Chapter 5 – A Special Queen (5)
Previously, I annihilated a fellow racemate’s nest and was rewarded with a total of 3 points for the achievement.
To allocate these points, I opened the Attribute Page and began to deliberate.
“Should I invest in physical attributes?”
Our decisive victory over the fellow racemates in the last battle was largely due to a basic difference in specifications. Our forces, which had already molted three times, were much stronger compared to theirs.
If there hadn’t been such a significant gap in physical capabilities, it would have been difficult to achieve such an easy win, even with my guidance on the battlefield.
“Physical Enhancement 2”
Thus, I allocated one point to physical enhancement. Thanks to this four-point investment, the Physical Enhancement ability advanced to the second stage.
“Ugh…”
Another molting commenced. Although I should be getting used to it by now, I couldn’t help but shiver at the sensation of my skin peeling off in pieces and the strange feeling spreading through my entire body.
[Physical Enhancement 2-1-1 Unlocked]
“What is this?”
Right at that moment, an additional special ability was unlocked. Occasionally, there are these unique abilities that come with special conditions, and this time was one of those moments.
“Physical Remodeling”
[Upon learning this ability, you can now modify your body freely using the data accumulated.]
“Isn’t this cheating?”
It was an exploit, whether explained or unexplained. With my passive skill, Omnicell, this ability allowed for serious modifications to both my body and the bodies of my underlings.
“Of course, I’m learning this.”
I consumed one point to learn the “Physical Remodeling” trait.
It felt as if I were downloading a program straight into my head, with vast amounts of information flooding in.
Through that process alone, I obtained a modification ability that went beyond merely altering physical attributes.
“Next… Consciousness Enhancement.”
“Consciousness Enhancement 1-3”
Using the remaining one point, I upgraded Consciousness Enhancement by one level. While commanding multiple troops in the last battle and now with the acquisition of the Physical Remodeling trait, it became clear that enhancing consciousness was crucial.
Without sufficient consciousness enhancement, I wouldn’t be able to fully command the increasing numbers of troops I produce. Moreover, the Omnicell cells that make up our bodies are also entities dependent on consciousness. In some ways, enhancing consciousness might even be more important than physical enhancement.
[The artificial womb has completed the growth of the eggs]
“Should I increase the numbers now?”
The mature eggs from my artificial womb fell onto the floor with a sticky, slimy sound. I watched as the workers carefully carried the basketball-sized eggs with their mandibles.
We had secured a large amount of food, and with the upgrade in consciousness that expanded the number of troops I could command, increasing our forces was critical. It was an important operation to which resources must be consistently allocated without pause, especially since we had lost some troops.
“Haa…”
I thought it was time for a rest. While my underlings didn’t experience mental fatigue, I certainly did.
I sighed and sat down on the cold stone floor, leaning against the wall.
“What is this?”
Even if I took a break, all I would do is spend time in this barren cave with nonsensical creatures.
There was no joy in eating; my food was delivered through a touch of nutrients from an artificial digestive organ.
There was nothing to enjoy here. The concept of enjoyment in this place was something only I understood.
Moreover, sleep was something I couldn’t indulge in. The collective consciousness governing the entire hive must remain awake, vigilant at all times.
Other queens would be laying eggs while I’d already entrusted this task to the artificial womb.
“Which worker is farthest away?”
In the end, I closed my eyes and delved into the mental world, roaming through my connection with my subordinates.
Among them, the most interesting was the scout who ventured furthest.
As per my orders, some workers were always designated as scouts. Acquiring information before anyone else was a necessity.
“Strange feeling.”
Though I had done this numerous times, the act of transferring my consciousness into a bug’s body was still awkward and alien.
In a vision entirely different from my own perspective, I observed my swaying front legs in action.
I personally took a stroll in the surrounding area, guiding this body. I could have delegated this task, but now I moved to alleviate my own boredom.
“Wha—”
That’s when I stumbled into one of our natural predators.
Sensing my movement, it burst forth from the ground, revealing the massive shape of a centipede.
As it towered over my scout worker, larger than the standard-sized black rot insects which were themselves about the size of bicycles, I could only stare upwards in shock.
My worker, having grown 1.5 times larger than the average black rot insect worker, was dwarfed by this monstrous creature that could consume it in a single bite.
It appeared not like a centipede but more akin to a mythical beast.
“Y-yaaah! Go away! Let me be! Dammit…”
With its massive fangs gleaming, the centipede attacked me in a flash.
Panicking, I tried to fight back with my front legs and carapace, but its sheer size and strength were overpowering.
“K-kkuaaaa!”
The moment the centipede’s fangs pierced through my carapace, creating wounds on its belly or not, I felt an intense pain and was forcibly expelled from the worker’s consciousness, returning to the underground cave.
[The land burrowing centipede is one of the main predators of the black rot insect]
“I get it, no need to remind me…!”
The system’s message blinked irritably at me while I heaved and dry-heaved.
“We’re lacking. We need… to get stronger, stronger!”
The terror of embodying my worker and being at the mercy of a predator was harrowing.
The powerlessness and futility of losing my life in a single strike of a predator’s attack was a fear that could reach the core of my being.
Knowing that such a fate could potentially befall my main body made my skin crawl. Rising from my seat, I realized I couldn’t afford to relax.
There was no time. We needed to grow stronger using any spare time.
There wasn’t a significant need for additional caretakers for the larvae or eggs anyway.
“Send more scouts out. And report back immediately if you find prey. We’ll begin hunting at once.”
The black rot insects traditionally focused on scavenging rather than hunting.
But now we couldn’t afford that. The newly acquired “Physical Remodeling” skill required that we directly slay our prey.
“We’re ready. We’ve grown much stronger now.”
Even though the worker I was controlling fell victim to the centipede’s attack, weaker creatures than that centipede abound in this place. The ones that once saw us as prey would now become our targets.
[A scout has already found prey]
“Alright, it’s a perfect size.”
Before long, one creature was caught in our surveillance.
Through the scout’s vision, I saw a large spider slithering across the ground.
It was of a similar size to the male black rot insect. Not particularly large.
“Kill it.”
My command, spoken with a smirk, echoed.
At once, scattered troops began to gather at the location of the nearest scout.
*
Surely this spider was one of the predators of the black rot insects. Not absolutely invincible, but it had the strength to easily hunt lone black rot insect workers wandering the paths.
“…”
Facing this spider, a black rot insect worker blatantly appeared.
Although its size was quite large, the blatant appearance made the spider naturally enter hunting mode.
It prepared to pounce, intending to tear the body apart with its venomous fangs.
However, it failed to notice the others who had stealthily surrounded it in an instant.
“Is this gift too easy?”
As soon as the spider charged forward, two more black rot insect workers, lying in ambush to the left and right, lunged out and immediately clung to the spider’s body.
Watching this through the workers’ eyes, the queen smirked.
“!”
The spider was bewildered. It couldn’t believe that black rot insect workers would execute such an ambush tactic, or that they would have the audacity to attack it directly.
It was as though the hunter and the hunted had switched roles.
“They have no idea… they think they’ll win.”
The spider had no idea that this intricate and bold tactic was devised by the queen in the deepest part of the nest.
Its legs were swiftly severed by sharp mandibles, and its intestines spilled out from the wounds inflicted on its abdomen.
Its sharp fangs, surprisingly, couldn’t pierce the hardened carapace of the workers who had molted multiple times.
Thus, the spider, which had arrogantly assumed itself to be the hunter, was reduced to finely diced pieces, becoming prey for these special black rot insects.
[Prey has also been found elsewhere]
Even more impressively, this was not an isolated incident.
The workers were widely scattered and patrolling the area. The awkward predators that had once regarded them as easy prey now started falling victim to the cooperative hunting teams of the black rot insects.
It was the beginning of a slow change in the ecology at the periphery of the Demon Realm, which had remained unchanged for countless years.
