It took me a while to regain my composure. My eyes restlessly scoured the limited confines of the cavern, silently praying for some indication that my family had been miraculously restored to me. Yet, the only forms that met my gaze were three ants, heads respectfully lowered, and the bleak emptiness of the cavernous space.
My emotions, a volatile mix of hope and anxious expectation, gradually fizzled out, doused by a cold reality that refused to cater to my whims. "What happened!?" I was baffled, did Zeus trick me? But a strange clicking sound escaped my vocal cords, replacing the words I'd intended to say. "What the!?" Once more, the alien noise resonated from my throat, echoing ominously off the cave's craggy walls.
It was only at this juncture that I truly recognized the bizarre nuances of my situation. My field of vision had undergone a drastic transformation, now granting me a nearly panoramic view of the entire cave—save for a blind spot directly at my rear. Not to mention the trio of gargantuan ants that stood before me, their heads respectfully lowered. Wait, why were the supposedly tiny ants just as tall as me?
I attempted to lift my arm, but my motor functions felt completely out of whack, sending me tumbling onto my side with a thump. It was like piloting an entirely alien body, one my brain hadn't yet calibrated to control. A cursory glance downward made my stomach churn; my limbs had morphed into six slender, skeletal legs, tinted a pallid white with subtle black undertones. Above this spindly foundation rested my body, segmented into three distinct sections, complete with a protruding bulbous posterior and two lengthy antennae sprouting from my forehead—all matching the spectral hue of my legs.
The shocking truth began to crystallize in my mind. I was an ant. Zeus had morphed me into an insect; whether intentionally or not remained ambiguous. But one thing was clear: he hadn't fulfilled his end of the bargain concerning my family.
Just then, a bright yellow light flickered to life beside me, scaring the shit out of me in the process. The luminescence coalesced into an amorphous cloud, its dazzling white and yellow hues synergizing to craft a visually stunning spectacle.
Summoning whatever coordination I could muster in this unfamiliar form, I awkwardly clambered to my feet. Another flash of brilliance signaled the cloud's completion. "Hello there, Ant." a familiar voice echoed from the mysterious cloud. "Zeus," I mumbled, still struggling to comprehend my reality.
"I hope you're enjoying your new form." A faint murmur shot from somewhere behind Zeus.
"Yes, yes, Minerva, I'll get to the point," Zeus grumbled.
"Some of the Gods were upset with my actions, so they made me send you this recording" Zeus paused, "See those three ants? Yeah, they're the 'family' you wanted so much."
My gaze shifted momentarily to the three ants, their heads still bowed, then reverted back to Zeus' ethereal form.
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"But you never specified what 'kind' of family you yearned for, did you?" Zeus' tone shifted into a malicious register, "So technically, I did fulfill your wish—just not how you'd envisioned."
My heart plummeted. Was a slip of my tongue truly spawn this nightmarish consequence?
"Go enjoy some quality time with your newfound kin," Zeus chuckled malevolently. "Make sure to entertain me in the process!" With that, he severed our connection, the peculiar cloud dissipating into wisps that ascended and passed through the cave walls as if they were mere illusions.
Confusion and despair swirled within me like a maelstrom, my once-vivid dreams of family reunification now cruelly trampled by Zeus' whims. I stared blankly at the spot where the cloud had vanished, struggling to assimilate the gravity of his words.
Tears yearned to escape my eyes, but my current form lacked the necessary glands for such a release. A clicking sound, rhythmic and hollow, was the only noise I managed as my body convulsed in a futile attempt to scream. My mind screamed curses at the deities, but my altered anatomy rendered me speechless.
I lay there for what seemed like hours until I eventually fell asleep
I woke up later, disoriented but somewhat composed, lying on the soft, loamy ground. My thoughts still churned with unmitigated fury at the Gods, yet a newfound clarity prevailed. I knew I had to move forward, maybe then I'd still find a way to revive my parents. Sitting here and moping would do me no good.
As I carefully rose to my feet, I noticed that the three ants were still there, prostrated and motionless, seemingly indifferent to my prior emotional upheaval. I could only smile weakly at their obedience. "Did I reincarnate?" I wondered what had really happened to me. I'd died but was brought before the audience of the Gods and was once more sent down to the mortal realm.
However, as I remembered my short journey down from the Gods' domain, I saw many fantastical scenes, from unknown beasts to multi-colored trees hanging from cliffs. So it only made sense that I'd been brought to a Fantasy world, going by the regular tropes.
"Status" I attempted to call forth the commonly found window in the "Isekai" genre. Unfortunately, nothing came. Disappointed, but not surprised, I prepared to explore my surroundings further.
The Individual has been recognized by Chaos
A voice, monotone yet unmistakably feminine, intruded directly into my consciousness.
A flood of information instantly entered my brain, causing me to almost trip under the mental stress. "Skills?" I thought, a surprised expression on my face. I couldn't help but feel wary about this unknown voice, after all, I'd been turned into a toy for Gods themselves, who said the origin of it wouldn't either?
Minutes passed with nothing happening, except for the churning of my brain to properly understand the information that had just been inserted into my brain. Seeing that nothing was happening, I let myself relax and started compiling and simplifying the data that I had received; Skills I had apparently received after being recognized by this "Chaos" person.
[Skills]
Unique Skills:
Devour: The Nutritional Value of consumed matter is maximized and utilized with 100% efficiency. Consuming lifeforms allows the Host to acquire their skills for themselves.
Special Skills:
Calm Mind: Maintains the Host's mental state
Intrinsic Skills:
Colony: Total control over the Host's subordinates
Pheromones: Allows communication between subordinates via usage of pheromones
Night Vision: Sight in the dark is enhanced
I'd apparently received information on my current and new skills, as I didn't have information on the Intrinsic Skills the day before, likely because I'd just recently come to this world.
As I reviewed the skills that had been downloaded into my consciousness, I surmised that this 'Calm Mind' skill was responsible for my newfound clarity. Yet my rage towards the Gods remained, simmering on the back burner. For now, my focus needed to shift towards self-empowerment, and this 'Devour' skill seemed a promising start.
But first, I needed something—or someone—to consume. As my eyes lingered on the trio of ants, still frozen in their humble postures, my thoughts wandered toward the boundless possibilities—and uncertainties—that the future held.