By IMERPUS RELUR
--
Lin Shen stood within the heart of the nest, a mental map projected across his vision. The Hive Core had pulsed overnight, expanding the tunnels and crafting three new chambers from raw instinct and system logic.
The Hive was alive.
And it remembered.
> [Hive Core Online.]
New Structures Available:
– Ant Forge
– Spore Garden
– Echo Chamber
The tunnels glowed faintly with bioluminescent lines as ants scurried past him, their movements efficient, unceasing. His connection to them had deepened—he didn't just issue commands anymore. He felt them. Their hunger. Their curiosity. Their instinct to build.
He walked down the path leading to the Spore Garden.
The chamber opened like a flower underground—mossy walls pulsing with faint green light. In the center, dozens of ants crawled across budding pods that released sparkling spores into the air.
> [Spore Garden: Active]
Function: Generates Mutation Seeds and Genetic Enhancers
Special: Feeding different materials will influence future troop evolution
"Mutation seeds… This is how I customize the swarm."
The pods swelled as if listening, responding to his presence.
> You may now designate Mutation Preferences for future fusions.
Example Set:
– Reinforced Exoskeleton
– Thermal Resistance
– Venom Glands
– Hive Sync Range Extension
The possibilities spiraled outward in Lin Shen's mind.
"I'll test it once I have more materials."
---
Next, he entered the Echo Chamber.
This room felt different. Quiet. Still.
Circular, lined with crystalline roots growing from the ceiling like memory tendrils, the air was thick with static thought.
> [Echo Chamber: Passive Recording Active]
Function: Stores combat data and transmits instinctual learning to new units
Bonus: All newly fused units inherit tactical memory
Status: 3 Combat Logs Available
It wasn't knowledge.
It was instinct.
Every battle. Every bite. Every tunnel maneuver—stored and distributed like ancestral memory. His ants would learn from themselves.
He smiled. "We're not just growing—we're evolving."
---
Back in the central nest, Lin Shen received his first alert.
> [World Notification: First Wave Detected]
Enemy Type: Wild Burrowing Worm
Tier: 2
Estimated Arrival: 10 minutes
Region: Eastern Tunnel, Zone Delta
Lin Shen straightened.
He now had a Spiked Worker Ant and dozens of Tier 1s. No traps, no weapons—just what he'd built with dirt and determination.
But this time, his ants weren't blind.
They remembered.
He grinned. "Let's test your instincts, soldiers."
The Swarm was ready.