When pitch-black night shrouded the world, humans who had failed to evolve naturally became food to be plucked up at will.
Night was their domain.
Kadabi and the other Chimera Ants had once firmly believed that.
Now,
They lay dead on the ground around Moyu.
Humans—
Besides being food, they could also be powerful beings.
Kadabi and his companions had proven that with their lives.
The few Chimera Ants watching the battle from farther away had also come to understand this deeply.
"I once thought..."
"Claws and fangs were the strongest weapons in this world. A casual swipe could easily end someone's life, but..."
"That wasn't the truth."
"There's always someone stronger. I don't stand at the pinnacle. Dying once was the price I paid to learn that lesson."
"I have to grow stronger. I know I can grow stronger."
"Learning from my mistakes, and this ability I just acquired—those are my weapons now."
A muscular, lion-headed Chimera Ant silently watched the distant forest.
His name was Leol. If Moyu could have seen him now, he would certainly have recalled his information immediately.
Leol was one of the Division Commanders who had died at Morel's hands in the original story.
From his position, even with his eyesight, Leol could not actually make out what was happening in the forest.
But his subordinate Flutter was a Chimera Ant with dragonfly genes. His astonishing eyesight allowed him to observe the battle in the forest from afar, then communicate through radio waves to report how terrifying that human was.
"Arrogance only leads to defeat and death. Right now... it's not time yet."
Leol turned and strode away, an inscrutable gleam flickering in his eyes.
His brethren's deaths had not been meaningless.
But even with the wealth of vital information they had provided, Leol