The chamber was quiet, save for the faint, pained breathing of the beetle leader. He lay pinned beneath thick threads of hardened silk, wrapped limb to limb, wings shattered, carapace fractured from the battle. His compound eyes flicked with slow, defiant focus—still unbroken.
Adam stood before him, his sharpened mandibles gleaming faintly in the low bioluminescent light that clung to the chamber walls. The silence stretched.
"Speak," Adam's voice echoed in his mind. His tone was low, cold.
No response.
Adam moved forward, his claws clicking softly on the stone. "You led them here. Invaded our territory, attacked my people. And for what?"
Still silence.
Then, slowly, methodically, Adam raised one of the beetle's limbs. The bound chitin cracked under the pressure as he twisted. The beetle shuddered.
A horrible crack. A wet pop.
The scream that followed wasn't made with a mouth but through the vibrations of internal muscles, raw, insectile, a noise of agony beyond words. It echoed through the colony like a ripple of pain, though muffled by layers of stone and tunnel.
"I will remove one limb at a time," Adam whispered with deliberate calm. "I promise to set you free, unhurt, as long as you are willing
to answer all my questions truthfully."
"You think I would cave in just like that. You think I'll be safe once I go beyond these tunnels. I am a dead man either way, and you won't get an ounce of information from me." He spat at the giant ant in front of him, but it barely reached his legs, dropping inches in front of him.
But the beetle did not beg. He did not waver. Even as the second limb was torn, the twitching agony that wracked his body was met with silence.
Adam stared at him, mandibles clenched. "Alright then," he murmured.
No response. Only a pause.
And then a final, decisive motion. Adam's mandibles struck true, severing the beetle's neck with one clean twist. The head fell to the
floor, thudding softly.
A grim silence returned to the chamber.
The ants dragged the bodies back through the tunnels. Chitin scraped stone as the corpses of the fallen were lined up neatly before the glowing core nestled deep in the heart of the colony. The Mana Core pulsed softly, responding to their presence, its hum growing louder as each body was absorbed one by one.
Thick, oily fluids oozed into the soil. Mana was pulled from marrow and nerves, the last remnants of once-living power now repurposed for growth.
Mana Core Absorption: Initiated
Absorbing: 11 Standard Beetle Corpses...
Absorption Complete. Mana Core Evolving...
The Mana Core began to thrum. A low resonance like a distant drumbeat. Its crystalline shell cracked and reformed, pulsing with brighter energy.
Mana Core Evolution: Successful
Max Mana increased: 150 → 250
Daily Mana Recovery: +35 → +65 per day
Sustain Cost: -33 per day
The chamber warmed slightly as energy flowed outward in waves, like heartbeats made of light.
But then, when the final body was offered, the leader's corpse was placed against the base of the core. The moment his flesh touched the stone, something changed.
A tremor shook the chamber.
A brilliant flash of sapphire exploded across the chamber, flooding it with cold light so intense it seared through his vision. Every ant dropped low, shielding their eyes, antennae twitching madly from the raw arcane pressure now roaring through the air.
The sound, like a chorus of shattering glass and thunderous hums, rippled through the stone, echoing down every tunnel like the cry of something ancient awakening.
The Core cracked wide open.
And from within… new crystal grew, unnatural and jagged, twisting upward like frozen lightning. Shards floated, suspended midair, orbiting the Core in slow, rhythmic spirals. The air turned thick, humid with mana. Each breath was like swallowing starlight.
Adam stood still, trembling.
He could feel the changes echo through the colony. A shockwave of raw mana burst outward, knocking several ants to the floor.
Adam narrowed his eyes; mandibles spread in awe. The entire chamber glowed with a deep, brilliant hue. Streams of pure mana lifted into the air, suspended like mist. Like foams of the ocean as it meets the beach.
High-Value Organism Absorbed: Expedition Commander (Beetle Class)
Special Evolution Triggered
Mana Core Special Evolution: Complete
Max Mana increased: 250 → 300
Daily Mana Recovery increased: +65 → +120 per day
Daily Mana Consumption: -33 per day
Ambient Mana Enhancement Applied to Central Chamber
Then—more notifications.
New Evolution Tree Unlocked
New Items Added to Shop
Special Mutation Path: "King's Exoskeleton Evolution" – Available
Adam's gaze was fixed on the crystal, its glow reflected in his many eyes. Something had changed. It pulsed not only with mana but with potential.
A soft breeze of raw energy brushed over him, carrying the scent of possibility, like ozone before a storm.
He turned toward the others.
Zell, Mira, Brill, Norkk, Skitt—all watched in awe.
The Mana Core still shimmered with the aftermath of its massive transformation. Though it had quieted, its crystalline facets glowed with a new, resonant blue, pulsing softly like a slumbering heartbeat. The air near it felt heavier, charged, as if thick with unshed potential. Adam stepped toward the interface, his senses keener than ever since his own recent evolution. His mandibles clicked in thought, a strange new vibration pulsing through his silk glands. He could feel it.
And then the panel came to life.
[Mana Core Panel: Tier III – Awakened Core]
Max Mana: 300
Daily Mana Generation: 120
Daily Maintenance Cost: -30
New Unlocks:
• New Evolution Tree Paths Available
• New Role Orbs Added to Shop
• King's Exoskeleton Evolution - Accepted
• Mental Network Expansion (Colony-Wide) - Available
• Royal Silk Glands (Enhanced) - Available
He navigated the glowing lattice of options. Three evolution nodes glimmered in bright hues. He selected the Mental Network Expansion. A current of mental force bloomed from within his core. The entire colony buzzed faintly in response. The upgrade went deeper than he expected. It was like his mind buzzed with something deeper, something he couldn't quite grasp yet.
[Skill Unlocked: Multi-Directive Command (Passive)]
• You may now issue simultaneous orders to multiple groups.
[Skill Unlocked: Tactical Mark (Active)]
• Marked enemies' weak spots are more preferred by allies instinctively.
• When activated, reveals weak points of the target to the entire colony.
• Cooldown: 1 hour
Then came the Royal Silk Gland Upgrade.
A searing heat bloomed in his abdomen again, not unlike his first transformation. The silk glands twisted, hardened, and grew denser. New ducts formed within. When it was done, his internal threads felt more refined, more potent.
[Upgrade Complete: Royal Silk Glands]
• Now produces:
- Binding Silk: Reinforced and elastic. Ideal for combat.
- Weaving Silk: Durable. Can be used for colony architecture, traps, and light armor.
Then, he turned to the shop.
[New Shop Items Unlocked]
• Orb of the Juggernaut (NEW)
- Description: A deep grey sphere etched with thunderous veins of red crystal. Emits a low, vibrating hum.
- Role: Converts a warrior into a siege-class ant.
- Skill Unlocked: Crushing Ram (Active) – Charge forward with devastating momentum, knocking enemies aside. Creates a weak shield from mana that bursts into shards upon heavy impact. (Cooldown: 10 minutes)
• Empath Orb (Healer Path - NEW)
- Description: A translucent orb swirling with threads of pale blue and gold. Pulsates with warm waves.
- Role: Healer class upgrade.
- Skills Unlocked:
- Shared Vitality (Passive): Healing one target heals nearby allies slightly.
- Pulse Mend (Active): Area-of-effect healing for up to 5 ants within range. (Cooldown: 15 minutes)
- Surge Boon (Active): Temporarily increases strength by imbuing them with mana. (Duration: 3 minutes. Cooldown: 10 minutes)
1. Council Chamber (New)
A sacred dome where strategic decisions are made, and elite ants gather for briefings.
• Cost: 50 Mana
• Effect:
- Enables formation of Specialized Units (i.e. Squads and Divisions).
- Stores and displays current mission briefs and scouting reports.
- Ants entering this chamber gain temporary +1 Perception.
Blueprint: A wide, circular cavity with an elevated center for Adam. Stone-like fungus grows naturally, forming podiums. Bioluminescent moss pulses gently on walls.
2. Training Grounds (New)
A hardened floor arena for duels, sparring, and active evolution stimulation.
• Cost: 40 Mana
• Effect:
- Unlocks "Drill Command" — practice routines enhancing strength and agility and dexterity over time.
Blueprint: An oval-shaped pit reinforced with packed clay and lined with old chitin. Thin vertical tunnels act as watch posts and entry hatches for warriors. Can create holographic projections of creatures fought by the user.
[Upgrades to Existing Chambers]
Fungal Farm Upgrade: "Irradiated Growth"
• Cost: 20 Mana
• Effect:
- +30% faster mushroom growth rate.
- Makes soil more suitable by injecting mana. Increasing the effects provided by the planted species.
Medical Bay Upgrade: "Lifeknot Bloom"
• Cost: 25 Mana
• Effect:
- All healing performed in this chamber requires less mana.
- Can support critical treatment for heavily wounded ants (revival from near-death).
Main Chamber Upgrade: "Inscribed Walls"
• Cost: 40 Mana
• Effect:
- Allows symbolic carvings, providing a mental map of every corner of the colony.
- +10% increase in all stats while Adam resides here.
The air was different now.
There was still the earthy dampness of soil and crushed mycelium, but layered over it was something else: a pulse, a living rhythm born from the glowing veins of the Mana Core that had rooted itself deeper into the earth. Its crystalline form now shimmered with streaks of cobalt, and as Adam stood near it, he felt not just the energy radiating from it, but its awareness—a low, humming intelligence.
He stared at the Mana Core Panel, his mind calm.
Purchase Confirmed. -175 Mana deducted. New Chambers Added: Council Chamber (Incomplete), Training Grounds (Incomplete).
Upgrades Activated: Fungal Farm, Medical Bay, Main Chamber Walls.
With a flicker of thought, he opened his Evolution Panel.
King's Exoskeleton Upgrade Available. Confirm Evolution?
He accepted. The transformation tore through his limbs as deep, segmented plating grew heavier and darker. A deep blue shimmer ran across his carapace as if someone had taken polished sapphire and layered it over obsidian. His mandibles gleamed with an unnatural edge, and his legs rooted harder into the soil with raw, tempered strength.
His vision sharpened, the dark was now clearer, and every tiny vibration from the walls was distinct. The most surprising change, however, came from how his body moved effortlessly.
Exoskeleton Evolution Successful. +4 Strength +2 Defense Damage resistance: Minor physical blunt and piercing reduction.
He took a breath or the ant equivalent of one. And then, with resolve, he gave the next command to the core:
Use remaining mana to summon 30 ant eggs. Time-required: 2.5 days.
Each egg shimmered with faint bioluminescence, slick and perfect, already resonating with the Core's power. Awaiting the birth of a promising future.