'...They're devouring an insane amount. Probably because their numbers have swelled even more in spots I can't see.'
In the end, the insect jelly I'd bought extra as food for the ants—expecting their numbers to grow quickly—ran out completely. The mealworms were gone too.
A few days ago, I wouldn't have noticed, but now alerts pop up constantly demanding more food.
Every time that happens, I toss in more grub, but they just keep going, endlessly clamoring for seconds.
'No way... Do they think I'm feeding them infinitely and reinvesting every bite?!'
Checking their population one by one is impossible, but it's obvious at a glance that the colony's overall mass has exploded in just two days, Small Ants included.
Once I started dumping in massive amounts of food, it felt like they'd mistaken it for an endless supply.
And sure enough, right now, the Queen Ant is laying eggs like a maniac.
It's utterly mad. She doesn't stop for a second—not while eating, not while sleeping—she just keeps popping out eggs.
It was as if her production capacity itself had leveled up with that last evolution.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙[Your Subordinates have determined that building a new nest is appropriate]
Of course, the breeding enclosure hit maximum capacity and couldn't take any more ants.
Even the nest—which had more than doubled in size from the original—couldn't handle them anymore, so they finally set off to pioneer new territory.
The world on the "other side," connected through the rift.
In that unknown world whose name I still didn't know, the ants began fully converting the fortress they'd prepared in advance into a proper nest.
They moved over massive quantities of eggs, larvae, and stockpiled food, turning it into a second colony hub.
'That side's going to keep growing from here on out.'
The breeding enclosure was like my personal main base, where I could intervene directly—but its resources and space were limited.
The other world wasn't. It overflowed with food to devour and land to claim.
The ants wouldn't be satisfied just filling the enclosure—they'd keep thriving across that vast expanse.
Until they filled an entire world on their own.
"Where the hell are they hauling all this in from..."
The scout ants and hunting parties spreading everywhere had multiplied so much I couldn't keep track of them all.
Just staring at the expanded nest, I'd see hunters endlessly streaming in from somewhere, processed food in tow, feeding it to the larvae and Queen.
Beast-like things, goblin-looking ones, occasional human-ish bits, and stuff from totally alien species.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙[Some individuals saturated with Demonic Power and Mana are evolving once again]
Thanks to that, a new tier of evolved ranks appeared. The Soldier Ants this time.
"...Huge."
I gawked in admiration at the thing breaking free from its pupa in the hatchery.
The new Soldier Ants—with bluish exoskeletons like the evolved Worker Ants—were massive, built like hulking main battle tanks.
What if these had been around during that last goblin raid?
Even the rampaging goblin warriors would've been crushed flat, no question.
And their numbers seemed triple what they were before.
These giants were huge, tough, but slow and gluttonous—pure combat drones.
The colony beefing up its frontline like this could only mean one thing: prepping for the next war.
Even now, they were scattering scouts everywhere, hunting for battle.
'Holiday's over now, though.'
I glanced at my phone and let out a small sigh.
Ever since spotting the ants' weird surge on day one, I'd spent every day just staring into space.
Time that felt like it would drag forever flew by in a blink.
Honestly, part of me still wondered if any of this was even real.
'Gotta look up what other ants I can snag.'
And while it seemed like I was just spectating, I had my own tasks too.
Top priority: scoring some "ant samples."
They'd already devoured the Small Ants I'd collected nearby and perfectly replicated their traits and forms.
These guys—who'd evolved beyond basic Worker Ants—would probably absorb abilities from any new ants I tossed in too.
Ants I knew of ranged from spiky ones to big-jawed bruisers, acid sprayers, even farmers.
"How much more chow till they evolve again? Any specific triggers?"
I watched and waited eagerly for their next leap.
Per the description, once they pushed further, they'd transcend ants and prey on anything.
No clue how it'd play out or where it'd end... Scary, sure, but I couldn't deny the thrill deep down.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙[They simply desire more food]
"Food... Yeah, figures."
Not much insight there.
Nothing to do but keep stuffing them till they were stuffed.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"More refugees?!"
"Those monsters have gone berserk! They're pushing all the way here now!"
In the largest goblin village nearby, Chieftain Karon scowled at the fresh group merging into the settlement.
Expanding the tribe was great, but there were limits. Taking in stragglers blindly would drain supplies.
"It's not just us they're hitting. They're wiping out anything alive they see—hellbent on devouring the world."
The warrior who'd brought the refugees looked utterly traumatized.
They'd run into those "monsters" during a scout run—the ones creeping this close now.
It was just a skirmish with a few scouts, but the rumors' horrific rep hit home hard.
"You kill 'em, more swarm in. Heralds of Doom that fear neither death nor dying to kill. Even with just a head left, the body twitches and charges!"
"Sh-Shut your trap, you illiterate brute! Point is, stab 'em with steel and burn 'em with fire—they die like any beast."
He barked at the warrior's vivid account out of irritation.
Truth was, with so many flocking to Karon's tribe, rumors were flying thick.
"From what I hear, Gran's village got greedy, picked fights, and mutually annihilated with their foes. Plenty escaped alive—not just one or two—so it checks out."
"So those monsters recovered all that damage in days? Makes zero sense."
The shaman's cautious words furrowed his brow. But the tactless shaman kept going.
"And it didn't stop there—those small ones showed up too, ones we hadn't seen before. More numerous, faster, hunting in packs, shredding anything in their path."
"Nothing but bad news."
No way to keep a straight face hearing the enemy was tougher and more varied.
Until recently, they'd said the monsters couldn't cross the river, so the far side was safe—now it was getting raided too. Numbers were down? Nope, surging higher.
'What the hell are those things...'
Karon hadn't seen the ants himself, which bugged him even more.
They'd razed swaths of land, sure—but this was the boonies. Their forces couldn't be that massive.
Logic said so, but his gut kept churning.
The firsthand tales from survivors were nightmare fuel, and knowing it was happening right nearby gnawed at him.
"We're maxed out expanding and clashing with rivals. No bandwidth for freak monsters."
Karon brimmed with pride knowing he'd been "chosen" by the Great Spirits.
The Great Spirits lent knowledge and power to talented goblins like him, commanding expansion—and he'd busted his hump for more blessings.
"The orc scum to the northwest are getting stronger, and those human bastards southeast aren't rolling over anymore!"
"B-But those monsters aren't targeting just us, right?"
"Who gives a shit right now?"
Gritting his teeth, he slammed the railing at the shaman's words.
Building power wasn't easy.
Thanks to the Great Spirits' gifts, they surpassed lone goblins, advancing fast—but rivals abounded, resources didn't.
The strain on chieftains grew daily.
He got why another chieftain, Gran, had lashed out at the monsters only to get crushed—deep down.
"Chieftain... We need to get serious. Their scouts are closing in. If they spot us and swarm en masse..."
"That can't happen. Ever."
Grinding his teeth at the shaman, he unrolled the map.
Mapping skills were crude—looted from a nearby human village, annotated with their own intel.
"They're a walking natural disaster. I'm not like Gran. If we can dodge, we dodge."
Gazing at the map, he smirked faintly.
"Form a decoy unit—nimble warriors mainly. Spot their scouts, draw attention on purpose, then lure 'em at a distance."
"L-Lure...? Where to?"
"Aren't there idiots who dared reject our proposal?"
Grinning wickedly, Karon jabbed a spot on the map.
A human village. Details unknown.
Just that its ruling humans were bandit scum raiding other villages—like him.
"What'd their boss say back then? He was 'about to become the local lord'—no need to ally with mere goblins?"
Karon nursed that grudge.
He knew direct payback was tough—they were way stronger—but revenge without dirtying his hands? Why not.
Word was, those monsters didn't discriminate by race or faction.
Saw you? Charge and slaughter mercilessly.
If that terror turned on allies, catastrophe. On foes? Profit. Use poison against poison—no reason to refuse.
"Chieftain, what if they wipe those humans, bulk up even more, and come for us next?"
"..."
But to the shaman's final jab, Karon had no real comeback.
He doubted it'd go that far, but if it did, planning was pointless anyway.