Nearly two weeks had passed, he could tell since his mana was once again fully recovered. The tunnels were alive with rhythm.
The soft patter of limbs on stone. The rustling shuffle of fungus being carried. Faint hums of satisfaction, wordless but warm, echoed through the earthen halls. Adam stood near the upper edge of the chamber wall, perched where the chamber opened into a natural overlook.
From there, he watched.
Brill and Zell moved in practiced coordination, their legs weaving between the spongy caps of harvested mushrooms, gently lifting and balancing the mushrooms bundles, sticked by his web, on their backs. Norkk stayed near the base of the stalks, mandibles gently scraping spores into woven sacs. And Mira made rounds near the storage chamber, ensuring the temperature was right, the walls were cool, and the airflow kept the spores dry.
The Luminagari Mycen grew on the ceiling , serving as light bulbs. They shimmered in faint blue pulses, gently bathing them all in slight warmth. The mana core nearby beat like a second heart steady and soothing.
This is what it should feel like.
A small tap sounded at his side. He turned. Skitt stood there, his antennae perked, a faint glint of excitement in his eyes.
"This is Glowcap Bloom," Skitt pulsed proudly through their mental link.
The giant stepped closer. The fungus in Skitt's limbs pulsed faintly with a yellow-blue hue, like moonlight trapped in petals.
"It sharpens low-light perception," Skitt added mentally. "Just a bit. But enough."
Adam tilted his head, then gave an approving pulse of thought. He patted his head as he said," Yes, good job remembering it Skitt" Skitt smiled as his antenna twitched wildly with joy and pride.
"Be careful."
Skitt gave a low, eager buzz of agreement, and without another word, skittered down the far tunnel. He moved like a blur of shadow and bio light, quickly fading into the dark. He turned back to the others. They're growing so quickly. Each day they learn more. Organize better. Care for one another.
He let himself relax. Adam descended the slope of the chamber and approached the Core. He sat down near it, letting his antennae dip into the mana stream, tasting the energy like a breeze across a lake. It was warm today. Steady. Even joyful.
His thoughts drifted.
Maybe being an ant is bad after all.... perhaps peace and loved ones was all he ever desired, He lowered his head, resting his legs. The mana trickled across his senses, humming quietly like a song remembered from long ago.
A sigh escaped his mandibles, soft and tired.
Just a few moments later, his mind itched. Something was wrong. He could sense it, his mind snapped alert, searching for something. The air was tense in a way he couldn't describe. A pressure at the edges of his mind like a breath being held too long. Then came the signal.
Skitt.
The rush hit his senses like a crashing tide: fear, pain, panic—Skitt's direct link flared violently in his mind, carrying sharp fragments of visual and emotional data. "Big bodies. Oval-shaped. Heavy thuds. A glinting horn protruding from the front of their heads."
He could almost sense his breathlessness from ant-miles away
Skitt was being hunted.
A spark ignited in his chest. No, this wasn't just a threat. It was an assault on his own. He responded without hesitation.
"Group! Now! Mira—bring the Leafshade Fungus. Hurry!"
They ran, legs thundering across the stone veins of their tunnel network. Adam led them himself, his carapace reflecting shards of light as they pushed deeper through the junctions. He activated Tremor Pulse. A subtle vibration rippled from his limbs into the soil, climbing walls and tracing every groove. It painted a shape in his mind: Skitt's position, the thunderous rhythm of two heavy-bodied enemies in pursuit, moving fast.
Mana: 20 / 30.
They didn't have long. At a bend in the corridor, he dug narrow side-holes, barely wide enough for his smaller allies. "Mira, stay behind me. Tend to Skitt the moment he reaches us." She nodded once and pressed herself against the wall, her body trembling, mandibles tight with worry.
Then.
A flash of limbs. Skitt burst through the tunnel, one hind leg dragging uselessly behind him, glistening with blood. He didn't speak. He didn't need to.
Because what followed him? …. They did.
Laughter. Low, guttural, cruel.
He saw them, two hulking creatures, chitinous bodies shaped like plated ovals, their glossy forms thundering into view. On their heads: horns like jagged scythes, protruding with deadly intent.
Beetles.
Fury surged. They dared? Skitt dove low and slid between the giant's legs. Mira caught him in a flurry of limbs, immediately pressing the fungus to his wounds, her voice shaking as she whispered reassurances. He didn't wait.
He charged forward. The first impact cracked his vision. His skull collided with the lead beetle's plated face, a sound like a tree trunk splitting. His vision swam. Pain lanced through his temple. He felt something snap, then fall. A piece of his own exoskeleton, hitting the floor. But he stayed upright. "Not yet. Not while they're behind me." his mind raged with fury.
He used Force Healing. Mana flooded his body. He felt his skull rejoin, the sensation like ice across fire. The fissures in his carapace sealed with a hiss. His limbs steadied.
Ding!
[System warning]
Mana Levels: 0/30
Alert: All active abilities disabled.
Skill usage unavailable until mana is restored.
The beetles stepped back to charge again.
"NOW!"
From the shadows of the sidewalls, Norkk, Zell, and Brill launched out like living blades.
Norkk hit first, his mandibles sinking into the back leg of one beetle. The creature roared in pain, staggering sideways. Adam drove forward. He lowered his head, slid beneath the horn, and thrust upward, forcing the beetle's skull away. Norkk bit down as hard as he could, his mandibles held on regardless of the shaking. Then.
POP!
He yanked and slashed, ripping one of its legs off. The beetle staggered, his eyes horrified, screaming in agony. Adam caught its underplate exposed, a moment was all he needed. He twisted and flipped, mandibles slicing deep into the beetle's side, dragging it across the tunnel and slamming it against the wall.
The beetle shrieked.
Its legs kicked in vain as he bit down again, this time deeper, into soft inner flesh.
It twitched once. Then fell still.
Dead.
Blood oozed down the wall as the corpse slumped, pinned like prey. The second beetle screamed. Not in fury, but fear. It turned to run. But Zell was already munching on its legs by now, jaws sunk deep between its legs. It trips, stumbling and collapsing.
"Stop! STOP!" the beetle cried out.
It spoke. That only made the giant's rage boil deeper.
"If you kill me, more will come! You'll doom yourselves! I-I'm only following orders!"
Adam moved in silence.
He stepped over the dying beetle, mandibles dragging through the dust. The others watched him.
The beetle flailed. "Please! I—I'll tell you everything! I can help!"
He flipped him with a swift thrust, his limbs pinning the massive body to the ground.
The beetle's voice cracked.
"Don't—no—wait—"
Adam's mandibles sank into the beetle's chest.
A final gasp escaped.
Then nothing.
Only an eerie silence was left behind.
He stood there, blood on his face, chest rising and falling. Behind him, Mira tended to Skitt, still shaking. Norkk, Zell, and Brill looked to him in faith. Awaiting further orders. They waited for him to say something.
But he said nothing.
Not aloud. Fury blazing in his gaze.
If an army comes...
I will fight them. Every last one of them.
They will not harm my little ones.
Not while I still breathe.... No matter the cost.