By IMERPUS RELUR
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The moment the sunless sky shifted to crimson hue, a strange silence engulfed Region 7.
Lin Shen stood atop a mound overlooking his territory. The tunnels below pulsed with synchronized rhythm—ants preparing, gathering, refining. Every movement felt like a breath in his lungs.
> [Lord Status – Lin Shen]
• Lord Level: 6 (EXP: 82%)
• Territory Trait: [Fusion Matrix – Active]
• Lord Trait: [Swarm Instinct – Hive Units Gain +5% Growth Rate]
• Hive Core: Developing Stage II
• Hive Intelligence Layer: Active
• Hive Sync Efficiency: 92%
> [Troop Overview – Swarm Status]
• Worker Ants (Tier 1): 530
• Forager Ants (Tier 1): 200
• Soldier Ants (Tier 2): 140
• Acid Spitter Ants (Tier 2): 60
• Venom Fang Ants (Tier 3): 45
• Thornback Burrowers (Tier 3+): 12
• Plague Gland Viper Ants (Tier 3): 9
• Sun-Forged Legionnaires (Tier 4): 5
• Radiant Bastion Ant (Tier 5): 1
• Ant General (Commander Class – Tier 6): 2
> Hive Morale: 100%
Troop Mutation Rate: 7% (under Spore Garden enhancement)
Instinct Memory Sync: Full
Beast Tide Countdown: 1 Day Remaining
---
Below ground, the chambers flickered with bio-lantern spores. Spore Garden pods hissed quietly, releasing faint mists of genetic compounds, some already absorbed into the next mutation batches.
In the Echo Chamber, hive memory flowed like a stream—thousands of minor combat simulations simulated and replayed into every soldier's muscle memory. The ants were no longer just reacting.
They were anticipating.
---
[Regional Channel – Region 7 Chat Log]
[Lord DeathGale]:
T-minus 24 hours. Anyone else not sleeping tonight?
[Lord WhisperWind]:
Just upgraded my Tempest Flyers to Tier 6. Fused 9 elite wind hawks into something monstrous. Good luck.
[Lord IronDrake]:
Who's ready to prove we're not just Newcomers? This wave separates Lords from corpses.
[Lord CrimsonTide]:
Anyone seen Lord Lin Shen's swarm? I heard he has two Tier 6 Generals. How the hell did ants get that strong?
[Lord AshThorn]:
Fusion trait. That Lord is dangerous. Quiet, but terrifying.
[Lord ViciousBlade]:
The top 1% in Region 7 won't be decided by luck. It's about control.
---
Lin Shen didn't reply.
Instead, he reviewed a final tactical interface glowing softly before him.
> [Hive Formation Presets Initialized]
Defense Formation A: Chokepoint Tunnels, Tier 3+ guard lines
Rear Nest Guard: Radiant Bastion + Ant General
Mobile Response Core: Sun-Forged Legionnaires under Commander #2
Reserve: 40 unassigned drones, pre-tagged for emergency fusion
"Deploy Formation A across eastern and southern exits," he commanded mentally.
> [Command Received. Executing.]
From below, vibrations began. Defense lines moved. Units took position like chess pieces in a living board.
---
He stepped back from the command node, whispering, "It's not just strength. It's rhythm. Formation. Timing."
Then he paused.
From deep beneath the Hive Core, a strange tremor echoed upward.
> [Alert: Hive Heart – Sync Pulse Detected]
Unknown evolutionary activity emerging...
His eyes narrowed.
"I wasn't expecting that," Lin Shen murmured. "But… I'll allow it."
The Swarm was still growing.
And tomorrow, the world would see what it had become.