~~~ Kib Ruk : Location - ??? ~~~

"Kib, go hunt?"

"Yes, job must, join?" said Kib.

"No, me busy. Here, a sharp stick from humans for hunting."

With that, the conversation ended. Kib grabbed the "sharp stick," commonly known as a pike, and set off from their camp. He searched through bushes and trees until he finally spotted a rabbit. This was his typical prey, as other animals were either too fast or too strong. If he could successfully catch one of those, he might have a chance to join one of the raid parties. However, he had struggled to capture them, even with traps, as the traps were either too fragile or simply didn't work.

Kib drew his pike and threw it, but it missed the rabbit, which quickly scurried off into the bushes. This repeated for hours and hours until, finally, he managed to catch one. He picked it up and was about to head back when he noticed a cave entrance in front of him. Curiosity led him to enter, and inside, he saw a small, eerie blue glow.

Suddenly, the memory of countless others of his kind turning on each other came flooding back. When he was just a child, he had witnessed the chaos that ensued when someone disturbed a god stone. He knew better than to stick around so he quickly dashed out of the cave, not willing to risk the consequences.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

All the ants are under my control now, or at least the ones that entered. When I told the first ant to stop, it complied. I then began the process of gaining control over the other ants, and it went smoothly. If things went wrong, I used my ants to stop them in place of me, but everything worked out just fine. Currently, I have 15 ants, although they all appear to be worker ants. I had hoped for more, but no additional ants are entering my cave, so I must patiently wait for more to show up.

After testing my ability to command the ants, it's clear that I can order them to do anything within their capabilities. However, that's the extent of my control over them. My focus shifts when I notice an unexpected visitor entering the cave. It's not an ant; it stands about 4 feet tall with a humanoid body, green skin, pointy ears, and a skinny frame. Dressed in tattered leather scraps and clutching a spear, it resembles what I imagine a goblin would look like.

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My initial expectation was for it to attack or throw the spear, but instead, it leaped back, pointing the spear menacingly at my heart before quickly fleeing. The shock of encountering such a creature was quickly replaced by a somber realization. These are unmistakable signs of a fantasy world, and I doubt I'll ever meet anyone I know from my own world here.

Worry continues to weigh on me as I contemplate the implications of the goblin-like creature spotting me and fleeing. I must prepare for whatever consequences may follow, including the possibility of its return with others from wherever it came.

I decide to take a gamble, a course of action I would never have considered doing before. I have to hope that my theory is correct. I command all my ants (15 in total) to retrieve the queen from the black ant colony they originated from and bring her before me.

In unison, the ants make their way outside the cave, forming a line. To my surprise, I can see using a sort of energy field around the ants. It's as if they have a protective aura, and I can't help but wonder how this is possible. I've never been able to control the mana within them, and yet now they seem to be harnessing it or maybe it just naturally happens.

The ants proceed to enter a small hole in the ground, and not a single ant stops them. The confusion among the black ants is expected, as this has happened before. When my ants reach the queen's chambers, which are quite deep, they pause in front of her. then began pulling and eventually, they manage to pull the queen out. She resists, but being a non-combatant, she can't offer much resistance.

As the other black ants witness this, they attack my 15 ants. The worker ants are easily defeated, but the soldier ants pose a greater challenge. Their bites are powerful enough to harm my ants, yet my ants can shred them apart. It's a battle of strength, and it becomes clear that one of my ants can handle at most five of theirs before they would be overpowered. Many soldier ants are present, and by the time my ants exit the colony, only four remain, three of which have lost limbs. Interestingly, the missing limbs don't seem to faze them.

The ants arrive with the queen, and only four of my ants have made it through this ordeal. Now is where the gamble begins. Using the same method as I did with the worker ants, I infuse mana into the queen. Her eyes turn blue, and she becomes receptive to my commands.

I order the queen to move to the back of the cave, where I've built a smaller version of my cave to keep her safe. Then, I instruct her to start laying eggs. This was the riskiest part of my plan, but it proves to work. Not only does she exhibit improved strength, but her egg-laying speed is also significantly enhanced. Comparing her to the queen ants I've seen before, she's at least ten times faster, if not more.

I hope that the eggs will grow rapidly. Unfortunately, two more of my ants have perished, leaving only two worker ants left, excluding the queen.