The Fae’s Gambit: Frost and Circuitry [LitRPG]

(Ivory POV)

​

Ivory sat on her throne, one arm lazily draped over the twisted organic armrest that had grown naturally from the Zerg lair's bizarre structure. The room pulsed faintly with life, walls breathing softly as if the Hive itself were slumbering. Jack Frost hovered nearby, his spectral form flickering faintly like a cold flame in the dim light. The air smelled faintly of damp earth and something faintly sweet, the scent coming from World Tree Sapling now firmly rooted in her court.

The three dryad children stood quietly before her, their bare feet leaving faint traces of golden pollen in their wake. Each child bore distinct traits the tallest had hair like woven vines with delicate green leaves sprouting throughout, the middle one sported bark-like patterns along her arms and legs, and the smallest, barely waist-high, had petals curling in her hair like a crown of blossoms. They watched her with wide, curious eyes.

"Alright," Ivory sighed, leaning forward. "I guess introductions are... complicated." She scratched the back of her head, her wooden fingers tapping lightly against her scalp. "You three understand me, right?"

The three children nodded in unison.

"Good. That's a start."

"Ask them if they can talk," Jack suggested from beside her. His voice, light yet sharp, carried an amused tone. "Y'know, unless you want to play charades all day."

"Can you talk?" Ivory asked, leaning closer.

The tallest shook her head. The other two mimicked her.

"Well, that's inconvenient," Jack muttered.

"But you can understand me, right?" Ivory clarified.

The three nodded again.

"Alright... progress." Ivory drummed her fingers on the armrest. "Okay, let's try something simple." She pointed at herself. "Ivory. My name's Ivory."

The children seemed to hesitate before the middle child raised her hand to her chest and tapped it softly. The motion reminded Ivory of someone trying to speak without words.

"Names?" Jack guessed.

"Yeah... are you trying to tell me your names?" Ivory asked.

The three exchanged glances before shaking their heads in unison.

"So no names, huh? Great," Ivory groaned. "Alright... we'll figure that out later."

The youngest dryad stepped closer, tiny fingers reaching out toward Ivory's arm. The moment her wooden hand brushed the bark-like texture of Ivory's left arm, a warm sensation spread up her limb a pulse of something ancient and familiar. It wasn't magic in the traditional sense, more like life itself stirring and reconnecting.

"Looks like they like you," Jack quipped. "I mean, your arm is half tree. Maybe they think you're family."

"Funny," Ivory deadpanned. She gave the child a small smile. "So... what do we do with them?"

"They followed you here," Jack said, floating lazily in the air. "And they see me, so they're clearly... different. Could be useful. Could be dangerous. Or both."

Ivory sighed. "I'm not dumping three kids in the woods."

The youngest dryad looked up at her with wide, almost glowing eyes. The Zergling that had accompanied the children earlier scuttled closer, curling up beside the little one like a faithful pet. Its plates shimmered faintly in the dim light, and its claws twitched, but it seemed oddly relaxed in the presence of the dryads.

"The Zerg trust them," Ivory said quietly. "That's... unexpected."

"Maybe because they know they're part of your court now," Jack reasoned. "The World Tree sprouted in your clearing. Whatever these kids are, they're tied to you."

Ivory watched the dryad children closely. They were watching her too, silent and patient. The smallest still clutched at the corner of her sleeve, while the other two stood slightly back, their posture more guarded.

"Alright," Ivory said at last. "I guess... I guess I'm responsible for you three."

The dryad children's expressions softened with what she guessed was relief. The tallest gave a small nod, the middle one's shoulders relaxed, and the youngest climbed up into Ivory's lap without hesitation. She could feel herself tensing as the child climbed onto her lap, her hands awkwardly hovering around the child.

"You sure about this?" Jack asked.

"No," Ivory replied, resting her hand on the youngest's back. "But I can't leave them. I brought them into this world the least I can do is take care of them.

Jack grinned. "Well, you always were good at finding weird friends."

Ivory snorted. "Says the guy who followed me to a magical realm."

Jack's grin widened. "Fair point."

Ivory glanced down at the youngest dryad, now sound asleep in her lap, and let out a quiet breath. Whatever trials lay ahead, she knew this was the right choice.

"Welcome to the family," she whispered.

The middle child, the one who seemed to be slightly more airheaded, had drifted closer to Jack. She stood just beside him now, as if drawn to his presence. Jack, noticing her proximity, offered a lopsided grin and waved. The girl's expression barely changed, but she gave a slight nod, her mossy hair swaying like leaves in the wind.

"Looks like you've got a fan," Ivory said, smirking.

"Well," Jack replied, folding his arms, "kids usually like me when they can see me."

Ivory chuckled dryly before pulling up her resources menu. The glowing interface flickered to life before her.

[Current Resource Stockpile]

*Minerals: 400

*Vespene Gas: 15

*Supply Cap: 7/18

Her gaze lingered on the mineral count. With the Zerg steadily growing in number, she knew she'd need to bolster their forces. The memory of the earth-magic bear that nearly ended her still lingered, and the sooner they were prepared, the better.

"I'm thinking Zerglings," she muttered.

Jack arched a brow. "You sure? If something bigger shows up, Zerglings might not cut it."

"I know," Ivory replied. "But they're fast, and they don't cost much. I'd rather have numbers right now than gamble on something stronger."

She hovered her hand over the menu and selected Spawn Zerglings — 200 minerals spent. Within the hive's fleshy walls, she could already feel the psionic connection stirring to life. Sixteen new consciousnesses now flickered in the back of her mind, like tiny sparks dancing along her thoughts.

A minute passed before the Zerglings emerged sixteen small, skittering nightmares of claws and chitin. Their bodies glistened with a faint sheen of mucus as they stretched and shook themselves free from their cocoons. Their sharp talons clicked against the organic floor as they instinctively grouped together, heads twitching from side to side as they awaited orders.

Ivory stood up from her throne, reaching down to gently scoop up the youngest dryad child. The small girl had dozed off at some point, her breathing soft and steady against Ivory's chest. Cradling the child in her arms, Ivory turned to Jack.

"Let's head outside," she said. "I want to get a better sense of things before the day really starts."

The dryad children followed silently, forming a small procession as they moved through the winding passages of the hive. The Zerglings trotted alongside them like eager hunting dogs, claws scraping against the ground as their bodies tensed, primed for violence at a moment's notice.

Ivory stepped outside into the cool morning air, the faint warmth of dawn just beginning to creep over the horizon. The sky still held traces of night, a muted canvas of dark blue and soft gray. The clearing felt quiet, save for the low squelching pulse of the Zerg hatchery behind her. The ground beneath her boots was slick with creep a living carpet of pulsating bio-matter that stretched lazily away from the hive.

In her arms, the youngest dryad child remained fast asleep, her leafy hair curling gently across her face. She clutched at Ivory's sleeve with tiny fingers, her breathing soft and steady. Ivory adjusted her grip carefully, feeling the warmth of the small girl against her chest.

Jack floated beside her, watching quietly. His usual smirk was absent his gaze instead fixed on the dryad child, a rare flicker of concern in his expression.

"Think they'll be safe?" Jack asked, his voice quieter than usual.

"They'll have to be," Ivory muttered. She turned her attention to the eight Zerglings now crouched along the edge of the clearing, their dark carapaces blending with the shadows beneath the trees.

She focused her mind and sent out a psionic command.

Four of you head south. Scout the area and bring back anything important.

The designated Zerglings twitched in unison, their needle-like spines rising along their backs before they scuttled off into the underbrush, their claws scraping softly against the soil.

Ivory turned her thoughts to the remaining four.

The rest of you... stay close to the kids. Nothing touches them.

These Zerglings shifted slightly, their heads turning as they instinctively positioned themselves near the dryad sisters. The tallest dryad, the one who seemed the most confident reached down, tentatively patting one of the Zerglings on the head. The creature chittered quietly but didn't recoil, instead lowering itself as if to present less of a threat.

"Huh," Jack muttered. "Didn't expect that."

"Me neither," Ivory admitted. "But I'm not complaining."

With the Zerglings posted, Ivory turned her attention back to the hive. She focused on one of the larva nestled along the walls of the hatchery a pulsating, slug-like mass that twitched as her psionic command reached it.

Morph into a drone.

The larva began to writhe and swell, its pale membrane stretching and bulging as its form shifted. After several seconds, the sleek, insectoid shape of a drone pushed free from the wriggling cocoon. The creature's dull, glistening carapace shuddered as it adjusted to its new form, small limbs testing the ground as it awaited orders.

"Good," Ivory murmured. Now evolve into an Evolution Chamber. Set up next to the Spawning Pool.

The drone's body quivered in response before it floated across the creep, as it did so the creep could visibly be seen latching onto the underneath of the drone and pushing it forward, moving with unsettling speed. It reached the designated spot beside the Spawning Pool and began to anchor itself, its body distorting and thickening as sinewy tendrils pushed from its limbs.

The transformation was grotesque yet mesmerizing. The drone's body split apart like overripe fruit, chitinous plates unfurling as dark muscle-like strands grew outward. A network of thick, vein-covered tendrils sprouted from the expanding mass, twisting together like vines as they slithered across the ground. Some tendrils coiled toward the Spawning Pool, latching onto it like arteries feeding a heart.

Ivory stared, transfixed. The Zerg's ability to reshape itself felt so unnatural yet mesmerizing. The Evolution Chamber continued to grow, fleshy plates hardening into thick, armor-like layers. Pustules of bio-matter swelled along its surface, pulsating faintly with life. The connecting tendrils pulsed in rhythm with the Spawning Pool, as though both structures shared the same lifeline.

"Creepy," Jack muttered, eyeing the web of organic cables. "Looks like someone strung up a nest of guts."

Ivory gave a dry chuckle. "Yeah... but at least it's our nest of guts."

The youngest dryad stirred in her arms, her small face scrunching slightly as she murmured in her sleep. Ivory shifted her carefully, adjusting her weight to keep her comfortable.

"You think the Evolution Chamber's worth the investment?" Jack asked, floating closer.

"Yeah," Ivory replied. "We'll need upgrades eventually. And if we're building an army, it's better to start preparing now."

Jack nodded but kept his gaze on the children. "And... what about them?"

Ivory followed his eyes to the dryads. The oldest had taken it upon herself to guide her younger sister a few paces away from the hive, tracing shapes in the dirt while the protective Zerglings watched from a short distance away.

"We'll figure it out," Ivory said quietly. "We don't have a choice."

For a while, they stood in silence, watching the Evolution Chamber throb and writhe as it finished growing. The clearing was still and quiet, save for the occasional chirp of unseen insects or the distant rustle of the different zerg moving through the forest.

After a few more moments of watching Ivory decided to head and stepped back into the throne room, cradling the youngest dryad in her arms. The soft flickering glow from bioluminescent patches on the walls gave the room an eerie warmth like candlelight flickering in a room that had never known fire.

She sat down on the throne, the cool, pulsing texture pressing against her back as the living structure adjusted to her weight. The youngest dryad shifted in her sleep, tucking her face closer to Ivory's chest. Ivory instinctively held her tighter, her fingers resting against the child's leafy hair.

Jack floated nearby, arms crossed, expression thoughtful. His usual sarcastic grin had faded; instead, he was studying the room, and the children like he was trying to make sense of something far bigger than either of them had anticipated.

"We should talk about the Queen," Ivory said quietly.

Jack's attention snapped back to her. "Yeah... I was hoping you'd bring that up."

They both knew what a Zerg Queen could do spawn creep tumors, reinforce defenses, and even help manage smaller groups of Zerg. A powerful asset, but also a potential liability.

"I'm not thrilled about putting something that smart in the mix," Jack admitted. "The drones are mindless enough to follow orders, and the Zerglings… well, they're just angry little murder-hounds. But a Queen?" He shook his head. "It's a thinker."

Ivory frowned. "Yeah… but we can't do everything ourselves. Besides Every unit from the zerg should be loyal, it's basically baked into their DNA"

"You sure?" Jack raised a brow. "We've been holding it together pretty well so far."

"Barely," Ivory shot back. "The Zerglings are great for scouting and fighting, but what happens when we need to expand? Or defend multiple places at once? We can't be everywhere at once and I'd rather not have to micromanage every single move those things make."

Jack sighed. "Yeah… fair point." He leaned against the wall, though his body never truly made contact. "But you know what happens when something smart enough starts asking questions, right?"

Neither of them spoke for a moment. The quiet seemed heavier than before, like the room itself was holding its breath.

"I think it's worth the risk," Ivory finally said. "If It gets bad, I can keep it under my control with the psionic link, we should be fine."

"Famous last words," Jack muttered, but his voice lacked his usual teasing tone.

Ivory shifted the sleeping dryad in her arms, brushing strands of leafy hair from the child's face. "We're going to need someone or something to help us keep this place safe. The Queen's our best bet."

Jack exhaled through his teeth. "Alright... but the second that thing starts getting ideas? We squash it."

"Agreed," Ivory said.

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of shuffling footsteps. The two older dryads stood near the doorway, their eyes heavy with exhaustion. They both wobbled slightly, clearly fighting to stay awake.

"Looks like we're not the only ones who need rest," Jack said, nodding toward the children.

Ivory stood carefully, adjusting her hold on the youngest. "We should find them a room."

They walked together through the winding corridors of the hive. The walls seemed to ripple slightly as they passed faint movements beneath the living surface. The Zerg structures were adapting, expanding to meet the needs of their growing court.

Eventually, they found a room that felt... less hostile. The walls here were smoother, the organic ridges less jagged. A fleshy platform protruded from one side of the room, forming a bed-like shape. It wasn't exactly cozy, but it would do.

Ivory knelt down, gently placing the youngest dryad in the center of the bed. The other two dryads clambered up beside her, curling protectively around their sibling. Ivory couldn't help but smile as the three nestled together, their small bodies rising and falling with soft, steady breaths.

"They're... trusting us," Ivory said quietly.

"Yeah," Jack replied. "They're probably crazy."

After one last glance at the sleeping children, they returned to the throne room. By then, her resource counter had finally ticked high enough — 175 minerals.

"Time to make the call," Jack muttered.

Ivory opened her menu and focused on one of the writhing larvae nestled along the hatchery wall. She reached out with her mind.

Evolve into a Queen.

The larva twitched violently in response. Its pale membrane swelled as dark veins spread across its surface. Ivory watched with growing discomfort as the creature's body began to bloat and harden, jagged spines sprouting from its back.

The larva's body split wide open, tendrils whipping outward as chitinous plates locked into place. A pair of curved, scythe-like arms unfolded from its body, twitching with unsettling precision. Pale sacs of bio-fluid bulged from its abdomen, rippling faintly with life.

The creature's head rose last a crown of spines surrounding a dark, skeletal face. It tilted its head slightly, mandibles clicking as it adjusted to its new form. Its yellow eyes glowed faintly, narrowing as they locked onto Ivory.

"...Yeah," Jack said dryly. "Definitely a nightmare."

The Queen let out a low, guttural hiss not hostile, but expectant. It was waiting for orders.

"Can you hear me?" Ivory tried reaching out with her psionic link.

The Queen twitched slightly, then bowed its head in acknowledgment.

"Good," Ivory murmured. "Looks like it's on our side... for now."

"Don't get too comfortable," Jack warned.

"Trust me," Ivory said. "I'm not."

For now, the Queen stood motionless, like a statue carved from living chitin. Ivory stared at it for a moment longer, feeling the weight of what they had just added to their growing hive.

"Alright," Ivory muttered. "Let's see what this thing can really do."

She straightened up in her seat and focused her thoughts on the psionic link that bound her to the Zerg Queen. The mental connection felt strange like trying to whisper into a void and hoping something whispered back.

'Can you create a [creep tumor]?' Ivory asked through the link.

The Queen's head twitched, mandibles clicking softly in response. Its thoughts alien yet precise answered her in feelings of positive that was more sensation than sound.

"What's the plan?" Jack asked, watching the Queen with clear suspicion.

"I'll have it expand the creep north. If we're going to scout, claim territory, or attract resources, we'll need that ground covered."

Turning her attention back to the Queen, Ivory spoke through the link once again.

Go north. Plant a creep tumor at the edge of the territory.

The Queen didn't answer this time she simply moved. Her towering frame shifted into motion with a sickly grace, her clawed feet tapping wetly against the living creep as she advanced toward the northern edge.

"Let's follow her," Ivory said, pushing off the throne. They followed the Queen outside, stepping into the dim morning air, the sky above was still a deep purple, with faint traces of red warming the horizon. The damp forest loomed at the boundary of their territory, the trees shrouded in mist.

Ivory kept a close eye on the Zerg Queen as it moved steadily forward. The creature's body shifted, unnerving muscles rolling beneath chitinous plates, its bloated abdomen swaying as it lumbered across the landscape.

The Queen reached the northernmost edge of the creep, where the pulsating carpet of bio-matter thinned and faded into dry grass and soil. It stopped, lowering its body as though kneeling.

Ivory and Jack stopped a few paces back.

"What's it doing?" Jack asked, voice low.

"Watch," Ivory muttered.

The Queen pressed one of its scythe-like limbs into the ground. A thick, fleshy sac swelled up from its underside, quivering as veins pulsed violently across its surface. With a sickening squelch, the Queen planted the sac into the earth, where it quickly anchored itself in place.

Almost immediately, the sac began to pulsate like a beating heart. Dark tendrils slithered outward from its base, latching onto the ground like the roots of a gnarled tree. The creep responded almost instantly, racing outward in thin tendrils before rapidly expanding like ink soaking into paper.

"That's… faster than I expected," Jack muttered.

The creep thickened and spread, swallowing grass, roots, and stone beneath its pulsating mass. A sour scent filled the air — something like rotting meat mixed with damp soil.

"Good," Ivory said quietly. "That's progress."

She reached out to the Queen again.

Keep pushing north, she commanded. But before that, when we've gathered enough resources, spawn eight Zerglings to guard you.

The Queen's mind responded with a sensation that felt like cold steel, calculating, obedient.

___________________________________

(Thornvale POV)

The air inside the Ironfang Adventurer's Guild Hall was thick with murmured conversation and the scent of roasted meat and stale ale. Maps lined the walls, dotted with pins and markings that tracked everything from trade routes to monster sightings. An enormous board at the back stood crowded with parchment quests, bounties, and contracts awaiting brave souls willing to take the risk.

At the far end of the room, behind a heavy wooden desk scarred from years of sword gouges and mug slams, sat Garrick Thornvale, Guildmaster of the Ironfang. His grizzled face, worn by years of skirmishes and negotiations, was carved with a perpetual scowl. A half-empty tankard rested by his hand, forgotten since morning.

The past 3 days' worth of reports were scattered across his desk, scrawled letters from scouts, hunters, and adventurers alike. Garrick rubbed his temple as he read them again.

"Another sighting?" he muttered to himself. His eyes flicked to one note in particular, a report from a trusted scout. Pack of shadow wolves seen north of the Emerald Way, two miles closer to the city than usual. Garrick's hand tightened around the parchment. Shadow wolves didn't leave their deep forest hunting grounds unless something was wrong.

Another letter spoke of enraged elk charging through outlying farmland, killing livestock and goring one unfortunate merchant. Reports of unusually large spiders spinning thick webs near common trails, boars roaming in herds far beyond their normal range all of it painted an alarming picture.

"Damn forest is waking up…" Garrick grunted.

The door creaked open, and a young man lean and wiry, barely out of his teens stepped in. His leather armor still carried traces of dirt from the road.

"More trouble, sir," the scout announced grimly. "Beast wave hit the merchant caravan coming from Rivenbrook. The survivors claim they were swarmed wolves, birds, even those twisted root beasts."

"Root beasts?" Garrick asked sharply, leaning forward. "The ones that drag you under?"

The scout nodded. "Aye... but these didn't ambush. They charged the caravan outright. Almost like something was pushing them forward."

Garrick's scowl deepened. Something was pushing them forward. He knew the signs nature itself was stirring. Something inside the forest was boiling over, forcing the local wildlife to act erratically.

"You said survivors," Garrick muttered. "Any of 'em know what's causing this?"

"None," the scout said with a grim shake of his head. "Said they never made it far into the trees before the beasts hit 'em."

Garrick growled under his breath, tossing the parchment onto the desk. This wasn't a problem that could be ignored. Beast waves could cripple trade routes, devastate nearby villages, or even push into the cities nearby itself.

"We need a hunt," Garrick said, half to himself. "Not just killing these things we need to know what's causing this."

He rose from his seat, his boots thudding heavily against the wood floor. The guild's main hall wasn't quiet anymore dozens of adventurers were gathered near the quest board, swapping rumors over pints or boasting about recent jobs. The tension in the room was tangible.

Garrick moved past them and toward the towering board of parchment. He reached into his pocket and retrieved a blank sheet of paper, then pinned it to the center of the board with a dagger.

URGENT QUEST:

BEAST WAVE HUNT

Bounties offered for slain beasts — extra reward for identifying the source of the disturbance.

All are welcome. Seek the Guildmaster for details.

The heavy thunk of the dagger into wood turned several heads. The nearest group of adventurers, two swordsmen and a wiry spellcaster read the notice, exchanged glances, and nodded to each other. Others soon followed, some whispering about beast wave bounties being lucrative, others muttering concerns about what it meant.

Garrick turned, locking eyes with the scout. "I want runners in the nearby towns. Let 'em know this is open to anyone willing. And I mean anyone. We're not taking chances with this."

"Even mercenaries?" the scout asked with a raised brow.

"Even mercenaries," Garrick said firmly. "I'd rather hire every sword and spell in the kingdom than let this spiral into something worse."

The scout nodded and hurried off, weaving between the tables of adventurers already preparing their gear.

Garrick leaned against the wall, arms crossed, watching the room. Some veterans sharpened their blades or exchanged strategy notes. Younger adventurers, greener, but eager huddled in corners, plotting how to earn their coin.

Yet amid all the grim determination, Garrick knew they were walking blind. This wasn't just a rogue beast or two. This was something deeper something wrong. As his gaze wandered back to the map, his fingers unconsciously traced the northern border, he knew the forest stretched far beyond what most dared to map wild and untouched.

He'd seen these signs before years ago, when he was younger. A beast wave tore through two villages and nearly breached the city. It took months of organized efforts and dozens of hunting parties to cull the swarming creatures.

"We're walking into something bad," Garrick muttered to himself. "I can feel it."