Laws of the Insect Hive

Chapter 48: Shava’s Request

After communicating with the slime for some time, System discovered that besides moving and jumping, he could give a third kind of command—splitting.

He could order the slime to take the initiative to split.

System recalled how he had attempted to pull his old slime friend toward the ants’ nest. After the slime and ants had fought and suffered losses on both sides, he had collected the slime’s colloid.

However, now, all he needed to do was to give an order.

After System ordered the slime, the slime would split into two parts that were identical in size according to System’s command.

As long as he continued to control the slime to split a few more times, System would be able to effortlessly get small slimes, which he could manipulate and easily eat.

Meanwhile, the remaining slimes would instinctively attract each other and gather together.

…

Just like that, System started devouring the tiny slimes that were created a few meters away from the basketball-sized slime.

The dark green slime’s taste was a rich yogurt flavor, slightly better than the brown slime. Also, the increase of S [Molting Growth] was more apparent.

System felt that if he continued to eat over ten tiny colloids, his [Molting Growth] might break through the Level 13 limit and reach Level 14.

After each molting, System would obtain the information for his next molting.

During his second molting, he had gotten to know about his third molting.

Meanwhile, after his third molting, System had obtained some pieces of information about his fourth molting, albeit vague.

System had a vague feeling that when his [Molting Growth] reached Level 17 or 18, he would obtain the specific conditions he needed to meet for the fourth molting.

System’s [Instinct] hinted that his body would undergo a greater transformation in the fourth molting. However, System had no way to know just exactly what he would become.

‘Maybe I’ll be relying on this fourth molting to transform into a magical life form?’ System thought to himself as he ate the slime’s colloid.

As he continued devouring the slime’s colloid, System’s abdomen continued to bulge.

It was easy to swallow the colloid, but System estimated that he would need, at least, half a day to completely digest and absorb such a small colloid ball.

According to System’s experience from observing the brown slime, he could feel that even if his speed for eating the slime’s colloid increased by three to four times, he would not be able to catch up with the slime’s self-regeneration speed.

In other words, as long as winter had yet to arrive, the slime would be System’s daily and unlimited food supply.

After completely swallowing the entire crowd of colloids, System ordered the slime to split again. Also, he found a wide leaf and controlled the slime to jump onto the leaf. Then, he used his tentacles to wrap the slime with the leaf.

System had decided to take away the small ball-like slime. It was a source of food full of nutrients, it could help increase [Molting Growth], and it was beneficial to Shava and the ant larvae.

In the process of using his tentacles to grasp the leaf back to his nest, System recalled the chuunibyou words he had uttered.

“As long as I’m still here, I’ll be your King.”

At that time, Shava had moved him, as she had risked her life to protect him at all costs. He could not help but feel a little embarrassed…

It had been a sudden rush of blood to the head that had made System say those words.

Now, thinking back, he felt embarrassed and regretted it. However, given the situation, System did not plan to deny to go back on his words. Even in the case of denying that ever happened, Shava would say nothing, either. Nonetheless, he would not do such a thing.

System’s personality would not allow him to act that way, as once he made a promise, he definitely would not go back on his words.

Since he had already proclaimed himself as King, then he was the King. Thus, he had to do something for his subjects and be a true King.

…

System brought the slime to the temporary nest and saw Shava, who had woken up not long ago. She seemed to have smelled the bloody scent from the mouse’s carcass and was devouring the mouse’s meat.

Shava’s mandibles were extremely sharp, and even System’s post-molting mandibles could not be compared to hers. She effortlessly used her mandibles to tear through the mouse’s fur, biting the mouse’s flesh and meat.

It looked like Shava had recovered a little. It was just unknown if Shava was aware that the mouse she was devouring was the culprit that had deprived her of her limbs.

After seeing System, Shava acted as familiar as usual. She had not drifted apart from System because of the tentacle incident in the day.

Shava seemed to have discovered System had used his tentacles to wrap the slime, so asked in doubt through [Mind Transmission], “King, what is that?”

System replied, “It’s a slime. I used a leaf to wrap it. It’s a colloid creature and tastes very good. Do you want to eat some?”

However, System realized that Shava was not asking about the leaf wrap, but his tentacles that were used to grab the leaf.

“King, what is… that?” Shava sent a message again. This time, she moved beside System and used her remaining limb to touch System’s tentacle.

System realized that Shava’s message sent felt a little weird.

“It should be counted as tentacles. They’re just like fingers and are able to grasp items,” replied System.

Shava seemed to be very interested in System’s tentacles as she slightly rubbed his tentacles using her head.

After a while, Shava seemed to have decided and suddenly said to System, “King, can you, use your… tentacles, to wrap around… me again?”

“Huh!?”

System, who was controlling the slime to divide and gather, was slightly stunned. He finally realized what that unexplainable emotion in her previous message was.

Shava seemed to have taken a liking to his tentacles, or their special effects, and wanted to continue playing the bondage game with him.

“No!”

At a moment’s consideration, System rejected Shava’s request as he did not have such a kink of a certain aspect. His tentacles had appeared because he wanted flexible fingers, not because he had some weird taste.

System’s firm rejection disappointed Shava. Fortunately, although Shava had intelligence, her feelings were very simple, and she would not continue insisting on what she wanted.

When Shava tasted the slime’s colloid, System could feel she was enjoying the food. As expected, colloid food suited her taste perfectly. Thus, she quickly forgot about System’s tentacles and their special effect.

System nodded in satisfaction as Shava was eating the colloid. Then, he divided the slime further to distribute its lively colloid parts to his ant larvae.

Other than two ant larvae that did not like colloid food, the other ants took a liking to such a colloid delicacy, rich in nutrients.

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System was observing the ant larvae eating the slime’s colloid when he suddenly noticed that one of the two females and one male ant larvae that he had been paying special attention to had an unusual eating speed.

Compared to the sizes of the ant larvae that had hatched in the same period, that ant larva was much larger. Evidently, its digestive ability was superior to the other ant larvae.

Meanwhile, analyzing the ant larva’s fast digestive speed had undoubtedly provided a whole new way of thinking for System.

As the saying went, “A beard lathered is half shaved.”

If System wanted to grow quickly, then as compared to the other random abilities, the first thing he needed to improve was his digestive ability!