---
Despite the fatigue that weighed on every joint, a surge of renewed vitality coursed through him. His newly attained Level 21 status meant he was no longer the same ant he had been mere moments earlier.
Yet, amid the relief that the alpha was finally dead, anxiety still clung to the clearing. Darius looked at them and let out a dry hiss: "Everyone, collect all the beast cores. Hand them over to me at once. No exceptions."
His voice, rasping with suppressed malice, betrayed an undercurrent of annoyance. He glanced at Kai with an expression that was cold as polished steel. "How did this lowly ant get so strong?" The flicker in his eyes suggested not only curiosity but a festering envy that roiled beneath his calm facade.
