Chapter

"Well, this is great food, and all I need to do is wait and see if my talent finally works," thought Gerhan as he looked at the glowing system window before him.

[System Window]

[Name]: None

[Race]: Saturius Taturius (Red Ant)

[Strength]: 1.4

[Agility]: 0.6

[Mana]: 1

[Intelligence]: 40

[Soul Power]: 10.2

[Endurance]: 2.4

[Skills]: Lay Eggs, Control

[Talent]: Essence Devourer (SSS)

{Remarks}: Ant

His stats had shifted slightly since his last check, though nothing dramatic. Strength and endurance had seen a slight increase, but everything else remained stagnant. "Maybe eating more will do the trick," thought Gerhan, still curious if his talent could unlock something greater.

Five days passed, and the nutritious meat from the bear began showing results—not in Gerhan himself, but in one of his workers. This worker had developed a rudimentary ability to raise its body temperature, an unimpressive skill for now but a promising sign of evolution.

"So, it works. It just takes time. Weak creatures need to be eaten in larger quantities, while stronger or more nutritious ones speed up the process," Gerhan reasoned. "Still… my own stats haven't changed."

He let out a mental sigh, annoyed by the system's lack of identifying abilities. "Ah, stupid system. Why can't I tell the differences between my ants?"

Despite the minor frustrations, the colony was thriving. By the end of the fifth day, Gerhan's colony had grown to include 15 workers, and even more larvae were maturing. With the colony expanding, food gathering became more efficient, speeding up their development.

To improve their defenses, Gerhan instructed one of his controlled ants to climb and stay in a tree near the colony, providing him with a constant view of the surroundings. Through its eyes, he could watch for potential threats or intruders.

"Life in the ant kingdom is looking great," he thought with a smug satisfaction.

[New Skill Acquired]

[Random Egg] - You lay eggs, and you can make minor adjustments to the type of ant that will hatch.

Gerhan felt a surge of excitement. The moment he activated the skill, his vision shifted. He found himself in a strange, glowing white space, surrounded by shimmering orbs that represented his eggs. As he focused on one egg, a menu appeared with only one visible option: [Size].

"That's it? Just size?"

His initial disappointment faded as he thought about the possibilities. "Skills probably level up over time. For now, this is still useful. I can make smaller ants for digging and larger ones for fighting."

He immediately made adjustments, shrinking some eggs and enlarging others. However, he knew the results wouldn't be visible until the ants hatched. Changes could only be made to the eggs—he had no way of influencing ants that were already born.

"Well, it's a start," he thought. "A kingdom doesn't rise in a day."

With his new skill and an expanding colony, Gerhan's ambitions burned brighter. The dream of a powerful ant empire felt closer with each passing day.