"...Brother?"
The tiny voice was so faint Ethan almost thought he'd imagined it.
He rushed toward the sound, squeezing through a crack beneath a tangled root.
There, half-buried beneath a slab of hardened earth, was another carpenter ant.
She was smaller than Ethan.
One of her antennae had snapped off near the base, and two of her legs trembled whenever she tried to move. Dirt covered her glossy black exoskeleton, making her look almost gray.
She wasn't just injured.
She was exhausted.
Her compound eyes focused on Ethan, then slowly blinked.
She lifted one antenna weakly before letting it fall again.
Ethan's heart tightened.
"...Hey."
"I know you can't understand me..."
"...but don't die, okay?"
The ant twitched.
Then she gently tapped her remaining antenna against Ethan's.
A strange warmth spread through his head.
Not words.
Not exactly.
Just...
Feelings.
Fear.
Loneliness.
Relief.
Hunger.
Home.
Ethan stumbled backward.
"What..."
Notice
Due to prolonged contact with a member of the same species...
Passive Skill Unlocked.
Ant Instinct Lv.1
You may now perceive simple emotional signals from nearby ants.
"Oh..."
"So that's how ants communicate."
"Correct."
Iris sounded unusually pleased.
"Ants primarily exchange pheromones and instinctive impulses."
"Your skill translates fragments of those signals into concepts your human mind can understand."
"So she didn't actually call me 'brother'?"
"No."
"She identified you as..."
"...Family."
Ethan's chest felt unexpectedly heavy.
Family.
He had only existed in this world for a few hours...
Yet to her...
He wasn't a stranger.
He was one of the colony.
One of her own.
"..."
"...Great."
"Now I have responsibilities."
The injured ant tried to stand.
She managed one shaky step.
Then another.
Her front leg buckled.
She collapsed.
"...Easy."
Ethan hurried over.
He wedged himself beneath the broken chunk of earth pinning her hind legs.
"...This thing..."
"...is huge."
He pushed.
Nothing.
He pushed harder.
Still nothing.
Veins bulged beneath his tiny exoskeleton.
"Iris..."
"Any brilliant advice?"
"Push harder."
"..."
"...You're fired."
"I was never hired."
"...Fair."
Ethan planted all six legs firmly into the soil.
"One more time..."
"HYAAAH!"
With a loud scrape, the rock shifted.
Just enough.
The injured ant pulled herself free and stumbled backward.
The moment she was clear, Ethan collapsed onto his back.
"..."
"...I think..."
"...I just invented ant weightlifting."
Strength increased by 1.
"...Seriously?"
"Repeated physical exertion contributes to growth."
"I should complain less."
"That would be a pleasant change."
The injured ant slowly approached him.
She lowered her head.
Touched her antenna to his once more.
Again...
Those strange emotions flowed into Ethan's mind.
Gratitude.
Safety.
Trust.
Then...
One clear image.
A glowing mushroom.
"...Food?"
The ant nodded.
Well...
As much as an ant could nod.
Ethan grinned.
"I guess you're smarter than I gave you credit for."
Together, they left the ruined chamber.
The tunnels seemed even quieter now.
Too quiet.
Not a single worker.
No larvae.
No queen.
Just silence.
Every now and then Ethan noticed scratches along the tunnel walls.
Not claw marks.
They were...
Straight.
Almost deliberate.
Like something had carved symbols into the earth.
He paused.
"What are these?"
Unknown.
"You don't know?"
"Information Locked."
"..."
"...One day I'm going to unlock your manners."
A few minutes later...
They reached a cluster of glowing blue mushrooms.
The injured ant eagerly bit into one.
Nothing happened.
She happily continued eating.
Ethan raised an eyebrow.
"So..."
"Not every mushroom wants to eat me?"
"Correct."
"Progress."
He carefully took a bite.
The mushroom tasted surprisingly sweet, almost like honey with a hint of mint.
A warm sensation spread through his body.
Consumed
Glowcap Mushroom
Minor Health Recovery
Minor Stamina Recovery
"Oh."
"I like these."
As they ate, the injured ant suddenly froze.
Her antenna shot upright.
She stared into the darkness.
Ethan immediately noticed it too.
A faint clicking sound.
Click.
Click.
Click.
Something was approaching.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
Not the thunderous footsteps of the hunting spider.
This was lighter.
Quieter.
Almost...
Patient.
Ethan motioned for the injured ant to hide behind the mushrooms.
She obeyed instantly.
He crouched low.
Every instinct screamed at him to stay still.
The clicking grew louder.
Closer.
Then...
Out of the darkness emerged...
A beetle.
No.
Not just any beetle.
Its shell looked like polished emerald crystal.
Two enormous horns curved forward like twin swords.
Tiny sparks danced across its body every time it moved.
It wasn't particularly large.
Only about three times Ethan's size.
But something about it felt...
Dangerous.
Appraisal Failed.
Target level exceeds your Appraisal proficiency.
"..."
"...That's new."
"Recommendation."
"What?"
"...Do not let it see you."
The beetle stopped.
Its antennae slowly turned toward Ethan's hiding place.
Silence.
Then...
Its horn began to glow.
A low, electric hum filled the tunnel.
"..."
"...Iris."
"Yes?"
"...I think it saw me."
"...Correct."
The emerald horn flashed.
And a bolt of crackling blue lightning erupted toward Ethan.