By IMERPUS RELUR
--
The dark canopy above the Lord Plane seemed unusually silent—as if the sky itself held its breath.
Lin Shen stood at the edge of his growing nest, watching his troops go about their assigned duties in synchronized waves. Overhead, the shimmering starlight of the Lord Plane dimmed slightly, a subtle signal that the moment of reckoning drew closer.
Two days remained before the First Beast Tide.
---
> [Lord Panel – Lin Shen]
• Lord Level: 5
• Lord's Heart: Stable
• Troops:
– Worker Ants (Tier 1): 620
– Forager Ants (Tier 1): 280
– Soldier Ants (Tier 2): 180
– Venom Fang Ants (Tier 3): 75
– Acid Spitters (Tier 3): 42
– Spiked Tunnel Ants (Tier 3): 30
– Ant Generals (Tier 5 – Commander Class): 2
– Mirrorling Ant (Tier 3 – Adaptive): 1
• Unique Territory Trait: [Fusion Matrix – Active]
• Lord Trait: [Swarm Instinct – Hive Units Gain +5% Growth Rate]
• Hive Core: Developing Stage (54%)
• Buildings:
– Bio-Factory: Online
– Echo Chamber: Recording
– Spore Garden: Feeding
– Relay Node: Eastern Visibility Expanded (Fog Lifted 21%)
---
Lin Shen dismissed the panel. He could feel it now—an approaching wave. No beasts had arrived yet, but the instinctual pressure within his Hive was growing. His ants became more restless by the hour, digging deeper, clustering near tunnel exits, reinforcing choke points without command.
Even the Hive itself had become more reactive.
"Echo Chamber, sync data from the last four skirmishes," he instructed mentally.
> [Echo Sync Complete.]
– Adaptive Reflex Encoding Uploaded.
– Tunnel Engagement Memory Shared.
– Enemy Movement Prediction Patterns Updated.
The Mirrorling Ant twitched slightly, having been the only ant to survive direct contact with a shadow predator from the eastern ridge. It pulsed with silent awareness—its eyes now slightly different, gleaming with unnatural clarity.
"Good," Lin Shen said softly. "When the tide begins, we'll need every instinct we've earned."
---
Across Region 7, other Lords were also preparing.
---
> [Region 7 – Open Channel]
[Lord RedHammer]: Two days. My Titan Boar just evolved to Tier 5. Bring it.
[Lord WindShard]: Anyone else noticing the fog thinning near the east? Something's coming.
[Lord DeathRoot]: I laid ten spike traps at the tunnel bend. If those beasts break through, they'll bleed for it.
[Lord WhisperWind]: Anyone built the Relay Node yet? I just scanned a pack of Rockback Lizards forming out east.
[Lord FangBreaker]: If you don't have Commander-class troops yet, forget it. Half of you will get wiped.
[Lord ShadeFeather]: Speak for yourself. My Tier 3 Falcons spotted something massive moving in the deeper jungle.
---
Lin Shen didn't respond.
He had long stopped playing catch-up with the others. His Hive no longer relied on brute strength or numbers. What it had now was structure—a living system of memory, instinct, and refinement.
The Spore Garden had produced a new variant of fungus that, when consumed, temporarily enhanced acid gland activity.
The Ant Forge had been queued to prototype carapace reinforcement for the Spiked Tunnel Ants.
And thanks to the Relay Node, the once-blind Hive could now feel approaching vibrations—subtle but distinct.
A low vibration suddenly ran through the earth.
Lin Shen didn't flinch. He closed his eyes.
"It's begun," he said. "They're drawing closer."
---
> [System Notification – Passive Alert]
Minor seismic disruption detected
Possible Beast Tide precursors: 7% match
Estimated Contact: 36 hours
---
Lin Shen opened his eyes and whispered, "Prepare everything. The storm has teeth."
As if hearing him, the Hive surged into motion—not with panic, but purpose.
The Swarm was ready.