Chapter 11: New Stat Points
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The tunnel twisted and turned, walls scarred by deep gashes and black marks—an unsightly reminder of battles won in the past. With every step ahead, recollections of battles gone by slipped from the background into the distance in the present.
"All these scratches on these walls. reminders of what’s been. I’m leaving my own scratches here now," he reminded himself. "This dash. not really a matter of physical strength. It’s one of testing for myself whether or not I’ve got the drive to go on. no matter the pain. The system is making me get used to my ant body."
Finally the system spoke, after an endless stretch of quiet:
[Ding! > SYSTEM MESSAGE: "Distance Travelled: 15 km. Daily Mission 1 Accomplished."]
Huff Huff!
Kai took off in a jog, perspiring, if ants perspired—drying grime on his carapace. "Fifteen kilometres... Shucks, that was tougher than I thought," he wheezed, wiping away a tiny drop from his antennae. "But every step makes me stronger."
Having completed the run, Kai turned to his second daily routine: using his Tiny Tank ten times. This power strengthened his exoskeleton for a brief duration at the cost of some aura. But the more he used the skill, the stronger his skeleton became.
Kai reached a small, empty area in the tunnel—a flat, rock with space to move and practice unencumbered. "Tiny Tank time," he stated, his voice resonating slightly off the open room.
He activated the ability and was able to feel a temporary, controlled squeeze surrounding his body. "Yes, that’s it," he puffed as he cycled the activation once more. "One. two." He snarled with each activation of the ability. His aura dropped by a significant amount on the system display, but his exoskeleton discharged more energy.
[Ding! SYSTEM MESSAGE: Tiny Tank Activation Count: 3/10.]