Chapter 43
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: Locust (3)
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"Look at this. These are the weapons wielded by the new variant strains appearing at the barrier."
"They look just like scythes."
Seira, who had been in the capital, flinched as she examined the weapon from the new variant brought by a knight she knew well.
Inside the box lay massive, razor-sharp hook claws capable of slicing a person in half with a single blow—modified from the front legs of the mantises devoured by the queen. The ants had led a fresh assault on the barrier with variants equipped with these.
The nomadic swarm had formed just before sweeping across the western great plains.
'Too fast. How in the world...'
The evolution speed of these ants left everyone studying them, Seira included, in utter shock.
It was frightening enough that they kept learning, growing, and strengthening based on that knowledge, but evolution was an even higher concept.
"The mages said they're evolving to counter us more effectively. From what we've seen, it's true. If we keep fighting them the same way, they'll suddenly unveil new variants that tear us apart."
"Exactly. First came the armored, heavily defended ones. Then the venom-stinging variants. Now ones with mana instead of demonic power, immune to holy power. They're clearly adapting to us."
"Is that even possible? Surely the ants aren't evolving on their own like that."
She nodded, and the knight muttered in disbelief.
'He's right. There's no way they could grow this naturally. Someone must be helping them.'
She didn't deny that either.
The ants' evolutions were too uniform and efficient in direction.
It was as if they made no trial and error—as if someone were watching over them, guiding their path. Anything less made no sense.
"The Outer God. That entity is surely raising these monsters—Belzahard—directly."
Anyone who needed to know about the Outer God's existence already did.
Belzahard was the name locals had begun using for the ants, the Outer God's subordinates, born from their terror and fear.
It was a classic name for a primordial demon, and the ants' destructive power and indiscriminate slaughter had earned it in short order.
'We need to change faster too. As fast as they are.'
Overcome by fresh anxiety, Seira rose from her seat.
The Outer God she knew rejected all order—it was chaos incarnate, absolute evil desiring only the world's destruction.
And its subordinates embodied that evil, carrying out remorseless slaughter without hesitation.
Lately, she'd focused less on ant research and more on preparing to face them: establishing a new system and framework for the former Karmion Kingdom, now unified under the Golden Mandate Society.
"As you know, those monsters aren't mere beasts. They're nothing like orcs. Our old methods won't work."
"Conscript all qualified adventurers and able-bodied citizens across the kingdom."
One of Seira's proposals to her guardian and de facto superior, Count Merlen, was a form of mandatory conscription to combat the ants.
They faced an unprecedented enemy.
The old systems couldn't handle it.
Besides, with the Golden Mandate Society monopolizing royal power, the old fiefdoms ruled by lords were already dissolving amid massive changes.
It was the perfect chance to overhaul society.
"I agree. We should expand and multiply the academies to systematically train those conscripts."
"That's not all. We must release all secret spellbooks held by each magic school to accelerate new spell development."
"Well, that's quite the bombshell."
Count Merlen, who had nodded along to conscripting mana-talented individuals for mandatory training instead of letting them roam free, widened his eyes at her next words.
Each magic school guarded its secret tomes like life itself.
For those who prized superiority over rivals, demanding they share everything and collaborate was tantamount to upending the magical world's foundations.
"Count, the era is changing. And we're at a crossroads. We have to fight to survive."
Seira knew this well as a mage herself, but her singular drive to counter the ants shattered such notions.
"...I'll consider it."
With unwavering eyes framing her ant-focused argument, even the count couldn't outright oppose her.
The crisis looming before them was simply too vast.
Terror of an imminent ant horde gripped everyone; without force, those near the barrier would have already fled south.
'With them at our doorstep, what could be more important?'
Leaving the count's office, Seira stared blankly at the peaceful view outside.
The sun shone brightly over the manicured garden, serene and tranquil, but she vowed never to let her guard down again.
"Monstrous hordes in vast numbers have swarmed the orcs of the western great plains!"
"The council has decided. Despite fierce opposition, the magic schools will share their secrets and unite."
A few days later came word that the ants, quiet at the barrier for a spell, had marched en masse not toward it but westward across the plains—along with news of the magic school reforms she'd proposed.
[The First Queen is displeased that the Second Queen led the swarm to victory, yet glad for the new food secured]
The nomadic swarm's queen was born with full stats purely for the swarm's efficient management.
As a sub-swarm under the main one, it shared the collective consciousness but handled such different tasks that the old structure couldn't maximize efficiency.
Just as humans reformed their society to fight the ants, so too did the ants adapt.
The founding queen couldn't yet override the swarm's instinct for utmost efficiency through her will alone.
"Calling them both queens is too confusing."
Still, Jin-hyuk furrowed his brow at the rising notifications.
The founding queen, handling evolution lord duties, was the First Queen. The nomadic swarm's was the Second.
Notifications like this were bound to mix them up.
It was only natural to think they needed distinguishing 'names'.
'It's just for my convenience anyway.'
He hadn't thought much at first. The ants couldn't comprehend names he arbitrarily assigned anyway.
"Number 1, Number 2. Clean and simple."
His initial names were utterly perfunctory and meaningless.
If the queens understood words, they'd find it absurd.
True Name Bestowal: A Deity personally granting a name acknowledges the subordinate's immense stature—the highest honor.
[Will you really assign this name to the subordinate?]
"Huh?"
But the sudden notification left him speechless.
The explanation—that even his casual actions held great meaning for subordinates—hit hard, leaving him hesitant and lost in thought.
"...Asmodra. From now on, that's the First Queen's name."
[The Deity has bestowed a True Name upon a subordinate for the first time]
[Next True Name bestowal possible upon achieving Junior Deity Rank 1]
The moment he muttered it after fumbling with his phone, an invisible force enveloped both beings, binding them as one.
"Ugh?!"
Reeling from the bizarre new sensation, he collapsed onto the floor.
But he wasn't the only one feeling it.
[Founding Queen Asmodra trembles at the new bond forming]
As Jin-hyuk stared wide-eyed at his screen,
inside, Asmodra—the founding queen peacefully feeding—shuddered, antennae fully extended.
Subordinates granted True Names by their Deity formed a direct bond like a single thread to the Deity.
This was separate from the collective bond shared with the entire ant swarm.
[Asmodra feels the watching presence more strongly and shares some emotions and knowledge]
"Wh-what?"
Still calming his pounding heart and adjusting to the unfamiliar sensation, Jin-hyuk jolted at the new alert.
Other Deities indeed maintained many such special subordinates, sharing bonds and power.
Asmodra simply lacked the growth to fully manifest it yet.
But she had the ability to shatter limits and evolve by devouring food.
'Is she coming out now?'
Dazed, Jin-hyuk watched as Asmodra ignored the swarm's pleas, crawling out of the tunnels onto the surface for the first time.
The hamster-sized queen ant, walled off by clear acrylic, gazed skyward—but her eyes couldn't yet clearly see Jin-hyuk.
Just his hazy silhouette.
'I feel it.'
Though they merely stared blankly, he instinctively sensed the bond described in the system.
He now understood why subordinates were utterly loyal to their Deity.
This special bond demanded it.
It was a mark of shared fate, walking the same path together.
[Asmodra is immensely satisfied that the other queen hasn't received a name]
'I couldn't give her one yet, but if she's happy, whatever.'
Scratching his head at Asmodra's satisfaction upon returning underground—now wary of her "sister" with more composure, knowing she was special.
For the pivotal figure in the swarm's evolution, this gap with her sister was unbridgeable, even if outpaced.
'This should prevent any splits I worried about. If they tried dividing, my involvement could stop it.'
Turning from the enclosure, he eyed the teeming nomadic swarm on another screen.
Under the Second Queen, it had annihilated every orc tribe in its path, endlessly foraging.
She laid eggs nonstop amid feasts,
molting and tracing Asmodra's exact path.
Orcs, fewer than humans but rich in demonic power, fueled her rapid growth even after supplying the main nest—using surplus alone.
The nomadic swarm inherited all the main swarm's experience.
Absorbing prior generations' blood-won knowledge ensured swift startup growth.
[We have no space or leisure for barriers. Sure, we'll fight to defend bases and forces, but are we all just staying put like this?]
Meanwhile, the Divine Community heated up once more.
All thanks to the ants unleashing their nomadic swarm to smash everything westward.