"Excuse me, Boss." After about 6 hours of deep sleep, Prometheus could hear Zilch's voice reaching him politely and respectfully. He lifted his Ant head and glanced at his worm subordinate. It looked bloody and slightly fatigued, which made him alert, though after checking that Zilch itself wasn't harmed, he relaxed.
"What happened?" He couldn't help but ask. Zilch's calm demeanor was quite jarring after getting used to the worm's cowardly tendencies, but he welcomed the change with a mental thumbs-up for the scout.
"Some goblins, with a Hobgoblin leader, decided that attacking and stealing from us was a good idea, so I taught them a lesson, of course." Zilch's calm speech intrigued Prometheus to no end. Listening closely, he could hear some almost unintelligible hints of nervousness from the worm's voice. Was he trying to appear calm and collected?
He respected that. He wouldn't have much need for a spineless ally.
Curiosity still on his mind, he added, "Did you kill them?"
"I killed three goblins and severely injured the Hobgoblin leader and two goblins. I decided to place their unconscious bodies on the surface near the entrance hatch in the eventuality that you wanted to absorb them."
It replied with an almost proud tone.
Prometheus narrowed his eyes (he created ant-eyelids for this reason only) and stared intently at the scout. He could feel that the reason he had received wasn't the real one.
---
Why is he looking at me like that??! Why does his ant form even have eyelids?? Is he... deciding whether I'm worth keeping alive as a servant any longer? It's not impossible, honestly. I was so scared of being seen as useless that I attacked a goblin tribe in an attempt to look impressive, even though I'm still a hopeless coward...
I should have figured he would be smart enough to fit the pieces together. Pleading for my life and showing how useful I could be would only lower his opinion of me, so I won't say anything.
How could winning against some tier 0 and a single tier 1 monster in an ambush look impressive at all? Zilch's mood and self-esteem plummeted even lower than it could have ever imagined.
---
Prometheus could feel Zilch's heartbeat and body temperature slightly shift rapidly! Was he going through worm puberty, perhaps? It didn't matter either way. Now that he had some time on his mandibles, he decided to inquire about Zilch's metamorphosis and the Brown Gem.
"You did well defending the base; well done. Now, I have some questions about your transformation and the Gem I gave you. Answer them to the best of your abilities." He started with a gentle and reassuring tone.
"Yes, Sir," Zilch replied.
"First of all, what was that Gem that you absorbed?" This was the question that was boggling Prometheus' mind for a while.
Zilch froze on the spot and started an internal monologue;
Why is he asking that? There's no way he doesn't know what monster cores are. Ah, I see. Zilch patted itself on the back for having understood his Master's intent. He wants to test my knowledge's depth to gauge my value. Of course, I should have expected something like that.
"Yes, Sir. That was a Tier 4 Monster gem. Every living being manifests a Soul Core, or Gem, inside of them while living in an Anima-rich environment long enough. This is called a Tier 1 Core. Evolving a core doubles its Influence capacity and control, and this is done by either absorbing the Cores of deceased creatures or being near Anima-dense environments, like how Tier 1 cores are formed. For almost all species, manifesting and evolving their Core improves and enhances their body by giving it a new fuel source, Influence. Creatures are usually classified by their Core Tier, such as Tier 0 goblins or Tier 1 Hobgoblins." The worm stopped briefly to make sure it had gone through everything.
"Currently, I have a Tier 2 Core. Spells of a specific tier refer to the Core Tier necessary to have enough Influence capacity and control to cast said spells." Zilch went through every bit of information in its head but came up empty. Hopefully, it would be enough for his Master!
"Anything else? Think carefully." Prometheus had asked this to ensure that Zilch had gone through everything but said worm interpreted his Master's words differently. As usual, it started thinking carefully about its following words. I see; he is testing me. There's probably a crucial piece of information that I missed, and he's implying that if I don't manage to remember it, he'll kill me as I'll be too useless for him.
Zilch could be seen using every bit of energy in his body to think about what it missed in its explanation. The scout's life was on the line, after all!
After contemplating its following words, it finally replied, "A Core's Affinity represents a category of Influence that will be easier to use by the Core's owner. Then, it increases how much Anima can be absorbed if the user has a closer affinity. For example, given that I have an Earth affinity, absorbing an Earth affinity Core was enough to make me tier up, and Soul abilities and techniques that use Earth Influence will be much easier to learn and more powerful for me. The Core probably wouldn't have been enough to make me tier up if I had any other affinity. That's all, Sir." Zilch finished with a nervous look.
Prometheus began thinking. He had no idea what half of what Zilch said meant. Of course, he would never admit it. After the System, the Tiered Cores, and Zilch's strange intangibility power, he began to feel slightly confused and excited about the possibilities. In this world, natural limits were probably non-existent. If he had understood correctly, even an insect could grow to Nuclear weapons level of strength.
He imagined himself taking a form bigger than a skyscraper, not bound by the square cubed law. He shook his head and remembered he was talking to Zilch.
"Very good. Now, let me pose you a question. Can you guess my Affinity?" Prometheus gave himself a mental thumbs up as he had just killed two birds with one stone. First, he gave the impression of a knowledgeable expert while being able to gather information about affinities without looking like an idiot.
Zilch immediately fell into deep thought. As it had just evolved, it had a Tier 2 Core, so the worm's Influence sensitivity was improved. It slowly sent its Influence sense toward its Master and noticed... a lack of a core??
No, it can't be... Is he a tier 0 monster? No, I must be doing something wrong. Let's look around for his Core, maybe it's hidden somewhere in his body. Mmh, what is this? It looks spherical, and it's completely hidden to my sense. Weird, it looks like a blind spot in my Influence vision.
The worm suddenly had a terrifying realization. Could it be... that the dark spot is his Core, but his Influence control is so advanced that I can't even detect a trace of either his Influence or Core?? Is this his way to indirectly say, 'The difference between us is that of Heaven and Earth'??
Zilch shuddered. It was once again reminded of its Master's power. He could end the worm's entire existence with a sneeze.
After analyzing its situation, the scout decided to be humble and reply honestly, "I have no idea, Sir. I can't detect you Core."
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Prometheus profoundly nodded. This was the last response he had expected. He decided to act like he had planned everything and hoped for the best. He also continued, "Very good." He decided to be as vague as possible to let the worm come to its own conclusions.
"Did you say you left some of the goblins that attacked us alive?" Of course, Prometheus could remember every single sound that he had heard, ever. He just wanted to sound cool.
"Yes, they should still be lying unconscious on the surface near the entrance hatch. Follow me, Sir." With that, Zlich started going up the shaft and into the upper room, and then it climbed the ladder while opening the hatch with its teeth.
Prometheus closely followed, all the while thinking about Zilch's progress. His worm subordinate had gone from a spineless coward to someone he could assign the base's security to. After exiting the hatch, the familiar golden grassland and the black hole were waiting for him outside.
The black hole was a paradox of beauty and horror, a cosmic anomaly that defied all logic and reason. It was a singularity of infinite density and zero volume, a point of no return for anything that crossed its event horizon. It was a devourer of matter and energy, a destroyer of space and time, and a manipulator of gravity and light.
The accretion disk was a spectacle of splendor and terror, a cosmic display that dazzled all senses and emotions. It was a ring of superheated plasma and dust, a whirlpool of friction and radiation, a fountain of jets and flares. It was a source of illumination and heat, a generator of waves and particles, and a canvas of colors and shapes.
The black hole and the accretion disk were a contrast of darkness and brightness, a cosmic pair that complemented each other in their differences. They symbolized death and life, a cycle of destruction and creation, a balance of chaos and order.
For the grassland, a vast expanse of green and yellow swayed with the breeze. It was dotted with hills of various shapes and sizes, some smooth and round, some jagged and steep, some covered with trees and flowers, some bare and rocky. Rivers of clear and sparkling water crossed it, some wide and calm, some narrow and swift, some shallow and gentle, some deep and fierce.
After returning from his brief trance, he noticed Zilch was in front of a few motionless figures. The Hobgoblin and two goblins lay on the ground, their bodies battered and bruised from the ambush that had left them unconscious and at the mercy of their captor. The Hobgoblin, the largest of the three, had a deep gash across his forehead, and his breathing was labored as he lay sprawled out on the ground. One of the goblins had a broken arm, and the other had a nasty wound on his leg.
The Hobgoblin's rough, scaly skin and sharp, jagged teeth were visible, even in his unconscious state. His muscular arms were bound tightly behind his back, which surprised Prometheus, given Zilch's lack of hands, and his eyes were closed as he lay motionless on the ground.
The two goblins, smaller and more wiry than the Hobgoblin, lay beside him. One had his broken arm wrapped tightly in a makeshift sling, while the other's injured leg was propped up on a nearby rock. Both were battered and bloodied, their small bodies trembling slightly as they lay unconscious.
The scene was quiet, except for the occasional groan or whimper from one of the injured goblins. Prometheus wasn't sure what to do with them, as they were probably too dumb to be of any use to him. Still, he didn't feel like killing them, so he sent some of his own cells, modified them to travel in a foreign body, and accelerated their natural healing. He couldn't bother to heal the non-fatal wounds, so he resorted to clearing any infections and filth inside the various tissues.
He could feel slight movements coming from the Hobgoblin, so he walked in front of it, his six legs carrying him in perfect rhythm. The bulky monster slowly opened its eyes, and the second it spotted Zilch, its heart rate went up. After seemingly having thought about its survival chances, it decided to bow toward the worm. It's smart enough to show servitude, at least, Thought Prometheus.
It even tried to speak, but neither Prometheus nor Zilch could understand it. The monstrous Ant listened attentively until he thought he had a decent grasp on the Hobgoblin's language. It was an extremely simple one. And then, Prometheus spoke, "Hobgoblin, summarize what you just said in less than 50 words. Spare me the details." A flicker of rage crossed the monster's eyes, and he turned toward Zilch in a servile matter while looking at Prometheus with a side-eye. He almost looked like he was saying, "Master, should I deal with this annoyance?" Of course, he didn't know the power hierarchy. Zilch understood the monster's silent request, and the worm immediately bowed toward Prometheus.
A flash of realization hit the dark-green monster as it immediately bowed to his actual Master. Then, it started, "Master, we use our life for you. We do what you ask us, just don't kill my friends and me, please, we beg!"
The Hobgoblin lowered his head until it almost touched the ground and started...crying? Prometheus didn't know this, but seeing half of the Hobgoblin's friends get slaughtered for no apparent reason just to have the survivors be enslaved by the killers hurt the monster more than he could ever imagine. Usually, he would start seeing red and lose himself in his rage, but every part of him knew that doing that would end his and his friends' lives.
So, he could only cry. He glanced at his two companions and noticed their battered looks. He swore on his ancestors that he would get revenge, but in the meantime, he would act like a good servant, following every order he was given.
He looked at the monster ant and swallowed. The Hobgoblin couldn't detect a single wisp of Influence, but his survival instincts that allowed him to live this long were warning him. After gathering up courage, he raised his eyes to meet the Monsters' appearance.
After a whole minute of silence, Prometheus spoke up, "Good, your first task will be resting and healing up. I suppose you're capable enough to hunt for your own food. After your goblins and you have rested up, I'll need you to scout the surrounding area. I don't believe I need to tell you what will happen were you to decide to escape or try to harm me in any way," the Ant turned around, and before getting back to his base, he turned back and gave an uninterested glance at his new subordinates and followed, "I almost forgot. You're allowed to bury the corpses of your unfortunate partners. Zilch should have left them over there." He pointed with one antenna and promptly left. Zilch followed just behind him.
The Hobgoblin turned around with a cold fury in his eyes. His eyes settled on the injured forms of his friends, and his gaze immediately softened. He picked up both and carried them over his shoulders. He picked a big, hollowed tree and gently placed the two unconscious goblins inside. He tore up strips of cloth from a shirt he had looted off a traveler and carefully bandaged his companions' wounds as best as he could. As a Hobgoblin, his regeneration was much faster than a normal goblin's, so he wouldn't have to worry about superficial wounds.
He took a deep breath, and went out to hunt food for his friends.
---
Prometheus was intrigued. That Hobgoblin's behavior was quite different from what he would have expected from his knowledge of the little monsters. It didn't really matter either way; he had gained some almost-useful subordinates. Maybe with careful nurturing, he could shape them into decent guards or warriors. He added that to the list of things he should do in the future, under absorbing new genetic data and collecting everything that piqued his interest.
Suddenly, he was paralyzed. He didn't know where to go from here. The monster ant didn't have any clue about where to look for his owners, as well as not being sure what activity would be the most productive.
An idea came into his mind.
"Zilch."
The worm stepped in front of Prometheus and bowed.
"What do you think we should do now?" He gave the scout an inquisitive gaze.
"I don't understand, Sir. What do you mean?"
"I meant, what would be the most productive use of our time, in your opinion?" He clarified slowly.
"Since the goblins are dealing with the food, and we have a nearby source of freshwater as well as a safe shelter, our next move should definitely be getting stronger. Whether that means using the System, hunting monsters for their cores, or training our Soul capabilities, increasing our overall firepower should be our top priority."
Prometheus thought about his recent fight with the bandits, and he asked, "How strong are enemies we are likely to encounter relative to the bandits I fought?"
Zilch entered deep thought and replied, "Those bandits were on the lowest end of the power spectrum, probably. I would say an average human city guard could deal with them all simultaneously and without breaking a sweat. Also, any monster geared toward offense or sieging in my old army would have obliterated that outpost. You shouldn't use me as a point of reference, as I have joined the army a month ago, and I was trained in scouting and reconnaissance."
Prometheus nodded thoughtfully. He was starting to understand how he ranked on the food chain. If that bandit leader was considered weak, he needed to consider his options for getting stronger and increasing the likelihood of surviving.
From his current understanding, individual power could be quantified on at least three dimensions: Core Tier, System bonuses, and that weird power Zilch awakened. He wasn't sure why, but his instincts told him the ability wasn't directly related to the System. He told Zilch to show him its System, and the worm did so without question.
Name:Zilch
Stats: Body:13
Mind:12
Soul:10
Skills: Low-rank Stealth lvl 3
Medium-rank Burrowing lvl 1
Traits: Eart-Softening
Titles: None
As he suspected, Intangibility wasn't there. The spell [Mental communication] wasn't there either, implying it wasn't a System-derived skill. He noticed Zilch's stats being higher than his own, but they clearly didn't represent absolute strength. He got tired of speculating and instead asked Zilch a question, posing it like a test for it, "Zilch, tell me the System's workings the best way you can. Be concise and clear," He finished.
Zilch slightly shook and trembled and started its usual internal monologue, Another test! Thank Eventum that I was able to spot it before I committed a fatal mistake. First of all, he wants a concise answer. Let's see if I'm up to his expectations... Then it replied, "Yes, Sir. The System is divided into six parts, all of them making the user better in some way. First, the System rewards users on an entertainment scale, meaning more entertaining actions are rewarded more. Stats are a multiplier given to the user. Body multiplies every physical aspect, such as strength or resilience. Mind affects every mental aspect, such as processing speed or memory. Soul relates to Influence-related quantities, such as manipulation or capacity. A stat of 10 means you aren't getting bonuses from the System. Skills make you better at a specific thing, such as my Burrowing skill, which makes me go much faster while I burrow than I would otherwise. Traits are... unique characteristics about yourself attributed by the System. For example, I have the earth-softening trait, which makes it so the earth I touch gets softer and easier to dig through. Traits sometimes evolve, such as Fire Resistance becoming Fire Immunity. Lastly, titles. These are the hardest to come by since their acquisition is incredibly arbitrary. I once heard of an orc getting a title for having tripped one-thousand times in a day, and the effect of that title was making it so he wouldn't be able to trip, ever again. Multiple monsters tried getting that title by doing the same thing, but it didn't work for anyone else. And that's a really brief version of the System's workings!" Zilch said with pride at his explanation.
Prometheus, on the other hand, got bored by the first two sentences. It was useful, of course, but it probably would have been much more fun had he discovered all these things himself. He sighed, recognizing that Zilch just did what it was told to.
"Thank you, Zilch. We'll train after I experiment a bit more with my hoard.
You can take a rest in the meanwhile."
And so, he went towards his most priced possession: His Hoard!