As an undead he had been quite curious about, the Spectral Ant was never left out of Michael’s list of undead to evolve.
Without hesitation, 5 evolution points disappeared from his total.
A moment later, a newly evolved Spectral Ant appeared before him.
It was now a one star rare rank 1 undead.
The Spectral Centurion Ant.
For its Rare-rank evolution, the Spectral Ant could become the Spectral Centurion Ant, a high-ranking soldier caste in an undead ant colony.
Spectral Centurion Ant (Rare★)
The evolved Spectral Centurion Ant was even more imposing than before. It now stood at chest height on Michael, its form exuding an even stronger presence of death and spectral energy.
Its obsidian-black exoskeleton had deepened in color, appearing almost liquid in the way it absorbed light. The ghostly mist that once coated its body had thickened into wispy trails of ethereal smoke, constantly shifting as though the ant itself straddled the boundary between the material and spectral realms.
The spectral patterns along its back had changed, forming arcane-like engravings that pulsed with a cold, otherworldly light.
Its legs were thicker and segmented like before, but now had additional chitinous ridges that made them even more durable.
The mandibles, once merely serrated, had elongated into jagged, scythe-like pincers, looking like it gave the Spectral Centurion Ant a far more menacing bite.
Together with the evolution and advancement of the Spectral Ant came the feedback Michael received as its master.
A wave of energy washed over him, instantly relieving the exhaustion accumulated from repeatedly using Undead Summoning.
The fatigue that had settled in his body dissipated as if it had never existed, and a noticeable portion of his mana was restored.
The sensation was brief but invigorating, making Michael feel as though he had just woken from a deep, refreshing sleep.
[Strength: 36.92{5.0^}]
[Agility: 53.66{5.0^}]
[Constitution: 38.22{5.0^}]
[Intelligence: 150.0]
Once again, Michael felt the familiar surge of strength that came with his undead’s rank advancement.
Though he had expected it, he was still surprised.
“A 5-point increase in Strength, Agility, and Constitution?”
The last time he had experienced this level of feedback was with Lucky.
As for his Intelligence stat not increasing, Michael would have found it strange if it actually had. His Intelligence was already his highest stat and the only one in the three-digit range.
Anything capable of raising it further had to be something truly extraordinary.
Even so, he was pleasantly surprised.
Fifteen points in total—almost the equivalent of three level-ups’ worth of attribute points, evenly distributed across three stats.
“Feedback is usually a reflection of what an undead excels at… Hmm, I wonder just how strong this creature is now.”
A flicker of excitement crossed his face, but he quickly calmed himself.
Even if he wanted to test the Spectral Ant’s new power, there was a time and place for everything.
Refocusing, Michael turned his attention back to the ant’s skill set.
Thanks to its advancement and evolution, not only had its old skills gained higher mastery, but it had also acquired a new skill.
And to Michael’s surprise—it was one he was already familiar with.
[{Berserk} (Basic Mastery) Proficiency: 0.9%]
Berserk temporarily increases the user’s physical strength and agility by 25% each, at the cost of reducing defense by 10% and significantly increasing aggression. Stamina is rapidly drained when skill is active.
A skill Michael recognized as useful at any time—and thanks to the nature of his undead, practically a cheat code.
Michael then turned his attention to the Spectral Ant’s old skills to check for any improvements.
[{Ghostly Camouflage} (Intermediate Mastery) Proficiency: 5.30%]
The Spectral Ant can blend into its surroundings, becoming semi-transparent and significantly harder to detect visually.
At Intermediate Mastery, the Spectral Ant can remain nearly invisible in dim or shaded environments for up to 30 seconds. In brighter areas, its transparency is improved but not absolute, making it harder to spot.
The cooldown is reduced to 20 seconds after use.
Basically, the skill seemed the same as before but was noticeably stronger, with a shorter cooldown time as well.
However, Michael was curious about how effective it truly was, so he immediately had the Spectral Ant use it on him.
The Spectral Centurion Ant reacted instantly. A faint shimmer rippled across its body, and in the next moment, it all but vanished.
Michael narrowed his eyes, scanning the area where it had stood. The only thing hinting at its presence was the subtle distortion of light and the faintest wisp of spectral mist drifting in the air. Even with his heightened perception, it took him a second to properly track its movements.
“It has only just advanced and it’s this strong…” Michael murmured, his interest deepening.
Michael didn’t forget this was just a new rank 1 creature.
What would happen if they were evenly matched?
Even if the skill mastery didn’t increase, there was a reason why skill mastery mattered.
A few seconds later, the Spectral Centurion Ant fully emerged once more, the ghostly mist retracting into its body.
Michael nodded in satisfaction.
With its cooldown reduced and its effectiveness heightened, Ghostly Camouflage was becoming a proper stealth skill—one that could prove invaluable in a few situations Michael could think of.
Michael turned to check the rest of the Spectral Centurion Ant’s skill set.
[{Ghostly Charge} (Intermediate Mastery) Proficiency: 5.12%]
The Spectral Centurion Ant increases its speed by 60% for 12 seconds, allowing it to move in a sudden burst toward a target. After the charge, it suffers a 3-second slowdown, but the skill can be used again after a 15-second cooldown.
It was essentially the same skill as before.
Visually, Ghostly Camouflage looked nearly identical to how it had functioned at Basic Mastery, but there was no denying that it had become noticeably stronger.
Michael hadn’t tested the skill firsthand, but to him, the reduced cooldown alone was already a significant improvement.
He gave the Spectral Centurion Ant a few more glances before dismissing it into the Netherworld, making a mental note to put it to better use in the future.