Jake woke in Nessa’s embrace, lying on the bed within her cultivation chamber. Her body was on top of him with her arms around him and her snake tail around his legs.

  They were spiritually exhausted after their refinement, causing them to fall asleep despite not normally needing it. Nessa stirred as he did, giving him a tired smile as he kissed her lips.

  “How are you feeling?”

  She stretched as her tail cycled around him, tightened, then loosened. “It’s about time to hibernate. I’ll need you to place me in the waters.”

  Jake frowned. “Hibernate? What’s this now?”

  “It’s what I took before we began. The Serpent’s Molting Draught. Faye and Ruby made it. It’s a forced evolutionary trigger. It should shift my bloodline a lot more than the previous vial, especially thanks to our…special session. My cultivator core will shift too, doing months and months of work in one go.”

  Jake asked, “How long will it take?”

  “Just a few days. Don’t worry. But I may need an extra week or two afterward, before I am ready for the spark.”

  “I see.” Jake picked her up and began carrying her over to the water out front of her house. “And you’re not even done with the river god water you bought. We need to find us some more bargain bin river god water then.”

  Nessa chuckled and said a little tiredly, “As one might imagine, there are only a few opportunities such as that, and we got lucky.”

  “So what are you hoping to accomplish exactly? The function of your efforts, once this and Varuna’s spark are done.”

  She closed her eyes, and Jake could tell she was looking inward. “I’m hoping to gain more explosive movement in my lake. To be faster in the pursuit of justice and truly make it a part of my cultivator core. I can produce poison that defeats evil, but it is one thing to use it as a tool; it is another to make it a part of your Daoist Path.”

  “That sounds like it would have been helpful against Calix and in a lot of our fights. But your lake has been a useful sanctuary, even if it hasn’t been all that mobile. It is a big change you’re going for, and I’m going to do my best to help.”

  “You might be right. My frostheart cauldron was merely a cold flame refined from special creatures, but this should align the two a little more.”

  Jake took a look at Nessa’s lake with his Umbral Gaze while they relaxed. How much of Nessa’s lake volume was now the special river god water was difficult to say. But combined with the Aether and the essence that the two of them crystallized, she had made enough of it her own that it was easy to see that her lake’s quality had improved.

  During their lovemaking and dual cultivation, Jake had also pushed their hearth connections to the limit. Their bond together was now bathed in spirituality, from the river god water they refined together, the numerous times they had done the Voidborne Soul Harmonization as well, and also the essence crystallization using special materials. In many ways, the pillar that was their bond was stronger than when Hestia forged the other connections.

  And it would need to be. Because despite how much Jake knew about his ability to forge a Hearthian bond, there was one significant thing that he did not.

  Divine Script. As Hestia forged their hearthian bonds and established Jake’s Hearth Nexus, she covered each side of the bond with Divine Script, locking in the essence contained within the sparks of the Divine and enhancing them in profound ways that he didn’t understand at all yet. It was possible that some might appear as the Divine Essence was infused into his hearth bonds, but he doubted it would match Hestia’s deliberate, engineered actions.

  Then, there was the matter of efficiency. Jake would surely not be nearly as good at it as she was. With less work to be done by the essence or the connections being denser to start with, he thought this may be enough.

  It had required an incredible set of circumstances and gains to their potential to achieve a Third Tier race and core quality at the very beginning of the Second Tier, and these requirements to achieve it for Nessa who was at the peak of the second, would be much simpler.

  Hopefully.

  He laid her in the cold water as he waded into the lake and she floated in his arms, looking up at him. He chuckled at the strangeness. “Have a good hibernation.”

  Nessa smiled tiredly. “Sorry I’m not quite ready–one week wasn’t really enough to prepare for this.”

  Jake replied, “I’m not in a rush. I am a bit excited to give it all a try, but take your time.”

  “And I can’t wait to join everyone else. The hole in the chest is a little odd, but this presence of yours is so unique. When you or any of your wives walks into a room, it really feels great to be bathed in each of your different warmths.”

  “A completely different meaning to lighting up the room, huh?”

  Nessa gave him a wry smile. “Yes. I can’t wait to see it and experience the full connection with you and everyone.”

  He gave her another kiss on the lips and said goodbye before he dried himself, then teleported into Fhesiah’s lab to check on Ruby and her.

  The two were sitting in front of a pill furnace, though Ruby’s pale face was scrunched up in focus with an orb of corrupted blood floating in front of her. A steady stream floated into her chest, and her hearth burned away some of the corruption as she worked to continue purifying it.

  There was a series of vials sitting in a slotted tray in front of them, with some of them shaking just a little, but otherwise not reacting.

  Jake knew that creating Ruby’s bloodflame was a complicated joint alchemical effort between Fhesiah, Nana, and Nessa. Finding a blood phoenix core at their Tier was nothing short of a miracle, and refining it took techniques and knowledge well beyond it, something that never could have happened without Nana and Fhesiah’s joint effort.

  While Nessa had some issues adapting her core to her path, he realized that Ruby’s issues would be that times ten.

  Fhesiah responded to his thoughts over their bond to not disturb Ruby. [It wasn’t even the phoenix’s core, Husband. It was the shards and ashes of a core. It was just short of being enough for the phoenix to be reborn. We made an amalgamation of pieces of other flames to allow the flame to spark and be reborn without the phoenix, to the point where it is not fair to call it the flames of a phoenix. I wish to refine it further and closer to what would be her path, but we’ve struggled to find materials. We’re hoping the Dungeon Raids get us what we need for her.]

  She continued, [As for her Daoist Path to match her cultivator core, you’re partially right. Her core is largely based on blood and violence, following the secret techniques of Raython, a favored scion of the Bloodbeast Sect. Not all cultivators that reach the cultivator core level have mastery over the dao like I did, or like Nessa did. So her core will be much more…malleable.]

  That was reassuring to Jake. He addressed the girl in question. “How are you doing, Ruby? You did a great job with helping Faye with Nessa’s alchemical drinks, she told me.”

  “It’s…nothing. Faye did most of the work.”

  Fhesiah smiled and rubbed her back a little, causing Ruby to chuff a little in happiness. “Don’t sell yourself short. You increased the efficacy of both concoctions in a significant way, and reduced the cost by nearly an entire order of magnitude thanks to your control. This is no small thing, and you should be proud of your unique talent.”

  Jake added, “I know you were worried about working on this. Facing your fear to help others takes bravery, a commendable effort.”

  Ruby’s eyebrows furrowed as she worked on purifying the corrupted blood, and she was short of breath as she spoke. “It’s…okay. Faye is teaching me that this is good training. That it will help keep me from being corrupted in the future, in addition to helping others.”

  Fhesiah added, “I’m teaching her a few techniques for manipulating her Qi. Her blood and flame are mostly Yang, but there are Yin techniques for creating pressure, compressing it, and sealing it with Demonic Runes instead of just burning it away. It’s also important to understand her limits. Practice makes progress.”

  “Great work, Ruby. I can tell this will build some confidence. You seem much better with the corrupted blood overall now. You did survive that deadly attack through your restraint, after all.”

  Ruby gave a small, tired smile as she continued to work. “I’m still… afraid. I just know that… if I go too deep, you’ll be able to fix me. Or I will have…done my duty in battle.”

  [She half-expected when she took that hit for Ophelia and went after the Aspect that she would be put down by the end of it, just so you know. I’m working on her to build some confidence, but she is a bit stubborn, except when it comes to you.]

  Jake made a note of it and realized that some time spent with Ruby was a bit overdue. “Nessa’s working on the corrupted blood, and so are you two. You must have a lot?”

  Fhesiah chuckled. “What was it you called it? Bargain bin river god water? There is a lot of bargain-bin blood on the market. I’m surprised there’s so much; there should be other blood cultivators like Ruby here. Not all of it is Qi-based, but nearly all of it could be useful to a blood cultivator in some way.”

  “I’d think that blood cultivators would want to be able to deal with things like curses and poison, but we do have a unique set of skills when it comes to purification as a group. Do you really think there would be many blood cultivators in the Alliance? I thought they usually bordered on unorthodoxy.”

  Ruby grimaced at that, and the orb of corrupted blood warbled, then Fhesiah squeezed her hand. “It’s okay, Ruby. You are not like those vile cultivators, and you only use blood righteously earned from defeating evil enemies. You’re a part of a virtuous pack now. And your bloodflame will be a big help once you’ve mastered it; I just know it.”

  The badger girl hesitated, and the orb of blood continued its odd distortions as she looked at Jake. He sat down next to her, put her into his lap, and started scratching her ears from behind. “She’s right. You’re a part of my pack. This work will let you do more than just fight with blood and rage, and I’m proud of how brave you are.” She took a deep breath through her nose, and the orb eventually settled. He continued scratching her ears, and she sighed in contentment as she continued her work.

  Jake asked, “Aside from processing vast amounts of this bargain blood and leveling up Ruby here, what are you two working on? What’s in these vials? They seem different.”

  Fhesiah pointed at the vials on the tray in front of them. “That is blood from different void-adjacent creatures. She’s working hard so that she can help you, Husband. But also, she’s just working on techniques to stir the different bloodlines to better help them and understand them for her own consumption. And so she can help me and Nessa and anyone else that needs to touch on them.”

  Ruby hesitated as she struggled, several of the vials moving, but not so much the blood within responding at all. “It’s…difficult. These bloods do not respond like the others. Most beast bloodlines answer to others when challenged, at least a little.”

  Jake nodded. “I can see that void would be different. Instead, I think you must match them with stillness.”

  “That… seems difficult. After all, we are trying to connect to do something with them. It’s hard not to feel… anticipation.”

  Jake sighed. “It is–that’s why I’ve struggled with it. Luckily, these aren’t corrupted, are they? Sati can help you with it too, but let’s work on this together for a while. Let’s stop with the corrupted blood for a bit.”

  Ruby took out a large jade urn with mysterious scripts on it and opened it. The blood rushed inside, and when she closed the lid, she let out a shallow breath.

  Fhesiah instead focused on what was going on inside her pill furnace, the flame burning quietly as she added and withdrew materials from within it, refining them.

  Jake said, “Good. Try to match my breathing and feel my emotions over our bond. I think I have a few ideas.”

  He slowed his breathing, not forcing it to be shallow, but letting it sink deeper into his chest. Through their bond, Ruby felt the weight of his presence–steady, grounded, unhurried.

  Not a predator waiting to strike.

  More like a beast that had already claimed its ground and meal and no longer needed to move.

  Ruby let out a breath. “I see. Stillness… not submission or passivity.”

  The two settled in to wait, their quiet breaths and the flickering flame of Fhesiah’s alchemy concoction the only sounds that filled the room.

  Eventually, the contents of the vials began to stir. A tightening, a slight swirling, or anticipation became clear within them.

  “There… I did it.” She smiled, then looked over her shoulder to see him. “I can feel your blood better like this. I can’t stir it like the others yet, but with practice… I know I can do it.” The quiet returned after her declaration, the blood still responding as it was.

  He could tell that she understood the state much better now, and he even felt a clear stirring in his own chest. It was faint, but as she spent more time and mastered this feeling, he was sure she could help him with it.

  Jake smiled at her. “Good work, and I knew you could do it in time.” He thought for a moment, then added, “Ruby. If corruption wasn’t something you had to worry about anymore–what would you want to become?”

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  “What… do you mean?”

  “You’ve seen the world and fought many battles and met many people, just as I had hoped for you and Sati. You’ve learned restraint through your fencing swordsmanship. You managed to keep yourself from being corrupted by something far beyond you, proving your strength. Perhaps you have not mastered your fear yet, but the corruption would have been a challenge for even Ophelia to overcome. Your achievements mean that you should be confident instead; you need only fear corruption as much as anyone else. Perhaps, even less.”

  Ruby frowned in thought, her heart wavering. Of course, nothing should be so simple as other people saying, ‘You should be confident,’ and so then they were. Perhaps as her alpha or leader of her pack, she puts his words in a higher regard, but it still wasn’t so simple for her to accept.

  Jake continued, “I think in order for you to move past it, you must become something more than you were before. I want you to think about yourself and your place in the pack–in Clan Hart. What do you wish for yourself if you had zero fear of corruption? Or if it helps, what do you admire in others instead?”

  Ruby thought for a moment, her hands grasping the air at her sides. “I think… I really like how Bree, Bloodberri, and Faye are so confident. They don’t look over their shoulder and ask for permission or doubt whether they are doing the right thing, and they don’t apologize for being strong. And I want to be steady. Like you and Lia are when things go wrong.”

  Her brows furrowed, and she said more resolutely, “I want to be steady because I decide to be–not because I’m afraid of what happens if I’m not. And I want to stand where you can feel me there. Not because I’m following others or because I was lucky. But because that’s where I belong. I want to dig in… and stay. Here.”

  Jake could feel her desire over the bond, a strong wish for this place, this territory. And it was something that resonated with him deeply, from the version of himself before he was drafted and became a summoner.

  The desire to belong was one he understood and was something granted or mirrored by being in a pack or clan. He built his hearth and home, and she admired what he had built.

  He didn’t feel neediness or fear any longer when it came to what she wanted. Jake felt her settle in as she made her declaration.

  This was a significant contrast to before, when she wasn’t sure what she wanted from him, exactly. The hunger for him was still there, but it was no longer directionless. Ruby also didn’t want to be protected–she wanted to stand by him and his family’s side.

  Jake would do what he could to support her desire. For whom she wished to be.

  “Good. Then you’ll stand there. I’ll make sure nothing can shake you loose.”

  Jake sent his hearthflame out and then sent it into the hearth in her chest, passing through her body harmlessly. He removed the sealing and restraint runes, which were not what she required any longer. She had outgrown them.

  He then drew out the Demonic Runes for grounded, steadfast, decisive, and harmonious. Because she had to find a balance of restraint for her violence and with the blood she took into herself, as well as find her place in their pack.

  Ruby wanted to be strong, to be worthy of her place. Jake understood, respected, and wanted that future version of herself to be at his family’s side. The runes were seared into her hearth by his void-divine hearthflames, containing the truths of the words as Jake knew them for her.

  The pressure in her veins settled, and the urge to lunge became a coiled weight instead of a forward pull. Instead of restrained violence and chaos, she would choose how she fought. Like a sheathed blade, ready to be drawn.

  This new understanding and growth brought the two closer, their bond finally reaching the fourth level. Ruby’s pride and contentment soared as she experienced the other girl’s thoughts, as well as Jake’s, along with a sense of belonging beyond anything she had ever felt before.

  Ruby’s breath hitched in her throat, her tail wagging narrowly back and forth with excitement. She hugged Jake, and he kissed her forehead and hugged her back tightly, as his other wives welcomed her to the mental chat.

  [There you are, Ruby! I wondered when you would join the multiversal baseball chat. Where it’s all baseball, all the–]

  Ophelia interrupted, [Don’t listen to Berri. She also talks plenty about our babies, food, fighting, and Jake.]

  Tanda said, [And those are topics we all enjoy! Welcome, Ruby. Congrats!]

  Nessa added, [Welcome, Ruby. I’m happy for you. It may be overwhelming at first, but don’t worry. It is not always so noisy.]

  Blood, Sati, Avalara, and Bree all offered their welcomes too, and Fhesiah said from next to her, “Congratulations, Ruby. We all look forward to just what kind of warrior and woman you’ll become.”

  “Thanks, Faye, and everyone. I know I’ve been a little…stubborn. I feel much better now. I’m glad I finally listened.”

  “I don’t think being afraid of becoming tainted is anything to be ashamed of. But we’re all here for you, just as we are for each other. Many of us can use your help, Ruby, and I’m glad you’re doing your best. None of us will ever look down on you for that.”

  Jake asked Fhesiah, “What was she helping you with when it came to the corrupted blood, exactly? I know you have no problems transforming energy.”

  “In some cases, when the corruption is low, we can purify it and keep the will, and thus the power of the tainted blood. But if the corruption is too high, it just becomes inert blood, the bloodline or spiritual energy contained within erased–like you saw with the river god water. Ruby can help us strengthen the will and purify more of it. It’s not a silver bullet, but it lets us succeed more often.” She added, “With your help along with Ruby’s, we may be able to purify just about any bargain bin blood.”

  Jake replied, “Let’s give it a shot. This will give Ruby more blood to cultivate and advance with, right?”

  “That’s right. She ran out of the clean resources in Raython’s–the vampire’s–sack long ago, so we haven’t had anything worthwhile for her to cultivate in quite a while aside from what the Framework grants her for victories. It doesn’t help her refine her blood badgerdillo capabilities.”

  Jake still had quite a bit of time before Nessa would be ready or they arrived at Bramvalen. He’d spend time with all of his wives and continue researching and preparing them for the challenges coming.

  ***

  Vesuvius crushed one bug person underfoot and then spun with his tail, smacking several enemies aside before he leaped, bringing down his glaive onto the unsuspecting commander with a roar, slicing into its chest.

  His glaive then unleashed a gout of deadly lava empowered by his faith in Echidna as it entered the monster’s flesh, a kaleidoscope of colors surging through the Boss and nearly exploding its torso from the pressure released within. The innards of the creatures were exceptionally weak, its bug flesh cooking, freezing, and melting away from being hit with multiple elements at once.

  He then dashed toward the next invader, having plenty of enemies for him to fight through in the giant cavern. Arrows and javelins struck insectoids powerfully, manifestations of Highlands beasts tearing away at their bodies. Spells from the Voivre washed over the monsters, focusing on controlling the crowd instead of harming them.

  Currents of water and air blasted into insectoids, sending them careening away from beastkin warriors’ flanks. Ice and earth grew around them and locked them in place, forcing the insectoids to spend time fighting against their prisons.

  Their gems vibrated to nullify the effects, but it was not enough to prevent them from being controlled for a time. The shift in their tactics had made the Voivre much more effective, and Vesuvius was excited for the prospect of what they might accomplish when they became clergy or took on a new casting method. The Voivre females were true elemental manipulators with innate talent thanks to their gem implants, making them powerful spellcasters.

  They were at the Crystal Citadel now, their numerous victories underground allowing them to make the assault to take back the natives’ city. It was not originally an Alliance HQ, but Tartarus would often create the reverse of one to house their invasion.

  By destroying the enemy’s fortification, Hearthtribe would drastically reduce the number of spawns in the area within hundreds of miles, and if they closed each of the enemy HQs, the invaders would be eliminated from the world.

  Valtor had already selected that several shrines would be built of the Hearthtribe Divine. It would just be another week before they were completed, and the Voivre people could become clergy of the Divine in truth.

  Along with their queen, Lissandra, Vesuvius had convinced a strong majority of those capable of fighting to join the Framework, and he knew that Darris and Roxo had similar luck. These people were already getting desperate, uniting against the terrifying enemies engineered to consume them.

  Originally, the Crystal Citadel was a fortress made of stone and gems, sparkling with opulence. The walled city and fortress sat deep in a canyon against a cliff face, with numerous caves and a long overground road leading to distant kingdoms.

  But now, it was partially covered in dirt and stone, the gems torn from its structure in the places that could still be seen. It had filled Lissandra with rage once she saw it. It now looked like an anthill or wasp’s hive had landed on or had been built on top of it, a defiling of her people’s ancestry that she would not accept.

  They were now fighting in the city past the outer walls, toward what should have been the main fortress or castle. It was like they were in a cavernous structure, since the city was now mostly covered in rock and dirt.

  In some areas, Vesuvius actually had to reduce his size to enter and switch to using his claws and teeth rather than his polearm. In the tight caverns, Bulldozer and his brethren showed their true worth, shoving into the enemies and widening the tunnels.

  The insectoid enemies were fundamentally more dangerous in a narrow cave where Hearthtribe’s supporting archers and ranged casters could not provide coverage. Only the clergy of Divine could safely assist in those tight quarters.

  Bulldozer and his people just rammed on through them with their superior, sturdy bodies, emanating an aura of death that killed those they crashed into with their scarab horns, and even widening the tunnels.

  The rest of the enemies were drastically weakened, having no special defenses against the aura of death, easy pickings for when the rest of the beastkin pushed on through.

  Hearthtribe and their new Voivre allies continued to fight through the caverns, defeating countless insectoids. There were thousands of them infesting this city, and more were spawning every hour.

  Eventually, they exited the caverns and arrived in a large courtyard area. An enormous hive of the insects stood in front of them, which covered the entire fortress.

  More than a thousand warriors stood, of the beastkin and the voivre together. Of course, Hearthtribe’s alliance members had also joined them: the cultivators and Nords from Love and Justice, the Asiatic warriors of Warrior Brotherhood, and the Roman Warriors of the Sons of Rome.

  They were few in comparison, but they also helped display to the natives that The Alliance had many virtuous heroes, and it wasn’t just beastkin. The joint forces set up camp, requiring rest and recovery before they made their final assault, if possible.

  They set up a perimeter, prepared for enemies to rush out of the hive, and then began eating their prepared food, taking restoration pills, and drinking mana water.

  Lissandra could once again see the wreckage that was her great city. “We’re finally here. But… winning it back feels like a foolish goal now that I see it. There is nearly nothing left worth saving.”

  “Winning this fortress will be like defeating a hundred commanders and their forces all at once, so it is not a foolish goal.”

  Lissandra’s eyes widened as she looked to him, then back to the hive. “A hundred? No wonder you went along with my plan.”

  Vesuvius grinned, his sharp teeth fully on display on his muzzled maw. “Sometimes ideals and pragmatism align. Perhaps taking back a rock heap has little value beyond symbolism, this place lacking much strategic value any longer, our HQs elsewhere. But even without its value in the conquest game, I would have accepted your plan, your desire, so long as it didn’t look like it would lose us the war.”

  Lissandra frowned, her tail lashing behind her. “You would have? Why? I don’t feel like it is because you wish to be king. It never… appeared to be on your mind, anyway.”

  “I’ve been a chief for more than a hundred years, Lissandra. I would do it because it is my duty, not for vanity and greed. And I would agree to take it back because I could feel how badly you and your people desired it. The Crystal Citadel isn’t just important to you, Lissandra.”

  “That still… doesn’t feel like enough.”

  “When my homeworld of Highlands was invaded, my people were against the Framework, and we lost two major cities, which held HQs. Joining it had felt like a choice between an inevitable loss alone from terrible invaders and defying what made us whole. Only to suffer even after losing the world we loved so much. When Hearthtribe saved Cascadia then took back Life’s Haven, it lit a fire in the hearts of the beastkin across the world. It became a rallying song of victory, driving recruitment and acceptance, that we could win, that we did win, and we would do it again.” He grinned and added, “And as an aside, also reunited the reptiles and the mammal beastkin for the first time in a thousand years. Nothing unites warriors faster than a shared enemy.”

  Lissandra looked moved, her face lighting up in understanding–and her sparkly gems around her pink-scaled skin did too. “The Crystal Citadel will be the torch in the dark, driving my people to take up arms and fight. Like it already did, but on an even larger scale. I understand. You’ll make a magnificent king, Vesuvius.” She added, hesitantly, “It… surprises me that you serve another…”

  “Of course. And you will make an excellent queen. But do not doubt those who lead Hearthtribe. Our leader and lord is worthy of respect–and his position was earned, both through his achievements and his strength. Even if you do not see him and his queens here, his guiding, empowering hand can be seen in everything we do.” He grinned, looking at her significantly. “Trust me. If you ever meet them, you’ll understand in an instant. Even if I wanted to take my place as king or chief, I would be crushed by the weakest among them.”

  Lissandra’s eyes widened. “Well, I do hope I get a chance to meet them. We could certainly use their help. This is… not the only beachhead of their invasion.”

  Vesuvius shouldered his polearm and looked to the hive significantly. “We win here, and it will be the beacon your people need. And my brothers Darris and Roxo will win big just as we do and send these monsters packing.”

  The two had rallied a few villages worth of warriors and refugees, and now their forces were rather respectable, just as Vesuvius and Lissandra had done. But Vesuvius had focused on threatening the Crystal Citadel so that the forces would have to turtle up rather than slay and consume more natives.

  And as far as Vesuvius could tell, it had worked. The thousands of enemies here that got in their way couldn’t have been slaying natives elsewhere, after all. And they had recovered countless gems from the monster’s corpses, making sure they harvested everything of value from the insects.

  This way, the voivre natives experienced firsthand the numerous benefits of slaying their enemies. Vengeance was good. Desire fed another part of their bestial instincts.

  Lissandra’s eyes were on the hive. “What is it going to be like? You talked about these… Boss battles. It feels so surreal; you called them game-like? My people never had games like that. I feel like my people may only hold yours back.”

  “Such is the nature of our enemy. It depends on whether the enemy thinks it will benefit from such a challenge. Rest assured, I will make the decision that grants us the best chance of winning while staying true to what I believe in. Even if your people’s presence is only symbolic, this matters, Lissandra. Your enemy has stolen your land from you, feasted upon you, and then stolen your people’s strength. It would be best if you took some of it back,” he growled.

  Lissandra took his hand in hers, smiling at him brightly with her gems sparkling, but then looked at the hive with determination and a hint of ferocity. Just how Vesuvius liked it. “You’re right. I do want to join this fight, but I will trust you to make the right choice. For victory.”

  The hive in front of them was massive. It was nearly city-sized all on its own, and he imagined it was likely mazelike inside. It could take them days to traverse, filled with dangers that might be more than just the insectoids inside. They didn’t know what they would find, and the portal at the entrance was more than a little ominous. This looked a lot like it would lead to one of those game-like challenges.

  Vesuvius sent a scout to check out the entry, which was not guarded. They had defeated the last of the enemies for the time being, and nothing was showing on the Array Flags they had planted throughout the area.

  More were being placed, redundancies and improvements to the overall grid of energy they were creating. Serthune had multiple elemental manas flowing through it, though earth and water were the strongest among them.

  A scout arrived to give his report. “Chief, here is the prompt we receive when we get close.”

  [Carnex Queen’s Lair]

  [The Carnex have invaded this world, with three queens in three locations. The Carnex can only be fully removed from Serthune by defeating all three hives.

  Once you enter the hive, you have 72 hours to defeat the queen, or elite Carnex insectoids will spawn and greatly reduce your chances of victory. Should your assault fail, these elites will exit the hive and begin their own attack on the surrounding area and continue spawning at set intervals.

  Spawning will be disabled at this hive for the duration of the assault.

  Raid size limit: 100

  Reinforcements are allowed, but they grant the Carnex additional spawns. Carnex may also enter the outside portal and reinforce those within.]

  Lissandra was fuming. “How wicked. We have thousands of warriors here, yet only a hundred may participate. And if we fail even after slaying nearly all of those within, we don’t weaken the enemy; we only empower them? Ridiculous!”

  Vesuvius rubbed his serpentine chin. “Yes, this is quite dangerous. They may be in hiding, waiting to attack us from behind, to force our failure from within. Devious. I will reach out to my brothers and Valtor to plan out our next move.”

  With three hives to close and with evil enemy plots possible, they would have to tread carefully. But once they made their attack, they would go for the throat.