By IMERPUS RELUR
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The battlefield reeked of acid, blood, and burning fur.
For three unbroken hours, Lin Shen's hive had repelled wave after wave of beasts. Every surge came fiercer than the last—but every time, the swarm adapted.
Faster. Sharper. Deadlier.
[Beast Tide Status – First Cycle: 67% Complete]
Current Wave Intensity: Moderate-High
Estimated Tier Spike in Next 12 Minutes: Tier 5 Beast Emergence
[Lord EXP: +6.4%]
[Hive Memory Logs Stored: 31]
[Ant Deaths: 312]
[Fusion Resources Gained: 198 Units]
The losses were minor in the grand design.
The Hive devoured its fallen, recycled their mass, and reabsorbed traits.
Inside the Spore Garden, Mutation Pods pulsed like beating hearts—green, violet, even crimson as they processed the blood essence of slain Tier 4 enemies.
[New Trait Unlocked: Blood Carapace]
Effect: +15% Damage Resistance for 30 seconds after first blood contact
[Trait Applied to Units: 73 – Soldier Class]
The next time a beast lunged, those ants held their ground. Carapaces hardened mid-combat, reflecting fangs and claws like armor forged from will.
Lin Shen stood motionless.
Not because he was frozen. But because he was expanding.
His consciousness spread like roots across the entire battlefield. Each movement wasn't ordered—it was anticipated. His Hive was not a swarm. It was an extension of his body.
His eyes flicked open.
[Lord Tier Advancement Eligible]
Would you like to advance from Tier 3 (Instinctual Lord) to Tier 4 (Resonant Lord)?
Confirm Advancement?
"…Yes."
The moment he accepted, everything changed.
His heart didn't beat—it echoed.
The Hive didn't respond—it resonated.
[Lord Tier Advanced – Tier 4: Resonant Lord]
New Effect: Swarm Resonance – Troops evolve behavior to match Lord's core instincts
New Ability: Emotional Pulse – Project mental aura across hive-wide link
The battlefield slowed.
Then it trembled.
Hundreds of ants suddenly stopped and turned toward him, their antennae lifted, their carapaces glinting under the blood-red sky. Even the Ant Generals paused—as if waiting for something sacred.
Lin Shen exhaled.
His aura exploded.
Emotional Pulse: [Dominion Instinct] Activated
Swarm-wide Buff: +10% Attack, +5% Movement Speed, +20 Morale
Duration: 3 Minutes
The ants screamed—not in fear, but in fury.
A red wave surged forth. Faster than before. Smarter. Their formations tighter, their bites deeper. A group of Soldier Ants sacrificed themselves to create a collapse zone. Tier 3 Venom Ants used them as cover to detonate from beneath.
Even the beasts hesitated.
In the far rear, a shadow flickered.
And from it… a roar rose.
The trees cracked.
The wind howled.
And a monstrosity emerged—twice the size of any other.
Its body was plated in obsidian fur. Its jaw dripped molten breath. Six curved horns spiraled from its head, and its name appeared across the Lord System interface.
[Beast Type: Horned Flame Ravager – Tier 5]
Subspecies: Mutated Alpha
Threat Level: Extreme
Special Trait: Area Burn, Roar of Disruption
Lin Shen didn't blink.
He raised one hand.
"Generals. Coordinate. Spiked Guard Formation—Flank Left. Acid Bombers, form half-arc around the echo trench."
Orders received.
He smiled.
"Let's see how long you survive, beast."