A string of glowing notifications continued to flood his vision, overlaying the dark cavern around him. His breath came in ragged gaps, his mind racing for answers to make sense of the foreign world around him. His black, segmented legs trembled in front of him. The sight only spiking his panic further.
"No, no, no, no! This isn't possible! This...This CANT be real!", yet he felt every moment of it. He shouted at the top of my lungs, his mandibles twitching unnaturally, but his voice remains unheard. He tried to curl my fingers, only to realize he didn't have any. Instead, 6 segmented legs, twitched uncontrollably, mirroring the sheer terror running through his thoughts. His mind screamed at him to wake up. His breathing quickened, pressure built up in his chest, his mandibles clittering faster as if mocking him. His vision started to blur, fading the world around him.
[WARNING: Elevated stress levels detected.]
[Initiating mana dispersal—Redirecting energy to stabilize neural activity.]
[Serotonin and GABA levels increased.]
A wave of sudden warmth rushed over his body; a soothing sensation spread through his brain and then his body. As the clittering stops, thoughts backed down, his mind at ease. The darkened rainy clouds in his mind replaced by a shiny morning with a clear sky. "What.... the hell? Was I drugged?" He shook his head, as if it could refocus and everything would be fine. Now that his panic dulled, he finally took in his surroundings, the air damp, lifeless, carrying a thick scent of earth. His eyes adjusting to the dim glow. The cave's jagged walls glistened slightly, compacted mud with faint traces of minerals. Strange, thin roots curled through the ceiling and the floor. It felt like an underground tunnel, but it was too natural, stretching further into the abyss.
His gaze fell on the massive crystal embedded in the ground; it's deep blue hue casted an eerie glow. As he stepped closer, he noticed the faint swirling lights within and around its surface, as if it was alive. His curiosity took over him, as he extended one of his legs, or hands, he couldn't really tell anymore. The moment he made contact a panel manifested in front of him in a flash.
[Mana Core Status: Active]
[Current Mana Storage: 63/100]
[Recharge Rate: +15 per day]
[Estimated time until full capacity: 4 days]
"So, this crystal holds mana... and it's regenerating? But what does that mean for me?" Another panel appeared, as if it listened to him, listing his own status.
[Name: Adam]
[Species: The Chosen Royal]
[Title: None]
[Level: 1]
[Health: 10/10]
[Stamina: 8/8]
[Mana: 30/30]
[Strength: 4]
[Defence: 6]
[Agility and Dexterity: 5]
[Intelligence: 9]
[Perception: 7]
[Unique Abilities:]
• Royal Command (Passive):
Increases efficiency of colony-wide coordination. Ants follow commands with greater precision.
• Tactical Foresight (Active):
Briefly enhances strategic thinking, allowing for real-time tactical assessments.
Cooldown: 12 hours.
He stared at the status window; his mind stuck on one detail. "The Chosen Royal? Who could that be?"
As if in response, another panel materialized, one unlike the others.
[Summon Menu Unlocked.]
His eyes widened as a structured panel appeared.
________________________________________
Summon System
• Worker Ant Egg – 30 Mana (Incubation: 2~3 Days)
[Daily Mana Consumption: 3 Mana (Per Active Summon)]
"Huh...? Worker ant eggs?" He stared at it for a while wondering if it meant what he thought it meant. "But does this mean I have to build an incubator now?" Before he could dwell further another notification panel appeared.
[Evolution Tree Access Granted.]
A sprawling diagram unfolded before him, outlining various paths of evolution. Some branches extended into unfamiliar, locked territories, while others flickered as available options. His gaze swept across the multiple pathways in his view, each marked with distinct traits:
• Warrior's Rage – A path dedicated to brute strength and resilience. Enhances physical capabilities, mandible strength, and exoskeletal armor, at the cost of intelligence and adaptability.
• Agile Striker – Specializes in speed, reflexes, and evasive maneuvers. Grants heightened mobility but sacrifices endurance and strategic thinking.
• Arcane Weaver – A mystical evolution focused on mana manipulation. Offers potent magical abilities but requires an immense mana pool and continuous energy upkeep.
• Strategist Overlord – The path of intelligence and leadership. Specializes in tactics, colony-wide management, and adaptive decision-making. Physical abilities remain weak, relying on superior coordination and planning.
His mandibles clenched as he examined the options. He weighed his options carefully. Warrior's Rage sounded powerful, but he doubted brute force would carry him far in the long run. Agile Striker seemed useful but lacked sustainability. Arcane Weaver intrigued him, yet the mana dependency worried him, not to mention, his current mana pool was far too low. Also, there is no guarantee that the summoned will obey him indefinitely. If this world is related to anything like nature, then only one option is best suited and that left Strategist Overlord. The idea of leading and coordinating an entire colony sparked something within him. It would fit perfectly if he could summon some workers for him. Undoubtedly, this was his best option, or so he thought.
With a deep breath, he selected Strategist Overlord.
[Strategist Overlord Path Chosen.]
[Other paths locked.]
His compound eyes narrowed. "Wait… what? They're all locked now? I can't change my mind?" A new notification popped up.
[First Evolution Selection Available.]
A glowing selection appeared beneath his chosen path, offering his first upgrade:
Tactical Mind – Increases intelligence by +2 and unlocks the passive skill Mana Recovery (absorbs ambient mana at 2 MP per day; scales with level).
There was no going back now. With a sigh, he accepted the evolution.
[Selection Confirmed.]
Another notification appeared.
[Skill Acquired: Mana Recovery (Passive).]
Below it, a separate skill was listed.
[Skill Acquired: Appraisal (Common).]
Unlike Mana Recovery, there were no details about Appraisal—no description, no instructions, nothing. He frowned, determined to test it. His gaze landed on a nearby rock. "Appraisal!" he commanded.
A panel appeared.
[Rock.]
Silence filled the cave.
"HUH?! THAT'S IT?!"
His disbelief echoed through the tunnels. "Come on! At least give me a description!" In nearly every comic or novel he has ever read, the appraisal is the first overpowered power skill that the protagonist gains. After all knowledge was power. He sighed in frustration, antennae drooping. "This better be upgradeable..." His mandibles clicked in frustration. The more he thought about it, the more it seemed like a cruel design. The only available path was that of a strategist, and even his ability to grow his kingdom was throttled by limited mana.
He let out a slow breath, staring at his reflection in the mana core's smooth surface. The image staring back at him was no longer human. Only the gleaming black exoskeleton of an ant, his large compound eyes reflecting the eerie blue light. He felt a cold shiver. "This can't be real..." His voice trembled, doubt creeping in again. "Is this still a lucid dream?" Yet, as the system continued feeding him notifications, the reality of his situation began to sink in. This was real. And he had no idea what to do next.
His decision was clear. He needs to incubate the eggs, somehow, that might be his only shot at strength at this point. He selected the worker ant eggs and held his breath.
[Transaction Analyzing…] [Transaction Complete.]
A faint hum resonated through the chamber, and in an instant, three small, delicate objects materialized before him. His compound eyes flickered in fascination, awe and wonder. The eggs were tiny, oval-shaped, and smooth. They had a milky white to pale yellow hue, almost transparent under the dim glow of the mana core. Their surface was soft and slightly sticky, a gelatinous outer layer coating each one. As he reached out with one of his segmented legs, he felt the thin, flexible membrane that protected the developing ants within.
He stared at them in silence. This was real. This was actually happening.
His mandibles twitched as he exhaled a shaky breath. He wasn't alone anymore. Now, he was about to have his first subjects.
And it was only the beginning.