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77. Life Crystals
🕑 Added 2025-07-26 16:20:40 +0000 UTCI studied the slim body of the bees standing still at the tip of my snout. It was twirling on its bladed legs, its dark hue reflecting the biolight in a seizure-inducing array of colors.
Then, with a flex of my magic, it froze and began bobbing its head to an unknown rhythm. The serrated sword-like mandibles opened and closed to the same silent tempo.
Click-clack was the sound of the bee, sharp and far more powerful than anyone would ever expect.
Its reinforced, translucent wings began to flap and flashed bright, fractured light as it hovered horizontally. Then the first and second pair of limbs, far more flexible than their non-modified counterparts, put themselves between the thorax and abdomen.
And its last set of legs began to move, kicking up the air as the upper limbs moved as if adjusting a nonexistent robe, while the second remained on the postpetiole.
For five seconds, I commanded a second vorpal bee to do the same as its sister.
Or, more accurately, puppeteered it as it began dancing to my magical tethers from a vivid crimson crystal attached to one of my fur and vine braids.
It did much the same as the first, then I added a third, and immediately, movements became less precise, slower, and desynchronized.
Still, I continued, brow creased and eyes narrowing as a fourth bee entered the dance to music I barely recalled but had the rough choreography in mind.
I brought a fifth, and the prior difficulties exponentially increased, but I didn't stop. I brought a sixth, a seventh, and more, until I had twenty that couldn't do more than repeat a highly simplified version.
At this point, I could add hundreds or thousands, and there would be no significant change, since the dance had pretty much become what they did naturally to communicate.
It was more on my part, and the fact that I was pushing the limit of this 'mind control.' At a certain level of magic, they could take on the likeness of another, particularly Arcane, to a limit.
Mind control was solidly in the realm of Shadow magic, but it certainly wasn't exclusive to it.
Far from it, given the varying definition of mind control. About a dozen species of fungi came to mind, and contrary to what I remembered of Earth, they weren't limited to insects.
And they played a role with the vorpal bees, but that wasn't all.
Outside of this, I didn't affect the mind directly; it was a byproduct of my actions.
The distinction was that I had their life forces on a leash and essentially tugged on cords to get the desired results, instead of doing so to the mind.
It affected the mind because it affected the body, but that wasn't a problem with non-sapient insects. I could do so much for the simplicity of their minds.
I had the qiraji resonating crystals to thank for that breakthrough. The threat they represented was immense; thousands had already been lost.
We wouldn't gape like idiots, so progress was as fast as possible.
It was the mana resonance that was key.
With Life and Nature mana condensed into crystalline structure and smaller versions in each vespid nervous system.
I could do more than basically lobotomizing a few of them with the Goldilocks to flip the hive from peaceful to royally pissed off.
This was still used, as that degree of control was the culmination of multiple complex factors used in tandem.
A lot needed to be done for insectomancy to be standardized, but at least I could now use them as a stable weapon.
And what a terrifyingly beautiful one it was, an all-devouring aurora borealis. Aesthetics was never a main goal, but when achievable, I took it.
Ultimately, this was a side project I used with my students to find countermeasures against one of the greatest weapons of the Kingdom of Ahn'Qiraj—the resonating crystals.
The vorpal bees were a practical case study for further developing a solution.
And that solution was the vitae crystals, the very same, more or less, used to control my bugs. It wasn't mind control, quite the contrary, as said, it worked on the life force itself.
Mind control was not possible without all I did with the vorpal wasps. Well, precise and non-deadly, but at this point, that was just a weapon that made everyone have brain cancer.
Those Life crystals were based on Blood magic and, by extension, blood crystals, and they emitted targeted energy waves in parallel opposition to the resonating crystals of the qiraji.
They weakened and nullified the effect by muddling the impact on the brain by bathing the tie between life force and mind in a controlled flow of Life and Nature mana.
But body and mind were tricky things.
Yet unless the Twin Emperors turned those horrid stones into mind-fraying furnaces, which would harm their own force, delicate spells manipulating an unconnected, unwilling, strong mind were bound to fail.
For the most part. That was all in theory, based on highly repeatable experiments, but a theory nonetheless.
Additionally, the vitae crystals worked on silithids but didn't break them free unless they hugged the crystal for a few hours. It was an integral part of their biology to obey.
Otherwise, it was uncomfortable to the point of agony, the closer and made the silithids or any qiraji waiting to rape minds significantly less dangerous. Again, that was what was desired.
Today was to test them in something that was a carefully controlled environment. And so I found myself walking through Sara'shenia Forrest with a dozen vitae crystals carried by an equal amount of wooden 'crabs.'
They weren't crabs, but it was a close enough comparison. They looked like thick flattened trunks walking on eight articulated roots with four wooden claws that ended in prehensile tendrils.
Those were treants of Groot lineage willingly bound to trees to serve as automatons—a rather common sight, since the symbiotic weapons.
Of course, they weren't slaves. I, with fellow Representatives, even tried to get the Ancients to organize themselves so they could choose a Representative.
But what we wanted and how those fickle nature spirits desired didn't quite align.
They didn't give a fuck to put it mildly, as long as we continued to do what we did, they were content to help us.
They were loved and respected allies, and sapient ones weren't treated any less than anyone in the Wild.
Still, treants were the backbone of any living construct that needed any kind of intelligence.
And they were doing their jobs magnificently, vitae crystals weren't fragile, and I could repair them, but that didn't imply handling them like shit.
However, it wasn't them who attracted attention as I strutted forward with some of my students at the First Gate.
It was an odd sight to have Horde and Wild somewhat working together, though my presence put a large stop to it. There was a lot of stare to say the least.
Far more than at Cenarion Hold, where people were used to Wild Gods and Representatives coming as of late.
The big difference was that the Horde was here, however, and it was them who were most affected.
Not that the members of the Wild didn't stop, but the difference was striking.
It was short among the Wild as they went back to work shortly after, but the orcs, ogres, goblins, jungle trolls, and Horde taurens were stunned for the most part.
At the end, they went back to work, but fear was palpable in the air, and this feeling persisted as we progressed deeper into the tunnel, our pace quick yet not hasty.
"Do we truly need their help, teacher? I see a few reasons, but it doesn't seem... necessary." Tur asked in Ursine with a snarl, and I hummed, what a loaded question it was. One that wasn't unique to the young furbolg.
People in the Wild weren't a fan of that decision at all.
But they didn't make a fuss over it because that wasn't how this world worked. Despite the many benefits that our citizens enjoyed, free speech was way down the ladder. They could say a lot, but there were clear limits.
Not that there was any actual riot or the likes, just general displeasure to work with someone who was considered an enemy for all intents and purposes. Otherwise, they did their duty with pride worn on their hearts.
Though I wouldn't say it wasn't unpleasant to be directly questioned for once. It was grounding.
To him, I wasn't a Representative or a growing demi-god only. I was a teacher, and as such, he asked and I answered.
"To reduce the price of this pointless war, yes. To win? No, your assumption is right. But this isn't about winning." I answered, tilting my head toward his, his eyes wide in curiosity.
"Ah… the Nightmare, to keep our strength. Is it tied to the dragons' demand, too?" The Timbermaw furbolg inquired further, and my ears pricked up.
He was intelligent and my star student for a reason. He was my first proper student in biomancy, to be honest. I wouldn't expect anything less.
"I cannot say much. Nevertheless, it's not entirely irrelevant, though the Emerald Nightmare is part of the reason. But it's a part of a whole, we aren't done with the Burning Legion, and as you know, the undead purge… first in Northrend, then the Eastern Kingdoms." I rumbled calmly.
I didn't hate the Forsaken; well, I did, but that was more instinctive than purely intellectual. They hadn't changed; they were a plague and a ticking time bomb, all wrapped in one rotting package, one that Jaina somehow cultivated a soft spot for.
Naïve, but alas, that was life. I could only hope she realized this was a fool's errand in time. I absolutely didn't want to fight her over that. Arcane wasn't a concern unless the Alliance started abusing it.
But that was for my future self.
Now it was time to do some testing of the vitae crystals, and our march continued for a good hour. The Child Goldilocks was guiding me forward through the impossible maze of tunnels to my destination.
It was quite marvelous in its convenience and far from limited to me; any semi-competent druid or biomancer could access the mycelial network and use it to be much more than a map.
Reaching our destination, I studied how the underground forest was slowly dying off to make room for bare, scorched stone, then further away, the typical silithid organic bio-structures.
Thoughts on their composition and purposes flashed through my mind, along with the methods used to get rid of them, which were almost exclusively pyrotechnic-based.
They weren't corruptive like the Nightmare, but the deeper they went, the more qualities of the former they took on. I don't foresee a complete parallel, or Kalimdor would have been lost centuries ago.
However, it was potentially hazardous enough to warrant using anything self-replicating that would be in contact with those silithids for an extended period.
Those structures were exactly that.
Highly specialized silithids were connected together, playing the roles of individual organs or cells, into what was likely the largest organism on the planet, barring Azeroth herself.
With that in mind, it explained a lot of the tactics we used.
Then came our latest creation, who was the main attraction, with its brilliant ruby red hue as it advanced forward, letting me face the war outpost leader.
An old orc. One that was preemptively warned about my coming, most of this area was chock-full of Horde, but papyrus flowed. Contrary to radio, signals were transmitted through another dimension.
And he was not any random one of the original genocidal maniac orcs. If I hadn't been informed of his name, I wouldn't have recognized him anywhere as quickly, but since I had…
I knew, and he was approaching with quick, wide steps, a small garrison of guards behind.
This was Varok Saurfang, and his eyes widened slightly as they landed on me, but his expression was firm and resolute.
His scent spoke of healthy fear, wariness, and fatigue, but it wasn't all negative, even if putting a name to them was complicated straight away.
He was more or less a random orc now, but I knew better. I didn't care much about his good martial prowess; there were hundreds like him, but his mind was a different matter. And from the progress he had already made, I was right.
He was an experienced and brilliant tactician and general, while also being flexible and open-minded, with a logical approach and a willingness to back it up.
For short, he was dangerous to any deemed an enemy. Even more dangerous, he could reflect on his errors. This might seem childish, put like this, but it was the exact opposite.
It required a force of character only a select few had, and I didn't consider myself among them. Hot-tempered, stubborn, and prideful. Admittance did not make me any less of the three.
"You must be the famed Ohto and Furbolg Representative. In spite of our differences, it is a great honor to meet a figure of your legendary renown. You're as feared as admired," He began, shockingly respectful to the point it caught me off guard, even if only my ear flicking showed it.
"I'm High Overlord Varok Saurfang, Co-supreme Commander of the Might of Kalimdor." Varok ended, craning his neck to meet my eyes. He didn't flinch as I stared back.
This wouldn't do.
"Well met then, Varok. From what I gathered, you are to be no less striking in this war." I rumbled, lowering my head in response to his respect, "I'm pleased to see your Warchief had chosen well."
"Indeed, he has." My ears snapped to the right where the second voice came from, the smell that came with it indicating a blood tie to the first orc.
He was taller by half a head, more muscular, and carried a certain air that reminded me of that cunt I shattered the axe of. Yet this wasn't a whirlwind of rage barely contained.
"And you are?" I asked, my posture shifting back up as I began to order the treants to prepare the vitae crystals.
"Broxigar, his brother, O furbolg who blinded Archimonde." The older Saurfang introduced words that would imply sarcasm but were anything but.
"Then, I extend my greeting to you." There was a grunt of acknowledgement from Broxigar, then I declared, "Though we have wasted enough time, those crystals are going to directly counter the qiraji's, so you may attack them without fear of mind control. My students and I would monitor them and assist."
I waited for any disagreement.
"Do they truly work?" Varok asked, walking toward the nearest crystal, the Life and Nature energies pulsating within, bathing his face in their ruby and emerald light.
The question was more curious than doubting, but that didn't mean Tur Ragepaw let it slide. So, my student provided the explanation for me, which was partly aggressive, sharp, and concise.
'I taught him well.' I thought with pride.
"Vitae crystals. This will be their first use in real-world conditions, but tests have given satisfactory results. As long as you're in sight and they are protected, the mind is protected. Mental attack remains, but mind control is impossible if you follow the earlier instructions."
"That… is a great boon. No, beyond. This changes everything. Would you wish to partake in the planning of the coming foray… and what else can those gemstones do?" Varok said with an edge of excitement and fear, his mind was hard at work, by the looks of it.
"Less than I would like but more than needed. They passively aid in recovery from injuries and exhaustion, and can be used as batteries for druids and biomancers if needed. And silithids will turn progressively feral the closer to them, the hive mind losing fine control over them." I hummed, listing the generalities.
They could be weaponized, but they didn't do precision, and Life mana going rogue with Nature wouldn't differentiate between enemies and friendly targets in its zone of effect.
It was why they simply aided and not straight-up healed, at least for now.
Regardless of all that, I was excited to see how the vitae crystals performed and simply had a new outlet to let loose. My claws and fangs had not been wetted in the blood and entrails of my enemies for some time.
I loved my laboratory, I truly did. It was therapeutic. But I certainly missed the heat of battle as much as parts of me wished the contrary.
I wasn't a creature of peace.
