The cave stank of blood. Broken bodies of goblins littered the floor, their black ichor soaking into the stone. Selene's chest heaved with ragged breaths, fists trembling, knuckles raw. My own mind was dizzy from the Shared Senses, each heartbeat pounding in stereo inside us both.
But the real fight hadn't even started.
The horde parted.
And he stepped in.
The Goblin Captain.
He was taller than any goblin I had ever seen, his shoulders broad as a bull's, his skin dark green and covered in jagged scars. His tusks curved upward like ivory daggers, his nose bent from countless battles. In his hands, he gripped a massive iron axe—half-rusted, half-crusted in dried blood.
His eyes locked on Selene.
And she froze.
Her memories hit me like a flood through the Hive link: fists, laughter, chains, humiliation. He had been one of the brutes who had treated her like trash, the "Captain" who owned her before she fled.
Her entire body trembled. She wasn't just afraid. She was reliving every wound.
"Selene," I whispered inside her. "Breathe."
"I… I can't… it's him… I can't fight him…"
"You can. And you will. Because if you don't, we're dead."
Her eyes filled with tears. "He'll kill me—kill us—"
I growled. "Then let's kill him first."
The Captain sneered, raising his axe. His guttural voice rumbled through the cavern: a promise of slaughter.
---
The system pulsed.
> [ Mental Link Destabilizing ]
Host: Selene – Fear Surge Detected.
Ego Clash Required.
Suddenly, the cave around me dissolved.
I stood inside a void of swirling green flame. Before me, Selene knelt, chains clamped around her wrists and ankles, her head bowed. Behind her towered the Captain, his laughter echoing.
This wasn't real. It was her fear, her memory.
I walked forward. "Selene. Look at me."
She didn't move. "I'm weak. I always run. I always break. I'm just… a goblin."
I grabbed the chains, my worm-body glowing with silver light. "You're my Queen Node. You're my first partner. And together, we're not weak."
The Captain roared, swinging his axe. I shoved Selene aside and took the blow—pain exploded in both of us.
But I held on.
"You're not trash," I snarled. "You're the first stone of the Hive. My Hive. Our Hive. So stand up."
Selene's eyes widened. The chains cracked.
Green fire surged around her, wrapping her like armor. She rose, trembling—but no longer in fear. In defiance.
The system chimed:
> [ Ego Clash Resolved ]
Host Bond Strengthened.
Symbiosis: +25% (Temporary)
---
Back in the real cave, Selene's eyes blazed bright green. Her fists clenched with renewed power.
The Captain bellowed, swinging his axe. The air split with the force.
"Dodge left!" I shouted.
She dove sideways, the blade carving a crater into the floor where she had been. Pebbles sprayed. Dust clouded the air.
We countered. Selene leapt forward, fist swinging with parasitic strength. Her punch cracked against the Captain's ribs. He staggered back a step.
But only a step.
"Shit," I muttered. "He's tanky."
The Captain roared, backhanding us across the cave. We slammed into the wall, pain bursting across our ribs.
Selene gasped. "We… can't win…"
"Yes, we can. We just need to fight smarter."
--
The Captain rushed again. I yanked Selene's body low. She tumbled, landing flat on her back. Her tunic tore further, baring more skin.
"Oh goddammit, not again—"
Her face flushed crimson. "Stop noticing!"
"I can't un-notice what I feel, Selene! That's literally the system's fault!"
"Pervert parasite!"
"Focus on not dying, you tsundere goblin!"
She shrieked in both rage and embarrassment—but the adrenaline worked. She flipped back to her feet just as the Captain's axe smashed down, splitting the stone where her body had lain.
---
We circled him.
"Listen," I said, forcing calm. "He's slow but powerful. We dodge, punish, dodge, punish. Classic boss fight."
"I don't know your games!"
"Then just trust me!"
The Captain lunged again. We dodged sideways, scraping our shoulder against the wall. Pain lanced through us both, but we stayed upright.
I pushed biomass into her arm. Her muscles swelled, glowing faintly.
She swung.
Her fist cracked against the Captain's jaw. Blood sprayed from his mouth. He reeled.
Selene's lips parted in awe. "I… hurt him."
"Damn right you did. Now keep hitting until he drops the loot!"
---
The Captain roared, spinning his axe in a wide arc. The blade clipped Selene's arm, tearing flesh. Pain seared.
> [ Damage Taken: -42 HP ]
[ Biomass Conversion Active ]
I forced biomass into the wound, knitting it shut. Blood steamed as tissue regenerated.
Selene gasped. "You healed me?"
"Call it my cheat code."
We darted forward again. I guided her punches, weaving left, right, left. Each blow left bruises across the Captain's hulking body.
But he wasn't just standing there. He slammed his forehead into Selene's skull. White pain exploded in our vision.
We staggered.
He raised his axe high.
Selene whimpered. "…Toru…"
I grit my teeth. "I got you. Dodge NOW!"
We rolled sideways, the axe splitting the stone floor where our body had been.
---
The system pulsed.
> [ Biomass: 45 ]
Assimilation Available.
"Yes!" I shouted. "Loot time!"
The Captain roared, swinging again. I opened the Assimilation menu mid-battle.
Assimilation Options (from Goblin Captain):
• [Savage Swing] Lv.2 – Heavy axe strike.
• [Brutal Roar] Lv.1 – Intimidate foes in radius.
• [Pack Tactics] Lv.1 – Buff allies when leading.
I grinned. "Perfect."
I chose Brutal Roar.
Heat surged through us. Selene threw back her head and screamed.
The sound wasn't hers alone—it was mine, ours, the Hive's. A roar that shook the cavern, echoing with primal fury.
The Captain actually froze. For the first time, fear flickered in his eyes.
Selene gasped. "That… was us?"
"Hell yeah it was."
---
We charged.
Selene's fists blazed with parasitic energy. Blow after blow hammered the Captain's ribs, stomach, jaw. Bones cracked. Blood sprayed.
The Captain howled, swinging wildly. His axe clipped her thigh. Pain seared, but we held on.
I shoved every ounce of biomass into one final push. Her fist glowed green-silver.
"Selene!" I shouted. "Finish him!"
She screamed and drove her fist into his chest.
CRUNCH!
His ribs shattered. His body flew backward, crashing into the cave wall. Blood gushed from his mouth as he slumped.
The Captain twitched once. Then lay still.
---
Victory
The cave fell silent. The surviving goblins shrieked and fled into the tunnels, their courage shattered.
Selene collapsed to her knees, gasping, covered in blood and sweat. Our body trembled, exhausted, but alive.
The system chimed.
> [ Mini-Boss Defeated: Goblin Captain ]
Exp: +2,000
Level Up! ( Toru Lv.2 -> Lv.3, Selene +1 )
Skill Unlocked: [Brutal Roar] Lv.1
Biomass: +120
[ Hive Protocol: Unlocked ]
---
Hive Protocol Unlocked
A new screen unfolded before me.
[ Hive Protocol – System Expansion ]
Core: Toru (Parasitic Anomaly)
Queen Node: Selene (Goblin Warlord Node)
Hive Features:
- Shared Hive Energy Pool
- Drone Host Creation (limit: 5)
- Node Buffs (active when within range)
Selene lifted her trembling hand. "Hive…?"
I grinned in her mind. "Yeah. Our Hive. Step one of our kingdom."
Her lips quivered into the faintest smile.
"…Then let's build it together."
---
Outside the cave, the howls of the wild still echoed. The world of Varlaeth stretched beyond, full of monsters, Sovereigns, and dungeons.
But in that moment, with Selene at my side, bloody and broken but alive, I knew one thing.
We weren't prey anymore.
We were the Hive.
And the game had just begun.