The deep, distorted voice echoes through the cave, sending chills down everyone's spine.
Everyone instinctively grips their weapon. Mira steps back.
The voice is not entirely insect-like. It has a human undertone, as if something halfway between human and monster is speaking.
Isaac narrows his eyes. 'A monster that speaks? This wasn't normal.'
"Who are you?" he asks.
Silence. Then, the cocoons around them start to twitch.
Putol stiffens. "Uh… guys?"
One of the cocoon sacs splits open nearby, revealing a deformed figure inside. Its too-long arms twitch, fingers fused into claws. Its face is locked in a silent scream.
More cocoons start shaking violently.
Aiah whispers, "They're turning into Crawleroids but something else…"
The voice speaks again.
"The weak… will be reborn."
At the far end of the cavern, something moves.
A massive Crawleroid-like figure steps forward, but unlike the others, this one is a humanoid, standing on two legs, towering over them. Its torso is covered in a dark exoskeleton, but its face… is human.
A twisted fusion of man and monster.
Aiah's breath catches. "No… that's…"
"Commander Belga."
Aiah stares in disbelief. Commander Belga, once a proud warrior of Bulcan, is now a Hive Master, a half-monster who controls the Crawleroids.
Belga's eyes glow faintly. His mouth stretches into something that was once a grin but now barely resembles human expression.
"You should not have come here."
The twisted humanoid figure stepped forward, the sound of chitin scraping against stone filling the cavern. His glowing eyes locked onto Aiah, a flicker of recognition in his inhuman gaze.
"Princess Aiah."
Everyone turned to Aiah, their expressions filled with surprise, but Isaac remained focused on the humanoid.
Aiah's breath caught. She could barely believe what she was seeing. Commander Belga. One of Bulcan's strongest warriors, a Class B.
"This… this isn't real," she whispered.
Belga chuckled, the sound warped and unnatural.
"It is very real."
His voice was calm and confident.
"You should not fear, Princess. You should be honored."
"Honored?" she asked coldly. "You're turning humans into monsters."
Isaac tightened his grip on his axe but did not strike yet.
Belga's expression did not change. If anything, he seemed amused.
"I am saving Bulcan."
He gestured toward the countless moving cocoons hanging above.
"For years, Bulcan has been nothing but a weak kingdom, trampled by Carreon and ignored by the others. We were on the verge of collapse," he said, his voice deepening. "But with this, we will rise again."
Aiah clenched her fists, her voice trembling with rage.
"You're sacrificing your own people."
Belga shakes his head.
"No. I am giving them purpose. These warriors are no longer limited by human frailty. They are stronger. Faster. Unstoppable."
He turns to Isaac.
"Tell me, stranger. Do you not see the potential? Imagine an army that never tires, never hungers, never disobeys. An army that will make Bulcan a kingdom that even Velcro fears."
Isaac's gaze remains steady. He understands wanting power. But this?
"You think fear is the same as strength?" Isaac's voice is sharp. "You think turning your people into mindless monsters will strengthen your kingdom?"
Belga smirks.
"Mindless? No. I am their Master. They are loyal. They are willing."
Isaac narrows his eyes. He can tell, Belga believes his own words. He isn't just some mindless monster.
He truly thinks he's doing the right thing.
Nai mutters, "He's lost it."
Aiah shakes her head. "No… This isn't him. The Belga I knew…"
"The Belga you knew was weak." His voice is colder now. "But this… this is what Bulcan needs."
Belga exhales.
"Enough talking. Join me… or be consumed."
Isaac takes a slow breath.
Then, with calm confidence, he lifts his axe.
"Then I guess we're doing this the hard way."
Isaac positioned himself.
"Everyone, prepare," he said, then hesitated, realizing Mira might not be able to fight. "Mira, hide."
Mira quickly scanned the area and darted to find a hiding spot.
Belga raised a clawed hand, signaling the Crawleroids to attack. From the darkness, countless creatures emerged, their sharp legs clicking against the stone floor.
Isaac knew that none of his team could take down a single Crawleroid alone.
"Listen up," he commanded. "We stay together. We defend. We hit them every time they attack."
Everyone nodded.
Three Crawleroids lunged toward them, but before they landed, Isaac moved with blinding speed, severing their heads. More came, and he struck them down just as quickly.
But then another wave arrived, faster and more relentless. Soon, everyone was fighting.
Aiah threw a fireball, burning a group of Crawleroids, then followed with a fire burst.
Putol's dagger sliced through a Crawleroid's legs, followed by Nai's chopping knife striking its head.
Ben used his bow, each arrow hitting its target as some Crawleroids turned toward Aiah's fire, taking down one after another.
After a grueling battle, they managed to defeat nearly forty Crawleroids.
But then, from the shadows, an even larger horde of around fifty charged toward them.
Belga smirked. "Let's see if you can survive this."
Isaac gritted his teeth, gripping his axe tighter as the cave filled with the screeches of countless Crawleroids approaching.
"We can't take them all," Nai muttered, his voice tight with fear.
Isaac's eyes narrowed as he watched Belga, the Hive Master. Every time Belga twitched a clawed hand, the swarm moved in perfect sync. It wasn't natural coordination, it was control.
Isaac's mind clicked. "He's controlling them."
Aiah turned to him. "What?"
"Watch him," Isaac said firmly. "Every time he moves, the swarm reacts instantly. They're not thinking for themselves."
Ben, still catching his breath, focused. Then, he saw it.
An invisible web of energy linked Belga to each Crawleroid, like strands of silk tying their minds together.
Ben gasped. "You're right. He's using a magical link to control them!"
Isaac turned sharply. "You can see it?"
"I… I think so." Ben blinked, overwhelmed.
Then, his gaze snapped to Isaac's axe. "You have anti-magic. If you swing your axe through the air right there, between Belga and the horde, you might be able to cut the link."
Aiah's eyes widened. This only confirmed what she had suspected, Ben had an appraisal ability.
Meanwhile, Isaac's grip tightened on his axe. It was a gamble, but it was their best shot.
The Crawleroids lunged.
Isaac moved.
With all his strength, he swung his axe in a massive arc, slicing through the space between Belga and the swarm.
A shockwave erupted.
Something shattered.
The air rippled like a broken glass wall. Belga let out a sharp scream, clutching his head in pain.
The Crawleroids froze.
Then… chaos.
Without Belga's control, they lost all coordination. Some collapsed, unable to function without guidance. Others turned on each other, shrieking and lashing out blindly.
Belga staggered, weakened and furious. His burning eyes locked onto Isaac. "You… what did you do?!"
Isaac exhaled, lowering his axe.
"Lost control?" he teased, smirking
Belga snarled.
Isaac grinned. "Now, let's finish them."
Isaac didn't waste a second.
He moved.
A blur of speed, he dashed into the fray, his axe a whirlwind of death.
One swing, a head flew.
Another, a carapace split open.
A third, a body crumpled, cut clean in half.
Blood and lymph sprayed everywhere, but Isaac didn't stop. Didn't slow down.
His movements were faster than any human's. His strikes were precise, merciless.
He was in a hurry.
The others could barely match his pace.
Nai and Putol managed to take down a few enemies, their weapons striking with newfound confidence.
Ben fired arrows with deadly accuracy. Mira stayed back, watching in awe and terror.
And Aiah.. her fire burst, burning the heads of each Crawleroid.
Isaac continued, unstoppable. No hesitation. No wasted movement. Ruthless.
The Hive Master's eyes narrowed as he watched Isaac's inhuman speed, his monstrous strength.
'This is no ordinary man…'
Within minutes, it was over.
The battlefield was silent.
Hundreds of Crawleroid corpses littered the ground. Isaac exhaled, gripping his axe tightly.
It was finished.
Or so they thought.
A tremor.
A faint, rhythmic vibration in the earth.
Then… chittering.
From the cave's entrance, nearly a hundred more Crawleroids emerged.
But this time… they weren't mindless.
Belga smirked. "Did you really think that was all?"
Ben's eyes narrowed.
He knew these ones were different.
They didn't need a Hive Mind. They were already bonded to Belga.
Smarter. Stronger. Deadlier.
And this time, Belga wasn't holding them back.
Isaac tightened his grip on his axe as the group huddled together.
The real battle had just begun.