As indicated by its name, Guardian was a skill related to guarding someone or something. But Ackster couldn't remember putting that much effort into doing something like that. The information he got from Wilma had also been pretty specific about how it wouldn't count if he merely protected himself. It was even better if it was something monetarily or emotionally valuable.
"Ah!"
Ackster put his hand on his head in realization and patted his fluffy hair.
"I guess it's because of you."
Although he hadn't done it intentionally, he had ended up guarding Mio when the slime took shelter on his head. Apparently, that was enough for him to acquire Guardian. Ackster had a hunch it also had to do with the extreme situation he had been in when guarding Ackster and all the ants' existential power that flowed into him and fueled the acquisition of Guardian.
He had also gotten Iron Wall as expected. He was happy that it had only taken a single go. Well, a single bull. He had tangled with the bull until he was beyond exhausted and nearly died. So, he was happy he didn't have to do it again.
Ackster was also satisfied that both Limit Breaker and Monster Muncher had ranked up once each. His other stats and skills had also shown some growth. It was nothing extreme, but Ackster felt that it was about time his growth slowed down a little.
He had already progressed with a thunderous pace as he had acquired and ranked up skills like he was on steroids. Most of it was thanks to Strong Body, which he could understand since most of his skills were things that affected or amplified his physical body. But even Strong Body would have a limit, at least until he could evolve it or somehow learn to strengthen it faster than the rest of him grew.
But until then, his growth would slow down and normalize a little.
Ackster was also encroaching upon the second wall of progress, the one between B and A. And since it was in the higher ranks, it would be more challenging to cross that wall than it had been to cross the first wall.
By now, Ackster had no doubt in his mind that he could do it. But that didn't mean he thought he could advance as rapidly as before.
Well, things might change if he knew what he was doing or had someone to help him do it. That was why he was going to look for someone to help him as soon as he got the Sea God Manual.
But now that he had checked his progress with the Nominus card, it was time for a well-deserved nap.
Since he was in the middle of an underground ant nest, literally crawling with uncountable ants that would happily devour him if given the chance or if the ant queen ordered, Ackster didn't enjoy a deep sleep. But he hadn't done that ever since he first transmigrated, so it wasn't anything new, and by now, probably thanks to Strong Body, he could sleep for a few hours each night and still be fine.
He wasn't the only one to wake up, and the ant queen did the same shortly after. After that, it didn't take long before the ant queen requested more of Ackster. Since it was the deal and the promise he had made to save his life, Ackster obliged until he felt it was enough.
The ant queen seemed a little reluctant but went to sleep to digest Ackster's gifts all the same.
Since he had slept and eaten more than enough to make up for the loss, Ackster retreated to his room. He went to the corner he had put his things and grabbed the hammer and the chisel.
Practicing the stupidly painful secret technique in the middle of an enemy lair was a little risky. But he decided to trust the sleeping queen. A single Ackster wouldn't be enough for whatever she planned to do with him. It also seemed like she had to spend some time digesting and extracting as much as possible out of the pieces he gave her. In that case, it would be better to keep up this exchange for as long as necessary.
Ackster didn't think it would only be once or twice more, so he decided that he had to do as much as possible to get stronger while he could. And since he had to recover from the secret technique, which took time, despite Strong Body's recovery, he decided to hammer a little bone. And while that healed, he could spar with the ant general.
Ackster put the chisel against his right pinky toe. He had done his left first, and now, to maintain balance and establish the necessary symmetry for maximum potential, he had to do his right. That was what Nold had written, and it was what Ackster would obey.
He found the right spot and raised the hammer, his heart filled with trepidation. He still remembered the stinging and explosively intense pain when he did it the first time. And while he thought he was pretty good at enduring pain by now—his Pain Tolerance skill was the highest-ranking one, and it wasn't for nothing—the memory alone was enough to make him hesitate.
But the more he hesitated, the more he increased the odds of him failing in ten years.
Ackster rushed the anxiety and memories of the original story to spur his paranoia and self-preservation instinct into overdrive. He could either endure a trifling amount of pain right now or guarantee his death in up to ten years' time.
It was an obvious choice, even if he could tell that he was lying to himself. It wasn't a trifling amount of pain. It was enough to make him stop hesitating, and he tapped the hammer against the chisel.
The pain was just as bad if not worse than he remembered, and Ackster could feel his brain light up with signal flares as all the nerves in his toe were attacked by the vibrational explosion that rocked his toe and turned it into rough dust.