*Yawn*

"So boring," Igani thought to herself as she watched over her nest.

This was Igani, a Zerg queen who spent her days lazily. As a queen in the middle ranks, she had no hope of rising nor was she weak enough to become cannon fodder. Life was simple for her—just spawning a bunch of Zergs and handing them off to her empress. Nothing else. She stayed underground, slugged away at her tasks, and slept the day away. It was an enjoyable life, but things could get dull sometimes.

On this day, a feeling of weakness overtook her. This was an unusual sensation that surpassed her occasional bursts of lethargy, making her reluctant to do anything. Her eyelids felt droopy, her body unresponsive, and her mind slow. All she wanted now was to sleep, but her wish remained unfulfilled.

In her weakened state, she sensed an outside presence revealing itself from the corner of her abode.

'How long had he been there? Why did he have a scary weapon in his hands? Was he here to kill her?'

Yet, as alarmed as she was, her body refused to cooperate. Instead, her weakened legs gave out under her body weight. Desperation swept over her as the cloaked figure approached her eight eyes. She could barely make out the silhouette as her vision started to blur. At this point, she had resigned herself to death. With her current condition, she couldn't even resist.

'So this is how I die? I've heard rumors of these attacks where they target the queens.'

"Can you understand me?"

It was faint, but someone seemed to be talking to her. However, she had no idea what they were saying. Her mind had wandered completely, thinking about what the afterlife was like.

Genji frowned when he saw the unresponsive spider in front of him. This was the 3rd Zerg queen he had approached, and it stood out from the other two. While the prior two would do everything they could to retaliate when they discovered him, this one seemed very docile. That was why he had dared approach her after drugging her with some laxatives.

Regardless, this did not mean he let his guard down. If there was any sign of danger, he was ready to retreat at full speed. There was only so much the queens could do with their mental powers. A little bit of hiding, and he would eventually slip away. As for killing another, he didn't even consider it. The queens might be physically weak, but their mental powers were on another level.

"Are you still there?"

Genji waved his hand in front of her eight eyes, but they appeared dull and unfocused. Annoyed, Genji took out a vial of clear liquid and uncorked it. A pungent smell wafted out and jolted Igani out of her stupor. She tried to push herself up and move away from the vial in his hands, only to realize her body was still weakened.

"Can we talk now?" Genji asked as he corked the bottle of foul-smelling liquid.

Hearing his words, Igani became confused about the intruder's purpose. If he wanted to kill her, then do it. Why torture her mentally like this?

*kaaaaa*

Seeing the white spider let out a yawn-like sound, Genji didn't know how to respond. Why was this queen so different? How was he supposed to communicate with this species? The normal queens were way too aggressive to listen to him, while this one seemed to be mentally challenged. Was there a normal queen in the species?

"So sleepy," Genji heard a chirpy, childish voice in his head. "Can you put me out of my misery already? If possible, please make it painless."

Igani said as the suspense became too much for her. If possible, she wanted her death to be swift so she wouldn't be tortured. She'd heard stories of how certain factions would mutilate captives to extract information. If this person did that to her, she might just cry.

She didn't know anything, so that would be her only response if he asked anything. Yet this was typically assumed to be an unwillingness to speak, causing the interrogator to increase the intensity.

What was worse, she couldn't even beg for death, as they would keep her alive and inflict unknown pains on her, hoping it will break her enough to spill the secrets. Compared to that, she could only hope this person would be merciful.

"I'm not going to kill you," Genji said with a dark expression. What was with this queen? It was like she had no will to live. Just how had a queen developed such a mentality?

Yet Igani interrupted this sentence differently, causing the hairs on her body to tremble. Oh no! This baddie was going to torture her. Please, Mother Empress, save me. I'm too young to die like that. Wahhhhh.

"No. Please don't. I don't know anything. Please, that's the truth. No, don't come closer. I can't stand the pain. NooOOOOOOo!"

"Enough!" Genji finally couldn't bear this dramatic act anymore and shouted. He didn't know what delusions this 2-meter-wide spider had, but he wasn't interested in entertaining her right now. Hearing his angry shout, Igani quieted down, fearing the consequences that would result from testing the figure's patience.

"Let's make a deal, okay? I simply want you to support me with a Zerg army. As for your life, as long as you are obedient, I couldn't care less right now."

"Really?" Igani's voice sounded far too cheerful for the situation. It was as if she hadn't even considered how this was akin to betrayal.

"If you don't agree, then I will simply have to find a new collaborator," Genji said, raising his saber, ready to kill the unique queen.

"No. I agree," Igani quickly said, terrified she would die an unnecessary death. Why would she disagree if her captor was willing to spare her? That death would go down in history as one of the dumbest ways to die.

"I understand. This is a radical move, and you might not agree, so I will let you die with honor. At least that way, I will have another companion to curse me in hell when I eventually perish," Genji continued monologuing, preparing to swing down.

Igani's hair stood up again when she heard him. Hold on, why are you still going to kill me? I said I agreed, you psycho! No no no, put down that scary sword. I don't want to die like this.

"I said I agree!" Igani shouted with her mental power, halting the blade right above her head.

"Oh. That wasn't that hard, was it? If only you had agreed earlier, then things would be easier. What would have happened if I accidentally killed you just now?" Genji said, patting her furry, trembling head.

'I did agree, you nutcase! It's you who didn't listen to me. Why are you blaming me?'

As much as Igani complained in her head, she didn't dare voice her thoughts. This intruder seemed mentally unstable, so provoking him might cause her unjust death.

"I'm glad we are on the same page. Of course, to ensure you don't backstab me, I'm going to have you swallow some poison. You're going to need to get an antidote from me now and then, so it's in your best interest not to do anything funny," Genji said, pulling out a bottle of pills.

"Open up or I'll assume you are faking obedience."

Igani tearfully opened her mandibles and watched in horror as Genji emptied the whole bottle down her throat. She tried to resist, but her weakened body couldn't pull away from Genji's iron grasp.

After Genji let go, Igani gagged, trying to puke out the pills, but nothing came up. Realizing how fast the pills dissolved inside her, her fear of this intruder further increased.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

"D-didn't you pour too much?"

"I feel that's the perfect amount. I don't know that much about Zergs, so I have to ensure the poison works. Don't worry. You'll probably be fine."

Probably? That's my life you're playing with! What happens if you miscalculate, and I end up dead? As I thought, it's best to hole up underground and avoid conflict. The people on the surface are too scary.

"Happy cooperation. For now, I'll be resting in the corner," Genji said and found his spot amid the walls of flesh. The nice thing about this place is things are nice and warm if one can get past the disturbing pulses that occasionally coursed beneath.

After several probes, Genji was convinced this Zerg was a wimp instead of an actor. If she was acting, then there were multiple opportunities to fight back, but she simply endured everything. She either had nerves of steel or was a soft persimmon. Genji was leaning toward the latter after her previous display.

"Now to find a target to attack," Genji thought to himself as he pulled out the map.

For now, he would assume the Zergs wouldn't fight amongst themselves, so his targets were either Beasts, Sentinels, or Parasites. As for Celestials, he wanted to avoid this if possible. EverRealm might be flexible with him right now, but he didn't know the full extent of this leniency.

Eventually, Genji settled on the Beasts as they were the closest group. After adjusting himself to peak condition, he set off with an army of Zergs with the nest providing a constant stream of reinforcements.

[Triceratops]

Health: 13,200/13,200

Energy: 30/30

Con: 32

Str: 28

Dex: 21

Int: 3

Spc: 8

Skills:

Mini-boss: +10,000 health

Tough Hide: +5 defense

Horn Charge: Attack with horns and deal 150% damage

Pack Mentality: Gain 1 additional defense for every other Triceratops in the area, caps at 10

Although this Beast was on the weaker side of the mini-bosses, the triceratops made up for this with their numbers. Genji came across a pack of around twenty-something when he was riding a Ravenger. Unlike the Zerg queen the Celestials besieged, Igani's nest wasn't developed enough to spawn Devourers, so he had to settle with the elites.

"Igani, have this Ravenger tap its foot three times if you can hear me."

It took a few seconds before Igani registered the command through the mental link, and Genji noticed

the other Zergs stumbling when the Ravenger tapped its foot. It seemed like this naive queen was not proficient in mental commands.

"Good. I want you to bombard them with only the gliders."

All the ground units stopped moving as the gliders flew over the triceratops, which were giving Genji a warning growl. Under normal circumstances, the two factions would not provoke each other, as that would only lead to a pyrrhic victory. Yet this time, Genji was under command, and he didn't care about the losses. It wasn't his troops that were fighting, so he wouldn't get punished for disruptive behaviors.

The gliders pelted the triceratops with their acid spit, but the solution simply slid off their skin. Rather, the hide looked stronger as all the dirt and grime peeled off to reveal the muscles beneath.

"That's going to be a problem," Genji muttered as the pack lowered their heads and charged at the swarm.

Sensing the incoming swarm, Igani stopped holding back and gave a simple order to her swarm: attack! All the soldier bugs and Ravengers broke out of formation as each bug charged forward at their own pace.

"Igani, you suck at controlling."

Genji watched as the triceratops plowed through the messy pile of self-sabotaging bugs. As for the damage, there was none. The bugs could barely stand, so how could they break the triceratops' strong defense?

"It's a good thing I'm here, or this swarm might just self-implode from how bad the commander is. Why does it seem like Igani is unfamiliar with this?"

Genji drew his daggers and jumped off his mount, disappearing the moment he touched the ground.

Dagger Arts: Flow

Two captivating streaks of black light wove between the dinosaurs, twisting in trajectory as they connected with each target. Genji appeared on the other side with his arms crossed over his chest as the black lights faded, revealing the deep gashes on the side of the triceratops. In his hands, two flaming daggers flickered, in synchronization with the spurting of blood.

Genji breathed heavily and jumped on a bug, making his way away from the chaotic battle by running on the bodies of those beneath him.

"Ignani. You can bombard them with acid spit now. With your control, don't bother with the bugs in the area. Use the Ravengers to hold them down while you do that."

With this advice, the Zergs changed from trying to attack the triceratops to stopping them. Many Ravengers were sacrificed to delay for the gliders to rain acid spit onto the open wounds.

*kaaahhhh*

Screams of pain rang out as the beasts' strong bodies fought against the corroding acid. As for the Zerg soldiers around them, they melted into a puddle of pus from the friendly fire. The same thing happened to the soldier bugs that dug their claws into the wound. They would widen it at the cost of becoming disabled, immediately followed by the triceratops crushing the attacker into pulp.

[You have gained 540 contribution points. Due to your lack of participation, no further rewards will be given.]

By the end of the battle, the swarm had suffered heavy casualties, most caused by their own actions. It was a disaster that made Genji question how Igani had ever survived on this battlefield. Isn't her control too bad for this?

"Let's head back. With these numbers, we would need a miracle to kill anything."

Genji hopped on a Ravenger and watched as the soldier bugs grabbed onto the dismembered parts of the triceratops and their own group, dragging them across the ground as they stumbled back. When they returned to the nest, these bugs threw the body parts onto the creep, allowing this fungal carpet to grow over and devour them.

Genji walked down the fleshy tunnels and came to Igani's hideaway. At his entrance, she was being fed by worker bugs and daydreaming about a peaceful nap.

"I don't see many bugs. What happened to them?"

When he asked the question, Genji had a feeling Igani glared at him, but it was hard to tell with her spider eyes. To him, everything about those eyes looked the same.

"You happened," Igani's resentful voice sounded in his head.

"I know we lost a lot in that battle, but shouldn't Zergs have an endless supply of them? Where did the rest go?"

"Do you think I have that much? All those soldiers need to come from somewhere, you know? And I'm out of bioenergy."

Igani was especially moody when Genji brought up the topic. Because of his actions, she was short on Zergs for today's quota. Her empress would not be happy with this, and she might get downgraded to become cannon fodder. The core battlefield could always use the mental powers of another queen.

Without the supply of bio-crystals from the empress, she would have to hunt for her own. The problem with that was that the trail of Zergs was enough to catch everyone's attention. If the queens weren't strong enough to defend themselves, then that's a death sentence. That's why only the stronger queens scavenge for their own prey.

This is especially true for Igani, whose territory is next to the Beasts, a faction specializing particularly in beheading operations. She's certain if she tries to hunt anything, she will find some Beasts outside her nest the next day. It would be strange if the Beasts allowed a Zerg nest so close to them. The only reason Igani can live here is because her nest is hidden deep underground. As for how Genji found her, she has no idea.

"You know what? I quit. You can do whatever you want, but I don't want any part."

Igani threw a tantrum when she realized how bad everything has become since joining this pirate ship. As for angering this figure of misfortune, she didn't care. Her life would soon be miserable anyway, so what does dying earlier matter? It might even be preferable considering there are worse outcomes awaiting her.

Genji thought about the issue and realized everything lay in Igani's shortage of bioenergy. It was an issue he can help with, but not for long.

"Here. This should tide you over for some time."

Genji pulled out the bio-crystal and tossed it to Igani, causing a complete 180 in her attitude.

"W-where did you get this?"

Igani recognized the level 3 bio-crystal and gulped with desire. This is a high-level crystal that surpasses the level 1 crystal her empress provides. With enough of these, she could potentially evolve into a stronger form and ditch her worries.

"From when I killed a queen."

Genji's words caused her to freeze, further adding another reason why she shouldn't provoke this maniac. At this moment, she was starting to regret her previous attitude. What happens if he gets annoyed and decides to choose a new partner? It doesn't take a genius to figure out what happened to his previous partner. The crystal in front of her was enough proof.

'Poor sister. I will gratefully make full use of your remains, so please rest in peace.'

Igani uttered a silent prayer and commanded a worker to bring this crystal to the conversion room.

"You don't seem that upset about it."

Igani noticed that Genji's eyes weren't quite right, giving her the feeling he might cut her down if she gave a wrong answer. As for what qualified as a wrong answer, only Genji knew, so she could only pray.

"No. We, queens, tended to have a hostile relationship since we competed for resources. If we wanted to evolve, we needed a massive number of bio-crystals. If it hadn't been for the Empresses keeping order, we would have been in a state of anarchy, too scattered to be considered a faction on this planet."

Igani quickly explained, hoping she could survive this encounter.

"So that means if I exterminate another swarm, no one would care?"

Eh? Why did he want to exterminate another swarm? Why couldn't they get along and live in peace?

"As long as it wasn't from the same colony."

I'm sorry sisters. I can only say this since this guy's threatening me. Plus, he's only asking out of curiosity, so it shouldn't hurt to tell him. It's not like he's going to act on it, right? Right?

"You mentioned an empress? Is a colony a group under one?"

"Yes. Each empress had multiple queens under them."

"So how is the relationship between empresses?"

"Very bad. Due to how many resources were needed to support their forces, there was a lot of competition that built grudges."

"I see," Genji nodded in consideration. "So where does your empress rank?"

"Somewhere in the middle." At this point, Igani was confused about where this conversation was going. Why was this guy asking about her empress? Also, would she get punished for leaking information like this?

"So she had a lot of enemies?"

"Mostly one. The Red Empress gave her a lot of trouble."

"So if we killed some queens from her colony, do you think we could get your empress's attention?"

"Of course..."

A bad feeling formed inside Igani as she started getting an idea of what Genji was planning.

"P-please tell me we're not-"

"You don't have a choice."