The colony thrummed with busy life. Tunnels resonated with the sound of mandibles at work, each ant fulfilling its duty with unyielding purpose. Some guided others as they carried fragments of stone and soil, expanding the storages, while adding new compartments to accommodate the influx of ants. Others tended the fungi farms, carefully moistening the variety of mushrooms with droplets of water, trimming away what had spoiled. In a separate chamber, smoke-like fumes swirled from heated leaves where cooking duty ants worked, painstakingly frowning with boredom as they prepared meals from the harvested mushrooms.
Forty ants in total now filled the colony's heart.
From the thirty new additions, five had been evolved as scouts, five as healers, five as burrowers, eight as warriors, and seven as juggernauts. The halls were crowded, buzzing with energy, yet balanced, an organized chaos that carried with it a rhythm of a day at a busy office.
The scene shifted to Adam's chamber.
There, lying beside the glowing crystal of the Mana Core, Adam watched the steady pulse of light ripple across its surface. His body leaned close to the hum, his mind weaving thoughts of strategy and sacrifice.
"Time to review where we stand…"
[Ant King's Panel]
Species: The Chosen Royal
Title: —
Level: 2
Health & Resources
Health: 20/20
Stamina: 12/12
Mana: 50/50
Attributes
Strength: 8
Dexterity and Agility: 7
Defense: 6
Intelligence: 13
Perception: 10
Active Abilities:
Tactical Foresight:
-Marked enemies' weak spots are more preferred by allies instinctively.
• When activated, reveals weak points of the target to the entire colony.
• Cooldown: 1 hour
Appraisal:
-Identifies basic properties of creatures, objects, and materials.
Passive Abilities:
Royal Command:
-Ants obey with greater coordination and reduced hesitation.
Mana Recovery:
- Absorbs mana from surroundings at +2 MP/day (upgradeable).
Royal Silk Gland:
- Binding Silk: Reinforced and elastic. Ideal for combat.
- Weaving Silk: Durable. Can be used for colony architecture, traps, and light armor.
Adam's mandibles clicked in thought. He pondered his abilities; they came to him only when he fed the Mana Core with prey. Sacrifice, it seemed, was the language of this strange "system."
Whatever this "mana" was, the crystal absorbed it, turning corpses into energy, granting him new powers as if whispering, "Good job, make sure to bring me more next time."
And each time it evolved, the crystal changed. The hue shifted, the vibrations deepened, and the hum resonated louder, more alive. It was truly something beyond his comprehension.
He turned his gaze now to the glowing surface, calling forth the other panel.
[Mana Core Panel: Tier III – Awakened Core]
Max Mana: 300
Current Mana: 219
Daily Mana Generation: +120
Daily Maintenance Cost: -120
The numbers made his mandibles still. Net mana: 0. Not a single egg could be produced.
"I guess the only step forward is to evolve the Mana Core once more."
His mind flashed toward possibilities. What to sacrifice? The ghost spider came to the forefront. Its power was undeniable. Capturing it, overwhelming it with sheer numbers, would give him more than enough energy. Yet Adam's eyes hardened at the thought.
"No… It's an enemy that I must overcome myself."
His body rose. He turned from the pulsing light and walked through the tunnels until the sounds of exertion reached him.
The training grounds.
From the entrance above, he looked down into the pit. Ants wrestled, clashed, and honed their instincts. One-on-ones filled the chamber, mandibles clashing, legs darting, carapaces colliding. Some fought with grace; others fought with arrogance.
One juggernaut stood at the center, activating his barrier again and again, attempting to crash into his opponent. Yet his warrior opponent simply dodged, conserving stamina, until the juggernaut weakened. Then—strike! The warrior's mandibles clamped, and victory was claimed.
Adam watched silently, mandibles curving upward. Flashy, but wasteful. His reliance on the skill would bring misfortune, not only to himself, but others around him on the battlefield as well.
On the other side, Zell, Norkk, and Skitt fought together against a flickering hologram of a beetle. The creation was near-perfect, its movements swift, its armor glinting with artificial menace. It was hard to believe how the system accurately portrayed an enemy it never faced. Could it be that uses the mana it absorbed to "think" how it would fight? It could be possible, that would certainly explain the fluctuation in the mana reading. Adam thoughts ran around in a spiral in his mind.
Norkk commanded sharply, his instincts clean, his movements decisive. Skitt darted between strikes, swift as water, capitalizing on each gap Norkk forced open, using his barrier skill to force the beetle into uncomfortable positions. Zell's attacks, heavy and crushing, worked the hologram down with relentless rhythm.
The beetle staggered. Together, the trio pressed harder—strike, leap, crush.
At last, the projection shattered into shards of fading light.
The three ants erupted in victorious chitters, congratulating one another, filled with pride.
Adam descended.
The glow of the hologram flickered and died, and silence swept the chamber. Every ant froze. Dozens of eyes turned toward him.
He stepped forward, his presence heavy as command settled over them.
"Zell. Norkk. Skitt." His voice rang clear. "You did well."
The three bowed their heads, their mandibles quivering with pride.
Then Adam turned his gaze to the juggernaut.
"You relied too much on your barrier. Repeatedly casting it without thought, weakened you to the point it left yourself wide open. It's a blunder you shall not make again."
The juggernaut lowered his head in shame.
Yet the warrior beside him gleamed with pure satisfaction.
Adam's mandibles curved into a grin.
"Thus, from this day onward… no more fighting alone. From now on, we train rigorously as one unit."
One of the ants dared to ask, "What kind of training?"
Adam's mandibles spread wider, revealing a grin sharper than any blade.
The atmosphere reeked of nervousness, and yet his comically wide grin didn't stop.