After the exhausting battle today and the intense mental focus it required, Fairwind fell into a deep sleep earlier than usual. It was a rare moment of peace for him. However, the same could not be said for the school group chat—it had completely exploded.
Those who had previously spread gossip or mocked others were now completely silent. They didn't dare speak another word.
Still, this didn't stop the rest of the students from flooding the chat with comments and excitement:
> "Fairwind has a 34-star combat rating already? That's insane! I wish I had a dad who was a city lord too."
> "Man, I guess being born lucky is a science. So jealous."
> "Wait a second… Ethan's at 78 stars? Is that even real?"
> "We all know that overall combat power isn't always fully reflected in approval maps. Still, that's wild."
> "I'm only at 10 stars and I already feel like I'm falling behind everyone else."
> "You think that's bad? I've only reached 3 stars."
Someone chimed in with a surprising point:
> "Wait, our mentor has been transforming his power for years and only recently crossed 80 stars. You're telling me Ethan is already that strong?"
> "Let's not forget, Ethan is just Level 7. The mentor is Level 35!"
> "Yeah, being Level 7 is insane in itself. You know how brutal the experience points are after Level 5?"
> "Okay, I give up. I thought reaching Level 4 was amazing. Time for me to go cry in the corner."
> "Is this the difference between S-level talents and C-level ones? If that's the case, then what hope is there for someone like me?"
> "What did you say about having no future? Are you insulting mentors now?"
> "No, Teacher! I misunderstood!"
The discussion took a new turn:
> "Turns out Ethan was secretly a boss-level figure all along!"
> "And both Ethan and Fairwind are S-level talent holders. What does that say about the girl with the SS-level talent?"
> "Good question. Since the group was created, the school beauty hasn't said a single word."
---
Meanwhile, Ethan was completely unaware of all the commotion online.
He had just finished enhancing his undead companion, the Anti-Bone Soldier, and was now focused on another major task—upgrading the Queen of the Poisonous Fire Ants.
He still had 13 Silver-grade Desert Earthworm Skins and 1 Silver-grade Desert Earth Dragon Skin in his inventory.
It was time to activate his talent: Unlimited Alienation.
This time, he chose the Poisonous Fire Ant Queen as the base target on the left, and placed all 13 Desert Worm Skins on the right.
These desert worms weren't randomly chosen. Ethan had carefully selected them. Not only were they deeply tied to the earth element, but they also had strong vitality and resilience, traits that were perfect for what Ethan needed.
After the success with the Anti-Bone Soldier, Ethan wasn't trying to turn the Poisonous Fire Ant Queen into a powerful combat unit.
No, his plan was far more strategic.
He wanted her to become a breeding powerhouse, just like a Zerg Broodmother—a creature that could endlessly produce soldiers for him.
Having already seen the wonders of his Infinite Alienation ability, Ethan understood that repeated alienation could enhance the queen's offspring as well.
The stronger she became, the stronger her children would be. It was exponential growth.
If his guess was correct, the queen's reproductive strength depended directly on her physical traits, and the Desert Worm materials were known to greatly enhance physical constitution.
> "Prompt: Do you wish to perform Infinite Alienation?"
Ethan selected: Yes.
The system responded:
> "Alienation in progress… Please choose one of the following outcomes:"
a. Greatly enhance defense, gain skill: 'Sandstone Armor (Green)'
b. Boost constitution, choose a basic skill to enhance
c. Greatly increase regeneration, gain skill: 'Rapid Growth (Green)'
Each option had its appeal.
Option A, Sandstone Armor, would boost physical defense by 100% and magical defense by 50%. This was strong, but better suited for front-line fighters.
Option C, Rapid Growth, allowed quick regeneration of broken limbs using stamina. Also impressive.
But Option B offered a rare opportunity: the chance to select and enhance a core skill.
That was a game-changer.
Ethan knew exactly what skill to enhance—"Reproduction."
So he picked Option B, enhancing the queen's reproductive skill.
> "Alienation successful. The Poisonous Fire Ant Queen has evolved into a Bronze-ranked Desert Giant Ant Queen."
Stat Boosts: Strength +120, Constitution +520, Agility +30, Spirit +20
Skill Upgraded: "Reproduction" → "Reproduction (Green)"
New Ability: Can now produce six Desert Giant Ant Eggs per day.
Boom! Just like that, the output had doubled.
In a month, that meant nearly 200 new battle-ready ant soldiers.
Ethan originally assumed that all similar summons would follow a fixed evolution path. But now it was clear: the materials used in the alienation process could drastically alter the result.
It made sense now why the system called it "Infinite Alienation"—each creature had endless potential based on combinations.
No wonder this was an SSS-level ability.
Even without direct stat bonuses, its flexibility and long-term potential made it ridiculously powerful.
And Ethan wasn't done yet.
He still had one Silver-level Desert Earth Dragon Skin left.
The evolution continued.
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