Alvaric sat cross-legged in the center of the hive's main chamber, his eyes gleaming as he watched Niva gather dry twigs and a few stones that sparked when rubbed together. With swift hands, Niva built a small fire that quickly grew into a stable flame.
"You're really dependable," praised Alvaric, handing over a raw rabbit to roast over the fire.
It had been a long time since he'd eaten properly cooked meat. He could already imagine how delicious the roasted rabbit would taste. Although, the rabbit here was different from those on Earth. It had horns and a tail like a rat's. But Alvaric didn't mind—he had eaten Sand Crawlers, after all. This was nothing.
Niva smiled proudly. "Of course, my Lord. I won't disappoint you."
The scent of roasting meat began to fill the room, making Alvaric's stomach growl. The nearby Ant Bees sniffed curiously at the unfamiliar aroma. A few even approached, trying to touch the fire, but quickly pulled back their claws after feeling the heat.
"Don't get too close! You'll get burned," Alvaric warned with a laugh.
Once the rabbit was cooked, Alvaric shared it with Niva. They devoured it eagerly, while the Ant Bees munched on their own raw food.
He wanted to share, but there was only one rabbit. And there were hundreds of Ant Bees nearby. Not to mention the thousands in other chambers.
Rather than give it to one and make the others jealous, it was better to enjoy the rabbit with Niva alone.
While Alvaric was eating, something touched his thigh. He turned and saw an Ant Bee gently placing a paw on him.
"What is it?" asked Alvaric.
The Ant Bee turned around, picked something up, and handed it to Alvaric. He was stunned—a rabbit the size of a child had just been offered to him.
"Where did you..." He changed his words. "Thank you."
Alvaric patted the Ant Bee's head. Its cheeks turned red, visibly delighted by the gesture.
The other Ant Bees saw this. They turned and disappeared within seconds.
"Where are they going?" Alvaric was puzzled.
Niva laughed, covering her mouth. "You've brought this upon yourself."
Alvaric frowned, not understanding her comment. He shrugged and continued eating the rabbit in his hand.
Moments later, the problem Niva mentioned appeared. The Ant Bees returned, each carrying food—varied and plentiful.
The chamber became filled with food. The Ant Bees lined up, waiting for Alvaric to pat their heads.
"You must take responsibility," Niva said, laughing.
With no choice, Alvaric patted each Ant Bee's head one by one. It took over four hours. His arm ached with exhaustion.
He collapsed, as if he'd just battled a powerful enemy.
"Tomorrow, the same thing will happen if you don't explain it to them," said Niva.
Alvaric sprang up. "You're serious?"
"The Ant Bees adore you. They'll do anything to receive your praise and affection," she explained.
Alvaric stood up. He gathered all the Ant Bees and announced that he would not accept any more food for one month. It was a firm decision.
Immediately, the Ant Bees looked down in disappointment.
"...but I will still pat your heads," Alvaric added.
The Ant Bees cheered. They were happy just to be patted by Alvaric. Niva, hearing this, was surprised.
"Won't that tire you out?" she asked.
Alvaric knew it would. "It's fine. It's a small thing. There's nothing wrong with returning the love they give me."
He walked toward the Queen Ant Bee. He lay down to sleep there. To him, her body was the best bed he could ask for.
Niva watched him and couldn't help but smile. "We've found the right master."
The following days settled into a new routine. Alvaric trained his skills as a Human Hemomancer, experimenting with various blood manipulation techniques. He could create blood shields, spears, even traps from his own blood. What shocked him most was that the blood he used could return to his body without losing HP at all.
Oh, and one more part of his daily routine: patting the heads of nearly three thousand Ant Bees.
One afternoon, Alvaric sat at the edge of the hive. Niva sat beside him, sharpening her claws against a stone. She, too, trained hard to be useful to her master.
"Niva," Alvaric called suddenly.
"Yes, my Lord?" she turned.
"Didn't the Giant Sandworm ask us to rescue the demon girl? Is that place far?"
Niva paused for a few seconds. She didn't really know. She was only born a few days ago. Not even a month old yet. She had never gone far from the hive. The farthest was when she followed Alvaric to fight the Giant Sandworm.
"It probably is… and…" She wanted to warn him, but a promise is a promise. "There must be very strong monsters there. We could die just from facing one."
Alvaric understood. Just from Niva's explanation of the Giant Sandworm's request, he knew it was going to be difficult. If it were easy, the Sandworm wouldn't have asked them to do it. Still, Alvaric didn't know exactly how terrifying that place was.
"Isn't he really strong? Shouldn't he be able to do it himself?"
Only two possibilities crossed Alvaric's mind: either the demon girl was sealed by a being stronger than the Giant Sandworm, or the Sandworm was unable to enter the dungeon for some reason.
"I can't even imagine a being stronger than the Giant Sandworm."
Just thinking about it gave Alvaric chills. He didn't know how he would win. He had become stronger, yet something inside him doubted he could accomplish this mission.
"If you don't go, I think it's okay," said Niva.
Alvaric shook his head. "A promise is a promise."
Niva nodded. She knew that, but she had a bad feeling about all this. Still, if her master had made his decision, she would follow.
"I'll do it."
The Hollow Fang party had gathered before the portal. Each of them held their weapons, ready to conquer this rank-A dungeon.
The portal was released. A bright light illuminated the area. Intense mana flowed from within.
Marie nodded. "Let's go!"
One by one, they entered the portal. The guards nearby prepared to seal the area again, waiting for signs of their return.
But just as they were about to do so, the portal began to shake. Then something shocking happened. The portal's light turned gold.
"An S-rank dungeon," the lead guard swallowed hard. He raised his hand. "Move quickly! We must get them ou—"
Triiing!
The portal suddenly vanished. Sealed without a trace. The guards' faces turned pale, filled with fear.
"Damn it. We just lost an S-rank awakened."