[AN: Read Aux for System status; If I put it here, it would take half of the Chapter]
Nox grinned with satisfaction at the progress he and his pets had made over the past four years. With the beast cores obtained from Snakey and her group, he had managed to advance Thirteen, Fluffington, and the ant queen significantly.
However, with each level-up, the number of beast cores required had also increased. For months now, their progress had stagnated.
Nox rubbed his temples. None of his beasts had awakened new skills in the past years, but he wasn't worried; he now had enough skill slots to copy and upgrade skills. He intended to bestow many skills upon his pets in the near future.
Leaving Eve's mansion, Nox returned to Cromwell Manor. From the window, Eve watched his figure disappear into the distance.
"So, my new mission is to watch over you," she muttered, recalling the green-eyed woman who had visited her four years ago. She didn't know why the Lich Court wanted her to keep an eye on the boy, only that they had their own agenda and wanted to use him.
But what was that goal? She had no idea.
"The Lich Court has always been secretive, even to its senior members..."
An association of elite necromancers, the Lich Court was considered outlawed by all human kingdoms. It was founded with the aim of providing security to necromancers pursued by authorities.
That was why Eve had joined and gradually risen through the ranks. The organization only recruited necromancers, so their sudden interest in Nox left her uneasy.
Although beast tamers and necromancers got along just fine, it still seemed unusual for them to take an interest in a non-necromancer.
"Are they looking for an ally? Is that prophecy stuff Arthur always talked about true?" Eve thought, her eyes narrowing.
After all, it was said that the prophesied one would spread beast taming throughout Eos. Perhaps the Queen knew this, which explained her newfound interest.
"But why?" Eve's eyes narrowed, a murderous aura filling the air. "I hope they don't mean the boy harm... because if they do, they'll only bring trouble upon themselves."
Eve wasn't ungrateful. Nathan had done a lot for her, providing a place to stay despite Vermilion Kingdom's disdain for necromancers. Regardless of her history with the Cromwells, she couldn't stand by if the Lich Court used Nox as a pawn.
"Besides... I have grown accustomed to that kid. It would be very hard for me to live with myself if anything happened to him... so no matter what, I need to keep him safe."
Nox returned to Cromwell Manor, and after a sumptuous meal prepared by his mother, Nox hurried behind the mansion.
"It's hard to believe how quickly time flies. Our little Nox has grown up," Aina remarked softly, watching Nox disappear. Despite four years passing, she hadn't aged a day.
"True. He even seems more responsible too. Entrusting him to Eve was the best decision we've made," Nathan chuckled. "By the way, where's Nyx? I haven't seen her in a while."
"Oh, she's currently hunting in the dimension with Serna; Hans is with them," Aina responded.
"She's been gone three days now. Sometimes, I think she overworks herself... such a stubborn girl," Nathan sighed. "You used to be like that too, I remember. Is it because of her race?"
"Yes, but I think losing to Wendy in the tournament made her more serious," Aina answered. She wanted to add that Nyx was striving to keep up with her brother but decided against it.
Behind the manor, Nox and Thirteen were looking at a man-made cave. With help from the ant queen, he'd built it for the ant colony, where they'd lived for the past four years.
'I wonder how the citizens would react if they ever find out about this place,' Nox thought as he entered inside. 'They'll certainly freak out.'
Because of the ant queen's control, the ants had been very docile. They didn't wander out of the cave to attack the citizens. Instead, they focused on developing their tunnels.
Because of his past visits, Nox had grown accustomed to their presence, and although he hadn't tamed them, he provided food from time to time and could understand them; all the ants had grown to respect him and would carry out any order of his.
'They're like my personal army... that's why I have to make sure everything is taken care of before I leave.' A calculative glint flashed across his eyes. Once upon a time, there were only childish gleams, but after staying close to Eve and four years of growth and experience hunting beasts, Nox's eyes now held a mix of maturity and strategic thinking.
The cave was made of intricate tunnels, the grounds were a bit uneven, and there were glowing blue beast cores embedded into the walls. According to the ant queen, these cores nourished the ants and could increase their progression slightly as long as they were inside the cave.
Nox strolled through the tunnels, marveling at the ants' engineering skill. The air smelled of damp earth, the colony's soft hum filled the air. The ants, two meters tall, greeted Nox as they went about their tasks.
As he made his way deeper into the cave, Nox noticed a peculiar yellow glow emanating from a chamber to his left. Curiosity piqued, he veered off the main path and entered the room.
Inside, Nox found a group of female ants gathered around a cluster of glowing, iridescent eggs. The ant queen stood at the center, her antennae twitching in a complex manner.
"Ah, wrong room!" Nox said as he hurriedly rushed out with hot ears, making the other ants giggle.
"Don't be embarrassed, master. It's fine," the ant queen spoke hurriedly with a smile on her face. "These little ones are the future of our colony, and we're glad you're here to see them. We've been working tirelessly to ensure their safety and development."
Nox's embarrassment slowly faded as he walked back into the room and ran his hands over the eggs. It reminded him of the blue-fanged egg that was still in his taming space; it had yet to hatch. He wondered if all eggs took this long.
Curious, he asked, "How long would it take for the eggs to-- huh?"
Suddenly, dust burst into the air, forming a small whirlwind that pushed Nox and the others back. The wind howled fiercely, stinging their eyes with debris. Nox had no choice but to shield his eyes as he tried to understand what was happening.
"What's happening? Is this another dimensional rift?"
He hadn't seen a dimension form before, so he was confused about what to do. He looked at the ant queen for answers. However, she had her eyes fixed on the whirlwind with excitement.
"She doesn't look scared," Nox realized. "...wait, could it be--"
At that moment, the whirlwind dissipated as quickly as it had formed, leaving behind a cloud of dust and a humanoid ant with shimmering black carapace and glowing eyes.
"Your majesty!" As soon as he appeared, all the ants fell on their knees, their eyes fixed on the ground as if they were scared to meet the eyes of the ant king that radiated with a powerful aura.
The black-carapaced ant's antennae twitched as he let out a puff of air from his mandibles. "Finally, I have returned."
[King of Scourge Ants, King Tier LV 1]