He pushed the unsettling emptiness aside. Survival first, introspection later. Loot. The Queen’s hoard, earned through the sacrifice of nearly the entire squad. He owed it to them, to himself, to retrieve whatever bounty their deaths had purchased.

  Lestor limped over, leaning heavily on his staff, his face pale and streaked with grime and tears. He offered Luke a hand up, his grip surprisingly strong despite his exhaustion. “We... we need to get out of here, Luke. Before anything else is drawn to the... the aftermath.” His voice was thick with grief, his eyes avoiding the remains of Hark near the rockfall and the bloodstain where Mark had stood.

  “Loot first,” Luke said, his voice flat, detached. He felt a strange disconnect, the tactical necessity overriding the emotional horror for the moment. He focused his intent on the massive pile of shattered rock burying the Queen. Loot.

  The golden light pulsed, emanating faintly from beneath the tons of stone. It felt weaker than before, perhaps diffused by the debris, but the connection was there. Notifications began to shimmer in his internal awareness, confirming the grim harvest.

  

~ Experience Gained: 5,000 ~ (Adjusted XP value for a Rare Boss)

  ~ Level Up! ~

  ~ Level Up! ~

  ~ You are now Level 12! ~

  ~ Attribute Points Gained: +4 ~

  ~ Skill Points Gained: +2 ~ )

  

~ Loot Acquired: ~

  ~ * Formica Queen’s Chitin (Rare Material) x25 ~

  ~ * Royal Formica Venom (Rare Reagent) x5 ~

  ~ * Insectoid Control Gem (Unique Item) - Description : A pulsating gem humming with psionic energy. Allows limited mental influence over common insectoid lifeforms within a short range. Requires significant Wit and mental fortitude to control without backlash. Attunement Required. ~

  

~ Queen’s Pincer Daggers (Rare Weapon) Damage: 20-25 Special Effect: Poisonous Strike 10/10 remaining- Each hit has a 10% chance to inflict poison, dealing 5 damage per second for 10 seconds. Dual Wield Bonus: Increased poison chance to 15% when wielded as a pair ~

  

~ * Skill Token (Uncommon) x1 ~

  ~ * Heart of the Hive (Epic Component) x1 - Description: The crystallized core of a Formica Queen’s life force. Radiates potent earth and psionic energy. Highly valuable crafting material. ~

  ~ * Acid Gland (Rare Component) x2 - Description: Contains residual corrosive digestive fluids from the Formica Queen. Handle with extreme care. ~

  Luke quickly reviewed the list. The levels gained were substantial, a testament to the difficulty of the fight. The attribute and skill points were desperately needed. The Chitin and Venom were valuable trade goods. The Gem remained intriguing but unusable for now. The Heart of the Hive sounded powerful, though he didn’t have any diea how to actually use it. The Acid Glands were a dangerous bonus. And a new accessory? He mentally equipped the Lesser Mark of the Hive Queen, feeling a subtle resilience settle over him.

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  He looked at the new daggers and inspected them more thoroughly.

  Expendable with 10 uses.. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to equip these now given their limited use. He decided to leave them in his inventory for now.

  “Got it,” Luke said to Lestor, pushing himself fully upright, ignoring the protest of his muscles. “Good haul. Epic component, even.”

  Lestor nodded numbly, his gaze still distant. “Good. Let’s... let’s check on the others. See if... see if there’s anything left to recover.” His voice broke.

  Luke put a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Lestor. We need to go. Now. Mark, Hark, Silva, Redwood... they wouldn’t want us dying here too. We honor them by surviving, by getting this loot back, by telling their story.” The words felt hollow, rehearsed, but they were necessary.

  Lestor looked at him, grief warring with the ingrained logic of survival. He finally nodded, scrubbing furiously at his eyes. “Yeah. Yeah, you’re right. The Queen may be dead but there has to be other bugs stilla round here.” He took a deep, shuddering breath. “Which way out?”

  Luke scanned the chamber again. The passage they’d used to enter the sanctum seemed the most direct route back towards the main tunnels. “That way,” he said, pointing. “Let’s move. Quickly and quietly.”

  They skirted the edge of the platform, giving the Queen’s rocky tomb and the bubbling trench a wide berth. Luke spared a final glance across the chasm at the spots where their comrades had fallen, a fresh wave of that cold emptiness washing over him. He pushed it down, focusing on the path ahead. The victory felt profoundly tainted, the spoils heavy with the weight of sacrifice. The path of the Death Merchant, it seemed, was paved with loss. They started towards the tunnel, leaving the eerie green glow and the silence of the Queen’s ravaged sanctum behind them.

  They plunged into the darkness, moving as quickly as their injuries allowed. The tunnel twisted and turned, occasionally branching, forcing them to make uncertain choices based on instinct and the faint drafts of air that hinted at larger spaces ahead. They encountered no more Formica, thankfully, the nest seemingly thrown into disarray by the Queen’s demise.

  After what felt like an eternity navigating the suffocating darkness, they saw a faint light ahead. The dim, grey light of the plains filtering down from above. Relief washed over them. They scrambled up the final incline, emerging from a smaller, well hidden nest entrance back onto the surface, blinking in the light of late afternoon.

  They stood for a moment, breathing the relatively fresh air, gazing back at the sprawling complex of Formica mounds that scarred the basin. It seemed almost peaceful now, the incessant chittering and buzzing absent.

  “Right,” Lestor said, consulting the rough map he still carried. “If I’m reading this right, the Imperium camp should be roughly… that way.” He pointed southwest. “Maybe half a day’s walk, if we push it.”

  Luke nodded, checking his internal status. HP was slowly regenerating, maybe around 15/100 now. Mana was recovering faster, closer to 20%. Stamina was still abysmal. He needed proper rest, food, water. The waterskin was empty. He assigned his newly gained attribute points: +2 Vitality (now 5), +2 Dexterity (now 8). He held onto the skill point and the Uncommon Skill Token for now, unsure where best to invest them.

  They set off, leaving the Formica basin behind. The terrain remained challenging, rolling hills, patches of thorny scrub, loose rock underfoot. They moved slowly, conserving energy, frequently scanning their surroundings. The silence felt unnerving after the constant noise of the nest and the battle.