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Kai brand one scout as his spy... slot 8/10 open. Then he whispered his orders, "Tell the clan you lost the quarry. Give them wrong information. Tell them, Luna slipped west. If your tongue betrays me, I will give you the real pain of my Essence Eater." He cut ropes just enough to allow wriggle free in ten minutes. Wolves knelt, shaking.
Experience? Yes, he didn’t spare the other one. Kai activated his essence eater and started to eat him slowly, the most painful way possible. He was showing his mighty powers to the mark one. He was still new to his monarch marking power.
"I don’t know if the wolf will betray me or not. This is the first time I used my skill on a beast man. The system didn’t give any information about the loyalty. I need to figure it out by myself. We are connected with our souls. I can take his anytime if she betrays me. Let’s observe him for now."
Then he says out loud, "See how painful it is... do what I say. Go return to the wolf camp."
In the background the system notifications was floating. +30 exp, +3 stats point. After collecting the star core. He climbed the canyon wall, tracker-stone still dim but now he could felt a faint warmth.
Detour must be taken. Miryam’s food is low. On his maps an icon ’Glow-Root Hollows’ lay under Frost-Spire cliffs. This root can produce a liquid similar to star milk. It was also known as root milk. "Let’s check the area. I got some spare time until the wolfman returns to the camp. Then I will observe him and the camp with my soul link."
He reached the cave mouth by moonrise. Inside he found a small forest of phosphor tubers dripping silver sap, exact nutrient precursor. Jackpot. But the guardian waited, it was called Carapace Razor Elks, three beasts, each three star rank. They got plates like obsidian sails.
Kai inhaled and slid the spear. Ready for Battle.
First elk charged, antlers whirring sawteeth. He side-stepped, Tiny Tank on. His exoskeleton hardened, sparks flew around him. Spear reverse-stab pierced lung.
[Ding! +30 EXP.]
Second and third flanked. Kai vaulted stalagmite, used Essence Overlord and the blade lengthened with void-edge. Two slashes, two heads rolled on the ground.
[Ding! +60 EXP.]
Corpses bled crystalized protein. Kai drained two via liquid after using Essence Eater of them (stomach to aura conduction). Stats +7. He carved star cores (three-stars ×3) and tossed them inside the soul storage cube.
After that he harvested 20 litres of sap root milk into vials. "Stock secure. I can try to feed it to Miryam. If she likes it then I will collect more of this root milk."
After washing gore in hot spring, Kai opened window:
[Strength 257
Speed 220
Stamina 205
Unallocated points: 10]
He fed points 5→Stamina (210) and 5→Speed (225).
[Ding! System notifications:
Updated Status window-
Name: Kai (Elite Worker Ant)
Species: Monarch Devourer Ant
Titles: Humanoid Ant Monarch. Ruler’s Guardian.
Titles effect: All ants below the host level submit to him. All Ruler’s will show you kindness unless provoked.
Level: 33 (⭐⭐⭐)
Exp: 710/1000
HP: 3000/3000
Aura: 3100/3300
Lifespan: 20+ years
Strength: 257
Speed: 225
Stamina: 210
Unallocated stats: 00
Ultimate Skill:
Essence Eater
Sub skills: Essence Overlord, Devourer’s Bite
2.Monarch Brand
Subordinate Slots: 8/ 10
Branding costs 400 Aura per target. Branded subject evolves into Ant-Hybrid form retaining original racial perks + colony synergy. Brand obeys Monarch’s direct commands, range limitless once bond stabilises.
Unique skill: Luster’s Mark
1. Mia- impression points: 30
Luna- impression points:15
Inventory: Soul-Bonded Storage Cube (4x4x4)
Item: Many Liters star crystal liquid, 47 Star crystal, One Rulers core. 9 four star cores, 27 three star cores, 58 two star cores, 100+ one star cores, and a few tons of Beast meat.
Skill Set: (Duration: 5 minutes without any cool down.)
Antenna Sensory Boost – Sensing enemies through vibration and pheromones.
Worker’s Resilience – Briefly buffing stamina at the expense of fatigue earned.
Tiny Tank – Hardening the exoskeleton for greater resilience.
Ant’s Instinct – Enhanced resource finding but with a few bugs.
Reflex Mode – Movement speed increased; use at your own risk as it is unstable.
Adaptive Armor (Passive): Exoskeleton can adjust to reduce damage from different types of attacks.
Predator’s Instinct (Passive): Enhances detection of threats and weaknesses in enemies.
Aura Cost: -200 upon per use. ]
"Everything is balanced. Everything looks alright." Kai murmured.
He approached the ridge before dawn. The fortress silhouette was piercing the aurora. Frost-Spire’s outer palisade ringed by ice gutters channeling meltwater moats. Towers held oil-braziers; wolves on rounds.
Kai mapped pattern, four-minute gap between west watch pairs. He chose the north wall, blind spot shielded by glacier ribs.
At 03:17 he activated Adaptive Armor colour morph, carapace dulled to ice blue. He crawled across moat pipes, scaled walls using his hands. Speed helped him.
Inside bailey thirty wolf-soldiers off-duty snored around a bonfire. He slid past kitchens to the prison wing, a wooden longhouse lashed to a basalt column.
Tracker-stone flushed violet. "She’s here." He never imagined that Luna would be here. He came here to beat the shit out of Roddick. Instead he found a surprise.
Two guards at the door. Kai needed quiet. He flung pebbles, guards glanced at the small rock then approached it. He dropped behind in second, nerve chop and unconscious. Other gaped, blade half drawn, Blueloom swooped, talons shocking 20 kV into the helm. Guard crumpled.
Kai entered and found a Single cell, runed. Luna lay on a straw mat, wrists chained overhead. Moonlight through a slit window silvered her ears drooping in exhaustion.
Kai’s breath hitched, battle-weary but radiant. He whispered, "Luna, Luna..."
Her ears twitched. Eyes opened, violet irises widened. "K...Kai, is that you?" Voice hoarse but hope-lit.
Her ears twitched. Eyes opened, violet irises widened in disbelief. She recognises Kai by his voice. She didn’t see his face. Kai was in the dark.
"K...Kai? Is that you?" Her voice rasped like dry grass in moonlight.