I couldn't completely 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 becoming 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 their larvae 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's larvae, it would serve them better to keep it paralysed until the larvae 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 the larvae 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 explain 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 place, 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 nonetheless 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 the larvae 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 had come 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.

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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 place to hide, but the new cavern spread out around me was disappointingly bare, there were no objects large 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 a compact 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 and come 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 vibrations coming 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 were coming, it wasn't enough to just hide from them, I need to completely 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 was laid 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 a large 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 just laid 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 it later.

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『Stealth: LV2』has become『Stealth: 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.