By IMERPUS RELUR
--
Two days remained until the Beast Tide.
The atmosphere in Region 7 had changed. The wind carried faint, unnatural scents. The soil vibrated with pressure shifts from beneath. Even without announcements, the Lords could feel it: something monstrous stirred beyond the edge of the map.
Inside Lin Shen's territory, the Hive pulsed like a living heartbeat.
> [Daily Hive Summary – 48 Hours Before Beast Tide]
• Hive Level: Developing Stage
• Total Population: 2,090 Units
• Combat-Ready Units: 1,420
• New Fusions:
– 6x Tier 2 Soldier Ants → 2x Tier 3 Venom Spiker Ants
– 3x Tier 3 Venom Spiker Ants → 1x Tier 4 Bone-Crest Devourer
• Echo Logs Transferred: 4
• Hive Memory Precision: +13%
---
The [Bone-Crest Devourer] was larger than any troop in Lin Shen's swarm to date. Its carapace bore jagged spines, and its acidic breath could melt boulders. But what made it special was not its strength—it was its command instinct.
> [Unit Role]: Vanguard Tunnel Guardian
Trait: Defensive Instinct Mark I – Automatically reinforces chokepoints when idle
He was building not just a swarm, but a self-repairing, learning system.
Still, even with this progress, Lin Shen remained cautious.
"Two days… it's too quiet."
---
[Private Channel – Region 7 – Invite Only]
[Lord AshThorn]: Got a weird ping near my border. Tier 1 beasts, but no footprints. You seeing anything?
[Lord ShadeFeather]: Same. They're probing defenses without stepping into attack range.
[Lord WhisperWind]: Confirmed. I tracked one near my eastern field. Stealth class, definitely not random spawn.
[Lord ViciousBlade]: It's a coordinated test. These aren't wild animals—they're measuring us.
[Lord AshThorn]: You all saw the announcement. 10 million Lords. But only 100 will rise. The rest? They're fodder.
[Lord IceSoul]: What rank are you aiming for, Lin Shen?
Lin Shen didn't respond.
Instead, he opened a new system screen: the Hive Sync Pathway.
---
> [Hive Sync Pathway – Progress Node Unlocked]
Feature: Instinctive Layering
Description: Allows swarm units to distribute sensory information in real time, forming a collective awareness of territory.
Effect:
– +12% Detection against hidden enemies
– +8% reaction speed across units within Hive Radius
– Adaptive targeting: weakest enemies prioritized by group logic
---
Now he replied.
[Lord LinShen]: I don't aim for ranks. I build the kind of swarm that can outlive them.
[Lord AshThorn]: Hah. You got teeth. Let's see if they stay sharp after the tide.
[Lord WhisperWind]: Good luck, Lord of Ants. You're making waves.
[Lord LinShen]: I'm not a wave. I'm the silence that follows.
---
Back in the core nest, Lin Shen reviewed his Hive map. There were now eight reinforced layers, each with their own patrols. Ambush tunnels. Narrow kill zones. Emergency fallback chambers. And deep below them all—a sealed, obsidian egg resting within an incubation pod.
The Hive was growing smarter.
He placed a hand to the soil.
"Two more days," he whispered. "Come break yourselves on my silence."
> [Alert – System Sync Completed]
Hive Resonance Level: 12%
Mutation Forecast: Stable
Incoming Beast Frequency: Increasing
The storm approached.
And the Hive remembered.