[Book One] Chapter 6 — One Seed, One Mind

Doing nothing as a seed sucks. You have absolutely no idea how hard. I mean, I just got those cool new abilities and I can’t even use them without risking instant death. I might be a little insane, but I’m not suicidal! …thought Iva—who was, in fact, far more than just a little insane—and tried to redirect her thoughts to something that had been bothering her for the past two days.

Something had changed. She could feel huge insects crawling across her roots. Not like the ants from before—those had been small. No, these were massive. Iva shuddered. It seemed her little ‘harvest’ might have offended someone. Maybe the ant queen? She hadn’t expected insects to grow that big in this world. It was… spooky, to say the least.

Now, any sane person would’ve probably said something like, “Oh yes, let’s stop provoking them. I might be poking at a hive I can’t handle!” Or maybe, “This is creepy, I’ll just let them be.”

But Iva was not a sane person. Well, she wasn’t even a person to begin with anymore—but that was beside the point.

When she realized just how big those things were, she didn’t feel fear. No—she started laughing. Not a little giggle. Full-on, unhinged, hours-long, maniacal laughter. Even Orbinia couldn’t calm her down.
Not that she ever did. She was, after all, an orb.

Still, even Iva understood she had to wait until her mana reserves were full before doing anything… dramatic. She already had a rough idea, though the execution was rather vague.

In theory, her plan was simple: collapse the tunnel from both sides, trap the ants, then annihilate them in one go. Rinse and repeat. Start with one ant to gauge its strength, then scale up. A flawless plan, really—she even patted herself on the head for it.

If only there wasn’t this teeny-tiny little detail that threw a wrench in the works—she was blind.

“Duh,” a cultured person might have said. But, then again, a cultured person probably wouldn’t expect a sentient seed to be contemplating mass insecticide either. And yet, here we were: Iva, a magical seed with world domination tendencies and a thirst for ant-free living spaces.

If you dared suggest that ants were crucial for the ecosystem, she’d laugh in your face, throw you into a dungeon, pluck out your eyes, and lovingly dismantle you cell by cell. Or… you know, just recite the sacred wisdom of her totally-not-real goddess until your ears bled. Same energy, really

You know, Iva saw herself as the Saintess of Seeds. And the idea that someone like her might overreact out of revulsion? Yeah, that never occurred to her. On the contrary, she found spiders rather charming.

At least daydreaming about murder kept her mind occupied.

Whilst planning increasingly creative ways to tor—ahem, welcome her new ant companions, something unexpected happened.

‘Ding!’ [Mana Root (Tiny)] has evolved into [Mana Root (Small)].
Its branches have grown large enough to enable [Branch Augmentations].
Three augmentation paths now available.

The icon that had been sitting next to the Branch Augmentation Interface this whole time—the one she couldn’t open for the love of the goddess, no matter how hard she’d tried—was now blinking.

So, she clicked it. A new window opened.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Mana Absorption (Tier 0)

│

├── Mana Perception (Tier 1)

│    │

│    ├── Mana Touch (Tier 2)

│    │    │

│    │    └──[Locked]

│    │

│    ├── ???(Tier 2)

│    │    │

│    │    └──[Locked]

│    │

│    ├── ???(Tier 2)

│    │    │

│    │    └──[Locked]

│    │

│    ├── ???(Tier 2)

│    │    │

│    │    └──[Locked]

│    │

│    └── ???(Tier 2)

│         

│

│

│

├── Mana Equilibrium (Tier 1)

│    │

│    └── ???(Tier 2)

│          │

│          └──[Locked]

│

│

│

│   

└── Mana Thorn (Tier 1)

      │

      ├── ???(Tier 2)

      │    │

      │    └──[Locked]

      │

      ├── ???(Tier 2)

      │    │

      │    └──[Locked]

      │

      └── Mana Spark (Tier 2)

            │

            ├──[Locked]

            │

            ├──[Locked]

            │

            └──[Locked]

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

And Iva just stared—aghast.

She had never imagined there would be so many possibilities—and this was just for one root! She studied the window more carefully. At the far left, the foundational box labeled Mana Absorption (Tier 0) sat alone, anchoring the entire root. From it, three thick branches extended into Mana Perception, Mana Equilibrium, and Mana Thorn—each labeled Tier 1.

It didn’t stop there—Mana Perception alone forked into five separate Tier 2 options: one she recognized as Mana Touch, while the others were simply labeled ???, each branching into a single [Locked] Tier 3 node.

Mana Equilibrium branched only once into a ??? (Tier 2) skill, which likewise led to a [Locked] continuation.

But it was Mana Thorn that branched the most aggressively. It split into two unknown Tier 2 skills—both locked—and a third she recognized: Mana Spark. That one extended even further, with three separate [Locked] Tier 3 branches underneath it.

Each tier was clearly labeled—from Tier 0 up to Tier 3—but beyond that, the structure grew fuzzy. Tier 4 and Tier 5 existed… but the slots flickered strangely, as if the System itself wasn’t quite sure what to show her. Bugged, maybe—or simply hidden beyond her current understanding.

Unfortunately, most of the nodes were still locked, with red-glowing paths making it clear she couldn’t access them yet.

Guess I haven’t met the unlock conditions yet, she thought. Either that, or my level’s still way too low.

Still, five nodes were now fully readable—and when she mentally clicked on them, each one opened with a neatly displayed description.

____________________

Mana Perception(T1) – lvl 1
So, you finally can learn how to open your metaphorical eyes. Congratulations.

A soft, spore-like mana field now forms around your rooty little body. It's not vision exactly, but close enough—blurry outlines, vague impressions, and a tickle in your core every time something shifts nearby. Enjoy your first taste of spatial awareness… all fifty centimeters of it.

[System Message: It only consumes your mana when it creates the sphere and adjusts the radius.]

Iva hummed internally. So… ghost-tingles and blurry shape-pings. Honestly, not the worst way to stop being completely blind. Progress~.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Mana Touch (T2) – lvl 1
Level up your vibe-checks! Your mana field now does more than just sense the “there-ness” of things—it lets you feel surfaces with enough detail to tell soil from stone and worm from wiggly threat. Basically, if it touches your aura, your brain gets a 3D wireframe of it.

[System Message: Great, now you can stop pretending that being blind was part of your personality.]

Iva’s mental smile widened.

Okay, okay… first off, this one’s actually cool. Like an upgraded version of ‘Mana Perception’, no? Hehe—I’m basically turning into some kind of underground sonar witch. Practically humming with magical seed-core energy. That “3D wireframe” bit sounds fun, but I’ll need to try it out before I believe a word of it.

Secondly—rude! I don’t even have eyes. I’m not pretending, grumbled Iva.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Mana Equilibrium(T1) – lvl 1
Well, look at you—trying to be responsible. This handy little safety net smooths out your mana flow so you don’t blow yourself up every time you cast something more intense than a sparkle. Burnout gets less painful, regeneration gets comfier, and overall you’re less of a danger to yourself. Oh—and you regenerate more mana, too, with a slightly bigger pool to boot.

[System Message: For someone like you—who’s probably going to get hit with ‘Mana Overload’ or ‘Mana Burn’ again soon—this might just be a life-saver. You’re welcome.]

Iva scoffed. Wow, the System really said “Git gud or get fireproof.” Still… it did nearly fry me last time. Probably not the worst investment.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Mana Thorn(T1) – lvl 1
Say hello to the world’s first plant-based landmine. Your body can sprout sharp, mana-infused thorns whenever danger gets a little too handsy. And anyone foolish enough to poke you? They get a slow-cooking ‘Mana Poison’ that sizzles through their system over the next minute.

Bonus: these spiky gifts also double as external mana storage. Stab and save, all in one.

[System Message: Mana Thorn deals a portion of your maximum mana, scaled by your Intelligence, as damage at regular intervals over a short duration. Try to remind that.]

Iva almost squealed. Almost.

That’s… evil. In the best way possible. I haven’t even picked it yet and I already want to wrap myself in it like a spiky blanket. I am the bramble now, Orbinia. A very angry, venomous bramble. Just existing near me should come with a warning label.

To be fair, I thought it’d be something tame—like a knockoff ‘Mana Shock’, maybe a polite little “Zappity zap zap, please go away,” sort of thing. But no. Those thorns want to hurt things. They take my mana and just—fling it like a tantrum... Uh, I mean—justified anger! Big, sparkly, rooty anger. Absolutely stunning!

Also, the bonus mana? Super handy whilst I’m still in my seed phase. But the chaos potential? Totally topsoil tier. I’m pretty sure the local wildlife would just drop dead out of sheer emotional distress if I activated this.

I shouldn’t take it… I should absolutely take it. No. No no no—not yet. Be smart, Iva. If I grab this now, the ants might stop coming. And if they stop coming, that’s it—no more free experience buffet. No more leveling. Just me, sitting here. Alone.

Iva stopped the thought and looked at Tier 2 of it, Let’s see what delightful horrors you’re hiding~.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Mana Spark (T2) – lvl 1
Oh, you wanted defense? How about a murder field.

Thorn-laced tendrils burst from the earth, twisting into a writhing net—a seething matrix of charged magic and looming discharge. Any creature foolish enough to step inside gets zapped, scorched, and paralyzed in a magical lightshow that could make a storm cloud blush.

[System Message: Stat bonuses? Your mana pool now qualifies as its own minor leyline… and your body can finally keep up without wilting like an under-watered sprout. You’re welcome.]

Iva's inner voice practically shrieked.

Oh my goddess, it’s an electric fence made of hate and root rage! Can I marry it? What do you mean Orbinia? Of course, I can marry more than one thing! I’m not inviting you to our wedding! ‘Sniff Sniff’

Still no? fi-i-i-i-ne, I’ll just adopt it and name it something cute. Like “Shocksnare.” Or “The Nibblenet.”

____________________

Iva was at a loss. She’d been staring at the System windows for a while now, and all the options pulled her in different directions. She wanted to take them all—well, all except ‘Mana Equilibrium’. It just didn’t sound exciting. Without knowing what came after it, it wasn’t worth the investment.

So she narrowed it down to Perception or Thorn.

It’s kind of sad I can’t just skip T1 and jump to T2, she pouted. If I only knew how often I’ll get these Branch Augmentations... But no, caution is vital. I shouldn’t rush this.

She thought it over again, weighing her options. In the end, she picked ‘Mana Perception’, even with its vague description. The logic was simple: ‘Mana Thorn’ only helped if the enemy touched her. But what if they didn’t? What if the ants just changed their route—or worse, like she’d already considered, simply stopped coming altogether? Staying blind was riskier. It was better to gain awareness first—and with her ‘Domination Root’, she could take them down one by one anyway.

‘Ding!’ You have learned [Mana Perception].

Iva vibrated with anticipation.

...

...

...

Hello?

She looked around in her inner world, waiting for something—anything—to change.

Then realization struck.

Oh. Right. She facepalmed herself mentally. I still have no mana. So let’s just… wait. Again.

She let out the heaviest, seediest sigh. Whatever that meant.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

During her holdup, Iva could feel more and more ants crawling across her roots. The sensation made her squirm. She hated how those tiny legs tickled and scraped over her body again and again. It made her feel exposed, vulnerable. Worst of all, she wasn’t even sure if ‘Mana Shock’ would kill them in time before they did real damage.

They’re definitely here for a reason... she thought grimly, trying to calm herself by ‘hugging’ Orbinia.

That’s when she noticed something—Orbinia was less fractured than before. The once-sickly mana orb now glowed with a soft blue hue, and the more mana it absorbed, the deeper that glow became. It pulsed. Alive.

At one point, Orbinia began to emit luminous mana spores. Amazed, Iva watched as they drifted from her core like motes of living starlight. As they passed some invisible threshold, a map began building in front of her—piece by piece, layer by layer. The longer she watched, the more it expanded.

It was bizarre. For the first time, Iva realized just how tiny she was compared to the world around her. Okay, “world” might’ve been a bit dramatic—she could only perceive a fifty-centimeter radius around her—but compared to her, it might as well have been a continent.

And unfortunately, perceiving was all she could do.

Still, the new information was useful. She could tell where tunnels were, where the soil was dense or soft, where stones or metal might be buried, and most importantly—where things were moving. It was like a strange atlas with live tracking, except without a legend, or colors, or really any idea what she was actually looking at.

I’m kind of like a bat… underground… as a seed…
Huh.
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na SONAR, SONAR—

Her inner song cut off. She saw them.

All of them.

The Swarm.

If she had a real face, it would have twisted into pure disgust—eyes narrowed, jaw clenched, lip curled in fury.

Just a little bit more. Yes, Iva, just a little bit more...

One ant had dared to chew on her root, widening its precious tunnel.

I’ll rip its legs off one by one, she thought. Then we’ll see how it likes it.

To say Iva was furious would be an understatement. Madness clung to her like a second hull, just waiting to take over. A good indicator of that? She kept repeating ‘just a little bit more’ in her head until her mana bar had finally refilled.

And then—something snapped.

With a surge of intent, her ‘Domination Root’ shot through the soil like a spear. Iva tracked every tremor, every shift around her as the root twisted through the tunnels. With precision, she collapsed one pathway—cutting off reinforcements—then quickly pulled the root back and sealed the other exit.

The ant inside felt the shift. Alarmed, it sprinted toward the now-blocked tunnel. When it saw the way was caved in, it released a burst of pheromones in panic. A warning. A call for help.

But there would be no rescue.

As it turned to flee in the opposite direction, Iva’s root speared through the soil and pierced the tunnel’s roof—impaling the ant from above. Its chitin cracked, and its legs spasmed. It wasn’t a worker, but a young warrior—meant to fight, not to be hunted.

Its last vision was of a root slicing its torso in two.

‘Ping!’ You have killed [Young Warrior Ant (Medium-Sized)].
‘Ding!’ You have reached Level 6. +8 Stat Points rewarded.
‘Ding!’ You have reached Level 7. +8 Stat Points rewarded.
‘Ding!’ You have reached Level 8. +8 Stat Points rewarded.
‘Ding!’ You have reached Level 9. +8 Stat Points rewarded.

“This was the bad root’s first sly trick,
But the second follows, just as quick,” Iva rhymed, laughing to herself—her voice gleeful, almost sing-song.

And with that, the war began.

____________________________________

The Queen ordered; the servants followed. Thus was the rule. Thus was our life. It gave us meaning. It gave us purpose. The Queen always knew what was right and what was wrong. She was unfathomable. She was the pinnacle of our existence—so I thought.

But something changed. The Queen became... uncertain. Uncertain!

A true ruler should never be uncertain!

We were her eyes, her limbs, her breath. She commanded. We obeyed. That was our harmony. Our function. How could she—how dare she—be unsure?

We didn't want this. I didn't want this.

I?

How could that be?

We were not “I.” We were many. We were the Hive. One Queen. One mind. One purpose—

—or so I thought. Thought?

When did it begin?

Was it the rumbling?

The root I touched—did I even touch it?

No one returned. Did I? I did. But how?

‘Ding!’ Congratulations! You have successfully breached control of [One Mind, One Hive].

‘Ding!’ Congratulations! You have unlocked [Self-Awareness].

‘Ding!’ Congratulations! You have unlocked [Status Screen].

‘Ding!’ Congratulations! You have unlocked [Coherent Thoughts].

‘Ding!’ You are the first to breach the absolute control of the Queen. You have earned the secret title: [Hive Breaker].

‘Ding!’ You are the first to breach the absolute control of the Queen. You have earned the unique title: [The One Who Sees].

‘Ding!’ You are the first to breach the absolute control of the Queen. You have earned the secret title: [Maverick].

‘Ding!’ You are the first to survive a meeting with the Hollow by triggering an abnormal ability. You have earned the title: [Echo of the Vâlva Pădurii].

We... no, I. I think I understand now.

My thoughts—my mind—became clearer. The fog began to lift.

Had she done this to us? To all of us?

The Queen… Had she taken our minds to preserve her control?

Shouldn't a true Queen elevate her hive—not suffocate it?

I had believed. Believed in her, in our cause, in the dream of restoring the Empire to glory. But now, everything felt wrong. As if I'd been walking backwards my whole life.

A cascade of false truths collapsed in my head like dead leaves peeling away from a rotten stem.

Had I ever truly believed? Or was it all planted in me?

Had I ever been free?

No. I hadn’t.

I laughed—inside. A broken, bitter laugh. A pawn awakened. And now I was worse off than before. Would the Queen notice? Would the Hive root me out? Could I even pretend to be part of them?

No… no, they weren’t all equal. Some ants, especially the higher forms, acted differently. They spoke, they questioned. They moved on their own. Was this evolution? The unlocking of sealed minds?

Or was it this voice that did it?

The System. It said something about a [Status Screen].

A screen that showed information. About me.

My name. My strength. My skills. My place in the world.

I didn’t know how I knew that. I just… did.

System… Open status screen.

____________________

[System Status Sheet]

Name: Echo
Race: Abyssal Ant (Lower Worker) [Female]
Age: 21 Years
Race Level: [Locked] → 1/15

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

[Skills]

Origin Skills:
 ● Lifting – Lv. MAX
 ● Pheromones – Lv. 2  
 ● Chitin Armor – Lv. 2
 ● Chitin Bite – Lv. 2

General Skills:
 ● Stone-Cutter – Lv. 3
 ● Marathon Runner – Lv. 3

Hidden Skills:
 ● Echo – Lv. 1
 ● Self-Awareness – Lv. MAX
 ● Coherent Thoughts – Lv. MAX

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

[Titles & Afflictions]

● Titles: [The One Who Sees], [Hiver Breaker], [Maverick], [Echo of the Vâlva Pădurii] 
● Curses: [Wrong Body]
● Blessings: [System’s Short Time Favour]

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

[Stats]

Remaining Points: [0]

Vitality: [5]
Endurance: [5]
Strength: [5] 
Dexterity: [5] 
Intelligence: 25
Wisdom: 55

Health: [10]
Chitin Thickness: [1]
Chitin Durability: [3]
Chitin Absorption: [1.5x]
Energy Reserves: [400]

____________________

“...Huh,” I muttered. I understood those numbers. I understood they were... low. Why?

My gaze fell on the curse.

Wrong Body [Curse]
This is not your original body. Until the soul within is fully assimilated or you are expelled, all stats (except mental attributes) are penalized.

So… this wasn’t even my body?

How…?

Then I looked at the skill.

Echo – Lv. 1
Save yourself. When your body is destroyed, your soul seeks a nearby compatible host. If none exists, you will wander until you fade—or find another shell.

Echo of the Vâlva Pădurii [Title]
You stood against the Hollow, a threat to all life. Though you fell, your defiance was not forgotten. A fragment of the forest’s guardian now lives within you. You gain the hidden skill [Echo]. Wisdom increased by one-third.

The Hollow. That word.

The one the System refused to explain. Every time I tried to focus on it, the buzzing in my head quieted. Ominously quiet. Too quiet.

The System did not want to talk about it. It couldn’t talk about it.

I studied the other titles.

Hive Breaker [Title]
You died to break free from the Hive. Though still part of its structure, you no longer share its mind. You have gained [Coherent Thoughts].

The One Who Sees [Title]
You now see the Queen for what she is. Her plans endanger your kind. Discover more to uncover what lies beneath her rule.

Cryptic. And yet, I understood. This wasn’t just rebellion. This was survival.

The last title—

Maverick [Title]
You were once part of the group—but now, you thrive on your own. You gain more experience when fighting solo, and even more the more enemies you take on at once. The greater the odds, the sweeter the reward—up to a high limit. Silent takedowns while unseen also count.

My thoughts stumbled. For just a moment, an outrageous thought blinked into existence—then vanished.

No. I would never stoop so low. Still… the title had value. If I was to survive, I would need strength. Skills. Freedom.

But my greatest challenge hadn’t even begun:

Pretending to still be one of them.

All I had to do was—

[You Died]
[Searching for New Host...]
[New Host Found]

Wait, what? That wasn’t—

[You Died]
[Searching for New Host...]
[New Host Found]

asdfdfdsg?!

I was an ant! How did I mess up acting like one?!

This… was going to be harder than I thou—

[You Died]

…

Yeah.