Arun took a deep breath, coughing as he pinched his nose to block out the nauseating smell around him.
"I'll be waiting for you," the female voice said, her presence disappearing, the only presences left in the chamber were Arun and the humanoid insect, which seemed to savor the aftermath of the gruesome massacre.
Arun was terrified by the turn of events, but he forced himself to calm down—or at least, he tried to.
The overseer's words echoed in his mind:
"The Mother, whose eternal love is present in the air...She is inside you.....We all are....We are connected with the Mother's mind."
"Isn't that the Hive Mind?" Arun thought.
Her words sent a chill down Arun's spine.
What she means by 'Mother' is entity controlling a hive mind he thought. If that were true, then her calling him a 'colleague' and saying he had 'embraced the Mother' made terrifying sense.
Wait a minute... I'm not part of her Mother's Hive Mind, am I?
Then Arun remembered the mysterious voice in the void that spoke about choosing sides. At the time, he hadn't understood the implications, shaken by the cascade of events. But now, thinking about it, it all started to make sense.
"If the white and blue webs I saw are Hive Minds fighting each other, then the choice was about aligning with one of them."
Does that mean one of the Hive Minds is the overseer's Mother?
If so, which one? The enormous white web dominating most of the void, cornering the smaller blue web? Or the dazzling blue web, full of nodes desperately resisting the white's advancement?
It didn't matter. In the face of them, he was nothing but dust—a speck that could be wiped away at any moment.
Moreover, he was a neutral being, existing in the neutral void. He still didn't know how these two entities would react to his presence.
It was highly likely that they would forcibly assimilate him into their respective domains.
Wait there aren't just two Hive Minds—there's a third one.
Arun recalled the faint golden presence, concealed within the neutral space, distinct and isolated from both Hive Minds.
Crunch!
The sound of breaking bones pulled him from his thoughts.
Arun turned to see the insectoid humanoid it was feasting on the scattered remains of the slaughtered humans. The organic floor beneath them seemed to absorb the blood, greedily drinking it in.
"Ah..." Arun exhaled shakily.
"If this is true, then I can't meet the overseer, a near-fanatical believer in her Mother. If she finds out I'm not connected to her Hive Mind…who knows what she might do?"
For a moment, Arun's gaze shifted to the cocoon, then to the insectoid humanoid, and finally to the blood-red ground.
For now, he decided to stay put, avoiding any unnecessary involment.
Suddenly, the insectoid humanoid abruptly stood up almost as if sensing his thoughts. It turned to face him, and a voice echoed:
"What are you doing? I'm waiting for you. The preparations are almost done. Come quickly."
"Okay," Arun replied, startled by the sudden sound and movement. Despite his surprise at over sear sudden voice he remained calm.
The insect gestured toward the exit, its emotions radiating envy and a strange desire to switch places with Arun.
Arun ignored it and stood still, contemplating his choices. Meeting the overseer was out of the question. The only option left was to avoid her at all costs.
"Hmm, can we wait for a while? You know, I need to prepare myself for the upcoming meeting," Arun said.
The insect seemed to understand and sat down, resuming its gruesome meal while Arun saw the exit and sneakily close the distance trying to slip away.
Buzz!
In mere seconds, the insect was beside him, happily escorting him toward the exit.
"Damn it," Arun muttered as he reluctantly returned to the chamber.
His brain churned, trying to come up with a way to get rid of this unwanted company.
Should he fight it?
No. Arun quickly dismissed the idea. It was impractical. Compared to him, the insect was faster, and its skin was as hard as stone. Moreover, the corruption in his soul was dangerously high. If he died now, it would be permanent.
Arun closed his eyes and tried to sense the Hive Mind. He felt the insect's emotions: envy, jealousy, devotion… and submission.
"Sit," Arun instinctively commanded.
To his surprise, the insect obeyed, clumsily trying to sit on the ground like a human. Clearly, Arun's intent had passed through.
"Stay here. Do not follow me," Arun added, pleased with himself as he walked toward the exit.
Just as he was about to step forward, a rush of air crashed down. The insect humanoid was beside him again, happily acting as an escort.
"Damn it!" Arun muttered, returning to the chamber once more.
Suddenly, his gaze turned toward the cocoon. A strange idea began to form in his mind—a plan to get rid of this bug and possibly kill it.
Arun turned toward the insectoid, then back to the cocoon.
Focusing his mind he activated hive mind, and commanded: "Follow me."
The insect obeyed, following him toward the cocoon. there were still half a dozen essence crystals floating in green fluid.
Arun gestured for the insect to enter.
To his expectation, the insect humanoid remained still, tilting its head in confusion as if trying to understand Arun's intent.
"Get in," Arun commanded.
The insect shook its head. Arun sensed its emotions—fear, confusion, and a tiny bit of expectation.
Arun's eyes blazed with realization. This creature wanted to enter but held some doubts about his intent.
He stepped closer and said, "You know, I was nothing but a fragile, weak human, desperately struggling to survive. My life wasn't in my hands but at the mercy of others…like them. Yes, like those people you disposed of. I was one of them. But guess what?"
The insect, almost mesmerized by Arun's words, began to take hesitant steps toward the cocoon. Its movements were slow, almost as though it was in a trance.
Arun noticed how easily the creature succumbed to suggestion, its small mind unable to resist the sweet allure of his fabricated promises.
Seeing the effect his words had, Arun pressed on, his tone growing more persuasive, almost hypnotic.
"I was brave—brave enough to take a step and enter this door of salvation. Then I felt Mother's embrace, her loving gaze, the warmth of her bosom, her care, and… her protection. She blessed me, and now, you see, I'm alive better then before."
Arun painted a vivid picture of his experience pleased as the inscet inch closer.
"Think about it. If I, a fragile human, could earn Mother's blessing to communicate and understand you…how much stronger you will become? How much power you will gain?"
The insect halted, its foot hovering above the swirling green fluid of the cocoon. Arun could feel the creature's emotions shift—fearful, doubtful, yet suddenly steady, as if it had decided that the promises of power were not what it sought,Panic-stricken, Arun quickly changed his approach.
"Forget power. Don't you want to experience Mother's care? Let me tell you, the feeling is almost heavenly. It's like the world is a dark, black place desolate and empty, but Mother is a brilliant white light, emanating a soothing glow that calms the mind. Tell me, don't you want to feel it?"
For a brief moment, a yearning appeared in the insect's mind.
Arun sighed in relief. Thank God this bug is dumb.
"Get in. This is your salvation. This is your peace—a promise of prosperity. Come in," Arun said.
Finally, the black humanoid insect, the size of an adult male, stepped inside the cocoon.
The transparent walls sealed shut. Green fluid surged upward, and the essence crystals began to circulate around it.
"That's it!" Arun almost yelled in excitement.
He waited, fully expecting the insect's body to disintegrate into bio-energy. After all, he had died during his own experiment. Surely, this creature would fail too.
Suddenly, the cocoon began to glow with intense white light, swelling like a massive creature was growing within it.
"This doesn't look good," Arun muttered, taking a step back.
The pressure in the chamber grew almost unbearable.
It felt like suffocating underwater, where everything seemed to compress at once—blocking sound, smell, and even the very air. The overwhelming sensation pressed against his skin, wrapping around him like a tangible, suffocating shroud.
Without wasting another moment, Arun sprinted toward the exit.
His Runesight illuminated his surroundings, giving him a clear view and allowing him to navigate swiftly through the dimly lit place. He soon reached a fork where two paths diverged.
Crack!
From his back sound of disaster encroached trying to break his momentum.
ROAR!
A thunderous roar shook the ground.
[Congratulations, Apostle! You truly are a Servant of the Apocalypse. You have helped in the birth of an Abomination.]
[The Source of Apocalypse is pleased with your contribution.]
[Soul Corruption: 15%]
[Hive Mind (Dormant) → Hive Mind (Awakened)]