Point of View: Xyra
The breeding chamber remained silent, interrupted only by the constant, subtle movement of the swarm. Dozens of insectoid bodies crawled across the walls and floor with precision and order, transporting resources, reorganizing structures, optimizing every available space within the nest.
The air was dense.
Heavy with energy and organic materials prepared for later use.
The reserves were growing.
But so was consumption.
I observed without moving as the System displayed its options before me, analyzing every variable carefully—without haste, without emotion. There was no doubt in my mind, only calculation, only projections of possible outcomes.
[Progenitor]
You are the origin and perfection of the swarm. You can improve and specialize your troops according to the needs of the environment or battle. You have the ability to create Princes: exceptional, intelligent, and absolutely loyal units, designed to execute your will with strategic autonomy.
[Soul Sovereign]
You have chosen to dominate the power of the soul above the physical. Your attacks strike directly at the soul, weakening its will and stability.
The System never lied.
But it never chose for me either.
"System, which of these options solves the swarm's current problem?"
[Immediate and permanent solution: Progenitor]
[Soul Sovereign could solve the problem, but only if you become much stronger]
Then it was not an efficient short-term solution.
"What is the main difference between them?"
[Dependency on the swarm. Progenitor makes you highly dependent on the swarm to attack or defend yourself. Soul Sovereign does not have this limitation.]
Dependency.
My gaze shifted toward my children, who continued moving without interruption—unaware of the conversation, yet completely integrated into my will.
To me, that was not a weakness.
It was my nature.
I was not an individual unit.
I was a core.
"I choose Progenitor."
[Congratulations, your profession has been successfully assigned]
[Creating Arts]
The swarm is not a tool.
It is an extension of my body.
Each unit is a functional extension.
Each loss, a reduction in operational capacity.
Each improvement, a direct optimization.
[Soul Sovereign] granted individual power.
But I do not fight directly.
I produce warriors and workers.
[Your status has been updated]
---
Name: Xyra
Race: Insectoid
Cultivation: Ascended Level 1 (Peak)
Title: Queen of the Swarm
Profession: Progenitor
Arts:
Swarm Core
Crimson Prince
Princes: Asura
---
Art: Swarm Core
Upon activation:
Increases your control over the swarm
Improves overall coordination of the swarm
Enhances the swarm's damage
Learned Effects:
Forced Evolution (Passive): You can create Drones adapted to the environment. Their level depends on the FD invested
Supreme Will (Passive): All your units obey you with absolute loyalty, and the range of your control increases
Upgradeable: 0/3
---
Art: Crimson Prince
Upon activation:
Increases Asura's strength and durability
Increases Asura's speed
Asura's attacks drain vitality from his opponents and heal him
Learned Effects:
Firstborn (Passive): You can create and revive Asura, a unique elite humanoid unit
Unrivaled (Passive): Asura's level matches yours and he will always be the strongest combat unit in the swarm
Upgradeable: 0/3
---
When I closed the interface, my perception of the swarm changed instantly.
The connection expanded.
I could feel each unit with greater precision—every movement, every point of consumption and production within the nest. Resources were distributed efficiently, but not optimally. Space was beginning to become a limiting factor.
I also noticed that I no longer needed to lay eggs.
Resources and FD were sufficient to create them.
Production had been optimized.
My gaze moved across my current offspring, watching them move in repetitive patterns, fulfilling basic functions without deviation.
There were many.
Too many.
They consumed space.
They consumed resources.
And now… they were no longer necessary in such numbers.
The limitation was not my ability to create.
It was the environment's ability to sustain them.
The solution was obvious.
I will take them to a conquest.
And they will die there.
Not by error.
Not by weakness.
By design.
This is not cruelty.
It is efficiency.
I closed my eyes.
The flow of the swarm became clearer, sharper—as if each unit were a direct extension of my perception. I felt their positions, their state, their function within the whole.
Then I called him.
"Asura…"
I moved toward the storage chamber, where higher-quality resources were accumulated in compact structures. I selected the finest materials.
I would not create something mediocre.
I invested what was necessary.
The air began to vibrate.
Energy condensed before me, distorting space as particles of matter and energy intertwined into a single point. The pressure increased, forcing even nearby units to halt and instinctively retreat.
The creation was not silent.
It was dominant.
The materials fused into a massive egg.
And then…
It appeared.
A claw pierced through the shell from within. Slowly, a figure over two meters tall emerged—a perfectly structured humanoid insectoid body, four arms, and a pair of folded wings on his back.
His presence was not like the rest of the swarm.
It was stable.
Controlled.
Superior.
Before I spoke, he knelt.
"It is an honor to meet you, Mother. Give the order, and I will carry it out."
His voice was firm—without hesitation, without doubt.
I observed him in silence, analyzing every detail of his expression.
It was the first time one of my children spoke.
And he did so without flaw.
And more than that…
I felt something else.
He could exert control over the swarm.
It was not absolute—my will was superior—but he possessed an authority and control similar to my own.
Interesting…
"Asura," I said calmly, "tell me—what is your purpose? What do you desire?"
He raised his gaze without hesitation.
"My purpose is to serve you, Mother. And I desire to eliminate all your enemies."
There was no contradiction.
Our connection confirmed it.
Absolute loyalty.
I chose correctly.
I didn't just solve the problem.
I elevated the swarm.
"Do you prefer to fight equipped… or as you are now?"
"Equipped. I will maximize my combat performance."
I nodded.
His adaptability and thinking speed were high.
"We will head to Dalaran. Buy whatever you deem necessary. Do not worry about the cost. I will wait for you in the Portal Hall."
"Yes, Mother."
I continued without changing my tone:
"We will conquer a Level 2 world. Your siblings will be sacrificed to create new optimized Drones. Do you have any questions?"
Asura closed his eyes, and I could feel him observing the swarm through our connection.
After a moment, he replied:
"No, Mother. They are no longer useful to the swarm in their current state. I will prepare accordingly in Dalaran for the conquest."
There was no hesitation.
No attachment.
It was perfect.
Before, I believed I could manage everything alone.
Now, looking at him, I understood that a superior strategic unit accelerates all processes.
A Prince does not replace the swarm.
He perfects it.
In the new world, I will test the Drones.
And I will test him.
"Unrivaled."
The System claims it.
I will verify it.
If he survives…
He will be worthy of that title.
If he dies…
I will revive him.
Because in the swarm…
Death is not the end.
It is merely an adjustment in production.
Except for me.