Chapter 208
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Chapter 208: Untitled
Since Stealth One appeared significantly older, Lin Yu couldn’t help feeling a sense of dissonance when facing her—even though she was indeed her daughter.
That discomfort grew especially pronounced whenever she was addressed as "Mom."
To put it into perspective, it was like encountering a senior alumna visiting her former school, only to be greeted not with "junior," but with… "Mom"?
"Mom, I think I still need some time to adjust to this body. Would it be alright if I accompanied Sister Red Pupil on hunts during this period?"
"Ah—oh…"
The girl blinked, shaking off the odd imagery in her mind before nodding.
That made sense.
Whether it was herself or her daughters, everyone required an adjustment period after their first transformation into the human race to fully master the skill. The duration varied from ant to ant.
Army Lady and Lvzi had adapted almost immediately, but Little Tear had been slower, only achieving complete control a few days prior.
Once she mastered the transformation, the weepy, gluttonous little one—who also happened to dislike clothing—promptly reverted to her ant form and scurried back to the food storage.
Compared to her human guise, Little Tear seemed far more comfortable in her natural state.
Hmm, what about me?
At first, I definitely preferred taking human form, but once the novelty faded, I realized my ant form wasn’t so bad either.
Movement felt more… fluid this way.
Perhaps it was the shift from six limbs to just two arms and two legs—sometimes, the absence of those extra appendages left me feeling oddly unbalanced.
But!
Just like how I could will my antennae to appear or vanish, those missing limbs could be summoned or dismissed at will, even in human form!
And where did the remaining two limbs manifest?
At the shoulders!
If I focused, two additional arms could sprout just beneath my existing ones!
…I’d turned into a freak.
I’d initially expected four legs and two arms, but that would’ve been even weirder.
Still, what use were four hands?
Ah—for Army Lady and Lvzi, currently operating in human settlements, it might prove practical. Especially for Army Lady, who was already proficient with weapons. Four hands would let her wield two weapons simultaneously.
But since it was unclear whether the human race possessed skills allowing such a transformation, it was probably best to keep this ability restricted for now.
Besides, they hadn’t even learned it yet.
Not that it was difficult to master.
Though trickier than controlling antennae, with enough practice, conjuring extra arms could become as effortless as drinking water!
…Wait, why was I even practicing this?
…Boredom, I suppose. Cooped up in the castle all day, one had to find ways to pass the time.
…
Not long after, Lin Yu witnessed the goblin assault on Naner Village through Army Lady’s eyes.
Suddenly, the situation became far from boring.
The sheer size of the Goblin Tribe genuinely took her by surprise.
This goblin horde was nearly twice as large as the Goblin Tribe she had encountered three years ago!
"Don’t you think this is somewhat unusual, Mother?"
After receiving the news, Magic Rainbow pondered for a moment before speaking.
"While the increase in monster attacks on the human race can be partially attributed to our ant tribe’s activities, there’s no conceivable reason for such an enormous goblin gathering to appear."
Oh, so the monster attacks on humans are connected to us…
Now that I think about it, this makes sense. Due to our ant tribe’s hunting operations, the monster population within our territory had been steadily decreasing for some time.
Could this be why some monsters fled from Granville Monster Forest?
Ah, but that’s not the immediate concern.
"What do you believe is causing this anomaly?"
"The cause?… With insufficient intelligence, any theories would be mere baseless speculation."
Magic Rainbow shook her head.
"What if we dispatch our younger sisters to investigate? We haven’t established any ant colonies in human towns and villages, nor in the distant hills and other forested areas."
"Hmm."
The white-haired maiden contemplated briefly before nodding.
She was rather curious about the monster hierarchy in other regions.
To avoid detection by the human race, they couldn’t deploy too many ants for reconnaissance.
Ultimately, they dispatched fifty investigation teams, each composed of three Stealth Ants.
While Flying Ants would have been ideal for such scouting missions, they had only recently hatched. Their numbers remained limited, and a significant portion hadn’t even reached Class B yet. After careful consideration, Lin Yu decided against deploying them.
…
As the Stealth Ant teams embarked on their mission to investigate the monster anomaly,
Stealth One found herself reluctantly preparing to visit the Adventurer’s Guild in town, now that she’d grown accustomed to her human form.
Lin Yu personally accompanied her to the castle gates to bid farewell.
"Please be careful on your journey."
"Yes, Mother…"
Stealth One hesitated, her words trailing off.
Earlier, when she had first assumed human form, she’d asked Lin Yu about her opinion of this appearance. While Mother had said it looked nice, she’d averted her gaze at the time.
Does Mother truly dislike my human form?
Could she perhaps prefer petite figures like Sister Red Pupil’s…
"What troubles you?"
"Mother… might I have a hug?"
She spoke it aloud…
Though her face remained composed, Stealth One’s heart pounded with uncharacteristic nervousness.
"…Mm."
After a brief pause of apparent surprise, the white-haired maiden before her gave a quiet nod.
…
Despite appearing older than me, she’s still my daughter after all!
Lin Yu’s gaze lifted to meet the gray-haired woman before her.
Just a tad taller… actually, Stealth One seemed to stand even higher than Army Lady.
If we embrace…
The younger girl stepped forward into an embrace.
With nearly a head’s difference in height, the scene resembled less an act of holding and more of being enveloped.
"Mother’s so tiny."
The words slipped from Stealth One’s lips unbidden.
"…You’ve grown too large."
Hmph, it’s not like your chest is any bigger than mine.
A trace of displeasure colored the white-haired girl’s movements as her delicate fingers traced a teasing path down Stealth One’s back.
She felt the taller girl’s body shudder violently.
Even in human form, her sensitivity remained… no, perhaps it had intensified?
Having administered this knowing "punishment," the white-haired girl maintained an innocent facade as she watched Stealth One depart, her gaze lingering until the figure vanished from view.
Stealth One’s backstory followed simple lines—like Lvzi, she’d been part of Army Lady’s Adventurer Squad in their former town.
When Army Lady had been driven out, Stealth One happened to be away on an errand, arriving later than Lvzi in their reunion.
Such were the basic facts.
Though tensions seemed to linger between Stealth One and Army Lady, the former’s consistent obedience and emotional intelligence suggested she’d perform her role adequately.
…
As Stealth One made her way toward town,
Lit’s expeditionary force, guided by Lvzi and Army Lady, reached the woodland domain of the Goblin Tribe.
