Lair

Chapter 022 - Long Live The [Queen]

by Skalsar

I'm an egg.

This is weird.

While I'm here, I'm kind of not here.

No, let me rephrase that.

I'm the consciousness of a [Soul], residing in a core, missing a body.

After breaking it down, only a lump of meat is protecting my core.

Redesigning myself. That is what I'm doing.

[Queen] number four is helping me again. The one that came up with the ratlike creatures.

'Would you call me Sora, please?'

Huh?

Is she asking me to call her by a name?

'Is that weird?'

She shyly asks.

But what can I say?

Sure it does!

'We are creatures of the hive, I don't get why we would need a name.'

'I don't believe we need one.. just.. I would like to have one. Like Lily is Lily.', she says.

Is she special, too?

She developed a consciousness very fast as well, but I won't call her a genius, I guess.

'Somehow, Sora feels like a fitting name for you.'

I don't really get why I think so.

Maybe intuition?

Like how she gives off a 'female' feeling?

Argh! I made a mistake because I was too focused on her.

Now the feature of the obsidian thorn is gone. I need to concentrate!

I already altered how the magic power from my core circulates through the flesh.

My muscle density is increased like those orcs, too.

As soon as I grow muscles that is.

I'm only a lump of meat right now.

'Why did you change the circulation of magic power?'

'Because it will allow me to modify my body more easily in the future.', I explain to Sora.

The little channels of magic power will go through most regions of my body.

Magic power is what keeps us alive.

It's what we feed on. What we grow from.

We take it in and transform it. We even can turn it into our own flesh.

So if I can reach my flesh with the magic power more easily, I can change it in a better way.

'So, by doing that, you don't need to break down your body in the future?'

'That's right.'

I hope so at least.

The feeling of being bodyless is disturbing.

But what to do about a weapon now?

Have to bring back the thorn I guess.

And while I'm at it.. maybe something with more force?

I might need more hands for handling all this modifying.

Hm. More hands?

Why not.

At least I can try, can't I?

Uh, this is getting costly.

Sora already needs to supply me with magic power from the hive.

Neither my saved up, nor my [Hiveworkers] and [Drones] collected magic power holds up for long.

Imitating is a piece of cake if you understand how something works, but creating anew is a whole different story. But that doesn't mean anything to me now!

I already started, I can't give up midway!

Arms are just arms. I already had two. Just duplicate them and put them below the other two.

I have to increase the height of my upper body for that.

The real trick is inside the two new hands.

Within, I put stings.

Having more possibilities besides the thorn should be useful.

With this. I finally emerge from the egglike structure of meat.

Black chitin is on my whole body. My complete height is about four meters.

The height of my upper body alone is a bit shorter than three meters.

It resembles the form of a cobra. But four arms with clawlike hands spring from the shoulders.

Which is slightly below the hood that surrounds my head.

One of the arms has the obsidian thorn attached to it.

The lower body with its strong and also sharp eight legs, looks more like that of a scorpion instead of an ant queen now. Mostly for being coated with the black chitin.

It has pits though. Many pits. Dozens of [Drones] fill these with their bodies.

But the most shocking thing is: Lily isn't impressed in the slightest!

She watched it all interested, but as soon as I emerged, she started cuddling with the [Blazing Hellhound]!

>You stupid little human girl! Don't you understand the greatness of this?!

That's right.

Vocal chords.

I added them.

Now she looks shocked.

I showed her this time.

"Hivemind" is..

Angry?

Huh?

What is the meaning of this?

'You stupid child!', he shouts at me.

His mind is unsettled.

Did I do something wrong again?

'Again and again you do it!'

What? That's not fair!

I..

'Oh shut up!'

Ah! He is shutting me down?!

Why?!

'You wasted magic power again!

Didn't I tell you not to do so?!'

But there are no humans in the hive! I was allowed to do experiments as long as..

My consciousness failed me for a second. What did I want to say just now?

'Have you no sense of your surroundings?!

The humans have a [Hero] with them!

And you nearly wasted it all!'

I can feel his hunger.

The thoughts and feelings of "Hivemind" are flooding my mind.

Ah!

That is the village?

A [Hero] is in the village?

'I need to devour..

I need to grow..

Stronger. Get stronger!'

"Hivemind" is losing it.

Even eating some of our own creatures.

My consciousness is flickering on and off.

'Please wait, "Hivemind"!', I try to talk to him but he is looking for prey to devour.

He is looking for..

Hey! No! Not my experiment!

'Wait!

You said you won't eat her till I'm done!'

'So hungry..'

Did I waste that much?

I feel it now.

We are nearly empty of circulating magic power.

I did something really stupid.

No, that can't be all. We were low on power before.

Is it the influence of the [Hero] near our hive?

Or the influence of strong prey generally?

[Blazing Hellhound] has been shut down.

It is getting up and staring at Lily.

I won't be able to finish my experiments.

And that just after I finally made it possible to communicate with her.

It's not fair.

Will I have to get a new toy? I mean.. human?

I want to cry.

What? Cry?

Just what is happening with me?

As my body improves, I have the feeling of ..

No, not the feeling of. I'm really starting "to feel" all kind of emotions.

Is it Lilys influence?

Could that be possible?

My mind doesn't seem to work.

Being shut down and waking up again is hindering me.

'Sleep!', "Hivemind" screams at me.

Lily will be devoured.

She isn't even crying, even through she seems to know.

The shouting and screaming isn't coming either.

Just looking at me with her small green eyes.

>Please save me.'Save her', something whispers faintly in my mind. But it isn't Lily.

Before I know, I already grabbed the head of the [Blazing Hellhound].

Infused with magic power, the sting that is hidden in my hand shoots forward vigorously and pierces the skull of the beast.

My hand is burned by the fur.

I acted on instinct. I don't understand. This is new to me.

Not that it will stop the [Blazing Hellhound] for long.

Because the core isn't damaged, it will regenerate.

'How dare you!?', "Hivemind" shouts again.

It's getting annoying.

I don't care anymore.

Strong prey or not. Maybe even [Hero].

This is getting ridiculous.

'Get yourself together.', is what I tell him.

His greedy eyes are focused on me.

Yes, his eyes.

He came to me as the [Dungeon Lord].

'Why can't I put you to sleep?

I need to devour.

We need to devour.'

The flickering stopped.

He doesn't get it.

Magic power is one thing. I won't ever beat him with that.

But clashing with his consciousness against mine, he loses.

I finally get it. We are all like children.

Trying to find our place. Acting only on what little we know.

[Dungeon Lord] drops to the ground in front of me.

Had he cut my connection to the hive, he could have slaughtered me in seconds without sweat.

I put him to sleep.

His consciousness that is.

'Shut up and take a break for now.'

My [Hiveworkers] and [Drones] are already collecting magic power.

In a few hours the hive will be back to normal.

And sure as hell I won't sleep anymore.

Sora is looking at me in a weird way.

I don't know what it means and she won't let me see in her mind.

Whatever. It will have to wait.

I sit down and concentrate.

My mind is focused on keeping "Hivemind" at bay and collecting magic power.

I don't have time for anything else.

After that I will continue my experiments!