I'll Go One Step Farther And Begin Harvesting That Sweet EXP.

As tired as I felt after my exertions from the last day I was reinvigorated by what I had planned next. I was going to start harvesting the fruits of my labors.

In my Dungeon Sense I could see that I now had approximately 27 Thousand Battle Ready Army Ants and many thousands more matured every hour. That was just ridiculous but also an expected outcome. My little Queens were doing an excellent job and they gained experience for their Monster Race and Queen class just by being prolific Queens for their Hive. Through my Dungeon sight I scanned the quadruplets with my God's Eye to see what changes they'd undergone. I was pleased to see that their hard work was gaining them a substantial amount of EXP. Levels that translated directly into incrementally better quality children and increased overall production of eggs. The gains were currently marginal but in time they would add up significantly. This was likely why the last Duergar attack had pushed in so quickly. The sooner they could destroy the Hive the better. Any hesitation on the part of the Grey Dwarves would allow any Colony of Monster Ants to grow in power.

I left QuickSilver asleep with my other women and made my way to my Grand Arena. Abria was missing from my bed but she hadn't gone far. She had cleaned herself up during my absence and was gazing out at my huge fighting pit. Between her thighs the hole in her pants was still there but she was no longer dripping with my seed. Unfortunate that. She turned to me, blushed hard at seeing my nude form and gestured at the Arena.

"What es all dis den? Just fer show?"

I slid past her and Gestured for her to follow. "LET ME SHOW YOU." In this grand space the boom of my voice was swallowed up whole.

Rather than going myself I sent a Kobold runner to my Army Ant Hive. Within minutes a swarm of Army Ants over 10 thousand strong flooded from the hidden doorways to the Hive and filled the area surrounding the Arena. Looking over the assembled Army I was once again pleased by the progress I had made since arriving here. The Queens had sent the weakest members of their Hive as instructed. Even so they were all Armored and Armed with an array of impressive stone equipment and they all looked strong despite their inexperience at battle. One and all these Army Ants looked proud to serve me. And that loyalty was undying. All for the Greatness of The Hive. And I was the Master of The Hive.

A Kobold ran up to me and gave me Abria's Warhammer. I took the weapon and held it out to it's owner. It took two of the skinny Lizards to bring Abria her Tower Shield. The Dwarf Forged Metal Shield was impressive but it had done nothing to prevent my tentacles from capturing her. Another Kobold brought Abria her Steel Helmet and she tucked it under one arm. She looked at me with a quizzical upraised eybrow but she didn't comment on it. When we reached the center of the Arena an Army Ant skittered up and saluted me with a hard thump of one fist to his chest. Through my God's Eye I knew this Army Ant was an Officer. A low level one but still a Commander.

"A full 10 Cohorts At your Command My King." He barked in military fashion.

For Abria's sake and to show my soldiers my pride in them I decided a bit of theater was in order. "YOUR TIME HAS COME. ARE YOU PREPARED TO DIE FOR THE HIVE? FOR ME, YOUR KING?"

They did not speak. But the THUMP of their fists slamming into their Stone Breastplates was thunderous. I was very pleased. Again there was no hesitation.

Abria was awed by my casual display of military might. She had fought my Hive less than 10 hours ago but the competency level of my soldiers had increased drastically after their first taste of real combat. She could no longer recognize these Army Ants as the weak swarm she had tried to exterminate.

I thought about letting Abria go first but I decided it was better for me to lead by example. "COMMANDER SEND FORTH 10 SOLDIERS TO FACE US."

Abria looked a bit confused. Perhaps she expected that we were about to attack her City. That wasn't my plan. Not today at least.

Directed by their Commander 10 Army Ants moved in front of me. They stood ready to engage us.

I directed my gaze at Abria and asked. "ARE YOU READY?"

The Grey Dwarf was still puzzling through my actions but she placed her Helm atop her head and nodded.

I lay down the objectives for my soldiers and gave them a bit more motivation. "ATTACK US WITH THE INTENT TO MAIM WITHOUT KILLING. IF YOU SUCCEED AND YOU STILL LIVE THEN YOU WILL EARN A NEW PERMANENT POSITION WITHIN THE HIVE. YOU WILL BECOME A SOLDER IN THE ROYAL LEGION. YOU WILL GAIN THE RIGHT TO PERSONALY PROTECT YOUR QUEENS. YOU WILL BRING YOUR EXPERIENCE AND OBSERVATIONS FROM TODAY BACK TO IMPROVE THE ENTIRETY OF THE HIVE."

The look in my soldiers eyes told me they would do anything necessary to receive that reward. There was no higher glory in any Ant's mind than to protect their Queens.

"ATTACK!" I commanded.

The 10 Army Ants threw themselves at us. While their discipline had rapidly improved from hours before they were still not experienced soldiers. I did not change forms. My humanoid form was the one I wanted to use and improve the most. Although, I was looking forwards to getting myself some personal equipment. The Dwarven weapons in my meager Armory did not really appeal to me. For now I would use my natural body and learn my limits. As my opponents closed in I turned fast to one side using my oversized muscular tail to sideswipe one rushing Ant Solder into his neighbor. The Peircing Spikes on my Armored Tail drove deeply into the Ant's side. His Stone Armor cracked apart under the powerful blow and my spikes punched into his flesh and organs killing him in short order. I felt the rush of his EXP as a fragment of his life's potental entered my body. His **** crashing into the Ant next to him was enough to halt the charge of two more soldiers. Abria had caved in the chest of one Ant Solder and was facing off against 3 more. Another enemy had gotten too close to me. He was being enveloped by my Moss Slime daughter.

"DAUGHTER. DON'T PLAY WITH YOUR FOOD." I scolded her gently when I saw she wasn't going for a quick kill. Properly chastised she did as I instructed and quickened the pace of the Ant's ****.

Meanwhile I had intercepted an Army Ant that moved behind Abria to strike at her. I accepted a blow from the soldier's club that was intended to smash into my Duergar consort. The act was intentional. I wanted to attain both the Knight and Sorcerer Classes. To obtain the Knight class I had to accept a thousand blows ment for my allies in combat. One down, 999 more to go. Alright, the actual number was lower than that because I had intercepted a few blows during my battle against the Duergar. I just couldn't see the true number. Even with my God's Eye power there were things I couldn't see. The Sorcerer class was going to take longer due to the 10 thousand kills I had to make with spells. But I started off my countdown with a Holy Smite Spell. It took about one whole minute to cast which in combat was an eternity. I had begun it's incantation when our battle commenced but finally it was ready. I channeled the accumulated Holy Aura that had gathered to me during that long incantation and released it upon one of the Ant Solders who was charging at me from the side. My Smite spell Smote her harder than I anticipated. It was as though a hammer of pure gravity struck her from above. It crushed her flat against the ground Shattering the soldier's Stone Armor all over and causing massive overall damage. They were dead for sure, her neck was snapped, many other bones were broken and internal organs were smashed. But my spell wasn't done. My Life Magic had infused itself into the Holy Elemental spell and caused normally harmless bacteria and viruses to literally eat the body of my victim. It was as if Life itself Devourered the Army Ant in moments then the icky mess devoured itself leaving nothing but a pile of dust and destroyed stone equipment. Eww.... That was Gross. But surprisingly effective. I guess that when you were infused with magics they were unconsciously incorporated into some spells. Smite was just one such spell. Well, 9999 to go. And I learned that Life Magic had more offensive capabilities than I realized.

Abria had dispatched another Soldier Ant with mighty swings of her one handed Warhammer and she was pressuring the other two to keep their distance. I accepted several more attacks ment for Abria. Then one Army Ant threw herself into a full leaping jump against the Dwarf's nearly unprotected back. But my Scale Armored Tentacles stretched out and blocked her from reaching Abria. Then they retaliated. Those tentacles sprouted Draconic Spikes and I wrapped them around that unfortunate soldier. Then my muscular tentacles constricted. I was busy fighting off another Ant Solder so I didn't see their ****. But I felt it when their body broke as they succumbed to my strength. I cast a Dark Magic SpellBolt at the Solder Ant in front of me. The spell was boosted but it wasn't as powerful as my Life Magic. Even so the small inky black bolt hit the soldier's large shield and began to eat through the stone as if it was pure acid. The Ant dropped its shield before the magic could reach it's arm but the action came at the cost of it's life. My Moss Slime had reached out a tendral and snatched onto one of the Ant's legs. The Solder tried to pull away but it was too late. Moments later half his body was encased in Moss covered Slime. It was harder to move when my daughter was attacking but she had enough mass to cover alot of ground. Mostly it just slowed down her response time. We could work on that.

With only 3 Soldier's left the fight ended soon after. None of the Army Ants had done any significant damage to us. Abria killed 3 of them, my mount had eaten 2 and I'd killed 5 of them. I could have killed more but right now I was more interested in acquiring those classes than I was in killing as many as possible.

I had my Kobold servants remove the bodies of the dead. They could provide sustenance for my Arachne. Waste not want not. When that was done I was ready for round 2. But Abria needed a bit of clarification as to what we were doing. That we were harvesting EXP in a safe environment, that she understood. But she didn't see why she needed to be involved in this process. Firstly I explained that I was benefiting from her fighting alongside me for reasons that wouldn't matter to her. Then I explained the benefits of what this fighting was doing for her. Until now she had only seen the flipside of her Oath as a Curse. But I explained that Die For The City was capable of nurturing her into becoming the mighty Warrior I promised to make her. Without God's Eye she could not see what I could. But I told her that by killing those three Ant Soldiers just now she had gained a permanent 3% Boost to all her Stats. That realization stunned her. It had never occurred to Abria that her Cursed Oath could be abused in this manner. I understood why. The number of dead enemies required to make that 1% bonus matter was simply absurd when out in the real world. Any lone Duergar would die long before they could make use of it. But here and now. I watched Abria stare wide eyed out upon my Sacrificial Army. Before her stood almost 10 thousand enemies of her former City who would die at my command. If I gave 3 of every 10 to her, like I had in this last fight then that would total into a Permanent 3000% Increase to All her Stats. And that was only from this one ****. Abria DeathDwarv looked at me and I saw the gears turning in her head. She knew this was only the beginning of my schemes.

Abria and I spent hours locked in combat. She required a rest after a every few bouts but I kept going. I knew my supply of endless soldiers was increasing. They were being produced faster than I could kill them. Luckily my ability to kill them improved. But I wasn't alone in improving. Abria was getting stronger but her path was going to take a little while till she would begin to see vast improvements. It was the onlookers who improved the most. The tactics of my Army Ant's improved simply by them watching our battles. My soldiers learned from the mistakes of their fallen comrades and developed new tactics. They learned our capabilities and toiled to defeat them. We had upped our number of opponents to 20 at a time. The battlefield was more chaotic which was a necessity if we wanted to challenge ourselves. Abria had a hard time keeping up with me but we were both gaining power at prodigious rates. When Abria took her breaks I went all out and changed into my Draconic form. I would face 100 soldiers at a time forcing the Army Ants to develop formation tactics.

By the time we were halfway through harvesting the 10 Cohorts I had achieved one of my Goals. I had gained the Knight class and made significant progress into becoming a Sorcerer. Abria and I had sustained some damage in our battles and 4 Army Ant's stood proudly to the side to stand witness and learn from their fallen brothers and sisters. I could still feel the sting from that incredibly sharp stone javelin as it peirced through the gap in my heavier armor and lodged itself into my inner thigh. I was grateful that I had Armor Plated Scales in place to protect my crotch when in battle. I did not need that as a weakness. Using my healing magic I had healed our wounds to keep us going strong. I also healed the injuries sustained by the Army Ant who had dislocated Abria's shoulder and broken her hand. It was too bad that the Army Ant who had shredded my left wing hadn't survived her injuries. But everone here would remember that lesson. Me included. Always be aware of my wings in combat. That was a dreadfully painful lesson I wasn't about to forget.

It was at this time that Abria called it a day. She was exhausted and didn't want to risk more permanent injuries due to mistakes on her part. I didn't blame her. Her performance had suffered over time. While her Dwarven blood had shown true and given her the strength to fight on for hours. She wasn't a demigod. Even I was beginning to feel the burn. And I was hungry. I'd begun to salivate at the sight of the dead Ants. But they looked totally unappetizing. I was considering calling a break and joining Abria who went off in search of food.

That was when food was brought to me. My daughter Boudicca arrived and she brought me Lunch.

Boudicca...... was much changed from how I'd seen her last. She was no longer a child. That was for damn sure. She was now a teenager in what must be her late teens. But that was difficult to tell. I wouldn't say this lightly. But she was drop dead gorgeous. My little Warrior Princess was a woman now. She sauntered, SAUNTERED up to me in little more than a polished black Leather Bra covering her small but firm B cup breasts and a matching Leather pair of Tight Boyshorts that showed off every sensual curve she now had. Boudicca also wore a pair of Leather Laced Up Boots in an a matching black color that went almost all the way up to her knees. The leather underwear was finely crafted and I wondered if she had sifted through the loot we'd taken from the Leatherworker. Boudicca was petite but she was extreamly toned. She looked like a true Amazonian War Godess crossed with a Lovely Vampire Princess. All in one small sexy body. At least. To me she was small. But Boudicca was about 7 feet tall making her taller than most humans. Her skin was oddly unique. It was a very pale pigment shade lighter even than porcelain but simultaneously she also seemed to be well tanned. The contrast was stark but I thought it was very sexy. Her wasp abdomen was still extremely small in comparison to any of my other progeny. From the end of her Obsidian Black abdomen a needle thin barbed stinger about a foot long protruded. One sting from her could probably lay low an elephant. Not dead but so painful you'd wish you were. I'd better keep that in mind. For a pair of insectoid wings hers were spectacular. The wings where like Obsidian Stained Glass. They reflected all light like a crystal but it returned only a kaleidoscope of silky black shadows. Boudicca's Shiny Pitch Black Hair stopped right above her butt and abdomen. It was so straight that I wondered if even a single hair was out of it's correct place. Atop her forehead her pair of antennae were sleek and functional. Just like the rest of her body.

And the way she slinked towards me. Her nipples making solid indentations in her Leather Bra. Gazing lovingly at me with those dangerous colored eyes. I could tell she would be major trouble for my libido.

I was now hungry for something completely different. In those first moments my totally distracted senses ignored the Large dead Boar she was dragging behind her. It didn't even register until she was close enough for me to smell the blood. Then my instincts went into overdrive.

Boudicca smiled sweetly up at me. "Hello Daddy. You've been working so hard you haven't had any time to hunt. I don't want you to go hungry. So...." she pointed shyly. "I got this is for you."

I seriously considered devouring her on the spot. She was so adorable and sexy. But I could wait another couple of hours. With **** awaiting them it wouldn't be fair to make my Army Ants stand around all day. And on top of that make them witness me breeding my little Warrior Princess for the first time. Would it? I could just.... No. One task at a time.

I kissed her on the forehead. "THANK YOU MY LITTLE WARRIOR PRINCESS." Then I changed into my Draconic form and swallowed the Large Boar whole. After my meal I changed back to my humanoid self and looked down at my daughter. Her cheeks were on fire. From a kiss on her forehead? Oh, how I would make her catch on fire later. But until then I could get to know her better. She was going to be an integral part of my plans going forwards. "DAUGHTER. FIGHT AT MY SIDE. I WANT YOU TO BE MY RIGHT HAND IN WAR. WILL YOU TRULY BECOME MY WARRIOR PRINCESS?"

Boudicca's smile widened and her posture became one of complete yearning. "Yes Daddy. I'm yours."

Now that my hungers had been somewhat sated I was ready to face more of my Troops in battle. But Boudicca was not ready. Not quite. She had no weapons. Except perhaps her stinger and that tiny bone knife she had when she killed the WeaponSmith.

"YOU NEED BETTER EQUIPMENT." I told her.

She nodded but had a counter argument. "No Armor Please Daddy. I move quicker without clothes."

No doubt, I thought looking over her nearly nude body. But I would shortly see whether I needed to enforce her wearing armor or not. I didn't want her precious body to become a tapestry of scars. Although, tracing those scars with my fingers did have it's charms.

With my Dungeon Sight I looked over the weapons arrayed in my meager Armory. What would suit her best. Hard to say having only seen her fight the one time. But as a Warrior Queen I reckoned that she would be extremely fast on the battlefield and quite strong. So perhaps a duel wielding fighting style that involved a piercing and a slashing weapon would fit best. If only I had a Khopesh and a Gladius. Those would be.... I had just seen a Gladius. Hadn't I. QuickSilver's wings were covered in them. Could she... pluck one of her own feathers to create a Sword. For that matter. Could she make other weapons and armor and detatch them from her body? The cost to herself would be body mass. But as long as she could create more Emanations then she could absorb them to maintain her body. While I didn't think that spending all her time creating weapons and armor for evey soldier in my army was a good use of her time. She would be able to equip my elite troops with high end steel. And in her spare time she could also stockpile raw Emanation Steel Ingots for use in our Forges when we actually got them up and running. I hadn't proven it yet but I believed that the Angelic Metal was on par with most Dwarven Steel in terms of Durability and Strength.

This thought had opened up many possibilities.

I sent a Kobold runner to wake up QuickSilver to explain what I wanted. While I waited for her to confirm my theory I decided to test another theory.

Like QuickSilver I was also capable of creating Emanations. Could I create one in the Form of Armor? I couldn't do what QuickSilver did but I could do something similar. The only description I remember seeing about Emanations said that they COULD LOOK LIKE ANYTHING YOU WANT. I intended to test that Broad design concept. I wonder if anyone else had ever thought to try creating an Emanation in the form of a suit of Armor. The First Armor Emanation I crafted was not a work of art. Except for the tail it was a functional suit of Angelic Metal Platemail with an Armored Skirt similar to those worn by Cataphracts back on Earth. The Armored Skirt would completely shield my legs while the rest of the Suit was form fitting. It was still an Emanation. So it could move Autonomously. Another bonus. That ment I didn't require aid to get in and out of my armor like many Medieval Knights. At my command the construct came to me and enveloped me. For a moment I felt a touch like Iron Man. Only his suits were far more advanced than what I could currently achieve. When the Emanation Armor Equipped itself to my body it could no longer support much of its own weight adding an actual ton of weight for me to handle on my own. However my strength was up to the challenge and I barely felt the extra weight. Weight that might have broken a human's legs.

I flexed the Angelic Silvery White Steel and tested my range of motion. I had built this Emanation Armor in such a way that it could move it's interlocking metal plates to better accommodate us both. The Emanation Armor had no self preservation or personality. It only accepted my command and did what it could to obey what I wanted. I swished my twice armored Tail and was very pleased with the results of my test. The Emanation did not hold back my fluid motions. It was closer to being a mech suit than regular armor. The Emanation added more power to each movement once it understood what my body was doing. It made a number of mistakes at the start but it adapted to my motions in a mechanical fashion. My tail was now an even more deadly weapon of war. It was complete with additional Spikes made of Steel giving me what scientists on Earth called a Thagomizer. The Stegosaurus was infamous for this weapon. Combined with the tail club of an Ankylosaurus my Thagomizer was potentially deadlier than either Prehistoric Beast.

With my success I took it another step further. I needed a real primary weapon. Before now I had known that it would take time to Forge my custom Equipment. But I didn't have to wait anymore. My only limitation was the mana cost. But that was no problem while within My Dungeon. Using Immaculate Conception again I created another Emanation. This time I designed a straightforward Tower Sheild. As straightforward as a Tower Shield fit for my size was. Emanation Steel 1 ¹/2 feet thick was as compact as I could make it, while still allowing the bright Angelic circuitry of the construct to exist. This Emanation Construct could not move itself very effectively. It did have a minor Levitation effect though. An effect I had amplified in this design to make the Tower Shield float at least enough to offset it's own weight. It hovered a few centimeters off the ground. When I held out my left Arm the Massive Shield hovered closer and affixed itself to my Armored Arm with multiple Heavy Steel Clamps. I practiced maneuvering with my new Shield and simulated having to discard it quickly if necessary. The results were good but my craftsmanship had a few flaws. But I could correct those later and feed QuickSilver any of my unneeded prototypes.

Then I created my last Emanation for today. My weapon was a modified version of a Chinese Kangxi Saber. Humans on Earth might say it was a Zhanmadao or Zanbato because of how large I made it. They might say this because my one handed sword was over 3 times longer than any Kangxi Saber ever forged on Earth. At least I'm pretty sure about that. The Humans on Earth are a weird bunch. I wouldn't put it past some random guy to have decided to make a massive Kangxi Saber unusable by human standards. But My Kangxi Saber would see actual combat. Another feature that set it apart from regular Blades was that I designed it to attach to my arm via a Gauntlet. The reason I crafted the Sword to be Affixed to a Gauntlet was because I was sure my strength would get me into some trouble. I did not want to worry about losing my blade in combat. I'm not ashamed to admit it. I wasn't a skilled swordsman so a training handicap while I accustomed myself with the blade was in order at this time. I definitely did not want to look foolish in front Boudicca. No way.

My new equipment was a major improvement but it wasn't on par with Epic or Legendary Artifacts. My Gear also wasn't even Enchanted. So I didn't think I could compete on that level yet but this was a great step in that direction.

Still as Naked as I'd left her, QuickSilver came from my Chambers carrying two weapons that looked as close to the specifications I gave her as was possible. She smiled at me and suppressed a helpless blush. "I apologize for sleeping so long Creator." She held out the Khopesh and Gladius for my inspection. "I hope this is to your liking."

The Angelic weapons looked functional. While I wasn't a WeaponSmith I had done alot of research back on Earth in regards to alot of things. Including Ancient Earth Weaponry. Thank you internet. Not seeing any flaws I praised QuickSilver for her work giving her a brief but heated kiss as a reward and spanked her behind to send her out of the Arena. Boudicca and I were in for some alone Father Daughter Quality Time.

Boudicca loved her new equipment. She swung them about to get a good feel for their weight and balance.

Through my Kobolds I instructed my Dryad Harem to prepare some black dyed leather to craft Boudicca two sheaths and a sturdy belt for them to hang on. I also commanded a Kobold to bring me one of the Heavy Duty Short Spears. I wanted Boudicca to become proficient with all three weapons. It would take time but I knew it would be worth her efforts. Now, lets see how well my daughter can fight.

As a Knight I was now a more capable protector than ever before. So I wasn't really worried about Boudicca getting hurt. And if she did then I had my healing and she had her own healing ability. Repair The Warriors required her to survive to be useful but it kicked in Immediately to repair any wounds. I was a bit on edge about putting my Little Warrior Princess in a combat situation for the first time but I knew she had fought before. I had to rely on my gut instinct. And it told me that she would be fine. More than Fine. We would see if I was right.

I signaled the Army Ant Commander to send us 10 of his soldiers. They lined up readying themselves to fight for their Hive.

I gave the signal.

They launched javelins from their free hands and charged. That was one of their new strategies. It cost my soldiers nothing to meld thin javelins of stone. Their throw did no damage now that I was used to the tactic but it did make Boudicca take cover behind me.

That was where things went horribly wrong for the Army Ants. Boudicca flew out from the far side of my Sheild faster than most of the Ant's could register. Even faster than when I'd watched her butcher the WeaponSmith. Poor guy. But she had different victims in mind this time. She flew past the first Ant Soldier and used her Khopesh to slash at the back of her opponents neck. There was a slim gap between the Ant's Helm and Neck Armor. Boudicca was able to precisely thread the needle while speeding past. That soldier was decapitated in less than a heartbeat. The next Ant Soldier saw the **** of his comrade. However he was unable to turn quickly enough to interpose his Tower Shield between him and the missile that was Boudicca. She didn't show him any mercy. My nearly naked daughter Slammed her Gladius into his side using her impact to drive the blade through his stone armor. The blade peirced him to the hilt and cut his heart in twain. But my Daughter wasn't done. Boudicca transferred her momentum to the dying Soldier and with a crack of her powerful wings she launched herself in another direction. The Soldier she charged was mostly ready when Boudicca crashed atop her. But my daughter was beyond fast. While the Army Ant put up a valiant defence Boudicca lopped off one arm then another. Then she stabbed the faltering Female Ant in between two of their Ant legs. The Armor was weaker there and Boudicca drove her blade deep into the thorax almost severing their abdomen from the rest of their body. Then like before the Warrior Queen shot away from her victim. Boudicca was smiling in glee but she wasn't arrogant or stupid. This time she shot away to gain some distance. All of the Ants had prepared to intercept her which was my cue to enter the fray. I shield bashed the first Ant Soldier in my path. The major impact threw them back and to the ground with severe injuries. Then they died instantly when I raised my shield and brought the huge mass crashing down upon their dazed body. At the same time I slashed out at two onrushing Soldiers. I had expected the first Army Ant's round Sheild to deflect my blow or at least slow it down. But I underestimated how much weight and power was in my new equipment. My reinforced sword shattered the Stone Shield and carved through the Armored Ant and into the next. That next Soldier wasn't cut in half but my strength did break her blocking shield arm. She managed to dart back and disengage. Another Soldier interposed himself to hold me back a moment. I could see the Soldier I wounded was readying another javelin from her quiver. But I cast Smite on my attacker and moved over him to plunge my Kangxi Saber into the reteating Ant's chest. Her Armor couldn't withstand my might and she pitched over with the javelin loosely held in her dead hand.

When I took stock of my remaining foes I realized that they were all gone. One unfortunate opponent had been snared by a tendral and was now being eaten by My Moss Slime. And Boudicca had massacred the last three Ants by herself. She sported a moderate sized cut beside her bellybutton but it closed rapidly as I watched leaving a visible scar.

Yeah. She would do just fine. Perhaps 10 soldiers was too few. That combat lasted less than 2 minutes. I signaled the Commander and he sent over 20 Army Ants ready to give their all for the Hive.

As the day went on we raised the number of Army Ants we fought time and again. By the time there was nobody left to challenge Boudicca and I had upped that number to 300 Ant Soldiers in a single match. And what a match it was. The Commander had joined his Brothers and Sisters and they had fought like demons. They had actually dogpiled me while keeping Boudicca at a distance with alternated volleys of javelins. It was a decent strategy but it didn't last long. Tentacles poured out from gaps I formed in my Emanation Armor and they shredded and crushed Army Ants by the dozen. Then Boudicca managed to slip in around a barrage of javelins and their formations broke apart under the her savagery. This last battle did add two additional members to the Royal Legion. The Commander was involved with making that strike possible but sadly he was killed before this became known to me. At the end of it all only Nine survivors remained out of 10 Full Cohorts of a thousand each. This did not include the Commander.

I faced the Survivors and bowed my head slightly in respect. Ever watchful Boudicca followed my motion. Then I addressed them. "ROYAL LEGIONARIES. EVERGUARD OF THE QUEENS. YOU HONOR THE FALLEN WITH YOUR VICTORIES. TAKE YOUR MEMORIES OF THIS DAY BACK TO THE HIVE AND TEACH WHAT YOU'VE LEARNED. THE HIVE GROWS STRONGER. FOR THE HIVE!

The Nine clasped their fists to their Breastplates. Their Zeal was undiminished by the loss of so many. If anything it was stoked to a new level of Militancy.

Their Fervor wasn't what caught my attention the most. After my speech the promotions I'd given them had appeared on their Status Sheets in my God's Eye.

Titles: EverGuard of the Queens(Through blood and the sacrifice of thousands of their kind this devoted Soldier has been deemed worthy enough to protect the Queens of their Hive.)

Class: Royal Legionary(This Elite Soldier has dedicated their life to the Protection of the Queens and the training of All Future Soldiers. A Royal Legionary does not stray far from the Queens for any reason. While in a formation protecting the Queens a Royal Legionary gains a 200% increase to Physical Strength and Defence, aquires the At All Costs Monster Power and gives all other Hive Members in the Same Formation a 60% increase to Physical Strength and Defence.)

Monster Power: At All Costs(When the Queens are under threat this power may be activated at the cost of the User's Life. Once activated this individual is capable of remaining alive and full of vigor after taking life ending wounds for a period of 10 minutes or until the threat to their Queens is ended. Wounds or no this individual dies from internal injuries after 10 minutes. There is no deactivating this ability.)

That was something. I didn't realize that I could change someone's Class or give them Monster Powers. This was an interesting development. Unfortunately I figured that the only reason it worked was because they had undergone a major trial today and survived. The proof of this was on their Status Sheets. What happened today was listed in the Important Historical Moments. I suspected that THE SYSTEM recognized such moments and gave rewards for such achievements. The same had happened to Abria upon the Day of her parents ****. I didn't know how to interpret the fact that THE SYSTEM had watched and understood my speech. Giving the Ant Soldiers the Title EverGuard of the Queens. Probably best to put that in the LETS NOT THINK ABOUT IT category. Life would be difficult enough without wondering about THE ORIGINS OF THE SYSTEM.

But I might be able to swing a few more promotions if I experimented a little. However I had other things on my mind currently.