Alexander emerged from a shallow stretch of the endless river with a fish clamped in his jaws. Droplets of water slid from his scaled body, trailing behind him before merging once more with the slow-moving current. The river extended across the savanna in both directions, glimmering like a pale silver line beneath the faint green sky. Under that strange light, everything was calm, and for the first time in a long while, he felt no pressure of urgency weighing on him.
He moved a few steps away from the water's edge and slowly lowered himself to the ground. Without hesitation, he crushed the fish in his jaws and swallowed it whole. The flesh offered almost no resistance as it slid down his throat. It wasn't a large catch, but it was enough to dull the sharp edge of his hunger. For a brief moment, everything felt as though it was in order; the surroundings were quiet, and his body was under control.
Still, the calm was not entirely perfect. Deep within his mind, that faint trace of desire remained—the lingering urge for the mushrooms had not completely disappeared. It was weaker now, almost insignificant, but still there. Alexander chose not to dwell on it and suppressed it easily. It was no longer strong enough to influence him.
His gaze slowly lowered. At his feet was a shallow pit in the ground, and within it rested two black eggs. Their surfaces were smooth, their dark shells faintly reflecting the greenish light of the sky. They were completely still, yet Alexander could feel them; in the background of his mind, a thin connection remained, faint but unbroken. He was aware of the life developing inside them.
As he watched them, a brief restlessness stirred within him. It had only been a day since he left the ravine, and in the days before that, he had made sure to consume every last piece of biomass in his storage, using everything as efficiently as possible. Everything had been calculated, planned. But now, all that remained was waiting.
That unsettled him.
Impatience began to take shape in his mind, an unfamiliar feeling pressing at the edges of his thoughts. Even so, he knew there was nothing he could do. The process had already begun, and it would continue at its own pace.
Although he had left the ravine, he had chosen not to move far away from it. The faint lingering urge in his mind was part of the reason. This area, shaped by the presence of the mushrooms, was now largely free of predators, and the level of danger was minimal. Yet strangely, there were no herbivores either. During his previous exploration, he hadn't paid much attention to it, but now the absence stood out, and his mind immediately searched for an explanation.
Of course, the answer he arrived at was the mushrooms.
If those things could attract predators from kilometers away, then it was only logical that they might repel herbivores as well.
In any case, regardless of the reason, he chose not to concern himself with it. The situation worked in his favor. This place was quiet, safe, and entirely his.
But at the same time… it was boring.
Alexander exhaled slowly. Nothing around him was changing, and there was nothing for him to do. With that realization, a dull sense of boredom settled over his mind, and to pass the time—and review the latest changes—he opened the System window.
Alexander's gaze lingered on the System window for a few seconds longer before shifting toward another entry.
[Hive Control]
The moment his mind focused on the trait, the interface in front of him changed. New panels unfolded silently, layers of information appearing one after another as if some unseen mechanism were responding directly to his will. At the same time, the thin connection between him and the eggs sharpened. He could no longer just feel them—he could examine them.
Two identical data panels appeared before him.
He focused on one of them.
[Race: Nuxali]
[Class: Hunter]
[Type: Scaled Hunter Drone]
[
CON 0
STR 0
AGI 0
DEX 0
INT 0
]
[Biomass] 5.8 / 6
------[Traits]-----
[Adaptive Regrowth]
[Osteoderm]
[Scales]
[Nocturnal Vision]
[Herbivory]
[Biomass Requirement] – 142%
Alexander studied the panel carefully from beginning to end. The zeroed statistics were exactly what he expected. The egg had not hatched yet; there was not even a physical body to measure.
His gaze paused briefly on the Type designation.
Scaled Hunter Drone.
That name… was his. It was the designation he had chosen while constructing the template.
Then his attention shifted to the trait list.
The omissions were immediately obvious.
They were deliberate.
The offspring lacked several traits he himself possessed. They were male, and he had designed them to be warriors. That was why he had not given them [Cerebral Recovery Node], [Brood Generation], [Hive Control], or [Genetic Assimilation].
They did not need to be intelligent.
He had no desire for a sub-queen beside him.
Still, as he continued looking at the panel, his attention lingered briefly on the absence of [Genetic Assimilation].
At first, he had seriously considered adding it.
It would have been extremely useful. The hunters could regulate their own growth, develop faster, and perhaps even evolve themselves over time. It was a trait that could have significantly strengthened the swarm in the long term.
But the problems had been obvious.
His gaze shifted downward again.
[Biomass Requirement] – 142%
That number alone said enough.
The hunters already carried a considerable number of traits. Compared to an ordinary Nuxali from his previous swarm, they required forty-two percent more biomass to sustain. Even that, by itself, was already a serious cost.
If he had added [Genetic Assimilation] as well…
The number would not simply have increased.
It would have spiraled out of control.
Because that trait was not an ordinary one. It was clearly a high-tier ability, and the potential it carried would have increased its cost just as dramatically.
But he knew that was not the main issue.
The second problem was more fundamental.
Intelligence.
Without giving them [Hive Control], the trait that would allow their minds to develop and expand their potential, adding [Genetic Assimilation] alone would have been inefficient. Their INT stats would never reach a level high enough to use the ability effectively. Their potential would remain limited, their development uneven.
That would have meant wasted resources.
And more importantly…
A loss of control.
Alexander narrowed his eyes slightly.
Even if he could monitor them constantly, creating organisms capable of altering themselves independently would introduce unnecessary risks. They might develop traits he did not want. Unexpected variations could emerge.
He did not need that.
Not yet.
For now, what he wanted was simple.
Hunters that were not particularly intelligent, but strong.
Predictable. Controllable. Easy to force into obedience.
He had no desire to deal with unexpected complications.
His gaze shifted back to the eggs. Beneath the dark shells, he could still feel the life developing inside them—silent, patient, and entirely his.
-------
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