Goal

Ren continued hunting for the rest of the day and the next morning.

Each time he hunted a Pokémon, he would use different skills and his spirit in different ways. His skill percentages and experience continued to increase at a monstrous pace.

This was due to his new hunting technique. By using acceleration, he could rapidly move through the trees, locate lone Pokémon wondering and pierce them through the use of [spirit manipulation].

Of course, due to his low spirit capacity, he would only use this hunting technique every two or three.

His prey had not even see him coming!

Ren was currently resting under a large oak tree. He had just finished his last hunt.

'Status.'

Host Name: Ren

Species: Ekans (Infant)

Element: Poison

Level: 1 [Limit: 5]

Bio-Energy: 19/20

Length: 50 cm

Spirit: 4.1

Power: 3.2

Wisdom: 4.1

Agility: 2.4

Defense: 3.3

Skills: Breathless Breathing Technique [10.3%], Poison sting [9%], Terrorize [20%], Acceleration [28%] Evolution Suppressor [9%] Pokémon Appraisal [23%]

Passive Skills: Spirit Manipulation [62%]

Racial Skills: Shedding [8%]

He was now half a meter long.

Ren analyzed his skills. Over the last day and he had hunted six monsters.

Through using a variety of different skills, he was able to rapidly boost his skill percentages.

'One final monster…'

He would soon level up.

He waited for a minutes, waiting for his spirit to recharge.

'What is that?'

Something caught his eye.

In the distance, he could see a Pokémon scuttling about.

Ren moved his body in an attempt to get a better look.

Its body was partitioned into three separate areas; a head, an abdomen and a thorax. A silver metallic substance coated its body like an armor.

Its body was about 20 centimeters long and 5 or six centimeters tall.

What stuck out to Ren were its mandibles. They were large and grossly disproportionate to the rest of its body.

'An ant…'

'Unlucky… looks like you are going to be my final prey'

Red aura gathered on his eyes.

[Appraise]

Species: Durant (Scout)

Potential: None

Level: 1/1

[Enemy: Durant will provide one bioenergy]

Ren was dumbstruck.

'Its potential… why does it say none…?'

It completely went against his preconceptions.

Ren had never seen anything like it. Every single Pokémon that had battled thus far had some type of potential whether it be white, blue or red.

Yet this ant had broken this rule.

Not only that but its max level was one!

Something was wrong.

The ant continued to move around. It did not move with direction or purpose.

No… rather, it seemed to move around the place randomly, its antennae searching the ground.

It seemed to be scouting… just like its species implied.

'Scout… for what…'

Its body moved across the jungle floor disappearing into the foliage.

He was curious and he wanted answers.

Ren's body slipped after it.

'It's hard…'

Just like Ren hid his body in the foliage, the ants body was also partially hidden.

Ren continued onwards keeping a distance of roughly 4 or 5 meters between them.

While his snake body had obvious disadvantages being lack of arms and a weird method of movement it also had advantages.

One of such advantages was his body shape. It was perfect for moving without a sound.

The perfect stealthy predator.

Ren followed the ant for nearly an hour.

It was not only because of his simple curiosity. He needed to scout his surroundings and the ant gave him the perfect chance to do so.

Ren observed his surroundings.

'It's getting sparser…'

The trees all around him were less dense. The ferns had begun thinning out. More sun fell on his body.

He had previously made sure to hunt in close proximity to his base. It gave him some sense of security.

It was time to further explore this world.

Ren observed the sparser conditions.

'Is it another river…?' Ren hypothesized

'No… there's no sound of water.'

Ren could only reasonably conclude that the terrain was going to change.

He was nervous.

This new terrain might not be as suitable for his survival as his current environment.

He might not have anywhere to hide.

'No Ren! You have to do this sooner or later!'

Ren resolutely followed the ant.

His worries were soon confirmed. The trees became sparser and sparser before eventually disappearing all together.

He had reached the forest's edge!

Ren looked out past the tree line.

The sun's mighty rays shone down in full force.

'A grass field'

Before him lay a field of long yellow grass probably no longer than 20cm tall. He could to see what lay above the grass for he was too short.

The ant made its way into the grass.

No. That was inaccurate.

It made its way onto a cleared path.

There was an artificial pathway made on the grass

Ren observed the pathway.

The grass had been ripped out from its roots. All that was left was barren soil.

'This ant made this…?'

For what purpose? To avoid getting lost in the field?

Questions filled his mind. What was this ant scouting for?

Ren followed.

He did not use the path directly but rather hid in the grass next to the path. This would ensure that in the off chance that the ant did turn around he would be concealed.

Ren followed the ant through the path.

The path was not straight.

It curved and turned.

Still Ren resolutely followed.

As he edged further and further in the grass field, he could see something peaking over the horizon.

'What is that?'

It was a small hill.

No, it was too small to be a hill. It was only a few meters tall.

It was more like a mound.

Ren's body continued for another minute before stopping.

The grass had ended.

No, it would be more accurate to say that the grass had been artificially removed.

The scout ant had long disappeared.

Ren peaked through the grass.

The sight before him mystified him.

A city lay before his eyes.

A large dirt mound a few meters tall stood in the center.

The grass around the mound had been cleared creating a ten-meter radius circle of barren soil.

Like a mine, holes littered the surface of the surface of the mound.

There were pathways extending down from the hill and into the ground.

This was not what caught Ren's attention.

It was the ants.

Tens of them. Maybe a hundred.

On these little pathways lines of ants marched into and out of the holes.

'This is crazy…'

The ants marching towards the hole carried carcasses of Pokémon on their backs. They were not complete Pokémon but rather single Pokémon partitioned into several pieces. Ren could see flesh… it was still fresh.

The brutal scene horrified him.

The ants disappeared into the cave with the corpses, while other ants exited the caves.

It was a formulaic, logical system.

'It's an ant colony…'

Ren held his breath.

The ant that he had encountered earlier had been a scout for the colony!

The ants were coming...

He had been wondering why he heard no roars or battles in the grassy field. It had been quiet. Almost serene.

Ren understood the grim reality.

'The ants must have cleared the area… and now they are coming for the jungle!'

Ren was fearful.

Still, Ren could not help but think of the possibilities.

He had not been able to count how many ants there were on the mound but he predicted more than a hundred.

Moreover, their numbers were probably growing rapidly!

Ren did the math.

If each of the ants gave him one bioenergy like the scout ant, this meant more than a hundred bioenergy.

He had long noticed the problem with getting bioenergy.

It was unpredictable and dangerous. You would move from one battle to another sometimes hunting and sometimes being hunted.

Now, he had a good source.

A terrifying aura interrupted his thoughts.

He could feel a wave of energy passing over him, almost like some type of radar.

*Screech*

A loud scream erupted from within the mound. It pained his ears.

'Yellow…'

Ren instinctively remembered the feeling.

He had felt it back then as well. The aura of a yellow creature!

The ants on the hill stopped moving around.

Their heads slowly turned.

They all stared in the direction he was hiding. The mandibles began striking together as soft screeches came out of their mouths.

A cacophony of noise.

'Go.' Only one thought filled Ren's mind.

He had to escape.

His body turned away and slithered as fast as he could.

The ants were behind him.

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Ant conflict! Tell me what you think.

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