Chapter 35: The Chimera Ant’s Evolution (4) Setting Up The Nest
Chapter 35: The Chimera Ant\'s Evolution (4) Setting Up The Nest
Rodion commented, his voice laced with a hint of sarcastic amusement.
Mikhailis chuckled, raising an eyebrow as he gave the computer screen a sidelong glance.
"Maybe it\'s because I\'ve always been a bug enthusiast. Bugs and I, we just click. I mean, they don\'t judge me, don\'t care about politics, and they get the job done. What\'s not to like?"
Rodion added, the sarcasm evident even without tone inflection.
"Hey, I take offense to that!" Mikhailis said with a playful pout, though he quickly broke into a grin again.
"But you\'re right. Now, let\'s see how far we can take this. Are the systems fully synced?"
"Yeah, yeah, I know the drill." Mikhailis nodded, his eyes focused on the virtual map of the expanding tunnels that was being updated in real time. He watched as the workers kept digging, their paths intertwining like an intricate web, with the queen resting in a central chamber.
The ants were impressive—they showed no hesitation, no fear, even in this new environment. Their entire purpose seemed to revolve around the queen, ensuring her safety, expanding the colony, and forging ahead. Mikhailis gave a mental command to the workers, directing them to expand another chamber beneath the garden where they could set up a dedicated space for food storage.
He watched the ants get to work without question, digging with a dedication that fascinated him.
"Rodion, think we could direct them to create chambers for specific tasks? You know, like a proper underground base? One for food, one for hatchlings, maybe even a defense chamber or something?"
"Nice," Mikhailis said with an excited grin.
"Alright, let\'s go ahead and give it a shot. Assign the chamber closest to the garden entrance as the storage area. The deeper one should be for new hatchlings, and the other two we\'ll reserve for defense. I want our queen to be surrounded by the best protection."
"Empire, huh?" Mikhailis couldn\'t help but feel a thrill at the thought. His imagination ran wild—visions of a vast, sprawling underground network, filled with loyal magical ants ready to do his bidding. He imagined them patrolling the tunnels beneath Silvarion Thalor, acting as an unseen line of defense, or even gathering information from places no human could easily reach.
He shook his head, smiling to himself. It was ambitious—perhaps too ambitious—but that was precisely why he was here. This world offered him the freedom to dream without limits, and he was determined to make the most of it.
Rodion\'s voice interrupted his thoughts.
Mikhailis glanced back at the queen, her body shimmering faintly under the dim light. She was surrounded by her soldiers, and her wings fluttered now and then as if she were restless, aware of the growing colony beneath her.
"Yeah, let\'s do it. Time for her to see her new home."
Mikhailis watched as Rodion\'s robotic limbs extended towards the queen, gently picking her up and lifting her out of the aquarium. The queen didn\'t resist; instead, her antennae twitched, and her eyes seemed to fix on Mikhailis, as if she knew this was something he wanted.
With careful precision, the mechanical arm placed her near the entrance to the garden tunnel. The soldiers immediately surrounded her, forming a protective barrier, while the workers began guiding her towards the newly formed underground nest.
As they disappeared into the hole, Mikhailis turned to his computer screen. The display showed the ants moving in real time, the third-person projection giving a clear image of the tunnels, the chambers, and the paths they were carving.
"Wow, this is incredible," Mikhailis whispered. He watched as the queen made her way to the deepest chamber, her soldiers standing vigilant while the workers began to bring in leaves, twigs, and other materials. The projection showed the queen settling in the center of the chamber, her antennae waving as if testing her new surroundings.
"Perfect. Now let\'s monitor how they expand. I want every movement logged—the workers, the soldiers, even the eggs when they hatch."
Mikhailis watched in fascination as the workers scurried around, each one carrying out its assigned task without question. They moved as if they were extensions of the queen herself—or perhaps extensions of him, acting on his will. It was a strange, almost surreal feeling, knowing that he had this level of control over an entire colony.
The workers had already started expanding the tunnel system, digging deeper and creating new paths. Mikhailis watched as they uncovered a small cavern beneath the garden, a natural hollow that seemed perfect for further expansion.
He was about to give them another command when something unexpected appeared on the screen—a bright glow, almost like a spark, flickered from within the tunnel. The workers froze momentarily, their antennae waving, while the soldiers moved to investigate.
"What\'s that?" Mikhailis asked, leaning closer to the screen.
Mikhailis\'s eyes widened as he watched the creature move into view on the screen. The beetle was large—nearly the size of the chimera queen, its body covered in a shimmering shell that glowed faintly with pulses of blue and green. Its eyes were a vivid yellow, and its mandibles clicked rhythmically as it approached the chimera soldiers.
"Another one, huh?" Mikhailis murmured, his voice filled with intrigue.
"Rodion, can the ants take it down?"
Mikhailis clenched his teeth, watching as the chimera soldiers stood their ground. The beetle let out a low, vibrating hum, its shell glowing brighter as it faced off with the ants. One of the chimera soldiers lunged forward, attempting to grab the beetle by the leg, but it was met with a blinding flash of light. The soldier recoiled, its movements disoriented, as the beetle advanced.
"Damn it," Mikhailis muttered, feeling a surge of frustration. He wasn\'t about to let this creature threaten the colony he\'d worked so hard to establish. He quickly gave a mental command through the bond, his focus sharp.
The soldiers regrouped, forming a defensive line between the beetle and the queen. They moved in unison, their antennae waving as they communicated with each other, their determination palpable. The beetle let out another hum, its shell glowing even brighter, but this time, the soldiers didn\'t back down. They moved forward, attacking from multiple angles, their mandibles clamping down on the beetle\'s legs.
"Come on... you can do it..." Mikhailis whispered, his eyes locked on the screen.
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Chimera Ant Queen & Colony Status:
Queen Chimera Ant
: Evolved into a magical beast with heightened intelligence. Now resides in a newly constructed underground nest.Colony Units:
Workers: Digging and foraging specialists. Currently expanding tunnels and creating chambers for the nest.
Soldiers: Colony defenders. Successfully defended the queen against threats like the Burrow Grub. Equipped with enhanced coordination and strength.
Colony Nest:
Chamber System:
- Food Storage Chamber: Completed. Currently being stocked by workers.
- Hatchling Chamber: Designated for new eggs. Under construction.
- Defense Chambers: Surrounding queen\'s location for protection.
Special Projects:
- Variant Eggs: Four eggs potentially containing hybrid ants with unique traits (e.g., magical frog properties).
- Neural Relay Chip: Installed on the queen, allowing real-time surveillance and control.
Current Objective:
- Defend the nest from the Glimmer Beetle.
- Expand nest further to accommodate variant eggs and prepare for future adversaries.