'Thought'
"Speech"
(Warning: Body horror i think? A worm crawls out of the MC's mouth.)
(Also what is described during the later half is me trying to give a realistic feel to StarCraft 2 Zerg "unit" Building/selection)
(Ivory POV)
The Fair Lands pulsed with life. Not in the way normal forests did, where animals scurried unseen and the wind rustled through the leaves. Here, everything breathed. The land itself felt like it was alive, shifting and responding in subtle ways as Jack and I made our way eastward into the woods. We had debated briefly about which direction to take. Jack, ever the wanderer, had suggested heading toward one of the surrounding forests, convinced they held some grand revelation. I, on the other hand, preferred something a bit more immediate and reachable. The dense forest to the east seemed the best bet. It was alive with the hum of unseen creatures, and the trees themselves twisted toward each other like the arches of a grand cathedral. So, east it was.
Jack walked beside me, or rather, floated. His form flickered faintly as we moved, shifting between solid and transparent like a hologram. It was strange, seeing him like that. It was like he was there, but not entirely. Every so often, his booted feet brushed the ground, but he left no footprints.
"This place is weird," he muttered, glancing around. "I mean, even for a fae-infested magical wonderland."
I smirked. "That's rich, who knows maybe there are unicorns."
He snorted but didn't argue.
As we walked deeper into the forest, the light took on an ethereal quality, filtering through leaves that shimmered like liquid gold. The trees here were enormous, their trunks thick with spiraling vines, some of which pulsed with veins of glowing blue energy. Strange fruit dangled from twisted branches some vibrant and inviting, others giving off an aura of unmistakable danger. The ground was covered in thick, mossy undergrowth that didn't so much crunch underfoot as it sighed like a long-held breath being released. Every so often, the path ahead would shift roots pulling away as if making room for us, flowers blooming in our wake. The Fair Lands knew we were here and they were watching. The deeper we walked into the Fair Lands, the more I could feel it breathing. Not in the physical sense, but in the way the air pulsed with unseen currents, the trees shifted ever so slightly when unobserved, and the soil beneath my boots sighed with something ancient and knowing.
The underbrush rustled ahead. I halted, my fingers twitching toward the dagger at my waist that no longer was there. Jack stilled beside me, his usual banter gone in an instant.
A small creature stepped into view. It was foxlike in shape, its body lean and agile, but its fur was unlike anything I'd ever seen shimmering between deep violet and turquoise as though reflecting an unseen light. Tiny, curling antlers grew from its head, and its long, feathery tail split into three wisps of drifting smoke as if it were caught between solid and ethereal forms. It wasn't afraid.
It just... stared at me.
I met its gaze, expecting the usual wariness animals had toward humans. But its eyes golden, with pupils shaped like slivers of crescent moons held something more.
Recognition.
A ripple passed through the air, sending a shiver down my spine. The world around us dimmed like the forest itself was stepping back, leaving only me and the creature in this moment.
Then, something clicked inside me.
The sensation wasn't painful, but it was sudden like a door unlocking in the back of my mind. My vision blurred for a fraction of a second before something new flooded my awareness.
[New Skill Gained: Identify (Grade C)-To see is to know, to know is to understand. But not all truths are yours to claim.]
The words burned themselves into my mind, as real as any spoken sentence. Then, just as quickly as it had appeared, the creature blinked severing the connection between us, and darted away, vanishing into the foliage with an unnatural grace. The moment broke, and the forest exhaled, returning to its usual, shifting self.
Jack let out a low whistle as he rubbed his forehead. "Well, that was dramatic. What the hell just happened?"
I took a slow breath, grounding myself. "I think... I just got a new skill."
As we continued walking, I decided to test the skill. The first thing I focused on was a nearby tree with bark that shimmered under the moonlight, veins of soft blue light running through it like living circuitry.
[Species: Ancient Faeheart Oak(Grade: A) -An elder tree infused with the memories of the past. It whispers forgotten names on the wind.]
I blinked as the information settled into my mind, crisp and absolute. I hadn't read those words. I'd known them.
Jack peered over my shoulder. "So? What's the tree's tragic backstory?"
I huffed. "It's an Ancient Faeheart Oak. Holds old memories."
"Neat," Jack said. "Now ask it if it remembers a good tavern."
I ignored him, turning my attention to a small, floating light just ahead—one of the many tiny, glowing creatures that drifted lazily through the air like lost embers.
I focused, on activating Identify.
[Error: Insufficient Rank]
My vision blurred for a second before snapping back to normal.
Jack noticed my hesitation. "What happened?"
"It... failed," I admitted.
He raised a brow. "Failed? Thought this fancy new skill of yours let you know things."
I frowned. "Yeah, well, apparently not everything."
Curious, I tried again this time on a cluster of luminescent flowers growing at the base of a nearby tree.
[Species: Lunar Bloom(Grade B) -Inhaling its pollen induces visions. Some are prophetic. Others are nightmares.]
A shiver ran down my spine. The idea that something as simple as a flower could toy with fate unsettled me.
Jack, noticing my expression, smirked. "What, the flowers are cursed?"
"More like drugged," I muttered. "They can induce visions good or bad."
Jack stepped around the flowers with exaggerated care. "Yeah, let's not play the mystical roulette today."
I kept testing Identify as we walked. Sometimes it worked. Sometimes it failed. A chittering sound from above drew my attention to a creature leaping between the branches, something with too many limbs and no discernible face.
[Error: Insufficient Rank]
My stomach twisted. Why couldn't I see it?
The inconsistencies gnawed at me. Some things revealed themselves effortlessly like they wanted to be understood. Others stayed hidden, locked for reasons unclear.
Jack, watching me closely, finally spoke. "You're trying to figure out why it's failing, aren't you?"
I sighed. "Yeah. And I don't like not knowing."
He hummed in thought, then shrugged. "Could be a lot of reasons. Maybe some things are just too strong for you to look at."
I glanced back at the shadowy creature in the trees. That… made sense. But it also raised another concern.
"What happens if I try to Identify something that's aware I'm looking?"
Jack's smirk faded slightly. "Well. Let's hope you don't piss off the wrong thing."
___________________________________________________
The Fair Lands didn't have a normal sun. Instead, the sky was split between twin celestial bodies, one a radiant golden orb, the other a shifting mass of silver light. As we walked deeper into the woods, the golden sun began to dip below the jagged treetops, casting elongated shadows through the twisted branches. The silver sun remained high, bathing everything in an eerie glow. The result was an unsettling mix of deep twilight and soft luminescence, as if the world itself couldn't decide whether it wanted to rest or remain awake. We had been walking for hours. My body didn't ache, nor did I feel exhausted the way I would before the transition. The air was charged with magic, keeping me oddly refreshed despite the distance we'd covered. Jack, of course, was unaffected by fatigue, being an incorporeal projection. He hovered just beside me, sometimes drifting slightly ahead trying to see what else was around us.
"You think time moves the same here?" I asked absently, brushing aside a branch that had curled toward me as we passed.
Jack considered this, his blue eyes scanning the darkening sky. "Doubt it. Feels... off. Like we've been walking all day, but I couldn't tell you how long an hour is here."
I nodded. The Fair Lands didn't operate by normal logic. Time likely ebbed and flowed as unpredictably as the land itself. We continued in silence until the trees thinned, and the landscape changed.
Ahead, the dense forest parted, opening into a wide clearing. The ground here was softer, covered in a thick carpet of moss and small glowing fungi that pulsed like dying embers. A large, shallow pond rested in the center, its surface reflecting the twin lights of the sky. Strange floating orbs some resembling fireflies, others appearing like drifting embers hovered lazily above the water, their presence giving the entire space an ethereal, undisturbed serenity. The wind shifted, carrying the scent of damp earth and faintly sweet pollen. Unlike the chaotic, shifting nature of the deeper woods, this place felt stable.
I exhaled slowly, stepping forward into the clearing. "Jack," I murmured, letting my boots sink slightly into the moss. "This might be the spot."
Jack landed beside me, his usual lighthearted demeanor momentarily subdued as he took in our surroundings. "You thinking what I think you're thinking?"
I turned in a slow circle, studying the area. The clearing was large enough to build something substantial. The pond could be a water source. The moss-covered ground meant fertile soil, and the surrounding trees were twisted but sturdy.
"It makes sense," I said finally. "If I'm supposed to be setting up a court or whatever this system expects me to do I need a home base. Somewhere to start."
Jack rubbed the back of his neck, his expression shifting between curiosity and amusement. "You sure about this? I mean, I'm all for having a place to kick back, but setting up a court sounds like a lot of responsibility."
I exhaled through my nose, thinking. "It's not about ruling. Not yet. It's about having a foothold in this world. The Fair Lands are already watching me, waiting for me to act. If I don't carve out a space of my own, someone else will do it for me."
Jack tilted his head, considering. "So, we build a home first, and figure out the court nonsense later?"
"Exactly."
He smirked. "Well, can't argue with that logic. Besides, I'd rather haunt a cozy base in the middle of an eldritch forest than keep wandering until we run into something that actually eats ghosts."
The decision had been made. This clearing this eerie, quiet patch of the Fair Lands was where I would establish my court. Whatever that meant. Jack stood beside me, arms crossed, his presence a steadying figure against the backdrop of the silver-lit pond. He watched me expectantly, waiting for whatever crazy thing was about to happen next. And honestly? So was I.
I opened my menu.
It appeared before me like a translucent screen of woven light, the glowing text shifting ever so slightly as if alive. I scrolled through it, quickly navigating toward the newly available [Establish Court] option.
I hesitated for only a second before pressing it and a system message flashed in my vision.
[Establishing court. Connection made. Zerg base will be used as the main building... Beginning process.]
[Resource used: One larva.]
Jack and I both stopped.
I read the message again. And again.
"Uh…" Jack's voice was slow, cautious. "Did that just say Zerg?"
I swallowed. Hard. "I was really hoping to get the Terrans"
He blinked. "Like the 'StarCraft space bugs' kind of Zerg?"
"Apparently."
Jack's expression shifted from confusion to concern to deeply unsettled. "And, uh… where exactly is this larva coming from?"
The answer hit me half a second before I felt it.
Something moved in my throat.
A sharp, wet, twitching sensation.
My entire body locked up. My hands clenched into fists, my lungs seized, and every single nerve screamed wrong.
Jack took one look at my face and stepped back. "Ivory?"
I couldn't answer.
I couldn't breathe.
The thing inside me wriggled, its slimy, chitinous body twisting as it forced its way up my esophagus.
No. No. NO.
I mentally screamed, slamming my focus onto the system menu, my mind racing to cancel the process—
'Cancel Cancel Cancel!!'
[Process cancellation denied. Establishment is irreversible.]
Are you KIDDING me?!
I clutched at my throat, gagging as the larva pushed higher, scraping against my windpipe. Jack was panicking, his hands hovering near me, but unable to do a damn thing every time he touched my neck it would just faze through.
'Switch Species! I want to choose the Dominion There are humans on this planet!'
[Species Change Denied. Technological Level Detected is not high advanced enough.]
I dropped to my knees, my nails digging into the moss-covered ground. My back arched as the pressure built.
And then it forced itself out.
My jaw unhinged far wider than it should have, my body betraying me as something slick, writhing, and alive crawled past my teeth. I couldn't stop it. I could only choke, gasp, and watch as the Zerg larva slithered free, landing with a wet plop in the moss. I collapsed forward, barely catching myself on my hands, gasping in deep, ragged breaths. My entire body shook, my stomach twisted in on itself, and my throat burned like acid had seared through it.
Jack was white as a sheet which, given his ghostly form, was saying something.
"Ivory-" His voice was hoarse, eyes wide, unblinking. "Are you okay?"
I coughed violently, tasting bile and something else something organic and alien. "I just " Another cough. "Birthed a Alien. What do you think?"
The larva writhed in the moss, its slimy, segmented body shifting as it reoriented itself. It was grotesque pale, fleshy, covered in ridges and twitching appendages. And it was moving toward the center of the clearing.
Jack and I both stared as the larva wiggled into the earth, burrowing down with unnatural speed. The ground trembled, dirt and moss parting as the larva dug deep, forming a small crater before eventually stopping.
A low, chittering sound filled the air, rhythmic and pulsing, as the burrowed larva began to change. Its form twisted, skin darkening, hardening into something thick and carapaced. The structure expanded, stretching outward like organic muscle weaving itself into a living structure. The moss-covered earth swelled, spreading outward in pulsing waves of flesh. The ground around the burrow softened, slowly forming the twisted, alien spires of a structure I knew all too well.
A Zerg Hatchery.
"Oh," Jack breathed. "That's… that's interesting."
I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, spitting out the last remnants of bile. "No kidding."
The lair continued to grow, thick tendrils of organic matter stretching outward growing over one another and reinforcing the structure, outside it a viscous substance slowly flowed out from the lair. The flesh-like substance seemed thick and slimy as it continued to expand and Interact with the surroundings. The Creep slowly devoured the vibrant moss before coming to a pause. Pulsing sacs of bioluminescent tissue emerged from the base, twitching as it took in outside stimuli.
I staggered to my feet, still lightheaded, but hyper-aware of the thing that had just emerged from my body and reshaped the land.
Jack whistled low, shaking his head. "So, just to recap… you hit a button, grew a space-bug out of your throat, and now we have a Zerg base sitting in the middle of Fair Land."
I groaned, rubbing my temples. "When you say it like that, it sounds worse."
"Oh no," he said, voice thick with sarcasm. "It's already plenty bad."
Another system message flashed before my eyes.
[Lair established. Court foundation complete. Additional functions unlocking soon.]
I let my hands fall to my sides, staring at the pulsating Zerg structure that had now taken root in the Fair Lands and continued to grow. The entire clearing felt different like something had claimed it.
Jack crossed his arms, looking between me and the Lair. "So, what's the plan now, Your Majesty?"
I exhaled slowly, shaking off the last remnants of panic. My heartbeat was still erratic, but the initial horror of vomiting a creature was starting to settle into something else something more akin to acceptance.
"This place is ours now," I muttered. "No point in second-guessing it."
The Zerg Lair was still growing.
I watched as the once-small burrow at the center of the clearing expanded, flesh-like material stretching outward, pulsing with unseen energy. The twisted organic mass took shape, expanding in size, the outer shell hardening into something that looked equal parts alive and constructed.
It was massive as it slowly finished growing, at least 40 meters tall, with a sprawling base stretching nearly 80 meters wide almost the entirety of the clearing was already covered, just the small section where we were standing and behind us was clear. The exterior walls pulsed like muscle, ribbed with thick ridges of hardened carapace, and veins of bioluminescent fluid coursed along its surface in an eerie, rhythmic pattern. The ground beneath our feet shuddered as tendrils pushed deeper, burrowing meters underground, anchoring the structure into the very bones of the Fair Lands. The soft, mossy forest floor was quickly being devoured by the advancing spread of Zerg creep, the organic mass that slithered outward from the Hatchery in all directions. It pulsed, flexing as it grew before coming to a stop at the edges of the clearing.
Jack and I stood at the edge of the clearing, watching in a mix of horror and fascination.
"Well," Jack muttered, crossing his arms. "That's bigger than I expected."
I let out a shaky breath, my hands tightening into fists. The sight of it unnerved me but at the same time…
I could feel it.
The Hatchery's presence was etched into my mind, not as something foreign but as something connected to me. Like a second heartbeat. I could sense its growth, the expansion of its underground roots, the movement inside.
It was mine. And that terrified me.
Jack turned toward me, catching my expression. "So… You gonna say something, or are we just gonna stand here gawking?"
I exhaled sharply, shaking off my unease. "Let's go inside."
Jack stared at me. "Inside? Into the giant alien flesh-hive?"
I gestured at the massive, gaping entrance near the base, where openings pulsed open and closed like the breathing of some enormous beast. "Yeah."
Jack groaned. "I hate this plan already."
I stepped forward, moving toward the entrance, Jack followed albeit reluctantly.
The interior was… different. The moment I stepped through the flexing membrane of the entrance, the air changed becoming thicker, and warmer the walls weren't stone or wood but flesh-like tissue, ridged and veined with the same glowing fluid I had seen outside. The passage curved downward, spiraling toward what I assumed was the central chamber.
Jack hovered just behind me, eyeing the walls like they might close in and eat him. "This is disgusting."
I didn't disagree. The place felt alive, the walls expanding and contracting as if they were breathing.
And then we saw them.
The larva.
They were embedded in the walls, dozens of them, each wrapped in thick, translucent cocoons. The fleshy sacs pulsed softly, the creatures inside slowly forming and moving, their tiny, segmented bodies shifting in the embryonic fluid.
Jack gagged. "Okay, nope. I'm out."
I, however, stepped closer, drawn by something instinctual. The connection I had with the Hatchery extended to them, a strange awareness settling into my mind.
I reached out, brushing my fingers against one of the cocoons.
A system message flickered into existence.
[Zerg Larva Incubation in Progress. Larva will mature in: 10 Hours.]
Jack pointed at the writhing cocoons. "You know what this means, right? You've got eggs. That means you're gonna have… more of them."
I rubbed my jaw, acknowledging the truth of his words. The Hatchery wasn't just a static base it was a hive. It would create more of these creatures. Creatures that would listen to me.
Whether I wanted them or not.
I pulled my hand away, forcing myself to focus. "We need to get to the center."
Jack groaned again but followed as I continued downward, deeper into the Hatchery's core.
The passage eventually opened up into a massive central chamber, nearly 30 meters high, the walls curving like the inside of a great, pulsating cavern.
And at the center… A throne.
Not a throne in the traditional sense, but a raised platform, formed from the same organic matter as the rest of the Hatchery. It pulsed with a deep, slow heartbeat, the energy centered here, as if the entire structure was anchored to this one point.
The moment I stepped onto it, the connection between me and the Hatchery solidified.
Another system message appeared.
[Court Established. Hatchery Linked to Ruler. Control Functions Now Available]
I staggered, grabbing onto the edge of the platform as a rush of knowledge flooded my mind.
The layout of the Hatchery. The status of the larva. The range of its influence and more.
Jack hovered just outside the platform, arms crossed. "Well? How's it feel being Queen of the Swarm?"
I exhaled slowly, my heartbeat steadying as I processed the connection. "It feels… odd."
That was the truth.
The Fair Lands had gifted me magic, but this?
This was something else entirely.
The throne, if it could even be called, was alive beneath me. The surface of the raised platform pulsed in slow, rhythmic beats, a steady thrum that matched the organic cadence of the Hatchery as it began to move slowly morphing a seat. The seat slowly forming seemed to be made out of a strange material, it wasn't carved from stone or wood but seemingly living chitin it seemed almost as visibly soft as cotton. The moment I sat down it felt like my vision expanded and gained the ability to feel what the swarm felt. The slow expansion of the expanding creep, Every shift of the creeping tendrils beneath the earth.
I let out a slow breath and sat back, my fingers flexing against the throne's chitinous surface. Jack stood a few feet away, arms crossed, his flickering form illuminated by the dim bioluminescent glow of the room. His expression was a mix of morbid fascination and deep concern.
"So," he muttered, tilting his head toward the embedded larva sacs, their fleshy walls trembling ever so slightly. "How long before you've got a whole bunch of these guys crawling around?"
I narrowed my eyes, focusing on the closest cocoon. The mass of translucent tissue shuddered, a faint light rippling across its membrane. The creature inside shifted, the embryonic fluids swirling as something within it stirred, twitched, and grew.
Then, with a wet, organic squelch, the cocoon ruptured.
A Larva spilled out onto the fleshy ground, its long, segmented body twitching as it slowly acclimated to the outside world. It was small, about the length of my forearm, its slick, chitinous skin pulsing as it moved forward in slow, undulating motions.
Jack grimaced. "Yep. That's disgusting."
I ignored him. My entire focus was on the creature.
The firstborn of the Hive.
It moved without urgency, its antennae twitching, tasting the air. Its form was alien, but not mindless. It wasn't some dumb, wriggling insect-it was aware. And I could feel that awareness in my mind like a faint presence hovering just beyond my direct thoughts.
The psionic link between me and it was there. I didn't understand how it worked yet, but I could sense it. A thread of control, waiting for me to grasp it.
The first larva continued its slow exploration of the chamber, its tiny appendages feeling along the ground as if memorizing the terrain. And as it did, the second cocoon trembled.
Then the third.
Both sacs burst in sequence, and two more larvae slithered free, each mirroring the first in their slow, methodical movements. The three Zerg larvae slithered across the fleshy, pulsating ground, their segmented bodies writhing as they adjusted to their surroundings. Their antennae twitched, tasting the air, their tiny limbs brushing against the organic surface with unsettling precision. Jack stood next to me, arms crossed, his form casting no shadow. His usual sharp wit had taken a backseat, his expression unreadable as he stared at the creatures before us.
I could feel them.
Not in the physical sense, but rather a tether connecting me to their small, alien bodies. It wasn't like hearing thoughts or speaking words. It was something deeper. More... instinctual.
I closed my eyes and focused.
And then I saw it.
A vast, sprawling network unfolded before me.. a system of Evolution, of potential. It was like staring at the roots of a massive tree, with each branch splitting into more paths, twisting and growing with possibility. Some parts of the tree glowed, bright and waiting. Others were dim, locked behind unseen barriers.
Each larva was the base and I could help guide choose how they grew. As I looked at the base of the network the understanding of the only highlighted node slowly worked its way into my head.
[Available Transformations:]
[Zerg Drone- Basic Worker Unit – Cost: 50 Minerals
The backbone of the Zerg economy, the Drone is a nimble, bio-engineered worker unit capable of rapidly harvesting resources and constructing vital structures for your swarm. Though individually fragile, these tireless creatures can morph into more advanced forms, transforming into the building blocks of your strategic dominance]
Beyond the one option, the network continued, reaching toward greater evolutions but they were unavailable, hidden by restrictions I could guess and be pretty sure about.
Sucking in a breath, my fingers curling against the arm of the chair.
"I can see it," I murmured. "Their… potential. It's like a build tree."
Jack turned toward me, his brows furrowed. "A what?"
I opened my mouth to explain, but before I could, something shifted in the air. Jack froze.
His expression changed his gaze glazed over for a split second before his entire posture stiffened. His eyes widened, lips parting slightly as if he'd been hit by some invisible force.
Then his head snapped toward the larva, his face blank with sudden realization.
"I-" He hesitated, his voice strangely distant. "I can see it too."
I blinked. "What?"
Jack lifted a hand to his temple as if trying to shake off a headache. "I don't know how, but the moment you said you could see it, it's like… like something clicked. It's all just… there in my head."
I watched him closely, my pulse quickening.
From what I understood, the wish made it so Jack wasn't a separate entity from me. Not really. He was part of my mind, If I had access to the build tree through my link with the Zerg, then it made sense that Jack-who resided in my mind-would be able to see it too.
"Try something," I said, my voice steady but firm. "Focus on one of them. See if you can… influence it."
Jack swallowed. Then, slowly, he turned his gaze to one of the larvae.
For a moment, nothing happened.
The larva froze.
Jack's entire body tensed. His fingers twitched, and his lips parted slightly, as though he were speaking words only he could hear.
The psionic link between us and the Zerg flared, and I felt his presence.
The larva responded instantly, its body shuddering, its movements no longer idle but deliberate.
Jack took a sharp breath, his fingers curling, his voice quieter now, almost reverent. "It's listening to me."
I didn't speak. I didn't want to break whatever was happening.
Jack tilted his head, testing the limits of his control.
"Move right."
The larva shifted, undulating toward the direction he had indicated.
"Stop."
It froze.
Jack let out a breathless laugh, half in awe, half in horror. "Holy hell."
"Jack."
He turned to me, his blue eyes sharp.
"This isn't just my power," I said, voice low. "You're connected to them too."
Jack hesitated. For the first time, uncertainty flickered across his face.
"I-" He shook his head, as if trying to deny it. "It's not this isn't mine. It's yours."
I exhaled through my nose. "Then why can you do it?"
He didn't answer.
I stared at him for a long time before finally looking back at the build tree in my mind.
Jack had access to it, just like I did. Which meant he could command the Zerg alongside me.
That changed everything, I turned my attention back to the larva, pulling myself back into the psionic network. My gaze flickered over the one available evolution.
I needed a few Drones first, focusing I tried directing my command through the link.
[Evolve: Selection Drone]
The larva tensed. Its body hardened, its form expanding, reshaping in a cocoon. The slimy, fleshy exterior darkened, its structure stretching and standing still for a few moments as the larva could be seen inside moving. A few moments pass before the cocoon pops and reveals the new form The first Drone of the Hive had been born.
I leaned forward, squinting to take in every detail. Unlike the clumsy, insect-like scuttling I had once imagined, this Drone was a study in biological ingenuity. Its body was long and segmented, each section a glossy band of dark chitin that rippled as it moved. But what struck me most were its wings and legs (or lack thereof). Rather than the brittle, angular appendages of ordinary insects, the Drone's wings had evolved into smooth, fleshy membranes-webbed and supple, like those of a wasp remade by nature. These membranes were not merely for show; they acted as stabilizers, keeping the Drone perfectly balanced in midair as it navigated the chaotic environment.
At the center of its thorax, I noticed a peculiar, bulbous organ, a float bladder. It glowed with a soft, eerie light, pulsing in time with the creature's slow, deliberate movements. I recalled the lore: this float bladder wasn't decorative at all. It emitted a low-frequency organic energy field that disrupted gravity in its immediate vicinity. In effect, the Drone defied the natural pull of the world beneath it. It wasn't walking or crawling; it was hovering, suspended in a delicate balance between the pull of gravity and the gentle push of its own internal energy. I watched fascinated, as the Drone seemed to "swim" in place in the air. Its movements were fluid, almost hypnotic, a graceful undulation that suggested it was not merely floating but actively propelling itself. The creature's body seemed to curve and flex in a continuous, wave-like motion. I found myself wondering about the origins of this adaptation was found and utilized in lore, it was an amazing adaptation for such a common unit.
I nodded, my thoughts turning to the next larva. There were two more waiting, each trying their best to explore the inner walls of the Hatchery. I directed my focus toward the second one, willing it to follow the same path. The second larva freezes feeling my focus before it trembles for a moment and the process repeats itself, Its form similar to the first with very slight differences.
"One more to go, Jack," I murmured, my voice a mix of determination and wonder.
Together, we watched as the final larva went still and began to shudder slightly as if prepping for the process. I readied my mental command, poised to select its evolution toward the Drone form, just as I had done with the others. But the moment I sent the command; something went terribly awry.
A sharp, jarring interruption shattered the flow of energy. Instead of the expected transformation, my psionic link faltered, and a sudden, unmistakable voice rang out in my head a voice that I recognized from the countless hours playing Starcraft 2.
"We require more minerals."