A month and a half later, the puppet master witnessed the emergence of his creations: large armored spiders with substantial web sacks, gigantic armored hornets with stingers that spanned half their body length, and queen-sized winged spiders. "Good, very good," he thought, nodding in approval as he examined their forms.
To confirm their functionality, he began testing the armored and flying spiders' webbing abilities. The spiders efficiently spun webs, showcasing their inherited traits. Next, he had the flying spiders undergo a series of test flights, observing their agility and maneuverability.
The puppet master also evaluated the hornets' stingers, verifying their potency and effectiveness. A thorough inspection of the creatures' armor followed, assessing its durability and resistance to potential threats.
Furthermore, he examined the creatures' responses and interactive abilities with other ants in the nest and with each other. This assessment revealed their social compatibility and potential for cooperation.
Finally, the puppet master utilized his somatic sense to scrutinize the inner structure and functionality of the body parts and organs of his creations. This intimate understanding allowed him to fine-tune their development and make any necessary adjustments.
With these comprehensive tests, the puppet master gained a deeper understanding of his creations' capabilities and limitations.
The puppet master departed, feeling satisfied with the condition of his creations. He looked forward to leveraging the lake water's benefits for himself, now that he had developed a way to harness its power without succumbing to its toxic effects.
By taking controlled doses of the lake water, he aimed to strengthen his physical body while concurrently enhancing his mental abilities. This dual approach would likely amplify his overall capabilities.
However, he acknowledged that his soul study had stagnated, and he hadn't achieved any recent breakthroughs. Despite this, he recognized the vast potential of mental power study and was optimistic about future progress.
As he journeyed toward the lake in his chariot, the puppet master contemplated strategies to revitalize his soul study and unlock new insights. His thoughts were filled with anticipation, driven by the prospect of further self-improvement and the expansion of his abilities.
The puppet master had continued to gather spirit liquid and life force nutrients, recognizing their distinct importance. Spirit liquid was essential for study and research, requiring large quantities, while life force served as his daily lifeblood, necessitating regular replenishment.
Upon arriving at the lakeside, he extended two tentacles into the water and began absorbing small amounts of lake water. As he did so, his thoughts wandered to his plans, including the biowomb's impressive egg production capacity of over 3.2 million eggs per month.
This would provide him with a steady supply of superior insects for his army every few weeks. However, his contemplation was interrupted when he sensed a unique mental wave emanating from deep within the lake.
Thanks to his advancements in mental power studies, the puppet master had become increasingly sensitive to brain waves from living organisms. Although the signal was faint and brief, he was certain it didn't belong to any insect he had encountered.
The sudden appearance and disappearance of this mental wave piqued his interest, as he had ensured that only corpses were disposed of in the lake. The distinct sequence of the brain wave was unlike anything he had previously detected, sparking his curiosity about the potential source of this anomaly.
The puppet master's thoughts turned to the lake's notorious ability to dissolve everything within half a day, a property he had observed even after his strengthening by the gecko corpse. He noted that even the biowomb's water-sucking tentacles required periodic removal to prevent dissolution.
Given this, he found it remarkable that a life form could potentially exist in the deeper regions of the lake without being detected. The sudden appearance of a unique mental wave had sparked his curiosity, and he became determined to explore the lake's depths.
To achieve this, the puppet master dispatched his ants to gather numerous long sticks, each comparable in length to the pillars supporting the nest's cave-like structure, though thinner and more portable.
The puppet master instructed the biowomb to grasp a long stick with one of its tentacles and insert it into the lake. The stick rapidly submerged, but surprisingly, it didn't reach the lake's bottom. This observation confirmed his suspicion that the lake's depth was greater than its appearance suggested.
Recalling the lake's consistent water level despite his experiments, he realized that gathering multiple sticks was a prudent decision. By merging with the biowomb, he gained enhanced control, utilizing two biowomb tentacles and two of his own to manipulate the sticks.
The puppet master began constructing a makeshift probe by tying sticks together, carefully extending it into the lake's depths. Despite adding multiple sticks, the probe still didn't touch the bottom. He continued this process, incrementally increasing the probe's length to gauge the lake's true depth.
The puppet master continued to extend the probe, adding four more sticks, before noticing a sudden decrease in weight. This unexpected change surprised him, given the durability of the plant fiber ropes and sturdy sticks.
Upon retracting the probe, he discovered that a portion of the stick had melted, resembling plastic. The melted section was localized to the end of the stick, suggesting that the lake's bottom area was highly active and chemically distinct from the outer regions.
After inspecting the damaged stick, the puppet master seemed to reevaluate his priorities. He chose not to invest further effort into exploring the lake's depths, instead opting to await potential opportunities. "If it's fated that I inspect that life form, the opportunity shall present itself," he thought, deciding not to waste his time and energy on uncertainty.
With that, he departed the lake area, leaving behind the mystery of the lake's depths. Meanwhile, in the darkness below, a slender shadow continued to sway gently, its presence still unknown to the puppet master. The scene shifted to the colony, where events would unfold in due course.
11 days later
The puppet master observed the large spider, labeled Number 499, as it suddenly stirred to life. Its eyes brightened, and it stood up, displaying a flicker of wisdom. The puppet master couldn't help but feel a mix of fascination and frustration.
He had been attempting to enhance the intelligence of his creations, but the process proved challenging. Importing knowledge into their minds had limited effects, and even using human brain wave patterns as references had yielded inconsistent results.
Most test subjects had succumbed to mental breakdowns or frenzy when their brain wave patterns were altered to mimic those of humans. However, Number 499, this particular spider, had somehow managed to adapt and develop intelligence comparable to that of a five- or six-year-old human child.
The puppet master's thoughts turned to the countless failed experiments, making Number 499's achievement all the more remarkable. He seemed intrigued by the spider's potential, wondering what insights it might offer into the development of intelligent life forms.
The puppet master's experiments focused on non-puppet insects, as puppets lacked the capacity for orderly mental waves, a crucial component for creating intelligent life forms. He initiated a telepathic conversation with Number 499, sending a simple greeting: "Hello."
This development showcased his growing mastery over mental abilities, allowing him to communicate telepathically without puppetizing his subjects. However, he noted that insects struggled to grasp complex meanings, even when messages were translated into their understandable language.
To overcome this limitation, the puppet master had been exploring another experimental avenue: granting intelligence to unconscious life forms. This approach might potentially yield more promising results, enabling him to create more sophisticated and capable entities. Number 499's response to the telepathic message would be an interesting starting point for further investigation.
The spider gazed intently at the puppet master, acknowledging the greeting but unable to respond. Its limitations were clear: lacking speaking abilities, telepathic capabilities, and sufficient understanding of complex concepts beyond basic instincts like breathing and movement.
Given these constraints, the puppet master recognized the need to impart knowledge to the spider, Number 499. This process would likely involve transferring information and guiding its development to enhance its cognitive abilities and facilitate more effective communication.
The puppet master's thoughts turned to the challenges ahead, anticipating the time and effort required to nurture the spider's growth and unlock its potential. With patience and careful guidance, he hoped to unlock new possibilities for his creation.