At first glance, the poisonous fire ant didn't seem worth raising. Its short lifespan alone made it unsuitable for long-term investment. Any other beastmaster would've discarded it without hesitation.
But Ethan wasn't any other beastmaster.
He had SSS-level talent: "Infinite Alienation."
This unique ability allowed summoned beasts to undergo unpredictable mutations, increasing their power far beyond normal evolution. In essence, this talent could rewrite a creature's destiny.
So what if this ant had only three months to live?
If he could strengthen it fast enough, even that wouldn't matter.
And that's when another idea struck him.
What if he could find a Queen Ant?
He stared at the little ant under his foot, its shiny black exoskeleton twitching slightly. Zerg-type creatures might live short lives—but their ability to reproduce was terrifying.
If he could tame a queen, one capable of laying eggs, then he wouldn't just have a single ant.
He'd have an army.
And best of all, with Infinite Alienation, he could mutate and empower the Queen herself, making each of her offspring potentially stronger than the last.
Ethan's eyes sparkled.
"This one's not useless at all," he whispered, glancing at the ant he'd already tamed. "You'll be my first trial run."
The little ant paused its movements as if it understood Ethan's intentions.
Let's do it.
His plan was simple: have his new ant lure the rest of the colony out of the nest, pretending it had found food in the distance. With most of the ants gone, he'd sneak in with his summoned ally and locate the queen.
It worked flawlessly.
The other fire ants followed the bait, leaving the nest nearly unguarded.
Digging into the soft soil with care and speed, Ethan and his rebellious little ant soon found her—the Poisonous Fire Ant Queen.
She was magnificent.
Much larger than the others, almost the size of Ethan's forearm, the queen wasn't the bloated, immobile insect he feared. She was mobile, armored, and full of menace. The red fuzz on her limbs shimmered, and her mandibles clicked softly as she surveyed the intruder.
She was perfect.
Ethan activated Taming.
A glowing formation circled his fingers and burst forward, wrapping around the queen's head.
"Taming successful!"
> "Summoned Beast acquired: Poisonous Fire Ant Queen."
Grinning, Ethan opened her stats.
---
Summoned Beast: Poisonous Fire Ant Queen (Not Advanced)
Stage: Mature
Remaining Lifespan: 18 Months
Strength: 18
Constitution: 12
Agility: 6
Spirit: 6
Skills: Bite, Microtoxin, Reproduction
Combat Power: ★☆☆☆☆ (1 Star)
---
He tapped on the Reproduction skill.
> "Produces 3 Poisonous Fire Ant eggs daily."
Three ants per day.
Even if each lived only three months, Ethan could maintain a minimum army of 270 ants on a rotating basis.
His mind raced.
No beastmaster could possibly manage that many summons manually. But with his talent, he wouldn't need to.
All he had to do was focus on evolving the queen. Her offspring would follow her lead. And the more they evolved, the more combat options he had.
With a wave, Ethan stored both the Queen and the rebellious ant in his Beast Master Space.
He dusted himself off and stood, ready to return to the city—and that's when he noticed someone behind him.
A figure standing silently in the distance.
His heart froze.
He'd let his guard down.
It wasn't a monster, thankfully. But in some ways, this was worse.
It was Lily Winters, the most famous girl at No. 3 Middle School. Talented. Respected. And completely uninterested in him.
Ethan forced a smirk. "Yo, Ice Princess. What brings you out here?"
That was his nickname for her—Ice Princess—both because of her cold demeanor and the emotional frostbite she left behind whenever someone tried to talk to her.
She didn't reply.
Her eyes swept the scene: the disturbed ant nest, the dirt-covered Ethan, the faint signs of tunneling.
Then, without a word, she turned and walked away.
But before she left his view, Ethan caught the glance she gave him.
That look of barely concealed disgust.
As if to say: "Really? You're out here… digging up an ant nest?"
Ethan's face burned.
It was like getting caught watching cartoons by your parents at age 16.
Total shame.
From the streaks of dried blood on her sleeve, he guessed she'd just returned from hunting real monsters.
And here he was… chasing bugs.
Suddenly, it wasn't just embarrassment. It was humiliation.
Other girls were killing wolves and bears, and he was here, elbows-deep in dirt, catching bugs.
What if this got out?
He imagined tomorrow: people whispering in the hallways, laughing behind his back.
"That's Ethan, right? The guy with S-tier potential? Didn't he go tame fire ants yesterday?"
He groaned and stared at the sky. As the last light faded, a chill blew through the grass, and eerie animal calls echoed from the forest behind him.
He needed to get back.
And fast.
But he didn't want to walk with Lily. That would just make it worse.
So, keeping a deliberate distance, he followed her back to the city gates, making sure to lag behind.
Once inside, he checked the time—he'd only been outside for an hour.
Since it wasn't late and he wasn't in a hurry, Ethan decided to ride-share instead of calling a private cab.
He pulled out his phone, requested a ride, and waited.
A car pulled up.
Ethan checked the license plate and sighed.
It was the same bearded driver from before.
"Seriously? You again?" he muttered under his breath.
The man smiled through the window. "Small world, huh?"
Ethan climbed in, muttering, "Follow the navigation."
The driver raised an eyebrow but obeyed. The engine didn't start.
Ethan frowned. "Why haven't we left?"
"We're waiting for another passenger," the driver explained. "You selected carpool."
Just then, the passenger-side door opened.
Ethan turned his head.
Lily Winters.
She stepped into the front seat, her cold aura making the temperature drop ten degrees.
Ethan clenched his toes inside his boots. Why… why this timing?
She didn't say a word. Just stared out the window like he didn't exist.
Ethan considered trying to act casual, but then thought better of it.
He opened his phone.
"Ding! Please don't speak to other passengers."
The platform notification rang instantly in the driver's app.
The man blinked.
> "What? I didn't even say anything!"
He wanted to chat with Lily. Not for romantic reasons—he wasn't that type. As a mentor at Fairwind University, he could tell she was special. The blood on her clothes, her confident bearing—she wasn't a typical first-job student.
But now, thanks to Ethan's silent "no-chat" rule, he had to stay quiet.
In the backseat, Ethan just wanted the car ride to end.
He imagined Lily judging him again, this time more harshly.
> "He's not only catching ants… he's also a tattle-tale who mutes people."
At last, the car slowed.
Ethan flung open the door and practically ran into Darunhua, not daring to glance back.
Freedom.
He sighed in relief and straightened his shirt, heading inside.
He still needed materials for testing Infinite Alienation.
And as luck would have it—the same shopping guide from before was waiting behind the counter.
---