Re:Ant Lord-Chapter 14: Completing Mission

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Kai's next challenge led him deeper into the lower chambers of the ant cave, where unseen predators lurked in the shadows of the ant trail ground. The air here was thick with an acrid tang of decay and the stench of venom—a perfect hunting ground for nature's deadliest scavengers.

[Ding! System notifications- Warning. Warning.

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Enemy Encounter: Venomous Shadow Beetle (Rank ½ Star)]

A low, guttural screech filled the air. From the gloom, a hulking black beetle emerged, its massive form silhouetted against the faint luminescence. Its mandibles dripped with a glowing green venom, and every step it took exuded the promise of lethal pain.

Kai's antennae twitched as he assessed the enemy. "Oh, great. A walking poison factory and its rank is half star," he remarked, his tone a mix of sarcasm and genuine wariness.

Out of nowhere, the beetle struck. Kai was frozen in place; he twirled to the side as venom splattered on the ground, sizzling where it landed.

The burning ground. "Time to see how my upgrades hold up," he muttered, employing his Tiny Tank ability. His exoskeleton firmed up instantly, the adaptation giving him a little protection against the beetle's lethal strike. The shock flung him off to the side, but he remained on his feet.

Kai did not waste a second. He retaliated against the black beetle. His mandibles snapped forward, locking around the beetle's middle part of the body with deadly precision.

A gruesome crunch echoed through the air as the insect screamed, its carapace quivering under pressure. In a single fluid motion, Kai leapt onto its back, burying fangs into the exposed neck joint.

The beetle thrashed wildly in rage, attempting to shake him off with spasmodic, uncontrollable twitches.

[Ding! System notifications- Host, be careful.

New Alert: Second Enemy Approaching.]

His antennae detected a second vibration, a second beetle racing towards him at impossible velocity. "Two Vs one? Not fair!" Kai shouted.

Battle fury seized hold of him. In that moment his ant instinct kicked in, he jumped upward from his current victim at the moment the second beetle slammed into the first, both slammed each other with tremendous force with like an unyielding wall was banged with hammer.

SLAM!

Seizing the opportunity for distraction, Kai switched to Reflex Mode once more. He stepped forward, wrapping the injured neck of the first beetle with his mandibles. He bit down on its exposed area over and over again until the beast gurgled and collapsed to the ground with a thud noise, dead!

[Ding! Enemy Defeated. EXP +600.

Congratulations host, you just level up.

Current Level-04]

Before he even had time to rejoice at the victory, the second beetle suddenly roared in a deafening voice and charged at him.

Kai spun around with lightning speed and latched on to the coming adversary's back. He sank his jaws as deep as they would go into its thorax.

The beetle thrashed uncontrollably, hammering against the rock-lined walls of the tunnel in frenzy to shake him loose. His grip eased, and the prospect of being bucked off balanced precariously for an instant.

Going against the fate, he did go through with it: he activated Worker's Resilience. In a burst of ephemeral energy, his muscles pounded with renewed vigor. Stiffening himself once more but still with steel will, he bludgeoned the beetle's innards. The beetle spasmed out and jerked for a few seconds, before dying finally, crashing onto the ground.

[Ding! Enemy Defeated. EXP +600.]

Panting, Kai retreated from the wreckage. "Two down. Three to go," he told himself, his mind already set on the task before him as he gritted his teeth for the challenge that lay next.

"Damn, Those beetles gave me a ton of exp. One is worth 600 exp. I guess the reason must be that they are half star rank."

For the rest three enemies. Kai just beat three zombie ants. He didn't feel any difficulty dealing with them.

[Ding! Three Enemies Defeated. EXP +300.]

"Finally all enemies are taken care off. Now let's see..."

[Mission Three: Devourer's Awakening]

As his final task of the day, he used his one and only essence eater skills on the fallen enemies. The ground was littered with bodies of five vanquished foes long gone, their putrid corpses a bloody reminder of how he defeated them.

[Ding! Suck the essence of a fallen enemy.]

Lying on the ground of the cave was the body of two black beetles whose exoskeleton now dangled limply and faintly emanated an overwhelming power. Those were the bodies of two of his mighty foes who had been most strong since his Reincarnation—a power which Kai believed he could tap to help him grow stronger. His mandibles trembled with hunger.

"Let's see what these black beetles have to offer after using my Essence Eater skill," he scoffed.

[Essence Eater Activated.]

A dark mist spiraled from the beetle's motionless body, coiling around Kai's mandibles as he bit down. The sensation was indescribable as if a rush of raw, alien power flooding in his body, infusing him with strength beyond measure. His exoskeleton shivered as the essence liquid flowed into him, its energy reshaping his very being.

[Ding! Absorbing corrupted essence... Stat Points +5.]

He does the same thing with the second beetle's body.

[Ding! Absorbing corrupted essence... Stat Points +5.]

Kai shivered, his vision flickering in and out as the tremendous power was sapped from him. His exoskeleton hardened even further, his aura tank recharging to fullest, and his senses becoming razor-sharp.

"Yes. I can feel it! More power!" he thundered out, the essence liquid was like a battery reaffirming in him that each battle was carrying him one step further toward unadulterated power.

And as the last drop of the essence was consumed from the five fallen enemies, one last message flashed before his eyes:

[Ding! Daily mission complete. Exp +60.

+3 stats from zombie ant.

Congratulations host, you just Level Up!

Current Level: 05.]

A gasping, rasping breath was torn from him, a mix of determination and relief. All his nerves tingled with newfound strength, each muscle vibrating with possibility. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, Kai experienced a moment of triumph.

"System, show me my current status window." Kai ordered with a demanding voice full of joy and satisfaction.

He looked at his status window:

[Ding!

Status Window-

Name: Kai

Level: 05

EXP: 190/2400

HP: 50/100

Aura: 110/310

Lifespan: 63 Days

Strength: 15

Speed: 16

Stamina: 17

Unallocated Stats: 17

His mandibles cracked with joy. "Halfway there. Five levels to my destination," he gasped, his voice raw and resolute.