Mikhailis shot up from the sofa, almost knocking over the stack of manga and empty snack bowls that had accumulated around him. The adrenaline made him feel like he'd just been dropped into an anime battle scene, no warning, no prep time.
"Rodion, show me! Quick!" he barked, his voice cracking with excitement. He fumbled with his glasses for a second, and the visuals adjusted, locking on to the queen's chamber. What he saw was nothing short of amazing.
The entire chamber was lit by a soft, pulsating glow emanating from the queen herself. She was the center of it all, her exoskeleton glimmering as if every segment of her body were charged with magical energy. The once dark and tough-looking shell was slowly shifting in color, gradients of iridescent greens and blues shimmering over her as she grew, and grew, and grew.
Her already large form (for an ant size), which had commanded the loyalty of hundreds of ants, was now expanding in all directions, the sheen of her transformation making her seem almost unreal.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
She wasn't alone. He could see the other ants—workers, soldiers, and even the frog variant—all glowing with the same strange luminescence. Their chitin was changing as well, becoming more pronounced, more plated. The soldiers, once menacing but limited in size, seemed to be shedding their former selves, becoming something far more formidable.
Their mandibles elongated, their legs thickened, and Mikhailis could see the transition as new layers formed on them, making them look nearly invincible. The entire hive was evolving in unison, as if the queen's power was flowing directly into every single creature.
The scarabs, which had once been purely defensive units, were now radiating a bright light, their fire-red glow more intense than before, almost as if they were preparing to burst forth with untapped energy. Even the scarabs' glowing shells had deepened in color, taking on a more intense, molten glow. Their size was visibly increasing, too, doubling before his very eyes.
"Whoa, I've watched a lot of anime transformation scenes, but this is taking the cake," Mikhailis muttered to himself, eyes wide.
"Come on, queenie, show me what you got."
The glow intensified, and Mikhailis shielded his eyes, the light making it impossible to see what was going on for a few moments. The anticipation made his heart pound. Whatever this was, whatever she was becoming, it was something beyond what he had expected.
When the light began to fade, his glasses' lenses automatically adjusted, clearing the view. And what he saw took his breath away. The queen was enormous now, easily the size of a large dog. Her body was more segmented, the plates of her exoskeleton almost like finely forged armor, each with a distinct pattern etched across it.
Her mandibles, once just sharp and functional, were now adorned with spiked edges. Her legs had also thickened, and her antennae were almost glowing with an eerie sense of awareness.
The worker ants, formerly about the size of a large spider, were now as big as cats. Their bodies looked sturdier, and their once harmless appearance was replaced by something more formidable. They moved around her with practiced precision, now able to carry larger loads with much greater ease.
The soldiers... well, they were something else entirely. They stood at the same size as the queen, imposing, their once sharp but thin mandibles now looking more like weapons forged for battle. Their exoskeletons had a dull shine, looking almost metallic.
Mikhailis's eyes went even wider as he glanced down to the worker ant in his own room—one he'd kept around for small errands. It was still the same size as before, barely bigger than a large spider. But then it shimmered, and before his eyes, it expanded, growing rapidly until it was the size of a cat, just like the others in the queen's chamber.
Then, as quickly as it had grown, it shrunk back to its original form.
"Whoa... You gotta be kidding me. They can change size?" Mikhailis whispered in awe. He chuckled, shaking his head.
"Now that's what I call an upgrade."
"But come on, you gotta admit this is pretty epic."
<I will concede that the progress achieved today is notable. However, I must remind you that with great power comes great—>
"Oh no, no, no, don't you dare go full Uncle Ben on me," Mikhailis interjected, rolling his eyes.
"I get it, though. Bigger power, bigger responsibilities. But right now, let's just bask in this victory, alright?"
<As you wish, Mikhailis. Just remember that complacency has been the downfall of many.>
"Yeah, yeah." He waved a dismissive hand, but the grin on his face didn't fade. He was too excited to let Rodion's usual warnings get to him.
He leaned back, staring at the evolving colony on his glasses. The queen, now a commanding presence, stood at the center of her chamber, her new, larger form glimmering with power. The workers moved around her, the soldiers standing guard. The fire scarabs were positioned strategically, their light illuminating the hive in a beautiful glow.
The scurabons and frog variant were moving about, their newly-enhanced forms looking more intimidating than ever.
Mikhailis couldn't help but laugh to himself. His once small, modest chimera ant colony was now a force to be reckoned with. And this was just the beginning.
He suddenly jumped up, unable to contain his excitement any longer. He had to move, had to do something—he felt like an overcharged battery with nowhere to release the energy. He looked around his room, his eyes gleaming.
"This is just... it's perfect," he said, his grin widening. He moved towards the window, throwing it open and breathing in the cool morning air. The world felt alive—more alive than it had in a long time. The possibilities were endless.
But then, as he leaned against the windowsill, something caught his attention. He looked down at his hand, where two small talismans rested, seemingly out of nowhere. He blinked, his gaze narrowing as he focused on them. They were attached to the hand that bore the bond tattoo with the chimera ant queen.
"What the..." Mikhailis muttered, his excitement giving way to confusion. He turned the talismans over in his hand, inspecting them closely. There was something about them that felt... off. Almost like they had a presence of their own.
His eyes widened, and a slow grin began to spread across his face once more.
"Well, isn't this interesting..."
_____
<Chimera Ant Queen [Baron], Scurabons [Baron], Frog Variant [Baron] -> [Viscount]>
<Chimera Ant Soldiers & Workers & Fire Scarabs -> [Baron]>