Re:Ant Lord-Chapter 139: Preparations

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She nodded, still unsure. "We’d travel light, then. Sled rations, aura canisters, a collapsible nursery crate in case Miryam must come?"

Kai hesitated. Bringing the wyrmling into an essence storm felt reckless. Yet leaving her in a still new lair without both parents gnawed. He clenched fist. "If the map pans out, we stage at Ridgefall Basin first. We assess storm readings. Only then decide if she travels."

"Fair." Luna stepped closer, voice low. "I will not let greed cost her safety."

Kai met her eyes. "Nor will I."

They woke the lair like a hive at shift horn, issuing orders that rattled every corridor. Skyweaver ignited the forge, folding fresh wolf cores into slim darts, she christened them stinglets then tipped with condensed aura magnetite, lethal to storm-drunk beasts.

The boar twins hammered plate segments into a modular siege sled. Tunnel Crown and Heart Mason widened eastern escape burrows for supply re-entry. Silvershadow oversaw the layering of trap glyphs, piercing concussion mines, night-fog snares, aura reels keyed to Kai’s personal signature.

Above all hung a simmering anticipation.

As Kai and Luna began organizing their expedition to the eastern fissure, the entire mountain lair shifted into a hive of focused activity. Each beast was assigned specific responsibilities to ensure the group would be ready for travel within a day.

Star-Forge Stinglets (50 units)

Assigned To: Skyweaver

Status: 60% complete

Skyweaver, the air support beast and forge specialist, was tasked with forging a set of fifty precision stinglets of small, aerodynamic projectiles laced with condensed aura and tipped with aura magnetite. These would be used in close encounters within unstable aura fields or against high-speed predators. As of midday, she had successfully cast and cooled over thirty of them, each fine-tuned for storm resistance.

Siege Sled & Harness Construction

Assigned To: Stone Ram and Iron Rampant (the Iron-Tusk twins)

Status: Frame welded, component assembly ongoing.

The twin boars were engineering a modular siege sled built to carry food, aura canisters, emergency supplies, and a cradle for Miryam. The sled was fitted with flexible supports to absorb terrain shock and was large enough to hold two injured beasts. The steel frame was fully welded, and shock dampeners were half-installed.

Trap-Grid Expansion (Outer Ring)

Assigned To: Silvershadow

Status: 80% etched

Silvershadow remained in the mountain and led the reinforcement of outer perimeter defenses. Using spare wolf cores and mineral glyphs, he expanded the trap network, setting up piercing concussion mines and night-fog snares that only activated on foreign aura signatures. The outer layer was almost complete and would deter any Silvertail counterattack in their absence.

Nursery Shield Weave for Miryam

Assigned To: Luna

Status: Moon-vine lattice cut and ready to install

Luna had carefully woven a moon-vine mesh designed to shield Miryam’s growth chamber from aura surges and sand debris while allowing her to move freely. The material was breathable but impact-absorbent. The shield was sized for both current use and her next molt. Though Miryam would remain behind with Silvershadow, a smaller mobile cradle version was also prepared for emergencies.

Ration Kegs and Aura Flask Preparation

Assigned To: Heart Mason

Status: In progress, multiple units filled

Heart Mason, one of the tunneler ants, had taken charge of food and energy storage. He distilled fresh star-milk into compact nutrient kegs and filled small aura flasks from condensed beast cores. These rations were tuned to each team member’s biology, ensuring stable regeneration during long marches or aura disruption.

Scout Report Communication Channel

Assigned To: Shadeclaw (Remote Duty)

Status: Active, but awaiting scroll flare.

Shadeclaw, already dispatched eastward with Skyweaver, maintained a direct soul-scroll relay with Kai. These enchanted scrolls could transmit short bursts of aura-encoded text upon burning. The return signal was expected to confirm the presence or danger of any essence pool phenomena. As of now, Kai was still awaiting a flare signal from the scouts.

The Monarch of Mountain was fully mobilized. With each division pushing their tasks forward, Kai ensured that both the expedition team and the lair defenders were prepared for the uncertain dangers ahead. The looming silver fissure over the eastern sky no longer felt distant. It was a ticking clock, and with every heartbeat, the need to act grew stronger.

Kai moved among workstations, Aura Insight active, luminescent currents glowed around each guard like rivers. He corrected an energy mis-flow in the Iron Rampant tusk plate, redirecting torque runes. He trimmed excess flux from Skyweaver’s crucible field to prevent brittle fold lines, he even coaxed Miryam into exhaling a controlled puff at a dull chiseling saw. Her sand breath polished the blade mirror-sharp.

The wyrmling’s confidence swelled, though she still avoided direct touch with Luna. Yet during mid-day break, Kai watched her crawl awkwardly to the rabbit woman’s feet while Luna practiced moon-vine knots. Miryam sat there, eyes wide, simply studying the nimble fingers. Luna froze, heartbeat fluttering. She did not speak, only continued looping vines slower so the hatchling could follow. After several breaths Miryam raised a claw and tapped the strand. Luna smiled gently.

That evening, as the forge cooled, Kai and Luna reviewed final lists in the war chamber. A fragrant stew bubbled over coals, root hearts, star-milk, a dash of wolf marrow. Miryam nibbled bone flakes beside them.

Kai unfurled a blank scroll. "Tell me every scrap of legends you recall about essence pools."

Luna inhaled, recalling childhood nights beneath warren lanterns. "We call them the Wells of Crowned Ash. They appear after major starfalls or where ancient Sovereigns fought and died. Over decades the ground fails to digest their aura, it seeps into cracks, sinks to bedrock. Then some cataclysm splits the crust, an earthquake, a mana tide and the mixture gushes upward, forming a mirrored pool. The liquid shines like molten glass but flows thicker than honey."

She tapped the map. "Legends say the first beasts to drink are branded by the pool’s memory. If a dragon died there, the essence grants scale-kin traits; if a leviathan died then water dominion. No one knows how to locate a pool in the storm. The scar shifts, reality folds. Hunters often die in echo mazes, chasing reflections."

Kai’s eyes gleamed. "But the reward..."