Year 336 Post-Collision – Day 27 on Surface
The problem with having forty-seven highly intelligent, militarized ants sworn to your service was that they were very good at their jobs.
Too good.
On day twenty-five, Burgundy's scout network detected a rift spawn incursion twelve minutes before the village bells rang. The ants had already mobilized, established defensive positions, and neutralized three of the five spawns before the militia even finished arming themselves.
Marcus had looked at the ant corpses, then at Sunny, then back at the corpses.
"They're making us obsolete," he'd said. Not angry. Just... observing.
"They're supplementing, not replacing," Sunny had argued. But even he could see the problem.
The ants were too efficient. They didn't sleep. Didn't need breaks. Worked in perfect coordination. Every defensive position was manned, every patrol rotation executed flawlessly, every threat neutralized before it became critical.
Blackshore Village had never been safer.
And that was making people uncomfortable.
The Village Meeting
Elena called a council meeting on day twenty-seven. Mandatory attendance for everyone with decision-making authority: herself, Marcus, Roland, the merchant guild representative, and—because apparently he counted now—Sunny.
They met in the communal hall. Burgundy stood outside the door at Sunny's request, though Sunny could feel his commander's presence through their bond, listening intently.
"Let's address the elephant in the room," Elena began. "Or rather, the forty-seven giant ants in the village. Sunny, your named servants are... effective."
"Thank you?" Sunny said cautiously.
"That wasn't a compliment. That was a statement of fact." Elena leaned forward. "In four days, they've transformed our defenses, eliminated every spawn that's come within a mile of the village, and basically taken over every security function we used to handle ourselves."
"Isn't that good?" Nina asked from where she was sitting in the corner.
"It's efficient," Marcus said. "But efficiency isn't always good. Half the militia is getting restless. They signed up to defend the village. Now the ants are doing it for them. What's their purpose?"
"Training," Sunny suggested. "The ants can handle routine threats. The militia can focus on skill development, preparing for bigger dangers."
"That's not how people think," Roland said quietly. "They need purpose. Need to feel useful. Right now, they feel replaced." He looked at Sunny with those too-knowing eyes. "You created an army loyal only to you. That makes you powerful. In a village this small, that makes you the most powerful. Whether you meant to or not."
[ARCHIVE ALERT]
[POLITICAL COMPLICATIONS DETECTED]
[YOU'VE INADVERTENTLY CREATED POWER IMBALANCE]
[RECOMMENDATIONS:]
[1. INTEGRATE ANTS WITH EXISTING MILITIA]
[2. ESTABLISH CLEAR COMMAND STRUCTURE]
[3. MAKE ANTS SERVE VILLAGE, NOT JUST YOU]
[4. DON'T START CIVIL WAR BY ACCIDENT]
"I'm nine years old," Sunny said. "I'm not trying to take over."
"Doesn't matter what you're trying," the merchant representative—a thin man named Garrick—spoke up. "Matters what it looks like. Looks like you've got a private army. Looks like you could decide village policy by force if you wanted. That makes people nervous."
"So what do you want me to do?" Sunny asked, frustration bleeding into his voice. "Send them away? They're named. They're bonded. I can't just unmake them."
"We're not asking you to," Elena said. "We're asking you to... integrate them. Make them part of the village defense structure, not separate from it. Put them under village authority, not just yours."
Sunny felt Burgundy's presence pulse with alarm through the bond. My Lord, if I may interject—
Wait, Sunny thought back.
"How?" he asked aloud.
Marcus pulled out a piece of paper. "We've been discussing this. Here's what we propose: The named ants become an official village defense force. They answer to the village council—meaning Elena, me, and Roland—but you're their direct commander. They coordinate with the militia, not replace it. We establish joint training exercises, combined patrols, shared responsibilities."
"That keeps your bond with them intact," Elena added. "You're still their Lord or whatever. But operationally, they're serving Blackshore, not just you. It makes them our resource, not your personal army."
Sunny thought about it. It made sense politically. And it didn't actually change much—the ants were already defending the village. This just formalized it.
But he could feel Burgundy's concern through the bond. His commander didn't like the idea of serving anyone but Sunny.
"I need to talk to Burgundy first," Sunny said. "Get his input."
Elena nodded. "That's fair. But Sunny? We need this resolved. People are starting to talk. Some of them are scared. A few are calling you 'the Ant Lord' and not in a friendly way."
"Great," Sunny muttered. "Another weird title."
Strategic Discussion with Burgundy
Sunny found Burgundy on the north wall, overseeing reinforcement work. When Sunny approached, the commander immediately stopped and bowed.
"My Lord. The council wishes to discuss our operational structure?"
"You were listening."
"I can feel your emotional state through our bond. Your anxiety was quite clear." Burgundy's antennae twitched. "They wish to dilute your authority over us."
"They want to integrate you into the village defense structure. Make it clear you're protecting Blackshore, not just me."
"We protect Blackshore because you protect Blackshore," Burgundy said firmly. "Our loyalty is to you, my Lord. That was the naming compact. To serve others would require... adjustment."
"What kind of adjustment?"
Burgundy considered. "If you command us to serve the village, we shall. If you place us under village authority structure, we shall comply. But understand: our ultimate loyalty remains with you. Should the village council and your interests diverge, we would side with you. Always."
[ARCHIVE NOTATION]
[YOUR ANT COMMANDER IS TELLING YOU HE'D PICK YOU OVER THE VILLAGE]
[THIS IS THE LOYALTY PROBLEM ELENA WAS WORRIED ABOUT]
[BUT ALSO: IT'S KIND OF TOUCHING?]
[COMPLICATED]
"I don't want you to have to choose," Sunny said. "My interests and the village's interests are the same. I want Blackshore safe. That's why I named you all."
"Then we shall serve both," Burgundy said. "Under your command, we shall protect the village. We shall coordinate with their militia. We shall integrate as they wish." He leaned closer. "But know this, my Lord: if they ever threaten you, betray you, or attempt to harm you—compact or no compact, we shall intervene."
"Burgundy—"
"Non-negotiable," the commander said with absolute certainty. "You gave us names. Gave us purpose. Gave us existence beyond base instinct. We will not permit harm to come to you. This is the nature of naming. This is the bond."
Sunny looked at his first named ant—burgundy carapace gleaming, bearing impeccably proper, loyalty absolute—and felt something complicated in his chest.
In his first life, nobody had been loyal to Rajah. Nobody had cared enough to be.
Now he had forty-seven giant ants who would literally die for him.
It was overwhelming.
"Okay," Sunny said quietly. "We'll integrate. We'll coordinate with the militia. We'll serve the village officially. But if something goes wrong—if I'm in danger—I won't stop you from protecting me."
"That is all I ask, my Lord." Burgundy bowed. "Shall I inform the others?"
"Yeah. And Burgundy? Thanks. For the loyalty. For... everything."
"It is our honor to serve."
The Integration Plan
The next day, Sunny presented the plan to the council:
Blackshore Integrated Defense Force (BIDF)
Structure:
Village Council provides strategic oversight Marcus serves as overall Defense Commander Sunny serves as Named Ant Commander Joint operations for all threats
Division of Responsibilities:
Named Ants: Perimeter defense, advanced scouting, construction, rapid response Human Militia: Village patrols, civilian protection, skilled combat operations, leadership training
Coordination:
Daily briefings between Marcus and Sunny/Burgundy Joint training exercises twice weekly Combined response protocols for major threats Shared intelligence gathering
Elena reviewed it. "This works. It gives the ants official status without making them separate from village authority. And it gives the militia clear roles they can be proud of."
"What about command disputes?" Garrick asked. "What if Marcus and Sunny disagree?"
"Then I make the final call," Elena said. "As magistrate. But honestly, I don't think it'll come up. Sunny's not trying to undermine Marcus."
"I'm not," Sunny confirmed. "Marcus has way more experience than me. I'm just... the weird kid who accidentally militarized insects."
Marcus almost smiled. "That's going on your official title if we ever file paperwork with Lord Castor."
"Please don't."
The council approved the plan unanimously. That afternoon, Marcus called an assembly—full village attendance—and announced the formation of the Blackshore Integrated Defense Force.
The militia looked relieved. The civilians looked reassured. The ants formed perfect ranks and stood at attention while Burgundy formally pledged service to Blackshore Village, under Lord Sunny's command, in coordination with Commander Marcus.
It was weird and formal and somehow worked.
First Joint Exercise – Day 29
Marcus designed the training to be simple: militia and ants working together to defend against simulated spawn attack. He'd recruited some villagers to play "spawn" using padded weapons and colored vests.
"The goal," Marcus explained, "is coordination. Ants detect and engage. Militia provides support and finishing strikes. Communication is key."
The exercise began.
Burgundy's scouts detected the "spawn" immediately—seven villagers approaching from the tree line. "Hostiles detected, sector three. Seven units. Engaging."
The warrior ants moved in formation—Crimson and Blood leading, with Scarlet and Flame on flanks. They intercepted the "spawn" at exactly the right distance, slowing but not overwhelming them.
The militia came in behind—Marcus directing positioning, fighters engaging with practice weapons, everyone working in sync.
The "spawn" were neutralized in ninety seconds.
Marcus looked impressed. "Again. This time, double the attackers."
They ran the exercise six times, increasing complexity each time. By the final run, militia and ants were moving like a single coordinated unit. The humans handled precision and decision-making. The ants handled speed and overwhelming presence.
"It works," Marcus admitted afterward. "It actually works. The ants amplify our effectiveness instead of replacing us."
"The humans provide tactical flexibility," Burgundy added. "We provide force projection and reconnaissance. The combination is superior to either alone."
"Did your ant just compliment us?" one of the militia asked.
"I provided objective tactical assessment," Burgundy said. "But yes."
The militia laughed. Some of the tension dissolved.
Night Conversation – Day 29
That evening, Sunny sat on the wall with Nina, watching the sun set. Below, ants and humans worked side by side to finish the day's construction projects.
"It's weird seeing them work together," Nina said. "Like, two weeks ago nobody even knew your ants existed. Now they're part of the village."
"Integration's strange," Sunny agreed.
"Are you okay with it? Sharing command?"
Sunny thought about it. "Yeah, actually. I never wanted to be in charge of everything. I just wanted to help. This way, the ants serve a purpose bigger than just me. That feels right."
"Burgundy doesn't seem happy about it."
"Burgundy's loyal. Too loyal, maybe. But he'll adapt." Sunny paused. "He's good at his job. They all are. I'm lucky I found them."
"You named them," Nina pointed out. "You made them what they are. That's not luck. That's... I don't know what that is, actually."
[ARCHIVE INTERJECTION]
[THAT'S CLAIMING]
[YOU'RE BECOMING LIKE HER]
[THE LEVIATHAN CLAIMS AND TRANSFORMS]
[YOU'RE LEARNING TO DO THE SAME]
[THIS IS YOUR NATURE NOW]
Nina looked at him curiously. "What are you thinking about?"
"My... patron," Sunny said carefully. "The one who claimed me. I think I'm starting to understand how she thinks. About ownership. About transformation. About making things yours by giving them purpose."
"Is that good or bad?"
"I don't know yet."
They sat in silence, watching the ants and humans work together, building something stronger than either could alone.
Day 31 – The First Test
The real test came three days later when a massive rift surge hit.
Fourteen spawn. Multiple types. Coming from two directions simultaneously.
The alarm bells rang. BIDF mobilized automatically.
"Multiple contacts," Burgundy reported to both Sunny and Marcus via their communication system (which was just Burgundy projecting to multiple people). "Fourteen hostiles. Northwest and southeast vectors. Recommend split formation—I take northwest with warrior ants, Marcus takes southeast with militia."
"Sunny with you or me?" Marcus asked.
"With Burgundy," Sunny said. "I can support the ants better, and you don't need backup."
"Agreed. Execute."
The forces split. Sunny moved with the warrior ants—Burgundy, Crimson, Blood, Vermillion, and twelve others. They hit the northwest spawn group hard and fast.
Sunny used Abyssal Sovereignty to root two spawn in place while the ants swarmed them. Used Pressure Blade to cut through a third. His Pain Tolerance and Recovery Acceleration kept him in the fight when he took hits.
But the real effectiveness came from the coordination. Burgundy directed tactical positioning while Sunny provided high-impact strikes. The ants protected him while he protected them. They fought as a unit.
Six minutes. Seven spawn dead. Zero casualties.
Marcus's group took slightly longer—eleven minutes, seven spawn, two injured militia—but they succeeded.
Total village casualties: two injured, none dead.
Total spawn casualties: fourteen dead.
Perfect defense.
That night, Marcus bought Sunny a drink at the village tavern (watered-down ale for the "nine-year-old").
"That worked," Marcus said. "Really worked. Your ants and my people fought like they've been training together for years, not days."
"Burgundy's good at coordination."
"Burgundy's scary good. But you're the key. You tie it together. The ants trust you absolutely, which means they trust your judgment. When you said 'work with Marcus,' they actually meant it." Marcus took a drink. "You're turning into a leader, kid. Might not mean to, but you are."
"I'm not a leader. I'm just—"
"A nine-year-old who killed eight rift spawn today, commands an ant army, and coordinated a perfect defense with zero deaths." Marcus smiled. "Sure. Not a leader. Whatever you say."
[ARCHIVE ASSESSMENT]
[LEADERSHIP LEVEL: EMERGING]
[VILLAGE STANDING: RESPECTED]
[MILITARY CAPABILITY: SIGNIFICANT]
[POWER STRUCTURE: INTEGRATED BUT COMPLEX]
[STATUS: YOU'RE BECOMING IMPORTANT]
[THIS WILL HAVE CONSEQUENCES]
Day 32 – Looking Forward
The next morning, Sunny stood on the north wall with Burgundy, looking toward the dungeon in the distance.
"How long until I'm ready?" Sunny asked.
"For the dungeon?" Burgundy considered. "My Lord, you are powerful for your age. Your synthesis abilities are formidable. But dungeon conquest requires more than combat strength. It requires strategy, endurance, adaptability, and most critically—a party you trust absolutely."
"I have you and the others."
"And we shall serve. But ants alone may not be sufficient. Dungeons test in varied ways. You may need diverse capabilities—magic, healing, specialized knowledge." Burgundy's antennae twitched thoughtfully. "I suggest you continue building relationships here. Strengthen the BIDF. Perhaps recruit others to your cause when the time comes."
"How long?"
"Six months minimum. A year ideally. Longer if you wish to be cautious."
Sunny looked at the distant tower, feeling its weight even from here.
"Six months," he said. "I can do that. Build up, get stronger, train the BIDF, maybe attempt a few more syntheses."
"And recruit," Burgundy added. "You will need allies for what comes, my Lord. True allies, not just named servants."
"I have the village."
"The village is shelter. You need companions. Equals, or near-equals, who can stand beside you when you face true danger." Burgundy turned to look at him. "You are growing powerful, my Lord. But power alone is insufficient. Even the Leviathan, primordial as she is, claimed you rather than face existence alone."
That struck deeper than Sunny expected.
"You're very wise for an ant."
"I am what you made me," Burgundy said with perfect politeness. "Formal, strategic, and loyal. These are the gifts of naming. I merely use them in your service."
Below them, the village was waking up. Ants and humans working together, building defenses, planning patrols, living lives that were safer now than they'd been a month ago.
Sunny had done that. With forty-seven impulsive namings and a lot of accidental claiming behavior.
In six months, he'd attempt the dungeon.
But first, he'd build. Synthesize. Grow. Strengthen.
Become something worth the name he kept secret and the claim that bound him.
[ARCHIVE STATUS]
[DAYS ON SURFACE: 32]
[NAMED SERVANTS: 47]
[VILLAGE STANDING: INTEGRATED]
[MILITARY STRUCTURE: BIDF (FUNCTIONAL)]
[RIFT SPAWN KILLS: 22]
[CONTINUITY DEBT: 36.6%]
[ARCHIVE ENTRIES: 6]
[GOAL: 12 ENTRIES BEFORE DUNGEON ATTEMPT]
[TIMEFRAME: 6 MONTHS]
[MAGICULE RESERVES: 847 (RECOVERING)]
[STATUS: ACCIDENTALLY BECAME MILITARY COMMANDER]
[BURGUNDY'S SATISFACTION LEVEL: HIGH]
[OTHER ANTS: MOSTLY HAPPY]
[NEXT CHAPTER: GROWTH, SYNTHESIS, AND COMPLICATIONS]
[END CHAPTER 13]