Hadeon had just decided to move as he stood up after resting in the shade of the obsidian tree.
*Screech*
He heard a strange noise as he became cautious and stopped breathing, not daring to make any sound, and pulled his stick from the back.
With a stick in hand, he slowly walked towards the source of the sound.
In the distance, he saw a black ant. Its body was covered with black chitin armor, having sharp, shiny mandibles that looked capable of grinding even rocks. The ant was of the same size as that of a dog, easily reaching over three feet in height.
’Food!’ Hadeon said excitedly.
After thinking for a while, he finally decided to hunt the creature down; who knows when he would get another one.
If he didn’t eat something soon, he was going to die anyway.
And eating ants was not a bad option, well, not one with that size at least.
Hadeon slowly started to approach the ant, as it was much slower than he had expected, walking timidly in the south.
Hadeon had made the direction himself, calling the place where the black dot stayed in the sky as East and others according to it.
After a few minutes, Hadeon found himself behind the ant, only a few meters away from it.
The ant was still unaware of him.
Before the ant could look behind, he had already dashed towards it with a stick rising high above his head.
The distance grew shorter in an instant as he swung the filthy stick with all his might.
The ant, suddenly attacked by a humanoid creature, stumbled as it tried to move his body to the side. But the creature was too slow, and the stick landed on its back, sending him crashing to the ground.
The black armour where his attack had landed now cracked and caved in as he saw pale yellow blood oozing out of it.
*Khhrrch*
The ant cried viscously as it turned and opened its mandibles to crush its attacker, azure liquid pouring out of its dreadful maw.
Hadeon swiftly rolled back after dealing a successful blow on the ant’s back.
The corrosive azure liquid poured onto the ground as faint blue smoke started to emerge from the ground, burning the ash itself.
"Acid?!"
Hadeon shouted as he jumped back, trying to make a distance to avoid getting hit by the acid.
He looked at the ant carefully, not surprised at all.
"I don’t know why all ants are so fixated on acid attacks." Hadeon sighed.
"Can’t you use other skills?" Hadeon shouted at the ant who was staring at him with his murderous eyes.
’’Did you get dumped by your girlfriend?’’ He added.
Of course, he was mocking the ant.
He had fought hundreds of different races of ants, and no matter which one, all of them had one or two acid abilities.
In the next second, Hadeon was in a defensive stance, his shoulders loose, his legs bent as he prepared his body, ready to roll any second.
Meanwhile, the ant charged at him, its maw wide open, drenched with acid, trying to shred the human in front of him, who had dared to attack him from the back.
Hadeon moved to the side, successfully avoiding the attack as he swung his stick once more, again dealing a massive blow this time on the ant’s head, as it fell crying in pain.
But not even a scratch on its head.
He jumped and roll back widening the distance.
*KHRCHH*
The creature hissed as it lowered his body to the ground, his legs digging deep into the soft ash as if ready to launch his body any second.
"You mad?!"
"You don’t like my stick," Hadeon mocked the ant with a wide smile as he swung his stick in the air.
"Looks like you need more than a stick to the face. Huh?!" Hadeon laughed as he tried to spread his palm open.
He hasn’t fought anyone in weeks, and now this ant has finally dared to itch his battle instinct.
He might have fun with it.
’Let me use it then.’
Hadeon took a deep breath as he stared at the ant, his bright orange eyes now glowing like embers.
< You are using Pyromancy, Mastery- Initiate.>
The feminine voice rang in his mind.
In the next second, something warm started to stir inside him. A warm current started to form in his chest and soon drifted towards his right hand.
A ball of yellow flame formed on his palm, rotating with high speed.
Followed by notifications on his red window.
< You have created a new skill: Fire Ball.>
< Saving the acquired skill, Fire Ball (Lvl.1)>
< Your mastery over flames has increased!>
< Train with ’Fire Ball’ to increase its level.>
< To gain new skills, increase your mastery over Pyromancy.>
’This will do!’ Hadeon thought as he raised his hand, a bright flame ball dancing on his palm.
The ant, sensing the danger, flinched back.
’Trying to run away? Too bad!’
Hadeon threw the flame ball.
The ball flew from his hands and landed on the back of the ant as it perfectly landed on the wound on its back. Burning the white flesh that was peeking out of its shattered armour.
The ant cried in pain and tried to roll in the ash, as if trying to put the flames out.
Before the ant could even put the flame out from its back, another ball of flame landed on its head, much brighter and hotter than the last one.
Half blinded, as the flames had damaged his eyes and burned all sensory hairs. It saw a man standing near his head as a stick came down slowly, landing on its head.
Then another.
And another.
Finally, the black head shattered as yellow blood and white matter started to ooze from the dead ant’s head; followed by a notification ring in Hadeon’s mind.
< You have slain an Awakened Savage, Lvl.5: Obsidian Acid Ant.>
< No Spirit Gained.>
< Absorb the ordinary soul core to level up!>