Noah stared at the corpse of the dead demon hound, feeling a mix of complicated feelings. There was an exhilarating feeling of triumph but also a bit of uncertainty about what he was becoming.
'Well, Noah, you are already a monster now. It isn't going to change anything if I eat another monster or not.' Noah pondered. 'After all, I have already made up my mind. I need to get strong. Strong enough so that I won't die in this world, where powerful hunters would not hesitate to kill a monster like me.'
Noah hardened his resolve, his mandibles twitching in slight disgust as he leaned down, his jaw clamping on the still-warm corpse.
Most people think that ants usually have mouth inside of their mandibles, but that's wrong. The mandibles are more like a hand attached to their head, while their actual mouth is just below them.
Noah took a bite.
The flavor? Noah didn't expect the taste to be good. But he definitely didn't expected the taste to be this bad.
"This is disgusting… it's seriously way too disgusting." Noah muttered, chewing the vile meat. His carapace twitched, as if feeling violated by the horrible flavor. The stomach that had once growled with hunger now churned in protest, recoiling at the taste.
[You have consumed the flesh of a magical beast; you have received one Bio-point.]
'Oh, bio points?' Noah glanced at the system screen, still chewing on the demon meat, determined to satiate his hunger no matter how vile and disgusting the taste may be.
'The system did announce that I had also received skill points when I levelled up. And now it's giving me these Bio-Points'. Noah pondered, his antenna twitching cautiously in the air as he stayed vigilant of any stray monster.
[You have gained one bio-point.]
'Oh, another? Nice nice, let them come.'
Finally filling his large stomach, Noah decided to experiment with these Bio-points and skill points later once arriving in the safety of his colony.
'There is still a bit of this food left. I should take it to my cave base.' Noah planned, grabbing the half-eaten demon hound on his front legs.
Then, using his mandibles, Noah lifted the other corpse of the dead hound. His antenna waved in the air, sensing the air vibration to be alert of any monster. Noah sneakily and silently moved, running out of the rocky alley.
He first went to check on the first demon hound, who got crushed under the boulder. The dead hound was still beneath the boulder, lying lifeless. But the other one who got shot by Noah's acid was nowhere to be seen, probably ran away like a dog.
Noah also took the dead hound crushed beneath the boulder; the hound's dead carcass was mangled and twisted. But Noah didn't mind the dirtiness, as he carried the two hounds on his mandibles while holding the half-eaten one on his front legs.
His antennas waving in the air, keeping Noah aware of his surroundings.
Noah was actually surprised at how useful his antennae and mandibles were in comparison to his previous human limbs. His antennae were keeping Noah the most safe, as he was able to sense any monster's presence before they got too close.
And the mandibles, they were super strong, easily able to lift two such heavy dead carcasses of demon hounds that previous human Noah would have found challenging.
Just like that, Noah sneakily crept through the barren terrain, his four legs briskly running through the cracks in between the ground.
After a few minutes of manoeuvring through the jagged rocks beneath him and hiding from other monsters in this region. Noah finally reached the hollowed mountain, the same one he had dug out from earlier.
Noah placed the corpses down gently on the ground of the narrow passage, then immediately moved to close the entrance of the passage with loose dirt and stone. Not wanting to leave even a small whiff of smell behind.
After sealing a passage, Noah let out a big sigh. 'Finally done. Let's get these damn carcasses to the colony now.' Noah thought, scooping up the meat again before moving to the Crimson Gate.
….
After returning from the Demon Realm and entering inside the nest through the closest tunnel, Noah felt strangely calm. The familiar scent of pheromones and the dark, humid cave. It made Noah feel more relaxed.
'Ah, home sweet home.' Noah chirped happily.
Noah walked into the food storage chamber, dropping the carcasses on the ground with a solid thud. 'This isn't much, but it's still better than nothing.' Noah mused, his eyes locked onto one of the demon hounds, whose whole body was still intact, aside from the gashing wound on the creature's head.
His thoughts bubbled. '…Should I go give it to her myself?' Noah pondered, his antenna rubbing on his head. But he quickly made the decision, as he gently lifted the hound's corpse.
Noah swiftly exited from the food chamber and rushed to the Queen's chamber. Entering inside, Noah was greeted with the familiar sight of the massive ant monster, sitting calmly in the centre of the chamber with her six legs folded, surrounded by the red ants.
Noah wordlessly approached, striding past the red ants who gave him way. The Queen turned her head to Noah, her luminous eyes gazing at Noah's small figure.
Without any fear or doubt, Noah gently placed the dead hound near her feet, silently watching the Queen with his glittering eyes.
The queen looked at the dead hound, then at Noah, tilting her head, queen chirped in a friendly manner as she gently patted Noah's head again with her large and long antenna.
"Uh… you're welcome, Queen." Noah awkwardly waved his antenna, quavering slightly as the queen gently rubbed on Noah's head.
[Your skill pheromone signal has reached level 2.]
Noah didn't had the time to check on the system announcement, as the Queen suddenly leaned down above Noah's head, her large antenna gently wrapping on Noah's small antenna. Before Noah's eyes, the Queen's long antenna slowly flickered with a luminous glow, gently spreading on Noah's head.
Noah was shell-shock, as the glow slowly illuminated from Noah's antenna's to washing over his whole body. Healing his small injuries and wounds he had collected during the hunt.
[Your skill antenna sense has reached level 2.]
Another system message rang inside Noah's head, but Noah was too far in amazement to look at the system screen.
'Magic! The queen can use magic!' Noah stared at the massive white ant in awe, watching her with shining eyes. 'I did knew she was special, but she can also use healing magic? That's so cool!' Noah looked at the queen with shiny eyes, his mandibles clacking in delight.
Meanwhile, the queen, seeing Noah had no injuries left, chirped again, patting Noah's head one last time before leaning down her large ant head to chomp on the dead hound.
Noah stared at her, as his excitement died down and his brain started working again. 'Hmmm, but this is odd. In the canon solo leveling, The Queen didn't had this sort of healing magic.' Noah tilted his head, rubbing his front legs together. 'Or perhaps she did had, but it was never revealed in the manhwa.'
Noah shook his head. 'Whatever it is, it's a good thing she can use healing magic. I can always come to her whenever I get….hurt.' Noah paused, his antenna drooping down slightly.
For a whole single minute, Noah stayed rooted to the spot. His ant head hung low, his mandibles twitching with discomfort as some of his old memories resurfaced in his mind.
Noah shook his head vehemently, letting out a deep, shuddering sigh. '…Fuck. Whatever, I need some rest.' Noah turned his head away, walking slowly to a quiet corner of the chamber, his antenna still drooping low.
Noah scuttled to the quiet corner, his legs folded as he plopped down, sitting on the ground. His mood was sour after remembering something unpleasant, the feeling of awe at seeing magic for the first time gone quickly.
'Sigh…' Noah sighed heavily, then he turned his eyes to the system interface, hoping to see something that might restore his good mood again.
[ Status ]
- Name: Noah.
- - Level: 3
- The next Evolution requirement: Reach level 5.
- - Rank: D-rank.
•HP: 20/20
•MP: 0/0 (Requirement: mana sensory gland and mana core.)
•Stamina: 8
•Strength: 10
•Agility: 13
•durability: 10
•Perception: 15
•Intelligence: 11
•Bio points: 2
•Skill points: 2
Skills: Identify(lv1), Mandibles bites(lv2), dig(lv2), pheromone signal(lv2), antenna sense(lv2).
Hidden skills: Soul shaping (unlock at level 20.)
Noah skimmed through most of the unchanging stats like strength, durability and the like. And focused on the ones that were different.
'Great, almost all of my skills have reached level 2. ' Noah nodded in satisfaction, before shifting eyes to the stamina.
Seeing his stamina stat, Noah couldn't help but let out a chuckle in his head. His mandibles clicking in exhaustion. 'Wow, looks like I really worked myself to the bone in the demon realm. Well, aside from that, I also checked on the colony and then had to scout the surroundings within the vicinity of the Gate.'
Noah thought, his eyes widening as realized he was pretty much doing something the whole day without any breaks in between. 'Maybe the ant in me is showing up.' Noah chirped, laughing lightly.
Feeling his mood slightly better, Noah checked his stats. 'I only reached level 3 after hunting three monsters around my rank.' Noah frowned. 'The first two directly got me to level up, but the third only gave experience… from this, I can assume that the requirement for me to level up again will only increase at each level.' He sighed, clacking his mandibles in thought. 'Guess that means I'll need to start hunting stronger prey or the equivalent of same-rank monsters in large numbers.'
Noah shifted slightly, then focused on the next piece of information. 'Bio points and skill points. What sort of use do they have…?' Noah questioned. And as if to answer him, the system lit up with a new panel.
[Would you like to spend your bio points?]
'Yeah..?'
The status screen lit up again and then a new window opened up before Noah's large eyes.
-> Skill points: 2
-> Bio points: 2
[ Skill points allow the user to buy new skills or upgrade the existing skill.]
[ Bio points allow the user to improve and mutate the physical aspects of their monstrous forms.]
[Skills available to purchase:
Dash (Active)
A short burst of explosive speed in a single direction. Increase the drain on stamina. Cooldown: 15 seconds.
Cost: 1 Skill Point:
Stealth (Passive)
It improves your ability to stay hidden and be unnoticed by low-rank monsters.
Cost: 1 Skill Point:
Double Chomp: (Active)
Mandibles strike twice in rapid succession, with the second hit dealing 10% more damage if the first connects. Increase drain on your stamina. Cooldown: 30 seconds.
Cost: 2 Skill Points:
[Body mutation available to purchase:
Carapace Reinforcement (+1 Carapace) – Slightly increase defense.
Mandible Sharpness (+1 Mandibles) – Increase bite damage.
Leg Muscle Density (+1 Legs) – Boost mobility and sprinting.
Antenna Sensitivity (+1 Antennae) – Boost perception range.
Gland Efficiency (+1 Acid Gland) – Acid deals more damage and more fluid in the tank, lower cooldown.
Stomach Efficiency (+1 Stomach) – Increases digestion speed, granting slightly more Bio-Points per consumed monster. ]
Noah was flabbergasted, staring at the screen with wide eyes.
'... Holy shit, HOLY SHIT!' Noah shouted in his mind, his antenna shivering with excitement. Clacking his mandibles, his eyes glittering in the dark cave as his thoughts raced.
'Wait. The system lets me evolve after I level up to a certain requirement, and from there, I can jump to the next rank. But this! This mutation system! It lets me get stronger when I am still in a low rank.' Noah's eyes gleamed, as a very terrifying realisation finally came to him.
Noah can not only grow stronger after each evolution. He can also get strong from directly mutating himself.
'Isn't this just too overpowered?'