The Queen stirred from her deep torpor, her large antenna lazily flicking in the air, taking in the scent of the pheromones gathered in the rocky chamber. Everything seems normal, she thought, her drowsiness quickly washing away.
When she had fully awoken, she shifted her weight ever so slightly, wary of stepping on any of the children who were guarding her. After all, if they were to get squashed by her large size, she wouldn't be able to forgive herself.
After finally standing and feeling the ground beneath her large six legs, she looked around the chamber. Her loyal guards were protecting her like usual, every one of them staying as close as possible to her, constantly scanning their surroundings in single-minded focus.
They were always like this, selfless and dutiful, all for the sake of her. She wondered if they had even rested. Probably not.
Her loyal guards, sensing that she was awake, turned to her, their antennas flicking in the air as some of them walked up to her and started tending to her, cleaning her already shiny carapace. She sighed, clicking her large mandibles softly in exasperation. She was just clean before the torpor and now she was being tended again!
With a slight shake of her head in exasperation, she turned to look around the chamber, her gaze trying to find one particular ant different from the usual red ants scuttling or resting in the chamber. She swept her compound eyes all around the chamber, but she couldn't find the one she was looking for.
She clicked her mandibles in disappointment, her mind wandering to that strange child of hers. So small, so weak, and so different from the rest of her children. Of course, the strange child the Queen was thinking about was Noah.
Her mind churned with thoughts, then suddenly her antenna flicked lightly above her large head, as if she remembered something. She quickly looked down in front of her feet and there, on the ground, a corpse of a demon rat lay lifeless. Her luminous eyes stared at the corpse silently, her mind unknowingly wandered to another one of her children.
This time, the child she was thinking about was Ruby, the ant worker who had gone through a qualitative change—from the usual ordinary ant worker to a new rank that even the Queen didn't know about. But that didn't make the Queen feel any less happy and proud for that child.
She again looked around the chamber, her gaze sweeping the entire space with keen eyes. That child wasn't here either.
With an exaggerated sigh, she flicked her antenna in the air, clacking her mandibles in a small pout. Then, narrowing her eyes, she decided to take the matter into her own mandibles. After all, who knew what those two must be up to?
Of course, she wasn't going to head out of the chamber and try to find them herself. No no, that wouldn't do—because if she tried to slip out, her loyal guards would drag her back to the chamber again.
So, you must be wondering—what did she mean by taking matters into her own hands, then? It's simple. The Queen had the ability to be in a constant state of connection with every ant in the colony.
No matter if she was in torpor or not, this ability granted her access to every bit of information about her children—like where they were, what they were doing, and whether they were injured or not.
Her long and large white antennas worked as a medium that connected her to every one of her children. Of course, she was able to sense everyone—except for one. Her eyes went still for a moment, thinking about that strange child again.
As said, the Queen had the ability that granted her an invisible connection to every ant worker in the colony. It wasn't only limited to what they were doing or how they were. It also let her impose her will on any ant, commanding them and the like. Which, of course, she didn't use most of the time—except for any dire situation that needed her intervention.
But there was one exception.
That little ant worker, different from any of her daughters. Without even realizing, the Queen's mind wandered to the time when that child had come to be.
Just after the disastrous event known as the 3rd Jeju Island Raid caused by the Korean Hunter Association, the colony was pulling itself back together.
Her eyes dimmed slightly at the memory. So many of her children were dead, protecting her. The terrible memory caused her mandibles to clench unknowingly. She still remembered the moment it happened—when the connection between her and dozens of her daughters had just gone silent. One by one, snuffed out just like that.
Her luminous eyes narrowed dangerously, cold and unforgiving hatred bubbling inside her like a calm ocean before a devastating tsunami.
And amidst her grief of losing so many of her fallen children, that strange child had come to be.
She remembered it clearly.
Amidst her grief and sarrow, she had felt something unknown seep into her mana reproduction organ—something foreign that quickly took root inside her like a growing seed. And for the first time in her life, she had felt not only confused, but also fearful.
As said, the Queen had the connection to always know what her children were up to—even the unborn ones. So an ant completely free from this ability of hers had made her confused, awed, and fearful. But still, the Queen had kept that egg.
And when that egg finally cracked open, and she saw a black ant crawl out—so much smaller than her usual children—and another interesting thing she noticed was that strange child's eyes.
The black ant, after coming out of the egg, turned his small ant head left and right, looking around the chamber with his glittering compound eyes, his antenna flicking in the air in excitement.
The Queen was almost in shock, seeing that strange child's glittering, wide eyes brimming with light that she had never seen in any of her children. Looking around the chamber, taking in information and pausing in place as if thinking something serious in his little head.
The Queen was slightly disturbed seeing that sort of behavior in one of her children. But then, the black ant turned his head in her direction.
Both of their eyes met. And the black ant stiffened in place, looking almost awestruck.
And in that moment, the Queen didn't think of anything. Her maternal instinct took over as she rushed to him, taking in his small stature and reaching to check on the black ant's body—completely forgetting any sense of fear she had for that strange child.
At the end, she realized that it didn't matter if any of her children were different or not. They were all equal to her. She cared for them all. And in return, the ants cared the same for her.
Her luminous eyes regained their usual warmth, remembering how that strange child of hers had come to her with a corpse of a demon hound in his mandibles, looking at her with those glittering, almost expectant eyes.
Just as she was lost in the memories, the Queen's antenna flicked—sensing movement.
An ant had entered the chamber.
She turned her large head toward the entrance, her eyes catching the familiar red glint of Ruby's carapace. The red ant slowly walked inside, her steps a little unsteady, her whole body slumped with exhaustion. Even from here, the Queen could see how tired she was.
She chirped softly in greeting, her mandibles parting in a quiet smile.
But then—her eyes widened slightly.
Another ant was entering right behind Ruby.
Dragging the massive, bloodied corpse of a demon across the rocky ground like a prize, she finally saw that child.
Of course, it was our boy, Noah.
As if sensing her gaze, the black ant turned toward her, his antenna perking up instantly. Then, with no shame whatsoever, his small legs bounced up and down with energy, and he started waving his antenna around in the air, showing off the large corpse of the demon to her like a little kid showing a drawing to his mom.
The Queen just stared for a second, her expression blank.
Meanwhile, Ruby, still clearly exhausted, turned her head and shot Noah a side-eye, then let out a tired sigh at his behavior, shaking her head.
The Queen couldn't help herself but clicked her mandibles softly, her chest vibrating in what could only be described as a chuckle. Shaking her head in exasperation at the sight of her two strange, chaotic children.
Perhaps… everything will be alright after all.
She thought, her luminous eyes gleaming in gentle light.