As the cocoon trembled deep within the nest Lily had meticulously built, in fact even in her evolutionary state her worker units were still improving the nest; they had built new locations, and chambers, collected flora, and weak animals they caught; it was looking like a proper nest now.
But she was finally coming out of the cocoon, the dense outer layers of hardened organic material began to break apart, piece by piece, giving way to something far more refined than her former self as she clawed at it.
Her Hive Units stirred with anticipation, sensing the main's body emergence and the difference in the connection already setting in; as their bond to her grew stronger, sharper, and far more intricate than before.
With a final pulse of energy, the cocoon shattered, its pieces dissolving into nothing as if consumed by the very energy that had birthed them and fusing back with her body.
Lily emerged, her form somewhat taller, and refined, with an aura that felt like an ever creeping creature lingering in the wait. Her once-silver hair now held streaks of black and deep purple that seemed to ripple slightly with a faint glow; while her skin carried a faint, iridescent sheen.
Her mind felt profoundly different; she didn't even need to focus on the hive to feel the connection to each of them.
Where before she could connect to her Hive Units with concentration, now it was as if they existed within her thoughts, woven into the fabric of her mind.
Every unit, every distant presence, felt as though they were threads she could pull at will; with a fraction of a thought she could control any of them at once.
She could sense their individual emotions, fears, instincts, and even memories were all woven together into a neat library in her mind that kept everything safe.
This depth of connection was an extension of her very being; the Hive was no longer merely her creation— it was her essence.
As she took her first step forward, her senses exploded with clarity as she adjusted to her new form, and her new abilities.
She felt the vibrations in the earth not just from herself but from every Hive Unit connected to her. She sensed the slightest shifts in the air, and could even hear the distant hum of Hive Units stationed at the edges of her nest.
Her mental reach extended far beyond the walls of her chamber, effortlessly spanning hundreds of Hive Units scattered throughout the Savage Land; the workers and hunters that had been about their business stopped as she passed through each of them.
But the most striking new trait wasn't this simple connection, she already had that, no something new had developed. She could feel its power tingling at the edges of her consciousness, her thoughts carrying subtle weight capable of influencing the weaker-willed, an ability that came with this newly formed.
She wished to test it, but for now, she held in the want to go outside; she wanted to fully adapt to this new form and learn all there was about it, she also needed to check out her status.
"Good."
She murmured, her voice resonating with a deep hoarse tone that echoed through the chamber.
"Status."
As she spoke the screen appeared before her; it was more refined than before and a few new changes had occurred.
[Name]: Liliana Goldbrone
[Age]: Physical: Unknown, Soul: 18
[Race]: Mimictarion BroodMother (80%) - Empyrean Hive Matron
[Titles]: Last of Their Kind, Hivemind, Empyrean
[Attributes]
Energy: 100
Strength: 350
Durability: 300
Agility: 100
Mental: 400
[Free Mass]: 4300
[Skills]:
Hivemind
Adapt, Evolve, Overcome
Mimic Creation
Expand Skills—
[New Evolution Traits - Empyrean Hive Matron]:
Evolutionary Willpower:
Grants Liliana subtle influence over creatures with weaker wills, allowing her to issue simple commands. The influence scales with her Mental stat, increasing in the number of affected creatures and the complexity of commands.
Hive Bonding:
Allows Liliana to mark living beings with her mental energy, making them part of the hive without full control. She can choose to take control or read their thoughts and memories, though they retain free will otherwise. The bonding requires focus and becomes more difficult as the target's willpower increases.
The first thing she noticed was the two new abilities that came with her evolution, Hive Bonding and Evolutionary Willpower. She already felt the instincts of Evolutionary Willpower itching at her mind to use it, however, she didn't even notice Hive Bonding.
It most likely only worked on beings with a sentient mind, so animals didn't trigger it; but it was a great ability regardless. This would make it easier for her to accomplish her plans in the future, without needing to kill people and replace them.
The next thing she noticed was her race name; Empyrean Hive Matron. It was added as a sub-name to her original race and the percentage had increased to 80%.
She didn't know what that meant, but the name was pretty interesting, it was most likely something her mind came up with based on novels and stories she enjoyed in her past life.
Lastly, she noticed her Mental stat had increased to 400 from 300, a jump of 100 in total. That went to show that this evolution was most likely heavily inspired by her many mental abilities, thus increasing them even further.
That was good, mental was something Lily wanted; she wanted to test them more than anything.
But there was no rush. For now, she took satisfaction in her heightened awareness, the countless minds that thrummed to her will.
She stretched her fingers, feeling the surge of raw energy ripple beneath her skin, and she knew, without question, that she was no longer merely Lily— the last Mimictarion BroodMother.
She was the Empyrean Hive Matron, the Last of Her Kind, and the world, mutant or otherwise, would feel the weight of her ascendance.
She turned her gaze toward the exit, a faint smile playing on her lips as she envisioned her next steps.
The Savage Land was vast, and it was hers to conquer.