The hivemind is conquering for me? Chapter 748: "For Dinnac!"

"What do you mean you retreated from the fight? Were you created yesterday?" A massive thirteen-foot Drakoshi bellowed at maximum volume toward the hundreds of cowards who dared step into his forward base, having ignored his summons in favor of the calamitous trio's call.

Among the bolder ones standing before him, one glanced up and responded, "Uma. Yes, I was, boss. We all were. Our group was told throughout our entire eighteen hours of life before our first battle about the greatness of the calamitous trio. That’s why we answered their call. We were told they were war heroes of the great Emoth clan, but they all got slain in single combat by the small pink ones, some blue thing, and a medium-sized snake. Kragg Skullbreaker, we were fools to believe their tales. The trio were obviously vain glory-seekers. Nothing like your power. Let us join your warband, and we’ll be the first to smash into the enemy lines in your name!"

"Heh, heh, heh." Kragg laughed to himself before stripping off his leather vest and flinging it aside, exposing his gray frame of solid muscle, leaner than most Drakoshi of his stature. "Here’s the deal, lads. It’s been ages since so many fresh Emoth weaklings, still clad in their armor, have knelt before me like this. As a Dinnac, it gladdens my hearts immensely."

He scanned the crowd ahead and gave a nod. "Here’s what we’ll do: there are one hundred and seventeen of you. Slaughter each other until only fifty remain, proving you’re no cowards. You’ve got five seconds to start before my Warlads open fire. Five."

No further delay was required before the melee erupted. In such a chaotic free-for-all brawl, it wasn’t raw power that triumphed... No, the Dinnac clan didn’t rely on brute force; they forged their own. Unlike other clans, they disregarded personal pride.

Watching the fresh Emoth below, Kragg noticed Dinnac qualities in several. The clever ones allied to eliminate the mightiest threats first. United, the feeble ones felled the powerful, only clashing among themselves after the strong lay torn apart.

This was promising.

Kragg qualified as an elder Drakoshi now, at fifteen years old, yet still no Warlord despite countless battles. For other clans, that would spell shame. But he remained unconcerned. Kragg harbored ambitions. He refused to squander his life on ‘honor,’ yet he’d exploit its sway over Drakoshi to amplify his image of might. It succeeded flawlessly as he raised his hand and bellowed.

"Halt!"

His command boomed, and he surveyed the scene again as silence fell. Drakoshi rarely brawled among themselves, especially in colonies, but when they did, it ended swiftly and ruthlessly. In mere minutes, sixty-seven Emoth lay dead.

"Those still standing—you’re Dinnac now. You’ll train in mixed armed combat with my armored brigade. Regrettably, we’re pinned here on defense for the coming days because your so-called ‘heroes’ let the puny pink skins obliterate our munitions depots from here to who-knows-where. The instant reinforcement ships deliver more guns, our counterattack launches."

"For Dinnac!"

"Dinnac!"

"Vim!"

He rolled his eyes at the distant Vim mercenaries, those puny runts, but overlooked it momentarily. War plans awaited his drafting.

...

After learning what transpired with Keyla and Willow, I couldn’t help rubbing my eyes in exhaustion. Willow lacked physical might, yet her aura—both passive and active—proved far too perilous. A single spark of defiance amid her transformation, one stray thought from her mind, and the entire bio cult would’ve perished...

The notion twisted my gut. Yet Willow’s current gaze at me left no uncertainty—I’d witnessed it countless times in others. The parasite had lodged in her Mindspace. She belonged to us now. The tiny fragment of Jewel embedded in her DNA ensured my boon took hold. For now, she only showed Eros, displaying polite affection with mere hugs, but who could predict future shifts?

That affection felt welcome at the moment. I hadn’t viewed Willow that way previously, so adjusting to her as part of my mate would require time. Still, gaining more hive members proved pleasant, particularly beyond just Onyx as expected.

Luckily, such thoughts didn’t linger, as Nerissa and Sithrik discovered our trio in the secluded hideout.

I addressed Sithrik first. "Hey, Sithrik. Onyx said you excelled at pursuing the foes. Well done."

Sithrik coiled beside me, deliberately brushing her tail tip against me. "Oh Apollo, your praise ignites my heart. These ‘Drakoshi’ proved far easier to slay than anticipated. Spend a day on my homeworld, and these beasts wouldn’t survive a moment."

"Hmm, a large talking snake? Cool." Willow remarked casually, as if accustomed to stranger sights, prompting Sithrik to eye the newcomer. "Apollo, who’s this? Not the pink-haired one we arrived with? A new concubine?"

Everyone turned to me with differing degrees of emotional fervor. Thus, I chose the optimal path forward.

"So, Nerissa. Did you contact the others?" I inquired.

"Hmm~" Nerissa hummed thoughtfully before answering straightforwardly. "Yes. I reached them. A few wounds on our side, but nothing fatal. Our drop pod team linked up with the rest effortlessly, and they’re all heading here now.

Serena admired our efforts. Those silver pauldrons marked local bigwigs with hefty bounties. She’s tasked us—well, you—with supporting the special forces’ sabotage ops behind lines for the time being. Delaying the Drakoshi’s solid beachhead boosts our odds of reclaiming the planet swiftly."

Hearing this, Willow clapped with delight. "Looks like we’re teaming up. How exciting!"

I brushed off her comment temporarily and pressed Nerissa. "What’s your take on the war’s timeline?"

Nerissa pondered briefly, gazing aside before refocusing. "Drakoshi are infamous for clinging to invaded worlds, particularly with frontline mobile cloning vats. That alone extends the slog by at least a month... Their captured terrain is mostly hilly. Tricky...

I’ve spotted at least five clans since landing, signaling heavier reinforcements... Best outcome: two months here, assuming no mishaps planetwide... Worst: if Drakoshi deem this a key resource for their empire and stay engaged, we face a prolonged campaign."

I scowled at the news. Quite the downer. I’d hoped to return home in a couple months for my birthday with Jewel... ‘Gotta push at full throttle to wrap this up quicker,’ I mused inwardly.

"Alright, what’s our next move?" I asked.

"Standby for now. Our squad needs time to arrive; they’re sweeping from their drop zone for Drakoshi remnants. Rest up. We’ve only been at it hours, but better to recharge now than lament later."

At mention of rest, Willow yawned and tapped my shoulder. "The Praetorian’s spot on. I—*yawn*—haven’t slept in three straight days, so despite wanting to chat more, my little spoon Rhea awaits in the barracks."

She rose, yawned again, and exited the small tent I’d ‘requisitioned.’

With her gone, the strain of combat, chases, more fights, and treks crashed over me as my mind offered a brilliant idea. ‘Yeah, a nap sounds perfect.’

"Oh, Loch Ness Monster, you’re brilliant sometimes. I’ll take that suggestion—want to join?"

Nerissa momentarily stiffened before responding oddly. "Wha? Oh, um, no thanks. I’ll run perimeter scans and gather more intel on the situation. Sweet dreams, Apollo." She hurried from the tent.

I shrugged off her response as a huge serpentine eye sparkled at me. Rolling my eyes, I settled on the ground.

"Alright, Sithrik, join me. It’ll be great to have a blanket that wraps me fully like a snug cocoon again."