“If the ant colony can freely use the Empire's territory, it essentially means our domain has instantly doubled in size.”
Celia and Calian's conversation was by no means idle chatter.
It was no exaggeration to say that this was equivalent to a diplomatic negotiation between two major powers.
The Great Devourers, represented by Celia, spared the remaining citizens of the Empire in exchange for a massive amount of spoils and land.
Along with this came the right to dominate and exploit the Empire as a colony at will.
“For now, securing the south and the north is enough.”
Lin Miao muttered to himself as he studied the map.
The southern part of the Empire had already been razed to the ground by the ant colony.
Meanwhile, the northern part of the Empire was currently unusable due to Astaroth's servants and remaining forces.
The Lucadia Empire had absolutely no power to reclaim either of these two regions at the moment.
It was more than enough to claim these two territories for themselves; in any case, the ant colony was in no hurry to expand its borders.
【Elise is slightly dissatisfied with the relationship with humans, but deems this a reasonable decision】
Elise did not object to this decision either.
Although she seemed to be in a bad mood, Lin Miao felt it was simply because she despised humans.
“Why does she hate humans so much?”
Elise's hostility toward humans was long-standing, and as she grew and evolved, that animosity only deepened.
Despite having a decent relationship with Celia, Lin Miao could never understand why she harbored such feelings.
【Replicable Trait】
In any case, Lin Miao had achieved his goal through the ant colony's string of victories.
His massive achievements had accumulated enough interference force, finally allowing him to use the system's functions.
Lin Miao planned to use this function to replicate one of Elise's abilities.
Although its power would be significantly reduced, that alone would be more than enough.
“Which ability should I choose?”
The abilities Elise possessed included: the hive mind shared by all ants, Bloodline Adjustment to absorb and analyze genes through predation, and Universal Cells to create chimeras at will.
In truth, Lin Miao had decided long ago.
Both Bloodline Adjustment and Universal Cells required the hive mind and the ant colony's unique ecology to unleash their full potential.
As for the hive mind.
It could be said that this was the ant colony's most formidable weapon.
If he were to replicate it onto a human...
“Ah, my apologies for keeping you waiting. There was a sudden traffic jam on the way...”
At that moment, the door opened, and Bai Zhantang walked in.
Chuckling sheepishly, he walked in briskly and led the person behind him to stand before Lin Miao.
Ye Yunshang, who had defected to Lin Miao's faction after that day but had never met him in person, was about to bow. But when she saw Lin Miao, her eyes widened in shock, and she found herself utterly speechless.
“Long time no see.”
Lin Miao was the first to extend his hand.
Ye Yunshang was a promising, kind, and down-to-earth person, yet she had unwittingly been toyed with by the gods, and had now become Lin Miao's test subject.
This was not the first time Lin Miao had done something like this, so he did not hesitate.
...
“How do you feel about being chosen as the most anticipated Awakened of the next generation?”
Ye Yunshang had once been a highly anticipated rising star.
Mainstream media outlets had even made special trips to interview her.
In the academy where all Awakened were required to undergo training, she had displayed extraordinary talent, and everyone believed she had a brilliant future ahead.
“A... a transfer? Me!?”
She had joined a prominent, large-scale company in the Dragon Nation, only to suddenly receive a transfer notice one day.
Only then did she realize that the upper management could decide her fate at a whim.
In the contract she had eagerly signed during her school days, there was a clear clause stating that “under special circumstances, the employee's affiliation may be transferred.”
“Why? Is it because of that minor mistake I made during the last mission...?”
“It's not because of that. I never in my wildest dreams expected such a decision either. I am truly sorry, but my hands are tied.”
The recruiter who had originally brought her into the company bowed his head in sincere apology.
Yet, there was nothing he could do.
For this decision had come from a vast will that lay far beyond their comprehension and social class—one that ruled the world today.
“I was sold off, and I don't even know for how much.”
In the end, she went from a highly coveted major corporation to an obscure, tiny company overnight.
How could she convince those around her when she couldn't even accept it herself? Her entire family was thrown into complete chaos.
On the day she first met Bai Zhantang, she had been in a complete daze.
Since her remaining contract term had been directly transferred to this company, she had no choice but to work here for several years.
Observing her reaction, Bai Zhantang remarked, “You look quite disappointed.”
Ye Yunshang panicked slightly. “No, it's just...”
“Of course you are. Transferring from there to our company is basically a direct demotion.”
Yet, Bai Zhantang's smile only widened.
“But personally, I think this is a blessing in disguise. You probably think I'm making fun of you right now. However... you will understand soon enough. Though this company is small, it is the best place for you to truly shine.”
Leaving behind those meaningful words, he sent her off on a mission.
Starting as a Tier 3 Awakened, she was evaluated as someone who would easily advance to Tier 4 as long as she accumulated enough experience.
Having quickly become the company's ace, she could only carry out her missions while waiting in a daze.
Waiting for the moment to “truly shine” that Bai Zhantang had spoken of.
“Who would even pay attention to me now?”
The interview invitations that used to come every now and then when she was at the large corporation had long since dried up.
Dejected, Ye Yunshang could only bury herself in her work.
“Let's go! We have to go right now! That lord wants to meet you!”
Just then, Bai Zhantang rushed over in a hurry to pick her up.
“Just which lord wants to see me?”
“That... there is no need for me to elaborate.”
Bai Zhantang drove her himself.
Ye Yunshang grew even more bewildered. No matter how small the company was, Bai Zhantang was still its president and regularly interacted with various influential figures.
The car he was driving now was also a very expensive import.
She truly could not imagine who could command such absolute deference from him.
“Could it be...?”
Looking at the silent Bai Zhantang, an unsettling thought suddenly crossed Ye Yunshang's mind.
Although extremely rare, there had indeed been incidents where individuals used their social standing to force beautiful Awakened to provide escort services.
“Huh?”
However, the moment she stepped into a perfectly ordinary cafe, all her worries and speculations vanished into thin air.
Waiting inside was a somewhat handsome young man, and a familiar face at that.
“Long time no see. I am Lin Miao.”
Ye Yunshang dumbfoundedly shook the hand Lin Miao extended to her.
She had always believed that Lin Miao was simply a mysterious Awakened who had saved her by instantly vaporizing a monster she couldn't handle.
“I was the one who poached you from that place and arranged for you to join our company.”
However, the secrets Lin Miao proceeded to candidly reveal far exceeded her wildest imagination.
The truth about the deities and the system. The vassals, and the monsters created by the Outer God Abhoth.
Even Lin Miao himself was no ordinary Awakened, but rather one of these deities' proxies.
Had the atmosphere been any lighter, she would have dismissed it as a massive joke.
“I find this incredibly hard to believe. In that case, why did you recruit me to be your vassal?”
“Naturally, it is to grant you more power so that we can win the competition.”
After confirming there was no one around, Lin Miao activated his ability—Trait Bestowal.
【Bestowing the hive mind copied from Elise onto Ye Yunshang】
Using the Divine Net as a medium, a divine authority transcending ordinary creation was unleashed.
Originally, all deities on Earth had reached an agreement to engage in controlled competition through the Awakened system, making such direct enhancement of vassals strictly forbidden.
However, Lin Miao was currently the only deity who had personally descended to Earth and treated it as his home.
In other words, he did not need the Awakened system to directly exercise his power.
【Trait Bestowal Successful】
Before Ye Yunshang could resist, she was struck by a powerful shockwave, collapsing to the floor and convulsing.
Bai Zhantang closed his eyes and prayed in his heart, watching the manifestation of divine power with absolute awe.
Had any outsider witnessed this, it would undoubtedly have been a bizarre scene prompting an immediate call to the police.
Rate on N.U.
