'What makes you think the queen ant is about to evolve?' Blake asked with deeply furrowed brows.
After analyzing the pattern of events, the system had come to a conclusion that the queen ant was about to advance to the Queen rank realm.
[Ants have a simple social structure. Once one feels the queen isn't worthy to lead them, a female ant starts a coup.
In this case, all ants were deployed it means it is still in control. Also, it means that the queen doesn't want anything including traitors to disrupt the advancement process since she will be at her weakest then.] The system explained.
'If you know this, isn't it clear to the school. So, why aren't they reacting or ending the test before students get hurt.' Rage began building up in Blake's heart as the memories of the last survival test played in his head.
[I know you are thinking that the school is doing this on purpose, but I highly doubt.] The system said trying to calm Blake down.
'Why wouldn't I think so when they haven't given an explanation for them failing to save innocent students.' Blake said to the system as he tried as much as possible to keep a calm expression.
[Although you have grown quite a lot in the past months, you are still naïve.] The system shook its head when he saw how Blake was reacting.
[So tell me, why would professors like Gibson, Mack Hoffenheim, and Zirrack who care about their students sit down and watch as students are mauled down by a wyvern?] The system asked.
[Don't go telling me it was Lovren's commands, because we both know he can't command Hoffenheim and Zirrack against their will.] The system interjected knowing Blake's reply.
[There are a lot of factors that need to be put into consideration. An example can be a political struggle because this isn't the first time nobles are plotting.] The system said.
"Why is your face like that, is something wrong?" Damon asked when he saw Blake's furrowed brows.
"Yes…" Since they were in this together, there was no reason for Blake not to warn them.
He began explaining the system's analysis before arriving at the conclusion.
"If something is wrong at the school what should we now do?" Damon couldn't help but ask.
Just like Blake, every one of them didn't want what happened at the last survival test to repeat itself.
"We need to find Luciano." Blake said stunning his teammates.
If something was stopping the school from ending the test and dealing with the problem. It meant that they won't be warped out if they were in danger.
Blake imagined what would happen when a team saw him and they decided to 'eliminate themselves' it would be suicide!
'Thank the heavens that Brian and Tessie were warped out before things went wrong.' Blake couldn't imagine how he would have felt if 2 of the few people he cared about ended up dying because of him.
"How does that sound like a good idea?" Beyoni looked at Blake as if he had gone nuts.
"We need a team that is strong enough to not kill themselves when they see us. Besides I know Luciano, he would have already figured out the anomaly. Also, he isn't the type of person that would attack me without thinking." Blake assured the team that it was safe meeting them.
"How are you sure that they are in the territory of the ant colony? We can't go around on a wild goose chase." Kade pointed out a possibility.
"This is quite true because team 1's points haven't moved up much." Damon added because no matter how one was to hunt in a hunting paradise like the ant hive, their points were meant to be boosted significantly.
"For the past 30 minutes, the points of every team has remained the same and since the latest event has made everyone scared. It means that they are all in the area." Blake said.
"Besides, from what I know about Luciano. He would have figured out that we were the ones that eliminated 3 teams yesternight and he would have been careful not to hunt." Blake explained.
"I think I have an idea where he would be." Blake said with a smirk.
The hive had 5 entrances that formed a star. Using simple logic, Blake thought that it would be best for the queen to stay as far away from any entrance as possible.
This meant it would most likely stay at the center of the entrances underground and if he was right, that was where Luciano was meant to be.
They quickly moved out and with the help of the system's map, it didn't take long for them to reach the location.
[Yup, this is the right spot.] The system commented when they arrived at the location.
'You found Luciano?' Blake asked.
[Yes, but that wasn't what I was talking about.] The system harrumphed.
[The mana in the area was is highly concentrated. I was correct about the queen ant advancing.] The system's words made Blake check. The area had a mana density that was more than 4 times the normal density.
When beasts were about to advance in realm, they had to undergo a tribulation set by the mother-stream. The tribulation came in the form of a mana geyser that would ascend from below the beast and reach far into the sky.
The beasts that were found worthy and ready to willed the power of a king rank beast will be blessed by the mother-stream, but those who had ended up failing would either die on the spot or turn berserk.
If a beast was to go berserk, although their power level wasn't on the king realm, it wasn't too far from it either.
The berserk beast would end up going on a rampage before being put down by king rank beast or humans. The chances of a beast surviving after a failed tribulation were extremely low.
Although there were cases where there was no one to put down the rampaging beast and they ended up recovering after decades, they were extremely rare.
The berserk beast would end up going on a rampage before being put down by king rank beast or humans. The chances of a beast surviving after a failed tribulation were extremely low.
Although there were cases where there was no one to put down the rampaging beast and they ended up recovering after decades, they were extremely rare.
In the case of those who were found worthy by the mother-stream. Their body would evolve into a way stronger form, they would gain the ability to control an element related to them, and most importantly, they obtain higher intelligence.
(AN: This is for the beasts that do not control an element at the Knight realm. The armored hippos can already control water to an extent, but when they advance they would be way better than an aquamancer at the same level.)
As for the intelligence part. The beast would be able to learn the language of humans and speak. The way they reacted to things wouldn't be on instinct but intellect.
No matter if the ant queen passed the tribulation, it wasn't good news for the students.
If it failed the tribulation they would be butchered and if it was found worthy they were still fucked. This was because even though it gained intellect, for the fact that they had killed a lot of its subjects they would not go free.
"We need to speak to Luciano and come up with a plan." Blake said.
Blake and the team had a chance to escape because of his void daggers and Damon's darkbringer that concealed their presence, but the same couldn't be said for other teams.
He was no hero who wanted to save all the students. All he wanted was to make sure Castiel and Luciano were safe too. He didn't care if other people were to join them, but he had one rule and that was that no one came in their way.
The system's detection skill showed where Luciano and his team were camping on the treetops, they approached them using darkbringer.
[If I were you 4, I wouldn't take another step forward because if you do you will be set ablaze.] The system warned Blake.
Blake remembered the artifact Luciano had used against Blake and quickly halted his team.
"Disable darkbringer." Blake told Damon and once they did, they appeared in plain sight, causing team 1 members to be startled as they stood up for battle. That was except for Luciano.
"Should have noticed the anomaly by now." Blake said to Luciano.
"Lower your arms, there is no point in fighting at a time like this." Luciano said to his teammates.