Chapter 322

322 A mutated vicious ant

*Glu~ Glu~*

Lilith blushed when her belly suddenly grumbled. “I... I am definitely not thinking about eating the dangerous egg.” She said while embarrassingly waving her hands and saying what was in her thoughts.

[Looks like someone is deadly hungry, haha.]

“Haha. It looks like I spoiled your belly with food, and it wants to eat more today. ” Vincent laughed at the blushing Lilith. He wiped most of the dirt from the egg with his hand and offered it to Lilith with a teasing smirk.

“Breakfast is served, milady. But I hope it will not fill you with acid, hehe.” Vincent teased.

“No need to be courteous, Vincent. Would you please continue what was on your mind? My definitely not hungry stomach will watch silently.” Lilith took a step back. She frowned at the ant egg and moved a couple more steps until she was more than three meters away from him. “I am safe here, right?” She asked.

[I would normally warn against trying a dangerous experiment like this one. However, you have become immune to minor acid strength.]

[Furthermore, Overheat should give you enough power boost to take an adult Royal Guard Ant by yourself now.]

-In other words, the best assistant, Kazumi, agrees to my little experiment.-

.....

[Yeah, but protect Lilith if the ant hatches. It might still be dangerous.]

“Lilith, be ready to hide behind a tree if this goes wrong,” Vincent warned, but Lilith was already moving back at a snail’s pace.

“Overheat.” He initiated the mutation to flow and change his body.

Vincent placed the ant egg on the ground and scratched his arm. He dropped a drop of mutated blood. Unlike the usual evaporating result, the blood disappeared as if it assimilated into the egg.

“The eggshell absorbed the blood! It works!” Vincent exclaimed.

“Is it going to hatch?” Lilith said from behind a tree.

.

[Name] Royal Guard Ant Egg (Male)

[Condition] Healthy, Growing [Mutation 1%]

[Detail]

An egg created by [Broodmother Queen Ant]

An egg grows then matures a Royal Guard type ant depending on the nutrients the shell absorbs.

.

“Maybe if I bleed to death. It is mutating, but it is prolonged.” Vincent said.

*Sigh* “Thank goodness.” Lilith felt relieved Vincent wasn’t going to play with danger. However, she saw Vincent drop more blood.

“Vincent... aren’t you going to stop?” She asked in a wavering voice.

“About that. ” Vincent smirked and decided to use Sub-Familiar Mutation. He lowered on his knee and cut his arm deeper. Mutated blood fell on the ant egg yet from Lilith’s distant position. The green blood was like a living organism entering the egg without harming it.

[It is working. Look.]

Said Kazumi when the percentage was growing far faster than before.

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.

[Condition] Healthy, Growing [Mutation 66%]

.

“Yeah, it might hatch soon.” Vincent turned his gaze on the scratch he inflicted and the blood falling on the ant egg appeared strange. The wound wasn’t too deep and wide, yet the mutated blood fell as if someone had cut an artery.

.

[Notice]

[Sub-Familiar Mutation succeeded.]

[Royal Guard Ant mutated into a sub-familiar creature, and a [Mutated Acid Core] was formed.]

[Royal Guard Ant Mutant’s core can not be tamed.]

.

*Crack, crack* A sharp leg poked from the eggshell. *Thud* An ant as giant as a puppy tumbled on the ground.

The ant moved its antennas and turned its head. The ant’s exoskeleton was dark green, unlike giant ants in dark brown and dark gray.

.

[Name] Royal Guard Ant Mutant (Male)

[Race] Chimera Ant

[Age] 0 (Newborn)

[Condition] Healthy, Confused (Unlinked Hivemind)

[Core] Mutated Acid Core

[Traits] Mutated Exoskeleton

[Stats] Strength 2 || Agility 1 || Perception 1 || Mana 0

[Core Skills]

*Acid Spit

*Acid Selfdetonation

[Detail]

A mutated ant created to serve [Broodmother Queen Ant], but its purpose changed as the ant mutated. Royal Guard Ant Mutant will protect any Queen Ant with the [Queen’s Hivemind] trait.

.

“Stay back! The ant can’t be tamed, and it is looking for the dead ant queen.” Vincent warned. He retreated a few steps and stared at the little ant, trying to find the Broodmother Queen Ant Feng Mengli killed with difficulty.

[I think we should kill this dangerous ant before it explodes into a small bomb of acid. ]

Vincent recalled horrible memories of how much he suffered, how he was on the brink of death multiple times. However, he wasn’t a blood-thirsty killer. The tiny newborn ant made him hesitate.

The mutated ant stopped searching. It looked at Vincent and tilted its head. The ant didn’t look hostile as it gazed at Vincent. However, the moment it heard Lilith ask, “Is it safe now?” the mutated ant screeched and started moving towards Lilith at a snail’s pace with its weak appendages.

[It is still a baby, yet it wants to kill Lilith! How vicious chimera ants are!]

*Tss* The moment Vincent heard a drop of acid fall on the ground and melted the grass, he knew it was Lilith or the ant.

Vincent lifted the ant in a hurry, crushed its head with his destructive strength, and instantly stored its body.

.

[1x Royal Guard Ant Mutant Corpse (Exotic Quality) gained.]

[1x Small Mutated Acid Core Stage One (Exotic Quality) gained.]

.

[Overheat duration ended from lack of mutated blood.]

[Host Race returning to human.]

.

Overheat stopped automatically as the mutated blood needed to keep his form active mainly was lost.

[So it was all for nothing... and there it goes, my dream to see an ant army completing the quests for us.]

-...-

After the gauntlets bristled like clumps of ash and stored not to leave any trace behind, Vincent saw Lilith rushing with a piece of her skirt in her hand.

“My dear...” Lilith spoke with a sad tone, and tears welling in her eyes. “You are hurt, and the bleeding stopped, but please don’t scar your body again. It breaks my heart, and I can’t imagine how heartbroken Ester and Lupa were as they cared for you.”

Lilith began wrapping the blue piece of thorn skirt. “But I am glad you are not as injured as I imagined. Having an extra batch of blood sure is handy.” She smiled a little after seeing Vincent gazing at her with a smile.

“Thank you.” Vincent gave Lilith a head pat. He grabbed the shield and said, “You can rest while I cover the hole. Later we will return home.”

*Lionheart Mansion Gate*

The sun was setting. Eliara and Fliara approached Lenn and Renn. “We can change shifts. ” Fliara said first.

Lenn and Renn lightly blushed and nodded. Both were nervous about speaking as they didn’t have much of a subject to speak about. The twins were afraid to make a mistake.

A man approached them and informed them how they had finished building the wall. The man left soon after.

The twins and half-sisters gazed at the brand new tall wall protecting the inside from the outside. A considerably tall ladder or skills were needed to enter the mansion.

“Teacher is back.” Renn was the first to notice Vincent with sweat tricking all over his body, a makeshift bandage wrapped around his arm, and a large woman covering her face as it is strange not to look at them.

.....

[The wall looks intimidating. I like it.]

“Yeah, the wall sure does looks intimidating.” Vincent agreed.

Lilith stopped covering her face and saw the wall. Not only it was larger, but the hole Vincent made out of anger was fixed.

Vincent approached the twins and two look-alike half-sisters. “We are back. The wall looks great.” He looked around and asked, “Are the builders working on the other sides of the wall, or did they leave for the day?”

“No, teacher. ” Lenn answered.

“All the walls have been constructed.” Renn continued.

“Really?” Both Vincent and Lilith asked in surprise.

“Not only that, but I saw them scatter building stones with runes on them. ” Fliara informed.

“I saw the protection and alarm runes. Protection makes the wall more durable, and the alarm rune will warn the barracks that the wall was damaged or it collapsed.” Eliara explained what the runes meant and showed how much pricy the materials cost.

“Teacher, we will come with you inside.” Lenn and Renn both said.

“Leave the gate to us.” Eliara and Fliara said.

Vincent thanked the two for their service and pulled Lilith inside. Lenn and Renn glanced at Lilith from time to time. ‘I would like to go on a date in my teacher’s style.’ Both the twins thought.

Ester, Lupa, Iris, and Sakura were waiting at the entrance. It seemed Lupa heard Vincent approach and announced his arrival. It was a pleasant and welcoming sight to see people waiting patiently to return home. However, he soon felt betrayed. They weren’t there for him. They were waiting for Lilith to interrogate what kind of day she experienced being alone with Vincent.

*Whoosh* Vincent, Lenn, and Renn were left in front of the entrance as the girls stole Lilith while she was still sitting. Sakura ran with her like a wild horse.

“...” Vincent blinked multiple times in silence.

“...” Lenn and Renn didn’t know what to say as well.

*Grumble* “Ohh! It looks like I am hungry.” Lenn ran inside.

*Grumble* “Me too, brother.” Renn ran inside.

[Haha. Now, this is embarrassing for you. Your harem is questioning Lilith, and the twins felt awkward about how Lupa and Sakura rushed while Ester and Iris followed a bit slower.]

“...” Vincent didn’t reply. He entered the mansion and headed for the kitchen.

“Ohh my. Look who is back.” Sofy raised seducing smile later winked at Vincent when their eyes met.