Adam remembered a secure location previously scouted by the hive parties he had been a part of—a small cave hidden beneath a massive tree, large enough to accommodate one or two people. Fortunately, it wasn't too far from their current position, as Adam noted using his system [Map] skill.

Upon arriving at the cave, Adam cautiously checked the interior to ensure that no beast had taken up residence. The cave was exactly as he had left it. Spotting a small wooden toy soldier, he couldn't help but think, "So that's where I lost Victor." Picking up the toy, he remarked, "Ugh, it seems we've both seen better days, buddy."

Shifting his focus, Adam reviewed the system messages he had ignored during the fight.

*You have been affected by the [Panic] skill. Your movement is erratic, and you are unable to focus properly. Your attacks have a chance to miss, and your defense is reduced. Duration: 30 seconds.*

*You have resisted [Panic]*

That must have happened during the fight. 'After that stupid snake bit me, it must have used this skill with its attack. It makes sense; the way I was acting went completely against my training. I might have been overwhelmed, but I wouldn't normally react like that. I'm so relieved I managed to resist it in the end. Otherwise...' Adam shuddered at the thought of what might have happened.

*Your party has slain [Snake, Level 4]. You have received extra experience for killing an enemy above your level. 600xp rewarded*

*Warning! Your stamina is running low. Please take a moment to rest and recover, or consume a stamina-restoring item to avoid exhaustion.*

‘Those skills took a chunk out of my stamina, I need to pay more attention to my stamina usage in hectic fights like that.‘

*Congratulations! You have reached level 3 as a [Warrior], Your stat points have been automatically allocated based on your class. You have been awarded 2 free attribute points to allocate.*

*You can select a new [Warrior] skill*

Before he picked his skill he wanted to quickly look over his [Stab], [Cleave] and [Sprint] skills that managed to save his hide today.

[Stab](Common)(Tier 0): A warrior's precision can make a single strike deadly. Unlocks the ability to perform a quick, focused stab at an enemy's weak point, dealing increased damage compared to a standard attack. The effectiveness of this skill depends on the warrior's weapon and skill level.

[Cleave](Common)(Tier 0): A warrior's strength lies in their ability to strike multiple opponents at once. Unlocks the skill to perform a wide, sweeping attack, dealing damage to multiple enemies within range. The damage dealt is slightly reduced compared to a standard attack.

[Sprint](Common)(Tier 0): A warrior's agility can be crucial in both offense and defense. Unlocks the ability to move quickly for a short period, allowing the warrior to close the distance to enemies, dodge attacks, or flee from unfavorable situations. The speed and duration of the sprint depend on the warrior's skill level and physical attributes.

As Adam examined his class's skill list, he pondered what kind of skill he needed to cover one of his weaknesses. 'I need to choose this wisely; I can't select another skill until level 5.'

Some of the options that caught his attention were [Whirlwind], [Battle Cry], [First Aid], and [Parry].

From their skill descriptions, it seemed that each tackled different aspects. [Whirlwind] was an AOE attack focused on dealing damage to multiple enemies in an area; [Battle Cry] served as both a buff and a debuff, improving allies' morale while demoralizing enemies. [First Aid] was a healing skill, and [Parry] was a skill to deflect attacks from enemy weapons.

'Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages, and I wish I could acquire all of them. But I can't, so I need to choose wisely. What do I need? What would have helped me?' Adam thought long and hard about which skill to select.

'In the end, [Whirlwind] in that last fight would have drained all my stamina and wasn't applicable against the snake since it was already latched onto me. [First Aid] is a healing skill, but I don't need it since I can heal outside of battle normally, and I can't ask my enemies to pause for a moment while I apply bandages to myself.'

As Adam stood up and paced, lost in thought, he reasoned, 'Parry would be amazing, but other than that one party of goblins, I've encountered and fought more beasts, so this skill might not be the best fit for my current situation. That leaves [Battle Cry], which seems perfect for me.' With his decision made, Adam pulled up the skill description.

Stolen story; please report.

[Battle Cry](Common)(Tier 0): A warrior's presence on the battlefield can inspire allies and demoralize enemies. Unlocks the ability to unleash a powerful shout, granting a temporary boost to allies' morale and combat capabilities, while potentially decreasing enemies' morale and accuracy.

'I don't want to be a one-man army. It'd be cool, but it's not possible at this low level. I want to be a commander for now, leading Lancer and, hopefully, more drones until we're super strong and can help the hive.' Clenching his fist, Adam declared, 'This skill will help me become the leader and warrior that Zara needs in her army. I'm going to be worthy.'

His eyes sparkled with ambition. 'Mother Zara's enemies will know me as the Hive Prince, an immortal warrior. I'll make it happen. But first, I need to awaken, and I won't let some silly goblins and beasts delay my awakening.'

Turning to Lancer, who had taken the opportunity to recharge with a quick power nap, Adam called, "Lancer! Wake up. We need to set some things straight."

Lancer opened his eyes and looked at the young prince.

"Listen, I... I made some mistakes, I admit. The fight might have been over, but I shouldn't have let my guard down. I got too confident and didn't pay attention to my surroundings. I messed up big time and nearly got us both in trouble." Adam glanced down, feeling as if Lancer was judging him. "I can't promise that I won't make mistakes again, BUT I can promise that I will learn from them."

"Next time, when a fight ends, one of us needs to stand watch for any other enemies. Also, we need to work together as a team. I've noticed that, other than the initial commands at the beginning of a fight, we tend to do our own thing. I need to focus more on being a leader, not just a warrior. I have to be aware of the resources available to me. So, Lancer, let's start with your skills." Lancer nodded and sent over his skill list.

Lancer’s skills: [Endure pain],[Sword and Shield Mastery],[Defensive Stance],[Sprint], [Medium armor proficiency]

"Hold on, medium armor proficiency? Sword and shield mastery?" Adam's face contorted in horror as he realized something he should have noticed much earlier.

"No way! This can't be happening." Adam locked eyes with Lancer, his anger boiling over. "You have Medium Armor Proficiency, so tell me, WHY ARE YOU WEARING LIGHT ARMOR?! WHY DO YOU HAVE SWORD AND SHIELD MASTERY?!"

Adam's face turned red as he raged, "LANCER! ANSWER ME! Where's your scale armor or your hide armor? WHY ARE YOU WEARING LEATHER?! STOP STARING AND ANSWER ME, YOU...!" Adam stopped mid-sentence, his eyes widening as the truth began to dawn on him.

"Wait... Don't tell me." Lancer looked down, showing what seemed to be the first real emotion he'd ever displayed—shame.

"General," Adam hissed through clenched teeth.

"Ahhhhhhh!" Adam hurled Victor—the toy soldier still in his hand—at the cave wall. In a fit of rage, he threw whatever he could find at the walls of the small cave. When he ran out of sticks and pebbles to throw at the wall, he resorted to punching it instead.

Finally spent, his anger unleashed on the unfortunate wall and his childhood toy, Adam collapsed onto the ground, sitting with his back against the cave wall.

"Let me guess, he took your stuff and replaced it with what you're wearing? Actually don’t bother answering, I already know. He must have done the same for all the drones in that room."

Adam chuckled bitterly, "No wonder I didn't see you use any skills during the fights. You know what the worst thing is? This is also my fault, I can't lay all the blame on him. I should have checked."

"I... I was just too excited, I was anxious the entire day, knowing that Zara might possibly give me my first drone." He choked up, "But, I almost got us both killed because I didn't think to check your gear and skills. Instead, I ran straight into the forest. I guess I'm not as mature as I thought I was."

Adam wrapped his legs with his arms, pulling his knees to his chest, trying to make himself as small as possible. The realization had drained him emotionally; he needed a moment to reset and rest.

"I'm going to take a nap. You're on watch."

The day had taken a toll on him, and he slept peacefully for an hour before waking up again. As soon as he woke up, he checked on Lancer, who was at the entrance to the tree cave.

"Lancer, come here." Lancer, now aware that his prince was awake, moved back and sat opposite Adam.

Adam sat there, observing Lancer properly for the first time. He hadn't wanted to get too attached to the hive units, seeing them as non-sentient. It was unsettling to witness the once-sentient beings—prisoners of the hive—crying, swearing, and screaming before being converted into unfeeling, robotic hive drones. Adam preferred not to dwell on the horrifying process of these individuals being parasitized and turned into unfeeling machines. It wasn't until they reached level 10 and awakened that they could finally display some emotions and sentience.

'But Lancer is different. He must have been an elf before, given his slender and tall appearance. He’s probably what 6′ 3″? 6′ 4″? Compared to my 4′ 8″ height he's a giant. It's rare for an elf to come to the Ventcroft Wilds; I wonder what his story is, or rather, what it was.'

Shaking his head, 'It doesn't matter now. Whoever he was before is irrelevant. He's now a member of my squad, and I'm going to do my best to help him awaken. He's not a pawn but a part of my party, and I need to change my mindset to reflect that.'

"We're going to hunt a bit more. I want to reach Level 4 before we end the day's hunt. When we get back to the hive, I'll get you more appropriate gear. I don't think I've ever asked this, but do you have spare space in your [Inventory]?" Seeing Lancer nod, "Great, we need to start using both of our inventories to carry the beasts that we're hunting. Mine is kind of full right now, but we’ll use yours."

"Now that's settled, I can see you're building your class as a Tank, so I'll build mine as a DPS/Support. I'll start the fights with [Battle Cry], and you'll wade into the thick of things. I'll be close by to finish off the weakened beasts and give orders. Hopefully, we can get our next unit soon to fill out our party better."

"As for the General, I'll deal with him soon. Real soon." Adam promised.