Re:Ant Lord-Chapter 53: Victory!

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This would be the last skill he could comfortably pop if he wanted to keep aura in reserve for upcoming battles. His Aura regeneration is very slow. Kai hammered forward, ignoring the growing bruise in his side. He battered Rok’tar’s leg, aiming for the same spot he’d tested earlier.

The alpha’s chitin cracked faintly, a spiderweb line forming from repeated hits. Each blow that drew true damage from the alpha (not merely a deflection or a near-miss) inched the monstrous beast toward its demise, but he had to keep hitting, keep pressing until the alpha’s HP dropped to zero.

Thren and Renna scrambled along Rok’tar’s flanks, slashing and drawing the alpha’s attention away just enough for Kai to slip in more lethal strikes. Lomar, severely wounded, still mustered enough courage to lob ranged stingers from the side, chipping further away at the beast’s stamina.

Meanwhile, Vexor guarded the rear line, ensuring no lesser beasts interfered. That left the alpha’s front wide open for Kai’s assault. Darius was playing an act of fighting with two Star beasts.

Rok’tar, aware of the mounting danger, unleashed its Vicious Tail Swipe in a wild, unpredictable arc. Through the haze of Aerial Sensory Boost, Kai saw the tail’s tension a fraction of a second before it whipped around.

He dove down feeling the wind of the massive tail passing overhead, the force strong enough to break multiple trees behind him. A blow like that would deal more damage than 200 HP. Kai survived a critical hit.

"No time to think of fear," Kai admonished himself. "Only the kill matters."

He capitalized on the alpha’s slight recovery time post-tail swing. With legs coiled, he sprang upward at Rok’tar’s flank, lodging his mandibles into the jagged crack. The alpha bellowed, rearing back with convulsive fury.

The beast’s Dominant Roar hammered Kai’s senses in a shockwave—pounding in his skull, forcing him to cling precariously to the alpha’s side. Spots danced in his vision, and his exoskeleton threatened to give under the monstrous thrashing.

Kai felt the alpha’s massive bulk crashing in an attempt to crush him against the ground. But his Tiny Tank skill remained in effect. He felt the hammered blow distribute across his reinforced carapace. Another chunk of HP vanished from the partial slam.

Ding! HP: 1600 → 1400.

He gasped, hooking an arm around a protruding ridge in the alpha’s hide to keep from being flung clear. This is insane. He twisted his mandibles deeper, feeling the alpha’s chitin begin to buckle.

Thren saw the opening, dashing under the alpha’s side and slashing at one of its rear legs. The alpha stumbled, focusing on the new pain. Renna battered the front. Lomar, still reeling from his wound, tried to land a final stinger from range. Vexor advanced to keep smaller pests away. Every ant, except the coldly distant Darius, threw themselves into the kill. The alpha bellowed in agony, pinned by multiple prongs of attack.

Kai, seizing his chance, unleashed a savage series of lunges with all the physical might his Worker’s Resilience could muster. He struck the crack again and again until at last the chitin gave way with a sickening crunch. Warm fluid sprayed in a wide arc as the alpha’s roars crescendoed. Rok’tar’s legs convulsed in brutal spasms.

Sensing the alpha’s last vestige of fight, Kai jerked his head away from the gouting fluid and hammered in the final blow. With an ear-splitting roar, the alpha tottered. The thunderous mass collapsed, throwing up dust and debris. For a suspended heartbeat, the forest stilled. Then came the system’s calm, resonant voice:

[Ding! Beast defeated: Rok’tar. EXP +400.]

Kai wrenched himself free, staggering on trembling legs. His aura was significantly drained (somewhere around 1200 or 1000 by now, after multiple skill uses), and his HP hovered around 1400, a testament to the savage toll.

Yet in that instant, no pain could overshadow the triumphant sense of having delivered the finishing blow. He drank in the momentary hush of the clearing, every breath laced with the copper tang of the alpha’s blood.

Kai had triumphed. The alpha’s enormous body slumped in silent defeat, its once-imposing presence reduced to a battered carcass in the midst of the clearing. The system message lingered in his mind, "Beast defeated: Rok’tar. EXP +400." He had earned it purely by dealing the final blow that ended the alpha’s life, not from any lesser actions.

Captain Darius, lurking at the clearing’s edge, looked on with cold, narrowed eyes. The synergy and bravery that had united the rest of the ants in that final clash had robbed him of the outcome he desired: Kai’s failure. Instead, Kai stood battered but not broken, gleaning precious EXP from the alpha’s demise.

The killing of the alpha beast left the forest cloaked in a hush broken only by the ragged breathing of the survivors. The roars and shrieks of battle, once so deafening and wild, had been replaced by a stunned silence in which even the wind seemed reluctant to rustle the leaves.

Around the clearing scarred by trampled undergrowth, claw marks in the soil, and splashes of spilled ichor, Kai and his comrades stood or slumped, exoskeletons glinting with the sweat and grime of combat.

Captain Darius, battered but still commanding, raised his hand in a silent signal to regroup. One by one, the ants gathered in the torn clearing. Their combined presence was a testament to the victory that had seemed impossible mere hours before.

The alpha beast had dominated the fight with ruthless cunning and raw power, threatening to eviscerate them all. And yet, through unrelenting attacks, timely intervention, and Kai’s near-miraculous resilience, the monstrous alpha had fallen.

A faint hum brushed against the corners of Kai’s consciousness:

[Ding! System notifications: Congratulations to host you Level Up! Host has reached Level 21.

EXP: 0 / 1000.]

At the edge of his vision, he could see the translucent data flashing: his battered frame had gained new strength from the final blow he had delivered to the alpha.