'Adult ants molting...'
What I've seen so far isn't anything new, but this was stark proof that they were no longer ordinary ants.
But that wasn't what mattered right now.
What abilities would the newly evolved Queen Ant possess? For starters, her size had grown enormously compared to before.
She was already massive, but now her laying chamber felt cramped around her colossal form.
Unlike the common perception of her as just an egg-laying machine, the queen was as vital to the colony's survival as the worker ants.
With the hive mind strengthened even further, there had to be some kind of change.
Thanks to that, even though it was time for me to sleep, I couldn't tear my eyes away as I watched them.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙Your subordinates recognize their loss of forces and seek to resolve it.
As I expected, they too had realized the heavy losses from the previous war.
But the phrasing about finding a solution raised some questions.
Was there really a way to recover besides just eating and laying eggs nonstop?
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙The Queen recognizes her newly acquired ability but is confused, unable to use it properly.
The next notification made it clear what they wanted.
The awakened Queen intended to use her new ability to solve the problem, but she was stalled because she didn't know how.
I instinctively knew I had to intervene here.
According to the system, the moment a Deity steps in to help subordinates accomplish what they can't on their own is key.
「Subordinate Insight」
There was a handy system function perfect for times like this.
It let me analyze subordinates to discern their aptitudes and talents.
Even with communication possible, innate talents are often things even they themselves don't know. Definitely a useful and convenient feature.
"Does it work on ants too?"
With a smirk, I used it to probe the Queen's newly awakened ability.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡Bloodline Adjustment: Uses information from predation to regulate offspring production and recreate new castes.
*Currently acquired data: Ant species only
The results appeared before my eyes.
It took a moment to read, and even longer to fully grasp.
'Isn't this a cheat ability?'
If I'd understood correctly, the Queen's awakened power was something incredible.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙If they can't properly wield their power, they'll just repeat what they've always done.
The usual routine. Naturally, that meant laying and raising eggs with the same structure and methods to rebuild the colony.
But we both knew that was a suboptimal choice right now—even they did.
"I need to run a test."
After staring blankly at the enclosure for a bit, I muttered to myself and grabbed my coat.
Late at night, guided only by my phone's light, I headed to the flower bed near my house.
I'd seen tiny ants scurrying around here late at night before. I planned to catch some.
The description said it used information from predation.
If I understood right, she could devour other ants of the same species and absorb their abilities. Time to verify it.
The reason the Queen was confused despite awakening this power was simple: she had no data.
My role was to provide that information.
'Sorry, but it can't be helped.'
Shining my phone flashlight, I easily caught one tiny ant.
I didn't know the exact species. I bred ants as a hobby, but my interest wasn't in the ants themselves.
One thing was clear: it was a Small Ant, much tinier than my colony's workers.
I caught a few more, trapped them in a paper cup, and brought them home to stand before the enclosure.
Introducing outsiders with unknown pathogens wasn't ideal, but I trusted it'd be fine now.
They weren't ordinary ants anymore.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙Your subordinates react to the intruders.
The moment I dropped the foreign ants into the enclosure...
Somehow sensing it instantly, the ants surged out from their tunnels, antennae twitching.
Compared to the utterly ordinary captives, my mana-infused ants were ferocious beasts.
Having torn apart armed goblins before, they had no trouble shredding the outsiders.
And naturally, they processed them into meat for the Queen.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙Your subordinates have found a path forward.
Just as I'd hoped, they'd discovered new possibilities.
'Was thinking of splitting workers and soldiers too human-centric?'
While feeding them Small Ants, I'd hoped that if they could truly absorb traits through predation, we could create a new caste based on Small Ants for worker duties.
Watching the recent war, I'd realized that using workers as soldiers would stall colony growth every conflict.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙Your subordinates do not understand your intent.
But apparently, my ideas were still too advanced for them.
I tried a few times but gave up.
They'd shown such rapid evolution in such a short time that I vaguely hoped they'd eventually understand me someday.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙Your subordinates recognize your gift.
At least they knew the Small Ants weren't intruders but gifts from me.
Makes sense. Ever since they claimed the enclosure, everything dropped from above—food, water, everything—had come from me.
Ordinary ants might not grasp it, but as subordinates, they recognized my deliberate care. They realized the Small Ants were too.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙Your subordinates express gratitude for your gift.
The instant they recognized it as my gift, they all bobbed their heads in unison as a sign of thanks.
I'd seen it a few times before, but it was still oddly endearing.
I started to wish that someday, as they grew further, I'd get thanks with a bit more emotion instead of this mechanical instinct.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Smaller bodies meant less energy consumption. For ants without hands, they could handle finer tasks too.
Plus, they could operate in numbers even in tight spaces.
"Still, this is too fast...?"
But I hadn't imagined they'd hatch from eggs, become larvae, pupate, and reach adulthood this quickly.
The next morning, after a quick wash-up, I was stunned to see the tiny ants in the hatching chamber already pupae, past the larval stage.
It was insanely faster than the larger workers.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡Growth Acceleration: Having received a share of their Deity's stature, they grow far faster than their kin.
It was a ability all my subordinate ants shared.
They already grew much faster than normal ants, and evolved ones even quicker.
But these small ones were on another level.
Adults in just a day from eggs.
'Perfect for workers, then?'
Thanks to that, the swelling numbers of new-form ants quickly integrated into the colony, tackling urgent tasks.
I'd worried how to recover war losses, but using war spoils, they fully absorbed my aid and overcame the crisis in one go.
Seeing the new Small Ants dutifully playing worker roles as intended made me even more satisfied that my thinking was spot on.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙Your subordinates are pleased with acquiring new combat techniques.
"Huh?"
But of course, they wouldn't stick to my plan.
Judging the situation stabilized, they pushed outward again, hunting new prey.
This time, the fresh Small Ants led the vanguard.
Their target: a fairly wide river. Not too swift, but uncrossable without a raft.
The Small Ants solved it by clustering into their own living raft.
As one massive blob, they crossed, landed on the far shore, and hunted every visible prey ruthlessly.
Something straight out of a documentary. But imagine being the prey there.
The far side of what they thought was a safe river: swarms of large-dog-sized ants rafting over.
Chilling just to imagine.
"Kiik! Monsters! Abyssal beasts!"
"Raid! It's a raid!"
The first victims were goblins in a hamlet.
The nimble Small Ants struck like a raiding party, overwhelming the panicked goblins who barely resisted before collapsing.
Small and weaker than the big ants, sure—but this goblin hamlet was weak compared to the army they'd fought before.
"..."
It had always been this way, and they showed no mercy or pity.
Truthfully, since their essence was still ants, it was natural.
Their top priority was the colony's繁殖 and survival instinct—that was everything.
So even as I grimaced at them turning begging goblins or goblin corpses into mere food without mercy, I didn't call it cruel.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙Your subordinates are selecting prey.
"Hm..."
Even I felt uneasy watching them do the same to humans—my own species.
The ants treated the humans as powerless meat lumps, unlike the goblins.
'Prisoners from the goblins, maybe?'
The humans, unresponsive even as the giant ants prodded them, were all ragged women.
Their poor state made their treatment in the hamlet obvious.
Ants, ignorant and uncaring of such backstories, chopped them up for food too.
Not even worth feeding to larvae or the Queen, so they ate them on the spot.
'Hope they don't run into more if possible. But will they?'
They couldn't properly understand me anyway, so I didn't expect much.
I just hoped that day—when it might come—would be delayed as long as possible.
It'd only been four days since this absurd situation began.
I still needed time too.