"So the humans ultimately refused, huh?"
"Bunch of idiots. They can't even figure out what's truly important."
Karon scowled as he laid eyes on Durkan, a fellow tribesman and rival he hadn't seen in ages.
The goblin-led coalition army initiative had ultimately achieved only partial success.
The goblins in this region, who were in direct competition with the ants for survival, had all joined without question. Even some orcs from the western plains, who had been observing their growth and cooperating, participated as mercenaries.
But the human territories to the south—the most prosperous force around here—had mostly refused to commit troops.
Territories unfamiliar with the goblins empowered by the spirits still dismissed them as mere low-grade monsters and didn't give it much thought. Even those who believed the goblins' warnings couldn't act due to their own chaotic internal affairs.
'Or maybe they were hoping we'd mutual-destruct with those insane monsters.'
Karon grimaced. There was no way the others hadn't noticed that he, a rival to Baskal's forces, had orchestrated an encounter between them and the ants in hopes of mutual annihilation.
The thought that he'd racked his brain only to end up being played in reverse soured his mood.
"Then we'll have no choice but to be the main force..."
Durkan smacked his lips and muttered.
The orc mercenaries were only a fraction. This meant the goblin chieftains of the area were now on a kind of proving ground.
If the coalition had formed as Karon planned, he might have subtly minimized losses for his own forces. But now, that was impossible.
"Any plans?"
"I've been pouring everything into figuring out exactly what those monsters are."
When asked how they would fight the ants, Karon hardened his expression and spoke.
"What kinds they are, what abilities they have, and how they used them to overrun that human city."
As cunning as he was meticulous. The intelligence of chieftain-level goblins chosen by the spirits far surpassed that of ordinary goblins.
Among them, Karon—ever so slightly more exceptional—had desperately gathered and recorded information on the ants, studying their traits and habits.
"At first, swarms of small ones appeared. Then massive ones showed up, and now even poison-spewing ones. They're getting stronger by the day."
He had densely inscribed all the gathered intel on the large rocks in the village like murals and shared it with Durkan and the other goblins.
This scene would have been unthinkable for ordinary goblins.
To the continent's goblins as a whole—long branded as savage low-grade monsters—it was a highly symbolic moment, but the dire situation buried it.
"One crucial thing. Their nest—where is it? If we don't burn it down, won't they just keep crawling out?"
Then another chieftain, Adon, spoke up in a low voice.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙[Subordinates have discovered the enemy's main force and are preparing for battle]
"That's for sure. They're gearing up for a real fight."
The formed coalition army began preliminary war preparations, ramping up reconnaissance activities.
Jin-hyuk watched the screen showing goblin scouts clashing with the ants' dispatched scouts.
A few Small Ants couldn't handle goblin scouts that included warriors.
So the ants countered by assigning stronger ants to their scout units or increasing numbers.
'Still can't make winged ants? That would change mobility entirely.'
Watching this, Jin-hyuk wished the ants would produce winged ones.
It wasn't impossible—just required conditions.
Winged ants would vastly expand scouting range, if nothing else.
But for some reason, the ants weren't making them.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙[Subordinates are surrounding the enemies' outpost and launching an assault]
Instead, the ants finally spotted the goblin main force swarming together and immediately mustered combat troops.
They recalled units scattered for hunting, formed battle formations—all with flawless precision and speed. This was possible thanks to abilities transcending pheromones, sharing the entire hive's consciousness as one.
'Right—right now, offense is the best defense.'
The goblins didn't know everything about the ants.
Nor did the ants and Jin-hyuk know everything about the goblins.
Moreover, these goblins were a special variant, treated as exceptional even locally.
Jin-hyuk judged that rushing now could be advantageous.
The ants grew stronger over time, but so might the enemy if given it.
"Oh, they're coming! The bastards are coming!"
Goblin scouts gasped at the ants pouring densely through the rugged forest path without regard.
Hurriedly relaying the news, the goblin main force—including Karon—erupted in chaos.
"How are they moving this fast?! Stick to the plan for now!"
Karon grimaced at the ants' faster-than-expected advance but raised his voice to command the goblins.
He was startled by their immediate charge without scouting skirmishes, but it was within predictions.
"Tuks, you sure I can trust you with this?"
"Of course. We always deliver on our pay."
Turning, Karon eyed the orc mercenaries ready to deploy, helmets donned.
The massive orc captain, riding a wolf far larger than goblin steeds, grinned to bare his fangs.
"Their nest should be empty now. Go burn it all down."
These were mercenaries hired with treasures left by Baskal's forces.
He held back these valuable troops for a bigger picture.
"Prepare for battle!"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
With the orcs heading to the nest, Karon commanded the main goblin force to prepare defenses against the incoming ants.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙[Subordinates are surrounding the enemies' outpost and launching an assault]
The temporary outpost—made by thousands of goblins felling trees and digging earth—was massive enough for all, guarded by barricades of dug soil and felled timber.
But the ants charged the barricades without hesitation.
Experience breaching human walls was etched in the hive mind.
These crude barricades could be overrun and razed in an instant.
"Eek...!"
Goblins preparing defenses there wavered at the ants' utter lack of hesitation.
These giant ants could communicate, sense emotions, exchange info—all omitted.
The result: this swift motion. Their alien, mechanical movements instilled terror in emotional beings.
"Fire!"
Still, they had to fight. At the warriors' orders, soldiers loosed crude arrows in unison.
Arrows, javelins, occasional shaman spells.
Normally, ants would lead with sturdy Soldier Ants to punch through. But this time was different.
Venom Ants—clad in unmistakably dangerous red exoskeletons—advanced, spraying thick acidic poison wildly.
"Keeek!?"
The acid—concentrated formic acid from Jin-hyuk's feed mixed with Demonic Power—caused severe burns on a drop of goblin skin, instant blindness if it hit eyes.
Through sacrificial experiments by many ants and generations of refinement, these optimal Venom Ants were especially lethal to clustered goblins.
"Shields up! Cover your eyes!"
Of course, Karon knew about Venom Ants and had prepared accordingly.
A thin, broad wooden shield easily blocked the scattered venom.
Yet it weakened resistance, letting ants reach the barricade with far fewer losses.
"Spears!"
Finally, the close-quarters melee the ants loved erupted.
Goblins desperately thrusting weapons clashed fiercely with ants stepping forward, jaws clacking to bite and tear.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙[The Queen Ant believes Venom Ants can be further refined]
"I think so too."
Watching, Jin-hyuk smirked at the Queen's thought notification.
The experience piling up in the hive was no small amount.
For Jin-hyuk's subordinates, war was the easiest path to further growth.
'How to handle the ones flanking to the nest...'
In that sense, the orc mercenaries racing toward the nest would be another trial for the ants.
Scouts already spotted the orcs heading that way. With limited resources, the ants had to block them.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙[The Queen Ant is curious about the new enemies' forces]
Unlike the diminutive goblins—smaller than human women—orcs were far larger and more muscular than human men.
Unlike low-grade goblin trash, orcs were rough warrior race respected by others.
The ants knew little of orcs—they'd rarely encountered them.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙[The Queen Ant strongly insists the hive adopt a safer approach]
"...That'd be wise."
Especially the Queen, handling genetic modification, combination, synthesis, showed strong curiosity and caution toward these 'new enemies,' the orcs.
Rather than uncertain melee with scant forces, lure them until certain of victory—even if riskier—and eliminate safely.
'Queen, you've grown this much already?'
Grasping her intent via notification, Jin-hyuk quietly marveled.
It was recent that the twice-evolved Queen awakened desires overcoming her instincts.
Yet in that short time, she'd learned, grown ceaselessly—now reining even the hive's impulse to charge blindly, attaining cool reason.
It required intellect beyond her brain.
She solved it via hive consciousness.
Borrowing the vast hive's computational power.
Most individuals' brains were near-redundant under hive will, so she monopolized the surplus to breakthrough intelligence limits.