Chapter 47: Evolving Forces
A zombie blood ant slowly approached Ethan.
Its mandibles clicked several times as it lowered its head, attempting to convey the message it had been entrusted with.
"My lord... The human..."
Ethan—sitting on his throne—slightly raised his brows.
"The human said... that he doesn’t... forget debts."
The moment those words left the ant’s mouth, Ethan’s lips slowly curled upward. "So he really said it..."
His eyes narrowed with amusement as he had already anticipated such a response.
From the moment he decided to reveal himself as a human, Ethan had been carefully calculating Jake’s reaction.
He had intentionally treated his wounds.
He had intentionally allowed him to leave.
And most importantly, He had intentionally told him that he was indebted to him.
’Everything went according to plan.’ Ethan leaned back against his throne.
He wasn’t expecting Jake to immediately become his ally since that would have been far too unrealistic.
But a human who owed him his life was already enough.
’Eventually, I’ll have to establish contact with the human civilization.’
’When that happens, having someone who knows me will be far more useful than simply having another zombie under my command.’
He had no idea how much influence Jake possessed within Valeria City. But from what he had learned, Jake was a member of the Seven Radiant Stars.
Even if he wasn’t one of their strongest members, he clearly held some amount of authority.
As long as Ethan handled things carefully, Jake could become his first connection to humanity.
’And he even said it was a promise.’ Ethan couldn’t help but chuckle heartily.
At that moment—
*Ding!*
A familiar sound rang inside his mind as a dim cerulean screen appeared before his eyes.
---
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[#/System Notification/#]
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[Mission: Evolve Your Subordinates]
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[Requirements]
└ ■ Evolve at least 1 subordinate.
[Time Limit]
└ ■ 7 Days
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[Failure Penalty]
All of the host’s attributes will be temporarily reduced by 50%.
Duration: 30 Days
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[Rewards]
└ ■ Determined by performance.
---
This was the first mission given to him by the Overlord System. And unlike the previous notifications, he couldn’t ignore this one.
’I need to evolve a subordinate.’ His gaze slowly swept across the enormous hall.
Hundreds of zombie blood ants were constantly moving throughout the colony.
Some were carrying food; others were repairing the tunnels. A few were stationed near important locations, and all of them... were his subordinates.
But there was one problem.
’How do I actually use my authority?’
Ethan had received the ’Authority of Sovereign Inheritance’ during his evolution.
Although he understood its basic function, he had never truly used it even once.
The authority allowed him to share his own progress with his subordinates. But...
How?
"System," Ethan called out in his mind. "How do I activate my authority?"
*Ding!*
---
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[#/System Notification/#]
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[Authority Usage Method Detected.]
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■ Authority of Sovereign Inheritance
[Activation Condition]
The host must circulate Miasma throughout their own body.
Once Miasma has been sufficiently circulated...
...a portion of it may be transferred into the body of an acknowledged subordinate.
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[Authority Activation]
Upon entering the subordinate’s body, the transferred Miasma will establish a connection between the host and the target.
The Authority will then automatically activate.
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[Warning]
The burden of inheritance depends on the strength of the target.
If the target’s strength exceeds the host’s current tolerance—
└ The host may suffer a temporary decrease in overall rank.
Against weaker targets—
└ The host’s attributes may instead be reduced by a certain amount.
The greater the difference in strength, the greater the burden imposed upon the host.
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[Further Information]
The Authority’s effects will be determined by the host’s compatibility with the target.
---
Ethan silently read through the entire window, his eyes gradually narrowing.
"So I have to give them a part of my Miasma..." His gaze drifted towards his hands as a strange feeling appeared in his heart.
He still wasn’t completely accustomed to the energy. After all, Miasma had only recently formed within his body.
Yet now, he was supposed to transfer it to another being?
’If there’s a burden depending on their strength...’ Ethan immediately thought of Eris.
She was undoubtedly the strongest subordinate he currently possessed.
If anyone were suitable to test his authority, it would undoubtedly be her.
But Ethan immediately rejected the idea.
"No." His gaze became sharp.
Eris was his trump card—he couldn’t afford to experiment with her.
Even if the authority was supposed to benefit her, Ethan didn’t know what would happen if something went wrong.
’The same goes for those two ants.’
His thoughts shifted toward the two zombie blood ants stationed near the entrance of the seventh floor.
Those two had already displayed hidden talents. If they evolved successfully, their future potential could be enormous.
There was no reason to risk damaging them.
Ethan’s eyes slowly moved toward the countless blood ants throughout the colony.
’Then I’ll start with someone ordinary.’
There was no need to experiment on his strongest subordinates.
What if the authority failed?
He would rather discover it on someone whose potential wasn’t particularly remarkable.
Ethan raised his hand. "Come here."
One of the nearby zombie blood ants immediately stopped moving, its head turning toward Ethan.
Click... Click...
Then, it quickly approached and lowered its body before him.
Ethan scanned its body completely. It was a completely ordinary F-rank zombie blood ant.
There was nothing particularly special about it.
And yet, in his eyes, it was perfect.
"You’re going to be my first experiment."
The ant obviously didn’t understand the meaning behind his words, but it didn’t resist.
Ethan closed his eyes and began concentrating on his body. For a moment, nothing happened.
Then...
Ba-thump.
His heart suddenly shook as Ethan’s eyes opened slightly.
"What?"
Ba-thump.
Another heartbeat.
But this time, the sensation was different. It wasn’t simply the sound of his heart.
It felt as though the heartbeat itself had traveled through his entire body.
His mind trembled, and His senses suddenly became sharper.
Even the subtle vibrations traveling through the ground became strangely clear.
"What is this..."
Ethan lowered his head.
He hadn’t even started using Miasma yet; simply attempting to circulate it had caused such a strange reaction.
Then, he noticed his chest. The dark pattern resting above his heart had begun to pulse.
Thin black lines spread outward from the center of his chest, following the rhythm of his heartbeat.
Ba-thump.
A faint wave of darkness traveled through the pattern.
Ba-thump.
Another wave followed as Ethan stared at the mark in confusion.
’It’s reacting to Miasma...’
He had expected something like this.
After all, the Miasma had settled directly inside his heart. However, experiencing it himself was completely different.
The sensation was... Strange.
His body felt lighter, and his senses felt sharper. But, most importantly, he didn’t feel tired.
Ethan had spent a considerable amount of time sitting on his throne, dealing with different affairs.
Yet at this moment, his body felt as though it had just been reborn.
’I could keep going like this forever.’
That thought suddenly appeared in his mind, only to be dismissed by Ethan.
He didn’t know the limits of Miasma yet, and he wasn’t careless enough to trust it mindlessly.
Instead, he focused his attention on the energy within his heart as he slowly began circulating it.
At first, it was extremely slow, but as Ethan guided it through his body, the Miasma gradually began flowing through his awakened energy pathways.
A faint warmth spread through his flesh as his muscles tightened.
Ba-thump.
The dark pattern pulsed again. But this time, Ethan could clearly feel the miasma travelling through his entire body.
’So this is my energy...’
His understanding of Miasma was still extremely shallow. But even so, he could already feel its difference from Nox.
Nox was an energy possessed by awakened beings. It was the foundation through which their powers manifested.
But Miasma... It belonged to him.
It had been born from his own path. And now, it was flowing through his body.
Ethan snapped open his eyes and extended his hand. "Let’s try it."
A tiny amount of dark energy gathered around his fingertips.
’This should be enough.’
He slowly moved his hand toward the zombie blood ant and pushed the miasma into its body.
The dark energy entered through its body like a thin stream.
Instantly, the zombie blood ant suddenly froze, and its body trembled.
Click! Click!
Its mandibles began moving rapidly. At the same time, Ethan felt something connect between himself and the ant.
*Ding!*
A system window instantly appeared before his eyes.
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[#/System Notification/#]
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[Authority Activated.]
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■ Authority of Sovereign Inheritance
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[Target Registered.]
Target:
└ ■ Zombie Blood Ant
Current Rank:
└ ■ F-Rank
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[Inheritance Connection Established.]
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The target’s evolution has begun.
[Processing...]
[...]
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Ethan’s eyes widened slightly as a smile slowly appeared on his face.
"So it really works..."
The ant’s body suddenly began convulsing violently. Its legs dug into the ground as an unfamiliar energy began spreading throughout its body.
The authority had been activated.
And for the first time, Ethan was about to witness the evolution of one of his own subordinates.
*Ding!*
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[#/System Notification/#]
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[Targeted Monster: Zombie Blood Ant]
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[F-Rank → Evolution Initiated]
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The target has begun to evolve.
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