Lair

Chapter 036 - The End Of A Hive

By Skalsar

The commotion started soon.

Naturally, the [Guards] had informed the stadtholder of the intruder to the dungeon.

Which would be me.

'They will be here soon.

I can feel it.', the [Dungeon Lord] tells me.

But it doesn't matter.

We only have to wait patiently.

In the meantime, hive is transfering his consciousness completly into the [Dungeon Lord].

Yes.

He will give up his hive-body.

Why?

Because I told him so.

We need an event to happen.

No, we need events to happen everywhere.

The world has to notice that something is happening, but not where.

Like the hive, while still being here, not doing anything anymore.

How I will do that?

I will take the [Dungeon Heart].

Without a [Dungeon Heart], a hive is just dead flesh.

Stone maybe.

A cave?

I don't know to tell the truth.

But the body will be left behind and the connection to the other realm will shatter.

As not even the deities can see inside a hive, as far as Danar told me, nobody will know why.

They will only have an hive, that still can be felt as being there, but not entered.

'There they are.', [Dungeon Lord] tells me.

By now, they should notice the lack of creatures first.

Walking through empty passages.

Looking inside empty rooms.

Nervously discussing what to do.

But they will think to themselves: 'Ah, that guy must have cleared the way already.', because I went in before them.

Sadly they are wrong.

I can see them through hives mind.

The stadtholder is a weak looking boy.

Maybe eighteen human years?

His two [Guards] and [Knights] are vigilant.

Some adventurers are with them, maybe they had these three ready for emergencies like this.

They look.. worried.

Guess they are thinking something around the lines of: 'This feels off.'

Oh how right they are.

'It's done.', [Dungeon Lord] says.

The earth trembles.

More like the hive shakes heavily.

The [Dungeon Heart] that weakly glowed till now, expires.

No more magic power in it.

With that, the connection shatters.

This is the end of this hive.

[Dungeon Lord] and me are left.

I can't see the humans anymore.

The connection to the hive is lost.

We would be trapped now, if it weren't for my [Black Gate].

This realm, where the hive lives in, is our natural habitat.

Even if the doors of this hive are closed, it can't stop me or other hives.

'I hope you really know what you are doing.', [Dungeon Lord] says.

I nod.

Around us are the dead bodies of the creatures of this hive.

I had to turn them into magic power to fill my [Drones] magic power.

None of them were sentinent, but it's still sad to kill creatures of the hive.

But it had to be done.

There was just nothing else to do, as they don't have a chance against the humans and we need the magic power.

Exhausted, the humans arrive in front of us.

They must have rushed after feeling the hive shake.

>Whaaat?!<, the stadtholder screams startled.

Looking into the angry face of the [Dungeon Lord].

The adventurers look startled too, looking at me.

>That thing..! It's not human!<, one of them shouts.

>I.. It says: [Morphling]!<, a.. I guess.. [Mage], adds.

Till now, they thought another human was trying to claim the hive.

Seeing us, they know better now.

The [Guards] step in front of the [City Stadtholder].

>Step back.<, they say.

I chuckle.

The [Knights] pass the [Guards] and want to attack first.

[Dungeon Lords] eyes glow blueish.

His head turns 180 degrees.

The second faces eyes glow reddish.

One of the [Knight] lifts his sword and cuts the chest of a [Guard].

>>What?!<<, both of them scream.

It isn't deadly, but the [Guard] still is quite panicked.

>Traitor!<, an adventurer screams and shoots a bolt from his crossbow towards the [Knight].

>No! That wasn't me, I couldn't control it!<, the [Knight] shouts and blocks the bolt.

Now they are really nervous.

I chuckle even more.

The second [Knight] wants to bring down his sword towards the [Dungeon Lord].

My [Drones] drop from the ceiling and start shooting their needles towards the humans.

One of them succeeds in hitting the gab between the helmet and the armor of the [Knight].

Giving [Dungeon Lord] the chance to avoid the sword.

The [Guards] were still watching the other [Knight] and hit easily.

Crossbow-adventurer was taken by surprise while reloading.

[Knight] one blocks the needles with his shield, crouching.

A [Mage] begins to cast a spell.

Not good.

'Scatter!', I tell my [Drones].

They follow the command.

On my right arm, the carapace expands and forms a shield.

The left arm opens a small gap from which the obsidian thorn appears.

I rush in and take the shield of the [Knight] as a jumping point.

Jumping over him, the humans look shocked.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

I hit an adventurer who looks like a [Priest] with the shield.

While I do so, the [Mage] finishes his spell and fire spreads through the air, burning half my [Drones], even though they had scattered.

I pierce his chest with the obsidian thorn.

The stadtholder falls backwards and seems to be nearly crying.

How can such a human have a position like stadtholder?

Shouldn't he be someone important?

A human that at least knows how to defend the city, like that Rego knows how to defend a village?

[Dungeon Lords] eyes glow again.

The [Knight] in front of him stops for a second.

Enough time for [Dungeon Lord] to tackle him, throwing him over and trampling him down.

The sharp legs aren't enough to get through the platemail, but the dent on the chest must hurt.

>Gaaaah!<, the [Knight] is heard.

The [Guards] drop first, because of the paralysis.

Second is the [Mage] whom I pierced with the obisidian thorn.

I behead the [Priest] next.

Crossbow-adventurer wants to shoot me, but can't muster the strength to lift the crossbow.

[Knight] one is taking position in front of the [City Stadtholder] that is crying on the ground.

What is left..?

Hm, that felt easy.

They should have prepared more.

I lost half my [Drones].

Which is sad.

But with this, we won.

>Alright, that was that.<, I say and get back to [Dungeon Lord].

>It can talk?!<, crossbow-adventurer exclaims surprised.

>Sure. It was nice playing with you guys, but we will take our leave now.<, I say.

[Dungeon Lord] nods.

I focus on the [Dungeon Heart].

Didn't do that for long and never with something that big.

Black light surrounds it.

And then, it's gone.

Like the treasure we keep, or stuff we take from humans.

Put into my personal space between realms.

If I die, it will drop.

>The [Dungeon Heart]!<, the stadtholder screams.

>Well, now that the connection is shattered.

I hope you enjoy your prison.

Not that I believe you will survive long without water and food, but still.

Try to enjoy the little time you have left.<, [Dungeon Lord] says happily.

>NO!<, the [Knight] screams and rushes towards me.

[Dungeon Lords] eyes glow once more.

[Knight] stops for a second, losing his focus and falling down.

I chuckle.

Opening a [Black Gate], I take a last look at the humans.

>Please wait.<, a girl says, stepping out from the shadows.

When did she come here?

Didn't see her with the other humans.

Maybe she followed them?

Oh.

>You again?<, her eyes turn big when I say that.

>So it IS you?!<, she asks excited, followed by: >Please take me with you to [Mafay Village]!<.

Wait, what?

Why should I take that human with me?

Guess I will leave her here.

'Don't.', something begs me in my mind.

I look towards the [Black Gate].

Something said that from over there, from our hive.

But who?

'Who is there?', I ask.

No reaction.

This is creeping me out.

>Please! I have to find out the truth! Even if it kills me later! But I have to know!<, she shouts.

I don't get what she is talking about.

But she starts running towards me now.

Fast!

That human is freaking fast!

Startled, I open a second [Black Gate] towards the city and she just runs through.

That was surprising.

Even the humans around us look irritated.

>What the hell?!<, the [Knight] near us says.

I close that second [Black Gate].

[Dungeon Lord] and I flee through the other one, back to the hive near [Mafay Village] and close it.

'So, now tell me, who was it?!', I shout irritated.

'Who was what?', they ask me.

'The one that begged me to spare the girl!'

'What girl?', Sora asks.

'Nobody was even watching what you were doing, Nydar. Calm down.', Danar says.

I share my memory with them.

They return the feeling of irritation.

Nothing in the hive seems to know.

So who the fuck was talking to me?

'Free..

Freee!

FREEEEEE!', [Dungeon Lord] was screaming to our minds.

Happily running around.

Traveling through layers.

Getting to the surface and back.

'AHAHAHA!', it laughed.

'Calm down!', Danar scolds it.

But it seems like it can't calm down right now.

We will have to ignore it for now.

It was trapped for years.

So we should have sympathy with it.

'So, what will you name it?', I ask Danar.

'Name?', it asks even more excited.

'Ah, right.

You will be Lysk from now on.', he declares.

I place the [Dungeon Heart] next to the other one inside the [Lair].

Filling it with a bit of magic power, the glow returns.

And with it, the capability to store even more power inside our hive.

With this, I will take a short break.

Afterwards, I will travel to the next big city, towards the south.