Chapter 890: Divine Speech (1001)
Hah!
Felt like something just walked over my grave. Can ants even shiver? That's weird! Almost as weird as having bones on the inside. I can't imagine how I ever put up with it.
Holy moly, I feel a weird. I'm jazzed up. Got the shakes. I've got so much energy, I just don't know what to do with it.
This must be what it feels like to be Vibrant. I feel like standing still is taking all of my focus! I will point out that I can actually manage it, unlike her.
With hundreds of thousands of ants pouring into the area to prepare for the assault, the amount of energy flowing into the Vestibule has become a literal flood. I'm absolutely inundated with impressions, sensations and thoughts of half a million individuals. What makes it worse is that all of them are pumped full of energy and impatience. They're eager to start the fighting and tear into the foul termite nest, the primal hatred of our eternal insect enemy raging in their cores.
And I'm getting all of it!
The tunnels under the Roots of the Mother Tree are so packed full of family members that I feel like I'm in a nest. A huge nest! There are ants everywhere I go, jammed into resting chambers, hanging on the ceiling, piled on top of each other. Thankfully, they're only going to have to wait a few hours before the fighting starts, otherwise we'd have to feed them all!
Trying to picture the logistics of feeding half a million diligent soldiers of the Colony… ugh. That's enough to make my brains give up on life. In the second and third stratum, we are establishing the enormous infrastructure required to feed the Colony, but it's hard work. A vast network of tunnels and expanses have been cultivated for this sole purpose, not to mention the transportation hubs just for moving all that food around.
And only half of the Biomass gathered by the Colony goes into feeding it, the other half is delivered straight to the queens to keep the family growing. If we continue to accelerate our growth, then we're going to need to find more solutions for this problem than just hunting monsters.
The aphids have done a lot up in the first layer of the Dungeon, more than I expected, really. But the quality of the Biomass they extract isn't that high, only suitable for ants up to tier three. We could try them down here in the fourth on the abundant vegetation, perhaps they'll extract something better down here? It's a thought.
The other thing I'm considering is the fungus the termites have grown. Various types of ant live by the practice of farming. In fact, ants were probably the first farmers in the world back on Earth. Leafcutter ants in particular are famous for the practice, rushing out of the nest in huge columns and returning with jaws full of juicy leaves. Some people think they eat them, but no, they use those leaves as fertilizer and food for massive underground fungal gardens.
There's no reason the Colony couldn't do the same. If we can get hold of some of this fungus and work out ways to grow it, or alter it into something that better suits our needs… it could help alleviate our looming food crisis.
I wander about the tunnels with Invidia, Crinis and Tiny, poking my head in to check on everyone, exchanging a few quick words with the ants as we wait for the battle to start. I've no doubt the majority of the council is down here somewhere, but goodness knows where. There's so many of us, I can't reliably use the Vestibule to find them.
I tried diving into that raging torrent, but quickly became overwhelmed.
The sheer number of ants, combined with their incredibly harmonised Will, is too much for me to handle right now.
I eventually do find someone I recognise and reach out with a mind bridge.
[Beyn! What the heck are you doing here?]
The one-armed priest snaps around at my mental contact and I immediately feel regret. The blazing fire in his eyes is almost enough to set me alight. This guy has no chill. None.
"Great One! I am honoured to be in your presence once more!" he gushes as he sprints up to me, his antennae-wearing followers close behind.
[What the -]
Hang on.
"What the heck? You can speak in pheromones now?"
"I can, Great One! Many of us now can. As we have advanced along the path you and the Colony have laid down for us, much that was once hidden has become clear!"
"You mean, you got a Skill or something that let you communicate through scent?"
"It is so. This is our path."
I mean… sure, why not? This may as well happen.
One of the followers draws a little closer and begins to extend a shaking hand toward my carapace, a powerful yearning on their face. I shut that down with a quick thwack of an antenna.
"Hey! Hands off the carapace. It's not easy to get it this clean and I want it to stay that way."
I achieved maximum shine after my nap and now you want to put your grubby fingers on it? No way!
Priest Beyn rounds on his wayward follower and they exchange words briefly. Beyn is clearly heated at the transgression, the other chap, a young-looking fellow, appears chastened.
"It's not a big deal," I say, reaching up with a leg to pat the poor guy on the shoulder, "we ants can be very fussy about our cleanliness. Something to watch out for."
That's true, we are very fussy about staying clean, but perhaps not to the same extent as me. Then again, no other ants are quite as shiny as me either.
I thought I dealt with that moment quite well, but when I see the looks around the offender change from disapproving anger to fawning jealousy, I can't help but try and shy away.
"Well… nice to see you all… I suppose… I might just… be on my way then."
"No wait, just a moment of your time, please Great One!" Beyn pleads with me, and the others all turn their wide eyed gazes on me.
Dammit! Guilt tripping me like this!
"Fine. What do you need, Beyn?"
"Ah. I was hoping you could speak to the followers a little? Many are nervous going into such a large battle and it would help a lot if you would inspire them."
The man clearly has complete and total faith that I can deliver, though I kind of doubt it myself. How the heck am I supposed to inspire these fanatical weirdos?
"Uh… I presume you can all understand me?"
They eagerly nod and lean forward to receive my wisdom. I scratch my head with one antenna.
"Well. Don't worry about it too much. We'll protect you. As long as I'm alive, you won't have much trouble."
Because the ka'armodo will obviously concentrate their fire on me. They don't seem to like me for some reason. However, Beyn appears to have heard something entirely different.
"There, you see!" his scent billows extravagantly as he roars to his followers. "So long as the Great One stands, you will be shielded from harm! The travails of this life will not touch you! The Great One shall face the storm in your place, and you shall emerge out the other side, unbroken and whole!"
As one, they turn and bow, slamming their heads into the ground before then backing out rapidly, bowing repeatedly as they go.
"Hang on…" I reach out one leg, fruitlessly, "I didn't… dammit."