Eryn was not the sort to panic. He had endured far too much to allow fear to cloud his judgment.

  When the barrier proteg his home began to dim and lose its light, he remained calm. When the occasional monster breached their defenses and attacked the vilge, he stood firm.

  Evehe Mezus decred war on the Gozus, plunging the region into chaos and further destabilizing the illusion barrier cealing their settlement, Eryn maintained his posure. He khat if they were careful, they could still remain hidden from the outside world.

  Wheher elders began discussing the possibility of abandoning their home, he did not falter. Even when one elder suggested moving closer to humalements to escape the growing number of monsters, and the others began to sider it, Ery his resolve.

  But now, his hands trembled as he stood atop the tallest tree, watg the se below.

  Ants.

  Dozens of them, gathered just beyond the borders of the vilge. For the first time in years, Ery a chill of dread creep into his heart.

  He was terrified.

  Ant monsters were universally despised, by the higher races, humans, and even other monsters. That hatred was rooted in fear.

  The reason stretched baearly three turies, to a time when the barrier proteg the nd was newly erected and at its stro. Back then, ant monsters were sidered minor threats, ranked as Rank sters, with their queens barely reag Rank B.

  But everything ged when a queen evolved. No one khe exact cause of this evolution, some specuted it had devoured a powerful Majin, while others believed it had been granted a name. Regardless of the catalyst, the result was a Rank A ant monster with intelligence.

  Within a single week, the Great Forest of Jura was overrun. Millions of ants swarmed through the nd, ing everything in their path. The surrounding natioered on the brink of colpse, uo hold back the tide.

  In a rare dispy of unity, those nations formed an unspoken alliao push back the threat. The queen was eventually sin, and every st monster ant was hunted down.

  Sihat cataclysmic event, new ies of monster ants occasionally emerged, but they ed long. Without time to establish defehey were easily exterminated before being a true threat.

  Which was why this se defied all reason.

  Eryn's hands trembled as he gripped the branch of the tallest tree in the area. His sharp eyes tracked the movements of the ants below, and his heart sank. These weren’t the monster ants he had grown aced to seeing over his long lifetime.

  They moved on two legs, their strides purposeful. Their as were coordinated yet bore the hallmarks of individual intelligeheir sleek, carapaced flinted in the faint light, radiating an aura of power.

  “How?” Eryn whispered, his voice barely audible. His mind raced, trying to grasp what he was witnessing.

  These ants had evolved.

  And if history had taught him anything, it was that this could be the beginning of anhtmare.

  However. “They’re not doing anything.” Eryn muttered under his breath.

  He knew he had been spotted. The younger elves nearby couldn’t hide their fear before he sent them to warn the vilge.

  The rgest of the humanoid ants, its crimson eyes glowing faintly, had locked its gaze onto him. Yet it didn’t attack. It simply stood there, surrounded by its kin, as though it were waiting.

  Eryn’s sharp instincts told him this wasn’t a mere scout. If it had been, the vilge would already be in chaos, evacuating under his and. No, the overwhelming aura emanating from the creature marked it as something far more dangerous—a Rank A monster.

  Moments ter, reinforts arrived. Two elders and a dozen warriors joined him, ons drawn, tension radiating from their forms. Among them was Gin, a prodigious archer who had surpassed Eryn himself in the way of the bow.

  The warriors held their ground, ready to strike at his and, but Eryn wasn’t about to waste their lives recklessly. Not yet.

  Suddenly, there was movement among the ants. The crimson-eyed leader shifted slightly, and the atmosphere grew heavier.

  A fsh of light erupted from the ter of the group, stealing the breath of everyone present.

  As the light dimmed, the figure of a human woman stood in its pce.

  “A human?” Elder Finneas whispered, his voice tinged with disbelief.

  It was true. Standing amidst the t humanoid ants was a human female.

  Instantly, the air grew impossibly tense. Eryn’s eyes widened in shock, and absolute terror. From her very presence emanated an overwhelming aura, heavy and oppressive. It was not the kind of power any ordinary human should possess.

  “Such... presence. Is she a monster?” Kaius, the sed elder, trembled as he whispered the question.

  Even from this distahey could feel it. The sheer force of her aura demanded submission, it ower that could not be ignored or denied.

  Eryn fought to keep himself upright, his willpower the only thing keeping him from colpsing to his knees. Every fiber of his being screamed at him to bow, but he refused to yield.

  His ce seemed to inspire the others, as the elves steeled themselves, drawing upon their resolve to resist.

  The woman began walking toward them, her steps brisk yet deliberate. To Eryn and the others, each step felt like ay.

  Eryn stood his ground, though every instin his body screamed at him to act. The human woman tinued her approach, her movements measured yet deliberate. The oppressive aura radiating from her hadn’t diminished, and every elf behind him remaiense, ready t into a at a moment’s notice.

  Eryn’s sharp eyes darted to the massive humanoid ants still lingering behihey remained unnervingly still, their postures more like disciplined soldiers than feral monsters. But it was the human herself that demanded his attention.

  As she drew closer, Eryn raised his hand, signaling his warriors to hold their positions. His voice, firm and unwavering, cut through the palpable tension.

  “Stht there.”

  The woman halted immediately, her movements precise, as though she had anticipated the and. She raised her hands slightly, a gesture meant to reassure, though it did little to calm the storm within him.

  “I mean no harm,” she begaoeady, yet carrying an authority that was impossible to ignore. “My name is Kaede. My people and I have settled nearby. I only wish to speak.”

  Eryn’s sharp gaze didn’t leave her for a moment. He scrutinized her every word, every subtle movement. Her demeanor was calm, but the overwhelming presence she exuded spoke of something far greater than a mere human.

  His eyes flicked past her, toward the shadowy figures lingering irees behihe massive ants remained motionless, but their i red eyes betrayed a readihat put his people on edge.

  “Those creatures,” Eryn said, his voice sharp, “are they yours?”

  The woman -Kaede- gnced back briefly before answering. “They are. They’re my allies and my people. They only ay and.”

  The words hung in the air, and a murmur rippled through the elves behind him. Eryhe weight of their u did not share in it. His mind worked quickly, analyzing her cim.

  Before he could respond, the faint sound of rustling leaves reached his ears. He tensed, his grip tightening on his staff, but the woman didn’t flinch. Instead, her head turned slightly, and for a moment, Eryn saw a flicker of aowledgment in her eyes.

  From the trees emerged two more figures—both monstrous in size and presence.

  The first was a t seveall ant creature with an even more menag aura thahers. Its carapace gleamed darkly in the fading light, and its crimson eyes burned with intelligence.

  The sed figure was a smaller pnt humanoid, though no less imposing. Its sharp features and fident stance suggested it was no mere subordinate.

  “Mother,” the rger ant said, its voice low and reverent, carrying a weight that sent chills down Eryn’s spine. “Do you require assistance?”

  Kaede turo face the ant briefly, a small, calm smile. “Not yet. Just stand by.”

  The exge sent another ripple of uhrough the elves. Eryn could feel his warriors shifting behind him, their oighter than ever.

  “I see you’ve brought quite the ente,” Eryn said, his voice even but ced with suspi.

  Kaede turned her attention ba, her expression as calm as before. “As I said, they’re my people. I take their safety seriously, just as you would for yours. But I’m here to talk, not fight.”

  Her words were reasonable, but Eryn wasn’t vinced. He had seen too maions, too many false pretenses of peace. Yet, the power been dispyed spoke differently.

  He studied her for a long moment, his mind weighing the risks and possibilities. Finally, he gave a slow nod.

  “Very well,” he said. “I am Eryndor, one of the elders of this settlement. Speak, Kaede. What is it you want?”