I stand outside of the hill, antennae and eyes straining for the slightest sound, before giving up.

There really aren't that many creatures who attack anthills.

Thinking back to my battle (sure, battle) with the spider, I recall my mandibles glowing black.

Making sure that there are no creatures approaching the hill, I try to make the veil reappear.

Nothing happens.

Okay, well maybe I need to attack something for it to work.

I walk down the side of the hill and lock my vision onto a piece of grass. I lunge forward for a bite, and-

Nothing happens still.

I simply take a bite of grass.

Disappointed, I start heading back to the hill.

Suddenly, a blast of energy surges through me, and a transparent blue shockwave explodes from me, symbols attaching themselves to objects, and then disappearing. A feeling like cold water seeps into my brain, and then everything was still.

What was that?

[Hello, (target host)! It's so nice to meet you!]

Eh?

What's going on?

[My name is Joule! I implanted myself in you when you were forcibly adapted by Noah Cosmic!]

I recognize that name. So that thing's name is Noah.

It gives me a sense of foreboding. As if just the name itself was-

[I am your self-personalizing Void Engineer and Allocation Unit! Or, for short, V.E.A.U.!]

What the heck is she talking about?

[Hello?]

I received an immediate response.

[How may I be of assistance?]

[What are you?]

[I am your self-personalizing-]

[Stop. I heard you the first time.]

[Then why did you ask?]

I sigh internally. The voice in my head is distinctly female, but it sounds way too excited. And the way it said that last part reminded me of the Cosmic.

[I don't know what any of that means.]

[Oh.]

She pauses for a moment, and I appreciate the silence. Please let it last forever.

Unfortunately, her reply comes quickly.

[I am an automatic assistant designed to help you get acquainted with whatever abilities you received while forceful adaptation.]

[...and?]

Her voice, when she finally responds, is nonplussed, as if I'm a hatchling fresh out of the larva.

[Your new form should be difficult to use consistently. Due to the black hole residing in your gaster (or stomach) you are now entitled a Void Ant.]

I clack my mandibles in visible irritation.

[What is that supposed to mean?]

She loses it.

[Look, I'm an artificially created intelligence who thus far, has been surrounded by targets I am incapable of quantifying. I found out that Noah was planning on adapting you, so I hopped on board without his knowledge and stored my entirety in the void you currently possess and I'm quite certain you don't know how to use it. I am here to HELP YOU. Does that make sense?]

I give her a moment to calm down.

[None of that made any sense at all. What exactly do you do?]

With a direct question, she answers happily.

[My primary objective is to quantify your abilities in a method you can understand.]

A blue sheet of some transparent material appears in front of me, a picture of myself on it, and more symbols that I don't understand.

[My secondary objective is to use whatever materials you eat, run them through your Void, and then allocate them as... points, if you will, to your abilities.]

Another number appears.

[My third and most important objective is to keep you safe at any cost.]

I process this information for a moment.

[I'm pretty awesome, aren't I.]

She sounds very proud of her 'objectives'.

[I only understood that last part.]

Aaaand now she's sulking.