-Red Dust Metal Rust Desert-

  "Damn, Crystal, you weren't kidding, there really is a mirage line here." Wendy let out a whistle as she closely inspected the barrier of distorted light. "Would we find the exit if we go through here?" She tapped on the mirage line, watching it ripple out where she touched. Crystal shook her head as she took out a pair of Chill potions, downing one while handing the other to Wendy, who happily accepted it with a thanks.

  "The fact that we are in a stable Rift and not an unstable one most likely means we wouldn't be finding the exit through here," Crystal took the empty bottle from Wendy and put it, along with the one she drank back, into her Storage pouch.

  "Is that how that works?" Wendy asked with a tilt of her head. "I don't recall being told or reading anything like that in any of my classes."

  "I would be surprised if you had. I read about it in a Rift Studies textbook."

  "Rift Studies? Was that a class we could have taken? Because this is the first time I've heard about it."

  "It isn't. Rift Studies is a third-year course. I bought a used textbook from the Acadamy's bookstore."

  "Why are you reading a third-year class textbook?"

  "My parents always told me to stay at the top of my class, and if that means reading a year or two ahead, then so be it."

  "Sheesh, and I thought my parents were strict." Crystal shrugged.

  "Yeah, they can be, but at least I'm always at the top percentile of my classes." Wendy nodded in agreement.

  "Yeah, I can understand wanting to be at the top of your classes. But all that studying can't be healthy for your mind or body. You need to learn to relax at times and take it easy. Look at me! I don't study that often, and I'm still in the top fifteen percent of my combative classes!" She bragged, flashing Crystal a wide, confident, toothy grin while pointing at her puffed-up chest with her thumb.

  "What about your academic classes?" Wendy's grin lost some of its shine, her arm fell to the side of her body, and her body slightly sagged.

  "Top forty percent." She admitted. "I know not the best, and I definitely would have loved to score higher, but man, do I suck at memorization. The info seems to flow out of my brain through my ear when I need it the most."

  "How about I help you study?" Wendy perked up at Crystal's suggestion.

  "Really? You'll do that for me?" Crystal nodded before taking off her backpack and looking through it. Seeing Crystal's actions, Wendy took off her own bag and followed suit.

  "Sure, teaching someone else is a great way to study a subject, or at least a great way to see what you do and don't know."

  "Thanks! But how about Jack and Sera? Don't you usually study with them?" Crystal chuckled while shaking her head.

  "The three of us don't actually study together that often. Jack has a great memory, so he usually doesn't need to study, and Sera actually has better grades than I do. Instead of studying, Sera likes to use her free time practicing brewing her potions."

  "Really? I can see Sera being smart, but Jack? That's a big surprise." Crystal chuckled while nodding in agreement.

  "Yeah, it's just too bad he's so easily distracted. He would have way better grades if he learns to focus on studying instead of fooling around or letting his mind wander."

  "How about the other two in your group? Don't Marigold or Alex study with you guys?" Crystal shook her head.

  "Alex can study perfectly by himself, and most of the time, the two of them study together." Wendy paused as she processed what Crystal said.

  "Really?"

  "Yup, Mari can easily get frusted when studying, so she usually needs to spar with someone to let loose her pent-up energy. Alex is the only one who can keep up with her intensity and energy levels. So the two of them usually end up studying together out in the fields or at the training grounds."

  "And you're telling me the two of them aren't dating?" Crystal shrugged.

  "At this point, I can't really say if they are or not. If you really want to know, you can always ask one of them yourself."

  "Hmm, I might. Maybe after all the exams are done." Confirming they had everything they might need in their bags, the duo got up and put their bags back on. "Hey, Crystal?" Wendy asked right before they went through the mirage line.

  "Yeah?"

  "When we have our study session, can I bring some of my friends? Some of them would really need the extra help."

  "Sure, that's fine with me." Wendy beamed.

  "Awesome!" On that high note, the duo walked through the barrier of distorted light. "What the hell?" Wendy blurted out loud upon seeing the towering glassy termite hill in front of them.

  "Glass Termites," Crystal muttered out loud. "And seeing how the termite hill is tinted red instead of being completely transparent, it's not the standard variant of Glass Termites either."

  "Well, seeing how you're not surprised by seeing the giant tower of glass in front of us, you must know a thing or two about what we might be facing." Crystal nodded.

  "Glass Termites are insectoid variants of monsters with powerful earth and fire capabilities."

  "Capabilities? Not magic?"

  "Not exactly, what they can do is more akin to something like coating than spell casting. Instead of creating spell circuits, Glass Termites use the Mana in their bodies to rapidly increase their internal body temperature and use that to do things. For example, they would intake sand into their bodies, use their high body temperature to melt it into glass before spitting it out to build their nests or attack foes." Wnedy cringed at the mental image of being sprayed by molten glass.

  "Sheesh, that sounds painful." Crystal nodded.

  "Yeah, first-hand accounts do describe it like that. Luckily, Glass Termites can't fire that far, so as long as you keep your distance from them, you'll be fine." Wendy frowned.

  "So what I'm hearing is you'll be doing most of the work." She sighed sadly. "Ugh, that sucks. Wait, how strong are their attacks?"

  "Glass Termites aren't known for being individually strong; they definitely can't do anything that would immediately kick you out of the test. However, I'd rather you sit back and watch rather than having to rip glass off your body."

  "Is there anything I can do? I'll be honest, the thought of sitting back and letting you do all the work doesn't sit right with me." Crystal gave it some thought.

  "I guess you can still join me and do what you normally do. Glass Termites can't attack that fast, and it takes them a bit of time to raise their body temperature. So you should be fine as long as you stick to hit-and-run tactics and avoid standing in front of them when they do attack." Wendy's expression brightened up.

  "Awesome! So is there anything else I should know about these monsters, or shall we get going?" Crystal looked around the glass hill as she tried to recall everything she knew about the monster.

  "As I said earlier, the termite hill is tinted instead of being completely transparent. Meaning, likely, the Glass Termites we are about to face aren't the typical ones I know about. So there is a good chance that they will differ in some way that I wasn't expecting."

  "Maybe the hill is tinted because the only sand that is available to them is red?"

  "Hmm," Crystal nodded after giving Wendy's suggestion some thought. "That is a possibility. What I read only talked about finding Glass Termites in Rifts with normal types of sand." She slightly shook her head. "Nonetheless, we should still be careful and go in with the expectation that these Glass Termites have more abilities than the ones we know about." Wendy nodded in agreement.

  "Is there anything else I should know before we continue forward?"

  "Oh, yes, I have a few bits of information I should probably tell you." Crystal quickly answered, her face heating up from embarrassment due to her momentarily forgetting that Wendy was first learning about Glass Termites today. "The material that their exoskeletons are made out of is similar to glass. Meaning their exoskeleton tends to explode into sharp shards when damaged, so you have to be careful not to get any stuck in your body when they do. However, keep in mind that just because their exoskeleton is similar to glass, it doesn't mean they are fragile. They can take a lot of punishment before showing any signs of cracking."

  "Good to know." Wendy nodded along.

  "As I said earlier," Crystal continued, "Glass Termites can raise their internal body temperature. In long, extended fights, Glass Termites who are close to death would sometimes overheat their bodies to the point of exploding, resulting in them launching hot glass shards all around them. This can easily be avoided by killing the Glass Termites before they can overheat their bodies, allowing them to cool down on their own, or cooling them down yourself. You should be able to tell when a Glass Termite is close to overheating because their internal organs start to glow underneath its transparent exoskeleton."

  "Simple enough." Crystal paused and eyed the glass termite hill.

  "Well, if the tinted nature of the termite hill is any indication, the Glass Termites might be tinted as well. So instead, their exoskeleton might be translucent rather than transparent, meaning it might be a bit harder to tell if they're close to overheating or not." Wendy also looks over the termite hill.

  "Makes sense, but I doubt their being slightly tinted in colour would make much of a difference if what I need to look for is if they're glowing or not." Crystal nodded in agreement. "Anything else I should know?"

  "Their queen might pose a problem for us, so we might have to fall back if we run into them."

  "How so? I understand that the queen is most likely a Boss monster, but it shouldn't be something both of us can't handle ourselves."

  "Glass Termite Queens are several times more durable than the soldier termites that guard her, and the soldiers themselves are several times more durable than the workers. Meaning, at the bare minimum, a fight against the queen will be a long and drawn-out one. A scenario that puts us at a huge disadvantage due to the queen's ability to not only empower but also rejuvenate the other Glass Termites."

  "How many soldiers should we expect to be guarding the queen?"

  "At a minimum, half a dozen, but more would quickly rush to the queen's chambers the moment the queen is in any significant danger. Usually, there shouldn't be more than twenty soldiers in any given hive. Still, we can't be one hundred percent sure this would be the case due to the real possibility that the hive in front of us contains a variant of the typical Glass Termites. So there is an equal chance that the hive contains more or fewer Glass Termite soldiers than normal."

  "Besides being physically stronger than the workers, do the soldiers have any other abilities?" Crystal shook her head.

  "They shouldn't, but we can't be sure."

  "Well, in that case, they shouldn't pose that big of a problem." Despite the potential risks, Crystal couldn't help but agree with Wendy. "How about the queen? Is there anything else I should know?" Crystal shook her head.

  "No, but I do need to emphasize one thing. If we do fight the Glass Termite Queen, our biggest obstacle won't be the queen itself nor the soldiers, but instead termite workers." Wendy tilted her head in confusion and furrowed her brow. "Unlike the queen who has strong survival instincts," Crystal elaborated. "And the soldiers who would at least try to keep themselves alive so they can protect the queen, the workers will do everything in their power to take down anything that poses even the slightest possibility of harming the queen."

  "Wait, do you mean they will become like suicide bombers or something?"

  "Correct," Crystal nodded. "Not only will the workers constantly swarm at anything they perceive as a threat to their queen, but they will even throw away their lives to take down the threat. Not only that, having that many Glass Termites in such an enclosed space will cause the area to heat up, speeding up the rate at which they can overheat their bodies. In most cases, this can result in a chain reaction of Glass Termites exploding, which causes their nearby neighbours to explode as well and so on. There are even documented cases of higher-level parties being taken down by a hive of Glass Termites due to them underestimating the sheer amount of damage that can result from several dozen explosions occurring in such a short amount of time." Wendy cringed at that mental image.

  "Yeah, I can see how that can take a party down, but that shouldn't be a problem we have to worry about. Or more specifically, a problem you don't have to worry about. I've seen how strong your ice spells can be, and I can't imagine any scenario where the Glass Termites would be hot enough to overheat with you around."

  "Hmm, you do have a point that my ice magic will be able to cool them down. However, we shouldn't rely on that because, unless I'm on a specific Glass Termite, the most I can do is slow down the rate at which they can raise their internal body temperature. Even then, that doesn't stop them from swarming me, and I know for a fact that I'm not likely to win a physical fight against a single Glass Termite, let alone an entire swarm of them."

  "Hmm, about this? I let you deal with the majority of the swarm, and I take care of any that comes close to you. This way, you can focus solely on using your magic to take down the Glass Termites while I can contribute without putting myself in major danger. If we do this, I might not even have to worry about the Glass Termites exploding, as I'm sure just being near you as you cast your magic is enough to cool down any nearby Glass Termites before they can overheat. And we can decide what to do about the Glass Termite Queen if we encounter them. Who knows, we might figure out something like the queen's weak point, or we might never even discover the Boss monster during our exploration." Wendy paused as a thought popped into her mind. " Wait, if we do find the Glass Termite Queen, will they and their garuds immediately attack us?" Crystal shook her head.

  "Not likely, insectoid monster queens don't typically roam their hives. So as long as we don't enter the egg chambers where they reside, we shouldn't have to worry about being immediately attacked by the Glass Termite Queen. The same should also apply to the soldiers guarding her, though it is likely we might encounter a soldier or two wandering around the hive."

  "Great to hear! So what do you think? Does my plan have any merit? Or are there any changes you suggest we add to it?" Crystal thought over Wendy's plan before shaking her head.

  "No, your plan should work, and I can't think of any changes we can make to it right now, but that can always change along the way. But till then, I think we should be fine doing what you suggested."

  "Awesome!" Wendy cheered. "Looks like we have a plan! Then, should we get going?" The duo looked through their bags one last time before venturing towards the Glass Termite Mound. Along the way, Wendy noticed something that struck her as odd. "Now that I'm looking around, where are all the Glass Termites? Shouldn't they be swarming us by now?" Crystal shook her head.

  "I can see why you might think that, but Glass Termites, like many of their non-monster variants, are nocturnal." Crystal paused and frowned. "No, sorry, the way I worded that is a bit misleading. What I mean is that Glass Termites are less active during the day." Crystal clarified. "They have no easy way of cooling themselves down, so they must avoid anything that might increase their body temperature too much, such as the blazing sun above, or they risk overheating." Wendy nodded along.

  "That makes sense."

  "Unless they are desperate, Glass Termies tend only to leave their mounds during the cold of night or on rare days when it's not particularly hot outside. So that's why we don't see any Glass Termites around right now. In fact, due to their mounds being mostly transparent, we're unlikely to encounter any Glass Termites until we are a good several meters underground. It's also for this that I suggest we make sure to leave the mound before it gets too dark." Wendy's eyes slightly widen.

  "Ah, so on the off chance we are overwhelmed and need to escape while being chased down, the Glass Termites are less likely to pursue us out of their mound if the sun is still out and the surface hasn't had time to cool down yet." Crystal nodded.

  "Correct." It didn't take long for the duo to reach one of the many entrances into the translucent mound. "You ready?"

  "As ready as I can be!" With that confirmation, the two students leaped straight into the glass hill without any hesitation, the blazing sun above illuminating the duo as they quickly descended.

  -Fungal Forest-

  "So why isn't Piki's lower body regrowing?" Iris asked as the three students ate lunch on top of a boulder after a tiring couple of hours harvesting mushrooms and killing any invaders that had wandered into Piki's territory.

  Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

  "What do you mean?" Ask Sera between bites of her sandwich.

  "Shouldn't Piki be fully healed by now? So why is he still missing his lower half?" Iris motioned towards Piki, resting beside Sera. Sera glanced down at Piki and gave him a reassuring pat on the head when he tilted up to look at her.

  "Oh! Yeah, I had similar concerns at first, but I later learned that Piki never had a lower half." Sera turned her body and pointed at something behind her. "You see that destroyed mushroom tree?" Jacob and Iris turned to where Sera was pointing and saw the remnants of a burnt-down fungal tree. "So it took me a while, but I eventually figured out that instead of a lower half, Piki used to live attached to that fungal tree. I'm not sure what fungal monster invaded his territory that could burn down his tree, but the result was that his tree fell to the ground when it died, and he had to defend himself from there."

  "Did this happen right before you saved Piki?" Jacob asked. Sera shook her head.

  "No, it happened befor then. By the time I arrived, Piki's tree had long since cooled down, and there were no signs of whatever had burned down the three in sight."

  "Wait, you're telling me Piki was able to survive long enough in that condition," Jacob motioned towards Piki, who was seemingly nibbling on some moss on the boulder. "Despite how weak they have gotten?" Sera nodded with a proud look in her eyes.

  "Yup! Piki might not be the strongest monster, and he might have been weakened due to being separated from his main source of food, but he's tough enough to fend for himself long enough for his garuds to arrive."

  "Is that something to be proud of?" Iris asked with an unsure look. Sera nodded.

  "I'd say so. Piki's main role in his ecosystem is maintaining the territory's fungal network, supporting its inhabitants and selecting the best specimen to breed with. What's important for Piki isn't his ability to fight but to survive, so he can continue supporting the territory." The duo both shot each other a confused glance before turning to look at Sera. Iris has many questions, but only one she couldn't help but ask.

  "Does Piki need to breed? In fact, why do you keep insisting on calling Piki a him? Aren't fungal monsters genderless?" Sera shrugged.

  "Eh, I don't see why we won't. Piki produces spores, which are important for fungi to reproduce, and I recall reading somewhere that gungal monsters do produce offspring, so I'm sure Piki can as well. As for why I keep referring to Piki as a 'him', well, I don't have a particularly good reason for it. When I first encountered Piki, I referred to him as a he in my mind, and it kinda just stuck ever since." Finishing their meals, the trio packed up their things and prepared to head out. "Be good, Piki and watch out for any strange monsters," Sera warned the fungal monster, who responded with a cry that sounded like rustling leaves.

  "Is it really necessary for you to do that every time we leave the territory?" Iris asked.

  "Yes," Sera nodded. "Of the six times we left, we found Piki injured, surrounded by other monsters five times. At that rate, I'm starting to think Piki is attracting them on purpose." Iris rolled her eyes and let out a soft chuckle at the sight of Sera shooting Piki an admonishing glance.

  "Fair enough." With the three students having everything they need, Sera poured an entire Mana potion over Piki before bidding him farewell. Not having to worry about being attacked by the surrounding monsters, it didn't take long for the trio to reach the edge of the territory and set foot into another. Without a clear destination in mind, the trio decided to first head in the direction of the large lake they found during their last exploration. As they made their way through the Rift, the trio remained vigilant, keeping a watchful eye out for any potential danger. It didn't take long for Iris to note the clear lack of any monsters in sight. "Looks like this area is still neutral grounds. I would have thought Piki or another nearby Territory boss would have claimed this area by now."

  "I don't think Piki and the rest of his gang are fit enough for that," Sera replied as the trio continued the trek towards the lake. "They're already struggling to maintain the amount of territory they currently have, so any more would put too much of a strain on their available resources."

  "That sounds about right, but I also think they currently can't expand their territory as well," Jacob added. "Do either of you notice how the monsters of each area expand their territory?" He asked when he saw the expressions of confusion on the two girls' faces.

  "Aren't the mushrooms that make up the territories spread via the mycelium network underground?" Sera answered while Iris nodded in agreement.

  "Yeah, I'm sure that's the case as well. I've even seen the fungi from one territory spread and take over the ones in another." Iris added.

  "Yeah, the territories definitely expand via the mycelium network, but some of the fungal monsters do it as well."

  "Really?" Sera replied.

  "Eh, ninety percent sure some of the monsters do. In some of the other territories, especially the larger ones, I've noticed that stronger fungal monsters that I'll call elite for now seem to fall into two rough categories. The first group of elites, I like to call guards, seem to be bulkier than the other fungal monsters in their territory, have increased strength, can heal nearby friendly mushrooms, can slow or stop the spread of foreign mycelium and tend to wander around their home territory. While those in the second group, which I call colonizers, appear to be faster than the others, they have more potent attacks, can rapidly produce and spread their territory's fungus, and tend to invade other territories to spread their own territory's mycelium." After giving his words some thought, the other two students nodded in agreement.

  "Yeah, now that I think about it, the stronger fungal monsters do seem to fall into those two groupings," Irise muttered out loud. "I just never put too much thought into it until you mentioned it." Going over Jacob's words, Sera's eyes widen as she connects his observations with his earlier comment.

  "Piki's territories don't have any of the colonizers; they only have guards!" Jacob nodded in agreement.

  "Yup, my theory is that every colonizer elite in Piki's territory was slain, leaving only a handful of guards. Yes, the fungus in Piki's territory can still spread without the colonizers, but that's a slow process, and with guards being able to stop the spread of foreign mycelium, they're not taking over territories anytime soon."

  "Wait, doesn't that mean Piki's territory is basically finished? Without sufficient land, Piki won't be able to produce and support any more fungal monsters for his territory." Sera shook her head.

  "I wouldn't worry about that. Piki and the others are tough enough that I'm not worried about them being wiped out any time soon. Also, I've noticed some of the larger mushrooms in his territory starting to grow into more fungal monsters. So it shouldn't be too long before a colonizer is produced and Piki can start expanding his territory once again."

  "Well, all that explains why Piki hasn't expanded his territory out here yet, but what about the other nearby territories?" Iris continued after a brief moment os silence. "Why haven't they tried to claim this area yet? I would have figured that with there being at least five different territories near here, that at least one would try to take this area over by now."

  "Hmm, if I had to guess," Jacob replied. "It might have something to do with the fact that, except for Piki's, all five territories that neighbour this area are roughly the same size and strength. So maybe they are holding off on expanding their territory into this area. I'm sure doing so wouldn't be easy or cheap to do, so anyone who tries to take this area runs the risk of the other four taking advantage of their weakened state to attack them."

  "Hmm, I have a few things to say to that," said Iris. "For one, none of the other, besides maybe Piki, showed any signs that they are intelligent enough for that kind of foresight or planning. And secondly, if that were the case, we wouldn't have witnessed as many territorial disputes as we have." Jacob shrugged.

  "A monster doesn't have to be smart to avoid doing something that puts their lives at risk. You can think of it like how some predatory animals tend to avoid fights they're not sure they can win." Iris thought over Jacob's comment before nodding.

  "You have a point there." She relented. "Whatever the reason may be, we should still keep our guards up. Who knows when whatever is stopping the monsters from trying to claim this place wears off, and they start swarming this area? I don't know about you two, but I'd rather not fight five territories' worth of monsters all at once." Agreeing with her sentiment, the trio picked up their pace with the intent of reaching the lake as soon as they could.

  -Vibrant Jungle-

  Lilial was having a delightful day so far, especially since she had finally managed to get some quiet time alone. Oh, please don't get her wrong. She greatly appreciates everything her subjects do for her, but sometimes they can be so annoying. When that happens, Lilial can't help but see the ugly side of her subjects, and a part of her wants to lash out at them. It is especially frustrating to see her subjects succumb to their base instincts, like savage beasts. Lilial understands that not all of them can resist the urge to hunt and kill, but she sometimes wishes they could at least make more of an effort to go against those instincts. But lashing out isn't beautiful or elegant, and of course, Lilial can't have that, so she reined those feelings in.

  ~Hmm, hmm, hmm.~ Lilial hummed to herself as she relaxed on the bank of the river, basking in the afternoon light. Slowly closing her eyes, Lilial's body slightly sank into the river while she immersed herself in the natural sounds of the jungle around her. 'Ah, this is nice.' She mentally sighed to herself.

  ~Maybe we can set a trap next time?~

  ~Wasn't that what we did?~

  ~No, what we did was an ambush. I'm thinking something along the lines of trip vines or maybe a deep hole for them to fall into.~

  ~Oh, that could work!~

  ~Well, it was nice when it lasted.~ Lilial softly muttered to herself. Opening her eyes, Lilial got up from her spot and dived into the river, swimming towards the sound of her siren's voice. ~Why are those three here? Didn't I tell everyone I wanted to be left alone today?~ However, as she got closer to the voices, she realized that they weren't coming from down the river, but from the riverbank instead. The three sirens didn't sound in distress, but cautious of the possibility that it could be a trap, she decided to play it safe. Lilial slightly popped her head out of the water and looked around.

  ~Hey! Can't you be more gentle!~

  ~Yeah, you brute! Don't you know how to treat a lady?~

  ~Well, you three were discussing how you were going to hunt down other humans, so I think I have the right to be a little rough with you three. Also, isn't asking if I know how to treat a lady a bit weird in this context, since we're completely different species? Especially with how our species is inherently hostile to each other, since you three are monsters, and I'm what you call a heartless?~

  ~Tch, I don't know what I expected from a heartless. No sense of romance or whimsy to be seen at all.~

  Of all the things Lilial expected to see, the sight of three of her sirens tied up and dragged around by a human while calmly chatting with them with said human. Silently swimming closer to get a better look at them, a few things became clear to Lilial. First, the sirens being dragged around were Larinia, Lynn, and Laynara, a trio who Lilial remembers being pretty skilled hunters who specialized in taking down larger targets.

  Second, the fact that her sirens weren't attempting to escape either meant that the rope tying them was incredibly strong or that the human must have beaten them so thoroughly that they figured there was no point in trying. If she had to guess, Lilial would figure it's likely a mix of the two explanations. Squinting her eyes, Lilial had to note that the human didn't look particularly strong, but the fact that they managed to take down three skilled hunters meant she couldn't underestimate them.

  Lastly, Lilial was only able to notice a few minor scratches on her sirens. Knowing the sirens being dragged around, Lilial knows that they definitely wouldn't have gone down without a fight. The lack of any major injuries suggests that the human most likely healed her sirens after the fight, which, along with the fact that her sirens are still alive, probably means that the human is not planning on killing them any time soon.

  Relaxing at the realization that her sirents aren't currently in any danger, Lilial decided to take a closer look at the human dragging them around. The human, as far as Lilial could tell, was a male, and he was painfully bland-looking to the point that it slightly creeped Lilal out. 'How is it even possible to be that plain-looking? No, that can't be what he truly looks like; it must be some magic or artifact that masks what he truly looks like.' She mentally reasoned. 'No, that doesn't make sense. What possible reason would he have to do that? Wait, I'm getting sidetracked.' She shook her head to rid herself of these thoughts. 'Regardless of how plain-looking the human is, it doesn't look like he currently intends to harm any of my sirens. But that still leaves a few questions, like what he intends to do with them, what the human's goal is, and why he is here?'

  ~Are you sure Lilial is around here?~ Lilial's eyes widen in shock. Now that she was paying closer attention, she was having trouble believing what she was hearing. Is the human really speaking in their tongue? ~Because I've been searching for a solid few minutes and haven't seen any sign of her so far.~ Lilial is sure she isn't hearing things. The way the human spoke might be crude, unrefined, and lack the melodic tone she is used to, which she didn't even know was possible, but he is definitely speaking in their tongue.

  ~Our queen should be around here.~ Larinia answered the human.

  ~Maybe you're just not skilled enough to find her.~Lynn added. ~I've heard that you humans tend to lose your eyesight as you grow older. So maybe that's the reason why?~ And from how calmly her sirens spoke to the human, it likely means the three of them had time to get used to him speaking to them in our tongue.

  ~It could also be because you're searching on land.~ Laynara continued. ~I know you humans aren't exactly the brightest of species, but even you should know that you need to look in the water to find a siren.~ It's also clear that despite the slightly guarded tone in their voice, her sirens don't think they are currently in any danger. ~While you do, why don't you let us soak in the water as well? You don't want to risk us dying of dyhadtaion, do you? As I said earlier, we sirens usually live in water.~

  ~I'm not falling for that.~ The human replied. ~You sirens are perfectly able to survive several hours on land as long as you have Mana, and from how Mana-rich this jungle is, your three should be fine for at least until I can locate Lilial.~

  'So the human is looking for me.' Lilial mentally mused to herself. 'But what could he possibly want from me? Hmm, maybe the human is planning to use her sirens as hostages?' It wouldn't be the first time that a human does that, but Lilial can't really fault them for doing it. She understands that using hostages to achieve one's goals is a valid strategy. Also, she would be a hypocrite if she denounces the use of hostages since she had used human hostages of her own on numerous occasions.

  ~Be realistic, human,~ Laynara scoffed. ~Even if you do find Lilial and open up a trade with her, do you really think you have anything of value for our queen?~

  'Oh, I guess that answers my previous question.' Lilial thought to herself. 'However, that doesn't discredit my previous theory. There is still a chance that he will use my sirens as bargaining chips.'

  ~Yeah, our queen is the most beautiful, intelligent and humble siren there is.~ Lynn bragged in a hughty voice, causing Lilial to blush slightly. ~No matter what you offer her, it won't even come close to the honour of just being near her majesty.~ Lilial couldn't help but silently grimace at her sirens' boasting. She understands that her sirens look up to her and take great pride in having her as their queen. However, don't they know that by boasting about her like this, it's making her look like a shallow person who needs her subjects to shower her with praises to feel better about herself? Being beautiful is wonderful, but you should never be shallow or arrogant about it, as that can ruin your entire aesthetic.

  ~I know you love your queen and all, but do you really need to sing praises about her constantly?~ The human replied. ~I don't know about you, but at this point, it sounds less like you're genuinely praising her and more like you're a sycophant.~

  'The human gets it.' Lilial thought to herself while nodding in agreement.

  ~Please,~ Lynn scoffed. ~ You humans are one to talk. I've seen how you people butter each other up only to stab each other in the back. Unlike you, heartless, our queen's elegance and beautiful personality are genuine. For example, there was a time when our queen found this baby tiger and-~

  'Ok, that's enough of that.' Popping up from the water, Lilial called out to the group before Lynn had the chance to continue her story. ~You human, what are you planning to do with my sirens?~

  ~Your majesty!/ Your majesty!/ Your majesty!~ Her sirens happily called out.

  ~Oh, where were you secretly following us this whole time?~ The human calmly asked, causing the three sirens to glare at him for what they saw as disrespect to their queen.

  ~I was,~ Lilail decided to answer before the three sirens could say anything potentially damaging to her image. ~When I heard you and my sirens talking down the river, I decided to tail you to see if you were planning to harm my sirens.~

  ~And if I was?~

  ~Then I would have struck you down and saved them before you could lay a finger on them.~

  ~Your majesty./ My queen, you honour me./ We are not worthy. ~ The three softly spoke, touched by their queen's words, while the human nodded at her words.

  ~Eh, fair enough.~ The human shrugged. With a twist of his wrist and a hard tug, the rope glowed a soft blue before loosening up, freeing the sirens from their bondage. Momentarily shocked by their sudden freedom, my three sirens looked down at their now unbound limbs before rushing into the water. ~There, now we can have a civil conversation without any possibilities of underlying threat, and I'm sure someone of your calibre wouldn't reward my hospitality with hostility, would you?~

  Lilail slightly frowned at the human's words. It's clear what he was trying to do, and a glance at her sirens showed they knew it as well. However, that doesn't change the fact that the human isn't wrong with what he said, and Lilail figured she could play along for now. ~Larinia, Lynn, and Laynara, the three of you go ahead and head back home.~

  ~Your majesty, are you sure?~ Lariana hesitantly asked.

  ~My queen, we can't just leave you alone with this human.~ Lynn, frantically but politely opposed.

  ~Your majesty, you shouldn't trust this human's words.~ Warned Laynara.

  ~Are you three implying that I can't handle a lone human by myself?~

  ~NO! We would never!/ Of course not, your majesty! / The human can never pose any threat to you!~ The three hurddibly denied.

  ~Then the three of you should be fine leaving me alone with the human for a bit.~ The three sirens' eyes darted between Lilial and the human. Glancing at each other, the trio then turned to face their queen.

  ~Yes, your mjesty. /We understand. / We wish you the best of luck!~ The three replied before swimming down the stream. After making sure the three of them were truly gone and not just hiding nearby, Lilial turned to face the human.

  ~So human, what did you want to talk to me about?~

  ~I would like to open up a trade.~

  ~Truly?~ Lilial asked, intrigue clear in her melodic tone. It wouldn't be the first time a human approached her for a trade, but they had never done it like this. Humans usually only propose opening a trade when they have the upper hand in some way, whether that means having hostages, superior numbers, or after they have set up a trap. This would be the first time one had asked her on an equal playing field, seemingly free of any underlying threats or power play. Of course, time will only tell if it remains that way.

  The human nodded, placed his hand to his side where a small bag was tied and softly muttered something she couldn't quite make out. ~Here catch.~ He lightly tossed something at Lilial. Catching the object, her eyes widen at the sight of the glistening pearl in her hand. ~An example of my wares, and it could be yours if you're willing to trade for it.~ Inspecting the pearl, Lilial confirmed it was genuine before tossing it back to him.

  ~Very well, I'm open to a trade. If you're willing to follow me to a more scheduled location, I can show you what I have to offer.~

  ~Lead the way.~ Nodding at the human, Lilial dove into the water and started swimming up the stream. She would occasionally stop and make sure the human was following her before continuing her way up the river. It wasn't long before the river started forking, with the human having to either jump into the river and swim to follow Lilial or risk losing sight of her. After an hour of travelling and several dozen forks in the river, the duo arrived at a small, hidden, tranquil pond deep in the jungle that was connected to the main rivers by a small stream.

  Despite the pond's relatively small size, it was so deep that you could only see darkness when you peered from the top and along the walls of the pond, where several dozen tunnels. ~I'm impressed, human,~ complimented Lilial as she sat at the pond's edge. ~Most humans either can't keep up with me or give up along the way.~

  ~Was -huff- coming here -huff- necessary?~ Asked the human before he downed a bottle filled with a blue liquid.

  ~Of course, before I can do any trading, I first need to know if you humans are willing to put in the effort.~ Lilial paused to think of something before deciding that the human deserves at least a small reward for making it this far. ~I don't tell many people this, but I suppose you've earned it. You see, this area isn't the only hideout I use for trading. You see, the value of the items in a hideout scales with the difficulty of reaching the area. So the kinds of items I was willing to offer you entirely depended on how well you performed in my little test. ~

  ~I'm guessing by how much of a pain in the ass it was to get here, this is one of the better hideouts?~

  ~Correct, my best one in fact.~ She spread her arms wide. ~Welcome to my vault, the area where I store my most valuable possessions and congratulations for being one of the only handful of humans who were able to make it this far.~

  ~ Are you sure you should be telling me this? Aren't you afraid I'll come back here and steal it all?~ She chuckled.

  ~Oh, don't kid yourself, with how fragile you humans can be, you wouldn't even reach the entrance of the first storage room before you suffocate from the dense levels of water Mana down there or get crushed under the intense water pressure. I'm not even going to mention all the hidden traps and arrays I have set up in the area. And that's even if you managed to navigate your way back here~ Lilial shook her head. ~So no, I'm not afraid of that happening.~

  ~Hmm, in that case.~ The human gave an exaggerated bow. ~I'm honoured to be here.~ He then probably collapsed onto the ground right in front of her and started downing another bottle of blue liquid. Finishing his drink, the human sat up, took off his bag and set it on the ground in front of me. ~So, how do you want to do this? Do we show everything we have to offer right away, or would you prefer to take turns presenting items, with one of us starting from our least valuable item and working to our most valuable item?~

  ~ Let's go with the second one, as not only would we be here for days if I show every item in the vault, but I also like the anticipation that it brings.~ Nodding, the human then put his hand to his side, muttered something under his breath, before placing a line of twelve pearls of similar quality to the one he showed her earlier on the ground in front of him.

  ~So what are you willing to offer for these?~