"Did you hear?"
"Was there another one? Who did they get this ti?"
"It was Felix and a few others. They never returned from that guard mission."
"What are those nobles thinking? They should gather their army and do sothing about it. Why are we even paying taxes?"
"Shhh, you are too loud. What if they hear you?"
A man glanced over his shoulder toward two guards. They were yawning and not paying attention, and he let out a sigh of relief. Soone had still overheard the argunt. That person sat on a nearby bench, staring at a system display after returning from spelunking in the dungeon.
"Those bandits are causing a lot of trouble, huh?"
He muttered so words as a faint glow appeared in his right eye.
"They might have grown too large for the rchants to handle, but, oddly, no one is doing anything. We should be careful."
Alexander said, and as his light faded, another one ignited in the left eye socket.
"There is nothing to worry about. We will slaughter them all and take their treasure."
Aburdon said, while Rusty just nodded. That was the plan. Three weeks had passed since the rchant guild had taken his money, and soon he would have to pay again. His store was not doing well. His wares were no better than those of others, so custors went to the more prominent shops. Trust was a currency he did not yet have, but he intended to build it slowly.
The bandit activity around the settlent kept growing until it beca a constant topic of conversation among the townsfolk. As before, the adventurers were too occupied with monsters in the dungeon, and no one wanted to take the guild's missions since the pay was too low. The bandit camp was rumored to hold an unknown number of battle class fighters, which most people considered far more dangerous than any monster.
It seed that the people were simply waiting for the bandits to leave. As a bandit lair grew larger, it drew more attention from the nobles, which usually forced the bandits to relocate. The nobles intervened only when the groups beca too large, and the bandits understood this, so they usually kept their numbers below that point.
Many rchants chose to avoid trouble by taking longer travel routes, but others still gave in to greed and sent caravans through risky paths in hopes of earning more. Rusty was interested in the idea of crushing the bandits, but for now, his attention was fixed on his friend.
"You are right. I am sure they will not be able to stand against two D-ranked monsters."
"(˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶)"
It had been so ti since he beca a D-ranked monster, but his levels were rising slowly. Gleam, however, had still been an F-ranked monster until recently. She pushed herself to the limit and was finally ready to take the next step forward. Now it was up to him to choose from the options placed before her.
Na:
Gleam
Classification:
Small Silverwing Magical Gleaming Ant [ E ] L15
Type:
Insectoid
It was easy for her to gain levels while constantly fighting D-rank monsters, but this slowed Rusty's progress, which had already begun to stall. The world system penalized him for fighting alongside soone of a lower rank, and it also limited Gleam's experience to so extent. Even so, she was here now, and there were several options ahead.
Adult Magical Gleaming Ant
[ Insectoid ] [ D ]
An adult Magical Gleaming Ant. Its larger body size allows it to cast a variety of spells. Its mandibles have grown stronger, and its bite can shatter stone and even tal.
Flying Mana Myrm Ant Soldier
[ Insectoid ] [ D ]
A winged magical variant of the Myrm Ant Soldier. Its body remains roughly the sa size, but its magical abilities grant it greater strength and speed. It can cast spells capable of devastating groups of enemies, and its wings allow it to fly freely through the air.
Silvergleam Mana Ant
[ Insectoid ] [ D - ]
An evolved form of the rare Small Silverwing Magical Gleaming Ant. Though it still retains a small stature, it surpasses its previous form in every way. This monster specializes in magical attacks and aerial combat, with wings and aerial speed greatly enhanced compared to its earlier evolution.
Horned Myrm Ant Queen
[ Insectoid ] [ D ]
A rarer horned variant of the Queen of the Myrm Ant species. Once fully grown, it becos immobile to dedicate itself entirely to producing offspring.
Just like many tis before, there was only one real option. Once he noticed the existence of overpoints, it beca clear that skipping ranks was pointless. The only choice left was the Silvergleam Mana Ant, and luckily, the size wouldn't change.
"What do you think?"
"(˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶)"
"You want to choose?"
Rusty stood up, and the two of them returned ho. As before, he stood guard while his friend underwent the transformation. This ti, the process lasted much longer, taking almost two days to complete.
The change was not drastic, but the differences were readily apparent. Her wings shone more brightly than before, glowing with a faint blue light whenever she spread them. Her silver body now bore several bluish stripes that pulsed with magical energy. Her face had stayed much the sa, but the tips of her antennae now glowed a deep, luminous blue.
"(„• ֊ •„)੭"
Inside his basent forge, Rusty watched as Gleam's wings flexed for the first ti since her transformation. A blue shimr like rippling water spread across the dark workshop walls. He was certain that if the children saw her new form, they would be filled with wonder, but for now, he chose to keep it hidden.
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Her new coloring was soon concealed beneath her old armor. Her size had not changed, and he adjusted the pieces so her wings could spread apart. With her body evolved, she had gained new abilities. Most of her earlier transformation had centered on acquiring spells and strengthening her casting.
Mana-Infused Mandibles
Active Skill
Infuses her mandibles with radiant mana that deals damage over ti to any bitten enemies
Prismatic Mana Bolt
Active Skill
Condenses ambient mana into a shimring projectile that refracts into multiple beams before impact. Effective against groups or evasive enemies.
Next was the skill she had gotten for reaching D rank.
Enhanced Mana Flight
Active Skill
This skill greatly improves aerial maneuverability, allowing rapid acceleration, sudden changes of direction, and the ability to maintain flight for extended periods without fatigue. When activated, the user's wings beco infused with mana, leaving a faint trail of blue light.
Although unplanned, this was exactly what he needed for his next mission. He had intended to deal with the Bandits soon, but bringing Gleam along had always been an obstacle. Their camp lay far from the settlent, two or three days of travel on foot.
With his ld skill, he could cover such distances quickly, but he could not take Gleam with him. Now that she appeared capable of faster flight, the possibility of her keeping pace beca real. He was not yet certain how fast she truly was, but they would soon find out.
Na:
Gleam
Classification:
Silvergleam Mana Ant [ D - ] L1
Type:
Insectoid
Hit Points [ HP ]
371/371
Magic Points [MP]
740/740
Stamina Points [SP]
325325
Strength
139 [ E ]
Agility
15 [ D - ] { 5 }
Dexterity
2 [ D - ]
Constitution
1 [ D - ]
Intelligence
22 [ D - ] { 31 }
Wisdom
21 [ D - ] { 30 }
Willpower
17 [ D - ] { 24 }
Durability
D - -
"That should do nicely."
Rusty nodded as he turned off the system display. Enhanced flight had been achieved, and it was ti to test it. Together, they left through the settlent gate and headed to a quiet stretch of land where no one would disturb them. There, Gleam had the space she needed to spread her wings and take to the air.
The sun was shining brightly in the forest opening, which he decided to use as cover. No guards patrolled this far, and adventurers were more interested in the dungeon to co here. It was the perfect spot to conduct the testing, and Gleam had already hopped off his shoulder to try.
"Alright, let's see what you can do."
"( • ֊ • )੭"
Rusty folded his arms, stepping back to give her space. Gleam clicked her mandibles once, then spread her wings wide. The faint blue glow along the edges brightened and gave off a nice sounding hum. Then, with a sudden burst, she launched into the air. The trail of mana she left behind shimred like scattered stardust, and Rusty could not take his tallic gaze off her.
She darted left, then right, her body twisting in tight spirals as if she had suddenly beco weightless. Her speed was startling, far beyond anything she had managed before. In a heartbeat, she dropped low, skimming the grass like a hunting hawk. She looped once in midair before landing neatly in front of him, her wings folding back into place against the armor.
"That was great, Gleam!"
"(˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶)"
"What? You want to climb on?"
"( •̀ᴗ•́ )و"
"I see. That could actually work."
Rusty nodded and scanned the area. After activating his life detection skill to make sure they were alone, he switched to one of his loadouts, taking on his smallest form, one that could ride on Gleam's back. Just as she asked, he climbed on and waited for her to take off.
"Alright then, let's give this a try…"
Before he could finish, Gleam shot into the air. The sudden acceleration nearly threw him off, and Rusty clung to the notches along her armor as the wind howled against his helt. His smaller form made him lighter, but it also left him more vulnerable to the currents.
"Hah! Not bad at all!"
The experience was exhilarating, and the view from above was even better. Gleam darted and spun through the air, testing the limits of her new D-rank body. The world below blurred, trees shrinking as they climbed higher. Her speed was astonishing, quick enough to overtake passing birds with ease.
"Could she be as fast as a wyvern? Maybe even faster?"
Alexander spoke in awe, his light flickering in Rusty's right eyesocket.
"Not as fast as my dragon, that's for sure."
Aburdon gloated about his past, but Rusty ignored him. His focus remained on Gleam's flight and the realization that his plans might need to change. He had intended to use his elent lding skill to move ahead and wait for her to catch up, but now it was clear he could simply ride her the entire way. In truth, this approach was probably safer and far more efficient.
Gleam spiraled upward, her wings leaving arcs of shimring blue light across the sky, then plunged straight down, stopping just short of the ground before darting back up again. Finally, she landed and let Rusty slide from her back. The glow of her wings faded as she folded them against her sides.
"( ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ )"
"That was incredible!"
He opened up the system window to check her stats. Her stamina and mana had barely dropped. Her flying ability was remarkable, and she seed capable of keeping it up for long stretches without trouble.
"Good. That ans distance is no longer an issue. We can investigate the bandit camp tonight and see how long it takes us to reach it."
"( •̀ᴗ•́ )و"
Because of Gleam's evolution, the ti for the next paynt was drawing near. He hoped to claim the money the bandits had been hoarding, since it would allow him to ignore the rchant guild that was trying to force him out of business.
Night fell, and the last traces of sunlight disappeared beneath the darkening horizon. Rusty Fastened looked over his small body once more. During the day, he had smoothed out so of the edges to make it more aerodynamic, a word he had learned from Alexander. He did not fully understand how it worked, but with this sleeker and slightly lighter body, Gleam wouldn't have to push herself as much.
"We should not fly too high, and we must avoid the main roads. If adventurers see us, they might try to bring us down with spells or arrows. Stay closer to the trees so we have cover if soone notices us."
Rusty tightened the straps that secured him to Gleam's back. The faint hum of her wings vibrated through his small fra. Her antennae glowed softly as they sensed the shifting air currents, and soon the two began to hover.
The forest stretched out before them, cloaked in night. Moonlight slipped through the gaps in the canopy, painting streaks of silver across the undergrowth. Owls called from hidden branches, and a chill breeze carried the distant howls of predators and monsters. They were leaving the orc-infested woods behind, yet that did not an the rest of the forest was safe.
"Alright, Gleam. We will scout first. No need to fight tonight. We will just watch, learn, and leave unseen."
"( •̀ ᴗ •́ )و"
With a single beat of her shimring wings, they lifted into the air. Rusty felt a rush of cold wind sweep past his helt as the trees below blurred into darkness. Gleam kept low, darting between the treetops and weaving through the canopy. They flew for hours, yet the distance that would have taken a long march to cover brought them to the bandit camp in less than two.
"That was faster than expected."
In the distance, faint orange embers flickered through the trees like fireflies. Smoke drifted on the night air, mingling with the aroma of roasted at and the stench of unwashed bodies. Rusty couldn't sll it, but once Gleam drew nearer, her antennae flattened in irritation.
The bandit camp spread across a clearing ahead, lit by scattered bonfires and torches. From above, Rusty could make out crude wooden palisades and hastily built watchtowers, each manned by ard figures.
"Too organized for re highway robbers."
The glow in Rusty's right socket pulsed faintly as the guide's voice carried through his helt.
"They have built more than just a hideout. That looks like the beginning of a fortress."
Aburdon gave a dry laugh.
"Pitiful compared to what I have seen, but yes. They are not planning to leave anyti soon."
It was clear these bandits had no fear of the nearby nobles. They were establishing sothing permanent, and that alone was suspicious. Even more troubling was the presence of others in the camp who appeared to be part of a rchant caravan.
"Let's land, Gleam."
Gleam descended and slipped behind a line of trees, giving Rusty a place to dismount. He had not planned to attack tonight, but the longer he waited, the harder the battle would beco. To his surprise, the bandits seed to be celebrating. Most of them were drunk, and that offered an opportunity to strike.
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