Tamae and Brukk followed Alvaric and Niva as they descended underground. Along the way, they passed several Ant Bees going in and out of the tunnels.
There were so many of them, and their types varied greatly.
Some of them were even creatures Brukk had never seen before. His eyes kept darting around, his fists clenched. The fear of being attacked kept him on edge.
"If you don't strike first, everything will be fine," said Alvaric.
Brukk nodded. "Thank you."
Still, even after being told that, Brukk couldn't shake his unease. There were just too many monsters here. It was the first time he had ever entered a monster's nest directly—and only with one other person.
Brukk was a commander of the Chillg city army. Fighting monsters was nothing new to him. He had killed thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands of them by now.
But this... was different.
"We're going to teleport," said Alvaric.
Brukk frowned. "Teleport? What do you mean by that—"
Before he could finish his sentence, a small Ant Bee climbed up onto his shoulder. He lifted his hand, ready to swat it away, but Alvaric's sharp gaze froze him in place. Brukk lowered his hand.
"If you harm them, I won't hesitate to kill you both," Alvaric said firmly.
Brukk nodded again. He stood still, not saying another word.
A warm golden light enveloped Brukk and Tamae's bodies. It felt like being wrapped in a soft morning mist. In the blink of an eye, the world around them blurred—the dirt floor, narrow tunnels, and damp scent—all vanished.
And when the light faded, they were in a completely different place.
The chamber was vast. Its ceiling arched high, studded with crystals that glowed softly. There was even a small, clear lake that looked refreshing.
"This... is real teleportation?" Brukk muttered.
It wasn't a type of magic that just anyone could use. Not even the kingdom's generals had the ability to use such high-tier magic.
And yet the Ant Bees could. It defied all logic.
"Follow me!" Alvaric called.
Tamae and Brukk resumed walking. Their eyes scanned everything around them. There were even more Ant Bees here—far more than what they had seen outside earlier.
And when their eyes landed on the Queen Ant Bees, both of them widened their eyes in shock.
"More than one Queen Ant Bee? How is that possible?" Brukk muttered.
He could only shake his head. From what he knew, one Ant Bee colony would only ever have one queen. If there were more, the dominant queen would consume the others.
So having more than one queen in a single colony was impossible. But now... "They have one... two... three... four..." Brukk shook his head as he counted. "This makes no sense."
Tamae, standing beside him, didn't know much about Ant Bees, but even she understood that something was clearly not normal.
From the beginning, this Ant Bee colony had been abnormal.
"Sit down!" Alvaric invited.
Brukk and Tamae glanced at each other before nodding and sitting in the spots prepared for them.
Alvaric clapped his hands. Within a second, several Ant Bees appeared and brought food, placing it on a wooden table.
Not only that, they poured drinks mixed with honey from some unknown source.
"Please, enjoy," Alvaric said.
Tamae and Brukk exchanged another glance, both hesitant. Brukk nodded and took the first bite, making sure the food wasn't poisoned.
One bite. One sip.
Brukk's eyes widened, and a broad smile stretched across his face. "This... is delicious."
He immediately began eating more. Seeing this, Tamae frowned.
She stared at the food in front of her, still unsure. She turned to look at Brukk again, who was now eating heartily.
"If we wanted to kill you, we could do it directly. Poisoning you would be cowardly," said Alvaric.
Tamae finally took a bite. Her eyes widened too, and she quickly dug in. It felt like she was eating food made by the kingdom's finest chef.
Tamae didn't stop at all. Within minutes, one plate was already empty. She and Brukk looked at Alvaric again.
"Can we have another serving of the rabbit soup?" they both asked.
Alvaric laughed. "This is hilarious. Just minutes ago, you were suspicious, and now you're asking for seconds. Truly amusing," he said with a hint of sarcasm.
Tamae and Brukk blushed from embarrassment. Their eyes shifted away, avoiding Alvaric's gaze.
"Is it not allowed?" Tamae asked, unsure.
"Of course it is. But there's something I'd like to discuss with you." Alvaric's face turned serious.
Tamae and Brukk swallowed hard. They were curious about what he wanted to talk about. They hoped it wasn't about their execution.
"I want us to cooperate. How about it?" Alvaric offered.
Tamae and Brukk tilted their heads. "What do you mean? Cooperate in what way?" Tamae asked in return.
Alvaric raised his hand. Ant Bees appeared again, placing more food on the table before vanishing once more.
"I've built a good relationship with Chillg city, but I need a guarantee—the border forest. Give it to us," Alvaric said.
Tamae immediately stood up. She slammed the table. "What do you mean by that? That kind of deal only benefits you!"
"The guarantee is that my forces will never touch Chillg, and we will protect you from any attack," Alvaric continued.
Tamae shook her head. "We can defend ourselves. We don't need your help at all."
Alvaric snapped his fingers. In an instant, thousands of Ant Bees filled the room, staring at Tamae and Brukk with hostile intent.
Brukk, still seated beside Tamae, quickly grabbed her hand, urging her to sit down. Their position was dangerous.
They must not provoke the man in front of them.
"Well, young lady? Do you agree?" Alvaric asked again. "I promise, whatever happens to Chillg, we will be there to help you."
"You mean the attack will come from the Ant Bees, right? This isn't a negotiation—this is a threat," Tamae said bitterly.
Alvaric laughed loudly, then smiled. "This is a negotiation. You're free to refuse if you don't want to accept it. That's what a proposal is."
"But if we refuse, then Chillg will be attacked by thousands of Ant Bees, right?"
Tamae's face was filled with frustration. She had thought the man before her was just a regular leader. She was wrong. She had been tricked. He was cunning.
"I don't know. I'm just here as a negotiator. I can't guarantee anything about any attacks," Alvaric replied.
Tamae clicked her tongue and looked away. She couldn't reject him—not without risking her life.
"Give us time! I need to speak with my brother. Deciding the fate of Chillg is not my authority. I have to consult with him first."
Alvaric nodded. "Alright. That's acceptable." He snapped his fingers, and the Ant Bees vanished. "But I need your answer within a week."
"If not, then whatever happens... is no longer my responsibility," Alvaric added.