117 Praise the Empress and the Sacred Volcano!

Her body looked like it was decomposing and reconstructing itself at the same time, elongating in some places and contracting in others, darkening in some places and lightning in others, and it was a very horrific sight.

It was then that she remembered what the System had said, and couldn't help but feel fear.

'Is this what it means to become an Abomination? AGH!' the Ant Queen thought before a swelling in her abdomen caused her a mind-numbing pain. When she looked through the eyes of another Ant, she saw that her shell had 'popped' open, and spat out something that looked like liquid fire, radiating the essences of both fire and earth.

'Wh-what is that?'

DING!

<Congratulations Host. During the process of becoming an Abomination, the 2 originally unrelated essences of Fire and Earth, have fused together to form Lava Essence.>

But although the Ant Queen could hear it, the sudden increase in pain had addled her thoughts and made her feel like she was going to die. And on top of that, the strangely active yet desolate energy that was forming within her body, was beginning to directly attack her mind, causing her thoughts to deteriorate or think crazy things.

So in a desperate attempt to save herself, her befuddled mind decided to employ the only trick that she had left, and without any hesitation in her heart whatsoever, she sent a ruthless order to her colony to kill themselves!

She was of the mind that all she needed to retain her sanity was the extra lifeforce from her dying colony members, so without any regards to their lives, she sacrificed them all.

Clearly, she wasn't thinking straight. But the order had been sent and it must be obeyed, so in one big wave, all the thousands of Ants that had managed to cling to life in the increasingly chaotic environment, keeled over and died.

It wasn't one by one, and neither was there some kind of heroic self-stabbing. No. They all just collapsed like they had been deactivated, and it was quite the terrifying sight. Thousands of Ants lay dead and one huge pile.

It also didn't help that they started to wither just like those that came before them.

But they had done their job and their Queen had received their bountiful lifeforce. And it was so quantitative that she even began to glow from within, with every breath that she took exhaling lifeforce like it was common carbon dioxide.

But that did not stop the Abomination Transformation.

It had restored her sanity like she wanted, but Abominations were Abominations and it was only a matter of time before her mind was once again eroded. And at that time, there would be no more Ants in her colony for her to sacrifice (something which was already causing her massive guilt), to stall the process.

The Ant Queen was finished.

Or at least, she should have been.

DING!

[SYSTEM ANNOUNCEMENT]

<You have been offered a Contract by the Sacred Volcano.>

<The Sacred Volcano would like to make you an Apostle in exchange for eternal servitude, protection, and a copy of your memories. Do you agree?>

The Ant Queen was shocked, but she didn't dare to think too much and immediately asked the most important question.

'Will it save me?!'

DING!

<Yes. If you form a con->

''Yes! I agree! I agree!!!'

DING!

<Congratulations. You have made a Contract with the Sacred Volcano.>

<Congratulations. You have become the Apostle of the Sacred Volcano.>

<Congratulations. You have gained the Heaven Grade [Sacred Volcano Apostle Physique].>

<Congratulations. You have gained the Earth Grade [Rapacious Magmic Bloodline].>

<Congratulations. You have gained comprehension in the Laws of Fire, the Laws of Earth, and the Laws of Lava.>

<Congratulations. You had gained the title [The Sacred Volcano's First Apostle].>

<Congratulations. You have been named [Meaphite] by the Sacred Volcano.>

<Congratulations. Your Mana has been reforged by the Laws of Lava.>

<Congratulations. You have become a 5th Stage Magic Beast.>

<Congratulations. You have become a 6th Stage Magic Beast.>

<Congratulations. You have become a 7th Stage Magic Beast.>

The Ant Queen lay underneath the pile of her dead colony with a dazed expression as an avalanche of blessings were bestowed upon her.

…

Fast forward 26 years and the lowly Ant Queen had become the Blazing Ant Empress that she was today, with numerous Ant Queens that she had given birth to and even the rulers of other races within the 9 Circles, obeying her every command.

Currently, she was making her way down the Volcano with numerous Spirit Beast Stage Ants following her every step with extreme vigilance. They were very bulky and had large thick abdomens covered in a steely black igneous-rock-like material that looked impenetrable, along with lava-like veins running across their bodies, and burning red compact eyes. They were one of the new caste of Ants within her colony called the Royal Guardian Ants, whose sole purpose being to protect the Queens within the colony and the Empress herself.

They were a step above the Guardian Ants and the Knight Ants (who were above the Soldier Ants, Architect Ants and the Worker Ants), and only equal to the Juggernaut Ants: Ants who were built for the sole purpose of wreaking destruction.

It seemed that things were going extremely well for the Colony and it was looking like they were steadily making their way to becoming a super colony, and it was all thanks to the Sacred Volcano.

A familiar light of reverent zeal appeared in the callous Empresses eyes as a single thought rose above the other simultaneous thoughts running through her mind.

'All praise the Sacred Volcano.'

'Praise the Empress and the Sacred Volcano!''Praise the Empress and the Sacred Volcano!''Praise the Empress and the Sacred Volcano!''Praise the Empress and the Sacred Volcano!''Praise the Empress and the Sacred Volcano!''Praise the Empress and the Sacred Volcano!''Praise the Empress and the Sacred Volcano!'

The voice of thousands upon thousands of Ants resounded throughout her mind, joining the other hundreds of thousands of thoughts already circulating there.