"HAAAAAAAAA!!!"
Chen Guang's eyes flew open.
Using every ounce of strength he had left, he drew in a long, desperate breath before exhaling forcefully.
The moment he did, a sharp pain stabbed through his chest.
"It feels... like my lungs... are only... half... there..."
He lay sprawled across the cold ground, every limb completely limp.
The wind continued to howl, shaking the treetops as rainwater dripped down onto his face.
"How... long... has it been...?"
[MISSION: ABSORB 1,000 FIRE ANTS]
[PROGRESS: 900/1000]
"Still... 100... left?"
Both of his arms were completely buried beneath boils. Foul-smelling pus oozed from them, dripping onto the ground with soft plops.
Something... is moving inside my throat?
Chen Guang's pupils widened in horror.
The skin beneath his neck rippled and bulged, moving in a way completely different from the pulse of a heartbeat.
His tongue had gone numb, and both cheeks felt stiff.
This venom... causes paralysis?
Then came the itch.
"Blegh... blegh..."
A stream of fluid poured from his mouth.
Within it, hundreds of reddish-brown ants writhed and crawled.
Some rolled onto their backs, their legs curling inward.
"Advance."
The strange voice echoed through Chen Guang's mind once more.
Then hundreds more fire ants swarmed over him, tearing into his flesh.
They crawled into his nostrils.
Into his ears.
And—
They reached his eyes.
"My eyelids... itch..."
The endless rustling swallowed every other sound.
[PROGRESS: 950/1000]
"50... more..."
Chen Guang's body convulsed.
Steam burst from every pore.
His skin turned crimson.
Every inch burned like boiling oil.
"GRAAAAAHHH!!!!!!"
His scream of agony never made it past his throat.
[PROGRESS: 970/1000]
The wind grew even fiercer.
Trees that had stood firm moments ago now began to sway violently.
[PROGRESS: 980/1000]
Pale yellow fluid streamed from his nose.
His ears.
His mouth.
And spread across the ground.
Wherever it landed, the grass blackened.
Layer after layer of skin peeled from Chen Guang's body.
Revealing the white of his bones beneath.
The air turned sour.
[PROGRESS: 990/1000]
"Attack with everything you've got."
The buzzing voice echoed inside his head.
[PROGRESS: 999/1000]
Darkness closed in.
"Kill him."
The voice rang out again.
No more ants crawled inside his body.
Nor did any inject venom into him anymore.
All that remained...
Was biting.
As though hundreds...
No...
Thousands of tiny scissors were cutting into his flesh all at once.
Aching.
Agony.
An itch that reached all the way into his bones.
"Am I... really going to die here...?"
The system screen flickered before Chen Guang's eyes.
"999..."
Just one more.
"System..."
Chen Guang's lips moved soundlessly.
The system screen remained there.
Silent—
[ACTIVATING: MONARCH PHEROMONE]
"So the pheromone... was only meant... to clean up my corpse..."
"What a damned instinct... these ants have..."
A bitter smile spread across Chen Guang's lips.
He slowly closed his eyes, waiting for the final moment.
"YOUR MAJESTY!!!"
Countless voices erupted inside his head.
"We pledge our lives to follow Your Majesty."
Then, from seemingly nowhere, hundreds of black ants crawled onto Chen Guang's body.
"You all..."
Hope flickered in Chen Guang's eyes.
"Push one fire ant... into my mouth... hurry."
Chen Guang muttered as he opened his mouth.
"For Your Majesty."
Several hundred black ants were no match for tens of thousands of fire ants.
One after another, they were bitten apart and torn in half.
Tiny black bodies vanished beneath countless mandibles.
Two hundred remained.
Then one hundred.
Fifty.
Only ten black ants remained.
Fire ants surrounded them from every direction.
"Do not underestimate us."
The ten ants pushed a single fire ant backward together—
Just before they were torn apart.
Crunch—
The sound of mandibles snapping shut echoed.
[PROGRESS: 1000/1000]
[MISSION: ABSORB 1,000 FIRE ANTS]
[MISSION COMPLETED]
[REWARD UNLOCKED]
[MONARCH PHEROMONE UPGRADED]
[FIRE ANTS HAVE RECOGNIZED THE HOST AS THEIR KING. ALL COMMANDS WILL BE OBEYED]
A dense scent spread through the air.
Every fire ant that had been frenzied with bloodlust froze.
Their bodies trembled before they collapsed onto their backs, limbs twitching uncontrollably.
"No."
The voice echoed through Chen Guang's mind again.
He slowly opened his eyes.
"Why?!"
The voice became a furious roar that reverberated throughout his mind.
"You...?!"
The voice was filled with outrage as every remaining fire ant dropped flat against the ground at the same time.
Chen Guang tensed his body and slowly sat up.
Moments ago, his body had been covered in wounds and festering sores.
Now, it was completely healed.
"So this is... the System's power?"
He looked down at himself.
[BONUS REWARD UNLOCKED]
The system screen appeared once again.
Steam erupted from Chen Guang's body.
His knees buckled as every muscle in his body tensed.
"It feels like... every blood vessel in my body... is bursting..."
A torrent of blood poured from his nose.
From his ears.
And even from his eye sockets.
Blood soaked into the ground, mixing with the yellow fluid.
The veins bulging across his clenched hands darkened.
Bluish-black.
Black streaked with gold.
Then those black-and-gold veins spread throughout his entire body.
"Every... fucking damn... time!!!"
Drops of sweat fell from Chen Guang's forehead.
A drop hit the ground.
Sizzle.
"My sweat... isn't sweat anymore?"
The steam thickened, swallowing his body.
And then—
His entire body split open, exposing muscles that pulsed beneath the surface.
The countless tendons woven through them snapped apart.
Then, in the blink of an eye—
Like a film playing in reverse.
Every severed blood vessel rejoined, tightening around the muscle fibers once more.
His skin knitted itself back together.
Yellow fluid trickled down his face.
"Damn it..."
[BODY RESTRUCTURING COMPLETE]
[PASSIVE SKILL ACQUIRED: SOLENOPSIN]
[SKILL EFFECT: ALL BODY FLUIDS NOW CONTAIN SOLENOPSIN]
That metallic voice faded away.
Chen Guang panted heavily, his eyes wide open as he stared at the treetops swaying beneath the raging wind.
Droplets slipped through the gaps in the leaves, pattering softly against his forehead.
"Looks like it's about to rain again."
He spread both arms wide, letting his entire body relax.
The rain began to fall harder.
Then—
Splash.
A torrent of freezing water crashed down over Chen Guang.
Water poured straight into his eyes and nose, making him choke.
"Huh? What the...? Why did the rain suddenly get so hea—"
"Are you okay?"
A familiar voice reached his ears.
Chen Guang wiped the water from his face and looked up.
Sun Feng was standing there, her eyes wide open.
Splash. Splash.
"Stop... stop pouring water on me..."
Streams of water continued cascading over him.
"Alright. Looks like he's fine. You can stop now."
Sun Feng gestured to Mei Mei beside her.
"Hmph. Useless. You got yourself like this from a few ant bites."
Mei Mei tossed aside the large leaf she had been using to carry water and muttered under her breath.
"How did you even...? Your whole body was covered in fire ants..."
Sun Feng stepped closer to Chen Guang, her lips parting as though she wanted to say something.
"Well... I..."
"Shh. Quiet."
Sun Feng dropped to one knee.
Her hand shot over Chen Guang's mouth, forcing his head against the ground.
What the hell...? How is she this strong?
He struggled to break free, but Sun Feng paid him no attention.
Still kneeling, she looked to her left and motioned for Mei Mei to stay where she was.
Her other hand raised a finger to her lips.
"Mmm... wha...?"
Chen Guang mumbled through her hand, the words hopelessly muffled.
Thump. Thump.
"Your Majesty, please be extremely cautious."
The voice echoed inside his head.
"Why do I feel... the ground shaking?"
Chen Guang answered inwardly as sweat dripped from his forehead onto the earth.
A faint sizzling sound reached his ears.
"He is the lord of this forest."
The voice came again.
They're... afraid?
Chen Guang shifted his eyes.
Drops of sweat rolled from Sun Feng's forehead, down her chin...
Then landed in Chen Guang's eye.
"Mmph... mmm..."
"Keep quiet. If it notices us, we're dead."
Sun Feng pressed even harder over Chen Guang's mouth, her eyes fixed on the darkness deep within the forest.
Her hand... is shaking?
Chen Guang could feel her hand trembling against his face.
"Your Majesty, something extremely dangerous is nearby."
Countless voices clamored inside his mind.
Those must be the black ants.
Then the ones warning me earlier... were the fire ants?
Chen Guang couldn't take his eyes off the pulse in Sun Feng's neck.
It was pounding relentlessly.
Sun Feng glanced toward Mei Mei.
His eyes followed.
Mei Mei was curled up with her head buried against her knees, both arms wrapped tightly around herself.
Even from here, her legs were visibly trembling.
The ground shook more and more violently.
Crack.
Splinters of wood suddenly shot into the air.
Then they rained back down.
Chen Guang squeezed his eyes shut.
A few seconds passed.
Huh? Nothing hit me?
Chen Guang slowly opened his eyes.
Countless wooden splinters rained down from above.
But—
Is that... her ability?
One of Sun Feng's hands was raised.
The razor-sharp splinters that should have impaled them veered away.
Plop.
Something landed nearby.
It landed only inches from his face.
Chen Guang glanced sideways.
A puddle of green slime hissed as white smoke rose from it.
Then more puddles of slime fell from above.
Chen Guang slowly looked up.
Beyond the dense canopy, he saw an enormous silhouette.
Two pairs of impossibly long fangs curved upward.
A deep hissing echoed through the forest.
It's... breathing?
Chen Guang held his breath as he silently watched the massive figure.
The last traces of sunlight disappeared behind its colossal body.
The creature slowly turned its head.
Then it opened its mouth wide.
"HAAAAAAAAAAA."
The sound sent the entire forest trembling.
Trees swayed violently.
The ground shook like an earthquake.
Droplets dripped from the creature's mouth.
They struck the ground.
Large holes instantly appeared wherever they landed.
Did it just... yawn?
Just a yawn could cause something like this... what exactly is it...?
Before Chen Guang could finish the thought—
[TARGET: GIANT SWAMP TROLL]
[POWER VALUE: 1250]
[ENERGY VALUE: 0]
The system window appeared.
1250 Power?!
Chen Guang's heart suddenly began pounding.
His entire body turned ice-cold, even as sweat poured down his back.
Sun Feng's hand instinctively pressed down even harder.
Veins bulged across Chen Guang's tense face.
His gaze drifted back to the pulse in Sun Feng's neck.
It was hammering wildly.
Huff.
The creature's breath poured from its nostrils, washing over nearly the entire forest.
Chen Guang's hair stood on end with every exhale.
Damn it... just breathing is enough to make it terrifying.
Each breath made the treetops sway violently, sending the rainwater still clinging to the leaves splashing down below.
The troll slowly turned its head again.
Then it stretched lazily.
A violent shockwave rippled through the forest.
Trees swayed violently.
Some were even uprooted and sent crashing to the ground.
Chen Guang dug both hands into the earth.
His entire body trembled uncontrollably.
It only yawned and stretched... and it's already this monstrous? Just what rank is this thing...?
He didn't dare take his eyes off it.
It felt as though the moment he looked away...
...it would be standing closer.
His thoughts were interrupted by Sun Feng's whisper beside his ear.
"It's leaving."
Sun Feng's hand was no longer trembling.
Yet sweat continued to drip from her chin onto Chen Guang's forehead.
The troll slowly turned around.
Even though it moved lazily, the aftershocks were anything but.
That's it... keep going. Go as far away as possible.
Chen Guang watched Sun Feng's lips move.
Judging by the shape of her mouth...
They were thinking the exact same thing.
Boom. Boom.
Trees collapsed behind the troll with every step it took.
Its towering figure slowly faded into the distance.
A few weak rays of sunlight returned.
"It's gone."
Sun Feng finally let go of Chen Guang.
She collapsed onto the ground.
"W-What... what was that thing?"
Mei Mei's trembling voice broke the silence.
Her face had gone completely pale.
She gulped down several quick breaths before finally managing to exhale.
"That's a troll. Normally they're only C-rank monsters, but this one..."
Sun Feng stopped, staring in the direction the troll had disappeared.
"...this one is definitely not C-rank."
"Could the mutated Portal have affected every monster... and even the environment itself?"
Chen Guang sat up, took a deep breath, and spoke.
"That's very likely."
Sun Feng stood up and brushed the dirt off her clothes.
"And there's probably another piece of bad news."
She looked down at Chen Guang, who was still gasping for air.
"As if things weren't bad enough already... another one or two pieces of bad news..."
"If my guess is correct..."
"...there are probably only the three of us inside this Portal."
Sun Feng cut him off.
"What? What do you mean? Only the three of us?"
Mei Mei's eyes widened as she joined the conversation.
"After the last mutated Portal, the rescue team reported that they couldn't get inside."
Sun Feng looked toward the distant Portal entrance.
"One Vanguard said there was something like a wall blocking them."
Her gaze shifted back to Chen Guang.
"You understand what that means, don't you?"
"You mean... it's the same this time? No one can enter except the people who were already inside."
Chen Guang swallowed hard, his hand clenching into a fist.
Sun Feng gave a slight nod.
"Then... what are we supposed to do now?"
Mei Mei collapsed onto the ground, staring blankly at Sun Feng.
"The plan hasn't changed."
"We find the boss."
"We kill it."
"And we get out."
Sun Feng scanned the forest once more.
"That troll has probably left."
Then she turned toward Chen Guang.
"Please keep leading the way."
"I'll do my best."
Chen Guang forced a bitter smile as he got to his feet.
Suddenly, several voices echoed inside his mind.
"Your Majesty... be careful."
"The Queen... has betrayed us."
A chill instantly ran down his spine.
"What do you mean?"
His brows furrowed.
Boom. Boom.
The forest, which had finally fallen silent—began trembling once again.
"I've got a bad feeling."
"No..."
"This is much worse."
Chen Guang turned toward Sun Feng with a crooked smile.
"You don't have to tell me."
Sun Feng rushed over and grabbed Mei Mei by the shoulders. The girl looked completely lifeless.
"Pull yourself together."
"You're a Vanguard."
Her shout snapped Mei Mei back to reality.
"R-Right..."
"I'm... a Vanguard..."
"Good."
"Our priority right now is surviving."
Sun Feng quickly turned to Chen Guang.
"All of you."
"Find the safest route. Immediately."
"As you command, Your Majesty."
The moment the voices in Chen Guang's head fell silent, the sky darkened.
The last faint rays of sunlight vanished completely.
Chen Guang's pupils contracted.
Above the canopy.
Something moved.
A colossal silhouette emerged.
Two enormous tusks curved upward.
But this time—
It lowered its head.
And looked down.
At the spot where Chen Guang was standing.
"All of you..."
"Die."
The mysterious voice echoed inside Chen Guang's mind once more.
"RUN, YOUR MAJESTY!!!"