In all of the chaos, Joe had made the rookie mistake of losing track of the Drama Queen. Free from the larvae that had been gnawing at her failing repulse barrier moments ago, she slowed her pace, locked eyes with Dawn, and let out a shriek.

  “Die, bitch, die!” she howled, spittle flying like she was mid-exorcism. She dropped her shield. A blade glinted in her hand as she hurled it with all the fury of someone who’d just lost a discount coupon.

  Dawn didn’t flinch. Instead, she laughed, cocking her head as if she'd been handed the world's worst insult. “Thanks for the warning,” she called back. “Yeah, I’m one lucky bitch.” With a flick of her hand, a column of flame erupted between her and the blade, melting it mid-air into a harmless blob of molten slag. Dawn smirked, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “But you? You’re just a plain old bitch.”

  The drama queen blinked in disbelief, right before being swallowed whole by a very hungry larvae.

  Joe gestured to Robyn who held Evel’s severed antenna like it might sprout legs and crawl back to life. “Andras is about to take control of the larvae…” He didn't have to ask him—Robyn’s grin said it all.

  “Don’t worry, Joe. You should know by now—I’m not fussy about what I eat.” Without hesitation, he shoved the antenna in his mouth and bit down. Joe winced. Each crunch sounded like someone chewing pork crackling.

  TJ’s laugh boomed as he clapped Robyn on the back, nearly knocking him over. “Me neither, little bro. Back when I was a hatchling, you ate what you found—living, dead, or questionable. Builds character.”

  “How long do you think you’ll share Evel’s traits and skills?” Brian held his crossbow steady as it tracked between Evel’s twitching body and Andras, as if he was seriously thinking about one-shotting the elf bard.

  Robyn chewed his cheek. “Depends on my digestion but I expect no more than five minutes, us ratfolk have fast metabolisms.”

  The larvae shuddered, twitching and rolling into each other like bumper cars on bad acid.

  Brian raised a brow. “I think severing Evel’s connection mid-transfer while Andras is trying to take control might’ve short-circuited their hive mind.”

  Robyn swallowed hard and patted his little pot belly. “That won’t last long. Give me… a moment.” His fur rippled like he was about to either gain a skill or throw up. Joe wasn’t sure which.

  Unfortunately, there was no avoiding the next step. Joe sighed. “While he’s upskilling, we need to strip Evel of those underpants of invulnerability.”

  Brian turned, staring deadpan. “And when you say ‘we,’ you mean who, exactly?”

  Dawn and Rose exchanged a look, then tossed up their hands like synchronized swimmers. “We’ll provide cover!”

  TJ groaned like a condemned man walking to his doom. “Fine, I’ll do it. But if I die this way, you better swear to take the reason to your graves.”

  Brian thumped his chest with mock solemnity. “You are a true hero, my friend. And rest assured, if you do die, I’ll sing tales of your legendary exploits…excluding the magical thongs.”

  TJ growled and stomped forward. “You’re all a bunch of bastards.”

  Joe grinned, struggling to hold back laughter. “For the record, I never expected ‘strip the velvet ant’s magic thong’ to be on today’s to-do list.”

  TJ used the larvae’s confusion to his advantage, booting their writhing forms out of his path. Andras slowed his dance moves, his smug curiosity narrowing in on TJ. He shot Joe a warning glare—Make a move against me, and you’ll regret it.

  Joe ignored him, his eyes flicking to Lucky, tucked safely under the hulking shadow of Otto, Andras’ right-hand elf. Around the chamber, the remaining ascenders were frozen, standing like wary spectators waiting for the next shoe to drop—or for someone to get squashed.

  The Queen, blissfully unconcerned, evicted yet another slimy newborn with a sound that could haunt nightmares.

  Dawn, Rose, and Brian readied their ranged attacks, nodding toward TJ, who approached Evel Kill Weevil like a lion stalking an oblivious gazelle. Evel’s drunken, skittering movements focused entirely on Andras, leaving his back wide open.

  “That should’ve been you.” Hal snorted, uninvited as always. “Rogues do it from behind. Bonus flex points if you add flair.”

  Joe shoved Hal’s voice aside and zeroed in on TJ, who stowed his machete and hesitated for half a heartbeat. Grimacing like he was about to grab roadkill, TJ yanked on Evel’s thong.

  Evel shrieked like a kettle boiling over, mandibles snapping at thin air as the elastic gave him the mother of all wedgies. TJ with grim determination carved into h the ant’s face, swung his machete and sliced clean through the waistband.

  The thong snapped free with a twang, sailing through the air like the world’s weirdest boomerang—only to slap Lucky square in the face.

  The little ratfolk let out a strangled squeak, staggering back.

  A guttural cry yanked everyone’s attention back to Evel. The velvet ant’s wings buzzed like an angry chainsaw as he turned on TJ, who didn’t flinch. Evel hit him full force, knocking TJ off his feet and carrying him like a football player in an insect rage.

  But TJ knew his physics. He grappled Evel midair, twisting the momentum into a roll. They hit the ground in a tangle of limbs and wings, skidding through dirt until they slammed into a mound hard enough to shake dust loose.

  Robyn’s eyes snapped open, and he straightened like someone had just shoved a lightning bolt up his spine. “I’m in control.” His whiskers twitched as he found his rhythm, shoulders squaring like a tiny general ready to command.

  Andras flailed harder, his dance reaching seizure-level intensity, but it didn’t matter. Robyn’s skill hit like a freight train, and Evel staggered. His crumpled wings slowed to a weak buzz as he let out a screech—pain and panic woven into one ugly sound.

  Evel backed away, mandibles clicking, his one good antenna twitching like it was trying to reboot.

  “Stop this instant! I am your senior!” Evel barked at the larvae.

  But the grubs didn’t care. With a low rumble, they surged forward, jaws snapping. Evel’s eyes bulged.

  Chomp. Chomp. Chomp.

  Evel Kill Weevil was no more.

  The heat of Hal’s blue flame flared in Joe’s chest, sharp and smug. “So long, chump!”

  “Don’t get cocky, Halcyon.” Joe rubbing his chest as if he could smother the burn. “We’ve still got Andras, anarchist lunatics, and a titan queen the size of a freight train.”

  “Savor the moment, spoilsport.” The heat dimmed with a satisfied hum.

  Robyn gasped and licked his lips like he’d just crossed the Sahara barefoot. “I don’t know how much longer I can hold these larvae. Their primal instincts are... strong. Like really strong.”

  Andras paused his frantic dancing, eyes narrowing into laser beams at Lucky. Not that Lucky noticed—he was busy squinting at something on the inside of Evel’s thongs, like he’d found a suspicious brown smear.

  Robyn leaned against Joe, his whiskers drooping. Joe dug out a mana pellet and pressed it into his paw. “Hang tight a little longer, buddy. Once we engage the boss battle, grab Lucky and get out of the blast zone. Hide somewhere until it’s over.”

  Robyn squinched his face like he was trying to solve a calculus problem blindfolded. “Speaking of Lucky… he just sent me a Picture Sense message. It’s hard to focus on two things, but I’ll try…”

  Joe tensed. “What’d he say?”

  Robyn’s voice strained as he blurted out, “Magic thongs… rubber ducky… loot box…” He exhaled like it took everything out of him. “That’s all I’ve got.”

  Joe blinked, then grinned. “Perfect, Robyn. That’s all I need.”

  Lucky had found the first loot box clue. Who knew Evel’s wardrobe malfunction would be all they needed to beat the odds.

  TJ rejoined them, shaking dirt off his boots and looking ready to throw hands with anyone breathing. The group clustered under Joe’s lead, all eyes on the path to the Queen.

  Robyn hunched but clenched his paws, determination etched into his little rat face. “I’ll keep the larvae back. Stop any new ones from erupting.”

  Joe gave him a thumbs-up. “You’re a hero, Robyn. Now let’s go battle a titan.”

  As they moved, Andras stormed over blocking their path like a man who’d just been told he wasn’t the main character. Factions trailed behind him—what was left of them, anyway.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  “You think you can waltz up to the Queen and steal this victory after all my hard work?” Andras’s voice dripped with faux charm as he turned to the burly guy with the patchy beard beside him. “We haven’t been properly introduced, but why not join our alliance? You, me, and your remaining men—we’ll take this titan down together.”

  Joe snorted. “The neck on this guy…”

  “He knows he can’t beat Drillmaw on his own,” Brian said, keeping his voice low. “And Lucky’s not about to fight for him.”

  The patchy-bearded guy laughed in Andras’s face, then pulled out what looked suspiciously like a souped-up bong. He took a deep drag, exhaling a lazy cloud of vapor that swirled into Andras’s perfectly smug expression.

  “I’m a philosopher, not a fighter,” the guy said, voice gravelly and amused. “I didn’t get this far by sticking my neck out for complete strangers. I’m more of a ‘Can’t someone else do it?’ kinda guy. If it’s good enough for Homer, it’s good enough for me.”

  Dawn raised a brow. “Sounds like this wiseguy’s from Earth.”

  Otto stepped forward, his expression promising doom. “By the Lord of Darkness, help us or leave.”

  The burly guy laughed, the sound gravelly and unimpressed, as he stashed his bong. “You can all rot in the eight cold hells. Save me a seat while you’re at it.” He turned to Otto with a smirk. “There’s no salvation, my guy, whether we hit the top or not. Don’t waste your talents being a yes-man for this bardic clown. Join the resistance instead.”

  Otto narrowed his eyes, clearly confused. “I don’t recall giving you the honor of my name.”

  Before things escalated, a nearby mound exploded with a squeal that sounded like a pig in a blender. A grub the size of a truck lurched forward, jaws snapping.

  Joe didn’t hesitate. “Move!”

  He took off, Dawn right at his side, with Brian, Rose, and TJ covering their rear. Behind them, the larvae swarmed, effectively blocking any other ascenders from giving chase.

  They skidded to a halt in the looming shadow of the behemoth Queen just as another larva hit the ground with a wet, stomach-turning splop.

  The air crackled, a system chime ringing out like a death knell.

  [The Titan Slayers have engaged the Titan Velvet Ant Queen ‘Drillmaw’ in battle. All other ascenders stand by.]

  Joe tilted his head up at the towering mass of carapace and pulsing flesh. “Fun times ahead.”

  The battle dome shimmered to life, cutting them off from the factions outside. Brian shared the stats update for the Queen Drillmaw. It told them nothing about her attacks, but Joe braced himself. Just because she was popping out larvae every few minutes didn’t mean she’d stop trying to kill them.

  The massive form of Drillmaw loomed above them, a grotesque mix of alien menace and hypnotic beauty. Her carapace shimmered with hues of deep crimson and shadowed black, like armor forged from blood and darkness.

  Her voice oozed through the chamber, smooth and sultry, with a spine-chilling edge.

  “Ahh, little monsters. You’ve come to claim your victory? To stand atop the corpses of my children?” Her beady black eyes locked onto each of them—Joe, Dawn, Brian, TJ, and Rose—cold and unblinking. “There’s a stain on your souls for every insect and spider you’ve crushed. I see it on all of you.”

  Joe’s stomach turned as chills crept up his spine. Halcyon’s voice nudged at the edge of his mind.

  “She’s using pheromones to guilt-trip you. Don’t let her get in your head.”

  Joe gripped his daggers tighter, easing into the shadow of a nearby trench. “Uh, guys? Be careful. Bug magic guilt-trip incoming.”

  Dawn’s hands glowed, but her face tightened. “Damn the lich and his mind games. How are we supposed to have the stomach for killing a mother again?”

  “Are we really hesitating here?” TJ raised his machete, his jaw set like stone. “It’s a bug. Even if she can talk, all six legs will snap for a nice juicy, bug-gutted crunch.” He jerked his weapon toward her. “I’ll take the guilt off your hands.”

  Drillmaw turned her gaze to him, unbothered. Her mandibles clicked, her voice like poisoned silk. “A brute with a blade. Predictable. Tell me—do you question your blade when you slit a mother’s throat? Scaldera bled. I wonder… did she beg you for mercy?”

  “She didn’t get the chance.” Rose whipped her hair back, her staff starting to glow. “She was too busy trying to gut us.”

  Drillmaw laughed low and melodic, a sound that echoed like the hum of wasp wings. “You lie to yourselves. You tell yourselves I am different—a ‘bug,’ not a mother. And yet I create life with every breath. I nourish. I protect.” Her abdomen pulsed and brightened. “Kill me, and this chamber—this hive—dies with me. Another stain on your soul. How much more can you bear?”

  “We’re not monsters, and your parenting style is questionable at best.” Dawn gripped her blade.

  Drillmaw tilted her head, eyes narrowing. “We are all monsters. The Lich created us for his amusement. I do not wish to fight you, but if you threaten me or my children, the system compels me to destroy you. And I will.”

  Joe felt the weight of her words, like they pressed against his chest.

  Drillmaw’s towering form shuddered, her massive abdomen pulsing like a living factory, while her drill-like claws scraped against the ground. Her eyes—black, alien, and unblinking—swept over them condemning them.

  Doubts gnawed at the edges of his mind, but he shook them off. Drillmaw was trying to break their resolve, and if they froze now, she wouldn’t hesitate to end them.

  Brian spoke up, voice steady. “Until we gain the upper hand, we have no choice. It’s ascend or die.”

  Joe exhaled, eyes narrowing at the Queen. “If we don’t act now, she will.”

  The team nodded, their hesitation fading under the weight of reality.

  “Let’s test her defenses.” Dawn’s hands flared,snapping them into motion. She hurled a fireball at Drillmaw. The Queen’s shield flared, shimmering as the firebolt rebounded against a mound.

  Joe activated Quick Wit, scanning her movements while Brian kept his crossbow ready. Drillmaw’s abdomen pulsed as she laid another larva, her shield flickering for a heartbeat. Her mandibles clicked in frustration, as if she wanted to tend to the newborn but couldn’t. Joe’s eyes narrowed.

  Joe: I think her shield drops when she’s giving birth.

  Brian: That’s when we dual strike for maximum damage.

  The others had no time to respond. Drillmaw reared up, mandibles snapping like splintering bones, the sound making Joe’s teeth ache. Her clawed drill arms slammed down where they’d been a moment ago, sending tremors through the chamber. A spike-like ridge of earth erupted from the floor, forcing the team to scatter.

  Joe activated Shadow Step, blinking to her flank, just outside the range of her churning claws.

  “Move it, Joe!” TJ cursed, hacking his way over one of the freshly carved trenches. Drillmaw’s claws gouged through the ground, deep, jagged barriers like some nightmarish arena. He grunted, leaping a ridge and slamming his machete into her side. The blow landed with a meaty thud. “Could use a little help here! Getting way too familiar with her indestructo-bug carapace!”

  Joe’s eyes narrowed as he tracked the Queen’s movement. “Just a little longer, TJ. On my mark—target her legs! The joints are weak!”

  Drillmaw shuddered, her defensive aura dimming as she held her breath. Her massive, black eyes flicked toward the shriveled husk of her abandoned offspring, already curling like a salted slug in the soil.

  “Rose, Brian, keep her distracted!” Joe gestured toward her midsection.

  Brian’s arrows whistled, striking her side, while Rose launched shimmering bolts of water. The Queen’s massive form churned, abdomen pulsing as she prepared to give birth again. Her shield flickered, faltering just as a shriek erupted from her mandibles.

  “NOW!” Joe clenched his teeth.

  Dawn unleashed a fireball. The glowing orb hit Drillmaw’s fuzzy abdomen dead-on, flames erupting like fireworks. The velvet fur sizzled and crackled, sending embers spiraling into the air. Drillmaw screeched, her body thrashing as fire licked up her sides.

  “Watch out!” Joe called as the Queen roared, her black eyes blazing with unnatural light.

  She reared up, thorax pulsing as green venom stingers shot out like missiles.

  “Crap, incoming!” Dawn dove to the side, but one of the stingers clipped her leg. The wound pulsed an angry, sickly green as Dawn hit the dirt hard.

  “Brian!” Joe shouted.

  Brian was already there, sliding to Dawn’s side with a potion in hand. “Drink up!” He steadied her as she downed the glowing liquid.

  Joe stopped mid-Shadow Step and waved his arms to draw attention. “Hey! Over here, Big Ugly!”

  Drillmaw’s head snapped in his direction.

  TJ and Rose flanked her, covering Dawn as she shakily got back to her feet.

  Drillmaw shuddered. Her shield flickered, then back to life. When she spoke again, her voice shifted—soft now, almost gentle, like some ancient, primal spirit whispering through the mist.

  “You don’t have to kill me,” she said, the words resonating unnervingly through the chamber. “You don’t have to ascend this tower. There is another way.”

  TJ froze mid-step, machete still raised. “The hell she talking about?”

  “The Lich.” Drillmaw’s black eyes glistened. “His phylactery is hidden. Find it. Destroy it, and he falls. The tower crumbles, and you are free—free without damning us all.”

  Robyn’s voice cracked from behind. “She’s telling the truth… or…” He swallowed hard, tail twitching. “Whoever is controlling her believes it’s the truth.”

  Joe’s mind raced as he activated Quick Wit. This felt off, but familiar. He sent a message and his vision blinked—a reply message.

  Poke_Master: ???

  Joe squinted at the crossed out cake emoji. Cryptic as hell.

  The Queen tilted her head, mandibles clicking. Her voice dropped to a chilling whisper, “The cake is a lie.”

  Joe’s stomach twisted.

  Drillmaw let out a shriek that rattled Joe’s teeth, her massive body convulsing. The carapace along her back split open, glowing red fissures bursting to life like molten veins.

  [Blazing Stripes Activated] blinked in Joe’s vision.

  “Oh, that’s bad.” Joe’s stomach sank. “She’s gone full disco inferno.”

  Flames roared to life, licking up Drillmaw’s massive form until she looked like a walking bonfire. Her legs pounded the earth, sending shockwaves that cracked the ground and knocked mounds loose.

  “Move! Move!” Joe blinked out of range with Shadow Step just as her blazing bulk charged past, leaving scorched trenches in her wake.

  TJ didn’t budge. He planted his feet, grit his teeth, and raised his machete. “Someone cover me—this ends now!”

  “Cover him!” Joe waved to the others. “Dawn, hit her sides when she slows! Rose, put her out—soak the flames!”

  “On it!” Rose raised her staff, voice sharp and clear. “Tidal Surge!”

  A wave of water exploded from her staff, crashing into Drillmaw’s fiery body like a tsunami. Steam erupted, hissing through the chamber as fire and water collided. The mist swallowed everything in blinding white fog.

  Through the haze, Joe saw TJ roar, his silhouette leaping through like a war hammer. The machete slammed down into Drillmaw’s abdomen just as her body convulsed mid-birth.

  SHLUNK!

  Ichor erupted like a geyser, splattering across the floor in thick, black globs.

  “Now, Joe! Finish her off!” Sweat dripped down TJ’s face.

  Joe didn’t hesitate. He activated Shadow Step, reappearing directly behind Drillmaw, daggers glowing a lethal green. Her pulsing underbelly filled his vision, unprotected and vulnerable.

  “Say goodnight, Bugzilla.”

  He slashed with everything he had.

  [Critical Hit!]

  Drillmaw’s screech rattled the chamber walls, her massive body shuddering. The fiery glow in her eyes dimmed as she collapsed, her legs crumpling beneath her. The ground shook with the impact, and then… silence.

  Joe stumbled back, chest heaving, as the victory notification scrolled across his vision.

  [Victory for the Titan Slayers! Titan Velvet Ant Queen “Drillmaw” Defeated.]

  [Faction Boon: Echoes of the Core. Once per floor, the Titan Slayers can call upon an echo of a past battle for a temporary buff.]

  [Faction: Titan Slayers

  Silver Rank Faction, QRL 22

  Active Ascenders: 5

  Non-Active Ascenders: 2]

  All eyes shifted from each other to the time crystals that littered the ground.