In The Queen's Chamber, the others could sense and feel the powerful aura. Even hearing the roar of the great ant king. Macey fell to the floor, gagging. "Such a menacing aura-" she covered her face, "I can't believe it!" Macey thought, "How is it possible for a single beast to be capable of such strength?!" Erik thought. "Whatever that is, it is no ordinary beast!" She decided. The beast that suddenly appeared before Winter stepped closer, and the very echoing sound of its footsteps sent shivers down the others' spines. "This one is not near her chambers, he could not have harmed mother," it thought as its dark red aura billowed from its body as it stepped past Winter, but he grabbed his wing. It turned back and opened its mouth, roaring in his face with great rage. "I'm not letting you get past me that easily!" Winter smiled. His eyes glowing with blood-red, vertical-slit irises and red flesh sclera with black straight lines diverging from each iris. "I have to save the queen!" It thought, and without hesitation, the ant king threw a massive right hook. Winter blocked it with his left wrist, and with an explosion of mana and dust he launched a right hook into the ant's stomach. It cackled and lifted both hands up over his head before bringing it down with much of its strength. Winter blocks it against my left forearm with another eruption of mana, and the earth underneath them breaks. Displaced by the sheer force of the attacks, they break away from each other and pound their fists away at each other. Trading blow for blow, waves of mana rush through the area with each attack landed on each other. The ant king had other plans than this, and with an uppercut that whipped its head up, it unleashed its sharp, blade-like tongue. It lunged in with it, narrowly cutting Winter's cheek. Leaping away, he fell to his knees, "Poison?" Winter thought, "No, neurotoxin," Ultima corrected, "After consuming a cone snail, I obtained the power of its neurotoxins," it thought, "It may not the strongest substance created by nature, but I've made it deadlier by mixing it with my mana," it reasoned. "You tried your best human!" It thought, "Now get out of my way!" It slammed the back of its right hand into Winter's body, knocking him out and launching him into the tunnel wall. Breaking through it, he is launched into the swarming ants that are fighting their way through the tunnels. They bite at him and chomped onto his limbs and appendages.
The ant king moves on through the tunnel, arriving at the queen's chamber. "What is that thing?!" Tommy thought, "We don't have time to be standing around, we need to defeat that thing!" He added as the king stepped by. As if his body was being torn apart, Tommy felt the ant king's aura pass through his body. "It walked right past us?" Erik thought, "I was too late-" it stepped up to the queen's corpse- "I couldn't save her!" it opened its mouth again, and with all its grief and rage it roared. Sending everyone in the room to the floor with its overwhelming aura, "Who killed mother?!" The ant king thought, turning to the Klato strike squad, only Macey stood on her feet. She trembled as she lifted her sword, "you-" it flashes stepped- "IT WAS YOU!" It appeared behind her, slamming a mighty backhand into her torso. Breaking her arm and ribs as she bends unnaturally from the attack before launching into the tunnel wall. Spitting blood, she fell to the ground, seemingly unconscious. "Help me-" Macey pleaded- "I can't without risking our life, but maybe he can," a voice that is both captivating and authoritative, a vocal tone so rich and velvety that it resonates with timeless elegance replied in her mind. Slowly, Macey drifted out of consciousness. "These walls were much stronger than the tunnels, perhaps to protect the queen," the ant king thought as the ant looked at the dent Macey left in the wall. "Ms. Mears!" Tommy yelled, rushing over. The king stood in his way, and with a weak jab into the shield, it broke both it and Tommy's fist. He attempted to stab the ant with his spear, but it grabbed his wrist and ripped both of his arms off. Tommy roared in pain as blood spilled from his wounds. The ant king stepped away as Erik roared, leaping in. It dashed past him, leaving streaks of light from its cuts on Erik. Aaron lifted his hand and attempted to use fire, and the ant king appeared before him as well. Cutting through his chest. "I've got a clear shot! There's no way I'll miss from this distance!" Dwight thought, launching an arrow at the ant. It quickly flew toward the ant's head, but just as it reached the ant's reach, it was snatched out of the air. "It caught it?!" He thought, as the ant shattered the arrow. It lunged in at Dwight and back handed his head, launching him away. The ant king looked back at the others, finding Tommy rushing in and slamming his side into itself.
"He's healed?" It thought, sliding back on the ground. "My arms may have been cut off, but I've got a healer by my side!" Tommy smiled, "Camouflage is my defense skill, concealing all traces of my presence," Michel thought, "The only downside is that you can't move without giving yourself away, but it's still a handy skill to have as a healer," he added in thought. "Even if that beast wants to get rid of me, I won't be found easily-" Michel watched as Tommy slammed his fist into the ant king's face. "As long as my team has my healing, it won't be able to defeat them easily!" he added. The ant grabs Tommy's ankle and slams him into the ground behind it and in front of it. Michel heals Tommy from a distance, and the ant king turns his head in Michel's direction, feeling the flow of healing magic coming from that direction. "My camouflage is still in effect-" he sweats- "There's no way it knows where I am!" Michel thought. The ant king glared, and with a step it vanished from their sight, "Michel!" Erik roared as Michel felt a sharp, piercing pain from his back to the front of his chest. He looked down to see a hand through his chest, and began vomiting blood, "Michel!" He roared again, reaching out for him. "Erik-" Michel began, looking up at Erik- "Run," he warned before the ant king leaned in, biting his head clean off with one chomp. Everyone watches in horror as the crunching of bone and creation of flesh, cringing as they tremble in fear. Erik stands himself up, roaring as he leaped at the ant king. Grabbed by the throat, Erik's transformation melts away. "Erik. Run," It repeated to him, "Run away, Erik," the ant king mocked. "You bastard!" Erik cursed. "You are all weak," it struggled to explain, "Just by eating its prey, the beast obtained not only the life, but also the strength and knowledge of the person it consumed," Erik thought, "Our queen was defeated," it struggled to speak, "killing you won't be enough," the ant king explained, starting to speak a little more smoothly, "who is your king?" It asked, glaring into Erik's eyes. "King?" Erik asks, the ant king looked through the room. Looking at each of the members bleeding out, but it suddenly flinched, "Outside," it turned to the exit of the queen's chamber. "There is a strong presence outside," it glared, dropping Erik before taking off, swiftly flying through the tunnels. He fell to his knees, coughing as he grabbed his neck. "Outside? Is he headed to Simón Alcabú, or Winter?" Erik asks, "We don't have time to sit around like this!" he thought, struggling to stand himself up, "We have to get out of here before it comes back!" he added as blood ran down from the right side of his chest. The sound of buzzing echoed through the tunnels, and Erik looked up with sweat running down his face. "Damn it! They're already here!" He cursed.
Simón, Alan, and Paz ran through the jungle, "Something's not right!" Paz began, "Team Charlie and Delta saw streaks of light that were faster than they could perceive!" She explained, "I'm not sure what they mean, but we need to back out," Simón replied, "Team Bravo. Respond, over," he commanded. "Bravo here, alive and well, over," Araceli responded. "Have you told Delta And Charlie to head to the Rendezvous point?" Simón asks, "Affirmative, we all are on our way there," She replied. "Good, we're on our way there now," he responded, "Roger, see you there," Araceli turned to her team and nodded, rushing off to their evac zone. Simón heard beeping from his com, and tapped it, "Did you forget to report something?" He asks, "Simón, it's me," a masculine voice replied, "Hello, Mr. Pousa," Simón responded with his eyes glowing white. Off the shore and deep into the sea, a captain of a warship leaned back into his chair. "Looks like Klato has taken on a daring mission," he commented, "Still, I highly doubt the ants will come flying all the way over here to Pada," his first mate replied. "Tch-" the captain scoffed- "the Draw Sword Guild are eagerly helping the Klato Mythics. That must mean Simón Alcabú is desperately trying to become a National-Ranked Mythic," he reasoned. "Yes, I agree. Most of the National-Ranked Mythics have cleared an S-rank dungeon before," the first mate agreed, "Despite his good record, he has yet to clear one," he added. "I wonder," the captain considered, "Sir?" the first mate asks, "Nothing, it just seems like the perfect excuse!" He laughed to himself, grabbing his hate, "Anyway, Simón Alcabú still has a long way to go," the captain puts on his hate, "Is that right, captain?" The first mate asks, "If you ever get the chance to see Lixic Lorjurn in action, you'll know what I mean," he explained. "One encounter, and you're already his fan?" He asks, "Pretty much," the captain smirked. "Though, I have a feeling this raid will spell doom for someone," he tipped his hat over his face.
Simón beheld the horrors of one of the battles between Baruka and the ant king, "Simón?" Pousa asks as he looks at a torn up jungle with shards of ice and patches of vacant ice in the cascading ice mountains. "Simón! Respond!" He yelled. The others looked in horror when they arrived, "Did something happen?" Pousa asked, "I am only witnessing confirmation," Simón replied, "Confirmation for what? Didn't we purposefully choose to fight the ants to avoid a situation like this?" He asks, "That's correct," he replied, "Then What? What are you looking at?" Pousa asks, "The path of destruction left by something beyond us," Simón responded. "Impossible, what are the Klato team doing? Are they fighting the Queen right now?" Pousa asks, "Yes, sir. Though, there was an issue with the jamming signal a moment ago, and all the ants are now flying to the queen's location," he explained, "I'm concerned that there might be another turn of events, but for right now we have our side under control," Simón added. "Do you think the Klato team will make it out alive? What are their chances of survival?" Pousa asks, "Based on my experience with the Klato Mythics, their current raid team has-" he thought about Winter- "They may have a good chance of survival if a Mythic in particular can keep the team alive, but my best estimate is 20%," Simón reasons, "Good," Pousa paused, releasing smoke from his cigar, "The Draw Sword Guild tried their best to help make sure the Kauai Island raid successful, but unfortunately, they were forced to retreat when the Klato team were defeated," he decided on a title, "Simón Alcabú's attempt to become a National-Ranked Mythic was tragically foiled! The press is going to eat this up," Pousa added, "We've also achieved our goal of weakening the Klato guilds, so go ahead and pull out," he commanded, "Understood," Simón nods to his team, "We're leaving as soon as we get to the rendezvous point," he explained, "Okay," Alan replied.
"We'll return to investigate the cause of these formations lat-" He began, sensing something approaching from behind- "er," he turned his head to see a streak of dark red light, and with all of his speed he drew his sword and blocked the attack from the ant king. It attempted to attack Paz as it passed by, but Baruka blocked the attack coming from her right. The ant king and Baruka were launched back by their clash, "Paz!" Alan yelled, watching her launch off to the side. "That is no ordinary ant!" Simón thought, "I'll take care of this thing, and you get Paz to the rendezvous point!" He explained to Alan, "Alright!" He rushed off, grabbing Paz and rushing away. "This ant has quite a threatening presence," Simón commented. Baruka had trouble choosing between who to help, Alan and Paz, or Simón. He sighed and rushed off after the two, "Are you-" the ant king began, standing bladed toward him- "the king?" It asks, "An ant that speaks?" He thought, "Am I the king?" Simón tilts his head, "Why, yes. I am in fact the king!" he replied, holding up his blade in front of his chest. "Keke," the ant king cackled, unleashing its overwhelming aura with a roar. "How is it so strong?!" He thought, Simón's eyes wide. "This feeling-" he thought back- "I've experienced this once before," Simón commented in thought, "When was it?" He thought back to his duel with Winter. Within this moment of weakness, the ant king launched himself faster than Simón could notice, and cut through his red sword and his neck. His head falls to the ground, blood pooling under it.
~>System<{" The [Player] Has Been [Successfully Detoxified]!"}>It rung<~
The swarm of ants rushed over Winter, wave after wave. Each wave of ants attempted to eat him, but only pulled up bits of his clothes. The ants who moved on flew after the strike squad, and Aaron attempted to hold them back with his fire. With everyone standing behind him, "Aaron, can't you turn up the heat?!" Erik asks over the buzzing, "If I do, I'll end up burning through our air supply!" He replied, "Everyone has sustained a fatal injury. Michel tried his best until he died, but it wasn't enough," Erik thought, "Out of all of us, Aaron is our best bet-" he watched as more and more ants begin to swarm inside- "All we can do is hope that his potent flames are enough to defeat the ants!" Erik added in thought. He turned his head to see two ants flanking them, "Is this how it all ends?" He thought, "Get up-" it commanded softly, Ultima's voice echoing in Winter's unconscious mind- "Get up," it repeated. "Get up, damn it!" It yelled, but Winter was unresponsive. "Bolrath," the feminine voice mumbled softly to herself, remembering what was. With a sigh, a wave of cursed energy rushed over Winter's body, "Fine, I'll protect you!" It roared as an explosion of blood-red and lunar-black cursed energy filled the tunnel, the ants not holding onto him were launched away. Macey laid limp in Tommy's arms, as he watched the ants grow closer. Suddenly the wave of cursed energy rushes over them, "That's right, save us," the voice smiled.
~>System<{" The [Skill: Transformation] Has [Enabled],"}>It rang<~
Every ounce, every fragment of his body was filled with the rage they had once drowned. The simmering coals burnt together now, growing hotter and brighter than they ever could alone. The calm sea of his mind began to boil over. Massive sword-like, forward-pointing horns extending from the side of a skull-like mask on his head. The claws on his hands protruded from his fingertips, and his unnatural clawed feet pressed flare against the floor. His forearms had an exoskeleton-like armor that came out to two points on each side of the wrist and elbows. With the mighty, blood-chilling roar, their cursed energy rushed out from him like a tsunami. Lunar-black energy rose through his eye sockets, and tattoos began to form on his scaly skin and skull-like mask. Four spike-shaped marks, both stopping by the forehead and the other two stretching past the eyes and teeth going past his chin, extending from the inner corners of his eyes before joining with the marks on his chest. The black tattoos along his body popped from the white, scaly skin running throughout his body. Long black hair reaching down to Winter's waist and black tufts of fur on his wrists, ankles, and neck. Two starting from his collarbone and stretching around his neck and one each on his wrists and ankles. Two massive wings with confusingly colorful patterns take shape from his back. A long, thin tail with fins for steering mid-flight follows his wings. Leather-like bat wings folded against his back, "Come forth," It commanded as it stood up Winter's body. Grabbing the ants to push him up onto their feet. With each ant biting Winter's body, they grabbed them one by one and a bit back. Tearing their fangs and claws into the ants with ease. They were hungry, no they were starving.
~>System<{" The [Player] Has [Achieved] The [Intermediate Manifest: Numen Homicidia]!"}>It rang<~
From the shadows, the Shadow Soldiers took shape. The soldier in Erik's shadow grabbed the two flanking ants by the head, stopping them in their tracks. "A black soldier?! What is it doing here?!" Erik thought, "urgh-" the cameraman groaned, watching ants lunge in after him- "I can't believe the last words to him were 'have you eaten yet?' I would've had more conversations with him if I'd fucking known!" He cursed, closing his eyes tightly as they reached out for him. From behind both ants, Igris plunges his sword through their heads. Lifting it up, he slammed them into the ground. Placing his foot on the corpse's to pull his sword out. At the news network headquarters, a man held his head with his left hand, "Our S-rank were utterly defeated, just by one ant?" He asks, "How is that even fucking possible?" he cursed. "Sir, the phone lines are about to go down because we're getting so many calls!" An employee explains, "So what? Do they expect us to show the hunters getting ripped alive on TV?!" He replied, "It's all over, we're done for," he sighed, facepalming. "Sir! Someone just appeared on scene!" Another employee replied, "What? The fuck are you talking about?" He asks, stepping over to the computers, "Take a look!" the employee replied, "Holy fucking shit!" He cursed, "Get ready to go live again, quickly!" He commanded, "What? If we go live now, there won't be a delay! We won't be able to edit anything out!" the employee replied, "We've already stopped the broadcast once, it can't get any worse from here! It's all or nothing!" He yelled, "We're going live!" He added, "Our fate is now-" he began, Ultima crushed and ate through the ants on top of him. Pushing their corpses away as the others made their move, it lifted Winter's hand, flexing his middle finger and flicking it. A surge of blood-red cursed energy erupted from it, and edged energy cleaved through all the incoming ants. Igris and the Squad stepped forward in front of the Klato team- "In the hands of the shadow beasts!" The man explained to himself. "Iron!" Ez called out, and Iron roared.
~>System<{" The [Shadow Soldier: Iron] Has Used [Skill: Shout of Provocation]!"}>It rang<~
The remaining ants swarmed in on Iron, and the other soldiers rushed in and clashed with the ants. "Save some fun for me," Ultima commented, attacking from behind. It summoned Winter's daggers, their edge far rounder than before.
~>System<{" The [Item: Ultimate Daggers] [Rank: S]. [Type: Dagger]. [Attack: +2,030] [+10 Agility]. Daggers Made From the Blood of The Despicable Ultima. Power From The Despicable Ultima Still Remains, Thus Enabling The Dagger to Evolve And Advance in Complexity With Each Advance in Level. [Effect: Evolution] With Each Level The Dagger, it Can be Improved And Grow in Complexity. [Effect: Additional Strength] Depending on the strength stat of the [Player], the dagger will increase in attack points, [x0.5 Damage] For Each [Strength Ability Point]. [Effect: Bleed] The Opponent Will Lose 1% Health Every Second. [Effect: Paralysis] The Opponent Will be Paralyzed at a Certain Rate. [Effect: Grievous Wounds] The Effectiveness of Healing Reduces by [90%] When in Effect. [Effect: Two as One] Each Dagger Will Receive Bonus Attack Damage Based on The [Player]'s Strength When Paired Together. [Bonus Attack Damage: 220],"}>It is explained in a pop-up<~
Ultima rushed through twenty ants, cutting through them with ease. Tusk staid back, creating a barrier while protecting the injured. "What's happening? Who's the one fighting?" Tommy asks, "Coach Tommy, looks like we're in good hands," Erik replied, watching in awe as Winter's body cuts through each of the ants with savage precision. "Everything is going to be okay," he added. An ant lunges in after Winter, and Igris grabs the ant by the head, slamming it into the ground. Other ants came rushing in from behind him, and Igris swung his sword behind him, cutting through the rest. Tank charged through several ants, biting and slashing them. Followed by Iron, who slammed his battleaxe into them. "Time to ramp this up!" Ultima smirked, "Arise!" It commanded with Winter's voice. The shadows under the ant corpses begin to condense and gather mana. Quickly rising from the ground, "What the fuck? What's going on?!" The cameraman thought, "Were those ants resurrected?!" He asks, "Hey, hurry up and explain what's going on! The whole country is watching!" His com explained, "I'm not sure what's going on either!" The cameraman replied, "I don't know why, but the ants are now fighting each other!" He explained. Winter's body flash stepped to the others, looking among them, "Everyone, gather around," Ultima explained, and summoned health potions. "Wait, can I make a transaction?" It thought, "Doesn't matter, I'll just make 'em drink it," Ultima added. "Please make sure to drink this, I'll explain later," it explained with Winter's voice. After many potions of health, the majority of them were healed enough to start fighting again. "Our wounds, they're healed!" Erik exclaimed, "Why is only Ms. Mears the only one still unconscious?" Tommy asks, she was laid on her back in a pool of her own blood, her broken right arm on her bleeding chest, and her broken left arm by her side.
"I'm unable to heal her at this state, her injuries are too serious," Ultima replied. "If she was a Yeager I could heal her with reverse cursed energy," it thought, "I haven't healed humans in a long time, so I can only heal simple wounds," Ultima added, gently taking her broken right arm and lifting it to look at the rest of her injuries. A broken rib pierced her skin, and a portion of it was poking out as blood ran down her side. It pooled underneath her, "Her bleeding has fortunately stopped, but I can't heal these wounds," it thought, "She's slowly growing weaker, I can only guess how long she has to live-" Ultima considered- "Perhaps around an hour and a half? No, less than that, she's been sitting here for longer," it corrected, "She has only an hour to live," Ultima stood himself up, "I've done everything I can do to help," it explained to Tommy, "We need to leave before that ant comes back," Ultima added, "Right!" Tommy responded. Suddenly, a familiar aura catches its attention, and Ultima turns to see the ant king stepping through the ant corpses, "Your king was not outside," It commented, "He was not the king!" It hissed. "Are there others? Others you call king?" It asks, "That thing has returned-" Erik mumbled, trembling in fear- "Then does that mean? Simón lost?" He thought, "Damn it!" Tommy cursed. Winter's head turned back to Macey, and his eyes glowed brighter. He clenched his fists, "Coach Tommy, please take care of Ms. Mears," Winter turned and walked away. The transformation distorted their perception, distilling their focus to a singular purpose, "Destroy this ant!"
"Winter!" Tommy yelled, "I was wondering why Simón's shadow wasn't reporting he's alive, it's because of that guy," he thought, "Are you the king of the humans?" The ant king asks stepping toward Winter, "I'm glad you're back, because I wanted to continue our fight," Winter explained as they stopped in front of Tusk. Their auras clash, the blood-red and dark red nearly indistinguishable when pushing against the other. The ant king stood above them, and its aura condensed itself. Remembering Simón's words, "You have quite a threatening presence, human," It commented before roaring in Winter's face, "Now we're talking," They smirked. Only five minutes ago, the broadcast was not available. "What happened to the Mythics?" Uncle David asks, "What was with that Ant just now?" A woman asks, "What the fuck! They can't just end the broadcast there!" Philip cursed, "Sir! What's going on?!" Elliott asks. Moments later, the news returned and they reported the death of Michel Weaver. Informing the public that the other Klato members were still alive inside the tunnels, and that it was hard to tell whether they would be able to make it out safely, "We've received word that an unknown Mythic has just appeared on scene!" They explained, and everyone watched in worry, "We will now resume the raid," the news added as three White Lion Guild members watched. "What? No way!" They yelled as they watched. Pousa and Leñero listened to the last recording of Simón before his death, "That's the last we heard from him," Leñero explained, "An ant that speaks human languages, and on top of that, it killed Simón?" Pousa thought, gritting his teeth as he pulled his cigar away. "Sir?" Leñero asks, "Where is that monster?!" he asks, a middle-aged man with thick black hair and a black mustache and goatee.
Wearing a white-collared shirt and a black tie under a sleeveless light brown vest. "It has returned to the queen's chamber," Leñero replied. "Are you telling me the Klato team is still alive?!" Pousa asks, "Yes, sir. It appears that they are," Leñero replied, "We're even picking up more mana signals from another being," he adds. "Damn it! Turn on the TV, I need to see the live coverage!" Pousa commanded. "Yes sir!" An agent replied. Mr. Sears squeezed his office chair rightly, and ripped off a part of the armchair, "That's Mr. Greats!" He exclaimed. "Mr. Sears, please calm down!" A doctor replied. The ant king pulled back its right arm, and swung it with all of its might at Winter for a second time. With a mighty strike to the face, a loud crack echoed through the chamber and Winter's left foot crushed the ground as they displaced the force of the attack. The shockwave of the attack uplifted the ground. Sending a cloud of dirt and dust through the cavern, and later an explosion of a violent reaction between mana and cursed energy erupted from the attack that uplifted rocks and boulders and flung them out. "A mage should never get so close to their enemy!" Aaron yelled as they stood above the wave of dust that washed over the chamber. "I think he underestimated the ant's strength, he ended up with a punch to the face!" Erik agreed. As the veils of smoke and dusk began to fade, the ant stood proud of itself, "You are weak, you mustn't be the ki-" it explained before being interrupted by an overwhelming, powerful force that pushed him onto the king's hands and knees.
~>System<{" The [Skill: Commander's Touch] Has Been [Enabled]!"}>It rang<~
It looked up with wide eyes with the other Klato members to see Winter standing unharmed. They turned their heads, and spat something out with a clot of ant blood. The ant king looked at it, and it was an ant's claw. "Impossible, I hit him!" It thought, "No, wait. That attack felt like I threw it through water," the ant king added, looking up to see Winter's clenched fist flying through the air. Breaking the sound barrier, it struck the ant king's head with an echoing thwack. The ant king's body coiled on itself before it was launched back into the walls of the chamber, crashing into it and sending out an explosion of dust. Everyone watched with their jaws dropped, "Erik, Aaron. Are you sure Mr. Greats is a Mage?" Tommy asks, "I knew he was powerful, but I never imagined he'd be this strong," Erik replied. The ant king roared and shook the chamber, its dark red eyes glowing through the smoke. Its eyes glanced up, finding Winter midair with his foot up. With a powerful ground pound, they shook the chamber as an explosion of blood-red and lunar-black energy, and created a massive creator in their wake. "It disappeared!" Aaron commented, "The ant's body is pretty sturdy-" Winter commented, turning their head to the right- "Probably because of the exoskeleton," Ultima replied, "How irritating," they smiled under the mask while watching the ant king lunge in with their fists above their head. The ant brought it down on their head, but they blocked it with their left wrist. "That feeling again! Why does it feel like we're fighting in water?" The ant king thought as the shock wave rushed over Winter and the surrounding area, crushing the ground even more.
The explosive reaction between mana and cursed energy erupted from their attack, and they struck the ant's stomach while it was dazed briefly. Cracking the ant's armor and the ant king responded by striking his head with its left fist and whipping it to their left. They trade blow for blow, their fists striking each other simultaneously. Both Winter and the ant king break out in high speed attacks, with only streaks and sparks of their perceptible attacks. Violent explosions of reacting mana and cursed energy erupted on a delay with each attack, while a cloud of smoke followed the battle through the queen's chamber, "Incredible! As an A-rank, I can barely even stand up straight!" The cameraman thought, dense waves of mana rushing over the Klato team as they trade blows at high speeds through the room. The cameraman trembled, "I feel like I'm about to pass out from the mana waves alone!" He thought as they broke away, landing on the ground. Each slows themselves down by digging their claws into the earth, "Am I losing a battle of strength?" The ant king thought, looking down at its cracked armor. "Who-" Some of its armor crumbled off its face- "What the hell is this thing?!" It thought, watching them growl and launch themselves at itself.
The ant takes off, and launches itself at Winter in return. Their claws clash, leaving sparks behind as they land on opposite sides. A larger, increasingly violent explosion of negatively reacting mana and cursed energy erupted in their attack's wake. The ant king and Winter turn and throw right hooks at each other, and with their fists clash in the middle with a loud clang. A shock wave erupts from their attack as they're flung back, with two opposing domes of mana and cursed in the location of their strike. Quickly exploding into a violent eruption, "He's breaking through my exoskeleton?" It thought, "Impossible!" The ant king declared, suddenly noticing Winter's next move. They lunged in with their left hand bound around their right fist. With their cursed energy condensed into their forearms and fists, they swing up, striking the ant king's head with enough might to whip it up violently. An eruption of cursed energy rushes out with a shock wave. The ant king releases its sharp, blade-like tongue again, but they catch it with their right hand and wrap it around their arm before pulling on it. The ant king's head is pulled toward Winter's right fist. Off at the rendezvous point, The whole team other than Simón were waiting to evacuate as it rained. Araceli steps over to Alan as he sits against a tree, "Alan, I got a call from Mr. Leñero. What happened?" She asks, "We can't win," he replied. Trembling in fear, "That thing was a monster. Forget about S-ranks! The entire human race combined wouldn't be enough to go up against that thing!" Alan explained, "Mr. Alcabú couldn't! And neither can we!" he freaked out, "What are you talking about? Have you lost it?!" She asks, picking him up by the collar. "Nobody can stop that thing-" he shook his head- "Pathetic!" She shoved him away, "The real problem starts now," Araceli commented as she watched a helicopter hover over them. "Damn it," she sighed. The ant king swings its claws at Winter, and they catch their wrist. "What the-?" The ant asks before being struck by a powerful right hook. Their head whips so hard it ripped their tongue out as they were launched into the nearby wall. It grabbed its head, confused and horrified.
"I could tell that the ant felt happy with me out of the way," Winter thought, "I don't feel as much pain from my eyes like I did before," he added in thought as it looked over at the ant, "I'm pretty sure it's starting to feel nervous," Ultima commented, "Yeah-" he chuckled softly- "They're getting nervous as well," Winter thought, leaning forward. They glanced back at Macey, she was still lying unconscious. "We have to end this quickly, we only have 55 minutes left!" Ultima warned, and they dash off to the side, flash stepping before leaping in at the ant king. The ant looks up and sees Winter's approach, and it flies away before it is struck by their attack. Winter's claws and fist strikes the wall, destroying a portion of it. They glance to their left, pulling their fist out off the crumbling wall. "Where did it go?" Erik asked while searching for the ant king. The ant king hovered over the ground, "He's resistant to poison," it thought, "Trying to overpower him will only be a waste of time," it decided as its body began shrinking. Growing thinner and lankier, "If strength is his strongest attribute, there's no point in attempting to face that head on," the ant king reasoned. "My true strength lies in my speed!" it opened its claws, "Now with my contracted body, I can focus all of my energy on increasing my speed," the ant king looked happy, "play time's over!" It cackled. They pulled out their hand from the wall, their wings opening and spreading out. They summon their daggers to each hand, staring back with amusement. The ant king lunged in after Winter, striking only an after image, "he can dodge my attacks?!" It thought with wide eyes. They appeared to his right, and with his left hand coiled, they swung the blade at the ant's head. The ant king blocks the attack with his left claws as sparks flew out from the clashing edges. The ant swung its right hand at Winter, and they blocked the attack with their other dagger.
The ant king launches Winter back with its right arm. They land up against the top curve of where the walls meet the ceiling, and with a thud against the stone walls they bend their knees before pushing off the wall with enough force to break off stones. The ant king launches itself at Winter, meeting him with their near equivalent speed. Through clouds of dust and dirt, streaks of blood-red and dark red sped through the queen's chamber, followed closely by sparks from their clashing attacks. Delayed violent explosions between negatively reacting mana and cursed energy erupted closely after, "He's not just keeping up with me-" the ant king thought, blocking an attack with its claws and feeling another land on its body- "He's moving faster than me!" It added, speeding through the chamber, "How is it possible for this thing to keep up?!" The ant king looked down to see Winter flying beside it. Their wings and tail directing them through the air, "This ant is about as strong as Hellraiser, or stronger than him," Winter thought, "I've leveled up from defeating him, and Baran. Now I'm wielding an even more powerful weapon thanks to the daggers he had," he added, gripping the dagger tightly. "You've already inflicted noticeable damage on this ant, just finish it quickly!" Ultima interrupted, "I'll end this battle now!" Winter decided as they lunged in after the ant as it slowed down enough to attack. With an explosion of attacks, they clash with echoing clanging with sparks coming off each streak of light at the touch. The ant king held his guard, on its back foot as Winter's attacks became overwhelming with his attempt to break through. It stumbles back with a powerful, final clash. Looking down at the ant king's own claws to find them broken.
~>System<{" The [Skill: Vital Strike] Has Been [Enabled]!"}>It rang<~
"Now!" Winter thought, pulling his right arm back and coiling it, releasing the tension into eight precise and swift attacks on the ant king. Leaving streaks of bullet-like blood-red lights that struck the Ant's vitals.
~>System<{" The [Skill: Vital Strike] Has [Leveled up]! With The [Maximum Level], a New [Dagger Skill] Will be [Granted], [Skill: Mutilation]! The [Skill: Vital Strike] Can Now be found in [Skill:Advanced Dagger Techniques],"}>it explained<~
"A new skill? Mutilation, huh?" Winter asks, the ant king leaps up and flies away. "Where do you think you're going?" They ask, chasing after the ant.
~>System<{" The [Skill: Mutilation] Has Been [Enabled],"}>it rang<~
With a single flash step, they appear to the ant's left with six streaks of blood-red appearing over the left side of the ant king's body. "Not bad," they thought with a smirk. The ant king lands, clutching its side. They push off the ground, and bounce from every surface as they streak around the ant, leaving images behind. With hundreds of slashes, the ant king can only screech in pain. With their attempt to attack Winter, the ant king swings a left hook and within the next moment, they cut through that very arm with once slice. The ant king roars, swinging a right hook at his head, but they leap away. Landing only a yard away, "Do I seriously have not one advantage over this thing?" The ant king thought, "No, I do," it remembered, opening its mouth. The ant king roars, calling on any ant that remains. Hundreds of ants come flooding into the queen's chamber, "How's that?" The ant king asks, the other ants rushing in at Winter as it pointed in his direction. They grin under the mask, their eyes showing off this fact. The ant king's eyes widened as the jaw of the mask opened, "Go!" They command as waves of shadows erupt from the ground, the soldiers taking shape as they leap into battle against the ants. The squad of Shadow Soldiers cut through many ants at once, easily cutting down their numbers. "Come forth," they commanded, and Tusk formed behind Winter. "Only attack the ants. If you hurt any of the humans, I won't summon you again," they warned and Tusk nodded, holding the Orb of Avarice.
~>System<{" The [Shadow Soldier: Tusk] Has Used [Skill: Hymn of Giants],"}>it rang<~
Tusk grows in size, towering above the wave of ants. Gathering mana in his open mouth, a blaze glows softly.
~>System<{" The [Shadow Soldier: Tusk] Has Used [Skill: Hymn of Dragon's Breath],"}>it rang<~
With a dragon head forming from his hood, a torrent of fire erupts from Tusk's mouth, easily consuming the army of ants. Without a struggle, the beam passed them and melted through the wall of the mountain. Exploding out the back of the mountain and shooting out into the ocean before dipping down into the sea after losing velocity. "That summoned beast, did he really summon that just now?" Dwight asks, "No, that doesn't look like the best-" Tommy began, his eyes wide and jaw dropped- "It looks as if a devil has descended upon the land of the living!" He thought. Beside the blazing fire, the ant king watched as his army burned away. "I don't understand," it began, "Ever since I was born, I've always been the strongest. Devoured everything that stood in my path and claimed my place at the top of the food chain! There is no limit to how powerful I can become, I am the king!" It thought, "I am the king, so why-" it repeated, seeing a figure step through the parting fire- "Why?" It asks, seeing the blood-red glow of Winter's fierce eyes. "I must-" it flinched, trembling in fear- "I must flee!" It decided, "In order to survive, I must flee!" It reasoned as its aura condensed around its wounds, quickly healing itself, "Is he using Michel's healing magic? This is the first time coming across a beast that can absorb the skills of whatever they devour," Winter thought, "Have you not looked in the mirror?" Ultima asks as the ant king turns and leaps away. "I must get as far away as possible!" I panicked.
~>System<{" The [Skill: Commander's Touch] Has Been [Enabled],"}>it rang<~
Suddenly, an aquamarine glowing, overwhelming force pushes down on the ant king, slamming it into the ground with ease. It screeched, clawing at the ground as it struggled to even do that. It turns back to see Winter and his hand glowing the aquamarine as the force holding him down. The ant screeched in fear, attempting to crawl away quickly. "I'm not going to let you get away again!" Winter thought, leaping up with both daggers in hand.
~>System<{" The [Skill: Mutilation] Has Been [Enabled],"}>it rang<~
With ten steaks of light trailing behind his attacks, the ant king and the ground is mutilated.
~>System<{" The [Player] Has Defeated The [Ant King]!"}>It rang<~
~>System<{" The [Player] Has [Leveled up] {x2}!"}>It rang<~
Smoke and dust filled the queen's chamber, and as Winter was just about to relax, "Mr. Greats!" Erik yelled, "Ms. Mears is still unconscious!" He explained, they flash stepped. Arriving beside Macey, they kneel down, "Damn, did I take too long?" Winter thought, "We have only forty minutes left," Ultima replied, "We need to find a healer fast, my shadow exchange skill is up, but do I have anyone near a hospital?" he added in thought, "I don't know if I could even teleport with another person yet either, I never tested it out," Winter reasoned, "The next best option is flying to the war ships, but she'd die mid-flight," he thought, looking down at Macey, "I wonder if there's a healer on the Draw Sword Guild who's still on the island. There has to be a way-" Winter continued attempting to find a solution, watching Macey tremble and sweat as she lay unconscious- "Michel!" he thought, jerking his head up and turning to the cameraman, "Excuse me, but can you turn the camera off for a second?" Winter asks, "What?" He asks, "Hurry up and shut it off, I'm this close to just ripping it off your helmet and crushing it!" They hissed, "Okay!" He quickly took off his helmet and turned the camera off, "Why is he suddenly asking me to turn the camera off?" The cameraman thought, "Find me Michel's body!" They turned to his army, they nodded and went off into the rest of the chamber. "His body?" Erik thought, "What are you going to-?" he asks, watching a high orc carry over his body- "The ant ate his head, but can it still work?" Winter thought, "Mr. Greats, what are you trying to do?" Erik asks.
~>System<{" The [Skill: Shadow Extraction] May be [Used] on This [Target],"}>It displayed over Michel's body<~
"Thank God, this is the fastest way," Winter sighed in relief, "Arise!" They commanded, shadow surrounded his body, forming a figure before it fell apart.
~>System<{" The [Skill: Shadow Extraction] Has [Failed]!"}>It rang<~
~>System<{" The [Player] Has [2/3 Attempts] Left!"}>It displayed<~
"No way," they commented, "Arise!" They commanded again.
~>System<{" The [Skill: Shadow Extraction] Has [Failed]!"}>It rang<~
~>System<{" The [Player] Has [1/3 Attempts] Left!"}>It displayed<~
"My current level of my stats and skills should be enough!" Winter thought, "Maybe he feels stronger against returning?" Ultima asked, "I guess it's immoral to turn humans into shadow soldiers-" he considered the morality of this decision- "But I have to save the person who is alive, so the living can live on for the dead!" Winter reasoned, "Arise!" They commanded, and the shadows consume his body, the mana of his body building itself up into a figure above the body, "Mr. Greats, what have you done to him?!" Erik asks, grabbing his shoulder, "Do you-" he watched as a new body formed before Winter- "Do you have the power to command the dead?!" Erik asks, "You can harness the powers of the dead, Mr. Greats?" Aaron asks in fear, "You're no ordinary summoner, that's for sure," Tommy added. Michel steps over to Macey, looking down at her. He takes out his book, and waves his hand as green magic rushes out from his book. It surrounded Macey and healed her wounds quickly, "Michel is healing her?" Erik thought, "I can tell he was a kind person. I didn't even give him an order, he just started healing Ms. Mears on his own-" Winter turned to face Erik- "He had a warm heart, and I won't be keeping him in this state," he explained.
"Is that still Michel?" Erik asks, "I'm not sure," Winter replied, "If he wasn't, he wouldn't have just done that without a command. That thing, isn't just a shadow-" Erik looked at Michel and his smile as he smiled seeing that Macey was healed- "You should keep him, I'm sure you'll be in many more battles from now on, and his abilities will help many," Erik explained, "But please be sure to take care that he hated violence," he added, "Please, don't make him fight," Erik pleaded. Winter nods softly, "That's the second time you've grabbed my shoulder, Mr. Finely," he began, "There's one difference though, you're not giving an order. Rather, it's a heartfelt request," Winter's mask opens itself to expose his face, and he steps over to Michel. "I also agree with what you said, and I'll be returning him-" He lifted his hand-over Michel's chest- "No, wait!" Erik interrupted, and Winter turned to face him, "His powers are irreplaceable, and they should be used to help as many people as possible. He wanted to do that more than anything else," Erik explained. Winter sighs softly, "Very well, he stays," he replied. Michel turned to Erik and smiled. Erik smiled back, happy to see Michel finally having the power to help the needy, "Thank you," he commented.
Outside, the same helicopter that brought them over the island is slowly landing. A small team step off the back, "The Mythics have returned!" One yelled to the others over the propellers, each of them stepped through the rain. Winter carries Macey on, laying her in Tommy's arms. "I'm going to stay behind," he explained to the other, "Sorry?" Erik asks, "I still have some unfinished business to take care of. The ants need to be killed off before more fly off the island," Winter replied, "That's true. This raid isn't over yet, huh?" He asks as more ants fly in their direction, "I'll clear a path and get rid of as much as I can," Winter explained, "Kaisel," they commanded as their mask closed. Kaisel formed beneath Winter, and he rose up as he stood on the wyvern's back. "Keep the story straight, the ant ate Michel and consumed his mana," They added before Kaisel took off into the sky with a mighty roar. They soared through the ants on Kaisel's back, cutting through twenty at once. The Draw Sword Guild stood on a warship, and huddled inside out of the rain. Alan laid in a bunk, his arms crossed. "That thing-" he stuttered- "That thing was a monster. You guys didn't see it, so there's no way you could understand!" He trembled, "We saw some after images," Daniel replied, "You didn't see how that bastard killed Mr. Alcabú-" he yelled- "There's no way we can win. This raid has failed," he mumbled, "There's not a Mythic in the world that can slay a beast like-" Alan continued, only interrupted by Samuel- "Stop your whining! The Kauai Island raid has already ended," he replied. "That beast was even defeated," Araceli added, "Impossible!" Alan retorted with surprise, "We just received word from the MDA, so it must be true," She shrugged. Leñero thought back to his call with Simón, "Mr. Greats," he remembered. "Hey! The ants are dispersing, and there are still some left!" A crew member explained, rushing in. "All units, prepare for battle," their com went off.