The bountiful food obtained as the reward for victory in the war, and the immense power absorbed through consuming it.
Unlike me, with my complicated feelings in all sorts of ways, the ants who had fully indulged in it naturally craved even more.
Because that's the kind of beings they were.
Beings who knew no satisfaction or fear, simply devouring endlessly.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙[The Queen Ant believes that maintaining the current system is inefficient now that she has obtained high-quality food.]
"In the end, you're urging me to help out, aren't you."
A scoff escaped me at the Queen Ant's thoughts.
Through this war, we'd secured plenty of mana and Holy Power to mass-produce variants based on the prey we'd hunted. But now, with these resources in hand, it was tantamount to demanding we advance the tech tree instead of just increasing numbers.
And in truth, the Queen Ant now had the power to do just that.
Having evolved one step further, the Queen Ant could now prey on insects beyond just ants and absorb their abilities.
But the only one who could provide them was me.
'Let's give it a try.'
I'd scoffed, but honestly, I was deeply intrigued and curious about this myself.
The Queen Ant's trait from evolving from stage 1 to stage 2, Bloodline Adjustment—would it really allow her to prey on and absorb every creature corresponding to insects, just as described?
From the common insects around us to the monstrous bugs abroad the size of a human face.
There were countless varieties, too many to count.
If she could devour and fully absorb them as I imagined, their abilities and power would undoubtedly become transcendent.
'They've only ever eaten feed until now, so I wonder how this'll go.'
I tossed in a few mealworms first, the usual feed.
And as I watched them devour the mealworms, I observed whether the ants—mere insect larvae—could absorb their abilities.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙[The Queen Ant absorbs the prey's abilities through consumption. She intends to transplant the prey's digestive capabilities to the colony, allowing for greater food intake.]
"It works."
The following notification was quite satisfying, accompanied by the image of the Queen Ant rubbing her face with her front legs as if pleased with the feast. It promised that my ant colony would grow even stronger.
I couldn't help but grin as I hurriedly grabbed my jacket.
Bugs were scattered everywhere around me.
Ferocious insects flooded my mind, but for now, I planned to test them one by one with whatever I could get locally.
'I'll give you as much as you want.'
I was the one presenting options to them.
Now it was up to the Queen Ant and the colony to combine those options optimally and raise the perfect legion.
"Poor things, though."
Pondering where to start, I headed first to the nearby supermarket.
I'd noticed they sold pet insects while passing by before.
What I bought there were rhinoceros beetle larvae.
My goal was for the ants to gain a massive build and sturdy armor like the rhinoceros beetle.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙[Your subordinates are bewildered by the arrival of this colossal foe.]
"It sure is big."
The rhinoceros beetle larva I dug out from the container had grown nearly as large as my finger, right on the verge of pupation.
Tsking my tongue, I dropped it into the enclosure, and a notification popped up about the ants panicking at the sight of its bulk.
Compared to the mealworms I'd given before, this larva was truly a massive monster.
Its size dwarfed even the largest variant Soldier Ant in the current colony by several times.
It was comparable only to the Queen Ant, who had already grown to the size of a small hamster.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙[The subordinates disassemble the new prey.]
But the pitiful rhinoceros beetle larva, forcibly dragged out, had zero combat ability.
Moreover, the ants swarming from all sides, stabbing with venom stingers and tearing flesh with jaws, were variants several times tougher than ordinary ants.
The larva's only resistance was a few futile wriggles before it was butchered alive and immediately processed into meat dumplings for the Queen Ant.
'If something that big appeared in that world...'
I swallowed dryly as I watched the Queen Ant devour the meat.
Even regular Worker Ants, not variants, would be wolf-level beasts over there.
Soldier Ants already served as siege weapons or tanks. If we started mass-producing troops the size of rhinoceros beetles, it would be an outright catastrophe.
"Huh?"
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙[The Queen Ant feels confusion in digestion and panics.]
But things didn't go entirely smoothly.
The Queen Ant, devouring the single larva as if it were a feast, suddenly vomited it up and began flailing in confusion.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙[The Queen Ant instinctively senses that she and the colony lack the growth needed to digest this massive prey.]
The Queen Ant wasn't an all-purpose computer.
With her prey range expanding in one go from ants to all insects, it meant she had to unlock and grow abilities step by step. The rhinoceros beetle larva was simply too much to handle right from the start.
Above all, we had to consider the colony's own capabilities.
Even if the Queen Ant could produce rhinoceros beetle-sized individuals, the maintenance and development costs would fall entirely on the colony.
Theoretical growth meant nothing if the colony as a whole didn't increase in scale.
'You wanna go for it, huh.'
Seeing that sparked my competitive spirit for no reason.
I could procure plenty of food anyway. They were everywhere.
Test subjects that would help the ants and that the Queen Ant at her current level could devour and absorb without strain.
I just had to catch them one by one and feed them in.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙[The Queen Ant feels the limits of her power. There are too few types of prey she can consume at her current level.]
"This is getting fun."
This experiment unfolding in the small enclosure in the living room was proving quite entertaining.
Under the conditions given to me—or rather, to the ants—I had to supply the optimal test subjects for maximum efficiency.
'Feeding them cockroaches or something won't yield much gain. Probably not.'
I shook my head at the faint scream of the neighbor lady shrieking at the sight of bugs.
There were many options, but opportunities were limited.
My ants had already evolved into variants surpassing ordinary insects.
Feeding them mediocre prey wouldn't bring big gains and would just waste chances.
I had to give my all to every choice, and that responsibility lay solely with me.
'...I've thought they needed wings for a while now.'
Sturdy exoskeletons, size, stronger venom, swift mobility, vitality, and so on.
There were many abilities to consider, but right now, what the ants needed most was flight capability.
For some reason, they knew how to make wings but hadn't produced flying ants.
Maybe they figured flight wasn't necessary in their own way, or perhaps they'd forgotten entirely upon awakening as subordinates and evolving into variants.
They didn't even need to fight in the air.
Aerial scouting alone would more than double the information they gathered.
And I'd benefit just as much from seeing beyond what they could.
"Can't start with flies or anything."
Ignoring the proliferating flying insects as the weather warmed, what caught my eye were bees.
Creatures with ecology similar to ants who could fight from the air when needed.
"Giant hornets? They're starting to become available now."
And since I was feeding them, I decided to go with the strongest ones again.
I didn't need to rush into mountains or fields to catch giant hornets for feed.
In this day and age, with the internet and money, anything was possible.
"You can eat this, right? Even giant hornets are smaller than you."
After ordering the giant hornets, I hung up and smirked at the Queen Ant before me.
Even if there were a few constraints right now, I didn't mind.
One thing I'd confirmed since meeting them and watching over them: there were no set answers or limits for them.
'Feed her slowly without overstuffing, and she'll figure out the results herself. Just like now.'
If her current power was lacking, gather more food and more experience going forward.
Then they'd shatter their limits with it as nourishment and evolve once more.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"We don't know when those monsters will swarm us. Hurry and prepare the defenses!"
"But, my lord, if we don't tend the fields, this year's harvest..."
"You think we have time to worry about harvests?! If they come, it's total annihilation—total!"
While someone was conducting their own experiments for the ants, enjoying an intriguing and fun time...
In another place, panic-stricken people were fleeing, preparing for battle, and chaos reigned supreme.
"No living thing survives when the black wave crashes down!"
"Th-they're the Heralds of Doom, bringers of the apocalypse, and even the light of divinity couldn't stop them!"
The biggest reason was the rumors spreading from the subjugation army that had confidently marched out, suffered defeat, and barely retreated.
To them, the ant horde was now an unstoppable wave of death, the incarnation of terror.
"This is exactly why we must pray to the Goddess all the more! You've all seen it—the miracle the great arbiter of the Goddess performed against those monsters!"
Of course, some saw this as an opportunity.
The Golden Mandate Society began touting the achievements Daniel had earned through his self-sacrifice.
Ironically, though they'd lost, the more the ants' infamy grew, the more supporters and recruits they gained.
Cases emerged of lords leading their entire domains to join them.
The Golden Mandate Society headquarters in the capital dispatched even more holy knights and priests, pushing aggressively to absorb the entire north.
"It's only natural, if you ask me. To face those monsters, we do need the Goddess's power, don't we?"
"...Can't argue with that."
Seira Redenverk bit her lip at Rogers's words, who trembled in fear of the ants just as much as she did, as she gazed anxiously at the mood since barely surviving and returning.
'Is the Goddess truly the only answer?'
Daniel had told her that following the Goddess would surely bring reward for her talents, but Seira hadn't fully joined the church yet.
It was due to an instinctive sense of discomfort.
She felt they had to stop the absolute evil of the ants somehow, but even if they succeeded in driving them out by the Goddess's will, the peace she desired wouldn't come.
Seira was exhausted.
Ever since the bandits ravaged her hometown. All she wanted was peace.
"O-orcs! Orcs from the north!"
But the drastic changes engulfing the region weren't limited to that.
The orcs, who would suddenly appear like the wind from the northwest plains whenever they felt like it to pillage and wage war, were now approaching in massive force.
'An alliance proposal...? Suddenly?!'
Seira's eyes widened upon learning that the news these orcs brought was a completely out-of-the-blue alliance proposal.