The journey back to the colony had been a long one, but Adam's plan had worked better than he expected. With the help of the trumpet plants, whose golden pollen soothed the larvae, and a careful network of web lines, the ants managed to guide the creatures through the tunnels without another rampage.
Adam led from the front, waving a stalk of trumpet-flowers like a banner. They excavated, expanding the tunnels to accommodate their large size, new sloping tunnels had to be created to bring them to a safe haven. It was slow, exhausting work, but it worked.
Brill coordinated the labor crews with methodical precision, carving out vast new chambers about thirty ant-meters from the colony's core. Once the space was clear, Adam wove thick web partitions, marking out areas for the larvae and another for the trumpet-plant gardens that would sustain them.
By the time the last of the herd was settled, the tunnels were filled with the hum of accomplishment.
Now, the larvae had grown calm.
There were twelve large ones, and one massive leader, a hulking creature who had these strange orange patterns, towering over the rest of them. It was clear even without words that this one commanded the herd's respect.
Beside them rested the two pups, the same ones Adam had carried through the chaos. Their cries were gone now, replaced by quiet chirps as they nestled near the glowing trumpet-flowers.
The air was warm here, pleasant, even. A gentle, earthy humidity mingled with the faint sweetness of pollen, and the light from the larvae painted everything in soft amber tones.
Brill inspected the walls one last time. "The chambers should hold," he said, pride in his voice. "But why are we keeping them Mister Giant."
"Meat Brill," Adam replied. "Delicious succulent meat." His mandibles clittered.
Brill was confused, he didn't understand any of it. He was already terrified by their enormous size, though in his heart, it only made him admire Mister Giant more.
The larvae had already begun producing mana-rich spheres, soft glowing balls that rolled lazily from their segmented bodies as a byproduct of digestion.
"What are these weird balls?" Mira said as she scurried over, rolling one towards them.
"That is meat."
"Meat?" She replied still confused. "What does it do?"
"Why don't you bite it and find out." Adam voice was lined with encouragement. Mira took one piece of the blob, her eyes immediately widened. "Wow! It tastes so good."
"Huh? Let me try, let me try," Brill bounced forward. eager to give it a shot. "You are right! It's so amazingly good."
One by one the ants tried the fascinating new edition to their diet, a wild sensational dish they never imagined existed.
As the day passed, the larvae produced Twenty-two blobs. Adam had noticed something else too, the two pups consumed more than half of them. Twelve a day, to be exact, leaving ten or so for the colony. Though that was enough for the stomachs of the little ants. It wasn't nearly enough to fulfill his satisfaction.
Adam stood at the edge of the chamber, watching as a worker ant dragged one of the blobs toward storage. The larvae murmured softly, shifting their bulk as they settled into the soil.
The pups played in the pollen clouds, occasionally letting out squeaks that echoed through the tunnels.
The colony was calm. The herd was calm.
And for the first time in a long while, Adam allowed himself to relax.
"Not bad," he muttered, glancing toward the dim glow of the Mana Core's chamber in the distance. "Not bad at all."
Adam stood before the large chamber where the herd rested, his antennae twitching as the faint amber glow of the larvae pulsed like a heartbeat. The air was thick with the sweet-sour scent of the trumpet-plants, and a few glittering blobs, those curious "balls" the larvae produced, lay scattered on the damp soil as the worker ants took turns carrying them to the storage unit.
He lifted one. It was warm to the touch. He still couldn't quite understand how they were made.
"Let's find out," he muttered, activating his skill.
[Skill Activated: Analytical Appraisal]
A faint ripple passed through his mind, and lines of glowing text unfolded before his inner vision.
[Nutrient Orb]
Classification: Organic Compound
Type: Highly Nutritious Food Source
Composition: Dense in mana and proteins; rich in organic minerals derived from digested trumpet-plant matter.
Adam blinked, his mandibles twitching in satisfaction. "Now that's more like it."
He turned his focus toward the larvae resting nearby and triggered the skill again.
"At least now I'm getting more than just, 'rock.' "
He chuckled quietly, recalling the earliest days of the colony when the best his skill could give him was a single, unhelpful word.
He glanced at the trumpet-flowers next and triggered Analytical Appraisal once more.
[Trumpet-Plant]
Classification: Mana Flora
Traits:• Excellent mana absorbers, storing energy within their fibrous tissues.
• Pollen has a sweet aroma and is mildly euphoric when inhaled.• Overproduction of mana triggers defensive reaction, releasing irritant pollen capable of causing temporary eye and mouth irritation in predators..
Adam's mandibles opened slightly in awe. "I wonder if the skill evolves… will I start getting essays next time?"
He laughed quietly to himself before glancing toward the direction of the Mana Core's chamber. He had planned to test whether the Core would absorb the trumpet-plants, perhaps unlocking something new. But before he could take a step—
"Mister Giant!"
He froze mid-step.
There stood Brill, Zell, Norkk, and Skitt, lined up across the tunnel entrance like a blockade. Their mandibles were twitching, antennae perked, and all of them wore the same pleading expression that could melt even the coldest most heartless man.
Adam sighed. He already knew what this was about.
Norkk stepped forward, smiling slyly. "We've been good while you were gone."
Brill nodded solemnly. "We did all the work."
"And you promised," Skitt added with a mischievous flick of his antennae.
Zell just bounced in place, clicking excitedly. "Adventure! You said expedition!"
Adam rubbed the side of his head, suppressing a groan. "Of course..."
He gave a long, exaggerated sigh before finally relenting. "Fine… fine. An expedition it is."
The group cheered in unison, clattering their mandibles in delight.
Adam couldn't help but smile despite himself. "Though, it's not exactly going to be fun," he muttered as they started preparing. His mind drifted back to the trapdoor larva, the one he'd meant to sacrifice to the Core. But its corpse… there wasn't much left of it after the stampede. Only scattered pieces buried somewhere deep in the mud.
Still, there were other things out there, things worth finding.
And as the sounds of preparation filled the tunnels, webs being tightened, antennae clicking orders, excitement humming through the air, Adam glanced into the dim darkness ahead.
"Let's see what else the depths have to offer."