Several days passed, although without news from the surface it was difficult to know the exact passage of time. Princess Xana-Eloba, who had always been good with her hands, had designed a mechanical device which she claimed would accurately indicate the time passed. Whether it was true or not, her achievement had earned her the “Engineer” class, given by the System.

Other princesses and princes, even occasionally workers and soldiers, had also received “classes”. These were apparently a set of secondary skills, not counted towards the skill limit, which enhanced the abilities of exceptional individuals in their fields.

Sometime after the appearance of the “classes”, the system announced that the analysis and adjustment of the dungeon had been completed. A new window then appeared in the air:

Dungeon « Hive of Xolona »

Rank F

Opening soon

A countdown of these strange numbers appeared below. From that moment on the hive, already in turmoil faced with the odious limitation of its extension, began to live at a new rhythm: that of preparations for the unknown event which would undoubtedly occur shortly. When the “0” appeared, everyone was on alert…

Dungeon open

After this message… nothing happened immediately.

Xicackna was starting to get bored. The queen had assigned her to the surveillance team led by one of the mature princesses: Xyry-Yria. This one was level 23, which was low compared to the levels of truly gifted princesses, like Xana-Eloba who was level 36, or the powerful Xom-Telba with her level 53. Of course, it was also low compared to the level 72 that the queen announced she had.

But, even if Xyry-Yria was a princess with a low (D) level and did not even have a class, Xicackna knew she was much inferior with her level 5 (which was designated by the “F” letter) and the fact that she was still immature.

Her bad mood increased as she observed "Captain Kurk" among the soldiers at the lookout post. A simple soldier among others, he had managed to obtain a “warrior” class. This simple fact had greatly increased it power and the System had even granted it the right to have a “name”, meaning that anyone meeting it could see a window appear announcing “Captain Kurk”. It was a “named monster,” as the few fragments of “help” available to Xicackna indicated.

And what's more, it was a level 15!

It was not worthy of a princess, but Xicackna felt inferior to this soldier, even worse: she was jealous of it.

Slumped on a stone seat, amorphous, the princess was content to remain motionless, almost wishing for the appearance of a horde of monsters who would come and put an end to her pathetic and useless life.

The sudden irruption of Xyry-Yria into the room startled her and she fell to the ground like a miserable limp lump. Her superior looked at her with annoyance, then began to paw at her.

"Standing! Get up Xicackna! Is this how you work?"

"But uh," the little one grumbled in a lazy voice, "I have nothing to do: why are you mean to me."

"Tsss! At least, take an example from the guards: when they have nothing to do, they remain at their posts... In a dignified posture."

Xicackna stood up and glared at Captain Kurk, as if he was responsible for her being scolded.

"Okay, okay Xyry-Yria, I’ll sit down properly…"

"No: there is something new... and you would know it if you listened to the information relayed by the hive mind!"

The little princess furrowed the chitinous patches of her eyebrows in annoyance: since the Disaster and the appearance of the System, more and more people have started using the idiotic names given by the system to their natural abilities.

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Concentrating, she listened to the rumors from the hive that had reached their outpost. One of them rose to the surface of the flow of information due to its importance and there was no doubt that it would be relayed to the queen as quickly as possible.

Workers had discovered a strange blue door that had suddenly appeared on the wall of a distant tunnel. It was identical to the red doors of the day of the Disaster, which made people fear the worst. A rumor from a distant outpost, under another responsibility, reported a similar discovery.

"I have already sent a battalion to stand guard. I want you to join them. But remember to stay well away from the door: we cannot risk the life of a princess. Xicackna, did you understand me correctly? Xicackna?"

"Well yes, why are you asking me? I'm going, I have to serve as a relay for the, pfff, for the hive mind as you all say now?"

"Yes, yes… But I am also counting on you to make the necessary decisions if the situation deteriorates. You know it will take some time for the information to reach me and... and stay away from the door!"

"But it’s okay: you already said it!"

"And I'll say it again! Do you know how many young princesses die every year because of their curiosity?"

"N… no? How much?"

"Well, almost none because everyone makes sure that they are not put in danger... But there, the danger is omnipresent. We have already lost too many people during the Disaster... So don't put yourself in danger without my permission, stay hidden, if the danger is too great, flee under the cover of invisibility. All right?"

A little upset by her big sister's worry and the fact that she started to shake her until her teeth rattle, Xicackna approved. It was a shame. Okay, it was true that it was risky, but she would have liked to study a magical door closely... As if she had read her thoughts and guessed that she would eventually give in to her curiosity, Xyry-Yria dove her gaze in her with severity:

"You don’t come any closer to this door! But, if you really want to know more about this door... well, that's our mission too. You can send guards to observe it more closely and use the hive mind to share their sensations. After all, the title of princess grants the title skill “Commander”."

In the past, it would have simply been said that the upper caste could give orders. Xicackna did not emphasize this detail and simply approved. As she left, Xyry-Yria gave one last piece of information:

"I have already ordered the workers present to touch the door. It seems solid and no side effects have been reported. Come on hurry up!"

Without being told again, Xicackna set off on the adventure. The information carried in the air easily told her where to go while drawing in her head a detailed map of the tunnels impregnated with the pheromones of her hive. It was a long way, but she didn't care: finally, she was going to make herself useful!

But, suddenly, worrying information circulated: the door disappeared! Shortly after, she learned that it (or one similar to it) had reappeared a few tunnels away. So, she headed in the new direction, excited at the idea of getting there before the battalion. Deep down, she knew it wasn't very smart, nor very safe, but it was good fun.

At the bend of a path, she saw the strange energy affixed to the wall. The workers continued to work all around without paying attention, categorizing the minerals from their recent excavation. At a reasonable distance from the door, three soldiers observed it suspiciously. Without a superior to guide them and without a tangible threat, they hardly knew what to do.

Despite the curiosity that gripped her, the princess decided to stop there, in this corner of the tunnel, far from the fascinating scene. Blending into the background, she communicated with the guards, indicating to those around her that she was becoming the main relay for orders. She immediately felt a wave of relief resonate through her: even the workers, always diligent in their tasks, felt anxious. Now that she was here, orders could arrive without delay.

She suddenly jumped: the bluish portal rippled, as if it were made of water despite its verticality. Would he disappear again to reappear somewhere else?

No: deformed monsters suddenly appeared, crossing the wall as if it were a simple tunnel to somewhere else. Bipedal, these things were few in number: only half a dozen. They staggered around (unless that was their normal gait) and made ridiculous grunts as they took in their surroundings.

Oddly enough, they didn't seem to notice the three motionless guards... Perhaps their vision was based on movement? No: in this case they would have noticed the imperturbable workers continuing their routines.

The creatures pointed at places with no apparent coherence. Were they interested in the phosphorescent foams that lined the walls? Herbivores perhaps? Herbivorous monsters?

Some then pointed some strange weapons held in the palms of their hands and from which a sinister whitish glow emanated. These torches of light swept around and stopped on the workers. Immediately, a horrible concert of infernal vociferations gushes from the throats of the creatures. Many rushed to the gate, only to find it desperately rigid. Others pointed into the air and bellowed at those who were panicking, making noises that seemed to reassure them.

Then the attitude of the creatures changed. They began to pick up stones or stalagmites that had fallen to the ground, then rushed at the workers to beat them. The shell of a Zcarbb is solid, but under the violent and repeated blows, the first workers were quick to succumb.

Xicackna stood paralyzed in horror, unable to give the slightest command in the face of the sudden violence that was unleashed. In her head, the memories of the Disaster took on a terrible intensity and she collapsed to the ground, invisible, trembling.

The workers, emitting fear from every pore of their shells, continued assiduously with their work. The guards, relieved to see an understandable situation appear, rushed forward. Their powerful mandibles dismembered two monsters before they could make the slightest movement. Another made some kind of sword appear out of nowhere and stuck it in the first guard's skull... without success. Quickly, the monsters were decimated and the invasion stopped.