As the last of the monsters fell, Rusty took a moment to evaluate his performance. His sword was still crackling with an elemental sheen but the skill had run its course. Rusty noted that the monsters that had attacked the small ant lay dead, while others had decided to flee upon realizing his strength. It became apparent that these creatures weren't truly mindless and lacked the compulsion to fight to the last one standing.

‘I wonder if they see me as one of those other monsters…’

Rusty was somewhat esthetic as this cemented his rise in strength. At first glance, his stats didn’t look that much greater than the ones he previously had. However, as he had now had some time to utilize his new body, it became apparent that it was many times stronger than the corroded shell he had previously inhabited. There seemed to be some sort of hidden power boost accompanying his rise to the E-rank that surpassed the numbers indicating it.

There were a little bit over ten bodies on the ground, composed of the centipedes and slug monsters. For some reason, the beetles stayed out of it for the most part and retreated to their side of the cave after he activated his new skill. However, to Rusty's surprise, another anomaly arose concerning his new friend, Gleam. Despite the ant not inflicting any damage, it was strangely enough gaining experience points.

Gleam had entered the fray after the monsters had been disabled by Rusty's skill, targeting only the incapacitated ones. Its mandibles weren't particularly strong and it struggled to bite through the tough exoskeletons of the large centipedes. Although Rusty landed all the finishing blows, Gleam managed to gain a level without landing any critical hits while Rusty felt like he was receiving fewer experience points than before.

“Hm… maybe I should ask one of them for advice?”

He pondered this issue as the memories of the demon lord and the hero weren’t giving him any answers. While these memories provided a starting point for his understanding of the world, they fell short in unveiling its deeper secrets. Without directly consulting one of his guiding helpers, Rusty realized he wouldn't fully understand this situation.

“As long as I don’t keep them out for too long it should be fine. I just need to limit it to one guide…”

His MP was recharging at a faster rate than before but he still chose to wait until it was maxed out. Passing out again was not something he wished to do and he needed to see if he could actually use this skill correctly. Previously Rusty did not pay attention to his mana usage but this time around his visor would be glued to the system window. Thus, after waiting for a bit for his mana to recharge he decided to summon one of the beings from the Soul Forge.

“Who should I pick, the Hero or the Demon King?”

Rusty wasn’t sure which one of them could offer him a better explanation. The Hero had assisted him in refining his crafting skills and provided insights into weapon and armor creation. On the other hand, the Demon King seemed to possess knowledge about monsters and their behaviors, which could shed light on the peculiarities he was experiencing with Gleam.

“If it’s about monsters, it seems that the Demon King could know better…”

While the demon lord seemed untrustworthy at the start and attempted to flee instantly when he was previously summoned, the skill ‘Call Guide’ seemed to compel them to answer his questions truthfully. The decision was made and more precise knowledge of the monster world was needed.

After postponing his journey towards the centipede lair, he ventured back to the safety of his crystal headquarters. Here he felt safe and even if he passed away once again, there was no chance of him getting hurt. Rusty realized that this would be his final test. If, for any reason, it failed again, he would have to cease using this skill. Continuously losing consciousness whenever it was activated and being vulnerable to monster attacks was not a viable option.

"...No Hero this time around? Do you perhaps enjoy my presence more, my dear Rusty? But, could you do me a favor and not summon me to this bright place? It's giving me a migraine… and I don’t even have a tangible body."

The demon king appeared in the form of a glowing black orb. It was a strange sight to behold as it was forming itself. Shadows started forming from seemingly nowhere and expanded in size. Eventually, the Fallen Demon King was there, his imposing voice being a reminder of the great evil that he once was.

"I apologize for the inconvenience. But I need your help. What can you tell me about this ant?”

Rusty was in a rush as he could see his MP drop by exactly fifty points. This left him with a bit over seventy points. Everything seemed to be fine at first but he noticed another magic point being deducted right after. This was probably the reason for his downfall previously, the skill used up MP at a continuous rate.

“The ant again? I see that you have given it a name, well… at least it's not Gleamy…”

“Why would I name it Gleamy?”

“Uh… just ignore what I said, what do you want to know about this ant again?”

“Oh, Something strange happened after I woke up. It was on my armor and then I was asked for a bonding contract…”

He quickly explained everything to the Demon King while keeping his gaze on the system window. There, he observed his MP slowly ticking down, but not at a rate that posed any immediate harm. Reflecting on his previous fall, he could only assume that summoning both orbs simultaneously had resulted in higher magic usage and initial costs, which then led to his sudden loss of consciousness.

“Ah yes, A bonding contract, those also exist. I usually preferred the thrall or slave contracts, much better.”

“A thrall contract?”

"Indeed, let me explain, while a bonding contract forms a connection between you and a monster, you're compelled to share your experience points with them. However, if you manage to acquire a Thrall, that wouldn’t be the case. I'm sure you've experienced that before, haven't you? Receiving less experience than usual?"

“That did happen… so a part of my experience is going to Gleam?”

“It is, I’m not sure what the exact number is but it won’t go above half and if your bonding partner isn’t within range, you will be able to gain your experience at the usual pace.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

"Interesting... So, is there anything else I should know about this bonding contract?"

"Well, besides sharing experience points, the bond can also grant the monster certain benefits. They might gain access to skills or abilities they wouldn't otherwise have, and they can become more loyal and obedient to you as their bond strengthens. Unique evolutionary choices might appear once they are ready and you will have the ability to decide."

“I’ll be able to decide?”

“Indeed. Thus, I would advise you to help your new friend advance quickly. It will be hard for this creature to survive on its own. The other monsters will be drawn to it like moths to a flame too. This peculiar species is special, it seems to attract other monsters too… perhaps they are drawn to its mana? Some creatures are natural elixirs, it could be possible that eating it would unlock a special evolution too.”

Rusty nodded, absorbing the information provided by the Fallen Demon King. It seemed that the bonding contract was both a boon and a burden. On one hand, he needed to share his experience with it but on the other hand, it also worked in reverse. As the ant grew stronger, Rusty envisioned the possibility of confronting more formidable foes together. In the past he managed to kill strong adventurers with the help of other monsters so this tactic wasn’t anything new.

“That’s not that bad, I can just have him stay here if I just want to level up by myself too!”

“That you can, can this Demon King help you with anything else? Will you tell me to cook you something now?”

The black orb replied in a sort of annoyed tone. Rusty knew that this being didn’t like to be ordered around but it was not something he concerned himself about. After ignoring the question, he gave one of his own that concerned the change in his body. He removed his helmet and turned it around to show that strange marble glued to it.

“What is this?”

“That? It’s just a monster core, monsters start growing, once they become E-rank.”

“Oh… does it do anything? It feels very important as if something will happen if I touch it.”

“Of course, if your monster core is destroyed, you will cease to exist.”

The Demon King's words sent a shiver down Rusty's metallic spine. The idea of his existence hinging on the safety of this small orb was daunting, to say the least.

“So, it's like my lifeline?”

"In a manner of speaking, yes. It's the essence of your being, contained within that core. Damage it, and you risk your very existence. However, once you increase in strength, so will you also gain skills and abilities to shelter it better. Once that’s over with, you won’t even remember that it was ever there to begin with."

“There are also benefits of having a monster core. You will not die unless it is destroyed.”

“I won’t? Even if my HP goes down to zero?”

“That’s the fun part, it can’t. A monster with a core must have its core destroyed, otherwise it won’t perish. However, magical attacks that affect your whole body could be used as a finishing blow, so it would be best if you don’t let your health fall below a certain threshold.”

Rusty absorbed this information with a mix of relief and fear. On one hand, knowing that he wouldn't die unless his monster core was destroyed offered a certain degree of security. This information could even save his life in the future, as long as his helmet that housed the core survived, he wouldn’t die. However, it was quite a small and brittle-looking object, if he took too many hard hits to his bronze head, he could perish even if his HP wasn’t fully lowered.

“Thank you for the clarification!”

“My pleasure, now Rusty my boy, how about we talk about something…”

“I’m sorry, but you will have to go now.”

“I beg your pardon?”

Before the Demon Lord could continue with his sentence he was interrupted by Rusty. His mana had dropped by another fifty points and it was becoming too dangerous to continue. Luckily, it was possible to end this skill whenever he chose. It only took a mental command for Rusty to dismiss the Fallen Demon King.

“Well, that’s rude…”

The dark orb started to flicker before it dissipated into thin air while shouting something at him that he didn’t fully understand. Rusty had gained valuable information and was glad that he asked about this monster core of his. Now he knew that he needed to protect his head more than his other body parts.

“Now, what should I do about you…”

“...”

Gleam wiggled its antennae as if sensing Rusty's gaze upon it. He could feel that this monster was eager to assist and would follow his orders. The problem wasn’t its loyalty but that it wasn’t the strongest. For it to become of any use, it needed to at least reach the F-rank like the other insects here.

“I think it will be better if we start now!”

It felt wise to begin the leveling drive now and he already knew that his companion could be used to lure the other monsters. With that in mind, Rusty formulated a plan. He would venture deeper into the cavern, seeking out groups of monsters to battle alongside Gleam. By strategically utilizing the ant's glow to attract foes, Rusty could dispatch them efficiently and ensure Gleam gained the necessary experience to level up.

"Gleam, are you ready?"

Rusty addressed his newfound companion, who responded with a series of excited movements, indicating its readiness for action.

“Let us depart then!”

For some reason, with Gleam by his side, Rusty felt a lot more joy. He recalled his life before falling down the chasm. The other monsters would react to him at all but Gleam was different. It wiggled around in a novel fashion and seemed to always be interested in the things he was doing.

Finally, the two ventured towards the tunnels and this time around they were not attacked at the watering hole. After considering his options, Rusty decided to enter the slug-filled tunnels. Gleam had a weak bite but the slugs were quite squishy to the point that even he would be able to do damage.

The new hunt started as he postponed the destruction of the centipede-filled dungeons and the Matriarch waiting for him there. Instead, he focused on helping his new friend level up. One thing in particular stayed with him. The demon lord mentioned that he would be able to affect the evolutionary path of this small ant and he wanted to see how.

Just as expected, the slugs weren’t much of a problem. After using Gleam to lure them in, he was able to avoid their initial charges and cut them in half. With the Elemental Discharge skill thighs were even easier. These monsters liked to gather in a large group which allowed Rusty to hit multiple of them at once. After getting hit, they were momentarily stunned and even Gleam could finish them off through multiple bites that probably did one HP damage each.

As the two pushed into the cavern Rusty realized just how deep it went. The further he ventured, the more of the monsters he encountered. Luckily, he was not the armor that he used to be, and slaying them came to him rather easily. Even their best attack couldn’t faze him as he could easily block it with the bronze shield he created.

Rusty couldn't help but marvel at Gleam's tenacity. Despite its diminutive size, the ant fought with unwavering determination, never backing down from a challenge. It was clear to Rusty that Gleam had the heart of a warrior, and he found himself growing more and more fond of his tiny companion.

While he received less experience than before, it felt well spent as he could see Gleam’s levels just skyrocketing. At the end of their push into the slug-infested tunnels, Gleam was already level five. This leveling speed was only something he could have dreamed about when he was created.

Eventually, they reached a large chamber at the center of the cavern, where a massive slug, easily ten times the size of the others, lay coiled upon itself. Its body pulsed with an otherworldly glow, and its two extended eyes seemed to focus on the two intruders.

“Hm… Gleam, can you hide yourself somewhere? This might be too dangerous for you to handle.”

Gleam seemed unwilling to part from his new metallic companion but relented. The ant looked at the tunnel wall and started burrowing itself into it, disappearing from sight. With Gleam safely hidden, Rusty turned his attention back to the colossal slug before him. It seemed to be the big boss of this area just like the ant queen and centipede matriarch.

“I’ll start with you then!”

Rusty pointed with his sword in the direction of the monster. The creature was surrounded by a small swarm of smaller slugs, which probably acted as its defense force. Once they were dealt with, defeating their leader would be much easier.