'I killed people?'
"You're basically no better than us, demons, Gods, the unspoken Ones. You've killed enough- bawhahah"
"You're lying. I don't fucken believe a word you're saying!" Matthew snapped as the beast before him looked unimpressed.
"Believe me or not, you have still caused a ton of issues within every life you've had. It's worse that I can't shatter your soul myself. It's messed up enough that you retain everything- including your past life abilities. It's disturbing and destructive-" stopping with his words his unimpressed look turned sinister as a wicked smile slithered it's way on his face.
"But the thing I can control is your next reincarnation" hearing those words, struck a cord of slight fear. What would he do?
Looking up off the ground making eye contract to a being no mortal would ever remember. Demanding, strong, Godlike, horns curled and spine protruding like protective gear from his back.
His black soulless eyes stared right back.
"What? Falling in love with me?" Matthew spat.
"Never in a century. You aren't even my type." Cringing at his response, the others couldn't help their curiosity as they were taking peeks from their bowed positions.
Suddenly he was lifted off the ground and just like that in a massive place with a huge Orb in the middle resembling a world?
"It's a bit patchy but this is a world I'm rather proud of."
"You sound like a kid just finished first for a grade project.." Matthew mumbled but was ignored as his body suddenly disappeared!?
Unlike what he was used too in this stage which was walking through a reincarnation gate. His body had already disappeared and now he was simply a light orb being held in the palm of the lord of this place.
"If I can't kill you than I'll watch you in my own creation. Don't worry- even if I took away all your abilities you'd still find a way with your retained memories." Squeezing the orb the beast looked displeased but what could he really do?
Father Fate's power was stronger, the Unspokens are the law and the shadowlike beings their messengers. Even in theory, if he could shatter the soul in his hand. He would be killed- and sure he wouldn't die. At least not forever until he respawned but power is accumulated over time. He wasn't about to lose it.
So for the time being, he'd force this soul in a world he governed to the hope that this would in theory prevent the same issues.
"You should be careful." Came that hideous vocal from a shadow.
"You watch this mortal a lot. Why?" Turning around the beasts black eyes narrowed on the figure in the dark corner.
Of course the being didn't respond. It's not in their nature after all.
"Relax, I know my place as much as my pride detests being controlled." With resolve his palm with Matthews soul was pushed into the globe orb infant of him. "I'm just prevent more issues."
^^^^^^^
Being born is good and all but for some reason Matthew was regretting this one.
The body- if you could even call it that was thin. So much so that his bones could be seen through his thin layer of skin.
'What sort of reincarnation is this!??' He thought as he stumbled around mindless almost to any onlookers.
Suddenly a massive head of a beast landed in front of him and blood drenched him.
Immediately like starved ants, more beings like him crawled to the massive severed beast head.
They ripped at the fresh flesh drowning in blood and burrowing into the head. For an ordinary person with reincarnation this would have made them die internally but Matthew followed by example.
Ripping into the flesh like a rabid dog, contrary to how it looked, it tasted closely to crocodile meat stew with it's texture and blood flow.
Assessing the situation with a mouth full he realised what he was. An actual ant.
Only there was a difference, it seemed like even as an ant he was proportionally bigger than one you'd find in a house. No this size was more equivalent to a small car.
Looking up as flesh dribbled down his mandibles. It was rather interesting though, it seemed the others couldn't see. He could feel it though, the voices- whispers from the others. Signalling their positions and the foods whereabouts.
'What a crap reincarnation...then again, I was reincarnated as a cat once.' No- they don't have nine lives, at least not in that world.
'It seems like I'm in a cave? My eyesight is rather uncomfortable though...' multiple viewpoints isn't the best.
Suddenly a massive scream almost could be heard. Looking in the direction he could see, a creature that looked like a lizard mixed with some sort of bird?
It's thrilled neck seemed fused with its weblike wings covered in feathers and spikes.
'Seems we are extremely low on the pecking order...' watching the creature as it ate a few of his own kind. A vibration tickled his antennea and struck a cord in him. As if on queue- they charged!??
Thousands, no millions if massive car sized ants attacked the attacker and ripped into its flesh with their mandibles.
'I almost forgot a key factor. Ants are natural team workers. On their own they are weak but in numbers-' The creature struggle finally ceased moving as an ant ripped through its eye socket. '-they are an army to be reckoned with'
Going over to the new freshly killed corpse he immediately sunk in. 'It seems like this is all I can do right now. That fucken piece of shit. Fine, challenge accepted. I'll become strong in this reincarnation, I won't try and live a fair life. It never did anything for me.'
Feeling full he followed the others down a tunnel that had many tunnels going in every direction.
It seemed like someone was guiding them towards the bottom of the furthest tunnel. As if answering his question he saw a massive ant but it wasn't just an ant. No it was more comparable with a Centaur mixed with the lower body of an ant?
'Half humanoid ant huh? Seems evolution favours in the colony.' It wasn't just the massive Centaur Queen Ant either, there were workers who also looked different to the cannon footer of the army he was apart of.
'How does one even evolve in this colony?' He wondered as a green screen interface appeared in front of him.
'Ah, of course. A system interface, funny, I thought he said something about not giving me opportunities?'
Looking at the details it was quest based.
-
> Evolution 0 (next phase requirement)
- Kill one of the evolved Centaur Ant guards to be recognised as a warrior in the colony.
Rewards: Gene enhancement × 1
Failure: penalty.
-
'That's new, a penalty and not death? Why is this system merciful? Wait...' thinking back to his reincarnation as a prince in a far kingdom he thought about the penalties he would recieve for failings his duties.
'So it's a punishment penalty not a slap on the wrist.'
Moving closer to the front, he scanned the guards next to the Queen. 'There's no fucken way... how can I kill a full evolutioned ant?' As If sensing his gaze the gaurd looked down in the general area he was just in.
'Fucken Christ.... that sense would be hard to even ambush. It's a good thing this quest has no time limit. But what can I do?'
There's no way he could take on one head to head so he'd have to think of a way to trap it.
But it would take a lot of planning, especially considering there is so many others.
'That and the colony is all connected, so it would have to be a trap planned as an accident.' Whether or not it'll be counted as killing one is the real thought he had.
'I guess I'll have to improvise' Moving away from those sleeping, he crawled over everyone via the ceiling and out through a tunnel.
'I need to level up. I figured out that the system has more setting features. Usually per level more would be unlocked.' But this system was old fashioned. Everything was there, only without the resources from quest and more the functions were useless anyway.
It seemed his level was 27 already, maybe because of how much he ate? So eating was a priority, that and he wanted to see if his knowledge would be able to enhance him further.
It should also be noted he figured out how to properly scan. Although vague it would give a rough description of what he was up against.
-
> Rat Sparrow (medium)
- lvl 24
-
Also it seemed that the system would give an indication of the danger level next to the name.
(Easy) (medium) (difficult) (extreme) (hell) (monstrous) (Infinite) (UR) (ER) (EX)
The list may continue but those were the categories he'd found in the caves his colonies home was.
There was only one (EX) monster but it resided well and truly deeper than their colonies base.