Standing in the center of the massive crater carved into the second floor of the Ant King's Tower, Antares Antis took a slow, steady breath. The air still smelled of scorched stone and ozone from the explosion. His body ached in ways he had never imagined possible — every muscle felt like it had been hammered by a giant, and his skin glowed a faint, angry red beneath the remnants of his charred exoskeleton. Yet he was alive.
He lifted his left arm and stared at the elegant golden bracelet now resting comfortably around his wrist. Helios' Grip. The 3-star artifact no longer burned with hellish flames. Instead, it emitted a soft, warm golden glow that pulsed gently in time with his heartbeat. It looked regal — almost too extravagant for his taste — but he knew its value. In the Scarlet Ant Tribe, even 1-star weapons were considered luxuries. A 3-star artifact was the kind of treasure that could solidify a king's authority and change the fate of an entire clan.
Antares flexed his fingers. The bracelet felt light, almost weightless, yet he could sense the immense power contained within it. He decided to keep it. Fashion sense could wait; survival and strength came first.
On the ground, amid the ashes of what used to be his clothes, something caught the light. A faint silver shimmer.
"I'm glad you withstood that," Antares murmured with genuine relief as he crouched and picked up the simple silver ring he had chosen for Zarah. He had completely forgotten about it during the chaos. The fact that it had survived the explosion intact felt like a sign. He slipped it onto his left middle finger, right next to the Spatial Ring. Both artifacts now sat comfortably side by side.
"System," he said firmly, sitting cross-legged in the crater.
[Yes, Host.]
"Analyze this artifact and tell me everything about it. Leave nothing out."
[Surely, Host. Analysis in progress.][0%… 10%… 20%… 33%… 57%… 100%.][Ding! Analysis complete. Here is all the information I could gather about Helios' Grip. Would you like me to display it now, Host?]
"Maybe later," Antares replied, waving the notification away. "I need to recover first before I start worrying about whatever the hell this thing is or what it can do."
He stood up slowly and stretched, wincing as sore muscles protested. If not for the Primordial Ant Physique and the tough exoskeleton it provided, he would have been reduced to ash. The fact that he had walked away with nothing worse than a sore body and slightly reddened skin was a miracle. He rolled his shoulders, cracked his neck, and let out a long breath.
From the direction of the fourth floor entrance, he could hear frantic voices echoing through the tower — Levi and Eli screaming his name, their fists hammering desperately against the massive metallic doors. The worry and despair in their voices were palpable. Thanks to the tower's Synchro ability, Antares could sense every emotion, every heartbeat inside the structure as clearly as if the tower were an extension of his own body.
"Damn… I almost forgot about those two," he muttered. "Guess I should go meet them."
With a single thought, he activated Instant Teleportation.
He vanished from the crater and reappeared directly behind his two loyal guards.
"Harder! We have to go aid His Majesty!" Levi roared, slamming his fist into the unyielding door with bone-shaking force.
BOOM!
The impact sent vibrations rippling through the air. Even Antares, standing a few steps behind them, felt a chill run down his spine at the raw physical power on display.
"I KNOW THAT!" Eli roared back, voice thick with rage and frustration as he punched the door himself.
Just as Eli's fist was about to connect again, Antares moved in a blur and caught his brother's punch effortlessly in one hand.
"I think that's enough boxing for today, don't you think?" he said calmly.
Both twins spun around, eyes wide with shock. In the next instant they dropped to one knee and bowed deeply.
"Your Majesty… I'm glad you have returned unharmed," Levi said, voice thick with relief. Then his tone shifted to deep shame. "We are sorry we couldn't be of any use when you needed us."
"We apologize for this failure and beg for your forgiveness, Your Majesty," Eli added, his expression grim.
Antares chuckled softly. "Well, it all worked out and I came back alive, so it's a win."
As he spoke, he noticed the twins' knuckles were raw and bleeding profusely from their desperate attempts to break down the door. The sight hit him harder than he expected. These two had punched reinforced metal until their hands were ruined, all for him.
"System, can Blessed Space be used to heal these two?" he asked silently.
[Yes.]
"Alright then, let's first heal you two up."
Antares extended his hand. A gentle light-green aura flowed out like smoke and wrapped around Levi and Eli. Their wounds closed instantly, fatigue melted away, and their bodies relaxed as if they had rested for days.
"That should do the trick," Antares said, withdrawing his hand.
The twins still looked ashamed, heads bowed. Antares knew a simple healing wasn't enough to lift their spirits. He needed to give them something more.
"You two are my personal guards," he began, voice steady and inspiring. "My first line of defense. My protectors. I would leave my life in your hands anytime. So consider today a lesson. Don't dwell on the past — use it as fuel that will motivate you. Now stand and escort and protect me like the royal guards you are."
The words struck deep. Levi and Eli rose slowly, eyes burning with renewed determination and pride. Being called "royal guards" meant more to them than anyone could know. They had started as orphans; now they stood as the king's chosen.
"Good," Antares said with a satisfied nod. "Now let's head back to the treasury and take whatever is useful. Then we can go home."
The trio returned to the fourth floor. Levi and Eli rushed to the weapon crates they had inspected earlier, grabbing iron spears, swords, breastplates, and shields with reverent care. Antares walked over to the box containing the high-grade mana crystal, gently lifting it. He made an evil little grin that sent a shiver down the twins' spines.
Whatever he's thinking of doing, he's up to no good, they both thought at the same time.
Antares closed the box and stared at the ceiling for a moment, clenching his fist. I have to make this work no matter what. Memories of his old life flashed through his mind — the betrayal, the loneliness, the pain. All of that was behind him now. This was his second chance, and he was going to seize it with both hands.
Levi approached and knelt. "My lord, we have collected as many items as possible, but it seems we won't be able to take everything in one go."
"Then we'll come back later for the rest. You've done good work," Antares replied.
He picked up a few additional items he thought might be useful later, then joined the twins at the pile of loot. Eli was already carrying a small mountain of weapons and armor on his back without breaking a sweat. Levi effortlessly lifted the second pile. Antares was speechless for a second — the raw physical strength of Antmen, combined with their Knight Force cultivation, made tasks like this trivial.
"We are ready to leave, Your Majesty," Levi said, adjusting the load on his back.
"Alright, you know the drill. Come and grab my shoulders so we can leave."
The twins obeyed without hesitation. Antares scratched his abs absentmindedly, then teleported them all to the entrance of the first floor.
Outside the tower, the courtyard was no longer empty.
"Ahhhhhhh," Antares sighed heavily as he took in the scene. "Looks like there's no resting for me today."
A large group of Antmen — no more than thirty — stood waiting. They carried baskets overflowing with freshly harvested celcane. At the front was Lord Ian, the middle-aged butler who had served Antares since birth. Beside him stood Zarah and a group of maids.
Ian's eyes widened the moment he saw Antares. Without a word, the man dropped to one knee, head bowed low. The rest of the group followed instantly, voices ringing out in unison.
"We greet His Majesty, Lord Antares Antis!"
The sound of so many loyal voices hit Antares like a wave. He was still getting used to it, but he stood tall and commanded, "Arise."
Everyone stood. Ian peeked up, tears glistening in his eyes as he took in the sight of the young king he had helped raise. Antares stepped forward and pulled the man into a tight hug. It felt natural — like the father-son bond he had never truly known in his previous life.
"I see you have not aged at all, Ian," Antares said with a bright smile as he pulled back.
"Thank you for the compliment, Your Majesty," Ian replied, voice thick with emotion.
Antares then looked at Zarah. The head maid's cheeks flushed a deep crimson. She couldn't meet his eyes. Everyone present noticed and smirked inwardly, but no one dared comment.
"Your Majesty, I suggest we continue this conversation inside," Ian whispered discreetly.
"Yeah… and I need to put on some clothes," Antares muttered, suddenly very aware that he was standing there in nothing but a makeshift cloth tied around his waist.
Scene Change
One hour earlier, on the surface near the entrance to the underground nest, Yanrid walked at the head of a weary column of nearly seven hundred Antmen. Behind him, hunters, foragers, and warriors carried the fruits of their long winter campaign — bundles of resources, meat, and the massive frozen corpse of a Terror Fowl. Many were injured. Many more had not returned at all.
The hellish winter was finally over.
Yanrid's piercing blue eyes scanned the familiar entrance. His translucent wings, veined with glowing blue, remained folded against his back. The old guard Luther stepped forward to greet them.
"Welcome back, Lord Yanrid. I see the winter is over now. Thank you for your hard work."
The new recruits stared in awe at the returning warriors and the dead Terror Fowl.
"How's the tribe doing?" Yanrid asked as he removed his blood-stained fur coat.
"Well… apparently His Majesty has woken up and has healed from his mana pollution. Other than that, nothing else happened."
Yanrid smiled faintly. "This is a good omen for the ant tribe."
But then his expression turned serious. "And how have Father and the other clan leaders responded to this?"
"So far the clan leaders have remained silent, but I am sure that in the coming days they will make their move."
Yanrid nodded. "Then after I rest, I will immediately head to the Ashfang headquarters and speak with Father. We must make our move before the other clans."
Back to the Present
Inside a quiet, elegantly decorated side room of the palace, Antares and Ian sat across from each other. The stone floor was cool beneath their feet. Paintings of lush underground gardens adorned the walls. Zarah had brought fresh juice and then excused herself, blushing furiously.
"Well then, my lord," Ian began, taking a sip, "what would you like to know about the ant tribe's clan leaders?"
Antares drained his cup in one go and set it down with a decisive clink.
"Everything," he said, eyes gleaming with sharp intelligence. "I want to know everything about them — even the slightest detail will help. I have to be ready for their arrival tomorrow."
A small, wicked smile curved his lips as he leaned forward.
Ian studied the young king for a long moment, then began to speak.