Re:Ant Lord-Chapter 65: Star Liquid! (bonus - for castle)

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He realized that, at that moment, Darius was too busy enacting his rank-up attempt to monitor the rest. The other ants were exhausted, fixated on what their captain was doing. If Kai acted swiftly, maybe he could slip away and find that hidden star crystal liquid. But where was it? The system was cryptic, offering no direct directions. He’d have to search.

Kai’s eyes flicked around the grand chamber. White crystals soared up the pillars, shining with star-shaped patterns. Bins of lesser shards lined the walls, left by his tired companions. Then he spied a shadowy corridor off to one side, partially blocked by fallen debris.

"Might that be the hidden part the system mentioned?"

The tension in the air built as Darius’s aura ritual grew in intensity. Streaks of white brilliance crackled, making the ants cringe and step back. The entire cave rumbled, dust showering from the ceiling. Thren tugged Lomar’s arm, telling him to retreat away. Renna, still limping, found shelter behind a pillar. Vexor started, transfixed by the swirling vortex around Darius, uncertain whether to intervene or flee. Meanwhile, Kai only half-watched the spectacle, mind buzzing over the system mission:

Collect the star crystal liquid from the hidden part of the mine and Store them. No mention of finishing. No mention of how. No mention of timeframe.

But the system made it clear that stealth was recommended. Kai’s heart hammered with the thrill of new possibilities. He told himself: While Darius is stuck in his attempt, "I can go investigate that corridor... maybe that’s the place with the liquid." The rest of the ants were too drained to notice if he slipped away.

And so, the tension is thick in the air. Darius roared as aura flared, trying to ascend to four star rank. The ground quaked under the star crystals’ resonant hum. Dust billowed from the ceiling, and the light turned harsh, reflecting off every gemlike surface. Kai, seeing a chance, steeled himself to move.

He accepted the system mission, ready to search for the hidden star crystal liquid. His Soul-Bonded Storage had enough room if the liquid was not too large in volume. In his mind, a swirl of excitement replaced the earlier frustration. "Yes, I can gather a secret resource. Maybe it will help me surpass Darius. Or maybe it’s something else entirely." The possibilities soared inside his mind.

As the swirling aura around Darius almost reached the climax, each ant braced for the outcome. Would Darius truly ascend? Could the mine’s raw power help him break through to four star rank? And would Kai manage to vanish into that dark corridor, guided only by a cryptic system mission that could change everything?

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Kai’s antennae trembled with excitement and caution. Deep in his chest, he felt that old stirring of curiosity. This was an unexpected opportunity: a special "star crystal liquid" concealed in some hidden corner of the mine.

Could it be more valuable than the crystals themselves? On the other side of the huge cavern, Darius knelt, pressing a chunk of star crystal to his chest, his eyes glowing with ambition. The swirling aura thickened, forming a bright circle around him.

Everyone else stood back. Thren and Vexor said nothing, only shifting restlessly, while Lomar frowned at the spectacle, and Renna was limping badly from recent wounds, struggling to keep his balance.

Kai knew that Darius was fully distracted by his attempt to rank up. The other ants were preoccupied with watching him rank up. This was the perfect time to slip away unnoticed and accomplish the system mission.

Casting a wary glance around, Kai noticed a shadowy passage that branched off from the main cavern, partly blocked by jagged stones and fallen debris. He felt a soft pulse from his instincts as though it was urging him to go that way. Taking advantage of the chaos, he moved silently across the chamber, carefully step by step, seeking to avoid any watchful eyes.

At the mouth of that corridor, the air felt colder, and a thin sheen of moisture coated the walls. Kai peered ahead by torchlight, seeing only darkness and dripping stone. The star crystals here were fewer but seemed more refined, each cluster shining with an inner glow.

The path narrowed, forcing him to sidestep around stalagmites that rose like jagged teeth from the cave floor. Clumps of loose gravel threatened to give him away with every step, so he trod lightly, determined not to alert Darius or anyone else.

Gradually, the narrow tunnel opened into a smaller chamber that glowed with an eerie, pale luminescence. The entire ceiling was dominated by a single, enormous star-shaped crystal. A brilliant white with swirling patterns etched inside.

Drip!

Drip!

Drip!

From its tip, a milky liquid dripped into a shallow basin carved into the cave floor. The liquid pooled there, thick and glossy, releasing a faint shimmer that lit the room with a gentle glow. Kai’s breath caught thinking, "This had to be the star crystal liquid the system had mentioned."

He approached it slowly, enthralled by its mesmerizing appearance. Each droplet that fell made a soft plop, rippling the surface. The liquid was thick as honey, colored a pearly white that sparkled under the faint torchlight. A soft aura radiated from it, causing Kai’s antennae to tingle. Something about it felt potent, raw, condensed power formed from the star crystal’s essence.

But how much was there? Eyeing the basin, Kai guessed at least hundreds liters, possibly more. The entire wide cavity in the stone was nearly full. The system mission told him to store it in his Soul-Bonded Storage. But his storage was currently only 2×2×2 feet in dimension. He asked himself, "Can I store all the stat crystal liquid?" Then, He mentally recalled the math:

"Huh!! 2 × 2 × 2 = 8 cubic feet of space inside my soul bound magical storage cube. One cubic foot roughly equals 28 liters (more precisely 28.3 liters). So 8 cubic feet can hold about 8 × 28 = around 224 liters."