The ground quaked as a thousand wingbeats swarmed through the forest.

A low-pitched droning sound came from various giant yellow and black-stripped bees that soared through the trees at a rapid speed. They were soft in appearance, possessing what appeared to be fur lining their exoskeleton.

But the purpose of that fur was made apparent when a patch of shrubs trembled. Seven mandibles that were stacked upon each other snipped the air and revealed rows of human-shaped teeth.

Their compound eyes carried slit-like pupils, which were colored in a black and golden checkerboard pattern. It turned into a bright red color, indicating a chance in alertness.

They had found prey, and at once, these two-meter large bees threw themselves at the bush. One, two – eight bounced off like balls thrown one after the other, until one bounced with a white rabbit stuck to its fur.

Its fur stabbed into the rabbit, and immediately, the band of bees continued in the same direction. The rabbit attached began to hyperventilate. It could feel the fur moving inside of its body. The white fur began to change color, and bones were reshaped as organs were liquified into a sweet syrup that dribbled from its legs.

This was honey.

Eventually, bones began to snap as steam rose from its body. A lump rose from its throat as its body soon resembled the shape of a pale larva-egg, and before the rabbit knew it, seven interlapped jaws exited from its maw.

< "In the queen we are entrusted with the mission to expand the colony." >

< "May these strips lure them." >

< "Do they know the difference between the pollinators and the pillagers?" >

Corrupted murmurs.

Indeed, these beings were Corrupted. Nothing but mere drones for a larger Corrupted they revered as the Queen. Moreover, if one looked closely at them, one would come to find that they were not bees but were wasps.

The patterns they wore merely gave off that illusion.

Their wings chiseled through the ironwood as though they did not exist, leaving behind scars along the trees.

One of these entities suddenly changed course.

*Rustle*

It had heard something.

Leaves and overgrown branches parted, revealing the forest floor from where it had heard the sound. Red light illuminated the world as it investigated the sound.

But after searching for minutes to no avail, the light blinked, and it resumed back on its journey.

*Rustle*

It hadn't been hearing things. Something was indeed here, but there were no Corrupted wasps to investigate anymore.

*Rustle*

"… Ma…"

A small voice croaked.

It belonged to a child.

It wasn't clear what they were saying.

Nor would anyone be able to decipher it in the first place.

The vegetation trembled, and a pair of hands slowly parted the leaves, revealing golden eyes.

"Malgam…"

It was Joy, and no sooner than she peered out from the ferns did she go back into hiding, as though wracked in pain. She curled up beneath the stem of the bush, her eyes rapidly opening and closing.

This was because she could see multiple lights in the dark. She was not sure what they were. Furthermore, Joy was understandably terrified after a near-miss with one of those Corrupted.

"Gam…"

Nothing about Joy had changed visually. She was still wearing the dress Frost and Jury had bought her, and she was still the size of a child. The only change she experienced was the strange lights that appeared like stars, but Joy knew that stars did not appear outside of the night sky.

She knew this because she had seen them with her mothers.

Joy had only been lucid for half an hour, but it had felt like an eternity for her.

"Juwy..."

She called out another name, closing her eyes and imagining Jury's squeals and warm arms embracing her. She silently embraced the air, but her eyes opened, trembling when her arms only wrapped around herself.

Joy couldn't find it in her to move.

Not on her own.

And to make matters worse…

"Nab…?"

… Joy couldn't communicate with Nav. There was no voice, nor any blue screen with text in front of her. The only thing she did see were her stats, which had been reduced.

Joy The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Discretion

LEVEL : 70 ORIGIN : Original

HP/MP : 75 (+???)

ATT : 200 MAG ATT : 200 TT DEF : 150

MAG DEF : 125

RESIST : 25 AGI : 12

She didn't know what the word beneath her name meant. She could read it. But its meaning was lost to her.

All she could do was lie down and wait, hoping for something to happen.

Or…

"No… No follow light… Only one light. Only the Sovereign Star."

She violently shook her head at the mere thought of following one of those lights. Joy had once followed such a light, and it had caused her to inflict so much misery. Why would she follow another light when the one she followed now was kinder?

It didn't make sense to Joy.

"Malgam…" She whispered again, tears forming in the corner of her eyes.

*Rustle*

Joy instantly flattened herself against the ground.

Something was out there.

*Rustle* *Rustle*

Two things, from what she could tell. Their footsteps were far too calculated to belong to anyone she knew.

They were closer to a hunter's careful steps.

Were they hunting her? Did they know she was here? She felt a sudden throb from the sides of her body. Her hidden arms were ready to appear and strike whatever came close, but she was hesitant, because she didn't want to ruin the clothes her mothers had gifted her.

"… Gam…"

The word inadvertently slipped from her lips, and before she knew it, light invaded her hiding spot.

Steel claws tipped with needles pulled back the ferns.

The light blinded her, and she was forced to scramble backwards, clawing at the earth as she hissed: "GAAAAAM! GAM! MALGAM!"

But between those hisses, she noticed a pair of faint voices speaking.

"It's the small one." A faint, cold voice that she had certainly heard before spoke.

"Yes. No time. Giving an educated estimation: 0341, twenty seconds. Milliseconds?" An identical voice replied.

"Unneeded. No reporting required. Only an observation."

"But what if we're asked?"

"Then we'll remember."

""We always do."" They ended in unison.

Joy was greeted by the faces of Orth and Thras when her vision returned.

"Malgam…?" She wanted to say 'friends', but her vocabulary was far too limited. Additionally, she didn't know how to pronounce many words. Her tongue was uniquely shaped, and her cleft was much wider than a regular person's.

This was to protect her tongue from her sharp teeth. As one would expect, her tongue had a rough texture as a result which severely impacted on her ability to speak.

Incidentally, 'Amalgam' was the only word she could flawlessly pronounce.

"The Amalgam's child…" (Orth).

"She had a child?" (Thras).

"Is that surprising? People younger than the same Amalgam we met in the Nexus have children." (Orth).

"How cruel. Was it Jury?" (Thras).

"I doubt this child was made through cruelty. But the Amalgam's enigmatic composition may have allowed for an accelerated gestation period." (Orth).

"Jury is a woman, though. Can she perform cruelty?" (Thras).

"Women are cruel too. Poor Cerberus." (Orth).

"Very." (Thras).

Joy's turmoil was immediately replaced with utter confusion. She was perplexed by their conversation, and they spoke as though Joy did not even exist at all. She had to pinch herself – as she had seen Frost do once – to ensure that she was still here.

"Malgam?"

"She speaks." (Orth).

"She does." (Thras).

Their brows rose, and that was the extent of their reaction to Joy. The poor child didn't know how to even begin to communicate with them. From what Joy understood, they are Healers but lack the ability to Heal.

Wandering Healers, as Frost had called them.

Orth & Thras Goods

LEVEL : 100 ORIGIN : Human

HP : 1,125

ATT : 0 MAG ATT : 0 ATT DEF : 750

MAG DEF : 750

RESIST : 50 AGI : 12

"… Gam?"

Joy rose to her feet, tilting her head.

She was asking if they knew where Frost was. There was no way the two would understand her, and Joy understandably made a saddened expression.

But the twins glanced at each other and exchanged an understanding look before turning back to Joy.

"Very well." (Orth).

"We can take you." (Thras).

"Malga…?"

How did they know what she was saying? Joy tried to ask them, but the two were already walking away.

""As the Script dictates."" They spoke in unison again, before Orth added:

"… But the Script did not say what to do here."

"Lost…" Thras spoke after as they wandered towards the fog.

*Buzzing*

Joy froze. The bees were coming back. She could hear them, but the twins didn't seem to notice them. The light she saw suddenly shone in the direction of her hiding spot.

It was telling her to hide.

Hiding… Easier. But… Friends. Of the Sovereign Star. Mama.

Joy, against her better judgement, called out to them.

"Gam!" She hissed.

Her body couldn't move.

The better option would have been to grab them and silently hide, but Joy was clumsy.

After all, how could one expect a child – even if she was older than she looked by the virtue of being a Corrupted – to make the right decision?

Especially when she had barely been cognizant for a few days?

Only then did the twins notice the sound, and they stiffly tumbled into the bushes like planks of wood. They didn't even attempt to protect their heads. They simply fell on their heels.

Joy was suddenly in the crosshairs of a single wasp Corrupted. It was the very same that nearly found her earlier. She could not see through the fog, but the Corrupted utterings made it clear that it knew she was there.

< "Hosts. Stab. Stab. Convert. Make honey. We can all serve the royal Queen under one colony. Isn't that the purpose of a drone?" >

//////// < WARNING > ////////

< TRICKLE >

< THE ARBITER'S TRUMPET BECKONS >

Converted Drone

< Queen! Queen! Lovely Queen! Royal Queen is never wrong! >

LEVEL : 32 ORIGIN : Trauma

HP : 500

ATT : 10 MAG ATT : 0 ATT DEF : 40 MAG DEF : 0

MP : 200

RESIST : 5 AGI : 12

< "Would you like to serve the Queen too?" >

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