By IMERPUS RELUR
--
Three days until the Beast Tide.
The sky remained motionless, but the tension within Region 7 had only sharpened. Lords who had once boasted in public chats had gone silent, their attention turned inward. Preparations for the storm consumed them. Even the braggarts now whispered.
Inside Lin Shen's hive, activity surged to an almost invisible crescendo.
---
> [Hive Report – 72 Hours Before Beast Tide]
• New Units Created:
– Worker Ants (Tier 1): +200
– Forager Ants (Tier 1): +120
– Soldier Ants (Tier 2): +80
• Mutation Traits Integrated:
– Soldier Ants: Hardened Mandibles (+8% armor penetration)
– Venom Fang Ants: Split-Gland Toxin Variants (25% chance to poison + slow)
• Total Active Units: 1,672
• Hive Trait Progress: 99%...
---
Lin Shen observed the tunnel system from the Echo Chamber. Bioluminescent lines pulsed in the walls like veins, reacting to the influx of instinctual knowledge. Each chamber breathed with purpose.
> • Tactical Logs Recorded: 13
• New Feature: Auto-Form Tactical Nest Defense Pattern – Beta Prototype Ready
Outside, defensive pits had formed at tunnel chokepoints. Worker Ants didn't need instruction—they had learned from yesterday's false tremor, an early pulse of the incoming wave. The Hive had adapted on its own.
---
[Regional Chat – Region 7 – Muted Thread Access]
[Lord IceSoul]: Heard Region 9 had their first internal collapse. Five lords attacked by one in secret.
[Lord WhisperWind]: Predictable. Prizes that rare draw monsters—both wild and human.
[Lord FangBreaker]: I spotted a scouting beast 20 meters from my zone. Not supposed to be here yet. Watch your borders.
[Lord ShadeFeather]: They're testing our lines. Don't let them return alive. The main wave isn't dumb.
[Lord ViciousBlade]: Three days. Anyone here aiming for Regional Top 10?
[Lord AshThorn]: Heh. I don't aim. I ascend.
---
Lin Shen didn't reply. He wasn't interested in public declarations. He simply checked his panel.
---
> [Lord Panel – Lin Shen]
• Lord Level: 4
• Troop Efficiency Bonus: +10% (via Swarm Instinct + Echo Chamber Adaptations)
• Unique Territory Trait: [Fusion Matrix – Active]
• Current Resource Compression Efficiency: +14%
• New Ability Acquired: [Hive Resonance Ping – Rank F]
— Reveals troop cohesion, error clusters, and stress signals within 1,000-meter radius.
---
That last one had come quietly during the night.
He stood again at the Hive's central peak—above ground, in the shadow of the Lord's Heart. Far away, he saw shifting clouds glowing faintly with heat signatures.
The vanguard beasts were approaching.
They weren't part of the main tide—just scouts. But scouts killed the unprepared.
He closed his eyes, syncing his thoughts to the Hive.
> [Fusion Command Input – Active]
He didn't blink. He didn't think.
—
→ 3 x Soldier Ants (Tier 2)
→ 1 x Venom Spiker Ant (Tier 3)
→ 3 x Forager Ants (Tier 1)
—
The chamber vibrated. A unit formed with dark green plating and bone-hardened fangs. It hissed once, then stood completely still—its limbs folding in silent readiness.
> [New Unit Formed: Lurker Ant – Tier 4]
• Stealth Protocol: 40% chance to remain undetected in low terrain
• Trait: Venom Thorns – damage-over-time + hallucination effect on weak enemies
• Specialty: Tunnel ambush + scout elimination
Lin Shen smiled.
"Go. Practice your strike."
It skittered off into the earth without another sound.
---
> [System Alert – Beast Tide Approaching]
• Estimated Time: 2 Days, 18 Hours
> Prepare, Lord Lin Shen.