'The SYSTEM is an interface that allows a lifeform's abilities to be measured and quantified. It has always been a part of reality, well for as long as written records dictate. However, what happens when something occurs that the SYSTEM has not already accounted for or is capable of responding to? A SYSTEM ERROR is issued to the lifeform responsible for the 'disturbance'. And what usually happens is the SYSTEM depends on a series of protocols and records of related occurrences and distributes either compensation or punishment for the action. But what happens when there are no protocols or records of related occurrences? Some have claimed to experience it, but their claims were never verified, so we can only speculate on the existence of a SYSTEM moderator. An entity that exists outside of the SYSTEM and is able to modify, record, and make regulated changes to the SYSTEM. There has been no recorded interaction with a moderator, but some deify their existence, as either being who have surpassed Tier 12 or Gods as most religious bodies put it. But to this date, there has been no definitive evidence of their existence so they remain as speculation or objects of worship to the masses.'
- An extract from "A Philosophical Approach to The Functions of the SYSTEM"
{Crete POV}
While we were descending down the main tunnel of the mound my body was moving autonomously as my mind was still wandering. I was still too focused on the scenes we were just subjected to. In particular, I was ecstatic to finally be able to explore things outside of the familiar dirt and moss and to see what concoctions I could cook up with
I wasn't too keen on having another experience with the Elder Shrew though, or any of the other apex predators for that matter. I was, however, very interested in the still-mysterious enemy that Rock and even the queen spoke of in a very forewarning manner. Although it was against my better judgment, I really wanted to patrol the mountain pass first and decided I would take the risk to implore the Queen to do so.
{Euphoria POV}
While the young ones were still out, I was deep in thought about the implications of their existence. I had taken a gambit, a very ridiculous one actually, and it looked as if I was successful, at least so far. The constant pinching pain in the back of my mind, however, reminded me that my success wasn't without a great cost.
The act of separating and fragmenting my spark, the very thing that made me into the queen I was today, was life-threatening, to say the least. From what I gathered from the cryptic words of the SYSTEM, and the weird message from something called a "Moderator". It appeared that what I was attempting to do was a first.
The message was warmly received, however, and it warned me of the dangers of splitting off pieces of myself, as well as giving me some instructions to complete the process. I didn't dwell on the importance of those messages at the moment. But now that I think of it, the presence of a moderator may very well indicate the SYSTEM isn't as omnipotent as I initially thought. It also meant that someone or something was always out there, watching and regulating how lifeforms interacted with the interface.
Understanding the train of thought was pointless, I thought back onto the first of the '8' that had been born. It was unfortunate that 2 had died, and with them, fragments of my spark, but I felt solace seeing how all 8 of them had successfully evolved. I had already prepared myself for only 2 or 3 making it out alive and evolving successfully. But seeing how they all made it, my confidence in the decision that making them "special" was the key to overcoming the future hurdles of the colony skyrocketed.
I was nostalgic. Thinking about the decision the SYSTEM had provided me, but my eventual decision to forsake evolution to instead imbue my children with my essence. There was still a lot to observe from them, but from what I could see so far, they had at least twice the strength of a regular worker. They also demonstrated an abnormal intelligence for Tier 2 lifeforms among our species, but what occupied my attention was the largest of the 8.
He felt different from the others, I couldn't seem to put my hand on it, but he didn't just seem stronger and smarter than the others. I could feel he was the leader amongst them, but his larger frame wasn't the only thing that gave it away. The questions he asked denoted wisdom, which was unusual for a termite only a few days old. The general escorting them had also subtly transmitted some info he had gathered from them along the way.
Apparently, they all held the moniker of "Champions", and the only reason they all were able to evolve so quickly was due to the eldest's efforts. The method of how he accomplished that wasn't divulged but I was itching to have a conversation with the termite, but not yet. It was too soon to show favoritism. The first meeting we had was strictly due to him being the firstborn, and I didn't intend to do anything that would incite discord among them.
My mind shifted once more. I was now back in the chamber where I came into the world. I remember the large frame of my mother occupying a portion of the cave, as well as the other 4 eggs with me. I too was a firstborn, harboring in me at the time something, not even my mother could detect. And as I grew older I understand that thing, that spark was something ethereal.
I remember being personally catered to and spoon-fed for the first few stages of my life, the moments of clarity only coming to me when I made it to Tier 3. I was only a young queen when my mother gave me a name, Euphoria. The idea that I was no longer just another nameless termite only further consolidated my individuality. The very thing that fuels the growth of the spark.
I imagine that had I been allowed to progress into Tier 4 under the protection of my mother I would be the spitting image of her. Always dedicated to improving and expanding, cautious with the lives she created, and never one to take any risks or make decisions without guaranteed success. A wonderful mentality to have for a queen were it not for the 6-legged bastards.
The constant disappearance of workers and soldiers couldn't be reason enough for her to send her precious children into the unknown. So slowly but surely our area of exploration got smaller and smaller, and the expansion that was the base instinct of every queen started to eat away at her. She talked less and less with the 5 of us. Until she was just a machine that pumped out termites, and it wore her down more and more every day.
And that's when the bastards decided the time to strike was now. If I was only a little more self-aware I could have saved maybe 1 or 2 of my siblings, but I was a victim of curiosity. When one of the creatures tore apart the wall and invaded the queen's chamber I was right in front of it. The soil collapsed in front of me, and its head swiftly popped out soon after. But not soon enough to avoid a reflexive attack as my mandibles closed in on its head.
Everything went under after that though, quite literally. My mandibles connected with its head, but it wasn't enough to end the creature's life, so it was now thrashing about in the hole it just dug through the wall. It was at this time I heard the hurried clacking of their mandibles echoing from just outside the entrance of the room. I turned around just in time to see 3 of them rip apart one of the young kings, my brother, as they tore off his wings and crushed his head between their jaws. And the rest of them came pooling into the room right after, ravaging everything in sight.
The guarding soldiers did their best to fight off the invaders but they were soon swallowed up by the dozens of them forcing their way inside. The agonized cry of my mother ripped my attention away from that sight, only to be focused on one even more disturbing. There were literally a few dozen of them attacking her, a few already eating away at her legs, the others the rest on her abdomen, and I could see a few eating their way inside her.
I was only able to take in the scene for a little while longer before the thrashing monster behind me, once more made its presence felt. I only felt something latch onto my thorax before I felt the sides of my vision being tugged as I was pulled into the hole with it. I had underestimated the strength and hardiness of the creature and I was paying dearly for it. My head was grated against the sides of the wall as the creature held me, while quickly backpedaling. There was nothing I could do as I was firmly held, and the tunnel didn't allow me to turn around to deliver justice.
I had probably damaged its brain in hindsight. Although I was damaged more and more from the rough movements of my aggressor, it never landed the finishing blow and just kept on pulling me away further and further from my family. However, it didn't take long for it to start losing steam as we neared the end of the tunnel.
The creature had fully burned out when it dragged me out of the tunnel and onto the surface where I quickly moved to end its miserable life. Its grip on me loosened with my movement and making sure to properly execute it this time, I crunched its head and collapsed on the creature. Exhausted and still hurting, I lay on top of the dead ant carefully taking in my surroundings.
I remember how everything looked so foreign to me. The destitute land to the east, the sparse trees, and mountains to the south, and the loose sandy soil I could see off in the distance in front of me. I also could just barely make out the mound a few kilometers ahead, as well as the ants swarming it.
I witnessed as all manner of the creatures trampled the ground around my home. Ones with large heads and a few sizes governed the ground around the mound, ripping into the mound to allow the smaller ants to enter. While ones with wings patrolled the skies above the mound and picked off any termite that tried to escape from the top, before hurling them to the ground.
It was a massacre, and as I peered down into the tunnel in front of me. The tunnel that led to my home, where my family most likely already lay dead, I was ashamed to admit I was afraid. So in fear I did the only thing I could, I ran. And I ran and ran, away from the bloodshed that was occurring behind me, and deeper into the forest and up the land into the mountains.
I remembered how I found my way through the mountains, and how I survived on my own, leveling up until I was able to evolve into a Mature Queen. I felt some of the shame wash away thinking of how I created all that I now have, my new family, on my own- from nothing.
My recollection was cut short as one of my children approached and informed me that the general would be soon returning with my 8 champions. She spoke of their untimely encounter with one of the Tier 5 creatures roaming the lands but fortunately, it didn't pay them any mind. Most Tier 5 usually wouldn't try to provoke a swarming species like us due to the fear of our numbers. However, there have been a few that acted without care, so I was thankful my efforts weren't wasted by a foolish creature.
The 8 of them entered the room not long after I was notified. I gathered myself and redirected mana into my voice to ensure it would be properly projected and because of the added mystical effect, it had on any listeners.
"Welcome back young ones, I hope you would have had a pleasant experience visiting the areas that ensure our family can grow and be sustained." I stopped for a moment to let my words sink in, and also to preserve mana. The largest of the 8, whose name I had just now recalled, appeared to be eager. Almost as if waiting for me to notice and ask, so I did.
"What is it that you wish to say, Crete?" I could see from his body language that he didn't expect me to be proactive in asking him, but he didn't let that opportunity go to waste.
"Honored Queen, our tour through your lands was very eye-opening, to say the least. And all the areas that you govern are extraordinary. But if I may… would it be possible to request we be assigned to a particular one...?" his words let me know that the addition of mana to amplify my voice wasn't a mistake. The reverence and unsure manner in which he spoke to me demonstrated that good. So in response to his courtesy and respect, I humored him.
"Oh? Is that so? That wouldn't be a problem. Which area do you have in mind?" I responded with mild amusement, but his response caused the emotion to whittle away.
"If it wouldn't be a problem… Could you let us go to the Mountain Pass…? We want to fight the enemy that plagues the colony!" a mixture of trepidation and pride washed over me hearing his words. But I knew I could never let them be exposed to the ants this early. For they were my secret weapons, and they weren't ready to be used against our enemy just yet.
Or were they? From what
"I'm pleased that you think of the colony's wellbeing my child, but none of you are yet ready for the danger the Mountain Pass presents. I shall assign you to first patrol the Mother Tree instead. Maybe when you have experienced all the other areas would you qualify to face the danger of the enemy." I succumbed to the need and deflected his desires. I would let them face our nemesis someday, maybe after they evolved one more time- just for good measure.
"But… mother… I think we qualify to face the enemy already. All of us have already faced and defeated an enemy a Tier higher than us, just please give us a chance to prove ourselves!" his enthusiasm made his interest in the ants clear to me, but even if I was pleasantly surprised by their capability, I wasn't going to renege on my words.
"Enough! You are not yet ready, continue to train and evolve and you will be one day. I have spoken, general escort them to their assigned area and oversee their patrol for the duration of one week." I could see he still wanted to argue but watching the general move to push them out, he submitted a little unwillingly. That one might be trouble, I made a mental note watching my son, Crete, be escorted out of the room with his brothers and sisters.
{Crete POV}
Damnit- I was remorseful as Rock escorted us out of the room. I had been too eager once again, my curiosity manifesting in another form. I should have held my tongue at her first dismissal, but I just couldn't hold myself back from wanting to unveil the mysteriousness of this unknown enemy.
Mentally I made a note to work on controlling my emotions and based on how easily the Queen read me, my body language. There was no use crying over spilled grub juice, so I considered the area we were assigned to and intended to make the best of it. Our "mother" didn't outright deny us the chance to patrol the mountain pass. All I had to do was level up again, right? How hard could it be?
Thinking about the adversaries I was expected to keep in line however, I figured I'd spoken too soon. It would probably be very hard if not impossible to rapidly advance fighting weevil larva… Now that I thought about it we were assigned to the safest area… I idly wondered if the queen had belittled our abilities at that thought. But she had the right to because she was stronger than us and had observed both us and the enemy. So instead I concluded that even after everything, we indeed still weren't strong enough.
Sighing inwardly, I didn't let it get me down too much. I mean at least that area was the most biologically diverse, so that means more practice material for an aspiring Apothecary such as myself. Yeah, so what if I would probably only get one experience point per kill, at least I would be able to increase my skills. I might even be able to try out what Meneo had told us to create a few more skills.
The more I thought about it the more I remembered fighting wasn't the only way to increase one's power, skills can do that too after all. They just needed a bit more time to demonstrate their true capabilities, and time was something I had in abundance. I also had a few things I wanted to try out concerning the SYSTEM. Shoot- I had forgotten to make an inquiry to the queen about the presence of the 'Dungeon Core'.
The lack of information made me feel sorely unprepared for the outside world. There were too many unknown variables to make me feel secure enough to focus on my growth. Such as the mysterious enemy, the reason why inside the Volcano was off-limits, and the 'natural predators' of the weevil population. I didn't know which of the flora and fauna in any area were dangerous either… So deciding my main priority to be information gathering, I walked with new confidence towards the Mother Tree, where I would take my first steps into securing my place in the outside world.