"Okay… I closed the entrance, so it's safe," Gerhan muttered, looking at the sealed tunnel behind him. The dirt packed neatly, giving him a small sense of security. He exhaled sharply, his antennae twitching. "Hm, what should I do now?"
He decided to call for the system, and as expected, a translucent window appeared in front of him.
[System Window]
[Name] None
[Race] Saturius Taturius (Red Ant)
[Strength] 1
[Agility] 1
[Mana] 1
[Intelligence] 40
[Soul Power] 10
[Endurance] 2
[Skills] Lay Eggs, Control
[Talent] Essence Devourer (SSS)
{Remarks} Juicy little meat
Gerhan blinked at the last line, incredulous. "Juicy little meat?" he repeated with a snort. "That's what the system thinks of me?"
Ignoring the remark, his gaze lingered on his stats. "It seems my intelligence is high because I still have the mind of a human," he mused, feeling a small sense of pride. "But everything else… well, it's low because I'm, you know, an ant."
His attention shifted to his talent. It was labeled Essence Devourer with a rank of SSS. His spirits lifted slightly as he whispered, "Praise the gods for giving me at least one chance."
Focusing on the talent, the screen expanded to reveal more details:
[Talent - Essence Devourer - Rank SSS]
You are able to convert eaten things into power and gain abilities.
"That sounds ridiculously overpowered," Gerhan muttered, his antennae twitching with excitement. But as he read the description again, he frowned. "Except… it doesn't tell me how it works or how much power I can gain. Not as much information as I need."
His thoughts drifted to his stats. "The real question is how to improve these numbers. Without a leveling system, advancing my stats is going to be tricky. Do I eat? Train? Fight?" He shook his head. "Something to figure out later."
He redirected his attention to his skills:
[Skills]
Lay Eggs: A natural ability of all fertilized ant queens.
Control: You can control your children. The number of ants you can control depends on your Soul Power and Endurance.
Gerhan tilted his head. "Control? Why would I need that? Don't ant workers naturally help the queen? Seems unnecessary."
Still, it was clear that he needed to act fast. His stomach—or whatever passed for it—ached with hunger. He realized instinct would have to take over, and soon enough, it did.
A strange compulsion washed over him. He took a shaky step back and stared at his delicate, membranous wings. Without hesitation, he tore them off. The sharp, quick pain made him shudder, but the hunger gnawing at him demanded no delay. He brought the wings to his mandibles and began eating them.
The taste was peculiar—bitter but oddly nourishing. As the fragments disappeared into his tiny body, he felt a faint surge of energy. It wasn't much, but it was enough to sustain him for now.
With his immediate hunger sated, Gerhan activated his Lay Eggs skill. Natural instincts kicked in, and with them came fleeting memories—visions of past generations, of other queens building their colonies from nothing. The knowledge was faint but helpful.
"I need workers," he murmured to himself. "Without them, I'll starve before I can even think about surviving in this forest."
Settling into a small, hollowed chamber, Gerhan began laying his first batch of eggs. The process was exhausting, his small body struggling to adjust to its new role. But he pushed through, his determination unwavering.
"This is only the beginning," he whispered as he rested, his legs trembling. "I'll build my empire one step at a time. Even if I'm at the bottom now, I'll climb to the top."
The faint sounds of the forest above drifted into his ears, reminding him of the dangers waiting outside. For now, though, he had a goal: to survive, grow stronger, and make his mark on this strange new world.