The Primal Hunter 13, page 15
Anyway, the entire bodies of these Queen’s Guards looked made for combat, and even their antennas were glowing with magic. Healing magic, as far as Jake could tell. These weren’t low-tier variants at all; they were powerful in their own right and would no doubt be considered high-tier elites worth nurturing if they were part of any faction. He doubted their level of teamwork was anything to scoff at, either. Even their levels made it clear they were far from weak.
[Vespernat Queen’s Guard – lvl 282]
[Vespernat Queen’s Guard – lvl 280]
[Vespernat Queen’s Guard – lvl 281]
[Vespernat Queen’s Guard – lvl 282]
These four huge Royal Guards sat passively on the lawn, not doing anything, as if waiting for Vesperia to give them any commands.
“I can only create four Queen’s Guards currently with my abilities, and the rest of my elites will have to be Royal Guards,” Vesperia explained. “I can make way more of the regular drone variants, as they barely consume any Hive Energy to maintain. Ah, Hive Energy is a special resource I have that dictates how many I can spawn, and everything that isn’t its own separate Hive Queen counts.”
“You sure learn something new every day,” Jake said. “Also, I do wonder… why do the Royal Guards have humanoid forms while these four look perfectly insecty?”
“Oh, that was just a choice for this demonstration, and due to the peculiarity of the transformation of these guards,” Vesperia said as she looked at the four Queen’s Guards. “Transform.”
Instantly, all four of them grew in size, and within seconds, they turned into carbon copies of Vesperia in her warrior form. Even their auras changed to resemble hers, and without his Bloodline, he wasn’t sure he could have told the difference. Jake even tried using Identify…
[Vespernat Hive Queen – lvl 284]
“Are these…?”
“Lookalikes,” Vesperia said, smiling. “A tried-and-true strategy of old."
“That’s… impressive,” Jake said as he kept comparing the four of them to Vesperia. “Are these also considered drones, or?”
“Partly,” Vesperia clarified as she motioned toward one of the Queen’s Guards, who promptly spoke in an identical voice:
“We live to serve the Queen and have the required mental faculties to do so efficiently.”
“Having a lookalike that couldn’t even act like me wouldn’t be a very good one, now, would it?” Vesperia said proudly. “You four may return to the hive.”
The four of them nodded and went through the portal without saying anything more. After they left, Vesperia closed the portal again.
“Ah, I should mention their ability to mimic me isn’t a known ability and shouldn’t be shared, as it would make it far less effective,” Vesperia casually clarified, indicating that she had just revealed one of her big trump cards.
“Of course I won’t share anything,” Jake reassured her.
“I totally would if they had the right bribe,” Sandy said, deciding to jump back into the conversation. “Ah, who am I kidding? I wouldn’t do that to my little sister Vespy.”
“That actually reminds me,” Jake said, looking at Vesperia. “Are you alright with Sandy using that nickname? I know that Sandy can be a handful, and I would gladly give the big worm a stern talking-to.”
“It… It’s fine,” Vesperia said a bit shyly.
“Vespy is also having mixed emotions about having her own name already and you not naming her like the rest of us,” the worm added, once more inducing panic in Vesperia. “Seeing as your naming convention sucks, Vespy totally sounds like the name you would have given her if you had been the one to decide, so me calling her that makes her feel like we’re all closer.”
“If you want me to also call you Vespy, that’s totally fine?” Jake muttered after a pause. “And… well, that probably is the kind of name I would have given.”
“Make it a special family name!” Sandy wriggled happily.
“I… I would be fine with whatever Sire wishes to call me,” Vesperia said.
“That means she wants you to call her Vespy, as that sounds way more familial.” Sandy just wouldn’t let up causing Vesperia mental attacks.
“Vespy it is, then,” Jake said, smiling as he saw Vespy blush, making him instinctively reach up and pat her head. Her only response was to lower herself a bit, making it easier for him to do so. Still rubbing her hair, Jake added happily, “I must say, your abilities surpass my expectations. You really are a one-wasp army. Do you also remember what we talked about earlier regarding you helping me with something?”
Vespy’s head instantly shot up as she looked at Jake. “What is it?”
Jake smiled, shook his head, and pulled back his patting hand—much to Vespy’s disappointment—before explaining, “While preparing for the Prima Guardian to arrive, we are addressing as many potential risk factors as possible. The skies, seas, and land are very much covered, but the subterranean world is still mostly unexplored. What we do know is that there is quite an Isoptera presence that, last time I heard, is far from fully addressed. There might even be some ants or other hives, too.”
“Does Sire wish for me to make contact with these hives and eradicate or place them under our control?” Vesperia asked nonchalantly.
“Not gonna lie, as long as they are addressed, I don’t care how you do it,” Jake said, shaking his head, “but I would still be careful. They are underground, where I don’t know how good your variant is at fighting, seeing as you’re wasps and all. They also had a lot of time to grow, so they might have become quite powerful. Not to mention the fact that much of the underworld remains unexplored, and I don’t know what other dangers might be waiting. As I said, much of it remains unexplored.”
“Firstly, Sire, the Vespernat lineage does not struggle underground. Many of the offshoots from the Lineage are underground dwellers already, and we are more than adapted to that kind of environment. Perhaps not as much as other True Royal Lineages of the Endless Empire, such as the True Royal Lineage ruling the Isoptera line, but in the end, they are only Isoptera. My goal will also not be to fight them, simply to announce my presence and allow them the honor of swearing fealty.”
Jake furrowed his brows. “Are you sure they will be that receptive? What if they choose to fight back?”
Vesperia looked at Jake with a perplexed expression. “Why would they ever fight against the honor of submitting to a True Royal? One who even acts with the blessing of their True Royal ancestors? Even if I asked the Hive Queens to all kill themselves, it would be the greatest moment in their lives, simply for having the privilege of carrying out a direct order from me.”
Had Jake ever mentioned that True Royals Hive Queens are mega scary?
Chapter 16
The Fine Line Between Cute and Terrifying
Jake knew that the logic of ectognamorphs was something he truly couldn’t understand. Vesperia looked at him as if what she had said was only natural… which it was, in her world. He had already known that the Endless Empire was the most hierarchical organization in the entire multiverse, putting even demons to shame, but still.
Throughout the multiverse, power was the ultimate decider of status. Jake was the Chosen of the Malefic Viper, yes, but he also knew that not a single god in existence viewed themselves as beneath him. Their being nice to him was either a display of respect toward the Malefic Viper, or because they found him interesting for his future potential. None of them would ever agree to be his subordinate and swear loyalty to Jake as a person, as he was ultimately just a mortal who was beneath their station.
For Vesperia, it was different.
During the following conversation, where Jake asked some more things about how sure she was things would work out fine if she approached a bunch of other Hive Queens on Earth, Vesperia explained a bit about her time at the Endless Empire.
She told him that during her time there, many variants of the Vespernat Lineage had made their way back to the Endless Empire. They had been independent factions before, operating by themselves with only a friendly relationship with the Empire, but when they heard—and felt—that a new Vespernat True Royal had appeared and resided at the Endless Empire Heartlands, they’d made their way there.
This included Hive Queen gods. Even a few at or around the realm of Godqueen—powerful beings with much renown in the multiverse in their own right—had hurried there. Not just to see Vesperia, but to recognize her and swear their loyalty without even knowing anything about her. It was also merely an implicit understanding that they were now part of the Endless Empire, ruled by Vesperia and Vesperia alone.
Despite how much weaker she was, they recognized her as their unquestionable leader. It was simply blind, biological devotion and loyalty, with no thought for rhyme, reason, or logic. They were just compelled by their nature. And while Jake had a good grasp of following his instincts… he did find the entire concept tough to fully grasp.
“I… To clarify, if you told a bunch of gods from your Lineage to go kill someone…?” Jake asked after Vesperia was done with her explanation.
“Hm, I reckon they would ask the reason and offer me advice regarding whether it’s a good idea or not to carry out the order,” Vesperia answered without much thought. “Of course, that assumes it’s someone that’s controversial to kill.”
“And if you insisted, no matter the person?” Jake continued pressing.
“They’d naturally carry out their duty.”
“What if the other True Royals of the Endless Empire disagree?” Jake tried again.
“In that case, I would certainly consider the matter carefully,” Vesperia said, thinking a bit more about that one. “But I find the probability of that happening low. My desire to want someone dead badly enough to even disagree with the other Hive Queens beneath me will more likely than not be a desire born of the greater good of the Endless Empire, and my sisters would never disagree with something like that. However, let’s say that I want to do something everyone disagrees with. Just know that, no matter what, they do not have the authority or right to command me, even if I respect their opinions immensely.”
“What if Jake asks you to do something and the other True Royals oppose?” Sandy asked, posing a hypothetical that Jake wasn’t sure he really wanted the answer to.
“That… would be problematic,” Vesperia answered with a frown. “I guess at that point, I would have to understand both sides and the essence of the disagreement and then simply decide for myself what I believe is best.”
Alright, that was a very balanced and reasonable response.
“To clarify, I am not going to be causing trouble,” Jake said. At least, he wouldn’t cause any problems on purpose.
“Sure, sure, but what if the Endless Empires decide to make you an enemy for some reason?” Sandy continued, still pushing their hypothetical scenario.
Vesperia simply shook her head. “That wouldn’t happen. The Endless Empire does not declare enemies that easily, and if only one of the True Royals of the council disagrees, it won’t happen.”
“So there you have it—no reason to fret over something that won’t happen,” Jake said, closing the subject.
“Fine...” Sandy said, sad they couldn’t cause trouble anymore. “Well, this has been fun, but I’m going to go and say hi to that scientist guy again and see if he has procured anything tasty since last time. He promised me more snacks if I visited again.”
“Sounds fun; enjoy yourself,” Jake said, waving Sandy off as the big worm took to the air and headed toward Arnold to do who-knows-what, leaving Vesperia and Jake behind in the valley.
“Sandy sure is a peculiar creature,” Vesperia commented once the big worm was gone. “I looked through the library of the Endless Empire and even consulted my sisters, and there were no traces of knowledge about their race anywhere. Then again, neither could I find anything regarding Sylphian Hawks. Don’t get me wrong—my hope was to perhaps find something to help assist them in their future growth, but… nothing.”
“The Malefic Viper also doesn’t seem to know much, if anything.” Jake shrugged. “Not that it matters, does it? I doubt they need much help to progress or to be told some historical facts about what’s best to do. They just need to follow their own instincts, and I believe they can go far. The same is true for you. Just keep doing what you’re doing.”
Vesperia smiled at his words. “Perhaps you’re right. Simply following my instincts without considerable forethought just seems foreign, yet also familiar. As if it clashes with my inherited memories.”
“Well, you aren’t just a normal True Royal, if there even is such a thing.”
“You’re right… I am also one of Sire’s creations,” she said, nodding in agreement.
Jake still wasn’t super keen on someone calling themselves his creation, but he nodded nevertheless and cracked a joke. “You’re not just a Vesperia… you’re also a Vespy.”
When she smiled and lowered her head, Jake got the hint and placed a hand on top of it. Having seen what she was capable of—and what kind of forces she commanded—he was already looking forward to what kind of chaos Vesperia could cause on Earth.
“Would it be fine if I call Miranda over?” Jake asked Vesperia. “If you wanna help with the Prima Guardian defense, it would be best to keep her in the loop, and I’m sure she has some good information to get you started.”
“If you deem that the best course of action,” Vesperia agreed with a nod.
“I do, for sure,” Jake said as he pulled out a one-way communication token and quickly infused a message. “Besides, if I don’t keep her in the loop, I’m gonna get quite the scolding later. I can already imagine Miranda sending some poor party into a hive, only to find it already overrun with wasps, causing panic for the poor wayward adventures. Better to work together.”
“I’m still not entirely sure what this Miranda woman is to you. Is she not serving you?” Vesperia asked with some genuine confusion. “How could she dare scold her master?”
“She works for me,” Jake clarified. “No, I guess it’s more accurate to say we work together. I help her, she helps me—it’s all about mutual benefits. I also trust her, and she’s good at her job. But if she wishes to one day leave, I won’t do anything about it either. The same is true if she one day falls too far behind or fails to live up to expectations, at which point she will be fired. I don’t hope that happens, but it’s a possibility.”
“You humans have such odd relationships,” Vesperia said, sighing. “Truly difficult to understand.”
“Maybe.” Jake shrugged, as he would argue it was ectognamorphs who had weird-as-fuck relationships, even if they were a lot simpler on paper.
Waiting for Miranda, they sat and talked a bit more on a bench in front of the pond as he continued to pat Vespy. It didn’t take long before Jake detected the resident witch, who’d quickly made her way over. Jake couldn’t blame her either… A True Royal visit had to be considered a major thing, right?
He just hoped Miranda and Vesperia could get along. If not, things would get awkward.
Miranda was already stressed enough with all of the factions who would soon arrive on the planet. Making sure that fights wouldn’t break out was a damn struggle, and there was also still all of the usual existing problems. Earth had truly become a melting pot, and melting pots always had their own unique challenges.
But, she had believed things were getting under control. Everything was finally calming down a bit… and then she’d gotten word that Sandy had returned to Earth. That in itself was fine, as the giant space worm didn’t really cause much trouble on their own. There were a few annoyances from people wanting to meet Sandy, such as representatives from the United Tribes, but nothing the Chosen of the Lord Protector couldn’t deal with on their own.
However, the passenger Sandy brought along wasn’t someone Miranda could take lightly. Not in the slightest. True Royal was truly a deserved title, as they represented the peak of the Endless Empire—a pinnacle faction of the multiverse.
What’s more, the power a True Royal wielded was of an entirely different nature than people who simply had a high status. Jake was the Chosen of the Malefic Viper, yes, but he was still “only” a C-grade for now, and he wouldn’t be able to command the forces of the Order of the Malefic Viper unless the god agreed and gave him express permission.
A True Royal needed no permission. All on her own, she was that peak figure who could command even gods to do her bidding. The ectognamorphs were the only race Miranda was aware of where the deciding factor in the hierarchy wasn’t power but the status of one’s caste. What’s more, this power in the hierarchy wasn’t just some agreed-upon social construct but a tangible, biological component of their races. It was simply the nature of every single ectognamorph to follow the command of their True Royal—their queen of Hive Queens.
And now one of those True Royals was on Earth. The thought was far from comforting. It wasn’t just that she was a powerful being in her own right; Miranda was legitimately afraid of the consequences if something should happen to her.
No, look on the bright side—she could also prove very useful, Miranda tried to tell herself when she was finally contacted by Jake to come meet this True Royal. It was honestly a huge relief he’d contacted her, as she had put it down to a fifty-fifty as to whether Jake would keep her in the loop about what he and the True Royal were planning. Good to see they didn’t have another Eternal Hunger on their hands from him unleashing a True Royal on Earth haphazardly.
Arriving in the forest part of Haven, she hurried to the lodge. She could already feel the presence of the True Royal there, and she made sure to calm herself down fully before having her meeting with a being that truly deserved to be called royalty of the multiverse.
