In a large tree in the middle of the forest, the alpha of the Gloomwings, Leapon, sat lazily. With legs crossed and wings folded, the great silver male reclined on a thick branch, overseeing his territory. The forest below buzzed with life - lesser Gloomwings frolicked, and the distant babble of the river added to the familiar comfort of his dominion. As the uncontested lord, Leapon enjoyed peace, provided no challenges arose.

He had chosen this tree, the only spirit tree in the plane, for his lair. Such a tree could become a tree of life or even a world tree in higher planes, its fruits offering a slight power boost. Unfortunately, this spirit tree bore fruit rarely, and Leapon hoarded any that appeared.

Disturbed from his thoughts by a mate's cry, Leapon glanced down. Despite the distance, he sensed her concern. Irritated, he wondered why the females couldn't resolve their issues independently. However, his status required him to at least hear her out.

Gloomwings, being intelligent creatures, communicated through visual, auditory, and chemical signals, though they lacked speech. The mate, approaching submissively, conveyed her distress over her missing child, lost for two sunsets.

Leapon's initial reaction was dismissive; the forest's food chain often claimed the unwary or weak. He was annoyed at being bothered over a missing offspring. However, the mate's insistence and her reference to the riverside, the edge of Leapon's territory, piqued his interest. The notion of an intrusion stirred him to action, considering the potential threat to his domain's security.

Deciding to investigate, Leapon joined two adults Gloomwings, who submitted to his authority. He commanded them to follow his mate in search of the child. Watching them leave, Leapon felt a mix of satisfaction and restlessness, the latter lingering until the hunting party's return.

Leapon was unsettled by the possibility of a breach in his territory. Despite wishing his mate had kept her concerns private until more information was available, he acknowledged the prudence of being informed swiftly. Resolved to act on any threat, Leapon awaited the scouts' report, determined to maintain the safety of his realm.

For the moment, Leapon could only watch and listen, the unease persisting as the day progressed. He hoped the coming darkness would bring clarity and answers.

* * *

Kim observed the newly spawned scythe drone, uncertain of its intentions. Thankfully, it remained passive. The drone, resembling a large rhino beetle with scythe-like forelegs and a black and purple exoskeleton, emitted a faint green glow from its eyes and abdomen. Kim felt an unexpected connection to the drone as if it were part of him.

Curious, Kim attempted to control the drone with his mind and found it responded to his mental commands. Chip explained that hive-minds have a mental link with their drones, allowing for control within a certain range.

Kim was happy to find out that he could control the drone like the games he used to play back on Earth. It was natural to him at this point and his new body is much more suited to controlling drones than fighting.

Feeling more confident, Kim ventured out with the drone to the river, preferring the shallows for a safer crossing. Despite crossing the river, Kim remained cautious about the new territory. The drone mirrored his movements closely.

Near the river, Kim spotted a small, exotic feline with green fur and a purple gem on its forehead. As he approached, the scythe drone reacted to a perceived threat, lunging at the creature. However, the cat teleported away, escaping into a large cave. Kim held back the drone, opting for caution and seeking easier prey.

They soon encountered a six-legged deer. Kim strategized for the drone to ambush the deer while he approached from the front. His attempt to spray the deer with a void essence partially missed, but it drove the deer toward the drone. The drone successfully tackled and killed the deer with precise strikes.

A rush of vitality flowed through Kim as Chip announced in a synthetic tone, he had leveled up to Level 2. “Congratulations Kim, on the successful hunt and the level up. You can now build a Spore Network.”

Satisfied with the hunt, Kim decided to use the deer carcass to nourish the brood pool and produce more drones.

* * *

“The Spore Network?” Kim inquired.

“The Spore Network infects the area by pumping the ground with void essence creating a bulge on the ground that will spread the void essence in a small area around it. The Spore Network makes your drones move faster and slowly heal over time, it also decreases build construction time and increases their production speed.” Chip explained in a synthetic tone.

Kim felt a sharp, stabbing pain in his mind, causing him to stumble and nearly lose his balance. He looked over at the scythe drone beside him, but it appeared undamaged. Then it dawned on him—the pain was coming through the mental link with his Brood Pool back in the cave. Fear and panic rose within him as he realized something was wrong.

Breaking into a sprint, Kim raced back to the cave. All he could focus on was the agonizing pain in his mind, growing stronger with each passing second. As the cave came into view, he saw three winged creatures emerging from within. Kim and the drone immediately dove for cover in the nearby bushes, peering out cautiously as his anger simmered.

The largest of the creatures had distinctive silver tips on its wings. Its face was badly burned. The other two Gloomwings flanked it protectively and worried about its condition. A primal rage welled up within Kim at the sight of these intruders, but he forced himself to remain still and observe them from afar. Attacking now would accomplish nothing—the Brood Pool was already destroyed, and he had lost his connection to it completely.

As the Gloomwings took flight and disappeared over the trees, Kim turned his gaze to the biggest Gloomwing. He would not forget that distinctive silver marking and scarred face. When the time was right, he would have his revenge against that creature for destroying his hive and severing his link to the Brood Pool. But for now, patience and planning were required.

Kim reeled in the scythe drone as it tried to give chase, restraining its aggression. Its attempts to fight would only lead to a pointless loss, they are adults Gloomwings and stronger than them.

With the Pool destroyed, he knew he would need to start over again in a new location. One far away from the Gloomwings' territory on the north side of the river. Kim considered the options available to him. Crossing the river seemed to be the wisest course of action to put distance between him and the Gloomwings. Perhaps on the opposite bank, he could establish a new hive safely.

Before leaving, Kim consumed the dead six-legged deer carcass, absorbing as much nutrients as he could. Gaining a partial profile of the six-legged deer creature, called Spyder. The image of the green feline he had seen near the cave flashed in his mind. Yes, that cave across the river would make an ideal spot for a new Brood Pool, away from the Gloomwings' domain.

Kim took one last look at the small cave of his first hive, steeling his resolve. Then he turned and began the trek to the river, his drone following closely behind. They moved cautiously, on high alert for any signs of the Gloomwings. Safely on the other side of the river, Kim picked up his pace. He navigated by memory toward the massive cave where he had seen the green feline.

On his way to the cave, he found and successfully hunted 2 beasts; a giant creature similar to an armadillo with rock armor named Racadillo and a small creature similar to a dog with tusks called Fanged Dingo. He consumed them and grew larger gaining a partial profile of them.

Soon after, he found it—a gaping cavern entrance at the base of the mountain. Kim found a secluded spot in the giant cave protected by rock walls, he made sure there were no dangerous beasts nearby. Kim inspected the interior, confirming it was uninhabited before settling in.

Tomorrow he would begin constructing his new hive in this well-hidden sanctuary. He would spawn an army of drones, bolstering his forces until he was ready to cross the river once more and exact revenge on the Gloomwing who had wronged him. These thoughts swirled in Kim's mind as he finally allowed himself to rest, the drone standing guard beside him.

* * *

Waking up the next day fresh and ready to start Kim was about to build a new Brood pool when Chip stopped him and said in an uplifting tone, “Kim, I believe that you should build a Spore Network than build the Small Brood Pool on it. Doing so would greatly decrease the building time and increase its production speed.”

Kim complied and injected the ground with void essence. Soon after swelling in the ground appeared and started pulsing with a green hue spreading mycelium threads and turning the ground dark purple around in a small area. Kim repeated the process a few times until the Spore Network infected the whole secluded cavern.

Kim built another Small Brood Pool in a corner and went to hunt with his drone. The Small Brood Pool only took a day to build this time and Kim had a dead beast ready to feed it with. After a few hours, three Scythe drones arose from the Small Brood Pool.

“The Spore Network sure is useful it saved me a great deal of time. Good thing I level up, it seems that the more level I get the more building I get.” Kim joyfully remarked.

While he was waiting Kim was doing a little digging and found a small blue crystal. Chip explained in a synthetic tone, “This is a Mana Crystal they are crucial for upgrading drones and building among other things.”

“How can I do that?” Kim enquired.

Kim was disappointed when Chip told them nothing yet but soon, he might be able to use it. Thinking ahead Kim decided to create some Digger drone to expand the cavern and collect Mana Crystals.

With the help of 4 Scythe drones, hunting was a lot easier, he managed to acquire five more dead beasts in a short time and leveled up to 3. He consumed one to feed himself and his drones and threw four of the dead beasts into the Small Brood Pool. Kim was able to create two Digger drones and was about to create more Scythe drones when Chip stopped him.

Chip's voice rang inside Kim's head in an uplifting tone, “Kim you have reached level three which opens the Research Pool which allows you the use those Mana Crystals. If I may suggest I recommend empowering your Scythe drone profile which should allow you to create higher-level Scythe drones. This will greatly increase the power of your hive.” Kim decided to hold on to creating Scythe drones and just make five diggers instead.

“That is a good idea Chip we need all the power we can get as this Mana System seems to favor higher levels heavily. It is unlike any game system I have played at.” Kim concord with Chip.

Chip visualizes a chart in front of Kim, "According to my analysis it seems that there is a power jump at level five. Perhaps that explains the divergence from the game systems you have played."

After a few hours, the new drones emerge from the Small Brood Pool. Kim examined the Digger drones; they looked just like the other drones. They had purplish black carapace with sturdy spade-like appendages and a durable horn for boring through earth and stone. Kim instructed the diggers to dig where he found the Mana Crystal.

Kim went to an empty spot in the cavern injected the ground with a large amount of void essence then buried a small egg in it. Soon the egg hatches and just like the Brood Pool a small tadpole starts absorbing the void essence and the ground starts rising. Kim stayed to watch it for a few hours as a big balloon abomination filled with green void essence erected. Kim spends the rest of the day digging Mana Crystal.

* * *

The next day, Kim sent his four scythe drones to hunt while he stayed behind to oversee the expansion of his new hive. After they moved far away, he lost connection with them and decided to check on their status. Kim discovered that once a drone leaves his sphere of influence, it stops moving and goes into idle mode, awaiting commands.

"Your sphere of influence is currently limited to approximately one kilometer. The drones cannot operate autonomously beyond that range," Chip explained calmly in a synthetic tone. "Drones venturing beyond that range will enter an idle state until you retrieve them and issue new commands from within the range." Nodding in understanding, Kim sent his drones to hunt within his sphere of influence and returned to his hive to continue mining mana crystals.

Later that night, the construction of the research pool was finally complete, resembling a pulsating green balloon emerging from a viscous green fluid pond. Kim observed the spore network's tendrils seamlessly connecting the brood pool and research pool, integrating them into a unified hive structure. Linking his mind to the network, he accessed an array of potential upgrades, each promising to enhance his drones, buildings, or even his corporeal form. He also could compile a profile using a creature or mana crystal to fill the gaps. The research pool required a stupendous amount of mana crystals.

For now, Kim opted to allocate his resources toward upgrading his scythe drones, the process requiring his constant mental focus as the research pool drew upon his very essence. The research pool couldn't operate without a mind linked to it.

After an entire day of intense concentration and a pounding headache, the upgrade was finally completed, leaving Kim utterly drained. He immediately collapsed into a deep slumber, his mind reeling from pushing his drones' capabilities to new heights. He could now create level 3 scythe drones.

Kim awoke the next morning, his hive mind buzzing with purpose. The previous day's hunt had been fruitful, but now he needed to venture farther afield to sustain his growing forces.

As the first rays of light filtered into the cavern, Kim watched with a sense of pride as eleven newly formed combat drones emerged from the Brood Pool's viscous green liquid. Their carapaces glistened, their blades sharp and ready for battle. With twenty-one level 3 scythe drones now at his command, Kim felt a surge of confidence.

He turned his gaze deeper into the cave's shadowy depths. It was time to expand his territory. With a mental command, his drones fell into formation in front of him as he led the way into the unknown from the safety of the back end of his army.

The cavern twisted and turned, the walls closing in before opening up into a vast underground lake. Kim halted, his drones fanning out beside him, as they took in the sight before them.

Thousands of beast-like crabs scuttled across the cavern floor, their shells adorned with vibrant fungi that seemed to glow in the dim light. As Kim's drones advanced, the creatures scattered, fleeing into the depths of the lake.

With lightning speed, his forces gave chase, their blades slicing through the water. Two of the beasts fell, their tough exoskeletons no match for the drones' relentless assault. The rest disappeared into the murky depths, safe for now.

Kim approached one of the fallen creatures, its fungi-covered shell already beginning to decompose. With a mental effort, he consumed a portion of its flesh and began an analysis of the creature to build a profile.

"Fergus," the chip supplied. "A species that cultivates fungi on its back for sustenance. Highly nutritious."

Kim's interest was piqued. If he could fully analyze these creatures, perhaps he could domesticate them, using them as living farms to provide a steady supply of nourishment for his hive.