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I clicked on the insectoid head in my mind's eye. Doing so caused me to suddenly see a new notification.
[Swarm Selection:
Welcome to the swarm selection menu. This unusual menu was unlocked when you gained influence over considerable numbers of insects, and is the result of you mixing three subdomains: corruption, agriculture, and vermin.]
That notification vanished as quickly as it had appeared. Fortunately for me, by now I had slowly begun to notice that I could perfectly recall the contents of every notification I had received to date, even ones that came and went in a blur.
A second later a new menu showed itself in my mind's eyes.
[Swarm Selection Menu:
Soldier Ant: Soldier ants are the fierce warrior caste of ant-kind and they perform both offensive and defensive functions for their colonies. You currently have influence over 700 soldier ants.
Worker Ant: Worker ants are non-reproductive female ants. They can perform defensive functions but are most commonly known as being the scouts and foragers of ant-kind. You control over 1250 worker ants.
Other kinds of ants insect. Drone ants and ant queens exist. Additionally, this has begun to grant you influence over the insect subdomain, and as you increase your influence over this subdomain you'll be able to increase the strength of your swarm and eventually it'll enable you to forcefully evolve members of your swarm and grant them other powers and abilities.
Command: 1/1 usages left for today
Dream: Unlimited usages but this would require an ant with greater intelligence, such as an ant queen, to be used on. That said, clever usages of this ability could be used to subtly influence ants and eventually other insects in your swarm.]
I visually explored the menu for a second, before willing it away. Once the thing was gone I immediately closed my eyes and allowed for the not-so-mini-map to fill up my view once more.
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Mentally exploring the mini-map in my head, I focused on the areas where hundreds of tiny dot were situated. I spent a few moments locating ”Drone ants” and ”Ant queens” and familiarizing myself with where the things were located on the minimap since they were the main ants I had missed the first time I set off a fruit storm near the braver and more outgoing ants.
I quickly cast ”Create food” dozens of times, spreading the strange and eldritch food I can create throughout the parts of the forest populated by ants. It took perhaps a few seconds before my notifications started to go crazy again. In fairness, I had created over three times more food than before, as I was determined to make being thorough a habit.
That said, being prepared allowed me to weather this storm with little more than a sigh of annoyance. I sat down next to my new friend and waited until the notifications had passed. That took around half an hour due to the sheer number of ants I had to wait to gain influence over.
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Once I had gained influence over all of the ants in this segment of the forest, nearly 7,000 little fellows who were now influenced by me. I stood up and beckoned for my caiman companion to ready itself for travel.
”Come on little guy it's time we now go meet one of my other friends.” I told the thing, excitedly.
The caiman, now thoroughly influenced by my powers and effectively sedated while in my presence clambered off of its feet and turned to look at me. I grinned and began to walk, starting off quite slow to ensure that my awkward crocodilian companion was able to keep up without any difficulties.
The thing began to follow me, and it moved deceptively fast. I was impressed with my companion and so to reward its efforts I softly scratched the space between the predator's eyes. It made a deep sound, a guttural, pleasant one that emanated from the back of its throat. I grinned, and each step took me closer and closer to my goblin ally, the little creature I had saved once: Troik.
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By the time I had trekked deep enough into the forest to reunite with my little green buddy he was beginning to make his way back to his own home. Fortunately, I was able to catch him before he could get close to the outskirts of his tiny tribe.
I caught the little guy in a tiny clearing, one where the first stars to appear in the skies could be seen if someone looked straight up into the sky. The goblin had begun to nervously draw his weapon when he heard me emerging in the distance but dropped the tiny knife he used in self-defense when he realized who I was.
The goblin cheered and began to run at me when he realized who I was. He ran perhaps a few dozen meters on short, stubbly legs, before actually reaching me.
When the goblin reached me the thing leaped into the air and began to cackle madly. I grinned and accepted the thing's energetic greeting by catching him in mid-air and hugging him close. He smelled of wild things, leaves, fruits, trees, mud, and dirt.