By IMERPUS RELUR
--
The ground shuddered softly as Lin Shen moved deeper into the expanding corridor. This wasn't just a tunnel—it was an artery of the Hive, pulsing with purpose. Ahead, Root Claw Ants carved through stone and loam, dragging nutrient-rich roots from the walls and weaving them into living reinforcements.
> [Neural Relay Node Construction: 7%]
Estimated Completion: 18 minutes
He could already feel it—resistance.
Not from the earth.
From something else.
A slow, clinging fog.
When he reached the end of the current tunnel, he stopped.
There it was.
A wall of translucent darkness drifted through the breach—alive, but wrong. Unlike mist, it didn't swirl naturally; it hovered with a hunger, curling in unnatural loops. The Hive's instincts screamed in warning.
> [Zone Status: Corrupted Fog Detected]
Type: Biological-Etheric Contamination
Mutation Hazard Level: Moderate
Effect on Units: Slowed perception, instinct disruption, aggressive behavior shift
Recommended Action: Deploy Adaptive Units or Resistive Variants
Lin Shen narrowed his eyes.
So this was what the system meant by "Corrupted Zone."
A test.
And a threat.
---
He tapped into the Hive Matrix and accessed the Mimic Room—the newly unlocked simulation chamber.
> [Behavior Template Training – Initiate New Template?]
Template Name: Fog Diver
Base Unit: Forager Ant (T1)
Desired Outcome: Movement through corrupted fog without cognitive disruption
Mutation Options: Sensory Dampening • Pattern Isolation • Instinct Lock-in
He chose all three.
> [Simulation Engaged – Training Duration: 15 minutes]
Ants Required: 10 Forager Ants
Biomass Required: 1 Root Claw Carapace (Used)
Ten ants entered the side chamber, stepping into a mist simulation dome built from the Hive's own memories and the fog's signature. Time accelerated within. Lin Shen felt the process—like watching dreams flicker through glass.
---
Meanwhile, he issued mental commands to the soldiers.
"Fortify the tunnel mouth. Do not engage the fog directly. Prepare acid traps and fallback chambers."
The Hive obeyed instantly.
Venom Fang Ants began secreting glands onto exposed stone, forming volatile pockets. Worker Ants sculpted arrowhead-like pits just beneath the surface.
And in the back—
> [Ant General – Vek: Directive Received]
Tactical Formation: Trident Ambush Layer
Autonomous Command Thread Deployed
Even the Generals had grown smarter. Lin Shen didn't need to micromanage. Vek had interpreted his intent and begun organizing an ambush based on his last five commands.
He smiled faintly.
They were learning.
---
> [Mimic Room Update: Template – Fog Diver Complete]
New Unit Variant Created: Fog Diver Ant (Tier 1+)
Traits:
– Sensory Isolation Layer
– Bio-Rhythm Lock (Anti-Fog Effect)
– Hive Ping Enhancer (Improved link in corrupted zones)
> Quantity Available: 10
Expansion Potential: 3 Fusion → Fog Strider Ant (T2+)
The first ten Fog Divers emerged, visibly leaner with elongated antennae and webbed mandibles that flickered with electrical pulses. They hesitated only for a second—then marched into the mist.
Lin Shen watched, mind tethered to the lead unit.
Through its vision, he saw nothing. The fog muted all sound and light. But through Hive Ping, each ant resonated with a rhythm that allowed perfect synchronization—like sonar in a dream.
---
They advanced.
Five meters.
Ten.
Then—
> [Enemy Detected – Corrupted Larva Beast (Tier 2)]
Status: Dormant
Mutation: Flesh-Tunnel Drifter | Acid-Skin Sheath | Nerve-Spike Detonator
Weakness: Light Pulses / Signal Disruption
Lin Shen's eyes sharpened.
So the fog hid ambush predators.
But now that he had Fog Divers…
He sent the signal.
> [Command: Pulse Ping – Overload Mode]
The Fog Divers released synchronized bursts of electro-light from their antennae.
The mist rippled violently.
Screeches erupted.
The larva beast lunged—only to fall directly into the acid trap chamber, collapsing into a searing pool of venom and carapace spikes.
> [Enemy Neutralized – Hive EXP +32]
[First Kill Bonus – Fog Variant]
Trait Sample Collected: Nerve-Spike Pattern
---
Back at the core, the system chimed again:
> [Neural Relay Node – Zone E: Constructed]
Fog Clearance Initiated.
Partial Control Secured: 11%
Expansion Available
Lin Shen stood tall.
"This fog was never the enemy," he murmured. "It was an invitation."
To evolve.
To adapt.
To conquer.