"Elian, whatever impact your arrival might have had ended with that throw."
"Oh come on, Master! It was cool!"
"No! It was boorish and idiotic! What are you, a delinquent?"
"Come on, Master. That teacher was totally into me."
"Tsk. So you just roll over for any pretty face? She even tried to scan you! Stay away from her!"
"Master! Are you jealous?"
"I am not, you foolish boy! Now focus. Pick something useful before you get yourself killed."
If anyone heard their banter, you would think it was a pair of friends going out for a stroll. No one would guess such a conversation was happening mid-battle, as a lone warrior fought a living tide of monsters.
Elian threw a powerful punch and then pulled his hand back at the last moment. The rapid cancellation caused the air in front of his fist to surge, breaking the sound barrier. Like a powerful firearm, wind blades rushed forward, reaping monsters by the dozens.
The carnage caused a rough divide among the insect legion. But before they could recover, Elian threw his other fist, creating a second shockwave. Compared to just punching the ants, this tactic was far more effective.
I think I should name this move. I'll call it Air Shotgun.
"ELIAN!"
"Oops!"
A figure flew overhead, missing by mere inches—Elian ducked. A common tactic for the Red Workers was to throw themselves at an enemy.
With enough bodies, it would've been enough to immobilize powerful opponents. But as Elian had seen the tactic almost ten times by now, he was no longer fazed.
Slamming his foot down, he cocked his fist and fired. "Keep the change!"
BAM!
In such close quarters, the Air Shotgun's power shredded the ant into dust. Carapace, fluids, and even ichor vaporized without leaving a trace.
"The more I see that move, the more absurd it seems to be! You didn't even touch the ant!"
"I know, right? Maybe my job can be Sonic Brawler? I wonder what would happen if I did follow up another punch?"
"Elian, for the love of all that is good, can you stop dallying and pick a job already? Experiment later!"
More ants charged, and Elian twisted his body and caught them as they passed. In a feat of overwhelming power, the living weapon then proceeded to slam his insect clubs into his opponents.
"Kind of busy at the moment! Whoa!"
Just then, a large column-like structure fell from the skies. Along with a gigantic shadow, the Soldier Ant tried to stomp Elian dead. Unfortunately, the boy noticed and jumped to the side. The Workers around him couldn't and were turned into paste.
You even step on your own allies? I hope the cores are still usable.
Seeing the six-legged catastrophe, Elian gazed at the Soldier Ant and scanned it.
___
Name: Red Soldier Ant (F)
Talent: Subservient (E)
Lvl: 34
HP: 20,000/20,000 | MP: 4,700/5,000
Strength: A | Intelligence: C | Agility: D
Race: Insect
___
This bastard is as smart as me?
Dumbfounded, Elian paused for only a moment. But within that moment, a large shadow came from behind.
"Avoid it, Elian!"
Contrary to what his master commanded, he turned around and met his attacker. Gigantic jaws that were as tall as a wall clamped down. But Elian extended his hands and stopped the Soldier Ant's mandibles.
"Ugh. So this is A-ranked strength… You're really strong…"
Even giving it his all, he could barely hold them back. Despite that, he still smiled.
"But you can't beat me," the weapon declared.
Letting go, he baited the ant in. Two razor-sharp mandibles lunged—so fast the wind screamed. The blades struck him before he could brace.
Crunch.
For the first time since his evolution, Elian felt pain.
Molten metal spewed from his mouth as he coughed. His body trembled from the shock. His vision warped.
And then—he laughed.
The boy's heart pounded like a drum, and the pain hit him like a drug—sending his adrenaline spiking.
"Cough... So even golems still bleed after all."
"Of course they don't you idiot, that's just you. Stop smiling, and attack."
But despite the damage and the massive size difference, the Soldier Ant struggled. Its legs frantically smashed the ground, and it tried to pull its entire body. Although the monster thought it had seized the black warrior, it couldn't even lift him!
Its antennae twitched. A low growl came from its mouth.
KUUUU!!!
In panic, it called for its allies. But then Elian cocked his fist and gazed into its eyes. A deafening crack followed as compressed air slammed into its skull. The Ant staggered back, legs buckling—and Elian was already after it like a predator who tasted blood.
Air Shotgun is not enough. Let's try to add a third follow-up!
Elian threw a punch—then halted, the blow dying a hair's breadth from release.
He forced his will into his fist, tried to crush the air itself between his fingers—
But something pushed back.
A pressure like gravity clamped down on his body, an unseen resistance grinding against his motion. It wasn't the wind. It wasn't magic.
It was the world—refusing him.
Screw that!
Adamant, Elian drove everything into the punch. His body creaked under the strain, but he kept going.
A blast rang out—louder than before. The very air in front of his fist turned solid like ice.
And when his punch hit that frozen wall of pressure, it went off.
A roar split the sky.
Something visible—fast, white, angry—shot toward the Soldier Ant's skull.
A sharp crunch followed, then a powerful blast
The once-mighty Soldier Ant didn't even have time to scream. The top half of its face was just… gone.
[You have leveled up! You are now Level 11!]
"Wow… Is air supposed to hit that hard?"
"Elian, what in the world are you?"
Elian, still airborne, pivoted his body and swung his leg for a follow-up kick. Despite its monstrous bulk, his tyrannical kick slammed through its mass and launched it through the air.
KREEEE!
Those on the ground screamed in terror. But as the ant legion was far too many, they couldn't evade even if they wanted to. With a mighty crash, the Red Soldier Ant's body slammed to the ground and skidded, crushing Worker Ants by the hundreds before it finally stopped.
It was a feat that would make even the bravest warriors tremble. Yet the one who did the deed didn't even glance back. Instead, he vaulted onward to his next target as if he had no other purpose in life.
Flying high in the sky, the boy brought his hands together and tried to repeat his experiment—the third chaotic beat that followed his Air Shotgun. No matter the complaints that were coming from his own body, he didn't stop.
Like a falling star, he came down on yet another Soldier Ant with a vengeance. Sonic booms that shouldn't be possible echoed. Devastating winds akin to those of a hurricane danced. The very earth rolled from the immense impact, as if the ground itself wanted to flee in fear of what was to come.
Then the world exploded.
A deep, concussive blast ruptured the battlefield. Stone cracked. Air shattered. A shockwave ripped through the swarm.
The Worker Ants who were unlucky enough to be in the vicinity were thrown about like petals in the wind. When the chaos finally died down after a few moments, the black knight stood alone—unchallenged.
[You have leveled up! You are now Level 14!]
Within minutes, three Soldier Ants were dead. Hundreds—maybe even thousands—of Workers slain or incapacitated. All because of one man.
Shrill screams pierced the air, and the unthinkable happened.
The Red Ants—began to retreat.
Not even a dungeon-spawn hive was prepared for something like him. Relief flooded the students and teachers as they cheered. Most would have stopped at this moment.
"They're panicking. Is that even normal?"
"No. In my long life, I've never seen such a thing. But does it matter?"
But not him.
Elian wiped the molten metal from his mouth and tried to loosen up his shoulders.
"Guess not."