Antares sat on the edge of his freshly made bed, the sweet aftertaste of purple juice still lingering on his tongue. The chamber was quiet now that Zarah had left to attend to her duties, but the warmth of last night still clung to the air like a secret only the two of them shared.
He took a slow breath and spoke into the empty room.
"System, give me information about the rewards I received."
The familiar ethereal voice answered immediately, calm and precise.
[Surely, Host. Then let's start with the Ant King's Tower that you gained access to. Originally, it was an artifact the Ant God gave to the first Ant King, and he constructed the Ant King's Palace around it.]
Antares's blood-red eyes widened. The imposing tower he had seen every day from his window — the one that stood like a silent sentinel in the center of the palace — was no ordinary building. It was a divine relic.
The System continued without pause.
[On the outside it looks like a regular tower and nothing special can be sensed from it. Now the tower has multiple levels, and as you grow your strength and colony you can unlock more floors. But the first three floors are practically just gigantic empty rooms with no particular use. The fourth and fifth floors are a bit more special.]
"Explain," Antares said firmly, leaning forward with interest.
[Yes, Host. The fourth floor is a storage space that is only accessible to you. It is filled with prized items ranging from 1-star to 3-star artifacts, weapons, armors, cultivation manuals, potions, pills, and more from the previous Ant Kings before you.]
"What items are inside that floor, and what do you mean by 1-star?" Antares asked, excitement building in his chest.
[The host should know that artifacts, potions, pills, armors, weapons, cultivation techniques, and manuals are all ranked with 1-star being the lowest while 10-star is the highest.]
"And what is the rank of the Ant King's Tower?"
[The Ant King's Tower is a 10-star artifact since it was made by a God.]
Antares froze. A 10-star artifact. The words hit him like a thunderbolt. In this world, something crafted by a God was basically a walking cheat code — unimaginable power sealed inside a single structure. His heart raced. If he could fully unlock its potential…
[And the items on the fifth floor most likely don't go beyond 3-star.]
"That's all I need," Antares said, a wild grin spreading across his face. He was already on his feet, excitement bubbling like the purple juice he had grown addicted to. He quickly poured the last of the jug into a cup, downed it in one gulp, and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
"Time to go treasure hunting."
He stepped out of his chamber into the long, wide hallway. White luminescent crystals embedded in the walls bathed everything in a soft, calming glow. The air was cool and slightly damp, a constant reminder that they were thousands of meters underground. Antares walked briskly, his long black hair swaying behind him like a banner, until he reached the inner courtyard.
There, on one of the stone benches near the central tower, sat Levi and Eli. The twins were laughing and chatting casually, completely unaware of his approach. Antares activated his glowing red antennae, the faint warm aura spreading as he silently read the sound waves of their voices. He crept closer, staying just out of sight.
"Well, at least I'm sure Lord Henry would be happy if he could see Lord Antares as he is now," Eli said quietly, a nostalgic look in his eyes.
Lord Henry — Antares' father in this life — had raised the twins as his personal guards and had passed away before witnessing his only son's recovery from the deadly mana pollution.
"You're right, brother," Levi replied. A brief, comfortable silence fell between them.
"But I have to say… the king did not waste time. He went straight for the kill," Levi added with a smirk, giving his brother a side-eye.
"The king is a man before everything," Eli answered simply.
"And I think Miss Zarah is perfect for Lord Antares."
"Yeah, I guess you're right."
Antares's antennae twitched. A mischievous grin spread across his face. He stepped out from behind the pillar.
"I see you are gossiping about me," he said in a firm, deep voice. "So this is what my trusted guards do with their free time?"
A cold chill ran down both twins' spines. In the blink of an eye they dropped to one knee and bowed deeply, foreheads nearly touching the stone floor.
"We greet His Majesty," they said in perfect unison.
Antares sat on the bench opposite them, folding his arms and looking at them like a father who had just caught his children stealing cake from the fridge. He had to fight hard not to laugh — his acting was terrible, but he kept his expression stern.
"My, my… is this what my guards do behind my back? Gossip about my love life?"
"I apologize for our rudeness, my lord," Levi said quickly.
"This will not happen again," Eli finished.
"Hmmmmmm… it's all good, guys. I'm just messing with you," Antares said, finally letting a grin break through. "Hehehe."
The twins looked at each other in shock but remained bowing.
Antares glanced around the empty courtyard. "Where are all the other workers? It's unusually quiet."
"In the outer palace, my lord," Levi answered. "The inner palace is considered the king's private space. Only us guards, Head Maid Zarah, and Butler Lord Ian are allowed here — per your late father's orders to prevent the spread of mana pollution."
"I see," Antares said thoughtfully. "Well, I'll make some changes to that later. But first…"
He flashed them a wicked smile that made both guards sweat slightly.
"You two are escorting me there."
He pointed straight at the towering structure that dominated the courtyard.
Levi and Eli exchanged a look of pure disbelief. The Ant King's Tower had remained dormant for generations. Only those personally chosen by the Ant God could awaken it. Even Lord Henry had never managed to open its doors. And yet their king — awake for less than a week — wanted to investigate it already?
Seeing their doubt, Antares stood and gestured for them to follow. As they walked toward the massive entrance doors, Antares looked around the courtyard with satisfaction. Even underground, the plant life flourished beautifully — vibrant green leaves and colorful flowers thriving under the artificial light. The tower itself looked deceptively ordinary from the outside.
He placed his palm on the cold surface of the doors.
[Would the Host like to awaken the Ant King's Tower?][YES / NO]
"Yes," Antares said in his mind.
The entire tower began to glow with a faint, majestic red hue.
[Awakening successful. The tower is now at the Host's disposal.]
Antares crossed his arms and smiled. "Open."
The thick doors swung open on their own with a low, resonant sound, as if the tower itself recognized its true master.
He stepped inside without hesitation, followed closely by his stunned guards. The first floor was enormous — easily the size of four football fields — but completely empty. Just vast, open space with smooth stone floors and high ceilings.
"The first three floors are basically just gigantic empty rooms," Antares explained casually. "But the fourth and fifth are special."
As they climbed the stairs, Levi and Eli remained frozen in awe. They had never seen the tower open in their lifetime. The fact that it responded to Antares meant he had been personally chosen by the Ant God — a rare honor that had only been granted to a handful of kings in the tribe's entire history.
A new system notification appeared.
[The Host can use exclusive skills in the tower.]
"What skills are we talking about?" Antares asked, unable to hide his excitement.
The System listed them one by one:
Synchro – The tower is now an extension of the Host's body. The Host is aware of everything that happens inside it. Only those permitted by the Host may enter. Blessed Space – Different floors contain varying densities of mana. Training, cultivation, and breakthroughs are significantly faster here. Anyone the Host permits gains a major boost in efficiency. Floor Customization – The Host can reshape any floor, altering weather, time flow, temperature, environment, and more. Additional features unlock as the Host grows stronger. Instant Teleportation – The Host can freely teleport to any floor inside the tower with a single thought.
Antares stared at the glowing blue panel, stunned. These abilities were perfect for building an empire. He could train soldiers at accelerated speeds, create specialized environments, and move instantly through his own stronghold.
"Levi, Eli — to me now!" he called.
The twins appeared beside him in a flash, kneeling.
"We are here, Lord Antares."
"We're going to the second floor. Both of you grab my shoulders if you don't want to get left behind."
The duo obeyed, confused but trusting. Antares grinned.
"Alright… buckle up."
In the blink of an eye, the three of them vanished and reappeared in the center of the second floor. It looked identical to the first — vast and empty.
"Looks like it's the same as the previous floor," Eli observed.
"Yeah, let's proceed to the next," Antares said.
They teleported again to the third floor. Still empty.
The twins' expressions began to show disappointment. They had expected wonders, not endless blank space.
"Don't worry," Antares chuckled. "You're about to witness something way better than this."
He teleported them directly to the fourth floor.
They appeared in a long, torch-lit hallway. The air felt heavier here, charged with ancient power. They followed the corridor in silence until they reached a massive fortified door made of black metal. The tribal emblem of the Scarlet Ant Tribe was engraved on it — a crowned ant head with majestic antennae, strong mandibles, and black beady eyes.
Antares placed his palm on the emblem.
[Would you like to open the Ant King's First Level Treasury?][YES / NO]
"Yes," he said in his mind, smiling with anticipation.
The door vibrated violently. Levi and Eli instantly drew their weapons and dropped into combat stances. Antares raised a hand, signaling them to stand down but stay ready.
After several tense seconds, the door stopped shaking. Multiple heavy clicks echoed as invisible locks disengaged. The massive door swung open with a deep groan, revealing a short passage.
"Alright, boys. Here we go."
Antares stepped inside, Levi and Eli close behind, weapons still at the ready.
Halfway down the short hallway, something caught Antares's eye — a large, ancient painting hanging on the wall. He stopped, staring.
The painting depicted a tall, handsome man with short red spiky hair and crimson-red eyes that burned like a bloody inferno. He wore medieval-style battle armor with a flowing red cape emblazoned with the ant tribe emblem. The man stood triumphantly atop a mountain of goblin corpses — headless, dismembered, some still twitching in death. In his right hand he held a massive scythe dripping with blood. In his left he held the severed head of the Goblin King, identifiable by its golden teeth.
"This must have been made during the first goblin invasion at the Storm Mountain Range," Eli said softly, breaking his usual silence.
"Yeah, I recognize that mountain anywhere," Levi added.
"This is definitely from the Great War era."
Antares squinted at the small plaque beneath the frame.
"Larcade Antis — Commander of the Antmen soldiers and hero of the Goblin Invasion. He alone killed ten thousand goblin warriors, five hundred hobgoblins, and the Goblin King, who was a Peak Stage Blessed Knight."
Antares felt a chill run down his spine. This was one of his ancestors — a true legend. The man in the painting looked somewhat like him, yet radiated overwhelming power.
I'm weak, Antares realized with sudden clarity. Actually weak. If it weren't for the Ant God's blessings, who knows what would have happened to me.
A quiet determination settled in his chest. I need to get stronger. Much stronger.
"Let's go," he said, voice steady. "We still need to inspect this place."
They continued forward and reached the main treasury chamber. Antares stood on a raised platform overlooking the room. Stairs led down on both sides. The space was smaller than the previous floors but packed wall-to-wall with closed chests, weapon crates, wooden boxes, and towering bookshelves.
"Alright, let's get down."
Antares didn't bother with the stairs. He jumped straight off the platform.
Boom!
He landed perfectly on the stone floor and immediately began searching.
"Hurry up and come down, you two. You don't expect me to search all this on my own, right?"
Levi and Eli hurried down the stairs and joined him.
[Would the Host like to grant his guards Levi and Eli authorization to inspect the Treasury?][YES / NO]
"Yes. I need all the help I can get right now."
Antares opened the nearest wooden box on a table. Inside lay a crystal shining with a deep, mesmerizing blue light.
[Ding… A high-grade mana crystal has been discovered.]
Antares's eyes widened like a kid who had just found buried treasure. "Hehehehe… I guess the goddess of luck is with me today. System, explain more about this crystal."
The System provided a detailed breakdown: mana crystals were rare ores naturally infused with ambient mana. Any quality was valuable enough to make someone rich overnight. High-grade ones were extremely rare and coveted by mages for cultivation, breakthroughs, potion synthesis, barrier formation, magic tools, spell creation — practically anything involving mana.
Antares's eyes nearly popped out of his head. Such a priceless mineral had been sitting here the entire time. If only his father had been chosen by Antarion… the thought brought a pang of regret, but he quickly pushed it aside. Nostalgia could wait. Right now, he had a kingdom to build.
They continued searching deeper into the treasury.
Antares stopped in front of a rectangular glass case. Inside rested a golden gauntlet covered in intricate runes, with a glowing red circular gem on the back of the hand. The entire artifact was literally on fire — bright flames licking across its surface without damaging the glass case at all.
[Ding… You have discovered a 3-star artifact: Helios' Grip.]
Antares's heart leaped with joy at finding a 3-star item so quickly.
But then reality set in.
The gauntlet was literally burning.
"This might actually be a problem," he muttered.
Levi and Eli gave him identical deadpan looks that clearly said, You think?