I Became an Ant Lord, So I Built a Hive Full of Beauties

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Sha glanced at the darkening horizon. "It will be night soon. We should make camp."

"I agree," Akayoroi said, her voice steady. "He needs real recovery. His aura is frayed, and the backlash from essence siphoning weakened his star core."

Kai opened one bleary eye. "You’re going to overdo it again, aren’t you?"

Vel crouched beside him with the softest smile. "Yes. Obviously."

They set up camp outside the cave, transforming the crater floor into a cozy nest. Moss, feathers, and dried vines lined the resting area, carefully arranged like a ritual. It was embarrassingly luxurious for a war-torn battleground.

Azhara brewed a steaming tonic from her ridiculous undergarment pouch. No one dared ask how medicinal herbs, dried roots, and a tea strainer ended up inside her underwear. That way lies madness.

Sha, chopped firewood with smooth, calculated swings of her dagger. Naaro placed glowstones around the perimeter, each one releasing a warm shimmer and releasing faint citrus scented pheromones meant to ward off insects and signal allies. Akayoroi used her molten spear to heat a flat stone near the fire, crafting a makeshift healing plate.

Vel, ever the mischief healer, drew runes across Kai’s bare chest with her fingertip, then gently pressed them down with the soft brush of her lips.

"Careful," Kai muttered. "You’re writing on my ribs."

Vel hummed. "That’s where your aura roots are."

"You’re also signing your name."