"Of course. Not one useful monster among you beyond the basics. Wonderful. Truly blessed."
The ants, indifferent to insult, waited.
He exhaled and started assigning work.
Ten workers continued widening the chamber and cutting a more stable route through the nearest weak seam.
The remaining five workers and all five soldiers received scouting tasks.
Not random exploration.
Very specific.
Footage first. Anything visible that resembled water seep, fungus growth, edible root structures, insects, repeat-pattern organisms, surface residue, old architecture, and any plant-like body that did not scream poison on sight.
Food, water, route intelligence.
That was survival.
Treasure could rot for a few hours.
Behind him, Rhaen woke slowly.
Not in some dramatic gasp.
Just pain returning one careful layer at a time.
Her ribs hurt. Her throat tasted like dust. Her limbs felt too heavy and too far away.
So she did what trained people did.
She stayed still.
