Records of Rebirth

Chapter 94: One Against The Grain

I exited the Host Graveyard, leaving the exhausted lizard behind and almost immediately, my senses were assaulted by the loud buzzing noises of numerous wasps. I sped to the end of the tunnel to see the state of things and was met with a devastating scene.

The Hive that was once so organised, now resembled a disintegrated building.

On my left where there should have been a tunnel leading to the Host Chambers was a gaping hole of nothingness. Where structure should have been, there was nothing - like a massive tornado had swept through, taking the entire floor with it.

I looked down at the rest of the Hive or what was left of it, that had collapsed below. And there, amongst the rubble, an intense battle raged.

In the midst of the madness, I sensed the familiar presence of the scary wasp, fighting through hordes of wasps to reach the Hive Queen who stayed at the back.

It was an ultimate battle to the death between two powerful forces. Just that one side had an army while the other side was a lone wasp.

It was literally one wasp against everyone.

And the result was an obvious one.

No matter how strong and powerful he might be, the scary wasp was unable to get past the army of his own brethren.

He tried to tear through them and go after the Queen, but before he could reach her, the wasps around her swarmed him at once and pushed him back again.

They were like mindless drones throwing themselves at him without any care for their safety.

Watching this scene, the events that transpired after I passed out were very clear. The scary wasp must have found the Hive Queen in the Hidden chambers. He must have seen the wrecked chamber and the amputated remains of his Queen and come to the conclusion that the Hive Queen was the one behind it.

I thanked the lizard once again in my head.

No doubt If I remained there, I would have been killed by the Scary wasp.

It was the second act of chaos in a hive that had been through much calamity of late. The scary wasp was a whirlwind of fury, bringing chaos wherever he went, and the wasps around him all fell to their deaths in droves.

But unfortunately, his foe was just as underhanded as he was destructive.

Safely sheltered behind the wasps that formed a protective wall, the Hive Queen did not need to retaliate and continued to oversee the battle with derision.

For every one of the scary wasp's attacks that managed to pass through the buzzing barricade, there was a wasp that diverted its path to receive the attack on her behalf. I didn't think the hive would make a comeback from the drastic losses in their numbers after all this.

Cloaked in shadows, I sighed with disapproval as I watched the battle from one of the hives' few surviving platforms.

The decimated corpses of the many wasps that had tried to challenge him littered the ground. To reach the Queen, he mercilessly trod underfoot the scattered dead across his path. But more resurfaced from the tunnels to take their place and the battle continued.

All he was doing was killing more weak wasps instead of his actual target.

This was simply more bullying on the part of the Queen. And she probably didn't even care about the numerous dead wasps.

It was truly unfortunate that the revenge he wanted the most, would only occur at his Queen's death, yet she was still toying with him. Such a pity.

Wait...why am I feeling pity for him?

If the scary wasp ever learned I was the one behind the Hidden Queen's death, there was no way he would let me go free.

I sighed. If I left them alone, they would certainly kill each other. So, wasn't it better to let the two battle it out until they both become weak, and then take them out?

Ohoho…how deviously underhanded.

However, if I waited too long and he died by her hands, I would miss the chance to get his skills.

Just then, I heard a strained screech and followed the sound. There was a tag team of wasps fighting the lone scary wasp, headed by a significantly larger LV 21 wasp. They managed to deliver a tactical blow to the scary wasp as a barbed stinger plunged into the centre of his back, when he was too busy aiming for the Queen.

The blow sent him crashing to the ground and the other wasps swarmed him once more, pulling the small chipped pieces out from the break in his shell to claw the flesh off his injured back. He wailed in anguish to no avail, and was pinned down by their weight restricting his movements.

I winced at his heartrending screams of frustration.

«If it makes you so uncomfortable, why not just leave?» Sensei asked, amusement clear in his tone. «You do know how he's going to end up, right?»

Miffed, I unravelled the cosy cocoon I had formed around myself, but there was no one to vent it out on. He just had to comment right when I was getting comfy.

But I was deluded to think their flimsy attacks would keep the scary wasp down for long. He reacted like a blizzard, spinning hard with force that tore through the wasps pinning him down, then he lunged after the queen with the same intensity.

I saw a gap open up in the Queen's defence in the aftermath of his non stop attacks and I felt relief.

And in my own carelessness and inattention to my surroundings, a wasp rose up from behind me to sting my tail. However, I only felt a light pin prick of sensation before its stinger bounced off effortlessly, leaving my scales unmarked.

After its efforts had failed, the wasp kept hovering around for another opportunity. But before its behaviour alerted the others, I quickly grabbed it from the air, planting a bite with [Deadly Poison Attack].

I watched a process that should have taken minutes, get reduced to mere seconds as the wasp's blood bubbled and fizzed from my venom. Its thorax had cracked from the force of my jaw, and soon it's twitching stopped as I discarded the body which seemed to have melted.

〚You have killed LV16 Melior Hesperia〛

〚You have earned 98XP〛

I then turned around and continued watching the conflict between the scary wasp and the queen.

He had killed the LV 21 wasp that wounded him and now he was attacking everything around him in a reckless rage.

The arrogant Queen had stayed back at safety, not deigning to fight him and leaving her drones to exhaust him to easy pickings.

Where was the cold calculated scary wasp from before, I wondered. At this rate he would die before he got his revenge and that would mess up my evil, devious plan.

I was curious about the Hive Queen so I took this chance to sneak aim appraisal at her.

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LV42 Hestehoria

Specie: Dyrsyn Vespoidea

HP: 560/600 Defence: 431

MP: 125/280 Intellect: 106

SP: 460/476 Magic: 220

Attack: 459 Agility: 265

Skills:

[?????: LV:??] [?????? ???????: LV:?]

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Oh?

Seeing her stats I couldn't help but smirk - was she not from this labyrinth?

The scary wasp tried to get to her but he was swarmed by more of her drones. He had killed plenty, yet the wasps numbered in hundreds, and there was no way he could kill them all and still take down the queen.

This entire battle was merely a delay tactic to hinder him so she could retreat under the ground to her den. And surely he must know this too.

I already noted the unusual behaviour of the wasps surrounding her. A normal worker wasp, even with limited stamina and terrible injuries, would still brainlessly fly into the path of the scary wasp's wind blade like it was nothing.

I was shocked at the scene so I immediately appraised the scary wasp.

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LV31 Horothia

Specie: Ailith Vespoidea

HP: 382/490 Defence: 340

MP: 205/240 Intellect: 137

SP: 190/425 Magic: 180

Attack: 388 Agility: 548

Skills:

?????: LV:?? ??????: LV:??

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His stamina was far too low.