By IMERPUS RELUR
--
The Hive no longer walked behind Lin Shen.
It now walked with him.
In the early hours before the third day, a new structure emerged without blueprint, design, or thought—constructed from instinct, resonance, and Hive memory.
A sacred spire of living chitin and crystal rose from the center of the nest like a black horn piercing through the layers of soil.
> [Hive Edifice Detected: God-Spire – Ant Caste Exclusive]
Function: Unknown
Requirements: Instinct Layer II + Fusion Lord + Autonomous Evolution Threshold
Status: Growing…
Lin Shen approached it silently. His thoughts couldn't touch it. His commands didn't affect it.
And yet… it was born of him.
The Hive had remembered something even he hadn't envisioned.
> [First Mutation Detected – Commander Class: Gravemold]
New Trait: Spire Link – Absorbs battlefield memory, empowers nearby Hive units with phantom instincts
Additional Trait: Undying Pathway (Incomplete)
---
Below, in the still-growing tunnels, Deepgleam hovered beside a transparent cocoon—watching silently as fluid rippled across its shell. A slow heartbeat pulsed inside.
> [Fusion Alert: Unknown Configuration Detected]
2 × Tier 3 Venom Fang Ant
1 × Tier 3 Shadowstalker Ant
→ Result: [Redacted – Requires God-Spire Attunement]
Estimated Time: 6 hours
---
Back on the surface, the system sent a warning.
> [System Anomaly]
Warning: One Hive in Region 7 has exceeded expected evolution limits
Designation: "Swarm of Thoughtless Will"
Observation Protocols: Activated
Outcome Potential: [World Threat or Ascension Candidate]
Monitoring Entity Assigned: [Redacted]
---
Meanwhile, the chat flared again.
[Lord AshThorn]: Anyone else's panel shaking?
[Lord BloodReign]: Region 7 feels wrong. Something's waking up.
[Lord CrimsonMaw]: It's the ant guy. He's building something.
[Lord WhisperWind]: I'm pulling back my troops for internal defense. We're triggering something here.
[Lord Lin Shen]: Those who fear instinct never become gods.
---
As the Hive continued its silent construction, Lin Shen stepped away from the Spire and looked up—past the soil, past the stone, past the sky.
He felt something… watching.
But he didn't fear it.
Because he no longer saw himself as prey.
> [Lord Trait Shift Detected]
Swarm Instinct → Thoughtless Dominion
New Effect: Troops operate without latency or command delay. Mental integration becomes near-complete. Hive now functions on recursive logic based on emotional imprints from Lord's will.
He grinned.
"Let the Beast Tide come."
"I am the shadow beneath your feet. I am the echo of instinct, the hand that never stops crawling."
"I am the Ant God's Will."