"Sleeper cells..."
Ricky muttered, a cold glint flashing through the many-faceted lenses of his compound eyes. The whisper echoed faintly in the vast, dimly lit chamber, swallowed quickly by the surrounding silence.
As if provoked by his presence, the Aegis ants shrieked in unison. Their spiritual fields surged in agitation, launching wave after wave of invisible force towards Ricky. But each assault met an equally invisible barrier—a shimmer in the air—before fizzling out like raindrops on iron. Ricky didn't flinch. He felt nothing. Their rage was impotent.
They were nothing more than pests flailing on the chopping block.
From Ricky's sleek carapace, a thick, tar-like smoke began to ooze, rising slowly before curling outward into the massive hall. The substance was eerie—sluggish in motion, yet filled with sinister intent. Ricky observed quietly, his wings twitching slightly in anticipation.
Would the hall's protective barrier react? Would it halt the encroaching fog?
