The Ashen Stinger Nest stretched across the barren landscape like a monstrous wound.
From a distance, it had looked like an enormous mound of hardened ash and twisted branches. Now that they stood closer, Eren could see just how massive it truly was. The structure covered a considerable portion of the rocky ground, with several openings scattered across its surface. Thick, dark resin held the branches together, creating a web of tunnels and chambers that disappeared into the nest.
The air carried a faint, unpleasant smell.
And the creatures moving around it were anything but reassuring.
Ashen Stingers crawled over the nest in clusters. Some were no larger than a dog, while others were considerably bigger. Their six legs moved with unsettling speed, scraping against the hardened ash beneath them. Dark armor covered their bodies, and their translucent wings vibrated whenever they took flight.
The most disturbing part was their stingers.
Long, curved, and sharp enough to make Eren instinctively take a step backward.
He had seen monsters before. The Ashfang Wolves had nearly killed him, and the Wolf King had been a terrifying opponent. However, these creatures were different.
They were insects.
And there were far too many of them.
"Eighty-six. That’s the number of monsters over there," Eren said.
Lyra’s expression tightened.
She had been relatively calm during their journey. After all, she was a hunter, and the wilderness was a familiar place to her. However, even she seemed uncomfortable looking at the nest.
"That’s a lot of monsters."
"Indeed," Rowan replied. "And we haven’t even seen the stronger ones yet."
Eren glanced at the System notification still floating in front of him.
[Location identified.]
[Location: Ashen Stinger Nest.]
[Inhabitants: Ashen Stingers.]
[Quantity: 86.]
[Monster Tier Range: Tier 1–15.]
The highest recorded Tier was fifteen.
That meant there could be creatures inside this nest far more dangerous than the Ashfang Wolf King.
Eren rubbed his forehead.
’We came here looking for valuable monster drops. Somehow, we ended up standing in front of an entire nest of nightmare insects.’
He had to admit that the situation was becoming increasingly troublesome.
The Ashfang Wolf King had been an unexpected discovery, but Vaelzara had managed to deal with it. This time, however, the number of enemies was the real problem.
Even if Rowan and Lyra were skilled in their respective fields, they were still F-Rank spirits.
Their ranks were not enough to justify throwing them into a nest filled with potentially high-Tier monsters.
And Eren himself?
He was a Level 5 Spirit Summoner with a Common Grade utility knife.
He wasn’t exactly the person one would send to lead an assault against an insect army.
Eren looked at Rowan and Lyra.
"Can either of you think of a way to approach this?"
Rowan remained silent for a moment.
"My lord, we could attempt to lure some of the creatures away from the nest. If we can isolate them, we might be able to eliminate the weaker ones without attracting the attention of the entire colony."
"That would work against a small group," Lyra said. "But what happens if the stronger ones notice us? We don’t know how quickly they can move, and those stingers look dangerous."
She glanced at the nest.
"One mistake could be enough to kill us."
Eren nodded.
That was precisely the problem.
A strategy that depended on the two F-Rank spirits taking turns luring monsters away could easily turn into a disaster. They had no idea how the nest’s inhabitants would react to an attack.
And if a Tier 10 or higher monster emerged?
He didn’t even want to imagine it.
Eren then looked toward Vaelzara. The Demon Queen had been unusually quiet.
Her crimson eyes were fixed on the nest, and the faint smile on her lips suggested that she was looking at something far more interesting than a dangerous collection of monsters.
"Vaelzara," Eren called.
She turned toward him.
"Yes, Master?"
"Do you have any ideas?"
For a moment, the Demon Queen simply stared at him before her lips curved into a smile.
"Amazing... Now here’s where I come in."
Eren barely had time to react.
Vaelzara stepped forward, placed one hand against his cheek, and pulled him toward her.
Her lips met his at once, and at that moment, Eren’s eyes widened.
It was not a brief kiss.
The Demon Queen held him close, her other hand resting against the back of his head as she kissed him with a confidence that left him completely helpless. Her lips were warm, soft, and surprisingly gentle despite the intensity of the moment.
Eren had never experienced anything remotely similar.
His mind went blank.
For several seconds, the entire world seemed to disappear.
When Vaelzara finally pulled away, she was wearing a satisfied smile.
’What... just happened?’
Vaelzara’s crimson eyes gleamed with amusement.
"You’re adorable when you’re surprised, Master."
"Vaelzara..."
"Now, pay attention."
Before Eren could say anything else, something changed.
The Demon Queen’s smile faded.
A powerful pressure began to emanate from her body, as the air around them trembled.
Eren instinctively stepped backward, and Rowan and Lyra immediately followed suit. Even the creatures crawling around the nest seemed to react to the sudden disturbance.
Vaelzara’s long white hair began to rise.
The black horns on her head grew longer, their curved edges becoming sharper and more pronounced. Dark veins spread across her pale skin, while crimson light pulsed beneath them like blood flowing through a living weapon.
Her eyes changed.
The narrow demonic pupils became even more pronounced, and the crimson glow intensified until they looked like two burning flames.
Then came the scales.
Dark, obsidian-like scales spread across portions of her body, forming a natural armor that seemed to absorb the surrounding light. Her fingers elongated, and her nails transformed into razor-sharp claws.
A massive tail emerged behind her.
It was long and powerful, covered in dark scales, with a sharp tip that could easily tear through flesh and armor. As it swept across the ground, the hardened ash cracked beneath its weight.
The transformation continued.
Her body became more imposing, her muscles subtly strengthening beneath her clothing. Her fangs grew longer, and the faint smile that had once seemed playful now carried something terrifying.
Something ancient!
Something that belonged to a creature far removed from ordinary demons!!!
The pressure intensified, and Eren genuinely could barely breathe.
It was not simply the strength he felt.
It was the overwhelming presence of a being that had once ruled an entire kingdom and stood against armies.
Vaelzara opened her mouth.
A low, delighted laugh escaped her.
"Hehehe..."
Her voice had changed slightly, becoming deeper and more resonant.
The Demon Queen turned toward the nest.
And Eren finally understood.
This was the total transformation of the Immortal Demon Body!
The version of Vaelzara he had seen inside Ash Rock Cave had already been frightening. She had torn through the Ashfang Wolves with nothing but her physical strength and claws and a partial portion of the power.
But this?
This was something else entirely.
She looked magnificent.
And terrifying.
It was the kind of power that made a person instinctively understand the difference between themselves and a true monster.
Vaelzara flexed her claws.
"Now then..."
Her crimson eyes settled on the Ashen Stinger Nest.
"Let’s have some fun."
She lunged forward, as the ground beneath her feet shattered.
In the blink of an eye, she had crossed the distance separating them from the nest.
Her sudden movement was so fast that Eren could barely follow it.
The Ashen Stingers noticed her, as their wings began to vibrate violently. A high-pitched buzzing erupted from the nest, and then the entire colony reacted.
Hundreds of creatures poured out of the openings, their bodies moving in a chaotic swarm. Some crawled across the ground, while others took to the air. Their long stingers pointed toward the Demon Queen.
The sight was enough to make Eren’s stomach tighten.
They were all going after her...
Every single one of them.
But the Demon Queen did not slow down.
Instead, she laughed and shouted.
"Come on, then!"
The first Ashen Stinger struck.
Its stinger shot toward her neck with terrifying speed. Vaelzara tilted her head, as the attack missed by a hair’s breadth.
Her claw flashed, and the creature’s body was torn apart before it could recover.
[Tier 1 Ashen Stinger killed. +10 EXP gained.]
Another creature rushed toward her from the side.
Vaelzara’s tail swept across the ground.
The Ashen Stinger was struck so hard that its armored body was sent flying into the nest’s outer wall.
The impact shattered its shell. Find the original chapter at g.com.
[Tier 3 Ashen Stinger killed. +20 EXP gained.]
The Demon Queen did not even glance at the notification. She was already moving toward the next group.
Several Ashen Stingers descended from above, their wings beating rapidly as they aimed their stingers at her head and shoulders.
Vaelzara raised one arm, and suddenly the creatures struck her, but then their stingers scraped against her dark scales.
Nothing happened.
The attacks failed to penetrate her transformed body.
For a moment, the insects seemed to hesitate.
Then Vaelzara smiled.
"Is that all?"
Her claws swept through the air.
Three creatures were torn apart in a single movement.
[Tier 1 Ashen Stinger killed. +10 EXP gained.]
Another group attempted to surround her.
The Demon Queen twisted her body, her tail striking from behind while her claws attacked from the front. The combination was devastating.
[Tier 2 Ashen Stinger killed. +15 EXP gained.]
Eren could only stare.
He had expected Vaelzara to be powerful.
But he had not expected this level of dominance... Maybe he should have after seeing her transform into that menace.
The Ashen Stingers were attacking from every direction. Their numbers were overwhelming, and their stingers were clearly designed to pierce the bodies of their prey.
Yet the Demon Queen was treating them as though they were nothing more than insects.
Which, technically, they were.
Her claws tore through their armored bodies. Her tail smashed them into the ground. Whenever a creature attempted to attack from the air, she simply jumped and caught it before crushing it between her fingers.
The nest was becoming a battlefield, and Vaelzara was the only one enjoying herself.
"Master!" Rowan called from behind Eren.
The hunter’s voice carried a mixture of disbelief and caution.
"Should we assist her?"
Eren looked at the Demon Queen.
Then at the countless Ashen Stingers swarming around her.
He shook his head.
"No. Stay back."
He wasn’t going to send two F-Rank spirits into a battle where they could barely contribute.
At this point, their presence would only create unnecessary risks.
Lyra had her bow raised, but she had not released a single arrow.
There was simply no opportunity.
Vaelzara was moving too quickly, and the swarm was too dense. Any arrow she fired could easily strike the Demon Queen instead.
The two could only watch.
And watch they did.
The Demon Queen tore through the nest.
Her laughter echoed across the barren landscape as she crushed one creature after another. The Ashen Stingers continued throwing themselves at her, but their attacks only seemed to fuel her excitement.
A dangerous life-threatening task was beginning to look like a piece of cake.
Eren could hardly believe his eyes.
’So this is what the Demon Queen looks like when she’s serious...’
He swallowed.
The Ashfang Wolf King had been a terrifying monster.
But compared to Vaelzara in her total transformation?
A comparison was an insult!
The Demon Queen suddenly leaped into the air.
Her tail curled behind her as she descended upon a cluster of Ashen Stingers gathered near the nest’s entrance.
The impact sent a shockwave across the ground, as ash exploded into the air.
The creatures scattered.
Vaelzara stood in the middle of the devastation, her dark scales glistening beneath the dim light of the ash-covered sky.
She raised her head, as her crimson eyes burned.
"Come on!"
The remaining Ashen Stingers rushed toward her, and the Demon Queen welcomed them with a smile.
Lyra lowered her bow slightly.
Her eyes were wide.
Her lips parted.
For a moment, she seemed unable to find the right words.
"She’s... Awesome."