Chapter 400 - 400: The Colony Must Grow
Upon the very top of one of the pillars in the hollow valley, the faint echoes of countless footsteps resonated amidst the twisted passages. Overpowered only by the devouring noises produced by the Monarch alien stationed nearby.
A large creature bearing nearly impenetrable armor of black color lay at the very center of the tunnel network. Surrounded by an uncountable amount of eggs bearing young larvae yet to hatch.
An ant queen of epic proportions… one who had absorbed enough spiritual energy to become a spiritual beast.
Surprisingly, the spiritual beast wasn't alone. Upon her tough exoskeleton sat a woman bearing the aura of a Lord. Her bare feet dangled, swinging back and forth, while her blind eyes trailed across the young cells yet to come to life.
"They are so beautiful, aren't they, Alexia?" Gently, the woman caressed the queen ant.
"Eleanora… I am hungry… The colony must grow…" The queen responded.
"I know, dear, ever since I took you and groomed you until now." Eleanora giggled. "Patience, it's only a matter of time. Soon the whole planet will be ours, even the entire solar system."
At that moment, a new figure emerged past the tunnels. A giant ant, which held a vast amount of spiritual energy in its body… another spiritual beast!
The soldier ant carried a slain alien in its mandibles. Notably, the creature had once been of the General tier before meeting its ultimate demise.
Noticing the newcomer, Eleanora summoned her soul weapon: a golden triangle which, when struck with the golden rod, caused the instrument to vibrate in resonance with the ant's soul.
Softly dropping the corpse to the ground, the soldier clicked its mandibles together in a greeting gesture.
Eleanora smiled. Appearing before the beast, she gently caressed its lowered head, sending chills of pleasure across its whole body.
"Thank you for the game." She praised. "Continue working hard so one day the colony could grow."
In a flash, the soldier bolted out, eager to catch something even more potent in spiritual energy to satisfy the hunger of its queen.
Taking hold of the corpse, Eleanora hurled the alien toward Alexia. Only for the queen to devour it like a starved beast.
"Make sure there aren't any leftovers, dear." Eleanora reminded gently. "The bigger you grow, the farther the colony will spread."
In the midst of enjoying her feast, a powerful tremor shook the interior of the pillar along the twisted passages inside it.
Abruptly stopping, Alexia raised her head, opening her mandibles wide before producing a high-pitched wavelength that seeped deep into the surroundings.
Responding to her command, the struggles of the Monarch ceased, going back to devouring the crystals on the ceiling while the ant queen fixed her attention on her food.
Eleanora paid little attention to the soul of the tyrannical alien, calmly settling on Alexia again.
"Soon." She murmured in pure delight.
Back at the feline camp, where Michael and the crew interrogated one of the captured guards.
"What did you just say?" Michael was baffled. "You claim that Lord Eleanora, the founder of the cult's operation has bound her soul with a spiritual ant queen?"
The guard shrugged, gesturing at the pillars scattered throughout.
"It makes sense… How else would you explain the holes in the pillars? If you've been inside one, you know they twist and branch like the tunnels of a colossal ant nest. In fact, we're fairly certain they've excavated the entire hollow valley, sealing themselves off from the surface to strengthen their forces."
A proud smirk etched on the man's face.
"Our leader, though blind, can perceive the souls of every living being, allowing her to form a bond with such a fearsome spiritual ant queen. Do you get why we are so sure of our cause? Eleanora has already claimed that the felines are too twisted to be considered human, and with her backing us, we are unbeatable!"
Ruby frowned as she interrupted.
"Didn't you already accuse the felines of possibly allying with the aliens? Then what about the Monarch next to your leader's lair? Is she not doing the very thing you accuse the felines of doing?!"
The guard shook his head.
"No… Because of how the spiritual ant queen is structured. By wielding the same wavelengths she normally uses to command her soldiers, she exerts a far more monumental level of control over the tyrannical creature. In other words, Eleanora hasn't formed an alliance with the Monarch… she has subjugated it, reducing it to her slave! She alone is the true ruler of the entire hollow valley and the one who will put a stop to your plans!"
'This is very bad.' Michael thought. 'Even if they turn against humanity, individual spiritual beasts aren't that dangerous on their own… But in extremely rare cases such as this, when an ant queen's ability to lay eggs is paired with her command of spiritual energy, her comprehension of the energy will largely be inherited by her offspring! If we don't act fast, it's only a matter of time before a legion of spiritual beasts is formed!'
Ironically, Michael's tendency to always assume the worst had led him to uncover the truth.
"Have you seen the queen or her soldiers? What can you tell me about them?" Michael pressed for answers.
The guard staggered back under his crushing presence.
"Relax! Even I am not that informed. Lord Eleanora doesn't share much with us. But I have seen one of her soldiers. Since the territory of their nest is still somewhat limited, they can be found only near the pillar upon which the Monarch clings. Because they kill anything that can be used as a food source, there are few to no aliens there."
Pausing briefly, the man glanced at Cyberfang's massive frame, which towered over eight meters.
"All I know is that most of them are capable of rivaling the size of this mechanical beast. And that they are in the thousands, with their numbers rapidly growing."
"..."
The crew were rendered speechless as the true threat of the ant's colony slowly settled in.
Having fulfilled his purpose, Michael granted the guard a quick death, going back to interrogate the rest. Sadly, their stories matched. There really was an ant queen creating numerous spiritual beasts as her warriors, on top of the Monarch's existence.
"If left to fester, this will become the biggest threat we have ever faced…" Michael proclaimed, finding himself in a difficult situation.