I was filled with stress and anxiety at the thought of the creature's awakening, and my body remained still as I tried to conceal my presence. Yet the lizard's body stayed in the same spot and didn't make any attempts to move. I wondered if it was awake but unaware of my presence, or it was awake but paralysed.

I would've slid out from under it, if not for the sounds coming from above the cavern. The creatures were moving around getting closer and closer to the chamber I was in. I began to wonder if I was hidden well enough, but before I could continue down the path of self-doubt, I felt droplets of liquid dripping on my skin and I panicked.

The lizard's underbelly had become much hotter than before and it was practically covered in fluid! Fearing the substance might be poison I was glad I didn't have any open injuries. I turned my eyes away from the liquid and kept my mouth closed when I didn't feel any tingling or pain.

The lizard hadn't made any move, and its heart just kept pounding furiously above my head, almost like it was afraid.

Was it afraid of the wasps?

I wondered how long it had stayed in this hole. Its body was covered in injuries of various degrees, from fresh wounds to partial scars, with some even completely healed. It must have been repeatedly stung and tormented by the wasps - the poor thing, and now they were here again. No wonder it was scared.

I pulled my body further in, curling myself so I wouldn't be visible under it from any angle. The lizard's body began visibly trembling, which hinted to me that something very scary was coming. The lizard's paralysis was clearly wearing off, but I wished it wouldn't shake so much, it was drawing attention to itself and to me!

I heard the rippling of wings as something landed right above the lizard's body. I drew myself in close, willing my shape to be smaller, my temperature was already cold, and I was quiet as a dead corpse.

The lizard on the other hand was trembling so much, its fingers regained their movements and began darting about as it struggled to run away. Its fear was so intense it had begun to affect me, and I had to quash the rising instinct to flee as I started to doubt if I could stay concealed.

But before I could do anything, I felt the force of a stinger stab the lizards back so forcefully that I felt myself get pressed down by its heavy weight, and yet I forced myself to remain completely still.

〚Skill Aptitude Increase『Silence: LV2』has become『Silence: LV3』〛

Unsurprisingly, the lizard had become the victim of the wasp's brandished stinger once again. I felt its furiously beating heart slowing down, and its body temperature returned to normal as its struggles ceased. It was still warm and alive but strangely frozen. It's paralysis state had been restored.

Hidden under the body of the lizard monster, I listened to the sounds of movement from the wasp, waiting for it to leave, but after it withdrew its stinger there were no more sounds. I knew it was still in the chamber, so I didn't attempt to move.

It hadn't sensed me right?

Under the lizard monster our scents were practically the same. So what was it waiting for?

I remained still but I was able to pick up more vibrations from the cavern. In the hole opposite mine, I heard muffled sounds of struggle as another wasp stung the helpless creature within. All around me the same actions were being repeated again and again and I concluded this must be some sort of routine.

An inspection of the cells to ensure all the creatures stayed under. It seemed if regular stings weren't implemented, the paralysis would eventually wear off and the creatures would all escape. I couldn't arrive at an exact amount for the time I spent paralysed due to the mushroom's influence, but I estimated it lasted around 18 hours for creatures with no resistance. That was more than enough time to travel to the hive, fail an inspection and get tossed out with the dead.

With [Paralysis Resistance] at LV1, the timing should shorten to somewhere around 10 to 14 hours, but that was still too long. I couldn't afford to get stung at all.

However, to my relief I started to hear the sound of wasps leaving the other cells, and the one in mine also stopped lingering. It unfurled its wings and flew out through the opening. I waited until there were no more sounds from the cavern above before crawling out from under the lizard.

My eyes stared up at the opening where I noticed something new. There was now a membrane attached at the top covering the hole, like a lid, and further up, attached to the wall was a spherical white egg.

I'd seen enough horror movies to know where this was going.

Luckily for the lizard, I needed the egg for the larvae it contained, and so it would be spared from a grisly possession, for the moment. As I attached myself to the wall in a zigzag pattern and began to climb up to retrieve it.

Reaching the height of the egg in its spot on the wall, I wondered how placing the egg so high up benefited the wasps. Wouldn't the larvae have a much harder time finding the host after hatching from up here, compared to if the egg was placed on the ground. Perhaps it strengthened their climbing skills?

But then again, their questionable breeding methods were hardly my concern. I just needed to retrieve the egg and its contents.

I saw it was secured to the wall by a fluid substance. It seemed like the same stuff used to cover the hole opening, only it was more viscous.

If I casually touched the fluid, I risked getting myself attached to the wall, so I circled around the egg, poking at it with my horns to break it open. I made sure to control my strength as I didn't want to risk knocking it down. If it splattered below, it would create a mess and the wasps would be alerted. I simply wanted to open it enough for the larvae to crawl out, to make it look like the egg had hatched naturally.

However when I poked it the second time, the egg cracked open by itself and a large bulbous creature latched itself to my head.

I was aback by the sudden attack and with my vision getting blocked by the creature, I lost my grip on the wall and I tumbled down before I even realised what was happening.

In the middle of the plunge, my vision became clear, but I felt something prick my midsection and I realised the larvae was still attached to my body and was attempting to burrow under my flesh.

Hell NO!

I curled myself to a roll and used the roughness of the wall and my scales to knock the creature off my back. And even as I fought it off, it still struggled to hold on but the impact with the floor was the last push that sent it flying away from me.

The larva was milky white with no eyes, a slightly larger head with mandibles attached and spines covering all over its body. Unperturbed after getting knocked down, it started crawling accurately towards my position, much quicker than a creature with no legs should be able, to my sheer revulsion.

But before it could reach me. I closed the gap and sank my teeth into its bulbous flesh, killing it instantly with my fangs.

〚You have defeated LV1 Novus Hesperia〛

〚You have earned 2XP〛

〚Skill Aptitude Increase『Poison Fang: LV2』has become『Poison Fang: LV3』〛

I tried to shake off the feelings of dread as I imagined what would have happened if it had been able to take over and I realised how the lizard must have felt being trapped here all this time.

If there was a way to free it, I had to give it a try. But first, I approached the larvae and appraised it.

______________

LV1 Novus Hesperia

Specie: Ailith Vespoidea

HP: 0/08 Defence: 3

MP: 0/06 Intellect: 2

SP: 0/08 Magic: 4

Attack: 3 Agility: 10

Skills:

[Scent: LV1] [Bite: LV1]

[Paralysis Poison: LV1]

[Mind Chain: LV1]

______________

Even with the larvae dead, I wasn't exactly enthusiastic about my next task. I had to cover myself with its scent and I could do that only by tearing it open and rubbing its secretions all over my skin.

How gross.

I trembled at the thought but there was no other way. Tearing open its skin with my fangs, I shuddered at every rip as a clear fluid pooled on the ground. I sighed mentally and rolled around in it, to cover every bit of my scales.

"I feel so unclean!" I grimaced. "I miss baths! The first thing I'm doing once I leave this place is taking a swim!"

«Make sure you cover yourself fully.» Answered Sensei without a care.

"How cold!"

Once I was completely covered in its fluids, I realised it might not be the best idea now that I needed to climb. To kill time while I waited for myself to dry, I approached the wall to look at the egg shell that was still stuck up there and asked the question presently on my mind.

"Why place the egg on the wall when it serves no benefit?"

«This practice is common in hives with more than one queen.» Sensei responded in a casual tone.

«The workers would place the egg of the queen they least favour at the top of the wall, giving the egg of their preferred queen a better chance to take root.»

Wasn't this open revolt against the current wasp queen?

I backed away from the wall, realising the significance of his words. It would make sense, but I paused.

Wait, wouldn't that mean there was more than one egg.

I stopped moving when I hit something solid behind me. But before I could turn around, I felt a strong impact on the back of my head and I was knocked down to the ground by a powerful attack swing.