In the Lower City slums, Evan Cole brings his mother’s dying gift—a beast egg—to the Awakening. It shatters, hatching Alia, a premature ant queen mocked as worthless. Their blood pact reveals her S-rank Hive Queen power: devour beasts and evolve an ant army. After three days of hunting, Evan storms the academy trial, kills an S-rank mutant, and ranks first. He uncovers House Vale’s dark magic, the Undercity, Cerberus, and the Abyss lord Valhan. During a million-beast tide, Evan and Alia achieve Symbiosis, slay Valhan, save the Lower City, earn Upper City status, and years later he marries Maya.