Chapter 332 Stepping forward (1/2)

Deep in the nest, the Queen contemplated. She thought back to the difficult days just after she had sp.a.w.ned in the Dungeon, when she awoke by herself in the dark tunnels that bordered the shadow levels, surrounded by the roar of monsters and consumed with a burning desire. She had battled hard in that time, born with a powerful body, she had nonetheless come close to death many times as she had frantically tried to satisfy the instinct that had burned within her mind.

She had been hungry in those days, aggressive and dominant. She had fought brutally, crushed her prey between her mandibles and squeezed the life out of them as her carapace cracked, life's blood dripping from wounds that covered her body. She had to push, had to be faster, stronger, more vicious, more deadly, more voracious. There had barely been time to eat before she'd been forced to fight again in those days, an endless battle where she had pushed herself forward with an indomitable will.

When she'd had enough Bioma.s.s, she'd tunnelled into a wall, carved out a small chamber for herself and begun to rear her first larvae, laying the eggs, then hunting so she had food to provide for her young when they hatched. And when those grubs had finally emerged she had felt something that she had never felt before.

Satisfaction. Peace. Fulfilment. Creating the colony was her reason for existing, she had realised it in that moment. She had been expressly created for this purpose and in starting her family she had begun to scratch the itch that had burned inside her since the moment she had awoken beneath the ground.

Since then, her life had changed dramatically. No longer was she hunting, battling every moment to realise her purpose, she was now a defender and protector to her family. The constant flow of workers throughout the nest was like a warm pattering of rain that quenched her spirit.

There were many missing from the nest now and it wounded her to know that they were fighting and dying so far from where she could help. When she'd offered to advance to the front lines and fight with her children, they had protested vigorously until she had agreed to remain.

She was still miffed by that. She had been fighting for this family before they had even been born, why couldn't she fight with her colony? There were two Queens in waiting that could take her place, a thought that filled the Queen with gladness, and not even because the pressure of being the sole individual capable of creating young had been raised from her shoulders, but rather because the burden had been taken from the colony as a whole. No longer did the fate of the colony rest on a single individual, the threat of extinction had been pushed further away and the Queen felt only joy.

”Still not evolving, Mother?”

The Queen turned her large frame so that she could look directly down on the individual who had spoken. Bella, the core shaper, had crawled into her chamber and now clung to the roof, looking at the Queen.

”Are you also disappointed to see that I haven't rushed my decision, child?” the Queen said, thinking of the troublesome one who had so obviously pushed her to evolve as soon as possible.

The smaller core shaper shook her antennae in denial.

”Not at all, Mother, I think you have made the correct decision to weigh your options. I am simply surprised that the pressure of our current situation hasn't pushed you to move sooner.”

The Queen thought for a moment. It was true that the colony faced a dire set of circ.u.mstances, peril such as this had not gripped them since the onset of the wave. She felt pressure, of course. Her family must survive, she would not permit otherwise, all threats would be removed with any force necessary.

”I am troubled over the decision somewhat” the Queen admitted, causing every ant in the chamber to freeze for a moment before continuing about their business as if nothing had happened.

Really now. What is that big of an issue for the Queen to admit to being troubled?

For her part, Bella simply nodded her head.

”I imagine there would be many options for you to choose from, Mother. After taking the rare core, and being such a powerful creature already, I can't imagine what sort of choices you are being presented with.”