Lair

Chapter 024 - Revelation

By Skalsar

The absorbtion of magic power is tricky.

I have to change the cores of nearly every creature in our hive.

Cores act as a vessel for magic power and the [Soul], giving form to the creature.

In order to absorb magic power, everything in the body needs to flow towards the core.

There, a strong undertow needs to be held up.

For that, the magic power needs to circulate through the core.

Which means, the cost of creating and upkeeping them increases.

I finished just in time.

Time for what?

For the arrival of the [Hero].

If anything goes wrong, we might be wiped out.

For that, the creatures have to prepare to fight.

The [Local Lord], [Village Chief], and [Hero] are in front of our hive.

I guess they want to get Lily.

Better give her back.

For now that is.

Sadly, my experiments had failed. Lily wasn't able to learn how to communicate.

When I open a [Portal] to the entrance, five humans stand in front of me.

Four of them trembling.

Two of them are quite the strong prey.

First is the old man that is the [Village Chief]. But he is hiding his presence quite good.

Though I know because of his fight against the orcs.

[Hero] is the other one. A woman with red hair and purple glow of her eyes.

Which is because of her strong magic power.

I'm getting hungry just looking at her.

>Get back!<

Two [Guards] get in front of the [Local Lord].

>What the hell is that monster?<, guess they don't know what I am.

>My observe skill tells me that it's called a [Broodmother].<, the old man explains.

>A variation to the [Queen].<

Huh? How did they know?

Is that a skill?

Observe?

That's cheating!

Why does some stupid skill know what I'm called?!

>Shit, it looks angry.<

Oh, did I look angry there?

Guess what? I am!

Stupid humans with their stupid skills.

>How shall I kill you, creature?!<, the [Hero] finally speaks and gets in front of everyone.

I might try explaining the situation to them, but they all drew their weapons already.

Maybe I should stay friendly here.

We don't want too much attention.

I take Lily from my back and put her on the ground.

The woman with red hair attacks me right at that moment.

With help of the obsidian thorn, I parry her sword just in time.

>Wait daddy!<, Lily shouts surprised too.

Her father, the lord, grabbed her and dragged her behind the [Guards] as fast as possible.

>He is my friend!<, she states and shocks everyone.

But the [Hero] still continues her fight against me.

Good for me. Delicious magic power!

Every swing that I parry, lets me take a bit more of the magic power that is wrapped around her sword. Even though it's parried by a hair's breadth.

>What do you mean with that?<, the old man asks Lily.

>He showed me his home and let me play with a big fluffy doggie!<

Not that they would really understand, Lily wasn't good at explaining.

Three dozen creatures take flight from my back.

The woman reacts first and jumps away, but gets stung two times with needles.

She looks terrified for a second.

>Don't move!<, old man says.

>This is dangerous.<

>What are they?<

>Something special of this dungeon, the bigger ones with stings are called [Drones]. They attack with paralysing poison from the needles they shoot from the sting and a sticky spit. The smaller ones are [Hiveworkers]. They are weaker but know how to bite and come in swarms.<

They are vigilant now.

Good.

>So, let's talk now.<

When I say that, the humans look at me stupified.

Guess they didn't think a creature would talk to them?

>You.. you can talk?<

>Why shouldn't I? Not everyone is as stupid as humans.<

>But.. you are a monster?<

>That depends.<

>Depends on what?<

>From where you are looking.<

They look irritated now.

Maybe I said too much?

>My name is Rego. I'm the chief of [Mafay Village].

This is the [Local Lord] and his daughter, Lily.<

>Sure, I know. Don't care.<, voice is still annoying.

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>Then, what do you want to talk about?<

>Trading.<

They look even more irritated now.

Maybe I have to say it in a more direct way for them to understand?

>I want to establish trade with [Mafay Village].

You seem to depend heavily on products from our hive.<

>You are out of your mind creature!<

The hero seems enraged and attacks me again.

>I can sense your presence, monster! You have been marked by a deity.

You are an enemy of humankind!<

Sounds right.

But can't do anything about that.

It's my nature.

Luckily it doesn't matter right now.

[Hero] is already weakened.

Maybe because she killed all these orcs.

Or because I stole quite a bit of her magic power in our earlier clash.

She gets shot by three of my [Drones].

>Seems like you humans need a more direct communication.

I'm the [Broodmother] of this hive.

This.. is the [Dungeon Lord].<

While I speak, a creature of three meters height with black armor, eyes like burning coal, two horns on his forehead and a sword surrounded by blue flames appeared out of a [Portal].

The humans were holding their breath.

>Looks like that got your attention.

[Dungeon Lord] says, you infiltrated his land.

Again.<

I pause for a moment to look at their reactions.

>He tried to live a normal live, but you humans follow him again and again.

You build settlements and villages besides him.

Attack him whenever you can.

Loot through his home and kill his children.<

>So tell me, who is the monster?<

I look at the humans while shaking my head with disappointment.

Sure, everything is a lie but that doesn't matter.

It only matters that the humans believe it. It buys us time.

>The last village tried to kill our [Dungeon Lord].

So he had to destroy it.

And now you join up with a [Hero] and threaten our home again.

Not that I believe you ignorant humans might really understand that.<

Rego and the lord looked shocked about this sudden revelation.

Being seen as a monster attacking the home of others, seems new to them.

>Cut that crap, monster!<, the woman still didn't care.

>Join me and attack!<, she screamed and the two [Guards] joined her.

My [Drones] bombarded them with their poisonous stings and "Hivemind" used his [Dungeon Lord] body to parry the [Hero]. While I grabbed the heads of the [Guards] and pierced their skulls with the stings hidden in my hands.

It was over in seconds.

[Hero] hesitated for too long.

After being hit by the paralysis poison for the first time, she should have attacked till the end or ran.

Being weakened every second, she was no match for the [Dungeon Lord] anymore.

He kicked her in the stomach, slapped her face and stomped on her hand when she fell.

After she let go of her sword, he broke her arm, grabbed her hair and dragged her into the hive.

She will become our first livestock.

>We won't ignore any more provocations.<, I explain.

Rego and the lord watch me with a hint of panic.

>Why are they trying to kill my friend?!<, Lily is angry at the humans.

Funny. Her father is looking shocked.

Guess that was the last straw.

>I see. We were in the wrong.<, he lowers his head.

>This is.. I don't really get it.<, Rego adds.

>You may take your time and think about it.

We also like the food that enters our hive.

As long as you don't try to kill the [Dungeon Lord], we won't mind.

But if you tell everyone about today and we get attacked, we will take vengeance.<

With this, I take my leave.

Returning to the [Lair], I feel exhausted.

This is terrible.

We fought a [Hero]!

The woman lost because she was listening to my talk, but she wasn't what humans call high level I guess. Otherwise, it should have been more of a fight.

But just what will happen if they attack again?

What if more [Heroes] come?

Or if they get reinforcements now?!

This was a mistake! A mistake I say!

I changed my mind! May I still change my mind, please?

'No.', "Hivemind" answers me.

Well, shit.