The Last Paragon in the Apocalypse

During the Primordial Era, when powerhouses were rising and falling, there was a queen said to hold so much power that one could not comprehend it.

She was a being of great command.

They called her the “Supreme Hive Queen,” for she was the queen of the hive. Her insect army numbered in the billions, and her bees were even more numerous.

She held that much power.

Legend has it that during the fall of the Primordial Era, beings like her stood and faced the creatures of the beyond, meeting their fate with dignity.

But legends also say that she didn’t die, for the hive never dies. They claim her spirit transcended and became something else.

Some claim she was captured by the creatures from beyond. But up until today, nobody truly knows what happened.

“The name of this forge is the ‘Heart of the Hive Queen,’” Asha said to Klaus, making the paragon raise an eyebrow as if he was supposed to remember something, yet it seemed to escape him.

He could swear the name “Hive Queen” sounded very familiar, almost like they had known each other for years, yet he could not place his finger on it.

“Next…” Klaus chose not to dwell on it and instead wanted to hear more about it.

“Apparently, the Hive Queen was an ancient entity fascinated with insects and loved them. I think she was the first person to have harnessed the power of insects.

Many see insects as weaklings, yet she saw potential and harnessed their power. So when she died, her heart was converted into a forge.

That is all the backstory I got from the forge. The rest are bits and pieces, like a fractured memory that I must put together before it will make sense.

But for now, that is about it.”

She smiled as she started the next phase of her teasing narrative. “As for what it can do, first, I can use it to create insects from scratch by designing them there.”

Klaus turned and saw something akin to a crystal tablet, yet looking at it, he could tell it was much more profound than a simple tablet.

“I can put together the type of insects I want, and using the bodies of random monsters, I can create new ones. However, this requires me to know more about ancient runes, which I don’t know yet.

But I’m sure you can help me, considering you can read them fluently.” She leaned in and kissed his cheek, making Klaus push her head away before she could seduce him.

“Don’t be jealous, Klaus. Sometimes, let your wives help you where you are lacking.” She smiled teasingly.

“Fine, I will teach you, but I don’t think creation is the only thing it can do,” Klaus said, and Asha nodded.

“Indeed. Aside from creation, that room is a different kind of forge that requires an ant queen to start the process of creating a soldier. Then, at the cocoon stage, I can begin modifying it until it is born.

But even after birth, the next room can be used to put them back into the cocoon and make even more modifications. At this stage, I can even implement a hybrid nature for them.

Your blood can even be used at this stage.

As for the last three rooms, they are locked for now and will only open when my bloodline is awakened.”

Klaus nodded thoughtfully. All the reveals are just too monstrous for a mere forge. This means Asha is about to become as monstrous as Nadia who has dozens of powerful puppets still locked up.

“These are all some powerful abilities you have, Asha. I am proud of you,” Klaus said, making the insect queen smile.

“This means you will immediately start the modifications with your inside queens. Do you need my blood now?” Klaus asked.

Asha shook her head. “I currently have four queens, and they each have demands, so I scheduled a meeting with them and will spend the next few weeks with them.

We will determine the best way to modify the ants before needing your blood. However, Linx and Jinx are a different story, so I will need two drops of your blood for them.”

The two are at the peak of their respective stages so using the blood on them will turn them into Void stage beings.

However, the process wouldn’t be as simple as with the Puppet Ant Klaus left behind many years ago and had just woken up.

Klaus nodded and turned into his elf form. He took two drops of his blood, froze them in ice, and gave them to her.

“Just let me know if you need anything.”

Asha nodded. “However, how would I open this place so you can come out after we leave the Forbidden Zone?”

Since her current anchor was in the Forbidden Zone, if she wanted to leave, she would appear inside the Forbidden Zone again.

And since she would be spending weeks with her ants, the moment Klaus and the others leave the zone, she will appear there alone.

So there should be a way for him to let her out in the new location they are going to.

In response to his question, she pressed her hand against his forehead and muttered something. “You now have full access to my domain, so I will let you know when I am ready to come out.”

“Okay then.” He kissed her and then left, allowing her to start her work.

The moment he left, Asha frowned as she stood there quietly for a few minutes before walking into a room. Once inside, she sat down and closed her eyes.

A few minutes into her silent retreat, she spoke.

“Speak.”

It was just a casual command, but the weight behind it was undeniable. It wasn’t something to be taken lightly.

In response to her command, light formed from the wall, and a few seconds later, a ghostly figure of profound beauty appeared. Despite her stunning appearance, she looked no older than ten years.

“You finally chose to awaken me, huh, Master?” the small figure spoke.

“Who are you?” Asha asked.

“I am nothing special, just the spirit of the Heart of the Hive Queen. I oversee the operations of the forge—something akin to your personal assistant,” the figure said, and Asha narrowed her eyes.

“No need to look at me like that, Master. We have a lot to do, so get comfortable having me around, because with me here, you will soon realize the true power of the insects.”

***

The moment Klaus walked out of the domain, he took a deep sigh and turned toward the door that closed behind him.

“An item spirit from the Primordial Era, huh? I need to ask Paragon or the others more about them. If she’s here to hurt her, I’ll be sure to get to her before she does.”

After a moment of calm, he left to start rewarding his team for their bravery in completing the first phase of their training.