Without even blinking, the trolled Ameist did a oy and dashed bato the vast grass. Not to be left behind by his own minion, Leo followed, keeping a fair distance from the ant just in case. While he didn't doubt the effiinor Takeover, those creatures might have a way to check if one of theirs was lost.

  That is, if the violet eyes aren't enough of a giveaway... Leo snorted, bdes extending from his arms as three more Ameist came into sight the moment he passed a thick gathering of pnts.

  Two of them were purely focused on a bde of grass, their mandibles cutting the pnt at its root. The third one, however, wasn't a Minion but a Warrior, its snow-white chitin glinting in the few rays of sun that pushed past the rowth.

  Searg for the link with his minion, Leo fired off a quiand. While at the same time, his own momentum only quied. Stop, wait for me. Don't interfere.

  A small signal of aowledgment immediately registered in his mind. Pushing it aside, Leo dove towards the level seven ant warrior, who finally noticed the presence of a stronger predator. The beast raised its ncer arms, crimson eyes gring ahead.

  Let's see how tough you are.

  Bdes and nces met, ae the tter holding strong initially, the edge of Leo's ons slid into their opposition after a moment. The gash wasn't deep, maybe not even an inch, but it once more proved that his bdes possessed more cutting power than anything he had ever seen.

  The Warrior Ameist hissed, the sound finally alerting the two minions. Leo backed off, twirling away as the creatures spat a mouthful of acid at him. The white ant followed soon after, both with its own poison and damaged nces.

  The Ameist threw its arms forward, hoping to skewer Leo iack. Only to be met with another failure.

  End of the road. Leo grinned as he grabbed the two nces and pushed them to the sides with all his might. The ant stumbled, and before it had a ce to recover, two bdes went straight into its front, earning a pained screech from the beast.

  To finish off, Leo, with his bdes still deep ihe monster, dragged his arms upward, leaving two long gashes behind. Blood and green acid dripped on the ground as he rolled away, and the warrior followed, only it was no longer among the living.

  The two Minios, who just missed another spit throw, froze momentarily as their protector just y there, unmoving. They hissed, bodies trembling while taking oep back after another.

  So they aren't as stupid as I thought. Leo wo shadow daggers f in his hands. Not that it matters. They could run, they could try to fly, but in the end, he would always catch them.

  "Too slow," Leo muttered as the two ants dropped like a sack of potatoes on the dirt below. They barely had enough time to move a few meters before he added a single, deep hole to each of their heads.

  You 't even call it a fight. Leo shook his head, shadows fading away like a mist as he dipped to his knees and devoured the warrior. In the meantime, he gowards his hiding minion and called out. e out and tih my first and.

  The taken-over Ameist skittered out of a huge bush and just warbled as it passed Leo. The creature didn't even try to spare its fallen kin a gnd just tinued onward like nothing ever happened.

  That's... a bit disturbing, but at least now I know that Takeover is absolute.

  Shrugging, Leo sprinted after his minion. They weaved through the thid thin undergrowth, passing gigantic bushes, weeds, and other pnts as the Vetilim ant hills grew closer and closer. A few more Ameists tried to stand in their way, but they lost their lives before even an ounce of acid could leave their mouths...

  None of them were even level five. Doubt I received much experience from them. Leo sighed as he stopped right before the giant alien half-dome. The Ameist paused too, its gaze glued to a small opening that wouldn't even be able to fit the beast.

  This is the entrance? He addressed the ant, and the monster gave a stiff but instant nod. you get in?

  This time the Ameist didn't answer and just stepped closer to the opening. Its mouth bulged a bit, and in the moment, the ant spat orahe green acid sizzling over Vetilim. Leo was ready to kill the minion and find another way in, only to pause as the opening shuddered.

  The Vetilim retreated, giving more and more space for the entrail it grew rge enough to easily fit two grown humans. Only then did the movement stop, the Void's living matter just swirling along the edges.

  I won't say what it reminds me of... Leo grimaced. Nature be really weird at times. Though, I 't say I'm much better if this is the first thing I think about... Shit.

  Before some quite disturbing thoughts could e Leo's mind, the single minion chirped, its violet eyes glinting. The thing pretty much looked like a proud dog. A very unique, rown dog...

  Yes, you did well. Now, how many of your kin I expect to try to kill me right after I enter? Despite the question definitely being transferred over the link, the Ameist just tilted its head. Leo groaned. Right, too plicated for your tiny brai's try something different... Are there Ameists close by?

  The ant warbled happily, its mandibles opening and closing.

  you bait a few of them outside? Another chirp. Good. Do that. I will be waiting here. And remember, only bait. Don't fight. The ant warbled for the st time before diving right into the opening, its form disappearing iunnel's darkness.

  In the meantime, Leo climbed above the entraaying clear of the moviilim. Now he just had to hope that his minion's limited intelligence could pull this off.

  This is gonna be fun... Leo she bck fsh of Kiss of Death filling his bdes. Shadows followed soon after, swirlings in his hands to form two short spears. However, unlike his ret creations, those had a familiar tether attached to his shoulders which easily let him leave those spears hanging off his back.

  As long as it won't bring the entire swarm here, I'm good. heless, just to py it safe, more pure Essence surged into Leo's muscles, ready t into a if necessary. A and for Limit Break activation also awaited in the back of his head, but hopefully, that much support wouldn't be needed for this.

  What about you? Want to step on a few ants? Hunter's roar echoed throughout his mind, the slumbering bloodlust spiking just a bit. That's what I thought. And just in time for the party to arrive.

  An amalgamation of hisses and screeches filled the air, barely hearable at first but growing louder with each sed. Eve hill thrummed with the power of the marg herd below, the Vetilim movement beiic.

  Here they e.

  The taken-over ant darted out first, aook a deep breath. Three Ameist Warriors dived out shortly after with a squad of Minions hot on their heels, trying to reach its traitorous kin. Still, Leo stayed his bde from running through the beasts below and focused fully on a soft buzzing that had just reached his ears.

  And now. He shouted internally, jumping high just in time for two more Ameists to burst out of the entraheir ioid wings at once carried them into the air, but their domain wasn't as safe as they thought.

  Like a falling angel, Leo dropped on the first Flier, slig its back open with a sirike. The beast didn’t even have time to hiss before he was off once more. With the falling monster's momentum, he dived right towards the other flying ihat paused upon hearing its kin's dying shriek.

  Bad move.

  Leo's other bde, still charged with Kiss of Death, cut right through the middle of the Flier's wings and torso. Blood and acid rained down upon the earth, yet he paid it no mind as he dropped to the ground, his knees bug.

  Two down, six left.

  Grabbing the two shadow spears off his back, Leo aimed at the herd, which had already ged dire, charging at him like one unit. This time there was no fear among those creatures as the Minions didn't stand in the bao, this time around, they led the attack.

  Another mistake.

  The spears sailed through the air, ected to Leo by a tiher of shadows. Fuelled by Grad earlier experiehe ons found their mark, and two ants stumbled, crashing into the dirt, dead.

  The lightest spark of Reinfort ignited in Leo's body as he rushed to meet the group. The distance might have been short, just the length of a house. But before they cshed in the middle, another Minioo the shadows, its form crumbling to the ground.

  Five down, three left.

  The st Minion tried to dodge; it really did. Only it didn't matter in the face of Leo's speed. His cws sshed straight through the beast's legs, leaving it wriggling in the dirt as he faced the only true tenders in this fight.

  The two Ameist Warriors.

  With still some distaweehe monsters fired more acid shots, yet Leo didn't dodge. Rather, his left hand rose, green alien symbols fring to life, activating Valron Prote.

  The energy shield met the acid head-on, the liquid spttering uselessly over the protected limb. Leo couldn't thank his forethought of leaving his cloak beside the entranough. This much acid would have taken hours to get rid of...

  Still running at full speed, Leo dived and slid right beh one of the warriors. One bde did the rest of the job, leaving behind a long and deep gash on its underbelly. The beast colpsed, screeg, still ging to life.

  Doesn't matter. Will e back to you in a moment.

  Aended bde met the side of a ncer arm, the st ant falling into a frenzy. Repeated hrusts rained upon Leo faster than the eight levels of the creature should allow. Not that it ged the fact that not a sirike ected.

  Leo dodged, parried, and redirected everything. There were plenty of ces to finish this, to stab a bde right between the monster's eyes. However, he didn't use them, at least nht away.

  This trolled enviro gave Leo the perfect opportunity to practice. To further his trol over the body he now possessed. Every single sed let him learn something new.

  When to flick his tails to the side. How to correctly bance his overall weight. How to use his small talons to never slip in a battle of strength. Those were the tiny things, yet when collected into a pile, they ged everything.

  However, all good things had to end, and a warning growl from Hunter brought on just that. Although, it wasn't like Leo could fault the beast. More Ameists could arrive at any moment, and even if they weren't a threat, he came here with a task in mind.

  Still, it was good practice. Leed as the final monster's head dropped to the ground. Every bit of Essence he lost during the battle quickly returned, leaving only dust behind.

  Time for the part. I will probably need you once I go inside. Leo called out to Hunter, pausing close to the entrahe discarded cloak once more found its p his shoulders, and he sighed, taking small fort from the soft material engulfing his body.

  A flicker of Essence went into the e to his somehow still-alive minion, and the Ameist dashed through the opening without the need for another and. Leo followed, bloodlust awakening as a single System message fred to life.

  Entering Ameist y. Kill all the Queens to annihite this instance forever. Warning! This is on high alert, be mindful of your steps.

  Chaos65