Ari stumbled forward, the edges of his vision swimming with flickers of light and darkness. Each movement sent sharp jolts of pain through his battered body. The long journey had drained more from him than he'd expected, and the wounds left by Hopper—deep, raw, and still unhealed—clung to him like a cursed weight, each one screaming with every breath.
He reached a patch of flat ground where the air hung still and dry. To his left, a crumbling cliff loomed like a forgotten monument, and ahead, strange terrain stretched toward the horizon, cracked and colorless. With trembling limbs, Ari dropped the makeshift bag from his back and collapsed onto the earth.
A strangled groan escaped him as his shell struck the dirt. Dust curled into the air, a muted cloud rising around his broken form.
I'm in so much pain… I feel like I'm going to die, he thought, barely able to breathe. His chest rose and fell in ragged motions, sweat clinging to every part of him.
But even as his body screamed for rest, his mind clenched onto the faint, stubborn ember of purpose.
"I can't give up now," he whispered through gritted teeth. "I made up my mind… that I'd get stronger to save the princess, even if I had to do it alone."
He rolled onto his side, fingers digging into the dry soil as he forced himself upright. His limbs trembled violently beneath him, but he didn't let himself fall again.
"I made her a promise… that I'd always protect her," Ari murmured. With shaking hands, he reached into the small pouch at his side and drew out a glimmering gem. It sparkled faintly in the dusky light—a rare treasure Princess Tanya had entrusted to him.
The gem pulsed with a soft, warm light. For a moment, it felt as if her voice echoed inside him, laughing, hopeful, alive.
"I can't just give up on her now. I must get stronger."
Suddenly, a flicker of light snapped through the air in front of him. A transparent, glowing screen blinked into existence, floating just above the ground.
Ari blinked rapidly, trying to focus his eyes.
Daily Quest
He squinted, leaning forward as the message sharpened.
Tasks:
Complete 500 pushups with a boulder on your back
Complete 500 squats with a boulder on your back
Climb a high terrain while carrying a heavy boulder
Travel 10 kilometers while carrying a heavy boulder
Ari stared at the screen, heart thudding against his ribs.
"That's right… I almost forgot about it," he muttered. "The system I received after crossing into this world after my death…"
A broken laugh slipped from his lips—strained, breathless, but genuine.
"The reward… full recovery," he read aloud. "There's a chance I'll heal the injury Hopper gave me just by completing this."
He paused, eyes narrowing.
"But will it really work this time?" he whispered. "It never gave me the hidden rewards from the last quests. Is this just a glitch... or a gamble?"
He didn't know. But what he did know—was that he had no choice.
He staggered upright, swaying like a branch in the wind. His breath felt like fire, every inhale scraping his throat, every muscle crying out for stillness. But he clenched his fists, focusing on the faint pulse of the gem in his pouch.
"Even if this system's broken… even if no one's coming to help me… I'll do it. I'll do whatever it takes."
His gaze drifted toward the terrain ahead, silent and vast. A graveyard of failed dreams or a path to redemption—he didn't know which.
Back in the colony, Beatrice and Lily sat together near the outer rim of the underground chambers, just beyond the dust-covered training field. Their postures were rigid, eyes clouded with uncertainty, weighed down by the impossible decision Anastasia had placed before them.
"I don't know what to think," Beatrice muttered, arms crossed. "Going against the Queen…? That could get us in serious trouble. Maybe worse."
Lily nodded slowly, her voice quiet. "But doing nothing—letting the grasshoppers keep stripping us down to our bones? That feels like slow death anyway."
Beatrice glanced toward the exit tunnel, exhaling hard. "I don't know if I'm brave enough to fight back."
Before Lily could answer, hurried footsteps echoed through the tunnel. Isla burst into view, breathless and wide-eyed, panic written across her face.
"Please…" she called out, voice cracking. "Please help me get stronger!"
Both ants turned toward her, startled.
Isla stumbled to a stop in front of them, clutching her arms tightly as though trying to hold herself together.
"I know how pathetic I am," she began, her voice thin and trembling. "I know I'm weak."
She swallowed hard, the words catching in her throat.
"During the invasion of Helena's colony… I hid. Afraid. When the termites attacked the training route—I didn't fight. I stood frozen while Ari and Rory protected me. Even when we decided to defeat them, I was still fearful. Helpless."
Her eyes filled with tears, but she didn't look away.
"I've cried and whined during training. I couldn't even defeat a single fly when we were ambushed. And when the grasshoppers came—I froze. I couldn't move. I couldn't even breathe. Their eyes... it felt like I was choking on fear."
She let the silence hang, trembling, her shell rising and falling with uneven breaths. But then—her fingers clenched tighter around her arms. Her voice, though small, didn't waver again.
"But Ari and Rory—they're going to fight. I know they are. Ari's already left to try and save the princess, and Rory—he's training harder than anyone else. They're not waiting for permission. They're not waiting to be told what's right."
She looked up, meeting their eyes with raw, unfiltered desperation—wrapped in determination.
"I don't want to be afraid anymore. I want to fight too. I want to help them. Please… help me get stronger."
Beatrice and Lily stared at her in stunned silence. This was Isla—the same ant who cried during boulder drills, who trembled when orders were barked, who always stood in the back, always hesitated.
And yet, here she stood—trembling still—but not running.
Lily's mouth parted, the words slow and unsure. "You… really mean it?"
Isla nodded.
A long silence stretched between them, broken only by the hum of wind threading through the tunnels.
"…We were cowering," Lily said softly, ashamed. "But you're standing here."
Beatrice's expression changed—not anger, but something harder. Sharper. A new resolve.
"Fine," she said, voice low. "I'll help you. But I'm not going easy on you."
Isla's eyes widened with relief and disbelief. Her lip trembled—but she smiled.
"And you'd better get ready," Lily added with a teasing grin, her tone lighter. "Because I definitely won't go easy on you."
She leaned forward, gently running her fingers down Isla's back—a gesture of support, not pity.
A shiver ran down Isla's shell, but she didn't flinch. Instead, for the first time in days—she smiled.
"Thank you," she whispered.
Far away from the colony, beneath a sky dimmed by distance and soil layers, Commander Anastasia emerged at the entrance of Queen Helena's territory. The tunnel walls were marked with engravings, and the entrance was guarded by stern, thick-shelled military ants.
At once, the guards turned, recognizing her distinct armor and sharp expression.
"It's Commander Anastasia," one murmured.
She stepped forward, her gait steady, voice commanding. "I'm here to have a word with the Queen and your Commander."
The guards exchanged glances, and one quickly darted inside.
Moments later, another ant emerged—taller, broader, a white mark painted along her shoulder.
"Commander Ruth," Anastasia greeted curtly.
Ruth tilted her head. "It must be urgent if you traveled all the way from your colony alone. What's happening?"
Anastasia didn't waste a second.
"I'm going to need a huge favor," she said, voice calm but firm. "And I'll ensure that all of you are compensated for it."
Ruth's expression sharpened. "You're not one to ask lightly."
"I'm done waiting," Anastasia replied. "We've lived in fear long enough. The grasshoppers are going to pay for what they've done."
Ruth narrowed her eyes. "You're talking war."
"I'm talking freedom," Anastasia said. "But I won't pretend it'll be easy. That's why I need you."
There was silence for a moment, and then Ruth nodded slightly.
"Alright," she said. "Let's talk terms, come with me we will speak to the queen directly."