By IMERPUS RELUR
--
The Hive had no need for night vision.
It was the night.
When the first tremors came, Lin Shen didn't flinch. He was already waiting at the southern edge of the territory, eyes narrowed, arms folded as he stood atop a ridge above a tunnel chokepoint. Below, five squads of Venom Fang Ants had burrowed themselves into defensive hollows, their glands pulsing with stored toxins.
> [Enemy Contact – 300 meters]
Species: Shellback Scuttler
Tier: 2
Behavior: Defensive Shell, Tunnel Ambusher, Herd Class
Quantity: 12
Estimated Battle Value: Moderate Threat
They came in like roaches.
Chitin-armored, low to the ground, bristling with defensive spines—and each the size of a grown tiger. Their antennae quivered as they tried to locate the hidden tunnel entrance.
Lin Shen gave no verbal command.
The Hive knew.
---
> [Echo Drift Active – Combat Memory Transfer Initiated]
Status: All Tier 1 & 2 Units now accessing Swarm Memory Cache
The lead Shellback stepped into range.
It never even saw the acid bolt.
A glob of sizzling green fluid launched from the hidden ant trench. The Shellback shrieked, its front legs melted instantly. Then came a flurry of strikes—two more VFA (Venom Fang Ants) launched themselves upward, sinking curved mandibles into its underbelly.
> [Target Eliminated – XP Gained +4]
[Troop Memory Updated]
Three more Shellbacks surged forward.
But this wasn't chaos.
The Hive fought like a machine—each ant in position, adjusting, responding. Spiked Workers used their armor to pin limbs. Acid Runners harassed from a distance. Venom Fangs used hit-and-run bursts.
Within four minutes, it was over.
> [Wave Cleared – Minor Scout Group Destroyed]
Casualties: 7 Worker Ants, 2 Foragers
XP Earned: +36 (Distributed)
Hive Morale: Increasing
Hive Expansion: +2 Tunnel Nodes Gained (Shellback Meat and Carapace Acquired)
Lin Shen reviewed the battle log, nodding.
The Fusion Matrix pulsed once.
> [Material Analysis Complete – Shellback Carapace Detected]
Mutation Path Added:
→ Hardened Shell Caster (Tier 3 Defensive Variant – Requires Spore Garden Cultivation)
→ Acid Shell Integration Available (Requires 2 Shellback Fragments + Acid Spitter Fusion)
He smiled faintly.
"The Hive grows stronger with each kill."
---
Back in Regional Channel – Region 7:
[Lord AshThorn]: I just lost 40 troops to something underground. Scouts?
[Lord FangBreaker]: Shellbacks? Same here. Took me by surprise.
[Lord ShadeFeather]: Region 6 reports minor engagements. They're testing our perimeters.
[Lord WhisperWind]: We've got four days left. They're already knocking.
A single message appeared from Lin Shen.
[Lord Lin Shen]: Let them knock. My swarm doesn't sleep.
No one replied.
---
That night, Lin Shen gave one more command:
> [Command: Use Spore Garden – Begin Mutation Cultivation – Acid Shell Line]
And deep within the nest, a new generation began to form—blending what was slain with what was born.
The Beast Tide hadn't yet begun.
But Lin Shen's swarm already had blood in its memory.