Once the heavy doors of the royal bedchamber closed behind Zarah and Solara, Antares let out a long, shuddering breath. He felt as though his bones had been replaced with lead. The "Seeding Ritual" was a biological marvel, a deep intertwining of two souls and two bodies, but the physical cost was a profound, bone-deep exhaustion.
As he limped toward the steaming bath prepared in his private washroom, he couldn't help but think of Lord Velas. How does that old man maintain a harem? he wondered, a wry smile tugging at his lips. Satisfying the biological awakening of just one woman had left him feeling like he'd spent the entire night wrestling a mountain troll in heavy plate armor. His lower back was stiff, and his muscles throbbed with a dull, persistent ache that made even the simplest movements a chore. For now, he decided, his hands and his physical limits were quite full enough. The price of divinity, it seemed, was a very human soreness.
After a quick, bracing soak that did just enough to soothe his sore joints and clear the fog from his mind, Antares dressed in his royal silks and headed to the private dining room.
He found Solara already seated, but she wasn't the delicate, hesitant singer he had met in the orphanage. She was systematically demolishing a big chunk of roasted meat, her cheeks puffed out as she chewed with primal intensity. To Antares, she looked less like a regal queen and more like a cute squirrel that had discovered a mountain of nuts and was determined to hide them all before winter.
She spared him a quick, wide-eyed glance before returning to her food, her focus absolute and her hunger seemingly bottomless. Antares sat down as a servant brought him a plate, a respectable portion of meat stew, but barely a third of the mountain stacked in front of Solara.
"I... I'm sorry," Solara stammered after swallowing a huge bite, her face flushing a deep crimson as she noticed him watching. "I've never been this hungry in my life. Zarah found me earlier and I've just... I can't stop eating. It's like there's a fire in my stomach."
Antares teased her with a light laugh, leaning back in his chair. "I've seen warriors after a week of fasting eat with less ferocity than you, Solara. You look like you're trying to win a race against the kitchen staff." Antares was referring to Eli and Levi his twin bodyguards.
She looked away shyly, her gold-flecked eyes focusing back on her plate, though her fork didn't slow down for long. "I think the eggs are demanding it. I can feel them... pulling the very nutrients from my blood. It's a strange feeling, being a vessel for so much potential."
Antares nodded, his mind drifting to a nagging question that had been eating at him since he woke up: Are these eggs truly my children? Will I be sending my own sons and daughters into the meat grinder of war and labor? He didn't want to be a father who viewed his offspring as mere tools.
The System responded instantly to his unspoken concern, the blue text shimmering in his peripheral vision.
[System Clarification: Genetic Lineage]
[Genetic Share: 3%]
[Explanation: These are not 'Royal Children' in the human sense. While they carry your mana signature and a fragment of your blueprint, they are biologically specialized drones. They are the 'cells' of the Hive, designed for specific roles such as labor, construction, and frontline combat.]
[Note: A true Royal Heir, a prince or princess would require a 50/50 genetic split, a much more intensive biological process. These eggs are the foundation of your kingdom's power, not your direct successors.]
Antares felt a massive wave of relief wash over him. He didn't want to put his own children through the hardships and violence he faced, and the System's clarification cleared the fog of guilt from his thoughts. While he still felt a sliver of responsibility for the lives he was creating, the burden of "sacrificing children" was lifted. These were his people, his soldiers, and his workers—loyal extensions of his will.
The System continued to scroll, providing a rare historical insight into Solara's unique nature.
[Biological Record: The Queen Mutation]
[Context: True Queens have been believed to be extinct in the Antmen tribe for several centuries. Most females in the current era give birth through normal human-like labor. Solara's ability to lay eggs is a unique genetic mutation that can only be activated by the presence of an Ant King. Without your royal essence, her true potential would have remained hidden forever, and she would have lived as a normal human woman.]
After the hefty breakfast was finally finished, Antares and Solara headed to the courtyard in front of the Ant King Tower. The air was crisp, and the atmosphere was charged with anticipation. Waiting there were twenty young antwomen whom Antares had asked Solara to gather from the settlement—girls chosen for their health, calm temperaments, and latent mana sensitivity.
Zarah and Ian stood to the side, watching the proceedings. Antares passed them without a word, his focus entirely on the task at hand. He stood before the twenty girls and addressed the System. I need workers. Not just maids, but specialized personnel who can handle the delicate nature of the Brood. Personnel who can cater to the Queen's every need so she can focus on the growth of the tribe.
[Evolution Process: Royal Brood-Tenders]
[Cost: 100 Essence Points per unit (2,000 Total)]
[Confirm Evolution? Y/N]
Antares confirmed the spend. A blinding light erupted from the twenty girls, masking them from view as their biology was rewritten. When the light faded, they were transformed. They were taller, with calm, violet-hued eyes and graceful, synchronized movements that felt almost hive-minded.
They wore new, specialized attire: flowing, high-collared tunics of shimmering pearl-white silk, reinforced with golden silk-steel aprons. These aprons featured deep, enchanted pockets for alchemical salts, warming oils, and tools for egg maintenance. They were no longer simple girls from the settlement; they were the Cradle-Wardens, built for the sole purpose of tending to the Queen and her future brood.
The twenty women knelt in perfect unison before Solara, their heads bowed in absolute devotion.
The Return to the Deep
"Stay behind, Ian, Zarah," Antares said as he approached the Tower's massive obsidian entrance. "I will take you inside another day. This first trip to the sub-levels must be controlled."
Zarah looked down, a flicker of sadness and perhaps a touch of loneliness in her eyes at being left behind, but Ian placed a steadying, grandfatherly hand on her shoulder. "Patience, my dear," the old butler whispered. "The King is building the nursery. Our work remains here, ensuring the house is ready for the family to grow."
"We are not leaving you, Sire!" Levi barked, he and Eli rushing to his side. After their last dangerous trip into the Tower's upper levels, they wouldn't let their King out of their sight for a second. Antares smiled at their stubborn loyalty and nodded his consent.
"Everyone, touch someone who is touching me," Antares commanded. Solara took his hand, her palm warm and pulsing with life. Eli and Levi gripped his shoulders with their heavy, armored hands, and the Cradle-Wardens formed a chain of contact behind them.
Antares focused on the coordinates of the sub-levels he had unlocked. He channeled his remaining mana into the Tower's core. In a silent blink of displacement, the courtyard was empty.
They reappeared in a vast, cathedral-like cavern far beneath the Tower's foundation. The air was warm, humid, and hummed with a low-frequency ancient magic. Soft, bio luminescent veins of gold ran through the walls like a heartbeat, illuminating the room and giving it an otherworldly look.
"Let's go," Antares said, leading his party into the glowing, sacred depths of the Brood Chambers.