Chapter 64: Greedy Attempt (bonus - for castle)
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Kai bit his mandibles. He disliked Darius’s tone but had no desire to pick a fight now, especially in a place that might still hold hidden dangers. The others, battered but determined, nodded quietly. He could see the excitement in Thren’s eyes at the idea of harvesting something so luminous. Even exhausted Renna looked relieved to think that collecting crystals was less dangerous than fighting more diarrhea beasts. Only Darius’s gaze glinted with an undercurrent of ambition, as though forming a plan separate from the rest.
Thus, they scattered through the chamber, using rudimentary picks or spears to chisel at the shining crystals. Soft taps of metal on stone filled the air, mingling with the faint, magical aura that radiated from the walls. Kai carefully pried out a chunk of star crystal, enthralled by its white color and star-shaped pattern within. He felt a wave of intangible energy brushing across his exoskeleton, like the crystal was alive with hidden power.
Darius roamed among them, pocketing the largest shards. At times, he would glare at Kai or Lomar, as if ensuring no one snuck crystals for themselves. The tension made the atmosphere thick. The rest worked quietly, placing lumps of star crystals into pouches. Flickering torches illuminated piles of the strange white shards, glowing softly in the gloom.
Kai’s system chimed in his mind, stating that these crystals were useless for the moment, but eventually good for loosening rank-up bottlenecks. "So that’s the official reason we’re here," Kai realized. "Maybe Princess Mia truly wanted to rank up to seven stars. Regardless, it felt both exciting and nerve-wracking to see so many crystals that might catapult beyond normal star limits."
After an hour of intense mining, the ants had gathered a sizable pile of star crystals in the central part of the cave. Shallow bins and sacks overflowed with gleaming white shards, each star patterned. Captain Darius paced around them, eyes gleaming with unmasked greed. "Keep going," he said, voice clipped. "We’ve only scratched the surface of the mine. We must get more."
Thren mopped sweat from his brow. "We’re tired, Captain. Our injuries haven’t fully healed. Maybe we should rest." But Darius snapped at him, "No rest until I say so."
Sullen silence settled. Lomar glowered but said nothing. Renna, still limping, had to pause anyway, dropping to his knees in exhaustion. He rubbed his leg, wincing. Kai brought him a small cloth of water. He offered a weak smile of thanks, but worry shadowed his eyes. The hidden saboteurs, the savage beasts outside, and Darius’s suspicious manner weighed heavily on them all.
Kai noticed that the star crystal glow seemed stronger as they moved deeper in. Eventually they reached the center of the mine, a grand cavern where tall pillars of white crystal rose from floor to ceiling. The sight was breathtaking, like standing in the heart of a frozen star. Streams of faint light danced around the pillars, and an intangible hum reverberated in the chamber.
Seizing the moment, Captain Darius commanded: "Mine the crystals here. All of them." The ants scattered, picks and chisels clinking on the shining pillars. At a side corridor, Darius paused, glancing left and right. He made sure no one followed him, then disappeared quietly among a cluster of massive shards. Kai glimpsed his form receding but was too busy to worry about it.
Moments later, a hush fell as a dreadful, swirling aura pulsed from the corner. Kai turned on the alarm. Darius stood near the largest crystal chunk in the entire mine, half as tall as an ant. He had assembled not only that giant piece, but also all the star cores from the entire expedition into a circle on the ground. The swirl of aura thickened, forming a bright haze. The rest of the ants looked on in confusion.