'Who is this girl?'
Han was at a loss. Since arriving here, nothing had been able to move during Queen's Gaze, not even the goblin warrior. Was this just what it meant to face someone of a high level?
『[Warning] Host Sovereignty compromised.』
『A foreign substance is attempting to interface with your mind....』
'Sovereignty compromised? Is she trying to take over my body?' Han thought to himself.
'System, how do I stop it? Will the healing potion work?'
However, there was no response.
Heron caressed Han's cheeks, bringing her nose against his. "Answer me," she whispered.
Of all the things to finally get him in this world, he had never expected it to be a girl, probably younger than his little sister.
As his mind raced for possible solutions, counter-measures.... something to get him out this situation, a chime rang in his mind.
『⚠ Neural Override contained.』
『Fragments of the Hive are immune to mental attacks.』
A wave of relief washed over Han. 'The Hive? Is that a new skill?' he pondered. Regardless, at least he wouldn't have to worry about losing control of his body.
However, he had bigger things to worry about. He still had no way of defeating the threat in front of him.
Heron took a step back, a slightly confused and amused expression on her face. "It didn't work?" she whispered, before smiling.
She started clapping her hands like a happy child. "That's it. I've decided," she announced.
"You're going to be my favourite doll."
Just then, a line of blood rolled down the edge of her mouth.
Though she didn't seem to notice.
Only an instant later, her right arm gave out a sharp crack, like snapping bones. She looked down, and it was bent backwards in an awkward position.
She studied it for a moment, as if fascinated.
Han mentally scowled at the scene. 'I need to get out of here... she's insane.'
Heron tried snapping her arm back into place, but in the process, her other arm cracked, snapping back as well. She now looked like she'd been run over, with blood leaking out of her mouth and eyes.
Oddly, she didn't seem the least bit phased. "It seems this doll isn't strong enough," she whispered to herself, before looking up at Han.
"Recall your skill," she said.
Han hesitated for a moment, nearly following her orders out of some sort of primal instinct. However, he stopped himself.
'So she can't move without injuring her body, huh?' he thought in relief.
That meant there was still a chance.
"Hmm? Are you ignoring me?" Heron asked.
Han just stared at her. If he waited long enough, she would likely die. Of course, that wasn't the goal. HE had a few questions to ask her, but it would be a little easier if she were completely immobile.
Heron sighed. And in a flash, Heron disappeared from view, and Han's world went black.
*
".... did I break it?"
Han awoke to something wet dripping on his face.
"Wake up."
His eyes fluttered open, and Heron was standing on top of him, bleeding from her mouth onto his face.
With a calm expression, "Do you have a healing potion?"
"What happened?" Nolan was shouting in the background, pacing around the room. "Why won't you say anything?"
Heron ignored him, focusing solely on Han. "Healing potion. Do you have one or not?"
Again, Han almost followed her orders, instinctively calling out for his inventory. However, he was able to catch himself at the last moment.
'She's definitely doing something. Is this her power? Mind control?' Han thought. It wasn't too far-fetched to believe that even her words had the power to control people. In which case, her trait must've been S-rank or even higher.
A low rumbling broke Han out of his train of thought.
Everyone in the room paused, and looked to the ceiling, where the sound had come from.
An instant later, a black mass of fog, shaped like a door, appeared, and through it, a chubby boy was flung to the ground.
『All players have been loaded into the quest queue.』
『New Stage Requirements processing...』
"Chul?" Han whispered, getting to his feet.
He rushed over. 'Good. With two of us here, and one of them injured, perhaps we have a chance,' he thought, trying to slap Chul conscious.
"Oh no, you don't," Nolan shouted, shoving Han off.
His eyes were red; he'd been crying. "Heron, take over his body."
Han turned to look at Heron. Her arms were still broken and twisted, and the pool of blood beneath her hinted at the fact that he would soon die from health loss.
"Please, Heron," Nolan shouted.
"I already tried," Heron replied, not a hint of sympathy in her voice. "It won't work."
Nolan fell to his knees. "Please," he whispered. "She's the only thing that matters to me."
Heron stepped over him, leaving him to sob on the ground. "You broke one of my dolls," she said, her expression serious. "If this doll dies, I'll be forced to kill you," she continued.
"...And waste yet another precious doll."
"Doll? What dol-"
Heron headbutted Han, shutting him up instantly.
Blood leaked onto his tongue.
"I hate people who break dolls," Heron whispered.
After one final look at him, she fell to the ground like a rag doll. Sparkling white smoke fumed out of her mouth, eyes and skin, covering the entire room in a smoke screen.
Han wasn't certain what was going on; however, he took this chance to get to Chul.
"Wake the fuck u,p man," he shouted, slapping the living shit out of Chul's unconscious body. "Wake up!!!"
『New Quest Decided!』
『Locate the Queen Bee Embryo.』
The smoke had begun to clear out... and Chul's eyes were fluttering open.
However, Han couldn't pay mind to any of that. Right at that instant, all his system screens opened simultaneously. Glitching with strange golden sigils.
'What now????'