Antelligent Design

11. Time Advances Rapidly

The next day, I dedicate myself to digging out the channels for the village’s irrigation. With Tiny helping, we shift a heck of a lot of dirt very quickly indeed. As a side project, we use the extra dirt to erect a nice and high bank for the channel network, as well as build up the height of the riverbank. It never hurts to have a few extra layers of protection in case of flooding!

The villagers are only too happy to pitch in, and their own tireless efforts spur me on to work even faster. It’s interesting watching the farms take shape so rapidly. Teams of humans are churning out simple wooden fencing, whilst other groups mark lines in the dirt and dig holes for fence posts. The planting is already happening on the land we’ve cleared. People are collecting seeds, and apparently some farmers had time to bring some with them on carts. All they were waiting for was a clearly delineated space and for someone to plough the new fields. Yet another task that’s being seen to by dedicated groups of humans. Their cooperative and coordinated groups reminds me of ants hard at work.

It’s made me curious enough to find Enid to ask where this industrious spirit of cooperation came from.

[It’s partly that people need something to focus on in order to take their minds off the tragedy. After losing homes, family, their nation, these people are desperate for something they can work toward,] she explains.

[And the rest?]

[Beyn,] she says simply. [He preaches day and night about the benefits of cooperative work. That we should be more like the colony of saviours who’ve created this sanctuary, and that by acting selflessly and working together, the people can give thanks and praise to the Great Ant.]

[Are you serious?]

[Perfectly.]

Stupid priest! Still, if the people are going to be more antlike, it should only work in their favour. They might actually get stuff done.

Speaking of people getting stuff done. Enid is looking tired. Her wispy white hair and weathered skin are even more lined and thin than usual. The woman was as skinny as a wooden rake chewed by termites already, her current position as the de facto leader of this community seems to be weighing her down.

[You need a break, Enid. The people can live without you for a day, surely. Go lie down or something. The village won’t be better off if you keel over and have a heart attack.]

The old woman looks strangely at me for a moment, before barking out a laugh.

[You’re telling me not to work hard? Look at these people! I’ve never seen them working so studiously or so quickly in all my days. No. Just because I’m old doesn’t mean I can’t keep up the pace. If anything, these young people can’t keep up with me!] she declares proudly with a glint in her eye.

She’s tough as a stone formed from the fusion of other, lesser stones that were themselves formed from the skulls of stubborn record holders. She gives off an indestructible air, and at times, I have to remind myself this person was an iron-fisted merchant. Tough enough to marry one of the highest-Level mercenaries in a kingdom.

[Alright, fine. Just eat something, would you? If a strong breeze comes your way, who knows where you’ll end up?]

Enid smiles and nods, reaching out to hesitantly pat me on the carapace.

[Thank you for your concern. I’ll make sure I eat more.]

[Anthony.]

[Sorry? What’s that?]

[My name.] I point to myself with an antenna. [My name is Anthony.]

A warm smile spreads across Enid’s face and she pats me again, more confidently this time.

[It’s nice to meet you, Anthony. Did you call yourself that because it has the word ‘Ant’ in it?]

[Huh… You might not believe this, but I’ve never actually noticed that before…]

All she does is laugh.

I’m not exactly sure why I told Enid my name, but it felt right. Perhaps she’ll eventually put two and two together and realise that an ant monster really shouldn’t have a name or even need one. The leap from that fact to my actual origins is quite a large one, though. Not that I think it will make a difference to anything even if she does know I was once human.

I’m not human any longer. With every passing day in this new world, I can feel that connection to the old me falling away. I like my new family. I like the new me. No longer powerless. No longer unwanted. I’ve made significant upgrades in almost every aspect of my life.

I mean, the senseless violence I could live without, also the distinct lack of pizza. But hey, you can’t ask for everything.

I wonder how the other souls brought to this place found it. Gandalf seemed to suggest he only brought ‘damaged’ people here. Whatever that means. Perhaps they adapted well to life on this world and found their own little niche. He did say most of them just died. Makes you wonder why he makes the effort.

My idle musings are rudely interrupted by a rising dust cloud in the distance and a vague trembling in the earth.

Damn crocodiles coming back again. They never learn.

Two hours later, I’m standing amidst the broken wreckage of another beast monster swarm. If I eat any more of these damn centipedes, I’m going to unlock their final profile, surely. I’m sick of the damn bugs!

Doesn’t help I’m covered in their ichor. There were a ton of them in this wave.

Although the village and the colony suffered losses in the battle, it was much less than last time. The humans were far better prepared, even though only a few days have passed. Morrelia was her usual violent self, and her team backed her up well. The village was able to deploy archers, as well as some properly armed swordsmen and women, the power Levellers.

Although low-Level and without proper training, they were able to form and hold a rudimentary battle line, with the archers providing supportive fire over the top. With the mad priest Beyn in their midst, they’ve fought with a relentless zeal, pushing them to battle on through injuries even a monster would baulk at.

As for the ant side of the equation, the big difference maker for us was that Vibrant was here. The powerful soldier was a pure tank, crashing through the monsters and disrupting their attempt to overwhelm the workers. The workers themselves benefited from Vibrant’s Aura, giving them extra speed when they were near her. More than that, they were acting in a slightly more coordinated way. Acid was launched from the back of the battle line constantly and they just moved more smoothly to engage their targets in outnumbered battles, quickly pulling them apart and moving on to their next enemy.

Something is definitely happening there. I’ll have to talk to that ant soon.

For my part, I brought Tiny and Crinis up, and we rampaged through the horde, slowing and disrupting as much as possible. I personally took the chance to train my lower Levelled Bite Skill, Shredding Bite. It’s absolutely the messiest of all of my Bite Skills, hence the mess covering my shiny carapace.

The things I do for the grind.