'' had mentioned the dangerous creatures to avoid, she seemed very particr towards this type.


    So he decided to return quickly and report their findings to her.


    Because, ording to their leader, he had found the biggest threat of all.

 Chapter 146 - Negotiation

    I focused on the small floating figure and the gleam of her pearly white fangs as she smiled.


    [Fertilizer?] I asked, doubtful.


    [Fertilizer.] The dark fae echoed with an enthusiastic nod that made her bob up and down in the air as her almond eyes twinkled.


    So even teeny tiny monsters could say terrifying things so casually.


    I unfurled my wings slightly to check the damages and I was d to see most of the holes had closed. I could fly out of this trap at any time. However, the roots were a problem.


    So, I continued to talk, luring the dark fae toe a bit closer.


    [Shouldn''t you exin yourself a bit more first?] I grumbled. [I already released the creature I took, and it''s alive. As for the damage to the trees, my wings are also damaged because of them, I don''t think I will ever fly again. Shouldn''t you be repaying me for what they did?]


    The dark fae grabbed her chin thoughtfully.


    Oh¡­ that worked! It seems her awareness was a bitcking. But that''s good for me.


    If I could convince her I''d suffered enough already perhaps the forest would let me go. In addition, even as their representative she was very much a kid that could be easily distracted. And I''d handled plenty of those kinds before.


    She tilted her head. [Hmm¡­I agree, you do look terrible.]


    This brat.


    [But you came here uninvited. And took a creature from its ce without permission. For that you deserve to be punished.]


    The whispering all around me picked up in agreement. The roots extended their tendrils once again to grab me. Were the bat creatures and the sword insects also under their protection?


    I prepared my poison des and red at each of the roots in turn. Really, I didn''t want to attack them, doing so would only count as more damages ¨C but they didn''t know that. I fired my poison des, and they opened long gashes in the ground.


    I''d purposely missed, but the threat of them was enough. I grinned in satisfaction as the extended roots began to retreat. On the scale of one to a horrible death, getting stabbed by multiple objects was probably the peak and I absolutely hated getting stabbed, for obvious reasons.


    But, what I really wanted was for the tiny girl toe closer so I could grab her instead. With one of their own down here with me, it would be difficult for them to bury me so easily. Unfortunately, the dark fae remained out of reach, behind the safety of the roots that formed my prison bars.


    [Tell the spirits I want to talk to them directly.]


    [There is nothing to talk about.] The dark fae replied.


    [Why? Are they so afraid to face me?] I scoffed.


    The dark fae twitched and I tried to suppress my grin. Was it this easy to get a reaction?


    [Afraid?] The dark fae muttered angrily.


    The roots seemed to be responding ording to her emotions so perhaps she was controlling them. But still, I had the feeling she wasn''t alone in this decision.


    [You are truly honourable for defending and protecting the creatures around you, yet you are treating me unfairly like this. It''s because I''m an outsider and not because I stole, isn''t it?]


    The hovering fae crossed her arms. [What are you trying to say? We are not unfair.]


    [I only wandered in here, yet I was injured so badly, and now you want to kill me. How is that not unfair?]


    [You hurt the trees!] The dark fae''s bobbing intensified as she zipped back and forth.


    I followed her with my eyes, willing my shadows to spread up from the ground to reach her. Just a little closer and I could use them to blind her.


    [It was an ident ¨C and I was being chased!] replied in exasperation while keeping her distracted.


    [You took one of ours!] she rebutted immediately.


    [And I let it go, even after they badly injured me.] I calmly responded. [If you ask me, I''ve already paid the price.]


    [Hah! The price is your life, and you still have it!] The dark fae twitched, her high pitched voice raising an octave as she argued back.


    [That''s extreme.] I waved my wings to hide my smiling face. [But even if that''s the case, I''ve already exchanged a life for mine.]


    The dark fae trembled as she struggled to maintain her calm. [You can''t expect us to let you off just like that, after everything you''ve done.]


    [Why not? I''ve suffered a lot of injuries and I already released your insect too.]


    I peered out over my wings to see her reaction, and it was priceless. The dark fae was trembling as she struggled to find her words. Although she hovered far away, it seemed she wanted toe down to confront me to my face but was stopping herself.


    I eagerly waited for her toe, a little closer and I could catch her.


    I spoke pitifully, hiding a smile behind my wings. [As for the damage, I can''t repair them, but I am kind and honest so I will try to help you in any way I can.]


    [Hah!] The dark fae stuck out her trembling arms to point. [Who do you think you are! You can''t change the rules!]


    My shadows spread further along the walls, slowly reaching up to close the gap. They just needed a little more to reach her, and so far the dark fae hadn''t noticed.


    [What I''m suggesting is fair and reasonable. You should at least discuss this with your tree friends, before condemning me.]


    [No. You are guilty!] The dark fae argued. [Also you can''t tell me what to do!]


    I sighed. [If it was up to you, wouldn''t I be dead already? Your friends are waiting for you to report to them, aren''t they?]


    The dark fae looked aghast. [How did you ¨C ] But as she noticed my eager stare, she coughed lightly and straightened herself to regain herposure. [We don''t show ourselves to outsiders, but¡­like you said, I should mention this to them.]


    With that, she rose higher and out of my shadow''s range, before taking off out of the opening. In her absence, the branches around the opening began to slither, shrinking the opening of the hole to a tiny gap that barely let any light in.


    [Woah! Woah hold on!] I called after her. Was I about to be buried?


    [Stay put. I''ll be back.] The dark fae turned back sinisterly to grin. [But...it''s not like you can go anywhere.]


    This damn brat!


    [Who says I can''t go anywhere? Do you think mere tree roots can hold me down?]


    I yelled out loud, but she had gone away, and the telepathic connection was cut off.


    The opening soon sealedpletely, leaving me alone.


    Thankfully, this time there were no branches around me.


    In the darkness, the air seemed to have be thin. I could see in the dark, but it still felt very ufortable, like at any minute the ground would swallow me whole.


    Ah¡­is this what they call ustrophobia?


    "Ahh!! I should just st open the hole, who cares about damage!" I grumbled.


    ?Was that a good idea?? Sensei said. ?You don''t know what they will ask of you.?


    "Who cares! It''s not like I''m really going to do anything they say. I just said all that to get out of here."


    But I was still worried. What if she didn''te back?


    I still had air, but for how long? I opened the as to n my next steps.


    If she didn''te back, I could just dig my way out with my [Dimensional box]. But first I had to see how far the forest extended.


    Did it include trees everywhere, or just those in this area?


    ?If they don''t agree, you''ll likely never get out of here.? Sensei said, adding to my anxiety ?And even if they do, I don''t think they will let you leave the forest until you do what they ask. Which is why once the hole reopens, you should prepare to fight your way out.?


    "Why are you so anxious?" Iughed to calm down. "The worst they could ask is for me to nt a few trees for them."


    ?If you really thought that, you wouldn''t be searching to see where the forest ends.?


    "She''lle back." I insisted, returning to look at the as. There was no way every tree would be out to get me if I left, right?


    The border of the pink leafed forest wasn''t too far. At most it would take me some hours to tunnel out, if I didn''t encounter any roots in the way.


    However, when I attempted to dig, what I saw made me begin preparing for the worst.


    There were thick roots spread out behind the soil, forming a cage around the hole so there was no way I could dig my way out without alerting them.


    It seemed they were expecting this. How thorough!


    I had no choice but to curl up and wait. But after a few hours passed, my worries intensified.


    And then the system dinged.


    [Quest: Train Nest Mates. [Time Remaining: 0 Hours]]


    [Status: 28/30. Failed.]


    [You are now entering the penalty stage.]


    And I was so close too. What were those brats doing?


    "Is this the best time for this, Sensei?" I grumbled and I heard him chuckle.


    ?Agreed. I''ll dy the penalty until you get out of here. But you still failed, so you have to face the penalty.?


    Ah hell. Like things couldn''t get any worse! I could already tell I was going to regret this.

 Chapter 147 - The Nymphs Kiss

    I stared up at the small opening of the cage and I recalled I still had some light crystals with me. So, I brought a few out of [Dimensional Box] andid them around me.


    With my prison illuminated, it was no longer as suffocating as before. It wasn''t impossible to escape, I just knew it would be too much of a hassle right now. So, I settled infortably to wait it out, retrieving what looked like a dried apricot from one of the supply bags in my store to eat.


    ?What a model prisoner.? Sensei tutted disapprovingly. ?Daring to eat, when you could be buried at any time.?


    "Tension makes me hungry." I retorted. "Panicking doesn''t solve anything either, so I''m saving my strength and energy."


    ?Show some awareness of your current predicament!? Sensei waspletely fed up.


    "I am well aware." I replied with an eye roll. "I won''t let myself get buried if things don''t go well."


    I was prepared to fight my way out, if that''s what it came down to. But somehow I had a feeling the trees didn''t want that. They had made such an effort to trap me, like they were trying to limit the amount of damage they took to the very minimum.


    If they were truly powerful, they would have fought me instead.


    It wasnt that I was ignoring Sensei, I was more concerned about my nestlings than the trees. And I knew it was only a matter of time before I would be released. I imagined they had dealt with many other trespassers in the same way, however unlike other creatures, burying me would only be poison for their roots, a fact I nned to reveal if they did try.


    And so, rather than worry, I checked the nestling''s progress on the as instead. It was not to try and pinpoint who was at fault for the failure, but more to count all of them to see if they were all alive. And to my relief, all thirty squiggly snake outlines were present.


    Some were moving quickly across the map, others gathered in stretches of forest and some were already on their way back.


    Of the six groups, I saw three were very close to reaching the cave. The as had since transformed and was looking rather amazing. Alongside my location in the peachy pink forest, there were new area''s I''d never seen.


    I never knew the Upper stratum had barren areas, but a team had discovered it. Another had even found ake that could substitute for the one that went missing.


    It was all going so well, I couldn''t help smile watching their progress and the annoyance from earlier disappeared.


    Once I got out of here, I nned to extend the cave even more. I zeroed in on the outline of the cave on the as. There was miles and miles of bedrock, between the Upper and Middle Stratum, but before the might of my [Dimensional Box] it was simply wasted space waiting to be melded into shape.


    My eyes sparkled as the idea of an underground dwelling began to form. It would be tall,fy and filled with all kinds of treasures and I would make sure of it. There had to be enough space for all the nestlings and for me to indulge in all my interests and perhaps even the lizard coulde and live with us.


    There was only one thing limiting my dreams ¨C my [Dimensional Box] was smallpared to the size of my imagination. To expand more efficiently, I need its capabilities to get an ''upgrade'' per say.


    As I was in thoughts, a sliver of light shone in through the hole as the roots above parted. I immediately stared up at the opening, towards the sound of whispering. However, I didn''t see the tiny dark fae I was expecting. Instead I saw a series of branches and stems that twisted and changed as they moved, forming curious shapes in the trees.


    It was eerie, they seemed to have taken on the appearance of people, each one shifting to form a face and a body with their leaves forming around them like hair. But as the opening of the hole extended wider, the shapes in the trees solidified, returning to silent trees once more and I was relieved at the sight of pink leaves swaying gently in the wind.


    I reeled back in shock, wondering which was their true form.


    The roots covering my prison were gone, and the opening spread wide like an invitation to fly away.


    Fortunately, the eerie trees did not move closer and soon the head of a familiar tiny figure appeared above the hole. My head immediately started to hurt as the telepathic connection was established once more.


    [You cane out now.] The dark fae said. [They want to meet you.]


    I was immediately relieved I no longer had to stay in the hole. But I was still hesitant. If every tree could change forms, wasn''t I in for a beating then? I must have broken their noses or some ribs when I crashed into them. Now I realised why they were so angry.


    The dark fae squinted as she looked at me. [What is that on your tail? What are you eating?]


    Ah.


    [None of your business.] I retorted immediately.


    I was annoyed after being left in the hole for so long and quite frankly, I didn''t feel like sharing my treats.


    The tiny figure crossed her arms and glowered at me.


    Her tiny size wasparable to a toy and the pointed horns above her head were norger than toothpicks.


    Was she trying to look intimidating?


    There was no way she actually believed that would work. I ignored her and continued to eat.


    [Hey!] The dark fae rushed down the hole in an instant and began to buzz around me with an annoyed look on her face. My eyes widened and I suppressed the urge tough.


    Was that all it took? If I had known, I''d have brought out some fruits earlier.


    She held out her tiny hand to make a grab for the piece of fruit I dangled from my tail but I immediately whipped it out of the way. She missed, her tiny ws only grabbing the skin of the fruit.


    [Stop staring at my food. I won''t give you any.] I provoked her.


    The dark fae frowned and made another dash for it, this time I barely saw her move and before I knew it she had seeded in grabbing a chunk.


    [You! How can you speak so well?] she asked, carelessly gobbling down the fruit. [How old are you?]


    How old was I? A few days, a few weeks? I had no idea.


    But what the heck?


    Should you be saying something like that after stealing from me?


    And did she just eat it? What if it was poisoned?


    Just because I was free to go, didn''t mean I was no longer dangerous!


    I realised, to my horror, that this creature was nothing more than a brat, and I sighed, ashamed for ever taking her seriously.


    Now that I could see her closely, I saw she had pointed ears, closely resembling those of an elf. And also, she wasn''t really hovering. Her exposed back had tiny nobs, where translucent wings sprouted. I couldn''t see them before because they were too small and moving too fast, but now that she had settled to eat on my coils, I could see their shape.


    I appraised her stats immediately.


    --------------


    LV24 Verum Ellydian


    Specie: Ailith Fae


    HP: 216/216  Defence: 76


    MP: 270/270  Intellect: 154


    SP: 160/160   Magic: 222


    Attack: 179   Agility: 350


    Skills:


    [Telepathy:LV7] [Buoyancy: LV10] [Flight: LV10]


    [?????: LV?] [???? ?????: LV?] [????:LV?]


    ---------------


    I closed my eyes and suppressed my irritation.


    "How can something this tiny be higher levelled than me?"


    Sensei snickered. ?Don''t judge them based on their size.?


    "It''s because I''m a snake, isn''t it?"


    Sensei scoffed. ?No. Because you''re less than a month old. Two weeks, three days, and 21 minutes, to be exact.?


    I wanted to hide my face. "Don''t say that so shamelessly!"


    Why did he sound like some proud parent?


    If I told the fae that, wouldn''t I just getughed at?


    [Why do you want to know?] I asked instead. [How old are you?]


    The dark fae counted eight with her tiny fingers before holding it out to me. [I will be this much , this season.]


    "Eight?" So she was a brat!


    ?Eighty.? Sensei corrected. ?A season in the Labyrinthsts a decade.?


    What? I found it hard to believe she wasn''t really eight! Firstly she was too tiny!


    [Shouldn''t you look more adult then?] I asked in disbelief. [Why do you still look like this?]


    [Adult? What''s that?] The dark fae took another bite of fruit. [What''s wrong with how I look?]


    Oh¡­how to exin.


    ?Don''t do it.? Sensei grumbled.


    "Quiet, Sensei." Deep down I wasughing.


    [Adult girls should be more developed in that region.]


    The dark fae stared down at her t chest and fell silent. Soon her calm demeanour was gone and she zipped around in the air, pointing at me in anger. [You''re just a serpent anyway! What do you know about that!]


    With that, the dark fae turned on her heel and vanished out of the hole without looking back.


    Ahh...I might have hit a sore spot.


    ?You just couldn''t resist, could you??


    Yes. But...how cute. I had no regrets.


    I released my coils and tested out my wings, before rising out of the hole to go after her. But before I could get clear, I felt something snag at my horns and I looked up to see one of the roots quickly retreating into the ground.


    "What was that?" I asked Sensei.


    I felt there was something moving on my horns, just out of view in my periphery. I couldn''t see it exactly, but it might have been a pink leaf.

 Chapter 148 - Predatory Forest

    Sensei hadn''t said anything but there was definitely something there. I could feel it moving along the tip of my left horn and in the air, I fought against the urge to reach for it.


    Above the ground, I saw the pink leafed forest and all of its trees swaying gently in the wind. As pretty as they were, I regarded each one with suspicion, taking care to avoid the branches as I flew past. If they could move before, nothing stopped them from doing so again.


    The tiny figure of the dark fae was hovering in the distance, and she seemed to have stopped to let me catch up. Our telepathic connection was still active, so I drew closer to question her.


    [Hey, what''s on my head?]


    [Horns?] The dark fae said without looking at me. She was still sulking and had her tiny arms crossed. [Hurry up and follow me. You need to meet our leader.]


    [Look again.] I said with urgency.


    This time she opened one eye to peek, and then she tilted her head in surprise, before proceeding to buzz curiously around my left horn. That was all the evidence I needed.


    [What is it?] I asked her.


    The tiny fae peered closer. [Looks like a leaf.]


    Okay. So maybe a twig had gotten stuck on them by ident, it was nothing serious. [Can you take it off?]


    The dark fae began to tug on the leaf with both arms, pulling until she was out of breath.


    [I can''t!] She eximed in surprise. [It''s... stuck.]


    In her arms she held the broken fragments of pink leaves and moss, held together by intricate stems that were smooth like string. It wriggled around in her arms, the broken pieces repairing themselves, before attempting to wrap itself around the nearest object ¨C which happened to be her body.


    The dark fae shrieked, immediately letting go and the pink moss fell to the ground.


    "Okay enough with the silence. What''s on my head?" I questioned Sensei.


    ?It seems the tree spirits intend to hold you to your promise.? He cryptically replied. ?You should have run away faster.?


    "Tree spirit?"


    I told the tiny fae to pull out another piece and hold it out so I could see it. She did so with hesitation and squealed as tendrils of moss crawled all over her arms. My flimsy promise had to be the reason leaves were suddenly growing out of my horn, so I appraised the strange nt.


    --------------


    Name: The Nymph''s Kiss


    Specie: Valdium Sapling


    A parasitic sapling that feeds off the magic of an organism to grow. It is the primary method of propagation for tree nymphs that infect creatures who encroach on their forest. As the sapling matures, it erodes the organism''s mind and leads them to return to the forest they were originally infected to die. The sapling on their corpse then grows to be a new Valdium tree.


    [Rarity: A-]


    --------------


    Reading the appraisal results nearly had me crashing into one of the trees in shock, and the dark fae turned back to give me a confused stare.


    "What the hell? They''re nning to eat me?!" I shrieked incredulously.


    ?It''s a safeguard.? Sensei sighed. ?To make sure you will keep your promise. I told you making promises was a bad idea.?


    "Promise? What promise? I was just mouthing off!"


    ?Well. It seems they took you seriously.?


    I stared at the dark fae who smiled blissfully as she flew and chuckled darkly. Don''t tell me she repeated all of my nonsense to them? If so, this was her fault. But a safeguard that would turn me into a tree, if I didn''t follow through ¨C how evil of them.


    "And so shackling me is their solution?"


    ?Do you expect them to trust you after a few words??


    I didn''t. But that didn''t stop me from feeling upset. I seemed to recall seeing something simr before, on the horned Arkhor monster the elves had killed.


    The creature''s entire body had been covered in greenish moss that clung to its body, its fur so impossibly entwined together with it that it was impossible to tell where fur or flesh began. If it continued to spread from my horns, wouldn''t I get covered in pink moss in the same way? It was dangerous and he was taking it lightly.


    "That''s it, I''m leaving."


    I was done. The tree spirits could go to hell for all I care. I had to figure out a way to get the thing off me.


    ?You can''t. That will only make things worse.? Sensei cautioned. ?Only one of them can undo the kiss. You have to meet them and convince them to trust you.?


    "Are you really defending them right now?" I couldn''t believe him!


    ?Weren''t you just nning to run away??


    "I was. But that''s different."


    ?Well¡­they must put that thing on you for a reason.? Sensei chuckled. ?Perhaps they have a history with untrustworthy little snakes. You have to remember this is simply a way for them to reproduce, they aren''t taking it out on you just because they can.?


    Why did it seem like Sensei was taking their side instead of mine? I wished I could hit him.


    [We are here!] The dark fae chirped as we arrived at a distinctive stretch of trees.


    It was the centre of the forest and the trees here were ancient and timeless, their tall structure disappearing into the mist above.


    They should have been rough with age, yet their limbs were smooth with a soft curtain of pink leaves that draped down each branch. Some of the trees were wreathed while others were still bare.


    Their gnarled roots dipped in and out of the ground and here, the trees grew too tightly together to fly between, so I had tond on the ground to continue.


    The dark fae disappeared behind a curtain of pink leaves, and I had to be careful not to break any of the roots as I moved. To my surprise, their branches reached out to me as I approached and I instinctively evaded them, but unlike before, they weren''t aggressive and their leaves softly draped over my scales like a caress.


    I was mortified, but I didn''t back away. Just what had the tiny fae told them to change their attitudes this much?


    The trees grew in clusters, their exposed roots seemingly connected to one another in an intricate maze. Their canopies spread out quite wide, some twisting along neighbouring branches, before merging together to continue to grow to look like one vastwork. And when the wind blew through their pink leaves, there was a distinctive flowery scent.


    I parted the leaves to continue moving, and soon, I saw a beautiful woman, sitting on one of the roots, looking at me. She had pink flowing hair, elongated ears like an elf, and light, almost silver eyes.


    Her skin was pale with the pink hue of a peach and the exposed parts of her body was covered with vines and flowers.


    I was fully convinced she was a person, until I saw her legs, which were semi transformed into roots and firmly nted in the ground, where her body had seemingly grown out from. She gave me a rather awkward smile and didn''t seem offended when she saw me staring at her legs.


    Amongst the trees are more groups of scantily d women, some connected to the ground by their roots and others lounging on branches as they stared at me.


    And in their centre was a slender tall woman, tending to some flowers in a flowing, almost translucent dress made entirely out of pink leaves. She looked very different and much taller than the others, with aurel of leaves around her forehead.


    The dark fae flew over and perched on her bare shoulder, and only then did she look up at me.


    There were far more than I expected, and I didn''t know how powerful these ''tree women'' were, so I steeled myself to appraise the nymph with theurel crown. All the others were waiting on her to speak and she seemed like their leader.


    --------------


    LV42 Veliae


    Specie: Ailith Nymph


    HP: 680/680     Defence: 518


    MP: 706/706     Intellect: 380


    SP: 420/420     Magic: 620


    Attack: 560      Agility: 446


    Skills:


    [Oblivion: LV10] [Longevity: LV8]


    [????? ????????: LV?] [?????????: LV?]


    --------------


    Her appraisal results were far too scary,pared to her harmless appearance.


    But the thing bothering me was...Why was Sense so quiet?


    I expected him to say something, but he had gone quiet as soon as I spotted the first spirit.


    Don''t tell me¡­


    "Sensei?" I called out, but he didn''t answer.


    Was he so spellbound by their appearance that he had forgotten himself?


    Was this why he kept defending them earlier?


    I was immediately annoyed.


    However when I looked at the nymph''s face, the feeling seemed to fade away. Our eyes met for what felt like a long time and I felt a familiar painful sensation in my head. I willed our telepathic connection to form without resisting, and she began to speak.


    [This fae speaks very highly of you.] The tree nymph said. [She tells me you are trustworthy and that we should let you go.]


    I thought of a good response and wondered if praising her appearance would be seen as rude.


    Sensei finally spoke up. ?Just be respectful and you''ll be fine. They hate to be disrespected more than anything.?


    "Oh? So now you know how to respond?"


    [I was told you speak well, why are you quiet?] The nymph asked.


    I gave her a slight bow of respect. [I apologise. I was overwhelmed by your beautiful appearance.]


    I heard Sensei burst intoughter and I immediately wanted to cry. The bastard!


    The nymph blushed andughed, the delicate sound like the rustling of leaves in the wind. [You are¡­indeed well spoken.]


    Huh? Such a cringe line actually worked?


    This was going to be a lot easier than I thought.

 Chapter 149 - The Limits Of Longevity

    I heard the delicate whisper of wind through the leaves as the rest of the spirits joined in on the tree nymph''sughter. Her smile was positively radiant and the more I looked, the brighter her skin seemed to be.


    The other tree spirits were undeniably beautiful as well, butpared to her beauty they felt normal, like a diamond in the midst of zirconia''s.


    I felt like I''d been transported into a gathering of heavenly angels around their queen, and I stood in their midst, feeling like the fool that hade to woo her.


    Except, the smiles of the spirits were genuine, and the tree nymph''s ruby eyes glittered with delight. The more I looked at her, the more she seemed to glow, her skin delicate like it was made out of ivory and ss. I had to stop staring at her directly to avoid being blinded by how much her skin glowed.


    Was this the result of making herugh? It seemed dangerous in itself.


    And for some reason, the other tree spirits had started to gather around me, and all I could smell was the flowery scent wafting from their skin. Their pretty eyes shone brilliantly like silver and one even sat beside me, leaning against my body.


    The feeling of softness against my scales was unbelievable, her hair was like cotton. And when another leaned over to my horns and began to stroke it, my brain seemed to have stopped.


    All my anger and frustration at being captured had disappeared and I felt like remaining with them forever.


    What was going on?


    ?Careful. You''re being charmed.? Sensei nonchntly exined. ?Stop focusing on their beauty, they are still enemies.?


    "Charmed...? W-Wait a minute." My head spun as I put two and two together. "But I''m a girl!"


    What was this confusion? Were they trying to eat me even now?


    With that thought, I withdrew from the embrace of the pink haired girls and the effect reduced. However, the tree spirits didn''t seem deterred.


    When I withdrew, more appeared behind me to rece the others, seemingly sprouting from the roots around my coils. And soon I found myself surrounded by more than ten girls, each one seemingly interested in touching my raised scales. I was surprised none of them got cut.


    "They are aware I''m a girl, right?"


    Sensei sighed. ?That didn''t stop you from almost getting taken in. Gender isn''t a barrier to a nymph''s charm.?


    Charm? If their n was to tickle me to death perhaps.


    The tree nymph ruby eyes narrowed as she watched me withdraw, and then she sighed. [Well-spoken and intelligent.]


    With a wave of her delicate arm, the tree spirits all sighed in disappointment, their fingers lingering briefly on my scales, before withdrawing their embrace.


    [They are fascinated with their reflection on your scales and wish to keep them.] she added, while staring longingly at me. [As am I.]


    Great. Not only did they want to bury me ¨C now they want my scales too?


    I could still hear their disappointed sighs whispering through the leaves, but I pretended not to be bothered and fixed my gaze on the red eyed nymph whomanded them.


    [I could save some scales for you, but I have to shed them first.] I blurted out andughed jokingly before adding quickly. [They lose their shine if they are ripped out by force though.]


    The Nymph was astonished. [Really? Then you muste and live with us.]


    Err¡­that was not the reaction I was going for.


    [My scales onlye off in lukewarm water and they have to contain live rainbow fish.] I replied in panic.


    The nymph looked curious, her delicate brows lifting as her ruby eyes took on a brilliant hue. [Such strict conditions?]


    [My scales are very unusual.] I looked away awkwardly.


    I wonder if she bought it.


    Her ruby eyes regarded me with a steely gaze that gave nothing away, but then she blinked, her lips twitching as she turned away from me.


    The roots all around began to creep upwards, twisting together to form an borate throne that bloomed with pink leaves. The nymph leaned back on it to sit, her delicate body loungingzily like she had all the time in the world.


    The tree spirits all left the trees to crowd around her in various forms of undress, one even grabbed the tiny dark fae off her shoulders and began to y with her wings.


    The dark fae huffed impatiently and had to squeeze through her fingers to get free, preferring to sit on her shoulders instead. Her tiny figure in the midst of all the women, wasparable to a tiny doll and she seemed more like their pet.


    I smirked and appraised this tree spirit that held her since she seemed distracted.


    --------------


    LV27 Vdrys


    Specie: Ailith Fae


    HP: 265/265     Defence : 190


    MP: 210/210     Intellect: 170


    SP: 147/147     Magic: 185


    Attack:230      Agility: 225


    Skills:


    [Intangible: LV9] [Tree Stride: LV10]


    [?????:LV??] [??????: LV?] [??????: LV?]


    --------------


    Her results were surprising. She was strong, but not as strong as the nymph. I appraised the others, and they were mostly of a simr level, with the lowest being LV21.


    The lounging nymph fixed me with her stare once more. [Tell me, are you really as trustworthy as I have been led to believe?]


    I nced at the dark fae who stuck her tongue out at me.


    [I would ask that you allow me to prove it to you, but I fear you''ve withheld that chance.]


    The tree spirits all gasped and the loud disapproving whispers seemed to pick up again, this timeing from every tree. I had counted thirty tree spirits so far. If every tree possessed a spirit, with the number of trees in this forest alone, there was bound to be more.


    I couldn''t afford to make them all angry at the same time, so I bowed my head slightly.


    [You know what it does?] The ruby eyed nymph was more curious than upset at my statement.


    [I have seen a simr thing before.] I replied calmly.


    The nymph shrugged her shoulders. [Then you understand why it must remain.]


    I suppressed my annoyance and spoke. [What do I have to do?]


    She was too strong for me to beat and although she was being nice, that could change at any time. It was better to interact with her while she remained civil.


    However, the nymph looked at me with sympathy. [You are unhappy?]


    I was slightly surprised. Could she read my mind?


    The nymph sighed and spoke before I could answer. [You called our methods unfair. It is obvious you would be upset.]


    I said nothing. Once again this was the dark fae''s fault.


    [I will make a promise to you now.] The nymph continued. [As soon as you finish our task, the sapling will be removed. And it is not a difficult task either.]


    I wasn''t sure her words were genuine. For creatures that multiplied on the blood of other creatures, she was acting rather superior. Did her promises have any merit if she could force me to do her bidding?


    [Alright, what do you want me to do?]


    [We want you to pay a visit to our sisters on the other side of the forest. Our connection seems to have ruptured and we haven''t been able tomunicate with them for a while.]


    It was indeed a simple request, but still¡­


    [If it is so easy, why not do it yourself?]


    The tree nymph remained silent and stared at me.


    ?What did I say about being respectful?? Sensei grumbled.


    I hushed him. "In what way was that disrespectful?"


    Yes, I was being difficult on purpose, but she shouldn''t think of me as an easy opponent just because she had her tether on my horn. If Sensei wasn''t so enamoured with her appearance, he would''ve taken my side, but he was an idiot. Didn''t he realise he was also her hostage by proxy?


    However, instead of getting upset, the nymph bent down to lift up the hem of her flowery dress. Instead of gnarled roots, I saw pearly white baster skin, delicate ankles, and perfect toes.


    She had legs!


    [I would, but this forest is the limit of my power.] The nymph replied with a hint of sadness. [I cannot leave until I evolve, and neither can my sisters. We live very long lives but that has its limits too.]


    "What exactly is sheining about?"


    Sensei tutted disapprovingly. ?The biggest problem tree spirits have is propagation. Until they be nymphs, they can''t move more than ten metres from their tree and even then, nymphs can''t leave their forest domain. They rely on creatures entering their forest to do their bidding and so, they will attract them at all cost. Some make their trees grow bright leaves and others make them bear fruit. It is incredibly difficult to live as they do.?


    Unlimited power, a beautiful appearance, not needing to hunt because creatures willingly came to you to die. Hell that didn''t sound like such a bad deal.


    "Spare me the sob story and admit you have a crush." Iughed at him.


    ?I do not.? Sensei deadpanned, but I remained unconvinced.


    [So will you do it?] The nymph''s ruby eyes shone pleadingly.


    [Fine. I will ept your task.]


    The nymph leapt up and down in her seat, smiling brilliantly as she pped. While the other tree spirits rushed over to my side to embrace me once more.


    Before they got carried away, I made sure to remind them.


    [When I return, will you remove this?]


    [Yes, it is my promise.] The nymph smiled brilliantly, her skin once again glowing like a light bulb.


    I shielded my eyes with my wings as the tree spirits celebrated. While they were beautiful, I was very much annoyed at them for sticking the sapling on me.


    And I wasn''t convinced they would remove it once I went through with their request. They had looked at my scales far too eagerly for myfort, and this made me hesitant to help them.


    However, I remembered Sensei''s words from before. He''d said any tree spirit could remove the Nymph''s kiss, so perhaps I didn''t need to return at all. If I found this other group of tree spirits, I could have one of them remove the sapling instead, after rying her message.


    The dark fae buzzed over to me, and I felt my head ache with pain again.


    [You should thank me for saving your life.] She said with a wide grin.


    And without waiting for my response, she settled down between my horns and began to tap impatiently.


    [Now give me more of that fruit.]


    Was this brat asking to die?

 Chapter 150 - Bubbles

    I darted through the nymph''s forest in a hurry, branches seemingly reaching out to stroke me as I passed, but I took care to avoid each detestable pink leaf I passed, and once I reached a sufficient height I heard the forest whisper, its tree''s collectively sighing as one.


    Ha! I was finally free! So long, you weird trees! And weird nymphdies.


    At some point I thought it would never happen. After setting the task, the nymph had gone on and on, gushing about her sisters. She was clearly stalling for time.


    And then, every tree spirit had be oh so fascinated with polishing my scales with their hair, like I''m their pet! Like I couldn''t see through their intentions ¨C most of it was really them admiring their reflections on my body!


    Who knew these tree spirits were actually so narcissistic.


    No way was I visiting them again.


    I weed the mist above, thoroughly enjoying the rush of air through my wings as I soared even higher to get clear of the forest. But then, I heard a childish voice speak.


    [Slow down! Slow down!] The dark fae squealed. [It''s too fast! Do you want me to fall off!]


    I must be imagining it. I turned left and right to find the source of the voice, even bending my head down to look below me.


    [Kyaaa! I''m going to fall!] The dark fae sobbed pitifully. [Don''t bend down like that!]


    Don''t tell me¡­


    [WHY ARE YOU HERE?]


    Was she still on my head? I swore I left her back with the nymph.


    The fae squealed again. [Slow down! I''m barely hanging on to your horns. If I fall I will be ugly.]


    Did she forget she could also fly?


    Heh. I guess her brain was rather small considering the size of her head. Still, I slowed down by a little bit, switching to gliding over the wind instead.


    [Why did you follow me? Shouldn''t you go home?] I asked in irritation.


    The dark fae huffed arrogantly. [I can go wherever I please.]


    [Don''t the spirits need you to do your chores.] I mocked. [Aren''t you their mouthpiece?]


    [I''m not!] The dark fae huffed. [I stay there, but I can leave at any time.]


    Well, that was interesting. Unlike my initial impression, it seemed she wasn''t bound to them at all.


    In short, she was living rent free with the nymph and was probably a pest.


    [Go home!]


    [No! Not until I get more fruit.] The dark fae whined.


    The scenery of the misty forest met me once more and I was pleased to see the usual tall trees without the pink leaves that seemed to have given me a trauma instead of the peaceful soothing feeling I had at first.


    I essed the system to find the location of theke one of the teams had discovered and headed towards it. But then, I felt the tiny fae wiggling around on my head and heard her sigh as she settled down to rest, using my forehead as a seat and my horn as her backrest.


    What the heck did she think I was? Some kind of mount?


    I spun upside down in irritation and the silly fae fell off my head like a dry leaf, shrieking loudly as her tiny figure disappeared through the mist.


    I waited for a few seconds, tracking her descent with [Heat Sense].


    Why wasn''t she flying? Don''t tell me she was really going to fall to her death.


    I rushed down after her at full speed. Catching her with my body probably wouldn''t end well due to my spikes and I really didn''t want to see a sttered fairy, so I grabbed her dress with my teeth instead. But the dumb fae kept screaming with her eyes closed, her high pitched screaming making me wince.


    I considered this as well deserved payback, but right now I was tempted to drop her again.


    Soon, I reached theke and carefully scanned the water beforending. Aside from the monsters swimming in the water, there were no other creatures, and it seemed my team of snakes were long gone.


    Inded near the area of water that was the most quiet and threw the dark fae into theke, before creeping over to check my reflection.


    The Nymph''s kiss looked no different from a tiny leaf circlet around my left horn. Kinda beautiful, but ominous, nheless.


    Right now it hadn''t grown at all, but I knew it was inevitable. Unfortunately, the quiet atmosphere was soon shattered, when the sopping wet four inch fairy proceeded to smack my scales.


    [What did you do that for? I nearly died!] She cried out loud, trembled hysterically as she paced around. Since her wings were wet, she couldn''t fly and proceeded to pout below me, shivering in a truly miserable state.


    Of course I felt nothing, so I continued to stare at my reflection, examining the pink leaf.


    Then I felt tiny fists smacking against me that made me roll my eyes. How was it my fault she forgot to use her wings?


    I gave her some fruit aspensation, watching her face light up immediately. Soon she had climbed back on my head, the events of before forgottenpletely as she gorged herself on sugar.


    I didn''t know what to think ¨C wasn''t she too forgiving? I expected her to kick up more of a fuss to give me an excuse to leave her by theke, but nothing happened. In fact she seemed rather content to just sit and eat on my head.


    I soon left theke to return home, wondering if she got enough to eat.


    [They feed you right?] I probed. [The spirits I mean.]


    The tiny fae shrugged. [They eat only when it''s cold, they get all their food through roots, so I always find my own.]


    [What do you eat then?]


    [Fruits, flower nectar sometimes. Honey if I get lucky ¨C then I make honey cakes.]


    Did she just say honey?


    It seemed bringing her back with me was the right decision.


    [Where do you find this honey?] I questioned her immediately, immensely interested.


    The dark faeughed mischievously. [It''s very easy! You just need to be faster than the monsters who guard it.]


    It seemed the two of us were going to get on very well!


    I arrived back at the cave and everything was just as I left it. It was now very spacious, and sparkled with all sorts of d¨¦cor. The flight back let the fae dry her wings and now she buzzed around everywhere, staring at everything with her eyes wide.


    [Is this where you live! Amazing!] she eximed as she backpedalled in the air to stare at her reflection on a piece of armour.


    Why was she gettingfortable?


    I was beginning to consider adding prison pits to the cave. It might be a good idea to keep some monsters for the nestlings to train or for those I capture as food.


    And I could even throw in the annoying creatures who get toofortable and refuse to leave - like this annoying fae for example.


    I peered around the cave with [Heat Sense], and found the cave empty. It seemed no nestling team had returned yet, so I checked the as to see which team was closest.


    Since I couldn''t tell who was in each team, I pinpointed the closest one. The five snakes were in the area and I expected them to return within the hour. Fortunately, the penalty wasn''t in effect yet, but I knew there wasn''t much time left.


    So, first, I returned to the opening that led to the bat creature''s cave. The sword insect I had freed was back with its brethren and the bats were once again asleep. I didn''t want to be involved with them so I sealed the opening quickly.


    Then I checked the system store.


    "I need to upgrade [Dimensional Box]. How do I do this?" I asked Sensei.


    ?Purchasing it again will double the size.? he nonchntly replied.


    Ah, why didn''t I think of that. "What if I need more?"


    ?Then quadruple the purchase.?


    Quadruple? Was he mad? That would make it four times the size! And the cost!


    I nearly cried when I worked out the math. I wasn''t so rich yet to spend so wantonly, so I settled for tripling its size at the cost of [700XP].


    But I still cried when my Experience points went from [3582] down to [2882].


    Ah! This leech of a system.


    It may seem like I still had a lot but each point was earned with my blood and sweat.


    Anyway, I decided to test out [Dimension Box]''s improved capacity on the walls when I heard the dark fae scream from the other room. I rushed out to see what was wrong, and to my surprise Ophelia was there.


    The four snakes on her team each stared around the cave, marvelling at everything. But Ophelia had been the only one to notice the living oddity and now the dark fae was currently in the grip of her constriction hold.


    On seeing me Ophelia leapt up and down in excitement, travelling around me to look at my new wings from every angle, all the while the tiny fae struggled in her grasp.


    I felt very bad for the fae who was dragged along for the rough ride. She looked like she had been through a lot.


    However, before I couldmand Ophelia to release her, the dark fae squealed and five inky dark spheres of her magic appeared in the air, floating around herself and Ophelia like bubbles.


    Unfortunately they were both trapped within the space around the spheres and unable to move.

 Chapter 151 - Homecoming

    The dark spheres were static and simply floated in the air, seemingly harmless. But I knew the dark fae had begun using her magic because every sphere was about the size of a coin.


    Ophelia immediately stopped moving, and instinctively backed away from each of the spheres. Imanded her to release the silly fae before their fighting made an even bigger mess.


    Once she did, the dark fae fell limply from her grip, breathing with difficulty. Unfortunately, Ophelia was still within the confines of the spheres, so I instructed her not to move.


    It was unclear what the spheres did so, as the dark fae gasped to recover her breath, I observed them.


    [Don''t touch it!] she screamed when she saw me get close. [It was an ident! They weren''t supposed toe out!]


    An ident?


    The four inch fae seemed to shrink into a ball as she cowered in panic. I thought her reaction was a little extreme. The spheres looked harmless, but that was only because nothing had touched them yet. And I wasn''t silly enough to test it myself.


    Instead I instructed Ophelia not to touch them as well and she carefully slithered through the motionless bubbles to reach my side, leaving the dark fae alone inside. I appraised her once again, but her results were still obscured.


    It was one of the few moments I wished I could bypass Appraisal''s restrictions to see the fae''s full stats. Her magic was high and so this had to be one of her abilities, but the question remained, what kind?


    [Can''t you dispel them?] I asked the panicked fairy.


    She shook her head before crawling out from beneath them. [They won''t go away until something touches them.]


    Oh? In that case...


    I retrieved arge piece of rock from [Dimensional Box] and ced it in the midst of the dark spheres. And almost instantly, the spheres cleanly devoured the rock, leaving behind holes of their size.


    I was startled at the result but continued to exhaust all the spheres, and in the end the rock resembled swiss cheese


    How interesting¡­it was clearly some kind of void type skill.


    Unlike what the fae said, I doubted they could stay active forever. The spheres would likely disappear as soon as she ran out of MP. But she had plenty, and this made me realise how dangerous the situation could''ve been.


    Ophelia hid behind me, hissing fiercely at the dark fae when she witnessed what happened to the rock. And with good reason. If any one of the spheres had touched her, I feared to imagine what would happen to her body.


    The other snakes were simrly terrified and backed away from the tiny troublemaker, hissing fiercely from a distance.


    With all of her spheres gone now, the dark fae began to sob loudly. [I''m not supposed to use it. The fairies don''t like me because of it.]


    [Good. Don''t use it here either.] I scolded her carelessness.


    Wasn''t it just a matter of her learning to control it? It seemed she had no idea how to switch it on or off.


    I imagined a simr situation had urred in the past, and she had been forced to shy away from others, perhaps that was why she was living with the nymphs. If she learnt to use it properly, it would be a powerful weapon, but until then it was a hazard¡­but that wasn''t really my concern.


    I wasn''t going to risk my snakes because of one brat who couldn''t control her own powers.


    But when the dark fae sat on the ground bawling her eyes out, and I began to feel bad.


    No, no, I should send her away.


    ?Why?? Sensei interjected, reading my thoughts. ?She seems rather smitten with you.?


    "Smitten with me or with my food?" I asked with a scoff.


    ?To her, both are interchangeable.? he replied coolly.


    That makes it even worse!


    Ophelia wasn''t a fan either, she stared at the sobbing fairy with suspicion before giving me a withering stare of disagreement ¨C It was clear she did not approve.


    Even her team members regarded the dark fae with fear. However, I noticed Apollo had slithered closer to observe the hole ridden rock with curiosity.


    While Ophelia was smart and careful, I did not see things in the same way she did. The dark fae''s powers were interesting, they were simr to my [Dimensional Box] but there was no differentiation between the living and the dead. If I were to study her, perhaps I could learn how to undo the limit.


    Or I could simply eat her and save myself the trouble.


    [Hey. Stop crying and look at me.] I turned to the crying mess.


    The dark fae looked up, with her face full of tears and snot.


    [Ugh. Stop crying! It was an ident, wasn''t it?]


    The tiny fae nodded fiercely.


    She looked pitiful, but I didn''t want to let her off so simply.


    [You can''t stay here if you use it again.] I scolded her. [I can''t have you putting my nestlings at risk.]


    [I won''t.] She sobbed. [It was an ident, promise.]


    While the dark fae wiped her tears, I assured Ophelia she would be leaving soon. It was only then that she stopped looking at the tiny fae like she wanted to eat her.


    I couldn''t count on a promise from someone who couldn''t even control herself, so it was either I took her away or I threw her into a prison cell. Leaving her with the nestlings was a big no. If Ophelia was this wary of her, I couldn''t imagine how Typhon would react.


    Soon the dark fae stopped crying and flew over to sit on my head once more. This, of course, made Ophelia hiss with rage and the tiny fae hid behind my horns to avoid looking at her.


    Her actions also seemed to make the other snakes angry, and for good reason too. She should know it wasn''t a good idea for her to sit on my head like it was her personal room.


    The dark fae, seemingly unbothered by their stares, began to chatter away.


    [Are they your babies?] she asked, while staring curiously at the nestlings.


    This brat!


    [What? No!]


    The dark fae shrugged nonchntly. [It''s because they all look alike, and you look¡­different.]


    What sort of reasoning was that?


    [I may look different, but I''m still the same as them. I''m sure not every fairy looks the same as you, right?]


    I patted Ophelia on the head with my tail to stop her scowling, instructing her to take the nestlings to look around the new cave, while I ventured into one of the rooms below with the dark fae to keep her out of sight.


    There, I proceeded to create numerous cells in the ground to act as prisons in the event of trouble.


    [That''s true.] The dark fae cheerily said. [I''m the only one of my siblings with horns.]


    [Good for you.] I smirked. [But yours are nothingpared to mine.]


    The dark fae huffed and began to pace around annoyingly on my head. I considered dipping my head so she would fall into one of the cells.


    But then it urred to me...Did this dumb fae followed me because I had horns too?


    Once I finished with the cells, I went back up to the cave. And I saw everyone from Ophelia''s team had settled in quite nicely. There were many snakes sprawled on the furs I set out. Each one seemed to have picked a particr spot they liked and they were all looking rather content in their respective coils.


    It seemed another team had joined them as there were more snakes than before. I spotted Ghad among the lounging masses and as soon as he saw me, he rushed over in excitement, leading the charge for all the snakes present.


    Soon I found myself surrounded, each snake peering at my wings in astonishment and awe, with some even attempting to slither up them to reach my back.


    I sighed. Was this what it felt like to be mobbed?


    I would have preferred It to be beautiful men instead of snakes though¡­


    The dark fae squealed in fright from the top of my head at the sight of so many snakes, leading Ghad to spot her.


    Immediately, his eyes went wide like saucers and before I knew what was going on, the dark fae was cruelly swept off my head with a water whip, causing her tond harshly on the ground on her butt.


    Ghad seemed intent on attacking her, so I smacked him to make him stop. He reluctantly halted his attack, but did not stop staring daggers at the tiny fae.


    Why were the nestlings so ferocious today?


    Completely drenched with water, the dark fae burst into tears, shivering miserably as she tried and failed to lift her soaked wings.


    Ophelia slithered over to Ghad not forgetting to re at her.


    I let out a sigh and settled down among them, letting the nestlings climb over my wings to settle on my back if they wished. The dark fae''s spot on my head was soon taken over by Ghad and she could only stare up at him with resentment.


    As the dark fae sulked, more of my teams began to arrive.


    Morgana arrived first, followed by Cygnus who looked rather dusty and tired. They all looked bigger than they were before they left the cave, and there was even a bit of iridescent colour appearing on their scales.


    With every new snake that arrived, each one stared at my new wings and then at the cave in wonder and amazement. I noticed a rather excited glint in Morgana eyes, and I couldn''t help wondering what she was thinking.


    However, with all the teams returned, except for Typhon and Artemis. I began to wonder if something had gone wrong.


    I checked the as and saw both teams were still out in the wild. One was closer and the other was much farther away. I wanted them all to return to appreciate my sculpted cave, but there was no way to recall them telepathically. I would have to go out and bring them back individually.


    After instructing the nestlings to explore the cave, I got up from my rest, alerting my captain''s that I would be going after the remaining teams. Noneined, but as soon as I chose the dark fae to apany me, there were hisses of protest from Ophelia and Ghad.


    I sighed¡­if only they knew I was doing this for their safety.


    I would have taken them all, but they were too many and if they fell off my back, catching them all would be a challenge. The dark fae stuck her tongue at them and resumed her spot on my head, much to my annoyance.


    Of the two teams I was least worried for Typhon, but there was no way to know whose team was which, so rather than guess, I simply left the cave to go after the nearest team first.

 Chapter 152 - Bad Decisions

    When it came to coborating with each other, Artemis''s team was the least efficient out of all the others.


    As it tends to happen when there were more than one strong voice in a party, the role of ''captain'' that was originally Artemis''s was openly being contested by the unruly spaded snake.


    This was in part Artemis''s fault.


    Although he received clear instructions to lead his team to hunt. Once outside, he became in awe of everything new he could find. The many monsters interested him, as did the nts and the many mysteries they contained.


    Thus far, he was far more interested in studying the natural ecology of the environment and seeing how the nts and monsters interacted. He had already learnt plenty from experiencing their leaders'' venom and he now wished to study those effects in other creatures.


    His keen insight naturally took on an interest in studying the various venoms of the nts around him and observing their effects on the monsters to establish natural patterns he could exploit.


    Although Artemis was rather stoic in nature, he was actually a good Captain. So far he had looked after his team and prevented them from harm.


    However, much like a new captain, he failed to take the opinions of his team members into ount and had led them solely defined by his own interests.


    He would rece a particr nt he had seen a creature eat, with the various nts or mushrooms he already established as poisonous. Then he would wait patiently, just to see how long it would take for said creature to sumb to the poison after consumption.


    His team hadn''t fought him on anything so far because his methods were all well thought out and organised, and none of them hade to harm.


    But rather than hunting, a great deal of time had been spent stalking various creatures ¨C not to attack, but for Artemis to indulge in his research. And this led to many heated exchanges between himself and the spaded snake.


    Their efforts weren''tpletely fruitless however, asionally his attention would switch to focusing on studying the effect of the venoms of each snake on his team, to differentiate between the time of death for each creature they bit in rtion to their size.


    So far, his venom was the most potent, followed closely by the spaded snake and finally Europa. The difference, he recognised to be the result of his [Poison Fang] being at LV7, while Europa''s was still at LV4.


    Since he did not know the spaded snake''s stats, he concluded she must be somewhere in between. His team was mostly okay with this hunting tactic, because it earned them a free meal. But these kills were tiny inparison to those of nt poisons.


    And so, after Artemis let yet another creature perish to test out another mysterious nt, the spaded snake reached her limit. Contrary to expectations, she was actually willing to follow their leader''smand and hunt, and she had followed Artemis''s instructions quietly until now, but she was beyond bored!


    They hid in the bushes, observing yet another creature move towards the poison trap Artemis had set. Rather than letting poisonous nts do the work, she was more interested in doing the killing herself. Or at least as a team!


    The sneaking around was too much for her to understand and she wasn''t interested in nts or what creatures ate.


    [How long are we going to do this!] The spaded snakeined, for the nth time. [This is the tenth one!]


    She wanted to go out into the grassy fields where there were plenty ofrge creatures to hunt. She had even spotted some spiderlings earlier and was eager to test her strength, but Artemis had forced her to stay with the group.


    [Knowledge takes practice to obtain.] Artemis calmly replied. [I wouldn''t expect a meat head like yourself to understand.]


    [Meathead?!] The spaded snake screeched in anger. Although she didn''t know what he meant, his tone was enough to make her offended. [I''m done with this! Let''s fight right now. If I win, I''m the new Captain!]


    Artemis scoffed. [What would I gain by fighting you? I''m already the Captain. Unless you offer me something simr in exchange, I see no point in this.]


    [You weakling!] The spaded snake gasped in disbelief.


    [Insults won''t strengthen your argument.] Artemis sneered. [They only make them weak, and make you look stupid.]


    The spaded snake was taken aback at his words, and with her pride wounded she was determined to give him a beating. However, Europa moved to intercept her attack,ing between the two snakes.


    [No fighting. We have toe up with a solution everyone can agree to.]


    As neither could decide on where to go or what to do. Europa had taken the initiative to force them topromise.


    [And how do you suggest we do that?] The spaded snake snapped.


    Europa was thoughtful, but then he looked at the remaining two members of the team, the male and female snakes who had both been relegated to a mere workforce. Like them, he was also troubled as he had been unable to practice his healing skills at all.


    [Why not see what everyone else thinks? Those that agree with spade should say so and those that agree with Captain should also say so.]


    The spaded snake looked confused.


    [A majority vote?] Artemis mused.


    Europa nodded and the other two snakes perked up, happy to finally be given a voice.


    They immediately started moving and Europa could see their eyes heading towards the spaded snake, so he added a quick warning before things became chaotic.


    [No one is allowed to fight if they lose.]


    [Fine. I agree.] Artemis was filled with confidence.


    However in the end, it was only Europa who sided with him, to his surprise. The other two snakes went with the spaded snake and with her vote, it counted as three against two. However, Artemis would not allow it.


    [Alright, we can do what you want for now, but after that it''s back to the usual.] he said.


    [You agreed not to take it back!] The spaded snake was fuming and rightfully so. Artemis on the other hand did not see anything wrong with what he said. To him, Captain''s were decided by their leader alone, hence the vote was null regardless of the result.


    [I''m the captain. That won''t change because of some flimsy vote.]


    [Hah! Don''t be a sore loser. I won fairly!]


    Europa sighed.


    When he suggested apromise this wasn''t what he had in mind. At this rate, the team was going to split in half. What if they went off to hunt and encountered something they couldn''t take on?


    If that happened, since he chose Artemis the spaded snake would be without a healer and he didn''t know if she would survive without him on their side.


    [Do you know where to go? Or how to get back?] Artemis raised his voice at her. [You as a Captain will run this team to their deaths.]


    He wasn''t wrong. The spaded snake had no idea how to track their location back home, nor could she properly decide on where they could go to find suitable prey. She was only interested in killing something because of her boredom.


    [Like you haven''t already done that! We haven''t improved much at all!] She retorted.


    Unbeknownst to their leader''s approach, they had devolved into bickering. Europa looked at the two snakes, each refusing to give in to the other. Like him, the remaining team members were also split on who to follow.


    He was fine continuing studying poisons with Artemis because it increased his knowledge on what symptoms to heal, but he also wanted to hunt, though not under the spaded snake''s reckless leadership.


    So while the two bickered, he went wandering to search for a good alternative. And this made him notice a rather unusual forest.


    It wasn''t unusual in the sense that it was dangerous, rather it was the opposite. It waspletely devoid ofrge predators and was instead filled with numerous kinds of small, colourful winged creatures and birds, that were just perfect for a couple of snakes to hunt.


    It was lush with life and filled with all kinds of unusual things. All of its trees were covered in green moss as was the ground, and here was a travellingwork of roots and vines that covered the sand, making it very soft to slither over. The trees were also rather strange, Europa could spot many brightly coloured objects of unusual shapes growing on them ¨C a stark contrast to the other forests they encountered that grew nothing.


    Many docile creatures traversed its mossy roots, attracted towards the unusual nts growing there which they ate, and Europa was drawn towards them as well.


    It was perfect! The forest contained the two things his team needed, creatures to hunt as well as unusual nts to study.


    The unusual thing about the forest, however, was that he recalled passing the area with his team members prior to this. At the time, the area looked very different. There was no moss covering the trees, and neither were there any vines scattered on the ground. But now, the green moss covered almost every tree he could find.


    Still, as strange as the forest appeared to be, it was worth reporting back to his Captain.


    And so Europa rushed back to his group to tell them what he had found.

 Chapter 153 - Hidden Terror

    Europa returned to the group and saw Artemis and the spaded snake were still bickering. The remaining two snakes stayed to the side, watching them awkwardly.


    The healer snake felt exhausted, it seemed he had no other choice but to tell them about the forest. He hoped their argument would stop when presented with an alternative solution.


    However, on listening to his retelling of events, only the spaded snake was pleased.


    [This is great!] she gushed. [Why didn''t you mention it before?]


    This was partly because he didn''t know what to make of it either, it was his first time seeing something like it. But one thing was clear, the forest would serve their needs well and he was keen on visiting it.


    But Artemis regarded his news with suspicion. [What you''re saying sounds too good to be true. What sort of forest grows that fast?]


    [That''s not the point!] The spaded snake yelled at him. [It has creatures we can hunt. And you can study all the stupid nts you want. What''s there toin about?]


    [So, you don''t find it strange that it wasn''t there when we passed?] he asked doubtfully.


    The spaded snakeughed. [Are you telling me you believe it grew so quickly out of nowhere?]


    [Hey, I didn''t make that up!] Europa grumbled.


    Artemis looked away. [I didn''t say that. It''s just¡­ way too suspicious.]


    The spaded snake glowered at him, making herself taller to stare him down. [I don''t care what you think. Unless you want this group to split up, I suggest we go now.]


    Since there was no proof to back up his ims, Artemis finally gave in and they all headed for the forest.


    As for his suspicions, the spaded snake fully believed it was Europa''s inexperience that led him to think the forest was odd. She had witnessed quite a few things she thought were strange when she left the cave with Typhon and Ophelia, and since then her outlook had changed and she hade to see them as normal.


    However, even though they were dismissive about Europa''s concerns, they didn''t take them lightly either, in case his words were true.


    And so, they carefully observed the forest and its moss covered trees for a long time, to see if anything would change. But to Europa''s surprise, the forest remained the same and he glimpsed the creatures flitting about inside like normal.


    [It''s possible we just didn''t see it on the way here.] The spaded snake said to him as she sensed his confusion.


    Europa was doubtful. Had he imagined it?


    Granted, he''d never actually witnessed the forest change, so perhaps he imagined seeing its trees free of moss before. He looked to see what Artemis thought and saw his eyes shining with interest.


    [What a great find. You''ve outdone yourself, Europa.]


    Europa wasn''t prepared for his Captain''s gratitude and he looked away awkwardly.


    The spaded snake on the other hand, was not impressed. [I thought you didn''t want toe, Artemis. What convinced you to change your mind, now?]


    Artemis red at her before moving ahead of the group to enter the forest, and the rest followed behind him.


    Artemis went off to examine the nts, while the spaded snake led the team to hunt the various creatures roaming around. And soon, the group was absorbed in the frenzy of hunting while Europa and Artemis observed their surroundings.


    Europa felt like he''d been transported to another ce entirely. The trees were entirely covered in loose vines and moss, and the ground was soft and spongy, that he felt ticklish whenever he slithered over it.


    The hedges were lush with green and grew brightly coloured fruits that the tiny creatures around them seemed to eat with relish.


    The creatures were small, with brightly coloured skins, iridescent wings, and long spiked tails, that flocked to these hedges in hordes to eat. Europa was absent minded as he watched the creatures that frolicked on the branches, who were seemingly ignoring their existences.


    The spaded snake who was beside him, saw what he was looking at and gave a groan of disapproval. [Ugh. Tiny, winged lizards.]


    [Lizard?] he questioned.


    [What''s a lizard?] One of his team members asked, but before she could answer, Europa felt something nudge against his body.


    He''d slithered over a grey rock earlier, and now to his surprise, the tiny rock had stood up on twig-like legs to re at him with a disgruntled rodent face, before waving a grassy tail and running away.


    Europa blinked in disbelief. Along with the tiny, winged lizards, the forest seemed to be full of all sorts of strange creatures that looked like something else.


    He''d seen more of the same rodents, and then arge mushroom which stumbled across the moss covered ground before settling down into a hole at the base of a tree. And, he witnessed a normal flower turn into a winged insect.


    Aside from those few instances, the rest of the creatures were normal. There were four legged creatures foraging through the hedges for fruits, and the tall trees were full of scurrying creatures.


    Europa thought it was abnormal that only those docile creatures were living here and not one of therger, more dangerous monsters.


    [Don''t you find this ce strange at all?] He said to Artemis who was busying himself with some nts.


    [Of course, it is. Why do you ask?]


    Artemis seemed rather distracted. He kept staring at the fruiting trees and the tiny creatures drawn to them with a disapproving look, before calling out to the group.


    [No one is allowed to eat anything.]


    The spaded snake groaned at him. [Why not? Are you determined to ruin everyone''s fun?]


    [I don''t care about your fun.] Artemis was deep in thought. [This ce is odd. I''m surprised you don''t see it. There is no bnce.]


    The spaded snake looked confused. [What do you mean by bnce?]


    [Everything works on equal exchange.] Artemis continued. [From everything I''ve seen so far, this has to be wrong. The trees provide the food, but what are the creatures giving in return?]


    The spaded snake looked around. [Nothing?]


    [Exactly!] Artemis eximed excitedly. [It''s obvious, the trees must be poisonous!]


    The spaded snake groaned. [Not everything is poisonous, you poison obsessed idiot!] She gestured to all the creatures that continued to eat. [If they were poisonous, the ground would be littered with dead. But, do you see any dead creatures around?]


    And then to further prove her point, she reached over and took one of the reddish fruits into her mouth.


    [Spit that out now!] Artemis immediately yelled at her, rushing towards her.


    But much to Artemis''s horror, she swallowed the fruit whole.


    [Spit it out now, you fool!] He tackled her in an attempt to force her to spit out the fruit and the two snakes crashed against the trees as they fought.


    In the end, Artemis was unable to pin her down and by the time they stopped fighting, he ended up with the most wounds.


    However, while the other snakes cheered on the spaded snake, Europa''s focus was on something else.


    Earlier, as the two snakes struggled around, they had uncovered some of the vines and moss on the trees revealing the true state of the tree.


    Europa was hit with a rotting stench where healthy tree bark should have been. The uncovered body of the tree waspletely ck with rot, and it oozed with a putrid sap and its body waspletely soft like a sponge.


    The sight of the wretched tree sent him reeling back in horror and only then did the other snake notice something was wrong.


    The spaded snake slithered over to him and on seeing the tree, she stopped in her tracks, flinching at the stench. [Ugh what is that?]


    Artemis who was full of bruises rushed over without pause, and they all stared at the rotting wood in horror.


    The spaded snake immediately understood her mistake and forced herself to spit out the fruit. And as the red fruit fell on the ground, it too ckened with rot and partially germinated with tendrils of a rotted sapling growing out of it.


    The spaded snake fell silent as stared at it and then she began to shiver in terror.


    [Heal her.] Artemis hissed loudly. [Quick.]


    Not that healing did much to help and the spaded snake was mostly unharmed but the reality of what could''ve happened caused her to tremble.


    [It has to be some kind of parasite.] Artemis mused coolly. [Every creature that has eaten it is bound to die soon. We should watch them to see what happens and collect them.]


    The spaded snake was quiet, but his words soon made her enraged. [Collect them? Are you mad? We should leave the forest as quickly as possible!]


    [Leave?] Artemis was surprised and smirked provocatively. [The creatures here are all docile, aren''t you interested in finding out what happens to them? Or what would''ve happened to you if you hadn''t spit it out?]


    After almost being a victim herself, the spaded snake was too terrified to argue with him. [I don''t care! I''m more afraid of the strange forest that''s trying to kill us!]


    [Like you said, it''s not poison.] Artemis replied nonchntly. [I wonder what happens afterwards. Since all the creatures are still alive, I suspect the fruit is meant to put them to sleep, but after that... I don''t know.]


    [It doesn''t matter!] She rushed over to the rotten tree and brushed away more of the moss with her body, revealing more of its murky decayed inside.


    She came away with her body covered in ck slime. [Do you not see this? The tree is dead!]


    Artemis shook his head. [A dead tree wouldn''t grow fruit. This is something else entirely.]


    Much like her, he started brushing away at the vines and moss, but rather than the trees he focused on the ground.


    [Why don''t we dig and see what we uncover?]

 Chapter 154 - Dark Water

    The loose vines, slippery and wet, ensnaring Europa''s tail in their grip, but he quickly wriggled free, before continuing to flee.


    But the ground beneath him was slippery and soft. In the absence of solid vines to stand on, all that remained was wet ground dripping with rotting dark water and Europa struggled to free himself from the multiple vines that reached out for his body.


    His heart began pounding more fiercely as he heard Artemis call out from further ahead of the group. [Keep running! Don''t stop for anythin-]


    The rest of his words were drowned out by the horrible croaking cry of a creature pursuing them from above. With Artemis''s voice so faint and with his body quickly disappearing into the muck, Europa feared he would be left behind.


    His eyes bulged from the putrid dark water filling his lungs and he struggled for air. He drew in a deep breath as he forced his head above the murky water, reaching for any root or stray twig to pull himself above ground.


    However, he soon made out a scattering of dark wings and the shadow of a twisted, grotesque creature that was neither dead nor aliveing towards him. It pped its rancid rotted wings above the water, as it lunged down to scratch him with its talons.


    Fearing he would be viciously wed apart, Europa slipped, and the loose vines lifted up from the murky depths of the slimy water, eagerly took hold of him and began to pull him under.


    His vision blurred fromck of air as dark water filled his lungs, and he regretted ever venturing into this part of the forest. Although they were suspicious of it from the beginning, they underestimated the danger thaty hidden underneath. Everything had gone so wrong once they decided to dig around.


    It all started after they followed Artemis''s instructions, digging beneath the moss and vines covering the ground, thinking they would find a clue to what happened to the trees.


    But all they discovered was murky darkness instead of soil and they were covered in slimy ooze - the same strange substance that blighted the trees, and far more rotten dead creatures than they could count.


    Why the hell had they listened to Artemis?


    The beautiful exterior of the forest was all a fa?ade and what it really was, an ominous mass grave.


    Every one of the rotten dead creatures all had vines growing out of their bodies, spreading from their putrid flesh to rise above the ground to cover it in a nket of mossy vines.


    Some hadpletely been reduced to bone while others still had flesh on them, and Europa saw many creatures currently alive in the forest among the corpses, frozen solid in death as vines sprouted from their bodies.


    But what bothered him most was the ground. There was a shallowyer of sand on the surface, but after that it was all just ck rotting water. Rancid putrefied liquid, like the vapours from a dead corpse that mingled in with the sand to form a muddyyer of disgusting muck.


    They had disturbed the forest by exposing its true form and now it was showing its true form. The buried creatures they thought dead, have begun moving again, reanimated by the vines inside them, like puppets.


    And as soon as they were uncovered, multiple creatures burst out of the murky ground to pursue the snakes. Various creatures, bothrge and small were among their pursuers and they had been running in terror to escape them since.


    Europa was unfortunate to get separated from the group and dragged into the murky depths of the ground, adding another to the ranks of creatures submerged within.


    As thest breath of air left his lungs, he heard the wretched cry of the hideous bird as if something attacked it. And then a dead branch was thrust at him in the water before he heard a voice.


    [Grab it. Come on, you have to get out.]


    Europa could faintly make out the spaded snake''s voice as she screamed at him, but s, he was too weak to move. But soon, he heard a ssh as the heavy branch struck the water, and soon he felt himself getting pulled up.


    [Open your eyes, Wake up! Europa, don''t die on me. I don''t know how to heal you.]


    He opened his eyes and the cries slowly subsided. Although his vision was blurred, he faintly made out the sobbing snake next to him. But more than that, to his disbelief he saw the rotting corpse of the vine covered creature, sinking slowly into the murky water.


    Has she killed it?


    [You''re okay!] The spaded snake cried in relief. [Are you injured anywhere?]


    His body ached but they were all minor scrapes. Aside from his lungs burning a little, he was mostly fine.


    He took a deep breath and looked around and saw they were both suspended on a thick branch above the water. She must have thrown it into the water to rescue him.


    [Where are the others?] he asked hoarsely.


    [Hiding. I told them to wait while I came back for you. But we have to leave now.]


    The spaded snake peered up in the trees warily, looking for any approaching danger.


    [Did you kill it?] He was still in shock and could only stumble out these questions.


    [Yes. They are really sensitive to sound and movement. If you want to kill them you have to approach them slowly. Let''s go.]


    Together, they slithered down from the branch, but when he started to move too quickly in his haste to flee, she stopped him.


    [If you move too fast, they will detect you from the air. You have to move slowly.]


    So they slithered slowly through the ground, avoiding ces with gaps where the vines had opened up to release the creatures. The forest was filled with screeching sounds and many hoarse cries that left Europa trembling.


    [How do you know this?] he asked doubtfully.


    It wasn''t that he didn''t believe her, he just wanted to get out of the forest as quickly as possible and moving so slowly made him anxious that they would be caught soon.


    The spaded snake shook her head, trembling ever so slightly. [There''s nothing else alive here, but us. You didn''t see what happened. Once those things came out of the ground, every other creature that ate the fruits turned into one of them.]


    That cleared up the mystery in his head, because he hadn''t seen a single living creature since they started to run. All he saw were various creatures in different stages of decay.


    Some looked very fresh like they died only recently, while others were mere bones with rotting flesh hanging off them. But what was it all for? Had the vines taken over all the creatures simply to make them do their bidding?


    [How do we- ] get out of here, he wanted to ask, but her quick stare silenced him.


    It wasn''t long before he noticed numerous small, winged lizards perched on one of the branches, with vines moving their corpses. They looked out over the ground, but their eye sockets were empty with tendrils growing out of them.


    The spaded snake who had seen them first, didn''t stop and continued to move. The winged creatures continued to watch the ground, but none of them reacted as they slowly crept past. It was only when they''d gotten clear that the spaded snake spoke.


    [I don''t know. But Artemis has an idea.]


    Europa breathed a relieved sigh. He couldn''t tell which way was what and the forest has changed too much since they entered. Eventually, they reached the ce where the other snakes were hiding, and they were all relieved to see him alive.


    They hid behind arge stone that was overgrown with thick wines, forming a partial shelter that protected them from view.


    Artemis was the most troubled and he kept muttering under his breath as he tried to figure out the best way out, but the spaded snake convinced him to stop overthinking.


    [You know which way we came from, right? Let''s just move slowly until we reach it.]


    [They know we''re still alive. There''s no way we can make it across without them noticing.]


    [What do you suggest we do then?] She asked.


    [We wait it out here until everything returns to normal.] Artemis replied, much to everyone''s disapproval.


    [I can''t stay here anymore. It''s too scary.] one shake whined. [Can''t we run now while it''s clear.]


    Artemis firmly refused. [There''s too many of them out there. We''ll get run down before we make it anywhere.]


    [How do you know it will turn back?] Europa asked.


    [The forest acts as a lure. If it remains looking like this, no other creature will enter, so it has to change back. Once it does, those creatures will go away. That will be our chance] he looked around and took a deep breath. [Until then, staying hidden is our best chance at survival.]


    His reasoning was sound, but the spaded snake didn''t agree. [When do you think it will change back? You want to wait for that but we don''t know if it will happen or not. What if it takes too long? We''ll be dead by then.]


    [We should slowly find our way instead of hiding and waiting.] she added


    However Artemis was adamant and continued to refuse. But then, a low mournful cry reverberated outside their shelter and the snakes fell silent, pressed closely to the rock that formed their shelter.


    Europa thought the creature sounded close, in fact the sound seemed to being from above them and he peered warily at the thick vines above.


    To his horror, he made out a moving figure followed by a putrid smell. Thin ck fibres resembling hair began to drip between the gaps of the vines and one of the nestlings screamed loudly as it touched her.


    The vines covering them immediately burst open revealing the creature that the hair belonged to. It was a soaking wet dark figure, with putrefied tree bark making up the majority of its body.


    It moved swiftly, wed hands reaching down to grab them, with its eyes a murky white shade and its mouth gaping wide as it continued crying mournfully.


    The spaded snake immediately leapt on its body, twisting the arm it used to grab one of the snakes until it broke and then she threw herself at the creature to keep it busy.


    [Run! Now!] She screamed at them. [I''ll hold it back. Find the exit, I''ll meet you there.]


    Somehow, she was able to push back the creature entirely on her own, and resisted Artemis''s attempts to help her.


    The creature continued to fight her off, and as it let out another loud cry, the vines shifted and the ground opened up beneath them, swallowing the creature and the spaded snake together.

 Chapter 155 - The Stampede

    The monster let out a great roar, and its foul breath washed over Typhon''s body, causing him to recoil.


    As it stood, the once buriedrge body caused a great upheaval, as its tall lumbering form took shape, and the herd creatures surrounding it were frightened and took off in a great stampede.


    Therge monster spotted Typhon, rearing its head to strike and he immediately retreated, barely avoiding the attack. Instead, the creature''s head struck the tufts of grass on its own back,ing away with a mouthful of flowers.


    It proceeded to raise its head, shaking away the flowers, but in that brief dy Typhon chose to strike. His fangs sunk into its thick leathery skin, pumping in his venom before constricting tightly around its long neck.


    The creature let out a strangled noise, waving its head from side to side to shake him off, but Typhon held on and injected it with [Poison Fang].


    This caused the creature to get even more enraged. It lowered its neck to its sides, swinging out dangerously towards the stampeding creatures below before striking against the rough skin of its body.


    Typhon tolerated the strikes, but the harsh vibrations of his scales scraping against tough hide made his body ring with pain. However, he knew if he let go, he would be flung into the oing stampede and trampled to death.


    And so, resisting the impact against his body with his tough scales, before sinking his fangs into the creature''s neck to secure his grip.


    Pressed tightly against the creature''s tough hide, Typhon could feel the steady thump as blood flowed through its neck. He wasted no time in tracing the source, his embedded fangs pulling against the creature''s skin to tear open a long gash.


    Hot blood flowed freely from the wound, exposing its thick veins and the creature groaned loudly in pain as Typhon injected poison directly into them.


    Aboard the creature''s body, the members of Typhon''s team tethered unevenly with every strike as they tried very hard not to fall off its moving body. There was nothing much to hold on to, so they coiled around the hard stems of the red flower buds that formed parts of the creature''s body.


    But the two mischievous snakes didn''t want to wait. They wanted to help Typhon, but aside from injecting their venom into the stems of the flowers, there was nothing else they could do.


    The other two members of their team were cowering with their heads down against the repeated tremors, seemingly too afraid to move.


    Another tremor rocked the creature''s body as Typhon mmed into its sides. But as the creature raised its head, the two snakes saw it hadn''t seeded in dislodging him, much to their relief, and now its neck was flowing with copious amounts of blood.


    [We have to help him somehow!] One of the mischievous snakes said.


    However, they werepletely exposed with nowhere to hide. If their movements alerted the creature and its head drew closer to them to attack instead, it would undermine all of Typhon''s efforts in drawing its attention.


    They stared up at its bleeding neck and rows of sharp teeth. It was severely wounded, but still going strong and if Typhon could not oust its strikes, he would surely die.


    [We can''t help him by staying up here.] The second snake agreed.


    And then, the two snakes looked down at the stampeding boulder creatures below, an insane idea beginning to form in their heads. If they were going to help him, there was no time to waste.


    [What about them?]


    The two mischievous snakes stared at their two cowering team members, who werepletely consumed with fear, before nudging them both to tell them of their n.


    [We''re going to jump down there to help.] One casually said.


    [You shoulde with us.] Another added with a cheery smile.


    But their team members weren''t so confident in their brilliant n and looked up at them with disbelief.


    [You''ll die if you jump down. Don''t you see how big they are?]


    [You''ll get crushed! Don''t do that. Stay here with us.]


    Still, the mischievous snakes were unrelenting. [Stay here? Do you want our Captain to get injured when he''s fighting hard to save us? We can''t simply do nothing.]


    At the mention of Typhon, the two snakes twinged with guilt.


    The mischievous snakes continued. [And we just need to get on one of those creatures.]


    The two looked down at the grey stone monsters below. They were moving fast butpared to the long strides of the fearsome monster whose back they were on, they seemed rather slow.


    All they needed was a well-ced leap and they could secure themselves to one of the spikes on the creature''s back to ride them. That is, if they didn''t slip and get crushed in the stampede. .


    However, when the two snakes looked back, they saw the other two had averted their eyes, seemingly too petrified of falling to their deaths. So, without another look back, they both leapt off the back of the monster into the stampeding monsters below.


    Whilst this was happening, Typhon was in the middle of dealing a lethal blow. The monsters repeated attempts to throw him off its body had only worsened its flesh wound, and the creature tried to recover its torn neck by stopping its movements to enable itself to heal.


    However, once it slowed down on its attacks Typhon increased the intensity of his, refusing to allow it any recovery time. He bit its exposed veins to pull them out of its neck before gnawing the flesh off of its neck down to the bone, relishing the sounds as the creature roared in anguish.


    He wanted to kill it, but the creature was surprisingly resilient, so he settled on torturing it until it sumbed to his poison. However, the creature ignored its injuries to strike its neck against the side of its body once more, the harsh impact knocking the breath out of his body.


    Typhon felt his grip loosen as pain shot through his body, but just then he felt a second tremor run across the monster''srge body as something mmed into its leg causing it to roar in pain.


    Peering down, Typhon saw one of the stampeding monsters had collided with it, itsrge horn impaled through the thick hide of its leg. And to his surprise, there was a snake secured around the spikes of its segmented body, with its fangs deep inside the stone creature''s hide.


    Typhon was shocked, because he recognised one of the mischievous snakes. He saw the stone creature was bleeding from its eyes and could only conclude they had tricked the creature into fleeing this way.


    It soon retracted its horns, leaving a gaping hole in the monster''s leg before fleeing.


    In the distance, Typhon saw another one of the stone creatures was approaching. Their paths had seemingly been deviated to speed towards the tall monster, and now it sped towards it with a deranged look on its face.


    It was repeatedly bitten from behind and to a monster with low intellect, whose eyes had been injured. When it failed to see what had attacked it, it would only assume it was being pursued by a strong predator, causing it to flee.


    The second stone creature soon colluded with the monster, rupturing another one of its legs. It roared out in pain, ignoring Typhon to swing its head around to strike at the stone creatures.


    By that time, the mischievous snake had jumped off the stone creatures back as sharp teeth came down to tear open the skin of its body.


    The monsters fangs gripped tight, raising the creature high up in the air to fling it aside, but with all wounds inflicted on its neck, itcked the strength to lift anything and the heavy creature slipped free, shaking off its attacker to flee for its life.


    Typhon saw the chance and immediately secured his grip on its neck, delivering a savage bite aimed at the monster''s throat and its swing halted in mid air, releasing a strained sound instead of its usual roar.


    The blow of the stone creatures had weakened the monster''s footing and with his strike destroying the muscles of its neck, therge creature spasmed, its body staggering limply as copious amounts of blood flowed from its neck down to its tough hide.


    It was weak from blood loss, but Typhon wasn''t about to rx just yet, he yearned to see it dead. And so, he constricted it with all of his strength and the creature let out a strained cry before itrge body dropped down to the ground in a massive wave of blood and sand.


    With the creature now motionless, Typhon released his grip from its body, a wave of sleepiness washing over him. Feeling exhausted from the battle, he copsed on the ground beside the creature and soon his team members gathered around him.


    For some reason, he simply couldn''t keep his eyes open, and fearing he was too injured to move on, he instructed his team members to hide.


    Fortunately for them, the crater in the ground, therge creature had climbed out of was not far away. And so, with the effort of his team, they headed towards it to hide away until his body fully recovered.

 Chapter 156 - Perfect Soldier

    Typhon was aware he was dreaming. He seemed to be in a room, the bright scenery filling him with a distant, pleasant memory. However, its familiarity was one that also evoked a deep mncholy.


    In this space, a voice that sounded like Ophelia called out a name, but he could already tell it wasn''t her. Although simr, this voice contained a unique childishness that Ophelia no longer possessed.


    Although he could not see the figure, he seemed to look up to her.


    Typhon felt the figure reach out and fiercely rub his head, the sensation filling him with inexplicable longing. And then, he was lifted off the ground and smothered in a suffocating embrace amidst his struggle to get free.


    But the voice he heard was so warm and pleasant that he soon stopped struggling as the sound of the mellow voice filled him with a deep sadness.


    However, before he could figure out what it was all about, the scenery faded to a blur and Typhon opened his eyes toplete darkness. Soon, the memory of his dream disappeared, leaving behind a deep feeling of hunger that wrecked through his senses.


    The scent of earth filled his nostrils, and he could feel the sandy texture against his scales. But he immediately felt that something was odd.


    He remembered rushing into the crater with his team before he became overwhelmed with sleepiness. But on waking up he was alone, his team members nowhere to be found. He thought it strange that the crater was dark and when he looked up he saw there was something covering the opening.


    He was concerned for his team, so he immediately rose up to go outside, which should have been fairly easy to do, but the crater was unusually slippery. His body pressed against the surrounding sand and simply moving caused waves of dust to rain down on his body.


    Unperturbed by this, he reached for the opening, pushing aside the fleshy object with his head to see what it was.


    Outside, Typhon was surprised to see the corpse of the creature he had killed. It seemed to have been dragged from the ce it died back to the crater, before its legs were folded under the grassy mound of its body.


    Due to the creature''s unique camouge, this formed a bizarre mound of dark sand, topped with a scattering of grass and flowers that looked no different from a hill from above. And it seemed, it had been used to seal the crater''s opening to keep him from harm...


    His first thought was that his team members had done it, but he quickly ruled out that idea. The creature was far too big for them to pull, even with theirbined strength.


    His eyes settled on the creature to see if he could find some clues, but the sight of the corpse only intensified his hunger and soon he found himself chomping on it, and only regaining his sanity after decimating half of the corpse.


    It was only then that he noticed something even strange.


    His sight had improved!


    And his appetite also seemed to have increased. Before, he wouldn''t have been able to eat so much, but now, he still wasn''t satisfied. It was strange, the creature that once feltrge as a mountain, now seemed to have shrunk in size.


    Typhon examined his body and discovered it was him that had changed. He was now bigger, and his body was noticeably heavier and wider than before.


    The scales on his body ovepped and were a dark opaque colour, rock hard like a gem and so sharp they cut the tough skin of the creature simply by grazing against it. And when he moved, his movement was fluid, with a whole new level of speed.


    Typhon couldn''t understand what had happened, but he had a feeling it had something to do with ''her''.


    She had instructed him to improve three skills to LV10, but he went a bit further and levelled a total of ten. He wanted to get all his skills to level 10, but training the nestlings and hunting had gotten in the way.


    With that said, he checked himself with [Status Inspection] and was more than shocked at the results.


    --------------


    Name: Typhon [LV12 Neonate Cerastes]


    Specie: Ailith Vipera


    HP: 172/172 Defence: 258


    MP: 123/123 Intellect: 120


    SP: 196/196  Magic: 100


    Attack: 150   Agility: 149


    Skills:


    [Poison Fang: LV10] [Stealth: LV10]


    [Danger Perception: LV9] [Solidity: LV9]


    [Impact Enhancement: LV10] [Leap: LV9]


    [Strength: LV10] [Motion Perception: LV7]


    [Spherical Form: LV8] [Camouge: LV8]


    [Heat Sense: LV10] [Mana Sense: LV1]


    [Crushing Bite: LV1] [Poison Synthesis: LV1]


    [Farsight: LV7] [Poison Generation: LV10]


    [Piercing Enhancement: LV8] [Scent: LV8]


    [Imperial Scales: LV1] [Heat Sphere: LV1]


    [Rapid Strike: LV8] [Shockwave: LV10]


    [Earth Tremor: LV1] [Steel Skin: LV10]


    [Silence: LV10] [Determination: LV7]


    [Colossal Strength: LV1] [Persistence: LV5]


    [Bite: LV10] [Frightful Presence: LV1]


    [Rugged Scales: LV10] [Anger: LV1]


    [Shadow Shroud: LV1] [Grip: LV9]


    [Deadly Poison Attack: LV1]


    [Shock Enhancement: LV7]


    [Serpentine Grace: LV1]


    ----------------------------


    Titles:


    [Pit Member] [Captain] [Assassin]


    Attributes:


    [Invulnerable] [Status Inspection]


    Magic Skills:


    [Poison Magic: LV1] [Earth Magic: LV1]


    ----------------------------


    Resistances:


    [Piercing Resistance: LV10]


    [Pain Resistance: LV10]


    [Impact Resistance: LV10]


    [Faint Resistance: LV9]


    [Shock Resistance: LV10]


    [Pain Nullification: LV7]


    [Heat Nullification: LV2]


    [Acid Resistance: LV3]


    --------------


    He couldn''t stop staring at it.


    Was this what ''she'' intended when she''d given him such a strange instruction. And had he gone overboard by going over the specified limit?


    A scary thought crossed his mind.


    What if ''she'' didn''t take too kindly to how strong he had be and chose to kill him instead?


    Also, where had his team members gone? The stampede was long gone, the only trace- the imprints left in the ground now looked small to him.


    Typhon began to fear they had gone after the herd in his absence. Likely under the influence of the two mischievous snakes whose recklessness he loathed. He still couldn''t get over how they had driven the stone creatures to attack the base of the monster.


    A brilliant n, but a reckless one, nheless. It could have killed them both and he couldn''t wait to find the two to punish them for their actions. But he did have to thank them for the quick thinking that saved his life and led to the creature''s defeat.


    He stared at the imprints across the grassy field, deciding to follow them, in hopes they would lead to his team. However, it took only a few minutes to make it across thendscape with his speed.


    He sped past a cluster of grass, when he heard someone calling out to him.


    [Typhon! You''re awake!]


    He stopped, taken aback after seeing one of his team members poked her head out of the grass. But he was surprised and stared at her curiously.


    She looked... so small!


    He realised he had to be a simr size to their leader, if not bigger.


    [Where are the others?] he asked


    The snake grinned excitedly. [Everyone is hiding and waiting!]


    [For what?] he asked.


    [It''s here! It''s here!] The snake trembled in excitement and Typhon began to recognise the other members of his team poking their heads out of various grass clusters. And then the ground began to tremble with the sound of heavy footsteps.


    Typhon saw dust clouds in the distance where many creatures rumbled. And leading the charge was a group of stone creatures, who were running like their lives depended on it.


    Wasn''t the stampede over?


    Typhon looked up in the air to see a fully formed shadowy creature. It had the shape of a snake, but withrge wings on either side and the stone creatures seemed to be trying to outrun the shadow it cast on the ground without sess.


    Typhon sighed in disbelief. ''She'' had changed again.


    [Shoo, Typhon! Go away. You''ll scare it away, looking like that!]


    To his surprise, his team member was hissing at him to leave and Typhon was in shock.


    So, this was how quickly he was cast aside, simply because their leader hade?


    He twitched with annoyance but did as he was told, moving out of the way before the stampede got close.


    The stone creatures were driven towards the clusters by their leader, giving each nesting a chance to test their strength and inflict their bite on them, before chasing them down.


    Typhon watched their progress from afar. Their leader continued to chase the herd across the field, giving him the impression she was having fun instead of hunting.


    And the distrust he built up towards her, immediately dissolved.


    She had to have been the one who used the creature to cover him while he slept, because no one else could drag it but her. Which meant she had already seen his new form and wasn''t threatened by him.


    With the nestlings far away in pursuit, the shadowy figure swooped down tond beside him. There seemed to be something on her head and now that he was a simr size to her, Typhon peered closely at the buzzing thing on her head.


    An insect?


    His immediate thought was to swat it away. However, before he could do so, a dark wing stretched over to rest on top of his head, patting briefly before retreating. For some reason, the gesture stunned him, before he instinctively shook his head in annoyance.


    [Go home.] she ryed her message.


    She didn''t seem annoyed at him, rather she seemed to be grinning. And with her instructions ryed, she sped off into the air once more, disappearing with the insect before he could ask where she was headed.

 Chapter 157 - Allies And Secrets

    Therge figure of Typhon gradually became smaller as I picked up speed, and I soon activated [Mimic], watching my winged form blend into the mist.


    [How do you do that with your body?] The dark fae asked in amazement, before bing disappointed. [We''re leaving, already? But we just arrived!]


    Iughed at her childishints. [I need to check up on someone else.]


    Actually, I regretted leaving Typhon so soon after he evolved.


    It wasn''t so long since I''d evolved myself and I remembered the all consuming hunger and conflicting emotions that came with it. In a way, I was d to have reached him first, as so much could have gone wrong.


    He was lucky there was enough food nearby or I feared he would have done something terrible to his team. And this was part of the reason I was annoyed at Sensei because he had convinced me he wouldn''t be evolving so soon.


    Fortunately, Typhon seemed to be doing well, and aside from a mild crankiness his team wasrgely unharmed. But why did his look as I was leaving give me the impression of an innocent youth? It was really hard to resist returning to give him even more head rubs.


    ?Was the head pat really necessary?? Sensei asked. ?You shouldn''t treat him like a pet, he''s even more dangerous, now that he''s evolved.?


    "Is your scrutiny really necessary?" I retorted.


    Although Typhon didn''t take too kindly to my head pat, it was deeply satisfying for me, like watching a little snake growing into an impressive one. But if Sensei really thought I saw him as a pet, he was reallypletely wrong.


    His skills were unique, his growth was fast ¨C urring at a speed that closely rivalled my own, and all this without a system to help him. While, I could admit that my system was useless, it was definitely an advantage.


    And Typhon was smart enough to not challenge me.


    Whether that was due to his loyalty, or perhaps he was crafty and just biding his time, aside from Ophelia there was no other nestling that could rival him, although there were some interesting surprises among the bunch.


    If Typhon and I were to fight I was sure I would win, but that was due to being a higher level than him and because I had morebat experience.


    A part of me wanted to test him right away, but there was still much to be done. I was interested in seeing how he could be useful to me and I couldn''t wait to witness what he could do.


    ?I''m just telling you to be careful.? Sensei added. ?If you want to make him more loyal, you should learn how to talk to them properly to prevent any mimunication in the future, while their impression of you is still good.?


    What the¡­ Was he implying I might do something to change that? The rascal!


    But at the same time he was right.


    "I know. I''ll get Ophelia to teach me."


    ?Good. Don''t dy your return. Remember you still have a penalty to do.?


    Ugh. Like I could forget.


    As we flew through the forest, I essed the As once more to trace the location of myst team. It was shocking to see just how far Artemis''s team had gone and I pushed my wings even faster to reach them soon.


    I could see all five of their figures moving together on the map. They seemed to be heading back aftering out of a forest but they were still a long way away.


    [We''ll pass by the honey monsters soon.] The dark fae chirped excitedly. [There are many hives in this forest!]


    [Really? You''ll have to show meter.]


    To reach my snakes quicker I would have to fly over the scary wasp''sir and I really wasn''t looking forward to that reunion.


    However, before going far, I came across a squadron of five wasps. Fortunately, I was well disguised with [Mimic] and I was sure nothing could pick me out in the air.


    They weren''t carrying anything and so I assumed they had just left the scary wasp''sir. However, their bodies seem to have been scorched by mes and some had deep cuts across their carapace like they were returning from an intense battle.


    Since I was flying with [Mimic] active, I proceeded to glide across from them, as I was confident they wouldn''t see me clearly. Unfortunately, I forgot about the annoying fairy on my head who was very visible even though my body was not. The wasps spotted her in the air and soon the squadron was following behind me.


    The dark fae freaked out as soon as she saw them. [Hide! They will catch you and take you away!]


    [Calm down, it''s okay.] I smirked at her distress.


    I could understand why she was anxious, having faced them before, but our animosity was in the past. I didn''t feel the need to hide when I had a truce with their leader.


    [What are you talking about?] The dark fae pped my horns impatiently. [I''m warning you now. Run away!]


    I shook my head. I had to remind myself that the approaching hunting wasps couldn''t see me. All they could see was the tiny fae who looked like a harmless, easy meal. So, of course they would pursue.


    Rather than avoiding them, Inded on a sturdy tree branch, deactivating [Mimic] to reveal myself.


    The wasp squadron continued to approach, but they soon saw me properly and after a brief observation, they quietly turned around and continued on their way.


    Ah¡­it seemed our truce was still in effect. If this wasn''t the case I was prepared to fight off the squadron, but it was nice to know the scary wasp had kept his word.


    Perhaps it was worth paying him a visit in the future to discuss a cooperation.


    The dark fae was taken aback with shock as she stared at the retreating wasps. She then buzzed around my head like an annoying fly, her face full of surprise.


    [H-How did you do that?] she asked, as she looked back and forth at me and the retreating wasps. [What did you do to make them leave? You have to tell me!]


    [It''s a secret.] I looked away from her, refusing to answer her barrage of questions.


    She crossed her arms and brought her tiny face very close to my head. I could feel her eyes boring holes into my snake skin.


    [A secret? You have to tell me then. I''m very good with secrets.] she continued to buzz around.


    I shook my head and took off in flight once more. The dark fae frantically caught up to me and settled on my head with a pout.


    The scary wasps hive loomed in the distance and I flew over it without [Mimic] and we were not pursued by any of the wasps.


    The dark fae continued to sulk. [Tell me how you did that, or I won''t tell you about the honey.]


    Hah...


    She was crafty and I apuded her quick thinking, but there was no way I was going to hand over one of my biggest secrets. However, the thought urred to me that I could use this to find out something from her.


    [You seem to know your way around the forest.] I questioned her. [If you want to know how I did it, tell me why the nymph didn''t ask you to deliver her message in her stead. I''m sure it would have been very easy for you to do so.]


    The dark fae fell silent and seemed to choose her words carefully. [She used to send me¡­well us. There were three of us at first and we all lived in the forest together, and we would help them as a favour. But one of us didn''t return after a trip.]


    [Do you know what happened?] I asked her.


    The dark fae shook her head. [At first I thought she was justte, but it happened again, and so the spirits stopped sending us.]


    That didn''t sound good.


    I thought it was somewhat fishy that the nymph chose me in the first ce but now it made sense. If I was in her ce and something was preventing the fairies from returning, I would look for something more disposable to find out more.


    [What do you think happened?] I asked the fae who seemed down.


    [I don''t know. We are small. Many things can eat us.]


    Ah¡­


    [But you can fly away, right? And you are very fast.] I asked.


    [That''s what I thought too, but they didn''t fly away. If they did, they would havee back.]


    The dark fae soon fell silent and refused to say more. I could imagine it was a tough subject to talk about so I didn''t press her further.


    As we headed for my snakes I couldn''t help thinking about what she said.


    Being an attractive lure for many hungry creatures didn''t sound very fun. Even I considered eating her not that long ago, and I hadn''t yet changed my mind.


    But at the same time, she was still a monster. I couldn''t imagine her getting eaten without putting up a fight, so what really happened?


    Perhaps those fairies had simply left and the nymph didn''t want to believe it. But until I ryed the message myself, there was no way to tell, so I made up my mind.


    [Alright. Why don''t you tell me where the nymph needs me to go? I''m sure that''s the reason you followed me anyway.]


    The dark fae perked up from her slump. [It''s only half the reason. If you go, I wille with you. I want to know what happened to them too.]


    I had to give her credit, she was actually a lot braver than I thought.

 Chapter 158 - The Intrepid Heroine

    The spaded snake never thought she would be fighting for her life.


    This was supposed to be a routine hunt no different from the others she had done before. But she had made the choice to hold the creature back so that her team could escape.


    And now, she choked as she was dragged further under into the murky water, together with the creature that repulsed her.


    In the water, the creature fought against her hold, aided by vines that burst out from its mouth to spread across the murky water like grasping threads.


    Everything was slippery, and she was forced back against the torrent, inpetition against the wiry vines that were determined to keep them separated.


    Tendrils spread across from its body, blocking her path to the creature, and she saw its murky dead eyes twist in grotesque cheer as it watched her struggling, all the while waiting for her to drown.


    Restrained away from her target, the sense of being unable to leave the water was an oppressive motivator that pushed her forward.


    There was no other choice. It was either she figured out how to kill it quickly or risk the slow, painful death as she lost consciousness and drowned.


    Its vines were entwined around her as much as she was around them. But only one of them needed air.


    Amongst the cold scattering of vines, she remembered the gruelling training that had been ingrained into her muscles until they were sore. The thought gave her a much needed hope and she undted swiftly through the soupy water, ignoring the resistance of the waves she created like they were air, determined to push through to the creature.


    Its tendrils continued to obstruct her, but she pushed her sore muscles to move even faster, evading before it could catch her again.


    Suddenly the resistance disappeared and freed from its slimy embrace, she sped towards the creature with renewed vengeance to get within striking range.


    The creature''s eyes widened in fear, shielding its neck, and there was a sickening crunch as another of its limbs was crushed under the strength of her coils. To maintain her advantage, she continued moving, attacking its midsection to dislocate its spine, before turning on to the rest of its limbs.


    The creature contorted with each attack, its flesh torn and its bones splintering. Unable to fight her off and its vines no longer able to keep up with her speed, it could only scream underwater where its sound waspletely devoured.


    But why wasn''t it dying?


    The spaded snake was convinced she had broken nearly every important bone. But It did not bleed either.


    She swam away from the persistent vines to circle around the creature''s back, determined to finally break its neck, the one spot it had been protectingpared to the rest of its broken body. She was convinced that was its weakness.


    However, the vines spilling out from its mouth were there, just waiting for her to get close to ensnare her again. Was it worth attacking it when this was clearly a trap?


    Keeping its back to her, she swam around the creature, watching its ck hair spread around the back of its head like a dirty cloud. She came close to peer through the gaps in its bloodless flesh, close enough to see the vines wriggling through the framework of its bones, before climbing out of its mouth. It thoroughly repulsed her, because she almost shared the same heinous fate.


    Out of options since everything else she tried had failed, she swam towards its neck, determined to crush it and destroy the creature atst. But before she could reach it, the creature spun around, and multiple tendrils spread in her direction with immense speed. It took her by surprise and because she was so close, she was wrapped up immediately.


    She wrestled to free herself from the vines. The idea of being trapped under the water, now cemented amongst her fears. Why hadn''t she fled to the surface to take a breath first?


    The creature had a satisfied look, its hollow eyes crinkling in amusement as it allowed her to stick her head above the water to gasp for air, but before she could breathe she was viciously pulled down by multiple vines. Her attempts unsessful, and forced under the water again, she was made to witness an eerie scene.


    There was a crackling noise as the creature''s body straightened, its broken bones setting themselves to their former state with the aid of the veins flowing through its limbs. They wrapped around the broken parts, sealing them until the damage she had inflicted was all but gone, and soon its limbs became fully functional again.


    Witnessing such a thing was enough to make the spaded snake give up. She thought breaking its bones was enough to kill it, the same had worked on the other creatures before, so why not now?


    But then she realised she had never stayed long enough to watch the corpses, as she fled as soon as they went down.


    Did that mean they didn''t truly die, but only repaired themselves as soon as she was gone?


    She had tried her venom, but it also didn''t work on the creature, its skin was too mmy and cold like the dead, yet it moved and screamed like the living. The only thing that looked alive were the green vines that filled its body.


    But wait.


    She sank her fangs into the thick vine restraining her and to her surprise, the creature''s face contorted with pain. The inflicted vine recoiling from her like she''d burnt it with fire. Soon the other vines loosened from her body and the creature moved away.


    Had she been attacking the wrong thing all this time?


    Refusing to let it get away, she took a quick breath, before continuing the pursuit underwater.


    The vines propelled the creature forward, but now its movements seemed rigid and slow. She swam after its figure, avoiding the attacking tendrils wherever they appeared before inflicting it with her venom.


    The vines were thick and strong, and her fangs soon grew numb from the pain of biting them over and over. However, the more she did, the weaker they became and soon the vines could no longer support its body. As it retreated, its shell of a body was seemingly dragged along, broken limbs iling about underwater.


    Seeing the vines had grown weaker, the spaded snake crushed them with her bites, before tearing the tendrils to shreds. This caused the creature to twist in pain, its vines shrivelling to thin dry stalks.


    The creature''s body could no longer be held together, and it wasn''t long before its flesh started separating in the water. And she watched the creature disintegrate with satisfaction, until it stopped moving entirely.


    With it dead, she attached herself to a branch that was half submerged in the murky water to pull herself out, eager to find her team again.


    But to her astonishment, she saw they hadn''t left the forest at all. They were fighting a group of rotting creatures some distance away from where she had left them.


    Whether they had been ambushed by the creatures before they could leave, or if they had waited for her, was unknown.


    But she already knew the answer from how battered they looked. They must have tried to rescue her, before they were attacked by the relentless creatures. And since killing them didn''t work, they continued fighting in their injured state instead of fleeing.


    They seemed to have been trying to sink a branch into the water before they got attacked and this was what she used to pull herself up.


    The spaded snake didn''t know what to feel, but she was annoyed by the happiness that flickered in her the moment she saw them.


    Those fools! Idiots all of them!


    She told them to run, not wait for her.


    Still, she rushed out to where they were fighting, eager to assist them.


    [Don''t attack their bodies! It won''t kill them. Attack the vines instead!]


    She tackled the nearest creature and began to destroy the vines spreading out from its body. The creature soon crumbled weakly on the ground, sinking into the murky ground to never rise again.


    Her team members seeing this, all followed her example and began to attack the vines instead of the creatures themselves.


    Soon, all but one was defeated, and it was about to take off into the air, when the spaded snake leapt on it, attacking the creature and its vines with rage.


    She was upset and so she took her vengeance out on the creature, tearing out its vines inrge quantities as it screeched, until it too was dead. And soon after she turned to face her team.


    [I told you all to run away. Why are you still here?]


    Artemis looked at her with a sneer. [Don''t tter yourself. I thought about it, but then I realised you don''t know the way. If we left you behind, you''d probably spend the rest of your life wandering around to find the way out.]


    The happiness she felt immediately withered to nothing and she screamed at him, her anger unable to be contained. [You! How can you say that to me after everything-]


    It was then that she heard Europa and the other snakesughing at Artemis.


    [You''re the one who didn''t want to leave, Artemis.] Europa said. [Ignore him. He made us search for anything that could help us rescue you.]


    [Yeah, he didn''t want to go anywhere.] Another snake added.


    Artemis red at three giggling snakes and they quickly stopped. [As your Captain,ughter is forbidden. Don''t forget we''re still in danger.]


    The spaded snake was speechless, but the moment soon passed as Europa began to heal them all.


    Afterwards, Artemis didn''t spare her a single nce and they began to move slowly through the forest inplete silence, until eventually they found the way out.

 Chapter 159 - Suspicious Encounter

    Soon enough, I arrived at the spot on the as,nding high up on a tree branch to overlook the ground below.


    However, there was no sign of my nestlings. Then again, this ce was noticeably darker, unlike Typhon''s team that had gone to the grassy ins and I didn''t expect Artemis''s team to remain out in the open.


    All around was the thick forest filled with mist, wild lush greenery growing everywhere, and the ever present echoes of creatures battling in the distance.


    My senses pulsated with vibrations of all kinds, as I detected prowling creatures and insect monsters, both far and near. And although I could barely see the ground from where I perched, I could make out the heat trace of a centipede creature not far below my tree.


    I had [Mimic] active so I was calm, but as usual the dark fae was panicking.


    [It''s going to eat me! Don''t stay here! It will see me on top of you!]


    The dark fae buzzed around on my head as she talked, and I realised just how bizarre she must appear. If any monster was watching, it would look like she was walking on nothing. That alone would be enough to scare them off!


    [Then get off me] I replied, a bit annoyed. [My head is not your seating space.]


    The dark fae immediately sat down with a pout, her tiny arms stretching around my horn to hug them. [You don''t have to be so mean about it.]


    I sighed helplessly.


    I expected Artemis''s team to be hidden somewhere nearby, so I scanned around below the tree. ording to the As I was right on top of their supposed location but finding them was proving difficult.


    Thest time I saw them, none of his team was close to evolving, but I''d already made that mistake with Typhon and I didn''t want to take that risk again.


    Quite frankly, I was surprised his team had made it so far.


    They weren''t the strongest or fastest team so it was surprising they made it this far.


    Unless¡­they were the reason I had failed my quest.


    Which meant they had spent very little time hunting¡­


    I was slightly annoyed, but I put it aside for now. Finding them was far more important, so I continued to search.


    The forest ground was littered with leaves and all kinds of forest debris. Onnding from the tree, the ground was solid andfortable under my body, reminding me so much of the safety I often found hiding under the sand when I was much smaller.


    If I was a scared snake, it was the first ce I would think to hide, so I activated [Mana Sense] to search.


    There was a rocky outcrop not far from me with plenty of cracks that small things to hide in, and under it I detected small traces of mana. I rushed to it immediately to pry it open, and there I found the snakes I was looking for.


    But it took me a second to figure out what I was looking at.


    [What happened to them? They stink.] The dark fae cruelly announced from the top of my head.


    [I have no idea.]


    I was shocked too. To say the nestlings were haggard was an understatement. The snakes looked like they had been through hell. They were all shivering, their bright scales were smeared with some dark slimy fluid and they all smelt of death and other rotten matter.


    Four of them were awake and seemed to be keeping watch over thest snake who was fast asleep, but I could hardly recognise my bright eyed nestlings from before. After uncovering them, they all hissed defensively at me like I was the enemy.


    I noticed the sleeping snake had a distinctive spade-like pattern on her scales and I recognised her from before. Why did it seem like they were all crowded around to shield her? Did something happen?


    It was only after some time that their jaded nerves calmed down, allowing me to peer closer. It seemed they had finally recognised me because Artemis came forward to meet me, his body looking noticeably limp.


    This of course made me anxious, but there were no visible injuries on their bodies, and although their HP''s were low, they were in no danger. Even the sleeping snake''s HP was almost recovered.


    However, I didn''t brush it off. The nestlings were obviously terrified.


    I didn''t know what had scared them so much, but they looked so pitiful that I felt bad.


    Without another thought, I instructed Artemis and the others to move the sleeping snake onto my back. There was no other way around it, the fastest way for them to recover was to bring them back home.


    And with all the snakes loaded, I activated [Mimic] once more to fly away.


    But I soon heard low mutterings from the dark fae who was less than pleased. [They smell. Why did you bring them up here?]


    Who did this brat think she was?


    [Comin about them again and I''ll stick you in the ground myself.]


    The dark fae quickly shrank behind my horn to hide.


    But she did have a point.


    The nestlings desperately needed a wash, and I didn''t feel like bringing them back to the cave in their state. So instead of going back, I took a detour to theke, where I instructed the snakes to wash off.


    The sleeping snake had woken up in time too and on seeing theke, her groggy eyes had a spark of excitement that made me feel relieved.


    The calmke must have been a weed sight after everything and soon, the tiny snakes were swimmingps in the water ¨C especially the spaded one who seemed to be teaching the others.


    Well¡­it looked like they were back to their normal selves.


    The dark fae saw them ying and scoffed. [What''s so fun about water? It''s wet. It gets in everything. It''s not good for wings...]


    Her tiny figure buzzed impatiently in the air as her eyes followed them eagerly. She may have said that, but it was obvious she wanted to y too, but didn''t want to be seen as childish.


    What a silly fae. If she wanted to join them, she should just do it.


    A suitable name for her flitted across my mind, but since she wasn''t actually a part of my [Pit], I dropped the thought.


    As for the excited snake who was ying in the water, and I thought the good name that would suit her lively, fiery nature.


    I was about to name her when I spotted a small blue creature speeding over from across theke.


    I blinked in disbelief. No way!


    It was the feline kitten.


    As the blue fluff ball bounded towards me with speed, I decided to cut the ytime short. I quickly instructed the nestlings to leave the water, eager to get away before it reached us.


    But the dark fae squealed all of a sudden.


    [Kyaaa!! What''s this? It''s so soft!]


    I looked back and to my horror, the kitten had crossed theke to appear by my side, purring loudly next to my tail, and the dark fae buzzed around it with sparkling eyes.


    [It''s so cute. Can we keep it?]


    Why was she behaving like a kid asking permission to keep a pet?


    You are Eighty years old, damn it!


    The dark fae continued to squeal loudly as she stared at it from every angle. She had already started to climb the feline''s small body, riding its back like her own personal tiger.


    The hell.


    Was it following me all this while?


    No, that''s not possible.


    Which means, by some dumb coincidence and my bad luck, it was living nearby and recognized me after hearing the ruckus caused by my snakes.


    The dark fae seemed knowledgeable about creatures, so I asked her what kind it was. She didn''t even hear me and continued to cuddle with it, mumbling excitedly.


    [Look at its round head and soft paws.]


    I saw the small creature rolling around on the ground, its bright purple eyes staring longingly at me, its fluffy belly exposed, bright pink paws outstretched without a w in sight.


    Yeah no. I wasn''t falling for it.


    [We should go.] I said and turned around.


    The dark fae was jolted out of her bliss and squealed loudly. [What? WHY?]


    I ignored her and looked at the snakes that were out of the water, looking very clean and cheerful as they waited for instructions.


    I noticed the feline had seen them but didn''t react to them, almost like it didn''t see them as a threat at all and I was immediately suspicious.


    The first time was understandable because I''d rescued it and maybe it was grateful. But now, it was just strange. Me saving it, didn''t mean every snake was the same as well, and it should have been wary around them.


    This feline creature seemed tock all awareness.


    Such carelessness was onlymon among inherently strong creatures and it was anything but.


    I appraised it once more, just to be sure.


    --------------


    LV10 Ivenium Vegara


    Specie: Ailith Felinae


    HP: 94/94 Defence: 74


    MP: 68/68 Intellect: 60


    SP: 120/120 Magic: 76


    Attack: 130 Agility: 140


    Skills:


    [Bite: LV8][Stealth: LV7][Night Vision: LV10]


    [Pounce: LV8] [Scent:LV9] [Purr: LV10]


    [Auditory Enhancement: LV9] [w: LV10]


    [Sprint: LV10] [Silence: LV10]


    Resistances:


    [Pain Resistance: LV6]


    [Fatigue Resistance: LV9]


    --------------


    And...yeah. I had to leave it.


    Its results were definitely too odd.

 Chapter 160 - Penalty

    I wasn''t expecting much of a difference, but this thing had gained four levels since I''d seen itst ¨C and it wasn''t that long ago. My paranoia intensified.


    It hadn''t joined my pit like the lizard, so why on earth was it following me?


    Infact, it didn''t seem to belong to any group at all! And this was the most suspicious thing of all.


    I''d seen a creature simr to it before, but now I wasn''t so sure. Those felines were moving in packs, so why wasn''t this one with them?


    Its fur was un-matted and fluffy, like something that was cleaned regrly. I knew cats were naturally clean creatures, but my rm bells were ringing. There was no way something this small didn''t have a pack or something else protecting it, and this was probably why it was so careless.


    Either way, I didn''t want to get involved.


    The dark fae refused to leave it. She was sitting casually on its fur with her arms crossed and ring at me.


    [It''s so soft. Why aren''t you taking it?]


    And get used of kidnapping?


    Its pack was probably nearby and I didn''t want to get attacked.


    Since my snakes were ready, I instructed them to climb on my back and I prepared to leave.


    When the dark fae saw me flying away she reluctantly let go of the creature and joined me.


    The feline could only watch as I rose into the air, it tried chasing us down, but it quickly lost sight of my figure in the mist.


    [You''re really bad.] The dark fae said in a huff. [It just wanted to y.]


    [Have you ever known a feline to be friendly?] I questioned her.


    The dark fae fell silent in thought. [Well, I''ve never known stinging monsters to not sting. And yet, they didn''t sting you and you still haven''t told me why.]


    [That''s different.]


    I didn''t think the carefree fairy would understand even if I exined so I simply focused on flying.


    I took onest look below at the feline''s tiny figure and it had already vanished. Until I was confident it was safe, I didn''t think it was worth bringing it near my nestlings.


    I essed the as once more and saw Typhon''s team was just about to return. The nestlings were in for a shock when they saw him, so I increased my speed to get there faster.


    I wanted to be there to see their reactions!


    I spotted Typhon''s team just as they were about to reach the cave and swooped down over his head to fly past him to reach the cave first.


    The nestlings on my back didn''t recognize him and hissed threateningly, taking him to be a rival snake.


    But soon enough Artemis''s team recognized the other smaller snakes with him, and figured out who he might be. Then they began to marvel at his new form and the two teams started chattering away.


    I left them to catch up and proceeded to enter the cave.


    However, the scenery inside left me confused.


    A brightly coloured bird flew past in a wash of scattered feathers, being chased around the cave by the water creature and Ghad, who didn''t even notice me enter.


    What was a bird doing in here?


    But soon, I noticed another oddity.


    There was a cluster of unknown eggs right by the entrance, and for some odd reason, they were snakes fighting others to keep them from being eaten.


    What the heck happened while I was gone?


    Have we been attacked by some monsters?


    It wasplete chaos, but I noticed other snakes lounging on every soft surface ¨C even on my own perch, seemingly unconcerned with everything else around them.


    None of the nestlings had noticed my arrival or Typhon''s because they were all too involved in their own activities.


    Someone seemed to have hunted because the feeding room was full of fresh corpses. There were snakes rushing around everywhere to look at all of the new rooms while some were eating, and even more were fighting in the improved pit.


    Ophelia, who was supposed to order the group, seemed to have taken a day off because she was in the pit too. I couldn''t understand anything they were saying so I was confused.


    What the heck was all this crap?


    Why did it seem like they were throwing a party?


    I was d the nestlings were settling in and iming new spots for themselves, but I never said to go wild!


    Typhon also looked around at the chaos in a very dissatisfied manner. He immediately hissed out an order that made every single nestling freeze on the spot, dropping everything they were doing.


    The cave fell silent in an instant.


    The bird squawked loudly in Ghad''s grip and the water creature swiftly became scarce. Soon the cave regained all order, with the nestlings filing into orderly rows.


    Typhon red at each of them and they all trembled under his gaze, his bigger and more scary form only adding more to his already intimidating appearance.


    Two snakes broke away from their position and stopped before me with their heads bowed. I recognised one as Ghad, and to my surprise Morgana was the second offender.


    The dark fae buzzed around the snakes, seemingly taking joy in their misery as she stared at each of them before moving on to the next one in the line.


    None of the snakes dared to lift their heads to look at her, even when she came close to their faces. Eventually she got bored and turned back to settle down on my head again.


    Typhon soon got an exnation out of them and conveyed it to me.


    Firstly, the bird was apparently a gift for me from Ghad and his team.


    I stared at Ghad who looked away with a mischievous face, and then at the bird in question. It was brightly coloured with short fluffy feathers and a rounded belly. It squawked loudly as it stared at me, before settling down on one of the furs.


    It looked more like a harmless chick than a predator. Did he mean for me to eat it?


    [What am I supposed to do with a useless bird?] I grumbled and the dark fae replied eagerly.


    [Let''s keep it, it is so soft!] She said as she flew around it, examining the bird.


    Of course she would say that.


    As for the eggs, they belonged to Morgana and her team, and she had brought some back for me to sample. Unfortunately, some of the other nestlings wanted to eat them too so she got into a scuffle to keep them for me.


    Honestly, I wasn''t really bothered by any of this. I was too exhausted to deal with it, and all I wanted was to take a long nap.


    And so, I instructed the team captains to summarize their adventure and recap everything back to me. It was the main reason I sent them out after all.


    I was interested in the things they had encountered in their adventures and I apuded Morgana for bringing back a specimen for me to see directly.


    As for the bird...It was useless, so I gave it back to Ghad to get rid of, not at all interested. Only after hearing his report would I know if it was safe to keep or not.


    When Typhon ryed him my thoughts, Ghad immediately withered like a limp leaf, his sadness palpable. I felt a little bad, rejecting his ''gift'' like that, so I decided to appraise the bird to see if it would be harmful to keep.


    However, when I used [Appraisal], an alert shed across my system window.


    [You are currently in a penalty. All system skills and their derivatives will be inactive for the penalty duration. [Time Limit: 168 Hours]]


    What the hell?


    168 hours? Wasn''t that a whole week? I checked my stats immediately.


    --------------


    Name: Aurelia [LV19 Small Cerastes]


    Specie: Cerastes Vipera


    HP: 440/440    Defence: 454>230


    MP: 397/397    Intellect: 273


    SP: 470/470     Magic: 362


    Attack: 516     Agility: 605>385


    Skills:


    [Rugged Scales:LV10] [Rapid Strike:LV8]


    [Venom Rain: LV4] [Grip:LV9] [Leap:LV8]


    [Heat Sense: LV10] [Heat Sphere: LV5]


    [Stealth: LV10] [Poison Synthesis: LV5]


    [Shadow Shroud: LV4] [Scent: LV8]


    [Buoyancy: LV5] [Steel Skin: LV10]


    [Heat Seeker: LV4] [Silence: LV10]


    [Poison Fang: LV10] [Bite: LV10]


    [Detox: LV4] [Overeating: LV1]


    [Deadly Poison Attack: LV4]


    ----------------------------


    Titles:


    [Apostle] [Coldblooded]


    [Commander] [Hero] [Trickster]


    Unique Skills:


    [Devour] |Not Avable|


    [Area of Authority]


    Magic Skills:


    [Poison Magic: LV4] [Shadow Magic: LV4]


    [Poison Maniption: LV4] [Shadow Maniption: LV4]


    ----------------------------


    Resistances:


    [Paralysis Resistance: LV6]


    [Impact Resistance: LV9]


    [Cutting Resistance: LV5]


    [Poison Resistance: LV7]


    [Pain Resistance: LV9]


    [Heat Resistance: LV2]


    [Mental Warfare: LV5]


    [Dark Resistance:LV4]


    [Wind Resistance: LV6]


    [Shock Resistance: LV9]


    [Faint Resistance: LV6]


    [Pain Mitigation: LV4]


    [Rot Resistance: LV2]


    ----------------------------


    Experience Points: [2882]


    --------------


    No No No! It was so wrong!


    My defence was down, so was my agility. And where were my beautiful skills?


    My skill list had be so short. How cruel!


    Where were my attributes? My [Devour]? My [Coercion]?


    Even [Mind Chain] was gone!


    And my newly gotten [Flight]?


    Poofed - like it never existed.


    "Sensei! What have you done?" I screamed at him in fury.


    How could he do this to me!

 Chapter 161 - Friendly Competition

    I felt so angry and I quickly left my nestlings, not even looking at Typhon and Ophelia as I returned to my perch.


    This was perhaps the worst thing that could happen to me, right when I was on such a winning streak too. I was far too tired to be dealing with something like this.


    What did he think he was ying at?


    ?You failed the quest.? Sensei responded calmly without sympathy.


    "So? This isn''t the penalty I agreed to! How can you do this! Give another penalty or something. Reverse this now!"


    ?That''s not how it works.? Sensei replied.


    "I don''t care. Do you want me to die out there?"


    Sensei fell silent.


    This was just too evil.


    I made ns to hunt more and get more furs for a fluffier bed and maybe go looking for some honey with the fae, but now all those ns were moot.


    What was I supposed to do without my skills for a whole week? Stay indoors and sulk?


    That was about half as long as I''d been alive!


    I paced around my perch in anger, as the dark fae stared at me curiously.


    I could never have predicted that Sensei could do this, it had never even crossed my mind that he had that much power.


    "I don''t understand you. You act nice and fool me into thinking you really support me, when really you''re just a terrible person. You might as well be my enemy."


    Sensei broke his silence with a rather sadugh. ?What am I, then? What do you truly believe??


    "You don''t want to know my answer."


    Really, I didn''t want to hear anything he had to say. All he ever did was spin words together to make me even more confused.


    ?Do you think of me as an enemy??


    His voice sounded strangely muted, which made me think he was upset.


    "What do you want me to think? You''ve taken my skills. Am I supposed to thank you for putting me in danger, yet again?"


    ?You failed the quest; did you expect there to be no repercussions??


    "I only needed a bit more time. All my nestlings would have passed eventually. This punishment is too harsh. What exactly are you trying to show me? I must listen to you at all times or get punished for it?"


    Sensei grew quiet again, and I was happy not to hear his voice.


    I was sick of him speaking about repercussions when he was the one at fault. If he hadn''t tried to convince me to kill the nestlings, the quest would never have existed.


    "The quest may have been my idea but you pushed me to it. The alternative would have been so much worse. If I killed them, I wouldn''t have any of this right now."


    I stopped pacing to stare at my Captain''s from across the cave. They were still telling Typhon about their adventures and seeing this made me settle down. As silly as the nestlings acted, I was very d I never followed his advice.


    Perhaps this penalty wasn''t so terrible. I could use the time to learn more skills on my own and practice my magic. If my nestlings could get on well without a system, so could I.


    ?I''m not your enemy.? Sensei''s voice was full of remorse. ?Maybe I haven''t made that clear to you, but you aren''t easy to understand either.?


    I was a little shocked. He sounded genuinely sorry, and I wondered if we were finally getting somewhere. However, his next words made me loathe him.


    ?You certainly don''t love them, so what is the purpose of all of this? Do you intend to make them your pawns??


    "It''s because I''m not cruel!" I shouted at him. "There is no ulterior motive, what''s so difficult to understand about that? I''m not tempted to kill them for some cheap boost in power. There''s plenty of other monsters for that."


    It was like I was talking to an emotionless robot with a human voice, who couldn''t understandmon emotions. Well...maybe I was.


    Sometimes he was empathetic, other times he was cold and lifeless. It was getting impossible to keep up with the constant changes in his persona.


    "Is it so difficult for you to see that I need allies? I want to raise them and keep them alive to support me, and you taking away my power isn''t going to help with that."


    ?If you''re so confident they will support you, your power shouldn''t be a factor.?


    Ugh! This insufferable ass!


    I wanted to scream at him. How could it not be a factor?


    They decided to follow me, firstly because I was more powerful than them.


    I wasn''t trying to rule them through fear but being stronger was already a big step from nothing. I didn''t spend enough time with them like Typhon, to make them truly like me. Being stronger was the only real hand I had to y. Without that, nothing stopped them from rebelling against me.


    "This is not a game or a poprity contest. I can''t float by just by being liked, they are monsters. To dere myself as their leader while I''m a simr strength to them ¨C now that just wouldn''t make sense."


    Sensei burst intoughter. ?Your thought process is exactly that of a Tyrant. Are you admitting you are one??


    I am a Tyrant? Was he insane?


    "Wanting the best for them isn''t being a tyrant." I replied with a scoff.


    ?Trying to tailor their paths ording to your wishes is.? he calmly retorted.


    I returned to my perch and saw the dark fae was already asleep amongst the furs. I settled down to rest, making sure to avoid her tiny figure.


    Below the tform, Typhon and Ophelia were still briefing the teams and I saw the other captains corresponding with them in an orderly manner.


    Watching them all getting along, I began to feel a little down. Perhaps they didn''t really need my guidance as much as I thought they did. Typhon and Ophelia already seemed like capable leaders.


    ?Don''t sulk, it''s unbing.? Sensei said, sensing my doubt. ?Without you here, can you imagine what a mess they all would have been in? Typhon would already be dead, so would Ophelia. You saved him on the very day you returned.?


    "I''m not sulking." I mumbled.


    The teams had started to disperse, some returning to training, while others went elsewhere. Only the captain''s and the nestling with spade patterns stayed behind to continue their discussion.


    "I still haven''t forgiven you, so don''t think buttering me up will change anything." I said to Sensei.


    ?I wasn''t.? he responded curtly, and I ignored him as I saw Typhon turn around to look up at me.


    Soon all six snakes started to make their way over. I was immediately interested in hearing what new surprises they had for me. However, the first topic they broached was aplicated one.


    Apparently, the snake with spade patterns had challenged her captain Artemis and Typhon was urging for her to be punished. All the other captains seemed to be in agreement, even Ophelia who I thought would be more lenient, and I was immediately unsure of what to do.


    I didn''t want to punish her, after hearing all that she had encountered in her endeavours to save her team. I was actually intending to name her for her good deeds.


    Typhon''s reason for punishment was simple. Challenging her captain in any circumstance would have put her team at risk, that it didn''t end horribly was this time, was only due to Europa''s intervention.


    Without him presenting another solution, their team would split in half, effectively risking all of their lives in the process.


    And also, not punishing her would make light of the other captains, effectively sending the wrong message that theirmands held no weight.


    I agreed with Typhon in part, but Artemis was also in the wrong for not following my instructions properly. I stared at Artemis who faced me boldly, and then at the spaded snake who refused to meet my eyes.


    I didn''t want to punish either, but I had to make a decision.


    Both Artemis and the spaded snake would spend time alone, reflecting on their decisions in the prison cells. And as a reward for the spaded snake''s bravery, I decided to give her a name.


    However, Typhon didn''t seem too happy with my decision. Although he didn''t voice his discontent, I had the feeling he thought my punishment was too light.


    I sighed. "Was my punishment too lenient?"


    ?You should have banished her. Her challenging Artemis means she doesn''t take him seriously as a captain. It will happen again if you just let her be.?


    I nced at the spaded snake who was in a trance as she stared at the space in front of her. It seemed she had discovered her stats widow.


    "I don''t believe in banishment." I said to Sensei. "Setting her free will just create more problems. If I want her gone, the proper way is to kill her. But that''s too harsh, considering her crime."


    From what I heard from Typhon, she showed great courage and had saved her team from the crisis.


    All of that spoke of unknown potential and it was a shame I couldn''t appraise her until my penalty was lifted. So , I thought it best to keep a watch on her to see how she performed toe to a conclusion.


    ?I suggest keeping her next to you, like you do with Ophelia.? Sensei added.


    I didn''t see anything wrong with his suggestion so I agreed.


    I ryed my decision and the captains also reached a consensus. With that, Artemis and the spaded snake were escorted away by Morgana.


    The meeting was put to a halt and Ophelia slithered over to cozy up to me. And seeing Ghad and Cygnus surrounding Typhon, I started to think that maybe, my penalty week wouldn''t be all that bad.


    They all got considerably stronger so perhaps, I could just stay in and rx until my penalty was done.


    But, Ophelia persistently nudged me and to my surprise she wanted to go out hunting again.


    Ghad and Cygnus soon left Typhon toe over and asked the same thing. It seemed they were all set on going out again. Ophelia especially, she wanted to evolve just like Typhon and was not happy with remaining small.


    Seeing all of their eager eyes staring at me, I was immediately filled with discontent. At the rate they were growing, if a week passed without me doing anything, these brats would surely surpass me.


    It was totally uneptable! No way was I allowing such a thing.

 Chapter 162 - Home?

    The wind wafting out from the cave''s entrance sent a tickling sensation over his scales. On his left was their leader, and her peculiar folded wings, and the snakes she had on her back.


    Typhon recognised Artemis who stared at his appearance with wide eyes and the spaded snake who looked extremely startled.


    They climbed down her back and rushed over to him and Typhon couldn''t help but smirk at their petrified faces. He didn''t think he would ever get used to his new appearance, but the reactions from his fellow nestlings was more than amusing. ''She'' already entered the cave, so he followed in right after.


    He was finally home¡­or was he?


    On entering there was a short tform he was seeing for the first time. And right below it was the curved wall they used for their training that had been left unchanged.


    After crossing the passage, he was able to look down from the steep height to the ground below, but that was where the simrities between this new cave and the old one ended.


    Looking down at the cave''s scenery, it had changed so much from before.


    Everything below the wall was ten times its initial size. The uneven, rough surfaces from before were smoothed over and chiselled into impossibly straight lines, full of precise edges as though an extremely sharp tool had cut through the bedrock to shape it.


    The cave now took on the appearance of a spacious hall, evenly split into three rectanglesvishly decorated with an array of furs and other essories ''she'' had collected, separated by a series of pirs demarcating each hall from the next.


    The middle hall housed the pit and Typhon could see it had also been extended. It was much deeper, and the walls were cut away to bring forth a new shape.


    The former circr pit was now an oval, withyered steps chiselled in around its walls. These steps were used by the snakes to either climb down or to spectate the battles going on at the bottom and Typhon could see many nestlings scattered around the pit, to cheer on those fighting within.


    On either side of the pit were rows of square cells cut into the ground. Some contained creatures that had been caught for food, and others were empty.


    Past the pit was an even deeper section of the cave that he could not see, due to it being far away and partially under the ground, but he knew it was spacious because there was an airy breeze wafting over from below.


    It was an entirely different cavepared to the previous one, and Typhon could only stare at it in an utterly speechless state.


    His team members were no different from him and unlike before when they would have had to slither down from the steep height of the wall, there were now rectangr steps chiselled out in the rock from the short passage to the ground, that made the climb down effortless.


    One of Typhon''s biggest concerns before returning to the cave was that he would be toorge, but now he was d that was no longer the case. He saw their leader had already started climbing down, not even pausing at the absurdity of the cave before her.


    But then again, why would she?


    There was no one else who could have created it aside from her. He''d been watching her for a long time and had seen her do many absurd things. And so theck of surprise on her part made him ept the situation quickly.


    Soon after, he followed down the steps, eager to see the rest of the nestlings. However, the rest of the nestlings didn''t adapt as quickly as he did.


    Artemis and his team were still speechless at the entrance, each staring at the new cave with wide eyes, and so was his team. He had to call out to break them out of their trance.


    The mischievous snakes soon followed him down, more excited than ever. He could tell they were itching to leave his side to explore the cave, but with a single word from him, they both settled down and stopped fidgeting.


    As for Artemis, he looked flustered as he stared around.


    Completely lost in thought, he kept muttering to himself as he looked around and Typhon could only wonder what he was thinking. He turned his attention to the spaded snake, noticing that she looked terrified rather than shocked like all the other snakes. He realised it must be a lot to take in, so he left her to it.


    It was only when they reached the ground, that the true nature of the cave was revealed to them.


    It was loud.


    There were strange eggs all over the ce and a bird creature that obviously did not belong there.


    From above it looked peaceful, but now that he came close, everywhere he looked there was a rowdy mess. Ophelia was nowhere to be found and there were too many snakes running amok everywhere, and the cave was inplete disarray.


    Although ''she'' didn''t say a word, he personally took offence to the chaos in front of him and immediately hissed out an order for all of the snakes to assemble before him to exin themselves.


    Artemis and his team joined him, and the cave soon fell to silence as the nestlings organised themselves in orderly rows.


    Typhon demanded an exnation from the captains.


    At their forefront was a flustered Ophelia, followed soon after by Morgana, Ghad, and Cygnus and they all looked out of breath. It seemed like they had all been fighting in the pits and Typhon red at each of them usingly, for letting their teams fall to chaos while they battled each other.


    It was their very first briefing in their teams as Captains and Typhon was all too eager to ry all they had experienced to their leader, but the other captains also had to be up to par to not let down their leader''s expectations.


    However, as they waited in their orderly rows, the other captains seemed far more interested in his new appearance. They all stared at him and Typhon could feel many curious eyes boring holes in his scales.


    [You traitor¡­] Ophelia hissed from under her breath. [What did you do to get so big? We used to be the same!]


    Typhon smirked at her furious face before looking away.


    He wasn''t surprised Ophelia was offended, but this wasn''t the time to address this.


    He turned to the obvious problems first.


    The strange eggs and the tiny bird were obviously an issue and although their leader didn''t seem that annoyed with them, he could see she was growing ever more irritated as time passed and fearing she wouldsh out at one of them, he was keen to find the culprit.


    He questioned the captains immediately and it didn''t take long for Ghad and Morgana to confess.


    [The bird is a gift for our leader.] Ghad answered rather shamelessly, an innocent smile on his face. [I noticed she is very fond of soft things.]


    Morgana burst intoughter, but a single nce from him made her fall silent.


    [My eggs are also a gift.] She answered in a mild voice. [I came across an unusual creature and I wanted our leader to see them for herself.]


    Typhon stared at the both of them in anger. What exactly were they ying at?


    Even though ''she'' liked such things, it wasn''t their ce to bring them back without her permission.


    What if the bird had been followed?


    And where were the parents of the eggs?


    Ghad refused to look directly at him which made his behaviour immediately suspicious, but Morgana was rather brazen and faced him head on.


    He knew the both of them were up to something, but since their leader was still present, he couldn''t use force on them to make them answer him. And so he ryed their exact responses to her, making up his mind to thoroughly question themter.


    Their leader didn''t seem annoyed with them. She seemed more upied with the tiny creature that flitted around her head and with every exnation he gave her, the small creature would leave her side to take a look.


    They seemed to bemunicating with each other through some means he could not see, from the eye contact they shared to the way the tiny creature bobbed it''s head up and down and Typhon couldn''t help feeling a little jealous.


    He had seen it only briefly, but from the way their leader let it remain around her, he could tell she was rather fond of the creature.


    After the creature made her observations, their leader dismissed Ghad''s gift, epting Morgana''s much to his dismay, before leaving them alone altogether.


    He could only assume she was disappointed in their conduct, and with his good mood tainted, he was determined to find out everyst detail from the silly snakes before him, even if he had to force them to speak.

 Chapter 163 - The Captains

    The nestlings were in their organised rows, with the five captains standing before Typhon.


    Ghad was sad and on the verge of tears as his gift was rejected and Ophelia stared at their leader who left their midst, with a worried face.


    [I told you, it was a stupid idea.] Ophelia mercilessly bashed Ghad. [And she clearly didn''t like your ''Gift''.]


    [He had good intentions.] Morgana added in his defence.


    [I''m going after her.] Ophelia dered with a huff.


    [No you''re not!] Typhon red at her and turned to the others. [No one is going anywhere until we''re finished.]


    He was growing increasingly impatient with his fellow captains. As if their silly behaviour wasn''t enough, now they wanted to pester her, when ''she'' was clearly tired.


    Creating the cave must have taken a lot of her strength, and even then she travelled all the way to retrieve his team and that of Artemis. For them to act like this after everything they''d witnessed was simply irresponsible.


    So now, he was determined to follow her instructions and properly finish the task, which was to obtain detailed reports from each captain.


    There was no way he was letting them go until he''d retrieved every minute detail of their trip.


    However, Typhon was met with sparkly eyes of admiration from his fellow captains. He soon found himself surrounded by the eager snakes who were unperturbed by his re and proceeded to ask him a barrage of questions.


    [Aren''t you going to address the obvious question.] Artemis pondered in thought.


    [Yeah! How are you so big now?] Ghad sniffled usingly, still not recovered from his gift disaster.


    Morgana was positively giddy. [Do you think you could spare a little time for this lowly one? I''d love to grill you about your amazing new look.]


    Ophelia, on the other hand, was furious. [What did you kill? Tell me or I won''t speak to you again.]


    [Not bad.] Was Cygnus''s curt response.


    Their words came all at the same time and the mour hurt his head.


    These idiots.


    Typhon was fed up with their easy going manner. Why were each of them so eager to know how he had changed, when ''she'' had already revealed the secret to them long ago.


    He ignored their questions.


    If they couldn''t remember something so simple then they didn''t deserve to know.


    [''She wants to know everything you encountered while outside. Spare no details in your retelling because I will know if you do.]


    However, Ophelia wasn''t too happy with his attitude.


    [Hey, you big bully! You may have grown a little bit, but don''t think I can''t beat you in a one on one!]


    As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted them immediately.


    The look in Typhon''s eyes and the aura he radiated was too frightening. His dark eyes had changed to an emerald green colour, radiating a darkness that made her certain she was about to die.


    It was like she was staring into the eyes of a feral creature and her instincts screamed at her to retreat but her body was frozen in fear.


    Was her brother always this terrifying?


    It was only when he took his eyes off her that she regained some feeling, but her body felt weak like her stamina had been drained, and she nearly copsed on the ground, but was able to stop herself.


    Morgana, who was next to her, also felt the full effect. She gave Ophelia a quizzical look when she saw her trembling, but said nothing as she turned away.


    Typhon, who had no idea what he had done, continued to re at each of the captains, not noticing how they had suddenly gone quiet.


    He was trying his best to not get angry, but they were really testing his patience. He didn''t know if leading their own teams had gotten to their heads or if having too much time away had started to give them ideas.


    While ''she'' didn''t really care, he was determined to squash every rebellious notion they had, to keep the groups working.


    [Now, listen to me very carefully. I''m this close to disqualifying you all as captains, so don''t test me. If you can''t follow simple instructions, you don''t deserve to keep those titles. There''s plenty others who would be more grateful for it.]


    The captains all looked remorseful and Typhon was happy to finally strike a chord they all agreed with.


    Before they began, Typhon instructed them all to dispense with their teams, because he knew it would take a while before they were finished. The only nestlings allowed to remain behind were those their captains found wanting for whatever reason.


    His words struck Artemis the most because he had personally witnessed his own authority being questioned, and so he decided to speak up first.


    Although he had nothing against the spaded snake, he felt that by not reporting her actions would only encourage her behaviour and so he chose her from his team to stay behind.


    For Ophelia, she held back Apollo, and Cygnus chose the female snake whose capabilities he''d newly discovered.


    As for Typhon, the only snakes of concern in his team were the two mischievous ones, but he knew they were no longer a problem. They had proven their worth during their journey and so he did not feel the need to report their malicious conversation with the spaded snake, as they had since changed their minds.


    After interacting with ''her'' when she came over to visit his team, they had stopped seeing the spaded snake''s spections in a favourable light. And also, after returning and seeing the appearance of the cave, they were even more impressed.


    He''d noticed they were rather curious about new things and with their leader presenting so many new trinkets, it wasn''t surprising they approved of her.


    Typhon was relieved, but also disheartened by their duplicity. But to be sure, he made sure to question them once more, to which they both said they would not provoke the spaded snake anymore.


    Right now, they were practically itching to leave their orderly row to begin exploring the cave, and so he dispersed with them without hesitation.


    Once free, they eagerly disappear into one of the roomsden with sparkling jewels, to not be seen again for many hours afterwards.


    Turning his attention back to the captains, Typhon was unsurprised to find the spaded snake among the nestlings left behind. He''d hoped she would behave herself, but this only proved she was just as reckless as before.


    Morgana and Ghad were the only captains without any problematic nestlings and so they remained behind on their own and soon after, all six captains began retelling their adventures, starting with Artemis.


    --------------


    After hearing all the ounts of their hunts, Typhon was deeply troubled. He had numerous questions, with nowhere to start.


    Cygnus had revealed their cave was bordered by groups of monsters who could challenge them from all sides, and if nothing was done, their lives would soon be threatened.


    As for the new area he had discovered and the journey he had undertaken, Typhon was all too pleased to hear of them and he knew ''she'' would too.


    Cygnus also requested that his team member be presented to their leader for her remarkable skills, and that he be allowed to make regr scouting trips in the future.


    Typhon thought his requests were reasonable and he promised to obtain permission, with the condition that he scout all enemies in the cave''s vicinity on a regr basis, to which Cygnus agreed.


    This report was perhaps one of the simplest, and Typhon was d he had started with him, because all those that came after were full of problems.


    The most troubling of all was the incredibly dangerous and terrifying forest encountered by Artemis'' team.


    Typhon was surprised they had all made it out alive and in one piece. And although he was impressed by the efforts of the spaded snake, he was equally disappointed by her reckless actions.


    She deserved to be rewarded, but also punished for challenging her captain and not heeding his warnings.


    When he looked at her, there was no trace of remorse in her eyes and this only told him she would continue to do so again, if she was let go. This made him all the more intent to see her punished, however, he wanted to consider the opinions of the other captain''s too.


    So he called for a vote amongst the captains. However, the vote was split evenly, with Morgana, Ghad and Artemis pushing for leniency, while himself, Cygnus and Ophelia wanted her to be punished.


    Since the vote was split, he decided to leave the final decision to ''her,'' but Typhon wasn''t satisfied. Why would Morgana push for leniency ¨C it waspletely unusual of her.


    He could understand Ghad and Artemis feeling sympathetic after her heroic effort, but not Morgana. Her decision was definitely the odd one out of all of them.


    However, when it came to her own retelling of events, her motives soon became clear to him.


    If the spaded snake was the hero, she was the viin byparison. After all the atrocities she hadmitted, did she really think asking for leniency from one of them would absolve her of her crimes?

 Chapter 164 - Morganas Ill Intentions

    As Morgana reconted her intricate tale, all the captains listened in, intrigued.


    Forgetting all of her casual poise, her eyes lit up with a fervour and her voice was full of conviction as she spoke of unspeakable things.


    Her scheme alone had massacred two groups, but she showed no remorse. And after all she had done, she even brought all the eggs she had stolen back to the cave.


    When Typhon asked her why, her response chilled him to the bone.


    It was not because she wanted to eat them, rather she wanted to see them hatch from their shells.


    After the reptile group had died, she and her team discovered even more egg clusters scattered around their cave, their total equal or more than the numbers she had killed.


    And then, she tried to appeal to his good graces, suggesting she be allowed to raise them to maturity, to replenish the lives of those she had taken.


    Her words were sickly sweet and convincing enough that almost every captain was nodding in agreement. He would have too, if he didn''t see through the underlying meaning of her speech.


    If she raised them, they would be loyal only to her. Their minds young, fresh, and impressionable to be moulded into whatever she wished. As creatures they would have no minds of their own and only react to her instructions.


    Morgana perhaps hadn''t thought this through before suggesting it.


    She was passionate in her efforts to persuade him, using Ghad and his friendly rtions with two foreign species as the key point of her argument.


    Since Ghad seemed to have a knack for creatures getting attached to him, first the water creature and now this bird creature, Morgana''s argument was that she could get the reptiles to do the same.


    Earlier when Typhon had questioned him about the bird''s origins,. Ghad revealed it had been with its parents when they were all attacked by another creature from the water. After a long and hard fight, therge birds couldn''t find their lost hatchling and flew away helplessly.


    But with Hestia''s aid, Ghad had gone into the water and was able to rescue it from the creature''s grip.


    Since then, the bird had chosen to follow him, instead of going to find its parents.


    The only thing the two had inmon was their gratitude to Ghad for saving their lives, and their choice to follow him. And so, Morgana applied the same logic to the eggs, stating confidently that after they hatched they would be grateful to them for saving their lives and follow them simrly.


    With thatparison, she effectively convinced all the captains that the eggs would not bring them any harm in the future. And Ghad, who realized he had done something interesting, began to see the rejected bird in a new light.


    Typhon had to apud her unabashed nature.


    At least she was honest in not sparing any detail.


    He wasn''tpelled by her in the least, but he was surprised that she was so free with her thoughts. If she had withheld her conclusion instead of telling them, he would have no idea how much of a schemer she really was or just how deeply her savagery ran.


    He should have been concerned by her way of thinking, but Typhon was pleased.


    Her telling them everything showed just how much she trusted everyone. He stole a quick nce at Ophelia and from how impressed she looked ¨C he knew she was seeing Morgana in apletely different light. Although he didn''t agree, he allowed her speech to continue, patiently waiting for her to finish.


    But in the end, his answer was simple. [Absolutely not.]


    [What?] Morgana was aghast.


    Ophelia looked mildly confused. [What do you mean, Typhon? Morgana''s idea is brilliant.]


    [You didn''t even think about it.] Morgana argued, as she and Ophelia red at him together.


    Had the two discussed this prior?


    Typhon smirked. [I thought about it, and there''s nothing to consider.]


    To have his sister disagree with him on an issue wasn''t so strange, they didn''t always see eye to eye. But he could tell they had colluded toe up with this. It made sense now how Morgana had phrased her argument with points he would agree with.


    If so, then she wasn''t innocent at all and fully intended on making the reptiles her servants.


    Ghad also nudged him to show his disagreement. [Morgana is right. Hestia did start to follow me because I saved her life.]


    Typhon knew this, but that wasn''t the point. It was Morgana''s attempt to mask her ill intentions as pure that he didn''t agree with.


    [You''re abusing your power!] Ophelia snapped at him.


    [I''m not. Hestia is one thing.] Typhon replied. [These monsters are another. It''s too risky to consider.]


    And there was the issue. Ophelia was only disagreeing with him because he evolved first ¨C it was just like her to get back at him.


    Artemis was more practical in his thoughts. [If they outnumber us, idents will happen.]


    [Indeed.] Cygnus agreed.


    With the captains finally seeing some reason, Typhon expected Morgana to give in but instead she grinned.


    [The decision isn''t up to you, Typhon. You shouldn''t refuse me without speaking to ''her'' first.]


    [What makes you think she will agree with you?] he asked, curious.


    [Because she''s already done it.] Morgana said with conviction. [Don''t you see that little creature on her head? It follows her everywhere.]


    Haah.


    Typhon knew he had trouble on his hands. While he didn''t know what sort of rtionship they had, from what he could see they were closer to friends than subordinates.


    Would ''she'' agree? He had no idea. But he knew she had no need for them.


    [She wouldn''t agree to such a thing.] Artemis added. [But it wouldn''t hurt to have some as poison testers...]


    Morgana red at him to be quiet, jumping in on the argument. [Not my monsters! Find something else.]


    Artemisughed. [They aren''t yours. They belong to everyone.]


    [So do I get one too?] Ghad chimed in.


    Morgana quickly shut him down. [Nobody gets any. I discovered them, they are mine.]


    Cygnuszily sighed.


    Nothing had been agreed on, but it seemed the captains were determined to argue until they did.


    Typhon simply wanted to get through all their reports in time, but he was already feeling tired. It was Ophelia''s turn next, but she still refused to meet his eyes.


    Looking back he saw ''she'' had settled down to rest. Perhaps it was best to have her settle everything, but he didn''t want to disturb her.


    Ophelia slithered over to him. He thought she was still angry about the reptiles and wanted to say a few words, but instead she drew him away from the arguing captains, lowering her voice to a whisper. It seems she didn''t want anyone to overhear, so he obliged.


    And then Ophelia told him about the skeletons she had discovered.


    In the end she asked. [What do you think killed them?]


    She was so convinced the snakes were another nest simr to theirs and that they had been murdered, but Typhon wasn''t so sure. Her descriptions were too vague because her team hadn''t stayed around to search for more clues for fear of bing targets themselves.


    [Anything could have killed them.] Typhon said. [What were their wounds like?]


    Ophelia shook her head. [I didn''t see any wounds. They were mostly bones.]


    [Then why are you so sure they were killed? They could have died naturally.]


    Ophelia looked thoughtful. [I don''t know. Something about it just didn''t feel right to me.]


    Typhon could see why she was concerned, but not why she refused to tell the other captains. [If you think something is killing us, don''t they deserve to know?]


    Ophelia shook her head. [I don''t want them to panic.]


    Typhon sighed. [Then we tell ''her'' in private.]


    Ophelia agreed and they looked to the rest of the captains who had not yet settled on a solution. Artemis kept going on about the unique poisons he had found that needed more testing, while Morgana was set on keeping the reptiles to herself.


    Typhon decided it was best not to tell them anything.


    In the time they were gone, Morgana had somehow convinced Ghad that if her eggs were cast out, so would the bird and the water creature he had taken great pains to acquire.


    Artemis simply wanted a ce to keep all the poisonous nts he had discovered and something to test them on, but she had convinced him that his requests wouldn''t be met if hers were not. And so when he and Ophelia appeared, they were immediately swarmed with demands.


    There were too many things Typhon couldn''t settle himself. The spaded snake''s punishment, the requests of his fellow captain''s and also the mysterious deaths of the snakes Ophelia had discovered. He could only leave it up to ''her'' to resolve. This way, her choices would not be questioned.


    [Enough.] Typhon interrupted them. [We''ll leave this decision up to ''her'' to see If she agrees. Any other issues you have will be sorted and I don''t want to hear any more arguments.]


    The captains all stopped scowling at each other, and then multiple gazes stared up at the winged snake innocently coiled on her perch.


    Typhon didn''t envy ''her'' at this very moment, they all seemed eager to eat her up with their opinions and he was more than happy to pass on that responsibility.


    It was worth seeing how their ''Snake Queen'' handled the pressure.

 Chapter 165 - Lost In Translation

    I was undecided on what to do. The smarter thing would be to stay safe until my timed out skills recovered. But, waiting for [166] hours was far too unreasonable.


    Aside from Typhon, the other captains were almost demanding in their stares. To refuse them from hunting because of my own circumstance seemed unfair to them.


    Ophelia had even begun pacing around me with impatience. She then approached the sleeping fae, and pushed her aside before settling down to take her spot.


    The tiny fae was not too pleased to be rudely awoken and began to buzz around Ophelia to seemingly scolding her for her actions.


    [Bad! They are so bad!] The dark fae cried. [Why don''t you scold them?]


    [You were in her ce.] I retorted coldly with a smirk and ignored her whining as I looked at Ophelia, who had settled down beside me.


    I could understand why she was impatient to get to LV12. I was also keen to reach my next evolution, even though I had no idea when it would be. Thest time I appraised her stats, Ophelia had been LV10, but after the hunt I doubted she was still the same.


    After seeing Typhon''s evolution, I could imagine she was eager to evolve too and I was also curious to see what skills her first evolution would reveal.


    The captains around me all waited with anticipation while I pondered my decision. And when I finally agreed, Ghad started to wiggle in delight.


    After seeing Typhon and how much he had changed, it seemed only right to give the others a chance too.


    However, that was not the end of the decision at all.


    Soon after, Typhon and Ophelia began to report several other issues, while the rest of the captains waited quietly for a response.


    Since I had no urgent business to get to, I decided to learn the snake tongue by carefully listening in on their hisses and try to decipher them without the use of [Commander].


    At first, Typhon''s words made no sense. It sounded no different from a normal snake''s hiss, aside from being perhaps a little deeper than Ophelia''s, but I started to pick up breaks in his speech that could be counted for words.


    However, after listening for a while, no understanding of the word hisses came to me.


    So, instead of listening to him alone, I instructed the other captains to speak as well, thinking some variety would make the sounds easier to understand.


    Typhon ryed my instructions, and I was immediately mmed with hisses of many tenors from my captains, both low and high, fast and slow, all merged together in some strange harmony.


    There were some repeated sounds, but none really stood out with a specific meaning, which made me almost want to give up.


    "How am I supposed to understand anything they say?"


    I was worried I would always have to depend on some skill or another tomunicate with my own species and that just left a sour taste in my mouth.


    ?You''re not a genius.? Sensei cruelly added. ?You won''t understand something after trying it once.?


    "Clearly, I''m not a genius, because I don''t see how a ban on my skills could make my situation any better."


    Ophelia quickly understood my situation, and instructed the captains to stop, before looking at me with concern.


    In the background I noticed the dark fae buzzing around her, clearly in a bad mood and an idea started to form in my head.


    What if I could get her to act as a ry between myself and the captains. Maybe I would be able to spot the simrities between her words and the hisses this way!


    Since our telepathic link was still open, I called out to her.


    [Bubbles! Come here and leave Ophelia alone.]


    The dark fae gave me a confused look. [What''s a bubbles?]


    I signed in disappointment. [Doesn''t matter. Juste.]


    The dark fae quickly left Ophelia, throwing her a smug look before sittingfortably on my head. After exining to her what she needed to do, she grasped it fairly quickly and flew over to Typhon''s to establish a telepathic link.


    I saw him hiss at her in anger, reflexively fighting off the sensation as he red at the fae''s tiny figure, but I instructed him to calm down and let it happen. The first time was always painful.


    ?I don''t think its such a good idea?? Sensei muttered.


    "Why not? I want to hear what they say, word for word."


    ?She could misinterpret his words. And I can easily trante for you too.?


    "I don''t need it." I snapped.


    ?How long will you sulk??


    "Until my skillse back."


    Sensei sighed and I ignored him, watching the tiny fae nodding along to Typhon''s words.


    What a loophole I had discovered!


    I was worried she wouldn''t understand him...she did behave like a dumb child.


    But when she returned to me, she was able to get the point across.


    [He asks if they can have more eggs. Oh, and he says hello.]


    Eggs?


    Ah! Of course, the eggs Morgana had brought. Perhaps, they wanted to eat them?


    Personally, I wasn''t a fan, so I immediately agreed.


    However, when I saw Typhon''s eyes go wide, I began to suspect I was missing some information.


    [What else did he say about the eggs?] I probed the fae again.


    [The dotted one wants some, but since the wavy one found them, she wants to keep them all to herself. What should I say to them?] The dark fae asked, and I saw both Artemis and Morgana staring intently at me.


    What sort of questions were these brats asking?


    First they wanted to hunt and possibly surpass me, and now they wanted permission for their own food share? Why did they want to eat eggs all of a sudden?


    I hadn''t tried them yet, so were they that good?


    Still, it had nothing to do with me and this just seemed like a case of the nestlings being greedy. So I awarded the majority of the eggs to Morgana since she found them first, and for Artemis, I granted him a few eggs and split the rest evenly among the other captains.


    However, Typhon refused them and so did Cygnus and Ophelia, transferring all their shares back to Morgana who was extremely pleased.


    Maybe, they weren''t that good after all?


    Encouraged by my approval of the eggs, my captains soon started to request a lot of things.


    ording to the dark fae Artemis wanted a garden of nts and since it was harmless I agreed, though I did have some concerns.


    Cygnus wanted to scout more with his team members, which was fine since I needed more information about the creatures in the area.


    Ghad wanted to keep the silly bird he had brought. I had no objections after hearing it had been abandoned by its parents, since it wouldn''t attract any trouble.


    The other requests though, were a little trickier.


    Typhon wanted to spar with me, Ophelia wanted to hunt again, and Morgana wanted to use the prison cells I created for whatever reason. I was most confused about her request, but since the dark fae told me it was to store the eggs, I let it go.


    Ophelia''s request could be solved easily, but for Typhon, I wasn''t at all that keen to spar with him, primarily because it could sow dissent.


    And he didn''t seem like the type to challenge me so I wondered why he would request such a thing. Had he gained some confidence because he had evolved?


    It was one more reason I couldn''t afford to stay idle.


    ?You''re giving in too easily. You shouldn''t spoil them.? Sensei said.


    Spoil them? I was happy to see they had their own interests, instead of being primarily focused on hunting.


    I thought back to the two leadership examples from the creatures I had met - the Hesperia queens.


    One was kind and gave her hatchlings everything, which inspired the fierce loyalty of someone like the scary wasp, who remained with her even after her downfall. Whereas the other controlled every hatchling strictly, not giving them any a chance to rebel.


    It wasn''t much to predict which one Sensei wanted me to be.


    Instead of listening to him, I was more than happy to see them all evolve and grow powerful, but it had to be at their own pace.


    I wanted loyal subordinates like the scary wasp, and controlling their every move was not the way. I want to give them the freedom to develop and the choice to follow me.


    But at the same time, I had to maintain a bnce by keeping things fair to not be biased with one over the other.


    Personally, the evolution I wanted to see more was that of Sylrin who I hadn''t seen in a while. Thest time I checked his position, he was around his cave, hunting as usual.


    Perhaps it was worth paying him a visit to bring him back now that the cave was finallyrge enough.

 Chapter 166 - Mission Impossible

    I was keen to find Sylrin soon, so I turned to the dark fae and asked if there was anything more.


    She seemed to be having a conversation with Typhon, so I waited for them to finish. It was then that she rushed over to me with an excited grin on her face.


    [He said he found some mortals!] The dark fae spoke excitedly as she pointed towards Cygnus. [We have to tell the spirits! They really love mortals and their trinkets!]


    "Mortals?"


    ?They are the human equivalent in this world.? Sensei revealed.


    Oh.


    But why would that make the spirits happy?


    ?Believe it or not, the preferred food of the tree spirits isn''t the blood of monsters.? Sensei continued with a chuckle. ?They are more than happy to feast on mortals to replenish their magic.?


    Whoa! Man eating trees? Sounds scary.


    ?But mortals are extremely rare to find in the Labyrinth.?


    "Why not?"


    I was confused. Surely, there must be tons of them all over the ce. I just saw a group of them, mixed in with elves.


    ?Ailith is mostly popted by elves, so they rarely get the chance.? Sensei added. ?The most the spirits will encounter is an elf, but elves aren''t careless enough to fall for their tricks.?


    Ah...that made sense.


    I couldn''t imagine an elf getting charmed by their beauty since they were just as beautiful as the tree spirits. Perhaps, only the nymph was capable of fooling them because she was considerably more attractive, but that was just my guess.


    Still, I couldn''t believe the dark fae was so happy to find humans, just so they could be eaten!


    The reality simply wasn''t fair for monsters as well as for mortals.


    I pressed for more details from Cygnus, and when the dark faemunicated with him, he revealed where he had found them. And from what he described they sounded quite far away, in a ce that was tricky to get to.


    I had to apud Cygnus for his quick thinking in getting across the open canyon on his own.


    Was it possible they were the same elf/human party I found? Did they move over there so quickly, or were they a different group?


    Cygnus didn''t really memorise what they looked like, just their general appearance, so it was difficult to tell.


    Well, I had no thoughts of befriending them anyway. If I was spotted, I would most likely be hunted for the monster that I am.


    And so, for the betterment of myself and my nestlings, it was best if we never meet...again. But I was d to know I wouldn''t encounter them anywhere nearby.


    After hearing Cygnus''s report, I encouraged the dark fae tomunicate with each of my captains like she did with him, so I could listen to all their perspectives. And while her [Telepathy] startled them, they soon got the hang of it and began speaking to her feely.


    However, for every captain she approached, Typhon continued to direct his re towards her.


    Her reports were simr to his albeit not as straight to the point, but by using her in this way I was able to notice the personalities of my captains from all the unnecessary details he had cut out. For one, I now knew Artemis was quite shrewd in nature and had a fondness for observation.


    The dark fae, taking her new role seriously, repeated all their exnations back to me, unaware of Typhon''s disapproving look.


    Ophelia also did not look pleased, so while the dark fae chatted away with the captains, I took her aside to tell her I was trying to learn their words.


    And on hearing this, her eyes lit up with excitement.


    As for Typhon, It crossed my mind that he might think I didn''t trust his report by making her do this, but I let him feel a little upset for trying to challenge me. And so I decided to let him stew a little longer before telling him the truth.


    The dark fae finished each captain''s report, and soon all the happy snakes left my side to resume their duties. Cygnus and Ghad went to train, while Morgana followed Artemis on his way down to the prison cells, before going on to retrieve her eggs.


    For his punishment, my decision was to keep both Artemis and his team member locked up for one and two days respectively. That seemed like a long enough time for them to reflect on their actions.


    With the captains gone, I was left with only Typhon and Ophelia.


    The dark fae came to rest on my head and Ophelia settled down beside me while Typhon went to his corner. They both seemed innocent enough, but I couldn''t stop thinking about Typhon''s spar request.


    Was that an indirect challenge or was I overthinking it?


    "Do you think he''s simply curious about his new strength?" I asked Sensei.


    ?I thought you didn''t need my input.? he replied, still being petty.


    This stingy guy!


    Feeling irritated and annoyed, I made up my mind.


    If Typhon had gotten too confident about his strength, it was worth straightening him out a little.


    I left my perch, instructing Typhon to follow me and we went past the training ground and the fighting pit, down below to the hidden lower half of the cave.


    There was something more terrifying than me, which was the Middle Stratum, and I thought it was time to show it to him.


    If I scared him a little, maybe he would rethink his spar request, so I made it my mission to scare him into submission.


    I quickly found the spot in the wall where I had widened the crack and removed the debris I used to conceal it. Immediately after the cave was filled with a dewy scent where the humid atmosphere of the Mangrove forest carried over through the tunnel.


    Typhon was ecstatic when he saw the tunnel and I noticed Ophelia and the dark fae peeking out from behind him with equal looks of surprise.


    The dark fae buzzed over to me with a plethora of questions. [What is that? Where does it go? How did you make it?]


    I could onlyugh in reply.


    I was nning to reveal this ce only to Typhon, but who knew these two would follow.


    I didn''t want Ophelia to follow, so I instructed her to go back. As for the dark fae, although she acted childish, she was actually pretty strong, so I let her be.


    However, refusing mymand, Ophelia gave me a fierce determined look, filled with protest.


    I knew she wanted toe, but it was just too dangerous for her. Firstly, she was too weak to handle the worm infested cliff, which was where we were headed.


    And as for the huge centipede monsters lurking below. While I could sneak past them, I wasn''t confident I could do so while looking out for her, not with my weakened stats, so I firmly rejected her.


    I left the cave in Ophelia''s control and entered the tunnel with Typhon, the dark fae chattering all the while as she followed. On reaching the other side, I uncovered the debris concealing the tunnel and we exited out onto the cliff, introducing the two to the Mangrove forest in all its glory.


    I expected Typhon to show some fear after seeing it, but after his initial look of surprise, he regained his calm and stared around at his new surroundings with interest, seemingly studying thendscape.


    I wanted him to be afraid. Why wasn''t he scared?!


    Looking over the edge, I saw the centipede horde below were fewer and somewhat less active. There were a few legs sticking out from the gap in the wall where they slept, but they weren''t squirming about as aggressively as before.


    ''No! Move!'' I wanted to scream at them.


    I needed them to do something so that Typhon would be terrified, but no matter how much I red at the creatures, their legs only twitched slightly.


    There were also norge monsters crossing through the mangrove at the moment, which made me very disappointed. This wasn''t going how I expected this to go at all!


    It was instead, the dark fae, who was scared out of her wits after seeing the wide expanse of the water forest.


    She rushed over to me in terror and nudged me. [What is this ce? I am scared. Can we go back please?]


    I ignored her and looked at Typhon staring casually at the scenery, not at all bothered by it.


    What to do now?


    Although I knew there were plenty of monsters below, I wasn''t risking going down there just to shock him, so I fixed my attention on the steep cliff wall behind us.


    I grinned at the trembling fae and spoke. [We''re here to train, so we have to stay. Especially you, who has no control over your magic.]


    The dark fae burst into tears. [I don''t want to! I want to go back!]


    Her rising panic made me even more irritated at Typhon''s calmness.


    And so, I shifted the surrounding debris to cover the tunnel again, activating [Shadow Shroud] to climb the wall instead. Typhon followed my example and activated his [Shadow Shroud] before joining me to climb.


    I recalled what had happened when I did this previously, and thought it was worth seeing how he would react to the worm monsters he would surely encounter.


    We were almost half way through when I heard a loud screech, followed by the hideous ringed maw of the first worm that burrowed its way out of the cliffside.


    Here we go.

 Chapter 167 - Impervious Will

    The light from the crystals scattered sporadically across the Middle Stratum''s roof illuminated the cliff''s wall and the bulbous body of the hideous worm.


    Our movements must have alerted it and its harsh shriek reverberated across the cliff wall as it sped towards us with a maw filled with spiked teeth.


    While I knew it was weak, I was more concerned with the monsters below that could have heard its cry.


    Fortunately, when I looked down at the giant centipedes, there was no sign of movement. It seemed we were too high up on the cliff for any sound to reach them below. But that did not stop someone from panicking.


    [Climb! Hurry! It''sing!]


    The dark fae buzzed around my horns in panic, urging me to climb faster when she saw the worm approaching, even though she could easily fly away from harm herself. It was adorable how she often forgot she had wings.


    [We''ll be fine, it''s weak.] I assured her.


    And then I looked over at Typhon to see how he would react to the creature.


    I was surprised because he''d kept pace with me since the beginning but now, he stopped climbing entirely and stared up at the worm creature, his eyes intently studying its movements as if thinking of what to do.


    Heh.


    I guess he wasn''t so great after all if this caught him off guard.


    However, he did not panic, which impressed me.


    Since this was his first encounter with the creature, I could only imagine he was thinking of how to fight it without losing his grip on the wall.


    I was sure attacking it with poison spheres didn''t ur to him, since he had just evolved and had no experience with [Poison Synthesis], but I was curious of what he would do.


    The dark fae''s flustered figure flitted across my eyes, distracting me from Typhon as she grumbled. [Why aren''t you attacking? It''s going to reach us!]


    I hushed her to calm down, but she only grew more concerned.


    [I''m scared. There''s a big crawly monster down there!] she added, referring to the giant centipede.


    Its presence, however, did not seem to deter the worm creature, because it screeched again, before burrowing under the ground to escape from sight. And although I couldn''t see it, I could feel rumbling vibrations from under the ground as it sped towards us.


    It urred to me to attack the creature as soon as it reached us to show him what to do, but where was the fun in that?


    I continued to climb, choosing to wait to see what decision he would make. However, what happened next took mepletely by surprise.


    The wall began to rumble, and a portion of the cliffside came away with rocks, exposing the buried figure of the worm in a great upheaval of debris that sent tremors through my scales and I had to hold on tight to stay on the wall.


    The worm creature experienced the ground shattering all around it and unable to keep hold, it was quickly washed away in an avnche as the rocks gave way.


    It screeched all the way down as it fell, its body covered in bruises from the falling rocks as itnded into the water.


    However, its screech did not prevail for long.


    The giant centipede heard the disturbance and rushed out of the hole in the cliff with immense speed, its sturdy legs ttering over the fallen rocks to retrieve the injured worm.


    I activated [Shadow Shroud], spreading a mass of shadow to envelop myself, the dark fae, who screamed in protest and Typhon. And then I gazed down at the multiple legs of the giant creature that had begun to eat.


    While I wanted to terrify Typhon, I did not want to linger on the wall for too long. If it decided to climb up to face us itself, I hoped it would only see the partially destroyed cliffside.


    I instructed Typhon not to move as we waited within my shadows for the monster to leave, and soon the giant centipede retrieved the worm''s body before disappearing into itsir.


    It was only then that we decided to resume our climb up.


    I retrieved my shadows only when we reached the top of the cliff and all three of us sprawled over on the rocks of the teau, breathing in sighs of relief to finally touch solid ground.


    Typhon was overjoyed and kept looking down at the cliffside wall to see what he had destroyed with his magic and I joined him to examine the scene.


    It was only a small portion of the cliff, but the damage he had done was visible from the height we were. It was like something had taken out a chunk of the wall, leaving only a shallow hole behind.


    The dark fae rushed over to my head, wrapping my horns in a fierce hug. [Why didn''t you attack? I was so scared! I thought we were going to die!]


    I sighed at her silliness. [You realise you could easily kill it with your magic, right?]


    The dark fae buzzed around my head in protest. [No way! It''s too scary. It would eat me.]


    She looked down at the cliffside to see what we were staring at, and soon she joined us with her mouth agape when she saw the damaged cliffside. [Waah!]


    I nodded enthusiastically with her.


    I thought he would use his [Poison Magic] but it seemed he had used [Earth Magic] instead. To have done so much damage without any practice was impressive indeed!


    What the heck! Typhon was actually strong!


    I was impressed with his skill and especially happy to be one of the first to witness it first-hand.


    How much magic had he used?


    Without [Appraisal] I couldn''t tell, but Typhon didn''t seem exhausted.


    He left the cliffside and stared around at the empty teau. The dark fae flitted around him, seemingly fascinated with her surroundings as she wondered why we hade here.


    While I was overjoyed that he was strong. The experience didn''t scare him at all, and apart from those few seconds of confusion where he panicked, he had recovered pretty quickly.


    The worm wasn''t a suitable enough opponent for him.


    If I was going to terrify him, I needed something better!


    ?You could just spar with him, like he wants.? Sensei chuckled unhelpfully. ?Unless you''re afraid??


    "I''m not afraid" I frowned.


    Maybe the worms wouldn''t work¡­but then again, it had only been a single one that appeared. Thest time there had been multiple ones.


    Ah¡­but then I remembered attacking them repeatedly.


    How many did I kill at the time?


    Could it be that their numbers had not yet recovered?


    I returned to the edge of the teau to look at the cliffside. The noise from the rocks had to have attracted more!


    And sure enough, when I looked down there were multiple dark worms emerging out of the rocks.


    I nced back at Typhon who had settled down in his coil, staring intently at a fragment of rock, right before it crumbled before his eyes. It seemed he was practicing.


    And then I looked back at the dark worms that had started following our scents to climb up the cliffside. I wondered how he would do against multiple worms. If he really wanted to practice, there was no better way than to face arge number of opponents.


    I instructed him toe over and together we looked down at the cliffside, where I detected the presence of more than ten worms crawling over the surface of the rocks as well as twenty others burrowing under the ground in a sneak attack.


    Typhon had noticed them too and he was about to copse the cliffside again when I stopped him.


    While it was great that he could use [Earth Magic] I didn''t want the destruction it caused to attract any other creature.


    He would have to fight them while making as little noise as possible which meant he could only use it to a slight degree. And so, he had no choice but to watch the worm creatures make their way up the cliff.


    The dark fae buzzed over to us with a confused look, but when she saw the wormsing she rushed over to hide behind me.


    [They''reing! We should run!] she screamed.


    I shook my head at her. There was no way I was letting her sit this one out.


    She had just as much magic as Typhon, and perhaps even more.


    Typhon and I waited tensely for them to appear, when I informed her of the bad news.


    [You''re staying here to help him.] I smirked at her terrified expression.


    [What? No!] The dark fae cried loudly. [I refuse!]


    I ignored her cries of protest and gave Typhon an order ¨C he was to fight the worm creatures with the aid of the dark fae and not allow them to cross the teau. And I would observe their battle while I practiced my own skills and give them tips depending on how they fought.


    I thought it was a good training opportunity for the two of them, especially the dark fae who had plenty of magic but was unfortunately useless when it came tobat.


    I expected some resistance, but to my surprise Typhon agreed in an instant, preparing to face the hordes of creatures by himself without any hesitation.


    And I found myself impressed by his tenacity for a second time.

 Chapter 168 - Dark Magic

    The first of the dark worms had quickly made it up to the teau, their bulbous bodies glistening wetly as they slithered over to target Typhon and soon, he waspletely surrounded by multiple worms.


    The dark fae beside him buzzed around in a panicked state, her eyes wide like saucers as the snarling shrieks of the hideous creatures came closer.


    They werepletely focused on Typhon since she was small and barely visible, however she was extremely scared and would not stop moving.


    While Typhon''s dark scales gave him partial camouge against the rocks of the teau, her fast moving wings glimmered when they caught the light, making her pink leafed figure all the more stark.


    And it only took one of the worms to notice her, before all the others did and soon she found herself being chased by half of the worms attacking Typhon.


    From then, it only got so much more fun as I watched their progress from the back.


    I instructed them to not let any wormse within five metres of me ¨C I even went as far as using my length to illustrate the distance.


    But instead of facing the creatures and using her power to attack them, the dark fae rushed towards me with eyes filled with tears, bringing the worms chasing her towards me.


    I sighed in exasperation. This wasn''t how training worked!


    If I defeated every monster for her, how was she supposed to get stronger?


    As she flew nearer, I felt a harsh pain in my head as her telepathic link connected, followed by her screams. [HELP ME, YOU EVIL SERPENT!!! STOP RESTING AND FIGHT WITH US!!]


    I experienced even more intense pain as her shrill voice harassed my senses. [SAVE ME, I DON''T WANNA DIE!!]


    The dark fae continued to cry loudly as she flew away from the worm creatures rushing to eat her, in a desperate attempt to lose them. She was fast but they were too many, and the ones closer to her looked eager, with their maws gaping wide to swallow her whole.


    Hmm¡­maybe she did need help.


    But just as she was about to reach me, cracks opened up over the rocky ground and a deep chasm appeared, swallowing all the worms in a sh, allowing the dark fae to fly free.


    I looked over the chasm and noticed it had spread all the way from Typhon''s location, and just as the worms were about to cross the five meter margin as well.


    He was surrounded by the numerous corpses of all the worms he had killed, and I had to suppress my urge tough.


    This guy was just showing off!


    I turned away from him, pretending I didn''t notice, just as the blubbering figure of the tiny dark fae rushed into my face.


    [HOW COULD YOU LEAVE ME LIKE THAT?!] She bawled loudly as she stered herself on my face, not letting go. [THEY WILL EAT ME. WHY ARE YOU SO MEAN?!]


    Weak? If someone with over [200] points in Mana and Magic was weak, then none of my nestlings could survive at all.


    I shook her off my face and red at her pitiful figure. [You''re not weak. Why don''t you use your power?]


    It was really puzzling how she had survived so far.


    The dark fae trembled as she took in deep breaths to calm down. [I don''t know how to use it! It just happens.] she sobbed loudly.


    Thest time her spheres manifested when Ophelia attacked her, so could it be that her ability only activates when she feels threatened?


    I smiled at the tiny fae, hoping she would stop crying. [Alright, don''t cry now. I''ll stay with you this time.]


    [Really?] Her face brightened up, although it was still marred with tears. [Okay then.]


    The dark fae flew towards the chasm Typhon had created, and I let her surge ahead while I lingered behind.


    It didn''t take long for the worms who had survived the fall to pick up her scent. One burst out of the ground from behind her, its hideous mouth gaping wide as the dark fae shrieked in fright.


    Its tooth maw snagged at her leafy dress, tearing off a fragment just as a series of dark spheres materialised from the air around her.


    And soon, I could hear multiple popping sounds and the horrible shrieks as the worm''s body exploded in a burst of ichor. A spherical hole had taken off a chunk of the mouth that was about to eat her, before more holes opened up all over its body, killing it in an instant.


    Its remaining body plopped to the ground but the dark fae saw none of this happen. She had her fingers covering her eyes and was curled up in a fetal position in the air.


    But with its screams gone, she peeked out from between her fingers. And on seeing the devastation her magic had wrecked on the creature, she yelped again in fright.


    I sighed, astonished that someone so powerful could be so scared of their own magic. It seemed I had to force her, or she would never learn to fight at all, so I began to retreat quietly.


    However, that was just the beginning.


    The trembling dark fae had just recovered when the ground began to shake again and she squealed loudly in fright as more worms emerged from the ground to surround her.


    [Come on, Bubbles! YOU CAN DO IT!] I yelled out in encouragement, from a distance.


    She frantically searched around for me, but I''d already concealed myself within my shadows, leaving her with no choice but to move quickly to evade them. And in her panicked state, more dark spheres materialised around her in a protective circle.


    The worms chasing her charged right into them without hesitation, and as they collided with the spheres, more wrecked bodies dropped to the ground, dead and unrecognizable.


    But the silly fae kept fleeing, not even knowing what she had done or how much her pursuers had reduced, and I couldn''t help but sigh as I watched her fly away.


    Typhon would be okay, but I was more worried about her.


    "Do you think she''ll be okay?" I asked Sensei.


    ?With her defensive abilities, it will be difficult for anything to harm her.? Sensei answered and I sighed with relief.


    I made sure to stay far enough to not interfere with any of their battles, but I didn''t stop watching them while I practiced my own abilities.


    I focused on levelling up my other neglected skills as well as my [Poison] and [Shadow Magic]. With some of my skills sealed, I had to make sure those I had left were even more powerful to make up for my overall strength.


    While I med Sensei for it, having my main skills gone made me realise I had neglected some skills in favour of others.


    ?Won''t you fight?? Sensei asked.


    "How can I when I''m like this?" I sulked.


    Fighting against the worms who were even weaker than me wouldn''t help them as much as he thought.


    But then I remembered something important.


    Didn''t he promise to teach me how to create a powerful de before I met the tree spirits?


    "Ehem. My attacks are a little weak right now." I announced. "It would really help to have a "reliable teacher" right now, don''t you think?"


    Sensei didn''t answer and I began to wonder if he had forgotten?


    I was about to repeat my question, but then he chuckled.


    ?Doesn''t the student have to ask nicely first??


    Did he expect me to beg him? Well, that was never going to happen.


    And so we remained at a stubborn stand still until Sensei eventually gave in.


    ?I never said I would teach you. I only said I would show you. Whether or not you could learn it is up to you.?


    "Alright then, Show me." I became excited.


    I was more curious as to how that was possible, and I desperately wanted to see him do it. Because how could a system without a physical body or any of the necessary stats possibly use magic?


    However, instead of seeing something happen, I began to feel tired as though my body was being drained of energy.


    The shadows concealing me began to tremble and quiver before me, and I watched them get pulled out from under me by an invisible force.


    They moved away from my body and my surroundings in an instant, leaving my brightly coloured scales exposed, before gathering to form arge ball of pulsating darkness that swirled around like a shadowy neb.


    And then the huge mass condensed to the size of a marble in an instant, before stretching to an arc so thin I could barely see it from the side.


    I watched it happen, all the while staring as my MP drained by more than half in my status menu.


    The air trembled with power as the de continued to stretch, and soon it had grown to half my length. And then he finally let it go like a tensed bow, and it sailed ahead, slicing through everything in its path.


    Rocks were cleanly cut through like butter, the walls it encountered were split apart as they fell, but the de did not stop and it continued to move until it reached the end of the teau where there was nothing but a wall of rock.


    But even that wasn''t enough to stop it from sting through.


    In the end, the de vanished into the rock and all that was left was a smooth cut where it had passed through.


    I stared on, speechless.


    And then the system dinged.


    ?Skill¡ºDarkness Maniption: LV1¡»has been acquired?

 Chapter 169 - Secrets Of The Core

    I went close to the wall to examine the cut made by the dark de. It had looked as thin as a hair, but the slit in the wall was about a foot thick and spanning across three meters wide.


    And when I peered into the wall, I was astonished to see it went in much deeper than what appeared on the surface.


    Although it disappeared into the wall, the outline of its shape continued until I couldn''t see it anymore, essentially creating a foot wide tunnel in the shape of an arc.


    The inside of the curve was extremely smooth to the touch and I wished I could regain my smaller form just so I could crawl inside it to see how far it went.


    It gave me the impression the dark de would continue sailing on for miles, at least until the magic it contained fizzled out.


    It had to, considering how much of my mana Sensei had used to create it.


    I looked at my status menu, at my MP bar that had gone from [397] down to a mere [100] points, and I was shocked!


    For the first time in a long while, I felt utterly exhausted, and I plopped down into a coil against the wall of the teau to recover my magic and gather my thoughts.


    Darkness Maniption, eh?


    Well¡­that was an unexpected gain.


    It was a different kind of magic from [Shadow Magic] and unexpected because it was due to Sensei that I gained it.


    He was mostly unhelpful, but he''d done something good for once. However, this new revtion made me question a lot of things I believed about my existence.


    Sensei could use magic¡­no, he could use MY magic.


    It was startling to realise he could do this and I had to admit, I never saw iting.


    I expected him to maybe use his own magic, I mean, he had such a great, big core. It wasn''t there for decoration, was it?


    But no. He did not use his core at all.


    My MP was drained by three-fourths, and I began to think long and hard to re-examine everything I thought I knew so far.


    It didn''t feel as though I was under some weird hijacking spell, it feltpletely natural. No different from when I used my magic myself.


    I could sense the energy shifting all around me, pulling and shaping my shadows to form the condensed version, the only difference was that none of the control for the process had been mine.


    It sent my thoughts reeling from curiosity all the way down to fright.


    How was that possible?


    I couldn''t begin to fathom just what he had done, or how?


    There was also less resistance,pared to when I used it, like my magic was simply bending to a more experienced hand.


    But it was still me in the end!


    Well¡­my body I guess.


    It also made sense because we shared the same body, so my magic wouldn''t be foreign to him, but this made me even more mad.


    There shouldn''t have been any difference at all!


    And I felt like I was stuck in hard mode while he was on easy.


    If he could do this, didn''t that mean he could use all of my skills¡­and even better than me?


    I was secretly fuming, but I put my frustrations aside and acted like I wasn''t bothered by any of it.


    "Can you do it again?" I asked Sensei. "The same size as thest one."


    ?If it''s thatrge, you''ll run out of MP.? Sensei replied.


    That was exactly why I wanted him to do it. If he was still able to create the dark sphere even after I ran out of Mana, it would prove he wasn''t solely using my magic but some of his too.


    And maybe that way, I could justify my ego and wouldn''t feel so bad about the situation.


    "If it''s too small to see, how can I recreate it?" I replied sharply.


    However Sensei refused. ?Running out of MP here is too much of a risk. It will put you in danger. I''d rather you wait for it to recover first before I make another demonstration. It''s too much for your mana to take at this point.?


    Hah! Since when was he so concerned about my well-being?


    But he refused to budge no matter how much I argued, and I had no choice but to wait patiently for my MP to recover. But even then, he refused to create the dark de again, seemingly anxious about pushing my meagre MP too far.


    Was the first one so big because he overestimated my capacity, or was it a sign that he had even less control over it than I thought?


    Eventually, we came to apromise though.


    He would show me very tiny versions of the dark de that wouldn''t deplete my MP as much, and then I would try to recreate it.


    He gathered the shadows once again andpressed them to the size of beads. The dark des created from these were so small I could barely see them at all.


    The slices they created in the wall were less than a quarter the size of the previous one, however, the damage was still just as potent, and my MP didn''t fall as drastically as before either.


    But something good came out of it still. My [Darkness Maniption] went up by a level and the [Shadow Magic] and [Shadow Maniption] by three.


    While this was great, I couldn''t help wondering how long Sensei had been able to use my magic without telling me.


    I always wondered what effect his core being present in my body had on me, and now I was starting to get an idea. It was basically like a doorway to ess all my magic, perhaps even my mind and body!


    Was nothing sacred anymore?


    My head spun with all sorts of ufortable, scary thoughts.


    If he were to destroy my core and leave only his own, would it be possible to possess me? And would I cease to exist then?


    ?Stop overthinking.? Sensei grumbled dispassionately. ?This is why I never wanted to tell you. I can feel your dread even if I don''t want to.?


    This bas****!


    So he knew exactly how suspicious it would look!


    "If you don''t want me to feel dreadful, and overthink beforeing to the worst conclusion, it''s best if you tell me what else you can do."


    The tiny glimpse I got was scary enough, but I preferred that over being ignorant of it all.


    While Sensei wasn''t the easiest to get along with, I thought we''d built a level of trust so far. And if he wanted to keep that trust alive, he bettere clean about everything.


    ?I mentioned already that your levels and skill points are directly linked to mine.? Sensei began to exin. ?As long as you get stronger, so do I, but it won''t be anything like what you''re thinking. I have no intention of taking control of your body, or your skills.?


    "I wasn''t thinking that." I snapped.


    Sensei sighed. ?I thought we agreed to be truthful.?


    I brushed it off and continued. "And the store, how is it involved?"


    I had a feeling the XP points I spent there had something to do with this too. Wasn''t this the reason he always wanted me to hunt alone, so I wouldn''t have to share any of the XP for my kills. It was only until the scary wasp that I realised such a thing was possible.


    ?The store is merely a tool.? Sensei replied.


    "Yet you control this tool and by extension the skills I get from it." I shot back.


    ?That''s correct.?


    "What?" How could he agree so casually?


    ?It''s only right, seeing as it came from me. Aren''t you being unreasonable??


    Haaah!


    "So you can use my magic, you can restrict my skills ¨C what''s next, aside from taking over mepletely?"


    Sensei sighed in exasperation. ?There''s no need for me to go to such extreme lengths though, because there''s seven more of me in existence.?


    I gasped in shock, not because he finally admitted to being a leech, but because he was essentially saying I wasn''t special!


    This rude bas****! How dare he?


    Sensei immediately tried to backtrack after seeing my reaction. ?That was not what I meant to say. I''m simply stating it doesn''t benefit me in any way to do so, so stop that line of thought. If you hate me using your magic so much, then I won''t use it again.?


    "It''s a bit toote for that!" I scoffed.


    I was partially traumatised already for him to act like nothing had happened!


    ?You asked me to show you and I did. Why are you questioning everything now??


    Why was he trying to act like it was my fault? He was the one who hid things!


    "I never thought it would feel like that!"


    ?Like what??


    It was like I could be controlled by anyone anytime and I hated that feeling. I couldn''t find the exact word to describe my feeling so I spat out the closest word to match.


    "So vited!"


    Now it was Sensei''s turn to reel back in shock. ?What nonsense? Using your magic makes you feel vited? It was nothing like that ¨C and you asked!?


    "Yes it does! Because it''s mine and not yours!"


    Maybe I had used the wrong word, but I was not in the mood to feel sorry for him so I repeated that I was hurt. It wasn''t so far off from what I felt either and it made me feel better knowing he felt guilty.


    And while Sensei struggled to find a response, I felt tremorsing from Typhon''s direction.


    I scanned the ground around him with [Heat Sense] and detected the traces of about twenty dark worms squirming through the rocky ground. But as soon as any resurfaced they were swiftly dispatched.


    He had copsed much of the ground around him and there were hordes of worms impaled on rocky spikes in true chaotic fashion. Some were crushed under the weight of falling rocks while others seemed to have suffered poison damage, yet they continuously kepting to attack.


    Surely they should have stopped attacking by now since he killed so many already, and I could only imagine they were drawn to him by the noise.


    The dark fae was mostly okay, although all she did was cry and flee. And it did help that the dark worms were pretty stupid.


    No matter how many times they saw their peers get destroyed by running into her dark spheres, they still repeated the same mistake in their eagerness to catch her.


    Her dark spheres were very simr to the dark de Sensei had created and now I was curious to learn it, after seeing the two examples of how it could be used.


    However when I asked Sensei to show me the de again, he t out refused.

 Chapter 170 - A Can Of Worms

    "But why?" I protested. "I want to learn it."


    ?Showing you more will only make you overthink again.? Sensei said with finality, and refused to bring up the topic anymore.


    I felt slightly conflicted.


    Surely he wasn''t really upset at my reaction, right?


    I refused to believe my words had affected him, judging by how much he''d criticized me in the past. Rather, I expected him to counter and throw some criticism back at me.


    However, it seemed Sensei was a big marshmallow, and this made me want to tease him more.


    "If I find anything suspicious, I will ask about it, I promise." I replied. "And you still haven''t exined to me why you can use my magic, or how. You can''t expect me to ignore your inconsistencies when they have plenty to do with me."


    We settled into a deadlock as I waited for my MP that had been expended on the dark de to gradually refill.


    I''ve long had the suspicion that Sensei was hiding something from me, and I could also guess why.


    Perhaps he thought I would be a threat to my ssmates if he told me too much? But quite frankly, I wasn''t interested in them or their lives.


    As long as they don''t interfere in my life...


    My one concern with Sensei was that he was constantly making me suspect him by not being open with me.


    "I don''t care about them, you know." I said, as a matter of fact. "Yes, I was upset about the ''snake'' thing at first, but I''ve gotten used to it now. I don''t mind it anymore."


    Jeez. I didn''t sound convincing at all!


    But it wasn''t a lie either. I would continue to mind my own snake business in peace without disturbing any of them.


    But if any of those b**tards came looking for me...I wasn''t sure exactly how I would react.


    ?What are you talking about?? Sensei asked, which made me even more annoyed.


    "My ssmates?!" I eximed. "Who else could I be talking about? You know where they are, right?"


    Sensei sighed. ?I do, and I already said I cannot tell you.?


    Tch¡­did he think I was going to eat them or something? How rude!


    "Do you think I''m so desperate to meet them?" I scoffed in ridicule. "I would much rather live with my nestlings instead of them"


    ?Then why are you bringing them up?? Sensei responded.


    "Oh, I just want to be friends and bond over our shared experience of having you as our system" I retorted, and heard Sensei sigh in exasperation.


    "I just want to know how you can use my magic?" I circled back to my original question.


    ?It''s very normal for a system to have ess to magic.? he gave a half-assed response.


    Not my magic! I wanted to shout, but then I realised he had confirmed far more than he intended.


    If he could freely admit that the situation was the same for the others, this meant what he was hiding wasn''t about them.


    So what else then?


    The only thing I could think of was my magic itself. There were a couple of times his skills could havee in handy, but he chose not to do anything.


    Perhaps, he was ced under some restrictions by the gods or maybe because my level was too low?


    I decided to probe more. "So, why have you never used magic until now?"


    Sensei sounded exasperated with all my questions, but surprisingly he continued to answer them.


    ?It''s simple. Because you''ve never had enough magic until now. Rather than overthinking it, you should be happy your pitiful MP has finally increased to a usable amount.?


    I half expected the answer but the way he said it irked me to no end.


    This b**tard!


    Why do I get the impression he was saying I should be happy I finally became worthy of his help?


    I didn''t agree and I certainly didn''t like his narrative.


    He should''ve been helpful from the start, but after how he phrased it, he could take his help and shove it!


    While I was happy to hear what he thought, sometimes, I preferred him giving me advice on things I had little or no experience on, not him using my skills. As for his help with magic, the answer was a resounding no.


    "Fine! Keep your stupid magic skills with you." I shot back angrily.


    ?Huh? Didn''t you pester me to show you? What are you unhappy about now??


    "I don''t want to talk to you anymore."


    Although I couldn''t physically ignore him, I made a point of not replying to any of his questions until Sensei eventually stopped talking.


    I focused on recreating the smaller dark des instead.


    However, it wasn''t going to be easy.


    While I could move my shadows easily, I was only semi sessful in condensing them to form the dark void. It was quite difficult topress the shadows down to the size of a bead and I could only manage this for a second before the shadows became unstable before returning back to their former shape.


    Rather than give up or ask Sensei again, I decided to form the de without condensing it - the same way I did with my poison spheres.


    The result was a fuzzy dark de that constantly shifted in shape due to how unsteady the energy it contained was. But with enough practice, it held its shape long enough for me to fire it at the wall.


    But unlike Sensei''s dark de that waspletely silent, my de collided with a loud crash and a scattering of dust and rubble.


    ?¡ºDarkness Maniption: LV2¡»has be ¡ºDarkness Maniption: LV3¡»?


    That was a good sign!


    I rushed over to the wall to examine the damage, but it was disappointing, as the cut was not deep and it seemed more like someone took a sledgehammer to the wall.


    Instead of cutting through the bedrock for miles, the damage was spread out over the surface in a rather messy way that looked more like an explosion.


    While I was disappointed, I didn''t let the failure deter me and continued to practice. As a system, Sensei had to have more knowledge than me on magic, which was probably why he did so well on his first try, but I wasn''t giving up that easily either!


    As a reward for my continuous efforts, the size of the shadows I could generate had now increased by three folds. So much so that an ominous ck haze started to spread out towards Typhon and the dark fae who were fighting at the side.


    I didn''t want to lure the pesky fae my way, but I was more concerned with obscuring their visibility, so I tried to rein in the darkness in one more attempt at a shadow de - arger one this time, to test the limits of my control.


    However, I realised it was a terrible idea as soon as I started.


    While my [Shadow Magic] had increased to a decent level, my maniption skills were still abysmal. I could only dream ofpressing it all down to a single deadly shadow de, so when I tried, my shadows rebelled against me - seemingly refusing to shrink!


    Unlike before, when I was able to fire it at the wall, the current shadow de was so uneven it exploded not long after Ipressed it, and a wave of energy hit me in my face, right before I felt the deadly de zoom over my head.


    There was a loud ng as something rebounded off the wall, and when I looked back, I saw something familiar, small and shiny embedded inside.


    No way.


    That looked like my horn!


    No! No! No!


    It had sliced off a shard of my obsidian horn?!


    I reeled about in panic, straining my head from left to right to try and see.


    "Tell me which horn was hit! Tell me!" I cried out in panic.


    ?Calm down, it only took off a small piece.? Sensei replied quietly. ?You''re lucky it didn''t take off your own head.?


    "What does it look like now?" I sobbed. "Does it look bad?"


    ?Is that what you''re concerned about?? Sensei huffed in reply. ?There''s only a small chip in your left horn.?


    No! Not my majestic, shiny horns!


    They had saved me from so much. How could he act like it wasn''t a big deal?


    I wanted to cry.


    After such a disastrous attempt, I had to stop using my [Shadow Magic] entirely. Controlling such unsteady energy was far too dangerous, and I couldn''t keep practicing after such a huge blow.


    ?You could just ask for help, you know?? Sensei added, much to my annoyance.


    "So you can show off again?" I snapped.


    ?I never tried to show off. ? Sensei protested. ?You can''t expect to be good at it after only trying it once.?


    "Hmph. I still don''t need your help." I scoffed.


    ?Your method is far too reckless! Mastering dark magic takes time and practice, not careless luck! What if it backfires again??


    I stopped listening to hisining.


    After thatst dark de that almost splintered my horn, I wasn''t going to use it just yet. Plus I was thoroughly wiped out, so I went over to find Typhon and the fae.


    It was time to return.


    I soon found Typhon and saw the multitudes of dark worms he had killed lying all around him.


    Out of the many that had attacked, there wasn''t a single one alive and the corpses there could tally up to fifty or more, and this was without including the dark fae''s share. The damage he had caused was simply unbelievable, and I couldn''t help but look at him with awe and approval.


    However, as the dark fae rushed towards me with eyes full of tears, I noticed the ground beneath me had begun to rumble again, which I found quite odd because Typhon also looked surprised.


    Soon the spikes he created out of the rocks started to break apart as the vibrations grew even more intense and before we realised, the ground in front of us was swallowed up in an instant.


    We only managed to leap back in time as a ginormous worm creature ate its way out.


    Easily ten times asrge as the worms we so easily ughtered before, it rose up from the ground, swallowing the dark fae in one swoop, before coiling up much like a snake to strike at us with its salivating maw.

 Chapter 171 - Swallowed Fae

    The rocky ground broke apart as the ginormous worm uncurled and lunged after me, but I leapt back, watching therge creature roar with its mouth full of teeth.


    It was covered in thick armour with rows of spikes extending across the length of its body and culminating at the end into a vicious tail spike that dripped with venomous fluid.


    Typhon and I could only stare at it in horror like deer caught in headlights.


    Unlike the small dark worms, this one was covered in a thick slimy mucus that made its chitinous body change to a dark purple hue. Its spikes tore apart the ground as it moved, and all I could see were the rings of fangs deep inside its cavernous mouth as it roared at us.


    Its armoured body brushed asiderge pieces of rock like they were nothing as it lunged towards us again. We dived to either side and barely managed to avoid its hulking mass as the creature swept past us with a tremendous force, before colliding with the teau wall.


    However, instead of crashing into the wall, the enormous worm chewed through the rocks and disappeared into the wall, leaving behind a tunnel smeared with purple mucus.


    It had disappeared but I knew it wasn''t for long. And so I scanned the ground with [Heat Sense] to see where it would reappear, only to see the creature''s huge body moving through the ground with unbelievable speed and ease, much like a fish in water.


    The ground was truly its domain and as I tracked its movements, itsrge body moved past the range of my [Heat Sense] disappearing further under the rocks.


    However, it was determined to consume us as it turned around and came into my range again as it made its way up towards the surface with speed.


    I remained still and continued to track it to estimate where it was headed, but Typhon, who was observing its movements, slithered away from the area to avoid a confrontation.


    However, the creature seemed to be able to detect our movements as well, because it changed paths towards Typhon''s new position.


    Typhon also noticed this and immediately prepared for it, using his [Earth Magic] to pierce the creature with spikes as soon as it came out of the ground. But the ground copsed around the ginormous worm as its mouth emerged, destroying the spikes and wreaking havoc across the teau.


    Its armoured body knocked everything aside, persistently targeting Typhon who managed to evade it in thest second, but he was struck by the creatures swinging tail spike instead which threw him across the ground like a ragdoll.


    Fortunately, it wasn''t enough to prate Typhon''s scales and he only took some light damage and immediately tried to get back up, ready to attack.


    There had to be a limit to his tenacity!


    I refused to believe he wasn''t hurt and so Imanded him to stay down before he endangered himself more than was necessary.


    And so, I decided to divert its attention away from him.


    The huge worm had no eyes that I could find but its senses were far superior than the smaller dark worms, seemingly reacting to our movements, scent and the sounds we made.


    And so I approached it quickly from behind knowing well it would detect me, and just like that, it shifted targets and began to pursue me instead.


    It seemed to be a better hunter, but it shared many simrities to the smaller dark worms, like its intelligence, so I was able to easily lead it away from Typhon, confusing it with sidewinding movements while evading its attacks to make it collide with the teau wall once again.


    With it once again disappearing into the ground, we got some respite for a few seconds, but I knew it would eventually eat its way around to resurface under us. There was no use in trying to run away either as it could track us.


    I feared it might burrow through the ground in pursuit and possibly follow us back to the cave.


    But most of all, I worried for the dark fae who had been swallowed by the creature. I couldn''t stop thinking of just how terrified she must be ¨C and so we could not retreat until she was rescued first.


    I tracked the worm''s path underground as I waited for it to resurface, purposely slithering around to make it easy for it to reach my position. And as the worm made its way towards me, I instructed Typhon to copse the ground as much as he could.


    He did so right as I leapt out of the way, creating arge chasm in the ground that formed a tunnel in the rocks, exposing the massive creature beneath.


    It was stunned for a moment but as it tried to climb up again Typhon unleashed several thick spikes from one end of the tunnel to another, impaling the creature on both ends to keep it contained.


    However, its armour was too thick to prate and instead its body got skewered in the web of spikes, momentarily halting its approach.


    I readied my poison spheres and fired them into its open mouth. But it lunged towards us, seemingly unaffected as it ate away at the spikes that trapped its body.


    Then, just as it was about to break free, multiple dark spheres bloomed out of its armour, disintegrating its flesh smoothly in a rain of purple blood and mucus.


    The worm shrieked out in pain. Its neck had arge chunk of flesh missing and as it moved its blood smeared heavily across Typhon''s spikes.


    I was never so happy to see the dark spheres and the destruction they created, and I realised the dark fae was still alive and attacking it from the inside.


    That was a relief!


    With the confirmation, I attacked the giant worm with multiple poison des to further open the wound.


    I had no idea where its stomach was, but judging by the position the dark spheres appeared, I assumed the dark fae was around its neck area, and I hoped this would help her get free.


    I seeded in opening part of the creature''s neck, however there was no sign of the tiny fae.


    I thought that maybe my poison spheres weren''t cutting deeply, so I created an evenrger poison de, hoping to cleave its head clean through. But before I couldunch it, there was another burst of dark spheres from the worm''s body, this timeing from the lower end of its body towards its tail.


    What the heck!


    Don''t tell me its stomach could move?!


    The worm shrieked again as the dark spheres tore through its armour, and it began to thrash around the tunnel in pain, eating through every new spike Typhon created in a fervour to break its way out.


    I was worried the dark fae would get dissolved by its digestive acid ¨C she was so tiny after all, and so I fired even more poison des at its injured neck to sever itpletely.


    Typhon saw where its lower body had been hurt and deliberately fashioned a spike from the ground to skewer its injured tail to keep it in ce.


    However, ourbined efforts didn''t deter the creature and it twisted around so that the poison des I aimed at its neck struck its armour and they bounced off harmlessly, leaving only scrapes behind.


    Seemingly unaffected by Typhon''s spike in its lower body and continued to eat through the tunnel even as the spike ripped through its own flesh, vanishing into the ground, leaving behind a tunnel covered in purple mucus.


    Thendscape of the teau had changed drastically as the ground was riddled with holes and full of scrapes. Rocks were strewn everywhere in a great upheaval of shattered debris, with tunnels dripping with mucus scattered everywhere.


    But I continued to scan through the rocks of the tunnel, eager to find its body.


    The dark fae still hadn''t resurfaced, and as the creature''s body retreated further and further underground, I grew even more worried it would escape with the fae still trapped inside.


    It was so different from the other worms, far stronger, faster, and almost impossible to kill. At first I thought it was their leader that hade for revenge, but it didn''t react to any of the dead, and instead swallowed their corpses whole as it swam through the ground.


    I wished I had [Appraisal] to see its level, but without it I could only conclude it must be some sort of evolved version of the small worms. Perhaps it had been attracted towards us because of all the noise?


    I considered entering the tunnel after it, but if it was sensitive to noise, I reckon it woulde to me all the same, so I started to throw rocks down the tunnel, to create noise.


    If it was just as stupid as the other worms, it would turn around ande back.


    Typhon arrived beside me and I instructed him to create more noise as well and he quickly proceeded to copse one of the tunnels, creating a loud rumbling noise.


    I observed the worm''s heat trace moving through the ground as it swallowed everything in its path, but as soon as the ground began to rumble with vibrations, it changed directions to speed towards us once more.


    And soon, the ground burst apart as the worm''s armoured body appeared with the ground copsing around it.


    Typhon''s spikes immediately stretched forward to pierce it, leading it to fall into the same trap once again.

 Chapter 172 - Purple Rain

    The worm was pinned inside the tunnel with Typhon continuously using his earth spikes to pierce into its wounds to stop it from breaking free.


    But it wasn''t enough to hold it down for long.


    As soon as the giant worm realised it was trapped, it had begun to bash through the spike impaling its lower body with brute strength. Typhon extended more spikes in their ce, but under the creature''s fierce struggle, his spikes were being destroyed as soon as they came out.


    My instinct was to fire off poison des to keep its wounds open, but that would force it to escape underground.


    It wasn''t very smart, as it was focused on fending off the attacks that poked at its wounds instead of eating its way out of the tunnel wall. I could only imagine Typhon''s spikes made it unable to think properly.


    On closer inspection, I saw the wounds on the worm''s lower body had stopped bleeding and a part of the wound was already covered in pale grey tissue.


    In the short time it had escaped, it seemed to have begun to recover from such severe wounds!


    Its neck injury that was much worse was still far from closing, but the new skin that stretched over the smaller void cuts from the dark fae''s magic were very apparent. If it had perhaps a full day or two to rest, I could see its injuries disappearingpletely.


    The worm was just as strong as before, seemingly not slowed down by its injuries. And since it had managed to escape once before, I was determined not to let it go again until we rescued the dark fae.


    But to do so, I had to be more strategic, by first cutting off its chances to escape.


    The giant worm bashed through parts of the tunnel in retaliation, its body twisting violently in its rush to eat through the spikes restraining its body.


    I immediately instructed Typhon to grind the rocks around it to fine sand in order to coat the slippery mucus surrounding its body.


    Typhon looked confused, but he did as told and next I created enough shadows around myself before leaping into the tunnel to fight the worm.


    Inded on its back and targeted its head, my intention being to blind it with my shadows.


    Its severely urate senses were a bane to deal with, and as soon as I reached its head, I spread my shadows far and wide enough to cover the top of its gaping mouth.


    I reasoned its eyes had to be somewhere on top of its head, and as soon as my shadows spread out, the worm''s attacks slowed down, shaking its head in confusion.


    With a perfect chance to attack, I decided to use my newly made shadow de to finish it in one swoop. Although I was hesitant to use the unstable [Shadow de], it was the only thing strong enough to st through its armour.


    The shadows around me fluctuated in and out of stability, as I struggled to condense it into a proper shape. And I nearly fell off its body as the giant worm reared its head around, but it finally created a thin. pitch ck de.


    I immediately fired it towards its injured neck, eliciting a loud shriek as the de savagely tore through its armour.


    The parts that had regenerated were now hanging off by its skin, bleeding profusely in an injury far worse than before.


    But I was disappointed that it did not cleave its head clean and it seemed such a small de wasn''t very powerful.


    However, from the damage it had caused, I only needed one more to sever its headpletely.


    But instead of attacking blindly in its blood loss and pain, the worm showed a bit of smartness by throwing the full bulk of its body against the tunnel wall, bringing down an avnche of rocks over its head.


    I was unable to react to the sudden influx of rocks and was harshly knocked down its back tond on the ground where more rocks buried me.


    The impact caused me to lose a bit of HP, but I still had plenty of strength left to throw off the rocks that buried me. However, I realised toote that I was caught in the worm''s recovered sight.


    As its salivating maw surged forward with speed to swallow me whole, and I hastily readied another shadow de to sever its head, but Typhon was quicker as a massive spike skewered the creature''s head through its open mouth, stopping it in its tracks.


    The worm immediately shredded through the spike but the second of dy was enough for me to scramble out of its way.


    Ourbined attacks had made the creature all the more enraged, and with nothing more holding it back, the worm attempted to bring down the entire tunnel over us,shing out at everything in sight to bury us both.


    The effect of the sand was immediately noticeable as smaller rocks began to stick to it, covering its body and reducing its slippery mucus coating without the worm''s knowledge.


    It began to pursue us with its attention fixed on us as we led it through the sands of the teau.


    Without the ease of slipping over the rocks, its movements became slower, and we were able to bypass its attacks. And although its destructive power remained the same, the more it destroyed its surroundings, the more sand Typhon could create.


    In due time, its capability to move would be reduced to nothing, but until then we continued to keep it upied.


    I attacked it with poison des while Typhon used his spikes to try to hold it back, but without the aid of the tunnel that proved difficult.


    And when his spikes failed to pierce it, he switched to using his poison instead. And although his poison spheres weren''t as fully formed as mine, he aimed them at its wounds, slowing it down even further.


    Soon enough the worm''s purple coating had all but disappeared, as it became covered in smaller rocks and sand instead.


    It realised that it was cornered and tried to burrow underground, but it''s fluid movements over the rocks had slowed to a crawl, revealing its true colouring which was that of a dull grey.


    While it could consume the rocks like before, it was impossible to move freely through the rocks and we approached it eagerly to finish it off.


    Typhon formed spikes at both sides of its head to keep it still, while I prepared another [Shadow de] towards its head.


    The de soared ahead, cleaving its head clean off in a loud explosion that shattered the spikes holding it, raising up a cloud of sandy debris.


    We waited for the dust to settle, only for the worm''s tail spike to pierce through the dust cloud to strike at us, forcing us to leap back to evade it.


    Even with its headpletely blown off, it was still moving?!


    I should have guessed as much when the system did not ding, but what an annoying creature.


    Its tail spike continued to attack us with startling uracy whenever we came close, somehow able to tell where we were even without its eyes or ability to smell. Typhon suggested that I spread my shadows all around its body like I did with its head previously.


    And the moment I did, it was unable to detect us and I was able to approach its body without getting attacked. Typhon stayed behind, refusing to enter into my shadows.


    I was only aware they could take away the sight of opponents, but now it seemed it also included scents? Had that always been the case or was that because I levelled up my shadow magic?


    Either way I was amazed at the effect. It was far cooler than just in darkness!


    However, my joy quickly vanished at the sight of the worm''s severed neck.


    Considering it was still alive, perhaps I needed to destroy its heart to kill it and not its head. But from what I could see, its body was aplicatedwork of oddly shaped, elongated organs and I couldn''t begin to tell which of these was its heart, or even its stomach.


    At this rate, killing it or finding the dark fae would be utterly impossible and I worried I would have to mince through every segment of its body to finally defeat it.


    Still, I garnered my shadows once more andpressed the unstable energy to form a de like Sensei had shown me, firing it quickly before it blew up in my face.


    The dark de soared down the length of the worm, slicing through its thick armour asrge amounts of purple blood shot out of the wound.


    My de was not as powerful nor as clean as Sensei''s, but it was just as effective, and the worm''s guts spilled out over the ground as the system went off in a flurry of dings.


    ?You have killed LV32 Grazerimn!?


    ?You have earned 294XP?


    ?You have gained a level!?


    ?You have gained a level!?


    ?You have gained a level!?


    It was finally dead!

 Chapter 173 - Arsinoe

    Back in the cave, a certain snake with spade-like speckles was not in a good mood.


    Stuck in a hole in the ground, she paced around in annoyance, thinking about her current circumstance. Although her cell was deep and shaped like a cube with unnaturally smooth sides, such a depth did nothing to faze her.


    If she tried hard enough, she was confident she could climb out after a few attempts ¨C this was after all one of the shallow cells. They had passed several others on the way here, some so deep she could barely see their bottom. Compared to those, this cell was nothing.


    Still, she hesitated because Morgana had forbidden her from climbing out until her punishment time was up. If she tried to get out, the strict captain promised to throw her into one of the cells containing monster eggs.


    That threat, she took very seriously because she believed Morgana would absolutely do it.


    The spaded snake valued her life and did not want to be the first meal of whatever horrible monster hatched from them.


    However, the threat did not stop her from improving her defensive skills by repeatedly throwing herself against the wall of her cell. Her body throbbed with pain, but it was better than being idle.


    As she slipped down the umpteenth time, Artemis''s voice was heard.


    [How long will you keep this up? I need a quiet space to think.]


    He upied the cell next to hers and although she couldn''t see him, his voice was loud and clear. He hadn''t stoppedining since she started training and so she ignored him like she had done before.


    However, his next question struck a nerve, reminding her why she was so annoyed.


    [So, what did she name you?]


    At his words, she lost her grip and fell, startling Artemis.


    [What are you doing in there?] heined.


    [Training¡­] she hissed in reply.


    It hurt where shended, but the pain quickly grew numb and she couldn''t help bringing up her stats menu because it was just so addictive.


    ----------------


    Arsinoe [LV7 Neonate Cerastes]


    HP: 74/74Defence: 70


    MP: 59/59Intellect: 52


    SP: 76/76Magic: 58


    Attack: 71Agility: 77


    Skills:


    [Buoyancy:LV7] [Scent: LV4] [Grip: LV6]


    [Evasion: LV3] [Opalescent Scales: LV3]


    [Spherical Form: LV4] [Camouge: LV4]


    [Strength: LV4] [Rugged Scales: LV7]


    [Cooperation: LV4] [Steel Skin: LV4]


    [Silence: LV6] [Determination: LV5]


    [Rapid Strike: LV5] [Fortune: LV4]


    [Poison Fang: LV8] [Solidity: LV3]


    [Concentration: LV5] [Glide: LV6]


    [Floating Ribs: LV5] [Leap: LV6]


    [Stealth: LV8] [Persistent: LV4]


    [Heat Sense: LV6] [Bite: LV5]


    [Impact Enhancement: LV2]


    [Danger Perception: LV1]


    ---------------------------------


    Titles:


    [Pit Member] [Hero]


    Attribute:


    [Status Inspection]


    Resistances:


    [Pain Resistance: LV7]


    [Impact Resistance: LV7]


    [Shock Resistance: LV5]


    [Wind Resistance: LV4]


    [Mental Warfare: LV4]


    [Dark Resistance: LV2]


    ----------------


    Her [Pain Resistance] had gone up again.


    That made her pleased, but then she remembered the start menu was merely ''her'' tool. So she quickly closed it, but couldn''t resist calling it up once more to take another peek.


    Her [Rugged Scales], along with many other skills had gone up so quickly, and in a short time too.


    So this was what it meant to be named?


    She would have refused to use [Status Inspection], if it didn''t contain so many interesting things, and seeing the effect of her training so clearly made her more motivated, and partly annoyed because she wasn''t named sooner.


    Now she knew how Ghad and Cygnus had surpassed her so quickly.


    She let out a sigh and shook her head, determined to surpass those two soon. She nced at the wall Artemis was behind and looked away before giving him a reply. [Arsinoe.]


    The words of her name sounded strange to her and she wasn''t quite used to it yet.


    She would have felt better if Typhon was there to exin things to her, but not once did he look her way during the time she was named. He was also in support of her punishment and only briefly listened to her exnation before she was brought up to ''her''.


    Aside from Artemis, Ghad was the only one who truly supported her by asking Typhon for leniency, but instead he''d tossed her into the fire himself, his reasoning being that since ''she'' was their leader, and that her fate was up to her to decide.


    She''d always had mixed feelings about ''her''. First, she rescued her team making her feel a bit grateful, but Ghad told her she was very likely to be killed as punishment. And this made her feel wronged and afraid.


    On the tform she looked at the creature she had sworn to kill so many times in her head, since the very day she''d swooped in and stolen all of her friends, only for her bravery to leave her when she was rewarded with a name.


    She wasn''t expecting it at all, one second she was just waiting to die and the next moment she saw this strange wall of text.


    A strange voice briefly called out her name and she remembered thinking it sounded beautiful, right before the voice vanished. And without any exnation she and Apollo were rushed off to the side, as the captains began discussing other matters.


    She didn''t overhear any of their conversations, but they all looked so cheerful, making her extremely jealous.


    Thest time she saw Typhon was when Morgana was bringing her and Artemis away, and even then he didn''t pay any attention to her, and instead focused instead on the tiny, winged creature sitting on ''her'' head.


    It was then she realised she was never taken seriously by anyone there.


    It wasn''t so long ago that they all used to hunt together, but now Typhon and Ophelia whom she admired, and the Cygnus and Ghad who used to be herpanions, no longer cared for her as much anymore.


    Was it because she was weak?


    Afterwards she was thrown in her cell, and she hadn''t seen any of them since. Aside from Artemis who was stuck in the next cell, it was so quiet. It was only muchter that she was informed by one of her team members that Typhon had left the cave with ''her''.


    Ghad and Cygnus were always training, Ophelia was too busy to visit the cells since she was ced in charge and Morgana was busy with¡­something.


    To Arsinoe, her time in the cell was equivalent to torture.


    She''d never felt so ignored before!


    She hated to admit it, but she was no match for ''her'', neither could she match Typhon anymore. But this didn''t stop her from feeling hurt, as they had gone through so much in the beginning.


    When she was just a hatchling, she had seeded in climbing the wall.


    Then, there was no one in charge and they were all very hungry. So she left the cave to find something to eat, only to be attacked by a crawling creature with many legs.


    At the time, she had no idea what to do, and she would have died if not for Typhon who attacked the creature and saved her. And since then, she saw him as the only leader she would follow.


    Where was ''she'' when their cave was attacked by a fearsome winged monster? Or when one of the many legged creatures crawled in?


    They had almost died so many times and it was only through thebined efforts of Typhon and Ophelia that they were still alive. And yet, for them to give up their rightful ce seemedpletely insane to her.


    As her continuous effort gained her another level in [Rugged Scales], the status menu she stared at so gleefully, gradually became offensive to her.


    Suppressing her curiosity to see what else had improved, she closed it and began to pace around her cell.


    Now that she thought about it, when she was being named, it felt so casual. ''Her'' dark eyes only met hers briefly, giving Arsinoe the impression she was named as an afterthought.


    There was no gesture of approval, or even a nod from her, rather ''she'' looked utterly bored and seemed very keen to move on.


    After all the excitement created by the others when they got their names, her naming felt rathercklustre.


    Did she even care?


    The captains were too busy with their own agendas to celebrate, aside from Typhon who gave her a nod of approval, no one else cared. And this realisation made her angry - [Everything was so much simpler before ''she'' arrived.]


    [In order words, you want everything to be about you?] Artemis sarcastically added, and she nearly leapt in fright, realising she had spoken out loud.


    [It''s none of your concern.] She shot back.


    [It is my concern, if you''re going to speak like that.] Artemis replied.


    [You''re not a captain right now, I don''t have to listen to you.]


    [My punishment is only temporary.] Artemis casually replied. [Once this is over, I can put you right back in here, so you should be careful what you say to me.]


    [You-!] Arsinoe had reached her limit. Who did he think he was?


    She couldn''t stand his annoying voice any longer!


    And she couldn''t wait to get out!


    Once she did, her singr aim was to challenge him to a spar and beat him until he could no longer speak.

 Chapter 174 - Expensive Pact

    Arsinoe so desperately hoped to get a chance to beat the arrogance out of Artemis.


    However, since she couldn''t leave her cell, she could only settle the matter with words for now. But she pictured it repeatedly in her mind to keep her sane.


    [Let''s make a pact. If I win against you, you''ll hand over your title of [Captain] to me.]


    Artemis scoffed in ridicule. [Why would I do that? What do I gain from such a pact?]


    [You keep your pride as captain!] she smirked.


    Artemis unexpectedly burst intoughter. [Such a thing doesn''t matter to me. Win or lose I''ll still be the same. Come up with something better if you want to tempt me into your foolishness.]


    Arsinoe wrecked her brain to think of something to make himmit. But the only thing she could settle on was his dreadfully boring interest in nt matter. She then hesitated before speaking, wondering if she was making the right choice.


    [If you win...I will help you with¡­with your poisons!]


    [Oh?!] Artemis was interested in such a deal but that wasn''t enough to get him tomit to fight. [That is indeed tempting, but it doesn''tpare to being Captain.]


    He then paused to consider and spoke out his terms. [How about this. If I win, you''ll gather every nt I tell you to withoutining, no matter how far away I send you. You''ll also test them for me whenever I ask. Do you agree?]


    Arsinoe nearly choked on her venom. [Do you think I''m stupid?]


    That was ridiculous!


    How could he think of making her his personal errand girl and poison tester?


    Artemis chuckled. [I thought you were ready to take responsibility, it seems you aren''t willing to risk your life. Do you want to be [Captain] or not? An important pact demands an expensive price.]


    Arsinoe was stumped. How could she agree to such terms?


    But she wanted to beat Artemis and be a [Captain] so badly that his diabolic price didn''t seem to matter to her.


    She had gotten very strong at a fast rate while Artemis barely trained at all. She was sure she could beat him, but his confidence seemed to make her hesitate.


    However, before she could agree to it, a third voice interjected between them.


    [Why is it so lively down here?] Ghad spoke out loud with an innocent face. [I thought this was supposed to be a punishment.]


    He was perched on the division between their two cells, staring down at both of them with a malicious smirk, alongside Hestia who was in her water-snake form.


    The two locked snakes were so engrossed in their conversation, they hadn''t noticed him until he spoke.


    [What are you doing here?] Artemis grumbled in annoyance as a third creature poked its head out from above to look at them.


    Arsinoe realised it was the creature Ghad had rescued, but it looked noticeably bigger than before, its colourful feathers more robust and fluffy like an overstuffed chick.


    But why did it seem to be looking down on her?


    It wasn''t nearly as big as the two snakes, but she noticed its beady eyes had an arrogant look that rivalled even Ghad''s.


    What exactly was he teaching it?


    [I came here to visit this one.] Ghad gestured to the rude bird. [What are you discussing?]


    [Nothing¡­it''s just her being jealous.] Artemis replied.


    [I''m not jealous.] Arsinoe snapped.


    Ghadughed. [Jealous of whom?]


    [I said I''m not jealous!] Arsinoe repeated.


    But Artemis spoke over her. [She''s jealous of Typhon.]


    Huh?


    She expected Artemis to say she was jealous of him but instead he brought up Typhon? It was unexpected, andpletely false.


    Why would she be jealous of him?


    But then she saw something strange sh across Ghad''s eyes and before she couldment, heughed it off like nothing was wrong.


    [Aren''t we all? Remember that ce we aren''t supposed to get close to? That''s where ''she'' took him to train.]


    [What? But it''s dangerous!] Arsinoe eximed. She couldn''t believe it. Typhon himself had told her how dangerous that ce was.


    Ghad scoffed. [if she''s with him, how dangerous could it be.]


    [Have you ever seen that ce?] Artemis asked, more curious than worried.


    Ghad shook his head. [I haven''t, but Hestia has. She told me it''s very dangerous.]


    Arsinoe nced at the water snake beside him, who had curled up to sleep. She couldn''t believe they were so casual about it. [How can she take him there? What if he gets hurt?]


    Ghadughed at her concern, but Artemis was calm and thoughtful. [''She'' must be testing him. Maybe she thinks he can handle it.]


    Who cares what ''she'' was thinking. She was more concerned with Typhon''s return.


    Why weren''t they worried at all? She could have lured him there to kill him!


    She wanted to ask Hestia for details, but the voices of more snakesing underground interrupted them.


    She recognised Europa''s voice and that of Lyra, and also the two snakes from her team.


    Soon enough, the heads of the four curious snakes appeared over her cell, making her feel extremely embarrassed.


    But Ghadined before she could. [Why is everyone here?]


    In addition to Lyra and Ghad, her entire team was now assembled, and Europa and the two snakes surrounded her cell, cheerily chatting away.


    [We came to find you because it''s boring!] One snake said.


    [When will youe back up?] Another added.


    [You look terrible. Want me to [Heal] you?] Europa asked.


    Eh?


    It seemed they hade to visit her.


    [N-No¡­I''m fine.] she replied nervously.


    [Are you sure? Lyra and I learnt something new?] Europa said, and Lyra who was beside him nodded eagerly.


    Why were they so concerned? She wasn''t used to this kind of behaviour.


    Ghad observed their interaction before whispering loudly to Artemis. [Careful, I think they see her more as their captain than you. Your position is being threatened.]


    [Huh?] Artemis seemed more confused than bothered. [That''s not possible, I''m the best captain.]


    At his words, Europa looked away nervously and the two snakes beside him did the same. It seemed they didn''t want to give him the wrong idea so they swiftly changed the subject.


    [You were so brave!] One of the snakes gushed at Arsinoe.


    [And strong too] Another added, not sparing Artemis''s feelings at all. [We want to go hunting again with her.]


    [With Artemis too.] Europa nervously added. [He is the captain.]


    Arsinoe couldn''t believe it. Did her team members really prefer her over their captain?


    She thought of teasing Artemis but then she remembered their pact ¨C she had to win first! But their reactions were very promising. Artemis on the other hand, didn''t seem to care at all.


    Ghad brushed off their fawning to address his sole team member. [Why are you here? Aren''t you needed up there?]


    Lyra looked away, seemingly nervous. [It''s getting too stressful to practice. Europa and I just want some quiet.]


    Europa also reacted strangely to his questions. [I''m too tired. I don''t want to [Heal] anyone anymore.]


    Arsinoe''s attention was fixed on the two healers. It seemed like they hade down here to hide!


    She was so bored down there, hearing about their exploits seemed far more interesting.


    [What''s wrong, did something happen?]


    Lyra was about to answer, but Ghad interrupted her. [They are under punishment, telling them what happened will only be a burden.]


    [No it won''t!] Arsinoe shouted in dismay. She was so thirsty for excitement that any news would suffice, even listening to Lyra and Europa prattle on about healing the injured.


    Wait¡­injured? Don''t tell me.


    [Did Typhon return hurt?] she asked, but she only got looks of confusion back.


    [No¡­We haven''t seen him.] Europa answered after a pause.


    Ghad smirked as he looked at her but did not exin. Instead he spoke to Artemis.


    [Morgana has increased training times and removed all breaks. Because of her there''s been more injuries which is why we need both Lyra and Europa to keep working.]


    What? It sounded quite serious.


    [Why would she do that?] Artemis asked, mildly annoyed. [Where is Ophelia? Why didn''t she stop her?]


    [Ophelia won''t speak to me.] Ghad replied. [She left Morgana in charge because she''s angry.]


    [That doesn''t sound like her.] Artemis grumbled, but the faces of the two overworked healer snakes told him otherwise. He knew they wouldn''t lie.


    [Let me out of here. I will speak to Ophelia and make her stop Morgana.]


    Ghad agreed.


    But just then, they heard Morgana''s voice.


    [Stop who?]


    Her question startled everyone, and Arsinoe as well as every snake present immediately fell silent. She hade into their gathering quietly, her keen eyes regarding everyone with contempt.


    [Don''t go quiet now. You were saying something about stopping someone?]


    Arsinoe''s team members fidgeted in fear, quickly bidding her goodbye with various excuses and slithered past Morgana with their heads down.


    As mere underlings, they were not worthy of her attention.


    But when Lyra and Europa tried to leave, she ordered them to stay put.


    [So this is where you were. Do you have any idea how many injured need your attention?] Her gaze turned to Ghad. [You should be helping Cygnus train them, instead of hiding here. You''re setting a bad example as a captain.]


    She sounded angry and Arsinoe was able to glimpse her as she came near. But instead of saying hello, Morgana red at her and Artemis like they were beneath her.


    [Ophelia doesn''t need to listen to the words of two troublemakers.] Morgana sneered at them with a dismissive look and Arsinoe could feel her anger rising.


    Why was everyone out to annoy her today?

 Chapter 175 - Ophelias Herald

    [What''s going on here?] They heard a quiet, soft voice behind Morgana''s that made her perk up.


    It sounded a little hoarse but Arsinoe definitely recognised it as hers.


    What was she doing down here?


    Ophelia looked at Ghad and the healer snakes before turning to Morgana.


    [Ophelia!] Arsinoe called out her name, but Morgana shifted to block her view so she could not see the pale snake however much she tried.


    She strained herself to try and look out of her cell, but the walls were too high. When it didn''t work she called out to her again. She felt like it had been too long since they had a proper conversation.


    But it became apparent Ophelia was not there for them. She heard her call and briefly peered into her cell, seeing her for a moment before moving away. Her greeting was also brief, and she looked distracted, which left Arsinoe feeling devastated.


    Like Ghad had said, she really did not seem to be in a good mood.


    Morgana smirked at her devastated face, looking every bit more superior, like she was in control of Ophelia and this made Arsinoe smoulder with rage. Morgana wasn''t the best person to be around, especially now that Ophelia seemed really fragile. She didn''t want Morgana filling her head with her thoughts and schemes.


    When she got a reaction, Morgana turned away from her with a bored look, instructing the two healers to follow her back.


    Although they were reluctant, they couldn''t disobey her and soon they all moved away from the cells and Arsinoe was left struggling alone with her thoughts.


    She could hear Morgana speaking to Ophelia, but they were too far away for her toprehend what was going on.


    She wished she wasn''t stuck inside a cell! Compared to Morgana she should''ve been the one by Ophelia''s side. But there was another person here who Ophelia would listen to.


    [What are you waiting for?] She screamed at Artemis. [You''re a captain, stop her!]


    But Artemis calmly refused her. [Ophelia knows what she wants. I can only tell her my thoughts, I can''t make decisions for her.]


    [But-] Arsinoe paused and strained herself to hear.


    There was a lot of discussion between Ophelia and Morgana about creatures outside of the cave and she climbed up her cell wall, trying to get out quickly and follow them.


    At the top, she glimpsed Ghad who was still close to her cell. He woke up the sleeping Hestia, along with the bird and the three were about to leave, when Arsinoe hissed at them.


    [What is going on? Why is she so upset?]


    Ghad saw her straining to climb out and slithered over to whisper. [She''s in a terrible mood because ''she'' left her behind. Ophelia thinks it''s because she''s too weak.]


    [You shouldn''t speak about things you know nothing about.] Morgana''s irritated voice echoed through the cells, causing Ghad to shrink back in fear. He''d said it in a low whisper, but somehow she was still able to hear him.


    Arsinoe reached the top, just as Morgana appeared over her cell.


    With a quick flick of her body, Arsinoe was smacked back into her cell once, screaming loudly as she fell back down.


    [Ophelia wasn''t left behind, she was left in charge.] Morgana told Ghad off. [There are many important things to do here that require more effort than whatever Typhon is doing outside, so I wouldn''t phrase it like that.]


    At the bottom of her cell, Arsinoe gritted her teeth, her body throbbing with pain.


    It sounded like she was praising Ophelia, but why did her choice of words seem like she was trying to pit her against Typhon.


    Arsinoe hated what she was implying.


    Morgana was such a careful schemer, she was clearly trying to make Ophelia turn against Typhon!


    There was no need topare because they were both dependable and if Ophelia had been listening to her the whole time, it wasn''t a surprise she was feeling terrible.


    [I don''t believe it either.] Ghad innocently replied. [But she asked so I was just exining.]


    [Fight me! Morgana!] she yelled out from her cell.


    Morgana turned around to watch her, her eyes simmering with glee.


    [That would be a waste. You''re not much of a challenge, Spade.]


    [It''s Arsinoe!] she snapped, but Morgana only smiled before moving away.


    She waited for a while, listening for any sounds until she was sure Morgana had gone away before attempting to climb out. If Artemis wasn''t going to do anything, then it was up to her to try.


    But as she did, she saw the view of the underground chamber had changed much since she was ced in her cell.


    There were rows upon rows of hard shelled eggs arranged all through the underground chamber. Alongside her and Artemis''s cells, there were countless more that had been created, and there were nestlings working together, led by Morgana to push two eggs into each cell.


    The eggs had tough shells that resembled rocks, and they didn''t shatter even after being thrown from the height of a cell. She could only imagine how powerful the creatures inside had to be to break out when they hatched.


    Morgana had instructed Lyra and Europa to use their healing abilities to check on the life inside each egg, and as they did so, those that were deemed unhealthy or small were taken away to somewhere unknown.


    It was overwhelming to witness and she didn''t know where to start.


    She peeked over at Artemis in his cell and saw he was pacing around inside.


    If he could see this, what would he think?


    However, Arsinoe didn''t want him to know she was out so she left the area without a word. Not far ahead, she saw Ghad observing the process alongside Hestia who kept changing forms from that of a snake to that of an egg, seemingly fascinated with them.


    Arsinoe immediately rushed over to them.


    [You''re not supposed toe out.] Ghad said on seeing her, but she pleaded with him to be quiet. Many cells ahead were the retreating figures of Ophelia and Morgana, and Arsinoe hid behind the array of eggs to follow them, eager to hear what she was saying.


    Ghad joined her, ying along like a game with Hestia following behind, unsessfully disguised as a water shaped egg.


    [Do you think they will hatch safely?] she heard Morgana say.


    [They should, but I suggest filling each cell with materials to keep them warm.] Ophelia replied, but Morgana quickly noticed she was distracted.


    [Stop brooding about what Ghad said.] Morgana scolded her. [Rather, you should try to figure out a way to improve your strength. If ''she'' took Typhon along because he''s big and strong, you should get big and strong too.]


    [I know that. And I''m not brooding.] Ophelia added.


    Morgana sighed. [You''re in charge now. You can organise the teams and go hunting again. Why wait?]


    Arsinoe could see Ophelia was beginning to consider it. And not long ago, she would''ve been all for it too, but after herst hunt and having everything that could possibly go wrong happen ¨C she had learnt not to be so spontaneous.


    [Don''t listen to her, it''s too risky!] Arsinoe revealed herself as she rushed to Ophelia.


    Morgana hissed at her. [What are you doing out of your cell?!]


    [I''m still underground, so I haven''t really broken any rules.] Arsinoe replied, but when Morgana stalked forward to send her back, it was Ghad that came to her rescue.


    [I asked her toe out.] he quietly added.


    [You''re lying.] Morgana said.


    However Ophelia silenced them both before turning to Arsinoe. [Why do you say it''s too risky? Cygnus was attacked by a group of creatures while scouting, he barely managed to escape. They live too close to us forfort, it''s only right that we take them out before they threaten us.]


    Arsinoe, being so out of the loop, had no idea what was going on.


    Ophelia didn''t seem angry at all, rather she had a determined look in her eyes that proved she was only defending Cygnus, contrary to what Morgana was saying.


    She thought Morgana was trying to pit her against Typhon, but now she didn''t know what to say.


    [W-Well you''ll need us with you.] she stuttered. [You shouldn''t do it alone even if you are in charge, it''s dangerous.]


    [Of course she needs a team.] Morgana interrupted her to speak. [That''s why I came down here to see if things were finished.]


    Her reasoning was sound and Arsinoe couldn''t think of anything to counter her, rather she began to feel excited just hearing about it ¨C she wanted to join!


    Ghad and Hestia volunteered toe, and Lyra and Europa were automatically enlisted because there were healers. However when she volunteered, Morgana immediately refused.


    [Why not?] Arsinoe asked.


    [You are under punishment, don''t you remember? Your cell is where you belong.] Morgana nonchntly replied. [And as much as I hate to say it ¨C we need to bring Artemis.]


    [Artemis? You want Artemis but not me?] It wasplete madness!


    [We need a n for attack.] Morgana replied and looked at her derisively. [We don''t need careless people.]


    Arsinoe couldn''t believe what she was hearing. Artemis was weakpared to her!


    However, her look of confusion did not stop the entire group shuffling over to Artemis''s cell, with Ghad purposely humming as he passed her.


    This was just too unreasonable!


    When she returned to her cell, she saw Artemis discussing a n of action with the others. He suggested they leave Lyra behind because she would hinder them more than she could help in battle and the others nodded along in agreement.


    Arsinoe never thought she''d see the day when Artemis would be more useful than her, and she could only swallow her anger and watch from the side as Artemis got all the praise.

 Chapter 176 - Dissolved Fae?

    I had levelled up a few times, but I wasn''t really concerned about that right now.


    I immediately delved into the gigantic worm''s spilled guts, searching through them with [Heat Sense] to find the dark fae. It had taken so long to kill the creature that I could only hope she wasn''t dissolved in its stomach acid by now.


    Typhon joined me to search, but the stench of its body was so foul, he nearly gagged.


    The giant worm''s body was a mess of oddly shaped, spilled organs, filled with rocks of all kinds, and other organic matter. There were even sparkling metals and colourful gems sprinkled amongst its guts.


    Considering it ate rocks constantly, and the nasty stench it gave off, precious metals were perhaps the least horrible things I would find, and I had to resist the overwhelming urge to give up the search and run away.


    But then I remembered the moment its stomach had seemed to travel from its neck, all the way down to its lower body, so I shifted my attention to focus my search on its extremities.


    "What kind of nasty creature is this?" Iined to Sensei. "Itsposition is so weird. How can organs move around inside one body?"


    Sensei hesitated, seemingly pondering over what to say, before finally chuckling. ?I hate to be the one to break the bad news, but your serpentine form follows the same principle as this worm.?


    "What?!"


    I stopped searching in horror.


    NO WAY!


    ?I challenge you to pinpoint your heart.? Sensei continued. ?I''m confident you won''t find it where you expect.?


    My thoughts immediately filled with panic.


    My heart?


    Where was it?


    I refused to believe I was anything like this worm.


    That would just be...very ufortable.


    I considered doing what Sensei said but after thinking it over, I started to feel silly. He probably said that to call me heartless in a roundabout way, and so I brushed him off and continued to search.


    I wasn''t in denial, there was simply no way his statement was true.


    Soon enough, I picked up the heat traces of some oddly shaped spheres scattered within a fleshy sac inside the worm''s body and I was curious to know what they were.


    But after fishing them out I realised they were a cluster of the worm''s eggs. Typhon came over to look at them, and I felt slightly regretful, realising I had killed it before it got toy them.


    I put them aside for now, to continue my search, and in the end I found arge rubbery parcel that could only be its stomach, containing all sorts of precious metals and stones among other things.


    I sliced open the parcel only for numerous coloured stones to spill out, the parcel akin to a treasure chest with so many jewels that it took a long time to sort through them all. And in the midst of them was a tiny heat trace belonging to the dark fae and I was ted to see she was still alive.


    She was unconscious, her legs slightly marred with bruises where the metals had knocked against her skin, and half of her leafy dress had already melted off. Her pale pink hair was wet and limp, and her tiny horns seemed to have skewered some of the smaller metal fragments and now they glittered heavily like bling.


    But to my relief she was still breathing.


    Her grey skin was a little too pale forfort but fortunately, she didn''t seem to have any heavy injuries. I nudged her with the tip of my wing, hoping to wake her up, but when she didn''t react I began to panic.


    However, when I tried to withdraw my wings, two tiny arms reached out to grab them, her translucent wings twitching as she rolled over to lie on my wings like they were a nket. And as soon as she wasfortable, I heard her deep breathing.


    I blinked in disbelief.


    This brat was just sleeping through everything?!


    What a waste of my concern!


    I pulled my wing away from her, causing her to roll over onto the pile of jewels and she woke up with a start, sitting up to rub her eyes, before staring confusingly at her surroundings.


    [Where am I?] she sleepily murmured.


    [Hell.] I smirked in reply, but she only blinked in confusion.


    I instructed Typhon to stop searching, and he came over to meet us. But the dark fae was still too groggy toprehend her current state, so I shielded her body on her behalf.


    I had to wonder if modesty was a concept to snakes, but Typhon only tilted his head at me in confusion, before moving away to look at the worm''s eggs.


    ?She''s just a child.? Sensei deadpanned. ?And so is he.?


    "Before you say anything more, she''s eighty, that makes her an adult. You shouldn''t look either¨C"


    It was then that the dark fae screamed. [What happened to my leaves! Why do I smell so bad?]


    Standing on the pile of jewels, her face was filled with terror as she took in all the devastation around her, and soon enough she noticed the worm''s massive corpse which made her jump up in fright.


    To get away from it she tried to fly away, but her wings were still too wet, so she settled for running behind me to hide.


    [It''s dead, you know.] I reminded her, but she cowered behind my wing, refusing toe out.


    [It''s too scary!] She sobbed. [I''m noting out!]


    I sighed in disbelief. [Don''t you remember what happened? You got swallowed by that monster, we had to rescue you. But it''s harmless now.]


    [Really?] Her tear filled face poked out from under my wings. [But my leaves¡­]


    I suppose that was still a problem.


    [Can''t you make it again?] I asked. Wasn''t that how she came to possess clothes in the first ce?


    But the dark fae shook her head. [The tree spirits helped me make it. And it was my favourite one too!]


    So she was not just a freeloader, but she was fully adopted by the spirits?


    [You have to take me back.] The dark fae pleaded. [I can''t fly like this.]


    Hell no!


    I nned to return to the cave eventually, but visiting the nymph''s forest again was not in my schedule anytime soon.


    [Can''t you just...you know, make them with your magic?]


    She sniffled, her eyes bubbling with tears. [I don''t know how.]


    The dark fae continued to sob. It seemed I had upset her.


    But I had no idea how to fix the problem, so I spread some of my shadows to cover her for the time being. It was only then that she stopped crying.


    I was relieved when she shook off the slime from her damp wings and flew over to my head in a truly wretched state.


    [Can we go back now?] she asked pleadingly.


    I wanted to say yes, but there were still a few things I needed to take care of here.


    Between the metals and jewels, the worm''s corpse and the eggs, there were too many things I needed to collect, which was now impossible without [Dimensional Box].


    Such arge creature had died, and I was sure its body was going to attract other predators. And while I wasn''t interested in its foul tasting meat, the gems, and precious metals it contained were another matter.


    I considered leaving its corpse behind since the inedible metals would be left alone anyway, but Sensei stopped me.


    ?These worms are normally very solitary once fully grown, because their slime wards off other creatures of its kind. While you can find the smaller ones in groups, it''s very rare to find one this big.?


    "Really?"


    Sensei continued to exin. ?Once they mature their blood changes to contain a powerful repellent against monsters. They detest its smell, and they refuse to eat its meat. Some will even go out of their way to avoid it, even when it''s weaker than them.?


    That would exin why its scent felt so repulsive to me, but I wondered if this stinky quality was something I could make use of.


    I looked over to see what Typhon was doing and saw him staring at the worm''s eggs. If he was interested in them, perhaps they were worth taking back to the cave.


    I called him over to assist me, and together we pulled the worm''s corpse into one of the mucus covered tunnels to hide it.


    Considering how foul it smelled and how repulsive its meat was, I didn''t think there would be any creature that would be lured intoing here for a while.


    But to be on the safe side, I instructed Typhon to copse the tunnel to conceal the body underground, where it would stay until I coulde back for my spoils.


    Then we began our climb down from the teau to return to the cave. Typhon had been obedient throughout and I wondered if he still wished to challenge me.


    My n to scare him had backfired, and made him stronger instead, but I wonder just how much he had improved from the fight.


    Since I levelled up three times, I knew he had done so too but unfortunately, I couldn''t appraise him so I let it be.


    Strangely enough he seemed rather pleased as we went through the cliffside tunnel.


    However, on entering the cave, the scene of turmoil before us, left us both shocked.


    The cave was inplete disarray, in the aftermath of what looked like an attack.

 Chapter 177 - The Effect Of Cure

    Typhon shifted the rocks to hide the entrance of the cliff tunnel, and we stared at the empty lower level in shock.


    The underground area was littered with the broken debris, an obvious sign that something had attacked it, but there was no creature in sight, nor were there any trace of my nestlings, and rm bells started ringing in my head.


    Continuing down the passage would lead us below to the prison cells, but the damage seemed to be centered here and did not reach that area. So I decided to head up, instructing Typhon to watch my back, activating [Stealth] as we moved from the lower level, towards the main cave.


    If we were under attack, I wanted to safeguard my nestlings first so I shook off the sinking feeling in my gut and continued to move, but we didn''t encounter anything which made the situation even more strange.


    [What happened?] The dark fae buzzed before my eyes to ask, but I ignored her to look around.


    Following the signs of damage, we passed some of the carved walls that were now chipped and the ground that had numerous holes. But just as we passed the base of the slope and entered the upper level, we found the lifeless body of a monster.


    At the sight of the creature, the dark fae flew back to hide behind my horns, shivering in fear.


    The creature was pale yellow in colour and shaped like a scorpion, its ribbed back poised to strike. But its tail was missing from its body in a grisly wound from a vicious bite.


    Its tail was half embedded in the wall, not far away from the body, and I could guess what had happened.


    It must have tried to sting something, but in the narrow space its singer had struck the wall instead, leading it to take some serious damage. Furthermore, it was not the only corpse in the confined space.


    Seven of these creatures seemed to have been lured down here in what looked like an ambush, since these scorpion creatures were slightlyrger than my nestlings in their coiled form. And I had to wonder if they were brought here deliberately to take advantage of the size difference.


    Typhon seemed to be thinking the same thing as we passed by the corpses. To us the scorpion creatures were small, but to my nestling I couldn''t imagine how terrifying they had seemed to resort to such tactics.


    Surprisingly, aside from that area there was no more damage to the outside walls, anding up from below, we were pleased to see the main cave was in pristine condition and filled with the hisses of my nestlings.


    However, their victory was not without cost.


    The cave was inplete disarray, with injured frantic snakes crying out for help. And the other noticeable thing was the crater in the ground and the entrance to the cave that seemed to have been blown open by a creature, allowing far more cloudy mist to enter inside.


    There were even more corpses of scorpion creaturesying around, but my attention was fixed on the crater at the bottom of the entrance, where arge beasty unconscious, probably dead.


    It was a snow white ape creature with a red face, and its body was riddled with numerous bite marks. It seemed to have been killed very quickly because none of the wounds had stayed long enough for their poison to fester.


    The cave was now filled with noise so it took a while for the injured nestlings to notice us, but when they did, I began to notice some of my Captains among the crowd.


    There were clear signs of relief on the faces of my nestlings, but most of them bore nasty scrapes and bruises. Some had been stung by the scorpion creatures and othersy unconscious and paralysed.


    Rather than start questioning them, I was more concerned with assessing the damage the breach had caused.


    I instructed Typhon to secure the cave entrance first, to make sure there were no more monsters, or any other opportunistic predators that decided to take advantage of our mishap.


    He returned quickly to inform me there were no more monsters around and it should be safe...for now at least. And he had also managed to gather some rocks and move them around to seal the opening shut.


    I did a quick count of all the monsters, and in total there were fifteen scorpion creatures and one ape.


    Then I did a headcount of all my nestlings, first checking to see if any of them was severely injured or dead. Some of them had terrible wounds, but luckily I detected heat traces from all of them.


    It seemed some had already been restored and I noticed Europa navigating through all the injured as he used his [Heal] skill.


    Lyra, on the other hand, was wise enough to wait on the side. I couldn''t imagine the toll it would take to restore every injury around her at once, and I was d she had not attempted to use [Cure] in her concern to help them all.


    What exactly happened in my absence?


    It was clear they had been attacked, but why now out of the blue?


    I looked around to see three of my captains were present, but not Ophelia and Morgana.


    Wait, did something happen to them?


    Typhon couldn''t stay silent any longer and gathered all the Captains to drill them about the attack. I saw Ghad and Artemis cower away from him, while Cygnus looked away with guilt.


    They revealed Ophelia was in one of the rooms with Morgana, but even then, Typhon wasn''t satisfied and continued to berate them.


    He clearly wanted an exnation for all this, and I did too, but for now I was more focused on keeping everyone alive.


    I instructed all my Captains to gather the injured from all areas of the cave, and the silly fae also assisted to bring some of the snakes towards me, forgetting about her own injuries.


    When all of them were gathered, they were arranged in a circle around Lyra, with those that had the severe injuries being the closest and those with fewer injuries the farthest.


    It ended up with all the unconscious nestlings being ced closest to Lyra and I instructed the dark fae to join the gathered snakes.


    I wasn''t exactly sure howrge the range of Lyra''s [Cure] had be, or how much her proximity tied into its effectiveness, but this would serve as a good test.


    But first, I had to relieve the worst of the wounds.


    "Potions aren''t restricted, right?" I asked Sensei.


    ?You can still ess the system store as normal.? He replied.


    I immediately purchased five bottles of [Healing Potion], administering them to the injured nestlings that were still conscious, before instructing Europa to [Heal] those that were unconscious as well as other surface injuries, until he ran out of stamina and could no longer continue.


    My aim was to reduce the burden on Lyra as much as possible, and as soon as we were finished, it was Lyra''s turn. But before she started, I made sure everyone without a significant injury, including myself, had retreated to the far end of the cave.


    Soon, a golden light swept out in a circle to cover all the snakes around her and also much of the cave''s ground, stopping just short of a few pirs.


    It wasn''t wide enough to reach the end of the cave, but its range was already astonishing enough for such a tiny snake. We were truly witnessing her abilities in action for the first time and it was an amazing sight to witness.


    Unfortunately, the effect didn''tst long.


    The golden light retreated back into her body and Lyra copsed in the middle of the snakes.


    I quickly rushed there to check on her, with a frantic Europa not far behind. Although his stamina was exhausted, he still used his [Heal] to try and rece what she had lost. But Lyra was only passed out from exhaustion so I stopped him before he also fell unconscious.


    With both snakes exhausted, I instructed that they be left alone to recover their depleted health. As for the snakes Lyra used [Cure] on, I checked them to see how well it had performed.


    The snakes that were injured the least were nowpletely free of injuries. The dark fae being part of this group, happily buzzing around my head.


    [I feel so good! Look! Look! My legs don''t hurt anymore!]


    I took a look and just like she said, all of the scrapes on her legs were gone.


    Unlike when Europa used [Heal] there were no scars left behind and her skin seemed just like new. It was truly astonishing.


    [I am a bit hungry, though.] The dark fae hummed.


    Like her, the nestlings with smaller injuries were able to move around like they''d never been harmed, but for the ones with more severe injuries, although their wounds had closed, some were yet to awaken.


    But of those that did, some still reported feelings of difort, but at least their injuries were no longer life threatening.


    Seeing the differences between each case made me realise that proximity didn''t matter.


    Sure, she healed only those within the range of cure but they all seemed to have been evenly restored, ording to the time Lyra''s [Cure] had remained active.


    The reason why severe injuries that required more time to restore were still there, while the smaller wounds hadpletely disappeared leaving no marks seemed almost like time had been reversed.

 Chapter 178 - Porcelain

    [Why are you staring at me?] The dark fae tilted her head to ask.


    [No reason, let me know if you feel any more pain.]


    The dark fae nodded before zipping away to Typhon, and I stared around at the gathered snakes as more were getting up after their injuries had been healed.


    It was simply astonishing to watch those that had been hurt not long ago, moving around again.


    As for the few who remained unconscious, I instructed them to be moved somewhere morefortable.


    The worst of their injuries had gone, and I was sure they would wake up soon enough after their HP and SP recovered.


    As for the healers, Europa was coiled around Lyra in a protective circle, but he had since fallen asleep and now the two were nestled together, their spotted patterns indistinguishable from each other as they slept.


    I drew closer to examine them, but their steady breathing told me they were just exhausted and would recover soon.


    I was extremely pleased with their efforts, so I asked the rest of the nestlings to leave them undisturbed.


    While the nestlings regrouped, Typhon interrogated all the captains to find out what happened.


    From the looks of their faces, there didn''t seem to be much good news, and as they went away, I grew even more anxious of the absence of Ophelia. It was unusual of her not toe out and greet me first.


    Typhon came up to me, but instead of telling me what was wrong, he led me down to one of the rooms below.


    Inside, the captains were observing something with awe.


    There were some bloodstains on the floor and when I looked around, I found Morgana.


    She was wounded and bleeding, but she didn''t seek treatment, instead she stared proudly at something white and fuzzy in the middle of the ground.


    I approached it, but I wasn''t exactly sure what I was looking at.


    The creature was asrge as Typhon, strikingly beautiful with an elongated body that coiled around like a snake.


    However what confused me the most were therge plumes of feathery wings rising from the creature.


    They sprouted along its back, sweeping the ground with their long feathers, causing a light breeze.


    Through their gaps, I glimpsed two pairs of white horns, before the wings swept over the creature''s serpentine body to hide it from view ¨C as if it were an involuntary reaction to my presence.


    There seemed to be more than one pair of wings across its long body. Somerge, and others small, but they all seemed to work in sync, as they moved in tandem to shield the creature whenever anyone got close.


    I counted at least three pairs, all pearly white in colour, along with the bright iridescent shimmer that made its scales almost glow.


    I could already guess who that was and Morgana''s proud and blissful expression as she watched the creature confirmed my guess..


    It seemed Ophelia had evolved.


    She still seemed to be unconscious and I didn''t want her evolution process to be interrupted. So I quietly backed away, which led to Ophelia''s unsettled wings to calm down as well.


    I sighed. Was I pleased?


    Was I pleased?


    Of course!


    But I wasn''t happy with my nestlings'' careless actions.


    It urred to me that she was upset with me for only taking Typhon along, but I did not expect her to go out of her way to expedite her own evolution.


    It was pretty, and she radiated a strong aura, but her evolution was one that would have happened regardless. But now that it did at the expense of the other nestlings, I had to say I was disappointed with her.


    Morgana was clearly injured, and when she came forward to speak, Typhon red at her in anger. For whatever reason he was not pleased with her and when I asked him why, he responded with a single word.


    [Reckless.]


    His sharp hiss made Morgana draw back in fear and while I agreed with him, I didn''t have all the details of what had happened yet, so I left Ophelia to recover on her own, instructing Morgana to go and get some rest, after feeding her a [Healing Potion].


    We made our way back up to the injured snakes, where the corpses of all the dead scorpion creatures were being gathered to use as food. I knew Ophelia would be ravenous when she woke up, so I kept the body of the huge ape aside for her to consume.


    All the other corpses were taken away and the injured nestlings were ced in empty spots to rest. As for the crater at the entrance, it would have to wait until I get my [Dimensional Box] back before I could fill it with debris.


    Soon the order in the cave returned to normal, and I called for every captain to gather before me.


    Artemis looked like he really wanted to exin what happened, so I called the dark fae over to listen in and ry their words.


    ording to him, it all started when Cygnus went out scouting for prey. He stumbled upon a group of seven scorpion creatures in the forest and they surrounded him to attack.


    Being equally quick on their feet, he couldn''t properly outrun them and there were too many to fight off, so he managed to lure them far away and it was only due to his speed that he managed to escape.


    But unfortunately, they proved persistent and tracked his scent which made them learn the location of their cave.


    The group attacked shortly after and every nestling had to rally around and defeat them in the underground tunnel where there wasn''t much freedom of movement.


    But due to how easily they found their cave, Ophelia feared a second attack, and so she followed Cygnus out to where he originally spotted the creatures, and then traced their scent back to find their den.


    It turned out they lived very close to their cave and Ophelia decided to observe them for a while.


    And while she waited, she saw several more groups leave the den to hunt and more returning with prey. Which made her realise, the absence of the ones they had killed would be noticed sooner orter.


    She feared another group would be sent after them, or that the entire colony would storm their cave to find out what had happened. So she organised the nestling into teams to attack each group as they left the den, hoping to eradicate their numbers.


    And they were greatly sessful at first.


    While Ophelia uses herpulsion to cause confusion, sometimes killing them within their teams, and other times forcing them to flee separately. Artemis arranged for those that survived to be lured into an ambush, where they were picked off one by one.


    Because of their superb sense of smell, each snake was instructed to disguise their scent either with dirt or water so that the kills would not be traced back to the cave, and so far everything went ording to n.


    They were able to kill many groups of the creatures, and were disguising their scent in theke in order to return to the cave, when they stumbled into an evenrger version of the scorpion creature, four times as big, with a pitch ck stinger coated in deadly poison.


    The snakes fought fiercely, but they couldn''t ovee it even with their numbers, because it had the other smaller scorpions support as well. They tried to retreat, but they feared they would be followed, so Ophelia and Morgana chose to dy it, while the other teams fled.


    In the end Morgana had been stung by one of the smaller scorpions, but Ophelia was able to deal enough damage to therge one, to make it stop chasing them, and only then were they able to retreat.


    But unbeknownst to them, their battle had been witnessed by arge ape creature up in the trees, and it followed them back, before storming their cave.


    It sted through the entrance, and wreaked havoc by throwing rocks, injuring many snakes in the process.


    To stop it, Ophelia had to use herpulsion repeatedly, slowing down its attacks before ordering the rest of the snakes to attack at once.


    But it was so strong that it took several attempts to get near it, leading to so many injuries. Eventually they were able to attack it from all sides and bring it to its knees.


    No matter how powerful it was, it could not withstand the poison coursing through its system after being bitten so many times.


    And finally, Ophelia dealt the finishing blow which led to her evolution.


    I listened patiently to the entire report tranted by the dark fae, despite brimming with anger on the inside.


    I thought my captains were smarter, but they had risked a war with two different groups of monsters all because one of them had been attacked. How could they do something so stupid?


    Who knew how many of the ape creatures had noticed our location? Just because only one of them had attacked, didn''t mean there weren''t others watching from above.


    Also the scorpion creature den they had found.


    Would the creatures take the deaths of so many of their members lightly? Therge one that found them had probably been sent out to find out why none of the other groups had returned.


    And it survived, which meant they now knew who had attacked them!


    I couldn''t begin to think how I would diffuse the situation to stop the two creatures from reducing my newly built cave to rubble.

 Chapter 179 - Deflecting The Blame

    It was deeply troubling to think about.


    Typhon was equally annoyed with them and he approached me insisting they had to be punished, much to the horrified looks of Ghad, Artemis, and Morgana.


    They all quivered and stared at me pleadingly, hoping I would spare them, but in this instant, I agreed with him.


    It seemed my captains had too much free time that they had to stir up trouble. Perhaps Sensei was right in that I had spoiled them by giving them too much.


    However, I had to admit not all of them were at fault.


    Cygnus had been attacked and was probably still not fully recovered. It wasn''t his fault that he was tracked back, but it made me realize he was not strong enough to scout alone. So the next time he went out, it would be best if he was apanied by someone else to watch his back.


    As for Artemis, he had been recruited from his prison cell to help, but it was because of him that no lives were lost. It was his idea to fight the creatures in the tunnels, and it was also due to his quick thinking and observation that they weren''t followed by more creatures.


    Contrary to him, Ghad didn''t seem to have much say as a captain. He seemed to be easily led by the whims of others and had joined Ophelia without much objection when he should have had a voice.


    I was d none of them had died, but the problem came from the decision to attack without thinking of consequences. It was reckless and impulsive, and I believe Ophelia is to be med for that.


    But unfortunately, she wasn''t here to tell her side.


    Instead, I asked Typhon to tell me whose idea it was to attack and when he sent the dark fae to respond, she came back with a conflicting response.


    [The wavy snake told the pale snake she was weak.] The dark fae pointed usingly at Morgana who hissed loudly at her flying figure. [She told her she needed to fight more monsters to increase her strength like that big serpent.]


    Hm? So, it was Morgana''s fault they attacked?


    But wait, did she just say fight?


    [Are you sure you understand what they''re saying?] I regarded her with suspicion.


    [Of course I do! I understand everything.] She buzzed around with a smug expression.


    It seemed like she was confusing the meaning of fight and hunt.


    Her doubtful trantion aside, I could understand the basic gist of it. Morgana had goaded Ophelia into attacking, and Ophelia, keen to prove herself had obliged.


    I sighed, feeling tired all of a sudden.


    There was another thing that bothered me about their exnation.


    If Morgana had been stung before escaping the scorpion creatures, why didn''t they follow her scent back to the cave like they did with Cygnus?


    In response, Morgana admitted Ophelia had made her swim across theke to hide her scent.


    I was satisfied with this, but I couldn''t rule out the possibility of more scorpion creatures finding traces and heading this way.


    How could such small snakes be such a handful?


    I wanted to throw all of them into prison just for the hell of it, but I had to restrain myself, and turned to Typhon.


    I trusted his discretion from how well level-headed he was in the Middle Stratum and I thought he was the best person to decide their punishment.


    I was even beginning to suspect the dark fae had misinterpreted his request, saying he wanted to spar when maybe all he wanted was to go hunting with me.


    The fact remained that he knew them the most, and as a result he would know exactly how to make them regret their reckless actions without resorting to anything severe. Hence, I consulted with him on punishments based on my captain''s behaviours and interests.


    While we traded suggestions, my captains were made to face the wall.


    In the end we settled on simple things.


    Since Ophelia seemed to be in such a rush to level up that she disregarded the safety of others, she would henceforth be forbidden from leaving the cave until she showed better behaviour.


    And for added pettiness on Typhon''s part, Ophelia would have to watch over the injured nestlings she disregarded, like they were precious goods, until they properly recovered.


    When the dark fae told me this, I nearly burst outughing.


    It seemed Typhon was a lot stricter than his calm demeanour revealed, but I had to agree ¨C this time Ophelia''s behaviour was out of hand and the punishment was deserving.


    I decided Cygnus would not be punished. He''d already been attacked, and his speed was a great quality I would need to bypass the troubles I knew wereing.


    But he had to understand he couldn''t outrun every opponent and I strongly cautioned him to behave more carefully in the future. To which he agreed.


    For Ghad, Typhon seemed to have the impression that spending time away from me was his ideal punishment. He suggested Ghad was not allowed toe within a meter of me until he was able to evolve, and I found this punishment particrly amusing.


    I didn''t think it would impact him at all, but I had to admit Ghad was clingy to a point, he often followed me around the cave and so perhaps Typhon had a good reason.


    To my surprise, Ghad took a turn, hissing furiously at Typhon to vent his frustrations. I tried to decipher their conversation, but the general mood made me think the two have some rivalry.


    If Typhon wasn''t so big, perhaps Ghad would have attacked him right there.


    Nevertheless, punishing Artemis didn''t seem right to me. So I thought I would reward him instead.


    His efforts saved everyone and so his prison sentence was revoked. However, due to the chances of getting attacked by both the ape and scorpion creatures, all future ns for his underground garden had to be put on hold.


    He seemed to be in dismay as Typhon told him, but he quickly recovered, requesting instead that he be allowed to take the stingers from every scorpion corpse.


    I had no objection, but his request did strike me as odd.


    Lastly, there was the issue of what to do with Morgana.


    She was injured and seemed rather pitiful, but ording to Typhon she was the instigator of everything. She stared directly at me, looking every bit wronged. But there was still a triumphant air about her, like she''d just won the biggest price.


    Typhon''s punishment for her was also unusual. At first I didn''t understand what the dark fae was trying to convey, but Sensei took over the conversation and decided to exin.


    ?He wants you to get rid of all the eggs Morgana collected, and to forbid her from raising them as hatchlings to scold her for their actions. If she still insists on keeping them, he wants her to be cast out of the [Pit].?


    "Repeat that?" I was perplexed at what I was hearing.


    Sensei repeated the words, and I froze in shock.


    What the hell, Typhon?


    And Morgana too!


    Raise what? The heck?


    What was wrong with these brats?


    Of course the answer was no!


    I was fine with them using them as food, but letting them hatch was more dangerous.


    Who knew what woulde out of those eggs?


    However, I didn''t agree with Typhon effectively throwing her out because of one mistake ¨C it just seemed too extreme.


    I immediately told him, no one was getting kicked out. And Typhon didn''t seem too happy to hear it, but he knew better than to argue with me.


    As for the eggs, I now had to decide what to do with them.


    I now realised just how much I had misunderstood.


    It wasn''t just Typhon''s request, perhaps it was all of theirs.


    I red at the dark fae who buzzed over to rest on Typhon''s head with a blissful abandon,pletely unaware of my malicious nces.


    Since when did this brat get so brave? I was surprised that Typhon would even allow it.


    They both seemed to bemunicating, and I didn''t think she had done it to cause confusion - I genuinely thought she simply mixed up the meaning of the words. Perhaps it was more difficult to understand the thoughts of my nestlings than those of mine.


    However, to me she was the cause of everything. And also Sensei to some extent.


    "Why didn''t you tell me sooner?" I questioned him.


    ?Because I agree with her.? Sensei replied. ?I think it will be a good test for the [Pit], to see how they react to having more members. Don''t you think you''ll need more creatures to defend you, especially now that the cave can be attacked at any time??


    I didn''t like the implication that I needed shields just to survive and I shut him down immediately. "Being attacked is nothing new. That was always inevitable from living here."


    ?I know you have your way of doing things, and that you have ''principles''.? Sensei sarcastically said. ?But it''s a question of survival. Would you rather live the hard way or use your head to increase your chances of survival? You have to remember you''re no longer human. Showing mercy is weakness. These creatures wouldn''t think twice about doing the same to you.?


    "I don''t want it." I stubbornly replied.


    ?Why are you letting human principles threaten your way of life?? Sensei questioned, seemingly confused.


    "Because it''s cruel. It''s not their choice to be here. I can''t just use them as shields."


    ?Even crueler than discarding them?? Sensei replied. ?Those eggs wouldn''tst a day, if they''re not under your protection.?


    "Then I''ll let them hatch, then send them away."


    Sensei sighed in defeat. ?I hope you''re doing the right thing.?

 Chapter 180 - A Foul Plan

    I was surprised that Sensei wanted me to keep the eggs when he was adamant about getting rid of my nestlings in the beginning.


    But whatever his reason may be, the eggs and their hatchlings deserved to be with their own kind and not kept here against their will.


    As for Morgana''s punishment, I had a much better idea.


    She would spend two days in prison, after which she was to join Ophelia in her caretaking duties for as long as it took the nestlings to recover. She also wasn''t allowed to keep any eggs, and I informed Typhon that as soon as they hatched, they would be sent on their way.


    I felt like my punishment was justified, but Typhon still felt it wasn''t enough and rmended an even harsher sentence. But after what felt like a reluctant stare down, Typhon eventually agreed, and told Morgana her fate.


    Unlike Ghad, she threw no tantrums and simply nodded, which made me wonder what exactly was going on underneath her calm exterior. Perhaps she was secretly unhappy, but she gave no indication.


    With everything seemingly settled, I left Typhon to enforce the punishments on the captains, before going over to the ape''s corpse.


    Under normal circumstances, I would''ve used [Appraisal] to find out its skills, but now, I just hope to find some clues about its hideout.


    I observed its elongated ws and sharp fangs, and its feet that were stained with bits of dirt and moss, which made me think that it didn''t live exclusively in trees. Itsir was perhaps a wet mossy cave deep in the forest somewhere.


    ?You wish to go after them?? Sensei asked.


    "Not exactly. But if they''re going to attack us, I need to know more about its kind."


    ?The creature is called an Argolossus.? Sensei decided to pity me with some information. And I would dly take it. ?They are mostly opportunistic feeders, but they have been known to exterminate whole colonies if they feel slighted.?


    Great. A creature with a vengeance ¨C just what I needed.


    I didn''t ask for more details because I knew he would just make things worse.


    Soon, I noticed the dark fae approaching from behind and turned to her.


    After frolicking around on Typhon''s head, she happily buzzed around me, looking every bit like a smug brat.


    [The big snake wants to tell you something.] she announced.


    But I had a very important question for her and refused to let her settle near me.


    [Did Typhon ask to fight with me, or did he ask to go hunting with me?]


    The dark fae looked thoughtful as she crossed her arms. [Don''t they mean the same thing?]


    I wanted to face palm, her confused face making me wish I could swat her away like a fly.


    [No they don''t!] I replied.


    Now, it made sense why Typhon was so happy aftering back ¨C I''d basically given him the hunting experience he wanted.


    And to think I had been trying to scare him.


    The dark fae flew right against my head, appearing three times her size as she fidgeted awkwardly.


    [When will we go to the spirits? I need a new dress. This one is bad.]


    I sighed. [Not yet.]


    It wasn''t safe to leave for a while and the dark fae began to sulk.


    But when Typhon arrived, apanied by the captains, she cheered up immediately and buzzed over to him instead.


    I wondered if I should feel pleased or betrayed by their sudden closeness?


    In answer, It seemed my captains wanted to know if they should discard the corpses of the scorpion creatures that had died inside the cave, because they were afraid their scents would attract more.


    Now that I knew the creatures had a great sense of smell, I realised they had a point.


    It was dangerous to keep them, but moving them was even more careless for many reasons.


    Throwing the corpses outside would likely release their scents back in the air, drawing even more attention.


    Also the cave hadn''t been attacked by the scorpion creatures aside from the first time, and so perhaps the trail had since been lost.


    But then, Ghad came forward, seemingly wanting to say something to me directly, but Typhon hissed at him to stay back, choosing to ry his request to me instead.


    It seemed during their attack on the scorpion creatures Ghad had stashed away some of the corpses he killed, so as not to create a trail to the cave, fully intending to go back at ater time and eat them, and now he was wondering if he could still go back for them.


    My answer was of course a resounding NO! What a reckless idea!


    But it seemed he wasn''t the only one, Morgana admitted she had stashed five, Ghad, four, and Artemis, three.


    Cygnus was the only one who didn''t hide any, but Morgana who hunted alongside Ophelia, revealed she had hidden away nine of the creatures.


    Hearing all this made me shiver.


    I couldn''t imagine what would have happened if I didn''te back in time.


    Had they gone to retrieve any of those corpses anyter, the dy would have given the scorpion creatures enough time to sniff them out ¨C if they hadn''t already.


    And perhaps set up a trap for any creature that came looking.


    I was d they informed me quickly, because their blunder just gave me an idea for a trap of my own.


    I still had the ape''s remains and perhaps if I moved quickly enough, I could redirect the trail away from my cave.


    Firstly, I instructed my captains to tell me exactly where they had hidden the scorpion remains.


    But unfortunately, due to the fact that they targeted the creatures from many ces, their locations were scattered far and wide.


    I would have to be directed by each captain to locate the spots.


    But luckily, this wasn''t such a big problem, if me and Typhon work simultaneously.


    I informed Typhon of my n, deciding to split the task of retrieval between myself and him. We were the strongest, in addition to Ophelia who was yet to awaken, and I was sure we could find the locations quickly and safely.


    I would go with Morgana to check on her and Ophelia''s hidden stash, because they were the most plentiful of the captain''s and the most at risk. While Typhon would go after those of Artemis and Ghad.


    It was simply to check if any of them had been discovered, and if either had been, I cautioned Typhon to not get near them. Each captain had already got rid of their scent so even if their stash was discovered, it wouldn''t lead back to the cave.


    However, before we left the cave, I sent Typhon to retrieve an incredibly stinky object.


    The cluster of eggs we had taken from the giant worm creature was still in the lower level of the cave.


    We hastily abandoned it when we saw the cave had been attacked, but it was still somewhere in between the tunnel and the cave.


    The eggs were contained within a sack of the creature''s repulsive flesh which contained some of its foul blood, and I was sure one whiff of it would be enough to repulse and confuse the keen senses of any creature.


    And as Typhon brought the fleshy sac up to the cave, it left a trail of purple blood and a foul stench filled the cave, that made every nestling present hold their breaths and gag.


    But to me, it was the thing that would protect the cave and the nestlings in it.


    And so, from there I concocted a simple n.


    We would mark the entrance of the cave with the foul smelling blood, to further disguise any trace of the scorpion''s scent that may have remained.


    And then, we would create an alternate trail with the ape''s scent, leading from the forest where the ape creature had appeared, before connecting it back to the scorpion corpses.


    I hoped none of the corpses had been discovered yet, but the more time we waste, the more likely they would be, so we moved out immediately.


    As Typhon marked the entrance, I approached the ape''s corpse, slicing off two of its limbs with my [Shadow de], to use to create a trail, leaving one for myself and giving the other to Typhon.


    Next, we found a pair of footprints that had been left by the ape creature and brushed its fur against the trees closest to the prints, before taking off in opposite directions.


    From there we set off for the respective stashes, leaving Cygnus behind to watch over the cave while we were gone.


    Typhon set out for Ghad''s first and then Artemis''s while being apanied by the two captains. I, on the other side, found myself in a rather awkward situation, apanied by a brooding Morgana and an oblivious, chirpy dark fae.


    We sped through the forest, both cloaked in [Stealth] as Morgana directed me towards Ophelia''s stash first, but I couldn''t help but notice how quiet she was.


    The dark fae was there tomunicate between us, but she said nothing to her aside from giving directions and I realised she must be sulking from having her eggs taken.


    But I continued on regardless.


    I really hoped the scorpion corpses were still there, as they would help me serve two purposes.


    First, I wanted to confuse both creatures by making it seem like the ape had attacked the scorpion''s instead of us, by connecting the ape''s trail from our cave back to the stash of corpses.


    And as we moved, I made sure to continuously stop at the trees we passed to mark the ape''s scent.


    I wasn''t worried about the scorpion creatures getting drawn towards the cave, because the worm''s repulsive stench was enough to dissuade any from entering, and Sensei did say, creatures went out of their way to avoid it.


    I predicted they would pick the easier path, which was to go after the ape creatures instead.


    A rather foul n if I say so myself, but it was the easiest way for me to find their of the ape creature''s before the vengeful beasts attacked my cave.


    In addition, if they were swarmed by hordes of scorpions, they would be too busy toe after my nestlings.


    This was why it was essential that Typhon and I visit every stash point.


    The more trails we were able to connect meant we could connect more deaths to the ape creatures, which would anger the scorpion''s even more. Effectively tying a tidy bow around the problem.


    But that all hinged on the corpses being present, and I hoped Morgana was leading me towards the right ce.

 Chapter 181 - The Hunt Is On

    After marking the thirty seventh tree, we were well and truly away from the cave.


    I stopped to bask in earthy scent, making sure to wriggle around in the dark sand to disguise my scent, before traveling through the low shrubs, like I''d done for numerous times now.


    We had travelled in silence for the most part, only stopping to take note of our surroundings and to leave a scent trail, but ording to Morgana we were very close.


    She dropped down from my back and masked her own scent by furiously wriggling on the ground, throwing bits of debris all around, clearly still in a bad mood.


    The dark fae stared at us curiously, before reaching over to grab a nearby leaf and proceeded to rub it all over her in a ratherical way to mask her scent.


    But after doing so repeatedly, her face was now covered in green.


    Pfft.


    [What?] she asked when she saw me looking.


    [Nothing.] I shook my head and turned away.


    We were surrounded by dense misty jungle and I kept my [Heat Sense] active to look out for any creatures in our vicinity.


    Strange calls filled the air and there were shadowy shapes moving up high in the trees, but so far we''d managed to skirt around any approaching monsters and avoid any battles.


    And now that our scents were fully masked, it was time to move again.


    [Why is the wavy serpent upset with you?] The dark fae asked.


    [Is she now?] I nced at Morgana who refused to meet my eyes.


    She was scanning her surroundings, but to me it looked more like she was sulking, and I sighed. [Taking away a brat''s toys will do that.]


    The dark fae tilted her head in confusion. [What''s a brat?]


    [Anything smaller than me.] I replied. [Now stop talking, it''s time to go.]


    Morgana slithered onto my back once more, and the dark fae flitted about trying to make conversation between us, but Morgana was not in the mood for idle talk and I was too focused on reaching our destination, so she settled down to rest on my head in defeat.


    [You''re both no fun!] she grumbled disapprovingly causing Morgana to hiss at her, which made her fall silent.


    Following Morgana''s directions, we soon arrived at the stash point, filled with scorpion corpses.


    There were scattered bits of scorpion limbs all through the lush greenery in what looked like a battlefield.


    Some bodies were whole, but their carapaces were cracked in ces with some parts of their limbs missing, like they had been pulled out from their sockets. The ground was also filled with writhing bottom feeders and a rust coloured liquid staining the ground.


    It was aplete massacre and I had to stop and hide before peering more at the scene ¨C because we were not alone.


    There were numerous live scorpions scattered among the dead ones, but the difference was so obvious. The live ones had vibrant yellow shells, while the dead ones had pale yellow shades that were almost grey.


    The creatures approached the bodies of their fallen brethren, their snapping pincers giving off an irritating vibration as theymunicated. They seemed to be observing their wounds, but none made any moves to touch them.


    From what Artemis described, this seemed to be the ce they had fought against the scorpion creatures in teams.


    So had Morgana''s team done this? Or was it abined effort?


    The captain in question, peered at the scene with a nk look, seemingly annoyed they had caught up so quickly, before slithering away towards another direction.


    The dark fae informed me that Morgana''s stash was hidden away from there so we followed her.


    However, when we arrived at the ce, we saw the sands she used to bury the bodies had been dug up, with parts of the buried creatures exposed. Some were even missing, like some other creature had gotten to it first and made off with the majority of them.


    That made Morgana furious.


    But did she really think the blood from the nearby battlefield wouldn''t attract other scavengers?


    It was inevitable after such a chaotic battle and she should have hidden them much further away.


    However, I did look at her a little differently now.


    Because of this thievery, the scorpion creatures quickly discovered what was left of her stash and were currently swarming around it, giving us no opportunity to nt the fake scent.


    There was no point in staying anymore as the location was alreadypromised, and so we moved on to Ophelia''s stash next.


    Ophelia had stashed them in three different ces so that even if one was discovered, it wouldn''t be the end for the rest. And she had hidden them much deeper in the ground.


    I couldn''t help thinking she was a smarter captain for nning for contingencies, and because of this we were able to mark all of the corpses in her hiding spot, making sure to uncover them so that their scents would be picked up much easier, and then we moved on to the next spot to do the same.


    However, as we approached thest ce, I sensed the scuttling movements of something lurking nearby. The sound of its footsteps rang out like those of a multiple legged creature, but [Heat Sense] revealed it to be just one.


    I hadn''t even uncovered thest stash ¨C how were they already on the way?


    A perceptive scorpion perhaps?


    Since it was just one, I continued to uncover the corpses to leave a scent. However, soon the sound of footsteps started toe from multiple directions, and I peered out from behind the marked corpses, towards the line of the trees.


    The dark fae was still with me, but somehow Morgana had slipped away without me noticing and now, I couldn''t find her.


    [Where did she go?] I questioned the dark fae.


    [I saw her heading towards the trees...]


    What?


    Why would she do that?


    The scuttling sounds wereing closer and they had to be more of the scorpion creatures!


    Since the corpses were already out in the open with the ape''s scent marked on them, I took off into the forest after Morgana.


    However it proved to be a false rm.


    What I found instead was arge, hairy, green and purple spider, with about five of its smaller spiderlings.


    The dark fae shrieked loudly and I smirked at her reaction.


    But looking at the ugly spiders again, I wasn''t so amused anymore.


    Haven''t we been through this once already?


    I hissed at the creepy spider and to my surprise, a string of sticky webbing shot out from its behind, aimed directly at my face.


    I swept to the side, dodging it with ease, however when I looked back, therge spider and the smaller ones were already scuttling away!


    What the hell?


    To aim at my beautiful face and then run away? They had no shame!


    I pursued them immediately,pletely mad with rage.


    Although my speed had been halved, I quickly caught up to therge spider before it could run off, quickly proving that it still wasn''t a match for me.


    The spider tried to escape by shooting out a scattered pattern of webbing, but I tripped its multiple legs with my body, constricting it tightly, beforeying a bite.


    Multiple webs shot out of its body as it struggled to get free, but I made sure to stay away from its gnashing jaws until its struggling ceased.


    ?You have defeated LV13 Melior Karhkkov!?


    ?You have earned 98XP?


    ?Well done.? Sensei dryly said. ?You''ve finally ovee your fear.?


    Hmph! Of course! A mere bug was no match for me.


    Unfortunately, by targeting therger one first, I let the smaller spiderlings get away.


    ?But do you think it is the time to chase down an already fleeing creature when your captain is missing??


    Oh shoot, Morgana!


    But I soon heard the rustle of leaves behind me, and as they parted, my precocious captain came out, with a still wriggling, hairy leg of a spiderling in her mouth.


    The gross sight sent tingles down my spine but she quickly scarfed it down and looked at me like she wanted apliment, and I nearly gagged.


    I peered at the bushes behind her, where I counted the ripped body parts of four different spiderlings. I supposed she did a good job¡­but she still wasn''t getting out of her punishment.


    We traced our positions back to Ophelia''s stash, but the presence of arge heat trace let me know we were not alone.


    The spot was teeming with scorpion creatures and the massive overhead shadow that covered them was that of a huge scorpion nearly four times as big, with a pitch ck hooked stinger and a tough spiked carapace.


    It came close to the pile, seemingly taking a whiff of the scent before reaching into it to eat all the flesh of the dead, even as the smaller scorpions watched.


    The creature was indeed terrifying to look at, and Morgana visibly shrank as she glimpsed the foreboding creature, and I spread out my [Shadow Shroud] to form a wall of darkness in front of her, to provide a temporary shield.


    However, when I asked her if this was the same creature that had attacked her, she said it was different. Ophelia had taken off one of its limbs, and this one had aplete set.


    Unless it had very quick regeneration, then there were more of its kind¡­but just how many?


    I couldn''t imagine my cave surviving after getting overrun by a creature this big, not to talk of multiples of it.


    I continued to watch it eat and soon it whipped around, its tail smashing through the side of a tree, before taking off into the forest.


    The horde of smaller scorpions followed behind it and they all went in the direction we hade from, connecting it with the over forty scent markings I had made.


    No way. Did it actually take the bait?


    The creatures continued to move without stopping and I was d I had left the ape''s severed limb in Ophelia''s scorpion stash, otherwise, it would havee to our location first.


    The n wasing together far better than I expected.

 Chapter 182 - Argolossus Breach I

    At least¡­that was what I thought, but after following the ape''s scent trail for over five markings, their numbers started to swell abnormally.


    The huge scorpion creature already had more than fifteen smaller scorpions with it, but they joined up with the others patrolling the area, increasing their numbers even more.


    And then, when they went past the battlefield of corpses, another huge scorpion arrived out of the forest, joining their merry band of writhing creatures to number over fifty scorpions in total.


    And that was just those I could count!


    I never expected for this many to gather ¨C just how many were there?


    We were hidden behind the cover of trees, keeping our distance as the creature horde tore through the forest with speed. And watching them pass by made it seem like there were two yellow scorpions for every meter of ground space.


    It truly looked like a mass of writhing limbs.


    I got anxious just following behind them, but if I was ever going to learn where the hide out of those ape creatures was ¨C I had to take this risk.


    Morgana who observed them from beside me was also equally anxious. She looked frozen stiff ¨C her eyes were wide open to watch every scorpion go by. I had no idea what she was thinking, but her eyes were glittering with equal parts of fear and excitement.


    I bet she couldn''t believe that their little stunt would lead to such a serious situation.


    Which was exactly why I always stressed that they be careful.


    However, there was someone else who acted exactly the same.


    [Why are we hiding?] The dark fae asked. [Are we ying a game?] A childlike voice cut through all the tension, startling me.


    Hah!


    A game? Of course it was!


    A deadly game of hide and seek that is!


    I turned to the green faced brat. [Stay close to me and don''t make a sound.]


    We were risking our lives by simply remaining here instead of running away as fast as we could. But this development was exactly what I wanted.


    And not staying to see it through would be a total waste.


    [I''m bored. Can we go back?] The dark fae huffed.


    This dumb fae!


    Couldn''t she see the situation we were in? How could we leave when it was just getting to the best past?


    I quickly hushed her so she would stop distracting me.


    But then I saw Morgana slightly creep forward, her eyes eager and her fangs reared.


    It was then that I noticed one of the smaller scorpions had fallen behind after getting its stinger tangled in some low branches, very close to the bush we hid behind.


    I immediately blocked Morgana''s path, stopping her before she attempted something stupid, and my silly captain nced up at me in protest. The scorpion eventually freed its stinger and continued to move with the rest.


    Was I the only one taking this seriously?


    Of mypanions, one was bored and the other just wanted to hunt.


    I scowled at both of them, ordering them to behave and follow quietly.


    With their ever increasing numbers, it was a risk to remain on the ground.


    If we stayed too long we would eventually be detected by one of the slower strays, so I decided to climb up the trees to oversee them from the branches above, activating [Shadow Shroud] around myself to further blend into the darkness.


    The scorpions continued to follow the ape''s scent markings, and soon the forest surroundings became very familiar. They passed through the burnt forest that was slowly regrowing its foliage, and then reached the ce where I encountered the wolves, until my familiar territory came into full view.


    They continued moving until the horde gathered in the forest outside my cave, where the ape''s fake trail began.


    And there, the creatures stopped because the scent trail had be faint.


    A situation I hadn''t foreseen.


    Due to the ape''s attack happening a while ago, the trail I created was more fresh - I hadn''t stopped to consider that the older trail would fade away, and now my panic intensified, because I had brought so many creatures right to my doorstep.


    I nced at the cave entrance hoping that no nestlings woulde outside.


    And it was a good thing Typhon had sealed it before leaving.


    I heard multiple howls echo through the forest, proving that the wolves were also ufortable with theirrge numbers gathered in one ce. I nced at the scorpions who seemed to be pacing the area where the trail stopped, seemingly unperturbed.


    They were trying to find the trail and some even continued down the path Typhon had created. However more lingered around the spot where the ape scent trail was supposed to continue, detecting some of the lingering traces.


    What trouble had I invited onto myself? I wished they would move on quickly!


    But they weren''t moving fast enough!


    And the trouble was just beginning.


    I noticed one of the smaller scorpions walk past the elevated ground, moving closer to my quaint underground cave and my panic red up once more.


    Don''t you dare!


    As it tried to climb, its legs got caught in the purple substance leaking from the doorway and as soon as it smelt it, the creature jumped back, reeling, and gagging ¨C its protruding stinger seemingly attacking an invisible foe in sheer revulsion.


    I sighed with relief, but even though its reaction attracted the attention of more scorpions, none tried to climb up again.


    [Kyaaah! It looked at me! Hide me!] The dark fae squealed loudly, and my heart jumped from somewhere inside my body.


    I looked to see what she meant and nearly fell off the tree.


    One of therge scorpions had appeared close to the tree we were hiding on!


    Its hulkinglyrge body tore a path through the forest by toppling smaller vegetation as it moved. And from the surplus of smaller scorpion creatures following behind it ¨C it was an entirely different scorpion that hade to join the two already present!


    It seemed to havee from Typhon''s trail, and it wasn''t close enough to topple our tree, but as it moved, I saw a pair of eyes on top of its carapace that seemed to be staring at us.

 Chapter 183 - Argolossus Breach II

    I was covered in my shadows, so I didn''t panic immediately, but what if it thought a single spot of shadow in the midst of forest was unusual and alerted the others?


    Or worse, if it had seen the conspicuous pink and green brat?


    I decided not to risk being targeted by a group of scorpions and was about to leave the tree when Sensei offered some useful information. ?The eyes above its head have very poor sight. They can''t see you from far away.?


    And true to what he said, therge scorpion continued until it met up with the other two, and an evenrger gathering formed around my cave.


    This wasn''t going well ¨C how could they be so many?


    I expected thirty smaller scorpions at most ¨C but now I was dealing with more than sixty plus, not including the threerge ones that were moving in tow.


    Although my n was working, I kept feeling it could backfire at any time.


    Since they hade from opposite ends of the trail, following Typhon''s trail was no longer an option, and both the groups joined up to form a singlerge stream as they picked up the faint trail and followed it, deeper into the forest.


    And I felt my heart settle down and let out a huge sigh of relief as the mass horde around my cave began to thin out.


    However, when I asked Morgana if the scorpion they fought was among the three, she shook her head, which made me slightly worried.


    It was the only one who had seen my snakes and knew of my snake''s involvement. I wished it was present now to realize the apes were partly responsible, to absolve my nestlings of some of the me.


    Nevertheless, the scorpion march continued across multiple stretches ofnd, and I kept up with them, until they reached a dewy forest with mossy ground and plenty of rocky boulders scattered through the trees.


    The ground tilted at an angle, seemingly going downhill until the scorpions reached a series of rock caves embedded inside a high stone wall. The mossy ground gave way as we moved closer into a valley of bones, those of creatures and otherwise in the remnants of a mass grave.


    There was one massive cave entrance in the centre, with a huge tree growing high above it, leaving tendrils of roots and moss to drape over the opening. It was simply gigantic, and I couldn''t help staring at therge tree.


    But as the scorpions approached it , the ape creatures inside the caves all rushed out to meet them and my attention was fixed on the valley of bones.


    The ape creatures were seemingly annoyed at their trespassing and the air was filled with their enraged howls, while the scorpion creatures simply attacked without hesitation.


    It sparked the beginning of the chaotic fight, with the creatures swarming each other in a mad rush while I observed the battle from a distance, counting the numbers of each.


    The white apes were fewer, numbering in thirties and they were quickly beaten back. Despite the apes fighting valiantly, their numbers were simply no match for the scorpion army.


    A single sting from one of therger scorpions was enough to kill an ape instantly, and while the smaller ones took a longer time, there were so many that the apes would eventually slow down after suffering numerous stings.


    Leaving them incapable of fighting back, until one of therger scorpions stung them, or tore off their limbs with their fearsome pincers.


    Although it felt wrong, I was relieved to see them tearing into each other.


    Now that the two groups of monsters collided head to head, it didn''t matter who won.


    From this day onwards, the two creatures would see the other as an enemy and would continue to attack each other until one side was wiped out.


    Which meant they would be too busy toe find trouble with me and my nestlings.


    Morgana, who was watching from my back, couldn''t stop wriggling excitedly and I couldn''t keep my eyes off the grisly battle either.


    However, the ughter was bing too much to watch.


    The apes were losing badly against the scorpion horde. And while the apes y were strong, the scorpion creatures were simply too many for them to handle.


    I already guessed they had very little [Poison Resistance] based on the one in my cave, but after so many fell so quickly, my guess was confirmed.


    The ape''s crowning achievement was in killing one of therge scorpions, but it was at the expense of so many of their own deaths. And soon, there were less than ten ape''s left, with two of therge scorpions still alive and more than twenty of the smaller ones still moving around.


    I sighed, it was just a matter of time before the remaining apes were killed off.


    Then I heard a loud roare out from deep inside the central cave.


    A deep guttural sound that made the ground tremble and caused therge scorpions to stop in their tracks.


    A looming shadow burst out of the cave, in the form of a colossal version of the ape creatures. It had tough wiry fur that almost stood on end, a battle ridden body with numerous long scrapes and old wounds spread across its body.


    Its enraged red face was a picture of terror that stood twice as tall as one therge scorpions and it rushed out to attack, filling the valley of bones with an overwhelming aura of death.


    It rose high in the air and threw a mighty punch, destroying the shells of the tworge scorpions, leavingrge dents in their carapace, that killed both almost instantly.


    The smaller scorpions saw its strength and they all scattered in fear like ants, fleeing through the valley of bones in a desperate bid to escape. But the huge monster quickly finished off the big scorpions and turned its attention towards the smaller ones.


    It simply stomped the closer ones to death and flungrge boulders at the others to impede their escape.


    What the heck?!


    I was stunned. How could the tables flip so easily?


    But then, I nearly squealed as the fleeing scorpions sped through the forest in my direction, and brought the terrorizing giant ape behind them.


    The trees groaned and twisted as the ape swung from one tree to the other, with a raging growl and crushed every scorpion it could find.


    I knew it was time to go.


    I told the terrified fae and the thunderstuck Morgana to hold tight and opened my wings before taking high into the mist, hoping the massive ape did not detect my presence.


    I was so d I stayed far away.


    Thest thing I heard as I flew past the area was a huge crash as yet another tree fell to the ground, in the wake of the creature''s prowess and its fierce roar that echoed throughout the valley.

 Chapter 184 - A Call To Arms

    Seeing the destruction caused by the colossal beast, I didn''t want to end up as one of its casualties and so, I fled as fast as I could.


    Eventually, we made it out of the bone valley and the ape''s forest by extension, but not once did I dare to look back.


    However, our near fatality waspletely lost on the two brats apanying me.


    Morgana began hissing fiercely at the fleeing scorpions, extremely excited to see the creatures driven to retreat, and she even stared eagerly at the corpses of the defeated with hunger, like she wanted to stop and collect them before fleeing.


    Meanwhile, the dark fae cheered loudly, immensely thrilled at the bumpy escape ride.


    [Let''s do that again! That was fun!]


    I wanted to facepalm.


    Perhaps they overestimated my capabilities ¨C didn''t they see I was fleeing for my life?


    That colossal ape was dangerous, and I was so d to make it out alive.


    But I kept thinking¡­what now?


    Were we really safe as long as the two creatures were in conflict?


    I couldn''t help wondering about the colossal ape''s weird actions.


    Why did it wait until its peers could no longer defend themselves before joining the battle? If it waited just a little longer, they would have been utterly defeated! And I also saw some of the smaller apes get impacted by its attacks.


    Their dynamic was definitely strange.


    Was it really their leader or were they simply banding around the immensely strong singrity for protection?


    While the scorpions knew my nestlings by sight, there was a chance that apes no longer did.


    Several had died just now and perhaps that included any other ape creature that had been around the one that attacked my cave.


    The creatures fought in clusters of three and four, so maybe following my nestlings was simply the action of one group and not that of their leader, which meant we would not be attacked by the colossal one for revenge.


    Well...at least I hoped so.


    However, that didn''t rule out attacks from the smaller apes.


    And Sensei did say they were very vengeful, so who knew if this was how things would turn out.


    Since all the witnesses weren''t killed in this round, I was sure we would get attacked at some point in the future, or as soon as their fight with the scorpion creatures was over, which wasn''t good for me and my nestlings.


    With all of these worries, I veered away from the fleeing scorpions, deciding tond on one of the trees to observe what they would do.


    The ape creatures were regrouping in the wake of the destruction with the colossal ape moving in their midst.


    The ground soon trembled again as therge creature let out a deafening roar that sent many small creatures scurrying away in fright. Then the smaller ape creatures also began to roar, although none were as loud as the first one.


    Soon, faint cries echoed out from countless corners of the forest, in numbers far greater than I could anticipate.


    It was only then I understood that the giant ape was calling for the return of their brethren and many had responded.


    I decided not to stick around to see how many would arrive and took off after the fleeing scorpions.


    It was time to learn more about the other threat.


    I flew above to follow the retreating scorpion creatures, hoping to find their den and figure out what they would do to retaliate, and if they were up to par with dealing with the colossal ape.


    They had just been defeated and I was sure they would retaliate with even greater force.


    I followed them for a while until we came to a dark rocky formation that sheltered the trees from wind. There was arge crack that formed in the rock, leading into arge underground cavern where the scorpions resided. I watched the few returning scorpions scamper inside before disappearing from view.


    I would have snuck into theirir with [Mimic], but for now I was satisfied with simply knowing where they lived.


    And now that I did, whatever happened next was fair game.


    I settled down on a nearby branch, watching the rock formation with [Heat Sense].


    The ape creatures were strong, and trouble was afoot!


    And I was curious to know what else the scorpion creatures had up their sleeves.


    However, after waiting outside for a while, nothing stirred from within.


    Morgana hissed impatiently, eager to keep moving, but I ordered her to be quiet.


    I thought I''d give them a little while ¨C it wasn''t that easy to summon an army.


    And after what felt like a while, the inside of the cavern began to stir with activity.


    Numerous smaller scorpions kept pouring out from inside, apanied by five of theirrger, evolved versions and they all began the steady march towards the ape''sir.


    The response was swift, perhaps thinking it best to attack while the apes were decimated.


    Though I wasn''t sure if they would get the victory they wanted, the sheer amount of the scorpions present was truly shocking.


    It made me reaffirm that I couldn''t afford to trifle with either of these creatures in my present state - they simply outnumbered me and my nestlings by several fold.


    As I was pondering my next move, the dark fae fluttered in front of me with a concerned look.


    [Don''t worry. If you ask the nymph for help, she will assist you, as long as you keep your promise. She really likes you.]


    Huh?


    But before I could process her words, the dark fae suddenly squealed, pointing excitedly at an object behind me.


    [It''s sweet! I want it! Get it for me, please. It''s so big!]


    I looked over and saw a circr, wine coloured fruit growing from the highest stalk of the tree. It looked like a peach, but it grew in clusters, much like a berry, and it was the only fruit-like object in the entire tree.


    And I was naturally suspicious of it.


    [What if it''s poison?] I voiced my concern.


    [It''s not!] The dark fae shook her head and insisted on the fruit. [They are very sweet and tasty. Even sweeter than honey!]


    Really?


    Wait¡­I had to think rationally. I couldn''t act like her.


    And this was not the time or ce for a snack break anyway!


    But the fae flew up and tried to pull it off, when a single fruit from the cluster was about the size of her entire body.


    I sighed listlessly.


    Take this seriously, dammit!


    I asked her what she meant about asking the Nymph, but the dark fae was too distracted to respond and with no other choice, I went higher to get a closer look at the fruit.


    But when I looked down, the line of scorpion creatures had already exited the rock formation and were on their way to attack the ape creatures.


    There was nothing much to see there now and my attention returned to the fruit.


    They did look very plump and I couldn''t help wondering what they would taste like.


    ?You two are a lot more alike than you care to admit.? Senseiughed resignedly.


    I wanted to disagree, but I was currently in the middle of picking the fruits off the branch and it didn''t seem appropriate.


    But the dark fae cheered excitedly while Morgana shook her head in disapproval. Nevertheless, I collected the entire cluster of fruit and got down from the tree.


    It was time to return and there was so much to think about, such as our defences.


    If that colossal ape or any of the scorpion creatures came after us, we would be destroyed. I didn''t know if that scorpion that saw my nestlings was alive and lurking somewhere, just waiting to attack, and I didn''t want to die without tasting proper food!


    I really hoped this fruit lived up to my taste buds.


    But then again, when I thought about it, both creatures had taken damage, so even if they wanted to attack, it would take a while.


    Regardless, I had bought us some time and I cheered up immediately.


    I quickly left the rock formation to return to the cave, flying above the scorpions to get back quickly.


    On arrival, I realised Typhon was back safely with the other two captains. It seemed they had returned to the cave immediately after creating the trail.


    I set down the fruit cluster as Morgana climbed off my back, looking rather pleased with herself. She slithered arrogantly amongst the captains, ignoring Typhon''s angry re, eager to tell them all she had witnessed.


    I watched the captains excitedly chattering away, and more than ever I was determined to protect our little sanctuary.


    The main advantage the two creatures had over me was their high numbers and because of this, I was considering building alliances with other creatures to increase our numbers and guarantee some form of protection.


    The scary wasp was an option, but would he agree?


    Hmm.


    I shook my head, just remembering his stubbornness and sheer reluctance to ask for help from anyone ¨C and there was no incentive for him to get involved with me.


    And also, I wanted to beat him and make him join me!


    Asking for assistance was exactly the opposite of this, and I knew he would surely refuse.


    So I looked at the dark fae who was struggling pitifully to pry one of the fruits out from the bunch.


    [What was it you said about the Nymph again?] I asked her with a cheerful smile.

 Chapter 185 - Questionable Alliances

    The dark fae looked up from her fruit with a truly dishevelled appearance, seemingly confused at my question.


    [What about her?] she tilted her head in confusion.


    [You said she likes me.] I reminded her.


    The dark fae looked thoughtful before smiling cheerfully. [Yes! She does! She likes that you''re shiny. And bright!]


    [Shiny? Bright?] I was confused.


    That sounded very much like a description of something she wanted to eat.


    [Yes! You feel very smooth. She said she would like to stroke you all day.]


    Hold on¡­


    Did she mean she liked my scales? As in she wanted to keep them.


    Oh hell.


    But wait¡­I already knew that. I just hoped she would say something different.


    However, when I thought more about it, this was also something I could work with. And I wasn''t giving up hope!


    Surely that couldn''t be all?


    [What else did she say?] I urgently asked.


    [Well¡­she said your eyes remind her of a trinket she got from a mortal. She liked it because she could see her face in it.]


    Ah¡­


    This line of questioning really wasn''t going well.


    An alliance with the Nymph wasn''t something I''d considered before, because it seemed all she and her spirits wanted to do was keep me, or parts of me for their own narcissistic purposes. And her words just proved this.


    No way was I cosying up to such dangerous creatures.


    However, the dark fae was different. She was powerful in a very unconscious way that made me think of many devious ways I could ''identally'' use her.


    For example, if I threw her at the colossal ape, I wonder who would win?


    Would her dark spheres triumph over its colossal strength? Or would she get smashed to smithereens?


    It was certainly worth thinking about.


    It would have been a lot better if she could activate her magic by choice, and not just when she was in danger.


    I looked at the tiny fae and saw her give up on trying to pull the fruit apart and took arge bite straight from the bunch instead.


    Looking at the dumb fae eating mouthful after mouthful of squishy fruit quickly made me feel sad for myself.


    Surely I could find better allies, right?


    If this brat was someone I had to ally myself with, then I was truly out of options.


    ?There''s nothing wrong with allying yourself with the Nymph.? Sensei interjected. ?If anything, they would be easily swayed to be allies with you.?


    "Why would you want me to do that?!" I was appalled. "They tried to eat me!"


    Sensei sighed. ?But they didn''t do it , did they? It''s because she realised it wasn''t a good option, so why hold a grudge about something that didn''t happen??


    "That''s only because she needed me toplete her task." I retorted.


    ?And the fascination with your unique appearance is also another reason.? Sensei added nonchntly.


    I was shocked.


    I couldn''t believe what I was hearing. And how insensitive he was being.


    "And when the novelty wears off? What then?"


    Should I be happy I was ''oh so bright and shiny''?


    "Have you forgotten they tagged me? There''s still a high chance of them turning me into fertilizerter."


    And speaking of the Nymph''s kiss, I went over to the dark fae to ask if the leaf circlet had grown.


    She scowled at me for interrupting her meal before flying up to stare at my left horn.


    And then she grinned, exposing her pointy fangs.


    [It''s a little bigger now, and much prettier. I hope it gets bigger, so we can both match.]


    I watched her do a little twirl in the air to show off her pink leafed dress.


    But due to her previous ordeal, it resembled nothing of its former glory.


    I smirked. Was I supposed to be impressed?


    [Nice try, brat.]


    The dark fae huffed before flying off to her fruit.


    "Now do you see what I mean?" I scolded Sensei. "They are dangerous. And just because they look better than other monsters, doesn''t make them any less vicious."


    ?I agree. But it does make them more reasonable.? Sensei replied. ?If you had fulfilled their request like the Nymph asked, you would be in a better position to convince them to assist you.?


    He had a point, but it wasn''t adding up ¨C considering he was the one who didn''t want me to have any allies.


    "This is very unlike you." If he was a human, it would make more sense, but he was not.


    Yet I had to ask. "Is it because they are beautiful?"


    Sensei scoffed, seemingly offended. ?Stop overthinking. I simply believe they would be a better choice to form an alliance with.?


    ?They trusted you enough to leave their representative in yourpany.? he continued to make his point. ?They wouldn''t do that if they didn''t trust you to some extent to keep her safe.?


    Woah. I never thought of it like that.


    I nced at the dark fae who was eating with relish, already halfway through something that was twice asrge as her, and I sighed ¨C she really needed a bath.


    Her pink hair was tousled and full of twigs, while her face was painted dirty green, but at least she looked happy.


    I''d already forgotten how important she was to the tree spirits, and her childishness and dishevelled appearance didn''t make it any better.


    Did they even know she was gone?


    Despite what Sensei said, I seemed to remember her following me all on her own, but I don''t want to think any further on the topic.


    I put my mind off the nymphs for now and started to work on other solutions.


    I considered adding more of the worm''s blood to the cave''s entrance to act as a repellent. If it worked with the scorpion creatures, it might work with the apes as well ¨C although I wasn''t sure if the colossal one would be put off by a foul scent.


    But it was worth a shot, so I instructed Typhon to bring up the stinky worm eggs once more.


    And then proceeded to mark the entrance with the slimy fluid, while all the nestlings gagged and scurried away.


    Outside the cave, I could see numerous tracks left by the scorpion creatures on their way to the apes hideout, and once again the foul scent had deterred them froming close.


    But seeing the tracks reminded me of their sheer numbers, which made me rethink the arrangements I made for Morgana''s eggs.


    It no longer seemed wise to discard them. If anything we needed the increase in numbers more than ever.


    But ultimately, I couldn''t act selfishly for my own interests.


    If we survived long enough for them to hatch, I would leave it up to them to decide if they wanted to remain in the cave or not. And if they chose to leave then they would be free to go.


    As for the worm eggs. If the creatures hatched and were able to grow to the massive size of the one we killed. The cave would be protected from harm, while the mucus the worms naturally secreted, could act as a barrier to keep all creatures away.


    Now I just had to make a big enough cell to keep them contained, and hope nothing backfired.


    Once we were done with marking, I informed Typhon of my decision and this time he didn''t seem hesitant. He even volunteered to take the worm eggs to the cells below.


    Perhaps seeing the scorpion horde had made him change his mind as well.


    As Typhon vanished below, a loud howl filled the trees, followed by a series of smaller howls.


    It sounded like the wolves were still upset at the sudden invasion of numerous creatures into the area, and I wondered if they would attack the scorpion creatures on my behalf.


    ?You should be strategic with how you use the other monsters in the vicinity.? Sensei suggested. ?Have you ever thought of targeting them? If you defeat their alpha, the pack will be yours.?


    The wolves? Really?


    ?You live so close together. Yet they haven''t tried to hunt you or your Pit.? Sensei continued. ?Why do you think that is??


    Now that I thought about it, it was true.


    They generally minded their business and not a single member of my Pit had reported any attacks either.


    How curious.


    "So why do you think that is?" I was puzzled.


    ?Predators generally don''t leave a creature alive, unless they are dealing with an even bigger threat, that they can''t afford to be distracted by secondary prey. You can use this to your advantage and attack them first.?


    Oh.


    In other words, I wasn''t a major threat to the alpha, so I was left alone?


    Wow. That hurt my feelings.


    I still couldn''t forget the danger I felt when I encountered the alpha as a hatchling.


    Was that really something I could handle now?


    ording to Sensei, if he attacked me, he risked upsetting the bnce between himself and his other enemy by making himself weak. Which was why he didn''t, because he felt he wouldn''te out unscathed.


    This already made me feel like I was being observed!


    However, I didn''t know what he was fighting against, and so if I attacked and he ended up dying. I might take over his pack, but I would then be targeted by the unknown enemy as well.


    And would I be able to defeat that enemy as well?


    What if I couldn''t?


    I sighed.


    Why was everything soplicated?


    I was much better off allying with someone I know and trust.


    Like Sylrin!


    I''ve been thinking about bringing him back at ater time, but now, I truly need him here.


    Even if he was weaker than me, he was stronger than most of my nestlings and his roar was mmable and toxic, and could be used to defend ourselves!


    I had to bring him back.


    The more the creatures around me were in conflict, the less I would be disturbed!


    Even if I had to raze the forest in mes to get peace, I would dly do so again.

 Chapter 186 - Asphyxia

    Arsinoe leaned against the wall of her cell, feeling refreshed as the cold stone touched her burning head.


    The intense vibrations that filled her cell were nowpletely gone, but not long ago, the terrifying tremors had been so great that she felt like the whole cave would copse.


    There had been all sorts of frantic movements, and even the screech of some kind of creature.


    At the time she had wanted to leave her cell to investigate, but her instincts screamed at her to stay put.


    Something about the noises just didn''t seem right, and after being ''abandoned'' by Artemis and the other captains, her pride made her reluctant to see them again.


    And so, she sulked in her cell for a while longer, just to see if anyone woulde for her.


    But once again that didn''t happen.


    The noises died down eventually and she never learnt what had caused them.


    In the end, it seemed things had worked themselves out even without her involvement.


    Although she knew she should have been soothed by this, she only felt terribly defeated and she couldn''t help straining herself to see above her cell.


    Would it have been so terrible for one of her fellow snakes to rush down and ask for help?


    Where were her team members who had praised her for her bravery?


    Did they no longer need her now?


    Eventually her curiosity got the better of her and she decided to climb out, but her body suddenly refused to work with her.


    After training non-stop for the duration of her punishment, she realised she now burned hot with fever. Her sight had gotten blurry and the sudden jolt of her movement as she tried to climb, sent her vision spinning in circles.


    Prior to this, she hadn''t paid much attention to her body to realise the effects. And now as a result, whenever she tried to climb up, the weakness of her body caused her to fall.


    Leaning against the wall of her cell, the silence was deafening.


    And aside from her ragged breathing, she heard almost nothing else.


    Her blurred vision intensified, and this made her even more upset, but she decided to try again onest time.


    Unfortunately, at her highest point of climbing, she lost her grip and fell off the wall, crashing to the bottom of her cell in a harsh slump ¨C the impact sapping thest of her strength.


    And now she could barely keep her eyes open, not even able to move an inch until her depleted stamina refilled.


    Arsinoe knew she had herself to me, even the voice in her head told her so, but her arrogance refused to let her admit this.


    She secretly wished she hadn''t trained so hard, because now she was too weak to even use her skills.


    She opened up status to check her results, but the words blurred before her eyes. And when she strained her senses to listen to the little soundsing from above, they all sounded so far away.


    [Why am I working so hard for those that don''t appreciate me?]


    The question crossed her mind, but she wasn''t sure of the answer.


    Why was she in this situation?


    Tired and defeated for something that wasn''t even her fault.


    Wasn''t it because she wanted to prove herself?


    [I shouldn''t tolerate this.]


    Why was she living through such mistreatment like nothing was wrong?


    [I''m stronger than all of thembined. They should bow their heads to me.]


    She was stronger than Artemis. She had defeated him many times in the past. She was stronger than Ghad, and she had defeated his creature only recently.


    And she knew she could defeat Morgana if she fought with her current stats.


    So why was she not a captain?


    She should have been chosen instead of them.


    They should have been the one to follow her instructions and hang on her every word.


    [Yet it''s the opposite. And so, whose fault is it?]


    Who was responsible for her present reality?


    Of course, it was ''her'' but she somehow didn''tpletely agree, because her inner thoughts proved otherwise.


    [I''m the one at fault, for staying somewhere I''m not needed...]


    [If they don''t appreciate me, I should just leave.]


    Why didn''t she just leave?


    It was like something clicked within her psyche.


    And as Arsinoey on the cold ground, the words echoed through her thoughts.


    The statementpletely made sense because she wasn''t needed, and she finally understood the reason for the difort she felt while in ''her'' presence.


    With ''her'' here, Typhon and Ophelia had no need for her ''bravery'', because what was the use of that in the face of someone so much stronger than them?


    ''She'' had beaten them all on her own, showing clearly that ''she'' had no need for them.


    Yet she stayed anyway.


    Typhon and Ophelia probably realised this, which was why they chose to follow ''her'' and unconsciously discard her in the process.


    Arsinoe soon realised that her rebellion was only due to her sense of inferiority. Her weak body no longer felt hot, rather she grew as cold as the ground sheid on.


    Although it was heart-breaking, she realized letting go was for the best.


    Soon she was swallowed up by disparaging thoughts, and a slimy sensation covered her body like the embrace of something cold and wet. It filled her with doubt, causing further pressure to well up inside her mind.


    She doubted herself for the first time, the confidence from beforepletely stripped away.


    With it gone, she was nothing but a tiny timid serpent, and there was nothing else to keep the heavy feeling from pinning her to the ground.


    When she stared up at the top of her cell, it now resembled a steep mountain, whose tips she was never meant to reach.


    More and more she felt herself sinking into the ground, its texture and feeling not much different from wet mud. She felt her head submerge and the dirt clog up her nostrils, blocking her airway.


    She felt herself suffocate.


    Arsinoe did not struggle to breathe in the midst of the crushing feeling, because her body was far too weak. And while she wanted to dispel the wet feeling blocking her airways, she couldn''t, and a stinging pain filled her eyes, as she welled up with tears.


    [Arsinoe¡­are you okay?]


    A loud chirpy voice shattered the illusion and suddenly Arsinoe could breathe again. She looked up to see the pattern of one of the twin healers, but her blurred vision only let her know it was Lyra because of her voice.


    Arsinoe couldn''t focus on her figure at all and when she tried to, the choking feeling welled up once one, making her suck in deep breaths to try and get rid of it, and she gasped and coughed although nothing came up from her throat.


    [Arsinoe?] Lyra''s voice was filled with concern.


    Why couldn''t she leave her alone? She didn''t want anyone to see her like this.


    [Arsinoe¡­] Lyra worriedly repeated. [Do you need help¡­?]


    [WHAT DO YOU WANT?] Arsinoe yelled, her voice sounding extremely hoarse, even to her senses.


    Lyra backed away in shock. [I-I just came to see how you were doing. If I disturbed you, d-don''t be angry.]


    Angry?


    So just like Morgana she hade tough at her.


    [Why did youe here?!] Arsinoe cried out in protest.


    Her body felt weak, she was extremely tired, and the heavy feeling refused to go away. Just the thought of hearing Lyra talk infuriated her.


    [I know you already see me as a joke. There''s no need for you toe down here tough at me.]


    [I-I don''t. I''d never!] Lyra said in panic. [What''s wrong with you. Are you feeling unwell?]


    Arsinoe grimaced. So now she thought she was crazy.


    [Nothing''s wrong with me. I just don''t want to see you ¨C or any of you. Ever.]


    Lyra took one look at her and burst into tears.


    [I-I didn''t mean to upset you. I''m sorry. I just came to see if you were okay. I wanted to know if you need somebody to talk to.]


    The hypocrite.


    If she wanted to say that, where had she been all this time?


    And why was she suddenly crying?


    Was she doing that to make everyone dislike her even more?


    [I don''t need it.] Arsinoe hissed in anger. [And I don''t want you to visit either. You can go back up and tell the others the same.]


    Hearing this, Lyra looked even more saddened. She tried to exin all that had urred and that no one had forgotten her, but Arsinoe refused to listen.


    Somehow the sight of Lyra made her feel repulsed.


    She couldn''t exin it, but she had a strong feeling of disgust whenever the crying snake got near to her cell to speak, like an itchy feeling coursing through her body.


    Perhaps it was because she was crying, and she found her pathetic, but the sudden urge to turn the other way was unlike anything she''d ever felt before.


    [Will you stop crying?!] She shouted at her. [If you can''t say anything useful, then just leave!]


    Arsinoe may have said the words, but she never expected Lyra to actually turn around and flee like her life depended on it.


    And as her cries echoed through the numerous cells, Arsinoe realised the carefree healer who was normally very pleasant, had been utterly reduced to a tearful mess because of her - which would only make her situation worse.

 Chapter 187 - JailBreak

    As soon as Lyra left, Arsinoe began regretting her behavior.


    She knew she had only acted out of anger, but the result was one she couldn''t take back.


    [Why did I get angry at her?]


    She had no reason at all, but she needed to vent and Lyra just happened to be the unfortunate target.


    She sighed in defeat, and wanted to go after her to apologise but immediately began to think otherwise.


    [No, staying here will only make me suffer. I need to leave.]


    She thought the simplest way out of the problem she just created was to get herself out of the situation entirely.


    While she felt bad about it, Lyra was probably telling everyone about what she had done, and it was only a matter of time before someone came down to confront her.


    And that would only make her feel even more devastated than she was already.


    [I need to leave.] As she said it out loud, it felt as if a weight had been lifted off her chest and she experienced an overwhelming sense of relief making her feel as light as air.


    However, it dawned on her that the cave was all she knew and she had nowhere else to go.


    And as the harsh reality set in, she copsed into a slump, her tired body aching all over.


    [I can''t!] Sheined aloud to herself. [I don''t know anywhere safe. I''ll just get eaten.]


    Why was this happening?!


    [Why am I so helpless?]


    Perhaps she had spent too long alone by herself, but she had formed the habit of speaking out loud.


    Whenever she did, she felt she, and her own thoughts were often on opposite spectrums.


    Sometimes they berated her, and other times they were filled with positive encouragement.


    Like now.


    [Does it matter? There''s many ces to discover for those that are fearless and brave ¨C I can live anywhere I want to.]


    And it was right.


    After this, did anything she did truly matter?


    As soon as Lyra told others, she would get kicked out anyway.


    Because, who would pick a troublemaker like her over an excellent healer?


    [It doesn''t matter where I go.] Arsinoe sighed as she came to her decision. [The cave will be better off without me.]


    But just when she was feelingpletely defeated, a deep voice echoed through the underground chamber.


    [And where exactly will you go, idiot? Do you even know your way around?]


    Eh?


    After hearing such brutal scolding, delivered so calmly, Arsinoe looked around for the culprit.


    Which fiend dared to be so rude?


    It had to be Artemis, because who else would make fun of her direction sense.


    Unfortunately, when she looked up, she saw it was Typhon, someone she thought would never see again.


    And worse ¨C he had caught her talking to herself!


    Arsinoe was so embarrassed to see him staring at her, that she wished she could hide herself inside the deepest cell immediately, just so he wouldn''t see her face.


    But Typhon didn''t seem to notice her dying inside.


    [Don''t spout such nonsense.] he reprimanded her. [You belong here and nowhere else.]


    These were words she''d always wanted to hear, but her subconscious voice was telling her something else.


    [He doesn''t truly believe it. If he did, he wouldn''t have abandoned you.]


    No.


    [He''s only saying that because he thinks you''re pathetic.]


    Stop.


    She didn''t want to believe it.


    Typhon gave her a quizzical look. [What''s wrong?]


    Arsinoe immediately shook her head. [Nothing.]


    She didn''t want to think too much about it and focused on the dark scales growing on Typhon that seemed to glow like obsidian in the dull light.


    He wouldn''t lie to her, right?


    Soon enough, she quickly forgot everything about leaving, and the condescending thoughts faded to the background.


    [Why did youe here?] She questioned him.


    Did Lyra say something already?


    But then, she started to pick up a very foul stenching from Typhon''s direction, that made her eyes water. She risked a look at therger snake, eyes wide in disbelief ¨C was it possible?


    Arsinoe shook her head immediately.


    No. There was no way Typhon could stink.


    But why did she physically gag just looking at him?


    [Why do you look like that?] Typhon asked.


    [Because you stink!!]


    The words tumbled out of her mouth before realized it and she reeled back in shock, wishing she could vanish into nothing.


    Damn this stupid habit!


    But Typhon didn''t seem to mind and reached out to pull something closer.


    [It must be because of this.] he replied.


    It was heavy and looked like a bag of skin, filled to the brim with bulging spherical objects, and when he brought it closer, the pungent stench only made her gag more.


    [What is it?] she asked moving back a bit, hoping he wasn''t thinking of throwing it down her cell.


    [The source of the scent.] Typhon answered simply with a half smile. [Do you want to see what''s inside?]


    Of course not!


    Why would shee near something so hideous?


    Did he think she wanted to smell like that too?


    But Typhon looked extremely interested in the object and she wondered what its contents were.


    However¡­


    [I can''te out. I''m still under punishment, remember?] she spoke out disappointedly.


    [Not anymore.] Typhon calmly responded. [I came down to tell you that your punishment is over.]


    [Here, you must be hungry.] he added and threw arge chunk of a creature''s carapace into her cell.


    Arsinoe thought he was being awfully nice.


    So did that mean he didn''t know what happened between her and Lyra?


    If not, he wouldn''t say those words, and that thought made her conflicted enough to refuse toe out.


    [I¡­I did something bad¡­] She started to say, but Typhon had already moved away from her cell.


    And then she heard his voice call out. [What are you waiting for? Finish eating ande up.]


    Arsinoe fidgeted in her cell for a moment.


    She couldn''t exactly refuse amand, so she quickly ate her food and climbed up once her stamina recovered.


    There, she spotted Typhon further away with the parcel. He seemed to be searching for a tunnel free from eggs he could use.


    What exactly was he doing here? She wondered, and quickly followed after him.


    Finally, he settled on an empty cell and decided to tip over the contents of the fleshy sac into it.


    The slimy eggs that fell out were a deep purple in colour and formed of ovepping scale-like armour that was extremely hard to touch.


    Their size inparison to Morgana''s eggs were muchrger, but they were fewer, numbering in at only ninepared to the scores of eggs filling the other cells.


    And Typhon made sure to put them much further away from hers, to prevent whichever hatched the soonest from eating the other.


    Arsinoe stared at the stinky eggs in surprise.


    [Are they yours?] She asked Typhon.


    [They don''t belong to anyone.] He replied. [Once they hatch, they''ll be no different from you or me.]


    [But Morgana got to keep hers.] She refuted him.


    [Not anymore.] Typhon replied. [None of the eggs here are anybody''s property. And they shouldn''t be seen as such.]


    Hearing this, Arsinoe resisted the urge tough.


    It seemed Morgana had lost her leverage - she must''ve gotten in trouble!


    How funny! After acting so arrogantly in front of her, Arsinoe couldn''t wait to rub it in her face.


    [So...where is she?] she timidly asked.


    Typhon gave her a look, easily seeing through her, but he didn''t say anything more, and left for the upper level.


    Arsinoe followed behind him with a smirk, all thoughts of leaving the cave reced with an eagerness to see the angry look on Morgana''s face.


    Or perhaps even a tearful one!


    After all the humiliation she had been put through, Arsinoe knew she deserved a goodugh.


    However, Typhon stopped her thoughts.


    [Don''t cause any issues with Morgana. We already have enough problems to deal with.]


    What?!


    [But-]


    [Do you want to be a captain or not?] Typhon interjected. [Because I think you''ll make a good one, as long as you behave properly.]


    [What!?] Arsinoe couldn''t believe what she was hearing. She thought she had been abandoned but that wasn''t the case.


    Typhon continued. [But you can''t keep arguing with Morgana. We all have to get along, especially now.]


    Who cares about Morgana right now?


    Arsinoe nodded with enthusiasm as she looked at him, more than ready to agree to any condition as long as she was given a chance to prove herself capable of being a captain.


    Typhon shook his head and sighed. [You also need to learn to be less obvious. Revealing your desires through your expressions like that, will only make you Morgana''s target.]


    Arsinoe was surprised. Was she really that obvious?


    But how was she supposed to convince Morgana she didn''t want something when that was all she had been pining for.


    She knew Typhon was right, because Morgana was the type to pick at a wound until it was raw and bleeding. Arsinoe knew she wasn''t in the right state of mind and that her newly released self would seem just like easy pickings to her.


    And when she looked at Typhon, he''d already started moving on, without offering any suggestions.


    But then a thought sprung into her mind.


    [Convince him you don''t want it and it will be easy to fool her.]


    It sounded simple enough, but would he be fooled?

 Chapter 188 - The Notorious Swindlers

    Arsinoe stopped in her tracks and wiped off her smile.


    If she was going to convince Typhon, she had to let him know just how much his initial dismissal had wronged her.


    While she was d he was finally seeing her worth, it didn''t erase all of the disrespectful things she had to endure so far.


    It took a while, but Typhon eventually noticed she had stopped following, and looked back.


    [Don''t tell me you''re afraid of the responsibility.] he asked.


    [I''m not.] she shot back, and Typhon frowned when he saw her scowling.


    [What is it then?]


    Arsinoe could see he was confused but she had to be truthful.


    [I was punished for saving my team, and then you left without saying a word to me. It made me feel like I didn''t matter and that no one cared about what I did to save us. Which is why I don''t want to be captain.]


    Typhon''s sharp gaze was fixed on her and she stopped, her mouth feeling dry all of a sudden.


    She already felt extremely awkward, but why wasn''t he saying anything?


    After a while Typhon sighed. [How does this affect you being captain?]


    [I feel like no one would follow me because of this, even if I tried to lead them, I''ll just look like a fool.] She replied, making Typhon look thoughtful.


    [Are you sure you aren''t letting Morgana''s words get to your head?] he asked.


    She was, and she knew it.


    This was really because she didn''t want Morgana to tease her over not being qualified to lead.


    If she became captain now, after all her efforts had been tarnished by her imprisonment, she would look undeserving, even if she wasn''t.


    But then Typhon spoke.


    [You weren''t punished unjustly ¨C you did something wrong. But I will admit not seeing you beforehand was in bad taste. I was going to, but ''she'' had other ns.]


    He then went on to apologise, exining why he had left on such short notice, where he had gone and what he had encountered in the Middle Stratum with ''her''.


    And afterwards he informed her that the cave had been attacked.


    Hearing so many events urring in such a short time, left Arsinoe speechless.


    [But if this is truly how you feel, then I understand.] Typhon said. [I wouldn''t force you to do something you don''t want to do.]


    How could he say all that, and then say this?


    After hearing what he and her fellow nestlings had encountered, Arsinoe felt incredibly sheepish.


    Her home was facing a crisis, which exined the need for a new captain. And they were also thinking of expanding and taking in all the new creatures that hatched from the eggs.


    All of this needed everyone working together and she wanted to scream because her entire argument looked silly now.


    For her to refuse him now would look irresponsible!


    But Typhon didn''t seem keen to force her into doing anything. He quickly epted her rejection and moved on, perhaps considering other candidates.


    [Wait.] Arsinoe called out. [I''ll do it.]


    [Are you sure?] he asked.


    How could she possibly pass up being first choice?


    Seeing her greedy look, Typhon sighed. [You cane with me but we''ll have to see what ''she'' thinks.]


    Arsinoe felt like the wind had been knocked out of her. [Wait, she didn''t agree?]


    [I''m rmending you as my first choice.] Typhon replied, but after seeing her gloomy look he chuckled. [Don''t worry, she doesn''t bite¡­I think.]


    That didn''t sound reassuring at all!


    However, Typhon was already on his way up and she had to follow.


    There were so many questions swimming around in her head.


    Was she seeing ''her'' now?


    Would she be tested to prove herself?


    However, as she thought this, light from the upper cave filled her vision, illuminating her, and she realised the cave was not as devastated as she thought.


    She expected worse, but there were only some cracked walls, while the general cave was bustling with activity.


    The snake inside also looked to be in good health. And aside from a select few who were sleeping, most were training or sparring against each other.


    It was so lively she''d never have thought they were attacked, and as soon as she came up, she was rushed by the other two members of her team. And with the two gathered to congratte her on her release, everyone else''s attention was brought to her.


    [You''re free! Come and train with us!] One squealed loudly.


    [You have to try this food.] Another added, gesturing to an unusually shaped nt.


    Arsinoe was hesitant at first but before she knew it, she was surrounded by an excited crowd of nestlings who left their training to see her.


    But Typhon did not object to them taking a break, and he even moved aside to not get in the way.


    Arsinoe was taken by surprise. Was this some kind of prank?


    She immediately searched for Morgana through the crowd, eager to spot her nemesis before she struck.


    However, Morgana wasn''t anywhere close by.


    And soon Arsinoe''s attention was drawn to the raised tform at the forefront of the cave, on which rested a duo that was impossible to ignore.


    She saw the shiny purple scales of their leader, with her leathery wings red across her coils, apanied by a pearlescent creature with white scales, who sported a rather glorious plume of feathery wings.


    Uwaaa, how pretty!


    They both seemed to bemunicating and Arsinoe stared at the two creatures, transfixed.


    Wait, was that Ophelia?


    However, she had to stop staring at the two, when Typhon spoke to her.


    [When you are done with greeting everyone,e over so we can speak to ''her''.]


    With that, he left her with the adoring nestlings, to settle down beside their leader on the tform.


    Arsinoe was still confused at what had happened, but it was clear Ophelia had evolved.


    And with the addition of Typhon, they looked rather grand, nking ''her'' on either side with their contrasting ck and white scales.


    Several nestlings were speaking to her, but she barely paid attention, her eyes fixed on the trio.


    She wanted to be there too!


    Eventually she found Morgana, who was also on the raised tform.


    She was settled downfortably below their shimmering leader ¨C looking every bit as pompous as before from her high vantage point. And as soon as their eyes locked, Morgana thereatengly reared her fangs, making Arsinoe want to rush up there to throw her down.


    The tform was a high point from which their leader normally observed their training and the battles in the pit. Arsinoe didn''t mind Typhon or Ophelia being there, but why was Morgana in that spot?


    Strangely Ghad, who was also a captain, was unusually far away.


    And although Arsinoe was being congratted, her mood was instantly ruined as she stared at Morgana''s arrogant face.


    She was being arrogant, so Arsinoe red right back.


    Why was she there? Wasn''t she in trouble?


    It didn''t matter that Cygnus was also in the same basking spot, seeing Morgana only a step below their leader made her infuriated, because it meant she was still far away from beating her.


    Ghad also seemed to be in a bad mood, and he red at Morgana who would not let hime near.


    He looked rather odd being several feet away from the others, with only the chubby bird creature that would not stop squawking, forpany.


    Arsinoe didn''t know what was going on, but she thought that was amusing to watch, seeing as the rest of the atmosphere in the cave was rather chaotic.


    She would have continued to observe them, but the excited nestlings around were all eager to gain her attention. It seemed her team members had told the others how she could battle underwater, and now they all wanted to learn.


    Away from the tform, she began chatting amicably with her peers, eager to catch up on all she had missed.


    But after talking for a while, she decided it was time they all returned to training, although her team members remained by her side. They were two of her biggest supporters and they were both trying to convince her to have a match with them.


    Arsinoe was about to agree, when she noticed another annoying captain she didn''t want to see.


    It was Artemis. And with him was Apollo and the two mischievous snakes who used to be her friends. They came out of the underground rooms and they all seemed to be arguing.


    [I want the space nearest to the surface for my poisons.] Artemis pompously dered. [I am a captain and I outrank you both. You should obey me instead of arguing.]


    [Did you hear something?] one of the snakes asked.


    [No. Nothing at all.] the other grinned.


    Instead of listening to him, the two mischievous snakes were up to their usual games and Artemis red at both of them.


    [My poisonous nts are more important than those shiny useless things!]


    However, the two snakes didn''t seem all that bothered.


    [Those ''shiny things'' were there first.] onezily replied. [''She'' put them there herself.]


    [If you want it, you need to give us more shiny things in return, or half of everything your team hunts until everyone gets as big as Typhon.] The other dered with malice.


    Artemis nearly exploded in anger at their behaviour. [You fools don''t need that much space!]


    [And your nts aren''t nearly as pretty!] One scoffed. [Why do you want them anyway? They don''t taste sweet and they don''t even glow.]


    [They aren''t colourful either, so why do you need a big room to watch them?]


    Arsinoe sighed.


    The two snakes were good.


    She could already see Artemis trembling with rage at having his nts insulted.


    He was only impulsive when it came to those wretched poisons, and it was only a matter of time before he caved.


    And so she rushed to stop him, thinking he was about to make a huge mistake.

 Chapter 189 - Rooms Of Insanity

    During her imprisonment, she had nothing much to do so she would analyse the nestling''s behaviours sometimes.


    Artemis was someone who was notoriously self-centred.


    It wasn''t out of the ordinary for him to promise everything as long as he got his wishes. And she didn''t want to see half of her team''s future food supply swindled away from them, just so Artemis could get the best room all to himself when there were several others he could use.


    And so Arsinoe rushed to interrupt their argument before the mischievous snakes got their way.


    [Why don''t you use the underground cells like Morgana?] she suggested. [They are spacious enough for anything.]


    Anything to screw with her nemesis''s im was a good enough n.


    Artemis was about toin, but when he saw it was Arsinoe he broke into a savage grin.


    [I see you can''t wait to be my poison tester. But you don''t need to assist me so soon ¨C I already know how to choose the best spot.]


    Arsinoe grimaced. [Ugh! You wish!!]


    She already regretteding over.


    But Artemis continued to exin. [That room has the most space, my nts need plenty of room to grow.]


    However the two swindlers didn''t care. [It has the most light crystals, which is perfect to keep our shiny stones illuminated. Nobody cares about your dull nts.]


    Apollo who had been silent all this time, chose to chime in as well. [Can you not use the cells? I kind of need them to keep my creatures.]


    [You n to go through with it?] Artemis gave him a curious stare, and Apollo nodded.


    But the mischievous snakes grimaced and exchanged funny looks. [Why would you want those ugly bugs?]


    Another sighed. [I honestly don''t understand the appeal.]


    Arsinoe wasn''t sure what they meant so she asked the team members who followed her.


    [He''s been collecting those gross bottom feeders.] One replied.


    [He says he wants to raise them.] Another added.


    Arsinoe immediately turned up her nose. [Really? That''s just gross.]


    All of the nestlings present now stared at Apollo like he''d grown an extra head.


    Hearing all the criticism, Apollo tried to defend himself. [They are really gentle creatures. They don''t attack me, or anyone ever, you''ll see. I can show you if you don''t believe me.]


    Hearing this made Arsinoe panic.


    [You brought one here? They are dangerous!] she yelled and Apollo shrank away.


    She still remembered how quickly she''d seen a group of the creatures reduce an entire carcass to bones in seconds. How could he do something so stupid?


    [Shh¡­don''t be so loud.] Apollo hushed her. [None of the captains know yet.]


    [That''s much worse!] Arsinoe eximed. [Get rid of them!]


    [Are you forgetting I''m also a captain?] Artemis frowned at Apollo who quivered, but he didn''t seem too concerned about the issue, and he focused instead on arguing for therger room with the mischievous snakes.


    Arsinoe couldn''t believe how irresponsible he acted, and was beyond exasperated as she watched them all argue.


    The mischievous snakes were simply too greedy for wealth, enough to challenge a captain to further their own interests. Artemis was obsessed with poison and he was only mad that they were not allowing him to do what he wanted.


    And as for Apollo, it seemed he just wanted to show off his new pets.


    In conclusion - they were all insane!


    As if there weren''t enough strange eggs, they just had to add bottom feeders too?


    What was next? Fire breathing monsters.


    What was the caveing to?


    How did everything turn out like this in such a short while?


    And what were Typhon and Ophelia doing about this? Weren''t they concerned?


    She looked back and saw them both basking on the tform, too involved with their shimmering leader to do anything about anything else.


    They were doing nothing.


    It seemed everyone had all lost their minds!


    [Enough!] Arsinoe snapped. [Stop talking, all of you! Stop arguing over stupid things.]


    If it was up to her, she would throw them all into cells to reflect on their stupidity. Because it seemed the ones in charge weren''t interested in doing so.


    [Artemis you''re a captain, you need to act like one.] She scolded him with an angry re. [I''m sure you can find another space for your dumb nts ¨C they were there first.]


    Artemis was speechless, while the mischievous snakes nodded in unison. [Finally, a voice of reason.]


    [Here here.]


    [Shut up! You both have too much useless clutter!] she snapped at them in tow.


    That made them fall silent.


    But Arsinoe wasn''t done. [Apollo, you can''t keep those things without permission, they aren''t pets. And if you do, they need to serve the cave in some way, like Hestia helps to spar with us.]


    Apollo looked thoughtful. [Well¡­no, they can''t spar, but they do other...useful things.]


    Arsinoe grimaced. Yeah, right.


    [Like what?] She challenged him.


    [Well...it''s hard to exin.] Apollo timidly replied. [I-It won''t make sense until I show you.]


    Artemis and the mischievous snakes exchanged looks, seemingly curious to know what he saw in the creatures.


    Arsinoe didn''t believe him.


    It was clear the creatures were useless and he was just making up excuses.


    And thus the tour of the underground rooms began, with all the snakes trying to convince her their rooms served the best purpose.


    First she visited therge space that the mischievous snakes upied, which was essentially an area piled high with everything they found useful enough to keep.


    There were colourful shiny stones and golden rocks of all kinds, illuminated by the many light crystals thrown in between them.


    Interesting shiny objects she could see herself in as she passed, and even oddly shaped nts or furs they collected because they found them interesting.


    Also there were food shares the two snakes had extorted from others, including high amounts of the new wine coloured fruit that all of the nestlings seemed eager to eat.


    And of course, they refused to let her have any.


    In conclusion, Arsinoe saw it as a mesh of all of their ill-gotten ''wealth'' and she didn''t see the appeal in keeping such useless trinkets.


    What was ''wealth'' when there were tough battles to be won in the pit?


    But the mischievous snakes didn''t see it like that, as they took pride in everything they had gathered so far. And they were not troubled by her disdain, insisting on showing all the visiting nestlings around.


    [What a waste of space.] Artemis grumbled. [I could use this space for better things.]


    That was true.


    Arsinoe thought their greed and obsession was truly macabre. Why they chose to keep acquiring things was something she couldn''t understand.

 Chapter 190 - Rooms Of Insanity II

    But the two snakes would not be convinced to part with anything ¨C including theirrge room, so Artemis could onlyin.


    Eventually it was his turn to wow them.


    But, when it came to his chosen room ¨C there wasn''t much to brag about.


    There were spotted nts, many types of tree bark, odious smelling berries, and countless stringy looking mushrooms, all strewn across the room in a haphazard, with Artemis excitedly going between them to exin the purpose of each one.


    It was no different from the forest outside, with all sorts of sprawling nts and unusual leaves.


    Quite frankly it was boring, and the mischievous snakes fell asleep midway through his ranting.


    For Arsinoe, however, she was terrified.


    There were many vines among his collection, and she resonated with them in a bad way.


    They reminded her of the disgusting creature that had pulled her under water, and she kept imagining the vines intermingling with her flesh.


    Because of that, she stormed out of his room midway.


    By the time her team members came after her, she was able to calm herself and pretend nothing was wrong.


    [Why did you leave?] one asked.


    [It smelt funny.] She nervouslyughed, ignoring the knotted feeling in her gut.


    [Did you hear that?] One of the mischievous snakesughed. [Your nts stink!]


    [No they don''t.] Artemis frowned unhappily.


    [Smelly nts should be thrown out!] Another replied, leading Artemis to storm off in anger.


    [W-What about mine?] Apollo interrupted them.


    He was mostly timid and quiet, so this was a challenge. The only stand out thing about him was that he had a name, and naturally this led to the other nestlings mostly forgetting his existence.


    But Arsinoe heard him. [Alright! Lets see yours next.]


    She would go anywhere else, if it kept her from visiting Artemis''s room again.


    Eventually, they all headed towards the underground cells.


    Apollo revealed he had taken three of the shallow cells to use to keep the creatures of his interest, with each cell containing an equal amount of bottom feeders.


    In one cell, they were dormant, the bodies of the worm-like creatures frozen like the dead.


    In another, they thrashed about wildly, each one wriggling in a frenzied state, at the merest hint of noise.


    And in the third, they moved about normally.


    [T-They are mostly blind.] Apollo exined. [They only react to noise, and the scent of blood.]


    Arsinoe wasn''t expecting much, but Apollo''s showcase of the bottom feeders left her surprised. Somehow he had seeded in training them, because when they went to take a closer look, none of the creatures reacted aggressively to them.


    The mischievous snakes grimaced as they looked down, but Artemis was intrigued and kept asking him questions, his interest making Apollo speak more confidently.


    [Why are they acting so differently?]


    [I wanted to make them safe.] Apollo replied. [So I wondered what would happen if I fed them something other than meat.]


    Artemis was intrigued. [Did it work?]


    Apollo shook his head. [No. They just became like that.]


    He nced at the ones that weren''t moving. [But they didn''t die, but they became slow. Which means they can live for a long time without food.]


    Artemis quickly understood. [So they are more aggressive depending on how long ago you fed them?]


    Apollo agreed. [The less I feed them, the more active they be.]


    Then he went over to his food supply to retrieve a scorpion creature''s corpse, throwing it down into the pit full of aggressive creatures.


    In an instant, they swarmed the corpse, swiftly devouring through its hardened carapace in a chaotic manner that reduced it to nothing in an instant.


    And even after, they were still hungry.


    Apollo looked to them for approval, but Arsinoe grimaced at the salivating maws of the bottomfeeders, shocked at what she had witnessed.


    Should she be impressed or disgusted?


    But Artemis took the words right out of her mouth. [Just imagine using them in battle! Or even better, we can use them for our defence! They''ll probably eat through the bones of anything that attacks. They seem hungry enough!]


    [Really?] Apollo was surprised. [Will they be useful?]


    [Very much so.] Artemis watched the writhing creatures with interest.


    Apollo didn''t seem convinced. [But they have to smell the blood first, or they won''t do anything. Are you sure that won''t be bad?]


    Artemis smirked. [I don''t think that will be a problem.]


    Arsinoe sighed. Even she had to admit Apollo''s tour was interesting, but when he and Artemis started rambling on about their absurd interests, she quickly got annoyed.


    While it seemed fine now, this was not without risk.


    There was no guarantee ''she'' would agree, and Arsinoe was annoyed they were alreadying to conclusions.


    Besides, she was disgusted.


    Why couldn''t they discuss normal things like evolving or bing captain?


    They just had to be so weird and obsessed with strange things.


    [They are so boring.] The mischievous snakes started at the two in confusion. [What''s so great about ugly bugs?]


    Like you''re any better!


    Arsinoe thought. But Artemis went on another rant on how his nts were more superior and she had to stop herself from listening.


    They were mad! All of them!


    There was no way she could remain around them.


    And so she quickly left with her team members, before she too caught their strange affliction.


    However, when she came out of the underground cells, there was even more chaos awaiting her.


    However, when she came out of the underground cells, there was even more chaos awaiting her.


    She felt the rush of wind and looked up to see Ophelia''s feathery form, soaring high over the cave''s ceiling in all of their wispy glory.


    She was fast and whenever she moved, there was a strong breeze in the wake of her wings. Ophelia seemed to be chasing a tiny pink figure who was equally as fast, and her excitement was almost explosive.


    But watching this behaviour left Arsinoe stupefied.


    Why was the cold elegant Ophelia chasing after an insect?


    Had the strange affliction spread to her too?

 Chapter 191 - A New Kind Of Captain

    Just when Arsinoe thought things couldn''t go more wrong, Ophelia surged forward with a sudden burst of speed, knocking the tiny creature mid-air with her feathery wing, making her drop something.


    And soon a wine coloured fruit rolled down from the air,ing to a stop next to her.


    Arsinoe stared nkly at it, just as Ophelia swooped down from the air,nding with a great rush of wind.


    The tiny fairy was gripped lightly between her feathers, and she saw the tiny creature giggling as she poked her head through, and then tried to lift the fluffy feathers away, before being covered by yet another feathery wave.


    It seems they were on good terms.


    [Arsinoe! I heard you were released.] Ophelia breathlessly gushed as she saw her. [Why didn''t youe up to see us? We were waiting for you.]


    That made Arsinoe perk up.


    [I was about to.]


    She''d meant toe quickly but had gotten distracted.


    After realising Ophelia wanted to talk more, her team members excused themselves and returned to training.


    The dark fae poked her head out once more, peeking out at her, before dashing towards the fallen fruit, but Ophelia swiftly covered it up with her wing, making the tiny creature fall into her wing once more.


    The dark fae emerged, frowning and sulking, which only made Opheliaugh, the ringing a rather delicate sound.


    Arsinoe on the other hand was annoyed ¨C why was Ophelia being so casual to this foreign bug?


    She slithered forward, intending to knock away the fruit, but in the process Ophelia''s wings brushed over her, and for a brief moment, she found herself wrapped in it.


    It was soft.


    Perhaps the fluffiest thing she had ever felt, and her annoyance quickly vanished like smoke.


    [Typhon told me he wishes to make you a Captain.] Ophelia turned to her. [I think its about time.]


    Really?


    Arsinoe looked up at therge snake, eager to hear more.


    But then she realised she was on top of her feathers, which was probably painful for her so she immediately leapt off it like it was hot coal.


    However Ophelia, who was yfully teasing the dark fae, didn''t seem to mind.


    [It''s been so busy here ¨C I feel like I haven''t seen you in forever. I really should have visited more, how are you feeling?]


    Hm? The usual Arsinoe would have said something.


    But... how was she feeling? She had no idea.


    She hadn''t had any conflicting thoughts in a while.


    [I guess I''m fine.] she answered, although she had never seen this caring side of Ophelia before and was mildly confused by all of her happiness and joy.


    Was it because she evolved and was no longer stressed about being left behind?


    [That''s really good. If you ever want to talk, I''m here for you.]


    Who was this, and what had she done with Ophelia?


    [Er¡­]


    But then the sight of a dishevelled looking creature made her yelp. And she felt a searing pain in her head, as a wave of nonsense rambling filled her head.


    [Kyaa!] The dark fae squealed. [I''ve never spoken to you before. Uww you''re so cute.]


    Ugh. What was this? It was so loud!


    [Get away from me!] Arsinoe screamed and leapt away from the chattering creature, but the sound of her voice refused to go away, no matter how far away she went.


    [She''s just saying hello.] Ophelia chuckled, her feathersing up to stroke her head.


    Arsinoe grimaced in annoyance, and she hissed at the chattering creature.


    But the tiny creature rushed over to her, stuffing something sweet into her mouth, before she could evade it.


    It was a piece of fruit¡­and it was good.


    Her taste buds filled with a sweetnessbined with a tingling sensation of ice in her mouth, that left her terribly confused.


    [Don''t do that!] Arsinoe heard Ophelia scolding the dark fae. [She hasn''t had it before.]


    And then she heard Morgana''s loudughter ring out, forcing her to seek out her nemesis.


    She was on the tform with Ghad and they were both snickering as they stared at her, making Arsinoe explode with anger.


    Those fiends!


    But why was it so cold?


    She was so unused to the taste of the strange fruit that she shivered terribly, and this made Morganaugh some more.


    Arsinoe once again had the lingering feeling that she was being mocked by everyone, especially Morgana, and to shield her Ophelia covered her with her wing.


    [Ignore them.] Ophelia said tofort her, and the dark fae rushed over to apologise, but it did not erase the feeling.


    Instead Arsinoe shrugged off her feathery shield.


    [Stop treating me like a hatchling. I don''t care if sheughs.]


    Ophelia looked a little sad, but she did so anyway. [I''ll have a word with Morgana, she has to stop this.]


    Arsinoe tried not to care, Typhon was waiting to make her captain anyway.


    And soon Morgana would have nothing to say, but she still had her doubts.


    [Do you want me to bring you up?] Ophelia asked.


    She wanted to give her a ride on her back, but Arsinoe found that even more embarrassing.


    And so she quickly told Ophelia she woulde up on her own, watching the feathered serpent take off, with the dark fae eagerly waving goodbye.


    Her body raged with fury as she looked up at the tform, past the sinister Morgana, and the innocent Ghad, to settle on the culprit of all the chaos.


    The mirrored serpent known as ''her''.


    She quietly marched towards gathered snakes, fully intent on confronting her.


    However, once she was up on the tform, the atmosphere was very different.


    The purple creature seemed to be taking a nap, and as Ophelia returned to her side, the dark fae left her to settle on ''her'' head. But once Arsinoe arrived, Typhon nudged her awake and they both discussed something briefly.


    She was still annoyed by Morgana''sughter, but with Typhon present, she knew she had to be on her best behaviour.


    And so she settled for ring at her nemesis from afar.


    How unfair was it that she couldn''t throw her down to the pit like she wanted to?


    But after some discussion, Typhon spoke to her.


    [We''ve all agreed to make you Captain, but ''she'' wants to know why you want it?]


    Ah. So this was the dreaded test.


    Arsinoe expected as much, and she was ready with some good examples.


    The nestlings were unsupervised for the most part, leading them to making irrational choices, because why else would Apollo carry on with his weird hobby without a fear of reproach? And Artemis who should have reprimanded him, was exactly the same as him.


    And she suggested they needed a captain to oversee everyone, while enforcing specific rules within the cave, to prevent everything from spiralling out of control, and to stamp out irresponsible behaviour.


    While she brought up the shocking issues in the cave, she saw Morgana looked enraged.


    She had indirectly brought up instances of Morgana belittling others, including herself, and Ophelia''sck of focus during her stint as leader.


    But while Ophelia acknowledged her mistakes and didn''t argue, Morgana was unrepentant and tried to object, making Typhon shut her up with a re.


    Morgana fell silent and returned to her ce, and Arsinoe was ted.


    That was fun.


    [I''ll have to speak to Artemis and Apollo.] Typhon said. [But I''m d you brought this up. Are there any other problems you noticed?]


    Arsinoe couldn''t think of anything else right now, and so she shook her head.


    Typhon gave her a look of acknowledgement, before proceeding to speak to ''her'' and Arsinoe could feel Morgana''s eyes boring holes into her body.


    It served her right for acting like she owned everything, and Arsinoe was d justice was being served.


    However, she wasn''t exactly sure what ''she'' thought.


    While Typhon spoke to her, ''she'' remained mostly silent. The only activity around her being the tiny, dishevelled creature buzzing around them both.


    But in the end ''she'' agreed to make her captain, although it was not in the traditional sense.


    She would not get her own team, until the cave had more members, and so she would continue to hunt with Artemis, but she would have just as much of a leadership role as he did.


    And then, Typhon went on to make an announcement to the whole cave.


    ording to her new role as an enforcer, she would also be able tomand any nestling irrespective of which team they belonged to and make them get in line if she ever found them at fault ¨C and this was surprising for her to hear.


    She looked down from the tform, at the nestlings that had stopped training to hear what was being said and each one was looking up at her with admiration and some envy ¨C all because of this new authority she had.


    Arsinoe thought that their leader who had agreed to such a thing was rather interesting. She''d gone from the least powerful, to someone with plenty of authority in an instant, surpassing Morgana, and to be almost on par with Typhon.


    It was amazing.


    And although there was still a lot to be improved, she felt it would be wrong toin about ''her'' judgement.


    Instead, Arsinoe turned to Morgana, fixing her with her most defiant look.


    She did not fail to notice she was also on a higher point of the tform than her nemesis and after an intense staring match, Arsinoe eventually looked away.


    However, she made sure to settle down close to Ophelia''s soft wings to watch Morgana seethe with rage.

 Chapter 192 - Objection!

    Ophelia stared at the purple scaled serpent in front of her.


    They were in the middle of their speech lessons, where she would say a phrase in their ''snake tongue'' and try to get her to understand its meaning.


    [Now, try to repeat after me.] Ophelia said.


    ''She'' nodded, but her eyes strayed towards the stack of fruits, the hiss out of her mouth barely coherent as she gobbled down one of the fruits.


    Ophelia snapped. [No. Pay attention!]


    The mirrored snake curled up once more, her dark eyes downcast and pitiful.


    Why did it seem like she was the bad guy who was forcing her to study?


    Typhon who was beside her sighed. [Take it easy, it will take some time.]


    [Easy?] she hissed at him. [Why don''t you stop being a distraction and be serious too!]


    You would think that since ''she'' was also a snake like them, she would understand theirnguage easily, but that was not the case.


    [I am helping.] Typhon amusinglyined. [''She'' wanted to leave as soon as Arsinoe mentioned the cells. I''m the one who asked her to stay.]


    Ophelia red at him. [Don''t make excuses!]


    [Fine.] Typhon settled down to rest on the tform, and now two pairs of eyes stared at her, while the dark fae stretched and yawned.


    Ophelia continued her lesson and tried to ignore the irritation building up from their behaviour.


    ''She'' was normally very cooperative and had made plenty of progress on her lessons in the past.


    However on this asion, she seemed to be having trouble.


    First there was the distraction of the fruits.


    ''She'' hadn''t stopped eating them since she tried them ¨C even going as far as to gorge herself into a long nap.


    It was an odd feeling to realise the snake she admired was really a terrible glutton, but Ophelia did not let it deter her from teaching, because she found it strangely adorable.


    But now after hearing of the events on the lower floor, ''she'' was even more distracted in her curiosity to go down and investigate.


    Typhon, who would normally assist her in her speech lessons, was also the same. He kept staring down the tform and would react at any loud noise.


    Ophelia didn''t really me them ¨C she was curious too.


    But was it so hard to pay attention for a while?


    Soon, the scruffy fairy who had been quietly spectating, suddenly came over to her to say.


    [Um...the ''bad serpent'' says she wants a food break. She says you shouldn''t worry, that the ''big serpent'' will take over her lesson in the lower cave.]


    Oh really?


    Ophelia red at the two distracted idiots, her patience waning.


    Typhon refused to meet her eyes and ''she'' fidgeted awkwardly while securely wrapped around the fruit bundle.


    Wasn''t this just an excuse to go off and y?


    [Alright fine!] Ophelia snapped. [Go and do whatever you want! I don''t care?]


    In an instant, she felt a burst of wind as the purple scaled serpent spread her dark wings and vanished down the tform with the fruit bundle in tow.


    Really? So she could understand that, but not the other things she tried to teach?


    Typhon gave her a sympathetic look before following right after, which made her hiss in anger.


    This traitor!


    [See youter, pretty serpent!] The dark fae enthusiastically waved before speeding off too.


    And Ophelia was left on the tform to tremble in anger.


    These...these irresponsible fools!


    She med it on the little fairy brat.


    Throughout her lessons, ''she'' had been distracted by everything the dark fae said telepathically, and would asionally burst intoughter.


    Typhon was no better. Since they came back from their hunt, the three were thick as thieves.


    [What about my lessons?] Ophelia hissed in anger. [What''s so interesting about some creatures in the lower cave?]


    Sometimes she thought they saw her as too ''delicate'' to get involved with certain things ¨C especially Typhon.


    Ophelia thought she would have been a great help in the Middle Stratum, but they left her behind and never even gave her a chance.


    It wasn''t her fault she looked like this!


    It was like they had forgotten what was truly important, which was getting everyone stronger, however dangerous it might be.


    Ophelia wanted to follow them down to show them her wrath, but when she lifted one of her many wings, there was a little snake curled up under her feathers that made it difficult to move.


    Arsinoe had fallen asleep as soon as she was dered captain ¨C likely very overwhelmed by all the pressure and attention, and Ophelia didn''t want to wake her.


    Noises of activitying from the cave below wafted up to her senses and she decided, as soon as Arsinoe woke up, she would go down to the lower cave and tell them exactly what she thought about their behaviour.


    She didn''t need their protection, she was strong already!


    Ophelia wished she could be like Cygnus who was hardly bothered by anything.


    She saw him giving lessons on speed below and saw another snake who was almost as quick as he was, which made her double take.


    It seemed he already had his hands full with thepetitive nestlings, especially the new progeny he had introduced ¨C she seemed very promising. But unlike him, Ophelia was having some difficulty with her lessons.


    She twitched as she felt something nudge against her, and when she looked down, she saw Arsinoe''s awkward sleeping form had sprawled out to envelop more of her feathers.


    What was she, a feather cushion?


    She wanted to lift her wing to shake off the rude snake but decided against it when she thought of how worn-out she must be.


    For her to fall asleep so carelessly, the cell must have been hellish for her.


    Unfortunately, the peace did notst long.


    When Morgana saw her alone, she took the opportunity toe up to the tform to show her disapproval. Ghad was also with her, along with a haggard looking Artemis who seemingly appeared from nowhere.


    Conveniently, Typhon, who had created the mess, wasn''t around to sort it out.


    And so, it was up to her to calm down the raging captains.


    [Are you sure you want to do this?] Morgana tried to reason with her. [Arsinoe is too emotional. She reacts too easily to provocation, it''s almost no fun teasing her anymore. There are sillier snakes in my team that would make far better captains than she would.]


    Hearing this, Ophelia almost felt sorry for the nestlings who were under Morgana''s tyranny.


    [I agree.] Ghad echoed Morgana''sints.


    He red at Arsinoe''s sleeping form, leading Ophelia to drape her wings over her, to hide her from their harsh stares.


    She wondered why he disagreed, Ghad had often praised her in the past.


    But she noticed he seemed more irritable than before. Was he jealous his default position as ''pet'' was being taken?


    [Where is Typhon?] Artemis looked around confusedly. [I need to show him something. I thought he was here? And what''s this about a captain?]


    Ophelia sighed. It seemed Artemis wasn''t here toin.


    In fact he had no idea what was going on.


    [Didn''t he leave to find you?] Morgana said to him. [He went down to the cells with ''her''.]


    [Oh really?] Artemis was surprised. [I should go then¡­]


    But Ghad stopped him. [You''re a captain, you should say something too.]


    [About what?] he asked.


    [Just about the worst thing ever.] Morgana said in mock sorrow.


    [Arsinoe is now a captain.] Ghad exined, simrly horrified. [Don''t you have any objection?]


    Ophelia did not like where this was going.


    [Typhon has his reasons.] she said to Morgana. [And ''she'' understands the need for a captain like her, which is why she agreed.]


    Morgana noticed the edge in her voice, and after seeing the sharp glint in her eyes, she changed her tune ordingly. To say she disagreed with ''her'' decision would be in direct conflict with Ophelia''s views.


    [I''m not saying her decision is wrong.] She carefully replied. [But it was done out of sympathy, which isn''t necessarily a good thing.]


    Ophelia cruellyughed. [Weren''t you just praising ''her'' method for dealing with our foes? Or is ''she'' only right when she acts in the same way you would?]


    Morgana could see she was in a bad mood, so she proceeded with caution. [I''m just thinking of what''s best for everyone.]


    [How so?] Ophelia asked.


    [Arsinoe is too hot headed.] Morgana savagely grinned. [She truly believes she is mypetition, and that makes her act careless. I feel bad for whoever will be in her team ¨C I don''t think they willst a single hunt.]


    [Aren''t you being too harsh?] Ophelia frowned.


    [It doesn''t change the fact that she''s young and stupid.] Morgana disagreed.


    [Young?] Opheliaughed. [We are all the same age. And Artemis will be with her.]


    [Untested, then.] Morgana rolled her eyes.


    [She saved her entire team.] Ophelia defended her. [Isn''t that true Artemis?]


    [Only about half.] Artemis grumbled.


    [She hasn''t led a team before.] Morgana shot back. [That''s very different.]


    [I don''t see a problem with it.] Artemis casually replied after a pause. [I was going to give her my title if she beat me, she seemed up for it. I would have preferred her to be my tester in exchange, though.]


    At his words, every captain turned to him in shock, including Ophelia.


    [What is wrong with you?] Ghad was appalled. [Why would you give it away?]


    But it was Morgana who grew enraged.


    [You what? How could you promise her? She''s just an entitled hatchling. She shouldn''t even be here!]


    Ophelia could feel a headacheing. [Enough. The decision has been made.]


    She was surprised there were so many conflicting opinions about this little snake.


    When she lifted her wing, Arsinoe was still asleep, seemingly unbothered by all the chaos she had created. She was even smiling.


    But then Ophelia realised something.


    Wasn''t Morgana unusually irritated?


    [Tell me you''re not envious of her?] she gave Morgana a disapproving stare. [She''s just a hatchling. This reaction is unnecessary.]


    Morgana hissed in fury. [I''m not! Why would I be jealous of this no experience hatchling?]


    [Keep your voice down, don''t wake her.]


    Ophelia was a little upset with them.


    Typhon had rmended Arsinoe because he needed someone to share the workload, and also because he didn''t trust Morgana to assist her.


    None of these things were Arsinoe''s fault...she was simply misunderstood by the others.


    [I agree it''s a risk.] Ophelia said. [But any mistakes she makes can be corrected by us, she''s still learning - just like you all were in the beginning. I also know she will do well, because the nestlings admire her courage.]


    The captains seemingly had no moreints, although Morgana was still angry.


    Ophelia smiled. It was tiring, but at least they listened.


    But then Morgana grumbled. [Typhon and I need to talk.]


    Ophelia sighed.


    The peace was nice while itsted.


    [Leave them alone. They are fixing the mess left by Artemis.]


    [Hm?] Artemis looked puzzled. [What mess?]


    [Apollo.] Ophelia said simply. [Have you forgotten already?]

 Chapter 193 - Pit Warfare

    Typhon and I arrived rather suddenly. We were in the lowest level of the cave, where it was noticeably cooler. And there, amongst all the prison cells, we came upon the three containing Apollo''s bottom feeders.


    It wasn''t exactly hard to find from the directions Arsinoe had given, and unlike the other quiet cells, these ones gave off an audible skitter from the numerous creatures crawling within.


    We quickly spotted Apollo in the middle of feeding them fresh corpses, causing him to fidget awkwardly under ourbined stares. He was scared we had caught him keeping the nasty creatures, and rightfully so, because he had done this without permission.


    However, after waking up from what was perhaps the best nap I had in a while, I was in a really good mood.


    Typhon on the other hand, was not so lenient. He was disappointed with Apollo and immediately pulled him aside to give him a verbal warning, while I peered over at the three cells to watch the creatures devouring a corpse whole.


    [That''s ew.] The dark fae remarked, as she peered at them from above my head.


    [Hmm.] I agreed, but they were surprisingly effective.


    In a few seconds I''d watched them consume nearly half of the corpse, the speedpletely exceeding my expectations. From what Arsinoe described, Apollo was in the process of training them to be safe, but it seemed that by restricting their food, all he had done was worsen their hunger.


    If I thought about it, they were no different from a garbage disposal. I could keep throwing things down and they would devour them in an instant like those creepy monsters in horror movies.


    But then, why hadn''t they tried to climb out to the other cells? And why hadn''t they attacked Apollo?


    The other cells contained many eggs that could have been easy pickings, and Apollo was the easiest target of all. From their numbers alone, eating him wouldn''t even be enough as an appetiser. Yet, they didn''t.


    Was Apollo secretly a genius?


    He seemed to have tamed them to only eat what they were fed, and also to assume a dormant state to conserve their energy when they were not eating. I peered over at Apollo who cowered under Typhon''s scolding. He looked terrified and was at the point of tears.


    He shared a simr pattern to Artemis, who was also quite intelligent, and I couldn''t stop thinking of how well thought out his procedure was.


    He must have gathered the creatures a little at a time, until they were enough to fill up three cells, and gotten them all used to his presence. They weren''tpletely safe, but he seemed to have conditioned them to associate his presence with food.


    Being the opportunistic feeders that they were, their food was mostly dependent on the remains of other predators. If there were none, or they had to fight over them with stronger predators, they would likely starve for days or weeks on end.


    Perhaps they had chosen to ally with him because they were fed regrly here, which was better than relying on scraps.


    I thought Apollo was onto something and I called him over to exin more.


    Typhon stopped scolding him toe over and see the cells. And he got to witness thest of the corpse get eaten away to nothing. In an instant, a flicker of understanding crossed his eyes.


    It seems he had also caught on.


    Apollo nervously peered at the both of us to see what we thought, and he was taken aback when he was met with our enthusiastic questions.


    The dark fae even buzzed around to examine him from every angle, making Apollo more terrified.


    [This spotted serpent is odd, but also cute.] She proudly announced. [But why is he shaking? Stop scaring him, you bad snake!]


    [But I didn''t do anything.] Iined.


    Did she not see Typhon over there doing his best thug impression?


    It was him that was scaring him, not me!


    And so I shielded Apollo from Typhon''s searing re.


    I had a lot of questions from him and it was best to calm him down first.


    At first Apollo trembled in fear, but after some questions by the dark fae, it soon became apparent we were interested in his discovery. He started to showcase his bottom feeders and exin more of his training method.


    I was mostly right. Apollo exined he kept them separately from each other and fed them regrly overtime until he built their trust. But I was wrong about the creatures, in that they weren''tpletely docile.


    Apollo always made sure he was uninjured beforeing near them, because if he ever bled, they would attack him indiscriminately, regardless of whatever friendship they had built up.


    To my surprise, Typhon didn''t care about this ring issue. He approved of their bloodthirsty instincts, going as far as to suggest weaponizing them at strategic points around the cave.


    [Hold on.] I stopped him.


    It was too risky.


    Firstly the creatures weren''t tame. Keeping them inside was dangerous enough, but creating cells of them around the cave was even worse. Some nestlings regrly got injured during training, and I would hate to suddenly be overrun by a swarm of bottom feeders.


    That would be themest way to die.


    Typhon and I agreed, and instead he suggested creating underground tunnels to keep the creatures in. They would be away from the cave itself which was a good way to keep the critters away from my nestlings, and this got me thinking¡­


    The ape creatures and some of the scorpions were already quiterge. If we created underground tunnels that were hidden, we could fill them up with bottom feeders to create pitfall traps that would be triggered by weight.


    I thought of using [Dimensional Box] to thin out the top of the tunnels to create a fragile surface, so that if any creature over a certain weight passed over it, the ground would copse, leading them to fall into the bottom feeders below.


    Hm¡­


    It sounded good, but it would need a few tests to figure out.


    Also what if an ident urred in battle and one of my snakes fell in instead?


    Ah¡­what the heck.


    That would also be another dumb way to die.


    With every evolution, this risk would increase because their sizes would change.


    I could imagine this ending very badly.


    The bottom feeders would have to be trained to not attack my nestlings somehow.


    But when I asked Apollo what progress he had made, he wasn''t yet close to a breakthrough.


    He would need more time if this was ever going to be achieved.


    Which left one more option.


    The tunnels would have to be created in a pattern, so that only we would know which areas were thinned out and which were safe enough to thread on.


    It was still risky, but at least it was easy to avoid.


    ?Don''t forget to create some sort of a warning.? Sensei added. ?Not every nestling is smart enough to remember patterns.?


    Dang it!


    And here I thought it was solved.


    This would have to do, until I thought of something smarter, or until Apollo cracked the friendship code. If any nestling was silly enough to fall in, maybe surviving that would make them smarter.


    Typhon also had the wonderful idea of incorporating training tasks and hunting activities around these tunnels.


    Alongside those containing bottom feeders, there would also be some entry and exit points created to ambush creatures while hunting, or for ease of travelling between one point and another.


    I thought these ideas were all well and good and I didn''t me him for being ambitious, but they would only work if the bottom feeders could be trained.


    Somehow I didn''t like the idea of being surrounded by the creatures, and Typhon agreed. Until they could be trained, the focus would remain on using them in safe ways.


    But it soon became clear that if any of this was going to work, we were going to need far more bottom feeders. Three cells worth was simply not enough.


    And speaking of cells, while Typhon and Apollo worked out the specifics, I went on to check out the rest of the cells where all the eggs were gathered. They were all ced deeply and so far none had shown any signs of cracking, not even the worms.


    The cells were all rather bare and I began to wonder if they would even hatch in the cold. Maybe they should have sprinkled in a bit of sand.


    While I pondered this issue, we were joined by two more curious nestlings.


    It seems the two had heard of our visit and wanted to show us around their room as well.


    How cute.


    I recalled they were part of Typhon''s team, but instead of greeting their captain, they came straight to me and started chatting away.


    They were practically identical. Both had a certain mischievous air to their manner, and they were almost hyperactive from how quickly they spun circles around me.


    However, while it was easy to understand Typhon, these two spoke too quickly for me to pick up any words, and I could only stare at them in confusion.


    Not that they noticed anyway, they gestured for me to follow them as they passed the cells, regardless of whether I understood or not.


    Well...they were certainly enthusiastic.


    It was only when Typhon came over that I finally understood what they meant.


    They had a big surprise for me, it seemed. And so, we all went over to their room to see.


    Once there, I was pleasantly surprised.

 Chapter 194 - The Unlucky Ones

    They were more mounds of gems here than in any room, stacked high in numerous piles that were practically overflowing with shimmering colour, and it wasn''t just gems.


    There were silver helmets and gold coins, some unique looking creature skins, and other shiny nt matter, the like I''d never seen before, like they were magpies, attracted to everything that glimmered, and it was curious to see all of their umted items.


    Their wealth was a lot more than what I''d gathered prior, they had to have been making frequent trips outdoors, and I had to wonder where they had found all their items.


    The two snakes looked rather proud of their aplishments, and Typhon, who truly knew the risk of their actions, was upset with them.


    I saw it as an opportunity. If these greedy snakes wanted more jewels, the stinky worm had tons in its belly just waiting to be collected. And so, I told them all about it, much to Typhon''s disapproval.


    However, since they had no idea where the tunnel to the Middle Stratum was, they would need Typhon to go with them. And due to the danger, they would need to evolve first.


    The same condition applied to Apollo, if he wanted to continue working to understand and eventually learn to contain the bottom feeders, he was much too weak right now.


    There was too much potential for idents and Typhon couldn''t watch them all the time to make sure they were safe.


    What would happen if one day the bottom feeders got senselessly hungry and decided to attack him? For that he needed to evolve to be able to handle them.


    I exined this to the three with the aid of Typhon, and the mischievous snakes immediately agreed, seemingly undeterred as they celebrated amongst themselves. And they soon started making ns of what they needed to do.


    Heh, was their love of sparkly items this much?


    Unbeknownst to them, the stinky worm corpse was the farthest thing from luxury they would evere to see, and Iughed inside because they were in for a nasty surprise.


    Well¡­all the better for me.


    They were the unfortunate helpers I needed for such an asion, and I made sure Typhon did not disclose the stinky surprise to them. As for Apollo, he seemed determined to evolve but was a lot more hesitant than the two, but I was sure that with frequent hunts with his team, he would meet those requirements eventually.


    Ah¡­they were all so cute.


    I was sure I would miss their tiny snake forms when they all got big.


    Was this how a proud parent felt?


    I was pretty satisfied with my nestlings, aside from the lingering suspicion that things were going a little too well. Perhaps, it was a newfound instinct, and I got the feeling trouble was brewing but I had no idea where it wasing from.


    The scorpion creatures were all busy with the apes, and the apes were devastated and still in a war with scorpions.


    "You''re unusually cooperative." I said to Sensei.


    ?So?? He ironically asked. ?Isn''t that a good thing??


    No, it wasn''t.


    It meant there was definitely something wrong somewhere, some mistake he wasn''t pointing out so it would all blow up in my face.


    ?Or maybe you''re being too suspicious and need to calm down.? Sensei suggested. ?If you want to bring back Sylrin, shouldn''t you do so while it''s calm??


    Hmph.


    He had a point. I needed Sylrin here in case of trouble.


    And the cave needed to go through major corrections when we got back.


    ?Start by telling them you''re leaving.? Sensei added. ?You don''t want them all to panic by your sudden disappearance.?


    "Fine." I grumbled.


    He was definitely being weird!


    Since Typhon was already here, I informed him first.


    [I''m going...to bring back...] What was the word for scaly poison lizard?


    [A friend.]


    That should work!


    Typhon looked confused, but after many attempts at describing Sylrin''s scaly form, he finally understood. He grinned at the memory of him, likely thinking of ways to taunt him now that he was muchrger.


    The dark fae was also excited to hear about leaving the cave.


    [Can we stop to see the Nymph?] She pleaded. [I miss her. And I look bad.]


    Nymphs, eh? I''dpletely forgotten about them - I suppose a quick stop couldn''t hurt.


    Typhon who understood I would be leaving soon, chose to tell me some troubling news.


    On her hunting trip, Ophelia had discovered a cave very simr to ours, only the creatures within were dead and he had a strong impression they had been snakes no different from us.


    I was very surprised to hear this.


    Of course, the thought had urred to me that there were other nests besides ours, but due to never encountering another snake all through my escapades outside the cave, I thought they all lived elsewhere, or they had left their nest after some time to join the snake n.


    But ording to Typhon, these were fairly recent, and when I asked him how big the snakes inside were, he exined they were no different to that of unevolved nestlings. He seemed to have the impression that had been killed by outside forces, but to me death by starvation seemed more likely, or worse, cannibalism.


    And so, when he asked my permission to investigate further, I instructed him not to go there again ¨C at least until the cave was settled and there were no more threats. Typhon agreed, but I could see he was still troubled about it.


    I thought it would be even cruller to send him there.


    What good would it do him to find out those other snakes had died tragically?


    He gained nothing from investigating it, if anything it would only demotivate him to learn our snake parents had abandoned us here to fight it out to the death.


    Typhon was better off not knowing how close he came to being one of the unlucky ones.


    And so I advised him to put it out of his head.

 Chapter 195 - Safeguards

    Eventually, Typhon went off to summon all the captains to inform them I was leaving.


    But as soon as he left, Sensei spoke up.


    ?Why would you refuse to find this cave? You should use this as a learning opportunity to show them just where they would be without you.?


    "I know I saved them." I replied. "I have no need to lord it over them too."


    ?That''s where you''re wrong. You may understand a bit of theirnguage, but you aren''t in every room to hear what they say about you.?


    I agreed that this was valid. "I can''t be everywhere at the same time to see what needs to be seen, which is why I chose an overseer to do that for me."


    Arsinoe already brought up some good points that I would never have noticed, and in exchange I had given her power. In this way we both benefited.


    But Sensei had something surprising to say about my new captain.


    ?You only solved the immediate problem. Your new captain isn''t exactly fond of you.?


    And there it was¡­the cause of my bad feeling.


    However for once I was ahead of the problem.


    "That''s why I chose her." I admitted. "Not liking me won''t stop her from doing her job. Actually, her not liking me makes it even better. Typhon told me how ambitious the little snake is."


    "If she wants to keep her power, she wouldn''t hesitate to tell me everything ¨C because that''s the only leverage she has. She wouldn''t want to return to the way things were before."


    ?I hope you''re right.? Sensei replied. ?But there''s better ways around the problem. You have the skills to dominate them thoroughly, I don''t understand why you won''t do it that way.?


    Did he mean [Coercion]?


    Even if I wasn''t in my penalty, that would only be used as ast resort.


    "Don''t say evil things like that so casually."


    ?You won''t have to deal with any insurrection on your hands if you stomp out all resistance early. [Coercion] is especially effective against those that identify in your [Pit]. It won''t take anything away from them.?


    Except taking away their freewill to make them mindless drones, or did he forget that?


    Hearing him suggest it, already made me heated.


    He wanted me to brainwash them all into following me like the wasp queen did with her drones.


    Did he really think I was shameless enough to do something so¡­inhuman?


    "My nestlings don''t need that to follow me willingly." I coldly replied.


    ?Currently, you have more traits of a Hesperia than a Cerastes. This is likely why you can''t fully understand them. You can''t coddle them and expect them to fear you.?


    "No." I said simply. He wasn''t going to convince me, and my objective wasn''t to make them fear me - I wasn''t him.


    But then the dark fae buzzed over to me. [Why are you unhappy? What''s wrong?]


    [Nothing. Just an annoying bug.]


    Sensei scoffed. ?Very mature.?


    I burst intoughter, making the dark fae stare at me oddly. [Are you sure you are okay?]


    Unable to stop smiling, I could only nod.


    We soon left the underground cave toe out above, where all the nestlings were gathered.


    I spotted Arsinoe among them, and all my captains as well as Typhon and Ophelia.


    Seeing all the silent snakes in orderly rows, made me wonder just how many pit members I had now. I started with [31], but if I was to count how many creatures the cave contained, I was sure to exceed a hundred. Especially when those eggs hatched.


    Thinking about it made me sigh, the cave was truly spiralling out of control.


    But with all of them summoned, it was time to discuss our safeguards with my captains.


    The scorpions may be busy right now, but an attack was imminent, and so I instructed them on what to do.


    Typhon was to go ahead and create the tunnels and make use of the bottom feeders, while Ophelia and Morgana were to take over their training, and properly this time.


    Every nestling was to focus on getting their skills up to par and aside from Apollo, they were to put their interests on the backburner. This created an uproar of hisses as manyints rang out, but it was for their own good.


    Bringing Sylrin back would help the cave in general, but it didn''t protect them from attacks. They each had to be able to hold their own individually and not just while in groups.


    My captains did notin, to them this wasmon sense, and soon all the noises died down.


    Then I informed them that I would be gone for a while, and that I was taking the dark fae with me. And unfortunately, this announcement made the sounds of protest pick up again.


    Ophelia didn''t like it, and insisted oning, but I refused.


    Considering the Nymph''s found my scales attractive, it was scary to think what they would think about her, or Typhon for that matter - the Nymph''s charm was a scary thing.


    Besides, I needed Ophelia here to watch over every egg safely and also to track the battle raging between the scorpions and the apes from the air. If at any point their fighting stops, then an attack on their cave was likelying.


    And finally, if it happened while I was not there and they couldn''t defend it, I showed them the two points they could use to escape.


    Typhon already knew of the one leading to the Middle Stratum and the other was through the cave of bat creatures that came out in the Nymph''s forest. I also showed them how to bypass the creatures with food.


    But due to both options being dangerous, they were only to be used as ast result, in the event of them being boxed in from all sides.


    Compared to the Middle Stratum, I preferred it if they fled towards the Nymph''s forest. With them, at least they had the option to retreat, if they didn''t damage anything.


    And so I told them about the spirits and what notorious tricky monsters they were.


    Typhon and Ophelia absorbed this knowledge like sponges.


    And with all my safeguards in ce, I made sure to let everyone know they were both in charge.


    Finally I left the cave with the dark fae, to go find my long lost lizard friend.

 Chapter 196 - A Gift

    The atmosphere outside the cave was peaceful, but under the tranquil exterior, there was a lot of chaos brewing silently.


    I did not miss the unusual silence of creatures both on the ground and in the air, or the subtle discement of foliage that wasn''t apparent before. And most of all the ring footprints in the sands ¨C all obvious indications that something terrible was amiss.


    If that wasn''t enough, even the carefree dark fae was unusually tense.


    She took one look around before fiercely hugging my horn with a tense voice.


    [Here is scary. Why note and live with us?]


    [Huh?] Iughed. [Why would you say that? And where do you suggest we live?]


    [The Nymph''s forest!] She eximed. [It''s big, there''s plenty of food, and it''s safe too!]


    Hah! What a silly idea!


    And of course it was safe ¨C nothing was allowed to leave unkissed.


    [Don''t say silly things. We''re fine here.]


    [Okay then.] The dark fae stretched and yawned.


    It was odd that she would suggest it when leaving had never crossed my mind before.


    Was she seeing something I wasn''t?


    But as I was thinking, the tiny brat curled up to take a nap.


    Nope. That was impossible.


    I didn''t think our situation was dire enough that I was willing to be a leaf surfing snake, but of course, a freeloading fae like herself would do exactly that when mildly threatened.


    The thought was appreciated, but I didn''t trust the Nymph enough to move my entire brood.


    And so, before leaving, I made sure to check the cave''s periphery and no surprise there were circr indents dotting everywhere, remnants of the trail the scorpion creatures had taken on the way to battle. There are also multiple ape footprints ¨C and they looked fresh.


    It seemed both creatures were going back and forth.


    The cave entrance was sealed on my exit, and with the addition of more purple mucus, even I didn''t want toe near it, so I was sure none of the other creatures would.


    Still, I added extra foliage to conceal it before taking off in the air, rudely awakening the dark fae and causing her to hang on tightly.


    The Nymph''s forest was fairly close, and I traced a path through the foliage above the cave, just as I would have if I was moving underground, soaring through the air for a while until I began to see pink leaves.


    The dark fae cheered in excitement because she knew she would be home soon, and it was curious how the pink trees increased in density, the further we went in .


    Starting from a sparse scattering at the perimeter where they were mixed in with normal green trees, until the pink became so thick there was no green foliage to be seen.


    What kind of magic were they using?


    As more of their trees grew, the green foliage seemed to die off, as they were gradually reced by a nket of pink, like an infestation. I made sure not to touch any of the leaves, or break any branches, to prevent myself from being attacked again.


    [Head for the centre!] The dark fae called out as I flew higher over the trees. [That''s where the Nymph will be!]


    And I did so, heading for thergest looking tree in the centre that had an incredibly dense foliage.


    In stark contrast to the forest around my cave, this one was awash with colours and sounds.


    I strained hard to listen in, but instead of the noises of creatures, what I got back was winds whispering that gave me the impression of girlyughter.


    Yup. I was definitely close.


    Suddenly, something glittered through arge gap in the foliage and for a brief sh, I caught a glimpse of myself as I flew overhead on what appeared to be the surface of water.


    Ooh, there was a stream.


    I didn''t notice it before.


    I dipped low through the foliage, carefullynding on the tree with the thickest branch, and I soon learnt why I''d missed the stream before.


    That was because it was entirely new.


    [Woah.] The dark fae eximed and we both looked around.


    The ground that used to be covered with interlinked roots was now fully submerged with water, the stream covering acres of trees as far as we looked.


    Landing in their midst, I spotted tree spirits sitting across branches, whispering to each other with their bodies linked to the trees by their pale pink hair and limbs, before fading into the trees themselves.


    Now it was my turn to be shocked.


    I searched for the edge of the stream everywhere, leading me to fly over the rippling water, passing many tree spirits as I did. There were several y fighting in the clear stream, others casually lounging on branches, waving at the dark fae and I as we rushed past.


    There were several more I was sure I missed, because their peach coloured skin perfectly blended in with the leaves, giving me the impression that there were far more spirits here than before. This was not what I was expecting at all.


    What''s with all the water? It looked fun but I couldn''t let my guard down.


    How could the forest have changed so much?


    Where was the ground?


    [Stop waving at them.] I hissed at the dark fae. [Where do you think the Nymph is?]


    [Over there!]


    She pointed to a cluster of tree spirits all gathered in one spot.


    They all nestled together at the base of a huge tree, whose roots had been raised to form shell-like pods that the spirits rested on to keep their bodies out of the water.


    The nymph was among them, dressed in a thin cloth whose draped edges were semi-transparent where the water touched. In her slender arms, she held a long vase with the iridescent hue of a pearl, and from it poured out continuous streams of water.


    The spirits crowded all around her in their wet clothes, some bent over in the stream to wet their hair, while the others swam freely, and for a second I thought I was transported into the world of a painting.


    Fcvk. I was not expecting to intrude on their girly sleepover.


    I started to back away, before I was noticed.


    But the dark fae called out to the Nymph, and flew off from my head in an instant before I could blink, her pink figure making a beeline to the centre of the bathing spirits.


    The Nymph looked up and smiled, the very picture of elegance. That is, until she saw the state of the dark fae.


    Her pouring motion stopped, her pleasant smile turning to one of horror.


    She then grabbed the dark fae out of the air, fussing and scowling at her dirty figure as the tiny girl giggled in her palm.


    [What happened to her?] The question was posed to me, but I had nothing to say.


    Since she was back, it was about time I left, but several eyes cornered me as I flew. The Nymphs, as did the many tree spirits around her, only her face was tranquil while the others wore angry scowls.


    The gaps in the trees started to close as branches grew thick enough to cover the mist above, and tendrils began to spring up from the water.


    [Leaving already?] The Nymph''s smile was slightly strained as she tapped the seat next to her. [You just arrived, don''t be in such a hurry.]


    I already knew where this was going, and I did not like it, so I obediently took my ce on the perch next to the Nymph. It was best not to get her angry.


    The dark fae, oblivious to my difort, continued to giggle as she was fussed over. I watched the Nymph reach out and stick her arm into the trunk of a tree. It easily passed through like butter, and to my disbelief, a trio of tiny leaf dresses were pulled out.


    The dark fae then proceeded to change in her palm like a little doll.


    "I want to go home." I sobbed internally. This was too much pressure.


    ?Deal with it.? Sensei said unsympathetically. ?And since you are here anyway, why don''t you talk about forming an alliance with her.?


    Was an alliance worth my suffering?


    I felt like I was intruding, so I tried to slither away, but the Nymph red at me, her beautiful features slightly marred by the crease in her brows.


    [Where do you think you''re going?]


    Was she going to me me for the state of the dark fae? It wasn''t even my fault!


    But then she exined. [You''re my precious guest. Don''t you see the gift I created for you? You can''t leave without experiencing the water.]


    The stream was a gift for me? That couldn''t be right.


    When I looked down, there were several tree spirits in the water staring eagerly at me, no, at my scales and my heart thumped fiercely in my body.


    Surely she didn''t mean that?


    [Don''t look so surprised. I got the water like you wanted.] The Nymph said happily. [And also the fish. That''s all you need to shed right?]


    Damn!


    Forget the alliance. I have to save myself and get out of here.


    One by one, there were spirits appearing all over the trees, staring down at me with curiosity, like they were expecting me to shed immediately, and when I looked for the silly fae for help.


    I found herying down on a leaf in the water, her legs dangling over the edge, a picture of perfect bliss.

 Chapter 197 - Under Pressure

    Her skin had already regained its healthy grey tint and when I called out to her, she turned over on her leaf with a radiant smile. [The water is nice! Come and y with me!]


    For the umpteenth time, I found myself wondering if the dark fae was an idiot.


    Couldn''t she see, this was all just a ploy to get my scales?


    However, I was the true fool.


    So focused was I on the dark fae, that I failed to notice how close the Nymph had gotten, until something squishy pressed against my scales.


    [Do you not like my gift?] The Nymph asked, her face flushed with a vibrant rosy hue and her bright ruby eyes shining.


    She wasn''t speaking, but my attention was drawn towards her plump rosy lips that seemed to move ording to the words.


    Was I charmed or was I simply attracted to her?


    ?You''re being charmed.? Sensei scolded. ?Snap out of it.?


    Okay¡­that was a relief.


    I shifted away from her, eager to put some distance between us as I thought of ways to get out of this particr rosy problem.


    [It''s...not a bad gift.] I nervouslyughed.


    [Hmm, then why won''t you get in?] The Nymph humorously mused.


    Wherever I moved, she followed, continuing to drape herself against me. It was like she was ying an evil game of cat and mouse. Her fingers trailed along the lowered spines of my scales with interest, and as I stared into Nymph''s mischievous eyes, I realised I''d been yed.


    She must''ve long realised I had lied and created a stream in the forest, with the intent of trapping me somehow. And now she was waiting to see how I would react. How crafty!


    I could easily raise my stingers to skewer through her body, in particr, her head that was resting against my scales. But If I did that, all chances of friendship with her would be gone. And I wasn''t sure I could get out of this forest alive after that.


    Anyway, since she had taken the time to set all of this up, it would be rude not to participate.


    [Aren''t you forgetting something important though?] I asked. [Where''s the rainbow fish?]


    Fortunately or unfortunately, I still remembered all the details of my stupid lie.


    The Nymph looked up at the mention of fish, gesturing to one of the spirits in the water to fetch something. Meanwhile, I panicked because she looked extremely pleased with herself.


    Don''t tell me rainbow fish actually exist?


    [It took a long time to find.] She spoke. [But I''m sure this is what you meant.]


    She held up something huge, slimy, and covered in brightly coloured scales. It was not a fish, but a huge frog-like creature with a bloated stomach that dwarfed her size. It croaked loudly and as it struggled to be free of her grip, and I felt myself twitch.


    She lookedical, holding up such arge frog in her hands. And I struggled to hold in myughter.


    [So? What do you think?] The Nymph asked. [Did I find the right fish?]


    At this point I was trying very hard to keep a straight face, but Sensei on the other hand let out a dry chuckle, perhaps at the hrious Nymph or at my misery.


    [It''s the right colour, but that''s not a fish.] I replied.


    [It''s not?] The Nymph eximed in shock, just as the creature wiggled out of her hands, jumping right back in the water before she could catch it, and this left the Nymph looking rather disappointed.


    With her catch on the loose, the Nymph ordered the spirits to catch it and soon the water was filled with turmoil as the many spirits all raced after the creature. The dark fae''s leaf got upturned in the process and she fell into the water, causing her to sputter for air.


    Serves her right!


    I took the opportunity to distance myself once more from the Nymph, but unfortunately, her sharp eyes noticed my subtle movements. She pressed against my scales even more, cornering me between the back of therge tree and the raised seat.


    With both of her arms outstretched, and I found myself unable to look elsewhere aside from her bewitching eyes.


    [Does it matter what type of creature it is?] The Nymph argued. [Its ''rainbow'' coloured and swims in water. You should still be able to shed.]


    I screamed internally, the effect of her charm all the more obvious now.


    I could feel my temperature rising up and my body wilting under the pressure of her gaze.


    "Help." I sobbed, but Sensei wasn''t helping much. At all.


    ?You brought this on yourself.? He said. ?Just tell her the truth.?


    "But¡­"


    An ungodly squeal came out of me as something tickled my underbelly. Part of her long hair had draped down to settle in bundles around my body, and the water dripping off them was especially sensitive to my feverish skin.


    [What are you doing?!] I cried out.


    The Nymph moved even closer until she was right against my face, making it impossible to look away. [Admit you lied, serpent. Do you know how hard it was to find that creature? We searched everywhere ¨C I''ve never had to work that hard!]


    Hahh. She sounded really upset.


    [Alright. I admit I lied. It was wrong of me to try to trick you.]


    I couldn''t stand the pressure anymore and I confessed, just so she would stop using her charm on me.


    The Nymph drew back to give me a once over, and I quickly felt the effect of her charm reduce.


    I flopped to the ground, feeling as if my stamina had been drained to zero.


    What a horrible skill!


    [I thought you would never admit it.] The Nymph huffed triumphantly, leaving me to wilt like a leaf as she dipped her toes into the stream.


    I slithered over to the water''s edge to see the Nymph''s kiss, and after realising the sapling had grown to cover a quarter of my horn, I solemnly swore to never lie again.


    The chip in my horn still hadn''t regenerated and I cursed Sensei''s sted penalty.


    How much longer did I have to suffer?


    [What news do you have of my kin?] The Nymph asked with a cheery smile.


    Ah, yes. Her little quest.


    [I haven''t gone yet.] I admitted. [You didn''t give me any directions and I don''t know which way to go.]


    The nymph raised a single brow, before pointing to the drenched dark fae who had been rescued by one of the spirits. [Didn''t she tell you where to find them?]


    I scowled at the dark fae. Was she supposed to?


    In her defence, there had been too much going on and perhaps she got distracted, what with being eaten and nearly dying.


    I exined as much to the Nymph whose face paled in shock.


    [She likely forgot.] I covered for her. [She can barely remember to use her magic to defend herself.]


    The Nymph stared at the dark fae who was busy having a water fight with the spirits. [She revealed her powers to you? She must trust you quite well then.]


    I gave her a nervousugh - It''s not like she willingly did it.


    [But why can''t she control it properly?] I asked tentatively. [It''s almost like she''s afraid of her own magic.]


    [Dark fairies are very rare amongst her kind.] The nymph exined. [That''s because most of them die quite young. I wee them here because they are shunned everywhere else because of their dangerous, and sometimes unpredictable magic.


    [By the time she came here, she was already afraid of hurting others with her magic so she unconsciously blocked herself from not using them ¨C which is why it is so difficult for her to control.]


    I already guessed as much, but it was nice to hear it from her directly. [So you''re basically each other''s family.]


    [Family?] The Nymph asked.


    [Like you are with the rest of the spirits.] I exined. [You''ve adopted her, so you''re linked to each other.]


    The Nymph was thoughtful. [You could say so. The tree spirits are children born from my saplings, and those children also grow up to produce more saplings, and the cycle continues, as long as the forest is calm and the creatures are plentiful.]


    Oh, that was interesting.


    That meant whenever a creature was infected, whichever tree infected them would have a child.


    So in the grand scheme of things, the forest of spirits was actually all of her grandchildren.


    [Is the one you are trying to reach, also one of your saplings?] I asked.


    It made sense from what she described, although it didn''t exin how this sapling had gotten so far away from her.


    The Nymph''s delicate brows creased as she nodded, before going on to tell the tale of herself as a rebellious young Vdrys who charmed a mortal, and the spirit that was born from their union, back when she was not yet a Nymph.


    Hearing this made me blush, apparently it wasn''t always the case for Vdrys to reproduce using saplings.


    In the event of an elf or mortal wandering into their forest, sometimes the result of such a union was normally a mix of both creatures.


    As a child they were more mortal than spirit and shared a tree with their parent, until they were old enough to choose a tree for themselves.


    In this case she ended up having a rather rebellious daughter who picked out a tree as far away from her mother as possible, to form her own forest.


    Unable to keep her near, the Nymph reluctantly agreed to let her go, but they always used the fae''s they rescued to exchange messages across the divide. It was such a tear jerking story that I felt sympathetic towards her.


    Well...aside from the poor mortal who likely became fertilizer so that this tale could ur.

 Chapter 198 - Sketchy Alliance

    [So, will you help me?] The Nymph asked, her red eyes shining like a jewel.


    She was sincere in her longing tomunicate with her estranged daughter, because I now knew how important the tree spirit on the other side was to her.


    However, after listening to what was essentially her sob story, I was even more hesitant.


    I mean, why even bother asking?


    The threat of death from her sapling alone was enough incentive for me to go, if I ever hoped to get rid of it.


    But by telling me her story, it seemed she wanted me to agree freely, perhaps to absolve herself of the guilt if I also did not return.


    And this I found to be very maniptive.


    I did not know what had happened to all the other dark fae''s she sent, or her estranged sapling, but something was clearly wrong because the Nymph did not want to send thest dark fae she had.


    I didn''t answer and instead stared at the stream where the dark fae was ying.


    On the one hand, this made the Nymph very vulnerable. Not knowing what had happened to them was likely torture for her, but she made sure to have the upper hand in this negotiation because of the sapling she infected me with.


    If she wanted a proper discussion she would have taken off the Nymph''s kiss, but she clearly wanted the odds to weigh in her favour. All in all, whatever I chose would end up being my loss.


    And so I decided to take on her request.


    But not out of the goodness of my heart, because I wanted something in return.


    [Alright, I will do it.] I replied, before adding. [On one condition.]


    [You serpents always have some.] The Nymph''s ruby eyes took on a vicious tint, but she huffed and frowned as she asked. [What is it you want?]


    I took a deep breath to calm myself before speaking.


    [I want us to be family too.] I dered, watching her carefully to gauge her reaction. [That means you must join my [Pit]]


    At first she seemed uninterested and almost disgusted at me for asking for a condition ¨C just what did she think I was going to say?


    But now, she looked up at the mention of my [Pit], her look one of surprise.


    [You want me to join your Pit?] The Nymph rose to her feet, her face flushed and the long silver hair fanning out across her face made her look more shy than angry.


    [How dare a mere serpent to be so preposterous!]


    I positioned myself in preparation for an attack, but the Nymph only gathered her wet robes, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, to reveal a bright red face.


    [Who do you think you are?] Her forehead twitched with rage. [I am the origin of this forest, the most divine of spirits, the mother of free spirits, and you expect me to join you? You should be joining me, not the other way around!]


    Her manner was elegant, but her voice on the other hand was full of anger as she stomped over to me. With a single wave of her arm, bright green sprouts shot out of her finger tips, twisting to form an insidious whip riddled with thorns.


    [You are far too young to be disrespecting someone like me!] she snarled.


    Er¡­This wasn''t how I thought it would go.


    I backed away in panic, but the Nymph drew closer with her whip. I locked eyes with her, trying to get her to listen, but each time hershes fluttered, her ruby eyes glinted with pleasure. I balked under the force of her re, causing me to retreat even further.


    Why was she so angry at me?


    Or was she getting ready to use her charm?


    However, the roots underneath my coils started to separate, revealing the water underneath, and I realised my footing wasn''t steady at all!


    [Wait, calm down, listen to me.]


    [Why should I?] The Nymph snarled with her flushed face. [You don''t know what you''re asking!]


    As the crisp snap of her whip filled the air, the tree spirits who had been ying in the water all looked up, numerous eyes staring at us both. And even the dark fae watched us stunned with her mouth agape.


    Somehow none of them made any moves to attack, but their intimidating stares made me sweat.


    What was she ying at?


    I moved towards the Nymph because the roots around her feet were the most solid.


    [It''s not that horrible of a condition.] I replied, edging slightly closer. [You already have the sapling embedded on me. It''s only fair for you to join my Pit if you''re asking me to risk my life.]


    ?Thread carefully.? Sensei cautioned. ?Don''t aggravate her.?


    [Preposterous!] The Nymph said. [I would never ask you to do that.]


    In her anger the whip struck the air once more, but this time their thorny tendrils were too wild to contain, and they ended up smashing through one of the roots.


    I saw the Nymph wince in pain and immediately took the opportunity to rush towards her.


    [What are you¡­ah!] she screamed in shock.


    I twisted around her, knocking the whip out of her grip, and the Nymph was surprised to find herself on the ground.


    [Where are you touching?] She was flustered as she tried to fight me off, but before she could create another whip, I wrapped around her in a constriction hold.


    [Will you let me finish what I want to say?] I asked, a bit of my annoyance showing seeping through my voice.


    The tree spirits were furious and many were threading through the water in a rush to attack, through the gaps in the roots below. And above, all the leaves and branches around me started to tremble, their aged bodies echoing their dissent.


    However, they stopped short of attacking me, because the Nymph was in my grasp, so they could only twist to block off my aerial escape routes.


    But it wasn''t like I was nning to run away. The Nymph''s slender body trembled under my grip as I constricted. If I chose to embed my stingers, I could make ribbons out of her delicate skin in an instant.


    And the tree spirits knew this.


    [Release me serpent!] The Nymph cried out in a flustered voice. [Have you forgotten where you are? You are still in my domain. I could break you right now if I wanted to.]


    She seemed to be the one in that position though¡­


    [Really? Then do it!] I deadpanned and sighed after a brief silence. [Call them off, and let me exin what I meant.]


    The Nymph looked hesitant, but eventually she ordered the tree spirits to retreat.


    [Now, release me.] she asked.


    I watched the tree branches recede and replied. [Not until they are far away.]


    After seeing how quickly they could move, I wasn''t taking any chances.


    [Another condition?] The Nymph scowled at me.


    Thest of the spirits receded past the tree line, but I could still feel them staring at me from where they stood like statues in the water. I didn''t feel safe letting her go just yet.


    [It''s not a condition.] I replied. [It''s a request, no different from yours.]


    A sh of understanding crossed her eyes, as the Nymph realised how stifling it felt like to be given a request while under duress. She stopped struggling and resigned herself to resting on my coils, and I allowed my grip to loosen a little.


    [I may have forced my task onto you.] She admitted, her face downcast.


    So far, testing the possibilities of an alliance with the Nymph had been a sess. She was cooperative, although she had the odd habit of blushing all the time, like she was right now.


    I thought, perhaps it was fine to release her.


    But then, I heard a shrill cry as the dark fae stumbled onto our standoff.


    [What are you doing to her, you bad snake! Don''t fight!]


    She tried to release the Nymph by pulling on my horns, but when it became apparent that wasn''t going to work, she started to cry. I shook the noisy brat off me to focus on the Nymph.


    [Just like you, I also have those I want to protect. You can ask her.] I gestured to the dark fae.


    [If I die in the process of fulfilling your request, they would be left without anyone to look after them, and I don''t want that, which is why I''m asking you this.]


    The Nymph began to understand my dilemma and genuinely consider my words so I slowly released her from my coil.


    [You lose nothing by agreeing.] I continued to exin my side. [If I die, my [Pit] will disband anyway and you can go back to being ruler of the forest, in addition to having some new members.]


    It seemed like a good way to have her look after my Pit members while I was away. With the chance being high that my cave would be attacked, they needed all the protection they could get.


    And what better way than to have the Nymph look out for them.


    [What if you return?] The Nymph asked.


    I thought about my options andughed.


    [You could always choose to turn me into fertilizer for my insolence.]


    But the dark fae folded her arms and frowned. [No! I don''t want that! You two shouldn''t fight.]


    I chuckled at her confused face.


    It was a temporary measure for my peace of mind while she reaped all the benefits.


    My time as leader would be temporary anyway - she really had nothing to lose, and she knew it.


    [Alright, I agree.] The Nymph replied.

 Chapter 199 - Onwards To Freedom!

    I sighed with relief as the Nymph leaned back on her wooden perch with a radiant smile. She then consoled the pouting dark fae perched on her palm and I tried to rx as they exchanged a few words.


    However, I could not focus on her beautiful appearance at all, as the furthest edges of the stream were lined with enraged tree spirits, all ring at me in their wet flower garments, and I felt like they would tear me apart in less than a second, if I was to part from the Nymph.


    Scary!


    And after the Nymph was done talking, she shifted over to sit beside me. And as soon as she touched me, the res intensified and I heard several disgruntled whispers.


    It was ufortable.


    Technically, I was their ally now, so shouldn''t they at least stop ring?


    But the Nymph pretended not to notice anything and simply leaned against me, with her slender legs crossed, as if to say, ''What''s next?"


    Not only was she their leader, she was also now my pit member, and so were they by proxy. Her previous order kept the tree spirits froming close, but should she be so nonchnt?


    If the tree spirits got any more angry, I could see myself getting attacked by groups of them, whether I was their new ally or not¡­after all, only the Nymph had acknowledged me so far.


    This also forced me to remain beside her, which was thest thing I wanted to do.


    I half expected the system to ''ding'' when she joined my [Pit], but nothing happened.


    Instead, when I looked at her, there was now the <Issue Name of¡ºPit Member¡»> option, floating above her head.


    There was also one for the pouting dark fae.


    And now that I looked closely, I saw there were several notices above the heads of every angry tree spirit. But it didn''t seem appropriate to name any of them, especially the Nymph, after all this was only temporary.


    I sighed in defeat.


    I was truly a dead snake slithering.


    The Nymph in question was now nuzzled against me, her silvery hair pressed against my lowered stingers so tenderly that I felt myself twitch in irritation.


    Did she care nothing for her safety?


    "So what now?" I asked Sensei, as I scooted away from the Nymph, only for her to reach her arms around my coil to keep me in ce.


    ?She''s a member of your pit now, and so are they.? Sensei dered. ?You canmand her as you wish.?


    Haa¡­


    I could ask her to release me, but I didn''t thinkmanding her when she was so much stronger than me was a good idea.


    "Would [Commander] even work?" I muttered.


    ?Why don''t you try it, unless you want to remain confined here forever?? Sensei replied.


    "Hmph! Of course not!"


    Was it just me, or did he seem angry?


    I began to hiss out amand, but the Nymph cut me off.


    [Now that we are bound together.] She sighed as she nestled even closer. [You must visit here more often.]


    My hiss turned into a nervousugh. That was never happening again!


    I wriggled even more in a bid to free myself.


    [I guess I''ll consider it.] I replied. [But for now¡­I have to go...so, er¡­release me.]


    The Nymph looked up, her ruby eyes flickering with disappointment as if to ask why, before eventually letting go of my coils.


    However, it was the dark fae whoined loudly.


    [You said you would y with me! You can''t leave now!]


    I wanted to smack her to oblivion. Did she not see all the angry spirits!


    [I have to return to my cave.] I told them both. [I can''t leave my nestlings alone for long.]


    The dark fae nodded in understanding, her dark eyes pooling with tears.


    [Do you really have to go?] she muttered.


    I scowled at her ¨C since when was this brat so attached to me?


    The Nymph on the other hand, leaned back on her perch and crossed her arms, as if to show she wasn''t concerned but her blush was even fiercer than ever.


    [You''re just going to leave?] she grumbled with a pout. [After treating me so roughly?]


    Why did she make it seem like I''d mistreated her?


    I did not fail to miss the stirrings of the tree spirits at her words, and I red at the blushing Nymph.


    [Stop saying things that could be misunderstood!]


    The Nymph looked away with a shrug, and the frowning dark fae buzzed over to my head to fuss some more.


    [I''ll be backter again.] I consoled her. [So stay here and wait for me.]


    [You promise?] The dark fae huffed.


    I sighed. [Yes, yes, I promise.]


    That made her cheer up and I was d she was off my back. She then flew over to the Nymph and they both sat down to watch me.


    I was surprised the Nymph was letting me go so easily.


    I thought she would put up more of a fight, but she seemed to be trying to pretend she wasn''t worried, all while avoiding my eyes. Perhaps, seeking to form a ''bond'' with her had shaken her up more than she admitted.


    Well, my business was concluded here.


    I would go visit her estranged daughter, while she would protect my [Pit] until my return. She had already started discussing the details with the loud-mouthed dark fae, who would reveal my cave''s location to her.


    I listlessly sighed.


    With the tree spirits waiting to strike, I decided to bid my farewell to both and go find Sylrin - without the dark fae, of course.


    It was best she stayed here with her family, and maybe I coulde back for her when it was time to go find the Nymph''s daughter.


    And as expected, the dark fae began toin again about being left behind.


    She seemed to have convinced herself we were now two parts of one being and she insisted on tagging along much to my annoyance. It didn''t want to risk taking her with me and I told the Nymph as much.


    Due to his yful nature, I wasn''t sure how Sylrin would react on seeing her.


    She was so small he would probably think she was some sort of food and either squish her t or try to eat her, like Ophelia had nearly done.


    [Is this Drake also part of your Pit?] The Nymph asked.


    I nodded.


    She seemed more curious at the fact that he wasn''t a snake. And I had to wonder if it was really that strange?


    [And, did you force him too?] The Nymph smiled in amusement, making me scowl at her.


    I remember it to be the opposite, I had no say in it and he joined all on his own ¨C but what was she trying to say?


    Nevertheless, I spread out my wings in preparation to take off and rose high in the air, watching the figure of the Nymph, the stream and the leaves of the pink forest getting smaller and smaller.


    None of the tree spirits tried to snag at me with their branches, neither did I get attacked on the way up, and I flew away as fast as I could before the Nymph changed her mind.


    In the air, I was stuck wondering about something very important.


    Just how many members did my [Pit] have now?


    Even if I were to count all the eggs and other creatures in my cave, the Nymph would stillpletely outnumber us with the forest she had been growing for countless years.


    Hm.


    Perhaps merging with the Nymph wasn''t exactly the best idea ¨C she seemed like someone who was prone to some troublesome behaviour I was sure I wouldn''t like.


    And the tree spirits also seem to despise me now.


    Well¡­it was only a temporary alliance, and we could always relocate if our rtionship went sour.


    But as I pondered this, Sensei spoke.


    ?Why did you speak in such a pessimistic way? Are you sofortable with dying that you no longer care??


    "Hmm? What do you mean?" I asked.


    ?Why are you so ready to die for others? I don''t like you having such a defeated attitude.?


    Tch. What was his problem?


    It wasn''t like I was really going to die, I only said that so the Nymph would agree.


    "But it''s true, if I happen to die, I do want them to be safe." I admitted after a breath.


    After dying once already, I''d stopped caring so much about such trifle details. It was simply an exchange.


    But Sensei''s tone was cold. ?Who cares whether the nestlings die? They were never important. You should always prioritize your own safety first before anyone else.?


    He seemed quite upset. Just where was thising from?


    He didn''t like me being pessimistic, but so what?


    My forehead knitted in confusion. "Are you trying to pick a fight with me?"


    Why else would he mention this, if not to argue. He knew I''d only just started to like my nestlings.


    "I don''t see what this has to do with you." I coldly retorted. "You won''t die either way."


    We were flying over the misty forest and I could see Sylrin''s cave in the distance through the gaps in the trees and I rushed towards it.


    But Sensei relented. ?I may not die, but that doesn''t mean I will stand back and watch that happen to you.?


    My breath seized for a moment and my wings plummeted in my disbelief.


    What was this bastard saying now?

 Chapter 200 - The Beast

    I recovered my flight after Sensei''s unexpected interruption, my thoughts perplexed.


    Was he saying that he would protect me?


    That just seemed strange¡­and absurd.


    As I glided between the trees, I counted the number of times he had done so, and they were not many.


    Sensei was the type to let me make mistakes and then correct them afterwards. He was the same even in my memories as a human and perhaps, this hands off approach had taken an extreme turn since our rebirth.


    But it was odd that he would say this now.


    If he wasn''t a system, I would guess that he was drunk.


    Why else would he say something cringey like this?


    I had the suspicion that he was ying a trick, but his serious tone threw me off guard.


    ?You seem surprised.? Sensei said. ?What''s so strange about what I said??


    Was he kidding?


    "Everything." I deadpanned.


    ?Why? What did I say wrong??


    "That you would never let me die." I bluntly replied. "I don''t believe it."


    ?Why would I?? Sensei nonchntly replied. ?You''re my precious student.?


    This bastard.


    My surprise faded, reced by irritation as I quickly came to my senses.


    I''d already nearly died countless times because of him!


    "Liar! If you don''t have anything useful to say, then don''t speak at all."


    What exactly was I hoping for? That he''s suddenly turned over a new leaf?


    He likely meant to say, ''you''re my precious vessel.''


    He hadn''t changed at all!


    ?Why are you upset?? He asked.


    "I''m not." I replied and continued to fly without another word.


    What a shameless guy! And he had the nerve to be surprised.


    Here I thought he''d learnt to feel something ¨C but really he was simply getting my hopes up for nothing!


    I passed the raised slope where I encountered the elf party, and the steep forest around it, travelling past it until Sylrin''s cave came into view.


    It was pretty isted, the cave situated between rocks and overlooking the forest below. The elf hunting party was no longer present and although I was eager to meet my leathery counterpart, I surveyed it from the air beforending, in case of anything I needed to be wary about.


    But so far there was nothing.


    The area was quiet and noticeably devoid of creatures.


    There was a flowing stream by the cave entrance, and Inded there to take a look inside. But to my surprise, the cave was empty.


    I scanned it with [Heat Sense] to make sure there was nothing inside. The rocky cavern walls were scorched, and they radiated with heat where noxious fumes gathered in a purple fog.


    The majority of the cave was burning hot and rendered my [Heat Sense] useless.


    Why did it feel worse than a sauna in here?


    But suddenly the system dinged.


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase: ¡ºDetox LV 5¡»has be¡ºDetox LV 6¡»?


    And then.


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase: ¡ºHeat Resistance LV 3¡»has be¡ºHeat Resistance LV 4¡»?


    Hmm.


    Was breathing in the poisonous air that bad? Or the stifling heat clinging to my scales that horrible that both skills had increased?


    Where was the dumb lizard?


    It was still hot, so he couldn''t have gone far.


    I looked around the cave, eager to find any clue as to where he went.


    As the smoke dispersed, I saw a sliver of lighting from a crack above the cave, but most of it was dark.


    Everywhere I looked, the ground was stained with poison and as my vision adjusted, I began to make out other unsavoury things.


    In the far end, I found what looked like the scorched remains of a Hesperia. Its carapace was cracked open inrge savage bites, and all of its innards were eaten, leaving behind only a hollow shell.


    There were more carcasses of all kinds, some of creatures I''d never seen before and others that were familiar. One thing they had inmon was that they were all of a simr size as me, or muchrger.


    Hmm¡­That was aforting thought.


    I looked around in confusion.


    Thest time I was here, I was muchrger than Sylrin.


    So, what happened here in that time?


    My survival instincts were already ring loudly but I ignored it for now.


    Perhaps, Sylrin was no longer here, and I''d wandered into another creature''s den?


    I began to retreat when I noticed something else in the corner.


    There were gnarly, chewed bones, the remnants of what looked like a crushed skull and the distinctive shape of a femur attached to a hip bone.


    I paid far too much attention in biology ss to not recognise that they were human bones and I felt my heart skip a beat as my eyes went wide with panic ¨C this couldn''t be Sylrin''s den!


    He would never do this.


    Then my senses picked up a faint, low growl from behind, and before I could even turn around, something mmed into me with force.


    Bowled over on the heated ground, I felt a sharp pain asrge fangs sped around the back of my neck as a smoky hot breath scorched my wing scales.


    The system dinged once more as I yelped with pain.


    ?Skill Mastery Achieved: ¡ºPain Resistance LV 9¡»has be¡ºPain Resistance LV 10¡»?


    Aah!


    I strained to turn around but there was something heavy pressing against me, keeping me down.


    I slowly seeded in turning my neck slightly to my side and saw the cave entrance, which was now blocked by the shadow of arge, fearsome beast


    Such arge monster and I didn''t even sense it¡­and that made me go into panic.


    The creature must''ve emerged from outside and it managed to sneak up and pounce on me before I could even realize its presence.


    My heart began to pound. Could I defeat such a scary monster in my current state?


    I quickly shook off those thoughts and immediately generated a poison de to attack the creature.


    But then I heard a deep rumble from above me as the beast''s wide chest heaved. I felt some of the weight lift off me but just as I was about to take a much needed breath, I felt more hot smoke filling the cave, seemingly emerging from the beast''s maw.


    I soon began to choke, as the cave was slowly turned into a ze of fire.


    A plume of noxious me emerged from the creature''s mouth, illuminating the cave in a sh of purple and I had a glimpse of the beast''srge shadow and the massive height of a wed, tattered wing drowning the entire cave in darkness.


    Another deep rumbling filled the air, followed by a thunderous roar and I was beginning to go into a full blown panic.


    What the heck was such a fearsome beast doing in Sylrin''s cave?


    Wait, the creature''s scent was vaguely familiar, but everything else was wrong.


    Was this... Sylrin?


    No¡­ he was not this big, and he had no wings.


    Did he... evolve?


    If this wasn''t him, was he eaten by this monstrous creature? And I''m about to be its meal too?


    The heavy weight of the monster on me, made me feel I was much closer to being smothered first!


    I tried not to struggle as more noxious fumes began to seize thest few breaths out of my lungs.


    But then, as if I was pulled out of a nightmare, the weight was lifted off me and I could breathe again.


    Then I felt myself getting tackled by tough ws and turned around to face the beast, bringing me up close to its searing hot breath.


    I winced in recoil as I examined the creature, while gathering my energy tounch a poison de at a moment''s notice.


    There were several rows of sharp teeth, inside a mouth that burned with purple me. Its body was covered with hard bristly scales that ovepped, with several spiked growths alongside its pitch-ck leathery skin.


    The creature''s eyes zed a greenish golden hue, but they were overshadowed by therge leathery wings tipped with sharp ws, and the powerful winged arms that held me in ce.


    A Dragon?


    No...


    Its tail was excitedly wagging behind it and that gaze was far too yful, which was a dead giveaway!


    This big, dumb-scary lizard.


    When did he get so big? What level was he now?


    Several questions needed answering, and I ignored the tiny squeal going through my head, because first of all, he did not deserve it!


    The arrogant brat of a drake was still clutching me like I was his toy!


    I hissed loudly to show my anger, hoping to get him off me, but Sylrin stayed put, seemingly grinning as he continued to stare at me proudly.


    The heat radiating off him was incredible. Standing taller than twelve feet, he filled the entire cave. If not for the fact that he had leathery wings in ce of his front limbs, I would have thought I was staring at a dragon.


    Eventually, he let me go free and my scorched scales were able to breathe.


    There was no way he had evolved more than once, because it was simply too soon ¨C which only meant he was a fast growing monster.


    Was the attack payback for gettingrger than him?


    Heh...So he took that much offence that he decided to grow even bigger.


    Aside from beingrger, I was curious to find out how much stronger he had gotten.


    But in my current state, duelling him was out of the question.


    What had he been up to? I couldn''t believe he''d been killing mortals.


    I suppose I never told him not to go after them.


    I tried to question him using [Commander] but he didn''t seem to understand me as he tilted his head to give me an amused look, before strolling past me to move deeper into the cave.


    He then let out a roar to scorch the ground with mes, before settling down to rest.


    Was this brat ignoring me? I couldn''t believe it!


    Did he think he could make fun of me, just because he had grown a little?


    I slithered over to him in anger, generating a poison de to shoot at him.


    However, instead of moving, he stayed put, peeking at me with one eye open with an amused smirk on his face.


    My poison de sizzled off his scales but the shallow cut that appeared was regenerated almost instantly.


    I was gobsmacked. I wanted to examine the wound closely, but Sylrin got up before I could.


    He swerved around me at an incredible speed and grabbed hold of my tail, much to my annoyance yanking me over to his side to rest beside him.


    I stared in shock at the lizard that was now fast asleep, hisrge wings resting over my head.


    ?A sleepover? How cute.? Sensei dryly remarked.

 Chapter 201 - A Day With An Old Friend

    What the heck was happening here?


    It had only been a few hours since my encounter with the evolved Sylrin, and I already wanted to leave.


    Sylrin spent the majority of his time sleeping and had been for a while. But the problem was that, when he wasn''t ¨C he was simply tyrannical.


    In an instant, he covered every inch of the ground with scorching me, forcing me to curl up and stay beside him which was the only safe ce. Because of that, the cave was filled with noxious fumes which made it very difficult for me to breathe.


    While this wasfortable for him, my [Detox] was already working at full capacity to keep me alive ¨C not that he was bothered enough to realise, of course.


    The scaly buffoon probably didn''t realise his me was toxic.


    He took every opportunity to show off his evolved form, in an increasingly passive aggressive manner. And he also blocked the cave entrance while I slept, making it impossible for me to leave.


    I would have to climb over him if I ever hoped to see the outside again, but his toxic me covered the whole area in a nket of thick smog.


    Although he wanted me to sleep as well, the atmosphere he created made it almost impossible to rx.


    I understand he hadn''t seen me in a while and wanted to be together, but this was too aggressive!


    Right now, he was sleeping in a circle around me, hisrge wings outstretched to provide shade from the very mes he created, but that only made me scowl in irritation.


    Did he think he was being considerate by doing that? What about the smoke then?


    Wasn''t he taking a bit too much advantage of our size difference?


    My fully stretched out form was still longer than his entire body, yet he didn''t see me showing off about it! How could this dumb lizard suddenly be this overbearing?


    That''s it, I wasn''t suffocating here any longer!


    I moved to unfurl my sleep curl, hoping to sneak out of the cave while he was still asleep. However, as I did, I came in contact with Sylrin''s scorching body, and there was a sizzling noise as my scales were scorched for the umpteenth time.


    An irritating ding sounded off in my head, making me wince in pain.


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase: ¡ºHeat Resistance LV 7¡»has be¡ºHeat Resistance LV 8¡»?


    How many times did this alert go off today?


    I tolerated the pain and shook off therge wing that covered me before slithering out from under it.


    To soothe the heat burn, I created an orb of poison, winding it along my scales to dampen them.


    The sleeping Sylrin quickly realized my absence beside him and reached out to pull me back, but I slithered away from his outstretched ws.


    But then, the cave trembled as therge lizard rolled over on his back to get morefortable. The cave immediately turned dark, as his movement snuffed out the mes behind him.


    In the darkness, I saw a sh of his exposed belly, right before I felt the rush of wind on my neck. My instincts kicked in and I immediately ducked, barely managing to avoid the heavy spiked tail that swerved out to hit me.


    What a death trap!


    He may be bigger but he''s still a brat.


    I was d I had moved away in time.


    ?If you don''t like it, tell him to sleep elsewhere.? Sensei spoke.


    He sounded serious too and I sighed.


    Tell him to leave, when this wasn''t even my cave?


    I ignored sensei and decided to appraise the lizard since he looked so docile while he slept.


    Unfortunately, another alert shed again.


    [All system skills and their derivatives are inactive during the penalty period. [Time Left: 008 Hours]]


    Tch...how annoying!


    "Can''t you waive the penalty?" I grumbled. "It''s only eight hours anyway!"


    ?More reason for you to stick it out.? Sensei deadpanned. ?Eight hours isn''t very long.?


    I frowned. I was already very troubled by the human skeleton I found. And I was worried if any of them decided toe after him for revenge while he was sleeping.


    That''s why I insisted on my nestlings to avoid mortals at any cost.


    I slithered over to him, watching his chest te move with his breath.


    I wanted to scold him for his behaviour, but decided against it. However, he seemed to be awake, as one of his eyes peered open and he blinked at me whilst lying upside down.


    Interesting¡­


    He quickly spun around, tucking his wings underneath his chest to stare at me like he wanted praise. I wanted to chuckle, but I restrained myself, and reprimanded him for his behaviour instead.


    Mortals like their human counterparts were powerful, smart, and unpredictable.


    In any world, whether this one or myst, humans were dangerous and can be extremely vengeful, perhaps even more than monsters. To kill them might invite trouble to himself and I hoped to make myself clear. I even went as far as using the discarded mortal skull for my demonstration.


    Sylrin seemed to be listening, as he nodded along to my scolding.


    However, as I was done, he rose up to stretch his wings and before I could do anything to stop him, he rushed out of the cave and took off into the air.


    "Did he even understand a word of what I said?" I hissed at his swiftly disappearing figure.


    ?For the most part.? Sensei chuckled. ?He understood what you meant by using the skull. Although your demonstrations were ratherical.?


    "Who cares!" I hissed at him. "This is a serious matter!"


    Not long after, I saw Sylrin''s figure reappear, and he seemed to have returned with lunch. It urred to me that mycklustremands had led him to think I wanted something to eat.


    Fortunately though, he didn''t bring back any mortal remains.


    He threw the monster carcass near me with a loud crash, beforeing over with a grin.


    Was this to cate me? Why did it seem like this lizard was asking for approval?


    In return for a head pat, he offered me half of his food, and I was too peckish to refuse. We shared a meal and Sylrin heated up the cave once more, before huddling around me to sleep once more.


    How cute. My dumb lizard had grown up.


    But wait. What was this cosy mood?


    This dumb brat!


    I wasn''t finished scolding him yet!


    I was determined to let him know just how dangerous mortals were and so Imanded him to get up


    Sylrin stretched andzily turned to face me as I exined to him about humans and why he should stay away from them.


    [They are Sly. Vengeful. And Maniptive.] I exined, making sure my words resonated through his thick skull.


    ?Are you describing your worst traits?? Sensei''s amused voice interrupted our talk.


    "What are you trying to say?" I snapped at him.


    It didn''t matter that all these words were those I had beenbelled with in the past ¨C I wasn''t a human right now!


    ?Your demure character in ss.? Sensei continued. ?It''s only now that I understand just how much of a trouble maker you are.?


    I felt myself twitch. Like he wasn''t the same! The two faced bastard!


    "I don''t know what you''re talking about." I calmly replied. "I was always well behaved."


    Sensei''sugh was positively sinister. ?I''m just a little surprised you managed to fool me.?


    "Can you stop talking for a while. I have to make sure he understands my concerns."


    ?Alright, alright,? Sensei conceded.


    I then continued to exin to Sylrin, only for him to interrupt a momentter.


    ?Did you act like that because you were afraid your chaotic thoughts would be revealed?? Sensei pondered. ?Were you afraid your ssmates wouldn''t like your real self??


    "Be quiet! You poor excuse of a teacher!" I snapped. "That''s none of your business!"


    What was this? Roast Aurelia day? He had some nerve!


    I was already having a bad day ¨C I didn''t need him questioning my mental thoughts as well.


    ?So it was all an act?? Sensei concluded, and I could almost visualise the glint in his fox-like eyes as they smirked behind his sses.


    I should just ignore him.


    Why was I the focus here when I never did anything bad?


    But I felt too insulted by his little analysis to let it go.


    "You stuff twenty people in a room everyday and expect them to act as they naturally are. How does an awkward situation like that encourage natural behaviour? I''m not the one at fault for adapting."


    ?So, they weren''t wrong. You have always been a snak¨C?


    "A girl!" I interrupted him.


    ?A snake, chameleon ¨C?


    "Shut up!" This shi*** bastard. "I was never like that!"


    Sensei burst intoughter. ?When the same thing was said by so many, there must be an element of truth to it. Maybe it''s the dead-faced expression that caused it.?


    I felt my heart sink into my stomach.


    The heck? What dead face? I had no such thing.


    "Take that back you shitty teacher!"


    How could he make fun of a girl''s face like that? I wanted to cry!


    But when I thought about it ¨C wasn''t he far worse than me?


    "If I''m a snake then what about you?" I shot back. "You ask me to call you Sensei even when we''re not in ss. Are you a pervert?"


    He had to be one. I was confident I got him this time!


    Because why else would he make a request like that?

 Chapter 202 - Thieves In The Night

    ?That''s because you recognised me.? Rather than denying it, Sensei began to make excuses like the shameless bastard that he was, effectively turning it around on me.


    ?I just thought it would help you be more calm if we interacted like we used to. To restore a semnce of normalcy after what you''ve been through.?


    What nonsense! As if he cared.


    ?I didn''t think you would actually stick to it for so long!? He continued and had the audacity to chuckle. ?You''re surprisingly na?ve in that way.?


    Na?ve?


    Was he trying to piss me off now?


    "Look here, you insensitive jerk, I haven''t forgotten your real name." I snapped at him angrily. "I just disrespect you like that but if you are going to insult me, then I will start calling you-"


    ?It''s toote for that now.? Sensei interrupted me before I could call him by his name.


    This bastard was too shameless, he did not deserve to be called Sensei.


    But then, Sylrin, who had been waiting for praise, ran out of patience and swiped at me with his wing ws before rolling over with his back facing me, like a little kid.


    This irritable lizard!


    I didn''t mean to ignore him, but he was already curled up into a defensive ball, seemingly angry with me.


    I quickly tuned Sensei out of my mind and looked over at the big baby of a lizard.


    Sylrin was too cute when he sulked, and I slithered over his scorching back scales to stare at his face.


    His eyes were drooping, and he seemed to be falling asleep. I nudged his head to try and wake him, but hisrge wings once again draped over me like a heated nket, and soon, I too began to stifle a yawn.


    "Why is he so tired?" I wondered. "Don''t tell me he wasn''t eating enough?"


    ?Asrge as he''s gotten, he''s still a young drake.? Sensei revealed. ?He needs all the rest he can get to keep growing. Having restrictions like those you ced on him isn''t exactly helping.?


    Was I wrong then? I examined the sleeping lizard once more.


    If he was only a young drake now, did that mean he was going to get even bigger?


    And so was eating mortals the answer?


    From seeing nearly every stage of a Hesperia''s evolution, I''d already begun to form a picture of it, enough to predict my own as well as those of others ¨C with plenty of room for error, of course.


    It wasn''t urate at all, but I summarised it to something like this.


    LV1 worker grunt ¨C LV12 evolved grunt ¨C LV31 scary wasp ¨C LV 42 Queen wasp ¨C everything above that was a mystery.


    Sylrin''s probably went something like that, with some differences.


    Baby drake ¨C Medium drake ¨C Large drake ¨C ??? ¨C Dragon maybe?


    I sighed.


    Everything was far more confusing without [Appraisal].


    Mine likely followed the lizards closely, because with every evolution we surpassed each other in size. I guessed if I was to evolve again, I would be muchrger than he was right now.


    Hmm¡­that would be a little scary, but oh well, I was eager to regain my height advantage anyway. I still needed more information about evolution ¨C If only I could get my fangs on some kind of monster encyclopaedia of sorts.


    Sylrin rolled over in his sleep, a wreath of me ring from his mouth as he yawned, and the pleasant atmosphere was soon reced by ufortable heat.


    Aww.


    I suppose he was very cute while he slept, but this heat would not do!


    I stopped analysing him and put out the mes around me. Sylrin''s fire was diffused while my poison evaporated in a green cloud, leaving the ground dry.


    I was feeling tired anyway, so I decided to curl up next to him for a while.


    However, it wasn''t long after that I began to sense some irregr movements outside.


    The vibrations were unlike those of a creature. They were muffled like something was sneaking around, multiple things in fact.


    I perked up and pushed Sylrin''s outstretched wing behind my head so I could hear the shuffling better, targeting [Heat Sense] like an arrow beyond the cave entrance.


    My heat sense picked up three glowing figures hiding in the bushes outside the cave ¨C and one more behind the stream.


    Mortals!


    What were they doing here?


    The figures were clunky in shape, glowing in blue with cold where they donned helmets and chest tes, but their arms and legs that were exposed were red with heat.


    They must''vee here for Sylrin!


    Were they here to kill him as revenge for the one he killed?


    I got angry with just the thought of them hurting him, but a part of me hesitated because they looked human.


    But I quickly shook off those thoughts, showing them any sympathy would put me and those I care about in grave danger.


    I looked over at Sylrin and saw him wide awake, staring intently at the entrance. He then got up, stretched his wings, and rushed out of the cave with an excited roar.


    This idiot! What happened to stealth and subtlety?


    With no choice, I quickly activated [Shadow Shroud] and chased after him.


    Once outside, I saw the shadow figures carrying swords as well as daggers on their waist. I recognise some of the mortals from the elf''s hunting party, however there were no elves among them.


    Had they separated from the group to attack Sylrin?


    The smoke from Sylrin''s cave was dispersing outside, which gave me near invisibility with thebination of [Shadow Shroud], so I took off into the trees towards the mortals, circling around to get a better look.


    They seemed like soldiers, dressed in light armour, but there was a certain bedraggled air about them that made them look like stealthy thieves.


    Each figure was decked in leather armour that was dirty and worn out, with no chainmail, but they bore shiny breast tes along withrge shields equally as wide as they were tall.


    Peculiar.


    It was truly a mishmash of armour and apart from their brilliant shield, they looked no better than mercenaries.


    However, there was an exception.


    In their middle, stood another soldier with blonde hair, but waspletely d in heavy armour that shone a brilliant silver, a clear indicator of him being the one inmand.


    I perched on a nearby tree branch after failing to find any trace of Sylrin around, and turned my attention on the soldiers below who were straining their heads high to focus on the trees across from me.


    Soon, I heard a loud roar echoing in the silent darkness and then there was a bright spark, before a long plume of violet me shot down from the trees, onto the soldiers.


    They immediately nted their shields in the ground and hunkered down firmly behind them for protection. But the fire continuously zed onto them with force, lighting up the ground around them in purple fire.


    The shrubs were incinerated, the stream hissed wherever the mes touched, and the ground quickly transformed to scorching sands that created more toxic smoke that made my eyes burn.


    In the deafening deluge that ensued, I found Sylrin''s frightening figure above the trees, a good distance away from me.


    There was no way anything could have survived that. Aside from the continuous hiss of mes there was no other sound and the smoke improved my camouge greatly.


    But in the aftermath of his mes, I couldn''t help wondering as the smothering air was strangely devoid of any screams.


    I looked down at the river of mes where the soldiers once stood and pped my wings over the mes to clear the smoke a little.


    To my shock, I saw the mortals alive and unharmed behind their shields. Sylrin''s roar had been countered and their glistening shields did not bear a single trace of fire damage on them.


    Within the mes, some were chugging down potions, while others had their swords drawn, as the blond hairedmander stood behind them, chanting something under his breath.


    And one soldier in front had a harness riddled with tough ck chains while he held a dagger firmly in his grip as he stared at Sylrin with a sinister look in his eyes.


    I exploded with anger as I realized what they were nning to do with that.


    But before I could react, the blond hairedmander let out a harsh cry and a barrage of arrows shot out from within the mes as the soldiers readied their bows, all aimed at Sylrin''s illuminated figure.


    No!


    I rushed down to stop them, but the arrows were already set loose and soon I heard Sylrin cry out.


    The deluge of mes ceased at once. The surroundings instantly drowned in darkness and I felt the fury rise up in me like a poisonous bile.


    With anger, worry and regret dictating my actions, I unhesitatingly spread out my [Shadow Shroud] to cover the whole area, rendering all the soldiers blind in an instant.


    The blondemander was stunned, and he stopped chanting to look around in confusion with nk eyes. The soldiers were no different. They hade prepared for Sylrin, but facing another monster on the same level probably was not in their ns.


    But unperturbed about the new circumstances, the blondemander resumed his chant, the words resonating with a different tone this time.


    I didn''t pay them any more attention either and flew over to find Sylrin, quickly scanning the base of the trees for where I figured he would have fallen.


    However, I found nothing.


    In my anger, I thought of how easy it would be to behead them all with a darkness de, but amidst all this, I was more worried about the dumb lizard''s condition.


    But as I made up my mind to attack them, I heard a roar from somewhere and a ze of fire shot out at the soldiers from behind their shields.


    They were still stuck in my shadow and while under its effect they did not hear his roar, or see the pir of me rushing towards them.


    Before they could react, every soldiers was covered in a sticky me that melted their skin and hair together with their leathers, wrapping them in mes from their helmets down to their boots.

 Chapter 203 - Monsters Vs Mortals

    As the noxious methrower was halted, I saw the giant shadow of Sylrin behind the soldiers!


    I was ecstatic with relief and would''ve rushed out towards him, but I was too shocked with what was happening below me.


    The mes were so hot the soldiers lit up in mes instantly and they had no choice but to thrash around on the floor to diffuse their sticky burns ¨C not that it helped.


    The air was filled with screams of anguish but I did not withdraw my shadows, leaving them to struggle on blindly.


    How dare they shoot arrows at him? Sylrin was alive, but hurt, so my anger refused to subside.


    I remained indifferent and only felt they got what they deserved. But the foul stench of burnt flesh made mee to my senses.


    I shook my head and slithered down towards the field of fire enveloped by my shadow shroud, to check if any survived.


    And to my surprise, amongst the burnt and melted soldier remains, there was one that was noticeably unharmed.


    The blondemander stood within the mes, his shiny armour ckened and marred with sticky mes, but unharmed nheless. He was blindly waving his sword around to attack the flying Sylrin, although he was nowhere near him.


    Why was he not injured?


    Perhaps his armour had some kind of shielding effect?


    I recalled he had been chanting something right before Sylrin attacked.


    If it was a protection spell, why didn''t it include the other soldiers?


    Regardless, this one was interesting.


    I heard a roar and looked over to see Sylrin fast approaching him.


    He sounded infuriated and rightfully so, as there were several arrows lodged in his shoulder area, narrowly missing his heart.


    Although his flight was unaffected he roared in fury at the sight of themander still standing. I quickly rushed out to check on him but the dumb lizard was so infuriated, he swerved around me and made his way towards themander who was wildly swinging his sword.


    The longsword in his grip did nothing to deter Sylrin and he was soon tackled to the ground, ws drawing blood from his ckened armour before Sylrin savagely took a bite out of his neck guard.


    It was a disaster.


    He was extremely furious and themander grabbed his shield to fend off against his attacks, as he lodged his sword between Sylrin''s teeth to stop his neck from being ripped apart.


    I rushed down to intervene, pushing Sylrin off themander and holding him back before he aggravated his injuries.


    And with Sylrin off him, themander got up and staggered back in the other direction, his neck and shoulder raw and bleeding profusely.


    I tried to restrain Sylrin, forcing him to stay put so I could attempt to remove the arrows in his shoulder before his regeneration could take over.


    But the enraged lizard kept trying to go after the fleeing mortal.


    To my annoyance, instead of falling to the mes or excessive blood loss, the savagedmander somehow managed to run out of my shadow zone.


    And just as he got his vision back he was also able to hear the dying screams of his soldiers, but instead of trying to find a way to save them he readied his sword, on the lookout for danger, as he cautiously backed away from my shadow zone.


    "Selfish coward" I sneered at him from the darkness.


    While I was distracted by themander, Sylrin managed to break free of my grip and he rose out of my shadows, every bit as angry as before. I set out moving as well, willing my shadows to envelop themander once more.


    But he was notpletely witless.


    He noticed the fast moving shadow spreading towards his feet and ran in the opposite direction as he began another chant. Suddenly, his sword exploded with crackling lightning as he took a stance facing the fast approaching Sylrin.


    A pir of me poured down from the air, and in the absence of his brilliant shield, themander jumped aside to dodge it.


    But instead of attacking Sylrin, he chose to dispense his lightning towards my shadows, tearing a straight line through them in a long range attack.


    I tried to retract my shadows closer to me but the attack cut through them faster than I could pull them back. The shadows in my immediate surroundings was able to survive, but the rest dispersed like smoke, revealing his shield and one of the thrashing soldiers.


    But before themander could appreciate his work, Sylrin bore down behind him with another pir of me, forcing themander to roll forward and grab his shield to deflect the me.


    Soon enough, Sylrin grew frustrated with his mes being deflected and flew in closer to attack him directly with his ws. But he didn''t notice that behind the glistening shield, themander''s sword was charged and ready to let off another lightning strike.


    However, before Sylrin flew into his attack range, I condensed a dust sized de of my shadows and threw it at his shield.


    The sturdy shield couldn''t block my darkness de and was sliced cleanly in half, allowing a st of heated me to assault themander. But he quickly leapt back, avoiding the worst of it before using the additional energy flowing through his sword to deflect Sylrin''s me.


    He had seeded in diffusing the me, but the result was an enraged Sylrin who circled around him to find another opening to strike.


    Throughout their battle, the soldiers were slowly burning to death and only the one who had been freed from my shadows regained enough awareness to run for the stream.


    However, no matter how hard he tried to put out the fire, parts of his limbs and his skin were horribly melted. Butpared to the others, he was lucky to be alive.


    The mmy scent of burnt flesh continued to fill the air and I frowned at the gory sight, releasing them from my [Shadow Shroud] to allow the ones who were still alive to find water.


    I also used [Venom Rain] lightly to douse some of the soldiers'' worst burns, in hopes that the horrible stench went away.


    However, after no more than a few seconds, the system dinged.


    ?You have defeated LV17 Ailith Mortal!?


    ?You have earned 220XP?


    ?You have gained a level!?


    Hold on! They weren''t supposed to die!


    But the damage was already done.


    I just killed a mortal.


    "But." I stared at the corpse in confusion.


    It was an ident, but that seemed like a weak excuse.


    It was only a few seconds of difference since the first soldier was released


    How could they be so fragile to die that easily?


    ?Do you think your poison is water?? Sensei scoffed at me.


    I was panic stricken and horrified.


    On the other side, Sylrin was still fighting with themander in andscape of purple fire and lightning, while I was getting a bit impatient.


    He wasn''t listening to any of mymands and in my frustration, I fired off another darkness de right between them.


    But I wasn''t able to control the size this time, and it sailed past the two into the forest, colliding with several tall trees and causing them to fall across the ground between them.


    Both Sylrin and themander got away from the falling trees before they were struck, but my intervention perhaps made themander realize the threat of the second monster lurking in the shadows.


    His face filled with terror, overwhelmed by the thought of facing two or maybe more monsters and he began to back away, preparing to flee at the first chance.


    Sylrin, on the other hand, was frustrated at being interrupted and let out a low roar in my direction, seemingly telling me to stay out of it.


    Themander took that small respite to charge his attack again, as lightning crackled around his sword. He ordered thest surviving soldier to retreat and fired onest lightning attack at Sylrin before he too turned around to flee into the forest.


    And I was d to see them go.


    They were already too weak to fight against us and there was no need to push them into a corner.


    However, Sylrin was not happy letting them go and chased after themander and the soldier, probably still upset at being shot by them.


    His shoulder was still bleeding but he was too hot headed to care about his injuries.


    I had to reach out andmand him to stop, but he was so angry, it took all my focus to get him tond.


    Once on the ground, the conflict in his mind between his desire for revenge and obedience to me made him miffed and he let out a disapproving roar towards me.


    However, at this point the mortals had already run out of my sight, especially themander who wasn''t as slow as the soldier.


    Yet, Sylrin was reluctant to let them go, and I had to restrain him to stop him from rushing into the forest after them.


    [Calm down, you fool. Take deep breaths.] Imanded him, before reaching for his shoulder to yank out the arrows one at a time.


    Sylrin roared in pain, letting out arge plume of sticky me, but he stayed in ce and let me help.


    It took a while, but I was able to pull out all the arrows and his regeneration kicked in, eventually closing his wounds.


    He soon stopped struggling and I slowly released him.


    However, as soon as I took my eyes away from him, he pounced on the still alive soldier, ending his struggle with a sickening crunch to the neck.


    The lifeless body flopped to the ground before Sylrin took arge bite of the burnt flesh, as I looked on with disbelief.


    This dumb lizard!


    Had he learnt nothing from my scolding at all?

 Chapter 204 - Guilty Or Gullible?

    I wanted to save thatst mortal ¨C perhaps keep him alive using potions so I could obtain all the information I needed.


    And maybe perhaps, he would be so filled with gratitude for saving his life that he would teach me some magic?


    Was that wishful thinking?


    Even if he died, I wanted to keep his body so I could appraise it when my penalty was over.


    But now... This temperamental lizard ruined my fantasy.


    The sound of flesh being torn apart was very loud in the now quiet battlefield. I red at Sylrin who had the dead mortal''s arm dangling between his jaws, and seeing him so excitedly tearing apart the body made something within me wilt.


    This inconsiderate lizard!


    I rushed towards him and knocked him away from the corpse.


    He had no regard for my ns at all and I was upset!


    First, he didn''t listen to what I said, then he went on to kill without my permission and he had resisted my orders to stop fighting so many times!


    Sylrin roared loudly at being unexpectedly attacked and he shed at me in retaliation. His ws cut through my scales and ribbons of blood had started to appear, but somehow that did not stop the guilt and frustration I was feeling.


    It wasn''t just the confusion of the situation that got me.


    A person was dead because of me, not a monster, but a human ¨C and this lizard was casually eating their corpse like nothing was wrong.


    Deep down, I knew it was his nature as a monster, but that didn''t stop me from feeling conflicted.


    It wasn''t his fault, but I felt like I needed someone to me.


    Sylrin roared again in protest, smoke billowing out of his nostrils as he fought to push me away from his spoils. I didn''t back down and we tussled around for a while before he seeded in throwing me off.


    We were both exhausted and I felt like my head was fit to burst while Sylrin red at me in confusion.


    I could tell he would''ve retaliated with his mes if it was any other monster but could only re at me and let out his mes of anger towards the forest where the mortals had escaped.


    In the end, he gave me another confused re and retreated away from me, refusing to fight.


    I saw Sylrin''s purple mes were threatening to spread past the battle ground and into the forest. And since I didn''t want a repeat of the horrible Labyrinth rain, I used my [Venom Rain] to put out the worst of the fire.


    Sylrin saw this as an opportunity and nced at me once, before sneaking off towards one of the corpses.


    But I caught him before he grabbed them and hissed at him in anger.


    Where did he think he was going?


    Sylrin roared in retaliation, and grabbed one of the discarded limbs despite my protests before quickly backing away.


    I couldn''t stand to look at the burnt, shredded bodies that looked no different from cooked meat.


    What had I done?


    They should be buried. Maybe I would feel better if I did that?


    Sensei read my thoughts and decided to interject.


    ?Stop overthinking. It was an honest kill. It would be a waste not to eat them, especially their cores.?


    Iughed bitterly. An honest kill?


    "Is that something you should be saying?"


    Instead of making me feel better, his words only ramped up my guilt.


    ?Your time is ticking.? Sensei replied. ?Any longer and what little magic their cores contained would be worth nothing. Sylrin is going to take them.?


    I slowly turned to the corpses, only to find that Sylrin had already pounced on them behind my back. And before I could react, he flew into the air with two corpses attached to his ws, swiftly flying off into his cave.


    Sensei tutted. ?And¡­you missed your chance.?


    But hearing the nonchnce in his voice only made me boil with anger. "How can you act like you don''t care! They are people!"


    ?Were people.? he corrected, as if that was the main point. ?They are dead now. Why should it matter what happens to their bodies??


    My eyes went wide with disbelief.


    How could he say something so callous?


    And that troublesome lizard too.


    Why was he so angry and eager to fight them, when his wound healed so quickly anyway?


    I slithered around to put out more of his mes, while fuming in anger.


    There were w marks on my underbelly that still hadn''t fully healed because my [Regeneration] skill was on penalty. And at my normal healing rate, it would take a while to healpletely.


    I sulked in defeat as the smoke from the scorched ground billowed around me.


    I had gained a level from the ordeal, but I wasn''t happy about it at all, and on top of it I also seeded in making Sylrin mad at me.


    Sylrin aside, I couldn''t understand how Sensei could behave so nonchntly when he had once been a human too.


    Shouldn''t he be more empathetic and understand my moral dilemma?


    What aplete mess. And what an irritating bunch!


    ?What''s the difference between the monsters you''ve killed and these mortals?? Sensei spoke up again. ?You shouldn''t hold onto such distinctions as a monster, it will only get you killed.?


    "But what about their families?" I argued back.


    Sensei sighed and replied. ?They knew the dangers of entering the Labyrinth and knew they may note out alive. If you want to me someone, me their captain whom you allowed to escape.?


    ?He is the true despicable one for escaping on his own and not even attempting to save his soldiers.?


    I knew it shouldn''t be any different from killing monsters, but I was still torn.


    What about their families? Their wives, and maybe even their children?


    They would feel so sad when their fathers did not return.


    And I could even feel several pairs of eyes using me of their deaths.


    I knew I was imagining it, but two faces I hadn''t recalled in a while suddenly floated up to my thoughts, vivid and clear as day, and suddenly my snake heart felt like it would give out as it trembled with immense guilt.


    However, it was Sensei''s voice that pulled me from the pit of despair I was about to fall into.


    ?You need to stop ming yourself. They would have killed you. They wanted to kill you. These men aren''t the ''good'' people that you think they are.? Sensei sighed as if he was scolding an idiot.


    ?Do you see that dagger?? he asked and I looked over the scorched ground to see the discarded items.


    I looked over the scorched ground to the discarded items. There were four pristine shields still standing and behind one of them was a curved dagger mostly untouched by the mes, except for its burnt hilt.


    ?Take note of the pattern on it and remember it well.? Sensei said in a serious tone, and I looked down to see an emblem fashioned onto the bronze of the dagger''s hilt.


    It was the image of an eyeball with a nail stabbed right through it.


    ?That''s the emblem of a thief''s guild that specialises in the sale of magical creatures. These men already live in dangerous situations, they don''t have families waiting for them. Their only interest is the gold they would have gotten from Sylrin''s bones. I wouldn''t even rmend eating their meat.?


    The sheer revulsion in Sensei''s voice made me stop feeling sympathetic, as I began to understand his words.


    They wanted to sell my Sylrin for parts, how horrible!


    I heard a slight shuffle from the direction of the cave and soon, a rather dishevelled Sylrin came out. He yawned, seemingly content after his meal as he came over to give me a rather proud stare.


    And I scoffed ¨C did he think I had fought with him over the spoils?


    Since his belly was now filled, he meekly came over to me and in his own form of an apology, he nudged me with his wing. But I huffed at him and looked away.


    He nced at me pitifully for a while before listlessly moving over to drink the water from the stream.


    Hmph!


    However, with the fire gone, I was quick to notice the unusual purple colour of the water, and also the suspicious melted ss bottle that had been discarded by the side.


    I rushed over to Sylrin, ordering him not to drink the water, and he roared inint when I pushed him away from the stream.


    But when he saw his still raw w marks on my underbelly he decided to settle down and even attempted to lick my wound, but I hissed at him to go away.


    And then, I observed the purple water of the stream.


    Was this poison?


    If so, when did they get the chance to pour it in?


    Between the battle and the subsequent fire, there would have been no chance. Unless¡­


    Was it that burn survivor?


    Those treacherous mortals! Even in defeat, they refused to let him go!


    Sylrin came over tofort me once more and I purchased a [Healing Potion] just so he wouldn''t be bothered with my injury anymore. And as soon as my wounds healed, he quietly settled down beside me, oblivious to the danger he had been in.


    I was still fuming and instructed Sylrin to not touch or drink the water of the stream, at least until the purple colour faded away.


    ?Imagine if you weren''t here?? Sensei goaded me. ?If their attack didn''t kill him, he would have drunk the poisoned water. And when they returnter, he would be in a severely weakened state, or close to death.?


    His words stung especially harshly, as I realized how naive and foolish my thoughts had been. Whether it is my previous world or this one, the fundamental governingw was the same - only the fittest survived.


    Because if you are weak or hesitant, you would be trampled to death by those willing to do far shadier things to win.


    That much was clear now.


    Sylrin alone was an easy target and he needed toe back with me.

 Chapter 205 - The Prized Journal

    At that moment, my heart ached as if it were being squeezed.


    It all boiled down to two feelings ¨C anger and confusion.


    Part of me was upset at my decision to let them go because I didn''t know if it would bring me more troublester on, but I was also not so keen on hunting them down as I still had attachments to my human side.


    And then there was a devious side of me, that kept thinking I should have rounded the mortals and offered them to the tree spirits as a peace offering to salvage our shaky rtionship.


    Just thinking about it made me chuckle sinisterly and Sylrin who was resting nearby gave me a confused look.


    And if I could exploit the spirits and their love of mortals, this could be a peace offering to salvage our shaky rtionship


    What an ingeniously foul idea! Perhaps my monster side was finally kicking in?


    This time there would be no sympathy on my part!


    ?Stopughing like a manic.? Sensei sighed at me. ?Whatever you''re thinking won''t work, because they''re already long gone.?


    Ah shoot!


    "I can still catch them!" I insisted, getting up beside Sylrin to stretch my wings.


    The mortals were still somewhere in the forest, and I hoped they hadn''t gone far. My alliance with the Nymph would benefit much from their sacrifice!


    ?You''re angry.? Sensei sighed. ?But I doubt you could really kill a mortal just yet.?


    Had he be soft after lecturing me about not feeling guilty?


    ?It''s best to focus on what''s important at this moment, which is building your Pit.?


    Ah yes, my handy methrower needed to be protected.


    And I also needed to return before those other brats burnt the cave down.


    But for once, Sensei was right.


    Sylrin tilted his head to the side, likely wondering why I was staring at him like he was a tasty snack.


    We then returned to the cave which was much cooler than outside, now that the mes were out, and as Sylrinzed around, I attempted to convince him to return to my cave with me.


    It was likely this would not be the end of his encounter with those mortals.


    He was strong, but they were slippery and full of tricks.


    Another thing I was worried about was them returning with more members of their party. I had no idea how strong the others would bepared to themander.


    However, Sylrin shook his head, and set the ground around aze before huddling downfortably with no intention to leave.


    This brat!


    I''d never had trouble telling my pit members what to do as Typhon and Ophelia were so well behaved! Butpared to them, Sylrin was always so difficult!


    Could it be that he was now a higher level than me?


    No way! I refused to believe it.


    Maybe I''d spent too long eating andzing around.


    As Sylrin turned his back to me for the second time, I leapt on him and constricted with all my might. Eventually, after many roars ofint, he couldn''t take my harassment any longer and tapped out in defeat.


    And as soon as I released him he stormed out of the cave.


    Finally, now we were getting somewhere!


    I took off after him, chasing after his winged figure as he rose up in the air.


    Initially, I thought he had finally agreed to return with me, but after following him for a while, I realized he was going somewhere else.


    My cave was definitely not in that direction!


    I sped up to catch him and circled around him in the air, but Sylrin ignored me and kept flying straight.


    It was then, it urred to me that he may be going after the mortals again and I immediatelymanded him to stop.


    However, once again Sylrin continued to fly through the forest, seemingly unaffected by [Commander] and not far below I saw two heat traces light up in red.


    This stubborn fool!


    If it was the two mortals, we would have to kill them quickly before they reached their group.


    However, Sylrin flew over the two heat traces, without stopping, and when I flew close enough to inspect them, the heat traces turned out to be two monsters instead of the mortals.


    Part of me was relieved.


    It seemed Sylrin wasn''t chasing after the mortals and we continued to fly for a while until thendscape changed to a steep hill with the trees growing in a lush covering.


    Sylrin began to fly lower beforending at the foot of the hill where he crouched and stared around suspiciously, even sniffing the air, seemingly on the offensive.


    What was he up to by bringing me here?


    I followed his example and activated [Shadow Shroud], as Inded to be just as stealthy, wondering what exactly got him so spooked.


    Sylrin went up the hill without pause and no matter how much I signalled for him to stop, he continued with the stealthy prowess of one who was familiar with this route. And I wondered why he didn''t just fly over it like normal.


    But as we neared the top, he suddenly stopped, and I began to feel nauseated.


    I stared at Sylrin who gave me a rather sheepish grin. I wasn''t sure if there was something nearby causing it, but it seemed to get worse the higher we climbed.


    Nevertheless, we continued going, and at the top of the hill, our surroundings that once looked like thick forest opened into a wide clearing.


    I was taken aback, but not long after, I began to hear voices.


    It was in a garbled tongue, but the tone was unmistakably that of people talking and I scanned around to find the source.


    But wait a minute¡­this ufortable feeling seemed familiar.


    Wasn''t this simr to the elf party''s illusion barrier?


    I red at Sylrin from where I was hiding and he looked at me with excitement, his spiked tail swishing away behind him.


    This troublesome fool!


    Did he really just bring me to their main camp?


    Here, I was worried about the other party membersing to attack him, and he saved them the effort and brought us straight to them instead!


    The elf party was camped further down in the clearing, and from what I could see, their camp overlooked a steep descent in a cliff where the hill stopped. Below this was a wide chasm that formed a valley, filled to the brim with mist that made them look like floating clouds.


    I couldn''t see past this because in my penalty state, I was truly feeling the effect of the illusion barrier unlike before when I simply rushed in. I wasn''t sure if Sylrin felt the same because he didn''t seem bothered and his excitement hadn''t changed.


    However, this wasn''t the only thing odd about the ce.


    As I looked around there were scattered bits of rubble in what looked like the foundations of an old, dpidated building. There was even a wall with vacant arched windows simr to that of a church, with walls that were overgrown with ivy, although most of the stone had long crumbled away.


    The hunting party had set up their tents on what was left of the altar, and they were walking about inside, seemingly in the midst of a heated discussion.


    I didn''t pay much attention to them and was simply aghast at the discovery of what was once a building. If there used to be one here, I wondered if there were several in the past.


    And what had they been used for?


    The trees around their camp were mostly spaced apart, but there was plenty of foliage to provide our camouge, so we still managed to avoid detection.


    But how did Sylrin know they were here?


    From his behaviour I could tell he hade here many times before.


    However, before I could grill him about his past activities, I detected some movement on the far end of the camp and soon, a pale haired girl with pointy ears appeared from one of the tents.


    As her robed figure breathed in the fresh air, Sylrin quickly backed away ¨C seemingly in a panic.


    What the?


    I did the same as the elf girl began walking in our direction, only for her to stop several meters away from where we were.


    And after looking around for a while, she quickly returned to her tent.


    With her gone, Sylrin then resumed his stealthy vigil, all the while keeping an eye on the tent.


    What the hell just happened?


    I stared at Sylrin who was intently focused. Had he figured out some sort of secret, or perhaps her detection range?


    He seemed to be shadowing the female elf, making sure to remain out of the periphery of her vision rather effortlessly.


    This also made me rethink Sylrin''s skills.


    At one point during the battle with the mortalmander, he had been able to pinpoint exactly where the mortals were inside my shadows. He shouldn''t have been able to see them since they were fully covered, yet he was able to target them urately.


    Did he have some skill that made his eyesight so much better?


    Once again, I anxiously missed having [Appraisal].


    I couldn''t wait to decipher his skill list!


    As we watched the tents, the voices I heard earlier reappeared in the form of a bedraggled pair of mortals who were discussing something rather heatedly as they approached their tent.


    Sylrin on seeing them let out a low growl, and I wondered why he was irritated when these mortals were different from the ones that had attacked us.


    However, before I could figure it out, the system dinged.


    [New Quest: Retrieve and destroy Grandmaster Lothrein''s prized Journal.]


    [Reward: 500XP]


    [ept | Reject]


    A new quest!


    I stared at the system alert with excitement.


    But after reading it, the quest screamed of suspicious activity.


    Why was the reward so high for a simple retrieval?

 Chapter 206 - Fatal Attraction

    It had been a while so it felt great to get such a high reward quest, but at the back of my mind I had a lingering suspicion. Because Sensei wasn''t this generous and the quest came out of nowhere.


    Anyway, how was I supposed to find this ''prized journal'', when I didn''t even know which member of the party had it? Was I supposed to attack each of them until I got my fangs on it?


    And who the heck was this Grandmaster Lothrein anyway?


    "You are being rather generous with this quest, so what''s the catch?" I straight out asked Sensei.


    ?You should stop thinking of me as your personal answering machine and just focus on finishing your quests and getting stronger.? Sensei grumbled.


    Why was he being salty for no reason, like I spent all day tormenting him ¨C when it was actually the reverse.


    Regardless, it was thrilling to receive something good for once.


    But then it dawned on me.


    I was still in a penalty, and he expected me to go against three elves and ten mortals like this?


    What the heck? It was like giving another difficult exam when the current one wasn''t finished yet!


    Was this even legal?


    "I''m the one being tormented here!" Iined.


    ?Do you think this is a cruise for you to casually coast by?? Sensei sighed. ?You should stopining and be grateful for the quests I give you.?


    Grateful? I scowled in annoyance.


    "I might be a monster, but why shouldn''t I be able to enjoy a leisurely stroll like a normal snake? Does some hardship have to be included too?"


    What happened to my Pit being more important?


    He''d forgotten that as soon as he saw that elf girl.


    But Sensei''s next words hit my sore spot.


    ?Can you confidently say you could beat Sylrin right now??


    I stared at the overgrown lizard hiding behind the foliage, his tail swishing about excitedly behind him. If it was before, I could''ve confidently said yes, but now... I wasn''t sure.


    ?Think...why did he bring you here?? Sensei continued. ?He must also want something from them.?


    Indeed, Sylrin had been acting strange.


    I reluctantly agreed, because why else would he stalk the hunting party all the way here?


    And although I still had my doubts, the quest was very tempting to ignore.


    If I could get my fangs on this journal, perhaps I could read its contents and find out what the elves and mortals were after. The quest said to destroy it, but it wasn''t mentioned to destroy it immediately.


    Ah! But I didn''t know how to read any text yet.


    However, I was confident there was a skill for that!


    Fortunately, I was confident there was a skill for that, I just needed to discover it. But for now it was best to watch the party members to figure out which one had the journal.


    Since there was little activity from the tents, we decided to relocate further away from them.


    Sylrin had already figured out the range of the elf girl''s detection, and although I wasn''t sure how it worked, I decided to trust him. As long as we stayed outside of the range, I was confident we could observe themfortably from a higher vantage point without being discovered.


    In addition, after staying within the illusion barrier for a couple of minutes, its nauseating effect had be slightly tolerable. And so, I settled on a sturdy tree branch and scanned the group of tents for movements within.


    Sylrin was watching from the ground while covered in my shadows for an extrayer of concealment, but he wasn''t happy with staying down and attempted to climb up my tree to join me, much to my annoyance.


    The branch I was on started to strain under his weight, the leaves rustling aggressively, and I hissed at him to get down before it broke. But we were interrupted by the hunting party as they emerged from their tents.


    They were divided into two distinct groups though - the elves, and the mortals, and there seemed to be some kind of tension between them.


    I did a quick head count of the party and counted only seven members.


    Hm? Why were they so few now?


    Where was the rest?


    There were familiar faces that I recognised such as the elf girl and the scruffy huntsman. But there used to be thirteen members in total so what happened to the rest?


    Sylrin who was watching from beside me, let out a low growl, his eyes fixed on the mortals, and I recalled the skull I''d found in his cave.


    Haah¡­


    When I did a quick addition of the casualties caused by Sylrin and I, along with themander and the burnt soldier that escaped there was still at least one member missing.


    I tried to recall everyone I had seen before and to my surprise, it was one of the sparkling elves that was missing.


    I had to be extra careful to avoid their detection when I snuck into their camp so I made note of every member. I remembered him especially, because he wasn''t as clean cut as the others, and he''d carried a short sword and a bow, which made me wonder what had happened to them since.


    However, I soon got bored after a while.


    The male and female elves were elegant as usual, but their actions were too normal.


    Once outside their tents, they converged to pour over some maps and that was all they did for several painful minutes.


    And there were too many scrolls scattered across their table to know which one was the journal I needed.


    The mortal half of the party skulked around them, looking bored as well while the ones dressed like soldiers kept chatting amongst themselves.


    What exactly were they doing?


    Ooh!


    There was someone I''d never seen before!


    She was clearly an elf because her ears were pointed, but her skin was a dark shade of mahogany, and her hair was cut short and dark green.


    Hm.


    Calling her cute seemed wrong, because ''she'' seemed more like a guy.


    This elf was crouched on one of the rubble walls, dressed in dark clothing while adjusting a long bow that was nearly as long as she was tall. She was beautiful in a rather androgynous way, and I did not miss the wiry arms and obviously t chest.


    However, the feathershed, cherubic face highly threw me off.


    So this was their archer.


    Andstly there was my favourite huntsman who looked even scruffier than ever.


    He was polishing his axe, between the two groups, neither a part of the mortals nor the elves.


    As for the others, I didn''t care much for them.


    The male elf was too sparkling in looks, and stood in an arrogant way, much like the female.


    But I told myself to not be fooled by their appearance, because they were probably the oldest of the group.


    While the mortals all looked like middle aged adults,pared to the elves who seemed to be in their twenties and the archer looking like a teenager, they were probably as young as infants.


    In between pouring over maps, the two groups would asionally sh, with the elf male frequently going against the three mortal soldiers.


    I asked Sensei what their argument was about, and he summarised it briefly.


    The elf side of the party wanted to go down into the misty valley, and the soldiers wanted to wait for theirmander to return from hunting a winged creature, who I assumed was Sylrin. It seemed they wanted to capture him to fly over the valley, rather than go through it because of the monsters inside.


    Hearing this made me hissed in anger.


    Sylrin was not a mount!


    However Sylrin, who I was defending, growled at a mortal who looked lecherously at the elf girl as she poured over her maps. With her prince-nez in hand like a schr, she didn''t seem to care much that the mortal soldiers were against her and continued her actions.


    Meanwhile, Sylrin was practically ame as he red at the soldiers, and nothing I did could calm him down.


    I was so sure the group would discover us from how loud he was being. That is, until the elf girl tucked one long strand of hair behind her pointy ear.


    And suddenly, Sylrin who had been so close to storming down in a ze of fire, settled down quietly on my tree branch to watch.


    What?


    I stared back and forth between the two in horror.


    Why were Sylrin''s eyes sparkling? And what was that enraptured look?


    Don''t tell me he has fallen for the attractive elf?


    No! I thought I was his everything!


    I quickly covered his eyes with my coil, and Sylrin who suddenly had his view obscured wriggled to free himself.


    The strained branch who could no longer withstand ourbined weight, finally gave out and we both crashed to the ground.


    The elf girl''s ears twitched as she heard the noise and turned to stare in our direction.


    And I quickly smothered the struggling Sylrin, enveloping us both in shadows to prevent us from being seen.


    I was offended!


    How could he betray me? Weren''t these snake curves enough?


    After listening out for a while the elf returned to her maps, but not before she ordered one of the mortals to check out the noise.


    However, when none of them moved she looked up from her papers, a wrinkle set between her furrowed brows.

 Chapter 207 - Pitch Black

    While the mortals seemed to no longer be taking orders, it was inevitable that someone woulde and check. So, I stopped covering Sylrin''s eyes, and we fled to another spot to continue watching.


    The mortals most likely were being difficult because theirmander was not present, yet I couldn''t help noticing that, while the elves looked pristine, the mortals were all bedraggled with dark bags under their eyes.


    Don''t tell me they''d been moving constantly without any rest?


    I didn''t know how a mortal''s endurance waspared to elves, but it was clear the pressure from the journey was taking a toll on them. Their temperaments already seemed to sh.


    The group''s dynamic was so different from before and seeing this, I chuckled wickedly.


    How amusing would it be for the elf girl when themander and the survivor wandered in without any creature, while also being heavily injured?


    Not only would she be upset, but the injured would add another burden. Maybe next time, they would think twice before trying to capture an unwilling monster.


    Although¡­from the way Sylrin looked at her, perhaps he would be more than willing to be her mount. Even after scolding him, he was still fixated on her.


    In the end, since the mortals weren''t responding to her orders, the green haired archer got up from his crouched position to check out the noise.


    Moving swiftly, his footsteps were silent, like those of a cat, as he quickly converged on ourst hiding spot where he noticed the broken branch.


    There were clear signs of a struggle on the ground, but there was no trail leading from there since we both took the aerial route.


    The archer scowled ufortably, before letting loose two arrows up into the trees canopy.


    To my surprise, several branches snapped, their leaves rustling as a dark, winged creature fell down to the ground.


    Woah! Where did thate from? Was it above us the whole time?


    I wondered how strong the archer was, to wield such a huge bow with scary uracy!


    He then walked over to take out his arrow from the dead beast before, carrying its carcass back to the group where it was set aside. The elf girl seemed to smile and nod at him before the group resumed their discussion.


    What scary fellows.


    And Sylrin should have known better than to crush on their leader, however nerdy she looked with all her scrolls. She was clearly bad news!


    But as I looked at him, his actions suddenly began to make sense.


    He mostly targeted the mortals of the party who did not agree with her. And again, I wondered just how long he had been observing the group to understand their internal strife.


    Perhaps, that skull in his cave had done something bad to the elf.


    Was this why he refused to leave? Because he was afraid the elf was in danger?


    This fool!


    It was very much in line with his [Saviour] title, but somehow it made me annoyed, because I was positive she was the one who ordered his capture.


    He may like her, but couldn''t he pick his targets wisely?


    The elves were packing up their items, preparing to head into the misty valley. It seemed they weren''t waiting for the return of the mortalmander, which was wise, because the burnt soldier with him would be more of a hindrance than support.


    Unfortunately, I couldn''t take Sylrin and fly away from there, because I still had to finish the quest which meant I had to confront at least one of them.


    Still, if we attacked from different directions, we could conquer them easily.


    I noticed most of the maps and items on their table went into the gemstone rings on their fingers. One of them had to have the journal, I just wasn''t sure yet who it was, because all the elves had rings.


    But by logic, I decided to target the one most likely to have it which was the elf girl. It was fairly easy to see she was their leader judging by their actions.


    And aside from her magic, the thing I was most worried about was the archer and his high uracy arrows.


    If one of us were to distract him while the other wrestled the ring from her, the task would be easy to aplish, but...


    Would Sylrin cooperate with me?


    From the way he was staring at her, he wasn''t really paying attention to my tactical breakdown.


    I grabbed him by the horn, forcing him to pay attention and then instructed him to grab her when an opportunity appeared. Preferably, after the archer was lured away.


    Sylrin nodded excitedly and I sighed. It was improper of me to make use of his attraction to the elf, but for my mission to seed it had to be done.


    We sinisterly watched the group leave the wreckage of the altar and descend into the misty valley below. But just before they entered, they put on hooded dark robes and put out all their fires to move inplete darkness.


    That probably helped them blend into the dark.


    But no sooner did the elves sink below the thick mist, Sylrin began to grow anxious as he was unable to see them anymore. He then rose up from the branch, flying towards them and I ordered him to slow down, before surging ahead of him.


    I had to make sure they left no traps left behind, so I scanned around where their tents once were, examining the brickwork of the stone ground and also the ancient overgrown walls that had to be at least several decades old, if not centuries.


    There was nothing left behind, so I focused instead on the thick mist spanning across the valley for miles. It hung over the air, perfectly aligned with the ground of the forest like a dense cloud you could touch.


    It even swirled to touch my scales as I neared it and like a murky pool I couldn''t see anything below it because the mist was so thick, it overshadowed everything that followed.


    I knew there was a chasm just below it because of [Heat Sense], so I did not stray further into it in case I fell. Instead, I sniffed at it to see if [Detox] would react, just to make sure it wasn''t poison.


    As I examining the surrounding, Sylrin nudged me with his tail, impatient and anxious.


    It was nice to explore a new section of the Upper Stratum I hadn''t seen before, but I had to be cautious. Who knew what kind of creatures it was infested with?


    But when [Detox] failed to react, I decided to stop being paranoid.


    Sylrin nudged me again, and this time I hissed at him. Why was he so impatient?


    Fine. The mist was safe anyway so it was time to go after his stupid crush.


    And the dumb lizard better not cry to me when his heart gets broken!


    I dipped my body halfway into the mist and already the temperature felt cooler like air conditioning.


    After enduring the heat of Sylrin''s cave, it felt especially good on my scales, and we dropped further until it fully enveloped us.


    Once inside, the scenery waspletely different.


    The ground stopped shortly after the mist covering, revealing a valley that was more like a steep cliff. The walls were covered in manyyers of uneven rock and peering over the edge, I was sted by cold winds.


    There was no vegetation to be seen and the air became heavier the further in we went. And I began to feel lightheaded just by looking down, but there was nothing to indicate the air was poisonous.


    The feeling reminded me so much of the Middle Stratum, which made me think the ether levels here were unusually high.


    The chasm was indeed deep and dark, much darker than the usual forest, almost like we had gone past the pale mist, and stepped into pitch ck instead.


    For coldblooded monsters like Sylrin and I, the darkness wasn''t a problem, but I wondered how the hunting party was faring.


    I saw them huddled together much further ahead, each moving as quietly as possible, but the elf girl was nked on all sides by alert soldiers and elves as they walked along a thin pathway carved into the jagged wall.


    They would have benefited greatly from some light, but they were moving cautiously, with every step taken carefully, and they had to unless they wanted to fall into the endless darkness of the chasm below.


    I couldn''t see the bottom because below everyyer of wall was a lining of jutting rocks, like a blunt de had been used to split thend, in an effort that took several attempts.


    And my mood was getting more and more sour because grabbing her just became more difficult.


    Regardless, we followed the group, descending into the ck mist while maintaining a safe detection range, all the while cursing Sensei a thousand times in my head for turning me into a kidnapper.

 Chapter 208 - The Valley Of Lost Souls

    Sylrin and I stuck close to the walls, where the group was separated from us below by at least twoyers of jagged rock. And there we waited for an opportunity to snatch the elf girl.


    It made me a little ufortable watching the group inch their way across the hazardous path, when they didn''t know they were being observed. And to think I had to separate one of them forever.


    Sensei''s requests were really getting out of hand!


    But not even a minute in, I began to pick up vibrations of something on theyer of rock above us.


    I stopped to look up because it sounded like a crawling creature.


    However, the sound faded away as soon as I fixed my attention on it, the unknown creature never revealing itself.


    Weird.


    My first thought was spiders ¨C the darkness and shadow of the valley seemed like their ideal habitat, and I scanned the rocks above us hoping [Heat Sense] would reveal something.


    But when no trace of any creature showed up, my sense of danger became even more pronounced.


    I felt as if I was the mantis stalking the cicada, but I couldn''t find my oriole even when I looked.


    Sylrin didn''t react, and perhaps he wasn''t that worried as he continued watching the hunting party make their way across the path. They were passing a rather narrow stretch of the overhanging pathway, and the danger of falling was especially precarious.


    But I couldn''t ignore the noise I just heard so I decided it was best to go higher to see what the sound was, just to be safe.


    And it took some convincing but eventually Sylrin also followed me to scout from above.


    We maintained a good distance from the group while flying above, staying out of their detection range. The distance would also make it easy to dodge their arrows if they were alerted anyway.


    And we just rose up in the air when we encountered the wreckage of something.


    Embedded in the rock was the exposed wooden structure of what looked like a roof. Most of it was long worn away, leavingrge areas open, but from what I could see of its basic frame, the style was simr to that of a cathedral dome.


    It was very wide and spanned across twoyers almost like it had been carved out of the rock face. Aside from the exposed dome, I could make out some walls but because it was made out of a simr material, they appeared to melt seamlessly into the rock.


    If a building could be carved out from start to finish, this would probably be the finished product.


    I was a little shocked at the discovery that appeared like a leftover relic from a bygone era, simr to the one above the valley. I wondered what ancient civilization had created them, and if I didn''t have this quest toplete, I would have dly gone inside to investigate.


    Wouldn''t it be amusing if this was what they were looking to find and it was right on top of them?


    However something about its worn out stone surface told me I would probably destroy it by going inside. It seemed too fragile to withstand my weight - especially Sylrin who was easily double of me.


    Instead, Inded on the rock beside the dome''s structure to take a closer look, instructing Sylrin to do the same. There I carefully slithered towards the opening to peer inside, while Sylrin kept a lookout for the group ¨C they had sessfully crossed the precarious ridge and were now moving onto steady ground.


    Unfortunately, it didn''t take long for cmity to strike.


    The moment I touched the stone below the dome, my wed wings punched right through it like it was made of paper, and the solid structure that should have taken my weight, crumbled away like sand.


    How misleading!


    Arge part of the wall structure directly dislodged from its rock foundations and fell back in the dome, and I found myself wondering if I was just too fat, or if the stone wall was simply too old! I too almost fell in, but I adapted quickly, spinning away from the structure to steady myself in flight!


    It was only a slight touch ¨C how could everything turn out like this?


    The dome copsed from within, as its structure was pulled down, and as the continuous sound of falling stone turned into a small avnche of rubble, it became clear the structure was too fragile to ever recover.


    However, as the falling rubble rolled to a stop, I picked up a new sound.


    Scattered noises of things shuffling around, followed by multiple shrill cries echoing out from within the structure where the rubble would have impacted, as arge plume of dust went up in the chilly wind.


    The hunting party looked up at the copse in shock, and Sylrin and I exchanged worried looks. If past events were any indication ¨C we had probably disturbed something.


    Sylrin who was positioned on the wall quickly activated his [Stealth], and just as I was rushing away from the copse, a great flurry of winged beasts burst out of the opening, in a cloud of leathery fluttering wings and I soon lost sight of the hunting party and Sylrin.


    The winged creatures surrounded me, each three feet tall and sporting two pairs of streamlined insect wings that they used to manoeuvre through tight passages. But none of them attacked me aside from the few unfortunate enough to collide with my flying figure.


    H-How? Where did these creatures evene from?


    When I scanned with [Heat Sense] previously, nothing had shown up!


    And why did they fly past us like they didn''t see us?


    It must be because of my [Shadow Shroud] and their inability to detect my temperature.


    Most rushed down the chasm towards the hunting party to viciously attack them with their sharp mandibles and stingers, and those that collided with me actively sought to find me but kept missing in the air due to how quickly they sped to attack.


    The creatures mostly seemed to detect movement and heat. Their eyes glowed pale in the dark as they rushed at me, long limbs and tail stingers stabbing aggressively like spikes made of steel. There was also a rather musty scent attached to their dry cracked bodies that bore numerous kes of dust.


    They were like moths drawn to a me, if they were only savage and hungry for blood.


    No matter how many times I cut them down, more surged forward to rece the fallen like a pack of vicious dogs in a frenzy, and for some reason they didn''t seem to experience pain like a normal monster.


    The worst were those against the hunting party below.


    They faced off against arge number while also struggling to avoid falling into the hazardous terrain.


    For some reason they choose to deal with them with only their weapons, as none were chanting spells, and they were easy targets for the monster''s ferocious strikes. If not for their armour and shields they would long have been riddled with holes after so many stings.


    While this ident was a great distraction, I didn''t want anything to snatch the prey I''d been stalking for so long, and so I quickly dispatched the creatures around me with several poison des, leaving the area quickly before more caught wind of my movements.


    My targets remained in an arc, their backs against the wall, but they were quickly getting overrun by the creatures. One was even knocked down by the creatures, allowing an opening in their shield wall before the elf girl was dragged by the hem of her robe.


    In the tussle, she fell and was pulled by the creature, leading her to hang dangerously over the gaping chasm.


    Unluckily for her, the others were busy fighting off the creatures, and even the archer was busy with the many creatures he was keeping at bay by himself.


    This was exactly the opportunity I needed, and I swooped in to grab her just before she fell.


    However, Sylrin beat me to it.


    Surging ahead at a much faster speed, he opened fire at the creatures attacking the group, burning them to a crisp in a wave of sticky me. The mortals had to shield themselves to prevent the mes from scorching them as he swooped down, and in one fell swoop, he snatched the elf girl with his ws while the group reeling from a flurry of attacks.


    But this only made me angry at his carelessness.


    With most of the creatures around them burnt to death, it gave them an opportunity to shift their attention to Sylrin. Several precise arrows shot after his flying figure, one piercing his wing and on his leg where the elf was frantically struggling.


    The archer was determined not to let him get away and he shot out more and more arrows rapidly. Sylrin managed to dodge some, but more found their mark to varying degrees of lethalness.


    There were arrows on both of his legs, another in his wing, and one just barely grazed his heart to embed itself in his shoulder de.


    And to my shock and dismay, the silly lizard was more focused on not letting go of the elf instead of defending himself.


    I was beyond pissed and immediately diverted all the shadows acting as my concealment, condensing them into arge shadow de and aimed it at the ground at the group''s feet.


    In an instant, my shadow de sted through the rocks around the archer and soon the pathway copsed, dragging everyone down into the chasm below.

 Chapter 209 - The Valley Of Lost Souls II

    The air in the chasm felt thin and a terrible heat arose where purple mes dotted the chasm wall, their flickering light perfectly illuminating the rubble below where the hunting party fell.


    When I looked up, I saw Sylrin had made it through the wave of arrows and was heading for a wider alcove high up in the rock, where it would be easier to set down his captive. The elf in his grasp was no longer struggling, seemingly resigned to her fate after watching the group fall.


    The pathway had exploded under my attack, leading them to fall to theyer beneath their original position, and there was no telling if they were alive or dead.


    A shrill shriek echoed as one of the winged creatures rushed at me, its membranous wings alight from where the sticky me had hit. Even in its terrible state, it still attacked me, broken mandibles iling uselessly against my scales before I mercifully cut it down.


    It didn''t pay to be so exposed with them still around, so I generated more shadows to conceal myself, retreating from the mes into the darkness. And in an atmosphere that was now heavy with smoke, I waited for the dust to settle to see the damage I had done.


    Most of the creatures died right after Sylrin''s me st, but some had survived and were still rushing around, their ghoulish appearances in full view and in various stages of disrepair. I could see them clearly now, and it seemed they were no longer blind.


    In the light of fire, they converged on the burning pathway below which I saw many shields and swords sticking out of the rubble. Most of the hunting party was buried and I barely made out any individuals with all the creatures flying around, and the thought that they had all died made me regret my impulsive attack.


    Until a gloved hand pushed its way out from under the stones to stab one of the lingering creatures, killing it instantly, before the once pristine looking male elf got up.


    His garments werepletely dusty, he kept digging through the rubble until he uncovered more people. I saw the archer had survived, along with the four soldiers, and while I hadn''t aimed directly at them, it was disappointing to see the archer waspletely unscathed.


    They looked up at theyer above them where the creatures continued to swarm around the purple mes, taking care not to alert them as all of the group''s members stepped out of the rubble.


    And I observed their dishevelled states, a satisfied smirk on my face, right before I took off to find Sylrin.


    I suppose there was always next time.


    However, I wasn''t in the air long before I sensed more creatures heading their way.


    There were movements below the chasm, from more creatures that gave off no heat, and from their screeching calls, they seemed to be more of the same creatures from the dome.


    Cloaked in my shroud again, I felt safe to fly across the chasm knowing I would not be detected. They were likely drawn upwards by the mes, and I was confident the hunting party would properly take care of them, so none headed my way.


    Without waiting to see the end result, I flew above to the alcove to see Sylrin, only to stumble across a rather puzzling scene.


    As I approached, I witnessed Sylrin trip the elf with his winged arm before pressing her face down just as he bullied me in his cave. And so, as Inded beside the triumphant lizard, I made sure to smack him over the head.


    Why was he not knocking her out? Did he think she was a toy?


    And what was he doing ying around with all his injuries?


    While he had pulled out the arrows he could reach, there were still those stuck in his shoulder and back.


    However, the elf wasn''t going to remain down either.


    She was startled by the presence of a new creature and although she couldn''t see me, I glimpsed the fear in her eyes the moment she realised her chances of escaping alive diminished drastically.


    But when I looked down at her fingers ¨C there was no ring there.


    I looked all over her dark robes and there was no trace of a ring anywhere.


    Perhaps it was hidden under her clothes?


    I was wondering how to search her body without identally killing her, when Sylrin suddenly yelped.


    He raised his winged arm, letting go of the elf who instantly bolted towards the alcove''s edge, and I turned to Sylrin and saw the tendon of his w was sliced through and heavily bleeding.


    There was even an intricate hilt embedded there!


    What kind of elf carried a concealed weapon?


    I stopped to pull out the de, leaving Sylrin to heal himself before I chased after the rude elf.


    But there was really no need to chase her, because she had nowhere to run to.


    Her sprinting figure reached the edge of the alcove, where she stopped.


    With more than a thirty foot gap between the ridge of rock that was the alcove and the nextyer below, there was only a deadly drop awaiting her. And right before that was jagged rock that could skewer her to bits, before she even met solid ground if she jumped too wide.


    With the ground already being so unsteady, unless she wanted to jump off into the chasm below, she was better off staying put.


    The elf girl teetered worriedly on the edge, contemting her next move as she looked down.


    Further down below, her group was locked in a desperate battle against numerous winged creatures who sought to tear them limb from limb, and with her back turned to me, I wondered what calctions were running through her head.


    It didn''t matter anyway, because I could see she wasn''t going to jump, and so I surged ahead to drag her back.


    But suddenly, the elf girl turned around, her lips moving with what could only be a chant, and suddenly an insanely bright golden light shone out from behind her dusty figure.


    Shit.


    There was no way to avoid it and I was struck directly.


    I quickly stopped moving to prevent myself from falling off as I reached the alcove''s edge, as my vision was temporarily blinded.


    I was surprised, but it seemed to be a harmless light spell designed to stun, no more than a firework explosion on a particrly dark night, but to me who was caught unawares, it was like a fire forged from gold.


    The light was so intense it felt like my irises had been rubbed with sandpaper, and for several seconds I waspletely stunned by its effect. But aside from the burning sensation, there was no pain in my body much to my relief.


    I wondered if Sylrin had been stunned too.


    By the time my vision adjusted enough to see, the elf girl was already running across the wall below the alcove. And aside from a minor limp in her step, she was mostly unharmed and was getting away from me with each second.


    It seemed her risk had paid off and she safely made the jump.


    But why hadn''t the light faded yet?


    It had grown slightly smaller by condensing into a golden orb, but even at its current intensity, it was much brighter than Sylrin''s mes.


    I travelled along the alcove, trying to keep pace with her running figure while I fired shots of poison des to stop her movements. But when the first winged creature rushed up from below to attack me, I knew the light was part of her attack.


    It wasn''t fading away and it seemed to be getting brighter the more time passed.


    Soon the flying creatures from below that had been fighting against the hunting party were now drawn towards the alcove above, and worse, there were several different creatures from before wing their way up from below the chasm.


    I heard chilling screams in the distance, and another winged creature swooped down to attack me, while the golden orb glowed even brighter.


    I stopped targeting the elf and focused on killing it before more followed, but the main problem was the light. I extended my shadows to try and smother it, but the intensity it gave off, diffused my shadows faster than I could generate them.


    The elf was steadily getting away and I didn''t know how to defuse the bomb she had left behind.


    I fired several more shots after her escaping figure, but they only collided with the rocky wall as she kept moving, and my aim was off for some reason.


    Although there was no pain in my body, I noticed my body began to feel strangely sluggish like there was a strain on my magic.


    What the heck was that spell, was it really just light?


    But when I checked my stats, I was stunned.


    --------------


    Name: Aurelia [LV23 Small Cerastes]


    Specie: Cerastes Vipera


    HP: 275/536    Defence: 298


    MP: 237/480    Intellect: 330


    SP: 320/574     Magic: 438


    Attack: 624     Agility: 466


    --------------


    Why was my HP so low?

 Chapter 210 - The Valley Of Lost Souls III

    Was it some sort of light spell?


    I looked back at Sylrin and my eyes were once again burned by the orb''s shining intensity.It had grown twice as bright and I noticed my HP, which was 275 just a moment ago, now dropped to 270.


    No way! It still wasn''t over?


    With every attack there was always some sort of stimulus or indication of being hurt, but this spell was equivalent to a silent death.


    In this case, however, it wasn''t the spell because I felt the distinct pinch of a bite. Reeling around, arge spider was thrown off my back, its rancid mouth slobbering with green acid as it dissolved the bite of my flesh.


    My eyes went wide at the sudden screech of the creature as it lunged forward, numerous sharp legs ttering over the stone ground.


    Across from the creature, Sylrin was battling another monster that seemingly appeared out of nowhere. It had a serpent-like body covered in a bony exoskeleton riddled with spikes as itsrge body dexterously moved around the tform on the numerous bony appendages that were its legs.


    I let Sylrin deal with that and shot a poison de directly at the approaching spider, slicing its slobbering mouth in half.


    Other than these two creatures that had scampered up the chasm wall, there were several of those winged creatures also attacking us. I realized I had to destroy the orb first before things got more out of hand.


    "How do I turn it off?!" I screamed at Sensei.


    But before I could hear his answer, something leapt on me, and my vision was filled with the horrible maw of the spider creature that was missing half of its face. Even though its jaw hung loosely from its head, it was still attempting to eat me, and my scales prickled wherever its slobbering acid hit.


    And then, I heard a loud roar, followed by a sh of light, as a pir of purple me shot out of Sylrin, aimed at the winged creatures picking at his wounds.


    They were all showered in fire, alongside the bone serpent he was locked in battle with.


    Shit.


    These creatures were drawn towards light ¨C and his mes were making us a brighter target.


    I shoved the spider creature attempting to eat me off the alcove''s edge, while the winged monsters were all roasted and melted. However, the bony serpent was fast enough to outrun most of Sylrin''s poison me.


    It tried to shook off the sticky mes on its body, and when it didn''t work, it simply ignored the purple mes rising from its segmented exoskeleton. It didn''t scream out or react but instead mbered towards Sylrin with enormous speed to attack him again.


    What were these creatures?


    When I looked down, the spider that should''ve been dead was climbing over the chasm wall, multiple murky eyes ring at me with hate, its screech no more than a wet gurgle as it rushed to attack me.


    The winged creatures had died, but these ones were far more resilient, and moved persistently through their injuries like nothing mattered except eating. Did I have topletely destroy its body like the creatures reduced to ash, for it to die?


    I stopped targeting obvious weak points and sliced off its numerous legs to stop it from moving. When it was no more than an abdomen, I cleaved its body repeatedly until it was no more than a pile of acid.


    And finally the gurgling noises stopped.


    Its inability to showcase anything but hunger gave me chills, but even with one dead, I knew the attacks would not stop until I eliminated the cause.


    Sylrin was still fighting the bone serpent and even now, theyered walls had turned ck, where numerous creatures were climbing up from below the chasm to attack us and all the while, my stamina felt drained.


    It was all the result of the elf''s spell, and I furiously scanned the rocks to locate her.


    I spotted her below as she attempted to climb over a rock that had fallen after my barrage of poison attacks, and I instantly fired another shadow de as she climbed on top of the rock, refusing to let her get away.


    The rock shattered, and she was knocked away by the force of the blow, but as she tumbled down the edge, she managed to grab hold of a jagged rock, stopping herself from falling down into the monster ridden chasm.


    And as she hung over the edge, her face brightened when she glimpsed the members of her team fighting below. She''d been running so far and finally she''d found them. And so, instead of climbing up, the elf began scaling down the wall to join her group.


    They were all still under attack, but most of the winged creatures were being lured towards the shiny light above the chasm that promised more prey, and like a dark mass, the migrating surge was endless.


    As more of the creatures targeted us, their repeated attacks impacted my already low HP in small points, but the culminating damage kept increasing. There were too many to fight off and I made up my mind to fly away from the valley.


    If I could get clear of the ck mist, I was sure none of the creatures would follow, but I couldn''t leave Sylrin who was busily fighting the bone serpent.


    I decided to help him kill the bone serpent before escaping together, but not long after I began to aid him, several winged creatures came over the edge and I was forced to focus my attacks on them.


    Like the spider before them, these creatures were endlessly ravenous and if I left them alone, their numerous bites would culminate to a fatal blow.


    The elf had almost reached her group and seeing this, I was enraged.


    I wondered how to disable the light spell but I couldn''t find a solution with any of my numerable skills and store items avable to me.


    With no other choice, I decided she had to die.


    No ring or journal or quest was worth mine and Sylrin''s life.


    I gathered what limited shadows I could scrounge and carefully condensed it to a de of pure destructive energy and threw it at the elf who was climbing over a pile of rocks.


    However, the elf seemed to have sensed the iing attack , and just as the de was about to tear through her, she let go of the rocks letting herself fall to the chasm below.


    The dark de sliced the wall instead, creating andslide that followed after her.


    And soon, her body disappeared under a pile of rocks, as the debris continued rolling down the chasm, even dragging several monsters with it.


    I watched anxiously for a few seconds and after a few more seconds, the golden orb hovering around me started to flicker and finally disappeared.


    And like a switch had been thrown, the entire chasm was plunged into darkness once more.


    I was relieved to see the golden orb die as darkness was more familiar to me, and it was where I thrived best.


    With this small victory I didn''t regain any of my lost magic, but I was able to spread out my shadows once more, and I slithered over to the creature covered in rigid bone, determined to help Sylrin kill it quickly.


    From what I could see, although they were simr in strength and size, Sylrin was wounded and the bony spikes across the creature''s exoskeleton only made it harder to attack because they kept piercing Sylrin, causing more wounds.


    That was why he resorted to fire which would let him attack it from a distance. However, due to the creature''s unique constitution and its inability to feel its burns, that wasn''t working as well as it should.


    I wasn''t sure why the creatures here acted like this, but I''d already confirmed they could be killed.


    They just had to be badly incapacitated first, so I cut through its rigid body from a distance, reducing it to separate pieces, without Sylrin having to hurt himself. But although its body was in pieces, its individual parts still moved.


    Ugh. Gross.


    I didn''t want to see such a sight, and Sylrin who was more annoyed than disgusted, pushed the remains off the alcove''s edge.


    However, when he saw the elf buried under rubble on theyer below, he red at me with a low growl, upset with what I had done. His eyes seemed toin, like I had been too harsh.


    Didn''t he see what she had done?


    I was relieved to get rid of the golden light and ignored him.


    The elf wasn''t going to die so easily anyway, and my only regret was that I had missed. If she wasn''t already dead and I could do it again, I wouldn''t miss her next time.


    I shook off the feeling of annoyance.


    The light was gone, so we should be safe now, right?


    Wrong.


    I heard a low noiseing closer and followed it to see a distorted creature slowly climbing over the alcove''s edge.


    It had several orb-like dark eyes, set on a bodyposed of multiple different limbs of different lengths.


    It didn''t look like any creature I''d ever seen, and as it looked at me, its body shifted its shape, before taking the form of a snake identical to myself.


    Albeit one that was distorted with several different eyes, and a thoroughly disgusting limbed body.


    The creature hissed, rearing its numerous fangs, before rushing at me.


    And it was not alone, behind it were two more hideous creatures who went after the injured Sylrin.


    It appeared I was a little toote.


    The monsters had already reached our alcove before the light went out.

 Chapter 211 - Trapped In A Net

    A shapeshifter?


    There was no time to react, and before I could think, the replica was upon me with its fangs outstretched and aiming at my neck with astonishing ferocity.


    Never did I dream I would be fighting a creature like this, and by the time I got over my shock and leapt out of the way, I couldn''t fully evade its attack.


    The scales of my underbelly suddenly revealed several gashes where its stingers had touched.


    And its continuous strikes weren''t giving me any room to breathe. Much like me, the replica was simrly dextrous.


    Unperturbed by its speed, it already had enough control to stop its advance in time, flexibly manoeuvring around to counterattack from my blind spot.


    Yet, it wasn''t as fast as me.


    I twisted away from it, staying far back to size up the hissing creature.


    Not including the creature''s many eyes and limbs, it had replicated every spike on my scales, my wings, all four horns and even my metallic sheen.


    It moved its body in a sidewinding motion and curled itself to appear twice asrge, and its arched tail made an ominous rattle as it prepared to strike.


    How interesting ¨C it even had that sound effect.


    This just kept getting better and better.


    It seemed to have copied every one of my features down to the littlest details, and I was excited because this fight could actually be fun.


    Overhead I heard the sounds of battle followed by bright shes of light as Sylrin faced off against two monsters at once. A ferocious creature on four legs with a huge head that resembled a hound and an armoured crustacean.


    I was worried about him, but when I saw the crustacean sail through the air after being knocked away, and the aggressive hound get sted at close range by his purple me, my concerns wereid to rest.


    Sylrin was doing fine so I focused on my own monster, somewhat intrigued by the idea of fighting myself.


    After giving it the run around, the replica''s speed had not improved, so I let ite, watching it barrel its way across the stone ground to strike me. But just when it came close enough to smell its foul breath, I increased my own speed to taunt it.


    Soon its speed was barely a fraction of what it was before. But instead of attacking it, I threw myself off the alcove''s edge.


    I didn''t need much of a strategy, because it had already dug its own grave.


    How good could a copy be against the original?


    I floated through the dark mist and the creature followed in pursuit, its wings pping unevenly in the air to keep pace with me. It even did so for a while until its extra appendages screwed up its bnce and it began to drop. After being worn out on the ground, it couldn''t expect to fly again.


    I doubled back to strike it in the air and the creature who was so focused on pursuit couldn''t think of a means to protect itself. Its reaction was too slow and by the time it raised its spikes, but my fangs already found their way to its neck.


    My bite force was enough for cracks to start spreading across its scales.


    The creature hissed in anger, twisting around to strike but its wings and scales already collided with the chasm wall where I pushed it, and it scraped along its side in a long line of bloody flesh.


    Several of its limbs were scraped off by the harsh stone and it let out an enraged hiss as my poison flowed through its body.


    The creature tried to resist by twisting around to try and constrict me, but I didn''t care much about it.


    When it reared its fangs earlier I noticed its bite was dry. Without any real ability or poison ¨C the most it could do was copy my physical appearance.


    With my poison bite already inflicted, I happily let it go, watching its figure drop below the chasm in a spiralling freefall. Then I turned around to return to the alcove, only to see the situation had turned around.


    During my short absence, more creatures had crawled up from below, and although Sylrin was fighting well, hisck of seriousness had pushed him into a disadvantage.


    He''d spent too much time bullying his opponents and in that time more creatures had reached the alcove from below.


    The initial two opponents were badly wounded, but still present and in addition to the countless others that joinedter, he was quickly getting swarmed by a teeming hordeposed of both flying and crawling creatures that attacked him in a frenzy.


    The sheer amount of the creatures surprised me, and I quickly rushed down to assist him.


    However in my periphery, I noticed an odd shape rushing towards me.


    I veered around to evade and saw the battered body of the shapeshifter that was attempting to knock me out of the air. Most of its skin was gone and there was wet glistening muscle where scales should have been, and the flesh in its left wing scraped to tatters to expose bones and ligaments.


    It was badly battered and could barely remain afloat in the air and kept tethering unevenly.


    Yet it refused to let me go and kept trying to attack me.


    Since it refused to perish, I tackled it to the alcove while concealed in shadows, forcing it to fall in the midst of the ravenous beasts. With it bleeding so heavily, it was soon torn to shreds by the other creatures, and I glimpsed the moment its body regained its original form, before that too was instantly destroyed.


    It was a shame.


    I would have liked to keep its body, but the distraction of a bleeding corpse was enough to take the attention from Sylrin, and I spotted him not far away,pletely surrounded and heavily battered.


    He''d been fighting constantly since we got here, and while he had [Regeneration], the constant stress from attacks had affected his strength.


    These creatures were really getting on my nerves!


    I rushed towards him when a winged bird creature with hooked talons jumped on me from nowhere and when I looked up, three ferocious looking monsters were blocking my way.


    What the heck? I was fully cloaked right now.


    Or so I thought.


    When I looked at my body, the shadows surrounding me had shrivelled to no more than a thin mist. I was running out of magic at a time like this.


    The creatures all attacked me, but while they were not strong individually, theirbined efforts made it so that I was unable to get to Sylrin. Whenever I tried to fly, the winged creature would attack from the air, wing me to the ground where the other three were waiting.


    At first I thought they were simply attracted to the light¡­but were they actually working together?


    They shouldn''t have been this coordinated.


    Their typical goal should have been to eat us, but after suffering wave after wave of attacks from the three coordinating monsters, I became convinced their main focus was to keep me and Sylrin separated. Just like that shapeshifter earlier.


    But to what end?


    There was nothing to motivate this group of monsters to work together, even if they killed us both there wasn''t enough meat to go around. It didn''t make sense to trap us like this.


    I''d already poisoned the three monsters, but they showed no sign of slowing down and when I looked up, the bird monster was waiting to swoop down in case I flew. Just trying to get to Sylrin left me covered in scrapes before I realised.


    Nothing else mattered anymore. We were better off getting out of the valley because something didn''t feel right.


    My magic was low but after firing several shots of poison des in a row that killed several creatures on the ground, it seemed much of it had recovered. The problem only urred when it came to creating shadows.


    I tried to use its cloaking abilities to get to Sylrin, but what formed was a thin ck mist that was mostly ineffective in hiding me, rather than the usual dense shadows.


    It was like they refused to obey me, and when they formed properly, I only needed to fight a monster for most of it to fade away.


    The creatures here were seemingly immune. They trod through my shadows easily like they had no real senses andpletely relied on instinct.


    Now that I looked closely, most of them were badly burnt, their bodies incredibly difficult to look at. Some were missing their eyes; others had severed limbs and plenty of missing flesh. Rightfully they should not have been moving, yet they were, and in a mad frenzy no less.


    The only thing these creatures had inmon was the ferocity at which they attacked, with no regard for their health or limb, and only a will to eat. I was sure that even if my shadows were working, there would be no senses left to obscure.


    Where was the need for them when they were totally immune to feeling or pain?


    The only way this would end was if they were totally destroyed, and so I hissed out amand to Sylrin over the noise, hoping he would hear me.


    I instructed him to stop holding back and simply burn them all to ash.

 Chapter 212 - Riddles

    After telling Sylrin to go all out, I started looking for a way to shield myself.


    But Sensei interjected with a different opinion.


    ?Telling him to burn them will only make it worse. They detest light but at the same time, the power within it is the very thing they crave. They only attacked you to obtain it in the best way they know.?


    Why was he speaking in riddles? None of what he said made any sense.


    What sort of power were they trying to obtain by eating me and Sylrin?


    "How are we supposed to get out of here when the surge of creatures is endless?!" I shot back at him. I couldn''t tell Sylrin to stop now without an alternative or we would never escape from here.


    And so, on the slim chance that he heard mymand, I rushed into the air, grabbing the flying monster waiting in ambush, along with several other dead creatures on the ground, before huddling under them in a protective coil.


    The winged monster wed at me with its talons, but I didn''t have to restrain it for long.


    A bright light swept out in the middle of the horde, as a pir of purple me blossomed into a searing hot wave. It washed over the alcove, alighting every creature in the vicinity, and there was an intense scramble as the creatures tried to flee.


    Under my makeshift shield, I felt the intense heat, but it was bearable when the creatures around me bore the brunt of it. The winged creature eventually wed its way out, but even it could not escape its fate of being burnt to crisp, so I doubted any of the fleeing creatures managed to get away.


    The me bombardment took a long time, and I was thankful for the time spent in Sylrin''s cave that allowed me to withstand heat, even if it was through the use of some shields. Eventually the mes stopped, and I came out to a sea of charred remains.


    Most of the creatures had been struck dead, and those that hadn''t were severely burned and in near death.


    There was a rotten stench in the air, unlike that of burnt flesh and I searched around for Sylrin and found him in the middle of the burning corpses.


    He was the only one left standing in the midst of the terrible scene and I rushed to examine him, as he was teetering. He had several w marks on his tough skin where he''d been repeatedly wounded, and although some had closed, those that remained were not regenerating.


    Sylrin was breathing hard and somewhat delirious, and the moment he saw me, he copsed into a pile. I was extremely worried but I couldn''t allow him to pass out.


    We had to get out of here before more creatures were attracted to the burning mes. I nudged him awake, feeding him several [Healing Potion] until I saw some of his wounds closing.


    But in such a tense situation I felt it was taking too long.


    The problem was one of Sylrin''s wings.


    Preventing him from flying seemed to have been the focus of the creatures, because both of his wings had been repeatedly attacked, and one of them had a long gash that wasn''t closing quickly enough.


    ?Most of his magic was spent on thatst attack.? Sensei informed me. ?It will take a long time before he can gather enough to heal that wing.?


    But we didn''t have any time, and I was sure this wouldn''t be the end of it.


    The creature''s abnormal focus on Sylrin made me uneasy, and somewhat paranoid at the thought of their return.


    So when I heard a sudden noise, I struck out wildly at the first thing I saw moving.


    It was a winged monster at the edge of the alcove and my poison de sliced through it before it could make a move.


    I rushed over to it, and noticed some of the burnt creatures further away had survived death and were still twitching even with the most severe burns.


    Those that were still alive were sliced repeatedly until they couldn''t move.


    Their coordination and unusual constitution had put us at a disadvantage. If any escaped and returned with more, Sylrin and I would be too exhausted to deal with them.


    After stopping several, I looked over more of the corpses near the edge for any movement, and also scanned below the chasm for any others that could be lurking.


    I found nothing, but I had a naggy feeling of being observed and noticed a spot of unusually thick shadows several feet below. It was almost like the shadowy outline of a creature standing perfectly still, staring right back at me from the ominous darkness.


    I was startled by the mere thought, however the shadow soon appeared to be normal like there was never anything there.


    It was only for a moment, but it made me panic.


    Was I mistaken? Was it just the stress and paranoia?


    In this strange ce within the dark mist, it was hard to tell, but one thing was for sure - we couldn''t linger around anymore.


    Sylrin would have to bear with his injuries and fly until we got out of the chasm.


    His wings were still damaged but after ingesting several healing potions, they were functional enough to lift himself into the air and we cautiously made our way to find the exit.


    It was difficult for Sylrin to fly, but we managed to get past the rubble where the elf had copsed.


    In the midst of this, I noticed the hunting party was gone, the area where they had fought was littered with minced corpses, but without any sign of the mortals.


    I thought they were either dead or had escaped in the chaos.


    I was concerned with their disappearance, as I would have preferred to know where they were to make sure they weren''t a further threat.


    And so, I checked my stats to see how much HP I had recovered, and what options I had.


    --------------


    Name: Aurelia [LV23 Small Cerastes]


    Specie: Cerastes Vipera


    HP: 330/536    Defence: 298


    MP: 189/480    Intellect: 330


    SP: 250/574    Magic: 438


    Attack: 624     Agility: 466


    --------------


    On the alcove, it had been difficult to create more shadows and I wondered if this was because I had expended too much MP after creating so many dark des in a row.


    But aside from that, I was happy to see my health was recovering after the elf''s attack.


    It was impossible to fly to the top without any form of stealth, so I tested out my [Shadow Shroud] once more to see if I could cloak Sylrin.


    And to my surprise, it formed properly, the shadows dense and plentiful unlike before.


    We were almost at the top of the chasm, and I thought it was very odd. I had even less magic than before, so what was different?


    We were nearing the area where the domed building had copsed, and I nced back at Sylrin through the dark mist to see how he was faring.


    His flight was not very smooth, and he kept dipping up and down as if it took all of his focus just to stay in the air.


    I kept pace with him so he wouldn''t fall too far behind and made a mental note to give him another [Healing Potion] as soon as we got out of here.


    We flew past a corner lined with jagged rocks when I felt an unusual draught sweep past me from below. I stopped in the air and looked back at Sylrin who was catching up, only to see the shadow of arge wingspan gliding in the air below him.


    It wasrger than me and simr size to Sylrin, but it was shaped like a snake, its slender body rippling through the air below the sharp ws of its leathery wings.


    I saw a line of spikes along its back, growing from the two points along its streamlined head that was shaped like a dragon.


    It didn''t seem like it had noticed us, and I fervently hoped Sylrin will remain silent until it passed.


    But suddenly something fast rushed by, followed by Sylrin''s roar as he was tackled out of the air.


    Another creature had appeared from behind the jagged rocks, undetectable and devoid of heat in the darkness. I only caught a glimpse of a serpentine winged form, before I lost track of Sylrin''s figure in the mist.


    Then the winged shadow below began to sink into the darkness until all trace of it vanished.


    There were two of them?!


    One had acted as the distraction and while we were focused on it, the other had taken Sylrin.


    I heard the creature''s roar, the sound like the rattling of dry bones, followed by a pained roar from Sylrin.


    Soon, I felt another draught and noticed somethingrge sweeping towards me.


    However, I did not give the second creature any chance to attack me and dove into the mist after Sylrin.

 Chapter 213 - The Nightmare

    Sylrin was already wounded, and I knew the fight wouldn''tst long, so I rushed towards the sound of shing.


    Two winged shadows twisted about in the air as both monsters fought for supremacy. The winged serpent was noticeably faster, and it spun circles around Sylrin who kept trying to keep up with its speed. He roared in pain when the creature swooped down to dig its ws into his back, and I grew incensed.


    Not far behind me was the second winged serpent who was pursuing me, but I was much faster, as my wings pped fiercely to increase the distance between us.


    Who cares that they were two of the creatures?


    If I let them take my lizard so easily, how could I hope to guarantee the safety of a pit full of creatures.


    The dark mist cleared away and I zeroed in on the two, just as the creature was attempting to lift Sylrin by the ws it dug into his wings. My vision turned red and before I knew it, there was a crackling, deeply unstable dark de sailing for the serpent''s back.


    It brutally cleaved through its chest, severing one of its wings and exposing a set of ribs. The dirty w it used to clutch Sylrin was also severed, and it was forced to let go.


    But none of that soothed my anger at all.


    As it iled around in the air, trying to fly with one wing, I lunged at it, biting, and wing everything that was intact until it had several wounds on its body.


    I opened up arge tear in its neck and while it fought to throw me off, I punched a hole in its other wing using my tail stinger.


    I was so focused on ripping it to shreds, I didn''t even notice we were both plummeting to the ground until I heard Sylrin''s roar and saw the second shadow rushing towards him from behind.


    Considering his wings were already hurt and it was a strain for him to stay afloat, I let go of the serpent to freefall as it smashed against the jagged rocks below. And then I quickly fired a dark de at the second serpent prowling Sylrin.


    The unstable de of dark energy sailed past Sylrin and headed straight for the creature''s chest but it managed to shift its position as the dark de exploded against its side instead.


    It tore through its chest and half of its lower body in a long strip that ripped off most of its skin and half of its wing.


    The creature could only screech angrily as it faded into the mist in a spiralling freefall.


    However, at the same time, Sylrin''s tattered wings couldn''t support him anymore and he plummeted unsteadily through the air.


    I sped down after him, urging him to keep flying as I tried to pull him up from one side and he was able to stop his descent. But when I looked at his back, I saw the winged serpent had left several w marks that severely damaged his wings.


    He was already injured from before and now this only worsened his situation.


    Although I tried to kill the creatures before he was harmed any further, I couldn''t even seed in that. I was angry at the creatures, but more at myself for not being strong enough to get us out of this mess.


    Perhaps, Sensei was right, and I had gotten too soft.


    In the end the creatures were gone, but we were out of options.


    Sylrin couldn''t fly out of the valley, until some of his wounds recovered, and we couldn''t stay here, with so many nefarious creatures all around trying to eat us.


    We have to find a ce to hide and heal ourselves.


    After flying around in the mist, searching for a hiding spot, I found a hollow enve between the chasm rocks that wasrge enough for Sylrin and I to fit through. The only problem was that it was nearly at the bottom of the chasm where so many creatures lurked.


    Sylrin could only fly for a short time, so I made a quick trip to look around for any creatures, as they could not be detected through normal means.


    Fortunately, the area was mostly rocks and other debris, so I went back and brought Sylrin to the hideout. But once inside, we didn''t make much progress. The extra damage has weakened him, even with potions Sylrin was recovering slowly, and I was worried about feeding him too much.


    But then Sensei spoke up.


    ?You have other options. Why are you only buying the [Healing Potion]??


    What other options?


    "The MP recovery works too slowly¡­" I was replying to him, but then it dawned on me.


    Surely he didn''t mean for me to feed him that other suspicious untested potion, ironically called ''Sensei''s Brew''.


    "You can''t be serious! This isn''t the time for such risks!"


    ?This is the best time for it.? Sensei replied. ?Its unknown effects might even help him, and you if you take one. Don''t forget you''re covered in injuries as well.?


    I felt myself twitch in irritation.


    Using this dire situation to extort XP from me. Who did he think he was fooling?


    If the [Healing Potion] didn''t work, how could I expect that one to work?


    Sensei grumbled at my grimace. ?Why don''t you stop being paranoid and trust me for once??


    But I didn''t have time to reconsider.


    There was a loud thump as something heavynded high on the rocks, followed by a loud screech that sounded like rattling bones. When I looked up, there were several flying monsters rushing past the opening like they were circling the area.


    And from the tiny rocks that fell through the opening, there was something else lurking not far away.


    Although nonended, I was sure they had followed the blood.


    I looked at Sylrin who was curled in a prone position, before feeding him one more [Healing Potion] as he needed more time to recover.


    I was amused that he was nonchnt enough to fall asleep in such a situation, and after a deep thought and with great reluctance, I purchased the suspicious brew that Sensei indicated.


    The potion was a rather pretty cyan colour, and unlike the others, it came in a ss bottle.


    Hmph. That didn''t make it any less trashy!


    Still, I set it beside him to use in case there was no other choice, before rushing out of the opening.


    Outside the enve, I sped away and once I was out in the opening, it didn''t take long for the creatures to spot me, and I was waiting for them so I could lead them away.


    However, I hadn''t bargained for one of the winged serpents being present.


    I heard the familiar screech and spotted the enraged creature poised on the rock wall, looking the very picture of fury with its wings outspread.


    Its serpent body was horribly injured, one of its wings was reduced to a framework of bones, while half of its chest and lower body was covered in loose, torn skin with several bones peeking through. It was the same one from before.


    It was forced to crawl on its hands across the rocks, due to the damage to its wings. I flew away from the rocks where it could not easily follow, and smirked at its ferocious screech. It, along with the smaller winged creatures rushed at me from below the chasm and I was met with a slew of obstructions.


    But I remained exposed, refusing to use my [Shadow Shroud] until I was sure everyone of the creatures wasing after me. And I seeded because there were so many smaller winged monsters chasing after me that it was difficult to see their forms.


    The wounded serpent was still crawling along the rocks, and it almost seemed to smirk as it looked at me.


    And before I could realize, I was knocked out of the air by something moving incredibly fast.


    When I twisted around to fight it off, I was surprised to see it was another of the winged serpents. And soon the injured one on the wall jumped down on us and I found myself battling against the two creatures as we stumbled down the chasm.


    I was furious.


    All I could see was jagged rocks rushing past as we fell, and the two serpents who were very much bigger than me, seemed only focused on tearing me apart. I tried to break our fall, but the sharp edges of the chasm were rushing up at me much faster than I could react.


    Every time I was about to hit one, I barely managed to twist around so one of the two serpents got the worst of the impact, but there were still those anxious few seconds when I wasn''t sure I would make it.


    I only managed to break free of the tangled mess of creatures when I fired a dark de at the wounded winged serpent, who was attacking me ferociously.


    I was able to spread my wings to break my fall at thest second, but mynding was incredibly rough and I stumbled over several rocks before steadying myself.


    But when I looked up, the two serpents were already rising up for the next round.


    And as if that wasn''t enough, the two were perfectly mobile, their worn out bodies poised to attack while I was aching in pain.


    What the hell kind of creatures were they?


    The winged serpent that was severely wounded was already rushing to attack me, and the second one simply followed behind it, its mouth drooling like it didn''t see me as anything but food.


    I was forced to dodge the first, and while my raised spikes stabbed the second as it swiped past, I was still knocked over by the force of impact, and I felt a dull pain when I tried to lift my wings.


    Up above, the jagged walls of the chasm were filled with winged monsters circling in the air, like vultures waiting for a meal. I focused on condensing a dark de to cleave an opening through them, and the unstable energy began to flicker as it took form.


    But then, the energy condensing the dark de dissipated and vanished, as I felt a sharp burning pain across my underbelly.


    I stared down to see a pool of blood forming below my curls and my eyes went wide with disbelief.


    There was a ck de sticking out of my body and a long brutal stab tore open my side to expose my ribs. And as it twisted in my gut, I felt a cold sensation overwhelming me before the ck de was pulled back from my body, spilling my blood everywhere.


    What¡­ was happening?


    Where... did this dee from?


    No¡­it wasn''t a de.


    The curved length looked more like a scythe, and the pitch ckposition reminded me of my own shadow.


    I looked back through blurred eyes, and glimpsed the shadow of a humanoid creature with the lower body of a horse, just as it was swallowed into the ground by its own shadow.

 Chapter 214 - A Beautiful Lie

    It was better if she didn''t return to the cave after what she had done. She was strong enough to survive on her own anyway ¨C was Morgana''s first thought as she blinked the haziness away from her eyes.


    But not even a momentter, she shook her head.


    Why should she be the one to leave, when she clearly had the upper hand?


    How glorious the blood looked against Typhon''s dusky scales, his vibrant eyes dull, as hey dying from a savage wound. She could still taste a hint of crimson on her tongue and the euphoric feeling of Opheliapletely crumbling at the sight of his lifeless body.


    Knowing she had killed him, sent a rush of blood through her veins, and Ophelia''s helpless reaction was so delicious, Morgana didn''t want it to end.


    Her fellow nestlings were no different from prey in her eyes, and she knew exactly what to bite to get the right reaction.


    For Ophelia it was Typhon, and for Typhon it was a cross between Ophelia and ''her''.


    What duplicitous serpents.


    To end both of their lives would be her crowning achievement, and she released her coil to silence Ophelia''s cry, only to find no one there.


    The rush of adrenalin left her system, and Morgana looked around in a daze, her surroundingspletely unfamiliar.


    This was not the cave, so where the hell was she?


    And where was Typhon''s body?


    Observing her surroundings, she realised she was in the underground den of some creature.


    The warm air clung to her scales, hanging thickly with the scent of blood and Morgana blinked in disbelief, realising the beautiful scene she saw earlier was nothing but a sham.


    A pleasant one, but a dream, nheless.


    Her tensed coils drooped in disappointment. The dream felt so real, and even now there was a lingering sense of pleasure from what she had experienced.


    But soon the memory faded, reced instead by annoyance, and a persistent hunger.


    Thest thing she remembered was storming out of the cave after Typhon denied her request to remove Arsinoe for the second time.


    Since her promotion, the cave had be suffocating with ''that'' idiotic snake showing off her fake authority at every opportunity, and Morgana was fed up with watching her.


    And so, she went out for a hunt to relieve her stress.


    That much she remembered, but not how she arrived here.


    Her surroundings were shabbypared to the cave, and she looked around, only to see a some creature lying in the dirt, in a pool of blood.


    That exined the smell, Morgana thought, and she eagerly slithered over to it.


    The creature was still alive and bleeding, its wound horribly necrosized by poison, and what''s more ¨C there were some cubs! She noticed broken shell fragments strewn about, and a number of hairy fur balls crowding around the creature, mewling pitifully.


    How convenient ¨C her mouth was watering from hunger right now.


    Morgana praised herself for having the foresight to leave the creature alive, because of this, its blood was still warm, unlike the food in the cave. She could already guess what had happened.


    She must have poisoned the creature when she was upset and followed it back to its cave to finish it off, and then she must''ve fallen unconscious here. As for the cubs, perhaps she didn''t notice them before.


    Not that it mattered, they looked too smallpared to the wounded creature, who was also not as big as she remembered. Eating all seven of them would hardly count as a meal now.


    Morgana sighed, and slithered over to begin.


    Too bad it wasn''t actually Typhon, but her body quivered with excitement at the thought of the many ways she could kill the creatures before her.


    So, when one of the cubs tried to stop her, she reacted instinctively, striking out with so much force that it was thrown towards the opposite end of the cave with an audible crunch.


    Hm? Did she kill it just like that?


    It was then that she noticed the winged appendages along the sides of her serpentine body and the sight made her reel in shock.


    She had grown a pair of wings, just like Ophelia.


    The discovery made her shiver with joy, so much so that she ignored the quivering creatures before her and pranced around to stare at herself. That''s when she began to notice her scales were now a different shade, her body was bigger and she felt stronger and faster than before.


    But she paused. Why did she only have a single pair of wings when Ophelia had several?


    The drastic difference put an instant damper on her mood.


    Why wasn''t it the same when they had simr skills?


    Morgana looked around the cave in dissatisfaction. There wasn''t much to see, so her disdain turned towards the monsters who quivered as they saw her approaching. None of the cubs tried to attack her, having realized the difference in strength and submitted to their helplessness.


    They were too small to keep her interested anyway, so she focused on the wounded mother, dangling one of the cubs in front of her.


    She looked forward to seeing what face the creature would make.


    Would it try to fight?


    Pull up its ruined body from the ground to rescue her cubs?


    Or would it remain curled up in a defeated state?


    Still chasing the rush of her dream, Morgana wished to recreate the beautiful scene in real life.


    However, as she watched the monster''s eyes, no emotion red from within, she only saw the reflection of her glowing yellow eyes.


    Hah.


    What was she expecting?


    Monsters had no need for such sentiments, and if not for the senseless drivel Typhon had been filling their heads up with, she would never think this way either.


    This monster was only a reflection of what she was supposed to be like, and she sighed ¨C If there was no reaction, it wasn''t much fun to torment it.


    And she threw the cub aside, only to see a flicker of something in the monster''s eyes.


    Panic.


    Morgana burst outughing.


    She could almost read the monster''s thoughts - It was hoping she would be sated after eating its young and leave, but when she threw the cub away, itsst hope vanished.


    Seeing this, Morgana smiled, her interest piqued once again.


    What a selfish creature. And so terribly afraid.


    Therefore, she set about eating it while it was still on itsst breath, the fear and agony in its eyes adding a euphoric vour to the meat.


    By the time she was done, the cave was unrecognisable.


    Due to her messy fighting style, everything was drenched in ichor, including thest cub.


    It was the only one that was still alive, while the others who had tried to prevent her from eating their mother, were all killed mercilessly.


    Morgana couldn''t help but remark how this waspletely opposite to Ophelia''s mindset who wouldn''t have killed those cubs.


    Not because she was any less cruel, but because she simply didn''t consider any monster worthy enough to show her regard.


    Perhaps this was why her evolution turned out different.


    But in Morgana''s eyes, Ophelia was much worse than herself ¨C at least she felt something for the monsters she killed.


    Due to this impartial persona, she wasn''t sure how Ophelia viewed her.


    Was she the same as other monsters, or was she something more, like Typhon.


    This uncertainty piqued Morgana''s interest more, so much that it was all she thought about, which eventually led her to befriending Ophelia.


    She didn''t care that her ability to make others do as she wished was something that could easily be turned on her, if anything it thrilled her, and in her eagerness to dig up all her secrets she ran towards the source.


    Like a game to see who would surpass the other ¨C if only Typhon would get out of the way.


    If he wasn''t around, Ophelia would be more open to sharing her thoughts!


    Morgana pouted ¨C she didn''t want to think dark thoughts.


    She was almost outside the cave when she heard a mewling noise. Turning around, she saw thest cub had gone over to nudge its fallen brethren and her eyes sparkled with interest.


    Did it learn nothing? How foolish.


    With a single sh, the cub crumbled beside the rest of its family, its head rolling a distance away. Morgana pped her wings and leapt into the air without a second look back, eager and excited to spread sore into the air.


    Seeing the cavee into view, she swooped down towards the entrance, careful tond away from all the traps. On her way in, her team member whom she had taken to calling ''Ana'' eximed as she saw her enter.


    [You''ve changed! Our Captain is really the best ¨C ]


    But Morgana paid her no mind, ignoring Ana whose eyes shimmered with happiness.


    The cave was bustling as usual. There were many tasks still yet to bepleted and she soon spotted Typhon on the other side. Ophelia was with him, and she gave her a cheery smile and an affirmative nod.


    There was no look of surprise, no questioning or even a slight pause, which was quite irritating.


    But Morgana did not take it to heart ¨C this was to be expected from her rival.


    The nestlings on the other hand, all went quiet with a mixture of surprise and envy ¨C even Ghad did a double take when he saw her.


    However, Morgana ignored everyone''s stares as she searched through the crowd for the one she was looking for.


    On finding Arsinoe, she fixed her with a superior gaze, showing her that even though she got some flimsy authority, she was still beneath her.


    Arsinoe felt thoroughly suppressed and trembled in anger, looking as if she was about to cry.


    And her reaction made Morgana thoroughly satisfied.

 Chapter 215 - Accusation

    Arsinoe, on the other hand, was bursting with anger and envy.


    Watching Morgana glide into the cave, all she could think was how the gap between them had widened once more.


    The nestlings around her all admired how impressive Morgana looked, remarking on the shape of her wings and the pale blue iridescence of her scales. It was simr to Ophelia''s, yet different.


    Where Ophelia had the soft, pure, kind of appearance, hers were razor sharp and full of edges. Each feather angr and shaped like a knife, their tips long and slender which made her wings appear wider than average. They were also much darker at the ends, like they had been dipped in blood, a sharp contrast to the rest of her pale colouring.


    Arsinoe zoned in on this tiny detail.


    It seemed she killed something right before she got here and didn''t even bother to wash off the blood.


    What a slob!


    However, the other nestlings didn''t seem to notice or care, as they continued to praise her.


    Hearing their words, Arsinoe''s frustrations kept rising, and her face turned ashen. She was envious because she felt this should have been her ¨C if only she wasn''t so busy with nning the cave''s defence, she could have gone out to hunt too!


    Now, she had fallen behind again and she felt this was deeply unfair.


    But then, a snake she had never spoken to, suddenly started talking to her.


    [Don''t show that kind of face to Morgana.] Ana urgently cautioned her. [It will only make her interested in you!]


    From her previous experience, she had learnt to make herself small and unnoticeable to avoid such attention. Morgana had already tried to kill her once, and since then she had stopped speaking her true thoughts and changed her entire persona to one of fawning and shameless ttery. This way Morgana had lost interest in tormenting her and left her alone.


    However Arsinoe, being simple minded, did not understand the nuance of subtlety. Even after Ana''s exnation, she continued toment on their differences in ability. Her skills were improving fast, but who knew Morgana would overtake her in a single bound, resetting her progress back to zero.


    Before she left, their leader had instructed them all to stay inside due to the threat of the scorpions and the apes, but Morgana listened to no one.


    Arsinoe knew she couldn''tin to Typhon for something trivial like this because he was busy, and she had promised to be on her best behaviour, plus he''s already seen her and said nothing.


    Ophelia was impartial to both of them, she liked everyone evenly and since Morgana was her right hand, their rtionship was surely deeper. Ghad was too nice to get involved and Cygnus was always running off elsewhere.


    The only one left was Artemis who she constantly vented to.


    But earlier when he was concocting ns with Apollo, he shooed her away forining too much.


    Arsinoe knew she was asking for trouble, but she was angry after the disdainful look Morgana had given her.


    It was up to her to prove her capability as a captain. If she continued to let Morgana act as she liked, the ambitious nestlings who praised her would soon follow suit ¨C she had to make Morgana obey one way or the other.


    And when Ana saw the scheming look in her eyes, she sighed and returned to minding her business.


    Arsinoe looked around for Morgana and spotted her with Ghad.


    The two were having a rather heated discussion behind a pir and this sparked her interest. If she wasn''t doing something suspicious, why the need to hide?


    Just then, Ophelia, who had been with Typhon, suddenly took off with speed and left the cave with Cygnus.


    [Where are they going?] A curious voice inside of her asked. [Are they going to meet with the horned snake and the fairy?]


    Before she could respond, Morgana''s loudugh interrupted her train of thought.


    They were still talking behind the pir and Arsinoe''s curiosity grew too great. She wanted to know what was being said, so she crept closer to eavesdrop on their conversation.


    [Where are they going?] The voice repeated and Arsinoe grimaced in annoyance.


    Why was it asking so many questions today?


    Normally this inquisitive voice was quiet, only speaking asionally tofort her when she felt frustrated, but since she became Captain, it had been demanding a lot of things.


    It seemed to be curious about their leader and all that she did. Even showing interest in her fellow captains, Typhon, and Ophelia in particr.


    At first she thought they were her own thoughts, but as time passed its voice had be more distinctive. It even had an impatient personality.


    [They''re just going scouting.] Arsinoe hurriedly replied. [They don''t know where ''she'' went either.]


    The voice went quiet after it deemed her response satisfactory, and atst she could focus on Morgana.


    Arsinoe crept towards the pir where she overheard Morgana''s quiet conversation with Ghad. She seemed to be bragging about something, and Ghad nodded along with her, apuding her for her smart decision and her viciousness.


    She had no idea what they were talking about, but she didn''t like it.


    Why should Morgana receivepliments from him ¨C wasn''t Ghad only obsessed with being their leader''s pet?


    What was so special about her?


    If it was about evolving, she could do it too.


    Unfortunately, the rest of their conversation was cut off when a nestling approached the pair, causing the wary Morgana to leave towards the cave''s lower level.


    Arsinoe thought she was hiding something, or at least nning to do something with Ghad ¨C why else would she leave so quickly? She decided not to linger anymore and followed after her, determined to figure out what they were nning.


    But no sooner had she turned around, did shee face to face with Hestia.


    The water snake directly barred her way before she could take off. Wherever she turned, the cold sensation of a water whipshed out at her.


    Soon, Hestia stopped blocking her way and Arsinoe already knew she had been caught.


    [Was it so interesting that you had to listen secretly?] Ghad''s amused voice wafted over. [Why not ask to be included, instead of skulking around like a thief?]


    Ignoring the obvious dig at her character, Arsinoe confidently faced him.


    [So what if I listened? It''s part of my role as Captain, are you saying you don''t want to follow ''her'' instructions?]


    To Ghad who was desperately trying to be someone their leader could rely on, this was a very harsh blow. His calm mask slipped, and he snapped immediately.


    [You think you can do anything you want just because she acknowledged you? Doing hurtful things to others is okay as long as you don''t face any consequences? Is that why you hurt Lyra? This is not the sort of captain ''she'' needs!]


    Arsinoe was taken aback by his sudden anger, and at the mention of Lyra whom she hadn''t seen in a while. She was only speaking truthfully, but his reaction was a bit extreme.


    She was about to challenge him, but she stopped as she saw Lyrae out of a room with Europa in tow. Their eyes locked and Lyra froze in terror, causing Europa who was beside her to show a fearsome expression.


    Arsinoe was dumbfounded. Why was Lyra cowering like she''d just seen a vicious monster?


    She''d noticed Europa had been avoiding hertely, but since Lyra was rather soft and caring, she didn''t think she would say anything to him about their quarrel.


    But their reaction made it apparent she had told Europa and Ghad everything.


    And now both of them were looking at her like she was a monster, while Lyra hid behind them.


    Arsinoe had never been in this sort of situation, and she was confused on what to do.


    She looked at Lyra to exin so the situation would be resolved, but the sight of the cowering snake lingered in her mind, like an ufortable itch. Why was she acting so afraid?


    Europa, who shielded Lyra, saw her irritated look, and hissed. [Don''t look at her like that! Have youe to shout at her again?]


    Arsinoeughed. [What exactly did I do? We only exchanged a few words.]


    It had been a long time since Morgana left and Arsinoe was getting frantic that she had lost her. The sudden arrival of the twins was just an added bonus of irritation, and Ghad whose supportive words kept aggravating the situation wasn''t helping either. It was like he was deliberately wasting her time.


    Her mental voice also chose now to chime in to attack Lyra. [If she is so innocent, why did she tell Europa and her captain? One would have been enough. She clearly wants to ruin their opinion of you.]


    Arsinoe agreed and her hate towards Lyra doubled.


    However, Europa was her team member. She thought she should at least apologise to mend their rtionship.


    Yet, she could not hide her sneer at the coy way Lyra was acting.


    She was above them, why should she have to show them any regard?


    Lyra, the serpent who was now dirty in her eyes, was clearly ying tricks to make her look bad!


    Europa saw her sinister look and snapped. [Why apologise if you don''t even feel sorry?]


    Lyra, who had been hiding, quietly spoke up. [I-I ept her apology. I w-want us to be friends again.]


    But Europa was unconvinced. [Just stay away from her.] He snapped at Arsinoe. [I don''t want to see you near her again.]


    With that he stormed off with Lyra, leaving Arsinoe who had apologised to feel very foolish indeed.


    Her blood boiled as she red at the two retreating snakes.


    Why the hell did she apologise when she knew this would be their reaction?

 Chapter 216 - The Art Of Imprinting

    Ghad could barely hide his amusement. [You can''t force them to ept an apology if they don''t want to. They clearly don''t like you. You don''t have to like them either.]


    Arsinoe red at him, her irritation so high, a sinister hiss escaped her mouth.


    If this was his true stance, why did he bring those two along to throw dirt on her image?


    Ghad gave her a pleasant smile, a savage glint in his snake eyes. [Don''t worry, I''m sure they will forgive you in time.]


    Who cares about that?!


    But before she could put together any words, Ghad had already moved away with Hestia, humming pleasantly while she stared at their backs with rage.


    She had lost track of her original intent, which was stalking Morgana, and the anger in her heart felt like a solid mass.


    Arsinoe really wanted to rip this ''innocent'' captain to shreds.


    She had taken too long and now Morgana had probably finished whatever she intended to do, but Arsinoe raced down to the lower level, reluctant to let it go.


    The cave was filled with the activities of nestlings, so it was easy to slip away to the lower level.


    However, on entering, Arsinoe hesitated.


    She hadn''te here by herself in a while, and the memory of her dreadful experience still haunted her. The ominous chilly air rising from below made her deeply ufortable, the epassing sensation of heaviness felt like a great beast threatening to swallow her whole.


    Why anyone woulde here by choice was beyond her.


    But how could she stop now? Her desire to ruin Morgana''s ns was much greater than her own fear, and she gathered enough courage to enter.


    At this time, the underground tunnel was empty, as everyone was above to prepare for battle, aside from a few exceptions like Apollo who was allowed to stay there.


    The developments for the cave''s defence had much to do with the bottom feeders and she could see a system of tunnelworks already being built.


    She approached one of the raised gutters that acted as a barricade for the open tunnel and she could hear the sound of a thousand bugs squirming below.


    What lovely additions, she thought ¨C as if this ce wasn''t creepy enough!


    Peering over the edge, the sight was even more unpleasant. The rustling vibrations the creatures generated made her fangs chatter, and she had seen how quickly they could devour a corpse, which made her even more grateful the barricades were high. She didn''t know how Artemis and Apollo had seeded in attracting so many of them, but they thoroughly creeped her out.


    Then, she heard Morgana''s voice and she hid behind one of the barricades.


    [What do you think they are?] Morgana asked. [Don''t you wonder why they''re like that?]


    [I don''t know how to exin it.] The second voice sounded like Apollo, but she wasn''t sure. [They just appeared along the walls. Typhon told me not to go near them.]


    Apollo was always gloomy, and this voice sounded confident, the excitement it conveyed almost palpable.


    Fortunately, it seems the two were just talking and Arsinoe was relieved Morgana hadn''t left yet, as she still hoped to expose her!


    [It''s strange that he didn''t cut them off.] Morgana mused thoughtfully. [But I suppose they add something new to this dreary ce.]


    [No he didn''t¡­but he said to leave them alone until ''she''es back.] Apollo continued. [And yes! They add something new. Since they appeared, they have be much calmer. Artemis is very interested in getting them, but he was denied.]


    But what exactly were they talking about?


    Arsinoe heard Morgana chuckle. [Are you sure you''re not imagining it? Do you like these bugs that much?]


    Apolloughed, causing Arsinoe to frown. Since when were they so friendly?


    How could anyone be friends with such a heinous creature?


    Morgana must be trying to corrupt him in some way!


    She continued to listen, but much of their words were lost when they moved further away.


    To continue she would have to move where the cells were much deeper and spaced further apart, increasing her chances of being seen.


    Arsinoe wasn''t sure if her level of [Stealth] would protect her and she hesitated as her nervousness built, but when Morganaughed once more, her anger made her rush towards the cells without much thought.


    However, when she came out of hiding, she was met with something incredible.


    The dark walls of the spacious area were now lush with pink leaves spreading across the roof, where they seeped in from the ground above. Overarching branches scattered everywhere, their leaves cascading down in a luscious curtain above the cells, as well as crawling vines that spread everywhere like an explosive growth.


    What the hell happened here?


    The gloomy lower level had been transformed to something so beautiful that Arsinoe was stunned.


    But seeing all those tendrils made her want to retreat immediately. If they weren''t so still, she would have thought the entire cave was about to be overrun.


    However, Apollo''s words made her linger.


    [I watched over them for you. Some cracks have started to form.]


    Morgana hummed with interest at his words, and Arsinoe couldn''t believe it.


    Apollo spent most of his time down here and he must have been keeping tabs for her!


    Did she threaten him?


    [Good timing too.] Morgana replied. [Typhon needs you in the Pit.]


    What a lie! Typhon didn''t say anything, and if he did, she would know.


    Apollo was a little stunned by the sudden request and seemed reluctant to leave, but the hungry glow in Morgana''s eyes told him not to argue. It seemed Morgana didn''t want him present, and he quickly left before she turned on him.


    Arsinoe hid as Apollo went past, even more suspicious than before. She wanted to see what Morgana was doing, so she crept even closer. They were separated by several barricades, but she stayed far away - getting closer might reveal her.


    Morgana grew quiet, the flowery scenery of the underground illuminating the paleness of her scales in soft shades of pink, as she peered down at many cells at once.


    Arsinoe thought she seemedpletely lost in thought, until Morgana spoke again.


    [We can talk now that Apollo is gone. So why are you still hiding?]


    Arsinoe hesitated. Was she speaking to herself?


    Morgana had her back to her, and her [Stealth] was also active.


    [Did you think I wouldn''t notice one spot of cold when everything else is even?] Morgana tutted. [Stop sneaking around ande out.]


    Arsinoe wanted to cry. This was the second time she''d been found out!


    Her [Stealth] was already at LV9, how could it be that weak.


    Since thetter had already noticed her presence, Arsinoe had no choice but toe out.


    [You''re not supposed to be here. They aren''t yours anymore. If you do anything weird I will report you to Typhon.]


    But as soon as she spoke, Morgana started approaching her with a smothering killing intent that made her tremble.


    [You¡­stay away!] Arsinoe shouted.


    [So what if I no longer own them?] Morgana''s words were ugly, and what made it worse was that she was smiling at her like a friend. [That doesn''t stop me from checking how they are doing.]


    Arsinoe was disgusted with her nasty tone, but before she could realize, Morgana was already in front of her.


    In an instant, she lost her grip over the ground as she was struck by a terrible blow that sent her crashing through several stone barricades. By the time she was aware of what had happened, her body was suffering terrible aches and her vision was growing hazy.


    The forceful impact had left her to dangle dangerously over the broken barricade, and the bottom feeders below grew restless after sensing prey.


    She could not fall in!


    One wrong move and she would be their meal!


    Morgana''s sinister visage blurred in front of her, and Arsinoe could see her moving closer to finish the job, but her body was in too much pain to move.


    [You can''t kill me!] She cried out in panic.


    [Why not?] Morgana asked.


    [B-Because we''re on the same side?!]


    Morgana onlyughed and picked up speed.


    Arsinoe''s thoughts filled with panic - she should have known that wouldn''t work.


    But then, they both heard a cracking noise from the bottom of the cells, followed by a monstrous growl as something cracked open its shell.


    Morgana instantly turned around and rushed towards the cells in excitement, and for a brief moment Arsinoe felt like her neck had been saved. She was able to lift herself away from the writhing bottom feeders threatening to pull her down, and she felt lucky until she began to hear the sound of several more shells cracking.


    It sounded like all the eggs were breaking at once and soon the underground was filled with a wave of growling noises and shuffling sounds, as several things started mouring to get out from their cells.


    There were so many eggs here, and if all of them had cracked at once, their numbers alone would surely overwhelm the cave and Arsinoe watched on in horror as she tried to figure out how to run from there. But Morgana clearly didn''t care as she approached them without fear.


    Arsinoe cursed in anger. If she wanted to be eaten alive, she should have left her alone so she could run away!


    At this rate, she and Morgana were destined to die together.


    But contrary to her expectations, as Morgana reached the cells, she gave every hatched creature a baleful stare, her yellow eyes glimmering with pleasure.


    And suddenly the terrifying noises went quiet.


    From then on she moved across every cell, making sure to draw all of the creature''s attention to herself, without paying Arsinoe any mind.


    Arsinoe felt like she was witnessing the impossible.


    How was it that Morgana was not attacked among all those ferocious monsters, whereas her body felt like her bones had been crushed?


    How could she be so strong when she was so close to beating her before?


    [Shocked?] Morgana asked as if she could read her mind. [Don''t you ever wonder why you''re in this situation? Instead of challenging them, you follow blindly. Your abilities can only becking as a result.]


    [You never try to understand anything, which is why you''ll always be stupid.]


    Arsinoe twitched in annoyance.


    What was she trying to say?


    Wasn''t Morgana the one too concerned with pleasing herself than anyone, yet here she was trying to turn it around on her.


    Arsinoe didn''t know how she did it, but Morgana was able to get the creatures to calm down and if she didn''t run now, she felt her death would follow shortly after.


    But Morgana didn''t even bother to look at her, and sighed like she was addressing a bug. [I shouldn''t have expected much from you anyway, you clearly don''t see anything.]


    Arsinoe wasn''t sure what she meant, but she knew if she didn''t leave now, she would be killed for sure.


    So, while Morgana was upied, she rushed out to alert the others.

 Chapter 217 - Bloody Sarcophagus

    By the time Arsinoe returned with Typhon, it was already toote.


    When they came into the underground, they saw Morganaughing. This was especially hard for Arsinoe because it took all of her strength to bring Typhon back and now her injuries were more severe.


    But she should''ve remained here because it seemed her efforts were all for nothing. If she had stayed, she could have interrupted the process, because ording to Typhon, Morgana had done something to the hatchlings which meant they would only follow her in the future.


    Morgana saw her dumbfounded expression and turned to look at Typhon.


    [What can you do now?] Sheughed mockingly. [You should return to your ns, because you''re toote. They belong to me now.]


    Typhon took a look at the spacious underground and the copsed stone barricades. Without speaking or acknowledging any of Morgana''s words, he immediately started to attack.


    Morgana barely managed to slip through the rocky boulder that shot across the space, as it imploded with a loud crash not far from where she once stood.


    Perhaps, she didn''t think he would attack her so openly, because Arsinoe noticed there was a slight dy before she reacted.


    Morgana gave Typhon an incredulous look, but he was nowhere to be found.


    In the cloud of dust and debris, a harsh tremor spread over the ground, causing everything around her to break down. Several cells were reduced to rubble and Morgana was knocked off her position, and slipped down below before she could figure out what was going on.


    As she was still reeling from her fall, cracks began to form on the ceiling above her and soon, a chunk of it copsed onto Morgana, striking her with their full force. And buried several feet below the ground, Morgana''s body ached severely.


    Fortunately, her new form was much more resilient. She quickly cast aside the heavy rubble over her and looked up to glimpse arge shape hurling down at her with unfathomable speed.


    She scrambled away from the boulder right before she was crushed, but the ground around her copsed and sent her sailing through several destroyed cells.


    Morgana coughed with all the raised dust.


    [Are you trying to kill me?!] she screamed at Typhon who said nothing.


    Was he trying to bury her alive?


    Her outburst was short-lived, however, as the pitfall she had fallen into suddenly exploded in a series of deadly spikes.


    She couldn''t avoid them in time and they pierced through her body and wings, much to her dismay.


    She was pushed against a wall, and in the next moment, a hole opened up in the ground revealing ravenous waves of bottom feeders spreading out to target her as prey.


    It was then that Morgana knew Typhon had lost it.


    He was really trying to kill her!


    She was forced to break through the spikes trapping her to escape and took off into the air away from the bottom feeders, before rushing at Typhon''s figure in anger.


    As the serpents collided, the ensuing havoc left several cells broken and the entire underground space became unrecognisable.


    Morgana was able to keep up with him, evenly trading blows and her attacks were slowly bing even more fierce as she gained more experience, while using her aerial capabilities to her advantage.


    Typhon, on the other hand, was using his magic skilfully to his advantage.


    And no matter how well Morgana fought, without the proper grasp of her abilities, she was quickly pushed into a corner.


    A disoriented and confused Morgana stared at the spacious underground that was suddenly too small. Everything was shifting around her faster than she could adapt, as Typhon predicted her moves and countered them perfectly.


    Typhon raised stone walls to hinder her movements and seal off her escape points, even crushing her on one asion when one of the walls met up with the spikes he created along the ceiling.


    Morgana was trying to escape his attacks but couldn''t react quickly enough, and even though she expertly weaved through some, she was struck down by something else every time.


    They were underground and this waspletely Typhon''s domain. If she was going to win, she couldn''t do it here, so she frantically stared at the underground exit, mapping out all the possible ways to get out of there.


    But as time went on, the exit was like a trap making her moves even more predictable.


    Typhon knew where she was headed every time and he purposely left the path wide open only to turn around and keep her on the short end of a desperate escape. Soon Morgana found herself battered and at the mercy of his cruel tactics.


    In the end, she was too exhausted to fly, and after getting knocked down so many times, she was covered in bruises and several of her ribs were broken. She looked at Typhon in anger, and then at the cells containing the creatures that were peering around curiously.


    His attacks, although destructive, hadn''t touched any of them and the underground waspletely devoid of wreckage in that area.


    Morgana was frustrated that he could still deal with her while being so careful, and she cursed her bad luck.


    However, seeing them still alive gave her hope that maybe he won''t kill her?


    After all, if he did, who would control those monsters?


    [What are you trying to do here?] She started to approach him. [It''s clear you don''t want to kill me.]


    Typhon remained silent and only stared at her with a mix of rage and disappointment.


    [I can help with raising them.] She pleaded. [They are still weak right now ¨C it shouldn''t matter who they follow, we can still fix what I''ve done. If we train them properly, they will be our greatest force. Think about it.]


    Typhon stared nkly at her as he considered his options.


    She wasn''t entirely wrong, as some of the damage could be fixed with few corrections, since it was still early.


    But Morgana was waiting for that exact pause in his attacks and swiftly made a break for the exit.


    But s, that turned out to be the wrong move.


    Typhon lost all of his patience and crossed the gap in an instant and pulled her back before she could reach the exit, targeting her wings as he twisted behind her and constricted her in a chain-like grasp.


    Morgana felt herself unable to move and she even felt something crack right before her head was pierced by a pair of fangs.


    What was he trying to do?


    While she knew their venom was harmless, she still panicked.


    However, before she could speak, her face was pressed against one of the tunnel barricades and her vision was filled with numerous, squirming bottom feeders.


    [Let me go right now! You - ahh!] With her head held over the tunnel, her eyes went wide with panic, and she could only scream.


    At that moment Morgana could see Typhon truly wanted to kill her.


    Yet she wasn''t dead, which meant he was holding back.


    So, she tried to appeal to his weakness and good nature.


    [Do you think she''ll be happy toe back and see you''ve killed one of us? You won''t get away with it!]


    [She''ll understand once I exin to her.] Was all he said and Morgana hissed in rage because she knew that may very well be the case.


    In the grand order of their cave Typhon was favoured way above her, as ''she'' even left him and Ophelia in charge.


    And thinking about the caring, sweet Ophelia...


    [What would Ophelia think when she learns you killed her friend? Is this the kind of thing you want to show her?]


    At the mention of her name, not only did Typhon hiss ¨C he also dunked her head further into the tunnel and Morgana screamed as the bottom feeders feasted on her flesh.


    Arsinoe, who was watching from the exit, was horror stricken as the tunnel echoed with Morgana''s screams.


    Hearing Morgana suffer should''ve made her happy, but somehow it only made her more terrified of Typhon.


    She was so stunned she didn''t even notice Ghad hade down and stood beside her.


    Eventually, the screaming died down as Typhon pulled her out, but she was in such a bad state that she could not even speak and only red at Typhon.


    Typhon saw the anger and hatred within her eyes, and threw her aside in contempt.


    Morgana was right that he couldn''t kill her, because Ophelia would be upset and also because ''she'' would find some fault with him for making the decision without her permission.


    Typhon could only consider Morgana lucky to have those two on her side, if not, he would''ve definitely killed her for the tant disregard for the rules and punishment ''she'' enforced.


    But, he wasn''t going to let her off freely either.


    For the time being, he raised an earth tomb around the dazed Morgana and locked her within. He purposely made the cage just a size bigger than her and left a few tiny holes at the top for air cirction so she wouldn''t suffocate inside.


    He then lined the surrounding walls with sharp spikes protruding towards the centre, essentially pinning her in ce without even giving her any room to move about.


    And that would force her to remain in there until ''she'' returned to properly deal with her.


    As Morgana became aware of her situation, she became livid at the humiliating way Typhon was treating her. She screamed out in blind rage and tried to break free but ended up stabbing herself into the spikes.


    But the pain and helplessness only made her more irate and she trashed around in the earth tomb with no regard to the injuries she was sustaining.


    After a few bouts of struggle, her injured body couldn''t keep up with her rage and she fell limp and slipped into unconsciousness.

 Chapter 218 - Here Lies...

    As Morgana''s struggling ceased, Arsinoe stared at the sealed tomb with mixed emotions. The stone structure Typhon created was deathly still, and far too small to contain a serpent Morgana''s size.


    And for the first time, she found herself doubting Typhon''s methods.


    When she called him down, it wasrgely to stop Morgana from doing whatever she pleased.


    And perhaps¡­to scare her a little for her own satisfaction.


    But this was a bit¡­much, and far more terrifying than her prior punishment.


    Arsinoe shivered.


    But then the voice inside her head began to speak. [Have you forgotten how she tried to kill you?]


    Ah¡­There was that.


    Arsinoe hadn''t forgotten, she clearly recalled the gleeful look in Morgana''s eyes, right before she was distracted by the eggs cracking.


    She really might''ve killed her at that time.


    But...


    [Why do you feel bad for her now?] The voice interrupted her thoughts with a scoff. [You should be happy! Do you think Morgana would even care if you were in her position?]


    Why was this strange voice far more invested in events than she was?


    It was even scolding her like it saw her life as entertainment, and Arsinoe scowled in annoyance.


    Typhon had already moved away to start rebuilding the damaged underground, and she could only stare at his back, a part of her still in shock.


    Rightly, she deserved a little payback for the injuries Morgana caused, but it was clear Typhon hadn''t done any of it for her.


    He was exacting justice on ''her'' behalf, and she didn''t know if she should be grateful, or feel jealous that he wasn''t thinking about her.


    She was neither happy nor sad and her thoughts only grew muddled.


    It was only when she heard a sigh from beside her, that she snapped out of her stupor.


    [Morgana is so pitiful.] Ghad looked disappointed. [She''s going to be cast out as soon as ''she'' returns. Or worse, killed.]


    Arsinoe reeled back in shock at his words. How long had he been here? Watching?


    [You can''t say that!] She hissed at him. [You don''t know what''s going to happen.]


    [Why won''t that happen?] Ghad taunted. [Or are you feeling guilty?]


    Arsinoe hissed in anger and was about to scold Ghad, when Typhon approached them.


    After repairing all the cells, and rebuilding the barricades to secure the bottom feeders, everything looked the same as before. Aside from the clear marks of a scuffle along the walls, and the pink leaves that were left dishevelled after the fight.


    [What will happen to the creatures?] Arsinoe asked Typhon when he came near.


    Throughout the fight, they had been making noises while trying to get out of their cells, as though they desperately wanted to protect Morgana.


    She was worried the creatures would be disposed of because of their allegiance, when it wasn''t their fault.


    [Nothing.] Typhon calmly replied. [''She'' still has a use for them, so they will stay for now.]


    Arsinoe gulped at the straightforward answer, but instead of relief, she only had more questions.


    Was that why she was here? Because ''she'' still had use for her?


    However, she nodded and watched Typhon leave, unable to say anything.


    Then she immediately rushed towards Morgana''s tomb, suddenly feeling at a loss, but not sure why.


    When Morgana was defeated, she was at her happiest, but now that she saw her practically buried, her happiness fizzled out.


    Was what Morgana did really warrant such a harsh punishment?


    [What right do you have to cry?] Ghad asked angrily. [I was d to see you stop feeling sorry for yourself. But I never expected you to turn on Morgana like this.]


    Firstly, she wasn''t crying.


    Secondly, who was he toe over and shamelessly take the moral high ground?


    [Weren''t you there?] Arsinoe snapped. [Why didn''t you say something then?]


    Like her, Ghad had watched the entire battle, yet he was only making his thoughts known to her.


    [I told her not to do it.] Ghad said after a pause. [But she was sure she wouldn''t get caught.]


    Arsinoe frowned.


    So it was her fault now?


    [You didn''t see what she did.] she scoffed.


    Or how she tried to kill me.


    Ghad sighed. [I''m not saying it''s your fault. It''s not Morgana''s either. She should have some say in what happens to them, because she discovered them. It''s like asking me to give up Hestia after I saved her, just because Typhon doesn''t think I''ll make a goodpanion.]


    He then added. [I''m defending her because I understand some of her frustration.]


    Arsinoe shook her head at his na?vet¨¦.


    Morgana didn''t wantpanions ¨C she wanted tools, or servants, or both!


    [I can only think you did it to look good to Typhon.] Ghad continued, but hearing this made her hiss in anger.


    [That''s not it. Morgana broke the rules this time. She knew she wasn''t supposed toe near those creatures, yet she did it anyway. Now something bad might happen to them because of her selfish actions.]


    [Since when do you care about rules?] Ghad sneered and looked disappointed as she continued to make excuses. [The Arsinoe I know is a rebel who does what she wants.]


    Arsinoe was a little stunned that he saw her that way, but she wanted to scold him.


    Because look at where that got her!


    She felt like she was constantly being punished for doing what she wanted, and she wasn''t anything like Morgana who didn''t care about anything other than herself.


    Ghad sighed when she didn''t respond. [You should stop trying so hard. You don''t have what it takes to make Typhon or Ophelia ept you like they do ''her''. You''ll only end up hurting yourself.]


    T-This.


    Arsinoe was shocked at his tone.


    Wasn''t he secretly here to break her down?


    How did the topic shift from defending Morgana to her?


    However as she stared at Ghad, she found he seemed strangely defeated, like he was tired and worn out.


    And seeing this, Arsinoe couldn''t help chuckling darkly.


    [Just because ''she'' abandoned you doesn''t mean I will share the same fate.]


    Wasn''t he just miserable because he''d been abandoned and now he was trying to make her feel worse than him?


    Like that would ever work!


    What awful things had she not heard from Artemis''s sharp tongue?


    Ghad was taken aback when the focus was turned on him and he frowned. [I''m only warning you! Don''t think having the little bit of authority ''she'' gave you makes you equal to them.]


    Hah!


    Arsinoe chuckled sinisterly. [Does it matter? I''m still better than you!]


    [You!] Ghad hissed in anger. [Can''t you see? Morgana is Ophelia''s right hand, just as you are Typhon''s. Yet you''ve both been punished severely. Does that seem like they care about you? Don''t tell me you think that''s what you deserve?]


    Arsinoe still smiled, as she was very pleased with herself.


    Yes, Typhon hadn''t done it entirely for her, but didn''t hee quickly when she called him?


    That was a lot better than Ghad who couldn''t even get a single look.


    [You''re not listening to me are you?] Ghad grumbled. [You''ll still run after Typhon despite everything. So who among us is truly mad?]


    [I''m perfectly fine.] Arsinoe replied. [But I think you need some rest.]


    This made Ghad even more upset. [It''s clear those three only care about themselves. We are all equal here. No one should be above another.]


    [Hm¡­yes. You''re right.]


    Arsinoe could see he was very hurt and upset, and shepletely understood him.


    Not too long ago, she was ready to leave, and she wasn''t sure why she stayed, but at least she wasn''t broken yet. She was convinced he would feel better after he rested and cleared his head.


    [It''s okay, Ghad.] sheforted him. [Think it over for a while. Don''t do anything drastic. I''m sure you''ll feel better soon.]


    [Will I?] Ghad muttered, unsure.


    [You will!] Arsinoe cheerily replied. [Just look at Morgana, she got so happy after she evolved. You will too, I''m sure of it!]


    They both settled down and she attempted to cheer up the defeated Ghad, as they stared at Morgana''s tomb. But, on the inside, Arsinoe wasn''t so calm.


    Wasn''t he being a hypocrite?


    When Ghad was the beneficiary of said favour he had nothing to say about it, but now that it was her, here he wasining. Although she agreed in part, she wished he had spoken up more when she was in trouble.


    But she was happy they hade to an understanding now, so it wasn''t aplete loss.


    [I used to pity you.] Ghad suddenly said.


    [Why?!] Arsinoe''s heart twinged with annoyance.


    [It''s not your fault what happened to you.] Ghad continued. [Typhon was much nicer in the beginning, and I admit he''s changed. Ophelia too. But you always defend them.]


    [What do you mean?] Arsinoe hadn''t noticed anything amiss, so she was confused.


    Ghad leaned closer to add. [I''ll tell you a secret. Have you ever wondered why ''she'' never speaks to us? The reason she''s always so quiet?]


    Arsinoe''s curiosity was piqued. [Why?]


    [It''s because she can''t understand what we say or reply to us. When she made you captain, she asked others to speak for her. A leader should never do that.]


    Ghadughed incredulously, like he couldn''t wait to say more. [And they both know ¨C and they help her hide it. They demand perfection from us, and yet they don''t care when ites to ''her''. So when I see you defending them, it''s very pitiful.]


    And just like that, Arsinoe finally understood what had been bothering her for so long.

 Chapter 219 - The Vanishing

    The odd atmosphere during her naming stood out to her now, as well as Ophelia''s instructions that everyone remain far away, and ry to her what they needed to say, instead of seeking ''her'' directly.


    At the time Arsinoe thought it strange, but she couldn''t pinpoint exactly what was wrong because all the captains went along with it. It wasn''t that Arsinoe hadn''t tried to understand ''her'', it was more like she couldn''t, because she was barred every time.


    Everything was always so mysterious and silent, and that was something ''she'' embodied ¨C an unfathomable aura that was always present, but never understood.


    Too perfect to even challenge, that a mere nce made Arsinoe give up every single time.


    But now, she found a weakness in that otherwise perfect, formidable defence, one that she could exploit.


    And in Arsinoe''s heart, she rejoiced, because it exined why Typhon had grown distant, and why Ophelia became cold.


    It wasn''t anything she did, it was because a defective serpent had be their leader!


    Yes, she was strong, but without her two trusted pirs of support, there was no way ''she'' could take over so seamlessly.


    Arsinoe thoughts spun with all of the possibilities.


    If the rest of the nestlings knew, would they even follow her?


    Couldn''t she use this and turn everyone to gain their support for herself?


    However, with every scenario she plotted, her ns were obstructed by two immovable obstacles.


    Typhon and Ophelia.


    If they weren''t so trusted by the nestlings ¨C if they didn''t support ''her'', everything would be simpler.


    Arsinoe couldn''t understand why they stuck by her, and as she scowled at the difficulty of her challenge, Ghad smiled listlessly.


    He nced at the cells containing Morgana''s creatures and saw they had gone quiet.


    With Morgana ced on hold, perhaps Arsinoe could shake things up in her stead, and push ''her'' to the brink, so he could be the hero that saves the day.


    But Ghad''s gaze turned ugly, and a sinister hiss escaped his mouth.


    Once again ''she'' wasn''t here to see his fine work!


    And as the two serpents pondered their own evil ns, a loud p suddenly rang out in the quiet.


    Hestia, who materialised above Ghad, saw his mood grow dark and did not hesitate to scold him with ashing of water.


    [What was that for?!] Ghad yelped in pain as he argued. [I''m only saying what she needs to hear.]


    But the water ball was not satisfied, and a second whip followed next.


    Soon, Ghad was dodging her attacks as the two argued continuously.


    [Stop it, Hestia!] Ghad hissed. [I didn''t do anything wrong! Am I forcing her? She can do whatever she wants with that information.]


    Unfortunately, Arsinoe could only hear his side of the argument.


    [What are you two talking about?] she asked suspiciously.


    [Hestia is feeling jealous that she was left out.] Ghad smirked, and a resounding p rang out once again, leaving him fully drenched.


    As Ghad dealt with his creature, Arsinoe remained perplexed, as she had stumbled across another problem.


    While there was no exnation on why Typhon and Ophelia supported her, it didn''t make sense why all the captains did. Cygnus and Artemis were also abnormally protective when they shouldn''t have been. Ghad too, once upon a time, and even Morgana.


    Why didn''t Morgana take advantage of such a profound weakness? Knowing her, it should have crossed her mind.


    [Fear.] The voice suggested. [Or she was waiting until she gathered enough strength. Too bad she failed.]


    That was more like her, Arsinoe agreed.


    Morgana was very careful, if her opponent was too strong she usually bided her time or chipped away at them slowly. Although Arsinoe disliked her, she also admired her persistence. Perhaps she only lost to Typhon this time because she wasn''t well prepared.


    However, this made her feel devastated.


    If Morgana couldn''t do anything and failed ¨C what was she supposed to do?


    [Why did you tell me this?] Arsinoe questioned Ghad, who was now drenched after losing to his water snake. [Don''t you care about ''her''?]


    Ghadughed bitterly. [I do, but I got tossed aside anyway, didn''t I? If I don''t react, how can I show how much I care?]


    Arsinoe stared at him in confusion.


    [It doesn''t matter.] Ghad sighed. [I just thought I''d give you some help. I don''t like injustice or hypocrisy.]


    Arsinoe scowled. Wasn''t he worried that something would happen to ''her''?


    Wasn''t he the hypocritical one?


    Seeing Arsinoe start to question his motives, Ghad quickly changed the subject.


    [You don''t have to worry about that. It''s not like you''re alone, you have others that admire you.]


    Arsinoe scoffed. [Who?]


    Once she began her role as captain, she alienated herself, because everyone was too scared to say anything in front of her.


    [Your team members. Europa, although he is stubborn, even Lyra. So many support you as much as Typhon, but you haven''t done anything noteworthy recently.]


    Was he saying she should outdo Typhon?


    [Stop it, you know that''s impossible.]


    [Do you want to lose?] Ghad snapped. [''She'' is probably out getting stronger as we speak. Soon, you won''t be able to catch up at all ¨C how can you make Typhon and Ophelia return to you like this?]


    Arsinoe scowled.


    Did he think they were some baby serpents waiting to be stolen? They already made their choice.


    [Don''t look so surprised, everyone can see what you''re thinking.] Ghad chastised her. [It''s not like it''s difficult. Everyone here has the same potential. ''She'' just got a head start while we were confused.]


    Arsinoe was shocked at his treasonous words.


    If Typhon heard them, wouldn''t he be killed on the spot?


    When Ghad saw her internal turmoil, he couldn''t help feeling envious ¨C Typhon was really lucky to have someone as loyal as her.


    [Don''t forget yourself just because you support them.] he cautioned her. [You don''t want to get buried like Morgana, do you?]


    Morgana''s tomb suddenly loomedrge in front of her eyes, like a warning of where she could end up, if she offended ''her''.


    Arsinoe shivered, not wanting to stay in the underground any longer.


    She nced at Ghad who was in a simr situation as herself and asked him a rather pressing question.


    [Is it normal to hear voices inside your head?]


    Ghad looked at her strangely. [What do you mean?]


    [Like how you and Hestiamunicate, but without Hestia.]


    [Can you see who you''re talking to?] he pondered.


    [No.]


    [Ah¡­] Ghad seemed even more perplexed, but then he broke into a smile. [That just makes you crazy. I can''t say much about that problem. Sorry!]


    [Y-You!] Arsinoe was upset. How could she be crazy?!


    Ghad only burst intoughter. [Are you sure you''re not imagining it?]


    There was no use talking to him anyway, and Arsinoe slithered away in a huff.


    [Wait, wait, I''m sorry forughing.] Ghad called after her. [Ask Lyra, maybe she can help, she can heal anything.]


    Arsinoe scowled even more fiercely than before.


    Go to Lyra, who hated her and was scheming to make everyone else dislike her too?


    If she told her, wouldn''t Lyra justugh in her face and then tell everyone she was crazy, so they couldugh at her too?


    It was a mistake to let Ghad know as well.


    With that, she stormed off without looking back.


    Once she reached the surface, she was met by two of her team members who had been looking for her to train.


    They heard noisesing from the underground and were wondering what happened, much like the other nestlings.


    Arsinoe was so relieved to see them, that all her worries faded away instantly, and she quickly made them follow her ¨C there was no point in going down anyway.


    She hade to learn much after talking to Ghad.


    For one, if even ''she'' wasn''t perfect, then she didn''t have to be either.


    In a way, that turned out to be the catharsis she needed to start acting like herself once more. She wasn''t the type to report the activities of others ¨C it wasn''t something that interested her, and she didn''t want more enemies than she had already.


    The two snakes with her had been following her ever since their first hunt as a team, and she didn''t want to let them down any longer. So, she happily went off to train with them.


    It was only after several rounds of sparring that she realised Ghad had note up from the underground.


    When she left, he wasn''t exactly in the best state, and Arsinoe began to worry.


    He didn''t fall into one of the bottom feeder tunnels after his fight with Hestia, right?


    After finding it impossible to train, she left the nestlings to return to the underground to find him.


    However, there was no one there.


    Morgana''s tomb was just as she left it, but Ghad was nowhere to be found.


    Arsinoe panicked, and she frantically searched around, fearing he had been eaten. She even peered into the tunnels for the bottom feeders and the cells containing Morgana''s monsters, but there was no sign of him.


    Just where did he go?


    She was still looking around and didn''t realise the pink leaves above Morgana''s crypt had started to coalesce into a shape.


    A stunning Vdrys with skin as soft as a peach, pointy elven features, and a regal appearance, materialised from the rapidly growing nts around the underground, and once fully formed she took in her new surroundings with a listless stare.


    The figure noticed a serpent moving around and established a telepathic link.


    And Arsinoe whose head suddenly twinged with pain, turned around to face the figure.


    Who was that?


    How did they suddenly appear on Morgana''s tomb?


    She immediately panicked and was about to turn around and head up to alert the others when she heard a voice in her head.


    [Greetings, serpent.]


    The elegant Vdrys bowed after seeing Arsinoe, and quickly raised her head so that her perfect hair fell back into ce.


    Her beautiful smile was more like an arrogant smirk, and when she spoke there was a disrespectful tone that made Arsinoe feel irritated.


    [I havee to speak to the ones ''she'' calls ''brats'']


    Arsinoe scowled in anger. Who the heck was that?


    [I have a message from our queen mother.] The Vdrys continued. [You are about to be attacked by a legion, you should prepare for it.]

 Chapter 220 - Hunted

    ?HP Status: Critical!?|Bleeding|


    ?HP Status: Critical!?|Bleeding|


    ?HP Status: Critical!?|Bleeding|


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase:¡ºMeteor Scales:LV8¡»has be ¡ºMeteor Scales:LV9¡»?


    The system dinged repeatedly, with several red warnings shing in front of me as the shadow creature vanished into the ground.


    The vicious scythe went along with it, and I was left looking perplexed and in pain, before I realised I had to escape.


    But my whole body was wrecked and I feltpletely drained that I just wanted to copse in ce.


    What a sly and scary creature to attack this snake from behind!


    I mustered what little strength I had and leapt away from where the shadowy creature vanished, and the scrape of my bones against flesh made a sickening sloshing noise.


    Ugh! That hurt!


    The system dinged once more.


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase:¡ºPain Mitigation: LV5¡»has be ¡ºPain Mitigation: LV6¡»?


    And I cursed heavily as the gushing blood pool spread to follow me like ink from a paint brush.


    Despite all the pain reduction skills, I still felt like I''d been poked with a hot iron, and I reeled around in shock.


    Moving around was only going to dye the ground with my blood, but I couldn''t afford to keep still either, because the winged serpents kept attacking me relentlessly.


    When I checked my health bar it was indeed below critical at [134] points!


    I''d never seen it that low since I evolved.


    With the shadow gone, I scanned around for where it would reappear next, all the while battling the serpents. But I was way beyond my limits as my vision began to fade and the two serpents now appeared like blurry mountains riddled with fangs.


    It took everything in me to stay conscious while evading their advances, but somehow I remained alert as the system kept dinging from time to time.


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase:¡ºFaint Resistance: LV6¡»has be ¡ºFaint Resistance: LV7¡»?


    Above them, the numerous winged creatures circled around in a frenzy like a herald straight from hell. Their bone rattling cries indicated they were just waiting to tear me apart.


    But where was the shadow creature?


    Amidst all the noises assailing my senses, I frantically searched around for the most dangerous creature of all.


    To get close enough to stab me, while remaining undetected, made me aware of the looming danger, and I couldn''t let that happen again or I would definitely be dead.


    If I was going to get away from these three creatures, the only way was to somehow fly through the circling horde above while evading the shadow creature''s interference. But to do that I would have to pass through the jutting rocks above that were full of shadows.


    Pushing through the pain in my sides, I backed away from every dark spot nearby where the shadow creature could emerge from, but my scattered movements only seeded in inciting the two serpents to attack even fiercely.


    Clearly, they saw me as a cornered prey, and weren''t backing off until they got a piece of my flesh.


    Fortunately, I managed to locate something.


    As I bit down on the neck of one of the serpents and deflected the second, I noticed an unusual shadow stretching out to reveal a figure rising from the ground.


    The wickedlyrge scythe was the first thing I saw, followed by a pair of curved horns, and a featureless head that looked like it was covered in glossy ck bandages. Aside from its lower body that was utterly inhuman, it could easily pass for a person, at least at first nce.


    I tore through the serpent''s neck and threw it aside to focus on the emerging creature, when I noticed some morbid details.


    Its body wasn''t whole and the proportions underneath its shadowy body werepletely off.


    Half of its ribcage was missing and there were several broken bones poking out through the pallid flesh that remained. Its lower equine half was mostly skeletal and sections of its front leg and back had been carved down to the bone, exposing the notches along its spine that ended in several hanging ribs, alongside dripping shadowy entrails that trailed behind its terrifying silhouette.


    Empty eye sockets set upon a skeletal face stared down at me, radiating an immense chill that left me petrified, as waves of solid darkness surged to surround the creature, right before I was hit with a dizzying wave of decaying flesh.


    Like the two serpents, it was exceedingly gaunt where parts of its flesh had been torn and left exposed for all to see its body''s inner workings; only unlike them, it was coated with a second skin of darkness that seemed to hold everything together.


    Such a nightmarish creature was blocking my path along with the serpents, and I wondered if I could fly through the swarming creatures fast enough before it decided to attack me again.


    But there were far too many creatures around and my HP was dangerously low. I needed my darkness de if I wanted to st through this siege.


    Unfortunately, when I condensed my shadows, its misty form dissipated very quickly, like leaves floating in the wind, as the darkness shrank away to nothing.


    As the winged serpents surged forward to attack, I switched to a different element and fired multiple poison des to keep them at bay.


    Why was the dark magic suddenly out of my control again?


    Was that shadow creature suppressing my dark magic?


    ?Dark magic, unlike others, is duplicitous in nature.? Sensei chuckled. ?When two or more creatures try to use it simultaneously, it tends to yield more towards the strongest.?


    "What sort of stupid logic is that?!" I seethed in rage. "My magic should listen to me!"


    I''d faced off against things much stronger than myself and won. Yet this stupid magic is telling me I''m weaker than that creature so it wont cooperate with me?


    How unfairly crooked!


    ?Not in this case though.? Sensei added. ?You''re simply suppressed under the effect of that monster''s domain. You''ll need to get out of its domain or be stronger if you want to break through it.?


    "Well, how big is its domain?" I questioned Sensei.


    But before I could hear the answer, the skeletal face of the creature cracked open and with its scythe held high, a high pitched cry emanated from it.


    The shrill sound seemed to be a signal causing all the circling creatures above to swoop down, to attack me at once.


    With them attacking from every direction, I had nowhere to run.


    No ¨C I had to stop the bleeding first, or even if I escaped ¨C the bloody trail will lead them straight to me again.


    Unfortunately, my heart was beating too uncontrobly to regte anything and as a result, blood gushed out from my sides like a whirlpool. I was already too weak from moving around and at this rate I would likely bleed to death.


    And as the creatures closed in, I heard Sensei''s calm voice.


    ?You know what you need to do.? He whispered like a devil over my shoulder. ?Take my potion if you want to leave here alive.?


    Not that again.


    Winged creatures descended in hordes, attracted by the prospect of fresh meat and I rapidly fired several poison des just to keep them away.


    Upon closer look, the winged creatures were salivating from their hideous maws, and with the frenzied attacks that seemed to be starving. And I shivered in revulsion as I realized I was the only food source nearby.


    I somehow managed to survive another wave with my poison des when the system began to ding again.


    ?HP Status: Extremely Critical!?|Bleeding|


    ?HP Status: Extremely Critical!?|Bleeding|


    [Shut that off!] I screamed at Sensei.


    On top of the pain and stress I was under, the system''s pestering notifications left me extremely frustrated.


    ?They are only to remind you of your condition.? Sensei tutted. ?But why aren''t you taking my brew yet? Would you rather get bitten to death??


    Such tant extortion! This piece of trash system.


    As he was saying that, I saw one of the serpents had recovered and was quickly converging towards me.


    "What can a single potion do?" I grumbled out loud in frustration.


    ?Take it and you''ll see.?


    With no other option, I purchased the suspicious brew and hastily gulped down the cyan blue liquid. And I immediately began to feel a peculiar stinging sensation as the liquid slid down my throat.


    ?How is it? How is the vour?? Sensei excitedly gushed as if he was asking for a review on his new recipe. ?It''s purposely mild, with a hint of liquorice. Tastes good, right??


    Ugh! What the¡­ I wanted to hurl!


    What was this sickly sour taste?


    But then the system dinged much to my horror and regret.


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase:¡ºDetox:LV6¡»has be ¡ºDetox:LV7¡»?


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase:¡ºDetox:LV7¡»has be ¡ºDetox:LV8¡»?


    P-Poison?!


    He actually gave me poison!


    Two levels at once! How potent must it be for [Detox] to go from LV6 to LV8.


    That wasn''t even the worst part.


    I began to feel sick as soon as it went down, and even though Detox improved, it wasn''t removing the horrible feeling in my stomach.


    When I checked my stats, it was back to normal.


    --------------


    Name: Aurelia [LV23 Small Cerastes]


    Specie: Cerastes Vipera


    HP: 110/536    Defence: 298>460


    MP: 122/480    Intellect: 330


    SP: 150/574     Magic: 438


    Attack: 624     Agility: 466>632


    --------------


    But I soon noticed some numbers began to increase before my eyes, and even though my HP was still critical, it felt like a weight had been lifted.


    However, I quickly realised something when I took another glimpse at my stats menu.


    This time I was shocked at what I saw.


    --------------


    Name: Aurelia [LV23 Small Cerastes]


    Specie: Cerastes Vipera


    HP: 110/536      Defence: 460>1060


    MP: 422/480      Intellect: 330>900


    SP: 450/574       Magic: 438>1038


    Attack: 624>1224  Agility: 632>1232


    ---------------


    The stats had not stopped increasing, and even now, they continued to increase as if they weren''t going to stop.

 Chapter 221 - Expect Some Turbulence

    The cold tingly sensation still lingered on my tongue from the potion, but a surprising warmth began spreading throughout my body.


    At first, it was pleasant, like I was filling up with boundless energy, but the sensation soon turned unpleasant, escting to an uncontroble heat that made me want to rip off my own skin.


    When I looked down, the blood was rising out of my wound in puffs of steam and I was also trembling uncontrobly, the feeling, utterly excruciating, like the energy amassed from the potion was trying to break its way out by any means.


    Just breathing felt like there was fire coursing through my nostrils and when I checked my stats they had increased once again.


    ---------------


    Name: Aurelia [LV23 Small Cerastes]


    Specie: Cerastes Vipera


    HP: 110/536        Defence: 1060>1750


    MP: 480/480        Intellect: 900>1590


    SP: 574/574         Magic: 1038>1728


    Attack: 1224>1914   Agility: 1232>1922


    ---------------


    What sort of potion increased stats like this? And it didn''t look like it was going to stop. At this rate, I might explode from excess energy!


    "You bastard! What did you give me?" I hissed in agony.


    ?An incredible potion.? Sensei nonchntly replied.


    Then after a pause I heard him mutter.


    ?Hmm...It''s effects are still not up to par. I''ll have to make some adjustments.?


    ''Not up to par''?


    Did he not see how much it was boosting my stats?


    And what sort of adjustments? Some other way to kill me faster?


    But the most frustrating thing was, even with all the increases, the most important thing, my HP, had not improved at all!


    Just what was he ying at? I really wanted to strangle Sensei.


    However, while my body was going through tribtions, my insides felt frozen solid.


    My stomach that contained the potion, felt like it had swallowed a heavy block of ice, and this icy sensation was spreading to other parts of my body in a freezing rush that crept up my spine.


    Still, this did nothing to subdue the heat, and I felt myself getting angrier and frustrated at the contrasting build up of sensations so intense as though I was about to shatter at any minute.


    In the midst of all this, Sensei''s voice was the only thing that was clear


    ?You have four minutes until the potion''s effect runs out. Make the most of it and escape.?


    Only four minutes? And you are telling me this now?


    But then I realized that all my senses had been heightened and the numerous flying creatures hovering around appeared to move very slowly.


    Their attacks were upon me but not quite there yet. Across from me, one of the serpents had its fangs reared, poised mid leap to attack, and I moved back to evade.


    However, I miscalcted my speed and the tiny movement ended up bing explosive. Before I knew it, I had crashed into the rocky wall of the chasm in a shattering explosion which took out even more of my HP.


    ?HP Status: Extremely Critical!?|Bleeding|


    ?HP Status: Extremely Critical!?|Bleeding|


    ?Skill Mastery Achieved:¡ºMeteor Scales:LV9¡»has be ¡ºMeteor Scales:LV10¡»?


    Ughhh! Just why?


    Blood continued to ooze out from my wound, and my body was now surrounded by hot steam vapours. I shoved the rock debris away from my body and slowly slithered out of the wreckage.


    But then, I saw the creatures rushing towards me in an onught, but they were moving too slowly to be a threat, like I was seeing them in slow motion.


    While this was exciting, the shadow creature was nowhere to be seen and I tensed immediately, my heart thudding wildly as I eyed my surroundings.


    The creatures above were also converging in a fierce horde that blocked my way out. But somehow the strain from the build up of energy seemed a bit less now.


    My skin no longer trembled, and the tingly sensation was gone, almost like crashing into the wall had diffused it somehow.


    Suddenly I could think clearly.


    To my surprise, I noticed my stats had finally stopped climbing.


    ---------------


    Name: Aurelia [LV23 Small Cerastes]


    Specie: Cerastes Vipera


    HP: 109/536        Defence: 1750>2300


    MP: 480/480        Intellect: 1590>2000


    SP: 574/574         Magic: 1728>2400


    Attack: 1914>2500   Agility: 1922>2800


    ---------------


    And I was filled with a rush of euphoria and excitement.


    If crashing into something had reduced much of the strain, then I could use all these creatures to use up the excess energy and relieve my pent up frustration.


    With that thought, I no longer felt the rush to leave, not when things had be so exciting.


    This was far too good an opportunity not to test my newfound strength!


    So even as the system continuously dinged critical warnings, I rushed towards the mass of creatures.


    But in the midst of my attack on one of the serpents, the massive shadow of a de snaked its way above the ground and at my speed, I nearly ran into it.


    Fortunately, I was able to swerve aside at thest second to avoid a repeat of the previous ident, but I still ended up crashing into something before I could stop.


    How wicked was this creature? Any further and it would have cleaved me in half!


    And as I shook off the rubble, I saw the shadow creature emerging from the ground nearby, between me and the two serpents.


    I moved quickly to evade whatever it could throw at me, but the shadow''s hollow eyes merely tracked me. It didn''t even need to turn around as it''s partly submerged body spun on its own strange axis, while it continued to watch my movements.


    Its pensive stare only made me more uneasy, so I instinctively spread out my shadows to hide from view.


    However, what spread out was a billowing cloud of darkness, farrger than what I intended and so thick and smoky, it was like a solid wall of darkness.


    It was then I felt something strange happening.


    The familiar dark energy that I knew seemed to increase, more flowing away from the shadow creature and towards me, as my shadows swelled to be evenrger, leaving all the creatures present in confusion at my whereabouts.


    Then I heard the system ding.


    ?Skill Mastery Achieved:¡ºShadow Shroud: LV9¡»has be ¡ºShadow Shroud: LV10¡»?


    And I hissed in excitement. How the tables had turned!


    When I looked at the shadow reaper, its silhouette was no longer as dark and I could see waves of darkness swirling several meters away from its body, in a circr outline. The other creatures had something simr as well, but theirs were much smaller and not as concentrated.


    But it didn''t stop there.


    Now, I could see a pattern of flowing streams everywhere within the dark mist, the surgingy lines of power that formed the chasm''s structure which was once invisible, were now clear and so mesmerising that my attention was transfixed.


    Unlike the slow moving creatures, this energy was fast and tumultuous like a destructive stream, and the longer I observed it, the more energy amassed within my core.


    Was it because my magic stat was so high, that I could see the flow of mana now?


    The second the thought entered my mind, a fraction of that energy slipped away from the surroundings and flowed towards me, like a portion of that destructive force was being redirected, and I soon felt a sharp pain in my upper body.


    But then.


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase:¡ºMana Sense:LV7¡»has be ¡ºMana Sense:LV8¡»?


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase:¡ºMana Sense:LV8¡»has be ¡ºMana Sense:LV9¡»?


    ?Skill Mastery Achieved:¡ºMana Sense:LV9¡»has be ¡ºMana Sense:LV10¡»?


    ?Skill:¡ºMana Control: LV1¡»has been acquired?


    The system''s repeated dings made me wonder if I''d grasped something profound from what I discovered, and as my magic swelled in abundance, I experienced a rity much deeper than mere heightened senses.


    Suddenly, the creatures advancing towards me didn''t matter anymore, as everything seemed like child''s y.


    My bleeding wound didn''t matter either.


    The second I concentrated on recovery without caring how much magic I expended ¨C the two halves of my wound quickly cinched together, my flesh exploding exponentially in new growth that left no trace of any injury behind.


    And to my surprise, the system dinged once again.


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase:¡ºRegeneration: LV4¡»has be ¡ºRegeneration: LV5¡»?


    Regeneration went up as well?


    That it would do so, when I only used my body''s normal healing capabilities was truly an oundish feat.


    My critical status was gone too, and all that was left was for my HP to recover to full.


    As I was being excited by my new prospects, a dark shadow formed beside me. But it was still too slow as I burst out with incredible speed and slithered away from the curved scythe that extended from it.


    Trying to stab me again? This shadow truly had guts!


    With the two winged serpents nking me, I focused on subduing the sinister creature first, but it quickly vanished below the ground without a trace.


    And as one of the serpents got close with its fangs reared, I easily dodged its attack with my explosive speed, before cutting through the second with a much more condensed version of my darkness de.


    The creature staggered back and fell, as the destructive energy wreaked havoc by eating through most of its midsection and wings.


    With my eyes glowing hot with magic, I felt invincible, because I knew I could beat them all in an instant and without much effort.


    However, the winged creatures approaching behind the serpents were truly a bother.


    They were smaller and too numerous to take out individually. And so, without wasting any time, I condensed my shadows into a massive darkness de and aimed it at all the creatures that were flying around in the air.


    It simply disintegrated everything as it hurled towards the flying horde. The space above was suddenly enveloped in a crackling darkness that took out all the creatures in its path with one hit.


    Soon all that was left behind was a massive gap in the rocks and a deafening silence, without a trace of anything living.

 Chapter 222 - Mistress Of Chaos

    All gone, therge horde of creatures flying around, waiting to pounce on me were all utterly decimated, and not even a scrap of dust remained.


    And in the next second, the system rang out in a chaotic bout of dings.


    ?You have killed LV16 Melior Azarone!?


    ?You have killed LV20 Verum Ridilich!?


    ?You have killed LV19 Verum Ridilich!?


    ?You have killed LV21 Verum Ridilich!?


    Aaahh! So many notifications shed before my eyes at once that I could barely see anything else and the continuous dings left me disoriented and somewhat ill.


    ?You have killed LV12 Melior Dactus!?


    ?You have killed LV14 Melior Azarone!?


    ?You have killed LV16 Melior Terozan!?


    ?You have killed LV12 Melior Azarone!?


    ?You have killed LV17 Verum Ridilich!?


    Ah! When will it stop!


    I eagerly wished I could disable them or put it on silent mode.


    How many creatures did I kill this time?


    Above me was only an empty space, along with a gaping hole in the surrounding rocks.


    Further away, one of the serpent was buried under a pile of rocks but it was still trying to get free. The other was less injured and shaking off the fallen debris that covered it with an enraged hiss.


    As for the shadow creature, it was nowhere to be found.


    Did I overdo it?


    I warily eyed my surroundings, ready to move the instant any shadow flickered while the dings continued to pester me for several more seconds until finally.


    ?You have earned 3460XP!?


    ?You have gained a level!?


    ?You have gained a level!?


    Kyaaaah yess! So much XP! I am so rich right now!


    And two levels!


    But then.


    ?You have earned the title¡ºMerciless¡»?


    ?You have earned the title¡ºMonster ughterer¡»?


    ?You have earned the title¡ºMistress of Chaos¡»Activating status effect. Sess?


    So many titles at once? Yet they didn''t seem good at all!


    I could feel my cute and sweet image disintegrating to dust before my eyes.


    Was this system trying to shame me or something?


    And why did thatst one sound so¡­suggestive?


    ?Hmph! What''s so wrong with them?? Sensei affirmed with a stamp of approval. ?Didn''t you kill them all just now? Why do you look surprised??


    "You''re not helping!"


    I didn''t know whether I shouldugh or cry.


    Why did these titles sound so ominous when I''d only been defending myself?


    As the dust settled, I felt strangely empty, so I checked my stats to see how far my stats recovered after levelling up.


    However, I was left in shock.


    ---------------


    Name: Aurelia [LV25 Small Cerastes]


    Specie: Cerastes Vipera


    HP: 223/650Defence: 2450


    MP: 050/540Intellect: 2070


    SP: 290/620Magic: 2542


    Attack: 2600Agility: 2868


    ---------------


    "Why is my MP so low!" I cried out in panic.


    A moment ago, cutting loose felt so amazing, and I did not regret doing it because the power coursing through my body demanded it.


    But this empty feeling was too unpleasant!


    Sensei felt my irritation and sighed. ?What do you expect after such a wide area attack? Do you think my potion is almighty? Who told you to do too much??


    Even though I was being scolded, his tone was very much one ofughter and this made me even more unhappy.


    I scowled. It seemed my normal MP stat - however improved, was limiting how much of this boosted state I could utilise.


    If just one attack depleted my MP to almost nothing, did having over [2000] in magic even matter? I''d never get to use that much power at this rate.


    As I scrambled to think of a solution, I came to realise something else.


    Surely if I could heal myself quicker, couldn''t I refill both my MP and HP using my innate recovery?


    I set about redirecting the turbulent waves of mana around to my core and instantly my MP jumped from [50] to [150].


    And the system dinged.


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase:¡ºMP Recovery: LV6¡»has be ¡ºMP Recovery: LV7¡»?


    It actually worked!


    Unfortunately, my joy was cut short when I saw a shadow rising out of the dust.


    Then Sensei announced. ?You have exactly a minute and a half left.?


    What! No!


    There was still so much I was yet to understand!


    Just then a scythe crashed down beside me, with so much force that it shattered the ground around me.


    I quickly moved away, but the shadow creature was equally fast. No sooner did I switch positions did it appear ahead of me again, raising its scythe with such ferocity that I was forced to stop my advance before my own speed cut me in half.


    It was like it didn''t even need to n before it vanished into the ground.


    Every time the scythe appeared I moved the other way, but the creature continued to appear in intermittent bursts to wherever there was a hint of shadow to get ahead of me, almost like it was tracking me under the ground.


    It didn''t even need to materialise fully to attack, and sometimes, it was only its scythe that appeared.


    I soon lost track of how many times it appeared along the wall as I sped along, or how many times I escaped with a narrow cut.


    To prevent such surprise attacks, I tried breaking down any stationary rocks I came across, but they were far too many. The serpents created more every time they crashed through obstacles to get to me, and even though I was fast, they showed little signs of exhaustion.


    One of the serpents was far more damaged than the other, but the only indication of this was that it moved slower. It didn''t seem to care at all that it was on the verge ofpletely destroying its body.


    But who knew their uncoordinated attacks had a more sinister motive?


    Before I knew it, I was penned in against a narrow section of the chasm with no other escape routes.


    The shadow creature was advancing from the left of me, and the savagely wounded serpent was to my right while thest serpent was advancing from the centre.


    Hahh!


    They seemed to be intent on killing me even using tricks and tactics!


    Was this because I destroyed several of the other creatures?


    But thankfully, I still had my speed so I easily manoeuvred out of the tight spot and rushed towards the slower serpent with the most wounds. My aim was to end its existence once and for all.


    Every time the shadow appeared together with the serpents, its movements were much harder to follow ¨C so the fewer foils it had left, the more my chances of killing it increased.


    However, as I approached behind the weaker serpent, its shadow flickered and stretched to reveal a fully formed scythe that swept towards me with sheer destructive force. I pulled back just before it could cut me and the result was a series of split rocks.


    The fully formed shadow creature had emerged from within the serpent''s shadow and its pensive eyes seemed to re at me as I evaded its scythe yet again.


    But not long after, therge fangs of the second winged serpent lunged past me. Savage fangs aiming for my flesh to tear off my wings, but they missed and instead its fangs fell against my highly buffed scales.


    To its shock, there was barely a dent to show for its efforts.


    Rather, one of its fangs cracked, and the serpent screeched loudly in frustration.


    The scythe of the shadow creature seemed to be covered in darkness, which was the reason it could harm me even with all my defensive buffs, but the mere fangs of these creatures could never prate my defences even if I stayed still.


    The feeling of such invincibility was euphoric, so much so I even forgot my damaged wing had healed a long time ago.


    Why the hell was I still on the ground when the air was my domain?


    However, with the shadow right in front of me, I couldn''t just leave. I had regained much of my MP since thest attack so I shot a second darkness de at the shadow before it could sink into the ground, much smaller in size so my MP would not get depleted again.


    But to my annoyance, it moved aside, and my attack only shed through part of its torso.


    The shot, however, decimated the serpent behind it, and from the dust that arose, the shadow once again vanished from view.


    I was annoyed.


    More so to see the second serpent crossing over its wounded peer to cover its retreat.


    I must have wounded it for it to retreat instead of continuing its attack!


    The thought filled me with glee and I was determined not to let it get away.


    Not caring about the serpent in front of me, I generated arger darkness de that tore through the vicinity, fully intending to st them both to dust.


    However, the serpent blocking me had less injuries and could still move. It ended up taking the brunt of my attack, and provided enough time for the shadow to disappear.


    These undying things are getting more and more annoying.


    I seethed in rage. I still had enough power to eradicate them to oblivion!


    ?Half a minute left ? Sensei announced in his droll voice, and I felt myself snap to reality.


    What? So soon?


    I was so close to getting the shadow!


    Plus I was having fun.


    But Sensei didn''t care, he even started to count down.

 Chapter 223 - Race Against Time

    ?30..29.5...?


    "Are you kidding me?" Iined. "Stop counting!"


    ?Don''t say I didn''t warn you.? Sensei chuckled.


    How could I have so little time left?


    I initially nned to escape as soon as I could, but I ended up getting distracted.


    I looked at the serpent that was decimated from my previous attack. Even though its body was now riddled with so many bruises and scrapes, it was still trying to get up and attack me.


    Somehow, that pissed me off even more.


    Would I have to destroy thempletely to kill them?


    My darkness st had torn through much of its midsection, leaving behind a nasty gaping wound, along with the culmination of my previous attacks.


    Any normal creature would have died long ago.


    The cause likely had more to do with immortality than a unique monster''s constitution. I recalled how the creatures on the alcove also needed to be diced to pieces in order for them to stop ¨C I wasn''t even sure they were dead up until now.


    So for this to work, I had to be quick.


    I could see the serpent slithering, ever so slowly, to join the second serpent that had escaped.


    It should have looked pitiful, after losing so many body parts, but the mere sight of it drove me to anger. If it hadn''t chased me down the chasm, would we both be in this mess?


    I quickly formed several small darkness des and fired them at the serpent at once, intent on torturing it until it met its end.


    The darkness des tore through its body like a ravenous beast, tearing multiple holes that sizzled and sparked as its body was reduced to minced meat.


    As soon as my des pelted its flesh, the creature''s rustling hiss echoed throughout the chasm.


    The shadow had disappeared, but I saw the second serpent rushing back to rescue it. Its wounds were even worse, but being therger of the two, it would take far more hits to make it fall.


    But I could easily deal with the near dead serpent before the other could reach it.


    With an ease no different from breathing, I condensed several more darkness des and sent them towards the serpent''s body, eliciting several more screeches.


    I wanted to draw the shadow creature out, but the longer my attacks went on, the more I realised I was also curious about these creature''s long life.


    I wanted to see how long it could endure before it died. Would it continue to live even when its body was shredded to bits?


    I had to find out!


    But in the midst of my search for an answer, I saw the shadow of a rock flicker for only a second, before something dark and ominous shot out from it. I saw a long cylindrical object fly towards me at insane speed.


    It pulsed heavily with darkness, and I could see it spinning quickly through the air without much resistance. I immediately dove aside to evade it, but the object split off into several smaller rods the instant I moved away.


    Dark rods drummed through the ground in several spots, their bodies pulsating with darkness as they threw off sparks like lightning. I was expecting the scythe toe out, so this took mepletely by surprise.


    One of the rods went through the serpent''s eye, and soon, I felt a terrible pain in my lower body where two of the rods had stabbed into me.


    I looked at my stats, as my HP had taken a nosedive, going from [340] to [298], and in the next moment from [298] to [240].


    At the same time, my stamina was also draining at a rapid pace, and as it did, the two rods in my side seemed to grow in length.


    What was this?


    Strangely, the rods didn''t dissipate as soon as they struck me, but remained solid like spears piercing the ground.


    I was still perplexed and wondering what they were, when I saw the serpent''s body droop limply with the rod still in its eye. I also noticed the rod had grown to double its length, taking whatever life the serpent had with it.


    I was afraid it would die before I could kill it, so I set aside my plummeting HP to finish it off with a darkness de.


    The system dinged as the creature''s body exploded to bits.


    ?You have defeated LV36 Verum Amphiptere!?


    ?You have gained a level!?


    Hmph! Trying to steal my kill? You''re far too green!


    I yanked away the rods piercing me and threw them aside, just as the shadow creature emerged from the ground. Its face was a hideous mask, the two dark eyes seemed to glow like liquid pools of hatred, as yet another one of it''s creatures died.


    I couldn''t resist stealing a triumphant look as the creature red at me. Everything it threw at me had been defeated, surely it must be fuming by now.


    ?Don''t forget, you aren''t in a better situation either.? Sensei criticized my carelessness. ?You only have eighteen seconds left. Use them wisely.?


    What?


    Before I could reply, three more rods shot out from the creature''s shadow towards me. I instantly took off into the air, but these were much faster than the previous ones and I couldn''t avoid them all.


    One of the ck rods stabbed into my body and a drowsy sensation permeated my senses while my stamina plummeted once again. But nothing could trump my annoyance as the clock continued ticking - couldn''t the potion time be extended? It was far too short!


    Should I purchase another?


    However, there was no time, as the shadow creature fired several more rods at my retreating figure.


    In the air, I was able to weave through most of them, but its attacks had be incessant. Before long, two more rods had found their target and my stamina was almost entirely drained.


    The shadow creature was clearly upset with me and didn''t give me any chance to take a breath, much less to purchase another potion.


    Between the repeated assaults and thest winged serpent who had also taken to the air toe after me, I was too focused on saving my skin, that doing anything else was very difficult.


    But then, alongside the drowsiness, I began to feel something even worse.


    The tingling sensation when I first took the potion had returned - no, it had gotten even worse. The itchy feeling and heat coursed through my body, and my stats that were at an all time high, had begun to plummet.


    Fortunately, it wasn''t a rapid decline, but a slow ominous one.


    "What''s happening?" I shouted in panic.


    ?Oh? Are you finally experiencing the side effects?? Sensei casuallyughed. ?Took you long enough.?


    Side effects?


    I was stunned. He never mentioned anything about that.


    It wasn''t even that long and yet, my stomach already felt like it wanted to jump out of my throat.


    "You!"


    I feltpletely cheated! What a horrible system.


    ?Twelve seconds.? Sensei interrupted my thoughts, and I frowned.


    I was deeply upset at being scammed, but I swallowed my anger, now was not the time.


    In addition to the mounting pressure of facing off against two furious creatures, I don''t need more stress. I just need to focus on getting out as soon as possible.


    I swiftly flew out of the tight rocky chasm, and I just needed to slip through the gap I''d fallen into to get here.


    But as I sped towards the gap, I saw the shadow of a jagged rock ahead flicker for a split second.


    I immediately halted my ascent to freefall towards the ground, just as several dark rods shot out to pelt the area like thorns.


    Seeing as the shadow creature even blocked my way ahead, it really didn''t want me to leave here.


    Was it into me by any chance?


    I could feel myself plummeting dangerously towards the ground, and before my stats fell further, I turned towards the winged serpent who was in pursuit and fired a darkness de directly at its head.


    The creature screeched and fell limp, as its wounds were already severe. Below it, I heard the shadow creature screech in rage, which made me chuckle with glee.


    I wasn''t sure if it cared about the creatures dying or not, but this seemed to indicate that it did.


    And so, before the serpent fell to the ground, I sped down to catch it and gripped it tightly as I sped towards the gap in the rocks once again.


    It wasn''t dead yet, but it wasn''t far off, and as I reached the top, there were no surprise attacks this time.


    The shadow creature''s reaction sure was interesting.


    Before escaping, I made sure to let the serpent''s body fall through the gap, so it would leave me alone.


    However the creature wasn''t satisfied, and it screeched at me from below as the shadows along the rocks started to shift again.


    ?Four seconds left.? Sensei announced.


    Several more rods shot out from the shadows, and the shadowy body of the creature came into being beside them.


    In my panic, I gathered all of my receding magic that I could, forming a deeply unstable dark de that crackled with energy and threw it towards the creature.


    The darkness de shot down like a meteor at the shadows body, extremely fast and far deadlier than I imagined!


    It tore open the shadow as it hit, exposing the horribly fleshy figure underneath and the creature let out an enraged shriek.


    I was forced to get away from itsst attack, by crashing through the surrounding rocks with force to avoid the rods speeding towards me. And because of this I couldn''t see what happened to the creature.


    But by the time the dust settled, it had vanished.

 Chapter 224 - A Rich Snake

    A strong shiver ran through my body as I peered through a small crack in the rocks.


    Outside, the light was very limited and the air was extremely hazy. Dark mist shrouded the entirety of the chasm, hanging thickly like dark clouds, and through the crack, a bleakndscape of deste rocks could be seen.


    Howls and screeching noises wafted through the air towards me, from several sources both far and near, and just one look outside already revealed a few of the dismal creatures flying around.


    The appearance of their dull wings in the midst of such a lifeless atmosphere, painted a vivid scenery of bleakness that added more misery to my current predicament.


    I felt wronged.


    As soon as the potion''s effect ran out, I was struck by a terrible illness that wreaked havoc through my body.


    All my amazing stats disappeared, and the fatigue from thest battle hit me at once like a sledgehammer, in addition to the persistent freezing sensation that refused to go away.


    Everything ached everywhere.


    It was like the tingling heat had been reced with a cold of the same intensity, and as my body began to tremble, white clouds formed from my breath, and the icy feeling was so strong that my body became stiff.


    Just moving became a chore and I was unable to undte through the air like before, as if my normal flexibility had been suspended. My wings also stiffened, with onepletely unable to unfurl at all.


    I''d been hoping to get back to Sylrin, but with my body in such a state and with the likelihood of falling to my death, I was forced to settle somewhere closer to wait out the crisis.


    Fortunately, I was able to heal the worst of my injuries in the seconds before the potion ran out.


    Although Sensei''s brew gave me a great boost in strength, the kickback was just as fierce if not worse and I doubt I''d ever consider taking it again.


    Was this why you weren''t supposed to ept drinks from strangers?


    I found a secluded spot in the rooks and huddled in a tight curl in the nook as I tried to conserve what limited heat I could. Still, I was deeply ufortable as my shivering refused to subside.


    I''d never felt this sick in both my lifetimes!


    But then, the system dinged again.


    ?You have killed LV11 Melior Tanlfeng!?


    ?You have killed LV13 Melior Azarone!?


    ?You have earned 140XP!?


    Oh?


    This was the second set of system announcements I''d gotten since I settled here, and while the first had a lot more creatures, this one got me thinking. It was very likely these kills came from the creatures on the alcove that I had diced to pieces.


    Just what kind of resilience did they have to persist this long?


    And what about Sylrin?


    I kept wondering if he was awake and looking for me, but with the valley outside being so quiet, perhaps he hadn''t left the hideout yet. That''s for the best anyway.


    I''d long since taken out the dark rods the shadow creature used to stab me, and theyy harmlessly on the ground ¨C exaggeratedly long after gorging on my stamina. Despite doing so, it didn''t help with my trembling or the chill I was experiencing.


    So this was entirely the potion''s side effects.


    A cold was perhaps thest thing I expected to experience as a fledgling snake, and it was so ufortable my [Pain Nullification] even went up again. And as long as my body was in this condition, it was impossible to get to Sylrin.


    And yet, even with everything, I kept wanting to experience more of the potion!


    I was appalled and ashamed all at the same time ¨C was this a poison or was it a drug?!


    While I med Sensei for not exining anything, I recalled my shameless and reckless acts while under its effect and I realised I was also at fault. The meteoric rise in my stats made me feel invincible, so much that I did so many silly things and made a lot of wrong decisions.


    Why did I piss off that shadow creature instead of escaping as soon as I could?


    The memory of its dreadful scythe and its evil appearance made me shiver. If it managed to heal itself ande find me again¡­I wasn''t sure if I could even dodge one of its attacks, and I would have to - if this dreadful detox session for [Sensei''s brew] didn''t kill me first!


    Both endings were equally bad, and I sighed.


    Why did such a great potione with such terrible side-effects?


    It was like Sensei refused to give me anything good!


    ?Are you still sulking?? Sensei asked, wholly unsympathetic.


    "I''m not speaking to you."


    I heard a chuckle, and I grew even more upset.


    ?Don''t you want to know how long the side effectsst?? The devil once again dangled his forbidden fruit in front of me.


    But I suppose there was a price for that knowledge too.


    Hmph! I was not taking the bait.


    Unfortunately, when I turned my head to the side, there was an audible cracking sound like two icicles scraping together, that made me yelp.


    W-Was it broken? Did I just break my own neck?


    I had a sinking feeling, and all of a sudden the fury I held back spilled out to the forefront in a tirade of heated words that let Sensei know exactly how I felt.


    But instead of refuting them, Sensei calmly agreed to everything. ?Yes, I should''ve mentioned the side effects. Yes, you feel cheated. And yes, I''m a terrible system. Anything else??


    "Y-You."


    I was stumped.


    Shouldn''t he be ashamed instead of agreeing?


    ?Surely you didn''t think such an increase in power woulde without a price??


    I refused to say anything else and simply let the silence stretch.


    ?You really don''t want to know?? Sensei insisted.


    "No." I scoffed.


    Like the potion, I was sure this cold would end after four minutes or so, ten at the maximum.


    Since he wasn''t reacting to my provocation, it felt fruitless to continue arguing. Still, after saying the things I wanted, I felt rxed enough to wait.


    As the minutes went by, I got several kill notifications that increased my experience points to an absurd degree. When I checked my stats, my points had umted to a staggering [6500], and my eyes went wide in wonder at just rich I was right now.


    Would I ever finish spending them?


    My bad mood quickly went away as I assessed the system store like a kid in a candy store. But what I saw made me want to scream.


    In rage!!!


    --------------


    Skills:


    [Infernal Miasma: 1500XP] [Mind''s Eye: 2000XP] [Bloodlust: 1000XP]


    [Dark Wave: 2500XP] [Paralysis Venom: 400XP] [Legacy: 5000XP]


    [Captain''s Mark: 500XP] [Glossary of Aeon: 3000XP]


    --------------


    Items:


    [Sensei''s Brew: 2000XP] [Sensei''s Brew [Improved]: 3500XP]


    [Detoxification Potion: 500XP] [Healing Potion: 500XP] [Elixir of Truth: 500XP]


    [Bkrys Tonic: 1500XP] [Blood of Giga-Yvsskra: 1800XP] [Tonic of Disillusion: 1000XP]


    Experience Points: [6500]


    --------------


    What the hell?!


    "W-Why is everything so expensive?" I gasped in shock and disbelief.


    Sensei chuckled. ?I thought you weren''t speaking to me.?


    I ignored his remark.


    "Improved Sensei''s Brew is [3500]? And Normal is [2000]? You fraud!!" I fumed in anger.


    Wasn''t the price too much? How was I supposed to afford all that?


    ?Hm? What''s wrong with it?? Sensei chuckled.


    "It''s too much!" I snapped. How expensive!


    At this rate, I would gopletely broke soon.


    [Sensei''s Brew] wasn''t the only attraction either, I saw some interesting new skills and potions that I wanted to try, like the [Bkry''s Tonic], the [Tonic of Disillusion] or even the [Blood of Giga-Yvsskra]!


    But only two of them had the exnations of their effects disyed below them, like Sensei didn''t even care to conceal it.


    --------------


    [Blood of Giga-Yvsskra]: Contains the blood of a creature known for its long life span.


    Effect: It will temporarily increase the HP of the user by 200% for 3 hours.


    Limit: Since the creatures have disappeared for centuries, there are only 10 bottles left in existence.


    Latent Effect: It will permanently increase the user''s HP by 10% for every bottle.


    --------------


    [Bkry''s Tonic]: The supreme grandmaster of Droisak''sst brew of potion.


    Effect: It will temporarily increase the magic and mana of the user by 200% for 3 hours.


    Limit: This is thest batch of potions recovered from the grandmaster''s solitary tomb, with only 7 bottles avable.


    Latent Effect: It will permanently increase the users magic and mana stats by 10% for every bottle.


    --------------


    They were both rare and very effective, yet this shameless system priced them below his own improved [Sensei''s brew].


    I was beyond shocked. Was he trying to say the potion of a Grandmaster and the blood of a rare creature were inferior to his potion?


    What a narcissist and greedy system!


    Sensei tutted. ?What are you upset about? You have more than enough points to spare, so don''t be stingy.?


    Me? Stingy?


    "How about you don''t increase the price of something I already bought before!"


    Did this system not care about its own credibility?


    Sensei replied in an amused voice. ?Consider the first one as a sample, you have so many XP points now, you can afford the real price. There''s no use hoarding points anyway, so why not let me free them off your "hands"??


    He sounded just like a swindler.


    I only just got rich and he was already trying to scam it all away from me.


    Wasn''t he bullying this poor snake?

 Chapter 225 - A Charmed Snake

    I really underestimated Sensei''s product.


    Contrary to my expectations, I had to wait up to an hour before I could get any sort of mobility back, by which time my penalty timer had gone down to only [2] hours.


    At this point, I''d spent enough time in the system''s store to familiarise myself with all the shiny new goods.


    Sensei was really trying to bleed me dry.


    The system had so many new skills and items, and there were even detailed descriptions under some of them, which waspletely unprecedented.


    --------------


    [Elixir of Truth]: Contains the feather of a creature known for its transparency and candour.


    Effect: A single bottle willpel the user to embody the same honesty as the creature for the duration of 3 hours.


    Limit: It will result in hysteria if used in excess.


    Latent Effect: It will permanently increase the user''s candour by 4% for every bottle.


    --------------


    [Sensei''s Brew [Improved]]: A unique potion swirling with potentially dangerous undetermined magic.


    Effect: It will temporarily increase all of the user''s stats by 500% for 8 minutes.


    Limit: Possibly deadly side effects which vary across specimens ¨C limited consumption is advised.


    Latent Effect: It will permanently increase the user''s stats by up to 30% for every bottle.


    --------------


    [Tonic of Disillusion]: Contains the rendered heart of a creature known for its beguiling appearance.


    Effect: It will temporarily allow the user to transform into any form of their choosing for 2 hours.


    Limit: Transformation only urs if the form already exists in nature.


    Latent Effect: It will permanently increase the user''s charm by 10% for every bottle.


    --------------


    I read them all enthusiastically as I tried toe to a decision.


    ?What do you think? Do you have any questions?? Sensei asked, like a salesman eager to sell his merchandise.


    His enthusiasm only made me frown at yet another underhanded form of trickery.


    While these new skills and items were interesting, there was no telling if they wouldplement my existing attributes, so I didn''t purchase any yet.


    But the real issue was that this scammer of a system thought he was fooling me.


    Wasn''t all this a tempting trapid bare for this snake to fall into?


    ?Why do you keep ring at the items?? Sensei innocently asked. ?If you want them, stop acting shy and buy them.?


    I really wanted to strangle him.


    Why else would he bring so many new skills and items, if not to corner me into getting more while my situation was precarious.


    Having more skills from the system only meant I had more things to hold me hostage during my penalty when they all reverted back to the source. With the elf girl and her mystery journal nowhere to be found, my current quest was as good as failed.


    Because of this, I stubbornly refused to grant him ess to my XP, however tempting everything looked.


    ?Why are you so hesitant?? Sensei asked, as if he didn''t know.


    I scowled at his casual manner. "What''s the catch?"


    Sensei chuckled. ?No catch.?


    Was I meant to ept this was all out of his goodwill?


    ?What are you suspicious about??


    "Did you have an improved version of your [Sensei''s Brew] the whole time?"


    I hadn''t forgiven him for poisoning me with a wed potion whose side effects made me feel ill. I was still somewhat drained, so for him to increase the price for that same wed potion was like a p in the face.


    The nerve of him!


    ?No. I only adjusted its efficiency because I found itcking.?


    Hmph! I didn''t believe him.


    When I didn''t reply, Sensei tutted. ?The potion was the easiest way out of there. We wouldn''t have had to use it if you didn''t get careless and let yourself get stabbed.?


    "It wasn''t like I nned to!"


    ?Doesn''t matter.? Sensei gave an exasperated sigh. ?And there''s no catch. You probably haven''t noticed it yet, so check your full stats.?


    I regarded his words with suspicion.


    What was there to see that I hadn''t already?


    Still, I checked them anyway.


    ----------------------------


    Name: Aurelia [LV26 Small Cerastes]


    Specie: Cerastes Vipera


    HP: 580/710    Defence: 525


    MP: 600/600    Intellect: 450


    SP: 510/680     Magic: 630


    Attack: 725     Agility: 620


    ----------------------------


    Skills:


    [Rugged Scales:LV10] [Rapid Strike:LV10]


    [Venom Rain: LV5] [Grip:LV10] [Leap:LV10]


    [Heat Sense: LV10] [Heat Sphere: LV9]


    [Stealth: LV10] [Poison Synthesis: LV9]


    [Shadow Shroud: LV10] [Scent: LV10]


    [Buoyancy: LV10] [Steel Skin: LV10]


    [Heat Seeker: LV9] [Silence: LV10]


    [Poison Fang: LV10] [Bite: LV10]


    [Detox: LV8] [Overeating: LV4]


    [Deadly Poison Attack: LV8]


    ----------------------------


    Titles:


    [Apostle] [Coldblooded] [Mistress of Chaos]


    [Commander] [Hero] [Trickster] [Merciless]


    [Monster ughterer]


    ----------------------------


    Unique Skills:


    [Devour] |Not Avable|


    [Area of Authority]


    ----------------------------


    Magic Skills:


    [Poison Magic: LV8] [Shadow Magic: LV9]


    [Poison Maniption: LV8] [Shadow Maniption: LV8]


    [Darkness Maniption: LV4] [Darkness Magic: LV1]


    ----------------------------


    Pit Members: [5286]


    ----------------------------


    Resistances:


    [Paralysis Resistance: LV7] [Mental Warfare: LV7]


    [Impact Resistance: LV10] [Dark Resistance: LV8]


    [Cutting Resistance: LV10] [Wind Resistance: LV10]


    [Poison Resistance: LV10] [Heat Resistance: LV8]


    [Pain Resistance: LV10] [Faint Resistance: LV8]


    [Shock Resistance: LV10] [Pain Mitigation: LV7]


    [Rot Resistance: LV2]


    ----------------------------


    Experience Points: [6500]


    ----------------------------


    Woah, I''d levelled up so much!


    If only I wasn''t in a penalty, the true value of my [Defence] and [Agility] would show.


    But what else had changed?


    My eyes settled on the new row with an exaggerated value of [5286].


    My pit grew so big already?


    While I was pleasantly surprised, I wasn''t fooling myself into thinking they were entirely mine ¨C most of the numbers were made up of the Nymph and the forest of spirits under her.


    But why did Sensei bring this to my attention?


    ?If you want to keep them, you need to be stronger than you currently are.? Sensei intoned with meaning.


    Keep them?


    Had he forgotten the alliance with the Nymph was only a temporary measure, so she could watch over my nestlings, until I finished her task? I never even considered truly merging them into the pit due to many uncertain factors and very possible bacsh.


    Just what was he thinking about?


    "But I don''t intend to keep them." I replied, partly in shock at him even suggesting it.


    How could I manage so many creatures? My original Pit wasn''t even a quarter of those numbers and I was having all sorts of troubles with them.


    Thinking of ruling them all would just be the wildest of the wild dream.


    ?Then you''re more simple-minded than I thought.? Sensei''s words held a hint of disappointment.


    ?Do you think she, as the Queen Mother of all Vdrys just agreed to babysit your nestlings because you struck a deal? The Nymph is an intelligent creature who is much more shrewd than you, she had no reason to give in to your wishes.?


    I was more than a little confused. Was he saying she tricked me?


    But how could she, when the numbers were right there. She was clearly part of my [Pit] now.


    Sensei sighed when he saw my puzzled expression. ?She obviously wants something from you.?


    "Yeah¡­she wants me to find her dau-"


    ?Don''t be na?ve.? Sensei cut me off.


    His words made me more anxious than I wanted to be. From what I remember, the Nymph was happy when I asked her to join my [Pit], albeit reluctant and amused by my brazenness.


    I did not think of her as calcting, perhaps because of what she''d shared about her daughter and the forlorn emotion I''d glimpsed in her eyes.


    To me, she seemed rather lonely even while surrounded by so many spirits, like none of them could rte to her. It was only after she agreed to join my [Pit] that I glimpsed a genuine excitement in her eyes.


    Was I being na?ve by taking her at face value?


    "I can''t think of anything she would want from me." I said to Sensei. "Even if it''s just a trick, I can kick her out of my [Pit] if she tries anything."


    Sensei sighed. ?As it stands, I don''t think she will let you rescind your position as leader, until she decides she wants it back. I can''t figure out her reason for agreeing to your request, but it''s very likely she is using you for something.?


    ?You''ll just have to figure it out yourself. Hopefully sooner rather thanter.? he added ominously.


    I frowned.


    All this talk of ulterior motives was ruining my mood and making me deeply ufortable.


    I kept recalling the Nymph''s innocent smile and pretty red eyes as she agreed to join my [Pit]. I genuinely thought we were forming a friendship then, and I felt a little disheartened by the thought of it all being a ploy.


    If the Nymph was lying, why did she look so happy then?


    Was Sensei really right about her? But I thought he liked her.


    ?Stop thinking so fondly about your enemy, you na?ve girl!? Sensei snapped at me, abruptly bursting the friendship bubble that I pictured in my head.


    "But you let me go through with it." I argued back at him. "If you thought she was tricking me, why didn''t you say anything?"


    ?I thought you were nning to trick her into agreeing and then subdue her with [Coercion] after the fact. I didn''t expect you to fall so deeply for her charm and not even consider it. Why are you so hopelessly honest??


    "I wasn''t charmed!" I refuted him, but I felt so flustered and couldn''t argue back.


    I kept picturing the nymph''s excited face...with her dazzling red eyes and sweet smile and...


    Aah, hell. Was he right?


    Maybe the Nymph''s kiss had started affecting my mind already!


    ?Stop making excuses and get the skills you need to protect yourself.? Sensei grumbled. ?It''s a good thing you''ve improved a little since then, she shouldn''t be able to charm you so easily anymore.?


    He sounded more than a little irritated and if I didn''t know any better, I would think he was upset with the Nymph, but there was no way that was possible.


    "Alright, fine." I grumbled.


    With that, I called up the system''s store to see what effects the new skills had.

 Chapter 226 - An Interesting Monster

    Several skills arrayed before me, each with their own ridiculous price tag.


    I could already feel the dent forming in my wallet as I looked, so I focused on the cheapest ones first.


    ------------


    [Paralysis Venom]: A potent poison that causes paralysis.


    Effect: Imbues the user''s attacks with a toxin that renders its victim''s immobile for 10 minutes. Subsequent level increments increase the effectiveness of this toxin while prolonging its duration.


    Limit: [Paralysis Venom] will not affect those with a [Paralysis Resistance] of the same level or above.


    Price: [400XP]


    --------------


    It was interesting but I''d already seen it before, so I wasn''t that excited.


    Next to it was another skill I was more curious about.


    --------------


    [Infernal Miasma]: A oppressive smog of deadly poison.


    Effect: Once active it will harm any living creature within a 10 meters radius of the user''s vicinity.


    Limit: [Infernal Miasma] will not be as effective on those with a [Poison Resistance] above LV8.


    Price: [1500XP]


    --------------


    Now, this one was scary.


    10 metres was quite a distance and a [Poison Resistance] at LV8 was difficult to achieve, so that wasn''t much of a hindrance. If I were to move somewhere densely popted while using this skill, like say, the Nymph''s forest, I wondered just how many of the tree spirits would survive.


    It was too scary! Without something like [Detox] they''d all be damned.


    But it didn''t end there.


    Below [Infernal Miasma] were several skills that made me suck in my breath.


    --------------


    [Bloodlust]: A skill that forces the user into a state of uncontroble anger and, or excitement.


    Effect: Allows the user to utilise the full extent of their abilities without pain or exhaustion for 2 minutes. Subsequent level increments will increase the skill''s duration.


    Limit: Once activated, this skill cannot be used for another 60 minutes.


    Price: [1000XP]


    --------------


    Hmm...


    --------------


    [Dark Wave]: An outpouring of dark magic that creates a protective barrier around the user.


    Effect: Once active, everything within a 20 meter radius of the user will be devoured.


    Limit: Activating this skill for more than a minute will consume 50% of the user''s mana.


    Price: [2500XP]


    --------------


    Another scary one had appeared!


    I couldn''t possibly eat everything within 20 metres, and when they were devoured, where did they go? This one made me more confused than anything.


    --------------


    [Mind''s Eye]: Allows the user to perceive things and actions beyond normal sensory contact.


    Effect: It grants the user enhanced precognition and foresight, to better understand the weaknesses of others.


    Limit: Before this skill, everything unknown will be revealed, but it will also cause strain from an overload of information.


    Price: [2000XP]


    --------------


    Sigh...this one was interesting, but I was sure using it would give me a headache.


    But the scariest skill of all was this one.


    --------------


    [Legacy]: Grants the user the ability to transfer skills to a member of the [Pit].


    Effect: The Captains chosen by their Commander can be granted any skill from the [Rebirth System].


    Limit: If any given skill is rescinded for any reason, that captain would no longer be eligible to use [Legacy] skills from thereon after.


    Price: [5000XP]


    --------------


    It was a way around the exclusivity of the [Rebirth System], by extending its effect to those that I chose.


    My first thought was Typhon and Ophelia. If they could have ess to some of my skills, just how much more powerful would they be?


    Yet, I didn''t know how to feel about this.


    Would I have to possess the skills before I could give it away? Or did that not matter?


    I was shocked that Sensei would allow such a thing considering how little he thought of my nestlings.


    Maybe a few of the brilliant ones had gained his approval after all. So to say I was pleased was an understatement.


    And then there was another curious skill.


    --------------


    [Captain''s Mark] Grants the user the ability to track any member of the [Pit].


    Effect: It allows the Commander to see the stats of the Captains and other specific entities under theirmand, even when not in range.


    Limit: None.


    Price: [500XP]


    --------------


    With this one, Ipletely understood why Sensei put it here. I already had a hard time keeping track of my few nestlings, so it would be extremely beneficial now that there were over [5000] pit members.


    But I couldn''t shake off the feeling that this was a measure he''d ced to prevent me from exploiting the nestling''s movements around the [Labyrinth''s As] more than I already had.


    The sly fox!


    Lastly, there was the skill I was looking forward to the most.


    --------------


    [Glossary of Aeon]: A collection of everynguage on Aeon.


    Effect: Imbues the user with an understanding of spokennguages, of every species, bothmon and ancient, alongside written texts.


    Limit: The user can only retain 20nguages at a time.


    Price: [3000XP]


    --------------


    To be able to understand anynguage, read any symbol or text ¨C this was too amazing!


    The only drawback was the price of this skill.


    And to think Sensei called me stingy.


    I still had a lot to consider before making a choice from all of these dangerous skills avable, but at present I was interested in [Dark Wave] and [Mind''s Eye].


    Currently my total XP was [6715] after another kill alert, yet they weren''t enough for any of these overpriced items and skills.


    However, this was the least of my concerns.


    As I weighed my options, a ravenous growl emerged from my stomach which made Sensei burst intoughter.


    "Stopughing!" I grumbled.


    Levelling up several times in the span of four minutes left me extremely hungry. I vaguely remembered eating something in Sylrin''s cave, but that felt like a lifetime ago.


    Peering through the crack at the creatures lurking outside, I quickly struck out to pull one in. The creature was nimble and small, but I was able to kill it swiftly before swallowing it in a single gulp.


    But when the system dinged, it came with a strange message.


    ?Specimen is corrupted. Biomass can''t be utilised.?


    Hmm.


    Yes it tasted a little gross, but it wasn''tpletely charred like the spider, so I didn''t understand why I got such a message.


    I snagged another of the creatures to eat to see if it would be different, but nothing changed.


    I was wondering what was wrong with these creatures when my eyes were drawn to the dark rods I discarded prior.


    The shadow creature was certainly interesting. Its offshoots were yet to disappear even after some time had passed and I wasn''t satisfied until I learned how to create several of my own.


    But what was its secret?


    When I moved closer to the rods, I detected a faint trembling like they were itching to imnt themselves in my flesh once more and I regarded them with caution. However before long, one of the rods cracked, its fragments disintegrated to nothing before my eyes.


    Curious.


    Strangely, they reminded me of the creatures on the alcove that continued to move even with heinous injuries. It was only when they were broken down with nothing to draw on, that they werepletely destroyed, which made me even more curious about the shadow creature.


    I wondered what would happen if I broke the rods, so I generated a small darkness de. However, as soon as it got close, the rods began to grow even longer while my dark de shrank in size, like it was being drained!


    Eventually both rods were broken in half, and I watched them disintegrate to nothing.


    That foul shadow monster! What kind of darkness skill was this?


    To create something solid out of nothing and to travel across distances through its shadow. Compared to it, I was a total noob!


    How could I be content with being this basic?


    I quickly made up my mind.


    What I needed now was to strengthen my offensive skills, so I quickly purchased [Dark Wave] and [Mind''s Eye], spending a total of [4500] XP in one go. It was painful, but worth it if mybat power increased even by a little.


    As for the shadow creature, it was far too fascinating to let go.


    I thought its actions were too strange ¨C It was clearly powerful, yet it didn''t reveal its true strength until I killed nearly all the other creatures, and chose to attack with a weapon first.


    The same thing happened with me and Sylrin. I was certain it was behind the first wave of creature attacks.


    But, however persistent those creatures were ¨C they were still weak.


    Why send them when it could deal with us much more efficiently?


    If not that we were distracted by the elves, Sylrin and I wouldn''t have been pushed to such a disadvantage either.


    It felt like the shadow creature had purposely worn us down before it could make its appearance.


    Perhaps, its original intention was to capture us? And then turn into those undying creatures.


    Hmm...what an interesting monster.


    Would it be strange for me to want to meet it again?


    ?What ominous things are you considering?? Sensei asked.


    "Ahh, nothing much."


    I simply wanted its head, and maybe that scythe too. It looked cool.


    And then, a crazy thought struck me.


    Only through studying it, would I be able to learn its abilities ¨C perhaps it was worth encountering it again!


    I snagged another winged creature from outside, eating my fill until my hungerpletely vanished.


    The few creatures left behind soon began to notice their numbers dwindling and they sped away from my hiding ce in fear.


    I saw this as my queue to move and took off after them, confident the creatures would lead me back to the shadow.

 Chapter 227 - Spying On A Monster

    I quietly followed after the winged creatures as they made their way through the dark mist. Their journey through the chasm path was as dizzying as it was long, but I stayed cloaked all while maintaining a steady pace.


    In the absence of sound and an abundance of perilous rocks jutting out from every surface, the shrouded valley took on a rather deste feel.


    So far, I had not been noticed by any of the creatures, and I was d my dark magic did not fail me this time.


    A small smile formed on my face when I recalled the shadow creature''s ghastly shriek as my attack found its mark - perhaps it was still injured since it no longer interfered with my magic.


    However, I knew this peace would notst for long. If I didn''t find it soon, it would recover and resume its tyranny in the valley once more. Fortunately, the winged creatures seemed to have reached their destination.


    Overhead, I made out the shadow of a structure through the dark mist. It''s barely discernible form cutting a strange figure perched high on ayer of chasm wall.


    While its construction was simr to the lifeless domed building I encountered before, it was only a fraction of its size, the exposed rectangr stone work no bigger than a small room.


    It was bizarre. This part of the valley seemed much older and untouched, the tall height of the chasm acting as a barrier away from winds and rain, and like a crypt that had been sealed away for eons, the stone was still in good condition, making this tiny structure neat and well kept without any sign of wear, save for a single crack on its straight roof.


    Considering it was so hidden, it was as if an explosion had melted its surroundings to shape in order to protect it among a slew of jagged rock. I was confident I would never have found it without the aid of the creatures.


    However, looking at it made me despair - it was too tiny. What exactly was it and how could the shadow creature be here?


    I glowered vengefully at the winged creatures flying ahead - did I just follow them to their secret fun house?


    But as we reached the structure, the numerous winged creatures disappeared through the crack in the stone roof, leaving a cloud of dust in their wake like a slew of excited bats.


    This made me second guess its size. If it was really as simple as it looked, there was no way it could contain so many creatures at once. So I halted my approach to settle down on the rocks across the chasm, where I observed the structure with caution.


    It was thoroughly ominous. None of the winged creatures came back up from inside after several minutes of waiting and I felt like flying over there to peer through the cracked roof.


    But I quickly scrapped that idea.


    I was a newly minted rich snake with a plethora of fantastic skills, not some bandit or spy - I did not need to sneak around!


    I was a good distance away from the structure, enough to escape if noticed. If anything, this seemed like a good opportunity to test out the effectiveness of [Mind''s Eye]. Its abrupt description stated it was meant to reveal things that were hidden, and as unbelievable as that sounded, it''s expensive cost made me itch to see what it could do.


    Was it even worth that price?


    I activated it, and immediately there was a prickling sensation behind my eye sockets and a deep throbbing across my forehead as if I was under some sort of mental attack. I winced through the pain as I looked up and down, half expecting the rocks of the chasm to be illuminated in light like some magic spell.


    However, nothing outstanding happened.


    Instead, my headache got much worse as my vision suddenly became several timesrger.


    Like I was seeing everything through a zoomed lens, the rectangr structure became as close as it would be if I was perched right in front of it. And then, to my astonishment, the stone walls melted away.


    It wasn''t as though they turned invisible. Rather, the walls seemed to peel back like theyers of an onion, to reveal what was inside as I watched.


    The creatures that vanished through the cracked roof weren''t there. Instead, the structure''s interior revealed bare walls and a tiled stone floor with an open trap door leading through to another section below.


    This was not a room but rather, some sort of turret above a much wider underground structure whose interior was no different from a medieval castle.


    What was this ce?


    The surrounding rocks beneath the structure also melted away, allowing me to see through severalyers of rough stone, until I discovered more than six floors of furnished rooms and carpeted hallways, all appearing up close in full colour.


    The lower I looked, the more the decorations were stripped away, giving the ground level an ominous appearance simr to that of a stone tomb. The stone floors formed mosaic patterns that while old were still unbroken. The windows that would have been, were boarded over with iron bars.


    And there were dungeons, lots of them.


    Tall, imposing cells reinforced with iron, scattered throughout the entirety of the lower floors, and they weren''t deserted.


    Creatures filled the dungeons, smaller ones on the surface, while increasinglyrger monsters upied the lower, darker cells.


    The winged creatures that entered prior, now fluttered across the dungeon''s ceiling, ominously hanging from long dead light fixtures.


    Guarding them all was the massive winged serpent that was curled up in the walkway between the cells, its torn flesh and several rows of open ribs, deathly still as ity with its eyes closed.


    My eyes throbbed with pain, but I forced myself to continue searching across the floors, until I noticed a shadow of something flicker behind the winged serpent, before starting to move towards the dungeon''s cells at a slow, leisurely pace.


    I finally found it.


    This was the shadow monster''sir.


    And [Mind''s Eye] had just given me the blueprint.


    However, the thought didn''t give me muchfort.


    The shadow creature''s imposing figure appeared in front of a cell, staring ominously at the creature inside, before sinking into the ground once more.


    And as it did, I breathed a sigh of relief because it didn''t turn to look towards me. It wasforting to know I was outside its detection range.


    While I was no closer to finding out how it did what it did, or what it''s aim was in capturing monsters, being able to observe it without getting detected made me realize the value of the skill.


    "What do you think it wants..." I started to say, but I stopped when the shadow creature re-emerged from the ground, inside one of the cells.


    Brandishing a pitch ck rod in hand, it moved without hesitation, impaling the flesh of the unmoving creature inside without pause. Then, the rod in its grip immediately started to grow in length.


    The impaled creature however, didn''t scream, nor did it move. There were already several rods lodged in its body, and some had even splintered off to form branches.


    Unlike the winged serpent or any of the creatures I''d encountered so far in this ce, this one seemed...different. But when the creature started to bleed I was taken aback.


    I wasn''t focused at all on the creatures in the dungeon cell''s, but when I looked closer with [Mind''s Eye] I realised all of them were in simr horrible states.


    Perhaps I''d gotten so used to seeing those resilient monsters that didn''t flinch at injuries, that I assumed those in the cells were also the same.


    The cells were full of impaled creatures, all bleeding, some in various states of unconsciousness, while others were fully aware of what was happening to them.


    The eyes of the creatures were riddled with fear, their breaths haggard, while the rods impaled in them only kept growing.


    I was horrified.


    How long had they been here that they were so weak they couldn''t even escape?


    I was suddenly filled with fear.


    Would this have been mine and Sylrin''s fates, had we allowed ourselves to be captured?


    The cell''s were the only part of the dungeon that showed serious signs of damage, which made me wonder just how many times this had urred.


    The shadow creature moved over to the creature it impaled, and I could almost feel its probing stare, as if to check if it was still alive.


    When the creature remained still without a sound, the shadow reached out to one of therger rods in its body that had split to form branches. At its touch, the pulsating energy within it flowed away from the dying creature and into the shadow''s body, before the rod dissipated into smoke.


    Almost instantly, the shadow seemed to regain its vitality. The bandages along its chest got denser and its depleted aura seemed to increase again.


    Soon, the shadow creature was almost back to its original strength as I stared at it in disbelief.


    It was stealing from them, draining their life and power to strengthen its own.

 Chapter 228 - Creatures Of The Abyss

    Never before would I have imagined such a thing was possible. This monster seemed to be breaking some fundamentalw of nature. It was simply too unfair!


    In what way was this allowed?


    How was I supposed to beat it if it could undo everything? And how exactly was it doing it?


    I recalled the odd sentence Sensei had said about the creatures and tried to make sense of it.


    They despised light, but they were drawn to its power. What else was this light except for our magic?


    It made sense why they wanted to capture Sylrin and I so much. With his abundant me magic and my dazzling snake looks, we made quite the catch.


    Perhaps the torment the shadow creature was inflicting on these creatures was a form of magic transference.


    Yet, it didn''t exin how the other monsters that came after us got their due. Sensei was quieter than usual, which made me suspect he knew something about them.


    "If I was captured by them, what would you have done?" I asked out of curiosity.


    ?Interrupt your nerve endings to stop you from feeling any pain. Then wake you up when your stamina reserves kick in.? Sensei was quick to answer, like he was long prepared for such a scenario.


    But hiscklustre reply only made me annoyed.


    "Is that all? What happened to not letting me die!?" I eximed in horror. Was he insane? Like I''d let him experiment on me again.


    ?You won''t be dead. I''m sure you can survive a few rounds.?


    With such a response, I might as well be. The bastard!


    "Don''t pretend this isn''t a dangerous situation!" Iined.


    ?Well...nothing happened, did it? You listened to me and took the potion, because it was your best choice.?


    That was not the point! My God, he was frustrating!


    I red at the shadow creature that had moved on to repeat the same in the next cells, leaving the creatures it tortured to bleed out.


    The creatures trapped in the dungeon were normal, regr creaturespared to those roaming outside. They bled, their injuries healed normally and they definitely felt pain. It also seemed as if they had been down there since a while already.


    "How often do you think it drains them?" I asked Sensei.


    ?From the scarring, I would say about twice a day.?


    Just what was the shadow trying to achieve by imprisoning these monsters?


    If it was just for it to recover from its injuries, surely it did not need this many. And why not simply drain them all at once, instead of keeping them alive for a long time.


    I was well aware that not all the monsters were like me who gained something from devouring their prey.


    They didn''t need to consume others for their magic to increase, because any injuries they suffered would eventually heal overtime if they didn''t die, just as their mana and stamina would replenish after a while.


    Ah...


    It urred to me that those creatures that pursued me and Sylrin were nothing like the monster''s I''d faced before.


    Their wounds didn''t heal when I injured them, and while they continued to move around like nothing fazed them - cut off their limbs or make them incapable of movement and they eventually died.


    It was possible they got their magic from eating other creatures, which exined why they tried so hard to eat us.


    However, this exnation made no sense when the same rules were applied to the shadow creature. Those monsters outside were different. There was a certain urgency and persistence to which they ambushed their prey, while the shadow creature did not seem to possess any hunger. It didn''t even want to eat its captured prey.


    Perhaps, it was building up its power by draining these creatures over and over again. If so, it''s cruel practice was far worse.


    This was made evident when one of the creatures regained consciousness and began to screech. It was once a formidable creature with a wide wingspan, hooked ws and a sword-like beak, yet its blood curdling scream was enough to strike fear through my heart.


    It wasn''t able to break away from the rods impaling it, due to itsck of strength. It could only struggle weakly as yet another rod pierced through its body.


    It was ufortable.


    I felt as though I ought to do something but I had no idea what.


    ?Don''t look away.? Senseimanded. ?Try to understand it as best as you can.?


    This twisted guy!


    "Really?" I snapped. "What more do I need to understand?"


    ?Look beyond the surface of their bodies if you want to make sense of what''s actually happening.?


    What exactly did he mean?


    I looked at the dark shape of the shadow creature. It was somewhat graceful, yet dangerously sinister and it didn''t help that the creature it was stabbing kept screaming.


    I shivered in difort. I was already spying on it, and he wanted me to look further into its body. I was already using [Mind''s Eye] and forcing it any further would likely increase the intensity of pain I was feeling.


    And what if it felt my probing stare?


    In my hesitation, Sensei assured me with a few words. ?You''re too far away for it to notice your presence.?


    That was certainly aforting thought!


    With this, I gathered up the courage to probe even further, focusing more on the shadow creature itself than the dungeon''s surroundings.


    Immediately I felt the splitting ache in my head increase a notch further and the solid surface of the shadow creature''s body began to peel back byyers, revealing the flesh and bone underneath its pitch ck outer covering, until finally, the manifestation of its magical form remained.


    Simr to when I used [Mana Sense], it resembled a silhouette that moved in the same way as the shadow''s body, only this outline was apanied by strange symbols that lit up the area around it, especially when its body melded into its shadows on the ground.


    Was this another facet of [Mind''s Eye]?


    The inky ck symbols that looked like foreign texts seemed to apany the shadow whenever it did anything. When it absorbed the energy from a rod, the symbols formed a rotating circle around its palm until the rod was reduced to dust.


    Also, arge circle of symbols appeared when the shadow creature sank into the ground. It didn''t take much to notice the strange symbols seemed to appear whenever it was using magic.


    Aside from this, I noticed something else that was deeply wrong with the monster. Its body was absolutely brimming with power and darkness radiated off it in tumultuous waves. Yet, in the middle of its heart, where the solidified root of its power should have been, was an rmingly empty space.


    In other words, it had no core.


    For a moment, I blinked in confusion, wondering how something like that was possible?


    A monster as strong as it had to have gone through several evolutions to possess its current strength. Yet, the absence of a centre of power only made it that much more bizarre and unbelievable.


    Almost as soon as it absorbed the energy from another of the rods piercing the creature, I could see dark matter rising out of its body like waves of gas. Although its body was brimming with magic, it couldn''t stay for long.


    What the heck was this?


    No...How was it even alive?


    ?Have you ever wondered what happens to creatures who missed their window to evolve?? Sensei asked.


    I never really thought about it, I only knew they continued to live, albeit never achieving the magic or strength they were capable of, like those old creatures in the Nymph''s forest.


    But what did that have to do with this coreless monster?


    ?This shadow was once like that.? Sensei answered. ?Frozen in a weakened state that made it prey to everything, it could only scurry away or die. The difference between a strong monster and a weak one is their ability to transform ether into mana, and how much of it they can retain within their bodies. When this isn''t an option they be more susceptible to corruption from other forces to survive.?


    I didn''t understand a word of what he said.


    Was he implying the shadow abandoned the use of ether to be the thing it was now?


    But if it abandoned magic, how was it able to use it now?


    Sensei sighed at my confusion.


    ?There are two major forces involved in the creation of this world. On one side you have the gods, but before they existed there was just nothingness, or the Abyss.?


    Now it was my turn to sigh...I could sense an iing lengthy tirade.


    Sensei continued. ?To create Aeon, the gods fought against the Abyss to bring forth living creatures that flourished under the living breath that is the Ether, but the Abyss never truly disappeared. You can''t destroy something you didn''t create, so you could say they only weakened its reign. But it is constantly trying to pull everything back into it and return this world to its prior state.?


    Ah...so, we were merely existing on borrowed time? Wonderful.


    ?Naturally everything dies and returns to the abyss, just as everything alive has the potential to abandon the gods and turn to this abyss for power. For those beings, attaining more power is an exchange. They have to destroy all other creatures that use ether - it bes their fuel. Stop devouring and they will eventually die, but continue and they could live forever. Both are opposite sides of the same coin in a battle for sovereignty that only has one ending.?


    It sounded...crazy, and powerful.


    Something that could battle numerous gods and still remain at a standstill, and perhaps even outlive a god.


    But I had a feeling there was more to this.


    If the price was to be a creature that lived endlessly, whose only im to power was the destruction of others - it didn''t seem that appealing.


    "And which side do monsters like me fall in this battle?"


    ?Isn''t it obvious?? Senseiughed in reply. ?They are more likely to get corrupted than all other creatures.?

 Chapter 229 - Creatures Of The Abyss II

    Great.


    Just great.


    I had to be concerned about eternal life, as if I didn''t have enough things to be worried about already.


    Wonderful.


    "What was it like before it turned out like this?" I asked Sensei.


    What I really wanted to know was how a creature bes corrupted. Sensei''s exnation was prettycking in that detail.


    ?The shadow you see was never inherently violent.? He replied. ?Before it became a creature of the Abyss, it was something of a forest guardian, a helper of Nymphs and Fae alike. Those rods it creates were originally meant to replenish the forest with new trees.?


    "What?!"


    I stared at the shadow creature in disbelief. I expected a monster with shadow or dark magic like myself, not the opposite.


    ?Are you surprised?? Sensei asked.


    I furiously nodded.


    I was curious to know how it went from a fairytale creature to a nightmare monster with a thing for sharp objects. What a scary transformation!


    Since Sensei didn''t seem to get to the point, I impatiently pressed on. "How does a creature get corrupted?"


    ?Why do you want to know?? Sensei asked, his voice holding a tinge of worry.


    "Just curious."


    I could almost feel the ironic stare, but I kept my mind as nk as possible, causing Sensei to sigh before exining with a heavy voice.


    ?When the corruption from the Abyss takes hold, it starts by transforming an unassuming creature into a thing ruled by hunger, instability, and greed. They be bloodthirsty creatures on a rampage, driven to madness by their hunger and the need to sustain themselves by any means unnecessary.?


    ?All of the creature''s former traits will be twisted to make it more effective at killing. They will attack anything that breathes, even each other at times if they can no longer sustain themselves.?


    That sounded positively¡­wicked.


    ?The only intent of the Abyss is to destroy all Ether, so its creatures will get it at any cost in order to survive. Which is why, to cross over, that creature must possess a deep seated hatred, a grudge strong enough to rewrite all the truths within itself. It''s not just the absence of Ether that changes it, it''s the destruction of everything else that made it alive.?


    ?Which is why I don''t advise you to go down that route. You can''t expect to retain the same life you have. If you be one of them, you''ll no longer be god''s creation but apletely distinct creature entirely consumed by wrath. You might even forget who you are.?


    Ah¡­Poor Sensei, my questions probably gave him a fright.


    So, that was why he sounded so worried. He probably thought I wanted its power!


    I really wasn''t considering it though. If anything, his words turned me off from it.


    In summary, these creatures of the Abyss were monsters born out of necessity and desperation, not purely by choice. Without enough power and magic, they likely felt abandoned by the gods and could only turn to another source of power.


    It was no surprise that monsters were more likely to turn to the Abyss considering they took much longer to develop, and with how easy it was to mess up their evolution, living in a ce where cruelty and mercilessness was the order of the day, did not seem like the best idea.


    That a mistake so early in a monster''s lifespan, could determine its choices orck thereof in itster life¡­just seemed too cruel. Most didn''t have the understanding or skills toprehend evolution until muchter, but by then it was toote already.


    Brilliantly illuminated by [Mind''s Eye], I could only stare at the shadow creature''s coreless chest.


    Rather than being devoid of magic, it was absolutely brimming with mana in a chaotic stream so dense its gaseous form seemed almost solid. The symbols forming concentric circles around its body never stopped moving as it drained rod after rod, until the winged creature it tormented could no longer scream.


    I grimaced in revulsion.


    It was free from most of its restraints apart from a few major rods pinning it down in ce, yet the creature could only copse, its chest heaving up and down as the mana drained from it began to refill as its injuries slowly healed.


    "Don''t worry, I''m not considering it." I told Sensei.


    Far from being relieved for the creature, I knew this was only temporary. As soon as it recovered enough strength, the shadow creature would return and resume another round of torment.


    Do the monsters always had the potential to be like that if they gave in to the Abyss?


    The shadow turned out to be nothing at all like what I expected and for some reason I was disappointed.


    With a steady stream of creatures to drain, even an ant could be this powerful, it was only a matter of time.


    Now, Ipared it to the winged serpent that prowled the dungeon''s walkway.


    If the shadow''s mana presence was dense enough to look solid, the serpent''s was as translucent as paper that it looked like a ghost. It too was devoid of a core, but unlike the shadow, the subsequent seeping away of its mana made it painfullycking.


    ?It is yet to achieve a stable state.? Sensei exined.


    ?When mana from the creatures they hunt is consumed in excess, it condenses overtime to form a spectral body that can''t be destroyed as easily. The strength of a creature from the abyss really depends on how many monsters they have consumed. Those with concentrated amounts of mana are almost impossible to kill, while those with less have to keep eating in order to prolong their existence.?


    The difference between the two was so staggering. Plenty of time had to have psed between now and the serpent''sst meal, and in addition to the depletion caused by the wounds I''d given it, I was sure I could kill it in a single blow now.


    The problem was how to draw it away from the shadow creature.


    "If what you say is the case, why do they group together here? Surely if they spread out and killed their way across the Labyrinth there would be plenty more creatures to sustain themselves."


    ?Indeed, it''s quite rare to encounter so many.? Sensei replied. ?They are normally solitary, but this is an unusual case. The Ether here is abundant, which in turn feeds them by attracting any monster that flies over the valley. There is plenty to go around, although as the strongest creature here, the shadow''s needs take precedence.?


    Hmm...


    I thought back to the terrifying undercurrent of mana I felt in my heightened state, it surely had something to do with the dark mist filling the valley.


    It really was the perfect trap.


    Sylrin and I just happened to be silly enough to take a stroll through death valley, and I sighed, cursing Sensei for his strange quest.


    The shadow had already left the cell with the weakened creature to appear in another, where it began tormenting its next captive.


    I nced away from its actions to stare at the creature it left behind.


    It was no longer moving, the stillness from its breathing so final that I thought it was dead, until I focused in on its body with [Mind''s Eye].


    I soon realised the creature had a solid core, although the mana in its body was long depleted, leaving the cyan orb to float by itself in a void.


    However, something strange seemed to be happening to its core.


    First, it''s cyan colour dimmed, then it seemed to shrink down to half its size, before ring out to a big bright ball of blue and white light that was many timesrger than its former size. It was incredibly vivid and I could not stop watching the blinding disy of colours as they unravelled.


    The only problem with this was that this strange new core did not stop expanding.


    As the creaturey unmoving, the mass of light only gotrger until its solid surface could no longer retain its shape. It copsed with an audible bang that shook the dungeon''s walls, shattering the rods impaling it, as well as the stones that made up the cell. An outpouring of gaseous Ether flooded out of its body and for a moment the dungeon was illuminated by a blinding blue light, before everything melted away.


    And then there was nothing where its core once was.


    The change within the creature was sudden. It jerked awake, eyes bulging in panic as it gasped for breath.


    Then the madness set in.


    As I watched, the creature mmed itself into the iron gates of its cell, over and over in an attempt to break out. It continued doing so even when its body began to contort and broken bones poked out of its skin.


    I jerked up in astonishment, straining my eyes to see better.


    After several attempts, it seeded in breaking the bars to pull itself out. And once released, the creature didn''t hesitate before flinging itself at the nearest cell to attack the creature inside.


    However, before it could break through, the shadow emerged from the ground to force it away from the cell. In response, the ravenous creatureunched into a series of attacks against it. But the longer this continued, the weaker it became, until it could barely continue.


    Its body was simply too weak.


    At this rate, its new life would be extinguished before it encountered anything significant to eat. Realising this, the creature screeched at the shadow before storming out of the dungeon, emerging out from a tunnel underground to join the rest of the creatures outside.


    The shadow soon returned to the cell of the creature it tormented. While the winged serpent left the dungeon in the same way as the escaped monster.


    I was surprised they let it go. Neither of them seemed surprised, it was like they were used to it.


    And it made sense.


    If it was capturing powerful creatures for their mana, chances were, it had already created several more creatures of the Abyss just like it, in the past.


    But this made me wonder.


    If the shadow was the strongest creature here, what would happen if I ate it?

 Chapter 230 - Glossary Of Aeon

    Following the winged serpent really paid off.


    As soon as it left the shadow''sir, I chased after it, staying cloaked and at a distance, while gauging my surroundings for an opportunity to make a kill.


    My original target was the newly created Abyssal monster, that in its current starved state, was at its weakest point. But I quickly lost it in the crowd of Abyssal monsters swarming below.


    Now I''d stumbled upon an incredibly familiar scene of utter carnage. Multitudes of monsters jostled over the severed remains of a creature, while others fought another monster nearby that was still alive.


    This monster that had the misfortune of entering the valley today was fighting all alone, desperate to retain its life. It just so happened that the winged serpent noticed this scene and swooped to meet up with the others of its kind.


    I swooped down with it to gauge the state of the cornered hapless creature to see if there was any chance of rescuing it.


    I was aware that it wouldn''t pay for the shadow creature to receive more monsters to reinforce its strength. Those that were strong were worn down exactly like this until they were ready for it''s torturous dungeonir.


    But on closer inspection, there was barely any trace left of the pitiful monster - it was too badly hurt.


    From how much damage it had taken, it seemed this one was destined to be devoured by the Abyssal monsters.


    It seemed its strength wasn''t worthy enough for a slow death by torture, and I grimaced at the irony.


    As the winged serpent arrived, the creature was still fighting valiantly against its tormentors, but its will to live immediately diminished when therge serpent came into view. It dove into the midst of the rabble, its sinister figure quickly dominating all other Abyssal monsters in sight as it snagged a piece of the creature''s limb for itself.


    Meanwhile, I surged ahead in anticipation for this exact moment.


    As its fangs charged down to take a bite, a seamless darkness de zoomed over its head and like a guillotine, its head was cleaved clean from its body, the weighthy thing rolling across on the ground.


    ?You have defeated LV44 Verum Amphiptere!?


    ?You have earned 685XP!?


    ?You have gained a level!?


    Considering most of the damage to its body was done by me, it seemed only right to be the one to end its life.


    From that point on, it becamepletely chaotic.


    At the serpent''s death, the Abyssal monsters surrounding it abandoned their priced catch to rush towards me, perhaps enticed by the prospect of a new prey.


    I knew I couldn''t fight them all without exhausting my mana, and worse, attracting more creatures to join in their hunt. So I took off in flight, drawing them away from the creature before activating [Shadow Shroud] in hopes of losing them in my flight across the valley.


    However, I needed more XP points for the next step of my n, so as soon as I vanished into the dark, I circled back around the confused creatures, to ambush and kill as many of them as I could, before leaving the area to rush back to the monster I saved with my arrival.


    Unfortunately, before I could arrive at the scene, I heard a rabble from below where I was annoyed to find a few stray Abyssal monsters dragging away the monster I''d saved.


    The creature which vaguely resembled a horse was kicking at them, but it was too injured and its legscked power. I needed to give it a potion quickly if it was going to survive, so I dismembered the monsters surrounding it on arrival.


    However, I was toote. Even after feeding it a [Healing Potion], the monster was far too wounded to make an escape. Before even more monsters arrived to finish it off, I chose to spare it from a worse fate.


    ?You have killed LV22 Verum Llywarch!?


    ?You have earned 140XP!?


    Although I was in no mood to eat anything, I had to do so to prevent the Abyssal monsters from benefiting from its corpse and I left feeling disheartened, before taking off again to search for more creatures I could rescue.


    Fortunately, the valley had gone quiet, as there was nothing left to hunt.


    asionally, I stumbled upon noisy areas of activity, but everytime I rushed over, the action was already over and the creature was already dead. Each time I held my breath that I would find Sylrin being devoured or even one of those trifling elves, but every time it was an innocent creature.


    Somehow it felt bad to admit I was relieved.


    ?You shouldn''t worry about him.? Sensei offered. ?Have you forgotten you left him a potion??


    Yeah, that''s true. Wait-


    I immediately stopped looking for monsters to rescue and sped back to the shadow creature''sir.


    How could I forget?!


    The realisation hit me, as my worry quickly turned to horror and dread. I had to defeat the shadow right now, and quickly.


    Because I was in danger!


    I wasn''t worried about Sylrin anymore, if anything I was terrified for myself.


    What would happen if that temperamental brat had [Sensei''s Brew] in his system? The thought made me shiver.


    So, what if he was captured? If they tried to fight him, wouldn''t they be doing themselves a disservice?


    He would gopletely ballistic like I did. A single tantrum of his had the potential to be extremely dangerous. I could already imagine entire the valley going up in mes!


    Before then, I had to escape, or I might end up cremated with the rest of them.


    Hopefully, he didn''t wake up for a long time.


    Soon, the shadow creature''s hiddenir came into view and I returned to my previous vantage point to observe it across the deep chasm with [Mind''s Eye].


    To my relief, the creature was still present in the dungeon.


    Unbeknownst to it, its fateful servant was dead, which meant there shouldn''t be any interference if I chose to fight it now. But that was all the advantages I had.


    Its maniption of dark magic was still leagues above mine and as much as I detested its methods, I couldn''t stop craving it''s skills for myself. My mind filled with ways to put into practice some of the abilities I''d seen it use to make my magic stronger. But where to start?


    From the immense aura the shadow radiated, it was back to its full power and this was already putting me at a disadvantage.


    ?Why did youe back?? Sensei''s question interrupted my train of thought. ?Shouldn''t you be leaving??


    I huffed in annoyance instead of responding, and continued searching around the shadow''sir for something I could use.


    There was something unusual about the area around itsir, which I''d only noticed after travelling through the valley for some time.


    [Mind''s Eye] was significantly easier to use here than anywhere else.


    While it was still apanied by terrible pain, it was so much worse when I tried to use it while hunting.


    The splitting headache got so unbearable that I had to stop using it after only a minute. Whereas here, I could use it for several minutes at a time.


    It was quite unusual but I had some idea as to why this was the case.


    Previously, I felt a simr undercurrent of mana when I healed myself after taking [Sensei''s Brew]. It was the same overwhelming feeling I felt here which might be the reason the skill was easy to use. It was even more apparent near the bottom of the chasm, which led me to believe the dense amount of mana had a source somewhere below the shadow monster''sir.


    And I couldn''t help wondering what it was.


    When I scanned it previously, I noticed another room below the shadow creature''s dungeon. This was another reason I had to kill it, so I could go there and find out where it was.


    But I wasn''t sure Sensei would approve of my ns.


    While my questions would be answered if I went there now, it was too close to the shadow to go unnoticed. I could only scan the area from a distance with a frown.


    Fortunately, I had something of a n.


    The symbols I saw whenever the shadow creature used magic had to be the key to understanding its skills. Since it was a symbol, it had to have some meaning depending on whatnguage it was written in. Which meant I had to improve my understanding.


    After killing the winged serpent, and hunting for a while, the sum of my XP points had increased to [3630] points, which was finally enough to purchase [Glossary of Aeon].


    This was it. I couldn''t cry.


    I had to say goodbye to my riches for the sake of justice.


    I essed the system and soon heard the familiar ding.


    ?Confirmed:¡ºGlossary of Aeon¡»has been acquired.?


    I shed a silent tear as my XP points diminished to a pitiful amount. My crazy idea had to work because had no other idea how to go about it.


    I focused on the shadow creature''s figure as it moved through the dungeon, the symbols revealed by [Mind''s Eye] surrounding it in a circr pattern as it sank into the ground.


    I immediately snapped to attention, visualising the symbols as their meaning filled my head.


    However, before I fully understood what was happening, the ground opened up under me, and my vision faded to ck, as I was swallowed whole.

 Chapter 231 - Blink

    There was no sound aside from my screaming as I fell down what felt like a deep hole. Everything was dark, and my noisy hisses kept echoing back to me in the endless void.


    Echo? Hold on.


    An echo meant this ce had a surface, or at least something solid.


    The wind rushing swiftly against my body made me realise I would surely break into a million fragments, if I didn''t stop my descent now.


    Grasping my situation, I quickly spread out my wings.


    My body shot up weightlessly like a kite, before settling down to an aimless drift and I peered this way and that way to try and pick up something.


    Just when I started contemting my surroundings, the system dinged.


    ?Skill¡ºBlink: LV1¡»has been acquired?


    Kyaa! No way!


    Was that like teleport? How cool!


    Suddenly my drifting stopped, as I struck something hard ahead of me, but instead of falling, I rolled across the object until the pull of gravity simply stopped.


    Ouch. What just happened?


    I was just flying and suddenly I was rolling ¨C this ce was way off!


    I nced around in curiosity, but I was inplete darkness, so the smoothness of the surface I was on felt even more real.


    I already knew I was in trouble.


    I essentially decoded the shadow creature''s spell, or at least I thought I did. When I recreated the skill, there had to have been some misstep, because I couldn''t understand where I was now.


    "Sensei?" I called out.


    I heard azy ?hmm? which suggested he couldn''t be bothered to answer, but it immediately put me at ease.


    I was alive!


    If he was still here, I''d simply been transported to another ne.


    But where was this?


    I slithered around for a while but I encountered nothing but smooth ground.


    Just where?


    My confused hisses echoed back to me like a greeting.


    I wanted to see how far the surface went, so I sprinted across it for a while, but after several minutes it still hadn''te to an end.


    Sensei sighed in exasperation. ?Recreating that skill was too advanced to start with. You should have done something small like improving the basics of your [Mana Control] before attempting something like this.?


    I frowned.


    It was a bit toote for that now. If he didn''t want any idents, he should have said something sooner!


    Perhaps this was a separate dimension or some kind of dark realm, although it was nothing at all like what I imagined, but I was intrigued.


    Since I recreated the skill from the shadow, was I truly alone here? Or was the shadow going to show up at some point?


    The thought made me shudder.


    Yet, after wandering the ne for a while, I encountered nothing else, which convinced me the area was empty.


    This ce was mine, and I slithered around cackling in delight.


    ?Since you''re so free. Why not let me teach you how to control your mana?? Sensei asked dryly.


    "No thanks!" I firmly shook my head, a wide grin on my face. I didn''t want his help.


    One thing was clear ¨C my n had worked!


    Although the use of magic was unconscious for monsters, [Mind''s Eye] was not a typical skill. When I observed the shadow, it revealed its skills to me in the form of anguage I could now understand.


    If magic which was normally hidden was revealed to me through [Mind''s Eye], did it also work for other things?


    Perhaps, I would also be able to see my own magic in symbolic form if I used [Mind''s Eye] on myself?


    I was delighted I had done it.


    But the problem now was how to get back.


    ?Skill Aptitude Increased:¡ºBlink: LV1¡»has be ¡ºBlink: LV2¡»?


    Ah...that was fast!


    I activated [Mind''s Eye] to stare at myself and was delighted to see the same symbols surrounding me that the shadow had.


    Recalling how I used it before, I simply deactivated Blink''s effect.


    In an instant the darkness of the ne vanished and I found myself freefalling high up in the air, several leagues away from any rocky teau.


    The shadow''sir was also nowhere in sight.


    I hissed in panic.


    It worked, but what the heck!


    Beneath me was a chaotic swarm of Abyssal monsters tearing apart a monster. And as if the height wasn''t scary enough, my falling trajectory would bring me right to them, and some of the monsters had already spotted me and were making their way over.


    In my panic, I activated [Blink] and found myself back in the dark ne again.


    Hahh!


    I took several deep breaths to calm myself. That was dangerous ¨C too dangerous!


    Why did Ie out in the middle of the air? I should have been in the same ce I left.


    What if the next time I came out trapped inside a rock or something?


    My breath hitched in panic. This was bad!


    I''d moved around too much since getting here to retrace my path back to where I started. Instead, I tried to recall thendscape I saw when I returned, moving backwards enough to get away from the monsters but not to impact anything solid.


    However, I began to question if the three dimensions existed here. I did just travel across space after all.


    In the midst of my turmoil, Sensei''s voice interrupted my thoughts. ?Stop moving without thinking, you''ll only hurt yourself.?


    Hmph! As unhelpful as always.


    When I didn''t answer, Sensei growled in annoyance. ?Why the hell are you sulking now??


    I''d been annoyed with him ever since I learnt about the Abyssal monsters, it was only now that he was getting the hint.


    "I don''t know. Maybe because you didn''t tell me there''s some secret war going on out there that could potentially affect me and my Pit. Don''t you realize how dangerous it is for me not to know important things like that¡­ before I find myself in the midst of it."


    I knew this wasn''t the time, but I couldn''t help venting my frustration.


    ?It wasn''t necessary for your survival at the time, that''s why I never mentioned it.? Sensei calmly replied. ?Too much trivial baggage will only slow you down. And why do you care, it''s not like you will participate.?


    How could he decide that on his own!


    "I care because I''d like to have that information so I can make my choice."


    ?Perhaps. But it''s still unnecessary.? Sensei deadpanned.


    He didn''t even understand that? I was more upset with him now. Did I have an airhead for a system?


    Sensei sighed. ?You should stop using [Blink] for now.?


    "And why is that?" I grumbled.


    ?You replicated a skill your opponent has already mastered. At its current level you won''t be able to move quickly across this space or see where you''re going, until it''s at least LV5.?


    "What!" That would take too long!


    ?To improve faster, you have to learn to control your mana first. Right now, you''re merely moving blindly across two nes, it''s very dangerous.?


    I scowled, because he was right.


    "Tell me one thing. Does time flow differently here, or is it the same?"


    Sensei''s irritatingly smug voice chuckled. ?Finally asking the right questions. At LV2, time moves twice as slow, you should be able to guess the rest.?


    Did he have to say it like that?


    Regardless, I was relieved. If I learnt to control my mana first, maybe it would increase the uracy of my jump. For, now it was worth improving my [Darkness Magic]. I wanted to try creating a solid object, like the rods of the shadow.


    And for that, I had to ''observe'' how it did that.


    "Fine, we''ll do it your way." I grumbled. "How do I get out of her safely now?"


    Sensei chuckled. ?Move backwards.?


    I frowned as I inched back a few metres.


    ?A bit more.?


    I felt myself twitch. He was totally enjoying this.


    ?Stop. Now fly upwards.?


    I did so, until Sensei instructed me to stop. When I came out, it was on the edge of the rocky chasm, but several feet below where I started from.


    The reason soon became clear.


    There was arge feline Abyssal monster resting near my original vantage point,pletely blocking the view of the shadow''sir. I seemed to have travelled several leagues in an instant, the frenzy of creatures I witnessed earlier were nowhere to be found.


    I was amazed. [Mind''s Eye] and [Blink] were truly awesome!


    I cloaked myself before flying past the Abyssal monster to reach a higher peak. The shadow creature was still in itsir, so I ventured closer to observe it with [Mind''s Eye].


    There was no point going after the monster below me, I was only interested in one thing. When I checked my stats, the first thing I noticed was a newnguage under [Glossary of Aeon], and I was overjoyed.


    With that thought in mind, I busied myself with practice.


    Soon all the skills the shadow creature possessed were going to be mine.

 Chapter 232 - Black Lightning

    Above the jagged peak, a patch of dark mist trembled as the space around it crackled with power.


    And then, a sh of ck lightning appeared, tearing a rift through the dark haze, before flickering away to nothing. With it gone, all that was left was a shadowy serpent that did not stand out much on the chasm''s edge.


    I made it back¡­I think.


    With a few minor adjustments, the appearance of [Blink] had changed quite a bit from before.


    Yet, I refused to open my eyes, or move, except to tuck the tip of my tail under my coil. Remaining perfectly still, I made sure to note my position on the chasm''s edge with [Mind''s Eye] before sighing in relief.


    Did he notice?


    Technically, this wasn''t cheating - my coils made up the majority of my body anyway!


    ?Well done.? Sensei remarked, after keeping me in suspense for several seconds. ?A few inches off the mark, but eptable, nheless.?


    Finally! I wanted to jump with joy!


    After arriving from the shadowy dimension, I was pleased to see my uracy had improved yet again. I released my coils to flopzily on the rocks as I recovered my MP.


    This time, I arrived a good distance away from the chasm''s edge,pared to before when [Blink]pletely missed the edge by more than a metre.


    At the time, my weight,bined with the jagged rocks that broke under them, nearly sent me tumbling down the chasm. It was merely a stroke of luck that I managed to recover without alerting the Abyssal monster below me.


    I was happy such a disastrous blunder did not repeat itself!


    "How long has it been?" I perked up to ask Sensei.


    ?Roughly, five minutes.? He replied.


    Oh? This was another great piece of news! It seemed I had gotten even faster.


    Those five minutes were more than thirty in the shadow realm, and I had been using [Blink] repeatedly to travel to and from the valley. The extra time the shadow realm afforded, allowed me to build up my strength.


    This return trip would make it my third one, so far. And this time, my time spent there should shorten again.


    Looking over the chasm, I was pleased to see everything was the same as before. The feline Abyssal monster was still keeping watch below, the asional cry of a creature could be heard across the valley, and most importantly, the shadow creature was still in itsir, much to my relief.


    Although its aura was back to its peak state, I wasn''t too worried, because through ''observing'' its skills, I had also gotten stronger.


    I activated my [Shadow Shroud] for the first time outside the shadow realm, feeling the mana surrounding me fluctuate as tendrils of darkness sped past my body to strike the rocks in front of me.


    In a second, it was over. The shes left behind like an ugly scar - diagonal, deep, and jagged, with every stroke varying in length and thickness.


    Time spent in the shadow realm allowed my [Shadow Shroud] to improve until I could create solid shapes out of darkness. They could be touched, much like the shadow creatures rods, yet they were not the same.


    Mine took longer to materialize because they were not a direct copy and I had to figure out things by myself.


    I drew closer to observe the damage, making note of the sharpness of the cuts. Unfortunately, they were not as clean, nor did they go as deeply as I would have liked, and I sighed.


    Sure, it would have been easier to recreate the rods, but I decided not to, because doing so would make it that much easier for the shadow creature to counter attack them - it was its skill, after all.


    As a result, the technique was not perfect. Mine ended up looking like snake tendrils instead of thin lengthy wires I could spread wide and control. I also needed to figure out how to improve its mana draining properties.


    At the moment, the mana drained by them could only increase my stamina, I was yet to figure out how to use this technique to supplement my mana, and better yet, my health. Two things I desperately needed a surplus of.


    But ultimately, they were a sess.


    I could create several at a time and spread them out over an area, making them that much harder to evade. With a bit of extra work, all that would remain was to sort out their ''thinness'' orck thereof.


    Again. I had to go again.


    My previous flight across the valley revealed more Abyssal monsters than I could count. If every single one of them was the result of the shadow''s cruel acts - it needed to be stopped. And I had to be in my best condition to do that.


    Two more visits to the shadow realm should be enough to iron out all the kinks in my newly acquired abilities, and by then, my penalty would be over as well. And with my stats back to their full potential - only then would I be able to face the shadow creature properly.


    It wasn''t long now.


    With this in mind, I gave the shadow creature asting look across the chasm, before blinking back into the shadow realm.


    After some time had passed, another sh of lightning could be seen on the alcove, much further from the jagged edge than before.


    This time, mynding was perfect and I stared at my surroundings in glee.


    Only four minutes had passed.


    With so many improvements, mytest trip couldn''t have gone any better if I tried. But as soon as I nced down, I noticed the shadow creature stood still in itsir.


    Then its silhouette turned to look right across the chasm. At me.


    My heart thudded loudly and my body went stiff.


    There was no way it could see me, right? There was a wall of stone between us - I was only able to see it because of [Mind''s Eye].


    When I looked down, the Abyssal monster was still present, its eyes closed. Below the valley, everything was the same as before, although it was no longer as noisy. Rather, it was abnormally still.


    And yet, the shadow creature remained staring in my direction, and I began to sweat.


    My thoughts filled with several possibilities.


    Perhaps it wasn''t staring at me, but at something else...


    But then, I heard the harsh roar of a creature echo from below the chasm, which made the eyes of the Abyssal monster below me re open in rm.


    My immediate thought was Sylrin - had he woken up?


    I prepared to leap down the chasm to find him, only to glimpse a shadow flicker in the corner of my eyes.


    But before I could react I was struck by a series of rods that pierced through me with enough force to shatter the ground. I was effectively pinned in ce, unable to move as a dark scythe zoomed towards me in a sh that was impossible to avoid.


    The shadow creature appeared before me, its empty eyes glowing with wrath. Its powerful aura froze me in ce and I could only stare at the oing de like a deer caught in headlights.


    But just as the de came down to slice through my neck, my surroundings exploded in darkness.


    Waves of solid tendrils exploded around me in arge mass, each one t and delicate like silk, yet hard as steel with an equal edge to match. They criss-crossed in front of me, blocking the scythe, and acting as a barrier while I tried to get away.


    The shadow creature began to push back the scythe with even more force. Without any hesitation, I broke through the rods piercing me, and threw myself off the chasm''s edge to get away from the shadow creature as fast as I could.


    Falling from the chasm, I caught a glimpse of its ominous ck eyes filled with killing intent. They showed absolutely no mercy, there was no intention of capturing me at all - unlike before.


    Part of me wanted to [Blink] away to the shadow realm, but Sylrin was in danger. So for now, it was enough to get away from it.


    I spread my wings wide and flew in to the chasm''s depths, towards the desperate sounding roar. Did Sylrin take the potion and was raging?


    Or did he not take it and came out to find me, and was attacked by the monsters?


    However, it wasn''t long before I noticed I hadpany.


    As if summoned from across the valley, Abyssal monsters appeared everywhere I looked, all locked in pursuit like hounds from hell.


    Those that could fly ambushed me from above, while those that couldn''t, lunged at me from below, their attacks so persistent that I had to cut through them with the solid tendrils of [Shadow Shroud].


    All the while, the ominous aura of the shadow creature traced its way across the valley with the speed of a meteor. It wasn''t even bothering to conceal its presence at this point.


    I rushed down the chasm regardless, if Sylrin was healed, it was better to meet up with him than to fight alone. So, I sliced my way through the mouring creatures, until I reached the bottom.


    There, I found an Abyssal drake of the same size with several unhealed scars that looked like they had been inflicted with poison, and I was dazed with shock.


    It wasn''t Sylrin...was it?


    It couldn''t be. He was safe and waiting for me in the cave, right?


    In the next second, I was attacked from all sides by the creatures present. Including Sylrin.


    I was too overwhelmed with shock and disbelief that I didn''t even move as the shadow creature materialised among them, and approached me slowly like a reaper of death.


    I was too numb to react even as the Abyssal monsters mped down on me and several wed at me. Yet, my eyes were fixed on the dark figure of the silly, overgrown lizard that followed me out of the hive, and a spark of fury ignited within me.


    How dare they kill Sylrin?


    And then, my vision was faded to darkness.

 Chapter 233 - Vendetta

    The assembly of monsters vanished altogether as I blinked, the scene switching from the chaotic chasm to the silent dark void in an instant.


    With a crackle of lightning, I found myself falling through the ceiling of a room filled with grey stone, the severed limbs and heads of my Abyssal opponents raining down after me like ghastly confetti.


    There, my body trembled on the cold ground as I nced around at the scattered remains.


    I wasn''t surprised to find myself in the shadow creature''sir, its series of dungeons were all too familiar to me. However, I was surprised I was able to get there on a [Blink] without much calction.


    I exploded with mirthlessughter as I dragged myself off the ground. Was it a stroke of luck, or a cruel form of divine intervention?


    I arrived at the severed head of the Abyssal drake, watching the creature stare back at me, its body twitching in terror.


    Yet, I didn''t do anything, I simply waited for it to revert to its original form ¨C this had to be some sort of shapeshifter.


    It was all an borate n of the shadow creature to ensnare me, using the appearance of Sylrin as bait, right?


    But, as the seconds passed by, it did not change.


    And my panic only grew more, the longer I waited.


    ?It''s not him.? Sensei affirmed. ?Do you think Sylrin would forget you so quickly, and even try to kill you??


    I wanted to believe him, I really did.


    But at the back of my mind I kept wondering if he was only saying that to get me to move again.


    Sensei sighed as he realized I didn''t believe him. ?Look closely, it really isn''t him.?


    I did not. I shut my eyes and turned away, choosing to believe him instead.


    The number in my stats had not reduced, rather it had increased.


    ----------------------------


    Pit Members: [5298]


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    There was no way to tell from it, and I could only hope he was right.


    Sensei had never lied to me before, he wouldn''t do so now, right?


    I suppressed my panic and steeled my thoughts.


    I really was in trouble this time.


    I acted carelessly by letting the shadow creature see me blink. In addition, I was sure it could track me somehow. Although I was far away, it would soon know I was here.


    If it really was as intelligent as I thought, it might''ve already figured out I recreated its skills, and I regretted revealing one of my cards so early on in battle.


    Because of this, it would be that much harder to defeat it now.


    ?Get out of here quickly.? Sensei said. ?They areing.?


    Somehow, I calmed down, because my life depended on it. Activating [Mind''s Eye], I stared past the dungeon''s walls to see numerous Abyssal monsters pouring towards the shadow''sir.


    Damn. They knew I was here already!


    Their swarms filled the ground like a gue and the air was so littered with them, I could barely see through the dark mass of creatures.


    Since everything else was moving I was able to spot the lone figure of the shadow creature standing in their midst, and it was staring straight at itsir.


    I had to leave, now.


    However, before I could use blink, the shadow shot forward and disappeared, and I turned around, ducking just in time to see a scythe cleave through the air above my head.


    It was here, and it moved much faster than when I faced it before.


    As the scythe missed, I channelled my [Poison Magic], applying the same principles as I did with my dark des, beforebining the two together.


    The result was a misty poison orb, bright green in colour, with a potent base brimming with dark magic, which the shadow creature moved to slice without hesitation ¨C not knowing it packed a terrible secret.


    The orb exploded on contact, drenching the entirety of the shadow''s body and de in a wash of poison that corroded everything it touched.


    Once hit, the shadow creature immediately leapt away from me, disappearing through the ground in an instant as its body began to sizzle.


    I watched it reappear on the floor below me with [Mind''s Eye], it''s dark bandages fizzling away and as the poison melted through its body.


    Soon, half of it was worn down to the muscle, and the scythe it held was eaten down to the bone. Throughout this process, I could feel the energy seeping away from it to enrich my own body.


    But this was not a typical monster.


    The single dousing that was supposed to drain a creature of their mana until they fell, had already lost its effect as the shadow creature started to repair itself. As I watched, its wounds knitted together, its scythe soon covered with darkness once more, and the mana I was siphoning abruptly stopped.


    I had to admit it was good, but something else demanded my interest - their I upied was quickly filling with monsters.


    Chaotic noises apanied by deep roars echoed out from every exit. The floor above in particr, was dealing with the rampage of several winged beasts, while the dungeon below was packed withrger Abyssal monsters alongside the shadow.


    I considered destroying everything with [Dark Wave] to finish them all at once.


    However, although the others would surely die, the shadow was still strong right now. If it got away in time, it would return in the aftermath, and by then my MP would be drained.


    And then, I would die for sure.


    Looking at my choices, I blinked to the floor above, just as the monsters moured into the dungeon I was just in.


    But on reappearing, the shadow was gone.


    It was no longer in the dungeon and I scanned through the floors to find it, only for it to suddenly appear right beside me.


    I activated [Shadow Shroud] to deflect the scythe, and numerous des of solid darkness mmed into it with force. Once pushed back, the shadow vanished again, its presence now on the floor below, standing in the midst of the Abyssal monsters.


    I blinked, and my shroud whipped out around me, in a web, spreading far and wide in a bid to trap the shadow. The surrounding walls were damaged, and multiple des pierced through the shadow, holding it in ce as my poison orbs spread across the room.


    I wasn''t letting it get away.


    Soon, several shrieks and howls resounded throughout the dungeon, as my poison melted through every Abyssal monster present.


    I was filled with copious amounts of mana as the monsters copsed all around. Yet, my poison attack seemed to have missed the shadow entirely.


    It broke free from my des, but didn''t run away. Its mana presence was still in the room, and I spread my shroud even wider to seep through every crevice to force it out.


    Meanwhile, the system went absolutely insane with kill alerts as several of the Abyssal monsters died.


    ?You have earned 1580XP!?


    ?You have gained a level!?


    I was focused on finding the shadow and didn''t bother paying any attention, but as soon as the kill alerts stopped, the system dinged with a new message.


    ?Conditions for evolution satisfied.¡ºSmall Cerastes¡»can evolve into¡ºLesser Cerastes¡»or ¡ºEtheno Cerastes¡»(ept | Reject)?


    No.


    Absolutely not right now!


    I decided to ignore it for now, but a vicious de soon appeared inches away from me, followed by a sharp pain and the feeling of exhaustion.


    I wasn''t fast enough to evade and although I managed to blink away, the scythe left a jagged wound across my body.


    I soon emerged on a higher floor with an outpouring of blood and red system alerts.


    ?HP Status: Critical!?|Bleeding|


    ?HP Status: Critical!?|Bleeding|


    The system dinged with a flurry of alerts as my HP plummeted.


    The wound was so deep, my body felt like it could tear apart at the slightest movement.


    Yet, the stinging pain did nothing to dull my senses. No sooner did I emerge, did the shadows behind me start to flicker. I immediately shot at them with condensed poison but instead of the shadow creature, it was a bunch of dark rods that shot past without colliding with any of my poison spheres.


    I swiftly defended myself with a crisscross of des from [Shadow Shroud].


    However, the shadow creature kept attacking me from random directions, focusing its attacks on my shroud in a continuous exchange of blows that wreaked havoc on the surroundings.


    It was like it was trying to destroy my shroud.


    Soon, it''s attacks became much harder to predict as my frequent blinks to avoid its attacks, continuously changed my surroundings.


    However, my efforts were to no avail, as it became apparent the shadow was trying to wear me down.


    Although I practiced continuously in the shadow realm, I needed to calcte distances before blinking, in order to avoid obstacles. But in the chaos of our battle and my injury, my MP was running out fast and things were no longer as clear.


    My head was hazy and my breathing was hoarse. As a result, my use of [Blink] was no longer perfect. But, I persisted because I was so close.


    I had to continue.


    It made me its worst enemy by pushing me so far - there was no way I would let it go, not until it was dead.


    I spotted the shadow creature as it appeared on a floor below, and I readied my poison orbs before blinking to the shadow realm.


    However, when I emerged, the shadow creature had vanished again, and I scanned the floors with [Mind''s Eye], only to see its figure emerge on the floor above me.


    I hissed in rage, preparing to blink again, only for the fanged maw of an Abyssal monster lunge at me, the moment I turned away.

 Chapter 234 - Dark Sovereign

    It reached the floor almost at the same time as I arrived, and as it lunged for me, I barely avoided adding another fatal injury before blinking away with its head.


    ?You have killed LV24 Verum Kylguivre!?


    ?You have gained a level!?


    ?You have earned 180XP!?


    The heavy head of the creature rolled to a stop in front of the shadow creature as I fired several poison orbs at it. The shadow creature didn''t even feel perturbed and simply vanished into the ground.


    Its slippery methods were really testing my patience and focus as my body trembled with the effort of moving. But it wasn''t just my injury.


    Using so many advanced skills, with my critical stats and limited mana, wasn''t doing anything to my advantage. It wasn''t long before I started to see all my stats plummet again.


    I couldn''t continue to keep up with a continuous exchange so I blinked towards the shadow to end things once and for all.


    Yet, the shadow that appeared before me was no different.


    It was also covered in cuts, and its healing abilities no longer seemed to be in effect.


    However, unlike me, it hadn''t slowed down.


    So, after blinking for the nth time, I stopped chasing it, pretending to falter from my injuries.


    It was a risky tactic, but not long after I copsed, a shadow flickered near my body as the shadow creature emerged mere metres away from me.


    My eyes were closed but I watched it cross the room with [Mind''s Eye], and just as it raised its scythe to strike, I generated several poison orbs and shot it point nk and blinked away as the explosion of poison engulfed its body.


    But as I did so, my wound tore open further, sending jolts of pain through my body.


    Ouch. I had to recover.


    My mana was now almost non-existent, and I could barely generate my shroud.


    Everything that could possibly go wrong in this battle already had, and my body was absolutely wrecked. I could barely move, and yet the shadow was in a much worse condition.


    I recalled the dungeon where the shadow kept several creatures captive and my immediate thought was to go there and devour them all.


    But just then, the system dinged again.


    [Penalty period has expired.]


    [Penalty restrictions have been lifted - all system skills and their derivatives are now avable to use.]


    It''s about damn time!


    I was so happy I could cry as I looked at my stats.


    --------------


    Name: Aurelia [LV29 Small Cerastes]


    Specie: Cerastes Vipera


    HP: 260/795   Defence: 928


    MP: 150/670   Intellect: 520


    SP: 200/760    Magic: 700


    Attack: 830    Agility: 1028


    --------------


    Aw yeah! I was back!


    The sudden boost in power, as my defence and speed recovered, along with all my sealed skills avable again made me ecstatic. I immediately activated [Regeneration] to heal my injuries.


    However, it seemed like the shadow and I had the exact same idea.


    It reappeared in the dungeon where it began to attack the weak, helpless creatures in the cells for their magic, and I hissed in anger at its persistence and vile methods.


    Its body was already badly scorched by poison, so much that it barely resembled its former self, now that it was no longer healing - it wanted to undo all my efforts.


    Not happening!


    I immediately blinked towards its position and shoved the shadow away from the creature.


    The only problem was that this floor was packed full with too many Abyssal monsters to count and as I fought with the shadow, the outside of the cell began to swarm with the Abyssal monsters of all kinds.


    We were separated from them by a single iron gate that had already begun to weaken with age, and with the ws of so many creatures slicing against it, the metal began to warp with a shrill grating noise.


    Soon, the first Abyssal monster broke through the gate, followed by several more who poured in.


    To my surprise, the shadow that had been doing everything to bypass me, faded into the ground, leaving the creature it tried to kill alone as the Abyssal monsters all rushed in to attack me.


    And then I saw its figure emerge in another cell.


    I was immediately set upon by several ferocious Abyssal monsters who tore through my existing wounds, while the creature I had been protecting was reduced to a mess of meat and blood before my eyes.


    In retaliation, I sliced through every creature present with my [Shadow Shroud] in a whirlwind of attacks until nothing but dismembered piles remained. Yet, the creatures came into the cells in unending waves and my MP was drastically falling with each attack.


    ?Calm down.? Sensei solemnly said. ?These are not your targets, they aren''t worth your anger?


    My body trembled with frustration, as my eyes shed with rage.


    Rather than continue cutting up the monsters around me, I simply activated my poison spheres in a widespread attack that impacted them all at once.


    It didn''t matter that my MP plummeted to [20] along with it, because soon every monster in the cell was suffering under the effect of my poison, and now all of their mana was mine to im.


    Unlike before, I was not interrupted and I was able to maximise my [Energy Conversion] to an astonishing degree. My MP quickly shot up to [250], along with my critical HP that stopped shing, and I was filled with ecstasy as the worst of my wounds started to regenerate.


    Sensei was right, these weren''t my targets.


    As my mana continued to increase, I was drawn to a shadow flickering in my periphery, which caused me to smirk. We were both starved of mana and health and while we wanted to kill each other ¨C the shadow wanted to preserve its life more, prizing its own self-preservation over vengeance.


    How could it resisting back for me, when I was now the creature with the most abundant mana around?


    And so, as the shadow scythe hurtled towards me, I simply rushed into it and blinked away.


    The cell filled with blood and dismembered parts promptly shifted to darkness, and I stumbled out into a new area with a crash of dust and rubble, before rolling to a stop.


    The dust cloud soon settled, and I was met with a quiet empty roomposed mostly of stone.


    Although there was no Abyssal monster in sight, I was still inside the shadow''sir. This was the secret space below the dungeon I''d discovered with [Mind''s Eye], where the copious amount of ether was flowing out from.


    And as I stared up at the ceiling, just breathing the heavy air here made me feel ufortable.


    But then, I heard a noise and turned to look at the shadow''s body.


    As it struggled to get away, I was unsympathetic.


    Its torso had been cut in half when I grabbed it, its mana now diminished to a ghostly remnant.


    The pitiful appearance of this once powerful monster made me feel gloomy, and worse, because I could understand its words.


    Rather than let it get any further, I activated [Dark de], cutting it into several smaller pieces. Then I focused on its dismembered torso, watching as thest of its energy bled away with [Mind''s Eye].


    The scythe beside it soon reverted to bone and its body eventually stopped moving as thest of its mana faded away.


    ?You have killed LV54 Verum Sleipnir!?


    ?You have gained a level!?


    ?You have gained a level!?


    ?You have gained a level!?


    ?You have gained a level!?


    ?You have gained a level!?


    ?You have earned 1700XP!?


    I felt nothing at its demise. Killing it did not undo Sylrin''s death.


    Instead, all I felt was emptiness.


    Alone with the shadow''s corpse, in this strange part of the dungeon, I didn''t know what to do next.


    But then, the system dinged.


    ?Conditions for evolution satisfied.¡ºSmall Cerastes¡»can evolve into¡ºLesser Cerastes¡»or ¡ºEtheno Cerastes¡»(ept | Reject)?


    "What''s the strongest option?" I asked Sensei.


    ?Don''t you want to know what each one does?? Sensei asked in disapproval.


    "No. I just want the strongest one." I replied.


    ?Then go for ''Etheno'', It''s a varian-? Sensei started to say, but I promptly hit ''ept'' for ''Etheno Cerastes'', and everything faded to ck as I lost consciousness.


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    ?Commencing Evolution... ?


    .


    .


    .


    Ding!


    ?Skill¡ºThought Transference: LV1¡»has been acquired?


    ?Skill¡ºSovereign''s Aura: LV1¡»has been acquired?


    ?¡ºSovereign''s Aura: LV1 ¡»has synthesized with ¡ºCommander ¡» to be¡ºDark Sovereign ¡»?


    .


    .


    .


    Ding!


    ?Skill¡ºShadow Shroud: LV10¡»has evolved to¡ºDark d: LV1¡»?


    ?Skill¡ºRapid Strike: LV10¡»has evolved to¡ºLightning Strike: LV1¡»?


    ?Skill¡ºPain Toxin: LV10¡»has evolved to¡ºBleed Toxin: LV1¡»?


    ?Skill¡ºFear Bringer: LV1¡»has been acquired?


    .


    .


    .


    Ding!


    ?Skill¡ºMeteor Scales:LV10¡»has evolved to¡ºDragonsteel Armour: LV1¡»?


    ?Skill¡ºBite:LV10¡»has evolved to¡ºCrushing Bite: LV1¡»?


    ?Skill¡ºLeap:LV10¡»has evolved to¡ºShattering Impact: LV1¡»?


    ?Skill¡ºCrystal Defence: LV1¡»has been acquired?


    ?Skill¡ºColossal Strength: LV1¡»has been acquired?


    .


    .


    .


    Ding!


    ?Skill¡ºBuoyancy: LV10¡»has evolved to¡ºGravity Negation: LV1¡»?


    ?Skill¡ºHeat Sphere:LV10¡»has evolved to¡ºSensory Field: LV1¡»?


    ?Skill¡ºSilence:LV10¡»has evolved to¡ºSerpentine Grace: LV1¡»?


    ?Skill¡ºCharisma: LV1¡»has been acquired?


    ?Skill¡ºPredatory Grace: LV1¡»has been acquired?


    .


    .


    .


    Ding!


    ?Skill¡ºGrip:LV10¡»has evolved to¡ºSpatial Manoeuvring: LV1¡»?


    ?Skill¡ºScent: LV10¡»has evolved to¡ºOlfactory Enhancement: LV1¡»?


    ?Skill¡ºHeat Seeker: LV10¡»has evolved to¡ºInfrared Vision: LV1¡»?


    ?Skill¡ºVision Enhancement: LV1¡»has been acquired?


    ?Skill¡ºThought eleration: LV1¡»has been acquired?


    .


    .


    .


    Ding!


    ?Undergoing Evolution... ?


    .


    .


    .


    Ding!


    ?Corruption Detected?


    ?Evolution Halted?


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    Ding!


    ?Commencing Mutation¡­?


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    Ding!


    ?¡ºAbyss Magic: LV1¡»has been acquired?


    ?Skill¡ºNecromancy: LV1¡»has been acquired?


    ?Skill¡ºSummon: LV1¡»has been acquired?


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    ?Unique Skill¡ºRuler of Abyss ¡»has been acquired?

 Chapter 235 - Ael Etheno

    I was aware I was dreaming. The Labyrinth before me was the same as before, with everything vibrant and flourishing. Yet everything about it was different and I soon realised why.


    It was too quiet.


    There were no monsters, the vast space so calm you could hear a pin drop. Red spider lilies bloomed everywhere, like it was my own personal garden, and I was not alone. Typhon and Ophelia were beside me, seemingly waiting for something.


    When I looked up, the roof of the Labyrinth was gone, and all I could see was brilliant night sky, stretching far and wide, in an all epassing darkness with neither moon nor stars.


    Glowing red embers took the ce of stars in the sky, illuminating everything in a glowing red hue. It looked otherworldly and strange, with everything submerged in darkness. And yet, I found it all to be immensely beautiful.


    I opened my eyes, slightly disappointed by the bleak surroundings in the dungeon, and I distractedly stared at rows of cells with a nk expression, my brain still foggy. Until I realised - this too was wrong.


    I got up with a start.


    I was underground in the secret room before my evolution! What was I doing back here?


    But then, as I looked more at my surroundings, I began to notice more things that were out of ce.


    The dungeon waspletely wrecked, entire rows of cells left in a chaotic mess, like a blizzard had run through them. All their metal gates were open, with long sh marks leaving gaps in the metal.


    But unlike the ws of a ravenous beast, these cuts were clean and precise, with none of the metal warped by what had to have been a ton of force.


    I quickly began to doubt these were done by any monster.


    When I peered through them, the creatures inside had been reduced to nothing but blood spatter, without a single carcass left.


    What the hell happened here?


    As I looked around, I began to have a sinking feeling.


    Unlike after my previous evolution, I was not hungry in the least, which was weird.


    But I was noticeablyrger than I was before which meant I definitely evolved.


    I stopped in front of a cell.


    Did I do this?


    No, that couldn''t be.


    Maybe I just wasn''t as hungry this time because I was more powerful now?


    Yeah, that had to be it.


    Yet, the more I thought about it, the less things seemed to add up. The w marks here were clearly the result of [Dark Magic] - nothing else could cut this cleanly. And as my panic set in, I heard the calm voice of Sensei.


    ?You''re finally awake. You must be tired, but I think it''s time you met your new pit members. You''ve kept them waiting long enough.?


    New what?


    Ah! Another thing that was off was the quiet.


    Where did all the Abyssal monsters go? They filled these dungeons not too long ago. I was slightly wary so I activated [Mind''s Eye] to look around.


    Unfortunately, what it revealed made me even more anxious. The Abyssal monsters were still here, they just weren''t in the same dungeon as me. They were spread out all around me, in different parts of the massiveir.


    In actuality, I waspletely surrounded, and I quickly generated several poison orbs, if any of the monsters noticed my presence.


    Yet, they didn''t attack.


    Sensei sighed in exasperation. ?What do you think you''re doing??


    "Trying to stay alive?"


    This evolution was a mess,pared to my previous one. I was missing details and even some memories! And instead of helping, Sensei was calm. Too calm.


    Just what did he mean by new Pit members?


    I hesitated, before checking the number in the system.


    ----------------------------


    Pit Members: [6704]


    ----------------------------


    What the...


    How could this be?


    The numbers shown weren''t static, but constantly changing as the creatures multiplied. Clearly a certain ''someone'' was working especially hard to bolster the ranks of her Pit.


    But still, this surge was too high!


    "Don''t tell me¡­did I¡­did I¡­merge with them?"


    ?You did.? Sensei cheerfully said, and I suddenly felt like crying.


    "No!" It felt gross. "I don''t want to!"


    Bitterness clouded my thoughts as I slithered around, pacing. They tried to kill me not long ago. Why would they suddenly ept me?


    Besides, I wasn''t like them. Even if I killed their leader, that divide was still clear. In other words, there had to be some mistake.


    "How could this happen? I''m not an Abyssal monster."


    Sensei paused before saying. ?They clearly think you are. Consider it a blessing that the aura of your evolved form is very simr to that of the Abyss, or they would have killed you in your sleep. You should ept them instead of fighting, you''ll need the numbers if you''re going to suppress the Nymph, and keep her from stealing your Pit.?


    "No!" I fiercely shook my head.


    What was he saying? Had he forgotten what they had done?


    And what did he mean, aura simr to the Abyss?


    I immediately blinked three floors above, arriving in an ancient ballroom that now seemed too small.


    It was mostly wrecked in my battle with the shadow creature, but I quickly located the cracked mirror that covered the entirety of one wall.


    Seeing myself, I was stunned.


    My physical body was still that of a snake, but that was the extent of the resemnce. If I was topare myself to anything, I would say I looked pretty much like a demon from hell, albeit a very pretty one.


    I was drawn towards my eyes. They used to be a reflective ck, but now they had glowing red pupils that made them strangely mesmerising.


    My body had scales of a crystalline ck colour, with an iridescent purple sheen, and the tips of these ck scales were lined with deadly spikes thatplimented the underside of my wings, which were red.


    Tendrils of darkness radiated off me like fire whenever I moved. And although my body was solid, it took on the look of a shadow that had been partly fused with flesh.


    When I spread my wings, the broad span of them was made even longer by tendrils of shadow that adorned their razor sharp tips. Red, lightning shaped markings adorned my forehead, with a phoenix red jewel in the centre, that made my curved horns look all the more wicked.


    All four of them were longer than before, the two on top of my head much more prominent than the two on the sides, and they had changed from their former ck colour to crimson Obsidian, with ck lightning shaped marks running through their smooth curves.


    My look, my form, everything had changed and I was so surprised by this that I checked my stats immediately.


    ----------------------------


    Apostle: Aurelia [LV34 Ael Etheno]


    Specie: Ailith Cerastes


    Notoriety: 18900


    ----------------------------


    HP: 1082/1082 Defence: 1220


    MP: 1040/1040 Intellect: 880


    SP: 960/960[1] Magic: 970


    Attack: 1380 Agility: 1450


    ----------------------------


    Skills:


    [DeadlyPoisonAttack:LV10][Bleed Toxin:LV1]


    [Poison Fang:LV10] [elerated Flight:LV1]


    [Serpentine Grace:LV1] [MP Recovery:LV8]


    [Dragonsteel Armour:LV1] [Dark Wave:LV1]


    [Blink:LV6] [Appraisal:LV6] [Dark d: LV1]


    [Poison Synthesis:LV10] [Mana Control:LV3]


    [Necrotoxic Venom:LV4] [Poison de:LV7]


    [Energy Conversion: LV3] [Mind''s Eye: LV3]


    [Thought Transference:LV1] [Charisma:LV1]


    [Spatial Manoeuvring:LV1] [Mana Drain:LV4]


    [Olfactory Enhancement:LV1][Summon:LV1]


    [Darkde:LV8][Overeating:LV6][Mark:LV5]


    [VisionEnhancement:LV1][Necromancy:LV1]


    [Colossal Strength: LV1][Regeneration: LV6]


    [Shattering Impact: LV1] [Crushing Bite: LV1]


    [FearBringer:LV1][Thoughteleration:LV1]


    [GravityNegation:LV1][PredatoryGrace:LV1]


    [Ether Detection:LV5][Sovereign''s Aura:LV1]


    [Lightning Strike:LV1][Crystal Defence:LV1]


    [Concentration: LV6][SP Recovery: LV7]


    [HP Recovery: LV8][Mana Sense: LV10]


    [Sensory Field: LV1] [Venom Rain: LV5]


    [Infrared Vision:LV1][Detox:LV8]


    [Instantaneous Sprint:LV10]


    ----------------------------


    Titles:


    [Apostle] [Coldblooded] [Mistress of Chaos]


    [Monster ughterer][Trickster][Merciless]


    [Hero] [Dark Sovereign]


    ----------------------------


    Unique Skills:


    [Devour][Area of Authority][Ruler of Abyss]


    ----------------------------


    Magic Items:


    [Dimensional Box] [Labyrinth As]


    [Glossary of Aeon] [Captain''s Mark]


    ----------------------------


    Magic Skills:


    [Poison Magic:LV10] [Shadow Magic:LV10]


    [Dark Magic:LV5] [Dark Maniption: LV7]


    [Abyss Magic:LV1] [Poison Maniption:LV10]


    [Shadow Maniption:LV10]


    ----------------------------


    Attributes:


    [Obsidian Horn] [Mimic] [Coercion]


    [Mind Chain] [Empowered Stinger]


    [Acid Blood] [Death Rattle] [Flight]


    ----------------------------


    Pit Members: [6704]


    ----------------------------


    Resistances:


    [Rot Resistance:LV3] [Pain Mitigation:LV8]


    [Faint Resistance:LV8] [Mental Warfare:LV8]


    [Impact Resistance:LV10] [Dark Resistance:LV10]


    [Cutting Resistance:LV10] [Wind Resistance:LV10]


    [Poison Resistance:LV10] [Heat Resistance:LV8]


    [Shock Resistance:LV10] [Pain Resistance:LV10]


    [Paralysis Resistance:LV7]


    ----------------------------


    Experience Points: [5830]


    ----------------------------


    W-What was all this? It was my stats menu, yet it was not.


    Wasn''t the option I chose [Etheno Cerastes], so why am I [Ael Etheno]?


    And what was this notoriety?


    Was it a danger meter?


    A nuisance score?


    Or maybe a destructive meter?


    I stared at it in confusion, hoping for the number to reveal something. Instead, I was drawn towards my stamina points.


    "Why is there a number beside my stamina value?"


    ?It represents how many stamina stores you have.? Sensei replied. ?Right now you only have one, so you need to eat more and get much fatter.?


    I scowled. Was that all this bastard could say?


    Why wasn''t he concerned about other things, like why my species was different? It was clear from this that I was no longer purely a Cerastes, but something different.


    When I took a peek at my core, I realised it was nowpletely solid.


    I was shocked. I thought this would take me a year to achieve, yet it ended up taking less than a month.


    I was only LV34, yet my stats were much higher than any LV34 monster I''d ever encountered, and seeing how powerful I had be, cheered me up significantly.


    "Doesn''t - doesn''t this make me a genius?!" I eximed loudly,pletely unable to contain my happiness.


    ?No, it makes you vain.? Sensei deadpanned. ?Now, stop gawking at yourself and go meet your Pit members.?


    "Hmph. Not yet." There were still many skills to examine.


    Besides, wasn''t he just jealous of my amazing new look?


    And so, I decided to tease him a little.


    "I''ve evolved again now, so when do I get to see you?" I questioned him.


    Sensei didn''t answer straight away, but when he did he sounded confused. ?What do you mean??


    "Well, you have a core, you can''t hide that. So you must have a body, or some physical form."


    It made sense to me - I had a core, mortals had a core, even Abyssal monsters had one at some point.


    An incorporeal system like Sensei had no business having one, if he wasn''t one of those things. Unless he reverse imploded like a monster from the Abyss, but I wasn''t sure if that was possible, yet.


    Instead of answering me, Sensei went quiet, so I sighed.


    "I''m just kidding, no need to tell me if you don''t want to. I''m sure the goddess is restricting you from saying much."


    But Sensei remained quiet.


    "Fine, be like that then."


    I cheerfully continued to examine my stats. Why were there so many new skills?


    I wanted to appraise them all, but I was sure it would take me forever.


    Instead, I decided to try the skills that caught my eye, like [Summon] to see what would happen, and I was so excited when I felt the mana around me begin to fluctuate.


    My shadows flickered in a chaotic manner as ck lightning emanated to strike a single spot in the floor, until it was charred ck.


    An excited hiss escaped my mouth.


    What was going to happen? What formidable creature was going to appear?


    And I leapt back as two shadow creatures took shape in front of me.


    However, they were nothing like I expected.


    When the lightning disappeared, I was left staring at two serpent-like creatures that innocently looked up at me. They looked exactly like my current self - only they were... tiny.


    Too tiny!


    What was this?


    These two were no different from my neonate form. Actually, they might be much smaller, causing me to stare at them in confusion.


    They were cute, but¡­


    How was I supposed to fight with them?


    Was it because [Summon] was just LV1?


    To my annoyance, Sensei snickered in amusement.


    ?We all have to start somewhere.? He said,pletely ignoring my disappointed frown.

 Chapter 236 - Dungeons And Relics

    It seemed like, my attempts at summoning were more than a little rusty.


    For some reason, how many times I tried to summon, all I would get were those serpents, who instead of behaving, decided to bully their own summoner by acting silly.


    Why on earth they insisted on climbing my body remained a mystery, but I kept calm, trying over and over again until it became so bad, I was nearly buried under the weight of more than fifty of the twirly creatures.


    Such a collection should have been equal to one medium sized serpent by now. Yet, even when [Summon] became LV2, they didn''t change. I was beginning to think I''d been given a worthless skill.


    I hissed in outrage - even if it was only LV2, shouldn''t there be some variance in their form or size? Or at least one different creature?


    Watching all these tiny noodles slithering all over me was bing too annoying!


    So, I gave up and cancelled my summons as the more than sixty snakes I umted were beginning to get very enthusiastic with their hisses and bites.


    After they disappeared into smoke, I left the ballroom to map out the different areas of the strangeir.


    ?You''re supposed to give them instructions, not have them waiting around.? Sensei tutted disapprovingly.


    "I was waiting for something different to appear." I replied with a huff, as I entered a new room. How could he, who watched my pitiful performance without saying a word, try to chastise me now?


    ?They were bored. I''m not surprised they tried to eat you.? Sensei casually said. ?Call them out the next time you need to kill something.?


    I stopped in my tracks. Was that what that was?


    They actually wanted to e-eat me?


    "How can my own summons see me as food?" I cried out in horror.


    ?Don''t forget you called them out from the Abyss.? Sensei warned. ?They need to feed on something to remain here, so you should not treat this skill lightly. Still, it wasn''t bad for your first attempt, I''m surprised so many answered your call.?


    My startled face turned to shock.


    What was the Abyss? Wasn''t it the thing currently trying to swallow up this world?


    And yet, its creatures answered me.


    I wanted to sob. Just why did I get such a dangerous ability?


    It was bad enough that every Abyssal monster I encountered inside their, cowered away from me in fear, like they were seeing a terrifying monster. But weren''t they the truly scary monsters here?


    I was slithering around on eggshells, careful not to look any of them in the eyes. So, for the Abyssal monsters to behave like they were afraid of me, just seemed a bit strange.


    They could kill me right now if they attacked all together in a group, after all, I was just one snake while they numbered in hundreds or maybe more. When I thought about it, it was actually quite scary.


    I ducked into a quiet room away from prying monster eyes, refusing to let them see me sweating.


    They were part of my Pit now, but I was puzzled at what to do with them. Wasn''t being responsible for monsters I despised, asking too much of me?


    I didn''t need more scary monsters around me. Besides, I couldn''t exactly stop them from devouring endlessly, nor did I want tomand them. So, just what was I supposed to do?


    Kill them?


    I shook my head.


    The Nymph''s kiss hadn''t disappeared after I evolved, and although the circlet''s leaves had greatly shrunk in size, their presence was still a threat. If anything I needed these monsters to leverage my power.


    In reality, the valley and thisir wouldn''t be such a problem, if the abundant ether here wasn''t luring more creatures to their deaths. Without it, perhaps the Abyssal monsters would disperse on their own, without me needing to do anything.


    I already had an idea, I just needed to prove the abundant ether wasing from below.


    Rather than go through the Abyssal monsters, I blinked several floors down to the underground room where I left the shadow creature''s corpse. Upon arriving, the room was empty, and the dismembered parts were gone, causing me to nervously swallow - it seemed the shadow became the first victim of my unconscious rampage.


    There wasn''t even a scrap of bone left.


    With threeyers of dungeons above this hidden underground room, stumbling upon it was merely by chance. But thisbined with the dense amount of poisonous ether that made it difficult to breathe, led me to believe this hidden room had something more to do with the mystery.


    Yet, for something this important, it was rather nd in appearance. Much like the dungeon, the space was entirely covered in grey stone, with no windows or adornments in sight, apart from ayer of dust and a rusty torch holder in the corner. Why it''s entrance was sealed off from ess to everything was even more puzzling.


    Naturally, there had to be some secret lurking here, so I activated [Mind''s Eye] to scan every corner. And it wasn''t long before I discovered a hidden stone trapdoor in the middle of the room. There were also several panels in the walls housing some intricate push mechanisms that likely required more than one person to trigger open at the same time.


    But that wasn''t about to bother me.


    I fired on all four panels with dark des and blinked out of the room right as the ground began to rumble.


    Arriving safely in the dungeon above, I watched the walls and floor of the hidden room implode in an array of explosions that reduced everything to rubble, all except the trap door that cracked open in an impressive array of steps leading further down.


    Was my pressure off? I was sure I hit every panel at the same time.


    To my surprise, the room began to fill with a thick dark mist, simr to the one outside, and the air that was already dense became even more difficult to breathe in.


    As soon as the door fully opened, I watched it warily to make sure nothing else came out, like say another scary monster.


    But aside from the dark mist, there was nothing.


    Sensing my excitement, Sensei asked. ?Are you sure you want to go down there??


    "Er¡­Not really." Hearing him say that made me hesitate. But¡­just for a moment.


    ?Then don''t go there.? Sensei insisted.


    There was neither fear nor worry in his voice, which made me even more curious. Knowing the air was potentially lethal, I took a deep breath before blinking down below, willing [Mind''s Eye] to scan ahead for traps as I sped through the trapdoor.


    What followed was a lengthy downward spiral of steps leading down into arge cylindrical room. However, I soon realised I was not alone.


    Standing in a circle around the room was an array of thirty or more elven figures in dark hooded cloaks. They all stared straight at an elder figure in the middle, who was bent in the action of opening a in wooden box.


    As soon as I saw them all with [Mind''s Eye], I stopped still in my tracks. They were all a long way down so, perhaps they hadn''t heard the explosions and I could turn around and return before any of the ominous figures noticed a chubby snake intruding on their gathering.


    A short while passed as I considered turning tail, but when neither of the figures moved, I became curious and realized something was wrong with the scene below.


    Although the room was free of dust, the robes they wore were surprisingly threadbare. The stone ground they stood on was also covered in carved inscriptions of symbols forming concentric markings around each figure.


    These smaller circles were linked to form smaller sections of arger circle, like the numbers in a clock, with the elder elf ced firmly in the middle.


    Slithering down thest step, I now realised each figure was actually made out of a cyan crystal, and so detailed, they looked almost alive. There were some more figures gathered away from the circle, and they too were crystallized, although they weren''t in the best condition as the rest.


    Almost all of these statues were smashed to pieces, as if purposefully broken by something, and it was clear from the many awkward poses, that these figures all perished suddenly. The most suspicious of the figures was the elder that bent to open the wooden box in the middle.


    Perhaps they had been killed by its protections?


    The box itself was in and made of dark wood with very little adornments, however the wood itself hadn''t rotted away, although it was clear many years had passed. It still looked polished as if not even a day had gone by.


    It was clearly suspicious¡­ and dangerous.


    There was no way I was setting foot on the ground after seeing all this, so I stayed perched on the steps to scan the carved symbols on the ground, to see if anything would light up with [Mana Sense], before I suffocated from ack of air.


    But then, my view of the room with [Mana Sense] swiftly turned nk, to show just how much every section of the room brimmed with ether. It was like I was facing a huge wall of solid mass that shone a deep cyan blue colour.


    The crystal figures inside were no longer discernible among the mass, in fact, they blended into the wall of power, appearing to resemble solid blocks of either, much like a core. It soon became clear none of the symbols had been active for a long time and I was surprised to find such power originating from the box.


    Since [Mana Sense] was useless here, I decided to try [Mind''s Eye] to see what magic it would discern.


    However, with only the slightest of probing, I felt a sharp jab in the jewel in the middle of my skull, forcing me to shut down the skill quickly, before my skull split open with pain.


    With seemingly no effective measure, I decided to try [Appraisal], for the slim chance that it would reveal something.


    And yet.


    ?Appraisal Impossible?


    But just then, I was hit with a searing headache and everything faded to ck.

 Chapter 237 - Mortal Dilemma

    When I awoke, it was to the sound of several dings.


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase:¡ºAppraisal:LV6¡»has be ¡ºAppraisal:LV7¡»?


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase:¡ºFaint Resistance:LV8¡»has be ¡ºFaint Resistance:LV9¡»?


    I was at the bottom of the steps, having rolled down in my unconscious state, and I scowled. This was getting too much!


    Why was such a small box so dangerous, that I passed out just trying to appraise it?


    And if so, why wasn''t I crystallised as well?


    But then.


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase:¡ºPetrification Resistance:LV3¡»has be ¡ºPetrification Resistance:LV4¡»?


    Huh? Wait, when did I get this skill?


    Holy snakes!


    I immediately blinked to the top of the stairs in terror.


    After that ding, waiting around was just asking for death.


    But I stopped at the entrance where I noticed the bone scythe sticking out from under the debris.


    With the shadow creature dead, no more Abyssal monsters would be made. Yet, if I left now, with things as they were, the valley would remain a death-trap, shrouded in much thicker darkness.


    Looking back, I saw copious amounts of dark mist pouring out through the trap door, and with the mechanism destroyed, there was no way of closing it now.


    I calmly collected the scythe into [Dimensional Box] as I realized I''d just made things worse by meddling.


    "What exactly is that thing?" I wondered aloud.


    It seemed far-fetched for Sensei to know, since [Appraisal] couldn''t identify it, but I thought I''d ask all the same.


    ?It seems to be a cursed object.? Sensei replied. ?An ancient relic containing the physical remnants of a god. The one down there probably belongs to the Dark God, but there have been several others recorded in history. With the sheer amount of power it contains, it can easily trigger a catastrophe that could destroy this Labyrinth ¨C and so much worse if it gets into the wrong hands.?


    Woah.


    ?Because of the greed to possess their power, several wars have been waged that have pushed several races into extinction. They are immensely dangerous and¡­?


    I listened to Sensei''s exnation with awe and interest.


    Yet, all I could think was¡­how could a box be part of a god?


    I suppose a in object like that would never arouse suspicion, especially if there were people actively searching for it.


    Hehe, what a rare find for a little snake like me to casually stumble upon it!


    ?Did you listen to anything I said?? Sensei grumbled.


    "Uh huh¡­yes!" I nodded.


    ?Then why are you going down there again?? Sensei snapped. ?That thing could kill you in a million different ways!?


    "Not if I can contain it first." I replied. "I won''t stay long!"


    ?Aurelia!? he shouted, genuinely anxious.


    I tuned him out, held my breath and rushed through the dense mist to approach the circle again.


    Upon reaching the elder elf in the center, I peered over the shoulder of the crystal statue to stare at the contents of the box. Inside was a jewel the size of a fist.


    It had an unusual golden colour with cyan flecks that glimmered brilliantly from within the box, and I stopped short to look at it.


    When Sensei said a physical remnant, I was expecting something¡­different.


    An eye, a finger, some skin? Something small that fit nicely inside a box, that I could easily devour, not a jewel.


    I sighed in disappointment. Perhaps I was getting too hungry for my own good?


    ?You''ve seen it, now go back.? Sensei said. ?And don''t even think of eating it. It will kill you the moment you touch it.?


    "I wasn''t really going to." Iughed. "It was only a stray thought. Does this mean it can''t be destroyed?"


    ?Not by you. You''re barely resisting its petrification curse. What makes you think you''ll survive swallowing it whole??


    "I said I wasn''t going to!" I huffed.


    If I couldn''t destroy it¡­perhaps it was possible to take it away?


    Such a dangerous artefact... someone needs to guard over it, right? Hehe


    An idea popped into my head, and I slowly slithered over to one of the crystal statues, before sping it with my pronged tail. I then tugged on it so that it fell towards the elder elf standing by the open box.


    I heard Sensei shouting in my head, but it was already toote. The crystal statue fell towards the elder elf, shattering both statues with a loud bang. The pieces then fell over the box, and one piece knocked its lid shut with a soft sp.


    In an instant, the thick dark mist filling the room immediately dispersed, and the heaviness of ether hanging in the air returned to normal levels, as the dark air became crystal clear.


    I was stunned, yet relieved, as I watched over the box in the middle of the shattered crystals, admiring my genius.


    "Cmity averted, am I right?"


    However, Sensei was less than amused. ?That was unbelievably reckless and irresponsible. What were you thinking? Do you know how dangerous that was??


    "I was careful not to touch it though." I replied with a pout. Couldn''t he praise my smart idea?


    I had the suspicion, the in box was immune to the relic''s petrification, due to its good condition ¨C but I still didn''t dare to touch it directly, just as extra precaution.


    Yet even with my carefulness, I was met withints.


    "What did you expect me to do, leave it alone?"


    ?Yes!? Sensei fumed. ?You gain nothing by meddling with things that already are.?


    I didn''t want to argue with him, so I remained quiet.


    Didn''t he realise that without this relic, the valley would be safer. It was what attracted the shadow creature here and led to all those miserable deaths.


    ?What are you nning to do with it?? Sensei asked.


    I couldn''t exactly leave it here, so I took it into my [Dimensional Box]. I could almost feel Sensei wilting away with worry as I did this, perhaps I''d stressed him out enough for one day.


    "Don''t worry, I won''t keep it. I''ll hide it somewhere safe once I leave here."


    Somewhere in the deepest, darkest part of the Labyrinth perhaps.


    ?Dispose of it as soon as possible.? Sensei reminded, and I nodded in agreement. It was better if something like this never saw the light of day again.


    Leaving the room, I returned to the upper dungeon where several Abyssal monsters waited for me ever so patiently. They were all different kinds, and seeing them all cower before me, I gained the courage to try another insane idea.


    Due to [Glossary of Aeon] I now had the shadow creature''s guttural tongue listed as anguage. So I decided to give them an order with it ¨C just like it would have done.


    My request was fairly simple ¨C they were to locate the hunting party of elves and mortals, if they were still in the valley.


    And if they were still alive, they were not to attack them, but return and let me know their whereabouts.


    I thought the Abyssal monsters would find my orders confusing, but to my relief, they all left their at once.


    I couldn''t believe how easy it was to move so many monsters at once. In the future, I doubted they would continue following mymands. Eventually, it would be better if they realise I was nothing like them and leave on their own.


    When I looked past the walls with [Mind''s Eye], the dark mistpletely disappeared, and the valley looked a lot less ominous than before. In the distance, I saw several of the Abyssal monsters leaving the chasm like a great flock.


    For now, perhaps it was fine to leave them be.


    With all the monsters gone, I was left alone, and in the quiet of the dungeon, I was forced to face the aftermath of my mistake.


    The cells I destroyed and the creatures I killed were a constant reminder that I let myself get out of control. I''d rendered their efforts to stay alivepletely fruitless, and I was annoyed with myself.


    How was I any different from the shadow creature who tortured them, if their lives ended up bing my nourishment?


    Perhaps if I wasn''t so hasty to evolve, some of the creatures here would have survived. I couldn''t let such a thing happen again.


    Yet, at the same time, there was a noticeable vacuum in the emotions I should have been feeling. I should have been wrecked with guilt, but I merely knew from my knowledge that my actions were wrong, not necessarily that I regretted them.


    It was quite a surreal, ufortable feeling, like something was changing within me, without my knowledge.


    To pass the time until the Abyssal monsters returned from their search, I decided to search the dungeons for any other survivors. There were three floors, each with so many cells crammed closely together - surely I couldn''t have eaten them all, right?


    Although I moved quickly, my searchsted for what felt like hours. Every cell I came across was torn open in a simr way, leaving a bloody mess inside. Until I came across an isted row that was mostly untouched.


    As soon as the shadow creature died, the rods piercing the creatures had dispersed, but they were still too weak to escape on their own. Seeing some survivors made me immediately cheer up, and I started cutting open the cells to release them.


    But when I reached the end of the row, I came upon an unusual sight.


    While all the other cells were filled with monsters, this one contained a mortal male. He was not one of the faces I''d seen with the elves. Rather, his clothes were filthy, his nails long, with an unkept beard like he''d been inside the cell for years.


    He didn''t even flinch at the appearance of a monster, rather he remained bent over on his knees, eyes wrinkled in pain as he clutched the many bleeding wounds the rods left behind.


    Thinking he was afraid, I backed away from the open cell, giving him the chance to escape. But instead of moving, the man raised his head, and I caught a sh of red pupils set in the middle of brown eyes.


    I was stunned. Why did this mortal have the same eyes as me?


    He seemed to be in a lot of pain, and from the amount of blood lost - he should''ve died a long time ago.


    Was he actually a mortal, and not some kind of shape-shifting monster?


    My first thought was to scan his body with [Mind''s Eye], and when I did, I grew even more confused.


    The man had two cores inside of him, arger main core that was blood red in colour, and another smaller core, rotating on an axis around it. This one was pitchck.


    Both cores were shades I''d never seen before, yet they reminded me so much of mine and Sensei''s.


    I stared stupidly as the man opened his mouth with difficulty, a few audible words came out and I quickly grasped their meaning, but I was taken aback.


    He was asking to die.


    |[K-Kill...me]|


    No, rather, he was pleading for me to kill him.


    As I stared in disbelief, the ck core inside him suddenly exploded, and the burst of darkness spread over to envelop the red core. And as the two merged, the joint core swelled to double its size, like it too was dangerously close to exploding.

 Chapter 238 - The Other Mutants

    I was struggling to make sense of the absurdity of the situation when Sensei spoke.


    ?Just¡­Do what he says.?


    "Are you serious?" I asked in disbelief. "Why should I kill him when he can just escape and live?"


    ?Unless you want him to spend decades of his life wandering around as a bloodthirsty monster, you should kill him while he still has the dignity of a mortal.? Sensei insisted.


    What was he talking about! What monster?!


    His words were like an impartial judge, dispassionate and solemn, leaving me no room to retreat.


    But as the seconds ticked by without me doing anything, the man''s body began to tremble as if wracked by a terrible cold. His cries became even more incessant.


    |[K-Kill...me]| |[P-Please k-kill...me]| |[I beg you]|


    The fearful look in his eyes was so intense that even I began to feel scared. Without realising it, I slowly began to back away from him.


    But then, a loud crack resounded throughout the dungeon and the man fell forwards to clutch one of his legs, grimacing as he let out a bloodcurdling scream.


    I realised in horror that one of his legs had broken of its own ord, the bone below his knee now jutting backwards at an awkward angle as the horribly mangled flesh bled out.


    But as quickly as it happened, his flesh and bones soon began to knit together, forming a secondary joint below the knee like the limbs of a wolf.


    Witnessing this transformation was a shock, so I quickly appraised him.


    --------------


    Name: San Khir


    Specie: LV 24 Ailith Mutant


    ss: LV 10 Hunter


    HP: 40/230    Defence: 160


    MP: 2/12      Intellect: 54


    SP: 21/250    Magic: 10


    Attack: 87     Agility: 150


    Skills:


    [Archery: LV8] [SP Recovery: LV8]


    [Herbology: LV6] [Endurance: LV10]


    [Detection: LV6] [Martial Art: LV6]


    [Awareness: LV7] [Stealth: LV5]


    [Strength: LV8] [Tracking: LV10]


    [Body Strengthening: LV8]


    Title:


    [Warrior]


    Resistances:


    [Impact Resistance: LV7]


    [Poison Resistance: LV6]


    [Pain Resistance: LV8]


    --------------


    I didn''t think there was anything amiss, his stats seemed normal - for a mortal.


    Yet, the man screamed once more as his other leg shattered in the same way, the nails of his fingers and toes ckening as they curved inwards, like those of a monster.


    I watched the whites of his eyes turn bloodshot, before being reced by an ominous dark vein that crept out from under his eyeballs to stain everything. Soon, his red pupils expanded to fill the entirety of his brown eyes, and he began to growl like a beast.


    But in the next instant, all of his teeth fell out of his gums, reced extraordinarily fast by double rows of shark-like fangs that tore through the flesh of his lips as they grew in length. Eventually, the flesh of his face melted down to reveal parts of his skull, but the bones melded together with his fangs as they healed, bing thick and heavy, like a tool meant for tearing through flesh.


    I watched as his body began to morph into something else right in front of my eyes.


    His skin had be rough and hard, blistering purple where muscle ripped under his skin to make room for new growth. He was crouched forward, hunched over to expose his back when the bones of his spine began to extend and form spikes along his back.


    All the while, the mortal-monster continued to scream in anguish.


    "How do I help him!?" I cried out in panic.


    I''d garnered nothing from his stats, and watching this unstoppable descent struck fear and horror through my body.


    ?You cant.? Sensei mercilessly dered. ?Don''t waste any more time. If he transformspletely, you will be in danger.?


    The man''s body had grown to three times his original size, every fibre rippling with uncontroble power, his skin now dark grey colour that glistened slickly under the faint light, in a mixture of fluid and blood, like a metal smeared in oil. The exposed bones on his back were long and razor sharp like steel.


    More and more, he had be unrecognisable.


    And with every change, an aspect of his sanity was being shredded away.


    I watched him thrash around on the ground, his excruciating screams distorted like the guttural wail of an inhuman creature. I was hit with the acrid stench of sulphur whenever the mad creature crossed my path, which made me retreat even further.


    ?Do it, now!? Sensei persisted. ?Can''t you see he is holding himself back!?


    "But¡­"


    I couldn''t do it. How could I take such a drastic action, when I didn''t even understand what was going on?


    Soon, the creature that was once a man, crashed through several iron gates, disappearing from view in his endeavour to quell the pain.


    His red core was still expanding, a clear sign that he wasn''t an Abyssal creature, and I held out hope. Perhaps, this was some sort of evolution or something?


    ?Don''t you understand he is in terrible pain?? Sensei implored. ?Do you want to be responsible for that mutant''s continued torment??


    Hisment hit me like a brick wall.


    In a truly grotesque turn of events, I could only imagine the pain the man must be experiencing to have his entire body reshape itself while he was still conscious. It was no surprise he begged to die.


    By not killing him sooner, perhaps I damned him to this harrowing experience.


    Yet, to treat him like something less than like Sensei was doing, just seemed wrong.


    Why did he have to be killed like some beast? Weren''t we the same kind?


    What difference was this transformationpared to the many I had gone through?


    The creature finally copsed after crashing through another one of the cells, and I began to wonder if its evolution had settled. However, the moment I thought of this, the reddish-ck core in its centre exploded, before disappearing into a void.


    In an instant, the sulphuric smell filling the air gave way to the tangy smell of blood.


    A red mist formed around its motionless body, and seeing this, I immediately felt despair.


    In the end, it still lost its core.


    ?Do you want me to do it, instead?? Sensei asked.


    "No¡­I''ll-I''ll do it. I¡­"


    But then, the Abyssal monster that was formerly a man began to twitch.


    And in the darkness of the dungeon, all I could see were a pair of glowing red eyes apanied by sinister sharp fangs.


    With a single bound, the creature leapt onto me, its sharp fangs gnashing at me as saliva dribbled everywhere.


    I forced it back with my pronged tail, but I couldn''t stop staring at those insane eyes that wanted to tear me to shreds.


    All reason and sanity seemed to have disappeared. It was like there was no longer a person inside.


    I immediately formed a dark de and released it. I was drenched in blood as the de sliced the mutant''s head clean off its body. Soon, the creature stopped moving.


    But as the body fell away from me, I began to tremble.


    Unlike other victories, this one was bitter. I kept having shbacks to the man as he begged for his own death. The look of despair in his eyes as all of his hope faded. If he wanted to die, why did he withstand the shadow creature''s torture all this time. He clearly wanted to live at some point¡­and yet.


    It was like I ruined the hope of an innocent man and I felt extremely resentful.


    "Why did you make me do that?" I shouted at Sensei. "How do you know there was no way to save him?"


    ?There isn''t.? Sensei coldly replied. ?Once a mutant''s main core is destroyed, there is nothing anyone can do to keep their mortal lives. They are cursed to survive as a creature of the Abyss or die.?


    "Why?"


    How did hee to have two cores in the first ce? And why did one explode before merging with the other, like its sole purpose was to destroy the main core.


    My mind reeled with possibilities as my suspicion intensified.


    I couldn''t help drawingparisons to mine and Sensei''s core. If mine was the main core, Sensei''s althoughrger would ss as a secondary core.


    A core could be destroyed, whether willingly through a creature''s eptance of the Abyss, or unwillingly through the aid of a secondary core. But how did this secondary coree to exist?


    This got me thinking more about [Devour].


    Like Sensei said, this unique skill and the system was what bound us together.


    But what exactly was Sensei''s core doing while I devoured various monsters?


    Every time I gained a new attribute, the system briefly announced something about an evolution tree, like it was collecting data. It was slightly simplified in that I only gained one or two attributes at a time, but subsequent alterations in the system''s notifications implied there was more to this basic rule.


    And as I came to a devastating new conclusion, everything I thought I knew seemed to be in jeopardy.


    Was it somehow changing my core, and making Sensei''s more vtile at the same time, in order to destroy us both?


    "Is the goddess trying to kill us?" I asked suddenly, making Sensei gasp in surprise. It seemed fitting, perhaps his cement beside me was as a safety, something to keep us in line, or the consequence was...that.


    But it didn''t make sense why the goddess who reincarnated us would need one.


    ?Whatever you''re overthinking about. Stop it now!? Sensei shot back.


    "You didn''t answer my question." I frowned.


    Whether Sensei wanted to admit it or not, weren''t we both in danger?

 Chapter 239 - Dark History

    "Would you at least think about it first?" I insisted.


    ?No. That''splete nonsense.? Sensei replied as he shut down my theory for the second time.


    Ugh...this idiot!


    "Do you have that much faith in a goddess you only met once? I thought you were a man of science - not a witless fanatic."


    ?And I thought you were smart enough not to base everything on some unfounded theory.?


    "Oh really?" I was fuming.


    How could he call it unfounded when we were living proof of the goddess''s dubious intentions - and we both saw the moment the man''s secondary core exploded!


    How did he know that wouldn''t happen to us?


    ?A symbiotic rtionship between two cores isn''t always destructive.? Sensei calmly replied. ?Sometimes the secondary core is there to reinforce the first. In your case it''s there to grant you ess to the system¡­?


    "But you can use my magic." I made sure to add, in case he had forgotten. "Who knows what other secret function your core possesses, that you don''t know. Or are not letting me know."


    I ignored Sensei''s exasperated sigh. After seeing the man''splex core situation, that was so simr to mine, my thoughts were already filled with so many dangerous scenarios, and Sensei''s denial without any exnation to back them, only added more weight to them.


    Why else would he deny it, if the goddess wasn''t involved?


    If the rtionship between our cores was a symbiotic one - like how the dark core was to the red core, wasn''t it just a matter of ''when'' his core exploded and enveloped mine?


    Perhaps his core was only biding its time until the conditions were right.


    Somehow I felt annoyed. The man that became a monster looked only about twenty years old.


    Considering the fast rate I was growing ¨C I might already be an adult in snake years! Didn''t that mean that dark future was only a matter of time?


    ?Can you stop jumping to conclusions.? Sensei sighed, but I was too far gone to stop.


    I might just have a year or two, maybe three if I was lucky¡­


    ?Will you listen to me?!? Sensei''s voice boomed through my head. ?You are the furthest thing from that mutated creature. Don''t ever think for a moment you will end up like that.?


    I stopped in my tracks.


    "How are we any different?" I asked in an equally loud voice.


    I knew he was just trying to assure me down, but I couldn''tpletely shake off my doubts.


    Sensei listlessly sighed, before proudly dering. ?Because their secondary core was the result of a failed experiment, while I am not.?


    Huh? I blinked several times in confusion.


    What experiment?


    Noticing I had gone silent, Sensei went on to exin.


    ?Mutants are a secondary race of mortals, but their conception was the by-product of forbidden magic, nothing more. A heretic magus once coveted the power of the abyss for himself, thinking he could harness its power, he desired to increase the power of mortals to the level of other races, and he thought the Abyss was the way to do it, so he defied convention by going rogue.?


    I heard Sensei scoff in disdain. ?His intentions may have been noble, but the result was obviously a failure.?


    Woah? The heck. I wasn''t expecting this.


    But why did Sensei go quiet?


    "Can you not stop exining midway?" I huffed in annoyance.


    Sensei continued with some reluctance. ?To draw out a fraction of the power of the Abyss, he used his own people as sacrifices to open a bridge, connecting our world to the void. The result was a disaster of catastrophic proportions.?


    ?His entire country was wiped off the map, swallowed whole into the abyss with every living person in it, taken as payment. Those that escaped only did so lightly. From that day, they were doomed to be cursed, living on borrowed time until they transformed into¡­that creature.?


    I nced briefly at the monstrous form of the man and shivered.


    I was a monster, but at least I was born as one. This made me feel even more pity for him.


    ?But the sorcerer had no idea how greedy the Abyss truly was.? Senseiughed bitterly. ?Because of his failure, everyone remotely connected to his blood became doomed. The Abyss infiltrated the scattered remnants of his country, and every descendant born thereafter, in the form of an unstable dark core.?


    ?Every mortal with a dark core is automatically a mutant doomed to live a shunned life until the day their core explodes. It wasn''t enough to swallow the sorcerer''s country, it decided to taint his entire bloodline. Mutants like the one you encountered were already doomed to the Abyss the moment they were born.?


    "How cruel!" I shouted.


    I was astonished and vengeful for people I didn''t even know existed until now.


    "What happened to the sorcerer?" I demanded.


    ?He went missing more than two centuries ago. He is already dead.?


    Such a tale struck horror in my soul. It was awful that they didn''t even have a choice in all this.


    ?So essentially, the sorcerer doomed his entire bloodline to a life of mindless insanity, trying to grasp the power which he could neitherprehend nor control.? Sensei concluded apathetically.


    I thought about it for a moment, before shaking my head. "You don''t need to put it that way."


    Sensei''s tone turned cold. ?You don''t condemn him? His name has been tarnished and all but scrubbed from the history books because of his unforgivable crime.?


    "Well, as you said, he went down that path for the betterment of his race." I pondered. "He had good intentions and I don''t think he would have done it if he knew the consequences. I would me the person who gave him iplete information about the Abyss."


    For some reason, this made Sensei burst intoughter, and he continued tough as I stared in confusion.


    "What''s so funny?" I scowled.


    ?Nothing, It''s just...your perception of right and wrong may need some readjusting.?


    What the heck was he talking about?


    I was annoyed, so I ignored him and slithered away from the mutant to check the cells for any other captives.


    Somehow, hearing how they were created, made them even less appealing to eat, but I collected the corpse nheless, because leaving it to be eaten by others, seemed disrespectful.


    Although Sensei denied the goddesses involvement and staked his innocence, I wasn''t fully convinced. There were still other hints of duplicity that he didn''t address.


    Like why the evolution tree of creatures, ''amended'' whenever I devoured a new stage of a creature''s growth? It was too coincidental to be an ident, it was almost like [Devour] was collecting something.


    Was it possible that it was improving to create aplete evolution tree?


    Yet, as I thought of this, everything was beginning to feel very much like another experiment, and I didn''t like it. If Sensei knew something, why didn''t he tell me?


    And, if [Devour] really waspiling aplete set of attributes ¨C why did I only have ess to a few?


    Was this due to a restriction ced by the goddess? Or something else.


    I could already feel a headacheing on.


    I wasn''tpletely sure, because the only creature I ever devoured enough for their evolution tree to ''amend'' were those Hesperia wasps.


    Well¡­almost.


    I recalled eating them from their egg andrvae stage, all the way up to their Queen wasp. But I was still missing the [Verum Hesperia] stage, which was where the scary wasp fell into.


    This would have been okay if I ate him at the time, but because I found him interesting, I didn''t.


    Perhaps I should have, and as a result, the Hesperia''s evolution tree was still notplete.


    Yet, even without that, the attributes I obtained since then, remained the strongest I had.


    Was this because I was close topleting them?


    If I did, perhaps I would gain ess to every single attribute the Hesperia specimen had, rather than just a few.


    The thought filled me with excitement, as I scanned through my stats.


    Since Sensei was not entirely trustworthy, I was better off making my own way somehow.


    While I had achieved a solid core, I was still far from being strong enough to resist my core getting destroyed. Instead, if I could get rid of Sensei''s core while retaining the system, I stood a good chance of surviving.


    But if this wasn''t possible, I had to get even stronger - strong enough so that even if Sensei''s core self-destructed, mine would be unaffected.


    ?What are you thinking so hard about?? Sensei''s amused voice asked.


    "Nothing." I cheerily replied.


    Just how to eat you, you goddess fanboy!


    Hmph! There were still other ways I could get powerful quickly.


    For one, instead of hunting creatures randomly, I could target specific types of monsters with stronger attributes I could collect with [Devour]. I could then gorge myself on an excess of biomass in the form of monster cores. Those with high amounts of magic would increase my base stats and reinforce my core without much effort.


    The only problem was that such monsters were often the Queen''s or Commanders of pits of their own!


    It was good on one hand, because I could eat my fill of every stage of their growth to gain aplete collection of attributes. But what would happen to those creatures I didn''t devour?


    Wouldn''t they simply join my pit like the Abyssal monsters, I didn''t want?


    My headache intensified at the thought, and I hissed in frustration.


    My tiny pit was already uncontrobly big. Even with the Nymph and her spirits removed, it was still over a thousand creatures and I wanted to cry from the stress.


    I didn''t want it!


    My peaceful life would be over before it even began, if I had to deal with so many creatures.


    Which led me to another scary option ¨C using [Mind Chain].


    If what Sensei said was to be believed, I was more Hesperia than Cerastes due to eating so much of their kind, which meant skills like [Mind Chain], would be just as effective on me as it was on them.


    It was dangerous, but this was also a skill that allowed the Hesperia to exponentially increase their power in one go.


    I was contemting this route, when my thoughts were interrupted by a loud rumble.


    It sounded like an avnche of rock had just given way and I blinked outside to see what happened. Only to find the chasm awash with melted rocks and purple mes that burnt so hot, my scales felt like I was inside a volcano.


    Seeing all this, I immediately sped towards the sound of a familiar roar.

 Chapter 240 - Calamitous Duo

    Once outside, I saw rivers of scorching purple mes everywhere in a scene straight from hell.


    Fires burned diagonally acrossyers of wall, causing the air to burn hot like ash while numbing the senses with poison. Whole sections of jagged rocks had already been destroyed or melted, having been subject to a dowsing by mes that refused to be put out.


    My eyes began to water as I took in the blistering scene of chaos.


    Red hotyers of rock stood out like ugly scars, where sticky mes continuously devoured surfaces, and now fallen debris and scorch marks marred most of the chasm''s walls, alongside several molten rivers of rock that flowed down the chasm''syers like blood.


    The once peaceful valley was now shrouded in dense noxious fumes that peppered my lungs as I breathed in. The smoke already made it difficult for me to breathe, and if not for [Detox] I would probably be one of the burning Abyssal monsters strewn dead across the valley ground.


    I couldn''t believe it! Sylrin was alive?!


    And it seemed he had woken up angry.


    ?Why are you so surprised? Didn''t I tell you this already?? Sensei''s grumble cut through my thoughts, and I rolled my eyes.


    Like any of his words could be trusted.


    Could he really me me for not believing him?


    However, seeing all the havoc and destruction, my smile soon stiffened.


    The more I saw, the more I wanted to cry from stress.


    Sylrin was on a rampage, most likely under the influence of [Sensei''s Brew].


    Stopping him in his boosted state, might be even more difficult than facing all the monster''s here. Just seeing how much thendscape had changed in a short time was enough to convince me I was in for a rough ride again.


    Also, a portion of my new pit members had disappeared in one go, the number going from [6718] to [6520] in the time it took me to blink outside. I didn''t care for them, but Sylrin''s rampage was making them die too quickly, and I frowned.


    I had to stop him frompletely incinerating them, because I need them to find the elves. Besides, if the elves were still in the valley and Sylrin killed them by ident, the mysterious journal and my quest would all be lost.


    And so, I stormed past the Abyssal monsters, my eyes focused on the silhouette of the dark dragon wreaking havoc in the distance.


    However, I didn''t blink, because I wanted him to see meing. Being the good brat that he was, he would realise he was no longer in danger and stop his rampage quickly, right?


    Or maybe I was too na?ve.


    As he saw me approaching, the thoroughly incensed Sylrin belted out a ming ball of fire in my direction. I swerved aside quickly, and the fireball struck the space above me in a shower of melted rock. I tried approaching him again, before realising there were several Abyssal monsters following behind me.


    Damn! Did he think I wasing to attack him with all of them?


    It also didn''t help that I looked a lot different from before!


    I crashed through the wall of mes and smouldering ash, shaking off the monsters following me, before blinking to appear beside Sylrin, who leapt back with a surprised roar. I let out a chuckle, as a pir of me sped towards me, forcing me to blink away before I was scorched.


    Yet, I didn''t get awaypletely.


    The des of my pronged tail were set alight by purple mes before I could get away, making me twitch in irritation.


    It seemed Sylrin had grown even more tyrannical since taking the potion.


    He didn''t even recognise this snake!


    Just how much stronger could he have gotten?


    I was curious to find out, so I appraised him the moment I reappeared.


    ----------------------------


    Name: Sylrin [LV27 Verum Stilio]


    Specie: Ailith Drake


    HP: 2105/3875  Defence: 2750


    MP: 2318/3290  Intellect: 1800


    SP: 3550/3550  Magic: 2600


    Attack: 4350   Agility: 4710


    ----------------------------


    Skills:


    [Silence: LV10] [Stealth: LV10][Pounce: LV8]


    [Sting:LV10] [Deadly Venomous Stinger:LV9]


    [Bite: LV10][Poison Slime: LV10][Grip: LV10]


    [Tail Swing: LV10] [Wisdom: LV8] [Lift: LV10]


    [Sprint:LV10] [Perception:LV10][sh:LV10]


    [w Retraction:LV2] [Bipedal Stance:LV7]


    [Tail Spike:LV10][Scent:LV10] [Fortune:LV2]


    [Fiery Mane:LV10][Vision Enhancement:LV5]


    [ShatteringImpact:LV6][PredatoryGrace:LV4]


    [CrushingBite:LV9] [Frightful Presence:LV6]


    [Debilitating Poison:LV6] [Mana Sense:LV2]


    [elerated Flight:LV6] [Cooperation:LV4]


    [Smouldering Breath: LV10] [Solidity: LV10]


    [ImpactEnhancement: LV10] [Leap: LV10]


    [MP Generation: LV2] [me Burst: LV10]


    [Strength:LV10] [Enhanced Agility: LV10]


    [SP Recovery: LV7] [HP Recovery: LV8]


    [Night Vision: LV10] [Toxic Roar: LV10]


    [Perception Field:LV3] [Firestorm: LV7]


    [Flight: LV:10] [Directional Stability:LV7]


    [Colossal Strength:LV4] [Detection: LV8]


    [Miasmic Breath: LV7] [Dark Vision: LV10]


    [Fire Breathing: LV10] [Amphibious: LV10]


    [FireBall: LV8] [Impervious Armour: LV5]


    [Charisma: LV4] [Poisonous Smog: LV6]


    [VenomousBite:LV10] [Deception: LV5]


    [Insight: LV7] [Natural Defence:LV10]


    [Sturdy: LV10] [Column Spike: LV9]


    [Anger: LV10] [Scorch Toxin: LV7]


    [w: LV10] [Razor w: LV10]


    [Aerial Manoeuvring:LV10]


    [Fearsome Might:LV8]


    ----------------------------


    Title:


    [Pyromancer] [Pit Member] [Saviour] [Imp]


    ----------------------------


    Magic Skills:


    [Poison Magic:LV8] [Fire Magic:LV10]


    [Poison Maniption:LV6]


    [Fire Maniption:LV8]


    ----------------------------


    Attributes:


    [Regeneration] [Status Inspection]


    ----------------------------


    Resistances:


    [Paralysis Resistance:LV7][Rot Resistance:LV5]


    [Piercing Resistance:LV6][Acid Resistance:LV8]


    [Cutting Resistance:LV7][Fire Resistance:LV10]


    [Heat Nullification:LV10][Pain Resistance:LV10]


    [Faint Resistance:LV6][Heat Resistance:LV10]


    [Poison Resistance: LV9]


    ----------------------------


    This overgrown lizard!


    As if the destruction he caused across the valley wasn''t bad enough, his appraisal results were also insane!


    What a disaster [Sensei''s Brew] was.


    And then, Sylrin spotted me, and let out a deafening roar.


    Why didn''t he recognise me?


    It was all my fault. I should never have left any of the crazy potion around him!


    Nheless, I had to figure out a way to calm him down quickly.


    Ah!


    A crazy idea suddenly popped in my head.


    Reading my cheerful emotions, Sensei immediately protested. ?No way! Do something else.?


    I blinked away just as another heated st of me came crashing towards me, and reappeared behind the winged back of Sylrin.


    I watched him thoughtfully.


    ?Please stop.? Sensei sighed in embarrassment. ?Command him, coerce him, or beat him into submission. Anything would work...anything other than hugging him.?


    I ignored Sensei and made a beeline for Sylrin.


    What else other than a hug from me would bring him back to his senses? And wasn''t this position just perfect for that smothering ambush?


    As long as he was within my grasp, how could he struggle?


    However, as I was about to reach him, a massive tail pped me out of the air, and I rolled down the chasm as a pir of fire shot towards me.


    Instead of blinking away, I opened [Dimensional Box] to swallow the fireball. But the smouldering heat and hot ash that followed it, couldn''t be avoidedpletely. I was pelted by ashy debris and wild winds that made me roll down the chasm, until I resembled a dust ball.


    I looked up and saw the Sylrin hovering above me haughtily, his glowing eyes filled with mischief and ridicule. My face darkened even further as I realized he was actually ying around with me. This brat already recognised me!


    I blinked to the top of the chasm immediately, and crashed into him like a sandbag, in an attack that was more constriction than a hug. The overgrown lizard let out an incensed roar, as he stumbled down the chasm while struggling to free himself, but I wasn''t letting go anytime soon.


    I hissed in outrage. How dare he toy with me!


    From his boosted stats, I knew he was strong. Fortunately my evolved form put me in a simr weight ss, and I was also much longer, and easily capable of wrapping multiple times around him like toughened rope.


    Buried under severalyers of snake curls with his mouth constricted, Sylrin could barely resist, aside from spewing noxious belts of smoke that made me gag. The stinger on his tail even attempted to pierce me, until I stuck it to the ground with my own pronged tail, chuckling sinisterly as Sylrin groaned.


    Nice try, brat!


    However, as Sylrin continued to struggle, his roars soon becameints.


    |[Tight!]|


    Eh? What was that?


    I stared around in confusion.


    |[Let go, you prickly worm!]|


    [Prickly worm?!] My eyes widened in astonishment, before realising where the sound wasing from..


    This disrespectful brat!


    So he wasn''t satisfied with his current beating?


    |[This beautiful serpent is your elder!]| I hissed back, making sure to m his head into the ground.


    |[Now, repeat after me. Beautiful serpent!]|


    But Sylrin only stared at me in shock, refusing to say anything.


    Once I was not so annoyed anymore, I released him, and watched with a smug look as the overgrown lizard sprawled across the rocks as he gasped for breath.


    It seemed anothernguage had registered under [Glossary of Aeon].


    It was cool, but I still couldn''t get used to hearing Sylrin speak.


    The lizard in question promptly rolled around, refusing to look at me as he settled down on the burning rocks.


    I listlessly sighed. Was I too harsh on him?


    Why was this overgrown lizard suddenly acting shy?


    Since Sylrin refused to say more, I decided to check the system to see how manynguages I now had saved. Under Glossary of Aeon, there were now three.


    -----------------------


    Language Slots: |Draconic| |Khaja Mutant Tribe| |Sleipnir|


    -----------------------


    There were seventeen more free slots which could be filled, and that got me curious.


    "What is thenguage of the people of Ailith continent?" I asked Sensei.


    ?There are several as many races that share this continent, but the ruling popce of Ailith are High Elves, so themon tongue is theirnguage.?


    Elves? Not mortals?


    Well that was a bit unexpected.


    But then, I remembered something Sensei mentioned a long time ago.


    "Does this mean my ssmate above ground is also an elf?!" I gushed in excitement.


    Sensei didn''t reply, but I grinned broadly, having caught him unprepared.


    "Who is it?" I pressed on. Which arrogant bastard got lucky?


    ?You know I can''t tell you that.? Sensei ndly replied, and my thoughts darkened, my distrust for him growing even more.


    "How boring." I sulked.


    What did he think I was going to do if I knew about it?


    Nheless, my annoyance did notst long.


    With Sylrin calmed down, the smoke cleared a little, enough to see a flock of Abyssal monsters returning to the valley.


    A fewnded before me, much to Sylrin''s shock, and just as he was about to fire on them, I hissed at him to stop.


    These surprisingly useful creatures had news.


    It seemed they had spotted the party of elves and mortals, who were currently stuck somewhere in the valley after getting caught up in Sylrin''s rampage.


    That was good news to me.


    I quickly left Sylrin, and soared above the billowing smoke, to catch a glimpse of them.


    What were they doinging back here, when they could''ve escaped a long way by now?


    I stared at the group with [Mind''s Eye] as they progressed further into the valley, my eyes settling on a dishevelled looking female elf.


    However, without waiting for my signal, the flock of Abyssal monsters following behind me, swiftly descended into the smoke towards the oblivious party.

 Chapter 241 - Lost Elf

    When Luthera woke up, she was surprised to find she was back in a tent. There was a faint earthy smell in the air, and looking around at clean, tidy surroundings made her feel calm.


    Thest thing she remembered was getting buried under a heavy pile of rock, and although this tent was not hers, it was clear from the presence of light that she had been brought outside the Shrouded Valley.


    As she blinked to clear her head, her body ached terribly, and when she looked down, her pale arms were covered in dirt. But other than that, she was uninjured.


    Yet, how could she forget the moment before she thought she was going to die.


    Under all that rubble, Luthera thought she would die slowly from suffocation, or at least until the monsters hunting her decided to uncover her body. She remembered struggling to reach for her amulet to contact her master, and failing to grasp it, just as someone dug through the rubble to bring her out.


    The face of the Pgian Captain came into view, as she was slung over his shoulders and carried away.


    At the time she was grateful, but now, the memory of being saved by a mortal made her face burn in shame ¨C would her master still ept her if he knew of this?


    Grandmaster Lothrein was infamous for his contempt for mortals and anyone rted to them.


    The sound of a cough made her turn her head, only to notice another presence in the room. Aetoris was sitting in a chair not far from her, looking extremely haggard with dark circles under his eyes and a bruise across his left cheek. The devilishly handsome half-elf looked like he hadn''t slept in days, his silvery blonde hair was now limp, and even singed in some parts.


    She didn''t even recognise him.


    "You should brief everyone when you''re ready." Aetoris said, but before she could perform a blessing on him, he already stood up to leave.


    ''I suppose you also me me for this fruitless mission.'' Luthera thought as the tent ps closed. Her body was tired, but after saying a few recovery spells, she was able to stand.


    What else was she supposed to do, aside frompleting it ¨C a disciple like herself couldn''t afford to offend her master, not when there were so many others waiting to take her ce.


    Luthera arrived at the impromptu meeting, where nine very different people gathered, as they waited for her. As her eyes panned over the room, her breathing stopped at the sight of a horribly burned man, who was hunched over while fingering a de.


    Undrenn was one of the few mortals who requested to join her party at thest minute, right after the group of Pgian soldiers, but she never expected he would be like this. Covered in bandages from head to toe, he fixed her with a cold re filled with malice as soon as he saw her.


    However, Luthera''s gaze was no less steely than his own, which made the burnt man look away.


    Standing next to him was Rodin, the Pgian captain who rescued her, along with three of his Infantry soldiers ¨C a far cry from what the twenty they were originally.


    Their captain was talking, albeit unsessfully, to the massive barbarian hunter beside him who merely grunted in answer, as he polished an axe that wasrger than the width of his shoulders.


    Everyone looked just as bad as Aetoris who stood in the corner with his arms crossed, if not worse, which made Luthera wonder what she must look like right now. Nheless, as she entered all of their conversation''s ceased, and Fennelis stealthily dropped in from outside the tent like a shadow.


    Luthera cleared her throat, pointing to a map in the middle of a table littered with scrolls, she couldn''t afford to look unprepared.


    "The n remains the same. We return to search the valley as soon as the monsters retreat."


    She expected to hear some agreement or even some opposition, but there was nothing ¨C the gathering remaining as silent and tense as a grave. Her gaze panned across everyone present, ignoring some murderous looks thrown her way, before settling on Fennelis who nodded in agreement.


    "Any progress on finding Ulrick Dunar?" She asked Aetoris, who shook his head.


    "I lost his trail across a stretch of river. With that many monsters, he may already be dead." Aetoris chillingly replied.


    Luthera nodded with a solemn look, before turning to Fennelis. "Has the monster horde receded?"


    Although she had been unconscious, she knew the ever silent elf would continue to keep watch.


    The wood elf pulled down his mask to reveal a pretty face, before gesturing to a map on the table.


    "They migrated further ind, but this recess is actually a hidden cave. We can sneak in through here in a few hours...if conditions remain the same. Right now, it''s nearly empty."


    "Good." Luthera nodded in approval, delighted to hear some good news. "Continue tracking them. As soon as the monsters leave, we go back inside-"


    However, her instructions were interrupted by harshughter.


    "Go back?"


    The lone figure of the burnt man stared off in the distance as he ominously fingered his de. "Can your grandmaster heal my burns, because if your answer is no, I see no reason to continue listening to you."


    Luthera was stunned by his question, along with his look of unbridled intent, but she recovered quickly. "That is an easy task for my master. And you will be doublypensated for your trouble."


    "Then I will go wherever you please." The burned man said with a smile that made her skin crawl, but Luthera refused to back down from that ravenous gaze. She couldn''t afford to look weak, or give them a reason to doubt her master, not when the unity of the group depended on her.


    But then, a loud guffaw cut through the tension as therge barbarian spoke.


    "Comining about mere burns ¨C I didn''t know the thieves guild epted women within their ranks?"


    Like a spark had been ignited, the tense atmosphere burst into mes.


    Undernn''s knife found its way to the barbarian''s throat, but therge man simply deflected it with a swing of his axe beforeughing in his face. But the agile man snaked across to him, attacking the barbarian with another knife seemingly out of nowhere. The tent soon erupted into chaos.


    "You''re the reason I lost all my men!" Undernn shouted in fury.


    The barbarian only scoffed. "You should thank me for cutting down those useless men. Should I have waited for them to get taken away by beasts?"


    His taunting voice only made the thief angrier.


    Fortunately, the blonde captain cut through their path and the thief''s knife was stopped moments before it reached the barbarian.


    Rodin, who restrained the thief, turned to the ruthless barbarian to speak.


    "You should have waited to see if his men could get away from those monsters, before cutting them down!"


    But the barbarian spat on the ground, giving both men a look of scorn. "I gave them a clean death. Your thieves are weak, your shiny soldiers are also weak ¨C all you have is your useless armour. Warriors of Marxces don''t need such things ¨C I have faced down many kinds of beasts, all with my bare hands and won. Fight me together if you have a problem with me!"


    Luthera sighed, her face like stone, as she watched this disy.


    Why was this barbarian suddenly acting up? Rodin too.


    Aetoris was unusually silent through everything ¨C shouldn''t he try to stop them?


    When she saw the half-elf still had his arms crossed, she decided to intervene.


    "We shouldn''t fight each other, not when we''re this close. We just have to persevere and move on."


    It was the only logical option, and she didn''t feel rattled even when six pairs of furious eyes turned to stare at her.


    "We return to the valley once everyone is rested."


    With that, she stormed out of the tent, leaving them all to settle their dispute amongst themselves.


    However, once outside, her calm expression turned to one of fury.


    Rest? Just how long would that take? And would the relic still be untouched?


    She wanted to set off right away, but in their riled up state, it wasn''t the best decision.


    Yet, she could feel the tremulous ether fluctuations that drew her towards the valley.


    How happy would her master be once she told him?


    To think she was bending to the will of mortals.


    This was why her master despised them, thezy, greedy, unsightly beings who always looked to be coddled, or to beat each other at insignificant things, without seeing the full picture.


    She was the only one who could steer them in the right direction, and without her leadership, they would have crumbled a long time ago.


    The tent p pulled open and Fennelis emerged, causing Luthera''s brows to furrow deeply.


    She could already guess what he wanted to say, and because of this she avoided him.


    "Our food supplies are running low." Fennelis said. "We should consider leaving the Labyrinth."


    "No."


    Fennelis''s face remained nk, like he already expected this. "Then we should visit the Khaja and ask for assistance. They live on the ins east of here. If we leave now we could get there in weeks-"


    "Hah!"


    The shrill sound stopped Fennelis dead in his tracks.


    "Visit a colony of mutated abominations?!" Luthera shrieked, her body trembling as her eyes zed with fury. "Has Grandmaster Lothrein sunken so low!"


    Fennelis fell silent as his eyes filled with fear.


    "Don''t ever mention such a thing to me again. And don''t ever let my master hear you mention them, unless you want the Moonriver tribe to be exterminated."


    Fennelis nodded once, before fading into the shadows.


    Luthera couldn''t believe what she had heard. Any upstanding elf would hesitate before asking a mortal for help, so for him to suggest those monsters ¨C she would rather die of starvation.


    But then again, the wood elves were rather free with their associations with mortals, a reason they were so looked down on by others.


    With Fennelis gone, Luthera cast her gaze over the Valley and the inky darkness that filled it.


    Once she obtained the Goddess''s relic, she would be her master''s highest ranking disciple, and with that, everything else would fall into ce.


    No one would ever look down on her for having a half-mortal sister. If anything, with her contribution, the high elves were destined to reach new heights of power.

 Chapter 242 - Lutheras Crisis

    As Luthera watched the dark valley, she felt the presence of someone else approaching and spoke.


    "I could have used your help there. Why didn''t you say anything?"


    Aetoris had left the tent, his handsome, brooding visage now standing beside her as he replied. "When was thest time you received orders from the Grandmaster?"


    "Yesterday." Luthera replied without pause.


    Yet, instead of leaving, he fixed her with a worrying look. "I would like to see your amulet."


    "No. You cannot speak to him." She coolly replied.


    "Why is that?" Aetoris persisted.


    "Because you are not his disciple ¨C that privilege is reserved for me alone." Luthera heatedly replied. "Are you saying you don''t trust me enough to convey my own master''s orders?"


    Aetoris was taken aback by her steely gaze. "Never. It''s just¡­"


    "Are you doubting the Grandmaster then?"


    Aetoris shook his head, and when he saw he wasn''t going to make any headway, he shook his head and walked away, leaving her alone.


    Once he was far away, Luthera sighed in relief. Her palms were sweaty as she released them, having been clutching them unconsciously.


    They all look to her for leadership, but how was she supposed to tell them, she hadn''t received a newmand from her master in a while?


    At first their exchanges had been frequent, but after many futile weeks of searching, the Grandmaster began to lose his temper and thus the gaps between their conversations became longer.


    If those mortals inside the tent knew she was no longer in contact with her master, would they still listen to her?


    It had been weeks since she had been able to get through, and herst messages were still unanswered.


    At the time she had just discovered the valley and wanted to know if they were to proceed inside or wait for reinforcements, but her master didn''t respond.


    She then carefully retrieved the hexagonal tool in her satchel.


    The cyan crystal in its centre glowed with light, as did the many runes that lit up in recognition as her fingers grazed them. But there was no message.


    Feeling frustrated, she put the amulet away in defeat.


    There would be no reinforcements, and she would have to contend with the ipetence of her party, until she was able to break the news to her master.


    For now, finding the hidden temple was of the utmost importance. The Goddess''s relic was rumoured to contain unimaginable secrets and vast amounts of power.


    If properly studied, her master could potentially remove the restriction ced on the elves at birth, allowing them to increase their poption, and prevent their magical bloodline from degrading any further.


    Although Aetoris and Ulrick were strong, due to being tainted with the blood of mortals, they had imbibed certain traits.


    Aetoris was a shameless phnderer, and Ulrick was very much dependent on spirits, that he wasn''t even able to fight effectively during the attack by the Hesperia swarm.


    Luthera clenched her fists. If she didn''t locate the relic soon, more High elves like herself, would have to resort to creating half breeds like them to further their line. She was sure the goddess''s relic was somewhere within the valley, she just had to find it.


    She turned to leave but stopped when she noticed something strange.


    The darkness of the valley seemed to be moving. Like rolling clouds, they pulled away from the top of the hill where she stood, the dark expanse shrinking away, as if recalled by something.


    Soon the mist grew so thin, she could see the valley perfectly. But this sent her into panic.


    Something was wrong.


    She was sure this had something to do with the relic, but what had triggered it?


    She immediately rushed back to the tent, calling out to the first person she saw, who happened to be Rodin.


    The captain stared at Luthera in confusion, but she stormed past him, almost raving in her panic.


    "Come with me! We have to enter the valley now!"


    Her exhausted team was not expecting to be riled up this quickly.


    Once gathered, they all stared at her like she had gone insane. But Luthera didn''t care for their looks.


    As soon as they were outside, they would see the reason for her panic.


    When she returned, she found them all gawking at the valley that had suddenly be clear.


    And without waiting, she grabbed a sword before descending into the rocky chasm, leaving them all with no choice but to follow her.


    Fennelis followed without hesitation. Then Aetoris. Soon everyone had entered.


    They encroached the dangerous interior slowly, warily listening out for any sign of monsters crawling below the chasm. Everywhere Luthera looked, jagged rocks swung out dangerously as if looking for something to impale, and the cavernous descent of the chasm looked even more dangerous without its cover.


    It was strange seeing the valley without its familiar dark shroud and the air was filled with the distant cries of creatures, along with the faint scent of burning flesh. Fortunately, the monsters who previously lurked around the entrance seemed to have gone, and this absence made her all the more eager to move faster.


    They just needed to follow the trail the receding dark mist had left. Luthera had witnessed it all and knew roughly where to go.


    However, the barbarian who walked in front of her, suddenly came to a halt as they turned a corner, his broad back obscuring Luthera''s view.


    "Why did you stop?" She whispered.


    But the man held a finger up to his lips, signalling for everyone to stand back.


    "I smell a fearsome opponent." The gruff voice said, an excited grin on his face.


    Luthera scowled. There was indeed the slight whiff of sulphur in the air, but that had always been present in the valley.


    She was about to dismiss his im, when she noticed the barbarian''s eyes held a hint of fear - a look she''d never seen before, not even when they werepletely surrounded by monsters.


    And as if the absence of the monsters wasn''t strange enough, the valley was now heating up, when it had previously been cold.


    She hadn''t noticed it before but everyone in her party was drenched in sweat, and the further in they went, the more the skin of her neck prickled ufortably.


    Alongside the barbarian''s warning, this gave her an ufortable feeling. In her eagerness to continue, she had dismissed these changes as the result of the relic being triggered by something. But now, she wasn''t so sure.


    The barbarian hadn''t stopped staring at something in the distance, and as she strode past him, she noticed a plume of smoke emerging from behind an extremely highyer of rock.


    "We should fallback for now." Luthera instructed.


    Something was different.


    She didn''t know what, but there were too many strange happenings for it all to be an ident.


    Luthera recalled seeing a crevice in the rocks as they passed, and made her way towards it with everyone following quietly behind her. Her intention was to hide away and observe the valley further before proceeding.


    But just then, a bright light illuminated the valley, and she looked back to see a massive fireball speeding towards the rocks where they stood.


    They were still a long way from the crevice, and they all immediately started running, no longer caring how much noise they made.


    But then, another explosion broke out of nowhere, and the high rock wall separating them from the smoke, copsed as a dark creature crashed through it with a loud roar.


    Luthera''s heart sank to her stomach, and she suppressed a scream, as she glimpsed a familiar creature.


    It was t-that strange monster!


    Had ite to capture her again? How did it find her?!


    Seeing this dark dragon filled her with more fear than the fireball hurtling towards them, and before she knew it ¨C she was running harder than she ever did in her life, reaching the crevice promptly, just as the fireball crashed into the rocks above them.


    Molten rock and fallen debris pelted the opening of the crevice, but she got inside in time, as did the rest of her party. Their timing was nothing short of a miracle, and to her surprise nobody was harmed.


    Yet as the group sighed in relief, having narrowly escaped with their lives, Luthera peeked through the crevice, shivering terribly as the scary monster flew past their hiding ce.


    Large plumes of fire and explosions spewed out in its wake, and the rocks became so hot that she could barely stand near them. Soon, the valley became unrecognisable after being set alight.


    Why did the monster seem more powerful than before?


    Luthera was hiding, yet, she couldn''t stop staring at the rampaging creature.


    It didn''t see her right?


    She thought it was strange. The creature didn''t eat her, even when it had her dangling in its grasp.


    Rather, it seemed...yful, like it found her amusing. And, it had killed the monsters that tried to eat her.


    What sort of monster did that?


    Weren''t magical beasts, savage and unintelligent creatures like her master said?


    While its form of ''y'' had been rough, she wasn''t truly harmed, and it was only when the shadowy one appeared that she felt afraid enough to flee.


    Luthera shuddered at the memory - she still didn''t know what that shadow was, but while one seemed kind, the other was clearly evil.


    But then again, how could that be? Weren''t they both monsters?


    What was she thinking?


    Eventually she joined the rest of her party to wait out the storm, all the while thinking she must be imagining things ¨C there was no way such a monster would be searching for her.

 Chapter 243 - The Grandmasters Request

    The explosions near the entrance eventually stopped, as the dark dragon retreated further away. Only then did Luthera and her party feel brave enough toe out of hiding. They couldn''t miss this chance to escape before it returned!


    But once outside, it became obvious this rampage was far from over.


    Outpourings of mes, along with other explosions could still be heard all across the valley. Melted rocks and other debris littered the pathway, there was even a scalding boulder obstructing their path. It took several beatings from the barbarian''s axe before the boulder was sliced through.


    From then on, things only became more difficult.


    Traversing the valley that had suddenly transformed to a hellish ce full of cinder and ash was hazardous to say the least. Travelling through broken ridge sections, scalding melted rock, sudden rock falls and other loose sands - a single misstep spelled danger.


    Also...there were the monsters to be wary of as well. Suddenly the ce that had been empty was full of creatures.


    Barely discernible through the thick smoke, many shadows were glimpsed moving through the noxious air, their hellish sounds made all the more terrifying in the scorching heat.


    Luthera wasn''t sure where they all emerged from, but under the cover of the smoke and chaos, the monsters didn''t seem to have noticed them. They passed silently without paying them any attention, drawn towards the many fires burning all over the valley.


    This gave Luthera the confidence to continue.


    By her estimate they could reach the spot the dark mist retreated to in less than a day, if they moved quickly. However, that all changed when the dark dragon suddenly stopped its rampage.


    Over in the dragon''s direction, there were no more explosions and as they sped along the ridge everything fell silent and became still.


    What was happening?


    Suddenly, Luthera felt very vulnerable and exposed. The monsters had quietened down and the only sound apanying their footsteps were the flickering mes - even their breathing sounded loud.


    She felt something wasn''t right so, she ordered them all to stop before peering around warily.


    But then, a loud screech echoed through the smoke, sounding extremely close.


    "Draw your weapons!" Luthera screamed in response.


    A warning that came toote.


    All kinds of monsters were dropping in to attack them from within the smoke. Luthera lunged at the first, seeding in kicking it off the ridge before it couldnd, but faced with so many, their small party was soon overwhelmed on the narrow ridge.


    Aetoris swung his longsword in what little space he had, while Fennelis was shooting down the creatures as they came. The barbarian had already cleaved a sizable monster in half, and when it didn''t die, he repeatedly struck it with its axe until all its body was decimated, before moving on to another.


    Rodin had his infantry in formation around Luthera, his lightning sword dealing damage to the monsters at close range. It was like she had been plunged into a war zone. With no other choice, she dealt decisive blows against the bloodthirsty monsters, aiming to incapacitate rather than kill.


    Facing the persistent creatures, while fighting the effect of mes she now realised were toxic, was another disadvantage that made every member of her team get exhausted quickly and she chanted a series of recovery spells to aid them while she attacked yet another monster.


    But in all the chaos, there was one person missing in action - the burnt thief.


    But while she was fighting, she glimpsed the man emerge from the shadows, his agile form moving purposefully towards the barbarian.


    Luthera grimaced in rage.


    This fool! How could he be thinking of revenge right now?


    Fortunately, Fennelis who was closer spotted him first, burying his monster with a series of arrows before shooting the de out of the thief''s hand to try and stop him.


    But rather than stopping, the thief switched targets to Fennelis instead, attacking him before he released another arrow. It ended up bing a scuffle that opened a dangerous gap in their formation, which the monsters were only too eager to take advantage of.


    Soon, both Aetoris and the barbarian found themselves holding back too many creatures by themselves. And just when Fennelis managed to pin his insane opponent down, the burnt man retrieved another knife, slicing him in the stomach, before kicking him down the chasm in a moment of surprise - right onto the path of a winged creature that promptly snatched him away.


    Luthera''s eyes widened in horror, and as the creatures numbers increased, she hacked away at her own monster, killing it quickly before they werepletely overrun. But just then, she heard the barbarian''s furious cry and saw a de embedded in his shoulder.


    In a moment of rage, she sliced off the head of a monster, just as she heard Rodin shouting at her. However, before she could look, a long serpent-like object struck her hard across the back. The impact made her lose her footing, and she fell from the narrow ridge, into the chasm below.


    It wasn''t the dragon, but a massive camouged creature that had scaled the wall behind them before attacking her. As she fell, the figures of her party rounded together to fight it before the smoke obscured her view.


    Luthera''s body throbbed with pain, and she forced herself into a ball to soften her descent, wincing as rocks and numerous debris tumbled past her.


    Suddenly, she stopped feeling the ground and when she opened her eyes, she was astonished to find herself soaring in mid air, holding on to nothing.


    Her eyes went wide and she was frozen stiff.


    She was clearly sitting on something with a smooth feel, but the only thing she could see was smoke.


    Granted, she was terrified, but it seemed even more dangerous to try to prod the thing carrying her.


    However, she didn''t fly for long.


    The invisible thing stopped on the edge of an alcove, flipping sideways before she could even blink, and to her surprise, Luthera found herself tumbling across a smooth slope, before sinking through an opening in the rocks.


    When she came to, it was in a strange ce. It was clearly some kind of cave, but she couldn''t tell how spacious it was because it waspletely dark.


    The roof allowed only a sliver of purple light to filter in, and the moment she looked up,rge plumes of smoke were blown away as a winged shadow soared over the opening.


    It looked exactly like that dragon! And Luthera unconsciously hugged the cave wall to hide herself.


    But not even a moment after, the shadow flew by again, and again, making Luthera extremely fearful.


    Fortunately for her, it did note close to the cave''s opening and her loudly beating heart began to settle. But then, another sound soon caught her attention.


    Luthera thought she was mistaken, because it sounded likeughter, and it wasn''t long before she realized there was something inside the cave with her.


    "Fennelis?" She called out warily.


    But there was no response.


    To her horror, Luthera realised the satchel containing her amulet was no longer by her side, the space around her waist noticeably empty. So she searched around on the ground, only to see a pair of red eyes floating above an intense patch of darkness in the corner.


    Luthera immediately fell back with a scream as the thing approached her, but when a fierce roar sounded out from above, the creature stopped much to her surprise.


    A demon? An abomination? What was it?


    Luthera held her ground, refusing to feel fear even when the creature''s menacing aura threatened to rip her to shreds. She readied her most powerful spell [Purifying Light], a holy spell that could repel the most powerful dark creature.


    But nothing happened.


    Somehow it refused to activate, like she waspletely devoid of magic!


    It was then it dawned on her how much danger she was in.


    She backed away, wishing she hadn''t lost her weapon in the fall.


    Yet, before she could react, darkness filled her vision, taking with it her ability to see and feel.


    It onlysted for a second, but by the time she could see again, the red eyed monster was gone and so was the dark dragon.


    She was sprawled in an unsightly pose on the ground and when she looked down, her robes had been sliced open, her body covered in marks like she had just been thoroughly searched, and Luthera screamed in horror.


    It was only a moment after, that she realised the storage ring she wore as a pendant around her neck was missing too.


    How dare it!


    She''d never been this enraged in her 118 years of existence.


    How could a monster touch her so shamelessly?!


    Luthera hugged her chest as she trembled. She''d never been this embarrassed before in her life. It didn''t even ur to her that she was lucky to still be alive. All she could think was wanting that monster''s head presented to her on a spike.


    Where was it?!


    She fumbled through the darkness, searching until her hands grasped her fallen satchel.


    It too was now strewn open but luckily its contents remained.


    Had that monster also been rifling through her things?!


    As she reached for her amulet, intending toin to her master. It too began to vibrate, and the crystal clear voice of Grandmaster Lotherin suddenly filled the cave.


    "What progress you have made in locating the Godesse''s relic?" Her master asked, seemingly with all the patience in the world.


    For a moment Luthera was stunned. Thoughts of how she wanted to kill the creature for touching her, suddenly seemed juvenile. Her anger from earlier melted away and she began to ry her experience from the moment she discovered the dark valley, up until the current moment.


    "The darkness pulled away after you fought this pair of monsters?" Grandmaster Lothrein asked.


    "Yes, Master."


    "And this other monster turned invisible, drained all your magic, robbed you of your senses, and also stole your dimensional ring?"


    Luthera swallowed nervously. Hearing all this back, made her sound so ipetent.


    She knew just how far-fetched it seemed. Perhaps her master thought she hit her head too hard when she fell.


    Yet, she couldn''t lie to him.


    "Yes, Master." She replied with her head lowered.


    Yet, instead of scolding her, she heard one of her master''s rareughs.


    "Are you sure this wasn''t the same creature that attacked you?"


    Luthera shook her head. "It''s not possible. This one was bigger, and more powerful, it also had the aura of a demon from the Abyss."


    Grandmaster Lothreinughed.


    "Magnificent! I want you to go after them, I''ll send you reinforcements. Those two must be part of my collection."


    What?!


    "B-But Master, what about the Goddess''s relic?" Luthera stuttered in panic. She knew her master was prone to the asional flight of fancy, but this was too extreme. The Goddesses relic was nearly in their grasp!


    Just what was he thinking to suddenly divert her quest?


    "The Goddess can wait. Potential Hybrid specimens cannot!"


    "But Master!"


    With that, her amulet went dead and Luthera was left staring at nothing in the dark cave.

 Chapter 244 - Sylrin The Sickly

    After meeting the elf and separating her from her storage ring, the quest [Retrieve and destroy Grandmaster Lothrein''s prized Journal] was all butpleted.


    The only thing left was to destroy the journal and that [500XP] prize would be mine.


    Unfortunately, not long after, Sylrin sumbed to the feverish side effect of Sensei''s Brew. We now rested on top of a hidden alcove in the valley overlooking the deep chasm, with a very sick Sylrin at my side.


    Initially I wanted to return to the shadowir as it was more hidden, but the trip was too far for Sylrin to make it.


    When Sylrin rolled over to rest his head on my curls, I scowled.


    Didn''t he realise I was a coldblooded creature? There was no warmth here!


    I sighed. I should have been celebrating¡­why was I stuck caring for this sick lizard?


    And a heavy one at that.


    As Sylrin pitifully groaned, I tried to resist feeling like I was about to get squished, and I patted therge head of the trembling lizard who seemed to be suffering even worse than I did. I suppose feeling cold must be very strange for a fire based creature.


    I really shouldn''t be upset with him when his condition now was my fault.


    But sometimes, this lizard was really too much!


    I finally had the elf in my grasp, and I wasn''t even able to talk to her without him hovering above us like an angry boyfriend ¨C and this was after I said I wasn''t going to eat her.


    I was forced to let her go in the end because Sylrin got too agitated. So, seeing him sucking up to me now, made me more irritated.


    ?Can you me him? You''re thest person I''d trust with food.? Sensei added dryly.


    "You don''t even eat!" I shot back.


    "And aren''t you being too rude?" I scoffed, before prodding the lizard using me as a cushion.


    |[Why do you like her, anyway?]| I questioned him.


    But Sylrin only turned his head to hide his face.


    No response huh. This lizard was surprisingly shy.


    But eventually, I heard him speak.


    |[Bored. Like watching her. She sad. Want to take her away.]|


    Er¡­


    Kidnapping wasn''t going to fix her problems, you know?


    And wait¡­wasn''t this exactly how stalkers were born?


    |[She afraid...]| Sylrinmented. |[She very lonely with others.]|


    I was amazed.


    This bratty lizard was surprisingly empathetic.


    I nced over at the far away cave, zooming in with [Mind''s Eye] to see the dishevelled figure of a silver haired elf as she climbed out of the cave''s roof, looking this way and that, before promptly running away.


    How perceptive Sylrin was.


    To me she only seemed like a tyrant, ordering her team to traverse impossible terrains.


    |[Maybe she''s the one isting herself, have you thought about that?]| I asked him.


    I was trying to reason with him, yet Sylrin only scowled at me.


    I guess he didn''t agree.


    But when I thought of it further¡­was this observation part of the reason he followed me?


    I nced at Sylrin in suspicion, before changing my mind.


    Nah, there was no way, at the time he was little more than a tiny brat, perhaps he was even smaller than a baby drake.


    Yet, it did make me ponder what Sylrin thought about me.


    At the end of his description of the elf girl, Sylrin lowered his head, sulking.


    He really acted like a puppy when he was sick, it was oddly cute, considering he had quite a fearsome appearance. But if I exined the concept of ''cuteness'' to him, I''m was sure he wouldn''t be happy to hear it.


    Still, as much as he liked the elf, it was dangerous for him to associate with her.


    |[Come back to my cave, I''ll introduce you to much nicer girls...snakes.]|


    Sylrin gives me a wry look, and I looked away, smiling nervously.


    |[Girl snakes?]| Sylrin suspiciously asked.


    |[Yes!]|


    But instead of agreeing toe, he scoffed at me before turning away.


    |[Hey!]| I scowled at him. What was he trying to say about my snakes?


    They were nice, affectionate, adorable, and pretty ¨C every single one of them!


    A mere elf couldn''tpare ¨C he really was getting a better deal.


    Yet, Sylrin refused to look at me and he looked to have fallen asleep ¨C It seemed he didn''t believe me, or care.


    Hmph! Ophelia was the most beautiful serpent I''d ever seen ¨C I was sure he would agree the moment he saw her evolved form.


    I left Sylrin to rest and essed the [Labyrinth''s As] which I hadn''t used in forever.


    The near holographic map appeared before me, withrge portions of the Upper Stratum and some of the Middle Stratum now illuminated. Much of it had changed. I could now see several concentrated red dots, spanning from over in the Nymph''s forest, to the cave and now to the valley.


    All [6527] members of my pit were now represented. But I focused on a nearby figure moving on the map.


    Unlike the red dots, this one was shown as a ck [X] mark and it was moving over the chasm''s rocks at a steady pace.


    ?Did you really have to tag her like livestock?? Sensei asked.


    "What do you mean?" I pouted.


    In the brief time I was with the elf, I managed to leave a trace of darkness on her. Too small to be found on her body, but enough for me to trace her whereabouts, no matter where she fled. Wasn''t that better than inflicting her with poison?


    "It''s not like I''m picking on her alone." I proimed proudly. "I tagged all of them."


    There were nine [X] marks in total, all of which were still in the valley. I saw them all moving on the as, the mark belonging to the elf girl was about to collide with another elf that had been separated.


    Naturally, since I got what I wanted from her, the other party members were unimportant.


    As long as they didn''t behave too oundishly and knew how to hide, they just might escape with their lives¡­if the Abyssal monsters didn''t devour them first that is.


    But instead of admiring my quick thinking, Sensei sighed.


    "You clearly want to say something else. What is it?" I impatiently asked.


    ?Just stay away from them. It''s of no use to cross paths with them again.?


    That was true.


    I did note that they were all fairly strong and I had shown some interest in a few. The pretty archer in particr, who was about as slippery as an eel. I had tried to capture him, but somehow he wriggled free of the Abyssal monster I sent.


    "Have elves ever been known to live with monsters?" I asked Sensei.


    ?What did I just say?? Sensei sighed in exasperation. ?Unless you mean dead elves who serve as their food, then I''ll ignore what you just asked.?


    I pouted. Why did he have to be so strict?


    "Alright, I''ll stay away. I was only thinking of learning some archery."


    When I could finally shapeshift, after harvesting enough shapeshifting creatures to gain the attribute - so maybe in a few weeks.


    ?If that''s the case, it''s not unheard of for monsters to capture elves for certain reasons. You should ask your Nymph friend for advice on this topic, she''s something of an expert.?


    Was he serious?


    He was basically telling me to go and learn from the best. And so sarcastically too!


    Sensei sure had an odd sense of humour - didn''t he just use me of tagging them like livestock?


    However, he did have a point.


    The Nymph lured them with her beauty, maybe if I looked less scary, they would oblige if I invited them over for snacks. Of course, all my nestlings and serpent summons would have to be hidden away.


    I also had a potion that could do the trick, the [Tonic of Disillusion] could temporarily change my appearance, but [1000XP] was asking too much for a mere 2 hours. I swiftly changed my mind and peered over at the figures in the valley.


    Meeting them again depended on if they survived long enough.


    As some of the Abyssal monsters were killed during the attack, it was only right that the elf''s party paid the price by bing their food.


    However, I wasn''t expecting my thoughts to be a prediction.


    Soon, one [X] on the as faded in colour, while anotherpletely vanished.


    Wrong timing perhaps?


    To distract myself, I brought out the elf''s storage ring, my thoughts salivating at what the contents might be.


    Some candied fruits, maybe freshly baked bread, or even the fabled honey. I was also curious about this journal Sensei wanted me to destroy.


    Yet, when I retrieved the silver ring marked with intricate runes, it refused to open. There was a magic circuit that activated around it, and when it failed to recognise me as its owner ¨C It promptly went dead, sealing off any chance of retrieving its contents.


    Shoot. Of course it would have some protections!


    I scanned it with [Mind''s Eye] which revealed that each carved rune served a different function. They lined the ring, connected to a series of cyan crystals embedded into the silver.


    My first thought was to drain each crystal with [Dark Magic], but Sensei stopped me.


    ?If you drain them, what power will it use to open??


    It sounded logical, but when I created a needle shaped tendril of darkness to probe each crystal, Sensei said nothing ¨C which made me more suspicious.


    If I carelessly used force, it was possible some parts of the ring would be destroyed, making it impossible to open. This would be the same as destroying the journal inside, which the quest specified.


    Sensei really thought he could fool me!


    Instead of continuing, I ced the ring back in [Dimensional Box].


    ?To finish the quest, you need to destroy it.? Sensei said after a while. ?You gain nothing by being mischievous.?


    The words remained unspoken, but it was clear he meant, I was risking another penalty.


    "Why does it have to be destroyed? Why can''t I read it before destroying it?" I asked.


    ?Some things are better left unknown, especially those that once belonged to a Grandmaster.? Sensei somberly replied. ?If you want to know anything about this world, you can simply ask me.?


    That was a given, but I still wanted to know for myself. I had a feeling it would reveal something important that Sensei could be sheltering me from.


    Eventually, I looked back to the as to see the elf''s party''s progress.


    Surprisingly they were also moving, but they were no longer heading deep into the valley, but outside, towards the forest.


    How strange.


    Perhaps they had gotten too scared?


    I made note to give the Abyssal monsters a good reward for their wless efforts.

 Chapter 245 - Too Many Prying Eyes!

    Under lush pink leaves, in a dungeon now wafting with a refreshing floral scent, arge, speckled serpent with jewel pink eyes, stared down in disapproval at a cell filled with reptilian creatures.


    [You really have bad taste.] Arsinoeined to no one in particr. [If you wantpanions, why not pick creatures a little more appealing to look at.]


    Her words were met with silence, which made her sigh.


    The reptiles were rather strange to look at. One half had feathers sprouting along their leathery heads, arms and tails, while the others had greenish spikes that looked simr to quartz along their backs.


    The two creatures were clearly separate kinds, yet all of them had the same creepy yellow eyes that reminded her of a certain someone.


    Arsinoe tilted her head in thought, and sixty pairs of bright eyes turned to track her movement.


    [They are so ugly!] She dered, a spiteful grin on her face. [I guess they resemble you a lot, if I squint.]


    Once more she was met with silence, and feeling aggrieved at being ignored, Arsinoe red at the sealed tomb thaty forgotten in the corner.


    However, the moment she turned her back, one of the creatures jumped, strong agile muscles mbering up the wall of the deep cell at lightning fast speed.


    Arsinoe detected its movements and squealed, leaping back just as a scaly head reached over the rim of the cell, savage fangs gnashing together mere inches away from her.


    Fortunately the creature was not fully equipped to climb out of the cell yet. Instead it grabbed the monster she had brought to feed it, falling back into its cell to its brethren.


    Arsinoe''s panic stricken heart hammered away inside her body as she red at the silent crypt


    Did Morgana order them to do that somehow?


    But how could this be? She hadn''t heard a single sound from her tomb ever since she was confined.


    Arsinoe reeled around at the sound of ripping flesh, slithering over to see the reptiles fighting over the corpse that had been pulled inside.


    How crude!


    She remembered feeling bad for them. Their chances of integrating into the Pit may have been ruined by Morgana''s interference, but this didn''t mean they deserve to starve.


    So, she decided to feed them with the cave''s leftovers, while waiting for Ghad''s return.


    At first she thought it would be difficult, but after being attacked by a nest of scorpion creatures, there was no shortage of corpses in the Pit.


    Yet, these reptile creatures weren''t grateful to her at all!


    They were endlessly hungry, and even after feeding them, they would lunge at her for more. Because of this voracious appetite they had grown quiterge in a short time.


    To keep their minds upied and away from escaping, Typhon chose to merge all their cells together, so the two species could wear themselves out by fighting.


    Yet, even with the numerous reptiles sharing a single cell, none of them had died from each other''s attacks.


    It was creepy.


    Somehow, they seemed to know not to kill each other.


    Artemis assumed this was because they were integrated together since birth, but considering Morgana existed, Arsinoe thought otherwise. Especially the way their yellow eyes shed in hunger, as they tore everything she gave them to shreds.


    It was like they were eying her for their next meal!


    How scary!


    She thought she was doing a good thing by secretly helping them, but not anymore.


    Could she have fed them too much?


    What if one actually gotrge enough to escape?


    Arsinoe shivered as she backed away from the sound of tearing flesh and deeply satisfied growls. She needed to inform Typhon to increase the cell''s depth, and perhaps throw Morgana inside for good measure.


    [I''m sure you''d love to meet your minions, right Morgana?] She bravely called out.


    It was interesting dealing with Morgana like this ¨C she was like a serpent that had lost its fangs, and Arsinoe spent all her time away from battle taunting her.


    However, on this day, the silence from the crypt made her feel very unnerved.


    After so much time had passed without any reply, she was beginning to fear Morgana was dead. As much as she despised her, she didn''t want her rival to end so pitifully.


    [Don''t act like you can''t hear me.] Arsinoeined. [Shouldn''t you be asking me to plead on your behalf? You''re going to die if no one defends you.]


    Once again there was no reply and the bitterness in Arsinoe''s heart increased, until she felt her eyes begin to sting.


    [Don''t say I never tried to help you.]


    Feeling defeated, Arsinoe slithered out of the underground. But as she did, a voice giggled.


    [You''re too kind, how sweet. Are you sure you don''t want toe and join me? I''ll make sure you''re well fed¡­]


    [Stop talking!] Arsinoe snapped.


    At the same time, she chanted ''I''m not crazy'' and ''you''re not real'' over and over in her head.


    [But I am real!] The voice chimed in. [And you''ll make a greatpanion.]


    Arsinoe groaned in frustration. She couldn''t wait for Ghad toe back so she could talk to someone about this irritating voice.


    Soon, the silence of the underground resumed as the speckled serpent took her leave.


    A moment after, the lid of the crypt cracked open with an ominous sound, and a pair of bright eyes red from within.


    ----


    In a higher section of the cave, several preparations were in effect.


    The battle with the scorpions had been raging on the outside for a while, and several of the nestlings had already evolved, including Arsinoe.


    With a few helpful additions, some rigid formations, and stringent nning ¨C most, if not all of the battle had been contained within a series of maze-like traps.


    Their tactic was to fight in rotation.


    Scattered around the forests of their cave, was a system of underground spaces that when triggered, could keep a monster held in ce.


    Once the surface copsed, the fallen creature would be upied with bottom feeders, while weakened by poisonous nts, until a team arrived to defeat it.


    They had defeated severalrge scorpions in this way, but Typhon wasn''t fully satisfied. His goal was to get every nestling to evolve.


    And so, once it seemed like a team was reaching their limit, another was sent in to rece them through the connected underground tunnels.


    This way, everyone was fighting consciously without much rest. Her short break was also up, and Arsinoe saw her team members were waiting for her to go.


    Yet this n, although simple, required manyponents to work, and none of which were allowed to fail.


    The first wave of creatures was unexpected. They filed in from every speck of forest, surging towards them like an unstoppable wave from every terrain.


    If not for the Vdry''s warning, they would''ve been caught off guard, as the sheer amount of creatures was enough to overwhelm their traps.


    And so, Ophelia was tasked with controlling their numbers. Before they even arrived, she had whittled them down by a fraction. And the ones that didn''t die were left confused, so it was a simple matter for her to guide them towards the areas with traps.


    Fortunately, the forest behind their cave belonged to the tree spirits and their mysterious Queen Mother.


    Every scorpion that tried to attack through there, ended up never resurfacing and Arsinoe didn''t know what happened of them. Still, as long as their backs were covered, she was happy to contend with the scorpions attacking from the front.


    Looking past her exhausted team, Artemis, who had also evolved, was instructing a few tree spirits who were helping him expedite the growth of the poisonous nts used for their defensive traps.


    In total there were four of the strange creatures in the cave.


    She had met the first one that arrived, and had brought her to Typhon, but afterwards, it was impossible to meet with the creature again. Even before the first wave hit, that beautiful, arrogant creature was ced on hold by Typhon, because he deemed her to be suspicious and refused to let her out of sight.


    A simr sentiment was shared by Ophelia, and it was only due to the tree spirit mentioning their leader, that she wasn''t attacked right there.


    Yet, it seemed she wasn''t trusted.


    The spirit had offered her help, but aside from creating a thorny barrier as a perimeter around their cave, she wasn''t used again.


    She also wasn''t allowed to go anywhere without either Typhon or Ophelia being present, and it was with great reluctance that three more spirits were allowed toe and apany her.


    Arsinoe didn''t know exactly what she said, but their reaction to her appeared to be hostile.


    She looked over at Typhon who was instructing a team with the Vdry''s sitting awkwardly at his side. The alluring creature was treated no differently from a prisoner, yet somehow this made Arsinoe jealous.


    Even if she was a prisoner ¨C there was no reason for her to stay that close to him!


    This proximity was made worse because Arsinoe couldn''t hear what they talked about, but she would see the creature smiling now and again at something Typhon said, while also peering around at their cave with curious eyes.


    Either she was a spy sent by the Queen mother, or Typhon had a sense of humor she didn''t know about, which also made Arsinoe seethe in anger.


    Her team members exchanged confused looks because their captain, who should have been ordering them to fight, was openly ring at the pair.


    However, when Typhon looked in her direction, Arsinoe quickly turned away.


    Meanwhile, the voice in her head giggled at her expense. [She''s too strong for you to kill, little one.]


    Arsinoe frowned at the term of endearment.


    [But if you kill the strongest monster today.] The voice teased. [Maybe you''ll stand a chance.]


    That was enough to serve as motivation, and Arsinoe and her team promptly left the cave.

 Chapter 246 - Impolite Nestlings

    At the same time Typhon felt a chill, and he looked around, wondering which unruly nestling was plotting against him?


    But the nestlings he briefed were eagerly waiting for him to continue and Arsinoe''s team had just left. Everything was normal, aside from one thing.


    On his left, the creature that resembled an elven woman was sitting below the tform, numerous flowers blooming from the roots of her dress as she waited to have a word with him.


    Was it her?


    When she smiled, the nestlings that passed her all seemed to be lost. They would stop what they were doing or wriggle their tails with stupid looks on their faces, and this only made Typhon infuriated.


    [Escort our guest to the underground and find her a quiet room.] He said to one of the nestlings nearby, and soon, the Vdrys was being ushered away, a look of confusion on her face.


    Their ally was aggrieved, but Typhon was only relieved she was gone.


    Since the creature arrived she had been trying to charm everyone, him especially, and was always making excuses to hang around.


    Fortunately, it didn''t work because Ophelia''s mere presence in the cave was enough to destroy all of her efforts.


    Ophelia''s evolution was a strange one, not only could she control the behaviour of others at extremes, an unconscious effect of her presence meant she also acted as a mood stabilizer.


    Overtime he noticed that whenever she wasn''t around, conflicts tended to break out more often, like recently with Morgana. The nestling also didn''tin about training when she was around, neither did they feel afraid that they were under attack.


    If anything, her energy and excitement was infecting them all and making them push past their limits.


    As a result, more than half of the nestlings had already evolved, boosting our overall strength.


    The battle outside had subsided quite a bit since then, with only a few teams left to clean up the survivors, but this was only the second wave and there were bound to be more.


    For now though, a result like this was more than satisfactory.


    Naturally, Typhon was worried about Ophelia''s inability to control her powers, but it was helping them win so he didn''t tell her off too severely. The Vdrys on the other hand, was an ''ally'' he didn''t trust to have their best interest at hand.


    Typhon asked himself what she was going to say this time, but decided it was better not to listen. There were more pressing issues at hand.


    Before him were two teams currently without their captains, Morgana and Ghad.


    When discussions arose on what to do with them, it was decided to temporarily ce them under another captain. He wanted Cygnus to take them since being under him would be a good experience, after Morgana''s mistreatment.


    However, Typhon was astonished to find Morgana''s team was something of an oddity.


    Although they had been mistreated by her, they revered her like fanatics in a bizarrebination of fear and worship. They praised her bad behaviour and they kept mouring for her release, much to his displeasure.


    When they refused to let Cygnus lead them, he concluded they were just as insane as she was.


    And they weren''t the only ones.


    Typhon often found Ophelia sulking in the few dark spots around the cave, dramatically hanging upside down or curled up like some feathered ghost. Her sulking brought down everyone else''s mood and gave the cave a rather sour atmosphere.


    He knew she was doing it on purpose to make him feel guilty, but why would he?


    In his exasperation, he was forced to send her out, so the ambiance of the cave would return to normal.


    And although she left, she didn''t do so without making a scene.


    Typhon didn''t understand the appeal.


    Because of her behaviour, Morgana''s team had the gall to keep harassing him about the matter, but after threatening to seal them all with her, they soon stopped.


    Fortunately, it seemed Morgana''s team had someone capable to take over ¨C Morgana''s favourite punching bag, or ''Ana'' as she called herself.


    Typhon sighed. [Are you satisfied with that name?]


    The female serpent he questioned looked up in surprise, before nodding.


    [I-It''s a good name¡­I think.] She nervously replied. [M-Morgana said I s-should be grateful -]


    [Enough.] Typhon frowned. [Your name isn''t Ana. You don''t have to answer to it if you don''t like it. I''d rather you pick your own.]


    The serpent looked shocked, but her eyes sparkled with admiration. [I will, Captain!]


    [The team is now your responsibility.] Typhon announced, but the serpent''s grateful look made him ufortable. If he could name all the nestings he would, but naming them would have no effect on their abilities.


    With Morgana''s group settled, he moved on to Ghad''s team.


    When Arsinoe informed him Ghad had gone missing, Typhon could only assume he had gone off to train. Since Hestia was with him, he wasn''t worried about him.


    Although it was inconvenient, Typhon wished he would return strong.


    As for his team, he decided to ce them under Arsinoe, since she had all the qualifications of a captain.


    But to his surprise, she refused to lead them, and choose to retain the team that should have belonged to Artemis. Ophelia informed him that she and Lyra were not on good terms, but Typhon was more concerned with why these captains never did as they were told.


    [You''ll assist Artemis for now.] He said atst.


    [Will do, Captain.] Lyra cheerily replied, and the team dispersed.


    Typhon nced at the retreating nestlings, and sighed.


    ''She'' was far too forgiving with them, and too soft.


    And unfortunately, that resulted in all these problems.


    When she returned, he would insist she learn to speak before she left again. Or rather - she wasn''t leaving the cave again without him and Opheliaing along.


    If this Vdry''s and her Queen Mother were any indication - their leader was having a very hard time outside.


    When the Vdry''s first arrived, she had been questioned extensively by him, with Ophelia gauging the creature''s reactions to see if she lied.


    [What is the rtionship between your Queen Mother and our leader?] He asked.


    The Vdry''s simply shrugged, before announcing in her melodious voice.


    [They are lovers. Our Queen Mother is generous and has extended her protection to your cave because of a promise they share. She hopes you won''t be wary of her, and she has asked to meet with you all.]


    Typhon and Ophelia exchange startled looks before falling back. Ophelia grew so troubled, it took everything within her not tosh out at the offensive creature, while Typhon chillingly red at the Vdry''s in revulsion.


    Who was their leader? He recalled her whimsical, somewhat na?ve personality.


    Lovers?


    It was impossible.


    Their adorable leader, someone who was extremely fond of sweets, was far too innocent for her own good and didn''t know much about worldly things. It was possible she had been tricked into some unbnced exchange by this Queen Mother!


    During the time she spent learning theirnguage, she amused them with broken tales of adventures in far off ces, with dragons, butterflies, and elven damsels.


    Yet could it be that all this time she''d been suffering, and was only protecting them by only telling them the safer versions? If so, their leader was very pitiful indeed.


    While Typhon regretted their leader''s sorrowful plight, Ophelia trembled in shock.


    What the creature said was mostly true, although little things were added in for dramatic effect ¨C but how could that be?


    She hadn''t stopped ring at the Vdry''s, whose attractive features looked deceitful ¨C like a candy coloured disguise. Wasn''t their leader tricked into this arrangement by her shrewd Queen Mother who wanted to possess her?


    ''She'' likely saw these colourful creatures as something to eat and ended up embroiled by their charm, and now she owed them a debt.


    Ophelia felt a chill at the thought ¨C their leader had to be protected from schemers at all cost!


    Inside the private room, the Vdry''s stared at the two frozen serpents in confusion ¨C she wasn''t expecting such a reaction. The air between the three was as stiff as a board, and she felt chills when the tworge serpents nced at her.


    Her instincts told her not to say any more. Perhaps they didn''t like the formal tone in which she addressed them?


    But the Queen Mother had asked her to be respectful.


    When no one else spoke, she tried to break the ice. [What would you like me to do?]


    [It would be best If you stayed out of the way.] Ophelia bluntly replied. [We wouldn''t want our guest toe to any harm.]


    [Why do you say that?] The Vdry''s was surprised by her tone and wondered what she did wrong. [I was asked to help.]


    [You can keep watch outside in case other monsters use this opportunity to attack us.] Typhon replied.


    The Vdry''s furrowed her brows, feeling offended by their tone.


    [Aren''t you being too impolite? Our Queen Mother does not do this lightly, she obviously cares about your leader.]


    But this only put the two serpents in a worse mood.


    Unfortunately since then, they weren''t able to send her away. The Vdry''s kept trying to find ways to assist them, but Typhon and Ophelia worked extremely hard to make sure they didn''t leave any opportunity.


    They didn''t want their leader to owe the Queen Mother anymore than was necessary for their sake.


    The more Typhon thought about it, the more he was filled with regret.


    But then, two excited voices called out to him as they rushed in from the underground.


    [Captain! We''re back!]


    [It was terrible, but we survived! Where is everyone?]


    Cassio, and Andromeda, the snakes ''she'' named before she left, had returned from the Middle stratum.


    Typhon was happy to see his team members but trailing behind them was the smiling figure of the Vdry''s he sent away, and he grimaced.


    Speak of the devil.


    [Look at what we found!] Andromeda announced.


    [Looks pretty, but it isn''t shiny.] Cassio pondered. [What is it? Can we eat it?]


    Typhon red at the elven figure. What did she want now?


    Unbeknownst to the group, the Nymph was in a trance, observing this very scene from her forest with an amused smile.

 Chapter 247 - The Queen Mothers Spies

    Somewhere in the Nymph''s forest, it was very the picture of spring.


    Pink leaves fluttered high in the trees, carried on by strong winds, and below the boisterous canopy, tall, elegant flowers bloomed from every vacant stretch of soil.


    Intertwined between thework of crisscrossing roots, their plump petals covered the ground like a vibrant carpet, filling the air with a wonderful scent that concealed the faint trace of blood.


    Sitting silently among these flowers was a group of elf-like women with pale pink-hair, whose features were even more attractive than their surroundings.


    Concentrated in one area of the forest, the figures looked towards an intricate throne formed by woven roots, where a stunning figure sat with her eyes closed.


    The Nymph stood out among the numerous tree spirits, her frosty white hair shining under the glow of lights, their fine strands spreading across her throne like silk.


    Her flimsy dressposed from living flowers, exposed much of her pale skin, the contrast of colour making her appear several times more beautiful. And when she finally opened her eyes, thick silvershes fluttered across red irises that shone like the brightest ruby.


    Appearing to be dazed, the ethereal creature blinked several times to be more alert, but this sleepy expression only made the spirits around her sigh.


    When the Nymph saw she was surrounded by several of her spirits who eagerly waited to hear the news, her limpid eyes watered, unable to keep them in suspense any longer.


    Her voice was filled with gloom as she announced. [They don''t want more reinforcements.]


    This statement immediately caused an uproar among the spirits as several of them gasped in shock. Her words made several of the spirits murmur in discontent, and the Nymph looked across the gathering of her children, wondering what she had done wrong.


    The spirits gathered around her were equally disappointed, they too wanted to visit the serpent''sir after the things she had told them about their activities. But it seemed the few she sent would be the only ones needed.


    ''Why don''t they want my assistance?'' The Nymph thought with a pitiful expression on her face. ''They are just as stubborn as ''she'' is, if not more!''


    She thought dealing with her children would be easier, but this was not the case at all.


    Maybe they thought she was disingenuous for not going herself?


    She would have gone in person, but how could she leave her forest unattended?


    The child she sent to be her eyes, was one of the strongest she sired, a reason she wasfortable sending her to observe that unusualir.


    The Nymph expected her to find a few weakened, fearful serpents, and purposely didn''t pay them a visit for a long time so they would be doubly desperate. However, when she noticed the scorpion horde heading their way, she knew she had to act.


    And even then, she had no intention of helping them fight.


    She envisioned offering them shelter in her forest and having them all agree. And once they were all under her ''care'', that unruly serpent would be eternally grateful, and have no choice but to apologise to her for her rough treatment.


    But who would have thought the child she sent would meet such difficulty?


    The serpents were stubborn, unruly, and impossible to charm!


    It seemed leaving the cave wasn''t even an option as each of them were determined to defend their home - the mere suggestion was quickly shot down, and her child had no choice but to remain.


    Not only did they refuse her, they also refused her suggestions for defence, leaving her no choice but to work strenuously ording to their ns.


    They ordered her around like she was one of them, confined her in solitary ces, refused to remain in the same room with her, and even separated the three other Vdrys she sent from each other, without giving any exnation.


    It was like they didn''t trust them enough to leave them together.


    The Nymph watched these developments unfold through each of her children''s eyes, with pleasant surprise. More so, because when she agreed to help, she never expected to find this many serpents alive.


    She was even more perplexed to see the strategies of these serpents, and their coordination together.


    None of the serpents were weak, and neither were they afraid at the thought of being attacked. Rather, they were far more intelligent than they should have been,pletely unlike serpents that hatched recently.


    Some of them could even use magic!


    How was it that they all survived and had be this smart this quickly? When it took a serpent many years to reach their stage?


    By her knowledge, they were aplete set, but how could that be?


    Was it because of that strange serpent?


    The Nymph already knew ''she'' was an anomaly, but only now did she realise that she was simply the most exceptional anomaly out of many.


    The first time they met, she looked very different from a serpent, but what surprised her more was that her [Charm] waspletely ineffective. A problem she''d never faced before.


    The second time, she was surprised when her [Charm] worked ¨C albeit onlysting for a few seconds, before it was abruptly severed by something sinister and powerful, resulting in a bacsh in the form of a severe headache that disoriented her.


    Before she could figure out what happened, she was bound by that very serpent, a situation neither she nor her spirits had anticipated.


    Yet, instead of destroying her body, the strange serpent gave her an ultimatum.


    The memory made the Nymph chortle withughter, as she sat on her throne. A blush as red as her eyes spread across her cheeks, attracting the gaze of a few curious spirits, which forced the Nymph to hide her face.


    At the time, she was too ttered to be angry with her.


    It was clear the serpent was young, and she didn''t know what she was asking.


    A promise like that was a very difficult thing for Nymphs, because their lives were so long, they often ousted anyone they grew close to. For this reason, Nymphs were very closed off and rarely focused on anything other than their children.


    Yet, hearing those words thrilled her for some reason.


    That it caused her to say yes without thinking of the consequences.


    Was it because the one that asked had clear eyes without any ill intentions?


    Her face felt hot against her fingers.


    What was that serpent, that it could be so brazen to her, and yet remain strangely adorable?


    And why did she agree so easily, when she''d refused countless others in the past?


    Just what was this fluttery feeling in her chest? Had she lost her mind?


    Even now, the tendril she ced on the serpent had grown so faint, she could barely trace her whereabouts.


    And somehow this made the Nymph worried about her safety, so she immediately contacted her spy.


    [Don''t let them out of your sight. Continue following them and find out where ''she'' has gone!]


    ----


    Back in the cave, although the Vdrys had received her orders, getting close to Typhon and Ophelia was an entirely different matter.


    They abandoned her to entertain two curious serpents, before going outside to observe the battlefield themselves. To join them now when she wasn''t called would make it obvious she was spying on them, and the frustrated Vdrys could only sob internally.


    Meanwhile, a very different type of conversation was taking ce outside.


    Typhon and Ophelia looked down at the forest that now looked vastly different. Under the ground was riddled with pitfalls and traps, and from above, they could see several open sections where the scorpion creatures had fallen into to die.


    The forest''sndscape was now still, but they knew this peace wouldn''tst for long.


    [Don''t you think this is a little much?] Ophelia asked. She didn''t understand why Typhon had created such arge scale death-trap that called too much attention to themselves.


    Typhon frowned. [It was unavoidable, if I didn''t do it, the cave would have been destroyed already, and all the nestlings would be dead.]


    [If ''she'' returns to see all this¡­wouldn''t she find us suspicious.] Ophelia worriedly asked.


    Typhon remained silent, because she was right. Perhaps he had gone too far.


    [Do you think she''s like us?] Ophelia asked.


    Typhon was thoughtful. [It''s possible. She acts too strangely not have any former memories. She''s also smart, and she isn''t needlessly cruel.]


    [She''s nothing at all like the other nestlings.] Ophelia admitted.


    [From what we''ve seen.] Typhon added. [Yet she''s very different from us. I can''t decide if she is harmless or if she''s simply restraining herself around us.]


    Ophelia sighed in exasperation. [You don''t still think she''s dangerous, do you?]


    [It''s still too early to tell.] Typhon replied. [We still don''t know much about her. What keeps her from turning on us if one of us does something she doesn''t agree with?]


    Ophelia looked troubled, but she shook her head. [I don''t think she will do that.]


    Typhon didn''t think so either, but he had to consider every possibility.


    [What should we do?] Ophelia asked. [I want to get to know her, but I don''t know if she''s going to be a danger to us in the future. But, I want to give her more time to understand us.]


    Typhon sighed when he saw her dejected look. [This is why I said you shouldn''t get too involved with her so soon. You always get attached just because something is cute! You forget she''s not some wild creature that needs taming - she''s a monster! Look at what happened with Morgana.]


    Ophelia red at him. [You''re one to talk. What you did was much worse!]


    Typhon scoffed at her,pletely unsympathetic.


    [She''s saved us, a lot of times.] Ophelia insisted on defending their leader. [I don''t think she''s bad.]


    [Don''t forget, she also fed us her venom.] Typhon refuted her.


    [Ohe on. You know that was harmless!]


    [Yeah...I guess.] Typhonughed. [That''s why it''s difficult. Let''s just watch her for a while longer.]


    Ophelia nodded, and the two returned to the cave.

 Chapter 248 - Troubling Developments

    It was the end of the second wave and Arsinoe''s team had just returned, after scoring several victories.


    Compared to the first wave where they were attacked on all fronts by hordes of creatures, she and her team could attest that the second wave wasn''t as bad.


    Perhaps the scorpions were running out of steam.


    This time, only two of therger ones appeared, along with several smaller ones.


    Ophelia took down one of therger scorpions by herself and drove the second into one of the pitfalls with bottom feeders, for one of the teams to finish off, and everyone on her team got their fair share of prey, in a rtively easy battle.


    Yet, Arsinoe wasn''t happy.


    Although her team was one of the strongest, with all four members including herself and Europa, having already evolved.


    But this time, it was not her team that took the creature down ¨C another team had beaten them to it.


    The culprit was Cygnus, who led a team that stood on par with hers, along with that abominable prot¨¦g¨¦ of his ¨C the two snatched every decent prey she encountered with their speed, before she even knew what was happening.


    Arsinoe didn''t know how, but whenever that smirking prot¨¦g¨¦ of his passed her, her vision became blurry from the gust of wind, so much that by the time she could see, the prey was dead, with the duo already on their way, causing her to lose every single time.


    Because of her strange trick, she wasn''t able to prevent the prey she sought out from being stolen!


    And afterwards, there weren''t as many opponents so the battle became boring.


    Just where did a serpent as fast as Cygnus appear from?


    And why hadn''t she noticed her before?


    However, on entering into the dimly lit cave, the first serpent she encountered was Cygnus, with the culprit at his side.


    [Don''t cause any trouble!] Europa started to say, but Arsinoe already stormed past him.


    [You! What did you do?!] Arsinoe fumed as she hissed at the two, but Cygnus remained calm.


    [Arsinoe.] He greeted her mildly. [You look well.]


    Arsinoe ignored the look of ridicule and they both red at each other.


    But then, she heard a giggle from his side, and turned to look at the nameless smiling snake.


    Although the serpent didn''t say anything, her purple eyes glinted at Arsinoe in amusement, making her more enraged.


    Wasn''t this a clear provocation?


    Unfortunately, with Europa hovering anxiously at her side, as if scared she would do something, Arsinoe couldn''t act.


    Instead, she swallowed her anger ¨C how could she show her team members her bad side.


    [You won this round.] She amicably dered to Cygnus. [But I won''t lose to you next time.]


    Cygnus merely sighed, refusing to get involved. [It''s not apetition.]


    As if! Arsinoe trembled in fury.


    Fortunately, Typhon had begun to speak, so she used this opportunity to excuse herself from the two.


    These were targeting her, and they had the guts to pretend. Arsinoe vowed to get her revenge in the next battle when she defeated the most powerful prey.


    Typhon was instructing all the teams to assemble so she went over to assist him, along with Europa who healed all their injuries. Lyra on the other hand, was kept back for severe injuries, although there were none so far.


    Due to all the careful nning, the nestlings had suffered no casualties in this round, and because most of them were unscathed, they focused mainly on recovering their stamina.


    Ophelia was doing a headcount on the tform, to make sure no one was missing when Apollo approached her.


    The once timid serpent was now something of a saviour to all of them, so Ophelia listened carefully.


    But after hearing what he had to say, she lowered her voice to not alert anyone.


    [Are you sure of what you''re saying?] Ophelia asked.


    Apollo nervously nodded. [I looked through most of the tunnels, they are fewer than before.]


    Ophelia nced over at Typhon to see he had gone outside to keep watch. If what Apollo reported was right, she would have to tell him the troubling news.


    [Show me.]


    ----


    Outside, Typhon was making note of which traps were still functional, as he scanned his surroundings with [Heat Sense].


    On the surface, it didn''t look like the forest had changed much. Yet, a series of tunnels appeared under the ground, illuminated due to the heat of the living bottom feeders inside.


    It was necessary to know exactly where each trap was on the surface, in order to send each team towards them in the next battle.


    Once a trap has been triggered, they could no longer be used for a time, due to the corpses of the monsters killed inside.


    Instead, a thickyer of poisonous nts were grown to cover their openings during battle, until the moment when he could sink the corpses much further into the ground, to enable those traps to be used again.


    He was doing so now, but he felt something was amiss about today''s battle.


    Somehow, their victory hade too easily, and this didn''t sit right with him.


    It was possible most of their forces were destroyed by those ape-like monsters. However, it troubled him that there were still so many.


    This was already their second attack, and it came not long after so many were killed in the first. Typhon had lost count of how many of thoserger scorpions had died, as well as numerous smaller ones.


    Yet, surely this wasn''t all they had?


    To be able to contend against them for so long meant they must have tougher creatures. If their fortress of a den was anything to look at, the creatures must spawn rapidly with several at a time. Perhaps they even had a queen.


    There was a chance some of their toughest creatures were still alive and Typhon didn''t want to get lured into a false sense of calm, because he was sure they hadn''t exhausted their numbers yet.


    And so, he began creating more traps in anticipation of an imminent attack on arger scale.


    Back in the cave, the Vdrys had received yet another demand from her Queen Mother. And in the absence of Ophelia, her eyes locked in on the brooding dark snake that had just returned from outside.


    Her Queen Mother wanted her to insist on more reinforcements, but it seemed their ns were already set in order, which made the Vdrys depressed.


    Was she really useless here?


    The Vdrys forced herself to approach Typhon, but she soon found her path blocked by a speckled serpent with jewel pink eyes, that gave her a rather angry stare.


    She recognised the serpent, it was the same one she met when she first arrived.


    Back then she didn''t dare to approach her so casually, but now that she wasrger, it seemed she had gotten braver.


    The Vdrys frowned as she established a telepathic link. [What do you want?]


    [If you need something from Typhon, why not ask me?] The serpent coolly replied.


    The Vdrys cursed her bad luck. Although the words were calm, she could feel the murderous intent reeking off this serpent, like daggers piercing her skin.


    [That''s none of your concern.] she replied, but the serpent refused to leave.


    What problem did all these serpents have with her?


    However, as the Vdrys began to think of a peaceful way to remove the obstruction, Typhon headed towards her. Seeing this, she smirked at the speckled snake who had no choice but to retreat.


    [My Queen Mother would like to assist with more reinforcements in theing battle, if there is another round.] She said as she approached Typhon.


    To her surprise, instead of refusing like before, Typhon nodded. [Tell your Queen Mother we agree. But keep them on standby, until they are required.]


    Speechless, the Vdrys agreed with a wide smile, once again feeling several daggers piecing her back.


    ----


    Meanwhile, in another part of the cave, Apollo was consulting with his captain.


    Ophelia had joined him in the underground and the two went on to investigate a problem with the bottom feeders. Earlier, Apollo had told her their numbers had drastically reduced, and this was not through their loss in battle.


    [Are you sure there''s a leak somewhere?] she asked Apollo who nodded.


    [I can''t stop thinking they are less than before.] He replied. [Before we could use up all our food reserves feeding them, but now they are so little.]


    Ophelia peered into the cells filled with bottom feeders that fed into the tunnels underground and thought there was nothing amiss. The tunnels were still filled with the writhing creatures.


    [I think some may have escaped.] Apollo insisted. [If we don''t have enough, the traps will lose their effect.]


    It was a very serious issue, but Ophelia couldn''t think of how there could be a breach when everything in the cells was exactly the same. The unhatched worm eggs were still there, even Morgana''s crypt and therge cell filled with her creatures.


    But if what Apollo said was true, they were in deep trouble.


    Ophelia peered down into one of therger tunnels and stopped. She recalled Arsinoe saying Ghad had vanished from the underground. Was it possible that he did something?


    The tunnels were connected to the traps outside. If Ghad wanted to leave the cave silently, he only had to follow one of them. Yet, Ophelia''s thoughts darkened.


    With Hestia with him, it was a simple matter to weaken some of the tunnel walls on his way out, to bring the entire system down. She scanned the tunnels, and when she found no obvious gaps, she decided to follow one of the safer pathways to search properly.


    She hoped she was wrong, but as she ventured further in, there was a lingering feeling of difort in her heart. Perhaps the thought of there being a breach scared her ¨C these tunnels were built to surround their cave after all.


    But would Ghad really do that?

 Chapter 249 - The Third Wave

    The tunnel she entered was dark and filled with a strange warmth, with distinctive vibrationsing from every surface she touched, which only added to the oppressive feeling that made Ophelia shiver.


    [How far along does it go?] she asked Apollo who travelled ahead of her.


    She didn''t dare to use her [Heat Sense], because she already knew there were numerous bottom feeders travelling just behind these walls.


    As if the sounds they made weren''t bad enough ¨C Ophelia imagined it would be much worse to actually see just how many of the creatures they were.


    [They go on for much longer.] Apollo replied. [If you don''t know the way, it''s very easy to get lost down here, so make sure you follow closely behind me.]


    Ophelia frowned.


    It was unfortunate that she was the one Apollo had turned to for help.


    Although she had an inkling they were somewhere beneath the forest. Because the tunnels were recently built, she had no clue how far they went. Typhon was very thorough when he set his mind to things - he would have been the best person for this task.


    But as she thought this, she couldn''t help wondering why that brother of hers didn''t put some light crystals down here? While she could see just fine, some lights would definitely reduce the creepy feeling.


    She was about to ask Apollo to stop when she passed a stretch of wall that was devoid of vibrations, but Apollo insisted.


    [We need to keep moving, if we want to find the breach quickly.]


    Yet, Ophelia did not.


    If Ghad truly passed here, this would have been the perfect spot to leave the cave, as there was no need to continue further.


    And sure enough, after following the wall, she arrived at one of the unused traps directly linked to the surface. Once outside, she climbed out of the trap and found herself in the forest.


    [I don''t think they escaped through here.] Apollo stared up at her from inside the hidden cavity. [It''s too high for them to climb. We need to keep looking below.]


    Apollo was talking about finding the escaped bottom feeders, but she was more concerned with Ghad''s whereabouts. She hoped he quietly left from this exit, rather than attempt the worst like she was thinking.


    [We''ll keep searching.] She said to Apollo. [I just need to check something first.]


    What were the chances that he left some clues as he passed through here?


    Ophelia flew up to the trees to scout. It was the best ce to get the full picture of the battlefield. If the bottom feeders were truly leaking out from somewhere, she was bound to find it.


    However, the moment she activated [Mana Sense] she detected arge presence up in the trees with her.


    Resting high on a branch was a silvery grey wolf. It had its eyes closed, seemingly asleep, but its body was taut with muscle, and it didn''t help that the creature wasrge and heavy.


    Of all the things to encounter here!


    Ophelia quietly hissed at Apollo to return, hoping the creature had not noticed them yet. But instead of leaving, Apollo climbed out of the hole to approach her ¨C it seemed he was not aware of the danger.


    She quickly rushed down to prevent him from getting near.


    But the moment she turned her back, the resting creature opened one eye.


    [Get behind me.] Her figure covered Apollo, as therge monster bounded towards them.


    With her acting as a shield, Apollo was able to retreat below the tunnel.


    [Tell Typhon that I''ll bete.] Ophelia called after him, before turning to face the Alpha wolf.


    How unlucky!


    She already knew this was going to be a long and hard battle, and she couldn''t afford to get distracted. Fortunately, Apollo managed to get away in time.


    ----


    Back in the cave, the Vdrys had her eyes closed.


    Much like the Nymph, she could see past her surroundings bymuning with nearby trees. Although her range was not so wide as to epass an entire forest like the Nymph, she was able to see some things within the vicinity of the cave, though it was not always clear.


    Sometimes, she only glimpsed blurry bits of scenery and other times she got a full picture, like she was there in the moment to experience everything.


    And today, it seemed she was lucky.


    When she used her magic, the scenery came to her with rity, almost like she was present in the forest outside. As a result, it wasn''t long before she picked up some unusual activity.


    The air around her was thick with the smell of blood. She also heard a canine howling in the distance, and when she focused on it, she saw its jaws dripping with blood.


    Soon a chorus of other howls resounded behind the creature, and not far in the distance, she heard the sound of fast approaching footsteps.


    The Vdrys immediately got up, making a beeline for Typhon, and the peaceful atmosphere of the cave soon shattered. More monsters wereing to attack them!


    When Typhon heard this, he was astonished. It wasn''t even a few hours since the second wave had ended. The nestlings around him still weren''t fully recovered!


    Regardless, he ordered them to get ready to fight, before searching around for Ophelia. Where was she?


    Arsinoe informed him Ophelia had gone to check something in the tunnels with Apollo. She was supposed toe back quickly but she wasn''t back yet, and her thoughts filled with concern.


    How could they go into battle without her? The very core of their strategy depended on her abilities.


    With Ophelia absent, there was no one to direct the creatures towards the traps.


    Besides, her stamina was yet to recover!


    Arsinoe rushed out of the cave to see what they would have to face, and in the distance, she spotted massive hordes of scorpions stampeding across the forest.


    They were twice as many as the first wave, perhaps even more. Severalrge scorpions appeared through gaps in the trees, covering the entirety of the front, while numerous smaller scorpions littered the ground at their feet.


    Arsinoe hissed at the sight.


    How could there still be this many, after all the battles they fought?


    It wasn''t just theck of Ophelia that affected them ¨C the sheer amount of creatures was enough to put the battle in disarray as there weren''t nearly enough teams to kill so many. Even if Ophelia was here, controlling this many creatures would be a mammoth task.


    All the captains watched with her, their faces a mixture of horror and fear.


    Fortunately, this didn''tst for long.


    As they watched, Typhon began to erect a wall riddled with spikes, to slow down the creature''s approach, but he didn''t seal them offpletely. He left narrow gaps in the wall close to where each trap wasid so the creatures could filter through at a slower pace.


    The Vdrys was also with him, as several more creatures like her had appeared, together they were more than all the nestlingsbined. With this many creatures they were sure to win.


    Seeing this, Arsinoe regained her confidence. If Typhon wasn''t afraid, it would be silly of her to be. She immediately became alert and rushed towards Cygnus and his prot¨¦g¨¦.


    [Don''t forget our bet!] She confidently dered.


    Since Ophelia wasn''t here to direct the creatures, they would have to do it by force. Besides, she had an old score to settle!


    Seeing herposed demeanour, her fellow captains and their teams split off to the separate entrance to subdue the creatures.


    Arsinoe wanted to increase her strength, so she and her team made their way to the centre of the wall. However, she had stiffpetition in the form of Cygnus whose flying form moved as quick as lightning.


    He and his team seemed to have the same idea, and they also headed for the same ce.


    Unfortunately for Arsinoe, they could all fly, so they sped past her team with ease.


    Once again, her vision was covered in darkness as the smiling serpent flew past her, and Arsinoe gritted her teeth. It was that strange attack again!


    The eyes of one of therge scorpions was covered with shadows as the serpent leapt on it, and before long, it died from several poisonous bites and the serpent quickly moved on to the next, leaving Arsinoe trembling with rage.


    They weren''t allowed to fight each other except during sparring matches, but this serpent seemed not to care as much for rules.


    In her anger, Arsinoeshed out at the smaller scorpion, killing several at the same time with a spinning tornado of a water de that cut through their bodies. Soon the ground around her was littered with corpses.


    Since that serpent was bold enough to challenge her, they would battle it out with victories, to see who levelled up first. With nothing else to kill, she sped off towards the wall where, yet anotherrge scorpion was about toe through.


    However, while this fiercepetition was going on, another team was facing some difficulty.


    Ana, the captain leading Morgana''s team, was caught between tworger scorpions. Her team had tried to lure one of therger scorpions into one of the traps but was stuck on what to do when another of therger scorpions followed the first into a trap meant for one.


    Although she had evolved, she was still inexperienced in leadership and the control of her magic,bined with her team''s exhausted state, they were trapped when the two monsters attacked together.


    Typhon was alerted to the problem by a Vdrys observing the battlefield, and he defeated another of the scorpions before heading over to rescue them.


    However not long after, that same Vdrys received a dangerous warning from her Queen Mother.


    There was a creature of immense speed heading their way. It appeared to be a type of scorpion creature, only smaller, with a hardened reinforced hide and a ded stinger dripping with deadly acid.


    Consequently, as soon as Typhon left, the creature appeared above the wall.


    With a spray of highly corrosive acid, arge section of the wall copsed, bringing a swift end to the controlled flow of battle.

 Chapter 250 - Settling Old Scores

    Right after the section copsed, arge scorpion barrelled its way through and at its feet, numerous smaller scorpions mbered across the ground, until the forest floor was covered in pale yellow bodies.


    Arsinoe was astonished to see several of the scorpionse through. They needed to seal the gap somehow, but the best she could do was slice through those she came across with her [Water de].


    Yet when she looked around, Arsinoe saw many of the Vdrys had stopped in the middle of battle, their eyes fixed on the broken wall.


    What were they doing?


    But then, like elegant statues they all raised their arms at once, and Arsinoe watched numerous saplings erupt out of the ground in a chaotic manner, quickly growing tall and twisting from flexible green stalks to form solid trunks.


    In the span of a few seconds, attice structure had sprung up around the wall to reinforce it and therge gap in the wall was sealed.


    However, although the flow of creatures had stopped, it was only a temporary measure. Since the battle began, scores of scorpions had gathered and there were now so many more scorpions pushing back against the wall that some of the solid trunks had started to splinter.


    Behind the wall, the damage was already done as too many scorpions were already inside. Although the teams were holding their own, the battlefield had be chaotic. There were too many foes to deal with, and every trap along the wall quickly filled with a surplus of creatures.


    Their teams were focused on dealing with therger scorpions as their size made them more dangerous, but now the overspill of smaller scorpions was getting in the way of their battles.


    They were weaker but because they were so many, the bottom feeders avable could not devour them in time. Arsinoe, like all the other captains, was doing what she could to stem the flow, and she would have continued doing so, if something else did not catch her eye.


    Not far from where she was, a very different creature hadnded, and she glimpsed its wicked appearance, right before it sped across the battlefield.


    The creature was small and extremely fast, its shiny segmented body catching the light as it moved.


    Simr to therger scorpions, it was also dark in colour, but its body bore distinctive red markings along its back and where its legs stabbed the ground like des.


    Its pitch ck pincers were also muchrger and sharper than usual, with its bulbous stinger continuously spraying a corrosive substance as it moved. Because of it, the surface of the ground had all but melted away, making the traps underneath useless as they were revealed.


    It looked very dangerous, and this was why she was thrilled.


    Wasn''t this exactly what she needed to kill, if she was going to surpass their leader?


    Her team was just about to kill their seventhrge scorpion, putting them on par with Cygnus, but Arsinoe suddenly lost interest.


    [Europa, you''re in charge!] she yelled after the flustered serpent who stared at her with wide eyes.


    Spotting the creature on the move, Arsinoe immediately left her team to chase after it with reckless abandon. Her speed was not bad, and she was quickly gaining on it.


    Yet, before she could attack, she ran into Cygnus''s team, and the smiling serpent who also seemed to be after the creature.


    Arsinoe was already frustrated, so when the serpent flew across the scorpion''s path, tendrils of darkness at the ready to snatch it away, Arsinoe immediately shot her down with a water de, piercing her together with the creature.


    Arsinoe saw the serpent twitch as shey on the ground, and a wicked grin shed across her face. She mostly aimed for the scorpion but couldn''t resist taking a jap at her rival in the process.


    The serpent didn''t get up - It was her victory this time.


    However, when she looked across the ground, she saw the scorpion was only temporarily stalled.


    It continued to move, rising up soon after to speed past them, and they were ignored as if it had some other aim.


    Upset by this, Arsinoe continued to chase after the creature, but she paused when she saw it heading for one of the hidden traps.


    Should she let it get mauled by bottom feeders first?


    As predicted, it couldn''t avoid the hidden pit and fell through the ground, sending it into a writhing pit of ravenous creatures. But instead of stopping it, it continued to move as the creatures ate through its sturdy carapace, opting to spray its acid around at them, and the walls of the traps in the process.


    Arsinoe watched in horror as the tunnel after tunnel melted away when the speedy creature crashed through them to escape the creatures eating through it.


    Subsequently, the bottom feeders that had been kept separately now had ess to those tunnels used by their teams, dangerously spreading them across the battlefield, with some gaining ess to the surface.


    Many nestlings had their battles interrupted when the tunnels keeping the creatures contained broke down. The scorpions they fought were attacked, but the ravenous creatures could not differentiate friend from foe and began to attack the serpents who once cared for them.


    Arsinoe chased after the scorpion that kept spraying acid and seeing it was trapped inside a pit overrun with bottom feeders, she fired at its weakened body in an attempt to kill it quickly.


    But the creature''s acid melted through yet another wall. However, this one was very different.


    When the walls melted, an outpouring of bottom feeders, the size Arsinoe had never seen before, came out from behind it. They quickly swallowed up the scorpion, devouring it whole while the creatures spilled out in excess.


    In the ensuing wave of chaos, a Vdrys fighting nearby was overrun when the creatures burst out of the ground, reducing her to nothing but her flowery dress in seconds.


    Arsinoe also found herself escaping for her life. She didn''t know why there were so many bottom feeders collecting behind the tunnel, but now that they had escaped, they were impossible to contain.


    Her single thought was finding Apollo. He seemed to have a way with the creatures and if it was him, she was sure he could put them back.


    Across the battle, several casualties had appeared, and Typhon had to work doubly hard to seal the breach in the tunnels as well as raising the serpents above the ground. Arsinoe assisted him by extracting the serpents that were too injured for Lyra to heal, but it was the Vdrys who made the most of their situation.


    By harnessing the rampaging scorpions with fast growing tendrils, they were able to pin them to the ground, preventing them from scrambling up to safety. They held them down long enough for the bottom feeders to eat their fill, so they were weak and easy to kill.


    Unfortunately, trouble was also brewing at the wall.


    Another scorpion with crimson markings had appeared, and it was just as fast as the first. It broke through to where everyone was fighting and seemed to be heading straight for the injured. It had already destroyed part of the structure the Vdrys erected, and it couldn''t be allowed to continue.


    Seeing it approach, Typhon erected many spiked walls to slow its progress, and the creature''s rigid body mmed through each one, impossible to stop with its speed.


    It was also small, making it difficult to pinpoint, so Cygnus rushed out to intercept it, along with a very familiar serpent that made Arsinoe hiss in rage ¨C how was she already recovered?


    She pursued after them, leaving the injured to Lyra and Europa.


    It wasn''t enough that she missed the first unique scorpion she spotted. If she let Cygnus get this one, their gap would never close!


    The creature sped towards them, with Arsinoe in pursuit after Cygnus''s silvery figure and that of his prot¨¦g¨¦. They flew just ahead of her, and Arsinoe already knew they would meet with the creature first, so she contemted knocking them down.


    But just then, Cygnus''s figure was knocked out of the air, suddenly attacked by something else. His prot¨¦g¨¦ also met a simr fate, and Arsinoe was shocked to see two winged reptiles with feathers sprouting from their arms and tail.


    A third had long green spikes across its back, and in its mouth, it held part of Cygnus''s wings that was bleeding after being savagely ripped off.


    Arsinoe froze in terror, petrified by the sudden arrival of the three creatures.


    Why were Morgana''s creatures outside?


    The spiked reptile let out a guttural screech, promptly discarding Cygnus''s wings, before taking off across the battlefield like it did not see her.


    Then, she began to notice more of the reptiles as she paid attention. There were several of them, their feathers and spikes were barely noticeable against the backdrop of the chaotic battle.


    However, the one thing that was prevalent were the half-eaten scorpion corpses whose blood soaked through the ground. Were they drawn outside because of this?


    But then, she saw the creatures that attacked Cygnus swiftly change direction and begin heading towards the injured, and Typhon who protected them.


    Soon, more of the reptiles also spotted Typhon and began heading over to where he was fighting.


    No - this had to be Morgana''s doing!


    She must have realised that they were in trouble!


    The creatures were nearly upon him, and he had no idea!


    Arsinoe immediately retreated, abandoning her quest for the scorpion. Where was Morgana hiding?


    But as soon as she turned to leave, the marked scorpion arrived before her, its heavy stinger poised to strike.

 Chapter 251 - Rage

    The marked scorpion was a difficult opponent that attacked without pause.


    Every blow Arsinoe evaded was deadly and so packed with formidable strength, that the ground around her was dented and covered in pools of acid.


    The creature''s body was almost impossible to cut and with its stinger ever so close to piercing her skin, she couldn''t afford to get hit, not even once.


    So far she managed to evade its blows using her speed, but the creature was much faster than she was, and her [Water de] was less than effective against it.


    Arsinoe knew she didn''t have long. Why did she rush over so recklessly?


    Cygnus was bleeding from his injuries not far from her, and so was his prot¨¦g¨¦. Both of them were doing what little they could to assist her while evading the scorpions attacks.


    Yet rather than focus all her attention on the fearsome scorpion, she kept ncing around, looking for a chance to escape.


    The battlefield had descended into chaos all around them, with Typhon in the midst of the turmoil.


    Morgana''s reptiles were just as bloodthirsty as she was and wherever they passed, hisses of pain and cries of panic could be heard.


    The creatures moved at astonishing speeds, powerful bipedal limbs able to jump long distances, with serrated fangs tearing through flesh and bone.


    They attacked indiscriminately regardless of which creature was their target with neither serpent nor scorpion spared from their vicious jaws.


    Arsinoe could see them ploughing through monster after monster, disrupting carefullyid rescue ns set by Europa, and weakening the Vdrys hold over the scorpions when they attacked them mid battle.


    What little semnce of order they had over the battle was quickly spiralling out of control, with scorpions running amok and more casualties by the surplus of bottom feeders.


    But worst of all, Morgana''s monsters were all heading towards Typhon.


    Those that could fly reached him first, swooping down on him in the middle of his battle against threerge scorpions and unable to deflect them all, he ended up covered in bruises.


    And that was not the worst of it.


    Europa was badly injured when those savage reptiles began attacking the wounded nestlings under his protection. One even caught on to Lyra and was dragging her away while another had its jaws around Europa''s head.


    Without theirbined healing power, the injured nestlings were as good as dead.


    Yet, the reptiles didn''t kill all the nestlings nearby, choosing to attack Typhon with them at their feet.


    And while he fought those that attacked him, others would nip at their wounds, causing the injured nestlings to bleed even more.


    It was like they knew to keep them around for protection.


    If Typhon were to attack them with all his power, the wounded nestlings around them would also die.


    Arsinoe was just as angry as she was disgusted.


    [Morgannnnaaaaaa!] she hissed uncontrobly.


    Where was she?! Why wasn''t sheing out?!


    Her heart thudded loudly as she gasped for air, her breathing suddenlyboured like her lungs were filled with water.


    There were no words enough to vent the frustration she was feeling.


    More than anything, she wished Morgana would drop dead.


    [Don''t just stand there. Move!] Cygnus anxiously called out, as the scorpion''s stinger swung down at her.


    And Arsinoe evaded it, but rather than the usual attack, she was hit instead by a ssh of burning liquid.


    Suddenly her body was covered by a nket of heat, along with a burning sensation that made her scream in agony. Melted sores appeared all over her body and she felt a terrible pain no different from burning.


    When she recovered enough to open her eyes, she saw the scorpion raise its stinger once again.


    Even with all the shouting around her, she could see Typhon was surrounded by monsters, unable to protect so many at once, and she couldn''t focus on anything, not even the monster in front of her.


    It attacked again, but this time a cloud of darkness spread out to blind the creature.


    Arsinoe was able to roll away before the stinger hit, only to hear the smiling serpent rudely speak to her.


    [Get out of the way, if you''re going to be useless.]


    Get out?


    The words were like a p to the face.


    Who did she think she was talking to?


    Arsinoe got up from the ground, her body trembling.


    [Back to your senses now?] Another voice said. [How foolish. If you go to him now, everyone here dies, and you miss your shot at this powerful creature. Is that really what you want?]


    But Typhon was in serious trouble this time and she wanted to save him.


    The voice scoffed at her. [Forget about him and be stronger or go over there and die together. It''s your choice.]


    Arsinoe grimaced, even if she picked one she had no way to defect the creature.


    [Your magic isn''t just a tool to hit with, it can take on different forms if you think of it as a living thing.]


    [What do you mean?] Arsinoe asked.


    The voice sighed. [I forgot you''re an idiot.]


    Soon, Arsinoe felt something change.


    The ground beneath her shifted and her vision narrowed to near darkness. It was so dark, she could barely make out things on the battlefield, like she''d been thrown into a tight space.


    Yet, from the little she could see, her body was moving¡­and doing things.


    The formidable scorpion that gave her trouble was now bound by the flexible siblings the Vdrys left lying around.


    And then, its body fell apart, sliced to pieces by a concentrated jet of water so thin, it was almost like a spider web ¨C nothing at all like her own [Water de].


    It was over in an instant and both Cygnus and his prot¨¦g¨¦ stared at her in confusion.


    Suddenly she was back, but with no words to exin the events of a few seconds ago, she could only stare back at them with nothing with her mouth open.


    [You''re wee.] The voice said, causing Arsinoe to leap out of her skin like a startled bird.


    [You! What did you do to m-me!]


    In her panic, she realised she said it out loud, and now Cygnus was giving her a very bewildering stare.


    She must look crazy!


    However, when she looked across the battlefield she spotted a pale blue serpent making its way through the chaos.


    Its body that was once pretty was now covered with injuries. And although these wounds had healed, many ugly scars remained, and the serpent had a mad look in her eyes.


    Morgana.


    The reptiles fighting around her didn''t react to her approach, and Arsinoe hissed in rage at this serpent''s boldness.


    She was watching Typhon''s peril from far away with glee.


    And seeing this, Arsinoe quicklyposed herself.


    [Do that again. Help me kill her!]


    The voice onlyughed at her, like she was crazy. [Why would I help you, when you haven''t done what I asked?]


    Arsinoe frowned at this statement.


    But then, Morgana took off into the air, and before she knew it she found herself chasing after her.


    She moved at fast speeds like a thunderous gale of wind, and all Arsinoe could hear was her devilishughter.


    Yet, something strange was happening.


    Whenever the wind touched her body, Arsinoe found herself covered in several nasty cuts.


    At first the cuts were so small she could barely feel them and didn''t pay any attention. It was only after chasing her for some time, that she found herself bleeding from numerous wounds.


    These cuts alongside her previous injuries, only doing more to slow her down.


    And she wasn''t the only one. The nestlings that fought didn''t fare any better.


    The winds around them were also abnormally turbulent and soon, everything Morgana passed, quickly started to bleed.


    It was painful and Arsinoe was already exhausted.


    Yet she couldn''t let her touch Typhon!


    She reached where he was fighting and spotted Morgana soaring above him in the air.


    Typhon was surrounded by corpses having already killed several of her monsters, yet Morgana didn''t seem to care. She lunged at him with a vicious wind attack, and as he was now too injured to resist, it struck him squarely across his body.


    Watching him struggle only made Morgana happier and Arsinoe rushed out in front of him to intercept the second blow. But instead, something else attacked Morgana in the air.


    One second she was flying and the next, she had fallen to the ground, now looking around her in confusion.


    Arsinoe was shocked to see Ophelia appear, and following behind her was Apollo.


    No longer beautiful or graceful, her pristine feathers now dripped with blood, her blue eyes so cold, it was enough to make Arsinoe shiver.


    The benevolent captain was so angry, her previously tranquil appearance seemed to have morphed into a demon. When she looked at them, her eyes were so ravenous that even Morgana wilted from the pressure alone.


    Ophelia didn''t even touch her, but Morgana suddenly doubled over in pain, her body contorting as if she''d been pulled apart and chopped into tiny pieces.


    Arsinoe stiffened as she watched.


    Morgana had no visible wounds, yet the fear in her eyes and her screams told her she was suffering horribly. She''d even begun to speak through her tears, begging Ophelia to spare her.


    She seemed no different from a rabid beast and Arsinoe slithered back in fear.


    All around her, the reptiles were also experiencing the same thing. They too cried out in agony, their bodies writhing on the ground in excruciating pain.


    Arsinoe had no idea what was happening, but if it was a disease, she didn''t want to catch it, so she stayed far away from them.


    But then, Morgana dropped to the ground, cold and unmoving like a stone, and all her creatures stopped moving along with her.


    In the silence that followed, Arsinoe soon found herself face to face with Ophelia''s chilling gaze.

 Chapter 252 - A New Arrival

    It was scary.


    The blue of Ophelia''s eyes shone so strongly, they stood out against the backdrop of the battle, and so mesmerising were they to look at that everything else in Arsinoe''s vicinity seemed to fade away.


    The noises of the battle around her grew dull, things vanished as they became out of focus, like Morgana and her monster ¨C even Typhon vanished from view.


    Arsinoe found herself unable to look away from those blue pools that threatened to draw her in.


    And yet they were so cold.


    The more she stared at them, the more her body heat receded, and she became as stiff as stone. If Ophelia were to ask anything of her at that very moment, she had no will left to refuse her.


    But just when Arsinoe thought it was all over for her, Ophelia''s intensely glowing eyes grew dull, and she drifted down, unable to remain floating in the air.


    Arsinoe found she could move her body again, and as Ophelia headed towards her, she saw her eyes had returned to their normal weing hue.


    Still, her first instinct was to leap back in fear.


    Although she didn''t understand much of anything, Arsinoe knew danger when she saw it.


    It was only after this involuntary reaction that she realised Ophelia may find her actions offensive.


    Fortunately, the captain didn''t seem to notice. She approached her like her usual self and even patted her head. Arsinoe immediately forgot her fear when she felt the familiar soothing sensation, but when Ophelia spoke, her voice carried a hint of sorrow.


    [I need you to take Morgana away when things calm down. You can ce her in a cell, but make sure she isn''t wounded any further.]


    [I shouldn''t¡­]


    [I¡­]


    Ophelia seemed at a loss for words and Arsinoe noticed she was trembling ever so slightly.


    [I shouldn''t have gotten so angry.] Ophelia said. [I went too far. I don''t think she''ll ever trust me again.]


    Her words seemed to be directed more at herself than anything, and Arsinoe was now confused, because why did she look so upset after everything Morgana did.


    Suddenly she felt offended on her behalf. [Don''t feel bad for her! She deserves it for killing Typhon!]


    [Not dead.]


    A hoarse voice called out from the pile of corpses and they both swirled around with equal amounts of joy.


    The two serpents rushed over to Typhon, setting down on either side of him.


    [Brother, How are you feeling?!] Ophelia anxiously asked. [Are you okay? Tell me what I can do?]


    [I''m not hurt.] Typhon grumbled at her fussing.


    This stubbornness only made Arsinoe tremble.


    Although he said he wasn''t hurt, his scales were covered in many scrapes and there was arge wound across his underbelly. Seeing this, her heart burst with rage as she joined Ophelia to sob.


    [But you''re not okay!]


    How could Morgana hurt him to this extent?


    Typhon scowled at the two of them. [Stop looking at me like I''m going to die. It''s only a scratch.]


    But as he spoke more blood trickled out of his wound, causing Arsinoe to panic.


    [Don''t speak anymore.] She cried out in concern. [Don''t move either!]


    Ophelia, on the other hand, was scowling at him in annoyance.


    [What do you mean by only a scratch?!]


    Typhon sighed at her anxious face. [I''m more concerned with what happened to you. Whose blood is that?]


    Ophelia looked at her bloodstained appearance, before sighing like she''d forgotten.


    [It''s a long story, I''ll tell youter. For now, don''t talk.]


    She continued fussing over his injuries, with Arsinoe crying nearby like a grieving widow.


    Until Typhon turned to stare at her.


    When Arsinoe saw his irritated gaze, she yelped in shock from being startled.


    He wasn''t going to push her away for touching him, right?


    But Typhon seemed upset as he looked at her. [What were you doing trying to shield me? Do you want to get hurt?]


    [Ah...I.]


    Could she say she wanted to protect him?


    Somehow she couldn''t look at him because her vision had be blurry.


    [Don''t ever do that again.] Typhon said in anger.


    [I-I won''t!] Arsinoe nervously replied. [It was only an ident.]


    Typhon turned away from her to rest, and his bleeding caused Ophelia to sob anxiously.


    Although the battle raged on around them, it was like they were in their own personal bubble.


    But as soon as her shock passed, it took Arsinoe only a moment to realise the battlefield was different.


    Strangely there were less sounds than before, and when she looked up from behind the corpses, something savagely attacked a nearby scorpion.


    Arsinoe was shocked to see arge silver wolf, running through the battlefield.


    What was a wolf doing here?


    Apanying it were several other wolves that ran that attacked the scorpions in turn, but surprisingly, none of the nestlings or Vdrys were harmed, which made it even more confusing.


    Further down, she saw Apollo trying to quell the frantic bottom feeders with limited sess.


    There were too many of them and he was having some difficulty, but so far none had attacked him, and he managed to make them stop attacking the nestlings who were still fighting.


    However, the battle was still ongoing with several more scorpions seeking to break through the support beams the Vdrys had constructed. There were also many injured nestlings, and she couldn''t see Lyra or Europa anywhere.


    With Ophelia back and the wolves fighting along with them, they had regained some control, but the battle was still far from over.


    [How bad is it? How many casualties?] Typhon pulled himself up to ask.


    His injuries were still bleeding, and Ophelia kept looking at him with concern.


    [Stop crying. We''ll be fine.] Arsinoe heard him say, and she looked over at the pair in jealousy.


    [Our teams are still intact, but many are injured.] she replied. [Morgana took away our healers and I don''t know what she''s done with them. We won''tst long without them.]


    Typhon grimaced in anger as he surveyed the battlefield.


    [I can try subduing them.] Ophelia suggested.


    [No.] Typhon replied. [There''s too many of them, and our traps are destroyed. You''ll run out of mana before you make a dent in their numbers.]


    He was right.


    Even with all of Morgana monsters subdued, there were still many threats. Although the Vdrys had reinforced the wall, many scorpions were stilling through, and with their traps in disarray, it was impossible to hold them back.


    Ophelia cannot control the spread on her own, even if she tried, and with the battle nearing its climax, they were out of options.


    Arsinoe looked downcast. [What do we do?]


    [We rescue as many as we can and¡­] Typhon started to say, but Ophelia stopped listening when she noticed something sh in the middle of the battlefield.


    A tall, ck pir of lightning had appeared out of nowhere, scorching the ground until it resembled charcoal.


    Therge scorpion that was unlucky enough to be below it, was cleanly split in two, the two halves of its body falling away to reveal something in the middle.


    What was that?


    Ophelia strained her eyes, because she wasn''tpletely sure.


    The creature had a suffocating, ominous aura, the likes she''d never experienced before.


    Its horned appearance was positively devilish, the shadowy, serpentine body resembling some sort of smoky mirage, and when it spread its wings, it seemed to embody darkness itself.


    Its smoky wings cast an abnormallyrge shadow across the battlefield, causing all the creatures around it to stop their battles, before fleeing in fear.


    The nestlings were no different.


    In the presence of danger, they also drew as far away from the creature as they could and Ophelia watched this scene with anxiety, because how could their difficult battle have taken such a devastating turn.


    Why did a new monster suddenly appear?!


    Typhon didn''t need to ask her what she''d seen because he felt it too, but he was surprised when her fearful expression changed to a happy one.


    Ophelia thought she was imagining it at first, but when she locked eyes with the creature, it seemed to stop and think before withdrawing the chilling, supressing aura it emitted, as if realising it made a mistake.


    Although its efforts were already toote.


    Seeing this, Ophelia fell back,ughing with tears in her eyes, much to the confusion of Typhon and Arsinoe.


    The aura was different, but it was definitely her.


    ''She'' had returned just in time to save them, yet again.


    Unfortunately, Ophelia wasn''t able to break the news to them because something else caught her attention. In the distance, the monsters that had fled seemed to have been ambushed by something.


    There were monstrous growlsing from many ces and she didn''t know how, but the forest had started to burn. Bright purple mes arose from everywhere, and a toxic smog had settled heavily in the air.


    With a fire fast approaching, the Vdrys present were even more confused.


    Previously they were about to be overrun, but now that they saw a fire breathing monster approaching, their fear intensifies as they lose all hope.


    Yet, Ophelia recognised that creature.


    This was her very first mount!


    And Typhon grumbled in annoyance from beside her.


    [Didn''t that lizard get too big?]

 Chapter 253 - Scorpion...BBQ?

    Seeing Ophelia excitedly flutter through the air, Arsinoe came to understand something was terribly wrong.


    A fiery reptile wasying waste to all the scorpions on the ground. And aside from those running amok, the scorpions that had been burnt became simmering piles of meat that gave off an irresistible smell.


    While this amazing scene was enough to make her mouth water, she was deeply afraid.


    What was happening was some strange change in fate, but weren''t they in even more danger?


    Her eyes fixed on a presence that was even more ominous than the fiery reptile on the battlefield.


    That sinister looking creature was strolling through the corpses as if it had all the time in the world to eat them, and not once did it attack any nestlings.


    Yet, all it had to do was show up and everything attacking them fled.


    This creature was simply too tyrannical!


    Could she ever be this powerful in her lifetime?


    But why was Ophelia celebrating when they were about to be devoured? Wasn''t the creature simply focusing on the scorpions, because they were more plentiful?


    Arsinoe didn''t fancy bing its next meal ¨C she''d just evolved, and her adventures with Typhon as his second inmand were only just beginning!


    Yet, her mouth started to water at the sight of so much food.


    No! She needed to resist such a temptation.


    They had to flee.


    When all the scorpions died, it would be their turn!


    Ophelianded next to her, with a very sparkly, awestruck look in her eyes. Seeming to have regained all her energy, she pranced around like a nervous wreck, unable to remain still in her excitement.


    [What should we do?!] Arsinoe heard her say. [''She'' is going to be so upset ¨C just look at the state of things. The cave is ruined!]


    [That should be the least of your concerns.] Typhon replied.


    He was now able to stand and was intently scrutinizing the newly arrived monsters.


    This made Arsinoe even more confused. Why wasn''t he ordering them to run?


    Were they both so afraid, they had lost their will to live?


    The smell of roasted meat once again wafted over her senses.


    [What the hell is happening?!] sheined to the two captains, who only now realised she hadn''t caught on.


    [Our leader is back!] Ophelia gushed, her serpentine wings wriggled excitedly. [She looks so different, but I can spot that cute aura anywhere!]


    Cute?


    Arsinoe did a double take at the hellish shadow of a monster that ensnared everyone''s attention.


    It seemed to be arguing with the fiery reptile, who stubbornly continued to breathe fire even after it was scolded. Yet, its tail alone was far scarier to Arsinoe than therge reptile.


    Why did it emit an ominous hiss and strike out at passing scorpions on its own, like a thing from a nightmare?


    There was no way that creature and their leader were the same. Although she didn''t like her very much, she never looked this terrifying.


    Arsinoe had to conclude Ophelia had gone mad.


    Seeing her skeptical look, Ophelia chuckled before insisting. [It really is her. Look closely, her tail is the same¡­and you can see her eyes are a bit simr...]


    Ophelia continued to speak, but Arsinoe''s face had already turned green. She rushed out to stare at the creature, a terrible jealousy filling her heart.


    How could this be!


    This serpent was really too evil! She wasn''t giving her any chance to catch up at all.


    Ophelia gave her a radiant smile ¨C she expected this kind of reaction.


    Their leader had gotten even stronger, anyone would be impressed¡­although the awe Arsinoe should have shown looked far rather ravenous, like she was staring at food.


    Ophelia thought this had to be a mistake, she was probably too happy to suppress her other instincts. Instead, she looked over at the battlefield to check on the nestlings, as well as the Vdrys andstly the wolves she invited.


    With everything seemingly about to be destroyed by fire, the Vdrys were gathered together as they cowered away from the mes ¨C It seemed they all hated heat.


    The wolves on the other hand, had all begun to leave and it seemed they were being pursued as well. Ophelia immediately rushed down to prevent this, she had to inform their leader the alpha wolf was on their side, before he and his pack were put to the torch.


    As she flew off, Typhon and Arsinoe moved out to gather all the teams towards the cave, where the mes were less. It wasn''t long before they had several teams rushing over to them in confusion.


    With fires spreading everywhere, it was inevitable that they would think they were in danger. A great many scorpions had just died, and as Typhon checked on each team''s status, he could see so many piles of charred corpses.


    It seemed ''she'' was really upset.


    But Typhon hade to suspect it wasn''t just the lizard who was killing the scorpions, so he regarded their leader with interest.


    There were other swift creatures moving through the forest that he couldn''t make out properly because of the shadows. What exactly were they and were they also under hermand?


    Typhon really wanted to know, because he thought he might have spotted anotherrge lizard among them, although he wasn''t so sure, as they never quitee into the light, and he smirked as he watched their leader approaching.


    He couldn''t wait to find out what she''d done this time.


    Apollo eventually seeded in making the bottom feeders return to the tunnels and although he was apologising to the nestlings that had been injured, most of them were less than pleased.


    Typhon thought this was unnecessary. He didn''t know what riled up the bottom feeders, nor where so many hade from, but after today, there was no longer any need for them.


    It was better if they were all incinerated since the creatures refused to be tamed and he would have to break the bad news to Apollo.


    However, before he could say anything, they heard a sound from below and looked down to see the ground split open as several green saplings forced their way out.


    Artemis emerged from one of the underground tunnels along with three Vdrys, and following after them were Lyra and a very battered Europa who was covered from head to tail in dirt and carried over on a makeshift woven stretcher.


    Arsinoe audibly gasped at the sight and slithered over to them, only to be stopped by Artemis who red at her.


    [While you were making heart eyes at Typhon, I had to rescue your team! Do you have any idea what Morgana nned to do with them?]


    The Vdrys behind him all nodded, their muddy faces showing some anxiety from their ordeal.


    Arsinoe noticed they were covered in mud from top to bottom, and all extremely filthy. She couldn''t begin to imagine what nasty thing Morgana had nned.


    [This isn''t how you lead a team.] Artemis continued to say. [You shouldn''t leave at any point during a battle.]


    Arsinoe had no energy to defend herself, she simply listened to his scolding and took note of the things he said.


    At the time she had to admit she was driven by herpetitive streak with Cygnus, and had ignored her team, whom she saw as a liability.


    But in the end, she still won!


    Cygnus was now too injured to move and his prot¨¦g¨¦ was giving her evil looks from afar.


    Arsinoe sighed. When Artemis finished speaking his mind, she gave the serpent a victorious smirk, deciding to ignore her from now on.


    She would have taken her more seriously if she had a name, but since she didn''t, she relegated her to the back of her mind, like the rest of the nameless nestlings she deemed herself more superior than.


    Instead, she concerned herself with more pressing issues.


    She promised to take Morgana away and since Ophelia was fluttering around their leader, likely telling her what had happened, she decided to do so now.


    ''She'' would be the one to deal with her.


    Inside the cave, Morgana was unceremoniously dumped into one of the cells. The Vdrys had assisted in tying her with tough vines, alongside the remnants of her creatures who were still yet to wake up.


    Arsinoe didn''t know what the n was for them, but she knew that with Morgana no longer influencing them around, they could assimte back into the [Pit] as they were originally meant to.


    When she returned outside, it was to a bizarre setting.


    The teams Typhon gathered had all settled down, together with therge lizard that had been spewing fire earlier, although it looked to be asleep now.


    Beside it were several toasted scorpions that reminded her just how hungry she was.


    But as she came out, she could hear anxious whisperings from the nestlings all around her, some were even shivering.


    [What is that?] She heard one say.


    [Are we going to die?] Another whispered, before he was promptly hushed.


    Although some were clearly hungry, they didn''t dare to touch any of therge reptile''s food.


    Typhon was with them, but he wasn''t listening, instead his eyes were fixed on the monstrous serpent approaching with Ophelia.


    It seemed they had followed his instructions to not run away, even when therge lizard settled down next to them.


    Yet, although they listened, they couldn''t suppress the fear they truly felt.


    Arsinoe, who knew what was going on, couldn''t help smiling in superiority.


    [Don''t you recognise your own leader!] She snapped at them. [I should have her punish you all for being so pathetic!]

 Chapter 254 - Actually, I Was There First

    I dropped down silently on one of the huge trees, carefully panning over the forest with [Mind''s Eye].


    There were quite a few enemies in the area, but the horde of scorpion creatures I detected were yet to arrive, and the surroundings were rather calm.


    Sylrin was close by, but when I turned to him, arge portion of his body was sticking out, and his tail was still swishing about under the tree''s foliage, and I sighed.


    His attempts at blending in were clearly unsessful.


    Although he supressed his mana like I taught him, I could still detect some traces of it, and the few Abyssal monsters behind him were no better!


    I supressed the urge tough at their awkward attempts at blending in - they made even worse sneaks.


    This wasn''t what I had in mind when I said, ''create a disguise''!


    I hissed at them to retreat much further away, and the winged creatures immediately vanished.


    I felt relieved when the heavy pressure they emitted lessened. If we weren''t careful, my stealthy approach would be revealed before I even got to see anything good.


    ?This has to be your most reckless idea yet.? Sensei grumbled.


    "Shh ¨C you''re ruining it! It''s not like I won''t step in to help."


    I heard him sigh in disapproval and I felt conflicted.


    Okay, so maybe he was right.


    The cave was right there, but we didn''t approach it yet.


    I felt guilty for not rushing in to warn them, but was it wrong of me to want to see how they would handle it?


    Of course, it wasn''t like I was going to leave them without help. I would simply step in when the situation demanded it.


    ?The idea is ludicrous and you know it.? Sensei insisted.


    "I said to shush!" I retorted.


    A pearly white serpentine head had just poked its way out from the ground, curious eyes looking this way and that, before the full feathered figure of Ophelia emerged.


    She was just as pretty as ever, her wispy serpentine form glowing like moonlight as she rose high above the ground.


    However, this only made me shift ufortably.


    What was Ophelia doing outside right at this moment? Shouldn''t she be recovering after the most recent attack?


    |[Rescue now?]| Sylrin asked.


    |[No.]| I coolly replied.


    It was Ophelia, I was sure she could handle the overgrown puppy.


    Besides, I wanted to see what she could do.


    As expected Ophelia noticed the wolf immediately and set her sights on fleeing and I wondered if her speed could beat it?


    |[Rescue now?]| Sylrin repeated.


    |[Not yet.]|


    But then, another serpent emerged from the ground, causing Ophelia to panic and fly towards it. And I hesitated ¨C because it seemed she needed some help, after all.


    I didn''t think she could fight with a handicap.


    To my surprise, Ophelia sent the serpent away and continued to fight it alone. She even seemed to be holding her own.


    The alpha was powerful, but Ophelia was pretty fast. She wasn''t immediately defeated and even evaded most of its attacks.


    Even more interesting, the range and intensity of her abilities seemed to have increased.


    Seeing this, I was d. It was good to finally have a chance to gauge exactly what kind of a nestling she was, so I calmed down enough to watch them fight.


    The alpha was having difficulties resisting her control and Ophelia was quite skilled with poison, so far they were even.


    However, the more they fought the more their differences in stamina became noticeable. Soon Ophelia had fallen behind enough for the wolf to take a bite out of her.


    Seeing that Ophelia had begun to lose, I decided to help her out by firing a [Dark de] at one of the alpha''s legs. It wounded him just enough for Ophelia to regain the upper hand and fortunately, it seemed she didn''t notice.


    However, the Alpha kept peering at the trees behind him, making me sweat from thinking he had noticed me.


    There was no love lost between us and I was more than happy for Ophelia to swallow him whole. I was rather eager to see this happen.


    Unfortunately, it wasn''t long before I noticed something odd.


    I could detect a mana presence lingering around the area where Ophelia had emerged from.


    It was the same serpent from before whom I recognised as Apollo.


    Why didn''t he leave?


    He seemed to have remained there the entire time, watching Ophelia fight.


    I thought he''d stayed because he was worried, until I scanned the tunnels around him with [Mind''s Eye], revealing something very troubling.


    There was arge gathering of mass of bottom feeders gathered not far from where Apollo was. They weren''t attacking him, and I thought perhaps he had some skill to control them.


    But what was he waiting for?


    He should have used them to help Ophelia fight.


    Instead, he withdrew inside the tunnels with them, leaving me deeply spooked.


    Just what was happening?


    It was then that one of the Abyssal monsters I sent away informed me of the Alpha''s wolf pack approaching.


    I was too engrossed in the mystery, so I distractedly ordered it to stall them.


    But soon enough, Sylrin and I began to hear several howls of anguish in the background as several mana presences disappeared at once.


    Those fools! I said stall, not kill!


    The Alpha also became distracted by their wails and rushed off to see what had happened to them and Ophelia used this chance to pursue him, hoping to earn a quick victory.


    The two arrived to see a scene of carnage, with some members of the Alpha''s pack, savagely ripped to shreds. Those that were still alive were severely weakened, while others were arriving as reinforcements.


    With the Alpha wolf distracted, it was the best chance for Ophelia to kill it. However, it was at this very moment that she noticed the horde of scorpions approaching.


    Instead of fighting she seemed to bemunicating with the Alpha through his [Telepathy], and it seemed like she was offering him a way to save his wounded.


    I couldn''t believe it, but the two appeared to be negotiating.


    I was curious to see if she could seed in convincing the Alpha, but regardless, I instructed Sylrin to protect her, before heading for the cave.


    There, the battle had already begun, and I observed them, supressing my aura enough not to scare any of the creatures away.


    I already thought Ophelia was impressive. Her control over her magic and the initiative she disyed to consider recruiting a strong monster was good.


    Yet, joining her were a few others.


    I was surprised to see the Nymph had sent so many of her spirits as reinforcements, which made it all the more impressive that Artemis and Typhon were able to get their support.


    Typhon and his team were great at working together. They disyed a certain ruthlessness in the way they cut down the scorpions they encountered, effectively subduing thergest share.


    Artemis disyed a surprising eye for strategy. After collecting so many poisonous nts, the Vdrys with him helped him grow them rapidly. He evenbined several to create poisons with potent effects ranging from paralysis to necrosis, enhancing their deadliness.


    Arge share of the scorpions that fell through the traps died from the poisons alone, some even before they were consumed by bottom feeders.


    Apanying him was Lyra who waited on standby to heal any wounded, along with Europa who dropped in to assist. They were the main reason so many of the nestlings were able tost so long on their low stamina.


    It appeared their healing abilities had greatly improved, and Lyra even disyed some control in how far her [Cure] could spread, healing the nestlings gathered without healing their foes as well.


    Another impressive team was that of Cygnus, they showed off an astonishing amount of speed and impressive teamwork. There was even a serpent on his team who used [Shadow Magic] to fight, although she was a little toopetitive with others.


    Cygnus himself was a good captain. He moved much faster than his team, but he''d often slow down just enough for them to catch up, and I was curious to find out just how fast he could move.


    I wanted to test their abilities by challenging them, but not too much.


    So, when a group of scorpions that were far tougher and faster than normal appeared, I ordered the Abyssal monsters to only allow two to test the waters, and to kill the rest.


    Yet even this turned out to be a disaster.


    Arsinoe was simply a confusing creature. She cared little for team work. Most times she disyed reckless confidence and other times, outright stupidity.


    Yet she was a maverick with her use of her magic which was a very strangebination.


    Perhaps she was some sort of entric genius?


    Apollo had not yet returned, so there was little to stop the bottom feeders escaping when the tunnels broke down. Instead, Typhon seemed to have it all under control and even used them to his advantage, for a while.


    Something I did not expect to happen, however, was the appearance of new enemy creatures from within the cave.


    Even more surprising was who led them and who the target of their rage was.

 Chapter 255 - Fear Factor

    Elsewhere on the battlefield, a Vdrys was unlucky enough to have fallen after getting chased by bottom feeders. Swarmed by multitudes of the ravenous, slippery creatures, she was reduced to leaves and twigs amid her piercing screams.


    It was an incredibly painful way to go.


    Yet, the moment her physical body was devoured, her consciousness returned to a tree in the Nymph''s forest, and this tree''s vibrant leaves drooped closed to settle in a dormant state.


    It would be another few weeks before she could materialise again, and the Queen Mother who saw a portion of her forest weaken had a dark look on her face.


    She had sensed the serpent arriving with those strange creatures a while ago. But when she did not return to the cave immediately, she decided to y along to see what the ''she'' was nning.


    It was strangely adorable watching her interfere in their battles to keep the nestlings alive, without them noticing ¨C those scorpions never really stood a chance.


    Yet, what was this situation?


    The Nymph''s delicate brows twitched as she witnessed the turmoil ¨C what a cruel serpent!


    This was already the tenth Vdrys to return so pitifully after experiencing much pain, yet she didn''t even bat an eye to her spirits ''dying'', only concerned with protecting her own.


    The Nymph''s brooding eyes shed menacingly as her thoughts filled with ways to punish her.


    Should she withdraw all her support to make things more difficult?


    Or spoil her surprise and let the nestlings know she''d been watching them all this time for sport?


    The armrest of her living throne was crushed when she gripped too hard, causing the spirits around her to look up in concern.


    However, the Nymph''s rage soon subsided and she didn''t recall her children.


    Ruining that serpent''s ns would reveal that she could see very far, and it wasn''t a good idea to lose such good leverage.


    Besides, seeing her reveal herself to the nestlings like some benevolent saviour made the Nymph rethink her strategy. And a sinister, almost salivating grin formed on her face as she realised something.


    If any of the nestlings had a reason to doubt her before, that would all change the moment they saw her appear in such a grand way. And it wasn''t just them - any monster in the vicinity that felt her aura would be just as wary.


    This serpent''s methods were really something.


    [Was I wrong not to eat you then?] The Nymph pondered aloud.


    But then, a tiny finger poked her cheek, causing the eerie look on her face to return to normal.


    [Why are you grinning like you found a strong mortal?] The dark fae asked, as she munched down on a piece of fruit.


    The Nymph smiled at her adorable stuffed cheeks.


    [Not a mortal¡­those are too simple. My tastes may have changed.]


    The dark fae''s happy expression quickly turned to disgust. [I don''t need to know your strange hobbies. Just tell me when ''she'' returns!]


    The Nymph gave her a knowing smile. [She''s already here.]


    [Really?!] The dark fae fluttered around in excitement, but she stopped because she didn''t like the strange expression on the Nymph''s face.


    She hoped that annoying serpent didn''t do anything to cause problems.


    [If she''s back. Why aren''t you going to see her?] The dark fae asked, but the Nymph''s face reddened, much to her sock, and she turned jittery as she replied.


    [I''m...not ready yet.]


    Huh?


    The dark fae looked on in confusion.


    What exactly was wrong with her for her to act so shy?


    Maybe she was ill?


    [If you''re not going...can I go then?]


    [No!] The Nymph''s eyes suddenly shed in fury. [She shoulde to me.]


    The dark fae left her alone - she was clearly in a bad mood, but her brows furrowing in concern.


    Should she have warned that serpent about the Nymph''s cruel personality?


    But then something bright caught her eye and she rushed off to it.


    Maybe she would...after she finished eating!


    ----


    In a forest nearby, a certain captain grinned at her fellow nestlings in arrogance.


    They had all gone quiet, some even whimpering in fear, and when she saw her words achieve the desired effect, she turned to Typhon for approval.


    But he wasn''t paying attention to her, his troubled gaze firmly fixed on the shadowy creature in the distance.


    ''She'' was flying through the forest, creating a shower with her poison to douse the mes, while the strange creatures following her gathered the remaining scorpion corpses scattered around.


    Arsinoe sulked, but her jealousy didn''tst long as she heard someoneughing nearby.


    [We saw you hiding behind Ophelia. Don''t act like you recognised her first.]


    Artemis, who witnessed her abashed figure along with the Vdrys was quick to reprimand her, and Arsinoe red at him. [Don''t act arrogant, just because some ugly creatures decided to follow you!]


    [What ugly creatures?] Artemis sneered at her, and the Vdrys with him all crossed their arms in offence. [If I''m arrogant, then what are you?]


    Arsinoe had no words so she slithered away in a huff.


    Why did he have to get involved?


    Now the nestlings she''d convinced of her brilliance were giving her strange looks.


    She really wanted to beat him up!


    But two serpents from her team left Artemis toe rushing after her.


    [What happened to your body?] one serpent asked, she was upset that Artemis told her off without caring about her injuries, while the other serpent was telling her to stop moving around.


    And Arsinoe, who''dpletely forgotten about her injuries, was touched.


    She suddenly realised how pitiful she must look and assured the two she wasn''t that injured, so they would stop worrying.


    [It''s really nothing. I don''t even feel it.]


    [Are you sure? Should we get Lyra?]


    Their concern made her feel warm inside, but Arsinoe shook her head.


    Out of everyone, they were the most friendly to her, and she stared up at the shadowy figure of their leader with a mixture of gratitude and contempt.


    Just when she thought everyone was going to die, ''she'' appeared.


    Arsinoe was annoyed, but when she saw the adoring looks of the team members ''she'' saved, she decided to calm down as it wasn''t worth getting angry.


    And as their leader continued to show off, Arsinoe settled on a new purpose.


    She would make her give them names, even if she had to make a deal with that other voice to get it.


    At the same time, another captain was staring up at their leader.


    Typhon was suspicious of her actions, because of how timely ''she'' and those other creatures had arrived.


    He deemed it odd how he and every other nestlings was alive when the battle had been so tough - Artemis even found the healers that were buried alive by Morgana''s creatures.


    It all felt like a test they passed by ident, but he couldn''t be sure.


    Perhaps ''she'' was looking for something? But what exactly?


    In his uncertainty he warned all the nestlings to behave.


    [No mistakes. No silly dances. No arguments. Only obedience, unless you want to end up dead. Do you understand?]


    The nestlings with him all nodded and trembled in fear.


    If this was a test, she was likely looking for something to fault them on and he couldn''t allow her to find anything.


    Artemis and Apollo were nearby, so he ordered them to follow him and together they went below the tunnels to investigate what caused the breach.


    To keep her temper even, he had to have an answer for when she asked why so many bottom feeders had escaped.


    When Typhon eventually resurfaced, he saw Ophelia had returned.


    [''She'' wants to meet us separately.] Ophelia said, causing every nestling present to break out in murmurs of fear.


    [What do we do?] Several nestlings asked.


    [Is she going to eat us for the destroyed cave?!]


    They were anxious for good reason, their leader now looked nightmarish, and the creatures with her were even more heinous.


    But Typhon ordered them all to be quiet, and refused to panic himself.


    Clearly she wasn''t unreasonable, because ''she'' was concerned with reducing the mes that were spreading across the forest and she even sent that overgrown lizard to stay with them.


    Although it was sleeping - wasn''t this all to protect them?


    He tried to remain positive, and even ordered those nestlings that were uninjured to douse the mes as well - convinced they had to make a good impression.


    However, the Vdrys unexpectedly spurred into action when all of the mes went out and they began to grow new nts from the scorpion corpses nearby.


    At first, Typhon thought they were covering the ces that were too destroyed, but when the fast growing nts became small trees in a dominant shade of red, as opposed to the green around them, he grew concerned.


    Soon, the forest around their cave had changed to resemble an eerie forest filled with lush leaves of a reddish pink shade, the charred ground from beforepletely swallowed up by new growth.


    This made the lizard, who had been asleep perked up in surprise and seeing this, Typhon red at the Vdrys in rage.


    What possessed them to paint their forest in such garish colours?


    And why now?


    Was this their Queen Mother''s order?


    Typhon was convinced they were trying to outdo their leader''s efforts in a y for dominance, and he grew even more enraged.


    The lizard beside him was no different. He rose to its feet, ready to spew fire on all of them, and Typhon was in no mood to stop him.


    The Vdrys'' could feel several murderous gazes aimed at them, and worse, the creature with that dreadful aura was heading their way.


    Every tree spirit present shed silent tears, wishing they could all disappear - their Queen Mother really picked the wrong time to throw a tantrum.

 Chapter 256 - A Pure Snake

    Even before she arrived, the frightful aura she emitted brought all of them to the ground, including the Vdrys.


    Typhon found it impossible to rise up, and all around him, the nestlings were the same.


    With his head low, all he could hear were anxious cries as nestlings panicked for their lives.


    Their leader only hovered above them, but with every beat of her wings, he saw shadows spreading across the forest like mes, and wherever they touched, the leaves and petals shrivelled up until they withered.


    The scale and threat of her ominous visage were in full view, and among them, it seemed only the lizard was immune to this pressure.


    But even then, Typhon''s discontent was immeasurable.


    Although the Vdrys were on the ground, he saw their trees continue to grow and flower, forever tainting their section of the forest with their presence.


    How could they continue to fulfil her orders, even after forcing their leader to abandon her task and return here?


    Typhon was enraged ¨C just how selfish were they?


    And who did their Queen Mother think she was trying to bully?


    Did she think their leader was so easy?


    When Typhon thought of this person whom he''d never met before, he felt an uncontroble desire to kill her.


    He should never have epted their help.


    If he didn''t, how would that Queen Mother dare to act so arrogant?


    Yet, as the shadowy serpent swooped down, everything stopped.


    The frightful, oppressive aura withdrew, and Typhon could move again as could the rest of the nestlings.


    When he looked up, everyone around him were trembling, as were the Vdrys on the ground, and he could see why.


    Aside from their leader''s terrifying visage, two other nightmarish creatures followed behind her, creatures that on closer inspection, seemed more skeleton and rotten flesh than monsters.


    Were they the creatures he''d glimpsed in the shadows?


    Together their aura was immense, but his gaze remained on the quiet aura of the serpent between them.


    However, to his surprise, ''she'' slithered over to the lizard with haste, like her surroundings were terrifying, nothing at all like her aura implied.


    The two seemed tomunicate before ''she'' turned to gaze at him and his fellow bowing nestlings with a look of anxiety.


    Was he mistaken, or did she look unhappy?


    It seemed like she didn''t like how they remained down, making both he and Ophelia confused, so they ordered the nestlings to rise up.


    But then, something even worse urred.


    Their leader approached the trembling Vdrys, and instead of ripping them to shreds like he expected, she actually lowered her head!


    Typhon hissed in outrage.


    He could understand her now wanting them to bow, but how could she show such humility to outsiders herself?


    Seeing this, the other nestlings that had been trembling were just as surprised. He could hear mutterings of confusion from among them.


    [Is this our supreme leader?]


    [What is she doing? Why is she acting strange?]


    And as their confusion rose, so did his panic.


    Typhon understood these serpents more than anyone.


    He knew that regardless of how much ''she'' saved them, or how strong she''d be, the moment they smelt weakness on her was when they would strike ¨C especially Arsinoe whose malicious eyes were already ring at their leader''s back like prey.


    The serpent''s he taught ¨C even the ones with milder personalities acted no differently!


    Before Typhon knew what he was doing, he reared his fangs at the scoundrels behind him, ordering them all to bow along with her.


    The nestlings dropped to the ground immediately and he rushed towards their na?ve leader, all the while hoping that ''she'' would raise her head.


    Just what, could she possibly be saying to those Vdrys?


    On reaching her, he was surprised to see all the Vdrys had their heads down as well, and as they knelt, their bodies, alongside their flowing garments began to glow as they bloomed.


    Suddenly, a disproportionate amount of flowers were sprouting from around them, overflowing from their pastel hair, all the way down to their garments, and even the roots of their feet.


    When ''she'' raised her head, they did so too ¨C their blushing gazes filled with adoration.


    Instead of the disdain he thought¡­they were acting like they had fallen in love¡­with her.


    Typhon was so taken aback that he hissed in disgust.


    What was this foul atmosphere?


    Their leader was also surprised, and she turned to him with a look of panic as if confused on what to do.


    When Ophelia arrived, she was gobsmacked, and even gave him an usatory stare.


    [Typhon? What did you do to them?]


    Typhon red at Ophelia. [What are you using me of? They were already like this!]


    He noticed their leader was sneakily backing away from the crime scene, so he returned the me to her. [What did you say to them?]


    ''She'' paused to consider, before sighing. |[Not much. I only apologised for their dead.]|


    This response only made the two serpents even more confused.


    Why would they act like that because of an apology? Was that everything?


    [Ah! So it was that.] Ophelia was quick to ept it. [Maybe they need some time to grieve.]


    As the three stared at the blooming Vdrys, Typhon quickly backed away and Ophelia did the same.


    Quite frankly, they did not want to get involved.


    It was only after they left that Typhon realised, ''she'' had spoken to them with crystal clear words.


    [You heard her, didn''t you?] Ophelia turned to him with sparkling eyes. [She must have practiced a lot.]


    Typhon''s eyes widened and he turned to find their leader, only to see the lizard now stood between them like a barrier, its scaly body protecting her like he and the nestlings were a threat.


    Typhon couldn''t believe it!


    Soon, more nuisances arrived in the form of the Vdrys who had recovered from their stupor.


    They settled as close as possible to her without touching the scaly lizard, or either of the two nightmarish monsters, each Vdrys looking like a fluffy cloud of petals.


    The contrast of many scary monsters against them was so bizarre that Typhon gave up trying to ept it. He was fine as long as those creatures didn''t try anything stupid.


    The atmosphere was now harmonious, but in his heart Typhon solidified the stance that she needed protecting.


    Perhaps the Vdrys were not opposed to her, but he doubted others would hesitate to take advantage of her kindness.


    He and Ophelia joined them, but his mood remained dark - he needed to get stronger in order to protect her from harm.


    But then, the nightmarish creatures took off, returning with severalrge scorpions which they put down for the nestlings to eat.


    The serpents around them were still anxious, but when they saw the creatures weren''t trying to harm them, they soon rxed, but they did not touch the food.


    Typhon noticed ''she'' had a rather eager look in her eyes as she stared at them, ''she'' even encouraged them to eat the corpses they brought to recover their stamina, only this time, her voice came from within his own head.


    It seemed she couldmunicate in two ways, and he and Ophelia were quite impressed.


    However, Typhon didn''t think any of the nestlings were in the mood to eat and it showed. None of them made any moves, mostly startled by her presence ¨C even when she told them all to eat, instead most of them turned to him in confusion.


    Typhon was astonished to see the excited look on their leader''s face gradually fading away. She must have gotten excited at the prospect of them eating the food she caught.


    In order not to hurt her feelings, he ordered all the nestlings to eat without stopping!


    The mood soon became fiercelypetitive with every nestling, stuffing their faces until they became quite round. This continued for a while, but the look on her face never changed, if anything she looked even more depressed.


    Typhon was confused as to why she was not happy. It was only when he looked around, that he noticed all the nestlings were eating, except Arsinoe. She kept ring at their leader like she was the best cut of meat around, making him full of grievance.


    Why was she so stubborn today?


    But then, Arsinoe slithered away from the group to approach their leader, much to his surprise. She had two serpents following her and they quickly crossed the distance before he could stop them.


    [Calm down.] Ophelia said when she saw him about to pursue. [She''s not stupid enough to try anything. And even if she is, she''ll die.]


    This was true, but Arsinoe was known to be unpredictable, so he couldn''t rx.


    Arsinoe, on the other hand, was suffering under the pressure from Typhon''s re, and she refused to look behind her, or she feared she might lose her confidence to do what was needed.


    [Ahhh¡­Typhon looks so mad.] One of her team members said from beside her.


    [Are you sure we should be doing this?] Another added ¨C their leader looked so scary, and he was terrified!


    But Arsinoe was confident.


    Since Lyra healed her acid burns, she''d been unable to hear that voice, but she was sure she could recreate the water de that killed the scorpion, if she needed to.


    [I''m sure. Just follow me!]


    Besides, after seeing that docile attitude of their leader, Arsinoe was much more perplexed than fearful.


    How could they be harmed by something that looked so terrifying yet acted theplete opposite?


    She should have been upset with her, but somehow Arsinoe found herself oddly fascinated by their strange leader.


    Typhon on the other hand¡­


    It was unfortunate that she had to defy him, but there wouldn''t be a better chance to get her team members names than right now! She just hoped he wouldn''t be too upset.


    Soon, the shadowy serpent was before her and Arsinoe bowed her head. But when she heard nothing, she looked up, only to leap backwards.


    The shadowy serpent''s face was right next to hers and Arsinoe''s heart thudded with shock!


    |[You''re Arsinoe, right?]| The shadow asked, clearly amused.


    [Y-Yes!] Arsinoe yelped in fright.


    Her voice was nothing at all like she expected, it was very yful ¨C even somewhat teasing. She could handle a na?ve opponent, not the mischievous kind.


    |[So, what can I do for you?]| The shadow asked.


    And Arsinoe found herself extremely confused ¨C how could it be that easy?

 Chapter 257 - A Delicate Balance

    |[You want me to give them names?]| I asked.


    Arsinoe nodded.


    The three serpents before me had their heads down, and although they had grown out of their ck and white patterns, I still recognised each one as the nestlings I ced on Artemis''s team.


    Arsinoe was now a honey brown colour, with distinctive ck spade markings, and when she approached me, her pink eyes shone with a rather unflinching gaze.


    The two serpents with her were no different in size, but both were a solid dark blue colour, with a pearly iridescent sheen to their scales. Yet aside from her, none of them could look me squarely in the eyes.


    It was almost admirable how big her courage was.


    I didn''t hold it against them, considering they''d all just been through a battle, but as I looked around me, I was amazed at just how colourful all the creatures were.


    Like Arsinoe, all of the nestlings I could see had evolved, with each one disying a difference in the colours of their scales.


    My two healers were a bright, almost golden colour, with a simr pairing of blue slitted eyes. It was like they were a repeat of the serpent, only one was male while the other was female.


    Typhon''srger formidable presence stood out among them, his scales a solid ck colour simr to obsidian. But alongside him, his team members Cassio and Andromeda had a simr look, although their eyes were greypared to Typhon''s green.


    Ophelia''s pearly white colour had noparison and the only serpent that came close was Cygnus with his silver scales. There was even a serpent on his team with the same purple colouring that I had before I evolved, a serpent who also happened to wield [Shadow Magic].


    I was beginning to wonder if their magic was the reason they all looked different, although I couldn''t exactly pinpoint how this worked.


    ?This is meaningless. Give Arsinoe what she wants and deal with the main issue.? Sensei''s voice interrupted my thoughts, and I sighed.


    I was stalling and he knew it.


    "I''m getting to it." I replied.


    The nestlings beside Arsinoe looked alike so I made up some matching names for them,


    |[Your team members will be Otreia and Oteiza]| I said to Arsinoe, who stared at me in disbelief.


    Did she expect me to refuse or something?


    And the system dinged.


    ?Confirmed. ¡ºPit Member 18¡»has be ¡ºOtreia¡»?


    ?Confirmed. ¡ºPit Member 19¡»has be ¡ºOteiza¡»?


    The moment they were named, both serpents looked up at me with gratitude, I was d to see their happy faces.


    After saying their thanks, the three scurried off, each one making a point to avoid Typhon who had settled beside me.


    The nestlings were all stuffing their faces, but with Sylrin, the Abyssal monsters and the Vdrys also near, the forest was beginning to feel a little too small. I couldn''t imagine what it would be like to return to the cave.


    Besides, I was confused as to why the Vdrys were still here.


    Not once did I believe any of them died during the battle, because their numbers on the system never reduced ¨C a reason I felt no desire to save them from getting devoured by bottom feeders.


    It was suspicious and I had every reason to believe the Nymph was behind it.


    As of now my Pit members had already risen to an astonishing [6890], and considering I didn''t add any more, arge portion of those had to be because of their Queen Mother.


    It was truly frustrating because I didn''t know what the Nymph was up to, but if I were to send them away, my apology would no longer seem sincere.


    Aside from this, the Abyssal monsters I brought were also suffering.


    I ordered them not to kill anyone and the longer they obeyed the more agitation they began to show.


    With so many creatures around with rich mana reserves that they could not touch, I was sure it was excruciating, especially since the mana within their bodies was slowly dwindling.


    It almost seemed cruel to keep them around simply because of the threat the Vdrys might pose.


    Eventually, I had no choice but to let them leave to hunt.


    Yet even then I had to ce restrictions on them so they would not cross into the Nymph''s territory or touch any of her creatures.


    Quite frankly, it was annoying because I felt like I was being toyed with by having so many different types of creatures around me.


    A part of me wanted to cut off my rtionship with the Nymph entirely, but we still had the apes to deal with and now did not seem like the right time.


    Besides these problems, the fate of certain traitorous nestlings was still on my hands and as I watched the nestlings, each cheerful, brightly coloured serpent, was like andmine that could explode at any minute.


    It seemed my peaceful springtime of youth was never going toe.


    "Do you think they know?" I asked Sensei.


    ?Not yet, but they might figure it out if theypare their ounts of the battle. I don''t think your distraction worked as well as you think.?


    I sighed at his words. It didn''t really matter if they found out or not, because that was not the point.


    The real issue was that my [Pit] was broken beyond repair, and that most things I thought I knew about the nestlings were incorrect.


    The escape of the bottom feeders as well as Morgana''s attack was a surprise. Before then, I thought I had the battlepletely under control, so this was a situation that confused me.


    The appearance of new monsters as well as an attack on Typhon. If Morgana had achieved her aim of taking out Typhon as well as kidnapping the only healers, the battle would have ended in her victory.


    Her attacks put them in even worse peril than all the scorpionsbined, and it was a good thing that I was present, and Ophelia was not harmed by the alpha and was able to return in time, or the nestling would have been finished.


    Yet, it was this cunning to target exactly what would weaken her foes that intrigued me - If only she used this cunning for something other than attacking her own peers, perhaps I would have been more impressed.


    And then, on another spectrum was Apollo and his strange malice towards Ophelia.


    At first I thought he remained in the tunnels, because he was too afraid, but I was surprised when I appraised his stats. He had a skill that let him manipte the bottom feeders [Marite], a superior version of [Kin Control] which Morgana possessed.


    He''d even taken it a step further by having the title of [Puppeteer].


    To me, he had every option of helping Ophelia, yet he watched her battling alone.


    And due to his absence during the battle, the bottom feeders he was supposed to manage had gotten out of control.


    Yet, when I questioned Apollo about it, he was a nervous wreck, leading Typhon to reveal some of the tunnels had been flooded prior to the battle on his behalf.


    Typhon seemed to think this problem was rted to Ghad. In his opinion, if not for this, numerous bottom feeders wouldn''t have been driven to congregate in one area, leading to a disaster when the tunnel copsed.


    If this was true, Ghad was indeed at fault.


    The problem was he wasn''t here to defend himself and it was their word against his.


    This was made worse because no one seemed to know where he went, nor were they concerned.


    Why couldn''t he remain here and get stronger like everyone else did?


    I''d received conflicting reports about events, when it was clearly Apollo was really at fault here.


    If he had been where he should have, none of this would have urred.


    Just thinking about the situation was giving me a headache.


    Right now the nestlings chatted amicably with each other, but I was more curious to know why their rtionship had gotten so sour and how I could stop it from worsening any further.


    In a way, I was d I arrived first because if I didn''t, I wouldn''t know everything I did now.


    But just the thought of it made me want to leave again!


    Fighting monsters was far easier than dealing with this.


    ?Spections aren''t fact.? Sensei scoffed at my anxiety. ?You''ll never know until you actually question them.?


    "Ask them?" Was he freaking kidding me?


    ?Do you have any idea how terrified of you they are? Use that fear to make them admit their wrongdoings.?


    "Afraid of me?" I shook my head. "From how they act, they are more fearful of Typhon than me."


    A single word from him was enough to make them eat, though he seemedrgely unaware of this influence.


    ?They only listen to him because you''ve never threatened them.? Sensei replied. ?You can''t expect to rule them with kind words alone.?


    I sighed.


    While his words may have been true, the problem was that force could just as easily turn them away from me.


    ?If you want to keep them safe, just kill off the problematic ones.? Sensei helpfully suggested.


    And I rolled my eyes.


    How could he summarise it so easily?


    If I killed off all the problematic ones, wouldn''t that only leave half of the nestlings alive?

 Chapter 258 - The Race For Morgana

    I made up my mind.


    Rivalries and vendetta''s aside, all I had to do as their leader was make a decision based on what I needed, and I could agree on the one thing ¨C I needed strong nestlings.


    But not just that, they also had to be loyal to me.


    Both of these qualities were present in some nestlings and sorelycking or misced in others, and I needed to fix that.


    While Morgana would ss as strong, she was willing to attack my most loyal captain which made her the furthest thing from what I needed ¨C unless I personally took action.


    Sensei sensed my dark thoughts, and I heard his evilugh. ?So what will you do??


    Why did he have to ask when he already had an idea?


    Did he want me to say it out loud just to prove he was right?


    "What I have to do." I stubbornly replied, which only made Sensei burst intoughter.


    The bastard.


    ?You''re going to reset her mind??


    I nodded.


    ?Take away her free will and make her your bloodhound.?


    I nodded again.


    It was only fair after what Morgana did to Typhon, but why did he have to say it like that? He was making me out to be the viin.


    Sensei chuckled even more, and I scowled ¨C wasn''t he having far too much fun?


    ?I can''t say I''m not relieved, but it will take some skill.? Sensei warned. ?You don''t want to make her a vegetable, because you''re rusty from theck of practice.?


    I nodded. "I won''t. I only n on looking through her memories to find the reason for her hatred for Typhon, after that I will take it away."


    ?Hmm.? Sensei mused thoughtfully. ?How will you break the news to them??


    I looked over at the nestlings who were now so rxed they were even ying.


    The Vdrys were still seated around me, but Sylrin had left them to go and y with Ophelia even using him as a cushion.


    Only Typhon remained to chat with me, with Arsinoe hanging around to pester him.


    Yet Sensei wanted to ruin this positive atmosphere!


    "Tell them I n to change one of their peers? How about I don''t? They don''t have to know."


    ?They do, if you want them to trust you. They will notice a difference, especially Typhon, so you have to be open with your decisions, so they don''t misjudge you.?


    "Wouldn''t this make them more afraid of me?" I pondered.


    ?They only need to be afraid if they do something wrong.? Sensei replied. ?If they obey you, this will never be their fate so it shouldn''t concern them, which is why you and your captains need toe to a consensus ¨C It''s your job to convince them this is a necessary endeavour.?


    A joint decision? It was a terrible idea, but it could work in theory.


    "I could pretend I need advice." I admitted.


    ?Exactly. Make them believe it was their idea. That way they won''t me you, because you didn''t make the choice alone.?


    I felt gross just thinking about it. Yet it was a smart idea.


    "Guess I''ll ruin the mood by telling them now." I sighed in defeat.


    ?I''m rooting for you¡­? Sensei humorously said, and I grimaced in disgust.


    This mild break was all well and good, but it was time for a meeting.


    I asked Sylrin to watch over the nestlings before calling all the current captains and those affected by Morgana''s deeds.


    This list of nestlings was quite long, as she was not short of enemies after what she did and from the scathing looks I got at the mention of her name ¨C one of them was going to try and kill her soon.


    I sighed at the thought.


    It made sense that this would be Typhon, but he looked rather calm for someone who wanted revenge.


    Rather, it was Europa who was the most upset, followed by Cygnus and Artemis.


    Which made me think, we would arrive at a conclusion rather quickly.


    And so, I asked them all to meet me in the cave, where it would be more private, before blinking away.


    Inside the cave, I saw the Vdrys had been hard at work.


    The roof of the cave had some cracks from the battle, but most had already been knitted together by creeping vines whose leaves draped down like a waterfall. The pirs were also decorated with tendrils, and the fighting pit had turned into a pool filled with sparkling water ¨C there were even flower petals floating inside.


    Seeing all of this made me freeze in horror.


    The inside of my cave was ruined! What happened to my dungeon-like d¨¦cor?


    What was this Nymph plotting?


    Wasn''t this actually an infestation of weeds?


    My bad mood went up a notch higher and I wished I could p her and all of her meddling spirits.


    ?Why did you ask for Apollo?? Sensei asked when he saw me pacing. ?He isn''t a captain, neither is he involved.?


    But he was wrong to say he wasn''t involved.


    Apollo''s situation was just as bad as Morgana''s, though he was slightly better because he didn''t actually harm Ophelia, he only watched.


    No one else knew but me so he was noticeably safer.


    Yet, I wasn''t at all calm because unlike Morgana he was even more skilled at influencing the bottom feeders, and there were far more of them.


    The threat that acted out in the open was far better than the one who didn''t.


    The moment I revealed to him that I knew, there were no guarantees he wouldn''t try to escape, or worse, overrun the cave with bottom feeders while he escaped.


    This was exactly why I wanted him to witness Morgana''s fate, so he would be too scared to rebel again.


    ?It''s not a bad n.? Sensei admitted. ?But why are you so sure he will escape and not attack? Fear is an incredible motivator, especially for those that feel cornered.?


    I wasn''t, but Apollo didn''t strike me as a fool.


    His resistance would only make his life much harder, as he should have realised by now that it was impossible to defeat me with his current strength.


    Yet, as I looked below the cave with [Mind''s Eye], I glimpsed another serpent who was desperately trying to resist the inevitable.


    Morgana was already making her move ¨C and what an insidious move it was!


    Since none of my captains had arrived yet, I settled down to watch her efforts, curious as to what shape her escape n would take.


    ----


    As the captains reached the cave, the calm soon erupted to a heated discussion with each one stating their reasons why Morgana should die.


    Everyone remotely involved was here.


    Ophelia because she was the one who subdued Morgana and her creatures. Lyra, Europa, and Cygnus because they were the ones she attacked the most, and even tried to kill.


    Artemis was there because he saved them, and he had a stake in this as a captain.


    Ana was an odd one because she revealed one of Morgana''s creatures had saved her from a scorpion during the battle. Typhon didn''t know if this was true or not, but hers was a unique case because those in defence of Morgana were unsurprisingly few.


    Ophelia was extremely upset on his behalf, so she did not defend their friendship as enthusiastically as she would have before.


    Artemis would have been neutral because he considered Morgana an asset, but after her attack she was no better than a rabid serpent that couldn''t control her impulses.


    Europa was upset because he and Lyra had be her target, and he did not feel they were safe.


    Ana was loyal to Morgana and defended her because she had saved her life, as well as given her a name. And Lyra was forever the caring creature who was willing to forgive.


    Cygnus didn''t care either way, he just wanted her to be punished and to remain on a short leash.


    But then there were those like Arsinoe and Apollo who also happened to be here, for some reason.


    Typhon thought they were out of ce, as he was confused as to why ''she'' included them. They had no stakes in this fight, and yet they were the most vocal.


    Arsinoe was easily the loudest advocate for Morgana''s death, and Apollo fought just as earnestly as her in Morgana''s defence.


    Typhon remained soberly in their midst as their arguments escted, eagerly wishing he could sink them both into the ground, so there would be less noise.


    He could feel his head stinging at their words.


    Interestingly, ''she'' listened to all their ims with rapt attention, and even asked questions like a curious child.


    At least that was what he thought, until ''she'' revealed one of her abilities to them.


    What did ''she'' mean to erase Morgana? Was she really that powerful?


    ''She'' even wanted to ce this new Morgana under hismand! As if the deed was as easy to her as breathing.


    The mood suddenly shifted with everyone surprised and even horrified.


    And this made Typhon pay attention.


    He hade to believe she wasn''t as fearsome as she looked, but even this punishment was a sentence worse than death for Morgana.


    She was so proud, that he couldn''t phantom her ever grovelling to him. So, for there to be such a convenient solution, Typhon found himself amused for the first time during this meeting.


    He approved and even resolved to tell Morgana exactly what she was going to be, right before the deed was done, just to see the look of suffering and humiliation on her face.


    However, the captains around him were appalled, some were even reversing their previous stance.


    Ophelia was also of a different opinion. She was concerned that doing such a thing would put a strain on their leader''s conscience. Being such a caring being, she did not want her to shoulder the guilt such a burden entailed.


    Another surprising reversal was Arsinoe, the moment she saw he was satisfied, she suddenly wanted Morgana to be set free without any alterations.


    Soon all the arguments that had been put to rest started up again, and this made Typhon want to bury his head.


    This was going to take a while.

 Chapter 259 - Despicable Resolve

    In the deepest, darkest corner of the cave, something was stirring.


    Cast away to the underground, Morgana awoke to find herself surrounded and unable to move. Her wings were clipped behind her back, bound alongside her body with thick stems that were so rough, the leaves they bore felt like iron barbs against her scales.


    Morgana was on the cold ground, in a cell that was so deep, it only allowed in the faintest speck of light from above. With her body wrapped so tightly by knotted tree bark, she couldn''t even turn her head to see past her tail and she strained her eyes to follow the stems restraining to see where they led.


    Some grew from the ground under her, and others were linked to several Vdrys standing further away from her body, watching her like sentinels.


    Seeing this, Morgana scoffed.


    They must have been ced here to keep her from escaping.


    She could barely sense the presence of the reptiles she bonded with.


    They had to be somewhere underground but from how faintly their traces were, their location was much further from her own cell.


    It seemed likely that they had been ced in a cell even deeper pit than hers, one that probably had no light at all.


    The thought made Morgana grimace in hatred ¨C trust Typhon to think ahead.


    Without ess to her creatures, and with so many Vdrys around, she had no hope of beating them in her weakened state, nor escaping.


    Water. Morgana thought.


    She was so thirsty her scales crackled when she moved, but she had to wriggle in order to catch the Vdrys'' attention.


    They were guarding her, but none dared toe close, and since Morgana had no telepathic abilities, she had to wait until one of the Vdrys watching her struggles, established one with her.


    In the end, a younger, slightly shorter Vdrys than the others, had her curiosity piqued.


    The elven girl with deep pink hair looked at Morgana in concern, approaching the wriggling serpent to establish a telepathic connection, before the others could stop her.


    The other Vdrys rushed to bar her path, but contrary to their expectations, Morgana did not attack the girl, she merely asked for water.


    Yet, they were hesitant to oblige.


    ording to the other serpents, this was an outcast destined for death ¨C besides, many of their peers had suffered due to the disruption she caused. To give her any of any aid would undermine the efforts of those she hurt.


    But the serpent before them looked too pitiful, and they were notpletely heartless.


    In the end, one of the Vdrys generated water in her palm and fed it to the serpent, before retreating with the younger Vdrys.


    Morgana''s weakened condition did not surprise her ¨C she was not so different from this when she attacked Typhon, but she did not expect to still be alive. This had to be because of Ophelia, since Typhon would have killed her right away.


    Realising this, she chuckled sinisterly, causing the Vdrys nearby to feel uneasy.


    After drinking the water, her senses were much more in tune, and now she could detect some of her creatures stirring awake.


    Unfortunately, much like her, they were firmly bound, leaving none toe to her rescue.


    Morgana didn''t know what happened since she fell unconscious, but from the heavy, suffocating aura around the cave, she could conclude a few things ¨C the battle with the scorpions was over, and ''she'' must have returned.


    Morgana didn''t think there was much she could do to influence their leader''s decisions ¨C she heavily favoured Typhon, and nothing could change that. Also, she couldn''t see Ophelia picking her over him, especially after what she did, so already her chances of survival were limited.


    Yet, if she couldn''te up with a solution, death was all that awaited for her.


    So, rather than waiting to see what would happen, Morgana began to search with all her might for something she could use.


    Since she didn''t see their leader arrive together with Ophelia, she must havee at ater time, which meant there was a chance she hadn''t seen her yet.


    This difference in their timings was an opportunity!


    It made Morgana think hard about how she could exploit this to her favour.


    Truthfully, she didn''t mind dying, it was the thought that she could die before those she despised that personally offended her. So even though she had the option to stall the Vdrys with her creatures, until she could escape, she didn''t consider it.


    How could she be satisfied with going down alone?


    Run away, and leave Typhon to reap the benefits of her demise?


    Never.


    She would bring him down to the same depths as herself!


    To Morgana, she was the one who understood Typhon the most. He was evil of the foulest kind ¨C the type that did not think they were evil, who liked to convince themselves that they were good simply because they were admired by others.


    What he hated the most was those he loved seeing his terrible actions, especially Ophelia.


    Which was why he locked her away in a tiny prison where no one could see him impale her numerous times with spikes until she waspletely covered in bruises.


    Even now her wounds were notpletely healed, and several of her scales throbbed from being dented and ripped out.


    Yet, although Ophelia saw her injuries during the battle, her love for Typhon won over her shock, enough for her to put her down herself.


    This didn''t surprise Morgana, but would their leader be the same?


    ''She'' was someone she''d never felt the need to attack, because unlike Typhon, she treated the nestlings like creatures she respected and not tools to be discarded after use. ''She'' was very different from them, and Morgana was extremely taken by the existence of such an odd serpent.


    ''She'' shared some simrities with the serpent ''Ana'' who genuinely didn''t want to kill but had been forced to do so because of her survival, and the promise of death if she did not obey.


    But while Morgana enjoyed ''Ana''s'' deeply satisfying reactions when she was forced to kill, the same could not be applied to their leader, because while ''Ana'' was weak, she was not.


    Morgana saw the hesitation in her actions when it came to confusing the scorpions, but ''she'' did so anyway because it would protect them. Where serpents like ''Ana'' would cry andin, she did the ugly things that were necessary and shouldered the burden alone.


    ''She'' was the same kind of creature, yet the two acted differently.


    And Morgana was curious to see how she would react when she saw the evil one of her most trusted captains was capable of ¨C the wrongs he hadmitted not out of any necessity, but simply because he could.


    Morgana listlessly smiled.


    At least she was honest in her own depravity, whereas he hid behind a kind mask. She was sure Typhon''s downfall would follow right after her own demise, and that was enough to spur her on.


    The Vdrys that established a connection with her was near, so she asked for more water.


    When two of the creatures came near her, Morgana asked them who it was that brought her down here, and if ''she'' hade down to the underground at all.


    The older Vdrys refused to reply, but the younger one was quick to answer both questions, confirming to Morgana that there was still hope.


    And so, the moment the two Vdrys were done, Morgana formed several wind des, all of which she fired in an instant.


    The creatures instantly moved to protect themselves with a nt wall. However, no blows came, instead all they heard was the ssh of blood deflected by their shield.


    When they looked, they were stunned to see Morgana had turned her wind des on herself.


    Her old wounds were cut to open and multiple wounds appeared on her body, she even created new ones, persisting as she cried out in pain.


    Her actions made her recall the same suffocating dread as when Typhon shut her in utter darkness.


    Yet, Morgana did not stop because everything was to reduce herself to the state she was in before.


    How many cuts did she attempt before she could pry open the lid of her prison without anyone noticing?


    All that time and effort with Arsinoe''s irritating voice jabbering away in the background?


    How many times did she fail because she couldn''t make them precise and thin enough because of the distraction?


    Typhon must have sent her as some kind of torture!


    And to think she had to experience all that pain again ¨C Morgana was so upset.


    The Vdrys around her tried to intervene, but after a couple wind des sped in their direction, they couldn''te near. It was only when she was covered in cuts, her brittle scales shredded like paper, that Morgana stopped.


    There was so much blood pooling around her, that the Vdrys were in shock.


    Why would she do this?


    They didn''t understand, but after seeing how determined she was to hurt herself, they didn''t dare to release her from what remained of her binds, for fear of giving her more ces to cut.


    But then they received word from above that they were to bring their captive up to be judged, and the startled Vdrys immediately felt relief.


    No longer did they have to remain in such close proximity to a serpent that waspletely insane.

 Chapter 260 - Tough Crowd

    The Vdrys pulled her along by her restraints to be brought before the serpents waiting and Morgana did not struggle as she was lifted off the ground. She left her cell peacefully, her progress marked in truly dramatic fashion, by a gruesome trail of blood.


    After being inplete darkness, she was blinded by the sudden re on entering the upper cave, which caused her to lower her head even more.


    Eventually, as her eyes adjusted, she discovered the spacious cave she called home was very much transformed.


    The in walls overflowed with lush greenery, with light crystals embedded in several areas around the cave to ensure there wasn''t a single dark spot.


    Yet, even with everything, there was a suffocating ambience that was less than weing.


    There were nestlings arrayed in straight lines on either side of her, where piles of precious stones could be seen, as well as the deadly poisonous nts that appeared intermittently, the closer she came to the frightful presence on the tform.


    Yet, every nestling that gasped at her appearance or stood silently as she passed by, filled her heart with a strange feeling. What should have been a cmitous scene quickly became a herald of bad news.


    Why didn''t they celebrate seeing her in such a condition? There was barely any discussion, most of them didn''t even speak, busying themselves with looking away, and Morgana was confused.


    Of those that did look, Apollo''s eyes were filled with warning and Lyra was crying uncontrobly.


    Even the normally nk Cygnus had a troubled look that was rather dark.


    Andstly, Ana looked at her with eyes filled with pity.


    Why did they seem mournful like they were staring at someone who was already dead?


    It was impossible!


    Morgana''s panicked eyes shed towards the tform - was ''she'' not here?


    What could Typhon have said to ruin her efforts already?


    However, when she looked up ''she'' and the shadowy presence she embodied were very much present, and Typhon and Ophelia were with her.


    Typhon''s stare was asposed as ever and yet filled with so much disdain, while Ophelia showed¡­nothing.


    Her face was as serene as she would be if she were looking down on the most insignificant thing. A bug struggling to avoid being crushed, or perhaps a bottom feeder - a look she would never reserve for someone who was her friend.


    And Morgana found herself in shock ¨C Ophelia had never looked at her like that before.


    Wasn''t she different from all the others because their rtionship was only second to Typhon?


    It seemed this was not the case.


    Ophelia''s cold gaze sent shivers down Morgana''s spine ¨C pushing her past the edge of an already brittle sense of worth.


    What was this bad feeling?


    Morgana knew something was deeply wrong, and it was made perfectly clear when she stared into the bottomless void in the shape of a serpent.


    Two crimson slits floated in the darkness where her eyes should have been, and Morgana didn''t see a single hint ofpassion in them.


    Previously, Morgana thought her aura was different, but she did not expect to find an entirely new creature instead.


    Morgana was so stunned, she began to struggle against her restraints ¨C she was sealed inside a ce, filled to the brim with her enemies and she could already feel her life leaving her body.


    Now she understood their sad gazes.


    They were going to kill her here.


    Much to her terror, the Vdrys released her, and she dropped to the ground, trembling in fear in a pool of her own blood.


    Was this the final showing of a viin before they were put down?


    Morgana wondered how they were going to do it, and she red at Typhon''s dispassionate gaze - was she brought here so they could allugh?


    The onlyfort she had was that a few of the reptile creatures shemanded were brought out along with her - so at least she wasn''t dying alone.


    Their leader seemed to want to look at them, and the creatures, as if sensing her dread, began to tear at their toughened restraints, adorably fighting in her corner.


    However, Morgana felt numb. Out of everyone here, it was the creatures she cared about the least that were the onesing to her defence.


    It was indeedughable.


    Yet, Morgana was unwilling to admit defeat, she kept her head down and summoned fresh tears to exaggerate her pitiful plight, silently thanking the Vdrys who fed her water in her mind.


    Once satisfied, she cowered before the judging eyes of the room, her body trembling in fear as she peered hesitantly at her tormentors - Typhon and Ophelia.


    The nestlings were so taken aback by this transformation that many of them gasped.


    The sight of Morgana crying was so stark, her bloody wounded self so pitiful, that many hard hearts were pierced. It didn''t help that Morgana''s trembling body looked so tiny inparison to Typhon''s fearsome form, who suddenly appeared like a bully.


    Lyra sobbed in anguish, appealing to Europa. [We need to say something. I don''t think this is fair.]


    Wasn''t this a clear sign that Morgana had changed?


    Europa felt conflicted. It didnt change the fact that she had tried to murder them both, but while he knew Typhon had punished her severely - he never seen the extent to which she''d been wounded.


    Was it possible that she wasn''t in her right mind during the incident?


    In addition, the fate that awaited her was one that had split the captain''s opinions so much that all the nestlings had to be called in to decide. And even then a resolution was not reached.


    There had to be another way!


    This sentiment was shared by most of the nestlings present, and where before there was silence, the cave now began to fill with concerned voices, some even saw Morgana''s current remorse as more convincing than Typhon''s because he wasn''t actually hurt by her attack.


    Morgana could feel the change in the crowd, with more nestlingsing to her defence, which convinced her she was on the right path, so continued sobbing to garner sympathy.


    But suddenly she felt a sharp pain in her head, and in the confusion that followed, a calm voice started speaking to her in a tone that was full of disappointment.


    [You didn''t have to go that far.] The voice said.


    It was so different from the current atmosphere and Morgana looked up in shock, realising a major part of her n was now destroyed.


    Howe she could speak?


    Morgana hade prepared to exploit their leader''s sole shoring, relying on showing her what Typhon had done, rather than saying it. Her injured body would have been too convincing to ignore, serving as evidence,pared to Typhon''s report of an event ''she'' didn''t see happening.


    But this¡­


    Even if ''she'' could talk now, why wasn''t ''she'' surprised at the gruesomeness of her injuries?


    Didn''t the Vdrys say she only arrived at the end?


    It was like she''d seen through her intentions in an instant. But how could she know her injuries had already healed?


    Was this why Typhon seemed so calm?


    And so, even while the voices of the nestlings around her were full of sympathy, Morgana''s thoughts were full of panic, having realised the sympathy she''d garnered was utterly null. If this wasn''t enough to convince ''her'' she was still dead.


    Morgana didn''t know what to do, so she nced at Ophelia, hoping she could appeal to her in some way.


    However, she realized Ophelia wasn''t even looking at her - her eyes were on Typhon,pletely ignoring her situation.


    Morgana trembled on the ground and this time her tears were real - she''d never felt so betrayed as she did in that very moment.


    If Ophelia had shown disdain, at least she''d know she still felt something for her, but the nk stare, andpleteck of emotion made Morgana give up the fight, even before her death sentence came.


    So, when ''she'' started to speak to her, Morgana was so stunned she missed the first half of her question, only catching the end.


    |[...how did you know they would follow you as soon as they hatched?]|


    Why did ''she'' want her to exin? Surely Ophelia must have told her.


    Morgana was so bitter that she didn''t want to answer, until she saw concern flitter across Typhon''s face. It seemed he wasn''t expecting her to be questioned.


    Was he hoping her death would be swift?


    Morgana put a stop to her tears, ignoring the arguments of the nestlings around her, to focus only on their leader''s shadowy figure.


    [I only know it because I saw Ophelia do it first.] She replied.


    As soon as she said the words, the look on Typhon''s face changed. Before he was calm, but now the aura he emitted was so malevolent that all the nestlings behind her stopped arguing to shrink back in fear.


    Morgana too was startled and she slithered backwards as if his aura was a de that could kill - what exactly did she say? It seemed he was trying his best to silence her!


    |[What do you mean?]| The shadowy serpent asked.


    Ophelia had turned to look at her, but her expression was unreadable so Morgana couldn''t tell if she wanted her to continue to speak or not.


    Typhon, on the other hand, seemed to be holding himself back from tearing her to shreds because their leader was present, and Morgana was frightened.


    She looked between the three serpents. She was underground and surrounded by his element - if Typhon wanted to kill her, he could do so right now.


    But ultimately, the only one who could save her life was the shadowy serpent in the middle, so she opened her mouth to speak.

 Chapter 261 - Stone Cold

    Morgana''s retelling was pulled from one of her earliest memories. This was shortly before ''she'' returned for the first time, during the time period when they were led by Typhon and Ophelia.


    Morgana could even recall what she was doing at the time. She, Ophelia, and Artemis had been sleeping in the cave along with several other nestlings, when Ophelia suddenly woke up with a jolt.


    At the time, Ophelia had been experiencing some intense nightmares that often left her dazed and confused, but whenever this happened, she would always go to find Typhon.


    On this asion, Morgana thought it was simply another one of them and went back to sleep. Yet, although Typhon was in the cave with them, Ophelia didn''t go to meet him, climbing up the cave and out into the forest instead.


    Morgana was surprised by this and got up to follow her ¨C the forest they lived in was very dangerous for a serpent alone and she wanted to protect her.


    Unfortunately, Ophelia did not hear any of her calls. She simply stared off into space, moving purposefully through the trees like she wanted to escape from their cave as quickly as possible.


    Morgana wasn''t sure what had happened, but she had changed.


    There was something dark and different about herpared to the Ophelia she knew, and yet, Morgana could not say why she thought so, she simply had a bad feeling and was desperate to catch up.


    However, Ophelia was much faster and more agile than her at the time, and this was extremely difficult. It was also during this chase that Ophelia ran into some problems.


    She encountered some creatures as they emerged from the ground, newly hatched feathered reptiles, simr to the ones Morgana had now, and Ophelia only happened to break one of their eggshells, for the reptile''s sole attention to focus on her.


    Morgana arrived shortly after to see Ophelia surrounded by several of the creatures. However, they didn''t attack her ¨C they simply crowded around her to stare.


    Morgana remembered thinking the monsters were acting strange, and she was happy when Ophelia fled, although it only increased their distance once more.


    But then, she was shocked to see Ophelia being chased by every single one of the strange hatchlings, and it continued, with her in pursuit, until they arrived at a stream.


    Being a serpent, Ophelia easily swam across the water, and the reptiles remained on the bank where they watched Ophelia escaping and Morgana could hear their strange calls in the distance, the reptiles seemingly distraught that she was getting away.


    However, not long after, Morgana heard a second sound, a high pitched hissing that made the calls of every reptile stop.


    It wasing from across the stream, and after hearing it, the reptiles began to brave the dangerous water to swim, as ifpelled by the sound.


    Morgana was worried about Ophelia''s safety and didn''t pay much attention to the reptiles, insisting on calling out her name.


    But Ophelia never responded, instead she continued to hear the high pitched sound, and arrived at the stream to see all the reptiles were in the water, and they''d suddenly stopped swimming.


    At first the reptiles had been hesitant but as soon as they got in, their natural instincts kicked in and they began to swim. But now, it seemed they had stopped moving entirely, each one sinking below the water, with their legs and tailspletely still, instead of padding like usual.


    It was then that Morgana realised Ophelia was making the hissing sound.


    She was witnessing Ophelia''s abilities for the first time, and it was in a scene that chilled her to her very core - Ophelia casually watched the monsters take theirst breath, their heads forever submerged below the water, until their bodies were carried away downstream.


    So when Ophelia finally noticed her, Morgana was caught up in a moment of terror. It urred to her that her friend could do the same to her, to stop her from telling anyone.


    The hiss Ophelia emitted had even begun to affect her, and Morgana feltpelled to enter the water too.


    Fortunately, Ophelia stopped using her abilities right after, and Morgana regained her senses.


    In the end, they decided to return to the cave, ignoring the event entirely, with Morgana promising to never tell anyone.


    Yet even then, she never forgot her fear of Ophelia, and although she never returned to her former self, Morgana kept her promise because her life depended on it...until now.


    And Typhon, who had been forced to listen to this sordid tale, found himself getting progressively angrier, until he couldn''t take it anymore.


    [Enough!] He bellowed in rage. [I won''t have you defame Ophelia with your lies!]


    After hearing Morgana''s reasons, a strange hush had fallen over the cave, with every nestling who ever felt difort or fear because of Ophelia''s abilities, unknowingly agreeing with Morgana in their hearts.


    Also, seeing her cower in fear from Typhon''s voice alone, made her all the more tragic.


    [I can only tell everyone what I saw.] Morgana whimpered pitifully. [I can''t hide it anymore ¨C It isn''t fair on them, and ''she'' deserves to know who she can trust¨C]


    [Not another word from that vile tongue of yours!] Typhon roared. [You should be ashamed! How can you betray your captain''s trust to save yourself?]


    Betray? Morgana couldn''t believe it. This cheap serpent!


    Ophelia was the one who betrayed her first by noting to her defence.


    But instead of saying what she felt, Morgana cowered in fear, refusing to look at Ophelia even though she could feel two intensely cold eyes boring holes in her skull.


    Now that she''d revealed those two were just as evil as she was, there was nothing left for her to say. All that was left was for ''her'' to decide.


    Typhon didn''t know what to believe.


    While he knew it was impossible for Morgana to imprint on those reptiles without knowing how, or seeing it happen like she said. He found it difficult to believe Ophelia had done the things she said - and in such a manner.


    Ophelia only ever used her abilities for self defence because she knew they were dangerous, and he was personally offended that she was being used of such a callous deed.


    However, when he spoke to Ophelia, she refused to say anything to defend herself, which only pissed him off - she couldn''t possibly think that pretending to take away some of the me would save Morgana?


    Typhon worriedly stared at their leader to see if she believed it, but there wasn''t much he could glean from her calm eyes.


    Aside from listening to Morgana, all she had done was give Ophelia a rather questioning look.


    It seemed she was shocked by Morgana''s words and Typhon was deeply frustrated - he wanted to knock some sense into his sister, and he desperately wished he could read ''her'' mind to know what she was thinking.


    What if ''she'' believed this far fetched tale and used it against them?


    Moreso, Typhon was even more disgusted to see Morgana cowering on the ground like a whipped dog. She would flinch at his every word, making it appear as if he wanted to kill her on the spot.


    Why would he do that?


    It was more satisfying to torture her for a very long time, until she eventually asked to die.


    Unable to take it anymore, he addressed their leader.


    [She tells us a made up tale and expects us to believe she wouldn''t say anything to save her life.]


    Typhon''s words may have been calm, but they dripped with deadly intent and Arsinoe, who observed his reactions from below, was even more enraged because Morgana was the cause.


    Could she be telling the truth?


    Arsinoe didn''t really care.


    All she knew was that her presence made Typhon upset.


    Unlike some of the nestlings, she had many good reasons to hate Morgana. It was especially sickening to see the ck hearted serpent continue to cower before them with that pitiful look.


    Where was this pity when she tried to kill her? Or when she attacked Typhon?


    Arsinoe didn''tpletely agree with their leader''s n to erase Morgana. The idea of a nicer version of Morgana under Typhon''smand was enough to make her skin crawl.


    And as her hatred built, Arsinoe found herself creeping closer and closer to her target. She''d already made up her mind to kill Morgana to prevent her from speaking anymore.


    Because what if...what if Typhon actually started to like her?


    She would rather die than let that future be a reality, so she generated a water de, condensing it until it formed a pressurised stream.


    [Don''t do it!]


    Arsinoe heard the voice of their leader speaking to her, but it was toote because the water de was already hurtling towards her target.


    Morgana, who caught the movement, smiled to herself ¨C she was waiting for something like this.


    Without missing a beat she allowed herself to be struck by the attack, crying out in torment as she was shed.


    A long deep scar soon appeared across her body, adding more to the list of horrible injuries, which only made the nestlings around her grimace in horror, with several of them turning to Arsinoe in shock.


    And Morgana, who was already bloodied and bruised like she had been tortured for several days, rushed to their leader, crying usatory tears at Typhon and his ''henchsnake'' who wanted to silence her for good.

 Chapter 262 - High Stakes

    Morgana was pleading with me for safety with her eyes and not far behind her was Arsinoe, who was in a murderous fit. She''d already tried to kill Morgana with an attack, but since Morgana''s defences were quite strong, her attack was not as deep as she would have liked.


    Some nestlings had even joined Morgana to shield her from Arsinoe''s assault, there was even one serpent protecting her as fiercely as a mother would to her chick, causing Arsinoe to hiss at Morgana in frustration ¨C fully determined to attack again.


    However, with no way of targeting Morgana without hitting the others, she could only rush into the crowd, which forced Typhon to act. In an instant she was knocked away with a stone rod, before her body was fully enclosed.


    Right now she was fastened to the ground by heavy binds, where she could only hiss and scream like some out of control banshee that was struggling to get free.


    Typhon was fuming as he nced at Arsinoe, his aura so severe it filled the cave with a suffocating feeling, causing the rest of the nestlings to feel fear.


    Ophelia who was beside him, was eerily calm, as if immune.


    Which made me want to roll my eyes at all of them.


    Arsinoe had ignored my instructions, while Ophelia''s internal anxiety had stirred up all of their emotions so much, Morgana didn''t need to do much to achieve this situation, which she was desperately trying to use to her advantage.


    It was amazing just how quickly everything had fragmented into chaos.


    And as I watched them all, I found myself wondering if I should just¡­leave them to it, since they all seemed determined to fight.


    But then, once the situation was under their control, Typhon and Ophelia dropped down before me, remorseful and full of apologies for Arsinoe and Morgana''s actions.


    [She is misguided and extremely foolish, but please forgive her.] Typhon said.


    [It''s my fault that Morgana is the way she is.] Ophelia confessed. [I didn''t show her the best example, so please punish me in her stead.]


    Seeing this, Morgana stopped weeping immediately, and Arsinoe who had been struggling stopped, as if realising what she had done was wrong.


    Typhon nced at Ophelia in disbelief, and Arsinoe began to struggle against her bonds for an entirely different reason. It seemed she was afraid for Typhon''s life.


    With the two seemingly so defeated, perhaps she thought I was going to kill them.


    Shortly after the entire cave fell to silence, as the rest of the nestlings began to fear for their captains and the only sound I could hear now were the growls of the reptiles who wanted to be set free.


    Soon, all the nestlings present joined Typhon and Ophelia to bow.


    I was happy they at least had some awareness to realise they were wrong.


    But what was I supposed to feel here?


    "Would it kill them to behave properly even for a short time?" Iined to Sensei.


    They were ill mannered, rebellious, had terrible attitudes, were morally questionable, and each one seemed to have a talent for making my head hurt.


    I was this close to leaving them to join Sylrin.


    Why was he allowed to y when I had to deal with this mess?


    However Sensei, and my moral judgement refused to let me leave them.


    ?It''s indeed unfortunate that you aren''t destined to be a carefree lizard.? Sensei chuckled at my inner turmoil. ?You do, however, seem to appeal to all these ''carefree'' creatures, so as annoying as their feuds may be ¨C you have to do something about them.?


    Clearly.


    Though I couldn''t consider Typhon as carefree.


    He genuinely seemed embarrassed by how things had escted.


    I looked over at all the nestlings, particrly the ones that were terrified for Morgana''s life.


    Their size had drastically increased to include all the members of her team, including Lyra, as well as Europa, Artemis, and some of their teams, Apollo, and many other nestlings who simply detested Arsinoe''s actions.


    ?She''s good.? Sensei admitted.


    "Definitely." I hated to agree.


    Morgana had seeded in turning nearly everyone to her favour by using their fear of Typhon and Ophelia to make herself a victim.


    Even Ophelia was supporting her, although she was conflicted about it because of Typhon.


    Whether it was on purpose or not, she had influenced the nestlings to feel sympathetic for Morgana, and yet she never voiced an opinion in favour of saving her during the meeting.


    If these were her true feelings, then why didn''t she make it known?


    Ophelia''s porcin white figure looked rather miserable with her head low, and I decided to speak to her using [Thought Transference].


    [If you disagreed with Typhon, you should have said so. I won''t choose his wishes over yours. You are both my captains.]


    Ophelia looked up in surprise, before ncing away to cover her face with one of her many wings.


    And I sighed ¨C why was she acting so shy?


    It was clear the [Pit] was split between two very contrasting opinions and it was evident from their dynamic.


    Morgana followed Ophelia, and Arsinoe followed Typhon. I didn''t want to assume the rest of the nestlings were also split between them, but from the way certain nestlings reacted, I could conclude this was the case.


    While it was okay to have differences, it was very wrong to let one side dominate the other, and this was clearly what had happened. Typhon had a very strong presence and Ophelia did not, and this had affected the decision.


    It was no wonder no one could agree on anything.


    As for the things Morgana had said, they were very damning usations to make, which may very well be true.


    Typhon seemed a little too worried about the things Morgana had said to me, which made me suspect some of it was true.


    But I didn''t care about something Ophelia may have done a long time ago, because I knew she was loyal to me, as was Typhon.


    Morgana and Arsinoe, on the other hand, were debatable.


    And as I peered over Typhon''s lowered head, I could tell he was anxious, as were the rest of the nestlings who saw me as the viin.


    Since I couldn''t change their opinions, perhaps it was time I yed my role?


    |[You''ve been used of a very serious crime.]| I addressed Ophelia. |[Are you prepared to face your punishment?]|


    Ophelia trembled as she looked at me, but before she could speak, Morgana''s voice interrupted her.


    [Punishment? What do you mean?] She seemed very anxious, and I ignored her and spoke to Typhon.


    |[Arsinoe will also be punished for her actions, are you okay with that?]|


    Typhon nodded, much to Arsinoe''s panic.


    But this time Morgana slithered over to shield Ophelia from me ¨C as if I was going to eat her.


    It was funny how she could suddenly move well, when she''d spent so long acting weak.


    [Please don''t punish her.] Morgana pleaded. [Ophelia doesn''t deserve it.]


    I could feel my irritation rising. Didn''t she just betray her, and now she wanted her to live?


    |[If you don''t want Ophelia to pay for her crimes, why did you say those things?]|


    Instead of answering, Morgana turned away, refusing to meet my eyes, and I suddenly felt like throwing her off a cliff. Perhaps Sylrin liked his serpents grilled?


    |[So this was your revenge?]| I red at Morgana who had her head lowered. |[How can I be sure anything you said is true?]|


    Surprisingly Morgana looked up with a rather fierce gaze.


    [You can take my body as the proof of what Typhon did ¨C he is wicked. Everyone would agree with me if they weren''t too afraid of him to speak.]


    |[So you hate them?]| I asked.


    Morgana shook her head at my use of ''them''. [Just Typhon.]


    While that might be the case, she harmed more than just Typhon today and I found her unconvincing.


    |[You can''t me only Typhon, if he deserves to be punished, so does Ophelia. I ced both of them in charge.]|


    Morgana began to think, and I could tell she was trying to find a way to prevent Ophelia froming to any harm. However, in the end she couldn''t find any good excuse and resorted to pleading with me.


    [Ophelia wasn''t there, she wasn''t involved, please don''t hurt her.]


    I felt myself twitch in annoyance.


    |[From what you''ve told me ¨C Ophelia deserves to be expelled from the [Pit] just as much as you do. So why should she be spared?]|


    Hearing this Morgana cried out in panic. [I don''t hate Ophelia. I only told you because I thought you wouldn''t punish her. I don''t mind being punished, but please don''t touch her!]


    How arrogant of her to assume she knew my intentions! And to threaten me!


    Clearly she didn''t know her limits, but what was this obscene attachment she had to Ophelia?


    [Don''t hurt her ¨C she was only trying to help me.] Morgana said.


    She seemed genuinely upset to have involved Ophelia, who remained beautifully still like an ice sculpture beside Typhon, even when she continued to plead on her behalf.


    I thought Ophelia would never speak up, but eventually she did.


    [I don''t want you to erase her.] Ophelia pleaded. [You can punish her in any way you like, but don''t take her memories away. I like her the way she is.]


    I was taken aback, and so was Morgana, because when Ophelia spoke she immediately rushed over to her side and started sobbing.


    And even then, she was shielding Ophelia like she thought I was going to steal her away, not caring at all that Typhon gave her a look of disgust.


    I didn''t know what to say anymore.


    Since Ophelia was otherwise upied, I spoke to Typhon using [Thought Transference], to ask what he thought about this revolting scene.


    He paused for a while before grudgingly responding. [If you erase her, their bond will break. Ophelia may forgive you, but it will take a long time.]


    Thest thing I wanted was to turn Ophelia against me, which was likely why he said this.


    [But Ophelia wouldn''t be upset if her death was unavoidable.] Typhon added.


    His words caught my attention.


    [What do you mean?] I asked.


    [We just had a victory, but it''s not truly over until all the scorpions are dead.]


    Hmm. That was true.


    [So, set her a task as her punishment.] Typhon said with a rather sinister look at Morgana.


    [Command her to bring you the head of their Queen.]

 Chapter 263 - To Kill A Queen

    What sort of monster was a Queen?


    The only two I ever encountered were viciously formidable monsters thatmanded a multitude of creatures.


    Anyone would have a very hard time reaching one with all the protections that had, let alone engaging one inbat, so for Typhon to propose beating a monster Queen alone was entirely absurd ¨C especially for a fledgling serpent.


    Morgana wasn''t lucky enough to encounter one that was on the verge of death, nor did she have an equally strong wasp whose interests just happened to align with hers.


    If she took on the scorpion''s Queen, it was impossible for her toe back alive.


    [This way she can either obey or die trying.] Typhon finished.


    It seemed this was exactly what Typhon was going for, and I was taken aback.


    Typhon spoke casually but his slitted eyes were entirely cold.. I wasn''t sure if he truly understood the gravity of what he was proposing.


    To my knowledge, he''d never encountered a Queen before, but he must have surmised that one existed from the battle he just faced.


    Even if he didn''t know how strong a Queen was, wasn''t he being too vicious?


    When Typhon saw my confused stare, he was quick to add. [That is entirely up to your discretion. If you don''t agree, you can decide on something else. But it does solve two problems at once.]


    Typhon''s suggestion was heartless, but he had a point.


    Not far away, Ophelia wasforting the teary Morgana and I felt a slight twinge of guilt. If she knew we were nning to throw Morgana''s into a pit of fire, she would be extremely hurt.


    Yet, the fact remained, that Morgana could not be trusted.


    While her ims about Typhon were concerning, they didn''t really add up. If he was truly as wicked or evil as she imed, it would make more sense for him to have cast out some of the nestlings, or killed one or two, before I returned to them.


    Instead they were all alive andplete, and it seemed all he had done was train them enough to survive. When I returned, he willingly passed on that role to me, and I never understood why.


    If anything, my return had usurped his ce as rightful leader, yet he had no grievances and he was even helping me solve another problem.


    Compared to Morgana who had done many terrible things, Typhon was practically a saint.


    Leaving Morgana in the [Pit] was akin to a bomb that could detonate at any time, because of her hatred for Typhon. And while she had strong ties with Ophelia, what happened during the battle had shown this was not enough.


    If she had no true ties to the [Pit], her loyalties were just as vtile as her persona.


    And yet, sentencing a nestling to die made me really ufortable.


    We were all the same age, but my past life added another fifteen years and a few months, making me infinitely older than them. To me, Morgana was no different from an infant.


    Yes, she was much capable of thinking beyond her infant status and had shown she was quite intelligent ¨C but while monster development was more advanced in my [Pit], and bizarrely so, it didn''t change the fact that she was at most a few months old.


    Compared to the other monsters I encountered that were decades and perhaps centuries old, Morgana hadn''t lived long enough to shape her true persona.


    Sentencing her to die gave her no chance to redeem herself, which was why I was more in favour of erasing the memories and possible triggers that made her act in the way she did.


    Perhaps, cing something that was a monster on a simr standard as a human may have been unwise, but I wouldn''t feel so conflicted if Morgana acted purely based on her instinct.


    Her rtionship with Ophelia showed she was capable ofplex emotions, perhaps even love.


    She felt distinctively alive, which made her that much harder to kill.


    Typhon saw me staring at Ophelia and although he did not apply more pressure, it was clear he was waiting for an answer.


    He stood beside me, watching their reunion, and when he spoke his voice was rather calm, but his next words were nothing at all like I expected.


    [You want to trust us and there''s nothing wrong with that.] Typhon said. [But every nestling here has thought about harming you in some way or another at one point. Including me. And many still do.]


    What?


    Typhon continued. [If you want them to stop, you can''t hand over your trust so easily, it needs to be earned. Morgana broke it, so she needs to earn it back with her life.]


    [Refusing to let her do so will make the others think they can get away with anything.]


    His gaze was unflinchingly honest, yet I felt my body turn cold.


    [Why are you telling me this?] I asked him.


    Typhon paused to consider before saying. [I don''t know. You seem to me like you who wants to protect us all and it''s admirable, but it won''t work because they don''t think like you. Every one of these serpents is selfish.]


    [They''ll never appreciate what you''re trying to create if it doesn''t align with their own self-interest - especially if ites too easy. Give them something to earn and they will appreciate it more.]


    I stared at Typhon in shock.


    "Am I imagining things?" I asked Sensei. "Or is this nestling quite scary?"


    Sensei also seemed stunned. ?It''s unusual to find a monster this intelligent, but I disagree with you on him being scary. If he was, he would not be on your side.?


    I flinched at Sensei''s words, my heart thudding fiercely.


    He was not wrong, and I nced at Typhon, but he didn''t say anything anymore.


    I couldn''t quite figure out what he was thinking, and I couldn''t decide if earlier was all a fluke, so I questioned him some more.


    [What do you have to say about Morgana''s ims?]


    Typhon only scoffed. [You shouldn''t listen to the words of a serpent who calls me wicked for trying to look out for her. If every nestling behaved like she did, we would all have gone our separate ways and likely died by now.]


    That sounded perfectly reasonable. I was thrilled to see such good judgement, yet oddly terrified by how urate he was.


    Though, I chose to ignore the slight dig at me.


    I did¡­escape from the cave at the first chance I got ¨C though I lived to tell the tale.


    Perhaps, he didn''t really mean it.


    But Typhon was so stoic, I couldn''t really tell.


    [Alright.] I made up my mind. [We''ll test her to see how she fares.]


    [Good choice.] Typhon said, and he called Ophelia over to tell her the news.


    When Ophelia heard it, she rushed over to me, visibly unhappy and sulking like a kicked puppy.


    [Anything else but that, please! She won''t survive it.]


    I couldn''t stand to see her bright eyes that were once so happy, now turn to tears, so I purposely looked away.


    Morgana, who was further away, heard her and immediately made her way towards me, but she was stopped by Typhon who restrained her halfway, before forcing her head to the ground.


    [Let go!] Morgana hissed at him, but Typhon simply scoffed.


    [You should know your ce!]


    The nestlings who watched everything could sense something was happening. One serpent even rushed out in front of Morgana to shield her from Typhon''s attack.


    [Please don''t hurt my Captain!] The serpent said, making Typhon hiss in incredulity.


    [I''m impressed by your talent for making others fight for you.] He said in disgust. [You even send out the team member you tortured to plead on your behalf. You really have no conscience!]


    [I didn''t send her.] Morgana replied, but Typhon did not believe it.


    When Morgana called her off, the serpent continued to shield her body, which made him all the more convinced Morgana had threatened her in some way.


    [Stand down now, Ana.] Typhon warned. [Or I''ll make sure you join Morgana when she hunts the scorpion Queen. Do you want to die as bait?]


    Ana was taken aback, and Morgana''s face fell when she heard his words, and Typhon grinned in satisfaction as it dawned on her what she was about to face.


    [You either get erased with your captain or join her to face the Queen.] He exined to Ana. [Which end would you prefer?]


    [I ¨C I don''t know!] Ana stuttered.


    Morgana''s eyes widened in disbelief. [But that ce is full of monsters, I won''t return.]


    Typhon remained unflinching. [Do you think you''re in a position to refuse?]


    [Both options lead to death.] Morgana''s voice trembled. [D-Do you enjoy toying with me that much?]


    Typhon grimaced at her tearful look. [Don''t tter yourself.]


    Meanwhile, Ana continued to plead on her behalf. [Please spare my captain! She won''t do it again.]


    [You truly are wicked!] Morgana eximed, removing all traces of pretence. [Why would ''she'' agree with you?]


    She turned to stare at me, and I found myself weighed down by an intense pair of yellow eyes that were positively menacing.


    What did I get myself into? And where was Sylrin when I needed him?


    However, to my surprise, Morgana lowered her head.


    [I will never stray or do anything you don''t approve of ever again, if you allow me to live.]


    I was stunned. It seemed like Morgana was pledging her loyalty to me, but Typhon clearly didn''t think so, because I heard him scoff.


    Ophelia, on the other hand, was deeply moved by Morgana''s gesture and I could feel her pleading with me with her puppy-like eyes. I had to remain strong.


    Instead, I stared at Morgana''s defiant, yet grovelling form.


    |[You''ll do anything?]| I asked her.


    Morgana nodded, her bright eyes staring at me with a mixture of hope and confidence.


    |[Then bring me her head.]| I replied, and her eyes immediately fell to despair.


    A serpent once again rushed to defend her, pleading with me, and crying on her behalf.


    [Spare my Captain! Please don''t kill her!]


    Morgana''s figure was trembling on the ground, seeming to have lost all hope, and I refused to budge. Her death was the best solution for the [Pit] right now.


    Instead, I was more concerned with the serpent who would not stop crying for Morgana.


    I wondered if she, like Apollo, was another threat I had to be worried about.


    Typhon had called her ''Ana'', but I didn''t recall naming anyone like that.


    |[What is your name?]| I asked the serpent.


    [A-Ana?] The serpent sobbed.


    How uncreative!


    I could already guess it was Morgana that had named her.


    |[Stop crying!]| I scolded her. |[It won''t change anything. You''re only making your captain look weak.]|


    Ana stopped sobbing immediately and Morgana, who had her head lowered, suddenly looked up at me, her eyes full of torment, like she had been deeply wronged.


    [I w-will do it.] Morgana replied with a trembling voice.


    |[Good.]|


    I couldn''t believe it. Why was she looking at me like I was some kind of oppressor?


    Just what trouble had I brought to myself?


    But as I thought this, some movement at the cave''s entrance caught my eye.


    Several Vdrys had suddenly entered from outside, and one of the spirits approached me before kneeling.


    [Our Queen Mother requests your presence in her domain. She has asked us to create a path because she wishes to see you ''urgently''.]


    Her words were cheerful, but as I stared at the long hair that fell over across the creature''s shoulders, I was confused.


    |[Queen Mother?]| I pondered aloud. |[Who is that?]|


    But Typhon suddenly blocked my view, his words full of panic.


    [You definitely can''t go! Refuse them!]

 Chapter 264 - A Harmonious Pit

    I was more than taken aback by his yell.


    There were several Vdrys present, each one continuing to kneel, and I was d for one that there was anguage barrier between us, as It appeared they didn''t hear his outburst.


    Rather, I detected a strange eagerness in the way they looked at me, which made me nce at Typhon. His words sounded quite severe, and I wondered why he had such a visceral reaction.


    [Why?] I questioned him with [Thought Transference].


    [Did they do something you don''t agree with?]


    I didn''t think he would refuse them without a good reason.


    However, Typhon simply shook his head with a look of difort, like he was struggling to say something but couldn''t find the right words.


    [I don''t trust them as allies..] He finally replied. [Their Queen Mother is too presumptuous. She dares to covet something that doesn''t belong to her.]


    Ah? Did he mean the forest?


    It made sense that he would be concerned by how rapidly theymandeered the space around us, but still I was reassured, because I saw them as little more than decorations.


    [It''s okay.] I confessed to Typhon. [I don''t like it either. But I''ll tell her to take it easy on me from now on.]


    Instead of being reassured, Typhon''s face became even more dark, his aura spiking like a storm.


    [Tell them you can''t do it.] He insisted.


    I had no idea what they were truly thinking, but he seemed extremely concerned for my safety.


    I stared at the Vdrys, was it possible they did something, and he just wasn''t telling me?


    Yet, the fact remained that I couldn''t exactly refuse them outright ¨C unless I wanted to make more enemies.


    [I can''t do that, I''m sorry.] I told him.


    [Then don''t go alone.] Typhon insisted, and I sighed. What was going on?


    The Vdrys present stared at both of us, their faces bright and eager, and devoid of suspicion.


    Their attractive appearances brought to mind another otherworldly creature. If I had to guess, this ''Queen Mother'' and the Nymph were one and the same ¨C It was only her that could be this demanding.


    Still, it felt ufortable.


    From the eagerness of their gazes and how their eyes seemed to plead with me to agree, I could imagine there was a lot riding on my answer. Was there a reason the Nymph was so eager to see me?


    I was slightly worried.


    Yet, the intensity behind Typhon''s gaze applied far more pressure than theirs, and I found it difficult to refuse him because he seemed so concerned, and I eventually gave in.


    [Okay¡­but I can only take two nestlings.]


    This answer made Typhon frown even more.


    When I nced around, I saw Morgana and Arsinoe were still restrained, both in pretty bad shape and seemingly forgotten.


    [You should also release them.] I reminded him, hoping he would leave.


    It was only then that Typhon rxed enough to back away from me.


    Arsinoe was eventually freed, and so was Morgana, although she was stillrgely muddled headed, when Ophelia tried to help her, but she didn''t even look up at all, remaining with her head down like she was lifeless.


    And I began to wonder if she had given uppletely.


    Yet, Typhon was far too strict.


    Hemanded the two serpents not to move from their current spot, not even caring that Morgana was severely injured, or that Arsinoe looked extremely wronged.


    I was starting to feel a little sympathetic for Morgana, but I steeled my resolve.


    Since she was going to deal with the scorpion Queen, It was a good idea to send her other traitorous pair - Apollo, after the Queen Mother, if she ever became my enemy.


    Apollo was still with the nestlings,rgely unsuspecting of my evil intentions and I made up my mind which two nestlings I was going to take - Apollo and Morgana.


    With Typhon gone, I addressed the Vdrys, informing them I would attend soon.


    If I was concerned before, my concern increased even more when I saw the relief in their faces ¨C they didn''t even react to the scathing re Typhon threw at them.


    Rather, the Vdrys were quite eager to retreat now that their goal was achieved, leaving me to address the nestlings.


    As I nced at them, their faces remainedposed, it was quite suspicious.


    But then, Ophelia approached me to ask if Lyra could heal Morgana and I hesitated.


    While I wanted to punish Morgana, I didn''t want Ophelia to feel estranged from the Pit because of her. More so, when Morgana died.


    I would hate for Ophelia to feel like she had nowhere to belong to. She already seemed wary of me, which made me unhappy, so I immediately agreed.


    However, there was a small problem.


    The Vdrys were still present, with each one looking either at me, or at my nestlings.


    Lyra''s healing abilities were too good to be true. They were akin to watching a miracle ur before my eyes, which made it clear just how important she was to the Pit, and I would hate for anyone to try and steal her away.


    "Should I be worried about them?" I asked Sensei.


    ?Caution is advised.? He replied. ?They may be part of your Pit, but the Nymph still governs their loyalty.?


    Although they didn''t seem to hate me as much now, this was still true.


    I was better safe than sorry.


    So, before Lyra began to heal Morgana''s injuries, I generated enough darkness to form a solid barrier around them, much to the dismay of the Vdrys who could not see inside.


    And once again Lyra''s [Cure] did not fail to amaze me.


    Her abilities were under control, not spreading beyond her body and stopping just as Morgana''s wounds closed. I was amazed to see how much she had improved.


    Soon, all of the cuts faded away until not even her old scars remained.


    Ophelia was ted to see this ¨C the only drawback was that Lyra copsed in exhaustion soon after.


    It seemed not even a great skill could counteract her terrible stamina.


    By this time, my shroud was removed, and to my surprise, Ophelia rushed over to me, seemingly overjoyed.


    [I will make sure Morgana lives up to your expectations!] she cheerfully announced.


    What expectations?


    I simply nodded, refusing to burst her bubble. But then I heard an even worse im.


    [The scorpion Queen will die by my fangs.] Morgana bitterly announced, her bright yellow eyes sending shivers down my spine. [I will bring you her head, even if it''s thest thing I do.]


    Her bold words shocked me, and Ophelia cheering her on from beside me, made me frown.


    Weren''t they misunderstanding something?


    Yet, Morgana''s bold statement evoked a very different reaction from the nestlings.


    Rather than cheer for her, many stared at me with eyes filled with fear and sadness.


    It was quite clear to them that she would not return.


    This firm resolve she showed was simply an empty gesture, a dying ember on itsst spark before it was put outpletely, and I nced at Apollo to see his reaction.


    He had the same troubled look as the others, Morgana''s plight had clearly impacted him.


    And I wondered if seeing her fate had quashed all of his wayward thoughts.


    "He doesn''t seem to suspect I know about him." I told Sensei.


    ?Morgana''s death should be severe enough to deter him from trying anything else.? Sensei replied. ?But you shouldn''t let your guard down. All you''ve done is made him desperate by cornering him.?


    "Maybe, but I doubt he''ll try to harm Ophelia again." I replied.


    I still couldn''t understand why he would try to do so ¨C Morgana''s motivations I could understand, but not his. But in the end, it didn''t really matter because their petty arguments were trivial inparison to therger picture.


    My nestlings couldn''t afford to fight anymore, because all their motivations were practically the same ¨C in one way or another they all wanted to get stronger, each one just had different ways of getting there, and their personalities shed because of this.


    However, if they all started to listen to each other, they would start to see their simrities, and I hoped that would start now.


    Typhon had organised everyone into their original teams, and I decided to name them, starting from ''Ana''.


    It wasn''t a bad name, but it wasn''t hers but an offshoot of Morgana''s, so I renamed her to ¡ºAquilegia¡»or ¡ºAqu¡»for short.


    It sounded quite noble for a loyal serpent, and she was more than happy to receive it, so I took this as encouragement to name the rest, starting from Aqu''s team and moving on to Cygnus''s.


    There, I was quick to locate the serpent with Dark Magic, naming her ¡ºDelphinium¡»or ¡ºDelphine¡»


    The mood of the cave quickly improved from dowdy to cheerful as more nestlings were named.


    However, I noticed there was a rather sour snake in their midst.


    Arsinoe did not seem very happy for some reason, and I wanted to ask why, but Typhon was quick to tell her off, causing her to sulk even more.


    [You should reconsider.] Typhon said. [Having only two nestlings apany you is too little.]


    I sighed. What exactly did he have against the Nymph?


    Surprisingly, Ophelia also agreed with him. [I don''t trust her. You should let use.]


    As much as I wanted to agree, I didn''t trust the Nymph enough to bring so many of my nestlings around her, which was why I settled on Apollo and Morgana, because I couldn''t afford to take my eyes off them, else they did something terrible, or escaped.


    Besides, I needed Typhon and Ophelia to watch over the others.


    But Ophelia insisted I take Artemis with me, because he had cultivated a good rtionship with the Vdrys during the battle. Typhon also insisted I take Cygnus, because he was a strong fighter. Both of them seemed reluctant to let me go anywhere without at least five nestlings for support.


    In the end, I settled on taking Artemis, Apollo, Morgana, Cygnus, and Delphine.


    Apollo was surprised to see he wasing along, as was Morgana.


    ?It''s not a good idea to make such an obvious move.? Sensei warned me. ?This is the second time you''re cing Apollo somewhere he wouldn''t normally be. He''s bound to notice.?


    Ah...Maybe I didn''t really think it through.


    Fortunately, Apollo didn''t seem to mind, he''d joined Artemis to chat, and was not even paying attention to me when I left the cave.


    I was convinced Sensei was overthinking things. Moreover, I had another ace up my scales in the form of a crucial weakness.


    I quickly went off to find Sylrin to let him know where I was going, to have him wait on standby.


    I was fully prepared if the Nymph tried anything, because if we weren''t out of her forest by a certain time, Sylrin was more than happy to burn it down to find me.

 Chapter 265 - Suspicious Array

    |[Are you ready?]| I asked the jittery serpents near me.


    Cygnus nodded in a stoic way that reminded me of Typhon, followed by Delphine who looked at her surroundings in amazement. We were in the underground, each of us waiting around for the Vdrys to finish their creation.


    Cygnus and Delphine were the closest serpents to me, with one on either side, followed by Artemis who waited with Apollo. Morgana, on the other hand, was the furthest away and the most nervous.


    I made sure she and Apollo stayed ahead of me at all times so I could watch them ¨C which didn''t exactly make for afortable experience, but it was essential for my peace of mind.


    However, while Apollo busied himself with looking at the bottom feeders moving through the underground cells, Morgana remained ramrod straight, her eyes focused on the Vdrys as they worked.


    There were several of them with us, each one ying a part in fostering some nt growth or another.


    In fact, the underground was packed full with flowering nts, some of which were the poisonous garden Artemis collected and other important samples for the traps..


    But the more I looked, I was disappointed to find the majority of the nts here were simply decorations ¨C an invasion of weeds.


    It was almost the same as outside with most of the ceiling covered with pink leaves and I wasn''t exactly thrilled to see the Vdrys had changed the once dreary underground.


    It was like they couldn''t help leaving their traces everywhere! And I could feel my dissatisfaction rising.


    I was even more upset to learn that this tunnel supposedly linking both of ourirs together was going to originate from within my cave.


    Why, you ask?


    ording to the Vdrys, it was because the Nymph ''wanted'' one for convenience. It wasn''t some necessity or anything important ¨C she just wanted an easier way to get from her side of the forest to mine.


    And I found myself asking why this was necessary. She didn''t even ask me if I wanted one, and this was my cave!


    If she really wanted to see me, I could easily fly to her as I''d always done before.


    Why was there such a need to invade my privacy when we weren''t even that friendly?


    When I mentioned this, the Vdrys gave no straightforward answers, all seemingly refusing to meet my eyes. It was quite frustrating because the underground was already busy without any of their additions.


    Aside from the bottom feeders and the myriad of tunnels Typhon created, there was the sealed tunnel leading to the Middle Stratum, as well as the broken wall leading to the massive cave filled with sword flies and bat creatures.


    If that ce was opened, the creatures could rush in and potentially destroy everything!


    The delicate bnce in the underground was already quite precarious, with any wrong move potentially bringing a world of messiness and I made it clear to them that nothing should be rushed.


    Fortunately, the Vdrys were very attentive to my concerns and only manipted the areas I directed them to.


    As a result, the underground was being transformed in a very careful way, with none of the walls or existing tunnels being touched.


    Instead, the passage linking the pink forest to my cave was created from the ceiling, with thework of roots already present, bourgeoning in thickness until the sands around them were slowly excavated, with solid roots forming a stairway to link the top with the bottom.


    As the Vdrys manipted their shapes, sands rained down from the ceiling as the passage they created widened.


    It wasn''t veryplicated, it''s only important feature being a width and height that wasrge enough for myself to fit through, and for several Vdrys to walk through it at the same time.


    With nothing to do, my serpents and I watched the passage covered in sinewy roots begin to take shape. However, it was mostly silent as all of us were nervous ¨C including me.


    After visiting Sylrin, I made sure to order the Abyssal monsters to guard the cave to protect the nestlings from harm, in event of anything happening while I was gone.


    Right now, I could see them patrolling the area as red dots on the As, along with several more dots that suddenly appeared where the Vdrys cannibalised my forest with their pink trees.


    The battle had given them a surplus of corpses to use, and since most were converted to new trees, the area of forest around my cave was now weirdly eerie and silent.


    The Vdrys effectively acted as a warning for other monsters, and many had stopped passing through the area entirely.


    Besides, since the Abyssal monsters arrived, the typical monsters that could usually be found around my cave had drastically reduced in number ¨C with the exception of the Alpha and his pack.


    Due to these two new factors, the threat level for my nestlings had drastically reduced.


    Still, I wasn''t exactly sure what was happening with the Alpha wolf. He followed the Abyssal monsters to hunt, and I even saw him interacting with Sylrin, although he took off rather quickly.


    However, he wasn''t part of my Pit, and neither was his pack as the counter had not increased as much since after the battle, remaining at a scary [7015].


    After taking Lyra to heal his pack, Ophelia seemed to think she was close to convincing him, but I persuaded her not to ¨C there were already too many Pit Members and we didn''t need more.


    I was fine with us coexisting like before, as long as the Alpha did not be a problem. I already had enough dangerous ''allies''.


    [Finished!] A Vdrys excitedly announced, her flowery dress sweeping past Morgana who flinched. [We can enter now.]


    I swallowed nervously, a cold chill spreading down my spine.


    Rather than approaching, I hesitated, and the Vdrys tilted her head in confusion at my stiffened form. Why did it feel like I was about to enter a battle, when I was simply meeting with an ''ally''?


    In the end, we all entered the pathway, with the Vdrys leading the way. Morgana and Apollo followed soon after, while Artemis and Cygnus stuck closely to my side.


    I was beginning to think Typhon gave them strict instructions to protect me, because the tension they felt was quite high.


    Cygnus noticeably flinched at every budding leaf or tiny insect he passed, with Artemis acting in the same way ¨C although he would asionally stop to sniff at the leaves.


    Delphine, on the other hand, was very different from them.


    She was a bit like a fish out of water, with plenty of curiosity. Every new thing she passed was an amazing sight to behold. She even pursued the glowing insects that flitted around in the tunnels, against the wishes of Cygnus.


    The only exceptions to this pleasant atmosphere was Morgana who didn''t even look around, and Apollo who asionally snuck nces at her.


    I made it a point to pretend I didn''t notice, but I was curious to know just how much he and the other nestlings agreed with the ims Morgana had made.


    As much as I trusted Typhon and Ophelia ¨C Morgana did bring up some odd points about them, which made me question a lot of things. For one, they were too perfect.


    They had always been exceptional, even as hatchlings and I never really thought to question it further.


    I now realised this was because, unconsciously I viewed them through a simr lens as myself, which made their achievements seem ordinarypared to mine.


    This should not have been the case and now that I noticed my mistake, I was beginning to question why they were so brilliant, to the extent that all the nestlings around them felt supressed enough to rebel, or in Morgana''s case, to even attempt to kill them.


    Another major difference was how they acted in rtion to me.


    Typhon did not seem to be afraid of me, and neither was Ophelia ¨C moreover, they were almost affectionate, which struck me as odd.


    Since I returned, most of the nestlings treated me like a stranger.


    They stayed away, they didn''t speak as much when I approached them, they even refused to look me in the eyes, it was like they were treating me like some omnipotent being, and I didn''t like it.


    Even now, although Cygnus and Artemis were close by, they maintained a noticeable distance away and I could tell my presence made them ufortable.


    I was starting to miss the days when the nestlings didn''t really care and climbed all over me like I was their cushion, and I sighed.


    Now it was like they were too scared to make any mistakes ¨C which wasn''t very fun.


    Aside from maybe one or two nestlings who acted the same, I realised I hadn''t really spoken to the other nestlings, which made the current atmosphere quite awkward.


    Which was why It was quite amusing to watch the Artemis and Delphine discover new things. They probably spent too much time training, so this was a good opportunity for them to have fun - if the Nymph didn''t try to kill us all.


    Either way, I had to fix my reputation soon.


    Unfortunately, the sloping pathway ended before I could attempt to break the ice, and we emerged outside to the pink forest.


    I was surprised to see several Vdrys waiting for us, their vibrant appearances glowing under lights from several sources.


    There were luminous nts and several clusters of glowing insects dotting the trees, so much so that the forest was thoroughly illuminated.


    The forest seemed to have been rebuilt to resemble my cave.


    There were cocoon like rooms woven out of tree roots, whose insides were lined with soft grassy growth that resembled fur.


    Aside from this, there was also tons of food with each weing Vdrys holding an array of brightly coloured fruits, with a spread of meats that would appeal to any monster, not far behind them.


    There were even cushion-like mushrooms for everyone to lounge on.


    Seeing it all was amazing, but highly suspicious ¨C It was like the Nymph had put together everything she thought a serpent would like!


    However, while her uracy was terrifying, the colourful banquet seemed rather dull, because the main star of the event, the Nymph, was missing from the scene.

 Chapter 266 - The Banquet

    My nestlings were in awe as they took in everything.


    Apollo couldn''t stop watching the glowing insects and his eyes followed them as they flew through the trees.


    Cygnus remained silently by my side, but Delphine''s excited gaze kept wandering everywhere, so much so that he had to stop her from leaving his side multiple times.


    There were also various potentially poisonous nts around us, and I could see Artemis was itching to go off and touch them. Even Morgana seemed dazed as she looked at the food.


    |[Wait.]| I stopped the nestlings whose eager gazes had started to approach.


    It seemed the things here were extremely effective at confusing them and I was beginning to think the Nymph knew exactly who wasing, and assembled everything we liked ¨C but how could that be?


    I took in the colourful banquet, as well as the line of cheerful Vdrys who were waiting for us to settle down..


    Their smiles were inviting, their silhouette''s glowing under the vibrant hue like some sort of charm, but all I could think was how suspicious the situation was.


    My first thought was about our cave.


    Did the Nymph ask them to distract us while she went over there to try something?


    |[Where is your Queen Mother?]| I asked the nearest Vdrys.


    The creature with flowing pink hair bowed her head. [Our Queen Mother will be here soon. She asked us to make youfortable. You can eat as much as you like, there''ll be more.]


    |[Isn''t there a rule that nothing here can be touched?]|


    How could I forget the fertilizer incident? I still had the Nymph''s kiss as a reprimand, so what exactly was she plotting now?


    I nced at the nestlings whose eager, drooling gazes stabbed through my guilty conscience.


    I knew they were hungry, but I couldn''t let her trap us somehow.


    The line of Vdrys all bowed before speaking in unison. [Our Queen Mother has waived that rule on your behalf. Everything here can be touched. We are here to serve.]


    No. That was way too creepy. Who did this Nymph think she was fooling?


    I was not like these nestlings who got distracted by pretty things!


    My immediate instinct was to return to the tunnel, however, one of the Vdrys separated from the crowd to approach us. In her arms was a gigantic honeyb, and my eyes went wide.


    Where did they get such a huge honeb?


    More importantly, how did she know I liked honey?


    That damned dark fae!


    [Our Queen Mother would like you to rest after your battle.] The Vdrys repeated, her eyes pleading with me. [Please let us serve you!]


    Er...


    It felt very strange, it was almost like they would be punished if I decided to leave. Even the nestlings were looking at me in the same way and I felt pressured to agree.


    |[Fine.]| I reluctantly said. |[But tell your Queen Mother toe quickly. I can''t stay here for long.]|


    The Vdrys bowed once more, each one smiling widely before retreating, and as soon as I informed my nestlings, they all rushed over to pick their own grassy cocoons.


    I eventually joined them after doing a quick scan around the forest for danger, but although there was nothing suspicious, I couldn''t rx.


    That was, until I was given the honeb.


    The taste was unlike anything I''d ever eaten before, sweet, but strangely fudgy with a rich vour that melted on my tongue. And I immediately felt like there was nothing unusual about my surroundings anymore.


    We were in enemy territory, with so many Vdrys gathered around us, but they were all eating fruits, and I found nothing strange about the situation because somehow, I no longer felt tense.


    Soon, Artemis was talking to me about the poisons he''d gathered and his friendship with the Vdrys during the battle. He seemed to be trying to convince me to let them stay for a while because they were working together to make some kind of weapon.


    As incredible as that sounded, I was more surprised he was able to address me so casually when he''d been so afraid before.


    In fact, all the nestlings were like him now and Delphine was rather wide eyed as she asked me.


    [What do you mean, make darkness go boom?]


    Hmm. It was a good question and I had to think more as her question seemed quite important.


    |[If you really want to make a great poison, collecting nts isn''t enough.]| I exined to Apollo. |[You need to refine the toxins to make them as deadly as possible¡­and very easy to spread too ¨C like a powder!]|


    Both snakes were confused but that didn''t stop them from listening attentively.


    |[Concentrated poison is deadliest when airborne, so you need something explosive enough to ignite and make it spread faster.]| I continued. |[This is where darknesses in.]|


    Artemis nodded, his attention entirely focused on my words. After the battle, it urred to him that things could''ve been more effective, so he was trying to create a type of poison that could cause damage on arge scale.


    Realising what his intentions were, it only made sense to exin to him how explosions worked. I even generated a tiny orb of darkness, condensing it sloppily to make it as unstable as possible.


    When It eventually blew up in the middle of the banquet, much to the shrieks of nearby Vdrys, I was able to demonstrate to them just how explosive darkness could be.


    But Delphine frowned,pletely missing the point. [I don''t understand.]


    [Amazing!] Artemis eximed. [Can you show me again?]


    I created another for him to see, this time adding a twist. |[Now just imagine it was filled with sharp things as well as poison and it sparked like this.]|


    Artemis''s eyes went wide, and I could see him thinking furiously.


    [You could poison many more, all without getting close.] He understood the gist of it and I nodded in approval, watching him marvel at the brilliance of a bomb. He just needed more mana to create something simr out of magic.


    However, as he thought about it, Artemis soon became sad. [The spark, I don''t think I have it.]


    Was he talking about [Dark Magic]?


    |[You don''t have to¡­she does.]| I turned to Delphine. |[You just need to work together and get stronger.]|


    The two snakes exchanged a fierce look, and I was happy the nestlings were beginning to understand the concept of teamwork. But what exactly had this conversation be?


    I simply wanted to bond with my nestlings¡­yet.


    "Hey Sensei¡­" I whispered. "Is it possible to get charmed by food?"


    Why was I whispering in my own head?


    I was beginning to think I was under some kind of influence.


    How else could trying to understand my nestlings turn into a conversation on warfare?


    ?Do you feel stranger than usual?? Sensei asked.


    "Yes¡­no¡­I think so." I replied. I felt the same, if I was poisoned it would have been cancelled by [Detox]. "Everything is brighter, and the Vdrys look shinier than usual, that''s all."


    Sensei sighed. ?Yes, I can see that. The honeb must contain a kind of stimnt, and you ate a lot of it. You all have. It''s not poisonous so you should be fine after a while.?


    Ah¡­that exined it.


    Wait what?


    [I have the spark?] Delphine asked from beside me, her eyes full of confusion. [But I can only do this.]


    Her shadow magic spread around her like a hazy cloud, and I could see she wasn''t very confident in her abilities.


    |[Maybe at first.]| I told her. |[But if you keep practicing, it will get better.]|


    To prove it, I created a shadow simr to hers before shrinking it down to something much denser and solid.


    Delphine''s eyes widened. She seemed to like insects, so I changed its shape to that of a butterfly with papery wings.


    And I was pleased to see her eyes light up when several of them surrounded her. She even tried to copy my butterflies by creating some of her own ¨C though hers were more like formless blobs of shadow.


    Still, the effort was quite cute.


    Cygnus looked on in embarrassment from beside her. He was so determined to keep up his stoic presence, but Delphine had ruined it for him, and I couldn''t helpughing.


    I was in quite a good mood,pletely forgetting my suspicions, enough to speak to Apollo in a casual way.


    He and Morgana were with us, but they seemed to have made themselves as inconspicuous as possible. Morgana sat across from me, but I hadn''t heard her speak once, instead all she did was eat.


    Meanwhile, Apollo only seemed interested in the insects the Vdrys used for light and he was rather surprised when I asked him about his bottom feeders.


    His interests were weird for sure, but I thought his care for creatures so easily dismissed by others was quite interesting.


    When I asked what he nned to do with them, he seemed quite intent on seeing them grow to evolve, which I found surprising.


    I never even considered the possibility as they were nothing more than carnivorousrvae to me, but if they evolved perhaps they could take on apletely different form just like every other creature in thebyrinth.


    They could even be more powerful, and it was too bad that Apollo had something against Ophelia, because it made me hesitate to encourage him.


    However, I did exin some basic principles to him, like how some creatures could undergo a metamorphosis after eating to their fill.


    The same logic couldn''t be applied to bottom feeders, but since they looked so much likervae, it seemed like a natural progression, though whether that would actually happen was up to him to prove.


    Apollo absorbed it all like a sponge, nodding along to my suggestions with enthusiasm.


    [Do you think they can really change?] He asked.


    I nced at him. |[Not if they leave the cave. If they have a nice environment to grow and remain fed, where they are safe, then maybe they have a chance.]|


    Apollo swallowed nervously, and I wondered if my warning had been understood.


    But then, suddenly all the Vdrys stopped talking and rose to stand.


    I looked over to where they were staring and saw a figure approaching with four more Vdrys, split evenly on either side of her. The figures all had pale hair, but the one in the middle was different.


    It was the Nymph, but she looked nothing like before.


    Her long hair was now as dark as my scales, with her skimpy white dress stered over with red flowers a simr shade to blood.


    Her aura was also different, her smile a little too happy to see me, and it struck me as odd how her colouring was suddenly the same as mine.

 Chapter 267 - Children Of The Nymph

    The Nymph''s appearance waspletely unexpected and very different from before.


    Not that ck hair didn''t suit her or anything, rather the contrast against her pale skin and red dress was rather fetching ¨C It was just surprising to see how much she had changed.


    Why did she suddenly turn into a brte?


    I didn''t even think it was possible for a Nymph to change their appearance.


    My nestlings were just as surprised as me, and since all the Vdrys were bowing, they looked at me to see what to do. Yet, aside from staring at the creatures before us, I was speechless.


    The Nymph wasn''t alone, there were four figures approaching us, which made me very unnerved for some reason.


    They were simr to Vdrys in that their bodies were linked to the roots on the ground, but they didn''t have that distinctive pink hair the other Vdrys had.


    Aside from one, the rest varied from very light shades, much like the Nymph''s former look, to a pale shade much closer to blonde..


    These four creatures had powerful aura''s simr to the Nymph''s, if not on the same level and although the Nymph smiled on reaching me, I had a feeling I was in danger.


    [I apologise for my tardy appearance.] The Nymph said, her ruby eyes sparkling in delight. [Since you brought some of your children, I wanted you to meet some of mine.]


    No way.


    I looked at the ''children'' behind her and I could feel my heart thudding fiercely.


    The four were all tall and slender, and they looked like the Nymph in some form or another, but some of them had very staggering differences.


    For one, there was a Vdrys with a very tall build, with coarse skin and broad shoulders, alongside muscr limbs that seemed about to burst out of her supple rope dress. Her body was hugepared to the tiny Nymph beside her, who didn''t even reach her shoulders.


    Like the Nymph, her face was very beautiful, with delicate features and long silver hair held together in a braid hanging over her crossed arms.


    Yet, contrary to the Nymph''s smiling face, this Vdrys wore a tense frown and stared down at me like I was some offensive creature.


    Was it the right time to mention I was not their enemy?


    |[It''s nice to meet you all.]| I nervously replied, and the Nymph''s smile broadened.


    Yet this didn''t ease the tension at all.


    Instead, all four or her children red at me, especially when they saw how much the Nymph was smiling. While the brawny one was easily the most intimidating, the others were no less mean.


    One Vdrys with curly white hair and mean amber eyes, was giving me a rather haughty look.


    Another with pale gold hair and inky-ck eyes was staring at me like I was scum.


    What was their problem? Was my greeting not satisfactory?


    It didn''t seem right that her children already disliked me, when we''d never even met?


    Which made me wonder what the Nymph had said about me.


    Thest one was perhaps the least mean. She had pale pink hair that was almost white, and veryrge green eyes and red full lips that smiled at me with interest.


    As a wee, it was very unweing.


    I didn''t even bother correcting the Nymph''s statement to tell her that the nestlings were not my children, I just wanted to get as far away from her and her children as possible.


    However, the Nymph looked rather eager as she stared at me and the nestlings, as if waiting for me to introduce them.


    Her ''children'' along with several pink haired Vdrys were no different and I felt under immense pressure under their stares to conform, or flee.


    I was mapping out the best escape routes, when a tiny figure wriggled its way out from under the Nymph''s hair, to stand on her shoulder.


    It was the dark fae.


    Seeing me, she darted over to my face, not even caring about the fierce standoff behind her.


    [You bad serpent!] She yelled, her tiny figure muchrger in my eyes due to her proximity, and I could only wince at her loud voice. [You said you woulde back soon. How is this soon? You''rete!]


    Hah.


    Did she think I was at her beck and call?


    Still, I''d never been so d to see the irritating brat in my life.


    Because of her interruption, the frigid atmosphere was broken, and I saw the Nymph''s children were now settling down beside my nestlings.


    [Look at me.] The dark fae excitedly eximed, her tiny figure buzzing around me like an annoying fly. [Notice anything different about me?]


    |[Something different?]| I tilted my head.


    The dark fae looked the same, aside from maybe a change in clothes, she now wore a dress made out of ck and red petals, simr to that of the Nymph''s dress.


    However, when I looked closely, I noticed she was slightlyrger than before, five inches,pared to her previous four.


    And I scoffed. |[I see no difference.]|


    An inch more was hardly a change, her appraisal results however, were improved.


    --------------


    LV27 Verum Ellydian


    Specie: Ailith Fae


    HP: 253/253 Defence: 95


    MP: 310/310 Intellect: 184


    SP: 180/180 Magic: 300


    Attack: 230 Agility: 405


    --------------


    [I''m much bigger, you bad serpent!] The dark fae puffed her cheeks and crossed her arms. [How can you not notice?]


    I signed at her insistence. |[What am I supposed to notice? An extra inch doesn''t make you more mature. Come and ask me when you stop acting like you''re eight years old, you fairy grandmother!]|


    [Bad serpent!!] The dark fae huffed at me and stomped her feet. [I didn''t miss you at all! Go back!]


    She even spun around my head in the air, making me roll my eyes at her.


    I strained to see past the dark fae''s figure to find the Nymph, but I felt something nudge me, only to find the Nymph was now beside me. To my surprise, Artemis and Delphine who had been beside me were now much further away.


    The banquet and Vdrys were still there, but the grass-like growths everybody settled on seemed to have retreated away from mine without any effort. The system of roots supporting them, pulling away to form a separate ind.


    The Nymph''s four children were now dotted among my nestlings, and I realised to my horror that I waspletely alone with her.


    |[Hey, what are you trying to do, put it back.]| I eximed in panic.


    [Why?] The Nymph asked as her body pressed against my curls.


    I slowly inched away, but the Nymph followed after my retreating figure to regain her spot beside me.


    It was like we were stuck together, and I had be her cushion.


    |[No reason.]| I replied nervously, after failing to detach myself, I could only try to pry her body loose. |[I just can''t separate from my nestlings. I need to watch them at all times.]|


    But as I was trying to wriggle away, the Nymph turned towards the banquet, and for a second I saw her ruby eyes fill with ravenous hunger.


    Then her beautiful face turned back to me with a smile, before firmly holding on to my tail - and it was like Ipletely imagined it.


    [I''m sure they can part from you for a little while. Don''t worry, my children won''t bite.]


    I was more afraid of being bitten by her!


    The Nymph was leaning against me like a cushion, but she grasped the end of my tail on herp, she''d even began to stroke the deadly prongs ¨C not at all scared that they could cut her fingers.


    Her grip wasn''t tight at all, yet I found myself stuck and when I tried to slip away again, my body refusing to budge.


    At first, I tried to move subtly, so she wouldn''t notice, but when her grip did not loosen, I had to apply more strength.


    Contrary to the Nymph''s tiny figure, she was rather strong! It was like my tail was held in a vice grip.


    But then, after trying repeatedly, the Nymph turned to look at me.


    Oh heck! She knew!


    [Stop moving like that. It''s ticklish.] The Nymph said, her face was flushed pink, and her ruby eyes were rather excited.


    Why did she sound so out of breath?


    But then, a piece of honeb sailed over my head to smash against a tree, and I panicked a little when I saw the muscr Vdrys was ring at me, eyes filled with malice.


    Another of her children scowled at me, and a Vdrys who had been ying a lyre, seemed to have broken one of the strings.


    It seemed they didn''t like us sitting so close together and I tried to separate from the Nymph, yet this only made her grip on me tighter. Her smile oblivious like she knew nothing of my struggle or the angry gazes piercing through me.


    As for her children, I was highly concerned one of them would attack my nestlings, so I appraised the brawny one closest to Cygnus.


    --------------


    LV42 Lyenysa


    Specie: Ailith Fae


    HP: 645/645 Defence : 830


    MP: 570/570 Intellect: 320


    SP: 777/777 Magic: 550


    Attack: 430 Agility: 435


    --------------


    Her appraisal results were¡­quite surprising.


    Not that I expected her to be weak, but because¡­it made her nearly equal in power to the Nymph, who was supposed to be her mother and much stronger than her.


    I nced at the cascading dark hair of the Nymph who was leaning against me, blissfully unaware I decided to appraise her too.


    --------------


    LV44 Veliae


    Specie: Ailith Nymph


    HP: 965/965 Defence: 678


    MP: 867/867 Intellect: 470


    SP: 650/650 Magic: 720


    Attack: 720 Agility: 590


    --------------


    Yet, what was going on?


    They were almost the same in level, if not equal in strength, and I nced at the Nymph as well as her other children,pletely confused.


    Were they all the same too?

 Chapter 268 - Tangled Together

    The Nymph''s appraisal results weren''t weak, but if her children were this strong, it served to reason she should have been much stronger than she currently was.


    I scanned the banquet to find the Vdrys the Nymph had sent to assist Typhon. She wasn''t weak at all, with her appraisal results also being quite high.


    --------------


    LV25 Verum Vdrys


    Specie: Ailith Fae


    HP: 290/290     Defence : 245


    MP: 370/370     Intellect: 260


    SP: 175/175     Magic: 340


    Attack: 325      Agility: 335


    ---------------


    This was also true for the rest of the Vdrys gathered around my nestlings..


    The Vdrys weren''t much of a threat to us because they were friendlier after fighting with my nestlings in battle, and they were under themand of the Nymph, who seemed to want to befriend me ¨C although she had a strange way of showing it.


    However, the truly unusual ones were the four children the Nymph had brought.


    They weren''t Vdrys, or Nymphs, but something called Lyenysa and all four of them were quite strong.


    Also, they didn''t seem like they were under the Nymphs control as much as the Vdrys. They openly acted displeased with my presence, and I was concerned my nestlings would be hurt if one of them got angry enough.


    Thankfully, my nestlings could read the room. They were on their best behaviour and only conversed with the Vdrys or ate, which made me d they were on our side.


    But aside from that, the Nymph concerned me even more.


    It stood to reason that the Vdrys evolving further would make them as strong as these four Lyenysa, but if so, how could the origin of the forest ¨C the oldest of them all, the Nymph, not be at least three times as strong or more.


    I only evolved twice and the difference between my nestlings and I, was already impossible for them to reach without them evolving the second time. . It didn''t make much sense to me that all their strengths would be so simr ¨C unless I wasn''t seeing the full picture.


    Thankfully, the Vdrys resumed ying her string instrument and the tense atmosphere somewhat rxed.


    Even so, I felt many piercing gazes on me, which I tried to ignore. The Nymph''s children really weren''t happy with me, and I didn''t know why ¨C and above all, the Nymph didn''t seem to care about it at all.


    When I tried to keep some distance, she reached over and casually draped her legs around my curls, resting entirely on my body.


    |[Maybe we shouldn''t stay so close together¡­]| I started to say, but the Nymph ruby eyes shed dangerously at her children, and I felt a bloodcurdling aura that left me stunned.


    It disappeared almost immediately, but the effect was incredible.


    The Vdrys around us stopped talking and seemed to be shivering, to the surprise of my nestlings. Her children also looked away, with the brawny Lyenysa crushing the honeb in her hand was reduced to dust.


    She was clearly suppressing her fury.


    But then, the blonde haired Lyenysa whispered something to her across the table, and she stopped ring at me. For once it didn''t feel like I was targeted for death by their sinister gazes, and I was relieved.


    [Is that better?] The Nymph asked, her face leaning extremely close to mine.


    And suddenly, I felt in immense danger.


    I was wrong ¨C she was very much the strongest here andpletely in control!


    Yet, why was she looking so expectantly at me?


    If I said I wasn''t satisfied, would she scold them more?


    |[Yeah¡­ it''s fine.]| I replied, and the Nymph sighed as she leaned against me with her eyes closed, seeming to rx even more.


    I really wished she would get off me.


    Clearly something wasn''t right here, and I was hesitant to shake her off, because it felt like she was a bomb strapped to my chest. But then, the Nymph raised her face to stare at me, soft waves of dark hair tumbling down her chest.


    [You''re not eating?] The Nymph asked, her chin set rather stubbornly in a pout. [Do you not like the food?]


    Was she purposely trying to make me uneasy?


    |[No, The food is good. I will eat... in a little while.]| I replied, but my mouth felt dry, my appetite all but gone at her arrival. .


    Where the hell was the dark fae when I needed her?


    She had taken off right after I scolded her, and she hasn''t returned since.


    [If you''re not hungry, do you want to eat something else?] The Nymph pondered, as her legs gripped around me. [Something live, perhaps?]


    Her lips parted as she studied me, her red eyes aze with a strange hunger, and although she wasn''t doing anything dangerous, somehow I was more terrified.


    The Nymph was testing me - although I couldn''t figure out why.


    "Sensei!" I hissed.


    However, there was no response and I got even more impatient as the Nymph continued to stare at me.


    Why wasn''t he offering some suggestions to get me out of this mess?


    |[What do you mean¡­live?]| I asked her.


    [I saw you watching my children.] The Nymph replied. [I thought perhaps you''d prefer to eat them.]


    |[What? Oh no. Definitely not! I would never!]| I immediately refused.


    What the heck was she thinking?


    "Sensei!" I impatiently hissed, but once again there was no reply.


    Where was he? Why wasn''t he answering me?


    I was beginning to panic because the Nymph did not look away.


    |[I would never eat them, really!]| I repeated, but instead the Nymph''s brows wrinkled in annoyance.


    [Why not?] She asked. [You don''t think they taste good?]


    What the¡­?


    "Sensei!" I impatiently called out, and this time I heard azy voice.


    ?What''s the matter?? Sensei asked.


    This bastard!


    The Nymph was waiting for my response, her pout now set in a frown.


    "Help me!" I panicked. "What the heck does she want?"


    ?She''s just ying with you.? Sensei replied. ?Just tell her the truth and she''ll leave you alone.?


    What exactly was the truth here? I would happily eat them if they harmed me or my nestlings.


    |[I don''t want to eat them.]| I settled on a neutral response. |[They belong to my Pit now. We''re bound together like a family.]|


    My heart beat furiously as I stared at the Nymph, but fortunately this seemed to satisfy her, because she smiled happily before resting on my scales once more. What a relief.


    "Where the hell did you go?" I snapped at Sensei. "Did you mute me again?"


    ?Yes.? Sensei replied. ?I''d rather not be privy to your...activities.?


    "What activities? How can you abandon me here!"


    Sensei sighed. ?You said you needed some help. And I helped. I''m going now.?


    "Hey!"


    The Nymph was resting, but it still felt dangerous.


    "Is it possible to fake appraisal results?" I questioned Sensei, before he could mute me again.


    ?No. But I can see why you would be confused.? Sensei replied. ?What you''re appraising isn''t the Nymphs true form. For better words, she''s an incarnation of nature, the collective consciousness of every tree stretching across her domain and far beyond, including those her children create.


    It''s quite tricky to estimate her true value, since the forms she chooses to appear in can also vary in strength.?


    What the heck? I swallowed nervously.


    I knew she was terrifying, but this was much worse ¨C I didn''t understand what she was anymore.


    If this wasn''t actually her true form, would killing this body actually defeat her?


    The Nymph bit down on a piece of fruit, and as she sensed my stare, she turned to smile at me.


    Unfortunately, this only attracted the foul gazes of her children, which made the Nymph sigh.


    But then the ground beneath us started moving, as several roots shot up from the ground to form attice around us that gradually obscured everyone''s view as they sprouted all over with pink leaves.


    [Don''t be afraid.] The Nymph said as I looked around, startled. [I only want a little privacy.]


    I wanted to agree, but the only problem was that this shade also blocked my view of Apollo and Morgana.


    |[I can''t let my nestlings out of my sight.]| I confessed to her, and the Nymph nodded.


    [Don''t worry, my children won''t let them escape.]


    Escape? Wasn''t that a strange choice of words?


    I wanted to ask why she said that, but the hedge around us was tightly shut, sealing out all light and to my horror, I realised I was nowpletely alone with the Nymph.


    And my eyes widened in panic, as the resting Nymph turned to face me, my tangled curls gripped between her legs.


    |[What are you doing? Release me.]| I said, trying to stay calm.


    The Nymph was small but surprisingly strong, somehow her tiny body was pushing me down, and although I could probably throw her off me, I didn''t do so because I wasn''t sure if she was just ying.


    However, Nymph simply stared at me, her red eyes strangely aze. [I''ve never met such a shy serpent before. I keep wanting to eat you, but I can''t bring myself to.]


    Er¡­


    "Sensei, I may need some help here." I said, but there was no response.


    That traitor! How could he leave again?


    |[What do you want?]| I was trying to reason with her, but at the same time, I couldn''t just let her bully me. |[If you don''t let me go, you''re going to die sooner orter.]|


    Instead of being angry or afraid, the Nymph smiled, her voice low and threatening as she spoke.


    [If you mean that oversized drake that keeps flying over my forest? Or those creatures skulking around in the dark?] The Nymph had a lovely smile as she said all of this, which made her even more terrifying. [If any of them dare to step foot in here, I will bury them all in the ground where they belong.]


    |[You¡­]| How did she know? I was stunned.


    [Can you promise they wont enter?] The Nymph said and I tried to read her expression to see what she was thinking.


    Yet, what was this situation?


    I was a monstrous snake ¨C I shouldn''t be getting harassed like this.


    [If they don''t enter, they can leave with their lives intact.] The Nymph insisted. [I only want to talk to you alone.]


    Somehow, she seemed to be telling the truth, and I nodded with a sigh, the weight on my body quickly vanishing as her grip loosened. Soon, all that was left was a blushing Nymph that looked away rather shyly.


    I didn''t understand her at all.


    |[So what do you want to talk about?]| I asked.


    The Nymph hesitated as she looked at me, her ruby eyes sparkling with excitement as she mulled over her words. When she eventually spoke, I waspletely surprised.


    [I want you to give me a name.] The Nymph dered. [And in exchange I will remove my kiss.]

 Chapter 269 - Shiranui

    I stared at the Nymph in disbelief. What kinda game was she ying now?


    She was sitting on me with her body tilted sideways to hide her face. But even with this, she couldn''t hide her elven ears that were bright red like the flowers on her dress.


    And as the silence stretched, she seemed to tremble slightly as she stole tiny nces at me.


    What sort of trick was this?


    First she wrestled me, then threatened me, and now she had the guts to ask this.


    Wasn''t this Nymph too bold?


    |[You want me to give you a name?]| I asked.


    The Nymph nced at me for a moment, and I was able to see her flustered face before she quickly turned away. But this only made me twitch in annoyance..


    If she wanted to hide her face, she should at least have the decency to get off me first, instead of perching on me like I was some cushion!


    But then, the Nymph fully turned to look at me, her blushing face strangely luminous and extremely lovely in the darkness. As she drew nearer, her ruby eyes seemed to glow behind her flutteringshes, her voice was no different to music.


    [Yes. Will you name me?] The Nymph asked.


    Afterwards, she looked away like a blushing bride, her appearance leaving me quite stunned.


    And after pondering over it for a while, I had my answer.


    |[No.]|


    The Nymph gasped, her ruby eyes ring in surprise as if she never expected me to refuse, but then she looked down in defeat, hershes moistening with tears.


    When she raised her head, her eyes were full of hurt.


    [You said we were part of your Pit. Yet you refuse to give us names like you did with them. You are treating us differently, even though you said we were family.]


    This¡­The Nymph looked so sad, I almost felt bad.


    But when I thought about it, something didn''t feel right.


    |[How do you know they have names?]| I questioned her.


    The Nymph crossed her arms, clearly annoyed with me. [My children told me.]


    It made sense that the Vdrys would notice after staying with my nestlings for a while. But it made no sense why the Nymph would even want one.


    Hadn''t she already lived so long without a name?


    As attractive as it would be to have the Nymph''s kiss removed, I had to make sure there wasn''t some other angle to her request.


    |[What are you truly after?]| I nced at her in suspicion.


    But the Nymph''s tearful eyes widened in surprise, before staring at me in disbelief. [You really have no idea how umon you are.]


    |[What do you mean?]| I was confused.


    [I heard a lot of things from my children.] The Nymph replied. [Your Pit is quite special from what I''ve been told, your serpents are all unique and rather intelligent while being so young.]


    What was she getting at?


    [My children also noticed it wasn''t all of them that shared this trait.] The Nymph said thoughtfully.


    [This was mostlymon with the ones who referred to themselves by name, and I was told, it was you who gave them these names. I believe their gifts are linked to you and I want to be a part of that as your Pit member.]


    Having pieced it all together the Nymph smiled at me, but my thoughts were full of irritation at how crafty the Nymph was.


    Just how long had her Vdrys been spying on us?


    As for my nestlings who told them so much, I really wanted to scold them.


    But, if not for them, I wouldn''t have this victory ¨C It was too bad the Nymph got it wrong.


    I agreed with her to some extent, my nestlings were developing quite quickly, but it had nothing to do with the names I gave them.


    They were already like that before I returned to the cave, and even before then, Typhon and Ophelia were somewhat aware of their surroundings.


    I really only named them to help me identify my captains better.


    However, since the Nymph already misunderstood, I wouldn''t let go of such an opportunity.


    |[I will name you as you wish.]| I said to her. |[But only if you remove the kiss first.]|


    The Nymph''s face brightened, and she nodded, immediately reaching for my horn.


    There was a slight tug as something unravelled and when she retracted her hand there was a leafy tendril wrapped around her elbow.


    I couldn''t believe how quickly she did it.


    Without the kiss, she couldn''t make me do anything anymore, I didn''t even have to reach out to her estranged child if I didn''t want to ¨C wasn''t she afraid I would run away afterwards?


    Or was this why she insisted on connecting ourirs.


    However, the Nymph remained calm at my perplexed look.


    [I understand what you are like from how your children act when under pressure. They could have chosen the easy way out by leaving yourir toe to mine, but they stayed to defend it even when they could have died, all because they wanted you to find them when you returned.]


    The Nymphughed at the irony.


    [They are quite dependable for serpents, which is why I know you will keep your word.]


    I was surprised by her honesty. |[That''s an awful lot of trust.]|


    The Nymph scoffed as she looked away. [You''re not what I expected. I made a mistake by trying to force you to do my bidding. I''m simply making it right.]


    Hah.


    I wanted to believe her, but how could I be sure it wasn''t because she had ess to my cave now?


    The Nymph closed her eyes without any care. She was already close enough to feel my breath on her skin, yet she didn''t seem worried at all that I might eat her, she only waited patiently. It seemed she really did trust me and I was surprised.


    Above her head, the option <Issue Name of¡ºPit Member¡»> came up.


    As for what to name her.


    I had several in mind, but somehow I felt nervous.


    I wondered if I was making the right decision inbelling such a powerful creature, and the longer I waited, the more the Nymph shifted ufortably.


    ?How about Shiranui?? Sensei suggested. ?It suits her nature.?


    Hearing his voice appear out of nowhere made me hiss in annoyance.


    "Where did you disappear to?!"


    ?Doesn''t matter.? Sensei replied. ?You''ve wasted too much time, so I''m here to help. Sylrin will be here soon.?


    Ah...I''dpletely forgotten about my failsafe.


    I quickly settled on her name and the system dinged.


    ?Confirmed. ¡ºPit Member 32¡»has be ¡ºShiranui¡»?


    It was quite a pretty name for Sensei to suggest, and I wondered if she would like it.


    Eventually, the Nymph opened her eyes, but instead of saying anything, she simply wrapped her arms around me and refused to move.


    |[Shouldn''t we return to the others now.]| I asked her.


    Somehow it felt like I''d just defused a bomb and I was quite relieved to see my nestlings again. However, the Nymph only shrugged her shoulders, refusing to let go.


    "I think she likes it a lot." I said in astonishment.


    But Sensei only scoffed. ?You realise that by naming her, you''ll never be able to get rid of her now.?


    "What do you mean?" I asked him.


    ?Don''t you n on letting her go as soon as your nestlings are safe?? Sensei frowned. ?With a name, she''ll always be connected to you.?


    He had a point, but with the Nymph still hugging me, she didn''t feel that much like a threat anymore.


    "Maybe I don''t want to let her go." I confessed to Sensei, and I heard him scoff in disbelief, right before his voice faded away.


    It seemed I was muted again.


    What did he have against the Nymph? She seemed quite lovely.


    The Nymph released me as she sat up, looking rather reluctant ¨C It seemed she didn''t want to return, but eventually the shroud of leaves around us retreated and we were able to see everyone else in the banquet once more.


    Once there, I was d to see all my nestlings were still present, it seemed they hadn''t done much besides eating, so I calmed down enough to thank the Nymph for her help.


    Shiranui nodded. [I was happy to help. Like you, I will do anything for my children.]


    As she said this, each one of her ''children'' smiled rather sinisterly at me, their res piercing right through me, and I was reminded once more of their hatred.


    |[Why do they dislike me?]| I asked the Nymph. |[I haven''t done anything to them.]|


    [They don''t dislike you.] The Nymphughed. [They only hate me joining up with you. I told you about my daughter who left us. She only did so because she swore an allegiance to someone, and he pressured her to leave us. They are just afraid you will make me turn them away.]


    I scoffed in disbelief.


    They were really overestimating me if they thought I could make the Nymph do anything so simply.


    Still, she''d never mentioned this about her daughter before, and I was curious.


    |[Who did she swear her loyalty to?]|


    [Would you believe me if I said it was to another serpent like you?] The Nymphughed. [We argued because I didn''t want her to do it, and she left my side because of it. Yet here I am doing the same thing. She wouldugh at me if she knew.]


    Ah¡­


    I perked up immediately at her words. |[What serpent? Where did she meet them?]|


    The Nymph stared at me in surprise. [Have you never met one of your kind before?]


    I shook my head, ncing over at my nestlings at the banquet. |[It''s always been me and them.]|


    It felt quite nice to see them enjoying themselves.


    Somehow this made the Nymph even more impressed. [You have no rtion to them. Keep it that way. You''re better off staying here. Don''t ever go below ground.]


    Below ground?


    It suddenly urred to me why I never encountered other serpents besides my nestlings.


    It seemed they were all on the Middle Stratum.

 Chapter 270 - The Serpent Clan

    If what the Nymph said was true, then that was quite troubling.


    The Middle Stratum was already a cesspool of colossal monsters, considering the ether there was far denser than here. I could only imagine the monsters grewrger due to the abundance.


    If every serpent lived down there, they would be the same ¨C It was probably good that I hadn''t ventured deeper into the forest of giant monsters before.


    The Nymph reached over to pick up a white fruit with a rosy hue, and taking a bite out of its soft flesh, her keen eyes watched my reaction, a faint smile ying on her moistened lips.


    She looked quite amused watching me ponder her words, and like azy goddess, her body draped across from mine, looking quite surreal in a flowery garment that hardly counted as clothes.


    While she had reduced much of our contact, she was still actively trying to charm me at every turn.


    How could I trust her wordspletely?


    Her faint smile made me wonder if what she said was out of concern for my safety, or for some other motive.. It seemed a little out of character for someone who just confessed she wanted to eat me not long ago. Rather, it was like she didn''t want me to get involved with other serpents, because of how strong they could be.


    |[Why do you say I''m better off without them?]| I asked.


    The Nymph sighed, the fruit in her hand dropping dramatically as she rose to her feet in one fluid motion.


    [Because they will kill you the moment they learn you''ve allied with me.] The Nymph said, her body swayingnguidly as she approached me.


    So it was her fault.


    And I scowled at her. |[Then shouldn''t I break our alliance, if it''s going to cause problems for meter?]|


    The Nymph simply red at me, her ruby eyes shing in anger as she crossed her arms. Why was she suddenly so upset?


    [You want to join a territorial, aggressive group of serpents who only know how to kill each other, revel in their lust, and thene up toy their eggs near MY forest, in hopes of one of their brood making off with one of MY children ¨C all because their king thinks eating one of them will extend HIS life?]


    Huh?


    Seemingly with no regard for me, the Nymph then proceeded to criticize my species even more.


    [My children are treated like some kind of prize to win or steal. Do you know how many times I''ve had to kill vile, vicious serpents that wandered into my forest, trying to snatch one of my children and offer them to their king?]


    I didn''t, but from the looks of it, there had to be many.


    [Their young brood spends their very first moments fighting amongst themselves for superiority. And will continue to do so with other victors until they are strong enough to descend below ground.] The Nymph fumed.


    [From the very beginning, you''re forced to fight for the right to live because of some old war between ns you weren''t even alive to see ¨C all because your king decided a long time ago, that this be the price of rebellion. Why would you want to go somewhere to be under the whims of such a terrible ruler?]


    The Nymph was breathing hard, her face flushed with fury as she spoke, and I was surprised.


    The more I listened, the more questions I had.


    ns? Wars? Weren''t the serpents united?


    [And after all that bloodshed, the victor will integrate into one of therger ns and be forbidden from forming outside alliances ever again. Why would you want to join such a barbaric n? To gain entry, you''ll have to kill all these children.]


    The Nymph pointed at my nestlings who werezing around the banquet after stuffing their faces, but then she picked up her discarded fruit, beforeunching it at a nearby tree. The forceful impact smashed through a branch like nothing, startling the nestlings and myself in the process.


    [Could you really bear to kill them all?] The Nymph asked, her chest heaving in anger.


    Hearing the racket, all of the nestlings turned to us, Delphine, and Morgana giving me startled looks.


    The Nymph turned to me with a knowing smile. [Could you really bear to kill them for such a reason?]


    My answer was the same as when Sensei had asked me to kill them.


    However, unlike then, I didn''t understand why killing every other nestling was so important to the serpent n.


    At their hatchling stage, their low level and severely limited HP would make killing them redundant.


    Unless I was starving and desperately in need of food, I wouldn''t gain much in terms of levels or XP, because hatchlings were quite weak,pared to the many stronger monsters just outside the cave.


    If I really wanted to improve my abilities, killing the nestlings now in their evolved versions would be so much better.


    Looking back, I was certain Sensei only asked me to kill them because he didn''t want me to have any baggage moving forward. His priorities, however merciless - my survival above all else.


    As for the serpent n, it seemed their nesting ground was designed to force the nestlings to fight and kill each other for unknown reasons. However, while the serpent n''s motives were simple, Sensei''s were not.


    I could only think there must have been another reason.


    Perhaps I could have gained a skill or a title to boost my survival even further, had I killed them at that time.


    However, I didn''t ask Sensei because I was sure he would gloat over it.


    Instead, I turned to the Nymph who observed me with triumphant eyes, extremely happy to see the reluctance to do such a deed in my face.


    |[How big do these serpents have to be to descend below?]|


    The Nymph''s happy expression instantly dissolved and she scowled at me in disapproval. [Why do you want to know? You can''t go there.]


    I could see she was thinking I wanted to leave her and go down myself so I shook my head.


    |[Believe me, I have no interest in joining them, but they sound like trouble. If I want to protect my nestlings I need to know what to expect.]|


    My immediate thought after hearing about them was to infiltrate their ranks. What better way to understand how they fought?


    The Nymph was hesitant but after convincing her I wasn''t going to join them she finally replied.


    [They are usually about your size when they go below.] She answered. [Then they have to find the n, as their instinct to survive drives them to seek out others.]


    So, it was around their second evolution, by which time the serpent would be significantly stronger than my nestlings currently were, perhaps even several decades old.


    However, developing at the normal rate for a monster, they wouldn''t be nearly as strong as I am now. My nestlings could potentially be equal to them if I pushed them to level up even further.


    Yet, any special skill or title they may have gained from killing their brethren would also make them unpredictable ¨C It would be unwise to underestimate them.


    I had a lot to think about.


    The Nymph approached me. [You don''t need to worry. You are different from them, more powerful. Just stay here with me, I will kill those thate.]


    A¡­yeah, no thanks!


    I pretended not to hear her request and posed another question. |[This serpent that gained the allegiance of your daughter. Was he an exile?]|


    Of all the things she told me, I didn''t understand this one.


    If all the serpents were forbidden from forming alliances with outsiders, how was this serpent allowed to do so without facing any punishment?


    Perhaps he was some rebel that was fleeing from the serpent king. If so, wasn''t it best to find him and learn all I could before he was killed.


    The Nymph grimaced at my question. [That one was different - cold, cunning, ambitious, seeking allies to strengthen himself to overthrow the old rule. A bit like you in some way.]


    |[What?]|


    The Nymph seemed to get angrier as she remembered more. [He came to me first, but I refused him, so he went behind my back and seduced my daughter. If I see him again I-]


    |[My rtionship with you has nothing to do with some old rule,]| I interrupted her before she could go on. |[Don''t lump me in with some power hungry maniac!]|


    The Nymph nced at me, seemingly surprised. [It does not?]


    |[How could it, when I didn''t know anything about the serpent n until now.]|


    But the Nymph crossed her arms in disbelief. [Then why aren''t you surprised by everything I''ve told you?]


    I wanted tough. Who was she to be so suspicious of me?


    |[Because one of my nestlings already found a cave full of serpent corpses. I assume this was the result of their battle.]|


    The Nymph seemed to understand and simply shrugged, before settling down beside me to lounge.


    |[So did he seed?]| I asked her. |[This rebel serpent?]|


    The Nymph frowned once more. [Who knows. I haven''t seen that serpent in a long time and my daughter certainly won''t tell me, even after all the dark fae I sent to her. You shouldn''t try to find out either, when you visit her, you are to check on her situation and then return.]


    The Nymph seemed quite upset, so I was surprised when she suddenly turned to me with a mischievous grin. [You shouldn''t get involved with any dispute amongst serpents¡­unless you n to be his lover.]


    What?


    I hissed at her in fright. "What is she¡­ew no¡­wait¡­how do serpents even..."


    Nevermind, I decided not to think about it.


    Sensei was silent anyway.


    But then, the Nymph smiled at me with murderous glee. [Anyway, you are mine now. So, even if that serpentes near you, I will peel off his skin and wear it.]


    Wait¡­hold on.


    I felt a terrible chill.

 Chapter 271 - Rules Of Engagement

    It was clear the Nymph and the Serpent n had aplicated history ¨C she had every right to be angry, and the grieving and helpless look on her tiny face made her all the more sympathetic to me.


    But still, weren''t her priorities a little backwards?


    She should be trying to kill that serpent for taking one of her daughters away, not because of me.


    And no, I wasn''t nning on bing anyone''s lover ¨C not even hers.


    |[I think you''re mistaken about us¡­]| I started to say, but the Nymph who was sitting on my curls, reached out to grab the sides of my head, staring intently into my eyes.


    [Don''t worry, I will protect you and your children from danger.] She confidently implored. [There''s no need for you to seek them.]


    Er¡­that was nice I guess, but why was she getting so intense all of a sudden..


    Did she think I was going to get stolen away like her daughter was?


    |[I''m not going to leave.]| I said, hoping to calm her down. |[I simply want to know how strong they are, so I won''t be unprepared if they ever pose a threat.]|


    However, this only made her worse and she held on even tighter, but she eventually calmed down, at least enough to release me.


    [It will be fine as long as you don''t stray too far from me.] She said enthusiastically, [But if you go beyond my forest, I can''t help you, so you must remain here.]


    So that was why she was worried.


    Although her forest was spreading rapidly, her boundary restriction remained, which meant she couldn''t step out of her forest.


    I wanted to tell her it would be okay, however, the Nymph seemed thoughtful as her eyes scrutinized me.


    [It''s more than avoiding them.] She said, [Since you didn''t kill any of them and went on to simply living together ¨C you''ve already broken a major n rule. They might not ept you as one of their own even if you tried to join them.]


    Well, that made sense.


    [Some wouldn''t even consider you a true serpent because of it.] The Nymph continued. [They will try to kill you and all your children if they find out about it.]


    That sounded pretty terrible.


    But I wondered how they would know by simply looking at us.


    My nestlings bore no distinctive markings, aside from being different colours.


    From what I understood of her exnation, even if they were from different ns, they all had an equal chance of returning to the n, if they won.


    So, it made no sense that they would know they hadn''t killed anyone, and I wondered if the Nymph was trying to scare me by exaggerating her ims.


    However when I turned around, her ruby eyes were anxiously pleading for me to stay, and I sighed.


    |[Good riddance then, it''s not like I n on joining them anyway.]|


    The Nymph was incredibly delighted to hear this, smiling wildly as she clung to my body, which made me shake my head. Once again she''dpletely forgotten her children were watching us, seemingly too happy to let go, and I sighed in exasperation.


    But then I heard Sensei''s disapproving voice.


    ?You indulge her too much.? He scoffed. ?Don''t tell me you n on bing her lover? You don''t even trust her.?


    Oh? So now he knew how to speak.


    "I''m an adult snake now." I calmly replied. "It''s normal to start thinking about¡­these things. Before I didn''t know where the other snakes were, but Shiranui says there''s one here now." I paused for effect. "I think¡­I think I should find that serpent¡­"


    ?What for?? Sensei said darkly.


    "Don''t you think it''s worth finding a partner of my own kind. Don''t get me wrong, the Nymph is great, but she can''t give me egg ¨C"


    ?What are you saying?? Sensei interrupted me, sounding quite aggravated. ?You don''t need one.?


    "Well¡­I think I do, for the future at least." I hesitantly replied. "I''m a serpent now, I should be able toy eggs."


    ?Have you gone insane?!? Sensei snapped at me. ?Why the heck are you thinking about procreating all of a sudden??


    "So what?" I insisted. "My body is already an adult serpent. I have to get used to it for the future of my [Pit]. New serpents should be introduced to increase our power."


    Sensei fell silent, seemingly too astonished to argue.


    ?You''d really marry a snake?? He asked in disbelief.


    And I scoffed at him. "Who said anything about marrying them? I doubt that exists here. It''s all about eggs and procreating! But If I like him enough, maybe I''ll consider making marriage a rule!"


    ?You''re not even an adult. What are you thinking?!? Sensei protested, his words full of regret.


    Seeing Sensei so disturbed, I was very close to bursting intoughter.


    Wasn''t he reacting a bit too much?


    At first, I was annoyed after being muted for so long, but this was so worth it!


    It was like he couldn''t tell I was joking.


    "But I''m a monster now though¡­" I added, but Sensei interrupted me.


    ?Don''t decide that until you''ve seen the world outside the Labyrinth.?


    Ah. Was he saying I''d find someone better there?


    Sensei''s words made me feel slightly guilty.


    It would seem I''d gotten much better at concealing my emotions from him, so good he couldn''t even tell the difference if I decided not to feel any emotion.


    And while I was thrilled, perhaps I''d taken the joke too far.


    "It won''t happen right away." I insisted. "Some pythons can reproduce asexually, maybe I''ll figure out how."


    But Sensei simply stopped me, refusing to speak on it anymore.


    My joke might have traumatised him a bit too much, so I quickly changed the subject.


    "Do you think she is telling the truth about this serpent?" I asked Sensei.


    From the sounds of it, I should be on guard, knowing that a serpent was out there gathering allies.


    ?She seems quite determined to keep you here.? Sensei replied. ?I wouldn''t believe her without proof. You should find her daughter and question her for confirmation.?


    Hmm.


    The Nymph was wrapped around me once again, seemingly proving his point. Yet, it couldn''t all be a coincidence. Aside from the Nymph, the scary wasp had also known of the serpent king, which made me wonder if he was also approached.


    Aside from being absurdly strong, he was also inmand of arge number of monsters, which made him a perfect candidate like the Nymph. Perhaps it was worth paying him a visit after all.


    ?I find it odd that this serpent didn''te to your nesting ground first.? Sensei said. ?If he was truly looking for allies, it would be smarter to take the new serpents that would have returned to the n to increase his numbers.?


    Sensei was right to be suspicious and I had to agree this was also strange.


    "Maybe he didn''t because he knew they were all dead." I pondered.


    But then, I recalled what Ophelia had said about the nestling corpses she found. Her report said they were all burnt to ash, which didn''t seem like the oue ofbat between serpents, and my eyes widened as I realised something else.


    I also fought a monster that used fire to attack.


    Was it all a coincidence?


    I had a sinking feeling as I recalled the feline beast that I found attacking my nestlings. Now that I knew a serpent was out there gathering allies, I couldn''t help thinking the creature had been sent by this serpent to eradicate all the nestlings for some unknown reason.


    If I hadn''t returned in time to kill it, perhaps my nestlings would also have died.


    "I don''t understand why this serpent would kill off so many potential recruits." Iined to Sensei.


    ?How can you be so sure the creature is connected to that serpent and that it is the culprit?? Sensei asked.


    I wasn''t. There was no way to know for sure if my assumption was right because there wasn''t much proof at all. But the fact remained, that my nestlings had been attacked by a fiery monster in the past.


    If this serpent thought all the nestlings were killed, it would exin why we were left undisturbed so far.


    ?Let''s say you''re right, and this serpent already has allies he canmand.? Sensei began hypothesising. ?A few weak nestlings won''t make a difference in terms of power. Maybe killing them was his aim all along, especially if he wants to destroy the bnce of power. There are many ways a massacre like that can be effective in a war.?


    I was stunned. Was there really a war happening in the serpent n?


    It was already quiteplicated without me even meeting them!


    Maybe Sensei was right, and it was done to send a message to make the others fear him, or to cause turmoil among the serpents ¨C the Nymph did say the serpent she met was quite cunning, and this made me hesitate.


    If they were this vicious as a species, I was better off not getting involved with them.


    However, without me visiting the ce Ophelia found the charred corpses, there was no way to know for sure. Rather than specting, I had to confirm that the massacre had urred, and to do this I had to find more than one set of charred nestling corpses.


    |[Where did your daughter go when she left?]| I asked the Nymph and she blinked as she looked up at me.


    [Are you going to find her?] She sounded quite happy, and I nodded.


    |[I will, I just need to take care of a few things first.]|


    I nned to go over there as soon as I fixed the mess in my own Pit. There was no point in confronting a potential enemy when my cave was in disorder.


    Even if Morgana was no longer an immediate threat, there was still Apollo andstly, Typhon and Ophelia.


    As much as I trusted them, it was difficult to ignore that nestling seemed to act more like rivals than peers, more simr to the warring ns they came from.


    Was it because they were always meant to kill each other?


    I wondered if the remnants of their serpent instincts existed in some way, like an unconscious bias making them fight and oppress each other, rather than getting along.


    If so, it simply would not do.


    [Are you leaving soon?] The Nymph asked, and I nodded. [If you want to find that child, you will need the fae to guide you. I can''te with you.]


    The Nymph sniffled, looking quite sad, and I nudged her cheek to make her calm down. |[Don''t worry, I''ll find her and be back soon.]|


    But where exactly was the dark fae? I hadn''t seen her since earlier.


    My nestlings were staring at me, and I instructed them to get going, it was about time we returned to the cave.


    Now¡­if only the Nymph would release me. Her body was still tangled together with mine, with seemingly no thoughts of letting go.

 Chapter 272 - Stalemate

    I sighed in relief, staring at a spot on the soft ground that was now ckened in one section, smoke rising where plump des of grass used to be. Next to this area was a winged creature with reddish-dark scales, whose body glistened as it raised its head.


    However, I couldn''t stare for long because there was suddenly a loud squeal from nearby, followed by a raucous rabble as several Vdrys stormed towards me.


    Soon, there was a gaggle of pink haired Vdrys gathered around in a circle, several squealing in excitement as they stared at the creature with eager eyes.


    Yet, not all of them were so brave. Some Vdrys signed in amazement, their slender figures hanging in the periphery unable toe closer due to their fear.


    And among them, I spotted all four of the silvery haired Lyenysa who had alsoe to investigate. They stood much taller and it was easy to spot their hesitant figures through the crowd of rosy hued Vdrys.


    [Kyaaa it''s so cute!] One Vdrys announced, her slender arm reaching towards the creature in the middle, unable to contain her excitement..


    Unfortunately, not all of them were as carefree, as her hand was pped away by the blond haired Lyenysa who rushed over, dark eyes full of concern.


    [Don''t touch it, it could be dangerous!]


    The Vdrys retracted her hand immediately, but after a while she could no longer contain her excitement.


    [But it''s not doing anything.] she protested, staring eagerly at the Lyenysa as if asking for permission.


    [I want to touch it too!] Another Vdrys squealed in excitement.


    Soon, there was an outpouring of simr requests and the Lyenysa could no longer contain the wave of anticipation.


    However, it was the Nymph who was most eager of them all, and she reached forward to take the prize, smiling fondly as the creature hissed at her, before curling around her arm like a jewelled ornament.


    [It''s not dangerous, It''s lovely.] The Nymph said, her voice almost a purr as she stared at the hissing creature. [Look at how much she likes me.]


    I rolled my eyes at her words, but this only made the Vdrys around her to mour and protest, each one eager to hold the creature too.


    [It''s cute.] The white haired Lyenysa stated, her amber eyes a little curious. [Can I have it?]


    [No!] The Nymph frowned at her, allowing the creature to wrap even tighter around her like she was afraid it would be taken.


    The muscr Lyenysa, on the other hand, stood quite far away, frowning at the serpent with her arms crossed. [What is this fuss about?]


    She looked just as mean as usual. However, there was the tiniest glimmer of excitement in her eyes that wasn''t there before, betraying her true feelings.


    [Hmph. It''s only a serpent, stop acting so foolish.] The blond Lyenysa scoffed, yet her fingers were prodding the serpent''s tail in amusement. Smiling, even as it reared its fangs at her.


    Seeing their reactions, I could only sigh.


    It took a good amount of elbow grease to get the Nymph to detach from my body, until it urred to me to use a summon to distract her.


    While it wasn''t perfect ¨C it was the only thing I could think of at the moment, and I was pleased to see it working.


    Through the crowd, I spotted the Nymph, her dark hair quite striking among a sea of pastel, a miniature version of myself elegantly draped around her torso, its blood red wings draped around her shoulders, the glow from its eyes matching her perfectly.


    I wasn''t worried my summon would attack them because I''d already instructed it not to bite anyone.


    Instead, I looked at the miniature serpent being mobbed by a group of adoring girls with sadness.


    It could only hiss at them or wriggle away when several Vdrys touched it and I said a silent prayer on its behalf.


    Pitiful summon, your noble sacrifice will be rewarded in the Abyss.


    The banquet was officially over and now that I was free, it was the time to make a run for it. However, I heard an excited hiss nearby, and recognised it as the voice of Delphine.


    Unfortunately, when I looked towards the crowd, I spotted her purple tail wiggling through the Vdrys, also eager to see the creature I summoned.


    And I sighed in exasperation because she wasn''t the only one.


    I spotted other colourful serpent tails mixed in with the crowd and I frowned. How was I supposed to flee when my own nestlings had joined the ranks of the enemy?


    Even though it was quite obvious the creature was just a miniature version of me, all of my nestlings were watching my summon with an odd fascination.


    Cygnus stared at it, his body frozen, as if trying to understand how such a small replica could exist.


    Delphine wanted to touch it but was refused. Artemis observed its shadowy wings with interest, wondering why the flowers on the Nymph''s body had started to wither.


    Morgana even came up close to it, eyes full of challenge as she stared it down with an amused look, but when it hissed at her, she fell back in fright, recreating its stance as she hissed back, like it was an enemy, and I burst intoughter at the sight.


    Meanwhile, Apollo approached quietly from behind her, offering up a portion of meat to appease the miniature serpent who was quick to swallow it.


    Their reactions were quite amusing, and I watched on for a moment longer, only to notice Delphine was now ring at the Nymph in envy.


    It seemed she was also eager to possess the creature, enough to regard the Nymph as an obstacle to ovee. So when I called her name, Delphine rushed over immediately.


    However, on reaching me she began to plead for one of her own, utterly unable to contain herself, forcing Cygnus toe over and stop her.


    [It is a gift meant to establish a truce.] He scolded Delphine. [Don''t act so selfish here.]


    Delphine soon stopped as it dawned on her, and although her eyes pooled with frustrated tears, she nodded and didn''t say anymore.


    Although Cygnus looked embarrassed, I was quite pleased with his maturity as well as Delphine''s. It seemed they didn''t want to leave yet, so I allowed the two to return to the Nymph, while I left the gathering.


    It was already a while since I summoned the Abyss serpent, and it hadn''t disappeared yet. In a way this served as a test to see how long a summon couldst when away from me.


    So far, it seemed to function much like an Abyssal monster, able to stay alive as long as it received a mana frequently.


    As I strayed even further, my summon did not dissipate, instead it seemed to draw more mana from its surroundings, as the flowers on the Nymph''s dress had all but withered - not that she minded as new ones grew quickly to rece the ones that were lost.


    It seemed my summon would continue to stay if it received mana regrly ¨C unless I recalled it, and I found that fascinating.


    The noises from the banquet had all but faded now and I stared up into the tall trees, glimpsing a winged shadow soaring high above the canopy, which made me frown.


    This lizard! How was this hiding?


    I quickly signalled for Sylrin tond, and as hisrge figure loomed closer, the winds billowing through the trees along with the heated air, caused the Vdrys and Lyenysa to shade their eyes, their long hair blown to disarray.


    Soon, a fearsome dark dragon descended on the forest floor, looking rather threateningly at the four Lyenysa along with the bevy of Vdrys who stood around, staring curiously at him.


    But mostly, his eyes locked onto the ethereal figure of the Nymph in their midst, not at all swayed by her elegance.


    He even seemed about to roar.


    [Stop it. She''s not an enemy.] I said to him using [Thought Transference] and Sylrin lowered his head, his gold green eyes concerned.


    [Safe?] He asked, and I nodded, feeling quite relieved to see him.


    [Did you find anything?] I asked after a while, but Sylrin lowered his head in disappointment, smoke billowing around him.


    [No. Too many¡­old trees.] he replied.


    That was unexpected.


    Before I paid the Nymph a visit, I asked him to wait for me. Alongside this, I also tasked him with scouting the forest while concealing his aura, to find out which tree among the thousands here belonged to the Nymph.


    Perhaps it was an impossible task to achieve in such a short time, but ording to Sylrin he found more than six simrly massive, aged trees in this part of the forest alone, all of which could belong to the Nymph.


    It was far more than I expected, making it harder to pinpoint exactly which one was hers.


    Sylrin was disappointed, but I was very satisfied with his effort.


    [Next time fly much higher, okay?] I said to him.


    [Worried?] Sylrin smirked, and I hissed at him for being too arrogant.


    How could I risk one of the trees reaching up to grab him?


    Hopefully, the summon I gave her would work better as a beacon I could trace, so he wouldn''t have to do this again.


    [This must be the drake.] An airy voice wafted over to us, causing Sylrin to look up. [What did you name him?]


    The Nymph was standing there, staring up at Sylrin in amazement, before approaching carefully, her fingers slowly reaching out to touch his wings, while her children watched worriedly behind her.


    I reasoned she must have told them not toe close.


    But Sylrin growled at her, and she hesitated, quickly withdrawing her hand.


    To the Nymph who detested fire, Sylrin must be an opponent she didn''t want to provoke.


    [Sylrin.] I replied to her, and the Nymph once again reached out to touch him, the two facing off against each other in a strange battle ¡ª Sylrin wanting nothing to do with her and the Nymph drawing closer, seemingly determined to charm him.


    The Nymph bravely carried on, not slowing down even when Sylrin''s chest te heated up dangerously, as poisonous ck smoke began to billow out from his nostrils.


    However, before she could touch him, Sylrin took off into the air in a crash of wind, her pale fingers grasping nothing as she was knocked to the ground.


    With him gone, the Nymph''s beautiful face was stunned, but as she realised she was on the ground, it soon became quite ugly as she was ovee with rage.


    [Vulgar, Impetuous beast!] The Nymph seethed. [How dare you!]


    Fortunately, Sylrin had already broken free of the tree line, safely out of the reach of several grasping vines.

 Chapter 273 - State Of Paranoia

    [Where is he going?] The Nymph fumed. [Tell him toe back right now!]


    |[I can''t.]| I informed her. |[He has gone away to hunt with his new ymate.]|


    The Nymph scowled while gazing up at Sylrin''s distant figure. [Ill-mannered beast! Look at what he did to my dress. Aren''t you going to scold him?]


    Seeing her sorry, enraged figure, I couldn''t stop smiling. She brushed off a few specks of dust, her dark hair falling back into ce with a wave of her hand and then the Nymph looked as impable as before.


    [I wonder who he takes after.] she still cursed under her breath and I ignored what she was trying to imply..


    It definitely wasn''t me. Sylrin acted no differently from a kid, always quick to move on. He didn''t even give me a proper goodbye, before rushing off to hunt with the Alpha wolf.


    I was surprised how quickly they became friends.


    Then the Nymph gave me a puzzling stare.


    [You can understand him, in the same way you can understand me. How is that possible?]


    |[Uh... intuition.]| I replied offhandedly as the Nymph nced at me with suspicion. |[We should start heading back now.]|


    Her children weren''t far, and they looked rather nervously at me in Sylrin''s absence, one was even clutching my summon in a tight grip, her face pale, and eyes wide in shock. But as we approached, the miniature serpent was handed over to the Nymph and it settled down on her shoulder.


    If all went as nned this summon would be very valuable to me in the future.


    However, for now it was best to leave before the atmosphere got even more strained.


    I called my nestlings over and they rushed towards me after saying farewell to their new friends. The Vdrys seemed particrly upset to see us leaving, but all the Lyenysa bore expressions of relief, especially after the uproar Sylrin had caused.


    Like them, I wasn''t too keen on staying, so I quickly said goodbye to the Nymph and headed straight for the tunnel, however, she quickly blocked my way.


    [I can''t let you leave without any protection.] The Nymph said, her concerned face the picture of innocence. [Let some of my children apany you.]


    It seemed she would not be satisfied until she''d attached some strong spies to me, and I scowled at her.


    Behind her, the four Lyenysa were ring at me, their faces full of reluctance.


    By children, she probably meant them, but if they apanied me, I would be no better than her prisoner.


    |[Alright. I''ll take these four.]| I replied, gesturing to the small group of pink haired Vdrys next to the Lyenysa.


    Artemis was overjoyed at my choice, but the Nymph red at me, her ruby eyes shing dangerously in anger.


    It was better the Vdrys, than for one of the Lyenysa to enter my cave. If that happened I would never get anything done. And technically, she did say ''some'' of her children ¨C that included the Vdrys too.


    [Fine. Then can go with you.] Unable to argue, the Nymph could only suppress her fury. [I expect to hear some news about my oldest, soon.]


    I let out a sigh of relief. |[I will! Thank you for having us, Shiranui.]|


    The Nymph blushed at the sound of her name ¨C all traces of anger gone as she looked at me. [You''ll visit again soon, right?]


    I nodded, because by then I''ll probably know where her real body was.


    The remaining Vdrys on her side, as well as the Lyenysa all bowed to us as we retreated, leaving only the Nymph to stare at me with a forlorn look.


    The four Vdrys I''d chosen were making their way across the forest floor towards the pathway connecting ourirs, my nestlings not far behind them, and I slithered over to join them.


    But then, Sensei decided to interrupt the peaceful mood. ?Tell her you''re not interested in bing her lover before you leave, or it''ll be toote.?


    "What?!" I eximed. "And have her kill me?"


    I was convinced Sensei had lost it ¨C what a horrible idea!


    ?So, you''d rather deceive her?? Sensei replied.


    What the heck was he saying?


    However, when I turned back, the Nymph was still standing there, staring at my retreating figure although the crowd of Vdrys had retreated from her.


    Even her children were attempting to pull her away but weren''t able to and I felt a twinge of regret.


    "Why are you saying this now?" I grumbled at Sensei. "Our alliance is too fragile. How is it smart to tell her now?"


    It wasn''t like I was trying to lead her on. To me, the Nymph was wonderful and quite caring for a monster, even better, as the nestlings seemed to like her, just as much as her Vdrys liked me.


    On paper, she was the perfect ally, and I would have like to have her as a friend too, now that my head wasn''t being held hostage by the [Nymphs Kiss]. But the whole ''lover'' thing took me by surprise. I had no idea when she started to like me, or why.


    Was it normal for monsters to fall in love so easily?


    I wasn''t even sure she was serious!


    ?It''ll be much worse to tell herter when she''s fallen too deeply.? Sensei replied, which only made me irritated.


    It wasn''t like I didn''t like the Nymph, she was just a bit¡­insane, and I had a feeling there was much more she wasn''t telling me. Even now, her gaze filled me with shivers, and I moved faster towards the pathway, causing the others behind me to hurry up as well.


    Once out of sight I was able to slow down, and I became more troubled by what Sensei was trying to achieve by moonlighting as my conscience.


    "Don''t act so self-righteous." I snapped at him. "Since when are you against deceiving people? Wasn''t the n to get her on our side by any means? What changed now?"


    ?Your hesitation concerns me. It doesn''t seem like you want her to leave.? Sensei replied.


    And I frowned, because he was partly correct.


    "Because there''s no need now." I stubbornly insisted. "She isn''t trying to control me anymore, so..."


    Without the kiss, there was no threat. If anything, the Nymph had traded her leverage in exchange for a name which didn''t really benefit her.


    ?The kiss was already weakened before she removed it.? Sensei disappointedly sighed. ?It was of no use to her, anyway.?


    Now, I was surprised to hear this.


    ?You''ve started to like her.? He continued. ?Which means you won''t be able to kill her if it reallyes down to it ¨C even if you do find her tree.?


    "That''s not true." I replied.


    ?I told you she''s more shrewd than you. Do you think all of this was for nothing? She''s simply wearing out your defences by showing you a different side of her.?


    "Why would she do that?" I scoffed in disbelief. "She hasn''t done anything to hurt me, and she gains nothing from this."


    I refused to believe it. Sensei''s paranoia was really getting out of hand.


    The same thing happened with my nestlings and now with the Nymph ¨C It was like no one was good enough.


    "Is it that hard for you to believe she genuinely likes me and wants to follow me?" I asked him.


    ?You don''t leave something that important to chance.? Sensei replied. ?There will always be another kiss to rece the one she removed.


    You don''t bring a predator into your cave ¨C you cut off its head outside. Your ally should be someone you can turn your back on without expecting to find a knife waiting for you.?


    "And alsopletely mindless." I added, since he seemed to have omitted that.


    Sensei didn''t disagree either and I sighed.


    It would be illogical to demand the Nymph''splete loyalty when I wasn''t being honest with her.


    I arrived at the pathway leading underground, its internal walls alight with copious amounts of glowing insects that travelled through the opening while I waited for my nestlings to catch up, and I took onest look at the pink forest.


    Right now, Sensei''s sudden morality wasn''t helping matters.


    As for the nymph, while I wasn''t too sure about her, I hade to understand a lot of things after speaking to her.


    For one, she cared a lot about her children which was simr to me ¨C she just was not used to honesty, much like Sensei in that regard.


    But why did she ask me to name her?


    If she really wanted some of my power as she imed, it would have been easier for her to try and kill me. That''s what made me feel conflicted because somehow she was willing to trust me.


    I could even say I liked her a little.


    "My honestly would ruin everything." I said atst. "I''d rather wait and see what she does before deciding anything."


    ?As long as you don''t let your guard down.? Sensei replied.


    He was so sure trusting her was a bad idea, but some part of me suspected he simply didn''t like her and wanted to get rid of her.


    But then again, I could also be wrong.


    The first nestling to reach me was Cygnus, followed shortly by Delphine. Soon everyone caught up including the four Vdrys and we vanished into the pathway.


    Thankfully, the journey back was uneventful and short.

 Chapter 274 - All Bets Are Lost

    As soon as the pathway ended, the familiar sight of the underground came into view.


    I took in the rows of cells, the whirring sound of bottom feeders shuffling beneath them, the pink leaves blooming along every wall, andstly, the heavy aroma of poison.


    It was truly good to be back home.


    [Are the others going to join uster?] Delphine asked curiously.


    |[No, why do you say that?]| I questioned her back.


    Much like me, there were audible sighs of reliefing from my nestlings, and they all became chatty at once.


    [We joined together right?] Delphine added. [And their Queen Mother likes you, doesn''t that make us siblings now?]


    Pfft! What a funny idea..


    [What are you saying? I don''t trust them.] Cygnus interrupted her, not caring at all that there were Vdrys in our midst. [Didn''t you see how those other creatures were looking at us? We should kill them.]


    Thankfully, none of the Vdrys could understand him.


    [Only a few.] Delphine refuted him. [The Queen Mother''s servants were nice, one even showed me how to make a flower.]


    To illustrate, she conjured a shadowy image that vaguely resembled a flower, retaining its shape for several seconds as she showed it to me, until it eventually copsed to form a butterfly.


    She was getting quite good.


    [It''s only the others that she broughtter that were mean.] Delphine insisted. [If we kill them and leave the Queen Mother and her servants alone, it will be fine.]


    It seemed she heavily favoured the Vdrys alongside their Queen Mother and detested the Lyenysa ¨C which was a fair assessment from what had urred.


    But where calmer minds prevailed, others leaned on the far side of mania.


    [It''s too dangerous to leave any alive.] Artemis approached me, deep in thought. [They are all connected by their roots. Poison can be fed through the ground to weaken them, and then we can kill them.]


    [No!] Delphine eximed, as she gestured to the Vdrys. [I like the ones that look like them! Doing that will kill them too!]


    [Delphine, Artemis is right.] Apollo said to her. [No one can escape, or they wille back for revenge. We should prepare to sink the pathway.]


    [I want the big one.] Morgana muttered quietly. [She is strong. She will look better covered in blood.]


    [Should I alert Typhon?] Apollo asked me and the others joined him.


    I was speechless.


    What was wrong with these brats?


    It was like they had all been holding their breaths in the Nymph''s forest, and now it was impossible to shut them up.


    |[We won''t be doing anything.]| I frowned at them. |[They are our allies now. We don''t harm them. Unless one of them does something that goes against our friendship. Do you all understand?]|


    The nestlings looked quite puzzled, and I could understand why they were confused. If none of them overheard mine and the Nymph''s conversation, our antagonistic behaviour could easily be misread.


    Thankfully, they soon rxed and there was no more talk of killing.


    [So will they live with us now?] Delphine asked.


    |[God no.]| I scoffed. |[They are here to work, that''s it. They will go back after that.]|


    Delphine pondered. [So, they are here to help us?]


    |[Isn''t it obvious?]| I replied, before looking at the four Vdrys. |[Since their Queen Mother was gracious enough to hand them over, it would be rude not to use them for all their worth.]|


    The Vdrys stared at me in rm, their eyes quickly filling with terror as my words sunk in. They were probably thinking something horrible, but it was the opposite.


    Their first task would be to grow that fluffy fur-grass thing the Nymph had used, then after furnishing the cave to my specifications, they were to instruct my nestlings on where to find that honeb, as well as the other snacks I saw.


    While our alliance was steady, these Vdrys weren''t leaving anytime soon.


    To me, they were precious resources, and I intended to use every bit to make my life morefortable. And I expected nothing less than a feast!


    The nestlings also understood, and they nced at the Vdrys who collectively shivered in fear.


    |[They are also here to help you.]| I told them. |[Don''t hesitate to use them, but make sure they get some rest.]|


    The nestlings happily agreed, each one grinning sinisterly at the four Vdrys.


    I felt a little sorry for them, but more than that, I was impressed with my nestlings for their patience.


    The Lyenysa must have been provoking them throughout the banquet, but rather than fight them, they behaved amicably while waiting for me.


    It was only now I was learning their true feelings, and how smart they were not to show any irritation in front of the Nymph. It seemed I had been neglecting them for too long, as I barely knew any of their personalities.


    However, If I was certain about one thing, it was that I didn''t wish for them to be so cautious in expressing themselves.


    |[You all did well today.]| I told them. |[But If you ever feel ufortable about anything I do in the future, don''t hesitate to tell me.]|


    The nestlings exchanged looks, with Apollo and Morgana looking particrly surprised. But as I waited, none of them said anything besides nodding in agreement.


    Although I couldmunicate with them now, there was still a lot of trust to be earned.


    And thankfully, there was plenty of time to earn their trust.


    |[We should go up.]| I said to them. |[I''m sure Typhon and Ophelia are tired of waiting.]|


    The nestlings were pleased but Morgana noticeably flinched when she heard Typhon''s name, and I sighed when she started hanging back, reluctant to leave the underground.


    [You stay with me.] I said to her, and Morgana came over to follow me, her apprehension seemingly gone as she stuck closely to my side.


    I thought she was trying to escape by remaining down here, but it seemed that wasn''t the case.


    ?You are too soft.? Sensei scoffed.


    I rolled my eyes ¨C I hadn''t forgotten what Morgana did, but that didn''t mean I was going to let her get mistreated.


    We soon came out of the underground and heard some voices whispering by the entrance. Cygnus was the first toe out, and as he did, he collided with Arsinoe who was making her way down.


    She looked surprised to see us for some reason, agonisingly so ¨C she even blocked Cygnus''s path before he could move any further, but when she saw me she lowered her head.


    [Wee back.] Arsinoe muttered nervously. [How was the journey?]


    She seemed to be stalling, and as soon as she noticed Morgana behind me, her expression became quite ugly, and all her courtesy disappeared.


    [Why is she still here?!] Arsinoe shouted, seeming to lose her mind. [I can''t let them know! She can''t be here!]


    What was she talking about?


    Like me, the nestlings stared at her in confusion, but unlike us, I saw a slow smile creep across Morgana''s face. Did she know something we didn''t?


    [What happened?] Artemis asked, and his approach caused the panicking Arsinoe to stop pacing.


    [She clearly did something stupid.] Morgana interrupted before Arsinoe could answer, her sharp eyes pouring over her like she was a tasty morsel of food.


    [Shut up!] Arsinoe hissed at her. [This is all your fault! Who told you toe back? I should''ve won!]


    Artemis shook his head at her. [We don''t have time for whatever this is¡­]


    [Please wait here for a moment.] Arsinoe pleaded and red at Morgana. [And you need to hide!]


    [What?!] Delphine fumed, clearly tired of being stalled. [Get out of the way, don''t you see ''she'' is here?]


    [We don''t have time for your games.] Cygnus also repeated with a frown.


    [I know, I know, but...please wait.] Arsinoe cried out as Cygnus and Delphine stormed past her, causing her to panic even more.


    [Waittt!] She rushed to stop them. [It''s not a game. Help me out a little!]


    |[What happened?]| I asked the flustered Arsinoe, wondering what had gotten into her, but she only seemed to stutter.


    [I m-made a mistake!] Arsinoe replied. [And now...they are going to kill me!]


    |[Kill you? Who?]| I asked with a frown, but before she could say more, more voices called out from above.


    [What''s taking so long?] A serpent impatiently asked. [I heard something! Arsinoe, is that who I think it is?]


    [It''s not!] Arsinoe hissed back. [Don''te here!]


    [I don''t believe you.] The voice chuckled. [Cassio, she''s hiding something. I think they''re back!]


    The more the serpents spoke, the more Arsinoe seemed to wilt.


    [They''re not!] She shouted. [Don''te!]


    Her eyes silently pleaded with Cygnus and Delphine who already moved past her. When her pleas did not help, she rushed towards Morgana, seemingly determined to attack her.


    But it didn''t work as Morgana dodged her quite easily causing Arsinoe to stumble.


    I wondered what terrible monster made her so afraid and I looked towards the entrance, expecting to see something terrifying, and I was rather surprised when two ordinary serpents entered the underground.


    I recognized them immediately as Cassio and Andromeda.


    The two looked a lot like Typhon, only slightly smaller, and they grinded to a halt as soon as they saw me, each serpent bowing in greeting.


    But, unlike Typhon, they were decidedly less serious and extremely yful.


    [A wrong has beenmitted.] Cassio said. [We have been cheated.]


    [We ask for permission to catch the criminal.] Andromeda added.


    Ah.


    Arsinoe''s suspicious behaviour suddenly made sense. It seemed she owed them something and was trying to get away.


    I thought to stop them, but if Arsinoe truly wronged them, it was only right that she paid up, so I granted them my permission.


    And not long after, the two serpents cornered her from both sides, preventing her escaping anywhere.


    [Trying to hide the evidence, I see?] Andromeda smirked.


    [Not fast enough, my dear captain.] Cassio said in azy droll.


    Arsinoe backed away, hissing at them in panic. [It''s not that! You''re the ones who cheated! I''m not doing anything.]


    [You can''t take it back now!] Andromedaughed. [You made a trade and you lost.]


    [Pay the price and don''t struggle.] Cassio grumbled, seemingly offended that she would run. [It was a fair trade. We''re only collecting what is due to us.]


    [No!] Arsinoe hissed. [I''m not going there again! It stinks! I don''t want to!]


    Hmm?


    [You choose the hard way then.] Andromeda smirked and the underground erupted in loud crashes as Arsinoe was tackled and promptly seized.


    [Let go!] Arsinoe pitifully wailed, looking very much like a speckled parcel in the serpent''s grip.


    The two were far too excited to capture her and they didn''t hesitate to pull her towards a tunnel in the underground, one that I realised was now open.


    And I was shocked to see it was the tunnel that led directly to the Middle Stratum.

 Chapter 275 - Mining For Treasure

    |[Wait. Hold on a moment you two.]| I stopped the serpents who were about to drag Arsinoe into the hole. |[Don''t enter there for now.]|


    I couldn''t believe they were travelling to and from the Middle Stratum so easily. What if they encountered a serpent from the snake n or worse!


    What were they even doing there?


    And as I approached, Cassio and Andromeda stared at me in confusion, but Arsinoe took that distraction to strike out against Andromeda with a water de that was enough to push her away, but not enough to cause any real damage.


    And with the two now fully drenched, Arsinoe slipped between their curls, quickly making a break for the surface.


    Unfortunately, she didn''t get very far before tripping over a sudden gust of wind.


    Morgana, who positioned herself behind me, shot Arsinoe down rather ruthlessly, enough for Cassio to catch her in a single bound.


    [Let go!] Arsinoe shrieked, confused as to why she was suddenly on the ground. [It was an unfair trade, and you know it!]


    [Why? Because you lost?] Cassio chuckled. [Nice try, but I don''t agree.]


    [You must have cheated somehow!] Arsinoe argued back as she struggled to free herself.


    [How can we cheat when we were here with you?!] Andromeda hissed in anger. [Don''t be unreasonable!]


    [I don''t care! It''s still unfair!] Arsinoe whined.


    Rather than pay her any attention, Andromeda joined Cassio to restrain her thoroughly, and Arsinoe''s struggling ceased as her mouth was sealed shut.


    While this was happening, Morgana kept giggling from behind me, like it was all an amusing scene.


    If she did not apany me to see the Nymph, I would have thought she was behind it all somehow.


    |[Stop fighting. All of you.]| I frowned at the four of them. |[Nobody goes anywhere until you exin what happened here.]|


    Cassio grinned at me, seemingly more than keen. [Do you want to know what we found near the worm?]


    |[Worm?]|


    Ah.


    Were they talking about those precious metals inside the purple worm?


    I vaguely recalled asking them to retrieve some of it a while ago, but Ipletely forgot that matter.


    However, two more serpents came into the underground, and seeing Arsinoe in distress, they rushed to defend her.


    [Captain! What are they doing to you?] Otreia said in rm.


    [Don''t tell me¡­Did we lose?] Oteiza eximed in shock. [D-Does this mean we have to give them all our food?]


    Yet, as her team members looked to her for answers, Arsinoe doubled over with her eyes closed, making me re at her limp figure. Was she seriously pretending to faint?


    With no one to ask, her team members could only panic as their realities sunk in. Seeing they were both devastated, Cassio and Andromeda exchanged a look before smiling like sharks.


    [Don''t worry, we''re not interested in what you hunt.] Cassio said. [You can keep your food.]


    [Just pay us back with your bodies instead.] Andromeda echoed.


    But this did not garner the reaction they hoped.


    [No, no. You can take all our food!] Oteiza cried out, backing away from the two surprised serpents, and Otreia seemed to wither away, much like her captain as she too also copsed.


    Both serpents soon began to plead for their lives, much like Arsinoe earlier and I was getting more confused.


    Just what was going on here?


    Nevertheless, the sorrowful mournings of Otreia and Oteiza only seemed to make Morgana more upset, and she nudged against me, eyes wet with tears and clearly hurt by them, which made me feel conflicted.


    Things were really getting out of hand and the disgruntled atmosphere in the underground was getting more chaotic, forcing me to address the issue to keep the peace.


    |[What sort of trade did Arsinoe make?]| I questioned Andromeda.


    [There were several!] Andromeda happily replied. [She said Morgana wouldn''t return, because you were going to kill her in secret. She also said the nestlings you took weren''ting back because you were going to give them to the Queen Mother as payment for protecting us. She also said you and the Queen Mother have a strange rtionship and that you two are plotting to eat us all.]


    What the hell!


    It was quite a string of ludicrous statements, and I was quite shocked as Andromeda listed them out.


    What was Arsinoe thinking?


    [We said Morgana would return.] Andromeda continued. [And that none of those other things would happen. So since everyone came back, we clearly won!]


    Cassio also grinned. [She was so confident she wouldn''t lose, she agreed to do anything we asked in return, including helping us dig.]


    The underground fell to silence, and I couldn''t help staring at the speckled serpent that was trying so hard to remain immobile. Her team members were quite horrified to hear everything, and they trembled where they stood, unable to look at me.


    It seemed they had no clue of the extent of her bet either.


    And I sighed. |[What do you have to say for yourself?]|


    I directed my question to Arsinoe, but since she was still pretending, Otreia apologised on her behalf. [We made a mistake ¨C we didn''t know any better.]


    While Oteiza could only tremble beside her, far too afraid to speak.


    But I was much too exhausted to care and I just wanted it to be over.


    Clearly, Arsinoe had made a bad wager and lost terribly. As for her team members it wasn''t really their fault, so it was best to remove them from the consequences.


    |[Release Arsinoe for now.]| I said to Cassio. |[From what I see, Otreia and Oteiza didn''t do anything, so they shouldn''t be included in this wager.]|


    [Really?] Oteiza looked up, excitement written all over his face, but a single look from Otreia made him fall silent.


    Andromeda seemed reluctant, but Cassio released Arsinoe without any hesitation.


    [Done.] He replied. [So what are we to do with her now?]


    Together, we stared at the limp figure of Arsinoe, who was trembling slightly as she kept her eyes closed.


    |[What do you have in mind?]| I asked both serpents.


    [We n to make her dig for us, mostly.] Andromeda replied.


    [There''s too many precious stones.] Cassio added. [We need plenty of helpers to help us bring them up.]


    If that was the case, I could see why they wanted to rope in Otreia and Oteiza too, but I let them know tricking them through underhanded means wasn''t the best way. If they wanted help, they could simply ask me.


    Realising things weren''t going her way, Arsinoe could no longer pretend to faint.


    She snapped awake with a jolt, her jewel pink eyes searching the room, past Cygnus''s angry figure, tond on Artemis whom I realised was quietly sneaking away with the Vdrys.


    [They want me to enter a really smelly ce, help me out!] Arsinoe yelled at her former captain.


    She seemed desperate to appeal to herst lifeline, but Artemis didn''t seem to care.


    I found it quite funny that he was pretending she didn''t exist.


    [Don''t ignore me!] Arsinoeined. [Or I won''t help you grow your nts anymore!]


    Hearing this, Artemis sighed before turning to look at her in anger. [Who told you to make such a stupid bet?]


    I could see he wanted to help her out, but didn''t know how to, so I gave him an out.


    |[Take the Vdrys with you.]| I instructed him. |[They have plenty to work on and I want you to show them around.]|


    The Vdrys were more than happy to create the things I requested, including the fluffy cushions the Nymph had, and they left together with Artemis. Personally, I was looking forward to a good rest when I returned from the Middle Stratum, and daydreaming about it put me in a good mood.


    Unable to stop him leaving, Arsinoe could only re at her former Captain''s back.


    [You should know better.] Andromeda tutted at Arsinoe, and Cygnus shook his head in disappointment.


    [Er...I think I''ll go over and help them.] Apollo muttered, and I let him leave, watching him speed out of the underground.


    [Keep an eye on him until Ie back.] I said to Cygnus who looked shocked to hear my voice in his head. [Don''t let him leave the cave, and tell Typhon that I''m going with them.]


    Cygnus nodded and left with Delphine.


    I also gave Otreia and Oteiza permission to return, and they were reluctant to leave Arsinoe behind, but they didn''t have much choice than to obey.


    However, rather than showing remorse, Arsinoe pulled herself up with a huff. [You two can go. I''m not afraid of them anyway!]


    Her dismissive tone made Andromedaugh. [Good. I''m sure you''ll love it there. Your team is so lucky to have such a willing captain!]


    Arsinoe scowled at her, but Andromeda didn''t seem to notice.


    With Arsinoe''s team members gone, I was left with Morgana who continued to cling to me, alongside Cassio and Andromeda who nked Arsinoe on both sides.


    [Shall we?] Cassio said, and I followed them through the tunnel down to the Middle Stratum, where we began the tedious climb.


    At the top, the rocky ground was still scorched with the remnants of the battle with the purple worm, and I was brought to therge tunnel where Typhon and I had hidden away its body.


    The creature was already quite rotten and the stench it gave off was enough to keep every other monster away because of its foul blood. Yet, the lower we went, it quickly became apparent we were dealing with far more than two serpents could handle.


    The tunnel went on far longer than I wasfortable with, and at the end was an even deep channel where more than four enormous purple worms could fit throughfortably.


    The ce must have been used as air by different purple worms over the years and it stunk dreadfully with creature remains and other grisly deposits.


    [Great.] Arsinoe scoffed with a grimace. [I''ll never get the stink off me now!]


    Nheless, amongst all the crap was real treasure.


    The walls of the channel were worn and rough, but incredibly shiny where all kinds of precious stones that shone in the dark were embedded.


    The entireir was really an enormous cache of metal ingots, gold, brilliant gems, and other things I couldn''t yet identify.. Enough to make a gold mine look pitiful inparison.

 Chapter 276 - Magic Crystal Mine

    |[Amazing!]|


    I gazed at everything in an excited stupor, alongside Cassio and Andromeda who had simr looks of wonder.


    I''d never seen so much gold in my life.


    Their was quite pungent, but either way I was happy, because my Pit was made out of money!


    Just how much could it all be worth?


    Was this what being filthy rich felt like?


    [Following the worm''s tunnel was worth it!] Andromeda gushed, her eyes sparkling even brighter at the sight of the gems.


    [I''m d we never gave up!] Cassio grinned at his own golden reflection.


    It sounded like they had been through a tough time, but now the two were in perfect bliss.


    Their operation was quite extensive and I noticed a good portion of the gems had been separated from the rocks and left lying around.


    Typhon must have been down here previously to help, as there were even light crystals scattered around to illuminate sections.


    [What do you think?] Andromeda recovered from her glee and turned around to ask.


    |[You''ve done a great job.]| I replied, and the two serpents were ecstatic.


    They already did most of the work by finding the smelly cache, and now all that was left was to gather everything that had been removed.


    There were noisesing from inside their where several nestlings sorted through the rubble below to gather up the precious materials in piles. Nestlings that I assumed had lost against them in some wager or another, much like Arsinoe.


    But instead of joining them, their newest recruit was hanging back from the edge of the deepir, in an effort not to touch anything. And when I called her forward, she reluctantly approached.


    |[Go inside.]| I instructed her. |[The rocks are sharp, so be mindful on your way down.]|


    There was no room for arguments as it wasn''t a request, and Arsinoe looked about to cry. Nheless, she made her way down the tunnel, squirming ufortably as Morgana snickered.


    Unlike Arsinoe, Morgana didn''t seem to mind the stench at all and was in quite the good mood. The two clearly had a good rtionship, so I didn''t understand why they kept being hostile to each other.


    Once inside their, rather than gathering the fallen ingots with the other nestlings, Arsinoe made her way deep inside to an untouched section of their.


    Using her magic, she generated a concentrated propulsion of water and aimed it at the rocks, slicing through them in an attempt to separate more ingots herself.


    Perhaps she thought merely gathering ingots lying around was too boring?


    But, not long after, her water jet sliced through a particrly thick bedrock which erupted in a small explosion that sent Arsinoe flying back to the nestlings.


    I frowned at the sound, wondering what on earth she hit ¨C but that was not the end of it.


    Large tremors could be felt beneath the ground, and I immediately blinked below, generating a mass of darkness around the confused nestlings who were staring at Arsinoe''s body.


    Yet even with that, I felt the tremors of numerous rocks striking my darkness shield.


    A chain of explosions had been set off after the first, and the sts were erupting everywhere, muchrger, and far deadlier than Arsinoe''s. They decimated the ingot piles my nestlings had gathered and buried everything else under a thickyer of dusty debris.


    Under my darkness barrier, the nestlings cowered in fear at the loud bangs, and Arsinoe who fainted after being buried in dirt, had begun to stir.


    I was afraid the entire tunnel would copse because of the explosions, but after the first few sts closer to us, they seemed to continue further inwards, widening the cavern even further.


    Eventually, the explosions stopped, and I released the barrier to see their hadpletely transformed as the dust settled down.


    Most of what I saw was rubble, aside fromrger bits of rocks thatnded behind my barrier. The golden ingots and gems were still glimmering brightly around us, but the walls that housed them had copsed.


    Fortunately, the tunnel above was still intact and I could faintly hear Cassio, Andromeda and Morgana calling down to us.


    I was d they were safe, and I didn''t regret leaving them toe here. If I hadn''t, I was certain all the nestlings down here would have died.


    It seemed Arsinoe was destined to cause trouble wherever she went.


    The entireir was nowpletely dark, with all the light crystalspletely buried under rubble. It made sense that they could barely make us out in the thick dust cloud and if not for the green blue luminescence of my scales, the nestlings with me would have been the same.


    Still, I wished they would stop being so loud.


    The nestlings I saved were struggling to get up, each one coughing up a dust cloud. Arsinoe was still dazed on the ground, partially buried from the initial explosion that threw her, she was perhaps the most injured of them all.


    While I waited for her to recover, I called up to the nestlings above to tell them everyone was okay, and eventually their cries stopped.


    But what exactly happened?


    I headed towards the area where Arsinoe''s water de started the explosions and looked around.


    Most of the wall had been blown away, but instead of more ingots I found numerous crystals shaped like raw sapphires - crystals that glowed in a peculiar shade of cyan.


    They seemed familiar and then I realized they were stones I''d seen as part of the magic circuit on a certain elf''s ring. And I burst intoughter as my day had just gotten better!


    "Aren''t these magic power crystals?!" I eximed in excitement.


    If elves used them to power their storage rings, they must be worth something!


    ?Ether crystals.? Sensei corrected with a sigh.


    "Same thing!" I chuckled.


    Arsinoe''s intensely vibrating water de must have resonated with them somehow, causing the Ether inside the crystals to explode.


    "But aren''t they a bit too many though?" I pondered.


    The ones embedded into the ring were quite tiny, the smallest being only slightlyrger than a grain of sand. Yet together they could power up an entire storage ring.


    Meanwhile, the smallest crystal here was asrge as a human fist, all arrayed next to each other and all perfectly vtile.


    It was no wonder one crystal set off an explosion and I carefully backed away from them - this ce could be a death trap if we are not careful.


    However, before I could leave, I felt another rumbleing from the ground.


    It didn''t sound like an explosion, but it belonged to something else that I also didn''t want to encounter.


    A purple worm burst out of the ground, its gaping maw and hideously sharp teeth, rushing towards my terrified nestlings ¨C In particr, Arsinoe''s petrified figure.


    Before it could take a bite out of her, I blinked in front of it, tackling the slippery creature away from Arsinoe.


    We crashed into the rubble, the armoured worm proving to be quite strong, but I forced it between my curls and sliced through its armour with my razor sharp scales as it gave a loud screech.


    But that scream was abruptly cut off as the worm''s body went limp.


    Multiple bleeding holes had opened up throughout its armoured hide, where my pronged tail stabbed in quick session.


    I attacked its soft tissues with equal parts darkness and poison, and the body of the purple worm copsed from the inside before it could properly attack, dying soon after it came out of the ground.


    When I released it, the hideous wormnded near my terrified nestlings, covering them in dirt and purple slime much to their shock.


    They were trembling like leaves, including Arsinoe, whose jewel pink eyes were wide open, with a terrified look frozen on her face, as if the creature was still heading for her.


    But I assured them it was very much dead ¨C and I even stabbed the creature''s body once more to prove it.


    When this didn''t calm them down, I decided it was time for us to leave the tunnel. The Ether crystals weren''t safe, and more worms could be heading here the more time we wasted.


    However, Cassio had climbed down the tunnel, Andromeda following quickly behind him. The two were quite anxious to see me and to my disbelief, they apologised for the appearance of the worm.


    [They rarelye here.] Cassio said. [I didn''t expect one toe out now. Forgive us!]


    He and Andromeda were quite apologetic, seemingly even more fearful than the nestlings who had encountered the worm themselves.


    But why did he think he was at fault for that? If anything, it was Arsinoe who caused the whole incident.


    |[They are drawn towards noise.]| I replied. |[It has nothing to do with you! But just work quietly from now on.]|


    It was only then that Cassio rxed, and I nced at Arsinoe who still had a surprised face. Perhaps bringing her here wasn''t such a good idea.


    But then, I felt more rumbles, this timeing from above us where a smaller purple worm had appeared near Morgana. She did not toe down with Cassio and Andromeda, and as a result she became an easy target.


    I was about tounch a darkness de to kill it when Morgana called back.


    [I don''t need help. I can take care of it.] She said, her voice steely with resolve.


    Oh? Could she actually do it?


    They soon began to battle with Morgana barely dodging the creatures attacks before it took a bite out of her.


    And since she didn''t want any help, I decided to sit back and watch the show.


    I then noticed Arsinoe staring at me while still sprawled on the ground.


    |[Aren''t you going to get up?]| I asked.


    The speckled serpent seemed to have forgotten where she was and simply blinked at me in confusion.


    [You''re really strong!] Arsinoe said in surprise. [Can you teach me?]


    I had to wonder if she hit her head in the explosion.


    As I was about to answer, the corpse of the smaller purple worm came crashing down towards us, its armour carapace riddled with horrible wounds, Arsinoe immediately recovered from her shock and red at Morgana''s figure.


    Morgana was covered in injuries, but she was extremely excited, even delighted.


    Was she perhaps preparing for her battle with the scorpion queen?


    Seeing this, I couldn''t stop grinning.


    Of the two serpents, one was perhaps the most troublesome and shamelessly brazen, while the other was proving quite determined to live.


    Why did they have to be the least loyal?


    Yet, it seemed Morgana had overestimated herself, because she fainted right after her victory, falling into the tunnel much like the worm she defeated.


    And I frowned.


    Did she expect me to blink over there and catch her?

 Chapter 277 - No Secrets

    Our return to the cave caused quite a stir.


    Typhon and Ophelia were waiting for us, along with all the nestlings who were excited to see us, but as soon as we entered, their faces quickly changed to looks of fright at our dishevelled states.


    It would have been nice if more purple worms didn''t arrive after the first two, but we weren''t so lucky.


    After Morgana''s victory we were set upon by an onught of the creatures, drawn towards us by the explosion, and we were forced to abandon our gathering efforts, leaving the crystal mine filled with quite a few corpses as we fought our way to the surface.


    Thankfully, no one was seriously injured, and after a round of [Recovery Potion] they were very much safe.


    [We should do that again!] Andromeda eximed as she dragged in a trail of grime.


    [Agreed!] Cassio repeated. [That was fun!]


    [Go on your own next time!] Arsinoe shut them down immediately, furious.


    Even after an impromptu bath on the cliff''s edge, we all stank terribly, she being the dirtiest of us all as her body was coated in slime. I didn''t me her for looking horrified.


    [What happened?] Typhon eyed us suspiciously, while Ophelia guided the tired nestlings away.


    [We were attacked by worms.] Andromeda replied. [It was great! I even got an egg!]


    Ah yes.


    Another dead worm that just happened to have eggs.


    I wasn''t sure it was a good idea to bring more back, but Andromeda insisted.


    [We can use them to find otherirs when they hatch.] she said, and I paused ¨C that really wasn''t a bad idea.


    [You should have waited for us before heading there.] Typhon red at us, disappointed at our recklessness.


    But when he caught sight of Morgana sneaking out from behind me, his look changed to one of fury.


    Ophelia stopped fussing at the nestlings toe over when she sensed his rage, afraid he would do something.


    Thankfully, Morgana had the good sense to slip away without looking back.


    [Is this her doing?] Typhon asked, and I could see Arsinoe had made herself as small as possible, hiding behind Cassio and Andromeda.


    |[No. But she was really helpful in dealing with the situation.]| I answered, hoping to calm him down.


    Morgana had taken quite a beating from the purple worms, and although I gave her a healing potion after, her stats still hadn''tpletely recovered fully.


    --------------


    Name: Morgana [LV17 Small Cerastes]


    Specie: Ailith Vipera


    HP: 154/320   Defence: 482


    MP: 172/324   Intellect: 280


    SP: 259/360   Magic: 317


    Attack: 350    Agility: 498


    --------------


    Her overall appraisal results,pared to those of Typhon, were quite pitiful too.


    As it was, he could take her out in a single blow.


    --------------


    Name: Typhon [LV24 Small Cerastes]


    Specie: Ailith Vipera


    HP: 485/485 Defence: 610


    MP: 460/460 Intellect: 340


    SP: 510/510  Magic: 412


    Attack: 590  Agility: 488


    --------------


    I could tell Typhon wanted to say something, but I stopped him. |[Leave her be. She''s been through a lot.]|


    The moment Morgana left the underground Ophelia approached him.


    [You''re being too hard on her.] She said, much to his irritation. [Morgana has already been punished.]


    [That doesn''t change what she''s done.] Typhon remained adamant. [Those reptiles will never improve until her influence is gone.]


    I had to agree.


    Their bond with Morgana was quite strong as they saw her as a parental figure. It would take either her death orplete erasure of their memories to return them to how they were before.


    The underground had gotten quite awkward in the silence that persisted, and the nestlings around me were quite anxious, so I ordered them to get cleaned up and to return to their duties.


    Arsinoe was more than happy to flee, although Cassio and Andromeda were not far behind.


    When all the purple worms had left, it would be safe to continue gathering the treasure again. But for now, the bustling underground grew empty with only Typhon and Ophelia beside me.


    We headed for the deeper cells where the reptiles were as I was curious to know how they were being contained.


    Yet, I found every single one unconscious, their scaly bodies moving in rhythm as they slept.


    [I put them to sleep.] Ophelia spoke up, observing my frown. [That''s all I can do for now ¨C or they won''t settle down without Morgana there, and I don''t want to keep hurting them.]


    Typhon grimaced, clearly upset with Morgana as he looked at the creatures.


    It was fascinating to know their dormant state was due to Ophelia''s mental suppression, and so effortlessly too.


    So, I appraised her.


    --------------


    Name: Ophelia [LV22 Small Cerastes]


    Specie: Ailith Vipera


    HP: 425/425 Defence: 380


    MP: 502/525 Intellect: 400


    SP: 352/352 Magic: 465


    Attack: 415  Agility: 685


    --------------


    Comparing their stats, Typhon excelled in defence, while Ophelia was faster and had more mana at her disposal. There was no telling who was stronger than who but seeing how much they had both improved made me really happy.


    I had no doubts about their loyalty, and as my strongest and most trusted ¨C we couldn''t have any secrets moving forward. And so, I felt it was about time to warn them about the serpent n.


    I told them everything the Nymph had told me and from their looks of surprise, it was quite a shock to hear we had enemies we''d never even met.


    |[Have you or any of the others ever seen serpents in the Middle Stratum?]| I asked Typhon.


    [No.] He replied. [But I will keep a look out for them from now on.]


    |[What about you, Ophelia?]|


    She seemed to ponder her response, before answering.


    [Not serpents but...] Ophelia confessed. [I saw fish people swimming in the water.]


    Fish what?


    Typhon and I gave her incredulous looks and Ophelia immediately back-pedalled.


    [I¡­ I might have been mistaken. It was really far away¡­] she replied.


    I wasn''t sure what to make of that, but whatever there were, they weren''t our concern, so I let it go.


    |[If you ever meet any serpents, don''t interact with them.]| I told them.


    [Shouldn''t we capture them?] Typhon asked. [And find out where they live?]


    |[No, there''s no need.]| I cautioned them both. |[They are hostile and very dangerous to us, so it''s best to avoid them.]|


    [We should at least check for other caves.] Typhon pondered. [Maybe some other nestlings survived.]


    Ophelia nodded. [And Ghad is still out there too. We should find him quickly.]


    That was true, we still had no clue of Ghad''s whereabouts.


    |[I''ll search for him myself.]| I said to them. |[He might be strong with his spirit apanying him, but he may be in some real danger if he stays out for too long.]|


    [I doubt that.] Typhon scoffed, but Ophelia jabbed his side, forcing his mouth shut.


    And I sighed. |[I know you suspect he did something to the traps, but I don''t believe Ghad would do something like that.]|


    Typhon and Ophelia exchanged a look, both clearly disagreeing with me.


    I sighed helplessly. The real culprit was Apollo, but I didn''t want to tell them just yet, fearing Typhon would fly into rage again.


    However, Typhon misunderstood my look of worry and changed the subject.


    [Their Queen Mother told you all of this?] He asked, his voiceced with suspicion. [What exactly is your rtionship? Are you sure she isn''t taking advantage of you?]


    Our rtionship¡­wait. How did he know?


    They were both waiting for an answer, which made me feel shy all of a sudden.


    [So it''s true.] Typhon frowned in disapproval. [Did she threaten you?]


    |[No, of course not!]| I eximed. |[Stop thinking strange things.]|


    Was this where Arsinoe got her weird ideas from?


    [Do you like her?] Ophelia was thoughtful, and she giggled when I looked away. [We''d like to meet her sometime too!]


    |[No!]| I had to calm down. |[She''s just our ally. Nothing more.]|


    Ophelia nodded, but her lopsided smile told me she didn''t believe it.


    Typhon simply sighed and shook his head. [We will have to talk with her eventually.]


    [Yeah, we need to know her intentions.] Ophelia echoed with a giggle, and I frowned.


    It seemed I didn''t convince them at all.


    I didn''t want to talk about it anymore, so I ignored their snidements and proceeded to leave the underground, but the amused duo followed closely.


    What horrid captains I had!


    I couldn''t believe they knew the Nymph''s true feelings before me, and still didn''t say anything!


    As we came out, a tiny creature in a ck and red dress sped towards us, translucent wings buzzing behind her.


    [I see you weren''t eaten.] The dark fae said with a malicious grin. [What took you so long?]


    Not her too!


    Was I the only one here that didn''t know?


    |[Your Queen Mother is looking for you.]| I red at her. |[You should get back to her, quickly.]|


    [Hmph! I''m not leaving.] The dark fae grumbled and flew over to Typhon''s side, and with her nestled on his head, it became quite difficult to stay angry.


    Typhon didn''t seem to mind her either so we just went around the cave, and I saw much had changed since the Vdrys returned. There were new furnishings and most of the cracks in the walls had been fixed.


    But as we approached the Pit, a peculiar sight caught my attention.


    Arge scorpion was being ripped apart by my nestlings, alongside some wounded wolves.


    Europa was treating their injuries with Lyra, and surprisingly none of them were attacked.


    |[What is this?]| I asked my captains.


    [We found this scorpion not far from here.] Typhon casually said. [We killed It before it could escape.]


    |[Ah yes¡­I see, but I mean the wolves.]| I asked.


    I was sure I told them the [Pit] didn''t need more members.


    [We have been hunting with the Alpha.] Ophelia nervously replied. [Our uracy has increased since they joined us, and all without any injuries to us! They are very skilled hunters.]


    She was pretty much saying, ''ept them please'', and I noticed her eyes kept straying to look at their furry coats.


    I was hesitant.


    First there were the reptiles, the Vdrys, the bottom feeders and now the wolves ¨C wasn''t the cave getting a bit too crowded?


    But Ophelia pleaded with me. [Can they stay a little longer? They won''t cause any trouble.]


    And I sighed - I was getting tired of the taste of scorpion and wanted to try something new.


    But if I agreed to let them stay, that meant I won''t get to eat the wolves anymore.


    It was quite a troubling decision.

 Chapter 278 - A Peaceloving Clan?

    Eventually we headed outside, Typhon and Ophelia showing me that the traps with bottom feeders had been reset and covered up with foliage to prepare for any new attacks.


    With the new trees of the Nymph''s forest spreading far and wide, the forest was now ringly bright ¨C its pinkish red leaves somewhat strange and unfamiliar.


    Scorpion corpses littered everywhere, but they had be part of the soil and were overgrown with nts, removing all traces of the previous battle.


    I also noted that unlike before, the forest was incredibly quiet, giving me the impression that we were the only creatures around for miles.


    I should have been happy, but because it was due to the Nymph''s interference, I felt somewhat trapped seeing her traces everywhere. Didn''t this mean she could now walk freely from her part of the forest into mine?


    ?You''ve been marked by her. It will be very difficult to get away.? Sensei said, reading my thoughts.


    And I sighed ¨C why did he make it sound so sinister?


    It wasn''t like she was closing in on prey.


    Still, It wasn''t a good thing that her forest was spreading.


    If this continued, to escape her presence the shadow creature''sir in the valley would be the only ce I could hide.


    I was confident the Nymph wouldn''t be able to reach there even in a few years - but I hoped things wouldn''t get so dire.


    Regardless, that was a problem for the future. For now, there were other matters at hand.


    When I looked down, a few of the Abyssal monsters were resting outside the cave, fully fed and brimming with mana. Cygnus was even taunting an Abyssal serpent which surprised me.


    He didn''t seem put off by the creature''s almost skeletal appearance and even seemed intent onmunicating with it. My nestlings used to be scared of them and I was surprised they had gotten used to them so soon.


    As for the Abyssal serpent, it didn''t even react to him, as if he wasn''t there at all. Instead, it turned its head with a bored look, its eyes fixed on me.


    I was d to see my orders were still in effect, but once again I felt strange - like it wasn''t my ce to give them orders.


    [Cygnus wants to know who is faster.] Typhon spoke up when he saw me looking. [He has raced every creature here, all except them and he is curious. I can tell him to stop.]


    |[It''s fine.]| I replied.


    It was just a bit of fun and I didn''t think too much of it, so I gave new orders to the antisocial Abyssal creatures.


    After a while, the serpent, alongside a few of the other monsters, sped off after Cygnus. They even seemed to be keeping pace with him, some even outdoing him as they all disappeared into the dense forest.


    Iughed.


    The creatures were unusual but they were still part of my [Pit], so I thought it was a good idea to foster a sort of rtionship on some level, like Sylrin was doing with the alpha - although I wasn''t sure how much these Abyssal monsters understood.


    Maybe in time they woulde to see them in the same way they saw me. Either way, I was sure Cygnus would find a good challenge in them.


    Speaking of Sylrin, I realized he wasn''t back yet.


    When I asked Typhon, he only confirmed my earlier suspicions.


    [Most creatures around the cave have fled away.] He answered tly. [To find more prey, we have been hunting further away, so it takes longer. But he should be back soon.]


    Hmm.


    It seemed Abyssal monsters had hunted down most of the creatures around.


    I knew it would happen sooner orter, but it was worse than I thought.


    To sustain my [Pit] we needed more creatures to hunt and fast.


    I looked up at Ophelia who was perched high up on a thick branch, in order to oversee her surroundings.


    |[Apart from the scorpions, have there been any sign of the apes?]| I asked her.


    [Not since you returned.] She grinned in reply. [We used to have a group of them watching us, but I haven''t seen any since.]


    Watching, but not attacking?


    It seemed they figured out we were involved somehow.


    Still, it wasn''t all bad.


    We might have dyed their retaliation by getting them involved with the scorpions, but it sounded like an attack was inevitable.


    [They didn''t suffer too many losses from the scorpions.] Typhon added. [The colossal ape decimated their forces and made them retreat. I believe the scorpions attacked us because they believed we would be easier targets to feed on, to replenish their numbers.]


    Typical.


    Damn them for preying on a smaller [Pit] like mine. Too bad they suffered an even worse defeat!


    |[Keep watching.]| I said to Ophelia. |[Let me know if you spot any of them lurking around.]|


    Ophelia enthusiastically nodded.


    [What do you have in mind?] Typhon questioned.


    |[We will attack the scorpions first since they are weakened.]| I replied. |[We have the advantage as long as the apes don''t attack us at the same time.]|


    Plus, there were plenty of them, so they could feed the Abyssal monsters for a while.


    [And what if they do?] Typhon asked, his keen eyes probing me for a sign of weakness.


    And I red at him in disbelief ¨C was this brat testing me?


    |[If they do, then I would have to take out their leader first!]| I answered in a smug tone. |[His strength is their biggest weakness. Once he is down, the others will lose their confidence and disappear.]|


    That, or they would get even angrier and more motivated to kill us, which was also good ¨C but I didn''t say this out loud.


    [Fine.] Typhon replied after a pause, his stare rather cryptic. [But I will go with you. Two heads are better than one.]


    And I nced at him, immediately feeling annoyed.


    He seemed satisfied by what I said, so why was heing as well?


    Wasn''t this saying he didn''t believe me?


    |[There''s no need.]| I replied, but Typhon remained silent, neither agreeing or disagreeing, forcing Ophelia to swoop down between us to dispel the awkwardness in the air.


    [I wille too!] She dered. [We can''t let you face a dangerous monster alone. We want to protect you, please let us be useful.]


    I felt slightly less irritated with her reasoning, but I still had to refuse them.


    I admired their courage and while I agreed they had gotten stronger ¨C they still weren''t on the level to take on such a dangerous opponent. And I was hesitant to put them at risk.


    |[I will think about it.]| I replied, making Ophelia very thrilled, whereas Typhon remained the same ¨C still as stubborn as before.


    |[But don''t take things too lightly.] I warned them. |[And don''t ever think your opponent is stupid.]|


    It was an easy mistake, and one that had gotten me into quite a few blunders in the past. I liked to think I was no longer that same snake¡­


    [We won''t!] Ophelia grinned in reply, and I sighed.


    There wasn''t much else to say to the eager captains, so I left them to keep watch and returned inside.


    The cave was bustling with activity, and I avoided all the noisy areas, eager to find somewhere quiet to rest.


    ?Isn''t it time you named your growing [Pit]?? Sensei asked.


    "Huh, I can?" I was exhausted from moving around nonstop, but this sounded interesting!


    ?Of course.? Sensei replied. ?You have enough members and enough resources to be your own n. So why not name it and make it official??


    I was suspicious. Why bring this up all of a sudden?


    Besides, wouldn''t dering ourselves as a separate entity put us in direct conflict with the serpent n?


    Sensing my hesitation, Sensei chuckled. ?You''re already in conflict. So you might as well take the initiative and dere war.?


    "What?! No way!" I frowned. What was this maniac thinking?!


    I spotted a Vdrysing out from an empty room, a curtain of leaves falling behind her, and I rushed in immediately, making myselffortable on the leafy bed.


    Sensei was crazy if he thought I would actively dere war!


    Didn''t he see I was just a happy, peaceful snake?


    ?Wouldn''t you rather take the advantage by attacking first, than being at their mercy when they attack?? Sensei asked and I scoffed ¨C the only one I was at a mercy of was my maniac of a system.


    "Nope. I''d rather sleep without being disturbed." I replied.


    However, before I could settle in properly, the dark fae burst into the room, wriggling into my fluffy cocoon until she was right next to me.


    |[Why are you here?]| I red at the tiny intrusion.


    [You look different.] The dark fae remarked. [Why are you bigger and why are you glowing?]


    |[I tried a new lotion.]| I rolled my eyes and went back to sleep.


    But the dark fae hovered suspiciously around my head, her buzzing figure appearing muchrger.


    [Why do you have so many sets of teeth?]


    |[So I can eat you.]| I replied, my eyes fully closed, yet I still saw her vividly.


    The dark fae huffed and crossed her arms as she hovered in front of me.


    [Why do you have so many eyes?] she asked again and I was tempted to reach forward and swallow her whole.


    |[Because I need¡­to see all my enemies?]| I eventually replied, and the dark fae seemed to think it over, before shrugging. I guess she found my exnation okay.


    But then she stuck her hand out. [I know you have sweets. Share.]


    And I scoffed. So that was her true aim.


    |[I don''t have any.]| I lied.


    But the dark fae did not go away, she simply frowned, waiting impatiently with her hand out.


    With great reluctance, I retrieved some honeb from [Dimensional Box], which she gobbled up in mere seconds , before curling up next to me to sleep. I felt myself burn with rage when I realized this freeloader was just treating me as her food provider.


    ?You still want to be a peaceful creature?? Sensei mocked.


    "Yes." I replied with gritted teeth.


    It seemed Sensei was intent on annoying me, so I decided to ignore him and focus on something else.


    Something exciting.


    I retrieved a in wooden box from [Dimensional Box], as well as the storage ring.


    The mine explosion has triggered my interest in the ring once more, and I wanted to try and see if I could crack it open.


    However, Sensei lost his cool at the sight of the two objects.


    ?Have you lost your mind?!?

 Chapter 279 - The Unfathomable Ring

    ?Keep that box out of sight!? Sensei shouted.


    And I frowned. Why was he suddenly like this?


    "Stop yelling. It''s not what you think." I replied.


    ?Do you want to kill all of your nestlings and everyone within a thousand metres?? Sensei asked. ?Because opening that box is the fastest way to do so.?


    A thousand metres? That''s scary!


    "Calm down. I''m not going to open it." I grumbled.


    In truth, rather than the thing inside, I was more interested in the construction of the box itself.


    ?Then why is it outside?? Sensei asked.


    "I just want to take a look at it, that''s all." I tried to exin. "Aren''t you curious, how a simple box like this can keep that powerful relic''s petrification contained inside?"


    However, Sensei remained adamant. ? No, I''m not. Some things are better left unknown.?


    Tch. I pouted.


    Wasn''t he being too cautious?


    I looked down at the two most interesting objects I''d found so far.


    The box was very unassuming, and the ring was very beautiful. Both held untold secrets.


    If he thought I would let them go without learning about them, he was sorely mistaken!


    First, I stroked the box, careful not to stab through the wood grains.


    How bumpy it felt! And delicate too, like it would fall apart at the slightest pressure.


    Nheless, I was hesitant to use [Mind''s Eye] on it.


    There was a possibility it would negate the protective properties of the box, petrifying me for gazing at its contents. I wasn''t that curious yet, so I resorted to safely examining the wood.


    The lid could be raised rather easily and was in so I twisted the box around to take a look at all four sides. Still, I found no hidden power sources, patterns or text that could give me any context or clues, which made me annoyed.


    How tricky this was proving to be!


    Upon closer inspection, I noticed a clear substance simr to resin coating the wood, its outside encased in a waterproofyer, and I leaned closer to sniff it, confused at the sweet, yet sulphuric smell.


    Every inch of wood was covered, which made me wonder if this substance was the secret?


    Perhaps [Appraisal] would work now since the box was closed.


    I''d been hesitant to use it before, because of what happened, but at the time, I''d been focused on appraising the jewel itself, not even considering appraising the box containing it.


    Still, although I was convinced of its safety, I took the sleeping dark fae with me, retreating as far away as I could, just in case, before using [Appraisal] on the box''s lid.


    And I got a result.


    --------------


    Name: Nectar of Yirael


    Specie: Primum Lignum


    The crystallised resin of thergest tree on Aeon. This nectar is sought after for its many properties. When used in enchantments, it amplifies the capabilities of any known magic. Its samples are exceedingly rare and spread across several continents, and even harder to acquire because they appear predominantly in the lower Stratums of Labyrinths.


    [Rarity: S]


    --------------


    Cool!


    I was so ecstatic that I dropped the dark fae before rushing over.


    [OWw! What are you doing?!] The tiny girl protested as she awoke with a start, but I ignored her.


    [Appraisal] actually worked!


    However it seemed I could only appraise the resin. Still, I was making progress!


    ?Aurelia.? Sensei spoke up. ?Are you listening to me??


    "Hmm...oh yeah. Yes I am!"


    ?Then, what did I just say?? Sensei simmered in anger.


    "Uh... Don''t eat the box?" I muttered, and reluctantly put down the box I was about to taste.


    ?Don''t open it, don''t touch it, just hide somewhere far away and forget about it.? Sensei said in annoyance and I scoffed at his insistence. What a spoil sport!


    Okay, maybe I was going too far in thinking the strange resin would increase my power, but he didn''t have to be so mean about it!


    The dark fae also came over to berate me, but after giving her another piece of honeb, she settled back down to eat it, giving me a moment to think.


    Perhaps he was right in that I should let it go. It was way too dangerous to probe the box here.


    I would only understand more by opening the box somewhere far away, and so I just red at it in hopes that more of its secrets would be revealed.


    ?Will you put it away now?? Sensei eventually asked and I sighed in defeat, eventually returning it to [Dimensional Box].


    Instead, I focused on the weaker alternative to satiate my curiosity ¨C the elf''s ring.


    ?Put that away too.? Sensei grumbled discontentedly.


    "There could be things inside that can help me." I refuted him.


    Apart from the Journal, I mean.


    The elf carried this with her, so everything she used while in the Labyrinth must be inside. I could imagine it contained food, weapons, as well as other supplies, perhaps a number of scrolls I could now read, as well as some magical items.


    ?That ring won''t open because it doesn''t belong to you.? Sensei said without a care. ?And you will fail the quest if you don''t destroy it.?


    I scoffed at his words.


    As if a mere [500XP] reward was enough to tempt me away from its contents.


    If he made it [10,000XP] I might reconsider.


    "I should at least try!" I stubbornly replied, and I stopped hearing Sensei''s voice.


    Under [Mind''s Eye] the ring''s core consisted of sixteen Ether crystals while the surface of the ring was riddled with intricate text that crept across the silver, all written in Sidrian.


    After reading them, I understood what each one did on a surface level, but there were some whose functions ovepped, the inscriptions blending into each other to fulfil their function,plicating them even further.


    Some were even nks that made no sense!


    One of these was used to register the mana signature of the ring''s owner, but it was also linked to another that was rigged to destroy every Ether crystal the ring contained, as soon as it detected a pulse.


    The ring creator was quite insidious - I realized it was likely meant to destroy itself after maiming the thief, or even killing them. It was a good thing I didn''t have an arm to put it on!


    Separating these two interlinked functions was proving difficult, I would need more than a basic understanding of elf magic.


    "Why is this ring soplex?" I cried out in frustration.


    I''d been motionless for so long trying to decipher each inscription that the dark fae was now asleep on my curls ¨C the brat was even snoring, and seeing her made me realise just how mentally drained I felt.


    ?It was made by a Grandmaster.? Sensei spoke up. ?It has countless safeguards to protect its contents from thieves and to make sure it is returned to him. What makes you think you can break it open without any knowledge??


    While my magic was more instinctive, the magic of elves functioned very differently as I was beginning to find out. It had a lot of rules that seemed more like a math problem than anything and I hated that he was right.


    "Then help me open it!" I shot back. "Since you know so much!"


    ?That ring should be destroyed as part of the quest.? Sensei tly replied.


    "Would it kill you to do something I want for a change?!" I yelled at him.


    ?I should ask you the same question.? Sensei replied. ?I already told you nothing inside will benefit you, you''ll only be risking your life, yet you insist on disobeying me. What exactly are you trying to prove??


    "I''d rather find that out myself!" I frowned. I didn''t need him telling me what to do.


    ?Then don''t ask me to help you.? Sensei replied, his voice fading away.


    This annoying, unhelpful bastard!


    I was so upset I couldn''t stand to look at the ring any longer, and Iunched it at the wall in frustration.


    Yet, Sensei didn''t speak, and I got even more determined to open it.


    I retrieved the ring and continued working on it for a while longer, but when I looked up, several hours had passed.


    The dark fae was nowhere to be found, instead it was Ophelia who had snuck in to curl up on my bed, her numerous flexible wings fanning out everywhere as she muttered in her sleep.


    And I scowled.


    Who was next? Arsinoe?


    However, I didn''t have the heart to wake her up and when her feathers brushed against me, I felt noticeably calmer.


    But after more attempts at bypassing the ring with Ophelia looking over my curls, nothing still worked, and I grew frustrated again.


    As time passed, Ophelia eventually left, but she was quickly reced by Typhon who came in to check on me. I had been holed up inside for quite some time, so he was understandably concerned.


    [What are you doing here?] Typhon asked exasperatedly.


    I realised the room was in disarray with all sorts of symbols carved into every surface I could find. I was sure I looked quite insane.


    |[Er¡­]| How was I to exin?


    I didn''t want to hide anything, but I wasn''t sure exactly how to start.


    Should I tell him about the system that was currently driving me insane?


    The Grandmaster''s journal?


    Or the relic that could kill us all as soon as I opened it?

 Chapter 280 - Abyss Magic

    Eventually, I told him about the Grandmaster''s journal, since it was the easiest of the three, and I promised there would be no more secrets between us.


    Perhaps he could shed some light on the situation that I was missing.


    [How do you know the journal is valuable without seeing it?] Typhon asked, catching on fairly quickly.


    I couldn''t exactly tell him how I knew without mentioning Sensei, so I simply said it belonged to a powerful elf.


    [If it contains something valuable, we should open it.] Typhon replied, and if he thought there were missing holes in my exnation, he didn''t mention it.


    But he did bring up something important.


    [If the owner is powerful, what stops them froming after it?] He asked.


    It was a valid concern, but once I told him the ring was designed to explode if worn by the wrong person, his doubts were lessened. If the ring could be tracked, there was no need to resort to such an extreme as self-destruction if it were stolen.


    And this only served to prove its value.


    Typhon scrutinized the ring for a while before adding. [It would be best to take out its contents and discard it far away from us. We shouldn''t take chances.]


    I nodded.


    So far I hadn''t spotted the elf girl or her party. After leaving the Valley, they briefly crossed the forest around Sylrin''sir, but they continued southward, seemingly heading towards the desertedndscape Cygnus''s team had visited once.


    [Are youing?] Typhon asked.


    I refused because I felt I was close to figuring it out, and he eventually left.


    I''d seeded in separating some nk inscriptions from the real ones and this gave me real hope that the ring could be opened by separating the destructive trigger from the ring''s main function.


    However, implementing this past the theory stage was proving even more sinister.


    Every inscription of the ring had a separate function but the ones I deciphered so far seemed to have two different types, based on their duration.


    Once active, some only functioned for a frighteningly short time ¨C like the self-destruct inscription, while others repeated their effects continuously as long as they had power ¨C like the one to recognise the wearer''s mana signature, amongst several others.


    The mana signature had a longer duration, since it needed to be active at all times, however its function was linked to another short spell which would then match new mana signatures to the one it recognised.


    This happened as soon as the ring came into contact with a new wearer.


    The issue with this was that the duration of this inscription was also short, and to make it worse, it worked in tandem with other shorter inscriptions, so amending it was near impossible.


    Longer inscriptions were much more stable and could take to changes better as they functioned like a ry, while the shorter ones were far more vtile.


    The ring had to be worn to trigger an explosion, so another spell was needed to check the wearer''s pulse before matching their mana, or else the ring would self-destruct at the mere passing of a creature with mana.


    If I attempted to change the mana signature and failed, this shorter inscription could trigger the ring before I could try again.


    To cancel the ring''s self-destruct function, I would have to overwrite the mana signature of the ring, all without interfering with other ovepping functions and those linked to recognition, as well as other spatial aspects that needed recognition to make the ring open sessfully.


    If either of these steps failed, not only could the destruction be triggered, but the ring''s connection to its pocket dimension would be permanently lost.


    And this, alongside everything else, was driving me nuts.


    More hours passed, and several attemptster, I was no closer to bypassing the ring''s simplest protections, which made me bury my head in shame.


    What was this nightmare?!


    The elf ring was looking more and more like a tool that had been sent to torment me, rather than a thing filled with ''otherworld'' snacks that would be amazing to eat!


    I was sulking miserably ¨C the ring once again cast away, when Sensei spoke.


    ?I told you it would be difficult.? He said with a sigh. ?Why do you insist on being so difficult??


    His voice was not smug or arrogant like I expected, rather he sounded drained ¨C not that I cared, I was still angry at him.


    "I''m not speaking to you." I scoffed.


    ?Really, now?? Sensei''s voice dripped with sarcasm. ?So why did you call me??


    I raised my head with a hiss. "I didn''t!"


    Sensei chuckled. ?Should I leave then??


    "No, wait! I need you to tell me something." I blurted out in annoyance. "What exactly is Abyss magic, and what does it make me if I''m able to use it?"


    Sensei paused to consider before exining. ?In many ways, Aeon was formed from the Abyss, so every living creature that exists on Aeon rightfully belongs to the Abyss, which means they both exist in the same timeline, but share separate realities.?


    Hmm?


    Sensei noticed my confusion and sighed.


    ?To put it simply, Aeon and Abyss are two sides of the same coin. It''s only right to surmise that every creature born on Aeon has its own version in the Abyss. But no one has ever been there to confirm ¨C you can''t exactly return from the Abyss, so this is merely my conjecture¡­?


    Heh.


    What he really meant to say was that he didn''t know.


    For once there was something beyond his understanding, and I grinned ¨C the Abyss was truly interesting!


    ?From my knowledge, life in the abyss ¨C If you can call it that, exists as little more than shades until their equivalent on Aeon gets corrupted, then the shade in the Abyss bes a conduit to draw life from Aeon. In exchange, the Abyss grants the corrupted creature the power to seek out more life to destroy.?


    "Hold on." I had to stop him, as it dawned on me.


    "I have the power of the Abyss now." I mumbled in panic. "Does that make me corrupted?!"


    Sensei paused. ?I can''t exactly say that you are¡­I need to observe you for a while to make any conclusion.?


    Wait. "What?!"


    ?There''s certain¡­differences between you and them that I haven''t seen before.? Sensei considered. ?For one, you don''t show any signs of corruption. Your behaviour is the same as before, not at all how a monster acts after bing corrupted. It''s almost as if... the Abyss itself has chosen to make you it''s conduit on Aeon.?


    "How is that possible?" I muttered. "Doesn''t the creature getting corrupted need to seek out the Abyss? I don''t remember doing that."


    I didn''tpletely believe him, but somehow I felt dread.


    ?Like I said, you need further observation and I will definitely figure it out eventually.? Sensei nonchntly replied, and my mind reeled in even more confusion.


    "What if I just have really great self-control?" I doubted, but Sensei merely scoffed at me and began to snicker.


    This bastard was enjoying my misery!


    ?Think about it for a moment.? Sensei spoke again. ?You exist on Aeon while exhibiting certain traits of corrupted creatures. You even possess [Abyss Magic], yet you don''t suffer any of the horrible consequences like excessive hunger or madness ¨C none that I have observed so far anyway, besides the usual, I mean.?


    I sensed an insult in there somewhere, but I ignored it.


    ?You really shouldn''t be fine, which is what I find intriguing.? Sensei pondered. ?You may be a unique creature existing on the boundaries of the two, which should remain as long as you don''t do anything to upset that bnce. Or maybe, your side effects are dyed and will affect you in time¡­?


    "Hey!" I scowled. Was this bastard trying to put a curse on me?


    The only thing that had changed about me since evolving was gaining some new magic! I wasn''t about to be a mad snake!


    However, Sensei''s exnation provided some insight I didn''t have before.


    If everything on Aeon had a simr version in the Abyss, then [Abyss Magic] must be its own version of Ether, which likely contained some power that could help me solve my current predicament.


    I was interested in understanding how the ring worked ¨C but that only gave me a headache.


    It seemed my initial n of using force was the best way after all.


    Screw trying to decode the mess that was the ring''s inscriptions!


    The main problem is that it didn''t recognise my mana as its owners, as well as the destructive Ether crystals it contained.


    If I drained every single Ether crystal in the ring with my [Dark Magic], it would render the self-destruct useless, but then, I would need something else to rece the Ether that could make the ring function.


    And [Abyss magic] could take care of both.


    Its mana signature was already mine as it belonged to me, and if it functioned in the same way as Ether, I could drain the crystals powering the ring and rece their Ether with [Abyss Magic], therefore bypassing its safeguards.


    It was brilliant, but I still had to test it to see if it worked.


    So, I retrieved some Ether crystals I had collected from the cave. These ones were yet to explode and were quite vtile, so I quickly set to work on draining them.


    The crystals that once shone a vivid Cyan gradually faded to a pale blue as I absorbed all their mana, and soon the crystals became clear.


    ?What are you doing?? Sensei asked, but I ignored him.


    I''d never used [Abyss Magic] before so I needed to concentrate.


    However when I activated it, a tiny wisp of magic streaked across in the air, much like my shadows, only a vivid, almost pulsating red.


    I immediately trained it on the drained crystals, and the red shadows inhabited them like they belonged there.


    The crystals were now glowing in a mesmerising red hue.


    I stood back to watch my creation, marvelling at their otherworldly beauty ¨C It actually worked.


    The crystals were quite stable too, so I quickly went to work on the ring''s Ether crystals, draining, then repowering them with [Abyss Magic] until the first of the ring''s crystals glowed in a simr red hue.


    I paused for a second to see if it was stable, however, the next crystal on the circuit already lit up in red, and I froze.


    Why was it so fast?


    Soon the entire circuit was filled, and it continued, the excess energy circling around the ring with nowhere to go.


    The power within continued to build, the entire ring heating up with excess ¨C a dark red orb of light now pulsating around it.


    "Sensei, is this supposed to happen?" I asked in a nervous panic.


    ?No, stop it now! ? Sensei yelled.


    But when I tried, I found the power was flowing through me freely like a ravenous substance that was intent on devouring everything in its path.


    I couldn''t stop it.


    It waspletely out of my control.


    "Sensei?!" I panicked as the power umted within and began to intensify with every moment.


    But then, something in the ring seemed to give out, and the power, once contained, suddenly raged out of control.


    It broke through the crystal circuit, bouncing out of the ring to pierce through the walls of my room, a dark reddish wave of pure malicious energy sweeping out with me as the epicentre.


    I felt a strong blow that caused me to be dizzy but then, I heard a loud scream outside my room.


    I began to panic at the familiar voice and rushed outside, while trying to shake off my dizziness. But the scene in front of me sent my head spinning again.


    There, just a few feet outside my room, lying lifelessly on the ground was Ophelia.

 Chapter 281 - Cursed

    ?Skill Aptitude Increase:¡ºAbyss Magic: LV1¡»has be ¡ºAbyss Magic: LV2¡»?


    It seems I was indeed cursed.


    The pulsating red energy was rampaging over Ophelia''s body, swirling more and more out of control as its power continued to increase.


    Stop!


    Please stop!


    Its pull over my body was too strong and no matter how hard I tried to pull it back, I couldn''t control it at all. It simply refused to listen to me, and I grew dizzier and weaker as more malevolent energy flowed from me into the ring,


    My head had started to pound with a severe headache that seemed to split through my insides, and my vision steadily grew dark, my eyelids extremely heavy as I felt my consciousness slipping through.


    I tried to shake it off but it only aggravated my headache, but I felt sleep gnawing at my senses as I caught sight of Ophelia through my blurry vision.


    She was lying in a pool of blood and her injury was so terrible, the pure white feathers of her body were unrecognisable, and with so much blood and red mist in the air, it was hard to tell where Abyss magic ended and where her wounds began.


    I gritted my teeth and struggled over to her side to try and heal her.


    And then I was jolted out of my dizziness when I nced at her head.


    The malevolent energy had torn its way through one side, exiting from the back in a gaping wound. Half of her face was damaged, with arge ripe wound covering where her left eye should have been.


    It was simply gone, the flesh so matted over, like her flesh had been shredded on contact, and I trembled at the sight.


    Why did it turn out like this?


    No Healing Potion could fix this much damage.


    I cradled Ophelia in my desperation to shield her from the worst of the malevolent energy with my own body.


    But this only made me notice how ice cold she was, and I trembled in fear. An unknown sense of dread began to creep in as I realised that maybe I can''t save her


    When I checked for any life signs, her pulse was barely a whisper, so I force fed her a [Healing Potion] as it was the only way I knew to keep her alive.


    However, as her HP increased, she began to spasm erratically, her blue eye darting uncontrobly as she moaned from the pain of her wounds.


    It felt like I was only making it worse by prolonging her suffering.


    "What do I do?!" I cried out in anguish. "How do I make it stop?"


    Even now [Abyss magic] was swirling around me as it spread further inside the cave. I tried to contain it, but instead it was pulling more energy from me into the ring, which amplified it in turn.


    The pulsating red shadows now flowed freely through the corridors, destroying everything in its path. And the ring was even levitating with the intensity of power it spat out.


    And as it continued to grow traces of life around me began to disappear.


    The nts inside my room had already withered, and the leaves of vines across the walls were shrunken with decay. The ground around me had also dried up, bing ckened and cracked as the energy seeped into it ¨C there was even a mysterious rotten stench emanating all around.


    What had I unleashed? And how do I control it?!


    I was barely keeping it contained and if it wasn''t because no other nestlings were around they would''ve been injured or killed too.


    That thought terrified me and I screamed out loud. "Sensei!"


    So when Sensei finally answered, I was less than pleased with his solution.


    ?Leave the ring and [Blink] to the shadow realm.? Sensei replied but his tone was too calm and cold. ?It will eventually stop functioning when it''s cut off from the energy.?


    Leave?!


    "Then¡­what about Ophelia?!" I questioned. "If I leave her now, she will die!"


    I was barely keeping her alive with healing potions.


    How could I leave her like this when she was in that situation because of me?


    ?You don''t have a choice.? Sensei answered mercilessly. ?You can''t stop the Abyss from spreading without consequences. If all that energy has nothing to devour, it will turn to you to sustain itself. If you don''t get away, you will die here.?


    Even still, I couldn''t just leave Ophelia to die!


    Her life was in my hands and all my nestlings were still here.


    What will happen to the ring after I leave?


    "What about the energy it has already absorbed?" I shot back. "If I disappear without getting it under control, what stops it from exploding and taking everything with it?"


    "If I leave like this, I''m simply killing them myself."


    ?You don''t have time to save them all!? Sensei shouted, not even bothering to deny it. ?Leave now and save yourself, before it starts attacking you!?


    "No, I''m not going!" I angrily replied. There had to be another way. "Help me stop the ring from drawing on more power."


    It was taking all of my concentration to keep the Abyss from spreading throughout my cave, and this was getting harder to maintain as more energy was sucked into the ring.


    The Abyss was fighting back, the malevolent energy from the ring bing more and more intense. And the headache I was experiencing , was making it harder to remain conscious.


    In my state, I couldn''t bring myself to focus on calcting a safe distance with [Blink], without setting off the avnche of death I was holding back. My senses were already too muddled.


    "Please help me, Sensei!" I cried out. "There has to be another way!"


    I could feel myself growing weaker by the second as the Abyss ate away at my senses. My HP remained steady, while my stamina dropped rapidly, but somehow even with all the dense energy around me, my mana was still holding strong.


    It seemed even with so much power teetering at the edge of my control ¨C the Abyss did not demand much to spill forth, but in exchange my will was slowly being eroded.


    However, Ophelia stopped trembling, the [Healing Potion] I forced her to drink, spilling all over the ground as her blood continuously pooled. My breath hitched in my throat, my anxiety raging out of control as I noticed her HP fall below critical.


    Just then, Typhon appeared around the corner, rushing towards us with speed. But I screamed at him to stay back.


    |[No, don''te here! Stay away!]|


    Typhon halted at mymand and then observed the dense mass of red shadows I was holding back. But his body trembled as he saw Ophelia bleeding out on the ground by my side.


    |[It''s too dangerous toe close.]| I told him before giving him anothermand. |[Take all the nestling and get away from here as fast as you can!]|


    [What happened here?] Typhon asked, his eyes filled with anguish.


    A range of expressions crossed his eyes, from anger and sadness to helplessness and deep seethed frustration. More so when he saw how desperately I was guarding Ophelia from the pulsating mass of energy swirling around us.


    And then, the system dinged.


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase:¡ºAbyss Magic: LV2¡»has be ¡ºAbyss Magic: LV3¡»?


    The abyss rumbled once more, spewing further past the limit of my control as it reached out to grab him.


    |[Stay away!]| I screamed at both Typhon and the Abyss ¨C as he kept trying toe closer, and the Abyss kept straining to reach him, its resistance getting stronger as my control weakened.


    But as the pulsating mist was about to break free, I locked eyes with Typhon, letting him know everything would be fine.


    |[I will not let her die.]| I said to convince him. |[Take the others and leave. We''ll be okay.]|


    Typhon looked pained, his eyes filled with anguish, but he nodded and turned around to leave, as Ophelia''s shallow breathing became even more so.


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase:¡ºAbyss Magic: LV3¡»has be ¡ºAbyss Magic: LV4¡»?


    The onught of power was so intense that I began to scream in agony.


    Typhon had already gathered everyone and left the cave but I was barely holding onto my consciousness.


    The ring was hovering in the air as it spewed outrge amounts of deadly, miasmic energy. And with nothing to devour aside from some nts, the ravenous energy became even wild, as it fought against me, trying to head towards the forest.


    It had consumed everything around me, and because I was shielding Ophelia''s body, I was able to keep her body intact. But it all seemed useless now because her heartbeat was so faint.


    Unlike normal magic, Abyss magic didn''t consume as much mana, and it could go on wreaking havoc as it pleased. Even with how much it spread, only a droplet of my MP had disappeared.


    If I lost consciousness, it would all be over.


    My efforts to contain the energy were already failing and the Abyss would continue to destroy until my mana ran out ¨C which could be days or even months from now.


    I curled myself around Ophelia''s body, protecting her from the overbearing energy wreaking havoc in my cave.


    "Please help me, Sensei. Help me correct my mistake." I cried out loudly. "I have to save her."


    This should never have happened, and I deeply regretted my impulsive actions.


    But I don''t want Ophelia to pay for my mistake. I didn''t care if the Abyss devoured me instead ¨C it simply couldn''t be set free, so I continued to hold it back.


    However, when the Abyss devoured all the forest it could reach, I started to feel a painful sensation against my scales that made me hiss.


    ?I vowed never do this again¡­but you¡­no choice.? Sensei spoke through my anguished scream.


    I could barely hear him, but I felt the pulsating Abyss that was about to devour me began to recede.


    The ring that had been floating, suddenly dropped to the ground, and the pulsating energy powering it suddenly became stable.


    I opened my eyes and saw the energy of the Abyss had lifted up from my body, now flowing away from the forest and back into the cave.


    It didn''t hurt me, however, I noticed my mana was rapidly falling.


    Not entirely sure what was happening, I watched as the energy culminated into a solid orb of densely pulsating energy and then, this red orb floated over to Ophelia''s body.


    "What did you do?" I asked Sensei.


    But instead of answering me, he asked me a question. ?Do you want to save her??


    I looked at Ophelia''s deathly still body and nodded.


    ?Then,mand the Abyss to submit and draw it into Ophelia''s core.? Sensei replied. ?I will help you this time.?


    I reeled back in shock. "What?!"


    ?Do you want to save her or not?? Sensei asked again, his tone cold and serene. ?She''s too far gone. This is the only way to bring her back now. You need to make a decision.?


    I was hesitant, but after seeing Ophelia''s body and how stiff it had gotten, I stopped panicking.


    I wanted to save her, and so I did.

 Chapter 282 - Notoriety

    The giant orb of Abyss energy pulsated erratically. Suspended above Ophelia''s body, its potent energy kept struggling to break free of its restraints to wreak havoc once more. Yet, somehow it held firm under mine and Sensei''s control.


    I had no idea what was happening.


    I also didn''t know why such devastating power was suddenly bending to my will andmand, and at that point I wasn''t interested in the reason either because I couldn''t stop looking up at the bright red orb that floated dangerously above us.


    Eventually, tiny strings of malevolent energy started drifting down towards Ophelia, like suspended liquid in the air.


    I was intrigued by the patterns the numerous red strings created as they slowly wove together into a single point like a deadly needle. It then plunged into Ophelia''s body and pierced through her desaturating liquid core, causing her static body to jolt awake with its power.


    Ophelia, who had been motionless, started trembling as though a stream of electricity was injected into her, and the huge red orb started to shrink in size.


    "Will she be alright?" I muttered, my voice trembling.


    But Sensei didn''t answer, and I could tell he was fully focused on the task..


    It was frightening to see so much dense energy enter her small frame and I was scared it might be hurting her somehow, but since I had no answer, I gritted my teeth and just watched her.


    She had to be okay, or I would never be able to forgive myself.


    Eventually, Ophelia''s body stopped trembling and her feathery body became limp again ¨C but something else was happening around her.


    All the blood that had spilled around her slowly turned a shade darker and then, right before my eyes, the blood began to flow back into her body under the influence of an unknown force.


    It was terrifying, yet strangely mesmerising to watch.


    When I peeked at her liquid core with [Mind''s Eye], I saw the cyan blue of her core melding together with the malevolent Abyss energy to form an odd chimera of a core that was a cross between solid and liquid.


    Her original cyan core flowed freely like liquid, but the overwhelming majority of it was red, with a solid state. And where the two merged, a pulsating purple had appeared, like a horrible bruise.


    Her new core was unlike anything I''d ever seen, I didn''t think two types of cores could coexist.


    When Sensei eventually replied, he sounded exhausted.


    ?I did everything I could. And now, it''s up to her will and whether her body could assimte to the new energy. She will be asleep for a while but she should be fine.?


    "How did you do it?" I couldn''t resist asking, Ophelia''s new core was far too strange.


    ?As a system, I have my own methods.? Sensei replied.


    His response immediately made me frown.


    That was hardly an answer!


    ?However, I will be offline for a week to recover.? Sensei added. ?Tuning a core is not an easy task, even for a system. And you barely had enough mana for me to work with.?


    My mana?


    Wait¡­


    I looked up my stats and was appalled.


    ----------------------------


    Apostle: Aurelia [LV39 Ael Etheno]


    Specie: Ailith Cerastes


    Notoriety: 27600


    ----------------------------


    HP: 580/1300   Defence: 1435


    MP: 10/1240    Intellect: 1035


    SP: 270/1130[0]  Magic: 1140


    Attack: 1680    Agility: 1705


    ----------------------------


    What the heck?!


    He used all of my mana and stamina reserves, and it still wasn''t enough for him?


    I hadn''t seen my MP this low ever!


    I wanted to ask him how he prevented the elf ring from exploding when it was so close to breaking, but after hearing his half assed response I knew he wouldn''t answer me so easily.


    And I was too exhausted to argue, so I didn''t bother.


    "One week, huh?" I scoffed. "I''ll be fine."


    ?Don''t destroy the Labyrinth in my absence.? Sensei added, his voice fading.


    And I frowned ¨C like that could actually happen!


    With my headpletely silent, I focused on Ophelia who was currently healing with the aid of her hybrid core.


    Parts of her core were still cyan, but I was more concerned with the majority of it that was red, and that ominous pulsating purple scar.


    Until I could determine how this fusion would affect her, I would have to keep a close watch on her. But I was extremely frustrated that Ophelia had to bear the consequences of my mistake.


    As for her stats, I was sure the Abyss would affect her in some way. I just hoped it didn''t affect her negatively, so I quickly appraised her.


    --------------


    Name: Ophelia [LV22 Small Cerastes]


    Specie: Ailith Vipera


    HP: 213/935   Defence: 836


    MP: 1155/1155 Intellect: 880


    SP: 30/775     Magic: 1023


    Attack: 913    Agility: 1507


    --------------


    It was definitely a surprise. And it was one good thing after the day I had.


    Although her level did not change, Ophelia''s stats had improved tremendously. Her stats are higher than mine when I was at that level.


    In a way it served to show just how unpredictable the Abyss was.


    However, while her body had healed, Ophelia was still asleep.


    I was very anxious to see her open her eyes, but I didn''tin because I''m just happy she was still alive, and that was all that mattered.


    Typhon''s face suddenly sprung into my mind, and I wondered how I should break the news to him.


    But first I threw the dangerous elf ring back into the [Dimensional Box] and whipped out my dark smoke to form a bed of clouds and lift Ophelia''s sleeping body and brought her to one of the rooms to keep her safe.


    I then managed to push the remnant energy away from the underground and the pathway to Nymph''s forest, since that''s where my nestlings fled to.


    Most of the damage wrought by the Abyss was focused on the entrance of my cave as well as the forest surrounding us.


    Out in the corridor, there was a clear indication of where the Abyss had touched and where it hadn''t, and it was easy to follow the trail of ckened earth into the main hall.


    My cave was empty, and I was d, because everything now looked like a scene from hell.


    The stone ground was covered in a hardenedyer of lifeless ck rock that was shiny like ss. The structures I made were all hardened like their surface had been baked with heat, including the fighting [Pit] that had a texture as smooth as cut marble.


    However there were reddish cracks blighting their surface which gave me the impression of magma.


    All the nt life around was dead, and there were even a few unlucky wolves that had been caught in the st, with their gutted corpses spilling out on the ground from various wounds.


    Fortunately, there were not many, and I quickly got rid of their corpses before heading outside ¨C I had to see what sort of damage the Abyss had done to the forest and how far it had spread.


    Much like my cave, the forest was changed. The trees were shrivelled up and withered, the soil turned ck and sharp ¨C mere shards of ss that could no longer support life.


    I realized the Abyss energy had spilled far beyond the opening of my cave where it devoured without care.


    The only exception, however, were the Abyssal monsters that remained outside. They were unaffected, and even radiated more power, somehow enriched by the energy spill.


    Everywhere I looked, the Abyss had made its presence known, transforming thendscape as it expanded outwards, up to a certain point where it stopped, and lush greenery began.


    It was truly terrifying, and I was d Sylrin, and the Alpha were hunting far away and weren''t caught up in the surge, or they too would have been reduced to nothing.


    As for the other creatures nearby, they weren''t so lucky.


    Half of the bottom feeders outside were dead as there was no movement from the ones that should have been roaming the tunnels beneath me. There were even monster carcasses littering the forest, having fallen down from the withered trees.


    I even came across an Ape creature in their midst, its bodypletely shredded after being struck by the st.


    To see the extent of destruction the Abyss could cause in the short time it was able to manifest, made me realise just how devastating [Abyss Magic] was to life.


    I could never bring myself to use it again.


    I wondered exactly how many pit members I lost so I opened my stats window, but attention was immediately pulled by something else.


    My notoriety had increased again from [18900 ] to [27600] in this short span ¨C it was already high before, but seeing it increase again filled me with dread.


    What would happen when it got too high? What exactly was the limit?


    I didn''t know what it did, or why the stat was there, but I got the sense it had something to do with the damage my magic did to my surroundings, amongst other things - maybe killing other monsters had something to do with it too.


    I wasn''t exactly keeping track of my activities, so it was difficult to say, but this increase was quite concerning. It felt like thebyrinth was keeping an eye on me for all my mischief.


    I made up my mind to ask Sensei about it when he returned, and took off into the air, flying towards the Nymph''s forest ¨C I had to find my nestlings before Shiranui did something to them.


    Once inside the pink forest, I was d to see I managed to stop the Abyss from causing too much damage, as aside from two or three trees, nothing else was touched.


    I tracked down Typhon via [Captain''s Mark] on the As and was pleased to see he was safely beyond the range of Abyss''s destruction.


    I could only hope all of the nestlings managed to get away with him.


    However, I soon spotted a group of serpents from the air and flew down towards them, only to see the Nymph was present as well, along with several of her Vdrys.


    Typhon was also pacing around nervously, with the nestlings behind him looking at him in concern. But as soon as he saw mending, he rushed over immediately.


    [Are you hurt?] He asked anxiously and looked behind me. [Where is Ophelia? Is she alright?]


    I felt relieved immediately.


    I honestly expected him tosh out at me after what he witnessed in the cave, but he was much more level headed than I thought.


    Still, I could tell he was extremely worried underneath it all, so I told him the good news first.

 Chapter 283 - The Boundary

    |[Ophelia is alive, but she isn''t awake yet.]| I told Typhon and he sighed in relief but he still had a pained look that made my heart ache.


    I felt deeply remorseful and wished I never messed around with Abyss magic ¨C if only I had been more careful, Ophelia wouldn''t have had to suffer.


    Eventually, Typhon recovered enough to look at me, and this time he was much calmer. [I got everyone out as you requested, but everything happened so fast. I couldn''t bring all of them out in time.]


    That was understandable, I''d already seen the dead wolves.


    However, behind Typhon, there were quite a mix of creatures watching us.


    I counted the nestlings present and there was none missing, the Vdrys were there, Morgana''s reptiles were also there, alongside quite a number of grey wolves lurking behind the trees ¨C he saved far more than he gave himself credit for.


    |[It''s alright.]| I replied. |[You did a good¡­]|


    But my voice trailed off as I saw Morgana approaching from the corner of my eye.


    After hearing what I said, she was noticeably ashen, her bright eyes ring menacingly at me.


    [What happened to Ophelia?] She demanded, a tremor in her voice.


    However, Typhon nced at her, and she stopped speaking. Her eyes now torn between wanting an answer from me and leaving us both to return to the cave.


    |[She''s sleeping in the cave.]| I said to her. |[You can go back and see her, but you can''t wake her up ¨C she needs to rest.]|


    Morgana immediately looked relieved, and nodded before taking off.


    The captains and other nestlings followed, along with the reptiles and the wolves, but Typhon remained.


    |[Have Lyra take a look at her when you return.]| I said to him. |[Her magic may be able to help.]|


    However, even when Lyra followed after the crowd of returning nestlings, Typhon didn''t move, his gaze remaining fixed on me.


    [I saw her. She was barely breathing and bleeding to death.] He spoke with a heavy tone as he looked me straight in the eyes. [How did you manage to save her?]


    It seemed I couldn''t avoid giving an exnation, after all.


    |[I will tell youter.]| I avoided his question, stopping him from probing any further.


    The Nymph wasn''t far away, and she was watching us intently, the dark fae on one bare shoulder, and my summon, on another.


    She simply listened to my exnation with a serene look on her face, and I was reminded once more of the quiet danger she posed.


    |[Go back and guard the others.]| I said to Typhon. |[I will return soon.]|


    Typhon was hesitant but when he followed my gaze and saw the Nymph observing them from behind, he realised something else was going on there.


    [I''lle back here, if you don''t return soon.] Typhon said with a wary nce at the Nymph, who simply smiled at him.


    She didn''t seem to mind being suspected, in fact she seemed to enjoy it ¨C which made me wonder if something had urred in my absence.


    Eventually, Typhon left with the dark fae, as did the surrounding Vdrys, leaving me and the Nymph alone.


    But instead of talking, the Nymph turned her back on me and walked deeper into the forest, her flowery red dress disappearing behind a tree.


    Seeing her leave made me sigh ¨C I had a feeling she was upset, and with no one around, I followed her into the forest.


    The Nymph moved quickly in an effort to confuse me, but I tracked her easily through my summon, able to make quick turns before traces of her disappeared.


    Was she angry that all my creatures had swarmed into her forest without warning?


    However, the more I followed her flighty figure, the more withered trees appeared surrounding us. She had walked right into an Abyss dead zone, and I realised the situation here was worse than I thought.


    |[I''m sorry...about this. It was an ident.]| I called after her, causing the Nymph to stop. |[I tried my best to redirect it.]|


    [What happened?] The Nymph turned around, her ruby eyes deeply saddened. [What was that¡­thing? It came out of nowhere. It broke through my barrier like it was nothing and killed everything in its path.]


    The Nymph was visibly shaken and I let her embrace me, listening to every word she said withoutint.


    If she was concerned about more events like this happening in the future and wanted to leave me, I wouldn''t exactly me her.


    |[I promise it won''t happen again.]| I said as soon as she calmed down. |[You looked after my nestlings and I''m extremely grateful for that.]|


    The Nymph looked up at me, her shoulders trembling slightly, but her face had softened a great deal.


    [It can''t happen again.] She insisted.


    |[It won''t]| I agreed.


    I didn''t want to talk about the Abyss, and I was grateful when she didn''t pry any further.


    Instead, she pulled herself up over my back, her body now resting between my wings, and I wriggled ufortably.


    |[What are you doing?]| I asked.


    [I want to see the damage.] The Nymph firmly replied. [I need you to show me everything.]


    It couldn''t be helped and I sighed.


    The Nymph had the right to be concerned for her forest, and I agreed, but I hoped what she saw wouldn''t make her hate me.


    Soon, we were flying up in the trees, examining the true extent of devastation.


    It resembled an arrowhead, originating from my cave and spreading out in a sweep across the forest.


    Included within this boundary were withered trees, deadkes, monsters who all died suddenly and even neighbouring caves that were now visible.


    ckened and scorched, it took the ce of all life that once inhabited the area.


    A blight, now all the more stark with the sea of untouched greenery around it.


    I wanted to see how far it went, so I kept going higher, but the Nymph gripped my back, her body pressed tightly against me like she was in some kind of difort.


    [Not so high.] She gasped, her legs clutching tightly. [I can''t take it¡­]


    Hmm?


    When I looked back, her dark hair was in disarray, her body strangely limp as she hugged me, and with her legs revealed, I saw the tip of her toes were now transparent.


    Her entire body was turning ghostly pale which made her clutching onto me look even more pitiful.


    I began my descent immediately. It seemed the Nymph had an aerial limit as well as a boundary onnd, and she was extremely relieved when we touched the ground.


    Although she seemed slightly weaker, her body had recovered its colour.


    [Thank you¡­for taking me.] The Nymph said, her voice a gasp. [I hope you will¡­be more careful next time.]


    I nodded. I expected her to ask me a few questions and was surprised when she didn''t.


    Soon, several Vdrys appeared to support her on the ground, and I let them take her away.


    |[Let me know if you have any issues in the future, I''ll try my best to help you.]| I told the Nymph, and after saying our goodbyes, I took off towards the cave.


    Inside, I quickly headed over to Typhon who had settled beside Ophelia in the room I ced her. Morgana, along with all the captains were also here, and they all watched over Ophelia with concern.


    With several nestlings waiting outside, the area of the cave became rather crowded, yet strangely deste. I observed as Lyra she used her [Cure] in an effort to wake Ophelia up.


    After several tries with no effect, I told her not to bother.


    There was nothing physically wrong with Ophelia.


    Rather, aside from her unconsciousness, all of her stats were full, with her bodypletely devoid of injuries.


    When Typhon spotted me, he left the others, and we entered another room to talk in private.


    [So, what exactly happened?] He asked.


    Instead of exining, I simply showed him the ring.


    |[I used forbidden magic to open something I shouldn''t have, and it backfired on me.]| I replied.


    In hindsight, I couldn''t believe I risked Ophelia''s life for something so trivial. A big part of me wanted to throw the ring away and never see it again.


    Typhon also looked at the ring with spite. [The Grandmaster you mentioned must cherish it deeply. Have you tried opening it yet?]


    |[No.]| I replied.


    Sensei must have done something because the ring''s magic circuit was now stable, the mana signature it contained, overwritten with [Abyss magic].


    The silver ring even glowed with a reddish hue, like molten metal.


    But I hesitated ¨C how ominous.


    Was it truly safe?


    [What do you n to do with it?] Typhon asked.


    To throw it away would be a waste, and since the ring was no longer vtile, I decided to see if it was worth something after all the distress it caused.


    |[Stay back.]| I instructed Typhon.


    While Sensei might have made it stable, who knew what other tricks the grand master had to y?


    I couldn''t be so certain, so it was better this way.


    However, as soon as my mana spread over the ring, it opened up harmlessly.


    Hah?


    I immediately dumped out all its contents and an avnche of junk spilled out.


    Most of it was meat and vegetables which greatly annoyed me but sprinkled in among them were other things like bread, fruits, some kinds of corn, butter, honey and even some strange, bottled beverage.


    The things I was interested in, but there was more.


    Next came all sorts of scrolls, potion jars, weapons, tools, strange maps, a pendulum, and apass ¨C there were even monster corpses and cores.


    Among all the stuff, my eyes drifted to find the journal, catching sight of a rectangr object.


    Unlike the mass of scrolls, it was tiny and looked simr to a book.


    [Not bad.] Typhon said when he saw the entirety of the haul.


    I was still annoyed with everything leading up to this, but he was right. I retrieved the journal and scanned through the rest of the items with [Mind''s Eye] to see if they were as harmless as they looked.


    However, something below the ground caught my eye.


    All the nestlings were with Ophelia in the next room, so it was out of ce to see one moving towards the underground.


    When I focused on the figure, I realised it was Apollo and he seemed to be making his way deeper underground.


    Seeing this, I was immediately upset.


    But more than anything, I was disappointed he would choose to leave while Ophelia''s fate was undetermined.

 Chapter 284 - Reinforcements

    The forest grew increasingly hotter the closer they grew to their destination.


    Heavy mist hung high in the air, drifting across the rocky ceiling of the Labyrinth like clouds, obscuring what little light leaked in.


    However, the pervading mist stuck closely to the domed ceiling, starving the forest below of all moisture.


    As a result there was nothing to diffuse the heat.


    Luthera had been forced out of her cave shelter, in order to think straight in the intense heat. But with her surroundings in a perpetual state of twilight, there was no reprieve from the sensation of being watched.


    The forest below still thrived, but there was no wind stirring their leafy canopies, the air rather stale.


    No rain fell to refill the cracked riverbeds. Instead, all Luthera could see were ravines filled with dry bones ¨C the true victims of the ever-present thirst.


    Having to move through dense forest nonstop for days made Luthera''s outlook on her current situation rather bleak.


    That, and the growing sense of unease among her team members were all culminating towards a deep sense of difort.


    Whenever she swallowed there was the feeling of sand in her throat, her thirst alongside the sensation of sweaty clothes clinging to her body, making her feel very unlike herself.


    If her master saw her right now, would he recognise her as the current heir of House Elceran?


    Nevertheless, she didn''t dwell on her current dishevelled appearance, wiping the sweat from her sticky forehead to recover her sense of calm. With onest look at the forest, she entered the cave once more ¨C there were other pressing issues at hand.


    Aetoris was dying.


    The torch lit cave was filled with irritated people, who were all reluctant to share the space together, not to talk of sharing their limited food supply. They armed themselves with weapons, suspicious of one another even as they stood around their fallen team member who was writhing in agony.


    A deathly pale Aetorisy on top of a stone b , suffering the residual effects of a severe wound. A vicious monster''s ws had shredded his midsection and it was only due to her intervention that he was able to make it this far. If not for her resetting his mangled bones, he would have been left for dead.


    However, although Luthera had healed him, it was clear his injuries were not so simple.


    After a few days of continuous travel, his condition grew progressively worse, until they were forced to stop here. Now, she watched the handsome elf muttering nonsense in his sleep, his clothes soaked with sweat, as he burned with fever.


    Even though his injuries had closed, there was also blood whenever he coughed, hinting at other problems.


    He would need intensive care as soon as they got out of the Labyrinth, if he was ever going to fight again, but as it stood, Luthera was not confident he would make it out alive.


    Quite frankly, they were in desperate need of a miracle.


    Luthera sensed some movement behind her and turned to see Fennelis standing on the threshold of the cave, long bow in hand.


    He had returned from scouting, the evergreen hair sticking close to his cheeks, barely masking stark, nearly gaunt features, and dark purple under eyes from ack of sleep.


    It was clear his days had not been kind as ofte and Luthera imagined she looked the same. As he approached her, he began to speak in a low voice.


    "We can''t stay here any longer or we will miss the gateway." Fennelis whispered. "The mortals are getting more restless by the day ¨C we should leave now, or there will be more troubles."


    Luthera briefly nced at her party that was down to seven members with Aetoris out ofmission, she was sure that he meant well, but she knew what her failure meant in the eyes of her master ¨C the least she could do now was reduce the repercussions by ensuring every elf returned alive.


    "We can''t leave him behind either." Luthera replied, reaching for the unconscious Aetoris to feel his forehead that was pallid with sweat. "We''vee so far already. To leave him now would be killing him, and we all know I''m worth more to everyone alive."


    Her return would be shameful, but she could weather the storm with the backing of her house.


    However Fennelis kept insisting, bringing her attention to an even greater issue.


    "Without your master''s map we have no way of tracking the exit. We can''t miss this gateway, or we could be stuck here for years waiting for the next one to reappear in the same spot. We''re already a few dayste, what if we''ve already missed it¡­"


    "Shh, don''t speak." Luthera interrupted, as therge frame of the barbarian blocked the cave entryway.


    Returning from yet another hunt, he dragged in an emaciated carcass, passing by the thief whose dagger had been at his throat not too long ago. Then, he began gutting the creature''s corpse, and the cave soon filled with wet sloshing noises.


    Luthera tried to ignore the sound, but it was difficult in the tight space and it was only when he was done that she and Fennelis could resume their talk.


    "We all knew what was at stake bying here." Luthera said with a grimace.


    Deep down she knew he was right, but she remained hopeful. The reinforcements her master promised could cross the gateway at any time now.


    Once they did, they would wait for her to meet up with them and when they left the Labyrinth, everything would be right again. If only Aetoris did not copse, they could have reached them by now.


    Luthera nced at the pallid half-elf, knowing she had to make a difficult choice, and then she addressed the entire cave.


    "We leave him here for now. Seal off the cave with everything you find. We can''t have monsters picking at him while he''s still alive. Once we meet my master, we will return for him."


    The haggard group reluctantlyplied, but their movements were sluggish, their brooding eyes full of discontent.


    Eventually the cave opening was sealed behind rocks and shrubbery, and the unconscious Aetoris was hidden under branches and dead leaves as the group resumed their journey.


    It was the best they could do and Luthera hoped it was enough. They were soon trekking across the sweltering forest, towards thest known point of the Labyrinth''s gateway, with Fennelis moving ahead of everyone.


    He was the only one who knew the way back, from the markings he left throughout to track their progress and they marched on for many miles, following his directions, every step a struggle in the sweltering heat.


    They left the forest, crossing windswept rocky terrain devoid of nt life until Luthera saw familiar mountainous terrain. She knew they were close as she recalled passing through here when they first arrived.


    The gateway was just beyond the treacherous terrain, and Luthera once again had hope.


    She didn''t know who her master would send, but she expected more mercenaries like her current party at the least, perhaps a selection of half-elf legionaries, or the elven main army if she was lucky.


    As they began their intense climb, they glimpsed a rock formation beyond the mountain.


    Hidden at the top was a singr b of stone that used to be part of the mountain but was worn down several millennia ago to form the shape of an arch.


    At any other time, it would have been an ordinary rock, but the gateway to the Labyrinth was a tricky beast that had chosen to inhabit it.


    The origin of these gates were not fully understood, but they could spawn at any location in the Upper Stratum and vanish after some time.


    They needed no power to open, the only actual requirement being a surface epassing all sides, formed out of a single solid object or two objects intersecting.


    The previous gateway had spawned in the middle of dense jungle at the meeting point of two trees, which posed a great problem as it led to many monsters spilling out to the surface and certain measures had to be taken to prevent the gateway spawning in that location again.


    A hidden rock formation like this one was perfect, the arch inhabited a remote location, with very few monsters in the vicinity. And the gateway looked so ordinary, one could easily pass by without noticing anything amiss.


    However, since Luthera had alreadye through it once, she knew exactly what to look for - and they were in luck as the gateway was still open.


    As they sped towards the structure that was wide enough for several riders toe through, Luthera instantly noticed the shimmer in the middle, where the distortion in space had taken root.


    It was only visible when seen from a certain angle ¨C certainly not something a monster would notice. But as they reached the enormous arch, Luthera realised something was amiss.


    The soldiers she was expecting were not there.


    She kept peering at the gateway to see if more elves would arrive, but there was no one else there, and Luthera immediately fell into a panic.


    Did her reinforcements note?


    The mortals of her party also saw the empty gateway and were decidedly irate, the burnt thief immediately grabbing her by the arm.


    "I thought you said there would be an army?" Undrenn hissed. "Did you lie to us?"


    "I said they areing!" Luthera shouted. "So they will be here."


    Fennelis already had his bow aimed at his head, but in the chaotic climate with the other mortals equally in a bad mood, they were outnumbered two to five.


    "We are just early." Luthera continued, but there was a slight waver in her voice.


    "How do we know you are telling the truth?" Rodin asked. Now haggard with exhaustion, his Pgian armour had none of its former lustre. Having lost another one of his infantry soldiers, he was rightfully upset.


    "They will be here." Luthera insisted. "My master is a man of his word!"


    But before they descended into arguments, the gateway hummed, the shimmer blinking out of existence before their eyes.

 Chapter 285 - House Of Geroch

    The gateway had closed and Luthera''s eyes widened in disbelief, as slow realisation and fear gripped at her heart.


    They were stuck here.


    No help wasing.


    Luthera immediately panicked as she regretted not crossing through immediately. It was better to face shame on the surface than spend years searching blindly for the next gateway, all while being picked off by monsters.


    If only she knew!


    "What just happened?!" Undrenn hissed, his foul breath wafting over her face. "Where did that thing go?! What are you not telling us?"


    Luthera swallowed her nerves, the stinging pain in her arm bringing her back to attention.


    "Let go of me!" She grimaced.


    However, the thief helf firm. After glimpsing the full range of terror on her face, he knew something was amiss and Luthera felt the pain in her arm increase, apanied now by a dagger pointed at her throat.


    "If you try to lie again, I''ll jam this de into your throat!" Undrenn threatened menacingly.


    He pressed the dagger against her neck and she felt a sharp pain followed shortly by the warm trickle of blood.


    "How dare you!" Luthera yelled angrily, despite her body trembling in shock. The de was cutting into her neck and she was afraid if she moved haphazardly, her throat would be sliced open.


    "Step back, or you will have an arrow in your head before you could even move a finger." Fennelis glowered, the tip of his arrow now pointed towards the thief''s head.


    However, right then, the barbarian charged towards him with a loud cry, his axe raised up high, forcing Fennelis to divert his attention.


    When Undrenn saw this he immediately slipped behind Luthera while holding the dagger to her neck. Then he leaned in closer and menacingly whispered into her ear.


    "Do you know what I think¡­? The two of you have been lying to us this whole time¡­"


    Luthera was frozen stiff ¨C she''d nevere this close to a mortal before, and as she felt his heavy breath, she realised something frightening.


    This mortal was really thinking of killing her.


    "Get away from her!" Fennelis snarled, as he looked back.


    She knew Fennelis couldn''t hold everyone back on his own, so she tried to remind everyone of the consequences of rebelling.


    "The moment you hurt me, my master will know." Luthera dered, keeping her voice as steady as she could. "And he wille after you. Your family. Yourrades. Your country. Even the riff raff you pass on the street. He will not stop until he has destroyed you and everyone you care about. If you don''t want them toe to harm, you will releas¨C AH!"


    An arrow was let loose, but it missed its mark and Luthera screamed as she was thrown to the ground, her ear throbbed with pain where droplets of blood fell.


    The thief leapt away to evade the arrow which then lodged into a rock.


    Luthera gasped, her body trembling as she reached to touch the side of her head, only for her hand toe away with more blood, and she realised the tip of her ear was now missing.


    "You ignorant, filthy creature!" Luthera shouted in a fit of rage. "What have you done?!"


    But her outburst was cut short when an axe soared through the air, aimed at Fennelis. Fortunately, he dodged and fired two arrows as the axe smashed through the rocks of the archway decimating one sidepletely.


    He then turned around and released another arrow at Undrenn. The arrow lodged into the ground at his feet while the barbarian on the other side had fallen after taking an arrow to the knee.


    However, that didn''t seem to deter him much as he was already rising back to his feet.


    Fennelis was about to shoot another warning shot but was forced to aim his arrow at the thief when he started stalking closer to Luthera again.


    "Your master has abandoned you." Undrenn yelled angrily. "Was there ever an army? Or did you make it all up to have us follow you?"


    "I said they would be here!" Luthera seethed in rage, immediately setting out to heal her wound. "They must havee through before we got here. We need to find them!"


    However, the barbarian stared them down, his hand snapping the arrow from his leg like a twig, while the thief licked his blood stained dagger, a piece of her ear in his hand.


    Luthera shuddered and Fennelisnded next to her after firing another warning shot before the two elves began to retreat as they tried to figure out what to do next.


    "You need to contact the Grandmaster." Fennelis said.


    Her words were not convincing to the group, and he wasn''t optimistic about their fates after the gateway closed, although he tried not to show it.


    With the mortals demanding answers, Fennelis knew he couldn''t protect her on his own.


    But then, an unexpected third voice came to their rescue.


    "Wait." The Pgian captain called out in a weary voice. "If she dies, then we are truly lost. She has a way to contact the surface. I don''t think they will speak to us without her."


    The mortals looked at her with eyes filled with distrust and Luthera jumped on this lifeline immediately.


    "Rodin is right. I have a way to contact them. And like I said before, the Grandmaster will know everything that happens here if you kill me. So you better think your actions through before you do anything irreversible."


    Then Luthera red at the Barbarian and Undrenn, while Fennelis tightly gripped his bow, ready to let loose a slew of arrows. But would that be enough to convince them?


    Rodin, being the more reasonable of the group, approached Undrenn to stop him from making matters worse.


    "Put away your weapons." He said. "Lets not lose our patience now after everything we''ve been through. Incurring the wrath of a Grandmaster isn''t worth it."


    Undrenn was reluctant at first, but eventually he lowered his dagger. The barbarian also retrieved his axe, before settling down to glower at her. "So, what is the n now?"


    Luthera simply stared at them, her mind still in turmoil.


    She was grateful to Rodin, but deep down she was happy they didn''t know much about Labyrinth gateways. If they knew it could take years to trace where it had vanished to ¨C she would die here for sure.


    But, what happened to the reinforcements her master promised?


    Luthera found it hard to believe he hadn''t sent anyone and she wondered if there was some sort of dy. Either way, she had to salvage the current situation somehow.


    "I will contact my master." She replied, retrieving the amulet from her satchel with shaking hands.


    However, with so many eyes staring at her, she felt very ufortable.


    "I need to do it in private." She said, but the mortals immediately drew their weapons.


    "You''re not going anywhere." Rodin replied dangerously. "You will contact him here and now."


    Luthera swallowed nervously, her heart thudding in her chest.


    She took a few steps back, turning her back to Fennelis who stood watch. However, as the amulet lit up in her hand, Luthera noticed several flying creatures approaching them from the rocky horizon.


    She immediately put the amulet away as she recognised the winged mounts only the elves possessed, and immediately alerted Fennelis.


    "They''re here!" Luthera eximed.


    "What are you talking about?" Rodin grumbled, but when he spotted the approaching flying creatures he immediately drew his sword.


    "Put your weapon away." Luthera said to him, her voice full of happiness. "Our reinforcements are here. I told you, my master always keeps his word."


    The mortals stared at the creatures with awe.


    They had broad wings, their bodies a cross between a bird and a lion with four muscr legs, an incredibly tough beak and long feathered tails. All the creatures were d in ted armour, their front legs sprouting vicious ws that could maim with a single kick, while their back legs were hooved.


    They were monsters, but not quite, as these creatures were specially bred and had been trained over the years to serve the elves. They were even named after the elf that had bred them, Martezain Elceran.


    When theynded, Luthera rushed over to the rider at the very front, wondering if her family had sent someone. The other creatures had no riders, and she assumed the other mounts were meant for them.


    However, Luthera was surprised at the elf rider''s attire.


    The rider wore dark armour from head to toe and it bore no markings ¨C no different from those of a mercenary, instead of an elf soldier with rank.


    But even as Luthera noticed these details, she shoved them all aside, because the rider was an elf!


    She was much safer with him than the vile mortals in her party, and she approached his mount as soon as it stopped.


    "Where are the others?" She asked. "Did the Grandmastere himself? Take me to him!"


    However, the elf didn''t respond and red at her instead. "I only answer to the House of Geroch. As an Elceran, you can''t give me orders."


    Luthera immediately let go of the armoured creature, as her eyes widened in shock.


    "What is an elf from Geroch doing here¡­?" She muttered, but the rider strode past her without another word.


    But she didn''t have to think hard to realise what was happening. Her master had another disciple under him and he was her rival and arch enemy.


    Unlike her, Caligar Geroch was a first rate disciple.


    If her master had sent him toplete her mission, she was as good as done here.

 Chapter 286 - The Settlement

    Luthera immediately wanted to leave.


    Why did the master have to send him of all elves?


    House Elceran and House Geroch had a blood feud that spanned centuries. Luthera kept wondering if perhaps this was another test by her master.


    Did he expect them to put aside their differences and work together?


    Or he had lost all faith in her, and Caligar was here to finish the mission she couldn''t?


    Luthera was standing stiffly in contemtion when Fennelis approached her.


    "What is this rider saying about House Geroch?" He asked. "I thought this was your mission?"


    "It is." Luthera frowned, her face dark. "I don''t know what my master is thinking ¨C this has to be Caligar''s ploy."


    Her master was always fair, but oftentimes he was entric and easily distracted. Nothing thrilled him more than a puzzle that he wanted to solve, and he often did everything in his power to solve them quickly.


    "Caligar must have convinced my master he could do a better job, to upstage me." Luthera continued. "My report must have excited him, and my fellow disciple saw it as a chance to gain an advantage."


    Caligar''s motive was clear from the rider he sent. The elf was addressing the mortals of her team and had named him ¨C Grandmaster Lothrein''s new representative,pletely ignoring her existence.


    ording to him, Caligar''s army arrived a few hours ago, and had gone ahead to a designated meeting point. The mounts here were those he set aside for them to catch up, so they weren''tpletely abandoned.


    "Where did he go?" Luthera asked. "Why didn''t he meet with us himself?"


    The elf rider nced at her. "House Geroch does not need to show House Elceran any courtesy. Caligar was gracious enough to provide you these mounts as a show of goodwill. Or would you rather walk?"


    "Goodwill?" Luthera seethed in anger.


    The mortals were watching their exchanges with solemn looks, and she couldn''t believe Caligar would stoop so low, to make her look inferior when both of their houses were equal.


    And in front of mere mortals at that!


    The rider even proceeded to show Luthera how to ride the winged mounts alongside the mortals who were seeing them for the first time, as if these monsters weren''t tamed by her house.


    "I know how to ride a Martezain!" Luthera snatched the reins before pulling herself up in one swift motion.


    "Forgive my mistake." The rider apologised. "Elcerans are known to be frail. I only assumed¡­"


    "Your unfounded assumptions will cost you your rank!" Luthera retorted. "It seems House Geroch doesn''t know how to discipline its members."


    "My apologies." The elf rider lowered his head, before retreating.


    But this only made Luthera seethe.


    As Fennelis watched their exchange, he already had his own conclusions, but didn''t dare to say them out loud, he simply climbed his own monster.


    "What do we do now?" He asked. "Are you really going to him?"


    Luthera red at the elf rider who was showing the others the proper way to climb their Martezain mounts.


    "Nothing has changed." She replied. "We just have toplete the mission ahead of Caligar. I''m not afraid of somepetition."


    Fennelis nodded. "It will be difficult without them."


    Luthera nced at the mortals who were excitedly introducing themselves to their mounts and scoffed.


    Martezains were an exclusivemodity amongst elves and werepletely forbidden to mortals. An opportunity to ride them like this would never have arisen in their limited lifespans, so she could understand why they were happy.


    Nevertheless, from their behaviour, Luthera was concerned they already thought Caligar was better than her and she grimaced ¨C her rival had descended on a new low.


    House Elceran owned all of these mounts while House Geroch was simply leasing them. If she knew their mounts would havee in handy, she would have brought her family''s entire arsenal of Martezains.


    But she did not regret her decision to assemble a smaller team consisting mostly of expendable mortals.


    A smaller group was much better at moving through the Labyrinth without attracting attention, and if not for a series of unforeseen events, they would havepleted their objective by now.


    Luthera frowned just thinking about it.


    Even before the events in the valley, everything started unravelling as soon as it rained.


    Thendscape on their maps changed.


    They were attacked by monsters that were supposed to be elsewhere, and then they lost Ulrick.


    And now one of them was injured and likely dying.


    "We have to go back first." Luthera said as soon as everyone was mounted. "Aetoris is injured. We left him behind toe here quicker. We should return for him now."


    The elf rider didn''t look happy as he was pressed for time, but to avoid another heated exchange, he had no choice but to apany them back to the cave.


    There, they unravelled the stones concealing the cave and Luthera was pleased to find Aetoris still breathing, though he was barely coherent, and his temperature was still rising. But she was sure Caligar had brought some healers.


    The only way to salvage her situation was if she won against her nemesis, and she needed her full team to do it.


    With the help of the others, Aetoris was ced onto the elf rider''s mount and together they all headed towards the main army.


    However, Luthera and Fennelis were surprised to learn Caligar''s destination was the settlement of mutants deep within the Upper Stratum of the Labyrinth. And as they flew, she couldn''t resist asking a series of leading questions.


    "Why would Caligar consort with abominations? Has he abandoned our master?"


    The elf simply grimaced. "It was Caligar''s decision. I can''t question a direct order from my superior."


    "Why is he going there?" Luthera repeated. "What is his purpose?"


    "Arge army needs supplies." He replied.


    "Consorting with lesser mortals is forbidden." Luthera retorted. "Does Caligar not know he is risking all your lives and the Grandmaster''s wrath? Caligar won''t be punished, but you could get harvested for this."


    The elf rider grimaced.


    Yet, even with her threat, he remained steely and determined, and didn''t give her any straightforward answers, forcing Luthera to fly in silence.


    She couldn''t believe House Geroch would do something so foolish.


    However, perhaps this was an opportunity.


    If Caligar seeded in offending their master, he would be expelled, and she would be seen in a much better light when she returned.


    So, for her own self interest, Luthera fell silent and didn''t try to convince the Geroch halfling anymore.


    Instead she watched her flying beast hover over thend. It was mostly barren but among the wide stretches of rock and sand, spots of green could be seen here and there, along withrgernd monsters that roamed the ground.


    Fortunately, their monsters flew quite high, and were perfectly silent, so they didn''te across other flying obstacles. This steady pacing made them spot the mutant settlement rather quickly on the horizon.


    However, it was unusually bright, and the closer they flew, the faster the stench of smoke hit her nostrils. And soon, Luthera was stunned to see the mutant settlement on fire.


    It consisted of a cluster of houses, no more than fifty, but every one of their thatched roofs was on fire, their inhabitants fleeing for their lives while being engulfed with mes or picking up their weapons to resist the threat.


    Not that it helped.


    In the chaos, several were cut down by elf weapons, or shredded by their mounts, others were directly set on fire by spells. The elves were on a rampage, hacking away at those who fought and running down all those who fled.


    And in their midst, Luthera caught sight of the bloodthirsty elf who had killed the most, his dark armour and bloodstained hair extremely striking on barren desert terrain. She was even more terrified to recognise the figure as her rival.


    What was Caligar doing sacking a mutant settlement?!


    The mutants in thebyrinth were an existence that brought death to everyone. After being banished from the surface, some had formed a separate colony among monsters where they could be independent, and they were normally left alone, but this¡­


    "What is he doing?!" Luthera yelled at the elf rider. "Who gave him permission?!"


    The elf simply pulled out his sword, not bordering to give her a response before heading for the ground himself.


    With him gone, Luthera looked at her team and saw they too were pulling out their weapons, eager to join in on the fight ¨C all except Fennelis who looked petrified.


    "Put away your weapons!" Luthera ordered. "This is not our fight!"


    The mortalsined but she ignored them. Caligar was making a huge mistake by doing this. He was breaking thew and she needed to stop him. But how could she intervene against her own people for a bunch of mutants she detested.


    Besides, Caligar''s army was too strong and the battle raging below was too intense, with mortals getting ughtered left and right, and so one-sidedly that she was shocked at just how many reinforcements he brought.


    Luthera wasn''t sure where to begin but after instructing her team to stay put, she realised Caligar was the only one who could stop the insanity.


    And so, she dove into the chaos and smoke, directing her fury at the bloodstained elf right before he brutally cut down yet another mutant that chanced upon his path.

 Chapter 287 - Surrender

    mes raged on around her and a toxic fog clogged her lungs, making it difficult to see and breathe.


    The blood curdling screams of a female mutant could be heard above the sh of weapons, but Luthera continued flying across the battlefield.


    Caligar was somewhere nearby, and she wished she hadn''t lost sight of his figure when she passed over a burning pyre.


    On the ground, it was too disordered to find anyone as they were all dressed in simr armour. But she pushed on to search as she couldn''t afford to waste more time ¨C finding Caligar was essential to stop the madness.


    Any more of this, and the destruction they caused could paint the elves in a bad light.


    In the chaos of battle, scores of mutants could be seen fighting against elf infantry both on the ground and in the air, their stone weapons crude and rather dull,pared to magic forged steel. Compared to elves, who used magic to fight, thebat power of mutants was non-existent, and the result was obvious.


    For every elf that went down, ten or more mutants shared the same fate, as their spears could do very little against armoured targets that could fly.


    Luthera was distracted once more by the scream of yet another mutant child as they were snatched up from the ground by a mounted rider. But rather than killing them, the mutant child was passed on to another rider who carried them away, and Luthera was d to see that rider leaving the battle.


    Seeing the mutant child spared made her less worried.


    It made sense to take them away. The remnants of burnt out houses could be seen everywhere, as well as the corpses of many who had fallen. It was far more dangerous to keep them around, than to take them out of the settlement where they could be safe.


    However, as Luthera looked around at the dead and injured mutants, she became even more confused as to why the mutants kept on fighting, rather than surrendering. Even if their food supply was being requisitioned, it would only be a small portion to add to theirs.


    Besides, their sacrifice would put them in the good graces of the elves, so why resist?


    The only thing mutants had in their favour was their abnormal strength and agility that rivalled those of monsters, but that didn''t matter in the face of the firepower of multiple me spells.


    In her eyes, this was an entirely pointless battle.


    And Luthera could only imagine how quickly their settlement had gone up in mes.


    However, she soon became aware of another figure hurtling towards her and when she turned around, she saw it was Fennelis.


    "I told you to wait with them!" Luthera shouted. "Who is going to stop the mortals froming down here?!"


    "I can''t sit back and let this continue!" Fennelis shouted in an agonised voice. "These people are good people. They haven''t done anything wrong to deserve this."


    Luthera scowled at his words, she couldn''t believe he was saying this here.


    If Caligar attacked them unprovoked, he would be demoted for his crimes, but Fennelis didn''t know who was in the wrong here or who attacked first. He would face an even worse punishment for siding with others before his own, no matter what the truth of the matter was.


    "Should I remind you where you are?" Luthera scolded him. "Don''t let anyone hear you say such a thing."


    Fennelis quietly took in his surroundings with a look of horror, and Luthera shook her head in disbelief ¨C she must be out of her mind for not reporting him to her master immediately. She really should have done so in her report, but at the time she couldn''t bring herself to.


    However as they got ready to go, they heard a scream nearby and turned to see a mutant woman breaking out from behind a burning house, an armoured Martezain in pursuit. The mutant was fast, but the Martezain caught up to her easily, quickly trampling her beneath its front ws.


    As for the rider, Luthera was surprised to see Caligar, with an insane look on his bloodstained face as he waved his broadsword.


    "Stop! Let go of her!" Luthera yelled and her beast charged at Caligar''s, but he deflected the attack with his sword, before staring at her with a look of surprise.


    "Who are you supposed to be?" Caligar asked in a dry voice.


    Instead of letting go he doubled down, his Martezain crushing the back of the mutant.


    Luthera was horrified to hear her screams ¨C she had failed to save her.


    "Did you not hear me?" Caligar repeated, his sword swinging dangerously, and Luthera was forced to retreat, her face glowering in anger.


    Why was he acting like he didn''t recognise her?


    "Did you not hear me? I told you to stop." Luthera seethed. "Or does House Geroch hold everyone else in contempt?"


    Unfortunately, her words did not achieve anything as Caligar remained unmoving, with the screaming mutant trod underfoot, he simply looked her up and down before bursting intoughter.


    "I didn''t recognise you." Caligar said. "Introduce yourself next time, so I don''t mistake you for one of them."


    "What?" Luthera asked, but then she touched her face and saw it was covered in grime, as well as her sleeves that were caked in dirt.


    "Poor Elceran princess." Caligar teased. "What will the Elceran Matriarch say when she sees you so haggard like this? Aren''t you happy I was sent to assist you?"


    Luthera felt her body tremble with rage ¨C Caligar was trying to intimidate her as he always did, but she remained calm and continued to address him, ignoring the mutant that coughed up a mouthful of blood. Fennelis on the other hand, had all the horror written on his face.


    "Why did youe here without permission?" Luthera asked. "And how did these mutants provoke you for you to ughter them all like this?"


    "Why do you assume I have no permission?" Caligar sneered as he reached for his side.


    He then pulled out a gilded scroll and threw it towards Luthera.


    When she unravelled it, she realized it was a decree signed by their master, giving Caligar permission to do anything he needed, to fulfil the mission she had failed.


    It didn''t mention that he could attack any settlements in the process, but the Grandmaster effectively agreed to take all responsibility for any casualties he incurred.


    It was like a p to the face. It was even worse as the decree said she had failed.


    But, how did she fail when it was their master who asked her to leave the relic behind?


    "Satisfied?" Caligar smirked as he saw the ugly expression on her face and took off in another direction to resume the massacre.


    And Luthera seethed as she watched him leave.


    After reading the full decree, her anger did not subside. If she knew this would happen, she wouldn''t have left without the relic. If she had it with her now, she would''ve had some leeway here.


    Was it toote to go back for it now?


    However, Fennelis interrupted her reverie. "Why didn''t you stop him? He''s still killing them?!"


    Luthera had nothing to say, she sighed and passed him the Grandmaster''s decree. She had a vague notion that Fennelis had some friends among the mutants and wasn''t happy to see them treated like this. But to her, her master''s will was thew.


    Still, Luthera couldn''t let Caligar get out of control ¨C this was still her mission after all. And since Fennelis had been so loyal to her she decided to help him out with the authority of her House.


    "Come with me, I have an idea." She said and pulled her mount up into the sky.


    The two elves quickly rode their mounts high up to oversee the battle, and Luthera decided to address the chaos below.


    Her use of [Air magic] would allow her to project her voice across the battlefield and using her authority as an Elceran, as well as a fellow disciple of the Grandmaster would ensure that the elves below would listen to her.


    Then, she set about trying to convince the mutants to surrender by promising they would be set free and their injuries tended to as long as they had their cooperation. They needn''t be hurt if they give up willingly and peacefully.


    As for Caligar''s intentions ¨C Luthera had no idea, but she couldn''t let him get his way through bloodshed, even if he was the one toplete her mission.


    Besides, he needed this settlement for their supplies and food. If he wanted anything to remain, it was best that they stopped fighting now.


    When the elves saw her, they were torn between offending her and listening to Caligar.


    Luthera wasn''t sure they would do as she asked. All of them were half elves sired to House Geroch. Compared to Caligar, her Elceran house that decided to keep their blood pure may seem weaker in numbers.


    But she had to try nheless.


    However, unexpectedly the mutants were the first to put down their weapons.


    And as more of them stopped resisting, Caligar was forced to call off his army, as apromise was reached.


    When she looked down, it was with a superior smile, happy to put Caligar in his ce. He must''ve realised that even a Geroch couldn''t openly defy House Elceran without facing consequences.


    The battle soon came to an end, and Fellenis was d to see the ughter stop and fires put out.


    However, Luthera noticed something was amiss. Instead of healing the mutants that survived, Caligar and his elves had chosen to round them up and restrain them in groups.


    At first, Luthera thought it was for their safety, but the shackles they used were oddly familiar.


    On closer inspection, she realised they were the enchanted rings used by her house to suppress the natural instincts and strength of monsters, and she was astonished - using them on mutants would make them weaker than regr mortals!


    Just how did Caligar get his hands on them?


    "What are you trying to do?" Luthera stormed through the elves to confront him directly. "What are those restraints for?"


    Caligar simply smiled. "You saved me a lot of trouble by making theme quietly."


    "What are you talking about?"


    Suddenly, a scuffle broke out among the mutants when one of them kept asking where his children were in broken Sidrian. But rather than answering him, Caligar strode over and cut down the mutant without batting an eye, as his elves put him in shackles with the other mutants they had gathered.


    Luthera was extremely displeased to see this.


    "They already surrendered!" She yelled. "Why are you still treating them this way? And why do you need their children?"


    "They won''t cooperate without an incentive." Caligar replied calmly as he sheathed his sword.


    The other elves were taking turns rounding up everyone, as the young mutant children were nowhere to be seen, while all the wounded adult mutants were put in restraints.


    And after all this, their food supply was leftpletely untouched.


    Luthera was beginning to realise how much she had gotten wrong ¨C Caligar wasn''t interested in their food, he was interested in them!


    Mutants were four times stronger than regr mortals and two times as strong as elves, their strength sometimes enough to wrestle Labyrinth monsters singlehandedly.


    However, with their children''s lives now in the hands of elves, they werepletely docile, unable to act as wildly as they would have before. And Caligar knew this, which was why his elves ferried the children away first.


    None of the mutants fought back, instead they stared at her with eyes filled with hope, fully believing her promise.


    "What is the meaning of this?" Luthera asked Caligar when all of the mutants were restrained. "What do you n on doing with them?"


    Caligar simply grimaced.


    "To catch a monster, you need an equal monster to do the job properly. Did your Matriarch teach you nothing?"

 Chapter 288 - Duplicity And Power

    I watched Apollo slither through the tunnel below and sighed in disappointment, while Typhon sorted through the items from the ring.


    I knew I should have expected something like this to happen, given the precedence of Morgana''s punishment. However, a part of me wished Apollo would see the error in his ways and never harm Ophelia again.


    Unfortunately, it looked like he was only biding his time and his good behaviour was only a ruse.


    It seemed like he didn''t intend to stay at all, and this made my heart tighten.


    [What''s wrong?] Typhon asked.


    Having noticed the change in my mood, he slithered over to see what I was looking at, but there was nothing aside from colourful potion bottles and a mixture of scrolls on the ground, which made him more confused.


    |[It''s nothing.]| I replied. |[See if there''s anything unusual in these items. I''ll be right back.]|


    Typhon looked suspicious, but he agreed, and I blinked into the underground.


    I was upset that he chose to leave despite knowing about Ophelia''s current situation, and for him to do so just proved just how much he truly detested her.


    I wanted to confront him, but I wasn''t exactly sure what to say.


    Something must''ve happened between the two, because Apollo did not strike me as irrational.


    Yet, as I swept through the underground, its surroundings were just as marked by the Abyss as the rooms above. The tunnels were full of dead bottom feeders, the dark marble walls peppered with its fair share of dead nts.


    Fortunately, it wasn''t everything.


    Through the tangled mass of tunnels and dead nts, I saw the pathway linking the Nymph''s forest to my cave was untouched, and below it was a line where the Abyss stopped.


    Behind that line, Apollo stared down into the tunnels containing half of the bottom feeders that were still alive. I quietly approached him in the dark until I was close enough.


    |[Are you going to leave us without saying goodbye?]| I asked.


    Apollo jumped back like a scared rabbit, and looked around until he noticed my shadowy figure.


    [L-Leave?] He asked. [I just came to see if any bottom feeders survived. I wanted to help them, but only a few of them are moving.]


    He turned to look below the tunnel, his eyes watering slightly, and I joined him to take a look at the damage.


    Apollo was right in that only a few of them survived. Most of the tunnels here had been touched by the Abyss and we had lost more than half of the original bottom feeders.


    The surviving bottom feeders were currently devouring their dead brethren and I thought it ironic how Apollo seemed to want to do the same thing to Ophelia. Still, I felt guilty he had lost a good amount of the creatures he loved.


    |[I know how much you cared for them.]| I replied. [I''m sorry so many were lost today.]|


    Apollo looked up at me in confusion. [I don''t me you for this. You were the first to ask about them. Everyone else went by like they didn''t care.]


    |[But it''s my fault they died.]| I corrected him. Considering it was my attack that killed them, it felt insincere to ept such praise.


    [I don''t me you.] Apollo shook his head. [You were the only one who was truly interested in them. You even said they could evolve. No one really thought about them except for you. It was like they didn''t exist. No one wanted to know about them - they were only tools meant to defend us.]


    From how passionately he spoke, I didn''t think he was talking entirely about bottom feeders.


    However, Apollo fell silent soon after, simply looking on as the creatures continued gorging themselves on their dead.


    |[So what happens now?]| I asked. |[Are you going to leave, now that most of them are dead?]|


    Apollo twitched, his wide eyes staring earnestly at me.


    [I never even thought about that.] He cried. [Where would I go? I only know of this cave.]


    I gave him a once over, before sighing ¨C it was about time I came clean.


    |[I know it was you who weakened the traps. You wanted to attack Ophelia, but when you couldn''t, you set them loose on everyone else. Was it your n to bring down the cave? Or did you just want to cause chaos and escape unnoticed?]|


    Apollo''s eyes grew wide as he backed away from me, but gradually his aura changed to somethingpletely different.


    [How long have you known?] He spoke in a sharp cold tone. [You can''t possibly know that¡­unless you were there to see everything.]


    I didn''t reply, but Apollo chuckled as if he understood.


    [I admit I have nothing against you.] Apollo confessed. [If anything, your return made me realise I was surrounded by enemies ¨C one of the best things that could have happened to me after nearly dying.]


    I was surprised by the change in his behaviour, but also d he dropped the pretence fairly quickly.


    [But I realised soon after that I don''t have a future here.] He added.


    |[If it isn''t here, where else could it be?]| I asked out of curiosity.


    His description was exactly the sort of duality that thrived in difficult situations. If anything, living here sounded perfect for him.


    [I''m tired of pretending to be something I''m not.] Apollo replied. [I only stayed this long to get revenge, and I wish I killed Ophelia myself, but looking at her now, I could consider my revengeplete. You already did more than what I hoped to achieve.]


    I could feel the anger simmering inside of me, but I remained calm because he was clearly trying to goad me.


    |[You know I can''t let you leave after what you did.]| I replied.


    [I know.] Apollo nodded as he stared at me. [But I must.]


    He then turned around and dived inside one of the tunnels and disappeared.


    I sighed.


    The tunnels were far too small for me to enter, so I settled for shattering every section of the ground with darkness des, until their inner workings were revealed, exposing the spiralling tunnels underneath and Apollo''s retreating figure.


    With him in sight, I reached out to grab him with [Dark Magic], quickly wrapping him in solid tendrils of darkness. However, the bottom feeders soon grew agitated, and they shot out of the tunnels in droves to attack me.


    While they did not react to Apollo who was inside the tunnel, they swarmed towards me without a care for their lives, even after I cut through several of them with my magic. He was clearly using one or both of his [Puppeteer] skills, so he could escape.


    However, I refused to let go of him and Apolloshed out even more with [Poison Magic] although it was ineffective against his binds.


    |[Stop struggling. It is not toote for you to make amends.]|


    [Why should I make amends for standing up for myself?!] Apollo shouted.


    Soon, more bottom feeders began to escape from the tunnels, rushing towards me like a writhing gue of rodents.


    I could only hold back so many at once, even with my dark des slicing and crushing several with each attack. So, I quickly activated [Coercion] and ordered them all to stop before theypletely overwhelmed me.


    And I met little resistance.


    The minds of the bottom feeders were simple and under Apollo''s control they were even simpler ¨C simr to a collective ruled only by one voice.


    As soon as I overpowered him, the others quickly fell to form, and I was able to order them all to enter the tunnel where Apollo was.


    [H-How are you doing this?] Apollo asked nervously as he stared at the bottom feeders approaching him. [It''s not possible. They only take orders from me!]


    |[They take orders from whoever is strongest.]| I replied with a scoff. |[I can tell them to do anything right now, and they will do it. I can even make them eat you.]|


    Apollo''s eyes widened in horror as more bottom feeders eagerly swarmed around him and before he could scream, they slipped through the gaps of his restraints to gnaw at his flesh.


    And soon the underground was filled with Apollo''s screams.


    I ordered the bottom feeders to let him go and lifted him up to get some answers.


    |[Why are you so set on killing Ophelia?]| I questioned him. |[Revenge? For what reason? Ophelia is your captain. What did she ever do to you?]|


    However, Apollo stayed silent even as he kept bleeding from several wounds.


    I was short of patience, so I lowered him down again until the bottom feeders were only a single leap away from essing his flesh again.


    |[Answer me or else.]|


    Apollo let out a frustrated hiss and shouted in rage. [She left me out to die...like my life held no meaning to her except to be a pawn. So I wanted to make her feel just as helpless as I did. Why am I wrong for doing that?]


    I was surprised, but at the same time I was not. After all, I was the one he was used as bait for.


    |[Ophelia did so because you were all in danger.]| I replied. |[There wasn''t much she could have done at that time, yet she prioritised saving more lives over a few because that''s what a good Captain does. You can''t keep holding onto her past mistakes when she saved you many more times after that.]|


    [How do you know?] Apollo asked, clearly doubtful.


    |[Didn''t she save you and every other nestling from every monster that has attacked us since then. Isn''t that enough to show you that she''s not what you make her out to be?]|


    Apollo didn''t reply, remaining stubborn in his beliefs even though he knew what I said was true. So I lowered him down another inch, forcing him to yell while wriggling away from the leaping bottom feeders.


    [Alright! I understand! I was wrong, I''m sorry!]


    |[Don''t you think you should apologize to Ophelia instead?]| I asked with a satisfied smile.


    [I''m not apologising to her.] Apollo hissed in anger. [But... I won''t attack her anymore.]


    I frowned at his stubbornness, perhaps the bottom feeders hadn''t eaten him enough.


    However, I decided to let him off for now and set him down before coercing the bottom feeders to sleep.


    There was still plenty Apollo didn''t understand and if I kept treating him badly, I was only doing more harm than good.

 Chapter 289 - Apollos Task

    I watched Apollo carefully.


    I might have released him, but if he tried to take off again, I wouldn''t be so merciful this time.


    However, Apollo just eyed me warily before curling up to lick his wounds. And I began to wonder if he could be convinced in some other way.


    |[No matter what you think about Ophelia or Typhon, the truth is you would''ve been much worse if it wasn''t for them.]| I started to say. |[They taught you skills, kept you safe and kept you fed. Without them, you would have regressed to more¡­primitive instincts...which could still happen.]|


    Apollo looked up from his wounds. [What do you mean?]


    |[There are other serpents out there, who won''t approve of our living situations.]| I ominously hissed.


    [What? Other serpents?] Apollo asked confusedly.


    I scoffed at him. |[Did you think we were the only ones?]|


    Apollo continued to look puzzled, so I decided to reveal a few more things.


    |[I havee to learn of the existence of serpent ns that threaten our safety because we deviated from some old tradition. We were all meant to battle amongst ourselves until only one survivor remains, who will then be weed into one of their ns. If our cave had gone in the same way, all of you would be dead soon after being born.]|


    I studied Apollo''s face, and his reaction was exactly what I expected ¨C shock and fear.


    I knew he could realize I would''ve been that sole survivor, and I wanted him to understand how different everything would''ve been.


    |[Now do you understand why leaving the cave is extremely dangerous? I chose to stay with all of you instead of joining the serpent n, so I hope you choose to stay as well.]|


    I could tell Apollo wanted to say something but was stopping himself, and I sighed.


    |[Don''t ever say you don''t belong here.]| I continued. |[This is your home ¨C everyone of you belongs here, so these meaningless grudges have to stop. We are already up against too many dangers from every direction and I don''t need rifts from the inside too.]|


    Apollo looked away dispiritedly. [You... really won''t kill me?]


    I frowned at his quivering form. Why was he still asking me that question after everything I just said?


    |[Although what you did is not a small offence and you deserve harsh punishment, there''s enough things trying to kill us already. I would rather not kill one of my own but at the same time, I also won''t restrict your freedom.]|


    Apollo now looked conflicted.


    |[Just¡­ wait until Ophelia wakes up, and apologise to her. Do that and you will get your wish.]|


    [My wish?] Apollo muttered.


    |[You want to leave, right. I will let you go after you apologise to your Captain.]|


    [You''ll really let me go?] Apollo asked.


    |[You have my word.]| I replied.


    After Ophelia''s incident, I was feeling especially generous. However, his survival would depend solely on his instincts as all his memories of my Pit or this cave would be gone.


    Apollo looked suspiciously at me. [What if I don''t want to?]


    |[Hm? Then you will have to face your punishment.]| I nonchntly replied.


    Apollo slithered back in fear. [I thought you said you weren''t going to kill me?]


    I scoffed at his suspicious look. |[I could have killed you a long time ago, but I didn''t. Besides, you''ve broken my trust. How can I keep you if you don''t earn it back?]|


    Apollo still looked anxious, but he stopped retreating. [I''ve seen what kind of punishments you give. I''m not as strong or reckless as Morgana ¨C I can''t take down any scorpion Queens for you.]


    I chuckled at him. |[I don''t expect you to. I have a different task for you.]|


    Apollo looked wary, yet he was still curious. [What sort of task?]


    |[When the timees, I want you to find the other serpents and report everything they do to me.]|


    Apollo seemed to freeze in terror, his eyes wide, like he couldn''t believe what I just said.


    [Didn''t you just say they are dangerous! How can you ask me to go to them?]


    |[You don''t have to get close to them, you only need to spy on them from afar.]| I rified. |[Don''t you think your bottom feeders are perfect for such a task?]|


    Apollo was stunned. [Why are you so sure I can do it? What if they attack me?]


    |[Bottom feeders are numerous, and you can control them from a distance. You can easily monitor their surroundings with them. You won''t even need to get close.]|


    Apollo was stunned. [Why are you so sure I can do it?]


    |[Bottom feeders are very small and numerous, and you can control them from a distance. You can easily monitor their surroundings with them.]|


    However, Apollo remained unconvinced. [What if something goes wrong? I''ll be all alone out there.]


    |[I won''t let you go unprepared.]| I replied. |[Besides, I will know where you are at all times, so I can find you if you''re ever in trouble.]|


    Apollo still looked suspicious and I sighed.


    I knew there was only a slim chance of him being epted into the Serpent n as an outsider. They were more than likely to kill him if he was discovered, creating another incentive for Apollo to remain hidden at a distance.


    However, all of this was based on the words of the Nymph and I didn''t know how much I could trust her.


    I also didn''t know if the Serpent n was truly as powerful as she led me to believe, or if it was all fabricated so I would keep relying on her.


    And that was what I intended to find out.


    If the Serpent n was weak, it was possible they would make an exception for Apollo and take him in because of his abilities. But if they were truly strong, they were likely to kill or imprison him.


    One of three things could happen.


    Apollo could betray me and never return or I could find out whether the Nymph was lying to me, or it could all go well.


    Either way, I would know if the Nymph could be trusted or not.


    As for Apollo, I nned to mark him like I did to Typhon, so I would always know where he was and if he was alive. There was also no telling if he would stay faithful or betray me the first chance he got, but at least I could track him down at any time.


    I could have sent someone more trustworthy but in the end, I was more willing to risk Apollo''s life, than say Typhon or Ophelia''s. So perhaps, I was a hypocrite and not fit to lead them.


    I watched Apollo think things over before looking at me. [Will you reallye to my rescue if I''m in danger?]


    |[As long as you have my mark, I will know.]| I cryptically replied.


    [Will you also know if I betray you?] Apollo asked with a mischievous look.


    And I gave him a knowing smile. |[I''m sure you can figure that out on your own.]|


    Apollo''s face fell immediately, and he became rather anxious. [I promise I won''t!]


    It looked like he wanted to say more, however Morgana just happened to rush into the underground at that moment, causing Apollo and I to turn to her.


    [I''m not interrupting anything, am I?] She asked, staring awkwardly at the two of us.


    Apollo red at her suspiciously without saying anything and I frowned at her sudden arrival.


    |[Is it about Ophelia?]| I asked. |[Have there been any changes?]|


    Morgana nodded and broke into a wide grin. [Yes, she is awake! She''s asking for you!]


    |[Really?!]|


    I was thrilled to hear the good news, but I was still unhappy to be crept up on. I had to wonder just how much Morgana had heard of our discussion.


    [I didn''t mean to barge in on you.] Morgana worriedly added when my eyes lingered on her. [I was just so excited to tell you that I couldn''t wait.]


    She did seem out of breath, so perhaps it was a coincidence. However, I soon noticed another figure by the entrance which made me frown.


    [I wille with you too. I have to apologise to her.] Apollo spoke up as he looked at me.


    It sounded like he was agreeing to my task, and I nced at the two troublesome nestlings.


    One, a potential spy and another a possible assassin.


    They were both determined and equally confident in their abilities, I was just worried how these would affect them when everything was said and done.


    I was almost out of the underground when I noticed Morgana trailing behind.


    |[Aren''t youing?]| I asked.


    [I will, in a while.] Morgana replied. [A certain spider wants to talk to me first so I''m hanging back.]


    |[Spider?]| I asked confusedly.


    Surely, she didn''t mean Typhon.


    But Morgana seemed to tremble even as she replied. [It''s okay. I will be fine.]


    And I wondered if I needed to have a word with him too?


    Eventually, Apollo and I made our way over to Ophelia''s room where we found her curled up among the nestlings.


    There were no significant changes in her appearance aside from her pale feathers looking slightly ruffled. Her stats were also full, and her serpentine form brimmed with power from her new core.


    But as I approached, Ophelia opened her eyes and turned to me and I was shocked by their colour.


    One was her usual icy blue but the other was now a brilliant red, giving her a unique aura.


    The red eye must have been the product of the Abyss and her new core, to rece what had been destroyed. It looked beautiful and seemed to function properly but for me, it was a constant reminder that she would never be the same again.


    I immediately dismissed the nestlings to allow us to talk and I made Apollo wait with them.


    He could apologise to herter, because I owed Ophelia the biggest apology of all.


    However, my Captain didn''t listen to a word of it.


    [Why are you saying you''re sorry?] Ophelia asked with a flustered look. [Did something happen?]

 Chapter 290 - Her Name

    Morgana crossed the tunnels filled with sleeping bottom feeders, nervously aware that she still hadn''t recovered fully, unlike her opponent waiting for her, but she continued to proceed further nheless.


    In the underground no one would hear her scream, but unlike before she had enough control over her magic to not be defeated so thoroughly. In fact, she was itching for another round, her blood pumping with a strange excitement.


    [Spider? Should I be offended?] Typhon grimaced.


    [Can you me me?] Morgana replied. [I imagine we remember this ce very differently. You with fondness, me with dread.]


    Typhon nced at the pale serpent whose striking yellow eyes taunted him in the dark. It was quiet since ''she'' left with Apollo but now there was a sharp change in the wind around him.


    Was he supposed to believe she was afraid of him?


    [How much did you hear?] He asked without wasting any time.


    [Everything.] Morgana replied, the murderous aura she now emittedpletely obliterating her former smile. [Did you know about Apollo? Why is she still protecting him?]


    Typhon was pleased to see an honest reaction from Morgana who never revealed her true thoughts.


    Since her punishment, she had taken every opportunity to cower anytime he entered the room. So much so, that ''she'' had begun to rethink his character because of her acting skills, an issue that upset him greatly.


    Now that Morgana''s anger was so raw, he was relieved because she mirrored his own rage ¨C however he wished ''she'' could see her now.


    [I''m only learning about it.] Typhon calmly replied. [So act like you heard nothing.]


    [What? Won''t you do something?] Morgana hissed in outrage. [I can''t believe he tried to harm Ophelia. If only I knew earlier, I would have killed him at the first chance.]


    [And you will continue to act like you don''t know about it.] Typhon gave her a warning look.


    [Why?] Morgana frowned. [You don''t agree with Apollo being her spy either. Why not send you? Or me? Doesn''t she trust you enough?]


    [We don''t know the reasons why she chose him.] Typhon frowned. [And you don''t have the right to question her decisions.]


    Morgana approached him slightly. [Don''t you think your bias against me is clouding your judgement? We should work together to let her know she is making a mistake.]


    [So you want to make a truce?] Typhon mockingly asked.


    Surprisingly, Morgana nodded, her look sincere. [I will do anything to keep Ophelia safe.]


    [Then stop hiding your true self and see if she still trusts you.] Typhon scoffed.


    He recalled ''her'' worried look as she left the underground ¨C her exact words were to ''take it easy'' on Morgana. The very serpent who was doubting ''her'' choices.


    [Then you should do the same.] Morgana cheerfully replied, and Typhon chuckled.


    He couldn''t believe ''she'' believed her pretences so thoroughly, it only served to show ''she'' needed his guidance more than ever.


    [Ophelia trusts me.] Morgana dered with confidence. [And I think ''she'' does too. Maybe you should learn to trust me too. Together we can convince her to use someone else.]


    [You mean yourself?] Typhon replied.


    [Will that be so terrible?] Morgana scoffed. [You''re not the only dependable one around here. Just imagine how happy ''she'' will be, when I bring back the queen''s head.]


    Typhon moved towards her menacingly. [If...]


    If she dared toe back a failure, he would kill her away from the Pit and dispose of her body where no one would ever find it ¨C they had no ce for useless serpents.


    Morgana backed away after sensing his malevolent aura. [If you attack me here, she will know immediately, so go ahead and attack. Let''s see if her good opinion of you remains afterwards.]


    Typhon threateninglyughed. [I''m impressed by your propensity for make believe.]


    [Don''t be impressed with me.] Morgana red at him from a safe distance. [It looks like ''she'' has bigger ns¡­I just didn''t expect Apollo would be a part of it.]


    For once Typhon agreed. It was beyond irresponsible for ''her'' to trust Apollo, especially when he was behind their traps'' copse.


    Apollo was using this to win her favour, but knowing their leader, ''she'' probably chose him because she was fond of him in some way, or she saw something in him.


    Typhon had less tolerance for such whimsy.


    Apollo should be dead, as should Morgana who kept eyeing him suspiciously. After everything these traitors had done, their presence was more harmful than good.


    Did ''she'' think she could afford to be this trusting?


    The reason ''she'' wasn''t more strict with them was because she put them in the same category of creatures who needed her help, like children or pets. An act which stirred a memory from within him that he''d long since buried away.


    But in the end, Typhon had his answer.


    [It''s her decision.] He replied. [Instead of questioning it, you''ll do well to make sure Apollo doesn''t escape.]


    Morgana nodded before approaching him. [Why aren''t you more upset at her? I mean¡­She almost killed Ophelia.]


    [That''s where you''re wrong.] Typhon shook his head. [She changed something in Ophelia. Her aura is now the strongest of all of us, more simr to ''her'' than anything.]


    Morgana''s eyes widened. [What?]


    [I admit I was upset at first... but once I sensed Ophelia''s aura...] Typhon pondered. [I couldn''t be angry at ''her'' anymore.]


    [Why? What did she do?] Morgana asked.


    However, Typhon stopped speaking, realising he had said too much already.


    So, he left without answering, making Morgana hiss in frustration. She knew something interesting had happened and yet Typhon was refusing to tell her.


    Why wasn''t he honouring their truce?!


    On the surface Typhon thought more of how Ophelia''s drastic changes could be connected to ''her''. Not only did Ophelia''s aura closely resemble hers, but he also wondered what had happened to that mass of malevolent energy he saw.


    Morgana followed after him, but gave up shortly after when he stopped responding, quickly moving on to find someone else to bother. And Typhon hoped Arsinoe would keep her busy for a while until he figured it out.


    His main issue with their leader was that her impulsive actions could endanger them.


    Typhon couldn''t say that all her decisions were bad, but her methods weren''t always the most refined and her soft heartedness was also an issue.


    Cygnus had described all that urred with the Nymph to him - all that he could see anyway, and his general consensus was that their rtionship was good, which was why the Nymph and her daughters were able to form an alliance.


    But this sort of thing would only work on the Nymph who already had some affection for her. It would have gone terribly wrong on someone else. So, he had to be ready to deal with any problems that could arise as a result of her efforts.


    Unfortunately, thetest problem on the horizon was of an entirely new breed.


    The first thing Typhon saw on entering the room was their leader trying to calm down an over excited Ophelia, who was zipping through the air at breakneck speed.


    [This is amazing!] Ophelia yelled. [Why do I have so much energy?!]


    ''She'' seemed to be puzzled by Ophelia''s response, and kept asking |[Are you in any pain?]| over and over again.


    But Ophelia shook her head, seemingly confused. [Why would I be?]


    |[Don''t you remember anything that happened?]| ''She'' asked and it was Typhon''s turn to be surprised.


    Ophelia mused in thought. [I remembering out to find you but¡­there''s¡­nothing after that. How odd.]


    She didn''t seem to remember getting hit by that st of malevolent energy and Typhon remained frozen by the door, until ''she'' spotted him.


    [Now you''re here?!] Ophelia yelled, eyes ring at him. [Why did everyone else leave? You''re all acting strange today. Typhon wouldn''t stop fussing over me, and now you are acting weird as well.]


    It seemed Ophelia had forgotten her near death experience.


    Rather than hurt, she actually seemed irritated by their concern.


    But then, she nced at the stone walls surrounding her that had turned into dark marble, stroking their cool surface with her feathers.


    [¡­this is new.] Ophelia muttered. [When did it change?]


    |[Are you sure you don''t feel strange anywhere?]| ''She'' asked once more.


    [Strange? Not really.] Ophelia replied. [I guess I feel hungry. Maybe a little sleepy too, but mostly the same.]


    Typhon could see why ''she'' was concerned, but her gaze seemed rather frantic now, and he wondered if he should be more worried by Ophelia''sck of memory.


    |[You should eat something.]| He immediately suggested.


    Perhaps it was best she didn''t remember such a traumatic event. Drawing her attention to it might have some unwanted effect.


    Fortunately, ''she'' caught on quickly and agreed with him.


    In response, Ophelia took off in the air to leave the room. However, her speed took her by surprise, and she ended up storming out of the room with a loud scream.


    [What is this feeling? I feel great!] Ophelia raved in excitement, her voice echoing through the corridors as she familiarised herself with new speed.


    With Ophelia gone, Typhon was able to speak freely.


    [Can I say something.] He said.


    She turned to him and gave him a nod. |[Sure, what is it?]|


    [I don''t really doubt your decisions as our leader, but you have to be more mindful of your actions when ites to using your powers. This thing with Ophelia can''t happen again.]


    To his surprise ''she'' actually agreed.


    |[I know. It won''t happen again.]| She replied. |[And you don''t need to hesitate to voice your opinions to me in the future.]|


    Typhon nodded but he stopped her before she left the room.


    [There is one more thing. You named all of us here but... none of us know your name. Do you not have one?]


    |[Oh... didn''t I tell you? My name is Aurelia.]|


    ''She'' said it like it was supposed to exin everything, but Typhon remained frozen in a mixture of shock and disbelief, his thoughts now murky with doubt.


    There was no way.

 Chapter 291 - The Key To Stronger Allies

    My once inquisitive Captain fell into sudden silence, as his dark eyes twisted in a re as they fixed on me.


    I had to wonder if there was something wrong with what I said.


    |[Typhon?]| I drew closer. |[Is something wrong?]|


    He withdrew slightly, and I watched as various emotions flitter across his eyes before heposed himself.


    [No, nothing.] Typhon replied and turned around. [It just took me by surprise how in it is. I expected something longer.]


    in? I felt like coughing blood.


    Typhon didn''t speak again and simply went away, leaving me confused.


    I wanted to ask him what he meant but I suppose with all the names I gave them, mine would seem too in, if it was simr to theirs.


    Perhaps, I should have said something longer and several times more oundish instead.


    What a mean serpent! How could my own Captain look down on me like this?


    My feelings were more than bruised!


    But just then, a tiny creature stormed in through the doorway followed by a cheery voice.


    [Something strange is happening with the Nymph!] The dark fae excitedly announced, as she fluttered around me.


    Shiranui?


    |[What do you mean?]| I asked.


    [You shoulde and see for yourself! Hurry!] The dark fae eximed with a wide grin.


    Typhon and I exchanged a look before following the dark fae. I was slightly worried something had happened to her while I was away. What if my flight had weakened her, or worse, she was affected by the Abyss somehow?


    When we arrived at the underground pathway, I saw the woven bridge connected to her forest was strangely overgrown.


    New growths twisted and turned in chaotic vines, with dewy fresh leaves and plump flowers sprouting across the sturdy wooden surface, so much that the old trunks were covered in pink and smothered in the fight for space.


    Eventually the nts spilled out across natural soil until they reached Abyss scorched earth and even then they continued to grow. Seeing this, I was convinced something bad had happened and we headed into the pink forest immediately.


    Up there, the situation wasn''t much different.


    Everything was overgrown, the once orderly forest a scattered mess of over spilling leaves and flowers.


    Even the Vdrys we saw ran from us like we walked in on something private, their appearances dishevelled with so many leaves crawling over their bodies and sticking through their pale hair, like they had just woken up and didn''t have any time to tidy themselves.


    [Is this normal?] Typhon asked sceptically, and I shook my head.


    So far, this was even worse than when they bloomed. Before, the flowers covering their dresses and hair were cute and uniformed like spring blossoms ¨C nothing at all like this mass of unruly leaves.


    Still, it was amusing to see so many Vdrys run from us, only to peek out from behind their trees. But as I looked around, there were no corpses and no signs of any creatures being devoured to fuel such a growth spurt which made me wonder what the heck was going on.


    The Nymph was also nowhere to be found.


    |[Where is your Queen Mother?]| I asked the Vdrys, but they only giggled before taking off through the forest, their bodies slipping through trees like they had no substance.


    They wouldn''t look that happy if the Nymph was in danger, so I rxed a little. Instead, I checked the As to see where my summon was.


    [Come on! This way!] The dark fae appeared again to lead us, but I followed the As that led me to my summon rather than her, confident that the Nymph would also be in the same ce.


    We arrived together to see groups of Vdrys crowding around the base of an ancient tree that was several times thicker than a normal one. And as they parted, I saw the Nymph in a prone position, several roots twisting around her to form a cocoon resembling a ribcage.


    There was something very different about her. She seemed stronger somehow and the forest around her was blooming just as much as the flowers on her bare skin.


    When she turned to look at us, there were slim growths on her forehead that twisted like horns but they shone white like porcin, and as they grew in length, they seemed to resemble small antlers that were more than six inches long.


    Matching these antlers was her hair that had reverted to white, and as her ruby eyes shed open, the aura she radiated was simr to that of a frightening beast, although it was strangely soothing to the senses, as if to lure you into a state of calm.


    I also spotted my summon snaking across her shoulders, its reddish scales a striking contrast to her pale skin.


    Strangely, it wasn''t just the Nymph that radiated with power. I felt the simr aura from the trees surrounding her that now glowed faintly in white all the way through their roots and bark, but this did not seem to affect the Vdrys.


    The more the Nymph gained awareness, the more she seemed like a divine creature, and I stopped to appraise her.


    --------------


    Name: Shiranui [LV50 Orai Veliae]


    Specie: Ailith Nymph


    HP: 1282/1282 Defence: 920


    MP: 1151/1151 Intellect: 630


    SP: 940/940    Magic: 1205


    Attack: 1056  Agility: 790


    --------------


    She had levelled up and undergone some sort of evolution from the looks of it and I was amazed there were so many changes in her stats.


    But it all seemed too sudden. It wasn''t that long ago when she was less powerful, and I had to wonder what she had done to evolve all of a sudden.


    [Isn''t she really strong?] The dark fae flew around in excitement, her voice reeking with superiority. [Aren''t you happy I brought you?]


    I ignored her and approached the Nymph encased in her cocoon, but when Typhon followed, I asked him to stay back. There was no telling if she could recognise me right now or if she wouldsh out first.


    However, when the Nymph saw me, her eyes widened in rm and the Vdrys around her suddenly blocked my path until I couldn''t see her at all.


    [Don''te yet.] Shiranui said nervously.


    Ah.


    I looked away for a moment so she could get herself together.


    |[What happened?]| I asked. |[You''ve changed quite a bit from before.]|


    [I was trying to regrow my forest to cover the damage.] The Nymph replied. [But I found a creature there. One of its wings was broken and it couldn''t fly, but it was still alive, so I killed it.]


    The wall of Vdrys parted and the Nymph emerged from her cocoon.


    When she stood up fully, her dress barely covered her ankles but gradually it grew downwards to cover the difference, and more nts sprung up from the ground at her feet as she began to walk.


    The Nymph was much taller now, easily towering over all the Vdrys around her. I didn''t have to wonder where the creature was because underneath her cocoon was the monstrouslyrge, mangled body of a creature resembling a hawk.


    Its body had been impaled several times and twisted through with roots that drew power from its blood to form her cocoon. One of the creature''s wings was horribly ravaged by [Abyss Magic] and it was clear it would have died sooner orter even if she hadn''t killed it.


    As the Nymph stepped forward, nts sprouted around her bare feet from its very corpse, her white hair falling over the creature like a shroud, and as it touched the ground more nts sprung to life.


    Soon, the creature''s body was entirely covered, and it began to sink until it waspletely submerged into the soil.


    Shiranui stood in front of me, her ruby eyes twinkling with mischief as she stared at Typhon and I. As she lifted both arms, several nts sprung up from the ground around us in waves.


    It was quite a sight and Typhon looked cautiously over the ground. But Shiranui quickly withdrew her hand, a small smile on her lips.


    [I don''t haveplete control yet.] She muttered shyly. [You''ll have to be patient with me.]


    I swallowed.


    The Nymph had a radiant smile, her glowing skin slightly flushed as she looked up at me with an adoring gaze, and I began to feel strangely nervous because she wouldn''t look away.


    [This is all because of you.] Shiranui suddenly announced.


    And I was taken aback. |[Huh?]|


    [The only thing that changed was my name, but I''m much stronger than before.]


    Her smile was confident, and she spoke with far more conviction than ever.


    But I sighed ¨C not this again. There was no way this was because of a mere name.


    It was far too much to assume. Rather, it made more sense that the creature she killed was powerful enough to make her evolve.


    [You don''t believe me?] Shiranui pouted when she saw me roll my eyes. [How would you exin this?]


    |[A coincidence.]| I replied.


    But I checked my own stats to make sure, my eyes falling on my Notoriety that had once again increased to [27800].


    It wasn''t as drastic asst time, but to see it change again startled me.


    I couldn''t help thinking it was something I should be worried about, and I really missed not having Sensei around to ask questions.


    However, Shiranui didn''t seem to care. She paced around me, humming pleasantly.


    [If you don''t believe me, then why not name all my children?]


    |[No way!]| I replied. |[There''s too many.]|


    She had to be joking, right?


    But instead of agreeing, the Nymph crossed her arms, her face set in a frown. [But you named all your children.]


    She was serious!


    The dark fae happened to overhear us and flew over to ask for a name for herself. Some of the Vdrys also crept closer but most hid behind Shiranui although it was clear they wanted names too, and I scowled at the Nymph ¨C she had gone too far!


    None of them came too close but I had to wonder just how high my Notoriety would be, if I named them all.


    Eventually, the Nymph saw how ufortable I had gotten and called off all the Vdrys with a sigh. [I don''t want to pressure you, but you should think about it. It wouldn''t hurt to try.]


    The Vdrys soon withdrew and I wondered if I made the right choice.

 Chapter 292 - The Dead Zone

    As Shiranui disyed her powers to the Vdrys in order to teach them, I realized just how powerful she had be. And I began to have doubts.


    Was she actually right?


    While the dark fae cheerfully fluttered around them, Typhon approached me from behind.


    [She''s strong.] He observed.


    And I sighed, because he was right.


    [Are you thinking about naming them all?] Typhon asked, and I shook my head.


    |[Their loyalty isn''tplete without their Queen Mother.]| I replied. |[Once I offend her, they will turn against me.]|


    [I don''t think that''ll be an issue.] Typhon said with a smirk.


    I was astonished. Was he teasing me?


    That aside, there was something I was more curious about.


    |[When I named you, did you also experience anything...different?]| I asked Typhon.


    I wasn''t sure how much of Shiranui''s theory was correct, but thankfully I had others to ask.


    [It was normal in the beginning.] Typhon replied. [But after you named us, everything improved. I began to level up much faster than before.]


    |[What? Why didn''t you tell me this before?]| I hissed.


    [I thought you knew.] Typhon nced at me with suspicion. [Isn''t that why you named us?]


    |[Of course, I knew that!]| I immediately replied.


    What the heck!


    I named them because I needed a way to tell them apart, nothing else!


    At the time there wasn''t much difference in their stats aside from [Status Inspection]. But I couldn''t exactly say that now.


    [One more thing.] Typhon added. [It''s gotten even faster since your recent return. Did something happen while you were away?]


    Haah. Why was he looking at me like that?


    Surely it was only because I evolved again and not because of the Abyss!


    This time I was positive.


    But Sensei had a lot to exin when he got back.


    Typhon looked away with a sigh. [You named her even though she was already powerful. Will you kill her if she grows too strong?]


    My eyes grew wide. Why was he thinking?


    Even Shiranui felt his killing intent and turned to stare at us.


    |[But I named you as well.]| I frowned at Typhon. |[Are you asking me if I will kill you for bing too strong?]|


    [Yes.] Typhon replied bluntly as he stared at me, his gaze unflinching.


    I was speechless.


    Where was thising from? Was this because of Ophelia?


    |[Don''t think so highly of yourself!]| I scoffed, more frustrated than angry that he thought so low of me. |[I''ll always be more powerful than all of you! Do you think I''ll be threatened by your meagre strength?]|


    Typhon looked away, but I could see he was smiling. [I understand.]


    This damn brat!


    Was he serious or was he just joking?


    Unfortunately, the dark fae didn''t care for subtlety and crashed into our midst. [What are you two talking about? We''re going somewhere. You shoulde with us!]


    Neither of us moved, so she flew over and began to pull at my horn, as if she could just drag me away.


    The Nymph and the other Vdrys seemed to be headed somewhere and I knew the tiny brat wouldn''t give up until we went so I began to follow, with Typhon behind me.


    [When will you give me a name?] The dark fae asked while from on top of my head.


    |[And why do you think I''ll name you?]| I chuckled.


    The dark fae mused in thought. [Because I''m your friend and you love me.]


    Pfft!


    I burst intoughter but the dark fae''s tiny figure hovered over to me with her arms crossed, her puffy cheeks even more enhanced by her frown.


    |[Okay, fine. I will give you a name.]| I conceded.


    How could I say no to such a cute face?


    Typhon sighed and shook his head disapprovingly at me, but I pretended not to see it.


    Eventually, we arrived at the edge of the pink forest overlooking lower ground, where the full extent of damage could be seen. Miles and miles of forest now filled with withered, shrunken trees.


    Shiranui was stronger now, so it made sense that she would try to recover the barren patch of forest the Abyss had destroyed. I really hoped it would work as we approached the area, her footsteps leaving trails of nts in her wake.


    I watched the Nymph venture several meters ahead, hoping she would seed so the destruction I caused would be reverted. However, the further the Nymph ventured onto infected ground, the quicker her abilities stopped working.


    The nts she trailed started to die, until nothing remained beneath her feet except ckened sand. Nothing else grew and the area remained scorched.


    [Why isn''t it growing?] The dark fae muttered sadly.


    The Vdrys were also devastated and Shiranui returned to us with a sad look on her face.


    |[m sorry about that.]| I apologised. |[How about covering it up with the nts around it?]|


    This made her perk up and she returned to try. [Alright, let''s see.]


    This time Shiranui encouraged the surrounding vegetation that was around to grow and spread out to cover the infected ground. However, the further in the vegetation spread, the quicker their furthest leaves began to wither, until they too were also dead, leaving the scar only partly concealed.


    I was curious if this was due to Shiranui''s magic failing or is it something else rted to the Abyss, so I decided to test it.


    I turned to Typhon and spoke. [Go past the nts and try to move the ground there.]


    He nodded and went over to manipte the ground. At first his [Earth magic] worked as usual, but the further in he went, the quicker his ability started to fail until he could no longer move any rocks.


    Shiranui looked startled as she and the Vdrys watched him with rapt attention.


    [What is happening?] The dark fae asked.


    |[It''s a little test.]| I replied. |[Fly over to Typhon and try using your magic.]|


    She quickly obliged but just as expected her [Dark Magic] didn''t activate either.


    Not even a single sphere was formed, and I watched her drop out of the air after a few minutes of flying.


    It seemed like the Abyss had created a dead zone for Ether where no magic would work.


    Shiranui stared at me thoughtfully. [Why don''t you try?]


    And I gave her an ironic stare - I could see what she was thinking.


    If my magic still worked while all of theirs didn''t, it would serve to prove she was right about me.


    And I recalled how the Abyss has spared all the Abyssal creatures it touched, which showed it could also make exceptions.


    But I didn''t want her to be right.


    However, when I reached Typhon and the dark fae, my magic functioned like normal which only made the Nymph smile at me with glee, her eyes sparkling like she just discovered a priceless jewel.


    [Amazing! I knew there was something special about you!] The Nymphughed.


    Even Typhon seemed surprised which made me even more self conscious.


    What the heck was happening here?


    |[It doesn''t mean anything.]| I hastily replied. |[My magic could just be stronger.]|


    But Typhon shook his head. [That''s not possible. I can''t sense any magic here. There is something very distorted about this ce. I feel weaker the longer I stay here.]


    Ah hell. He was just making her more set in her beliefs.


    [Can you pick me up?] The dark fae muttered in a small voice. [I feel weak and I''m unable to fly.]


    She was slumped on the ground, her tiny figure trembling and I quickly set her on my scales before telling Typhon to get back.


    Something in this area was affecting their strength as well.


    When we reached the Nymph, I noticed she had a happy smile.


    |[It''s not what you think.]| I hastily replied before she could say anything while the Nymph only giggled.


    Just then, we heard a loud roar as arge dragon approached the pink forest. The Nymph and the Vdrys all looked up with a slight frown, but I knew it was Sylrin without having to look.


    His aura was stronger, as he circled the lush forest, refusing tond - it seemed he had grown again.


    I was more than pleased to see him, but if he was back, then so was the Alpha wolf who must have realised his missing, dead pack members by now.


    I was looking forward to any confrontation that might happen.


    |[We have to go.]| I said to the Nymph. |[We will continue thister.]|


    [I''ll be waiting, whenever you decide to ept that you''re wrong.] Shiranui said with a mischievous smile and I handed her the limp dark fae before leaving - this debate clearly wasn''t over.


    Outside of the pink forest, we made our way over to Sylrin who hadnded on the forest floor near the cave. The abyssal monsters were also with him, along with a pile of fresh monster corpses that he had caught.


    The nestlings were quick to smell the creatures and rushed out of the cave to attack their new food pile.


    They didn''t seem affected even though the cave was close to the dead zone. However, I couldn''t say what would happen to their magic if they were to venture further in.


    Sylrin spotted us and excitedly came over , while Typhon went over to keep the nestlings in order. Not far from him was the Alpha who stood heavier than the pack of medium sized wolves that apanied him.


    Ophelia was with them and they seemed to have beenmunicating beforehand.


    I wondered what she had told him about his pack, considering she was heavily unconscious at the time.

 Chapter 293 - Set To Default

    The wolves snarled and I saw numerous sharpened fangs on full disy as the pack approached.


    The Alpha was at the forefront, but instead of reacting viciously at the loss of his pack, he regarded me with a look that seemed calm, even curious as his eyes poured over at my strange looking [Pit].


    Ophelia was over on the side, staring at us with glittering eyes, as if she was witnessing something very important and I was a little suspicious of what she had told him.


    [What did you say to him?] I asked her with [Thought Transference].


    [Hm...nothing much.] Ophelia casually replied. [He''s the one who wanted to meet you.]


    Huh?


    Several of his wolves were staring at me with provocative eyes. Seeing how many they were was enough to bring back shbacks to when I was a little snake.


    So, I was surprised when the Alpha red at the offenders in his pack until they looked down. And then, he raised his head in a fierce howl.


    Soon, the wolves that were hostile began to join in with howls of their own in a loud chorus that swelled in volume, drawing the attention of every monster present, both nestlings and Abyssal creatures alike, aside from Sylrin, who remained unbothered where he rested.


    I was surprised the Alpha didn''t attack - not once did I think we would evere face to face without either of us trying to kill each other. Besides, I already killed a fair share of his pack so I was even more suspicious of his intentions.


    But Ophelia whispered to me. [He''s greeting you. Say something nice back!]


    Oh heck no.


    Eventually, the howling came to an end, and the Alpha looked at me, clearly waiting for a response.


    I wasn''t sure howling back was the right way, neither was suddenly speaking to him with [Thought Transference] so I gave him a curt nod instead.


    Thankfully, that seemed to be enough and the Alpha met my eyes before striding away to settle beside Sylrin.


    What just happened?


    Once more I red at my Captain who seemed far too excited for her own good. Ophelia flew over to my side, openly looking in the Alpha''s direction, particrly at his thick fur.


    I might have been wrong, but I hoped she wasn''t eyeing him as a potential mount.


    [Why is he so calm?] I questioned her. [Did you ''influence'' his mood?]


    [Hm?] Ophelia muttered distractedly, but then it dawned on her. [Oh no. I didn''t! Really.]


    I appraised the Alpha to see how strong he was.


    --------------


    LV40 Lordirus


    Specie: Ailith Lycaon


    HP: 680/680 Defence: 550


    MP: 310/310 Intellect: 306


    SP: 756/756 Magic: 280


    Attack: 585  Agility: 675


    --------------


    His stats were strong, but Ophelia in her current state was far stronger. If she wanted to, she could have done so easily.


    [You didn''tpel him?] I asked.


    [No.] Ophelis stubbornly replied. [He is not a threat to us, and that''s just wrong.]


    I was worried the Abyss might influence her in some way but it seemed she didn''t even consider it.


    She even acted the same.


    [Actually, he did mention something!] Ophelia eximed.


    I knew there had to be a catch!


    [He told me his pack is often attacked by a kind of monster they can''t see. It hides in the dark so the wolves don''t know what it is, but its victims are always picked off quickly and quietly. Their numbers would have reduced much more by now, but they haven''t been attacked as often since they started staying near our cave.]


    I swallowed.


    Hearing this gave me a sinking feeling because that sounded an awful lot like...me.


    [He is looking forward to working together to end the threat of his pack. If you would have him, of course.] Ophelia innocently ryed the Alpha''s words, not even realising I had gone quiet.


    There was no way they knew I was responsible...right?


    Surely if the Alpha knew, he wouldn''t have brought his pack right to my doorstep, and I nced at Ophelia who peered eagerly at me.


    It seems she was waiting to beplimented.


    |[You did a good job.]| I smiled at Ophelia and she began to circle around me.


    [Really?] She hissed with pleasure. [Does this mean they can stay with us?!]


    I sighed in defeat. If some Abyssal monsters could join my Pit and not kill the nestlings immediately, then the wolves were a considerably safer choice.


    |[You want them to join?]| I asked.


    [Yes, please!] Ophelia replied.


    |[Alright, but only if the Alpha agrees.]| I warned her. |[If he doesn''t, then you can''t force him.]


    [Okay!] Ophelia happily replied.


    The Alpha was already strong, and I had to wonder if his stats would change if I named him like the Nymph. Regardless, Ophelia''s reaction was far too much to contain, her speed increasing even more as she flew.


    As we headed back to the cave, I took onest look at the Alpha and his wolves who had settled around Sylrin - It seemed I had to take them off my menu for good.


    Entering the cave we were met with cheers from the nestlings. It was just as lively as outside with Typhon instructing them to take in the hunt in an organised way. Now with most of the hunt inside, the nestlings soon returned to training.


    Among the group that was sparring, I spotted Arsinoe sparring with Oteiza and Otreia, while Morgana was sparring with Aqu.


    However, when Arsinoeunched her water magic, it was incredibly weak, with the same ferocity as a wet puddle.


    [It''s been happening to everyone and I''m not sure why.] Ophelia nervously exined. [And I keep telling them it''s because they aren''t controlling their magic well enough.]


    Arisinoe seemed just as confused as the others, but she became aware that she had an audience, she forced her magic to improve, this time able to mount a proper attack on her team.


    It was clearly the lingering effect of the Abyss, but it did make me realize something. If using their magic here was more difficult, perhaps their abilities would be more superior on normal ground.


    |[Don''t be too hard on them.]| I muttered. |[Just make sure they train regrly.]|


    [Okay.] Ophelia nodded.


    |[And what about you?]| I asked. |[Are you experiencing any difficulties?]|


    Ophelia seemed to think and the ground around her suddenly frosted over with cold.


    Floating around her were multiple spheres of poison as well as the water spheres she had generated.


    [No difficulties.] Ophelia cheerily replied.


    That shouldn''t have been the case.


    If her magic functioned like usual then the only ones unaffected were Ophelia and myself.


    [Is something wrong?] Ophelia asked.


    |[If you ever feel strange, make sure you tell me¡­]| I started to say, but a nestling slithered past the fighting pits in a depressed slump, a visible cloud of gloom over his head.


    All the nestlings around us were happy, so one that was sad was very easy to spot.


    |[What''s wrong with him?]| I asked.


    Ophelia followed my gaze to Artemis and sighed.


    [He''s been like that since his nts died.] She exined. [Then all the Vdrys left without any exnation. He hasn''t been the same since.]


    How could I forget his poison garden?


    I had failed to ount for other aspects that the Abyss had destroyed.


    Instead I called him over to tell him the good news. |[They will return soon. Their Queen Mother just evolved.]|


    [Really?] Artemis perked up immediately. [That means they''ll be stronger!]


    I nodded in agreement, recalling their dishevelled, overgrown states. It would take more than a prune to return them to their former beauty - perhaps he was better off not seeing them now.


    [That''s amazing!] Ophelia was overjoyed. [I really want to meet her sometime. Typhon already did.]


    |[You will. You cane with me next time I visit.]| I replied.


    Unfortunately, it was always best to have either Ophelia or Typhon watching over the [Pit], so they couldn''t both be absent. Most of the nestlings were sparring now, but who knew what mischief they would get up to with them gone.


    In particr, my eyes were drawn to two serpents lurking around the nestlings with less altruistic motives. Cassio and Andromeda seemed to be looking for victims for their mining endeavours. Their scales even glimmered where they were embedded with gold fragments and other precious gems.


    They eyed Arsinoe like hungry wolves, but she made it a point to ignore them.


    |[I hope they are being careful.]| I muttered. I didn''t want any more mining idents.


    [I went down to see it myself.] Ophelia offered. [They are very quiet while digging now and there''s no more worms. But there''s more gold now than we know what to do with. I advised them to gather it all in a safe ce to keep forter, but they want to keep on digging.]


    I was sure they would greatly benefit by having somewhere to store it all like say, their own [Dimensional Box]. But with Sensei gone, I wasn''t sure how the system would function.


    I checked it all the same to see if it still worked and the menu came up like usual.


    Skills and items were still avable to purchase, but in addition to that, there were several new quests waiting for me.


    And very generous ones too!


    --------------


    [Novice Level Quest - Go mining with your nestlings. Reward [50XP]]


    [Novice Level Quest - Go swimming in the Middle Stratum. Reward [500XP]]


    [Novice Level Quest - Expand your Pit. Invite the Alpha to join. Reward [100XP]]


    [Novice Level Quest - Name every Pit member. Reward [300XP]]


    [Novice Level Quest - Bring Ghad back. Reward [400XP]]


    [Novice Level Quest - Visit the Serpent n. Reward [2500XP]]


    --------------


    Woah! I was too surprised to speak. But it was just the beginning.


    --------------


    [Adept Level Quest - Practice Abyss Magic. Reward [200XP]]


    [Adept Level Quest - Get to Level 50. Reward [400XP]]


    [Adept Level Quest - Defeat the Scorpion Queen. Reward [550XP]]


    [Adept Level Quest - Defeat the Ape King. Reward [600XP]]


    [Adept Level Quest - Destroy the Grandmaster''s Journal. Reward [500XP]]


    --------------


    There were some I didn''t understand like these.


    --------------


    [Adept Level Quest - Defeat the Elf Commander. Reward [750XP]]


    [Adept Level Quest - Rescue the captured hostages. Reward [1000XP]]


    --------------


    And then there was this insanity.


    --------------


    [Expert Level Quest - Defeat the Elf Grandmaster. Reward [5000XP]]


    --------------


    Had the system been ced on some easier setting with Sensei dormant or had it reverted to something else, because it seemed to have gone crazy¡­in a good way!


    Things just couldn''t get any better, and I settled on the easiest quest before calling my greedy nestlings over ¨C it was time to go swimming!

 Chapter 294 - Blood In The Water

    Ding!


    [Quest - Go mining with your nestlings. Complete!]


    [Quest Reward 50XP has been issued!]


    It was just the sound I wanted to hear after sting through ingots for a long time.


    Andromeda watched curiously as all the glimmering stones disappeared into [Dimensional Box].


    [You have to teach us how to do that!] She grinned.


    I could do one better and give them their own [Dimensional Box] if they proved useful, but that''ll have to wait.


    [There''s more down there, we should collect them too!] Cassio poked his head out from another tunnel to call out.


    After taking another foray in gold dust he looked even more bedazzled than myself and Andromeda.


    However, I shook my head. |[No need to be in such a rush. There''s plenty of time for thatter.]|


    Besides, we had all but stripped the cavern bare, yet they still wanted more ¨C I was beginning to fear their greediness when it came to trading with others.


    [This should be more than enough!] Andromeda said in approval.


    [So what''s next?] Cassio asked.


    I had only taken two nestlings with me no matter how much the others pleaded, because our next stop was a little unusual and I was worried they would refuse.


    |[You''ll see.]| I said vaguely.


    Why ruin the surprise.


    We left the worm tunnel in haste, speeding up to the teau where the steep cliff wall loomed down below us. The sweltering water forest underneath was perfectly visible with its tall stems and lengthy exposed roots. Alongside this was the cliffside filled with holes where numerous giant centipedes skittered about.


    It didn''t take much to see how quickly it would be for them to reach the water.


    [Don''t tell me.] Cassio and Andromeda went pale. [You want to go down?]


    |[Yeah! It''ll be fun!]| I replied.


    All I wanted was to feel some cool water in the sweltering heat!


    However, the two behind me were full of apprehension.


    [It''s too high!] Andromeda trembled like a leaf.


    [We''re going to get eaten for sure!] Cassio curled tightly around a rock, afraid to move.


    |[Where''s your sense of adventure?]| I encouraged them. |[Just use [Stealth] and stick close to me. Nothing will eat you as long as you''re with me!]|


    It wasn''t just a false assurance. When I looked down at the centipedes with [Mind''s Eye], the closest one was a LV54.


    --------------


    LV54 Kraigamor


    Specie: Ailith Scohlendra


    HP: 602/602 Defence: 517


    MP: 466/466 Intellect: 115


    SP: 500/500 Magic: 255


    Attack: 841  Agility: 778


    --------------


    There was no way I wanted to deal with that, not to talk of tangling with multiple creatures that were about my size!


    Also, there were more inside their burrows than I could count! I was better off passing them quickly to enter the water before they became aware.


    I was confident we would not be detected if we didn''t make any noise. So I instructed my nestlings to move quietly as we began scaling down the cliff. We snuck past the first centipede burrow in silence, taking note of the other centipede burrows within range.


    We continued on cautiously and finally crossed the veryst burrow with a centipede nestled deep inside. All that was left was to jump into the water, however, as we passed, the system intervened.


    Ding!


    [Quest - Lure 15 Kraigamor''s into the water. Reward 250XP]]


    [Progress [0/15]]


    Was this system kidding me?


    The whole point of sneaking down was to avoid detection!


    Still, luring them down seemed doable as the centipedes inside the cliff were numerous, we just had to be further away than them.


    However, I soon spotted the shadow of somethingrge lurking under the water. It was some kind of aquatic creature, with a body farrger than the centipedes above. Its impossibly long fins spread out like cobwebs across the water''s surface, thin and wide like a giant leaf, and there was no way to enter without getting detected by it.


    What an annoying fish.


    Itsrge body was submerged below as if it knew breaking the waves in any way would bring it unwanted attention.


    But if we happened to touch it, the creature would surely give chase and it was either we got eaten or fight it, which would cause a ruckus and lure the centipedes above.


    I grimaced at the sticky situation, causing my nestlings to exchange looks of concern.


    [Get on my back.] I ordered, and they did so immediately.


    That fish really thought it was going to monopolize the pool and deny me a good swim?


    No way!


    So, rather than get into the water, I began climbing even higher up until we were across from a centipede''s burrow.


    My nestlings were nervous to be this close, but I instructed them to hang on tight and stick close to my body ¨C because I had a dastardly n.


    Once they werefortably secure, I proceeded to stab my tail into the rocks, securing myself with its prongs. This set off a rather loud bang and rocks began cascading down the cliffside into the water.


    Almost immediately, a centipede scampered out of the hole, its pincers snapping with a screech, as it sped towards us.


    My nestlings screamed in fright at the sight of its numerous legs, but at that moment, I released my tail, and dove down towards the water at tremendous speed.


    I mmed into the aquatic creature with a horrendous crunch as my body weight broke its back. Its huge body dipped further underwater, as tumultuous waves struck the cliffside in the aftermath, causing several more centipedes to skitter out of their burrows.


    As for the creature - ity limp and was sinking slowly, but the small portion of skin on its back was retracted, revealing a dull, yellow eyeball with a furious glint.


    I slipped away just as its webbed fins rose out from the water to attack me. Their sharp, thin barbs sliced through the water as the creature panicked in an effort to stay afloat.


    However it only created an even greater turmoil, and I glimpsed several more centipedes scampering down rapidly. Their armoured bodies covered most of the cliffside and they were definitely far more than fifteen!


    I knew I had to escape right then, so I unhesitatingly sliced through the creature''s fins with dark des and called out to the two on my back.


    [Hold your breath!]


    With the path clear, I plunged into the water, trying to get as far away as possible. The creature was already doomed, and I didn''t want to get caught up in the ensuing battle with the centipedes.


    ?Skill¡ºSwim LV1¡»has been acquired?


    Nice!


    After I was at a safe distance away, I carefully stuck my head above and saw the centipedes had overrun the creature. Streams of its own blood and fat floated above the water as it was pulled apart from both ends, its defences utterly useless. And soon, its flesh was devoured, leaving only a bony carcass that quickly sank.


    What absolute killing machines!


    I swam away even further to prevent detection - but just looking at them made me want one for myself.


    Perhaps if I learnt to use [Abyss Magic] properly, I could turn them into something simr to my loyal Abyssal monsters.


    Ding!


    [Quest - Go swimming in the Middle Stratum. Complete!]


    [Quest Reward 500XP has been issued!]


    Oh yes!


    Ding!


    [Quest - Lure 15 Kraigamor''s into the water.]]


    [Progress [15/15]. Complete!]


    [Quest Reward 250XP has been issued!]


    [Bonus Quest Reward 300XP has been issued!]


    Even nicer!


    That was surprisingly easy toplete.


    I was really beginning to like this new system without Sensei!


    [That was amazing!] Andromeda eximed, her head bobbing above the water as she wriggled. [We should do that again!]


    She was barely staying afloat, but she was just excited as onnd.


    Cassio, on the other hand, was still attached to me like a sloth that refused to be shaken off.


    [No thanks. It''s cold and wet. I''d rather stick to something warmer.]


    Hah! I bet.


    The only thing I''d seem them do was con the other nestlings into getting privileges they didn''t work for.


    Still, it was nice to see them lighten up instead of acting shady all the time.


    |[Don''t you like swimming?]| I chuckled at him, but Cassio shivered even more in disgust, causing Andromeda to giggle.


    Strangely, even with the centipedes having their blood frenzy not far away, our mood was quite refreshing. It would be a while until they cleared away, so in order not to risk catching their attention, I chose to swim in the other direction.


    But I was also curious to see what else was below the water.


    Sinking underneath, we swam until the clouded water became clear and eventually we began to make out other forms of life in the dark depths.


    Some were water monsters, serpentine in shape with small round eyes that could only see a few feet ahead of them, while others wererge with tough hides that were difficult to prate. They also swam slowly and were hopelessly blind.


    Therge majority were spritely and fast with dexterous bodies thatshed out at everything they touched. There were also some like the creature that was killed on the surface, with multiple sensory appendages that actively stretched out to seek out smaller prey.


    The dark water was also filled with all sorts of strange corals and nt life that attacked or swallowed any creature that strayed too close.


    But the creatures all had one thing inmon - they were all ferocious hunters with bodies well suited to their marine environment, a quality my nestlings and I sorelycked.


    We were cloaked in [Shadow Shroud] but we had to be careful not to touch anything, or get too close to any creature or we would be detected quickly. But the lower we sank, the harder it became to swim without expending more air.


    Eventually we had toe up, and we swam towards the light shining through the tree roots closer to the surface. Emerging outwards, we found ourselves in a shaded small pool surrounded by tree roots that dripped a sizzling green ooze.


    Ding!


    [Novice Level Quest - Eat deadly Ricennia Sap to increase [Acid Resistance]. Reward [100XP]]


    Huh? Eat what?


    And before I could process it, I heard another ding.


    [Adept Level Quest - Defeat a Water Behemoth. Reward [550XP]]


    I just finished two quests and there were two more again!


    Wasn''t this getting a bit much?


    They weren''t difficult, but just too silly and I was beginning to feel exhausted.


    Beside me, Cassio and Andromeda were taking deep breaths as they practiced their swimming. They were enjoying themselves but I couldn''t help feeling frustrated.


    Then, as if to spite me, the system dinged yet again with another quest.


    [Novice Level Quest ¨C Eat a D-grade coral. Reward [50XP]]


    What exactly would this solve?


    And I hissed in frustration. Most of these seemed like things Sensei would have filtered out to give me more useful tasks.


    Was it toote to ask for him toe back? A week seemed way too long.

 Chapter 295 - Perilous Adventures

    Ding!


    ?You have gained a level!?


    Ding!


    ?You have gained a level!?


    Ding!


    [Quest - Eat a B-Grade Coral. Complete!]


    [Quest Reward 250XP has been issued!]


    Ding!


    [Quest - Defeat a Water Behemoth. Complete!]


    [Quest Reward 550XP has been issued!]


    Ding!


    [Quest - Increase Acid Resistance to LV8. Complete!]


    [Quest Reward 300XP]


    Ding!


    [Quest - Collect 50 Undine Pearls. Complete!]


    [Quest Reward 650XP has been issued!]


    ?Skill Aptitude Increase¡ºSwim LV5¡»has be¡ºSwim LV6¡»?


    Finally! Silence atst!


    I was exhausted as I pulled myself out of the water and onto a sandy bank made up of roots.


    The diced corpse of a Water Behemoth washed up soon after, followed by Cassio and Andromeda who were cruising over the waves. They had gotten the hang of swimming...or rather drifting on the water behemoth''s blubbery corpse like it were driftwood.


    Once they reachednd, they attempted to pull it away from the water and circled it like excited puppies.


    [Is this really worth something?] Andromeda asked.


    |[Its skin and bones are.]| I replied, ording to [Appraisal] at least.


    [Can we take this?] Cassio asked as he chased after severalrge pearls that crashed against the bank.


    I sighed.


    These brats only seemed interested in the profit of the creatures I collected. But since I was too exhausted to move, I didn''t care.


    |[Just grab everything you want, but make sure the corpse doesn''t get washed away.]| I ordered.


    The pearls and the Water Behemoth were both important considering it took a lot of time to gather/ kill them.


    ording to [Appraisal those pearls can help improve stats. And I hoped the Behemoth would give mean attribute to help me breathe underwater so I wasn''t about to let any get wasted.


    When I checked my stats, the only issue was my loss of SP, which I was keen to refill.


    ----------------------------


    Apostle: Aurelia [LV42 Ael Etheno]


    Specie: Ailith Cerastes


    Notoriety: 30800


    ----------------------------


    HP: 1100/1450Defence: 1582


    MP: 1120/1368Intellect: 1144


    SP: 380/1260[0]Magic: 1256


    Attack: 1852Agility: 1900


    ----------------------------


    Well...I better start with the behemoth.


    Ding!


    [Adept Level Quest - Steal 20 Streiga Eggs. Reward [350XP]]


    NO. Not Again!


    This was too much. I was already tired of these stupid quests.


    Ding!


    [Adept Level Quest - Enter the Direangler''s Lair. Reward [500XP]]


    [Expert Level Quest - Defeat the Guardian of the Lower Stratum. Reward [2000XP]]


    Aah. Damn this frustrating system!


    I bet Sensei messed with something in the system to annoy me before going to sleep.


    But I was done with these never ending quests. I wasn''t moving from this spot no matter how much it prodded me.


    Instead, I began to eat my fill of the Water behemoth with my nestlings, while actively scanning our surroundings for any new monsters. If the Serpent n was anywhere, they would be somewhere ind.


    Once my stamina reserves had increased by three I decided to look through the mangrove forest.


    One thing I learnt from swimming was just how deep this Labyrinth ocean was. The mangrove was just the surface, it was really another world down there, an underwater forest sorge it might even be asrge as the Upper Stratum.


    And that wasn''t the end either.


    Beyond that endless water was morend underneath, only from my brief glimpse, the water seemed to be suspended above an inhospitably barren world of ice.


    I couldn''t swim too far for fear of getting sucked into the underwater whirlpool guarding the entrance to the Lower Stratum, and bing lunch for thergest Aquatic Monster I had ever seen. We were lucky to escape that creature with our lives intact.


    And not to mention the mermaids.


    They existed! Well...at least a version of them.


    But they were not at all like I imagined.


    They were ugly, with a generous amount of tentacles and scales or both, were endlessly aggressive and territorial. We were chased by dozens of them after stealing some of their pearls. Not that I minded, because all of them ended up dead shortly after.


    But it was all too much as I once again realized the Labyrinth was beyond what I couldprehend. It could take me many years to explore it fully and the thought alone made me want to faint.


    [Are we going down again?] Andromeda asked excitedly. [Are we going to defeat that monster too?]


    |[No, not now]| I replied.


    Cassio looked thoughtful. [Why?]


    |[You''re not strong enough yet.]| I blunty said before ncing at the skeletal behemoth. |[You''ll end up just like that.]|


    Cassio swallowed nervously. [We must improve then.]


    Cute.


    |[How about you both get to LV30 first?]| I suggested.


    The two exchanged a look before their determined gazes locked on me. [We will!]


    |[That''s good.]| Iughed.


    They didn''t balk at a challenge. I liked that!


    All through the swim, they treated every threat with calm, measured reactions, with very few mistakes which the inexperienced would have made from panicking. Typhon had really trained them well, and I was really excited to see how well they would do on their own adventures.


    In fact, I was looking forward to them exploring - even if it was just to make me richer!


    They seemed to have an eye for priceless things, having spotted the many pearl clusters even before I did.


    If they were like this, I was sure the others would be itching to explore the Middle Stratum for themselves as well.


    However, it was about time we wrapped up our current adventure, so we entered the water after taking in all the precious loot, ready to return home.


    As we reached the cliff wall, we saw the centipedes had all returned to their burrows and the water was no longer red with blood.


    Still, we waited for a while before beginning the climb in case of any wayward monsters. As vicious as the centipedes were, they also served a purpose of keeping other creatures away from the cliff wall, so in a way, I was quite grateful to have them there.


    At the top we were all relieved to touch familiar ground and found the tunnel with haste.


    Ophelia just happened to be waiting in the underground as we emerged, and she approached as soon as she saw us.


    [I hope they didn''t cause too much trouble.] She said, peering curiously at the three of us who were currently soaking wet. It didn''t help that Cassio kept grinning mischievously.


    I suppose we looked quite dishevelled to her.


    |[No troubles.]| I replied, but Ophelia only squinted suspiciously.


    [We were good, really.] Andromeda giggled.


    |[How did you know we were here?]| I asked Ophelia, as her timing was impable.


    [I saw youing.] She replied.


    |[Saw meing?]|


    How was that possible? Unless she also had [Mind''s Eye].


    [I don''t know exactly.] Ophelia replied. [I knew you were here so I came down...and here you are.]


    Hm?


    That was certainly¡­curious.


    [Did you catch something?] Ophelia asked. [I''m sure you had fun.]


    Fun? I disagreed.


    It was more tedious than anything.


    A list of quests toplete as and when I wanted should have worked in theory, but I was beginning to miss a certain snarky system. And I shuddered just thinking about it.


    Admitting that to myself was just too...annoying.


    Instead, I agreed with Ophelia.


    When we reached the surface Typhon met us there.


    In my absence the nestlings seemed to have gone hunting and there were several serpents taking in scorpion corpses as well as other creatures that had been killed, there were even one or two white apes among them.


    Cassio and Andromeda also broke away from me to join the others to assist, and I watched them leave with a smile, before looking around.


    |[Did you get attacked while I was gone?]| I asked Typhon.


    [Nothing too severe.] He casually replied. [They''ve been taking liberties with trespassing. A warning was needed, and when we set out to do so, your monsters assisted.]


    That was interesting.


    I was surprised he had gotten the Abyssal monsters to hunt alongside them without me present. They were still quite standoffish to the nestlings even after I ordered them to cooperate, I knew he must have worked hard.


    I nced at them as they guided the other nestlings, and it struck me just howpetent Typhon and Ophelia were. They didn''t need much of my input to act and they rarely made mistakes.


    That alone made them indispensable to me, but they seemed almost too perfect.


    There had to be another side of them I wasn''t seeing.


    As I rested, Apollo just happened to pass by Ophelia and although he greeted her, he was treated with a bloodthirsty re from Typhon.


    Oh?


    I expected Ophelia to show some hostility, but instead it was Typhon that reacted forcefully while she remained calm. At the same time, it was also Ophelia who dealt a swift punishment to Morgana when she thought Typhon was hurt, despite their friendship.


    Their care for eachother was too much to be a coincidence.


    I wanted everyone to get along, so even though Ophelia didn''t hold a grudge, I decided to clear the air.


    [Did you settle things with Apollo?] I asked her with [Thought Transference]. [But If you want, I could ask him to never speak to you again.]


    Ophelia looked startled, but she approached me immediately.


    [He was right to be upset with me.] She replied. [But I don''t want to be the cause of any conflict moving forward. So I apologised for my mistake and forgave him for his.]


    It sounded like she had done it just for me and from the sour look Typhon showed, he did not agree with my decision either.


    I sighed.. This was going to be tricky.

 Chapter 296 - Who Are You, Really?

    This was an issue that could only be resolved in a discussion with all parties involved, so I asked them toe with me to speak in private.


    As we left the main hall, Typhon instructed Morgana to take overmand, much to the chagrin of others, Arsinoe in particr who looked at her like a prisoner.


    Morgana herself seemed surprised but she quickly nodded and instructed the others. There were a few murmurs but no one really opposed, which made me wonder what had changed.


    As all the nestlings came together quietly, I wondered if it had something to do with Ophelia. But I decided to let it go for now and went into one of the cave rooms.


    I was rather curious to know what my strongest captains had to say.


    |[As you know, I''m sending Apollo to search for the Serpent n.]| I announced. |[And I can see you don''t approve, so who would you have sent instead?]|


    I wasn''t changing my decision, but I was curious to know what insights they had about the nestlings and their abilities.


    [Ghad.] Typhon answered without hesitation. [He is well suited to tasks like this.]


    I was surprised, because I never got the impression that Typhon particrly trusted Ghad, so for him to be suggested he must be confident in his abilities.


    And it just so happened that he wasn''t here to speak his side.


    [Artemis.] Was Ophelia''s answer which caused Typhon to give her a withering stare.


    [What''s wrong with him?] Ophelia argued defensively.


    [He''s more likely to leave his mission to look at poisonous nts!] Typhon bluntly replied.


    [That''s not true!] Ophelia shot back.


    She was trying to convince me but Typhon only scoffed. [He is too set on his interests to stick to a single n. Doing that will ruin everything.]


    But Ophelia scowled at him. [I consider that a good trait! At least he can think for himself!]


    [And Ghad can''t?] Typhon disagreed.


    Hah.


    It was amusing to see them bicker as I never thought the two would ever sh.


    A difference in opinions was okay, but this only served to reinforce the notion that they were very different from the others.


    [His intellect outweighs his strength, so why not let him use that to his benefit?] Ophelia said.


    Typhon disagreed. [A garden is a waste of time, he should be sparring with the others to improve his strength, not hiding away with the Vdrys.]


    Ophelia hissed in anger. [His collection is not a waste of time. He found a nt that can mark anything it touches to create a trail, amongst other things. It can be used to track the Serpent n if he gathers enough!]


    Oh?


    I thought both sides had good points.


    But more specifically, I was curious to know why Typhon and Ophelia were smarter and more knowledgeable on things they had no means to be.


    While the search for Ghad hadn''t yielded much fruit as of yet. Typhon already knew to send a search team consisting mostly of wolves, alongside Cygnus and Delphine. And this was only moments after I mentioned Apollo''s bad deeds.


    Ophelia, on the other hand, was already this good at using her magic without any assistance - it came easily to her like a natural talent. Part of the reason the nestlings were so ster was also because of their guidance.


    So, was it wrong of me to think they were far too efficient for their own good?


    I was beginning to think we had more inmon than they let on.


    The two were ring at each other, Ophelia''s feathers raised and more ruffled while Typhon simply looked displeased.


    I thought they were far more animated right now, than I ever saw them being with the nestlings, and I let out a chuckle.


    Ophelia stormed over to me, keen to defend her suggestion. [Who do you think is right?]


    |[I think both of you have valid points.]| I replied. |[But Typhon is correct, it''s about who will get the best results. But I think Apollo is still the best candidate because he cares more about his life than he does for glory. He wouldn''t do anything to jeopardise that, and he wille back alive no matter how dangerous the situation gets. I can''t say the same for the others.]|


    Ophelia may have suggested Artemis because he was tactically superior, but he had other things he valued more. Meanwhile Ghad didn''t seem to value anything enough to strive to improve, he just seemed to drift by, so Typhon''s choice was rather strange to me.


    Ophelia looked defeated, but she listened attentively while Typhon simply nodded at my reasoning.


    |[Anyway, tell me the progress of your search teams first.]| I asked, and they began to give me a summary.


    It turns out Cygnus and Delphine had located several other caves throughout the dense forest, but there were no living serpents inside. These caves were old and the nestlings in them all seemed to have been killed in one of three ways. Starved to death, battled to death or by getting burnt to a crisp.


    From this revtion, it was possible we were the only serpents left on this Stratum and that was somewhat unnerving.


    Nevertheless, it gave me an idea of just how much hostility to expect.


    |[Ask Artemis to find more of this nt and ce them around the caves in case anything visits.]|


    It was a long shot but if a serpent or other creature was near, I would like to know.


    [I will ask him and the Vdrys to gather as much as they can find.] Ophelia replied.


    I nodded and turned to Typhon. |[How ready would you say the nestlings are to fend off an attack?]|


    [That depends on how many creatures are attacking.] he replied. [We can''t defend the cave from arge scale attack with our low numbers.]


    I thought of all the creatures in our vicinity that could be a threat to us - serpents, apes, wasps, perhaps even elves. We were sorely outnumbered and very easy to find, and as nice as this cave was, perhaps it was time to move on to somewhere heavily defended, like the castle in the Valley.


    |[What if we had a stronger base with only one path of entry?]| I suggested. If my [Pit] were to join the hundreds of Abyssal monsters guarding that valley, they would be better protected.


    [Where is this ce?] Typhon asked.


    |[Not far from here, if you can fly.]| I replied.


    Considering not all of the nestlings could, the journey would be slightly longer.


    Typhon considered it for a moment. [How safe is this ce?]


    [How far away is it?] Ophelia asked excitedly. [Can you show me?]


    Ah... I didn''t mean to bring their hopes too high.


    Perhaps I should have mentioned that it was a cesspool of Abyssal monsters first?


    I coughed nervously. |[It''s moderately dangerous.]|


    [So it''s very dangerous.] Typhon corrected, making Ophelia sigh in disappointment.


    |[It''s not all bad!]|


    I wouldn''t have considered travelling there if not for them!


    The Abyssal monsters here had limated so quickly.


    To see them cooperating with Typhon and the others was really cool and it gave me hope that the others could be tamed as well.


    Still, there was no telling how long that would take.


    [If we move, how will Ghad find us when he returns.] Ophelia asked.


    She brought up a very good point which got me thinking.


    [He chose to leave the cave.] Typhon harshly replied. [It''s not our responsibility if he can''t find his way back.]


    [Don''t say it like that!] Ophelia swivelled around in anger. [We should all stick together!]


    Typhon simply ignored her and turned to me. [We can move in small groups until everyone is safely escorted. But If he isn''t back by then, there''s nothing more we can do.]


    He was just as blunt as before and even when Ophelia scolded him, he remained unsympathetic.


    |[That would work.]| I replied.


    Except none of them knew the way.


    I wasn''t keen on making repeated trips so they would need to have a generalyout of the journey by themselves, including knowing what monsters could be lurking around, as well as other obstacles foreign to the Labyrinth.


    All of these things would have been impossible without the system''s involvement, but fortunately the system had a rather unique skill.


    --------------


    [Legacy] - Grants the user the ability to transfer skills to any member of the [Pit].


    Effect: The Captains chosen by their Commander can be granted any skill from the [Rebirth System].


    Limit: If any given skill is rescinded for any reason, that captain will no longer be eligible to use [Legacy] skills from thereon after.


    Price: [5000XP]


    --------------


    I had enough XP points for it and to get them the [Labyrinth As] skill they needed.


    But instead of telling them, I mentioned these problems just to see what solutions they coulde up with.


    Ophelia was quick toe up with many suggestions including volunteering to act as a guide, while Typhon insisted on marking out a path.


    My hunch was right, in that they were different from the other nestlings.


    They both had good characters, were dependable and exceedingly smart. The more I listened to them, the more pleased I was that I had them by my side.


    But how far could I trust them?


    I was positive they weren''t reincarnates. If they were, Sensei would have mentioned something to me.


    He certainly wouldn''t approve of me wanting to get along with them.


    At the same time, they hadn''t shown any ill intentions so far, so there was nothing to fear. Since they obeyed my orders, I didn''t really care what they were as long as they didn''t bring any harm to me.


    But if that ever changed, I would have to be selfish and ensure my own survival above everything else.

 Chapter 297 - Grand Ambitions

    I wasn''t being cruel ¨C there was just too much I didn''t understand to prioritise others.


    When I appraised them, Typhon was now at LV26, and with the majority of his skills more or less at LV10, I was confident he would evolve again soon. While Ophelia was the same, she was far more powerful after her ''ident'' with the Abyss.


    Just being near her was enough to be influenced by her enthusiasm.


    [What if we go ahead and clear a path?] She asked. [Then the others can follow behind in smaller groups without meeting any monsters. It''ll be much safer.]


    Havinge to apromise, Typhon nodded before seeking my approval.


    I really disliked the thought of facing them as enemies.


    But fortunately, of the things I didn''t understand, there were certain aspects I could see working in my favour - their loyalty for one.


    They both seemed to like me, which was interesting. I guess having [Charisma] at LV4 was doing something. But whether or not they trusted me was still to be seen.


    And the one thing I could see bing an issue were Ophelia''s thoughts on my eating habits, but that could easily be remedied by not eating anything she liked.


    In a way, my chances of winning them over were more just by being honest.


    So, first, I let them know everything I''d recently discovered, including the underground ocean and the Lower Stratum.


    Typhon and Ophelia were quite impressed and somewhat surprised to learn that the Labyrinth was so big. They also had plenty of questions for me, but answering them all would take too long, so I decided to see how far they would go with me.


    |[What would you say if I decided to make the Upper Stratum into a safe ce?]|


    [Safe ce?] Ophelia blinked confusedly. [How?]


    |[Well, let''s say I drove away all the monsters that could harm us and only kept those that won''t.]|


    Ophelia''s eyes went wide.


    I found that leading with the most extreme version of a n was the best way. But most of all I was interested to see how the two would react.


    [If we drive them all away, where will they go?] Ophelia asked after thinking about it.


    |[They can go down below.]| I replied. |[The Labyrinth isrge enough.]|


    The idea of a united Upper Stratum was beginning to sound very appealing to me, considering the threat of the Serpent n. I looked to Typhon to see what he thought, as unlike Ophelia, he remained calm.


    [How do we decide what to keep?] He asked thoughtfully.


    [I don''t think that''s a good idea at all!] Ophelia interrupted before I could reply. [They don''t know any better and It''s too cruel to force them to go where monsters are several times stronger than them. I don''t think many will survive.]


    Hm.


    I could understand why she was hesitant and perhaps I was missing some key elements in the n, but I did think she was underestimating a monster''s survival rate.


    |[They won''t die simply because they leave.]| I replied.


    The same principles of survival could be applied anywhere.


    However Typhon shook his head. [But those we drive away will only be problemster if we allow them to survive elsewhere.]


    Ah.


    Ophelia and I stared at him with wide eyes. Was he suggesting that they all be killed instead?


    And here I thought I was being extreme by driving them away.


    |[That could be hundreds or thousands of creatures.]| I replied. |[That''s not a good idea.]|


    [But forcing them to leave will only breed hatred in them and they will be an even greater threatter on.] Typhon replied. [If you really want safety, you need to consider dealing with such a situation strictly and ruthlessly.]


    Ophelia didn''t say anything, she simply looked ufortable with the whole discussion now.


    I don''t think she agreed with him, or the rationale behind his objections.


    And even with all that it just didn''t feel right to me.


    |[I still don''t think it''s a good idea.]| I replied.


    I only posed a hypothetical scenario that I would never actually put into effect, but from his responses, Typhon was already thinking far too deeply about it.


    This discussion had truly gone out of hand and I was a little concerned.


    Perhaps I should''ve started off with a lighter topic.


    [Monsters die everyday.] Typhon stated. [It''s no different if it''s us doing it more than others.]


    |[It''s still terrible.]| I replied. |[I shouldn''t have to exin why this is wrong.]|


    There was a clear line that shouldn''t be crossed under any circumstance, so I was surprised he was insisting on this.


    But then, Typhon stared at me with a satisfied look. [It''s good that you care about such things.]


    Ophelia also sighed, and almost seemed to wilt at his side because she was so nervous.


    [I''m sorry.] she whispered.


    What?


    I couldn''t believe it! Why did it feel like I was the one being tested?


    [We understand, and we will support you in achieving your goals.] Typhon said as he and Ophelia lowered their heads.


    I''d just been tricked!


    [I think it''s wonderful that you want the Labyrinth to be safe.] Typhon nodded approvingly.


    [Yes! We can invite all the monsters that feel the same to join us!] Ophelia eximed.


    |[Y-You!]| I stuttered.


    These brat really had some guts to assume they could test me like this!


    I had a good mind to throw them all off a cliff.


    But...I began to think more about the Labyrinth in general.


    Not counting the elves and mortals above, the Ailith Labyrinth had a monster poption that could rival several countries or even whole continents.


    For the size that it was, it should have more than enough to support a nation of monsters. But so far, the Serpent n were the only ones who had any sort of history, even if it was mainly dominated by wars between ns.


    So why hadn''t it happened for other monsters before?


    I did think their intellect had something to do with it, as some monsters took longer to develop, but it was possible once they grew older. Plus, if more monsters became smart enough to function like the nestlings, there was nothing really stopping us.


    |[I suppose that could happen¡­]| I muttered. It seemed like a great goal to work towards, considering I had some helpful minions.


    So far, it didn''t seem like Typhon or Ophelia knew I suspected their odd behaviour. If anything, it seemed like I was the one under their scrutiny, like they were trying to decipher me just as much as I was them.


    I should have found it unsettling, but somehow I was intrigued.


    They had made it clear I wouldn''t be able to deal with them through normal methods, so perhaps it was time to push a little further.


    |[I''m sure you have many questions about me.]| I said before ncing at Typhon. |[And maybe you don''t trust me very well. But I have decided to trust you.]|


    Typhon didn''t even try to refute me, while Ophelia nodded with visible excitement.


    I sighed ¨C they weren''t making this easy at all.


    I truly had no intention of driving away any one - I actually wanted every monster toe together. And since they both seemed to think the same as me, I believed it was worthwhile tobine our efforts.


    |[I want to transform the Labyrinth into a paradise for monsters.]| I announced, even if it sounded some and way too ambitious. |[But I can''t do it alone.]|


    I wasn''t foolish enough to think I could aplish this by myself, and I was already nervous waiting for them to say something.


    But even stranger, no matter how unrealistic my words sounded, no oneughed.


    |[So what do you think?]| I prodded.


    [Your intentions are admirable.] Typhon stated. [But it''s unrealistic to expect everyone to follow you, because you have a goal. You''ll have to be the strongest monster in the Labyrinth to make that happen.]


    This. Was that even possible?


    [I''ll follow you.] Ophelia cheerily added. [You don''t have to be the strongest to me, you just have to be the most reliable, and I believe you have the good judgement to lead us all to improve.]


    Although Typhon acted stubborn and red at her, she gave him an unflinching look. [It''s true! Don''t act like you don''t agree with me.]


    I couldn''t stop smiling.


    I didn''t believe she said this just to make me feel better.


    [That won''t matter if another monster defeats her.] Typhon harshly added. [My point still stands. You need to be the strongest.]


    [She also needs to be a fair leader.] Ophelia pouted. [One that won''t punish those that are loyal or destroy something just because she can. It''s not always about strength.]


    Typhon wasn''tpletely convinced, but I still felt relieved. I didn''t expect them to agree with me every time, I actually liked that they could say no to my face.


    Still, this was a better result than I expected.


    I was still eager to improve, and maybe even be the strongest just so I could protect them all!


    And I would have done the same even if the Serpent n wasn''t a threat.

 Chapter 298 - Eat, Sleep, Repeat

    Typhon and Ophelia were very enthusiastic as they chatted, and I was quite pleased to see them happy and excited. However, that feelingsted until they started asking some very troubling questions.


    [So when do we start this n?] Typhon began.


    |[Huh? What n?]| I muttered.


    [Transforming the Labyrinth.] Ophelia cheered. [I can''t wait! I''m sure it will be amazing.]


    Hold on.


    They didn''t actually think I was serious, right?


    Sure, I was interested in bing strong, but that was the end of my n. I didn''t want to, or believe it was possible to turn the Labyrinth into some monster paradise. I only said that to test them to see how far they were willing to go along with me.


    To me the test was already a sess.


    And yet, they were still offering up ideas.


    [I think we have a higher chance of sess if we rescue younger monsters from being preyed upon.] Ophelia suggested.


    [I agree. We can offer them shelter while we teach them and also protect those in the Pit.] Typhon replied. [But we need to be strong enough to deal with monsters that would see us as their enemies and threaten us and their safety. So, I would like to visit the ce you mentioned, and soon if possible.]


    Uhh...


    How was I supposed to tell them after this?


    They were so hyped up, it seemed wrong to say it was all just my ridiculous test.


    |[It''s a bit too soon.]| I nervously replied. |[We should wait until we are more stable.]|


    I also had to send word to the Abyssal monsters before we even thought of moving. If not, they could see the nestlings as food and attack them!


    But I wouldn''t exactly say that, and Typhon didn''t notice anything was amiss.


    This wasn''t going well at all.


    [I''ll start by asking the Alpha if he waits to join!] Ophelia announced and flew out before I could stop her.


    I was beginning to think I dug my own grave.


    Ophelia returned shortly after with a big smile.


    [Did he agree?] Typhon asked and she grinned even wider, before recounting her talk with the wolf pack. It seemed the Alpha was keen and the two started to discuss other potential monsters they could recruit.


    [What about that wind creature we fought?] Ophelia asked. [They were soft...I mean strong.]


    Typhon shook his head. [Too aggressive. They won''t fit well with the others.]


    [What about the...]


    [No.]


    After several more of her suggestions were rejected, Ophelia became angry.


    [Why don''t you like any of mine?] She fumed.


    Typhon sighed. [We should pick monsters based on their strengths, not appearances.]


    This was getting out of hand.


    It was nice that they believed in me and were confident in my abilities, but I thought they would have realised just how unrealistic my n sounded!


    The Labyrinth was far too big.


    Even if I wanted to, there was no way such a thing was possible.


    Not only was it insanely difficult, there were also other monsters that were stronger and potentially more dangerous than I was.


    I just found the Lower Stratum, yet I had to retreat after seeing the enormous creature circling its entrance. Who knew what other monstrosity lived down there?


    |[No. I think we should reconsider this n.]| I said, getting annoyed that my silly idea started all this.


    I was barely keeping everyone alive and safe as it was - gathering more creatures and ensuring everyone''s safety was too massive a task.


    That was not something I wanted to be burdened with.


    Unfortunately...my two Captains took my hesitation to mean something else.


    [You can always count on us.] Ophelia said worriedly . [We won''t let you do everything on your own. We''ll help out in any way we can.]


    [Some of the nestlings are stillcking in battle experience, I admit. But I can increase their training intensity.] Typhon added.


    |[No...that''s not what I meant.]| I muttered.


    [I think we should let everyone know first.] Ophelia said to Typhon. [You don''t want to overwork them again.]


    Again?


    What kind of training was he putting them through?!


    [You are right.] He casually noted. [I should inform them.]


    |[Wait!]| I stopped them.


    [Do you have some ideas for them?] Typhon turned to ask me. [I think training in the water will be better for their stamina. What do you think?]


    |[Er...]|


    [Their stamina isn''t too bad.] Ophelia mused in thought. [But I think improving their poison like we did, will be a great next step. Artemis ate a funny looking nt that increased his [Poison Synthesis] by one level!]


    [Artemis again?] Typhon glowered. [His garden isn''t bad, but he needs to stop eating weird things!]


    [Rx, he knows what he is doing.] Ophelia grinned.


    [They can do that once they learn to take on tougher opponents.] Typhon replied. [Levelling up and increasing their strength should alwayse first.]


    |[Wait a moment!]| I yelled at them to stop. |[Aren''t you going too fast? Just start with something small first!]|


    [Why small?] Typhon asked, seemingly confused.


    |[Because¡­it''s dangerous, you know.]| I replied.


    I couldn''t believe I had to tell him this.


    I felt quite sad for the nestlings that were about to be put through hell.


    [Naturally.] Typhon casually replied. [I always look out for them by making sure they don''te to any harm.]


    That wasn''t the point either!


    [Should we focus on gathering more monsters instead?] Ophelia asked.


    |[No! Not yet.]| I replied and sighed. I feel so exhausted just thinking about it.


    |[Thank you for trusting me so much...but when I said I wanted to turn the Labyrinth into paradise, I wasn''t serious. I don''t think we need more Pit members to look after. We should just protect those that are with us already.]|


    If more came along, how was I ever going to find time to eat and sleep?


    Typhon and Ophelia looked quite shocked.


    [Are you saying that because we''re not strong enough?] Typhon asked.


    |[No! That''s not it.]| I nervously replied. |[You''re doing much better than I thought.]|


    [What are you saying then?] Ophelia sniffled, her feathers now limp.


    Why did it look like she was about to cry?


    |[I just think we should take it one step at a time and focus on things that are immediate.]|


    [You mean... the scorpions and those apes?] Ophelia asked.


    |[Yeah but those are not the only ones. There are many more powerful beings in the Labyrinth that coulde after us.]|


    [What do you mean?] Typhon was sceptical as he looked at me. [What coulde after us?]


    Haah.


    He really had no idea.


    Already, there were quite a few people that could target me.


    A certain elf girl came to mind, and while she could be ignored, the Grandmaster whose Journal I stole was very much a threat. I''d gotten stronger recently, but it was too soon to tell if I could defeat an Elf Grandmaster.


    So, they really needed to know just howrge the world was.


    To prove my point, I decided to show them the items inside the Elf ring and the Grandmaster''s Journal.


    Since I first opened it, all the monster carcasses and perishable food items had been removed and shared amongst the nestlings, leaving only goods I didn''t deem safe, like the potions and other mysterious edibles I wanted to *cough* savour myself.


    But in particr, I wanted to show them the various maps of the Labyrinth as well as the scrolls filled with Elf script and the mysterious journal that provided a glimpse into just how advanced our potential enemies could be.


    They both gathered around to try to understand the piles of scrolls in front of them.


    [What is all this?] Ophelia asked, unravelling a scroll almost as lengthy as herself.


    It was one of the Labyrinth maps that detailed several ancient constructs that had been abandoned, much like that Castle in the Valley.


    |[Some stuff I got from an enemy elf.]| I replied.


    Typhon had already seen them so he didn''tment.


    |[There are more powerful threats out there than just monsters and they live on the surface above us.]| I exined. |[They have traps everywhere down here, so if we try to take control of the Labyrinth or change it in any way, they will notice ande down with an army!]|


    Typhon grimaced and Ophelia became panicky. [What do they want from us?]


    |[That, I don''t know.]| I replied. |[But I guess they visit the Labyrinth to hunt and search for treasures and ancient artefacts.]|


    The traps and army part were all lies of course, but I said it in an exaggerated way to scare them.


    But there was some truth to this too.


    I was still hesitant to open the Grandmaster''s Journal after so long, because I was afraid it might be protected like the ring.


    Typhon and Ophelia took turns looking at the maps. They didn''t understand the text, but since it was pictures, I suppose it didn''t matter.


    I was about to exin the danger of mortals and elves who were advanced in magic when Typhon spoke.


    [It seems like they use the Labyrinth as some sort of training ground.]


    Hm?


    |[What makes you say that?]| I asked.


    [These structures are mostly near sources of water, but not directly in the forest.] Typhon replied. [I assume they built them near the water to have easy ess and far from the forest to flee from monster ambushes when they need to.]


    What an uncanny observation from only a few pictures!


    I was impressed.


    However, Ophelia red suspiciously at the map. [I don''t like it. They''re hunting us. Isn''t this more reason to keep them out?]


    [Doing so would be impossible from down here.] Typhon observed. [We need to find where they enter from and stop them there.]


    Wait. This isn''t how this was supposed to go!


    |[Stopping them would only cause more conflict.]| I replied.


    Typhon shook his head, his eyes glinting rather maliciously as he spoke. [Then, why don''t we prevent them from entering by taking over all their bases. Without those bases, they won''t be able to stay here for long.]


    Oh damn, it seems I only made things worse.

 Chapter 299 - Legacy

    |[We can''t do that.]| I shook my head.


    [Why?] Typhon asked, clearly incensed. [They are strangers intruding into our home, and they have been doing so for a long time. Why can''t we protect ourselves?]


    I sighed. These nestlings were driving me nuts.


    This wasn''t protecting ourselves, this was starting a war - one that I didn''t want to be pulled into.


    |[Involving ourselves in their affairs will only make it worse.]| I sighed. |[We should look out for ourselves first and reduce any unnecessary conflict.]|


    Typhon was deep in thought, and Ophelia calmly looked on by his side.


    I could tell they weren''t happy, but this way they would be safe from harm.


    However, while this was true, I was interested in knowing where the entry point of the Labyrinth was.


    Sensei always refused to tell me when I asked. So, I peered over the scattered scrolls, perhaps something here could give me a clue.


    [Then how can we help you?] Typhon asked after a while.


    |[Hm...you can help me by staying alive and getting stronger.]| I replied. |[And I think I may have a way to help you both with that.]|


    [Really?] Ophelia asked, optimistic.


    |[Of course! But you have to trust me.]| I replied.


    They both nodded enthusiastically, which made me smile.


    How could they be so stubborn and yet so obedient?


    I was convinced now, more than ever that they were worth my trust, and my [Legacy] skills.


    However, I wasn''t quite sure how the skill transfer would work.


    If [Devour] was any indication of what to expect, their bodies could end up changing rather quickly, so I had to warn them.


    |[I will grant you some skills.]| I said. |[But you have to let me know if anything feels strange.]|


    [Strange?] Typhon immediately looked cautious.


    [Will it be painful?] Ophelia asked.


    |[It shouldn''t be¡­I think.]|


    I then opened the system and checked the avable skills.


    --------------


    Skills:


    [Infernal Miasma: 1500XP] [Bloodlust: 1000XP] [Paralysis Venom: 400XP]


    [Legacy: 5000XP] [Mystify: 1200XP] [Magic Eater: 3000XP]


    Experience Points: [14606]


    --------------


    Woah! My XP points had never been so high! And I became greedy.


    I was better off getting all the avable skills now!


    And so, I did. With relish.


    ?Confirmed:¡ºBloodlust: LV1¡»has been acquired?


    ?Confirmed:¡ºMagic Eater: LV1¡»has been acquired?


    ?Confirmed:¡ºInfernal Miasma: LV1¡»has been acquired?


    ?Confirmed:¡ºMystify: LV1¡»has been acquired?


    What a rush it was!


    However, I instantly regretted my decision, after the flurry of dings reduced my XP to a paltry [2506].


    Why the heck did I purchase so many at once? I wasn''t even sure what some of them did.


    My newfound freedom was definitely making me act wildly!


    But I loved it!


    However, something odd seemed to be happening with the system. After purchasing the skills, it didn''t reset like before and the same skills remained there. The menu even expanded to include other skills and items I had purchased a long time ago.


    It was strange seeing skills like [Appraisal] and [Poison Resistance] back on the menu.


    Hmm¡­ It had to be because of [Legacy].


    I then nced at Ophelia when multiple options appeared in the system.


    --------------


    Avable skills for¡ºPit Member 2¡»¡ºOphelia¡»:


    [Appraisal: 150XP] [Poison Resistance: 100XP] [Paralysis Venom: 350XP]


    [Bloodlust: 800XP] [Mana Control: 250XP] [Dimensional Box: 320XP]


    [HP Recovery: 100XP] [MP Recovery: 100XP] [SP Recovery: 100XP]


    [Glossary of Aeon: 2000XP] [Labyrinth As: 300XP] [Mark: 100XP]


    [Infernal Miasma: 1000XP] [Mind''s Eye: 2000XP]


    --------------


    There were plenty of skills avable for her, although most were what I considered basic, but skills like [Glossary of Aeon: 3000XP] and [Mind''s Eye: 2000XP] which I considered quite advanced, were in the list too.


    However, while this was good, they were not allpatible with Ophelia''s own set of skills, and I wondered if her options would grow as [Legacy] increased in level. But fortunately, the prices were fairly reasonable, unlike how it was for me.


    For Typhon, it was mostly the same, except there were fewer advanced skills.


    --------------


    Avable skills for¡ºPit Member 1¡»¡ºTyphon¡»:


    [Appraisal: 100XP] [Poison Resistance: 70XP] [Paralysis Venom: 270XP]


    [Bloodlust: 600XP] [Mana Control: 200XP] [Dimensional Box: 300XP]


    [HP Recovery: 80XP] [MP Recovery: 80XP] [SP Recovery: 80XP]


    [Labyrinth As: 230XP] [Mark: 80XP] [Mana Sense: 100XP]


    --------------


    This difference was likely because Ophelia''s stats were higher, but for some reason the prices for Typhon were lower than hers and I kept trying to figure out why, until it dawned on me.


    My options for [Legacy] included every named Pit member so far, so if they were lower for Typhon, they would be even lower for other nestlings. Only some nestlings wouldn''t be able to use these skills that well due to ack of MP or expertise in general, rendering them slightly useless.


    However, the opposite would also be the same for higher levelled members like Sylrin or Shiranui. I hated to think how much skills would cost for them.


    Just picturing it made me curse Sensei ten times in my head.


    His scheming was very much alive even in his absence.


    Regardless, with my [2506XP] I purchased the necessary skills.


    ?Confirmed:¡ºLegacy¡»is active. Skills¡ºAppraisal: LV1¡»,¡ºLabyrinth As¡»and¡ºDimensional Box¡»have been acquired.?


    ?Imprinting Legacy skills on Pit Member 1¡ºTyphon¡»and Pit Member 2¡ºOphelia¡»?


    ?Sess!?


    Almost immediately, Ophelia got up, her voice ringing with excitement. [Waa! What''s this?]


    Typhon was also staring at his stats menu, with a perplexed look on his features.


    I chuckled smugly. |[I told you I was going to help you. This is a small gift from me, make sure you use them well.]|


    [This¡­] Typhon was speechless. [How?]


    |[I transferred some of my skills to you! Keep using them and their level will increase in time, but make sure you don''t neglect your other skills.]|


    [That''s so good!] Ophelia eximed. [What do they do?]


    Typhon still seemed hesitant so I encouraged him. |[Try using one. Start with [Appraisal], it''s the easiest.]|


    [Appraisal] would make it easier for them to determine which skills the nestlings needed to work on, which would improve their training efficiency in turn.


    Besides, they were already strong enough to be sent out on missions alone. So, I would be more at ease if they could gauge their opponents before getting into a fight with creatures above their level.


    |[Oh, and it works best on objects or monsters that are the same level as you or lower.]| I reminded them to be safe.


    However, they had already started appraising each other, and I even felt a sting when one of them tried it on me!


    Typhon was clearly the culprit as he quickly averted his gaze, but Ophelia was just as mischievous as she had even begun to appraise every object from the Elf ring and the maps to the brightly coloured potionsying around.


    And just as I noticed, one of the mysterious elf beverages disappeared from the pile, leaving behind a circr dent in the ground.


    It seemed Typhon was already practicing the [Dimensional Box] and I was surprised just how quickly they were learning to use them.


    But wait...those beverages were mine!


    Unfortunately, he was too focused on concentrating to see my re.


    [This will be very useful.] Typhon dered. I could see he was testing its size by trying progressivelyrger items, but eventually all the beverages he ''stole'' were returned, much to my relief.


    [Is there a limit?] He asked, clearly impressed.


    I chuckled. |[Let''s just say it will take a while to fill.]|


    On the other hand, Ophelia was staring off into space. It was likely she had discovered the as and was trying to test it out. However, as I observed her, she suddenly yelped in fright, leaping several paces back, only to stumble into some of the items.


    [O!] She hissed. [What was that?!]


    |[Are you alright?]|


    When she looked up, the As she was trying to flee from, was right in front of her.


    |[Calm down.]| Iughed. |[It''s just a map. It won''t hurt you.]|


    Ophelia squinted at her disy. [But¡­why is it so dark?]


    Ah.


    I was sure she had received the useless default version.


    Compared to mine that had several areas of the Upper, Middle and Undersea Stratum revealed, hers would look quite dark.


    |[The ces will be revealed as you explore.]| I exined. |[What do you see now?]|


    When I opened my As, I was represented as arger serpent squiggle, while Typhon and Ophelia represented as slightly smaller squiggles. Every other Pit Member in our vicinity was represented as white dots.


    The only other figure was a lizard shaped outline outside the cave, which had to be Sylrin.


    Sensei really needed to upgrade his terrible design!


    [I see us.] Ophelia replied. [You''re therger snake. Typhon and I are smaller.]


    |[You don''t see anyone else?]| I asked.


    [No. There''s nothing.]


    That was odd. I could clearly see several more dots filling my map and they were so much more concentrated in the Nymph''s forest.


    Could it be they could only see those I had given a [Captain''s Mark]?


    So far, it was only Typhon, Ophelia and Sylrin, and I exined this to them.


    Typhon chuckled. [You''ll need to give out more marks than that or we''ll never know where everyone is.]


    I sighed, to give more marks would mean naming every single of my Pit Members, whose numbers had jumped since thest time I checked.


    ----------------------------


    Pit Members: [8740]


    ----------------------------


    Seriously...what was the Nymph doing?


    I was better off just marking my nestlings to start with.


    [We can help you if you like.] Ophelia offered.


    |[No, it''s alright.]| I replied.


    Right now I just wanted to rest, and I was too poor to purchase any more skills.


    Unfortunately, the system dinged once more and I groaned, expecting another quest.


    However...


    ?Pit Members have reached the limited threshold. Would you like to upgrade¡ºCaptain¡»titles for¡ºTyphon¡»and¡ºOphelia¡»??


    What?


    For once it was actually some great news!

 Chapter 300 - Drunk Snakes

    I immediately epted it and the system dinged, confirming the change in their titles.


    ? ¡ºTyphon¡»has earned the title¡ºCommander¡»Activating status effect. Sess?


    ? ¡ºOphelia¡»has earned the title¡ºCommander¡»Activating status effect. Sess?


    Not bad!


    |[Well done!]| I eximed as Typhon and Ophelia looked up at me.


    [Is this another skill?] Typhon asked suspiciously.


    |[No.]| I shook my head, quite amused at his confusion. |[This is a reward for your efforts.]|


    I was sure they could see the new title by now, as Ophelia kept checking her stats, her eyes growing progressively wider in excitement.


    [A reward?] Typhon muttered.


    I nodded, a wide grin on full disy. |[There''s no one I trust more than you both, and this is just the proof of it.]|


    This new system had such good timing too!


    Typhon looked astonished, but Ophelia was slowly recovering and before I could prepare, sheunched herself at me in a hug.


    Ah!


    I clumsily caught her before she cut herself on my scales, but she really didn''t hold back. If she weighed heavier, I would have been knocked back by her enthusiasm.


    [This is amazing!] Ophelia eximed, her head nuzzling against mine. [I¡­I don''t know what to say.]


    |[You don''t need to say anything.]| I replied with augh.


    She was too ticklish!


    It took everything in me not to burst intoughter, as she felt no differently from a serpentine feather duster ¨C If only she would stop wriggling.


    [Be careful!] Typhon called out with a frown, but Ophelia couldn''t contain her excitement.


    [Thank you so much!] she cried out. [We won''t let you down.]


    |[I know, I know.]| I said, hoping she wouldn''t cry.


    A title upgrade and a few skills really weren''t much, but they were acting like I gave them the world!


    |[Since the Pit has been expanding recently.]| I began to exin. |[These titles will help you maintain order.]|


    [So, we have your permission to do more.] Typhon dered, his bright eyes fiercely aze. [What would you like us to do first?]


    Do more?


    I could tell where this was going from how he spoke, so I had to stop him quickly.


    |[Er¡­nothing really.]| I nervously replied. |[The Pit is doing well. You just do what you''ve been doing all this time. Look after each other, train the nestlings and make sure to practice your new skills.]|


    Typhon grimaced, not even bothering to hide his disappointment.


    [Is that really enough with everything that''s at stake?] He asked doubtfully.


    I gave him a stern look before repeating the same advice to Ophelia.


    |[You earned those titles because of your hard work.]| I replied. |[You don''t have to feel like you have to prove something to me.]|


    There were no exceptions!


    Truthfully, I was happy there were two Commanders now - it meant less work for me and I couldze around more. But I didn''t want them abusing their skills either.


    There was more to [Commander] than I was telling them.


    With it, they could now order any of the thousands of Pit Members I had, and they would have toply, as long as I agreed with the oue. So, I didn''t want them to overthink and start doing excessive things just to prove themselves worthy.


    [Then, we will do as you say.] Typhon said with a bow, and I immediately felt relieved.


    However, Ophelia''s grip on me suddenly loosened, her expression troubled as she took to the air.


    [If we are your Commanders, then shouldn''t we be calling you Queen?] Ophelia trembled. [Forgive us for being so rude!]


    She then flew over to join Typhon, and both of them lowered their heads in a bow.


    What was she going on about?


    Though, ''Queen'' did have a really nice ring to it, it would be too presumptuous to be called that when it was possible there was a Serpent King much stronger than me.


    Besides, thest thing I wanted was for them to treat me like I was some high and mighty royalty. I did appreciate the thought but just their respect was enough.


    |[You don''t have to do that!]| I frowned. |[Actually, you can just call me by my name.]|


    Ophelia looked up hopefully. [Really?]


    |[Yes.]| I replied with a smile.


    Typhon didn''t say anything, he simply stared at us before rising.


    [Stay here.] He said to Ophelia. [There''s something I need to do.]


    And without exining anything, he left Ophelia and I alone in the room.


    |[Is he in a bad mood?]| I muttered.


    Did he want to call me ''Queen'' that badly?


    Ophelia giggled mischievously. [No, he just has something important to do.]


    What was so important that he left in the middle of our talk?


    And how did Ophelia know, and I didn''t?


    When I nced at her, she didn''t say anything, only looking away shyly.


    Hmph.


    He could have said so then.


    It was perfectly fine if they wanted to keep some things to themselves. Still, I was d the tense mood had disappeared, and Ophelia was friendly with me once more.


    Maybe now I could actually taste some of those Elf "beverages" here for a change, so I went over and sliced one open to savour the amber liquid that flowed within.


    [Appraisal] revealed it to be some sort of tonic, but it didn''t smell medicinal at all. It even had a syrupy consistency and smelled quite a bit like nutty caramel.


    I was more than a little suspicious but I was confident a little sip wouldn''t hurt!


    But upon tasting the amber liquid, it was unexpectedly sweet and didn''t contain any trace of poison as [Detox] didn''t react to it.


    Whoever packed these must be quite peculiar, a kid with a sweet tooth, or both!


    And to think I thought these were a trap!


    As I was halfway through the sixth bottle, Ophelia came up beside me, looking at the beverages with interest, so I gave a bottle to her.


    However, as she finished drinking, she began to act differently.


    Her soft, melodic voice became heightened, and her words came fast and erratic as she grew increasingly distracted by every single object around her. She then leaned against me with a sigh, her colourful eyes darting around excitedly.


    |[Are you okay?]| I asked.


    [Hic¡­yes! I just feel really good right now. It''s nice¡­andfy.]


    |[Huh?]| I was confused.


    [I don''t know why but it''s reallyfortable being around yooou, it''s hard to exin.]


    Hah. I was ttered.


    But was she really fine, she was acting quite¡­drunk.


    Unfortunately, Ophelia''s wings came up to cover her face and I lost sight of her.


    |[Wait, are you really okay?]| I asked, concerned by her behaviour.


    Her eyes peeked out from behind a curtain of feathers, blue and red orbs twinkling excitedly before tethering slightly, her long wings knocking down a couple of bottles in one sweeping motion.


    [I feel really warm.] Ophelia muttered, and I nced at the empty bottles that noisily rolled around.


    She was definitely intoxicated!


    Were the drinks poison after all?


    If I didn''t feel anything, perhaps [Detox] at LV9 was just too superior?


    |[Don''t move!]| I moved to catch her.


    [I''m sorry about before.] Ophelia whispered. [If my words offended you¡­it''s just¡­how can we call you by name¡­it''s just rude and it would set the wrong example...for the others.]


    She hupped before falling over on me.


    |[That doesn''t matter.]| I replied, quickly checking her stats, but nothing was dropping or critical - she was perfectly normal, aside from her unsteady movements and rising body temperature.


    If anything, she just seemed drunk.


    [We have to protect you¡­our queeeeenn.] Ophelia slurred.


    I rolled my eyes. |[I don''t need protection, and you can just call me Aurelia. I don''t mind ]|


    Ophelia shook her head in refusal before reaching for a bottle.


    [Hic.]


    I sighed before sliding them away. |[No more for you!]|


    Drinking them with her was a mistake.


    At the same time, seeing Ophelia in this state was¡­ kinda cute.


    [Aurelia¡­] Ophelia sleepily mused. [Our names sound good together.]


    I chuckled. Call it an unconscious bias or inziness on my part, but she was right!


    Still, why did she look amazed like it was part of some grand design?


    |[Maybe I named you after myself.]| I yfully suggested, but Ophelia only seemed to get more amazed.


    [Did you really?] she asked, her optimistic smile so blinding, I had the strangest notion to hide it from everyone else''s eyes.


    I knew I shouldn''t take advantage of her state, but I couldn''t help having devilish thoughts.


    [Of course, you did. I mean you are our ''Queeeen'' after all.] Ophelia sighed, her voice mellow. [I want to stay by your side¡­foreeever... can I do that?]


    |[I don''t think that would be¡­practical.]|


    There was no way she could follow me everywhere.


    Ophelia edged closer. [I will call yooou by your name when we are alone, but I will call you Queeeen when we are with the others, okaaay?]


    |[Uhh...well]|


    She was making it really hard to say no, and she kept staring at me with hopeful eyes.


    [You are sooo powerfool, and eeeeveryone needs to respect you.] she continued.


    Despite her drunk ramblings, I was d to realize nothing had really changed since the Abyss. She was the same Ophelia, only in this moment she was more open and less mysterious.


    So, as I stared into her honest, innocent eyes, I had to concede, because in that moment, I felt much closer to her than I ever did before.


    I nodded, epting defeat and Ophelia yawned, feathers brushing over me.


    If anyone was going to clue me into Typhon''s agenda, it was Ophelia. Perhaps, it was best to take advantage of her openness and ask some questions.


    Unfortunately, Typhon chose to return at that moment and was rather stunned to find a half-conscious Ophelia slumped over on me.


    I immediately tossed all the empty bottles inside [Dimensional Box] to hide the evidence, but another rolled out from under Ophelia''s wings when she tried to stand.


    We both stared at it in rm.


    |[This....it''s not what it looks like.]|

 Chapter 301 - Assembly

    [What''s going on here?] Typhon asked.


    |[Nothing!]| I said with a start.


    [Hehe¡­Nothing¡­hic.] Ophelia repeated, her body wobbling like string, before immediately copsing.


    |[Ophelia.]| I tried to help her up, but no matter what I did, she remained limp, muttering incoherently while Typhon stared at us with a frown.


    He gave us a once over, incredulous eyes settling on Ophelia''s limp form.


    [Are you¡­what did you drink?] He asked.


    |[Shh! Stop speaking]| I immediately stopped Ophelia from replying, lest her drunken rambling ruin everything!


    Unfortunately, while I did, Typhon sped over to the bottle, his disapproving stare narrowing at me.


    |[It''s not what it looks like - ]| I hastily said.


    [What is it then?] Typhon glowered at the both of us.


    |[It''s not poison.]| I offered instead. |[And I didn''t know she would be like this.]|


    But his frown only deepened.


    [Why are you nagging, Typhon?] Ophelia sleepily muttered. [She gave me the amazing drink because she loves me more¡­]


    |[Ophelia!]| Iined.


    [I saved one for you¡­but It''s gone now¡­] Ophelia giggled mischievously.


    I wanted to hide my face.


    My efforts to pick her up were unsessful, and now she had resigned herself to resting on me.


    [You''re drunk.] Typhon hissed when he reached her side.


    [I''m not. I can still fly.] Ophelia stubbornly replied.


    That probably wasn''t the best idea. Fortunately, Ophelia knew better than to actually try it, much to Typhon''s satisfaction.


    [Just rest here until you feel better.] He sighed in defeat and turned to me. [We should head outside.]


    |[I think I should stay here and look after her.]| I said, not wanting to leave her alone in that state.


    [I''ll be good and stay here.] Ophelia said in a sleepy voice, and I felt terrible for letting her drink in the first ce.


    However before long, her curled form was breathing deeply, her wings rising and falling in slumber.


    How cute.


    [She''ll be fine. Let her sleep it off.] Typhon said calmly, before looking at me with a menacing smile. [Everyone is waiting for you outside.]


    I felt a slight chill. That sounded way too ominous.


    |[For me? Why?]| I asked suspiciously. |[What did you do?]|


    Typhon just stared at me nkly and slithered away. [You''ll know when youe out.]


    |[You¡­]|


    I had no words. How snarky of him!


    He definitely did something, but he refused to say anything until I left with him.


    The cave was quiet and the sparring pits were empty, the nestlings nowhere to be seen. But I was quick to notice several scuff marks where the earth had been moved, there were also spots of blood and general disarray - signs that someone had taken a serious beating.


    I stared at Typhon in horror.


    He was silent but the stone fragments left behind were a dead give away.


    |[Who did you punish?]| I asked.


    [Someone who deserved it.]


    |[Is Apollo badly hurt?]| I red at him.


    [It''s nothing he can''t heal.] Typhon scoffed in reply and I sighed as we fell into an ufortable silence.


    The matter was not something either of us wanted to discuss.


    Once outside the cave, I checked The As and found the nestlings in the Nymph''s forest, right on the edge of the dead zone, together with arge group of Vdrys and wolves, with Sylrin soaring over the forest.


    The Abyssal monsters however, preferred to linger amongst the death and darkness of the dead zone. Their aura''s bright, like they were mostfortable within it, unaffected by its power, and in fact strengthened by it.


    They all seemed to be waiting for us, but Typhon took me in another direction. We moved further away, past the withered trees to the area where the dead trees stopped and normal forest began.


    [I found these.] Typhon said, showing me several sets of prints.


    There were quite a bit of Ape footprints and far less scorpions, but the prints shared a simr pattern. Some strayed into the dead zone for several seconds before bounding off towards the grassier path, while the otherssted a bit longer, primarily the apes.


    The furthest to wander inside had to be the most powerful¡­or the most stupid, so I followed the prints to see where they stopped. However, the furthest prints were still not the size of the Colossal ape''s. If he was ever here, he didn''t set foot inside.


    [Could they be testing their limit?] Typhon asked, and I frowned.


    I didn''t want to believe it.


    I also noticed another set of prints, the distinct bound of a four legged monster, only it didn''t smell like the Alpha. I could tell it wasrge from its long stride and paws, only there was blood and acid moistening the ground where it fought something.


    Therge carcass of a scorpion was unearthed not far away, its armored shell shredded with brute force and left uneaten as if it were a mere obstruction.


    This was new.


    Curiously, the prints veered sideways away from the cave before bounding off elsewhere.


    |[No one is to leave the cave from now on.]| I ordered immediately.


    [I''ll send out more scouts.] Typhon said determinedly. [Cygnus and I will watch this area. We won''t miss them next time.]


    |[No, I''ll do it.]| I had a much wider scope anyway, and I couldn''t have them risking their lives.


    We returned to the Nymph''s forest where the nestlings swarmed us at once. Surrounded by so many brightly coloured serpents, I wasn''t sure where to begin, or why Typhon had brought them here.


    The Abyssal monsters still lingered in the dead zone, but I could make out several pairs of red eyes flickering from the shadows, waiting. Across from them, the Alpha studied us carefully. Most of his wolves were y fighting, but the braver ones mingled among my serpents.


    With so many wolves in one ce, their numbers easily surpassed my serpents - only lower than that of Vdrys flitting through the trees as they made their presence known.


    It was truly a sight to see so many creatures gathered together in one ce and I wondered if the Nymph would make an appearance too. I looked around for her and saw the Alpha and his wolves now had the option to be given names.


    I cursed under my breath - much like Sylrin, he joined without even alerting me.


    It seemed they shared several rude traits!


    [Can you teach us [Legacy] skills too?] An eager voice brought my attention back to the nestlings.


    It was Arsinoe, her bright pink eyes sparkled with impatience and yearning.


    Joining her were other nestlings who bombarded me with questions, but none so eager or bold as she.


    I was surprised Typhon had shared the news so readily.


    [That''s not why I brought you here.] He reprimanded her. [Legacy skills are earned, not requested at will.]


    Arsinoe hid her face in embarrassment and the nestlings fell into ce one after another, orderly rows in ce of a rowdy crowd, their enthusiasm curbed.


    I watched several Vdrys slip back into their trees in fear - [Commander] was quite effective.


    [You said you wanted to mark them.] Typhon reminded me. [It should be easier with everyone gathered.]


    |[Ah¡­yes.]|


    How could I forget?


    From the nestlings, a haggard Apollo came first, then the Vdrys and then the wolves.


    The capabilities of their As would vastly improve as soon as every Pit member received a [Captain''s Mark] and I set out to do exactly that, watching as more squiggles joined Sylrin''s to popte the As.


    Soon there were so many marks in one area, it was difficult to tell them apart. While it was too soon to give them [Legacy] skills, at least Typhon and Ophelia could track them whenever they wanted.


    I then moved on to the dead zone, where the Abyssal monsters waited, but¡­


    [Make a worthy contribution.] Typhon announced. [Anyone that surpasses my level will get a [Legacy] skill right now.]


    I stopped dead in my tracks.


    It turns out, he had his own reasons for telling them!


    The nestlings were now in uproar, each one jostling for more details - and I was appalled he had made it into such apetition. And a cruel one at that!


    Knowing the nature of Typhon, he would never let any of them surpass him while he lived. And with his skills, it was foolish to try.


    However, from the violent looks in their eyes, several nestlings were thoroughly up to the challenge.


    Of my Captains, Arsinoe looked especially eager to beat him, as did Artemis, Cygnus and Aqu.


    Yet, Morgana didn''t react.


    [I don''t approve of you gambling at my expense.] I said using [Thought Transference].


    [It''s not a gamble if I know the oue.] Typhon calmly replied.


    There were already arguments breaking out among the nestlings but he didn''t seem to notice nor care, so I intervened with a use.


    |[You''ll also gain a [Legacy] for every outstanding monster you bring to the Pit.]| I added. |[If a monster submits, and you decide to let them live, bring them to me.]|


    Some of the nestlings seemed confused, but others were quite open to having a second option. My suggestion wasn''t perfect, but it worked as a means to filter out monsters with below average intellect.


    [Does this mean we should not fight?] I heard Arsinoe say.


    [Not fight?] Morganaughed. [Spare all your foes and I''ll dly watch you fall beneath me.]


    Arsinoe hissed in anger. [What does that mean?]


    Morgana simply smiled.


    They were misunderstanding me again. I simply wanted them to take an interest in some monsters and not kill everything that moved. Perhaps fuelling theirpetitive streaks wasn''t the best tactic.


    [Ignore them.] Typhon advised. [They''ll learn to work together eventually.]


    He seemed to think a hands off approach was best. I didn''t agree but there were other pressing matters to settle.


    First, I called Sylrin, instructing him to return to the Valley with some of the Abyssal monsters, to inform the others that we would pay them a visit soon.


    It was a simple task, but I couldn''t trust anyone else to do it.. And after marking all the Abyssal monsters present, I bid him farewell.

 Chapter 302 - Following A Traitor

    Arsinoe held her ce in line, the figures of other nestlings in straight rows repeated on either side of her. Everyone was focused on Typhon speaking, but she couldn''t bring herself to concentrate.


    Instead, she surveyed the smooth, dark roof of the cave, fascinated by the reddish strands that ran across it like lightning bolts.


    Yet that wasn''t enough to prevent her eyes falling on a detestable figure ahead.


    In the front row stood Morgana, her silvery blue scales curled directly opposite Typhon, the very picture of good behaviour with her false modesty and agreeable personality.


    He had called a briefing to let them know their duties, and ''her'' instructions for the next phase. On any other asion, this would be great news, but with Morgana hanging on his every word, all Arsinoe could see was red.


    It was disgusting how friendly she was being, and how she could stand so close to him.


    [Yes, Commander.] Morgana said. [Anything to help out the Pit.]


    Her sickening reply only made Arsinoe rage. Not a single protest even when he suggested she make use of the very reptiles that attacked him to track the prints of the apes scouting them.


    Why would he ask her when she couldn''t be trusted?


    And why was she suddenly socent when she should have been more upset.


    All Arsinoe needed was an excuse to bring her down, but Morgana acted too perfect to fault and it was driving her mad.


    With her anger rising, it was no surprise that all the voices in her vicinity melded together in a blur. Other captains came forward to propose solutions, but Arsinoe remained quiet, only remembering Morgana''s casual words in a sh of pure rage.


    What the heck was she trying to imply?


    She was second only to Typhon in ability, so Morgana surpassing her was merely a pipe dream.


    Yet, something simr happened to Ophelia not long ago that made her gain a massive amount of strength. It wasn''t farfetched to imagine Morgana leaping ahead of her like the voice said ¨C she only needed a single great kill.


    But could she let that happen?


    The thought of it unsettled her so deeply that she couldn''t focus on the briefing. She didn''t even hear the whispers of her team members trying to catch her attention ¨C until something mmed into the back of her head.


    [Ow!] Arsinoe hissed, turning back as a ssh of poison dribbled down her spine. [What was that for?]


    [Sorry¡­] Oteiza whispered in apology. [I couldn''t think of anything else.]


    [Don''t attack him! You''re the one not paying attention.] Otreia hissed, before checking to see if Typhon had heard.


    Fortunately he hadn''t.


    [What do you want me to do?] Arsinoe protested. [You heard what she said.]


    [So, don''t listen to her.] Otreia whispered. [She''s only trying to unsettle you. You''re a higher level than her, that''s not something that will change.]


    Not for long, Arsinoe thought. She couldn''t handle it, no matter how many times Otreia and Oteiza told her not to worry. She checked her stats for the nth time to see if anything else had changed.


    --------------


    Name: Arsinoe [LV24 Small Cerastes]


    Specie: Ailith Vipera


    HP: 455/455 Defence: 580


    MP: 430/430 Intellect: 290


    SP: 500/500 Magic: 410


    Attack: 510  Agility: 465


    --------------


    It was still the same, but her friends were correct, she was fasting up to Typhon''s lead.


    Perhaps a [Legacy] wasn''t out of reach.


    However, her joy was brief.


    [You won''t be for long unless you stop her.] The voice amusingly added.


    [What do you mean, stop her?] Oteiza asked, confused, and Arsinoe realised she had spoken out loud again.


    [It''s nothing.] She muttered.


    Otreia was quick to put two together and she hissed in disbelief. [Don''t be crazy. Whatever you''re thinking. Don''t do it!]


    Unfortunately, the rest of the room was silent, and her voice carried far.


    [Is there something more important you need to discuss?] Typhon asked, and all the nestlings turned to stare at the three serpents who hastily lowered their heads.


    Morgana suppressed a smirk.


    [No, Commander.] Arsinoe said through gritted teeth.


    Why should she pay attention anyway ¨C all she wanted to do was go outside and hunt, if not that ''she'' had asked everyone to stay in for whatever reason.


    She was prepared to wait until the ban was over, but the next words out or Typhon mouth made her recoil.


    [In the meanwhile, Cygnus will be our eyes and ears outside.]


    Cygnus acknowledged his post as Arsinoe looked on in disbelief.


    Him? How ludicrous!


    Cygnus merely had one trick which was his speed, beyond that he was nearly useless.


    Why not her?


    She wanted to protest, but Typhon already moved on to other matters and she couldn''t interrupt. Besides, the anxious stares of her team members were too painful to ignore.


    Dammit!


    This was exactly her fault ¨C her behaviour all but told Typhon she didn''t want it.


    If only she didn''t let Morgana get under her skin.


    No. She had to stay calm for now.


    Afterwards she could convince him to change his mind.


    Typhon would want the strongest serpent on the job anyway.


    Cygnus and she were almost at a tie, but she beat him out by one level just recently. This assignment had the capacity to push him past her again and she couldn''t allow that to happen.


    Arsinoe cursed under her breath.


    Everything seemed against her today.


    Looking around the cave, it was full of evil vipers just waiting to surpass her. Things had been quite stabletely, with very little threat of danger due to the new monsters ''she'' had brought. As a result the nestlings were progressing rather rapidly, and each new day brought up more contenders for strongest.


    Delphine''s shadow magic had vastly improved. Artemis had matured into a capable leader that Ophelia wholeheartedly supported and whom Typhon consulted in moments of difficulty. Lyra was able to [Cure] most injuries without any harm to herself, and Europa was fast bing a maverick with his targeted healing skill.


    Everyone, it seemed, was leaving her behind as they grew into their powers.


    Even nestlings like Apollo that had no footing to speak of, was now one of the stronger candidates with his bottom feeders - enough to rival her.


    Even after his ruthless bashing from Typhon, he kept shamelessly interjecting with his own suggestions in an effort to regain Typhon''s trust, simply because ''she'' seemed to favour him.


    How dare he?! The very act was sacrilegious to her.


    Although Typhon took it in stride and was quite open to conflicting viewpoints, the very act of challenging him was enough to make Arsinoe detest him.


    Perhaps he was more outspoken because he wanted a [Legacy] skill, but what excuse did Morgana have?


    She, who should have been long dead for her treacherous deeds, was still thriving.


    And hearing Morgana and Aqu participating in their discussion with Typhon made her blood pressure escte. Everything was wrong and she knew exactly who was to me!


    [Why didn''t he pick you?] The voice mocked.


    [I don''t know!] Arsinoe argued. [How am I supposed to know what he''s thinking? I''m obviously the best one for this.]


    The voice chuckled at her fury. [It''s not toote toe to me, you know. We can take over this Pit together and kill ''her''.]


    Arsinoe considered it for a moment before shaking her head.


    [Why would I?] Her skin flushed as Typhon''s stern gaze passed over her. [Even then, he won''te with me, because he likes ''her''. I don''t understand what''s so great about a serpent who only likes to eat?!]


    The voice sighed in exasperation. [Your obsession is so uncute.]


    [Stop speaking if you''re just going to irritate me!] Arsinoe grumbled. She missed the time when this strange voice had been quiet, but it came back to torment her not long ago, although not as distinct.


    There was nothing else she could do except endure and wait for the meeting to be over, and when it did, Morgana was suspiciously the first to leave.


    Other nestlings hung back to speak to Typhon and she would have joined them to contest Cygnus''s cement, but she was distracted by Morgana''s suspicious behaviour.


    Her suspicion was confirmed when Aqu, who normally followed Morgana around like a shadow, went off to speak to Cygnus, who just happened to be guarding the entrance to the underground.


    It was a distraction and Arsinoe smirked in victory - Morgana had to be going after her reptiles.


    There was no way she could keep up this pretence for long!


    [Please, don''t follow her.] Oteiza said when he saw where her gaze was directed.


    [It''s none of our concern.] Oteria repeated.


    They both had faces riddled with anxiety, but Arsinoe was determined.


    [I''ll only be gone a moment.] she said.


    [Then we''reing too.] Oteiza insisted.


    [No you''re not!] Arsinoe frowned. [I need you here to cover for me. Don''t let anyone know I''m gone.]


    Otreia and Oteiza sighed in defeat. They knew there was no stopping their Captain when her heart was set on something.


    And after much pleading Arsinoe eventually left them to pursue Morgana.


    However, Morgana was not headed for her reptiles.


    As Arsinoe hid herself and trailed her, she saw Morgana enter one of the empty tunnels and vanish outside.


    Hah!


    Finally, she had something to expose Morgana with!


    Not only was she not doing her duties, she was disobeying ''her'' instructions - Typhon wouldn''t ignore that.


    Arsinoe immediately leapt into the tunnel, intent on catching her in the act. She would follow for a while, then knock her out and drag her guilty corpse back to face punishment. Typhon would praise her and all would be right again - it was everything she wanted!


    However, she lost Morgana after pursuing for a while. After an unexpected turn, the tunnel became twistier and far rougher than she remembered. It did not look like Typhon''s Earth Magic, but something rougher¡­like it was carved out by tough ws.


    Arsinoe considered turning back to tell the others of Morgana''s secret tunnel, but the thought of not knowing where she was going was too frustrating to bear.


    Morgana needed to be buried so deeply that there can never be any chance of her ever escaping.


    However, as the tunnel ended, Arsinoe was surprised to find herself at the base of a towering rock formation simr to a cliff. It rose as far as her eyes could see, and not only was this nowhere near the forest she had expected to see, the rock fortress was riddled with holes, with the vibrations of skittering creaturesing from within.


    Arsinoe gasped in disbelief, as Morgana''s amused voice sounded from behind her.


    [I''m really ttered that you followed me here to die.] Sheughed.. [And here I thought you didn''t like me.]

 Chapter 303 - Storming A Fortress

    Arsinoe stared up at the rock formation in shock and surprise.


    [Waa¡­how?!]


    Not yet out of the tunnel she was startled at the enormity of the structure. It wasn''t just how unexpectedly she had gotten there, the ce also looked vaguely familiar to her, although she couldn''t say how or why.


    Did she hunt here in the past?


    The ce was filled with rocky debris, the forest somewhat sparse, even the wall of rock that should have been solid was broken down with holes, which exined the avnche of debris. But it was only when she listened closely to the humming noise from the inside that she recognised the skittering of monsters.


    And then, she became startled, turning to Morgana to scream.


    [How can you bring me to the scorpion''s nest!] She shrieked. [Are you trying to kill me?]


    Morgana looked surprised. [You''re the one who followed me.]


    Arsinoe was so enraged and concerned for her safety that she didn''t care. There was a Queen somewhere in there, and countless scorpion minions. If she had known where Morgana was headed, she would not have tagged along.


    However, now that she knew where she was, she couldn''t help being surprised. Previously, this rock fortress was surrounded by dense trees, fully intact and almost impregnable.


    To attack it, their teams had to wait in ambush for the scorpions to be lured out, as storming in was impossible. But she hadn''t been here since the cave attack.


    Now, with all of the broken rocks and debris around the base, it seemed to have been changed by force. She arched her head backwards to see higher, only to find there were broken gaps reaching all the way to the top.


    It was an odd change in style, but quite interesting to look at.


    [Go back to the cave before you get yourself killed.] Morgana advised ¨C her voice already distant as she slithered past.


    Arsinoe was slightly embarrassed at being found out so easily ¨C but how could Morgana act so calm after she followed her here? Shouldn''t she be panicking now that her secret tunnel was revealed?


    And it was strange. By her memory, the scorpion''sir wasn''t anywhere near their cave, yet Morgana''s tunnel led directly to it.


    Just how far did they travel? She''d been so intent on tracking her that she barely noticed the distance.


    But more importantly, how did Morgana create such a tunnel without anyone knowing?


    She didn''t look at all surprised at the state of their surroundings, so she must have been here before.


    But who helped her? Arsinoe couldn''t figure it out, but she was quick to brush it off.


    It didn''t matter because she was caught. There was no redeeming her now.


    [You are in so much trouble.] Arsinoe called out, smiling deviously at Morgana''s retreating figure. [Nothing you say will save you now. Tell me who helped you and I might leave out some details.]


    Morgana did not respond.


    She pressed against the rock face, travelling carefully along its base to hide from view.


    [Don''t ignore me!] Arsinoe hissed.


    [Keep your voice down.] Morgana frowned, looking up at the steep rocks, before disdainfully ring at Arsinoe''s head sticking out of the ground.


    Before Arsinoe could reply, Morgana already started moving again, like she wanted to get as far from the tunnel as possible.


    Arsinoe was irritated - how could she be so calm? But she acknowledged just how exposed she was with her head out.


    The ground around the tunnel barely had any trees for cover, and save for a few broken bs of stone covering the top, the tunnel was all but open. If any scorpions were to look down from the holes, she would be spotted immediately.


    [I''m not done with you yet!] Arsinoe hastily climbed out. [Who helped you make this tunnel?]


    [I told you to keep your voice down!] Morgana shouted back, looking around warily before pressing herself to the rocks to continue sneaking along.


    Arsinoe warily looked around before joining her to do the same.


    Morgana was clearly more familiar with this ce to know what was safe.


    [Why are you following me?] Morgana hissed. [Go back!]


    Arsinoe ignored her, she wasn''t leaving until she dragged Morgana back to face her punishment. For now she would keep following her to prevent her from escaping.


    As they got closer to the scorpion fortress, the rocks felt warm to the touch and almost alive with all the vibrationsing from within. Arsinoe thought it was creepy but stayed behind Morgana because she didn''t want to be left alone.


    Yet, as she came closer to catching up to Morgana, she began to wonder why she was here at this time. But then, as they crossed some misshapen trees, she grew even more suspicious, realising why this forest was unrecognisable.


    The trees had been destroyed by something,rge portions ripped out of the ground, some twisted beyond recognition to leave only broken stumps. There were also plenty of fallen branches and leaves at the base of the scorpion''s nest, some sorge that she had to stop and climb over them just to continue moving.


    And when Arsinoe looked up, she was surprised to see arge tree''s roots sticking out from one of the holes. Suddenly, it all began to make sense.


    The scorpions were reinforcing their fortress with the trees!


    The new appearance of their fortress had to be them clearing away the trees down at the base as a safety measure against attacks. Morgana only confirmed this by sneaking around like a thief and crossing the terrain underground.


    She was unperturbed by the sight and simply kept forging ahead, cautious enough not to make any sound. And so, when she began to search for a way inside. Arsinoe''s eyes immediately lit up with greed.


    [You''re going after the Queen?] She eximed in surprise. [I can''t believe it.]


    Morgana looked back in anger. [You''re still here? Go home!]


    Like hell she would go back now!


    Arsinoe couldn''t believe her luck ¨C she was actually going after their Queen!


    Morgana was truly braver than she gave her credit for.


    But¡­could she really let her kill the queen?


    Morgana turned away and began to climb up to enter one of the holes above and Arsinoe immediately caught up to her, pulling her down by her wings just as she was about to enter.


    Morgana screamed, slipped, and fell to the ground much to her delight.


    [Like I''d let you kill the Queen and get a [Legacy] skill before me. Her head is mine!] Arsinoe viciously announced.


    Let her deal with the other scorpions!


    Morgana winced in agony, her wings stinging from the dry bite as she pulled herself up from the ground.


    [What are you¡­!] she cried out in disbelief, but Arsinoe already disappeared into the scorpion''s nest.


    But she couldn''t chase after Arsinoe as her scream had attracted a few curious scorpions who peered out down below. Morgana immediately drew closer to the wall to hide from view and hissed out in frustration.


    Inside the fortress, Arsinoe sped down the tunnel that was quite warm. With the scorpions drawn away, it was empty, although asionally she would hear deep hums through the rocks around her.


    Still, she kept on moving ahead, confident that she would find the Queen much faster than Morgana.


    That was until something mmed into her from behind.


    [Get back!] Morgana hissed as she caught up. [This is myst chance. You can''t ruin this for me!]


    [Who cares about you?] Arsinoe yelled. [Go back and tell Typhon you failed. She''s mine!]


    Morgana was beyond frustrated at Arsinoe''s behaviour, but when they fought, Arsinoe''s brute strength won out in the end and she was sent flying through the rocky corridor.


    The sound would alert the scorpions to her presence, and seeing her copse amongst the rocks, Arsinoe smirked in victory, before leaving.


    [Do you have a n?] Morgana called after her. [Or are you just rushing in to spite me? What are you going to do once these scorpionse back and find you? Do you really think you can take them on by yourself?]


    Arsinoe hesitated.


    [I know this ce better than you.] Morgana continued. [You''ll never find her without me.]


    Although Morgana had a point, Arsinoe didn''t care.


    [I''ll take my chances¡­] She started to say, but the skittering noises made by the scorpions were starting to draw near.


    With no idea of where to start, the nest was like a maze, a maze that only Morgana knew.


    [We both have a fair chance once we go in.] Morgana said. [Whoever finds the Queen first can kill her. I won''t stop you then.]


    [You''re just saying that so I''ll help you.] Arsinoe scoffed.


    [Do you think I want to help you?] Morgana snapped. [We don''t have much time and it''s better to work as a team.]


    Arsinoe was suspicious, because this was Morgana and she was not to be trusted.


    Yet, part of her felt it was wrong to leave her here, because she had been through a lot¡­and seemed differenttely - more kind, less selfish. At least Typhon thought she was reformed, so maybe she was.


    [Don''t listen to her, she is only trying to make use of you.] The voice said, and Arsinoe saw several bad memories of Morgana''s mistreatments bubble up to the surface, much to her anger.


    How could she forget she tried to kill her once?


    [I don''t need you.] She coldly replied.


    [Don''t be so stubborn!] Morgana cried out, but she fell silent when the sounds of approaching scorpions suddenly converged at the bottom of the corridor.


    They both stopped speaking immediately, realizing they had run out of time.

 Chapter 304 - Storming A Fortress II

    As the enormous scorpion closed in on them, Morgana''s bright yellow eyes peered out from the darkness to observe, only to fill with irritation when she bumped into someone else.


    [Stop squirming!] She hissed in annoyance and red at Arsinoe who would not stop fidgeting, her jewel pink eyes equally as fearful as she was ufortable.


    [Why do I have to hide in here with you?] Arsinoeined.


    [Would you like to be out there with him then?] Morgana hissed ¨C If she could strangle her, she would have already.


    [I''m more annoyed at your boneheaded stubbornness. I should have left you to your fate!] Shemented, regrettably.


    Arsinoe felt a twinge of guilt.


    With little time to escape before the scorpion arrived, she had been forced to join Morgana in her hiding spot under the rubble, when only moments prior she''d been prepared to leave her.


    If Typhon saw her now, he would be so disappointed.


    Still, her guilt could not outweigh her difort.


    [Move aside, you''re squishing me!] She whispered. They''d only spent a short time together, yet she already felt constricted. It didn''t help that Morgana''s sharp wings kept stabbing her underbelly coils!


    How could a ce feel so tight?!


    [Be quiet!] Morgana bellowed in rage. The scorpion was approaching, and they both held their breaths, counting down the precious few moments it took for the creature to pass by their location.


    She was worried. There was no telling if they would be found with their [Stealth].


    Although it was active, when used in the abnormally fortress, their serpentine frames were likely to appear too cold against the warm rocks, visible to any keen eye that looked too closely.


    During her frequent trips, Morgana had practiced regting her body heat to match that of the fortress, but with Arsinoe here, that wouldn''t help now as her cold, restless frame was a dead giveaway.


    Morgana nced at her in irritation. She could push her out, but that would also reveal her position, so she stayed put.


    In the silence, a pitch ck creature moved. Faintly glistening in the darkness, the curve of its back inched towards them like an ominous fluid. Soon, a sinister stinger appeared above its tail, visibly quivering as if ready to strike out at the slightest noise.


    Beneath the rocks, they didn''t dare to speak, Morgana staring transfixed through the gap as the dangerous creature crept towards them. And the nervous Arsinoe slowly edged closer to see.


    The creature''s pincers were broader than she was wide, their serrated ws guarded by blunt tes, whose thickness was only second to the carapace on its back.


    This scorpion was one she hadn''t encountered before. It was familiar, but it greatly differed from the specimens that attacked their cave. It did not appear to be as swift as its sinister brethren, nor as corrosive with its acid. Although its smaller, sharper and much denser shell appeared to be more explosive in strength.


    It also had intricate markings along its body, like the scorpion that almost killed her, only its markings were brown instead of crimson.


    From the looks of it, a single bite, sting, or swing of its pincers was enough to crush their spines if they strayed too close.


    Fortunately, it passed them, without stopping to look closely at the shattered rubble.


    Arsinoe let out a nervous sigh - it must have been held back for the fortresses'' defence, which meant there were likely other scorpions here that she had never seen before.


    However, while her fears mounted, Morgana remained calm and patient, as she watched the scorpion creep further away.


    And then Arsinoe saw her brace herself to leap.


    [What are you doing?!] she hissed in disbelief.


    The scorpion was right there! She could still smell its horrid breath, yet here she was trying something reckless - it was far too soon!


    Unfortunately, Morgana already broke free of their cover before she could stop her, instantly leaping at the scorpion who had turned its back.


    Arsinoe hissed in horror as the rubble fell away from her body.


    Morgana made sure to fly low, tapering her wings to dip beneath its body as the scorpion turned, ensuring the eyes on the sides of its head did not pick her up.


    Her n was to rush through to the other side without it noticing, and with her speed it was possible, given the distraction she left behind.


    It suddenly dawned on Arsinoe that she had been used as bait and she cursed herself for trusting her.


    Yet, as Morgana came through the other side, the scorpion''s body stirred. Perhaps it felt the draft from her wings, or her feathers brushed against it, but it shifted slightly, numerous eyes locking onto her as she darted out from its underside.


    Then, the creature moved with absurd speed, several armoured legsing down at once to pierce her.


    Morgana weaved a dangerous path through them, she was smaller and more flexible. But, the creature''s vicious stinger also plunged down to strike, her evasive manoeuvre leading her wing to get clipped beneath its feet.


    Arsinoe flinched as Morgana jerked to a stop, stumbling haphazardly through a wall of debris. Thest thing she saw was her tangled form, and twitching wings unable to move under its hold as the stinger came down.


    Arsinoe closed her eyes at the sound of a crunch, which was followed by sickening wet sounds. But she wasn''t interested to stay there any longer for fear of the scorpion turning to her next. But just as she turned around to flee, she got knocked down by a blow from the scorpion''s direction.


    Her body felt hot as it was hit with a stinging liquid.


    Rising up, she was shocked to see an armoured pincernd on the ground beside her head. It was cleanly cut through and the bleeding ooze had touched her.


    Yet, she did not hear the scorpions scream at the loss of its limb.


    Looking back, its stinger was plunged deep in the ground, Morgana soaring above it as it bled out from a hole in its face. Its mandibles were gone, sliced off at the same time as its pincer, its gaping maw falling away in a gurgle of blood.


    Arsinoe''s eyes widened. Its bnce had been skewered with the loss of its pincer and three of its front legs and Morgana looked down triumphantly, her wings missing quite a few feathers after the tussle.


    Without its mandibles, it couldn''t cry for help, only able to make gurgling sounds and Arsinoe was surprised she managed to cut through its defences at all.


    Still, the scorpion pulled its stinger from the ground, chasing after her airborne figure as it broke through the surrounding rocks. Morgana twisted in the air, sweeping past its missing pincer and over its body.


    With a p of her wings she fired several wind des at its thick carapace, the majority of which stabbed through the ground as the scorpion leapt back.


    Arsinoe thought it couldn''t possibly break through the dense tes on its back, but Morgana pursued it regardless, swerving violently as its stinger swung down repeatedly.


    In the air, she was a smaller target to hit, but the opposite was true as more sections of the scorpion''s carapace came away as her wind des found their mark eventually.


    Soon, the scorpion began to retreat.


    Watching it double over in pain, its torment was clear, albeit silent. Yet it wasn''t dying fast enough for theirforts, the vibrations from its movements drawing too much attention.


    Arsinoe rushed over to intercept it, but Morgana sent out arge wind de that instantly pierced through the centre of its head, plunging deep into its fleshy tissues, bringing the scorpion to a staggering halt as it crashed to the ground.


    Morgananded gracefully above its corpse with a triumphant smile. Like a carefullyid n, the creature was brought down entirely by her.


    Wasn''t she injured? How could she move even faster than before?


    Arsinoe couldn''t help wondering what level she was now.


    Yet, Morgana looked disappointed.


    [Not deep enough.] She muttered absentmindedly as her bright eyes poured over the dead scorpion.


    Arsinoe checked just how many wounds it had, there were too many to count. It all happened in seconds and she hissed in frustration at her inability tond a single hit.


    [How could you do something so reckless!] Arsinoe seethed.


    Morgana examined her ruffled feathers. [There was only one way to get out unharmed ¨C kill it before it killed us.]


    Arsinoe felt a chill at Morgana''s casual reply, before realising she was actually being intimidated by her.


    How absurd!


    Morgana was no threat. The current her was much stronger than she was, and she quickly shook it off, regaining herposure. This was just a lucky break ¨C the scorpion she killed was clearly not strong.


    Morgana noticed her fleeting reactions and smiled. [So do we have a deal?]


    [Huh?] Arsinoe was startled. [You''re asking me?]


    [It''s just you and me here.] Morgana nced at the scorpion''s body with a grin. [Don''t worry. It won''t bite.]


    [You don''t need to tell me!] Arsinoe hissed in rage. Who did she think she was talking to?


    Morgana chuckled. [If you can''t do this, it won''t be easy for you to get to the Queen. Do you know how many of these we have to get past? You should go back while you have the chance.]


    [I''m not leaving.] Arsinoe frowned. She wasn''t getting rid of her that easily.


    Morgana sighed, her yellow eyes revealing a glimmer of approval.


    [Alright. Help me move it. More wille, once they realise this one is missing.] She revealed.


    Together, they dragged the scorpion''s corpse into a section of copsed tunnel.. They couldn''t hide the bodypletely, but they would be long gone before others discovered it.

 Chapter 305 - Truce

    The deeper they moved into the fortress, the more sweltering it became. The air was heavy, the rocks around them wet with condensation and came across more copsed tunnels and scattered debris than they could count.


    Morgana made the decision to stay in the tunnels, her knowledge of the fortressyout bing especially useful in their predicament.


    This allowed her to locate smaller overhead tunnels that let them pass by several scorpions undetected.


    The tunnels they were in were too small for adult scorpions to travel through and less likely to be used by other scorpions once they grew to a certain size. ording to Morgana, it was the safest way to travel through the fortress.


    And just as she said, every scorpion they encountered so far was too weak to be a threat, easily killed with as little as a bite.


    Still, it was truly a miracle that they made it so far considering how noxious the air in the fortress was.


    Arsinoe''s eyes stung from the hazy fumes, made even worse from the stifling heat, and she couldn''t evenin because Morgana breezed through the passages with the ease of a scorpion who was born there.


    The fumes weren''t affecting her and it made her irritated, but since Arsinoe didn''t know any better way, she went along with her. Fortunately, the harder Arsinoe persisted, the faster her body adapted to the changes. It wasn''t as perfect, but she finally caught up to Morgana and was steadily keeping pace.


    There was also an upside to this harsh environment.


    Now, she was almost as undetectable as Morgana was, after stopping briefly to learn how to raise her temperature to match her surrounding tunnels. A good thing too, because the further along they travelled, the more abundant the scorpions became.


    Stopping to fight so many would have been suicide.


    Still, Arsinoe was less than satisfied with their current arrangement. The tunnels they travelled along were hidden, but as a result they were barely wide enough for two serpents to slither along, and Morgana must have mapped out this route not expecting to havepany.


    Arsinoe knew she had no right toin but the harsh sensation of Morgana''s scales running alongside hers was too ufortable. It was already too narrow and Morgana''s wings took up most of the space while Arsinoe''s rtively smaller form was pushed to one side.


    As a result, her scales kept scraping against Morgana''s and the wet walls.


    The rising temperature, the tense atmosphere and the closed space made her feel stuffed and extremely ufortable. Arsinoe gave a forlorn sigh and wished she could get out of here and breathe some fresh air but she could only hope so for now.


    [We are finally here.] Morgana announced, snapping her from her trance. [There are several scorpion''s beneath us!]


    Arsinoe peered through a crack in the ground, frowning at the harsh reality. There really were plenty, one misstep and they could fall into the abyss.


    [Then let''s fight them.] She suggested.


    A distraction from her thoughts would do her some good.


    [You can fight them on your own.] Morgana gave an eerie smile. [I only have one target.]


    Of course.


    [We. We have only one target.] Arsinoe corrected. If Morgana had her way, she would kill the scorpion queen and anything worthwhile while at it, until all that was left were inexperienced baby scorpions.


    And if she was in a good mood, she would kill them too.


    [Sure.] Morgana casually replied. [Don''t look so worried, there''s plenty to go around.]


    Arsinoe wasn''t pleased, as Morgana knew the fortress too well. She had to wonder since when she started visiting it and how many times she has been here already.


    But this was hardly the time to grill her for answers. The tunnel they were travelling along had juste to an end.


    There was nothing further but pitch ckness, but the updraft of hot air suggested a deeper chasm underneath. They would need to travel lower if they hoped to pick up any heat traces of scorpions separate from the rocks.


    [What now?] Arsinoe asked.


    [Depends. Are you afraid of heights?] Morgana snickered.


    Arsinoe scoffed. As if.


    They began climbing down, taking care not to disce any rocks, and once they reached a sufficient depth, Morgana located another tunnel they could use to oversee their surroundings. Soon, the wider cave became more clear, enough for Arsinoe to begin picking up traces of movement with [Heat Sense].


    Below them was a spacious chasm, a central chamber of sorts where every tunnel converged, revealing a roadmap of destruction that was even worse than outside.


    Between the scorpions going to and fro, there were rocks strewn about, broken trees, piles of scorpion corpses, alongside healthy ones that carried their dead deep inside.


    [What happened here?] Arsinoe asked.


    This chaotic scene was not at all what she expected to find, it seemed whatever urred outside continued all the way in here.


    [Does it matter? We should start heading down.] Morgana replied. From her sinister grin, she intended to make full use of their distracted state to progress even deeper.


    [Wait.] Arsinoe paused, realising she was at a terrible disadvantage. Morgana never said where they were headed or what they expected to find on the way, she only said to follow.


    Looking down at the crowded chamber where smaller scorpions, bright yellow in colour, marked and darker ones poured out. Their Queen could be at the end of any of these tunnels and only Morgana knew which one.


    Arsinoe wasn''t content with being left in the dark, nor was she as trusting as to follow Morgana blindly.


    [Why?] Morgana asked impatiently. [Didn''t you want to get closer?]


    [Not until you tell me where the Queen is.] Arsinoe scoffed.


    Morgana fixed her with a puzzled stare. [Why are you asking me? I don''t know.]


    [Liar!] Arsinoe hissed. [You have to know, you''ve been here plenty of times, you already know theyout this much. I thought you said we would work together? You just want to keep everything to yourself.]


    [Wait, hold on.] Morgana was taken aback. [I''ve only been here a few times and this is the furthest I''ve got. I couldn''t risk going down before because I wasn''t strong enough. I really don''t know where the Queen is.]


    Arsinoe blinked back tears. [You really don''t?]


    [I don''t. Believe me.] Morgana replied. [I haven''t been down there.]


    Arsinoe fidgeted, realising she had made a fool of herself. [You said you couldn''t go further. Why? What stopped you before?]


    Morgana leaned closer to peer over the edge, her eyes fixed on something below. Arsinoe followed her gaze towards the shadow of a massive creature that was impaled by a tree.


    It was a scorpion, yet at the same time it wasn''t.


    Its body was abnormallyrge, swollen and grotesque. A misshapen, hulking beast wielding two stingers that were far toorge for its frame, double the amount of pincers that was possible to world, and with more limbs than were possible on either side of its heads.


    She had no words. It was beyond nightmarish!

 Chapter 306 - Deadweight

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    [What is that...thing?!] Arsinoe''s breath hitched in her throat.


    The creature was so unusual that she wondered how it had lived, or breathed. Perhaps it never did and only stayed within the fortress until it met with the forceful blow that killed it.


    But what if there were more?


    [When it was alive it used to guard these tunnels.] Morgana replied. [I couldn''t risk getting close. It''s only now that it''s dead that I decided to try.]


    For once, Arsinoe was speechless. The creature likely never left its ce, it''s only action to squash anything that didn''t belong. It was too unrefined a creature to look upon. Too crude even for her!


    [I thought the marked ones were the strongest.] She muttered in disbelief.


    [I thought so too, until I saw it.] Morgana replied.


    Arsinoe sighed. [So, which tunnel do you think leads to their Queen.]


    Morgana''s eyes panned over the mass of scorpions then over to a tunnel where a marked one like the one they just killed was emerging.


    Arsinoe, on the other hand, was fixated on her former nemesis, the faster scorpion variety with vivid red markings, that attacked their cave.


    [What about that one?] She suggested, eyes sparking with hate.


    Morgana took note of her quivering tail, before nodding in agreement.


    [You''re right. A queen is nothing without her soldiers.]


    She could tell Arsinoe was eager for another round, and perhaps she would get her wish.


    However, she suddenly shook her head. [I dont think it''s that simple.] Arsinoe replied. [They are fewerpared to others, and the main ones we can see are injured.]


    Oh?


    Morgana looked further below. Was it possible that Arsinoe had understood.


    It was true that amongst the corpses of smaller yellow scorpions, the marked red ones were not far behind.


    [The queen won''t be there.] Arsinoe exined. [Not if these scorpions are around.]


    [Where else would the queen be besides her strongest soldiers?] Morgana asked.


    [She would be safeguarding her eggs orying more!] Arsinoe enthusiastically replied. [Do you see how many corpses there are? Something attacked them and if these strong scorpions couldn''t withstand them, the queen won''t be around here for long. ]


    Ah¡­


    Morgana''s eyes widened as Arsinoe located a tunnel where many yellow scorpions poured out from.


    [There, newborns! She is stillying eggs. There''s a chance the Queen is behind the tunnel they came from!]


    Morgana chuckled, astonished she came to that conclusion. [I''m surprised you can think so far.]


    Arsinoe red at her. [Do you think I''m an idiot? I can understand this much.]


    [I''m still not sure if you''re really smart or really stupid.] Morganaughed.


    Arsinoe ignored her. [I think the Queen would be where the young scorpions are. She''ll need more food and less of her soldiers, if she''s too busyying more eggs. I think we should follow them.]


    [That''s an interesting choice.] Morgana''s eyes lit up in delight, and they began climbing down the tunnel. Arsinoe followed after her, humming pleasantly after solving the puzzle.


    [Except, it''s the wrong one.] Morgana stated, when they weren''t even halfway down.


    [Huh?] Arsinoe looked down at her, startled. [Why do you say that?]


    There was no way she was wrong.


    [Her children are her soldiers.] Morgana said, bright yellow eyes zing like fire. [There''s no distinction between them, they are all fodder. Why would the Queen put their safety over hers?]


    [Er...] Arsinoe pauses to consider. [Well...]


    She had no good reason aside from something Ophelia said a long time ago about sacrifice.


    Morgana sighed at her blunder. [A Queen wouldn''t care about soldiers she can easily rece.]


    [Then, she is stupid.] Arsinoe defended her stance. [They need time to mature, enough to get stronger. There''s no benefit in letting them die early. It makes more sense that she would put them above her own safety while they are young...]


    Arsinoe nced at Morgana, understanding dawning atst.


    It seemed that even though they had settled on a truce, they both had fundamentally different ideas of what a Queen was. She wasn''t what she thought, these scorpions were simply fodder for her own safety.


    Why else were so many dead and she nowhere to be found - she might have even killed them herself.


    Morganaughed at Arsinoe''s knotted expression. She was still stuck in some idealistic fantasy. She still didn''t understand that she too was expendable. It didn''t matter that ''she'' didn''t give birth to them like this scorpion Queen did.


    The sooner she stopped thinking like that, the better it would be for her.


    [There''s nothing wrong with having nice thoughts, but don''t let them cloud your judgement.] Morgana advised.


    [That''s not true. It''s not that at all!] Arsinoe replied.


    [It must be difficult for you to understand, given our upbringing. But you''re either a soldier or you are deadweight. There''s no in-between. Forget everything Typhon ever told you.]


    Like a nerve had been struck, Arsinoe suddenly became enraged. [Leave him out of this! Don''t ever lie about him! He''s nothing like that-]


    But Morgana had had enough.


    She opened fire, cutting a deep arc through the rocks surrounding Arsinoe. Soon there was a loud rumble as a huge section of wall gave way.


    [Morgana...?] Arsinoe was startled to feel the rocks crumble around her. Experiencing the rush of wind as she plunged down the dizzying height, she could only call out fruitlessly for help. But Morgana was no longer beside her and all she could see was the pit of scorpions drawing nearer.


    Was this a cave in?


    [Ah, sorry. My magic misfired.] A faint voice called out from above, and Arsinoe immediately exploded.


    [MORGANA, YOU EVIL SNAKE! HELP ME! THIS ISN''T FUNNY!]


    Even though she was falling from a height, she couldn''t do anything besides cling desperately to any surface that could support her, to no avail as everything kept breaking down.


    [MORGANA!]


    It didn''t matter if the scorpions below could hear her, she screamed herself hoarse.


    [Keep them busy for me.] Morgana''sugh wafted down to her. [ I''lle back for you, I promise.]


    Promise?


    Her promises were worth dust after this.


    [MORGANA! GET BACK HERE! I HATE YOU, YOU MALICIOUS SERPENT! I WILL KILL YOU!!]


    Morgana did not return, and thest thing she saw were scorpions waiting to tear her apart.

 Chapter 307 - Serpent Of Thorns

    The crash from her fall was loud.


    Perched on a ridge above, Morgana watched the falling debris with interest. It worked better than she expected, taking out quite a few scorpions in its wake, with several boulders burying Arsinoe at the same time.


    The dust wouldn''t settle for a long time, providing the cover she needed to move around and Morgana couldn''t have hoped for a better oue - letting Arsinoe follow was worth it for this moment alone.


    In truth, she would have done this earlier and saved herself time spent on pointless chatter, but the right moment never revealed itself.


    Morgana sighed.


    Arsinoe wouldn''t die, of course, she was far too resilient to break from such a fall, her love filled, mushy head on the other hand...might be even more deranged.


    Still, it was surprising how close Arsinoe was to the right answer. The scorpion Queen was indeedying eggs, but she didn''t care what happened to them. She was hidden together with her strongest soldiers for protection - If anything she was producing them at a faster rate to serve as buffers between her and the enemy.


    If Arsinoe knew, she would loathe her so much more.


    Morgana giggled, surprising herself momentarily, before returning to her senses - this was no time to be amused. She leapt off the ridge, circling high above the dust storm to make out how many scorpions were still alive and moving.


    She had a limited window to kill the Queen and return to unearth the unconscious Arsinoe, before the scorpions started nibbling on her.


    However, she didn''t fly far when she heard a terrible rumble and a pir of stone shot up high into the air as something burst out from beneath. It was dark, fast and vaguely stocky.


    Was there another grotesque scorpion that she missed?


    Morgana plunged lower to get a better view, only to have something swiftsh out at her. She instantly pulled up to evade it but the creature switched paths to chase her midway, forcing her to fly up and nearly collide with a pir of stone.


    But then, just as she thought it was going to catch her, the creature stopped short with her body just out of its reach.


    Morgana''s eyes widened. This was not a scorpion, it was more simr to the vines those pesky Vdrys created, only these were thicker, faster and covered in thorns.


    In addition, she had a vague sense that this thing was trailing her, since it didn''t do much to the scorpions within its reach.


    Once it was clear she was out of its reach, more tendrils spread out, cutting through their surroundings with unsettling speed. Soon, there were several vines running up the walls, some reaching out for leaning rocks to leverage themselves to climb even higher.


    As if to catch her.


    Morgana shivered uneasily, leaving her ce tond somewhere higher.


    [What...is that?] She eximed. The vines increased in width as they spread, bing darker and stronger as more thorns covered them.


    Morgana immediately scanned the rubble for their source and was startled when she realised all the vines had the same origin - the rocks where Arsinoe was buried.


    No way.


    Now it was her turn to be impressed.


    When did she gain the ability to manipte nts?


    And why didn''t she rush to tell Typhon about it?


    Morgana grinned savagely at the unexpected discovery. What a dishonest snake!


    It seemed she wasn''t the only one keeping secrets.


    [YOU''RE DEAD!]


    Morgana heard an angry shout as more vines forced their way towards her.


    Since they couldn''t reach, they broke up everything in their path to tunnel under the ground. The scorpions that tried to intercept, all sted through. Soon, the surrounding obstructions were clear, giving way to reveal Arsinoe''s serpentine form.


    [YOU''RE SO DEAD!] She hissed, fangs bared as she searched for Morgana above.


    She was unrecognisable after getting buried under all the dust, but her ferocity remained, her battered figure trembling with anger.


    [How frightening.] Morgana cooed in delight, confident Arsinoe hadn''t found her yet, until she glimpsed a thorny tendril making its way towards her in the periphery.


    She leapt off just in time just as the column she perched on crumbled to dust.


    Looking around there was nothing else high enough tond on - Arsinoe had made sure to do away with all of them. Anything lower and she would be caught immediately.


    Now cornered, Morgana nced at Arsinoe''s angry face with a grin, headed straight for the nearest tunnel with a sinister cackle, before the thorns could grab her.


    Inside, she briefly came across a scorpion before slicing through it like butter. Darkness and acid flooded her vision, but at the speed she was going, she could not afford to stop.


    Yet, this did not stop Arsinoe from giving chase. Several angry vines flooded the tunnel, ripping their way through the scorpion''s corpse right after she did, the sounds of them smashing through walls, hot on her tail, all the more intense.


    It seemed Arsinoe was hellbent on exacting her revenge. Fortunately, Morgana knew the fortress better than she did, immediately heading down past a series of sweltering rooms to create more distance.


    But these were immediately torn down as the vines reached them, not leaving her much choice except to continue.


    Nevertheless, Morgana made sure this wanton destruction served her, targeting the tunnel''s structure where it was at its weakest. She effortlessly weaved aplicated web through the passages, making sure all the weak areas were hit before forging her way through to the other side.


    It didn''t take long for the entire section to copse under the strain, and like an uneven pile of bricks all the vines that followed through were trapped underneath and Morgana emerged on the opposite end of the massive central chamber, safely out of reach.


    They were separated by distance and quite a few tunnels in between, but she could still make out Arsinoe''s figure frantically searching for her.


    That rage. Morgana tutted disapprovingly.


    It had always been her finest quality and her biggest downfall.


    With some training, it could be honed to her benefit. But Morgana was d today was not that moment.


    [How foolish.] She muttered.


    Using so much of her magic to chase her was wasteful and she was going to run out soon.


    Morgana could already see her gasping for breath, and behind her, a scorpion was patiently biding its time, creeping forward now that she was exhausted and her vines were gone. Another was hidden behind arge rock.


    Arsinoe waspletely unprepared on both sides and Morgana''s eyes lit up in excitement.


    Would she live or die?


    Morgana was waiting to see things unfold when something unexpected happened. A tendril of hardened vine shot out from the ground, stabbing through the rock to gorge itself deep into the scorpion''s head, the creature twitching before falling instantly.


    The second scorpion was quick to run, but it was set upon by a series of vines that didn''t melt even when showered in acid. Eventually, the scorpion was pulled into the ground, never to be seen again.


    The others did not carelessly risking closer after this.


    [I KNOW YOU''RE STILL HERE.] Arsinoe yelled hoarsely, her breathsing fast. [STOP HIDING LIKE A COWARD!]


    Morgana felt herself twitch, immediately dispelling the wind de she had been preparing to throw.


    How distasteful. And rude!


    She really had no shame.


    Morgana turned away, determined not to get distracted again.


    On this side of the fortress she could feel the faint breeze from the forest, and smell the wet leaves. She could even make out the glowing lichen in the trees, and it was all because this side of the fortress waspletely open to the outside, having mostly been destroyed.


    There was a gaping hole in the walls where something exploded inwards, and from then on a ze of destruction could be seen where something crashed in through the central chamber, culminating in a massive hole in the ground.


    She could only think of one creature other than their leader who had that type of strength - the colossal ape.


    From the looks of it, he had already been here once, and if he fought with the scorpion Queen, one or both of them may already be injured.


    Morgana gave a chilling smile.


    Unbeknownst to Arsinoe, after this brief reprieve there would be another round of fighting and she was keen to find out who would win.


    Going forward her n remained the same - wait until the colossal ape attacked again, then take the head of whomever was defeated first. If both were fatally wounded, she might even get both of their heads in one sweeping victory.


    Either way, these scorpions were small fry''s in the broader spectrum and Arsinoe was wasting her time.


    And yet, when she looked over, Arsinoe was still fighting, every new victory bringing her closer to iming the prize. The apes were yet to show up and if she seeded in reaching the scorpion Queen before they did, she would ruin everything.


    Morgana felt her cool demeanour slipping - it was bing harder to wait.


    Like a thorn in a line of perfectly manicured scales, Arsinoe was determined to get under her skin.


    She finally made her decision, flying down into the dark hole on the bottom to enter the fortress''s lower tunnels.


    There was far too muchpetition for this ''scorpion Queen''s'' head already and she wasn''t about to let Arsinoe be another obstacle.

 Chapter 308 - Meat For The Butcher

    Morgana carefully descended the dark crater.


    There were manyyers of broken tunnels she passed on the way, their splintered edges reaching out to snag at her wings whenever she drew too close.


    While some tunnels had the dried husks of dead scorpions among them, others still bore traces of life in the form of yellow hatchlings. They were mostly unattended, scavenging for what little they could eat amongst the rubble and other corpses, seemingly abandoned to fend for themselves.


    Morgana didn''t bother to attack them. They were too weak to stimte her and were simply survivors of an ongoing battle. She doubted they could even see her flying in the darkness, humidity, stealth, as well as the ever present fog smothering everything within range.


    Rather, she was amused to see them climbing upwards in droves, their attention drawn towards more entertaining prey. The sounds of battle from the central chamber were too loud to ignore, and the scampering paces of numerous scorpions increased at the prospect of fresh meat.


    Morgana simply smiled and carried on flying. They should keep Arsinoe busy for a while, allowing her to deal with the Queen, it was just a pity that she wouldn''t be there to enjoy her screams.


    Eventually, the uproar in the upper fortress faded away, and her surroundings became aplete mystery. She knew the ground was close, but the deeper she flew in, the more prevalent the darkness.


    She couldn''t find any more openings or tunnels like the ones she passed prior, and the familiaryout gave way to a wide empty chamber that was dense with condensation.


    If there were any scorpions down here they would be much stronger than those above, because the air here was much thinner and more toxic, with the temperature higher than anything she had experienced before.


    Even as her body adapted to the temperature, there was still the stinging sensation in her throat from breathing in the coarse air. She then heard the faint trickle of water, followed by the deep, rumbling groan of a creature in the distance.


    Morgana''s instincts pushed her into alert state, and she slowed down her approach to be doubly cautious. She wasn''t quite sure if her temperaturepletely matched her surroundings, but from her experience here, she knew it would be difficult to find her as long as she was careful.


    The first thing she did was get down from the air. The ground was warm, the open space littered with tall, slim rocks that rose above the nket of mist, but the cavern was too wide, with more than enough solid rocks for something unpleasant to hide in in sight.


    So far, there were no creatures that she could detect with [Heat Sense], but the groan she heard refused to leave her mind. Skills alone did not rule out every scenario, and she could already have been spotted by something on her way down.


    Landing above the damp rocks, Morgana listened out for the source of the trickling of water. If anything was going to attack her, it was better for her to seek it out first.


    The air was heavy with a mix of scents, she could taste the damp and acid on her tongue, as well as the lingering trace of blood - it also smelt like wet fur.


    She followed the scent trail and located a narrow stream winding along the damp rocks.


    The water turned out to be deep and she was secretly grateful for Cassio and Andromeda''s painstaking lessons on deep waterbat. However, she didn''t swim for long before the sound of a creature drew her attention.


    She stuck her head above the water to confirm. From its silhouette it was a small marked scorpion moving around in the dark. The creature was notorious for its searing acid and speed, so she increased hers, slipping beneath the water to approach it.


    It was paramount that she didn''t alert the creature in any way. Unlike the others, its acid spray had a wide range and she had seen the extent of the damage done to Arsinoe first hand.


    And yet, it would be foolish topletely bypass it. The more notable kills she earned before she reached the Queen, the better her chances of survival.


    But, just as she reached a safe distance to attack, Morgana felt something sp down hard on her lower body. She jolted in rm, feeling her body getting dragged through a cloud of blood and further into the water.


    She was shocked at the sight of a vicious pincer digging hard into her skin, therge scorpion that wielded it not far behind. Before she knew what was happening, she had sunk too far beneath the water, weighed down by the creature''s tremendous bulk.


    Morgana was furious with herself for making such a stupid mistake. She had entered the water to protect herself, so it was infuriating to realise that this had be her undoing. This scorpion must have followed her in, or been here all the while waiting for prey to kill.


    It was superior in the water and it outssed her in terms of strength and stamina, all without seeming to need to breathe like she did. Its rapid descent into the dark only told her one thing - that it intended to drown her.


    This propelled Morgana to struggle more, but what little air she had was forced out of her body as pressure and panic set in. Its grip on her was too strong and all her struggling did was make more blood seep from out of her cut, clouding the water even further.


    Morgana knew she was in trouble. She was losing SP at a rapid rate and her HP was soon to follow, but her air magic did not work under water, she had no idea how to free herself from it. The scorpion would not stop swimming and she had sunk so far she could no longer tell where the surface began anymore.


    Just how deep did this stream go?


    With her death fast approaching, Morgana scrambled for a solution. Air magic may not work here, but there was always poison. She immediately stopped struggling, the pressure squeezing her even tighter. But without her resisting, she was able to sink much closer to the scorpion holding her captive.


    All she had to do was reach it.


    They were at the furthest point of the stream and even though her body burned from ack of air, Morgana remainedpletely still. The scorpion did not react, but it slowed its pace as it dropped to the ground below, likely thinking it seeded in drowning its prey.


    Morgana waited until her ''lifeless'' body drifted close enough to the scorpion before springing to life. She was lucky enough to have fallen close to its head and she immediately fastened herself around both of its pincers, leveraging the creature''s carelessness to sink her fangs into its connective tissues.


    The scorpionshed out immediately, its stinger lightly grazing her body as it struck the ground, but her deadly poison attack was already working, as the scorpion''s reactions became quite slow. However, with its size, her bite would take too long to kill, and she could onlyst so long without air.


    But Morgana was determined to see it die. She bit down with all of her strength, savagely pulling one of its pincers free from its socket.


    The water exploded with a wash of blood as the scorpion writhed in agony, the momentum from its attacks flipping her body upside down. Sand and debris covered her vision as its stinger reached for her, but she didn''t let go.


    She was angry for almost getting drowned, and more than eager to repay it with the same suffering. With her tail free, she was able to slip out of its range, discarding the pincer in disgust. But instead of returning to the surface, she circled around the creature, trying to locate its weaknesses.


    While it struggled in pain, she immediatelytched into its stinger to constrict with all her strength, not letting go until its limbs cracked from pressure and she saw the blood seep out from between her coils.


    Its stinger was crushed beyond recognition but that was hardly enough. She extended her tight grip along its body, targeting its back with the intent of cracking it open. She was looking for a specific weakness, the thing that allowed it to breathe underwater without difficulty and she was determined to tear it out while the scorpion still lived so it could drown in its own blood.


    The scorpion struggled to set itself free but Morgana was relentless. After several poison-filled bites, most of its armour was gone and she was rewarded with the sight of air bubbles escaping its soft tissues, which encouraged her to tear outrger chunks of bloody flesh.


    She remained undeterred in her attacks even as she ran out of breath and her vision grew dim. The trembling of the scorpion beneath her only made her attacks more powerful, as it was stricken with terror, unable to shake her off no matter what it tried.


    In her frenzy, it took her a while to notice that the scorpion had stopped fighting her, and was desperately swimming for the surface instead.


    Could it be frantic at the loss of blood and air?


    Morgana almost let out augh, madly excited at its peril. She even reduced the pressure on its body, allowing it to swim faster. And just as it neared the surface, she clenched her curls and squeezed everyst bit of air from its body.


    It was a slow and painful death, riddled with agony, but Morgana enjoyed every second, watching the lights fade from its beady eyes.


    Just as the scorpion''s body began to sink like a stone, she used thest of its momentum to propel herself to the surface, emerging in a narrow opening surrounded by rocks to take a much needed breath.


    The toxic air seared through her body like fire, but it was the most delicious thing Morgana had ever tasted, second only to the thrill of the new level she just earned.


    She was breathing hard but looking around herself, she licked up more scorpions in the vicinity.. Her level had improved and she couldn''t wait to do it all over again.

 Chapter 309 - Missing

    [When will ''she'' be back?] A bright eyed Delphine asked enthusiastically. [I can make it go boom, I have to show her!]


    Ophelia sighed. She was the third nestling to stop her, only to ask where Aurelia had gone. Even now, her question aroused the interests of many nestlings waiting by the sparring pits.


    Before long, Ophelia found herself surrounded by a group of enthusiastic nestlings who also wanted to see her. And to think she only wanted to sneak away somece quiet to practice her own magic.


    [I want to show her my magic too!] A nestling named Demos, announced.


    [''She'' agreed to give me pointers on my skills as well.] Another nestling spoke out from behind him.


    [Wait your turn! I''ve been evolving much longer than you have!] Demos hissed in annoyance, with other nestlings quick to add their own matters that needed ''her'' guidance.


    [But I have so many questions about [Shadow Magic]]. Delphine sulked depressingly, realising she had been overtaken by several fierce opponents.


    Ophelia sighed at the growing gathering, answering what she could and nodding for what felt like the nth time. They simply had too many questions!


    With all the nestlings stuck inside the cave, she supposed they were short of entertainment. But, that did not mean they should bombard the leader who was doing her best to protect them with so many questions.


    [It''s okay. She will be back soon.] Ophelia implored the small crowd. [Then you can ask her anything. But only one question each! For now, you should all be patient and stop arguing¡­]


    However, she stopped talking when she was met with several nk stares. All of their arguments had stopped, every single nestling close enough to hear her voice falling to silence.


    [Um¡­] Ophelia looked around the cave, unsure of how to proceed. Especially, since she was surrounded by a crowd of nestlings who were unsure of what they were arguing about only a moment ago.


    It slowly dawned on her that they were all under the effect of her suggestion. Although she did not mean to, she realised she used her magic at some point.


    Ophelia was taken aback. How could she forget that her control over her magic no longer matched her current stats. Her powers had grown too powerful, too quickly, that she had to be careful of when she spoke and what she said.


    If she was careless, it was just as dangerous to her friends as they were to her enemies.


    Until she regained her control again, she had to be extra cautious.


    [I know you have a lot of questions, but it''ll be okay.] Ophelia nervously replied. [I will tell you something interesting, though. Before ''she'' disappeared, she said she was going to a ce that''s very different from here. She calls it the shadow ne¡­and it''s really strange and it has all sorts of rules¡­]


    Her voice trailed off.


    As soon as the words were out, she immediately regretted it.


    What was knowing this going to solve? And what if she just made it worse.


    However¡­


    [Really?] Delphine was the first to recover. She shook her head, blinking the daze out of her eyes.


    [I can''t wait to learn to do that too.] She replied. [I have so much to improve.]


    Like some sort of trigger, her voice seemed to shock the others out of their trance and Ophelia was relieved.


    [Good! I''m sure you will if you keep practising.] She said, taking the opportunity to escape while they were still somewhat confused.


    This couldn''t keep happening.


    Away from the others, the first ce she headed was ''her'' room, in the off chance that Aurelia had returned early. Ophelia was quite desperate to speak to her about her issues, more so than any of the others, particrly Typhon because he would only worry.


    But unfortunately her room was still empty, the tell tale sign of her recent [Blink] in the form of scrolls, snacks and empty beverage bottles she left behind.


    Ophelia curled up to rest with a pout.


    The least she could do was not leave a mess, but having gone to her shadow realm, she was likely testing something dangerous again. She recalled a time when she had done so inside the cave.


    Although the new skill she called [Mystify] was notbat rted, it was just as perplexing. For a moment, her shadowy form shifted, taking on the appearance of something different in everyone''s eyes that was just as real to the senses as if she was right in front of them.


    For those that feared her, her appearance reflected the brutality of those fears, and for those that loved her, she took on a moreforting visage.


    Ophelia recalled being quite taken with what she saw, but her experience was not the same as that of others. She caused quite a stir among the nestlings who saw varying degrees of their fears reflected back at them.


    Torment. Pain. Death.


    Morgana had been startled, a rare sight for her, while Arsinoe had been so traumatised by the sight, that she had to look away - the details of what she described too grotesque to fathom.


    As for Typhon, he was yet to tell her what he saw, even now.


    It was a mystery how Aurelia could look like a wide eyed child to Ophelia, and at the same time aplete abomination to others.


    Another reason why she chose to train elsewhere as this was only the surface. Some of the other skills she possessed were downright terrifying and too dangerous to be used. The times when her magic went out of control, ''she'' was quick to ''disappear''.


    It made Ophelia wonder if those skills were sometimes too much of a burden to her.


    But while her memories were still nk about the incident that made Typhon so protective over her, she really hoped that ''she'' and Typhon would stop worrying so much and take better care of themselves, after all she was perfectly fine.


    At the same time, Ophelia also wished there was a shadow realm she could disappear to, so she could take herself out of situations before they developed into problems - Aurelia was really too lucky!


    Now, if only she could return quickly to get the nestlings off her back.


    She was looking through the scrolls ''she'' left behind topare them with her As, when yet another group of nestlings started making their way down the corridor towards her. This time it was Artemis who was apanied by two Vdrys, alongside a sleepy dark fae who had taken permanent residency above his head.


    [There you are! I''ve been looking everywhere for you.] Artemis said enthusiastically, before he and the Vdrys settled in beside her. [Take a look at this root Marce picked up. It''s a strange sort of poison, apparently it messes with your mind and once you start eating it you can''t stop! Oh, and have you seen Arsinoe? I need her to reduce it to a powder]


    Ophelia sighed despondently. If only they understood that her absence from the main cave meant she did not want to be disturbed.


    [Not recently.] She thought for a moment, not recalling Arsinoe''s presence on her As either. [Wasn''t she on scout duties together with Cygnus?]


    [I''ve seen him. But I haven''t seen her.] Artemis remarked.


    Ophelia took a closer look at the strange root the Vdrys held out to her. If it did what Artemis described it was some kind of hallucinogen, and likely a dangerous one. It should rightfully go into the pile of other unsavoury nts he had discovered.


    [Would you like us to search the forest for her?] The Vdrys named Marce asked telepathically. She was quite young, although she had to be a couple of decades old.


    Ophelia shook her head. If the Vdrys got involved, Aurelia would certainly hear about it and she didn''t want Arsinoe to get into trouble if she was just taking time for herself. Thest time she sensed her, she was in quite the dark mood.


    [You think she''s in trouble?] Artemis asked, and Ophelia was startled.


    Was her worry written all over her face or if he was simply too sharp?


    [I''m sure it''s nothing.] She muttered, but was interrupted by a mischievous giggle.


    [You''re a worse liar than ''she'' is, feather serpent.] The dark fae savagely remarked, to nods of agreement from both Vdrys.


    [I am not!] Ophelia eximed.


    [Are you sure?] She sniggered. [Why do you look like you''re hiding something under those feathers?]


    Ophelia put on a forced smile and said nothing. She would not be riled up by a creature she could easily turn into a four inch ice cube. If Arsinoe really went missing under her watch, she would personally go out and find her.


    However, when she thought about it, Arsinoe wasn''t the only one. She hadn''t seen Morgana in a long while either.


    Ophelia immediately essed her As to check again, making sure to look carefully. Morgana was supposed to take the reptiles with her to scout the perimeter, but while Ophelia could see the position of each reptile, Morgana''s serpent outline was not there, only Aqu''s.


    What was going on?


    [What are you seeing?] Artemis asked when he noticed the change in her expression.


    [Morgana''s is not here.] Ophelia muttered, her voice fraught with worry.


    Where could she have gone without telling her? What if she had left to do something risky and had gotten hurt? Morgana was always so unpredictable.


    Ophelia couldn''t believe she''d been so preupied that she failed to notice her absence. She immediately got up to look for her, much to Artemis''s confusion.


    [Where are you going?] He asked. [Wait!]


    But just as she was about to storm out, their surroundings changed. The room that was bright became flooded with darkness, as a rectangr doorway appeared in their midst.


    It was t with no sides and dreadfully thin, like someone had taken a knife through the very fabric of space, and filled the emptiness with solid darkness. It was alsopletely silent, taking thempletely by surprise.


    The Vdrys shrieked in rm, their tendrils growing at rapid speed to form shields. Artemis was startled mid leap and tripped over them, before slithering as far from the rectangr ne as he could. As for the arrogant dark fae, she was currently hiding behind her feathers.


    Ophelia didn''t panic. While this doorway was very different,pared to the crackle of lightning she was used to hearing, she knew it could only be one serpent.


    Aurelia had returned atst.

 Chapter 310 - Missing II

    Her silhouette was all shadow, but Ophelia could make out a serpentine figure approaching them, as well as many bright eyes peering at them from within the darkness that surrounded her.


    Against the backdrop of onyx eyes that studded her forehead like precious jewels, her main eyes burned vividly, like a scorching redet set against a glimmering night sky, the red pupils bright like fresh blood were too bewitching to look at.


    And yet, Ophelia could not make herself look away because they were far too beautiful. She could only lower her head and resist the urge to keep staring to avoid being rude.


    Her wickedly curved horns, those beautiful red eyes and those mesmerising scales. They were all so dazzling to look at, that her delicate feathers quivered in excitement. How could ''she'' be so pretty?


    However, just as her shiny pair of obsidian horns pierced the veil of darkness to emerge, they immediately retreated into the shadows, like their owner had changed their mind.


    Ophelia let out a sigh, a twitching smile ying on her face.


    It seemed she had forgotten something.


    The few seconds of silence that followed made her wonder if Aurelia was going toe back anytime soon.


    But she finally appeared at the gateway again, those jewel-like horns piercing their way out of the darkness once more. With Aurelia there in the flesh, all of Ophelia''s worries about Morgana were soothed, like an instant balm.


    But it was more than she could say for the others.


    Artemis was currently straightening himself after his fall, and the Vdrys still had their defences up. Their powers were weaker in the cave, but they pushed through, their wary roots sprouting thicker defences around the doorway, but they did not stray close enough to touch it out of fear.


    However, as soon as they saw Ophelia and Artemis with their heads lowered, they too fell to the ground, realising their mistake.


    Unfortunately, not everyone had the same good sense. Once the dark fae saw who it was, she rushed out from behind Ophelia back, her tiny fists raised in anger before the rxed serpent.


    [What was that?] She shrieked, her tiny body shaking in a fit of anger. [Do you want to scare me to death?!]


    |[Oh. Sorry about that.]| Aurelia yawned, before slithering past the tiny fae with a smirk. |[I didn''t¡­see¡­you there, Bubbles.]|


    [Bubbles?! Don''t call me by that name!] The dark faeined. [I don''t like it! Change it! Change it now!] She buzzed around her brilliant curved horns, making faces at the many eyes that tracked her movements.


    |[What''s wrong with it?]| Aurelia sighed, genuinely curious. |[You''re small and cute, it''s perfect for you.]|


    The dark fae paused her fit as the words sunk in, seeming to think before arrogantly announcing.


    [Yes. I am cute. And? I still don''t like it.] She crossed her arms in a huff, whirling around to point at Ophelia. [I want something else. A name like hers!]


    Ophelia was surprised, but she looked to see Aurelia''s reaction.


    |[No way!]| Aurelia glowered at the tiny brat. |[Bubbles suits you more. It''s cute.]|


    [I don''t like it! I don''t like it!!] The dark faeined.


    |[Too annoying.]| Aurelia rolled her eyes.


    [How ungrateful.] Artemis hissed out of earshot.


    The Vdrys with him seemed to be wilting at the dark fae''s unruly behaviour, their beautiful faces riddled with anxiety, but the dark fae would not stop no matter how many times they warned her.


    Ophelia smiled, pleased to see that her name was so envied and that Aurelia''s sense of humour was still intact to not take her so seriously. However, her patience was also waning with the continued tantrum, as she nced at the dark fae with irritation.


    She should be happy to have a name, instead ofining about the one she was given!


    And yet, Aurelia onlyughed at her behaviour. |[Would you like some sweets aspensation?]|


    [Okay, I want a lot!] The dark fae responded cheerily, easily distracted for a moment, until she realised it. [Wait, Don''t change the subject!]


    Ophelia sighed. Aurelia was far too fond of the tiny creature and never scolded her for anything. But she did notin. She also had to admit the name ''Bubbles'' was quiteical.


    A small joke on Aurelia''s part, she assumed.


    [Wee back.] Ophelia approached, her eyes carefully studying the dark gateway. [This is new. Is it something you created?]


    Aurelia nodded. |[I''m getting better at stabilising it. What do you think?]|


    Ophelia looked on, impressed. It looked quite stable already to be a work in progress, there was hardly a ripple on the gateway''s surface and she could make out nothing beyond it, which made her wonder what would happen if she slipped through.


    [Your training must being along nicely.] she said.


    |[You could say that...]| Aurelia muttered. But there was a troubled hint to her words that led Ophelia to think she might be having problems.


    Was it that journal she had been reading?


    Or that uncontroble power she was trying to master?


    But just as she was about to ask, the dark fae shrieked and a crack appeared across the gateway that had once been calm. Ophelia was startled as were the Vdrys who leapt back in fright.


    Its rectangr surface then mmed shut from both ends like a guillotine, as the gateway blinked out of existence.


    |[Ah¡­sorry.]| Aurelia muttered. |[I forgot to close it properly.]|


    How dangerous! Ophelia was awestruck.


    It seemed like she had lost her concentration just then because of the dark fae''s distraction. It was really a good thing that no one was near.


    [Are you alright?] Ophelia swept past the shivering Vdrys, determined tofort Aurelia. If only she could pry the pesky dark fae away from her horns without physically harming her, she would have already thrown her far away.


    But, it was Aurelia who broached the subject first. |[How have you been? Typhon told me you''ve been asleep for a long time. Is everything alright.]|


    Those brilliant red eyes were staring at her with concern and Ophelia was speechless.


    [Typhon¡­did?] she muttered, her face burning up in shame.


    How could he tell her something like that? It was not as if she''d been asleep all the time.


    Wouldn''t she think she was cking off?


    Damn Typhon for being so bold! Did he not care about embarrassing her like this?


    Aurelia peered closer, so close she could see the irritating smirk on the dark fae''s face.


    |[Are you sure?]|


    [Er¡­ye-yes! I''m fine.] Ophelia nervously replied.


    |[If you don''t feel well, you can tell me.]|


    [Yes! I''m sure. I was just a little tired, that''s all.]


    Aurelia looked thoughtful, but thankfully she didn''t say anymore.


    Instead, it was Ophelia who felt saddened because she wanted to be the one one to ask how ''she'' was doing, not the other way around.


    She knew Typhon had been worried about something when he asked her about her new sleeping pattern or her headaches, or why her eye had turned crimson. She knew it was important to him to make sure she was okay, but she didn''t want Aurelia to regard her in that same careful manner.


    She wanted to be able to talk freely like normal, without her nervously worrying that she was in danger. In truth, she hoped they would both forget there was ever an ident at all.


    |[Did anything happen while I was gone?]| Aurelia suddenly asked. |[My [Notoriety] has gone up again for some reason.]|


    Ah.


    Artemis gave her a warning look and Ophelia hesitated.


    So this was why she returned so quickly.


    Aurelia had told them her [Notoriety] was a score directly linked to her activities as well as those of the Pit and she had be very concerned with getting updated with everything they did in record time.


    Ophelia wasn''t entirely sure how this worked, but like the many mysterious skills Aurelia possessed, the fewer questions she asked, the less suspicious she would be of them. The important thing was that Aurelia had trusted her and Typhon enough to share this knowledge and it was important to her that they be honest.


    Ophelia sighed. Normally this would not be a problem, but with Arsinoe and Morgana missing, who knew what sort of havoc they were wreaking elsewhere.


    [There''s something you should know.] Ophelia announced.


    She was nervous. Aurelia had not disyed a fondness for either of them, especially Morgana who was already on shaky ground. She would not be pleased to learn they disobeyed her orders.


    Still, Ophelia couldn''t keep it a secret, so she told Aurelia about their statuses immediately.


    |[They are missing?]| Aurelia asked in a serious tone.


    [Yes.] Ophelia apologetically replied. [I didn''t realise it until a while ago. It was my fault. I was just about to go after them when you returned.]


    Artemis was by her side, his head lowered as they waited for Aurelia''s response, but his body was wound too tightly, his silvery scales taut with tension.


    He did not want to tell her at all, not until they had one or both of them back, and confined to the deepest darkest cell they had, to soften the blow.


    However, Aurelia did not look or sound upset. She simply sighed, her aurapletely calm, making it even harder to gauge her thoughts.


    |[You know where they are?]| She asked.


    Ophelia furrowed her face in thought. Was this a test?


    Knowing Morgana, she could already guess.


    [I do.] She replied.


    Artemis nced at her in disbelief, his tense stare like aser beam.


    Ophelia wished she could tell him off! He was about as subtle as a p in the face.


    |[You don''t believe her?]| Aurelia turned to him to ask.


    [No. I just don''t trust Morgana.] Artemis confessed immediately. [And I''d prefer it if Ophelia didn''t make excuses for her behaviour.]


    Now it was Ophelia''s turn to re at him.


    This little shit!

 Chapter 311 - Denial

    [I''m not making excuses for anyone.] Ophelia hastily exined. [Morgana and Arsinoe only strayed from their scouting routes. They will be back soon.]


    [How do you know that?] Artemis asked. [For all you know, it could be Morgana''s idea.]


    [I trust them.] Ophelia firmly replied. [She wouldn''t jeopardise this Pit.]


    Artemis sighed in defeat. [You always do this.]


    Ophelia felt embarrassed by his reaction.


    Why did he sound like a long suffering soul? It wasn''t like she was excusing all that Morgana had ever done - it''s just that there wasn''t anyone who understood her like she did.


    [Maybe¡­ Arsinoe has taken Morgana hostage for revenge?] She suddenly added.


    [Wait what?] Artemis was stunned.


    Ophelia ignored him. [We will know once we bring them back to answer us.]


    It was either Arsinoe and Morgana returned together, or no one at all.


    [I don''t think Arsinoe would ever do that!] Artemis frantically insisted. [She can be stupid and impulsive at times, but she''s not vindictive.]


    Ophelia deliberately avoided his anxious stare. Who was making excuses now?


    They both turned to Aurelia to make a decision, hoping she would consider both of their sides.


    However, their next words were interrupted by the dark fae''s spiritedughter. She, who was watching them from thefort of Aurelia''s head, bounced up and down in excitement and pointed at the confused looks on their faces.


    [I told you this would happen!] She haughtily announced. [Now give me what you promised!]


    Aurelia nced at her with great reluctance and a void gate the size of an apple opened in front of the tiny fae. And the next instant, a fleshy red fruit emerged, only for it to be snatched up by the dark fae''s greedy fingers.


    Ophelia recognised that fruit!


    It was that delicious icy treat Aurelia had shared before. She and Artemis both looked on with equal amounts of confusion and jealousy as the dark fae noisily gobbled up the fruit.


    What sort of agreement/ exchange did they just witness? And where was their share?


    Oddly enough, Aurelia didn''t exin any further.


    |[I understand what you are trying to do but¡­]| She then looked at them with a solemn gaze. |[You have to tell me everything you know if we were to bring them back safely.]|


    Even now, the dark fae was taunting them with her haughty look. But while Ophelia resisted the urge to whack the gluttonous brat to oblivion, she could not avoid Artemis''s pleading stares forever.


    He seemed to be under the impression that Morgana was holding something over her, to make her defend her like she did, but that couldn''t be further from the case.


    Morgana''s descent was something Ophelia felt personally responsible for. If she had helped her when she needed her instead of being so wrapped up in her own issues, things would be very different now.


    She''d already failed her once and didn''t want to do so again by abandoning her.


    [Yes, of course.] Ophelia replied. [Arsinoe was supposed to scout the area around the dead zone, but¡­]


    Her words trailed off when new voices resounded outside the room.


    [Is it true Arsinoe is missing?] Delphine gasped in surprise on entry.


    Behind her, a crowd of eager nestlings who must have heard Aurelia''s voice also entered, the room soon filled with the voices of several excited serpents.


    [We don''t know that yet.] Ophelia said to them. [We shouldn''t make hasty assumptions.]


    [But Morgana is also missing.] Delphine approached Ophelia to say. [We all know how unstable she can be, but she wouldn''t leave without reason.]


    Unstable?


    Ophelia frowned at her. [Morgana is still one of us. You shouldn''t speak of her like that.]


    However, while the others exercised caution, Delphine continued on without care, steadily making a beeline for Aurelia.


    [Thest time I saw Arsinoe, she was skulking around the tunnels with Morgana. I put my mark on her, but it faded away when she went out of range.]


    What?


    If she knew, why didn''t she say anything until now?


    |[Show me.]| Aurelia said, neither disapproving nor encouraging, but Ophelia was disappointed. It seemed gaining Aurelia''s favour was more important to her than a team member in potential peril.


    Delphine was keen to demonstrate her abilities, extending her inky shadow over the ground in a circr pattern like a wash of paint. From it, a dark sphere rose up from their ground, its shape changing as it unravelled to form two butterflies of the same size.


    Ophelia''s eyes widened. Their wings were wispy like smoke, their bodies no thicker than sheets of paper, with a centre mass of solid darkness that glowed a faint purple. And yet, their movements were realistic. Like real creatures, they fluttered around Delphine without losing their shape, seeming quite alive.


    [Remarkable¡­] Artemis muttered, as did the nestlings who excitedly watched her disy.


    [They are nothing at all like your summon''s, but I worked hard to make them. Do you like them?] Delphine looked up at Aurelia for approval, her eyes glowing an intense purple, just like her creatures.


    Ophelia gauged Aurelia''s smile, she seemed quite impressed with Delphine''s results and even gave her a fewpliments. However, Ophelia was ufortable with the look in Delphine''s eyes. She recognised that same look of obsession and fondness that Morgana showed her. That anxiety to be recognised and rewarded, or perhaps to be seen as perfect.


    Just how long had she practised to achieve those results? Ophelia doubted Aurelia had given her a summon for reference, as she recalled she''d only shown them once in the Nymph''s forest.


    The Vdrys were also quite taken with the creatures, one even stretching out her hand to touch a shadowy wing before Delphine stopped her.


    [Don''t.] She hissed dispassionately. [You will lose a hand.]


    The Vdrys in question, quietly withdrew her finger, but Ophelia wished she had continued, just to see what would happen. If Delphine was a danger, it was important that she knew.


    |[You''ve done very well in such a short time.]| Aurelia was delighted and Delphine giggled, positively pleased with herself.


    [I''ve only gotten this far because of your teachings.] She replied. [You''ve been such a great Mother to all of us.]


    Mother?


    Ophelia reeled in difort, not believing what she had just heard.


    [Delphine!] Artemis shouted.


    Releasing her error, Delphine hid beside Aurelia, convenientlying between her and the hovering dark fae. [I apologise, I used the wrong word. I only wanted to show my gratitude and my fondness for you.]


    Her words were sweet, but Ophelia recognised the ring malevolence in her eyes. Malevolence towards everyone in the room except Aurelia. It was like she viewed them all as rivals!


    Aureliaughed ufortably. |[It''s okay. I''m really not that experienced.]|


    Ophelia wanted to hide her face. Rather than acknowledging it was a mistake, she cursed them all in her heart. Why were these brats so embarrassing today?


    First Artemis, and now Delphine. They acted like Aurelia was going to disappear and they needed to make an impression as quickly as possible!


    She med Typhon for setting this in motion when he challenged them - he should have known better.


    And Aurelia wasn''t taking the problem seriously either.


    Delphine likely said it to create some sense of familiarity. She was troublesome and always needed to push the boundary of what wasfortable in order to gain new skills. Ophelia recalled her following Cygnus from the very beginning, and now that their abilities were practically identical, she seemed to have picked a new target.


    Aurelia was na?ve not to see the danger of her affections, but that was what she was here to protect her from.


    [Delphine.] Ophelia smiled sweetly, beforemanding in a stern voice. [Come over here, now.]


    Delphine immediately went over to her side, not realising what she was doing until she was safely behind Ophelia, and even then she had tomand her again to sit still.


    Aurelia looked too ufortable, and the room was far too crowded with nestlings. Perhaps it was best to disperse the others too, since they all seemed intent on misbehaving.


    |[When will Typhon get here?]| Aurelia asked.


    [He is leading the hunt away from the cave.] Ophelia replied.


    But when she checked her as to confirm, she noticed Typhon''s serpent icon speedily heading towards Aqu''s position on the as, along with two others.


    Ophelia sighed deeply, he must already know Morgana had disappeared, because he wouldn''te back so quickly unless something went wrong over here.


    [Actually, he''s just returned.] She corrected herself. [We should go out and meet him.]


    Quickly, or else Aqu and those reptiles were as good as dead.


    Artemis understood after seeing her grim expression, but she stopped him from saying more because she didn''t want Aurelia to feel ufortable. It was better to intercept him before he got to Aqu, she could at least mediate some of the damage that way.


    Still, as the group headed outside to Typhon, Ophelia was quick to pull Delphine aside.


    [What are you doing?] She was perplexed. [I shouldn''t have to correct your manner of speech, you know that was rude.]


    Delphine looked away shyly. [I know, but¡­]


    When she looked up, her purple eyes zed with sinister adoration. [She''s different. I like her. She''s just so sweet, I can''t help it. Maybe it''s because we share the same power that we have the same bond¨C]


    [You don''t share the same power.] Ophelia interrupted her feverish rant in irritation. [Don''t ever do that again. She''s not your ymate. You crossed the line.]


    There was no such bond. At most their magic suggested they came from the same serpent bloodline, but that was it. Delphine hadn''t seen a fraction of Aurelia''s true power for her to delude herself into such a fantasy.


    [You should stay away for now. Don''t follow.] Ophelia slithered away to catch up with the others. Delphine was better off as far from Aurelia as possible.


    [You feel the same way.] Delphine called out in anger. [You also want to be closer to her, so don''t act like you are different.]


    Ophelia was appalled at her suggestion.


    And yet, like Delphine said, she was also guilty of this offence. She had always seen Aurelia in a fond light because she was stronger than them, but unlike before when she wanted to impress her, their rtionship had grown since she learnt to speak.


    No longer was she such an unfathomable mystery or a nk te for them to misinterpret. She was certainly evil, but she was also kind, extremely concerned for their wellbeing, and also very na?ve about many things.


    Ophelia was also more aware of some of the worries that gued her, and she had be fiercely protective as a result.


    [I''m not like you who is only after her power.] She chillingly replied. [I care about her, more than you know.]


    Delphine scoffed. [I''m sure you do. That''s why you want to keep her all to yourself...]


    [You misheard me.] Ophelia replied, her voice brimming with power. [I don''t want to see you near her, ever again. Am I understood?]


    Delphine gave her a hollow stare, her eyespletely dull, before mindlessly agreeing.


    [I understand, Commander.]

 Chapter 312 - Damage Control

    [Where is Delphine?] Artemis asked as soon as she came outside. He was waiting alone, as Aurelia had gone ahead with the others.


    [I sent her away.] Ophelia replied, her eyes panning to Aurelia. [She won''t be bothering her again.]


    [You did the right thing.] Artemis noted. [Her behaviour was getting on my nerves.]


    Ophelia continued towards Aurelia, her eyes taking in the quiet forest around them, and the changes she saw. There was too much of a crowd around her. The dark fae, those suspicious Vdrys and the chattering nestlings that abandoned their duties to follow her around.


    It was a wonder Aurelia did not get irritated by them.


    However, it was the abundance of pink leafed trees that agitated Ophelia the most.


    At the end of the dead zone, the surrounding forest was deathly quiet, the result of the Vdrys and their nasty habit of infecting every creature that trespassed with their kiss. As expected, the number of pink trees increased daily while the surrounding monsters dwindled. And a while ago, something unexpected happened.


    A new Vdrys spawned on their side of the forest.


    She was a tiny creature, a child sized elf with flowers for clothes and trailing pink hair, whose only thought was to eat and chase the curious nestlings around.


    However, this upset Ophelia more than anything because she knew what it meant.


    Her manifestation away from the Nymph''s domain meant there was no chance of her leaving their cave. This was her home forever, unless they found a way to kill her.


    Ophelia sighed in despair.


    Just how long did they have until more Vdrys manifested?


    Looking at the number of pink girls surrounding Aurelia - it didn''t seem like she was going to stop them.


    And even Typhon disagreed with her.


    He thought it was a good thing they were migrating, a way to increase their numbers and solidify their alliance by holding the Nymph ountable.


    But while she understood the Nymph had joined their Pit, Ophelia still wondered if she could be trusted. They even argued over it.


    She often thought the moments Aurelia spent with her alone were taking things too far. Their alliance only seemed to benefit the Nymph, considering how strong she had be.


    It was bad enough that she asked Aurelia to visit her estranged daughter who lived far away. To some degree, she and her spawn had be more threatening than useful.


    Ophelia felt a sudden rush of power as they crossed the charred ground of the dead zone. Perhaps she should do something about it before their alliance grew too dangerous?


    [Ophelia.] Artemis whispered. [Aren''t you going to do something?]


    Ophelia was startled to see they were already there.


    Aurelia was staring at her expectantly, as were the gathered nestlings. Typhon was also there alongside Otreia and Oteiza, but he was confronted by several reptiles who surrounded him, growling ferociously in an effort to protect Aqu who was trembling on the ground like an idiot.


    [What was the question?] Ophelia muttered. It seemed she had missed something.


    [Those¡­monsters. Aren''t you going to stop them?] Artemis anxiously said.


    [Ah¡­yes.]


    To him it must seem like Typhon was in danger, considering how threatening the reptiles had be. Their agile bodies were simr to raptors, their teeth and ws viscous enough to prate tough scales even though they were yet to evolve.


    It wasn''t too long ago that they wounded Typhon, their fast development showing they were already stronger and more ferocious than other monsters of a simr age. They would have made valuable additions to the [Pit] if they were not under Morgana''s control.


    Like her, they also did not forget their enemies and had registered Typhon as such.


    Still, Ophelia knew they were no match for Aurelia. She would stop them the moment they moved to attack him, only her method would just be a lot more final and far messier than if she did it herself.


    So, Ophelia moved to subdue them,manding the creatures with her voice, until they were sleeping soundlessly on the ground. It was the least she could do to preserve their lives.


    The atmosphere immediately became calm again. The Vdrys no longer quivered behind Aurelia and the nestlings were chattering away again.


    [You took your sweet time.] Typhon muttered before greeting Aurelia with a bow. [Sovereign.]


    Something flickered across Aurelia''s eyes and Ophelia immediately red at him. She didn''t understand why he insisted on calling her that when he could say her name.


    It was one thing to be respectful, but he was far too polite and stiff in their interactions - especially since Aurelia didn''t like it.


    [Why are you making Aqu cry?] She asked, even though she knew exactly why. [Aren''t you being too mean?]


    Typhon ignored her petty jab to focus on Aurelia. [I found these two acting suspiciously.] He nced at Oteiza and Otreia who immediately lowered their heads.


    [And this one¡­] He turned to Aqu, who cowered in fright, immediately tearing up. [Was impersonating her former Captain.]


    He then hissed at her menacingly. [Did you really think no one would find out?]


    It was true, their n was full of holes.


    Perhaps if they knew the As existed they would have done better, but s they were unlucky.


    Nevertheless, while Ophelia was secretly on Morgana''s side, she would never have used Aqu for this - she was simply too fragile. With Aurelia and so many nestlings watching, she could barely contain her anxiety, already breaking down in tears.


    [Why are you covering for Morgana when you should be inside?] Typhon asked.


    His question was hardly threatening but Aqu was so frazzled, she could barely speak a word without crying.


    [I-I d-don''t know. I really d-don''t know!] She sobbed.


    Typhon sighed in frustration.


    [Tell us what she told you.] Ophelia offered, but Aqu only shrank away in fear, causing the rest of the nestlings who didn''t know any better to burst intoughter.


    [Such ipetence.] Artemis frowned at her trembling. [She''s only incriminating herself.]


    It was true, if only Aqu realised this.


    But just when Ophelia thought she was going to be killed, Aurelia, who had been silent all this time, ordered everyone to leave. The Vdrys, the spectating nestlings, even the dark fae, leaving only Typhon, herself, and Arsinoe''s team.


    It was then that Ophelia realised her mistake.


    Knowing Morgana''s terrible personality, she should have realised Aqu''s difort was the reason she was chosen. It wasn''t about any perceived guilt or me, she simply wanted to put her in a terrible situation because it was the perfect way to silence her.


    Aqu wasn''t going to speak with so many present if being the sole focus of their anger was enough to make her lose all rational thought!


    The nestlings cried out in protest, annoyed at having to miss such a spectacle, but eventually they headed inside, including a reluctant Artemis.


    With everyone gone, Aqu finally gained the confidence to speak.


    [I didn''t know what Morgana had nned. She asked me toplete her duties for her and made those reptiles follow me. I really didn''t think she would leave.] She pleaded. [I didn''t want to hide anything, I was just scared.]


    [Morgana won''t do anything to endanger the Pit.] Aqu insisted when she was met with silence. [She''s been very goodtely - I believe she has changed! She let mee hunting with her several times, and she didn''t let those reptiles hurt me even when I was injured. She wouldn''t do that if she hadn''t changed.]


    Ophelia listened, but she was too busy marvelling at how much Aurelia understood them all.


    But Typhon did not look convinced at all.


    [You should worry more about yourself than her.] He calmly stated.


    And yet, it didn''t seem like Aqu was lying, she trembled in fear realising her response was unsatisfactory, insisting that Morgana woulde back like it was her only lifeline.


    Either she was so convinced in this belief, or she was too dumb to realise Morgana had only been kind to get the reptiles used to her presence.


    It truly seemed like she told her nothing.


    [Stop panicking.] Ophelia told Aqu who whimpered silently. [No one is going to hurt you.]


    They were not getting anywhere like this.


    It wasn''t about where Morgana had gone, because they could easily find her. It was the timing of her leaving and her vengeful state of being.


    Why did she leave those reptiles behind when they would have been of great help to her?


    And why now, when everything was so calm?


    There had to be more to her escape attempt because Morgana was not one to n foolishly.


    These were all questions the foolish Aqu had no answers to, exactly as Morgana intended, and Ophelia began to feel quite foolish.


    It was bing clear that Morgana didn''t need her protection. Ophelia even wondered if she nned on returning to the Pit.


    If the answer was no, then her creatures posed a greater threat being alive.


    She nced at Aurelia who was watching the crying Aqu. It said a lot that she was still alive after her insolence, it was obvious that Aurelia felt some sympathy for her, but it was best they took some precautions in case things went wrong.


    |[What was thest thing she discussed with you?]| Aurelia asked.


    Aqu, who had been sobbing, immediately stopped.


    [Morgana has always wanted to be the strongest.] She replied.


    Ophelia noticed her voice was odd. It was crystal clear, without a single cry or stutter, although it was quite hoarse.


    [Morgana wanted to kill those reptiles the moment they hatched.] Aqu emotionlessly said. [But Typhon prevented her from doing so. Then after she saw you, she realised her resolve was¡­too small.]


    Was she under some trance?


    Ophelia nced at Typhon, whose chilling eyes were also fixed on Aurelia.


    It seemed he had noticed it too.

 Chapter 313 - Crooked Beliefs

    |[Who does she want to kill?]| Aurelia asked calmly.


    [The Scorpion Queen...Typhon, there are several.]


    |[List them.]|


    As Aqu prattled off a number of extensive foes, Typhon and Ophelia were quite startled at the revtion. They included nearly everyone Morgana had ever encountered, and all for minor inconveniences too.


    Surprisingly, neither Aurelia nor Ophelia were on this list.


    |[Has she met other serpents besides us?]| Aurelia asked.


    [No. She isn''t interested in them.]


    |[Why does she want to leave?]|.


    Aqu tilted her head in confusion. [She doesn''t want to leave. She wouldn''t before killing those she wants, or without taking Ophelia.]


    She said this like it was a fact and as Typhon''s harsh gaze fell over her, she tried hard not to fidget.


    What was he misunderstanding now?


    |[Why did she take Arsinoe with her?]| Aurelia continued.


    [She realised she couldn''t do it alone, without taking some¡­risks.]


    [Risk?!] They were interrupted by a sharp inhale.


    [You mean a sacrifice!] Otreia eximed. [Why else would she let her follow? She means to kill her!]


    [Shh¡­we don''t know that yet.] Oteiza tried to calm her down.


    Arsinoe''s team who hardly said a word before now were suddenly agitated and Typhon scrutinised them.


    [You don''t seem that surprised.] He noted. [You must have known.]


    Otreia, who realised her error, immediately lowered her head and Oteiza who didn''t seem to care continued to plead anxiously. [Please, we have to help her! Arsinoe is in danger.]


    [You dare!] Typhon snarled in rage. They were this courageous, yet so endlessly stupid.


    Did they know what they were asking?


    |[They are in danger.]| Aurelia admitted. |[They aren''t strong enough yet.]|


    Ophelia wholeheartedly agreed. She had wanted to train Morgana a little more with her first to prepare. Her performance would have improved with more time, and Aurelia was willing to give her that time. So why would she rush this?


    Surely it wasn''t for a [Legacy] skill?


    Ophelia''s eyes widened in disbelief. No way.


    [We have to help them!] She immediately begged Aurelia.


    [We need to rescue Arsinoe.] Typhon corrected. [Morgana can stay where she is.]


    No matter what, Arsinoe was innocent in all this.


    [Typhon!] Ophelia hissed.


    Morgana could be redeemed, yet he didn''t even want to try.


    This was all his fault in the first ce!


    She thought Morgana was above it all, but in reality she was just as hot headed and impulsive as the others! If only he hadn''t mentioned it.


    [It''s true!] Otreia revealed. [Arsinoe didn''t want this! She saw Morgana acting strange and followed, that''s all. She wanted to stop her. She was looking out for all of us.]


    [How convenient.] Ophelia muttered.


    Of course they would say that to shift the me when Morgana wasn''t around to defend herself.


    [She should havee to me first.] Typhon muttered.


    He was angry at the inconvenience they were causing. Arsinoe had not changed her ways even after he warned her, and as long as Morgana remained, there would always be some uncertainty about her loyalty.


    The fact remained that Arsinoe''s unruliness could be controlled, whereas Morgana''s could not. It was the only reason he kept her around for so long.


    And yet, something wasn''t adding up.


    Arsinoe should have returned the moment she realised something was wrong. If she really wanted to, it wasn''t like Morgana could overpower her with sheer force.


    Typhon felt his mood darken.


    He could never imagine Arsinoe choosing to go willingly.


    [Can we rescue them?] Ophelia pleaded with Aurelia. [What if something terrible happens to them?]


    [Hey¡­] Typhon red at his anxious sister who was bing more and more unrecognisable by the day. He couldn''t believe what she was asking. It was good that she had gained a friend in Aurelia, but she seemed to be forgetting that she was also dangerous.


    Asking her to rescue the two cretins that disobeyed her orders was pure folly. Ophelia was getting too carried away!


    However, Aurelia chuckled as she stared off in the distance. |[They are still alive, their vitals are quite strong.]|


    [Really?!] Ophelia eximed.


    |[We will get them back.]| Aurelia yawned. |[Morgana owes me a head. I''m eager to see if she can deliver it.]|


    [Ah.] Ophelia''s relief dampened immediately. [Yes, she does. How could I forget.] Sheughed nervously. [Morgana won''t disappoint you. You have my word!]


    This¡­


    Typhon wondered if Ophelia had lost her mind. Was she really fine after that blow to the head?


    [I''ll assemble the team.] Typhon reluctantly said.


    This was going to be a long day.


    He kept telling himself it was okay as long as she wasn''t harmed, but when he looked at the two of them talking, he kept seeing Ophelia''s lone red eye that matched Aurelia''s perfectly.


    What if she sustained more than physical damage? Was he right to have been worried all along?


    [Um¡­Can wee too?]


    His thoughts were interrupted when Otreia and Oteiza approached him. Since they still had their heads intact, he supposed they thought they were free to go.


    [Get inside!] He snarled.


    It was the cells for all of them.


    Aqu who still blinked in a confused daze, Arsinoe when he dragged her treacherous hide home. Idiots, the lot of them!


    They were going to stay buried until he erased everything that transpired today from his memory!


    As for Morgana. If they deserved to rot, she should never see the light of day again. Even the deepest pit wasn''t good enough.


    But perhaps her attachment to Ophelia opened up another solution.


    [Typhon.] Ophelia called out to him before he could leave. [We need to talk, please wait.]


    When he looked back, she and Aurelia were staring at him rather anxiously.


    [What now?] He asked.


    [Well¡­] Ophelia hesitated. [Don''t be too hard on them, okay, Arsinoe especially.]


    Typhon grimaced at the sound of her name. [What about her?]


    [Well¡­] Ophelia looked nervously at Aurelia, then back at him. [I have an idea why she went with Morgana.]


    Typhon stared unblinking at the two. It was obviously because she was stupid. Morgana baited her and she followed, even after he warned her to stay away, it wasn''t that difficult to realise.


    Still, he waited patiently for her revtion. [You clearly want to tell me.]


    [Arsinoe has always been jealous of Morgana.] Ophelia started. [And you''ve been paying more attention to hertely.]


    [Yes, because she''s been doing well.] Typhon replied.


    While it didn''t excuse her previous behaviour, her hunts were always sessful. As long as she was a functioning member of the Pit, he left her alone.


    [What does that have to do with anything?] He asked.


    Ophelia frowned at his bluntness. Showing favouritism to Morgana when he never did so before gave off the wrong impression! He really had no idea what that could look like to Arsinoe who desperately wanted his attention.


    [Have you never wondered why she hates Morgana?] She asked.


    [She shouldn''t have any problems with her.] Typhon said dismissively. [Morgana works hard when she isn''t killing anything that remotely offends her.]


    Ophelia sighed, at hisck of interest. He could be so oblivious sometimes.


    She then looked at Aurelia for help on how to go about exining this to him. Aurelia was smart, she always had answers to everything.


    s, she only got a confused stare in return.


    Ophelia was startled. Did she and the Nymph do nothing but talk?


    [She''s trying to win your favour!] She blurted out awkwardly, eager to be done with the horrible subject.


    |[Favour?]| Aurelia tilted her head.


    [Yes. She likes him.] Ophelia looked away in embarrassment.


    She was suffering to get the words out, but this could hardlypare to Typhon''s look of absolute vitriol. If he wasn''t her brother, she would swear he wanted to kill her at that moment.


    The only one who remained rxed was Aurelia, she even perked up to listen with interest before eximing suddenly. |[Oh!]|


    [I had to say it.] Ophelia flung herself at Typhon who was about to storm off. [It was really getting out of hand.]


    [I''m not listening to this.] He menacingly hissed.


    [I''m sorry.] Ophelia tried to exin. She had a feeling that Arsinoe''s dark moods had been because of him. She was only trying to help, but it didn''t seem like Typhon was going to forgive her.


    |[It''s wrong to mislead others.]| Aurelia suddenly dered, her chilling aura forcing Typhon to stop.


    Why was she suddenly staring at him like he was the enemy?


    Typhon felt the need to defend himself against her scary aura, or his life could be forfeit!


    [It''s not like that!] He hissed. [Don''t use me of something so absurd!]


    [I didn''t say that¡­it''s just.] Ophelia muttered.


    [Just what?] Typhon roared.


    [Nothing! Sorry.]


    Typhon promptly slithered away. He wasn''t having this conversation!


    If Arsinoe truly felt that way, then he would straighten out her crooked beliefs.


    [Be gentle with her.] Ophelia called out but Typhon already left.


    She was d she told him, but he didn''t have to be so bent out of shape about it. She just hoped Arsinoe would take it well.


    Ophelia felt dark wings sweep over her head.


    [You''ve worked hard.] Aurelia patted her. [But it''s too dangerous for Typhon to go alone so I''ll go with him. Are you alright with staying to watch over the others?]


    Ophelia nodded.


    With Aureliaing along, they would be safer, but she wasn''t too happy.


    She wanted to get Aurelia away from here for a while as there was plenty she wanted to tell her, but things kept getting in the way.


    So, she made her promise to go away together when she returned under the pretence that she wanted to explore the Labyrinth.


    [Deal!] Aurelia was happy to agree.

 Chapter 314 - Uncertainty

    Ding!


    [Quest - Earn Ophelia''s trust. Complete!]


    [Quest Reward 400XP has been issued!]


    I was surprised it was that simple, since all I did was share my snacks and listen to her.


    She really seemed to love anything sweet, much like the dark fae.


    But then again, Ophelia always had a favourable impression of me, and she seemed to be the easy going type¡­if you ignored her asional bouts of intensity. She was possibly the easiest one to win over, considering the different personalities of nestlings I''d encountered so far.


    Now, if only that grumpy and moody Typhon was so easy to deal with.


    Ding!


    [Emergency Quest Issued!]


    I frowned. What now?


    [Earn Typhon''s respect!]


    [Adept Level Quest - Defeat Typhon in a hunting match. [Reward [450XP]]


    Progress: Kills [0/50] Time Limit: [5 minutes]


    Oh... This looked fun!


    For an Adept quest, it was quite easy.


    Ding!


    [Adept Level Quest - Defeat Typhon in a sparring match. [Reward [400XP]]


    I spoke too soon. I should have known this wasn''t all of it.


    However, a sparring match could also be interesting.


    I''ve wanted to test his strength for a while but never got the chance. Typhon would put up quite a fierce fight and I''m excited to find out how strong he has gotten since thest time we both went hunting. The nestlings could also learn many things from watching us.


    They were endlessly curious about my abilities, and this seemed like the perfect way to show them. I would win obviously ¨C there was no question about that, but it would be fun to see how long Typhon wouldst.


    The thought of it already made me grin, a sparring match was indeed the best choice.


    But Ophelia who stood watch high up on a branch, immediately glided out from between the leaves tond at my side.


    [You''re smiling.] She tilted her head in suspicion. [You''re not thinking of leaving again, are you?]


    Um.


    What was it with these brats?


    |[No. I just had an idea.]| I replied. |[It would be nice to do something fun when we get back. Which is best, a huntingpetition or a sparring match?]|


    Ophelia lifted her head in thought, her feathers swishing excitedly. [Will you join?]


    |[Only for one match¡­]|


    But then.


    Ding!


    [Adept Level Quest - Set an example! Kill Typhon for his insubordination. Reward [500XP]]


    Woah.


    What the heck was this?


    [What''s wrong?] Ophelia asked.


    |[It''s nothing.]| I replied and she didn''t press any further.


    It was obvious I wasn''t going to kill Typhon. It didn''t matter how much the nestlings liked me, their respect stemmed from their fear, but Typhon on the other hand was admired for his courage and leadership.


    Killing him would only establish my image as a tyrant, not a leader.


    And it would hurt Ophelia, whose trust I just gained.


    I nced over at the white serpent who had her face nuzzled against her feathers, like a sleeping kitten. Compared to Typhon, she was gentle, but she wasn''t any less respected among the nestlings than he was, her influence was just more subtle.


    If she turned against me, I didn''t know if I would be able to kill her so resolutely.


    Just one wrong move on my part could wreck this hard won peace.


    And for such a stupid quest to have the highest reward ¨C this default system was crazy!


    Did it think I would be tempted?


    It was wrong.


    But, I had to wonder the reasoning behind such a quest.


    Unlike Sensei, the default system wasn''t biased. It must have recognised some threat in order to suggest killing him, perhaps as a means to weaken his influence over the others or to increase mine.


    And yet, as abrasive as Typhon was, he was a great Commander. His only crime was that he could be a little too forward sometimes, especially with what he believed was right.


    But weren''t they all?


    I couldn''t name a single nestling who was docile, except maybe Aqu, and even then she was fiercely loyal when it counted.


    In reality, Typhon and Ophelia were the glue that kept the unruly ones from dying or worse, killing each other. And since I was the person they chose to follow, I had to recognise that effort.


    If punishments were this severe for something so minor, I would lose their respect very quickly. Besides, there were two absent nestlings who were considerably more irritating, and deserved to be punished much more so than Typhon.


    I sighed. The days until Sensei returned couldn''t pass by quickly enough.


    I was getting tired of these insane quests.


    [Typhon would know best.] Ophelia suggested when she saw my lifeless stare. [I can call him back ¨C he''s just embarrassed by what I said.]


    |[No need.]| I quickly put away the system window. I didn''t want to think about it any longer.


    |[Where do you want to goter?]| I asked her.


    Ophelia perked up immediately. [Cygnus mentioned a ce without any nts. All you see are sands that never end! He also found a ce with winged monstersrger than Sylrin. Oh! How about we start the monster hunt by entering the cave he found? It''s so deep underground, there''s a forest inside!]


    In her excitement, her feathers kept sticking up with each new idea she proposed. But I was more astonished by how far Cygnus had wandered, and how quickly he came back each time.


    |[Do you have a monster in mind?]| I asked.


    [I do!] Ophelia grinned. [I fought a strong monster with ice magic once, but it got away. I''ve been trying to find it ever since to test my strength!]


    Ah! That sounded like a rivalry in the making.


    I had no problem with this. No nestling could keep up with her abilities since her change and I was sure she was finding it difficult to challenge herself.


    |[Then, let''s find that monster.]| I agreed without hesitation. |[And trap it together.]|


    Ophelia immediately flung herself at me, her numerous wings fluttering in excitement.


    [I can''t wait.] She raved. [Come back quickly, there''s so much I want to tell you.]


    Once again, she was too ticklish, so instead of telling her to keep her distance, I let her cling onto me. But as soon as she stopped, I felt a creeping sense of difort.


    Why was my first instinct to help, rather than refuse?


    Morgana and Arsinoe should rightfully be left out in the cold since they disobeyed me and yet I''d agreed to help them.


    It wasn''t because Ophelia was cute, it was simply because she''d asked, and I wanted her to be happy.


    I frowned.


    Perhaps I''d spent so much time with them that they were bing too¡­familiar.


    If the system''s quest was any indication, Ophelia and Typhon were a threat I should stamp out early, and yet I found myself wanting to protect them. All of them. Even the ones that defied my orders.


    It was certainly a strange feeling, and I wasn''t sure I could get used to that uncertainty again.


    [We should tell everyone! They''ll be so excited!] Ophelia urged me to return to the cave with her, already taking off into the air.


    I sighed. If only I was as optimistic as she was.


    On entering, the cave was much louder than usual. Typhon was in the middle of a group of nestlings who I realised were his chosen team.


    They consisted of Cygnus who looked noticeably bored, Cassio and Andromeda who were smiling smugly to themselves, and our healers, Lyra and Europa, trying their best to remain inconspicuous ¨C both ufortable with the attention they were getting.


    However, on the other side, there were several more who seemed to be dismayed over his choice.


    As soon as they saw us, they rushed over to surround Ophelia and I, a teary Aqu leading them at the forefront. [Please let mee!] She cried out. [Morgana will need me there with her.]


    Artemis was quick to intervene, immediately cutting across to stop her from approaching further.


    [I doubt she''s thinking about you.] He bluntly said, before hissing in a low voice. [You shouldn''t even be here.]


    [I wouldn''t have to if you all didn''t shun her.] Aquined. [She has no one!]


    At her words, Ophelia flinched, her face sullen.


    But she didn''t agree or disagree with anything Aqu imed.


    [Please let use too.] Otreia added.


    Oteiza nodded in agreement beside her. [Arsinoe didn''t know any better.]


    However, aside from the sympathetic nestlings, there was another that protested even louder.


    [It isn''t fair. We should all get to go.] A surly Demosmented, his words echoed by cries of agreement from several. Among these were mostly nestlings who were recently named.


    They were all eager to prove themselves to me in one way or another, with each one unwilling to give up their chance to be useful.


    There were also those who felt personally slighted at being overlooked.


    Delphine kept ring at Cygnus like he''d betrayed her. [Why do they get to go, and I don''t? I''m just as strong as they are and I can swim.]


    She then turned her attention towards Lyra who hid behind Europa. [She can''t even fight! You don''t need useless serpents who can''t fight! Choose me!]


    [We''re more important than you.] Europa calmly corrected her. [Who''s going to heal them when we find them?]


    Cygnus remained calm even when Delphine looked fit to burst in her anger.


    I took in all of this and sighed, these nestlings were more troublesome than ever. I then looked over at Typhon who stood apart from them.


    He already had his team members ready and was indifferent to their plight, and like him, they were just as unbothered and content with watching the tantrums of their fellow serpents with cial calm.


    I didn''t me Typhon for picking them, but perhaps Aqu had a point.


    I couldn''t overlook the fact that these serpents were all those with no love for Morgana, and it showed.


    Lyra and Europa had been buried by her and left to die, Cassio and Andromeda fought alongside Typhon to contain the chaos her reptiles created, and Cygnus was severely mauled by them, only surviving due to Lyra''s healing.


    I was confident they would drag Morgana and Arsinoe back by their tails in record time with little care for sympathy or their survival, which left me wondering if they would actually help if I wasn''t there.

 Chapter 315 - Marked For Death

    Typhon red at them coldly, extremely disappointed by their antics. He likely chose his team because he valued efficiency over sentiment, and they didn''t understand.


    He wasn''t wrong, but it said a lot that his biggest supporter, Ophelia, was unsettled by the team he chose. She kept ncing from me to him, in disbelief. Perhaps she wanted me to intervene, but I focused on the mouring nestlings instead.


    They were still arguing amongst each other, and my patience was waning.


    When were these nestlings going to learn?


    They all had their own factions, loyal followers, and even favourites, when they should have been unified. How could they im to belong to my Pit when this was their default state?


    I didn''t want to see them fight or for their factions to fragment even further than they were now. If so, they were no better than the Serpent n that waged wars against themselves!


    Their behaviour was truly appalling and as my irritation rose, the atmosphere soon turned cold as a dangerous aura leaked out.


    Ophelia sensed it immediately and yelled at the nestlings to stand down. It was quite out of character for her, so they immediately froze in shock. Those that were quick-witted immediately funnelled into orderly rows, suddenly realising something was wrong.


    The others soon fell back, and the cave fell to silence, with the asional sniffle of a sob being heard.


    I nced at Ophelia who had joined the nestlings to bow, and Typhon who stood beside her but stared directly at me. There was no point in shouting now, because this would take more than a warning to fix.


    I checked to see the positions of Arsinoe and Morgana on the as. Their serpent icons were bright red, meaning they were still alive and moving at a rapid pace. Ironically, the two belonged to Typhon and Ophelia respectfully.


    Although I didn''t want to ce any me, this was the result of Typhon and Ophelia ying favourites. They set the example for the nestlings to follow through and it was shaping their very being.


    I believe Morgana set out herself to find results, with no intention ofing back no matter how dangerous it became. This fact was evident in Ophelia''s nervous behaviour and her incessant worry for ''her'' safety.


    I listlessly sighed - this was quite the conundrum indeed.


    As for Arsinoe, she likely followed because she knew Typhon woulde after them as soon as he knew, perhaps before they faced any difficulty. And considering how quickly he returned, she was not wrong.


    No matter how much mymanders denied it, Morgana and Arsinoe were clearly their favourites.


    |[You can stop now.]| I asked all the nestlings to lift their heads.


    It was like my Commanders were trying to solve a problem without knowing the cause.


    [My team is very skilled.] Typhon said, matter of factly.


    And I agreed.


    There was nothing unsatisfactory about those he chose, but he was simply too certain!


    How could he assume to know everything I was looking for?


    |[How did you select them?]| I asked.


    A low murmur of excitement spread through the nestlings, but none of them left their orderly formation to suggest themselves to me like before. It was like their earlier outburst was all a mirage.


    [I chose them based on their hunting experience.] Typhon confirmed.


    [Morgana isn''t a creature to hunt.] Ophelia said in a low voice, her voice trembling with sadness. [You said you would bring her back.]


    [I will.] Typhon briefly nced at Ophelia''s sulking figure before turning to me. [If you tell me what you''re searching for, I can adjust it ordingly.]


    Hmph! Why did this brat sound so sarcastic?


    It wasn''t that simple!


    Regardless of what they felt, it was difficult to see them argue, so I asked both of them to join me to discuss the issue.


    |[To give everyone a fair chance, some members need to be reworked.]| I said. |[The others have been working hard, It''s only right to give them a chance to do more.]|


    Typhon looked over at all the bright eyed nestlings staring at us and sighed.


    [I don''t have a problem with that.] He replied. [But we can''t wait too long. The longer we leave them out there, the more trouble they will cause.]


    [Typhon is right.] Ophelia admitted. [I know Morgana better than anyone. She won''t be satisfied until she has achieved what she set out to do.]


    Hm.


    Typhon gave her a withering stare, but even with this Ophelia was much calmer knowing I was taking over the selection process.


    |[This won''t take too long.]| I replied, before addressing the waiting nestlings. |[All those that wish to participate cane forward.]|


    They starteding forward one by one until 26 grinning nestlings stood before me, and I felt myself twitch in irritation.


    How could none of them opt out?


    |[You don''t all have to volunteer.]| I frowned, but none of them went back.


    |[You won''t be med if you decide to stay.]| I repeated, to the same result.


    Looking at all the nestlings staring at me, I had a feeling these brats had sinister ns to make my life difficult!


    Typhon maintained a straight face throughout, but even his stoic look had softened a great deal, while Ophelia awkwardly turned away to hide her smile from me.


    I sighed in exasperation and proposed another solution. To reduce their numbers further they would have to demonstrate their abilities to me throughbat.


    The rules were fairly simple. Each one had to show their abilities was at an advanced level, while being able to use their magic for a long period of time without depleting their stamina.


    After giving them instructions, the nestlings immediately split in half and began to fight against each other.


    Typhon and I scrutinised their chaotic performances carefully. With [Appraisal] I already knew many of them had powerful [Poison Magic] very close to LV10, but I was looking out for those with a unique mastery of their magic as well as skills rted tobat.


    It was no use being good at one thing when they couldn''t use it to fight off an enemy or escape.


    Lyra was just like this and she was the first to be taken out by Delphine who did not hesitate to strike. Even though she was excellent at Healing magic, herbat skills were not up to par.


    But where she failed Europa performed exceptionally, dealing out precise, almost surgical cuts to his opponent to incapacitate them. They were defeated so quickly he even had time to treat their injuries after the fact, proving his Healing abilities did not hinder hisbat abilities at all.


    It wasn''t that I did not prioritise those with more than one type of magic - their offence and defence just had to be bnced. Typhon was a good example of this, but he was very rare and not everyone could be like Ophelia who possessed three types of magic and still maintained good offensive abilities.


    Among them, Typhon''s chosen team performed very well.


    Cygnus was another I couldn''t take my eyes off, as it was very difficult to track his movements. He only came third because he had gone to another room in the middle of his match, returned with a mouthful of fruit and an angry dark fae in pursuit, all before taking out his opponent.


    He even interfered in three other matches by mistake as he tried to dodge her tiny fists.


    This only worsened with frequent sneak attacks by Cassio who did not hesitate to use [Earth Magic] to weaken the stabilities of others, or Andromeda who took quick jabs at those who weren''t paying attention.


    Because of them, other friendly matches quickly descended to brawls with nestlingsshing out at the wrong targets because they didn''t know who hit them.


    I frowned at their antics, feeling a headacheing on.


    Aside from them Otreia, Oteiza and Aqu were all fighting for their chance to qualify, but their opponents were proving too difficult.


    Oteiza suffered a quick defeat by Demos. Aqu had the misfortune of pairing with Apollo whose ridicule only worsened her already fragile state, and Otreia was paired with Artemis who was very much against her going to Arsinoe.


    At her defeat, Typhon could no longer hide his grin from me. Considering his team was holding their own, I sighed in exasperation.


    |[I should disqualify them for cheating.]| I broodingly said.


    [You could.] Typhon admitted. [But you never said they couldn''t take on more than one opponent.]


    This.


    I was appalled by his shamelessness - the system''s quest had never looked so tempting until now.


    Ophelia noticed the tension and intervened. [I don''t agree with their actions, but if we wait any longer, they will be in danger. I don''t mind who goes, the important thing is that we save them.]


    Although she changed her mind she still looked anxious about it, and that didn''t sit right with me. I had to remind her of something she was overlooking.


    |[You''re not wrong to worry about them.] I told her. [But they chose to go off on their own. They wouldn''t do so if they didn''t have a n. Isn''t your worrying undermining that?]|


    |[If we rescue them too quickly, they''ll have nothing to show us for their treason.]|


    Ophelia felt silent, while Typhon scrutinised me closely.


    Perhaps she realised she was actively hindering their ambition, but from what I had seen of them, if Arsinoe didn''te prepared - then Morgana would have. Out of all the nestlings she seemed the most eager to improve.


    And even then, I would never let theme to harm.


    I checked the As once more to see they had separated. Both of them were fighting, but only one was noticeably agitated. And for every creature they killed, my [Notoriety] increased by 40 points.


    At this rate, there was little I could do to stop it. It went up for anything minor. A new kill, a new Vdrys sprout, a new attribute. The alerts were never ending, and I''d gotten so used to them that I barely reacted.


    The important thing was that they were both alive and one [Blink] away if their little adventure ever got out of hand - was what I thought when something else caught my attention.


    As I zoomed out of the As, I noticed several little problems in the form of ck [X] marks.


    Those pesky little elves I tagged were moving again. Their destination - a little too close to my territory for my liking.


    My eyes lit up with malice, and several nestling matches screeched to a halt around me.


    Were they that eager to die again?

 Chapter 316 - Wanted Snake

    [What''s wrong?] Typhon asked as the cave''s activities came to a standstill.


    Between those that had been defeated and those that were knocked down by my aura, very few of the nestling remained standing.


    Of the nestlings, only eight of them could withstand both, leaving those that couldn''t to shakily rise up.


    I told them nothing ¨C it wasn''t like they would understand, and they were clearly tired.


    |[Start without me.]| I instructed Typhon. |[I''ll meet you before you get there.]|


    He looked taken aback, but he didn''t protest. [Alright.]


    As for those he would take, they were obviously the ones that stood upright. I nced at eight of the winning nestlings with approval.


    [Are you leaving?] Ophelia said, her colourful eyes watery.


    I nodded. |[Watch out for the others. If anything unexpected happens, go and find Shiranui.]|


    Her face wrinkled momentarily, but the ugly expression quickly wore off, making me wonder if I had imagined it.


    With that settled, I blinked into the shadow realm.


    The cave''s scenery quickly faded to a familiar darkness. The warm air turned chilly as the ground I slithered on became smooth like ss. In the distance I made out several shifting nes, each with their own dimensional rules.


    And yet the sudden change was soothing because I''d been here so many times.


    Inside this shadow realm, the space was so vast and yet I seemed to be its only upant. I wasn''t exactly sure how the space worked, but time flowed infinitely slower here and I would be back before the nestlings travelled far.


    My little set up was visible not far from where I appeared, on one of several other nes that shifted constantly. But unlike the others its gravity didn''t change so It was perfect to carve out a rather unique spot.


    Arge hammock covered the entirety of the space above, and there was another bed with cushions in the shape of an eggshell covering the ne itself. There was food, nkets woven out of dark fibres, shelves stashed with food ¨C all made out of solid darkness.


    Neatly sorted between rows were wolf carcasses, wasps, spiders, moths, apes and the newest category, water behemoths. There were also elf-made nkets, potions, drinks, maps, strange gadgets, Ether crystals, and plenty of fruit.


    Some of the creatures I gathered simply by blinking all over the Upper Stratum. It was amazing how simrly monsters reacted when something unexpected appeared out of nowhere. They either ran away in panic or ran towards me with arrogance.


    Both were enjoyable to ughter ¨C the food was practically free.


    There was nothing more a little snake like me could ask for to y around.


    It was pretty much a secret haven!


    I climbed onto the hammock where a weathered ink sttered book resided. It was open to thest page and beside it was a ring powered by sinister red crystals and a familiar wooden box that housed an equally sinister gem.


    With a dispassionate look, I hurled the journal away from me, only for it to vanish mid-flight, appearing again to fall horizontally across another ne several miles away.


    I calcted the distance between the nes and blinked to the same ne, looking across at my hammock bed that was now upside down.


    The Journal''s ink spotted pages fluttered harmlessly on the smooth ground, and I looked down at it in disdain. Perhaps it was time to get rid of the suspicious thing once and for all?


    And yet, for some reason, I couldn''t bring myself to ¨C It was simply too valuable and a great source of knowledge. If the elves wanted it so badly, they would have toe here and take it, if they could, I mean.


    Still, before any derations of war, I had to scout my enemy first.


    On the as, there were several checkpoints whose distances I had mapped out to blink from. Having familiarised myself with them before, I didn''t need to think much, they were like save points I could navigate the Labyrinth with, and they included:


    The Pit cave. The Nymph''s Forest. Sylrin''s cave. The Valley''s Fortress. The Queen Wasp''s throne room and now The Middle Stratum''s Sea.


    They were all ces I knew well, and I chose the closest point to the marked elves position on the as, and a solid dark gateway opened immediately.


    I warily poked my head out to check if it was empty on the other side, and luckily it was.


    The Wasp Queen''s throne room was just like I remembered, its grey pirs just as tall and pristine, with a vague stillness simr to that of a tomb. All the dead Hesperia used as decorations had been taken away and the decor had improved to one that was a lot less grim.


    I nodded in approval before passing through the gateway. However once I touched the ground, I immediately detected the presence of hundreds, if not thousands of wasps, their persistent buzzinging from just below the ground I slithered on.


    I took onest look at the moon shaped window and blinked once, emerging outside on the forest floor just beneath the wasp fortress.


    I had no intention of sticking around to say ''hi'' to a certain rude individual, regardless of our truce - as this was merely a shortcut to my real destination.


    After blinking a few more times to hasten my journey, I arrived outside of a well lit camping ground right on the precipice of the dark forest.


    I approached warily, immediately spotting several elves patrolling the outskirts with torches. They weren''t the normal sort either. Gone were the flowing robes and loose hair. These elves were noticeably more dangerous, their matching dark armour was strangely militant, and each one carried a weapon, as their stern faces revealed their intentions.


    Somehow I got the sense these elves should be taken more seriously, and it wasn''t just their outward appearance. I wasn''t that close to their camp, yet I already detected more than a dozen wards with [Mind''s Eye] in the distance, powerful spells protecting them against monsters, rather than the simple mour.


    Some of these wards were set to alert them the moment a monster crossed them, while others were set to fire on the monster at the slightest touch.


    With [Dark d], my aura was undetectable, but with how little I know about Elf magic, I had to be very careful. If I identally triggered one of these fire spells, they would know exactly where I was.


    Even with their wards and protections visible, it would take a while to bypass them all.


    But this was the least of my problems, because this camp had far more mortals and elves than I''d ever seen.


    I made out the faint outline of a structure, simr to the ruin in the Valley, only this one was smaller and partially buried underground. It was another ancient safehouse the elves had built centuries ago. The maps I stole revealed several of these scattered around the Upper Stratum, and this ruin was the very one Typhon had suggested we attack.


    I frowned.


    Why were there so many elves in heavy armour?


    The ones that I could see numbered in the hundreds, with more life signsing from the underground fort. And yet, outnumbering them three to one were the mortals camping outside.


    Who were all these strange people huddled around in the camp''s fires, and where did theye from?


    They weren''t dressed in armour, but what I could only ss as savage hunting gear with furs and plenty of leather. They were also very tan andcked the polished, militant air the elves possessed.


    I was deathly curious of their identity and since I couldn''te any closer, it took a while for me to notice they all had brilliant red pupils. Their appearance indicated they were mutants, and when I appraised them, I wasn''t surprised to see they were all from the same tribe as the one I killed before.


    I wished Sensei was here to exin more, but I understood this was also a test to see how I dealt with such problems. I couldn''t act stupid either.


    I came to kill every elf I could find, but I wasn''t expecting this many, nor an army of mutants.


    There was something deeply wrong about this.


    Amongst them I spotted some familiar faces who still bore my mark. A tall pale elf that looked unsteady on his feet, the dark elf with therge bow and even the huntsman mortal.


    After going away to that desert-like area, what made them double back to me?


    I marked them, hoping they would return to the surface so I could track the Labyrinth''s exit from there, not so they could bring back more of them!


    I had to wonder what changed for them toe here.


    A book sized hole seemed to burn itself through my mind - there was no way this was because of that shabby Journal, was it?


    I suddenly felt like a wanted criminal.


    S-Surely they weren''t here to capture a little snake like me, right?


    Ding!


    Ding!


    Ding!


    [Adept Level Quest - Destroy the Grandmaster''s Journal. Reward [500XP]]


    [Adept Level Quest - Defeat the Elf Commander. Reward [750XP]]


    [Adept Level Quest - Rescue the captured hostages. Reward [1000XP]]


    [Adept Level Quest - Rescue Arsinoe and Morgana. Reward [400XP]]


    Ugh!


    This default system really had no patience!


    Did it have to remind me of all the quests I was ignoring? I could only be in one ce at a time.


    And then.


    Ding!


    [Adept Level Quest - Destroy the Grandmaster''s Journal. Reward [500XP]]


    [Time Limit: 16 Hours!]

 Chapter 317 - Journal Of A Madman

    I squinted in suspicion at the notification. What further proof did I need?


    It was like the system was trying to warn me, especially after seeing their campground.


    I looked closely at the people. It mentioned hostages, an elfmander, and a grandmaster, but I saw none of this.


    Aside from the tense elves, they all looked like normal people sitting anxiously around a fire, if you ignored their glowing red eyes.


    I even spotted the female elf wandering aimlessly through the camp, she ignored the members of her party, and they didn''t pay much attention to her either.


    So maybe they were inside.


    Were they really after that Journal? Or was it the jewel in my possession? Or maybe the ring?


    Once again, I felt the itch to bury them all foring after my treasures. They couldn''t reach inside the Shadow realm, so they couldn''t get their things back even if they came after me.


    But if their target was me, then my nestlings would be affected.


    With that thought lingering in my mind, I quietly slipped back into the shadow realm.


    Were my spoils really worth all the trouble?


    I quickly found my hammock where all three items were waiting. I already knew how dangerous the relic was, its petrification powers were just as potent as the day I found it, but inside the box, the unique resin suffocated its effect.


    As for the ring, it waspletely mine. After being powered by the Abyss, it posed no threat to me anymore and only responded to my signature. If [Dimensional Box] didn''t surpass its quantity, I would have used it as my own, but s.


    I already designated it as an apology gift for Ophelia.


    Which left the journal.


    It supposedly belonged to a Grandmaster, but the item itself was ordinary. It was bound centrally like a book and made out of leather, or at least I thought it was leather.


    [Appraisal] revealed the pages were actually the skin of an extinct race of mortal, which was so creepy that I hurled the book away the first chance I got.


    What the hell. Why mortal skin?


    How gross!


    I had to question the sanity of its creator.


    I cringed just thinking about how the dark fae had slept between its pages. I even used it as a headrest several times in the cave!


    In itself, it was far from the worst thing I''d seen, but it did make me hesitate to touch it again, and even now I couldn''t get over its shiny waxy texture.


    But far moreplicated than the journal''s materials were its contents.


    I started off simply by opening to a random page.


    Written painstakingly by hand, every inch of the Journal was covered in beautiful text, but this text was not always in the Elf tongue. Some were a mishmash of other knownnguages that I had to decipher with [Glossary of Aeon]. They were mostly mortal in origin but the samenguage never repeated itself twice in a single line.


    The writer was seemingly unable to finish a sentence before switching to anothernguage. I reasoned it was some type of protective measure and fortunately, I had [Glossary of Aeon] to help.


    However, after reading for a while, my 20nguage limit started to fill up fast!


    If I kept reading I would have to choose whichnguage to let go. Either I would never talk to the nestlings again, the Nymph, or Sylrin, even the Abyssal monsters were at risk of abandonment.


    Still I kept reading, and by the time I finished one page, it felt like hours had passed.


    But the result was less than satisfactory.


    ?????????????? ????????????????????: 12873


    ?????????????? ???????????? ?????? ????????????: 8


    ?????????????? ???????? ?????? ????????????: 28


    ?????????????? ?????????????? ?????? ????????????: 400


    What was this?


    It went on to detail pages and pages of every single possible nt, livestock and ingredient produced and consumed per household in excruciating detail, for what seemed to be a medium sized town.


    Just reading it made me annoyed.


    What was the purpose?


    Sidrian, Axael, Native Uhir, Dagnor, I couldn''t stop counting all the strangenguages I amassed just from reading its pages.


    And for what?


    To detail farming supplies? A harvest?


    Why did I need to know different types of nt diseases?


    All of this led me to conclude the writer was insane. Why go through all this trouble to guard something that equated to a list.


    I red at the words in annoyance.


    Should I keep reading? Or was my time better spent capturing some elves?


    I decided to go all the way to the beginning to see if there was more.


    There had to be a reason the elves were after this thing.


    ?????????? ??''???? ???? ???????????? ?????? ???????????? ?????? ?????? ?????????? ????????. ???? ???????? ???????? ???????????????????? ?????? ?? ???????? ?????????????? ???????? ?????????????? ???? ?????????? ?????? ??????????. ????''?? ?????????? ???????? ?? ?????? ???? ???????? ?????? ?????????? ???????????? ????. ???????? ?? ???????? ?????? ???????? ???? ???????? ?????????????????? ?????? ???? ?????????


    Hm?


    ?????????? ?? ???????? ???? ???? ?????? ?????????? ???? ????????. ???????????? ???????????? ???????? ???????? ???? ?????? ????????, ?????????????? ???????????? ???????? ???????? ???? ???????? ????. ???????? ???????????? ?????? ???????????????????? ?????????? ???????? ?? ???????? ??????????????, ?????? ?????????? ???? ??????????????????????, ?? ???????????? ???????? ???????? ????????????.


    Hmm?


    ?????????? ?????? ???????? ?????? ????????????????, ???????? ?????????????????? ?????? ???? ???? ???????? ?????? ???????????? ???????? ???????? ???? ?????????? ??????????. ???????? ?????????? ?????? ?????????????????? ?????????????? ???? ?????? ???????? ???? ?????? ??????????. ???????????? ?????? ???????????? ??????''?? ???????? ????????????.


    ??''???? ???????? ???? ?????? ???????? ???? ???? ?????????????????????? ???? ???????????? ???? ???????? ???????????? ??????????.


    I had to do a double take.


    What the heck did I just read?


    ?????????? ???????? ???????? ??????????. ??''???? ???????? ???? ???????? ?? ?????? ???? ???????? ?????? ???????????? ?????? ???????????? ???????????? ???? ??????????. ?????? ???????????????? ?????????????? ?? ?????????????? ???? ?????? ??????????. ???? ?????? ???????????????????? ??????????????, ?????? ?????? ???????????????? ?????? ???? ??????????????. ?????? ???????????? ???????? ?????? ???????? ??????????????????, ?????? ???????? ???? ???????? ???????? ?????????????? ???????? ?????? ???????? ????????.


    ???????????????????? ???????? ???????? ???????? ???????? ???????? ????????????.


    I sat up from my bed¡­why did this sound like medicine?


    Who was this person? Was Talia his sister?


    I had so many questions.


    ?????????? ?????? ????????????, ?????? ?? ???????? ?????? ???????? ?????????????????? ???? ????????????. ?????? ?????????? ???????? ?????????????? ???????? ???????????? ???????? ?????????????????????? ?????????????????


    ???????????? ???? ???????????? ???? ???? ???????? ?????? ????????. ?? ?????? ?????????? ???? ???????????????? ???? ???????????????? ?????? ?????? ?????? ?? ??????, ?????? ?????? ???? ?????????? ???? ?????? ???? ?????????? ???? ???? ???? ???????????????? ????????.


    ???????????? ??????????????, ?????? ?????????? ?????????????? ?????? ?????????? ?????? ???????? ?? ???????? ???? ?????????? ????????, ?????? ???????????? ?????????????? ????????????.


    ???? ?????????? ?????? ???? ???????????????? ???? ???? ?????? ???????? ???? ???? ?? ????????.


    ???????????? ?????? ???????? ???????????? ?????? ????????. ???????????? ???????? ????????????. ?????????? ???????? ???????? ???? ?????? ??????????.


    ???? ?????????? ?? ???????? ???? ?????????????????? ???????? ???????? ?????? ??????.


    I couldn''t believe what I''d read.


    My first thought was a reincarnate, but from how aged and weary the pages of the Journal were, it had to be at least a few centuries old, which ruled that out.


    I had to conclude that this was simply a very gifted individual, perhaps a genius.


    To be separated from his family at such a young age was a tragic event to experience, though I never got the sense that the writer seemed particrly bothered about it.


    After this there were a couple of nk pages and by the time I got to the next entry, the story seemed to have skipped forward by a couple of years.


    And then the mess truly began.


    Through the bleeding ink I came across pages filled with detailed analysis of monsters both dead and alive, their dissected bodies filed several pages continuously, and the writer loved to detail his excitement at each new discovery with pages of descriptive text.


    No longer were these the records of a farm boy, he seemed to have changed into some sort of mad sorcerer!


    I had to flip through pages repeatedly when I came across a couple of unfortunate serpents, in order not to recoil, and I was so upset, I took a break from reading for a while.


    But it wasn''t just monsters, there were also mortals, elves, fae, mutant and other humanoid races.


    I wasn''t used to seeing such human-like depictions treated like pieces of meat, nor was I happy to see so many monsters filling the pages.


    The author was likely the same because alongside these drawings were inventory lists much like the earlier farming records.


    Only now, they were lists of ingredients, potions and body parts, the Journal bing littered with records of experiments, spells, and other unsavoury ventures.


    If the Journal''s author was this elf Grandmaster, then he was a truly evil being.


    All those poor monsters and mutants, someone ought to string him up and cut him open just to see if he bled.


    The only reason I waited so long before reading the Journal was because Sensei was adamant that I didn''t, and perhaps this was why. It wouldn''t surprise me that he didn''t want me to see such things.


    But I was d I read it.


    Aside from the demented drawings, there were spells I could learn with practice, alongside information about this world that I wouldn''t know otherwise.


    Still, I had to wonder what happened to the farm boy in the beginning?


    The pages that followed made me question if they were the same person.


    Between the words were detailed maps of Labyrinths that matched none of the ones I stole from the elves ¨C which meant they were not part of the Ailith Labyrinth!


    ording to it there were eight continents discovered so far.


    Ailith, Maelgyn, Dyrsyn, Casten, The Stornds which were uninhabited, unnamed and overrun with mutants, the Crystal Isles where dragons roamed, Abeloth, a dark realm where demons lived, and the Aerie where guardians, beings of light made flesh, recorded the history of every living race since creation.


    With eight knownnd masses, it meant there were eight other Labyrinths I hadn''t seen, which meant Ailith was merely a tiny cog in a wheel muchrger than I imagined.


    Yet, even more unbelievable was the sorcerer''s im that each Labyrinth was connected through invisible pathways, which also happened to be¡­the roots of an ancient tree sorge its roots spread across continents, with branches so tall they reached the Aerie in the heavens.


    This also happened to be where he lost me. Because how could all the things it imed, be true?


    How could mere roots linknd masses together?


    Perhaps it was a metaphor or some figure of speech?


    But this wasn''t the end of the Journal''s nonsense.


    It details silly things likemon rules and greetings shared between different races when they met for the first time. Apparently, a mortal must never look a giant directly in the eyes or it would feel threatened or be seen as small, which always ended in death.


    And yet, the sorcerer made this very mistake and survived somehow ¨C as if he wasn''t already suspicious enough!


    ording to him, Elves were born from the fruit of this giant continent hopping tree and every fae creature and Nymph that existed were birthed from its flowers.


    I had to pause because this was far from believable.


    If the farm boy and the wandering sorcerer were the same then perhaps he had gone mad from his travels, or from his excessive record keeping.


    From the earlier entries, I got the sense he was on a quest of discovery and power. But if he was going to lie, at least make it believable!


    There were limits to these things!


    I rolled around to give my wings a stretch, realising I''d been in the same position for too long.


    I thought I would gain some insight to his discoveries by reading more, but the more I read the more I concluded the sorcerer had lost his mind.


    It wasn''t just the detailed experiments on monsters, elves and creatures he captured, there were even musings on the anatomy of demons ¨C and other creatures I couldn''t begin to describe.


    He seemed to have a habit of gathering unique parts like a macabre collector, ughtering whole civilizations for their parts was like a typical day in his list of misadventures.


    The Journal also suggested this sorcerer had paid a visit to a Labyrinth once, although which one wasn''t exactly clear. His notes exined each Labyrinth was created by a different god, of which there were seven ¨C but I recall Sensei saying there were six gods.


    And yet, this was only the start of the confusing rabbit hole I was about to embark on.

 Chapter 318 - Journal Of A Madman II

    ording to the Journal these Labyrinths were all eventually abandoned by the gods which led to a series of wars with different races trying to im ownership over them, in an effort to take the relics they contained.


    It wasn''t too far-fetched to believe considering I had one of these relics in my posession. But after reading a quarter of the Journal, I had to wonder if half the things the sorcerer said were true.


    Some of it was simply too unbelievable.


    How did he amass so much knowledge in such a short time?


    Most of the things he''d seen and done were beyond the capabilities of a mortal, sorcerer or not.


    Perhaps something happened during his travels or the absence of his family as a child turned him into some sort of ruthless monster...but even that wouldn''t exin half of the unbelievable things I had read.


    And yet, I couldn''t stop pouring through its pages, like a forbidden book whispering to me all its secrets, even as it just got uglier and uglier as years flowed into decades.


    Earlier entries hadplete sentences rich with detail, but the more it continued, the more tormented and paranoid the sorcerer became.


    ?????????????? ??????????????.


    ???? ?????????? ?????? ?????????????? ?????????? ?????? ???????? ?????????? ???? ???????? ???????? ??????????.


    ??''???? ???????? ?????????????????? ?????? ?????? ?????????? ?????????????????? ?????? ?????????????? ??????. ?????? ???????????????????? ?? ????????, ??''?? ?????????? ???????? ???????????????????????????? ?????? ?????????????? ?????????? ????????. ?????? ???????????? ???????


    ?? ???????????? ?????????? ???????? ?????? ?????? ????????


    What was he searching for that required so many sacrifices? I couldn''t wrap my head around it.


    The further I read the more disjointed the passages became, the text bing more of an ugly scrawl.


    ???? ?? ?????????????? ?? ?????????????????? ??????????¡­?? ?????????? ???????????????? ???? ?????????????? ??????¡­


    ?????? ??''???? ?????????? ???????? ???????? ?????????? ???? ???????????????????? ????


    ?????????? ????¡­?? ??????''?? ???????? ??????...?????? ???????? ???????? ????????????????¡­??''???? ?????????????? ????????


    ?? ??????''?? ???????????? ???? ????????


    There were several pages like this, sentences that started before breaking off abruptly. It was like the sorcerer was trying to exin something but couldn''t bring himself to.


    I couldn''t help thinking he was suffering from some sort of loss.


    It was obvious he was driven by this ''work'' he was doing and his failures were driving him insane. And yet he continued to remain fixated.


    Other times his ramblings gave way to extremely detailed entries.


    ???????????? ???? ??????????????, ???????? ?????? ???????????????????? [100,000] ????????????: ??????????????????.


    ???????? ??????????????, ?????? ???????????????????? [4,000,000] ????????????: ????????????.


    ????????????, ???????????? ???????????????????? [1,200,000] ????????????: ???????? ???? ?????? ??????????.


    Before diverging into more ramblings.


    I shivered at the words "Lost to the Abyss", questioning and doubting if this was truly what I thought it meant.


    His thoughts on it were blunt and to the point, like he was nothing but an observer.


    ???? ?????????????????????? ?????? ?????????????????? ??????????????????.


    But I couldn''t help shivering in terror.


    The Abyss was nothing to be trifled with.


    If a tiny serpent like me could identally unleash a small wave and nearly kill everything around me, I could only imagine the astronomic scale of the disaster that led to the death of millions.


    Was it not stopped in time?


    How did the sorcerer survive it?


    The Abyss was an insatiable devourer that consumed everything if left to run amok, so there was no way he escaped unscathed.


    I did notice his ramblings only seemed to worsen after this point, so perhaps he had witnessed it and was suffering the consequences. Future entries from his point on only seemed to detail his life as a hermit.


    He kept moving from ce to ce, living in istion with nothing but spells and experiments to upy him.


    After this, I searched for other entries made about the Abyss, but couldn''t find any except a few lines of rushed text.


    ?????????????????? ???? ?????? ?????????? ?????????????? ???? ???????? ?????? ???? ???????????? ???????????? ¨C ?????? ?????????????????? ?????????? ???? ???????????????? ?????????? ???? ????????, ???? ?????????? ?????????? ???? ?????? ?????? ???? ?????? ????????????????. ?????? ?????????????????????? ???? ????????????????????, ???? ?????? ?????????? ???????????????? ???? ?????????????? ?? ????????????. ?????? ???????????? ?????????? ?????????????? ?????? ?????????????????? ???????????? ???? ????????????????????.


    I didn''t know what to think about this.


    Most of the Journal''s other entries made me shake my head in confusion, but this one was downright terrifying.


    What did he mean by a vessel? Could the Abyss even take on a physical form?


    I couldn''t help looking at my stats that now seemed particrly sinister.


    It didn''t help that I had such ring titles.


    [Abyss Magic: LV5] and [Ruler of Abyss] were like twin arrows pointing directly at my skull.


    It couldn''t be.


    I curled into a cocoon, to hide myself behind my wings.


    It couldn''t be me, right?


    I nced around suspiciously, but the shadow realm was just as quiet as before.


    No way.


    How coincidental would it be that an ancient book stolen from a Grandmaster just happened to predict the arrival of a phenomenon to the person that just so happened to read it.


    Iughed out loud, takingfort in the fact that the Journal was absolutely bonkers.


    The likelihood was impossible!


    Why would the Abyss want a serpent for its vessel?


    Wouldn''t it choose an elf or something more powerful like a Dragon?


    As much as I wanted to trust it, there were so many things that made me doubt the sorcerer''s sanity, as well as the Journal''s authenticity.


    While some of its contents were very dubious, I wondered if its pages were protected with magic, considering it had survived this long. To test this, I stabbed a page with my tail, seeding in ripping through the ''leather'', only for the hole I created to seal itself within seconds.


    How interesting!


    [Mind''s Eye] revealed there were indeed some protections on the pages, but strangely the Journal was also very damaged.


    Some pages werepletely nk without a single scribble or drawing, while others were like patchwork,pletely covered in scrawly text in ces, while hopelessly nk in others.


    There were also many pages that looked like they had been singed off with fire, or spoiled where the ink had bloomed to wipe away all traces of what was written.


    If the Journal could repair itself then why didn''t it fix these pages?


    I had a feeling the Journal had been tampered with, and likely forced to reveal its contents by the Grandmaster who owned it.


    Perhaps its default state was nk. It would exin why so many of its pages had no text while others werepletely covered like a textbook.


    Only about half of the Journal''s total contents were visible, which really made me wonder.


    If it had been tampered with this much, who knew how much had been changed from the original?


    Another thing that made me doubt its authenticity were the dates.


    Every entry had a numerical date assigned to it, the earliest being 562 AX. But when Ipared the date of the first entry to thest one at 920 AX, I discovered the sorcerer had lived for more than 300 years.


    It was at this point that I ran out of belief points, because how was that possible?


    Sensei once mentioned that mortals were simr to humans. Since they often lived in harsh environments fighting for resources with monsters and beings much stronger than they were, the lifespan of the average mortal was 35 years.


    70 years if they could use magic and up to 90 years if they were lucky, or extremely proficient.


    The Journal''s first entry clearly described a mortal boy who began his journey as a farm boy in a rural country. There was no sign of the Journal ever changing hands, as the handwriting remained the same from start to finish, despite how rough it became.


    So how could a farm boy live to be this old? If he was mortal wouldn''t that make him a fossil?


    I scratched my head, unable to figure it out.


    Was his unnaturally long life the result of his experiments?


    Was this the reason why he was so urgent to finish?


    Although it was hard to believe, I was d I read it, and I intended to keep it.


    It detailed all the things this sorcerer had witnessed, the good, bad and forbidden, from strange experiments, evil religions, elf breeding secrets, civilizations extinguished during his travels, to experimental mutants and hybrid monsters born out of forbidden magic.


    Perhaps the elves hade back for it because it was valuable.


    I could understand how something like this going missing would bring some serious repercussions to us.


    After reading the Journal, I understood the world was much wider than I imagined. Not everything was clear either, which was exactly why I needed to keep it with me. Perhaps when Sensei returned, he would exin more.


    Besides, I would need it if I was going to explore and meet other people.


    If anything, it would be great to know which pitfalls to avoid when meeting other races for the first time.


    Still, a part of me was curious to know who would create such a dubious item.


    I had some idea it didn''t belong to the elves, but I still needed a name, or a signature to prove it, so I searched the Journal for any trace of its true owner''s identity.


    The earlier entries were the least interesting, but they held the most detail about the sorcerer''s early life. If he had a name, It was going to be there.


    But after searching through every broken page, I found nothing.


    I frowned. It seemed the Journal was determined to swindle me till the very end.


    How stubborn would a person have to be, not to leave a name?


    It seemed I would have to unlock the rest of its pages if I wanted to learn that much.


    Unfortunately I did not have much time.


    On the as, the nestlings were progressing rapidly, so I exited the shadow realm to join them.

 Chapter 319 - Insatiable

    Morgana''s eyes focused, then refocused again, ring through water until the particles of blood began to peel back. In seconds, the rippling blue colour became clear as crystal, revealing all the wonders of the vast cavern above to her restless eyes.


    Just a little closer.


    Her eyes remained fixed, tracking the movements of therge scorpion as it wandered near the water''s edge. It couldn''t see her, but its instincts already knew something was wrong. Its body was tense, the wiry hairs on its pincers throbbing with each newp of water that hit the rocky edge.


    Yet it drew closer nheless, lulled into safety because it couldn''t see an enemy in sight.


    A little more and it wouldn''t just detect the vibrations, but see the dark blood seeping out from beneath the water''s murky depths, only by then it would be toote.


    Morgana stared up at the scorpion whose reflection now floated over the water''s surface. It had stopped, predictably tipping over the edge to take a closer look.


    At the first sight of blood, its instinct was to strike, its stinger crashing down into the water.


    Morgana barely nced at the barbed stinger as it missed her by a wide margin. Her wind des fired before it could create the harsh, scratchy notes of its kind, as twin des shot out from the water to slice through its stinger in one swift blow.


    The scorpion lurched away from the edge, its lower mandibles gone, with a pool of blue blood at its feet, and it screeched noiselessly in rm at the sight of its missing stinger. But before it could get away, Morgana struck out with hershers, their sharp tips plunging through its armour and soft tissues to stab into the ground.


    The scorpion stopped at once, multiple wounds opening up all over its body, unable to move as hershers held it in ce. Morgana smiled at its look of agony, and its endless thrashing that only served to cut through more of its flesh. With her spikes embedded deep within its body, it could not flee, only writhe in pain as more wind des crashed down on its battered body.


    Morgana then slipped out of the water and slowly disappeared into the immaterial mist while watching it with interest. The scorpion was so maddened with pain, the bloody stub of its stingershed out blindly at the tethers that held it in ce, to no avail.


    She only meant to test out a new skill, but it was already having this much trouble.


    Morgana was beyond thrilled. Like a child in a toy store, she wondered what to try next.


    Should she also use that?


    She controlled hershers to retract from its body, before piercing through it again, this time driving the creature to the ground. Like hooks, they dug through its midsection and limbs, ripping, and tearing through flesh as they went. The more the scorpion trembled, the more her stats experienced a surge of increase.


    Morgana was keen to prolong its suffering until she recovered fully, her only regret was that she had rendered it mute very early on and couldn''t enjoy its dying screams.


    Well, it was toote for regrets, so maybe next time.


    She then nced around the vast cavern ¨C debating which other scorpions of the Queen''s guard she should y withter.


    Her gaze returned to the creature that was now crawling away, its dishevelled underside dragging a trail of blood.


    Morgana frowned. Out of moves, already?


    She gripped hard on the creature''s armour, relishing the confused look in its eyes as it was pulled towards the water.


    At its looming death, the scorpion gained a burst of strength to crawl harder, its raw waves of panic felt like a burst of euphoria to Morgana''s senses. She even let it go, just to let it experience the glimmer of hope fade before unapologetically dragging it into the water.


    It thrashed weakly and she held it under, watching its body grow ck.


    With so many holes in its shell, it drowned so much quicker, the pool of blue blood bing even more syrupy, until atst, it sank below the mire.


    ?You have killed LV30 Krigrax!?


    ?Notoriety + 120?


    ?You have gained a level!?


    There it went again, that strange voice.


    The first time Morgana heard it, she was startled, killing her prey instantly before swimming to the bottom of the pool. It happened again when she killed another, and another. Eventually she realised it came from her own head and didn''t know what to think anymore.


    Was this another one of her tricks, like that status skill she had given them?


    Her Notoriety score kept increasing with each new kill so she treated it like a contest, killing as many as possible to see what would happen.


    Yet no Legacy came.


    It wasn''t like she cared for them, so why was she disappointed?


    For some reason Aurelia''s smirking figure kept appearing in her mind, making Morgana even more livid. She amassed a mountain of corpses in no time, now all sunken below the murky depths, but her kills did nothing to satisfy her rage.


    Even when it came.


    ?Conditions for evolution satisfied.¡ºSmall Cerastes¡»can evolve into¡ºLesser Cerastes¡»or ¡ºAhmorra Cerastes¡»(ept | Reject)?


    She was quick to pick the more unique of the two, from the brief exnation under each one.


    It kept her body small, favouring lethality over might.


    And yet Morgana didn''t feel it was close to being enough. She remembered the fear, having to act pitiful while presenting herself before their sinister leader. The shame she felt as those bright red eyes looked at her like a shiny object.


    A toy. No shred of sympathy for her injuries, just thrill.


    Morgana chuckled darkly.


    She clearly didn''t buy her act one bit and could have killed her at any point during her charade, yet she did not.


    It was as if she were saying. "Go on, entertain me."


    Don''t mess with me!


    Morganashed out at the corpse of the grotesque scorpion ahead of her, multiple vicious cuts spreading through its carapace likeshings, as wild and as angry as she was.


    But there was no joy, considering she killed it long ago. She simmered over with chill, her slender wings quivering as their colour faded to match the misty dark water.


    Did ''she'' care nothing for her resolve?


    She should have known better than to try to fool her. But why did it feel like she was the prey caught against a spider web of her own making, struggling while knowing death was inevitable from the creature watching her.


    The terror she felt was just like the ones she had killed, only she didn''t know when it would end.


    The odds were against her but Morgana knew she couldn''t go back empty handed.


    Ophelia may have given her word that she would earn a great victory, but it wasn''t up to her.


    The only thing that could save her was if she made everything right again.


    She had to earn her own ce.


    Morgana sighed.


    Never again.


    She never wanted to feel so small again.


    She was so determined to seed that the thought of failing made her stomach knot up inside, more so when she remembered Typhon''s tender vows.


    If she died, he promised to retrieve her body to give to Ophelia because he knew she would be sad.


    But Morgana knew he wouldn''t bring her whole, perhaps only her head would return as his twisted trophy.


    What level was he now?


    The intense hatred she felt for him had never been so great, only now it was apanied by a dizzying nausea whenever she thought of killing him.


    Morgana cursed Ophelia for interfering.


    Did she think doing this would hinder her in any way?


    They really were the worst!


    Morgana smiled sinisterly, her body trembling with excitement.


    Kill a Queen? How many did ''she'' want?


    Like she could resist such a tant challenge!


    Even if it meant her own death ¨C she would do it, if it meant ''she'' would stop thinking of her as weak.


    And yet, once again Morgana felt abandoned on the side lines. She held her breath, unable to understand her frustration.


    Why did Ophelia keep praising her by calling her sweet, and worse¡­cute? And why did Typhon seem so distractedtely? The Typhon of before would never have let her leave, knowing there was a chance she would return stronger.


    Was she missing something, or had they both be soft?


    Perhaps this was an opportunity. Lesspetition meant she was free to surpass them both and take their ce.


    Morgana''s eyes brightened as she checked her stats.


    ¡ª-----------


    Name: Morgana [LV31 Ahmorra Cerastes]


    Specie: Ailith Vipera


    HP: 740/760    Defence: 545


    MP: 580/580    Intellect: 550


    SP: 710/710     Magic: 677


    Attack: 730     Agility: 890


    ¡ª-----------


    For the first time in a while, her hollow heart stilled.


    She had achieved the thing she''d strived for since she could remember. But though she surpassed Typhon, she felt far from perfection.


    Her gaze swept across the vast cavern, sensing the Queen''s menacing aura before she glimpsed her figure.


    It was suffocating, but for some reason, it also felt verycking.


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