Awakening

"FIRE BALL!"

"GHIII!"

"Well done, Rebecca. This should be the last of the group. Let's take a break while Cyrus dissects them."

"Finally~ There were so many of them."

"Hey kid! Don't take too long. We don't have all day," Brutus barked.

"Cut him some slack, Brutus. It's his first time as a porter. It's normal for him to be slow at first. Right, Cyrus?" Rebecca said with a smile.

Cyrus remained stoic and focused, his mind absorbed in the task at hand. He paid little attention to the chattering of the others around him, knowing that getting too close to them would only lead to disappointment once they saw his disfigured face. He was here to do a job, get paid, and return home - nothing more. In front of him lay several large insects, each the size of a household pet. Cyrus knew what he needed to do - he had researched online and was prepared to dissect the ants, carefully removing their heads, stingers, and scales. He deftly removed the antennal cords, the mandibles, and the compound eyes, placing each carefully into a jar. As he delicately cut around the ant's stinger, he could feel the satisfaction of a job well done. Within fifteen minutes, he had dissected the remaining four ants with precision and skill.

"Seems like your done. Let's keep going then."

During their journey, Cyrus couldn't help but feel conflicted. He had always looked up to hunters from a young age, even dreaming of awakening an ability of his own. He believed that hunters were meant to sacrifice their lives to save those who lacked the miraculous gift to protect themselves. With humanity still in a perilous situation, facing the threat of annihilation, he thought that becoming a hunter was a noble pursuit. However, he couldn't ignore the fact that many hunters seemed motivated by fame, wealth, and power. He knew not all hunters were like that, but the majority seemed to be. As he grew older and wiser, he came to understand why the man who saved him had run away. It would have been foolish to throw one's life away against a stronger opponent. Despite this understanding, he couldn't cleanse the corruption in his heart. If he had to choose between saving someone else's life or his own, he would always choose the former. He couldn't help but wish that the person who had saved him had shared the same mindset. If he had, maybe his parent's would still be alive.

"Halt!"

"Huh? What is Clout?"

"Look over there!"

"Hmm?! Is that a baby ant!"

"Can you believe it? A baby ant! They're highly sought after by the Hunter Association, you know. I've heard that studying a newborn monster can greatly advance science and research. But let's be real, what's more exciting is that they pay a ridiculous amount of money for one!"

"We should catch it! Claire, hide behind that rock and shoot your [Sticky Ball] to trap him in place."

"You got it boss!"

Clair silently broke off from the group and made her way towards a nearby boulder, intending to get closer to the location of the baby. As she moved stealthily forward, Cyrus noticed the rest of the group communicating with each other using subtle eye movements. Then, Clout approached Cyrus and placed his hand on his shoulder.

"Hey buddy, I need to talk to you about the contract we signed. You see, the contract only covers the collection of miscellaneous items and dissected corpses. So, technically, we can't share the profits from selling the monster we catch. I hope you understand where I'm coming from."

'Why am I not surprised? It's always the same for those people - wealth, fame, and power are all they care about.'

Cyrus gazed at the greedy leader, a deep frown etched on his face. He shook his head slowly, indicating his disinterest in the money they would receive from the baby ant. Unlike the avaricious leader, Cyrus had no desire for such otherworldly pleasures. His sole concern was earning enough money to meet his basic needs and cover his living expenses. The payment for this task would suffice in that regard, and he had no need for anything more.

"Hahaha! I knew you would understand! I'm starting to like you more and more. I'll be sure to reach out to you whenever we need a porter."

"..."

"G-GI!"

Shortly after their discussion, Claire successfully managed to glue the baby ant to the ground. Despite its valiant attempts to break free, the tiny insect was unable to escape from its adhesive prison. Its desperate cries for help echoed through the nest, growing increasingly louder as time passed.

"Hey, isn't he screaming a bit too loud?" One of the adventurers said.

"We need to leave now! Brutus, go get him. We need to get out of here before it's too late." The leader of the group ordered.

"On it, boss."

But before Brutus could even take a step forward, a shadow caught his attention. He turned his head to the right corner of the cave and saw a giant ant approaching. It was followed shortly by another, then a third, and a fifth, until they were swarmed by dozens of ants, too many to count.

"Guys, we need to get out of here right now!" The leader's voice trembled with fear as they all realized the gravity of the situation.

"GI!"

"GIII!"

"GIGI!"

"R-R-RUN!!!!!"

The party was running at full speed, trying to escape from the ants' colonies that were chasing them closely. Rebecca and Clair were doing their best to impede the ants' progress by casting fireballs and throwing sticky glue at them. However, their efforts were in vain as there were too many ants, making it impossible for them to have any meaningful effect.

"CLOUT! THEIR GETTING CLOSER! WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING!"

"I KNOW! GIVE ME SOME TIME TO THINK!"

"GIIIII!!!!"

"HURRY! YOU KNOW WHAT WE HAVE TO DO WHEN THIS HAPPENS! LET'S JUST DO THE USUAL!"

"FINE! CLAIRE! YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO!"

"O-OKAY!"

Cyrus was running close behind them, but he was confused about their conversation. They had told him that they didn't have the means to handle such a large number of enemies. They didn't have the necessary skills or equipment to escape safely from the dangerous situation. Despite the danger, all Cyrus could think about was what Clout had said to him before they entered the gate.

'Please rest assured that no harm will come to you as long as were present.'

Cyrus had a certain understanding of human character. Those words, did not match the character of the greedy and deceitful man he was currently leaving his safety too. By the time he realized his mistake, it was too late.

"STICKY GLUE!"

"!"

Beneath Cyrus' feet was a pool of sticky and gooey substance that prevented him from moving forward. He realized they had used him as bait to give themselves more time to escape the nest, sacrificing him in the process. In that moment, Cyrus couldn't help but feel a complex mix of emotions, not just one of hatred or vengefulness.

"I'M SORRY BUDDY, BUT HUMANITY NEEDS US. YOUR SACRIFICE WILL GREATLY BE APPRECIATED!"

"Ha..Haha...HAHAHAHAHA!"

"Ew~, creepy. Why is he laughing when his about to be eaten alive."

"Leave him be, Rebecca. His been acting strange the moment we met him."

"HAHAHAHAHA!"

Cyrus's laughter began to die down as he watched the ants approach him. Despite his prior knowledge of human nature, he had placed a certain amount of trust in them and now had to face the consequences of that trust. As the ants drew closer, his expression twisted into one of fury. Memories of the oppression he had faced from others, the death of his parents, and his own powerlessness flooded his mind. The scorching sensation of his burning scars intensified as his rage boiled over. Within seconds, the army of ants had swarmed over him, ready to feast on his flesh.

"MMMMMOOOOOOTTTTTTHHHHHEEEEEEEERRRRR FFFFFUUUUCCCCKKKKERRRRRSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"I WILL NEVER ACKNOWLEDGE YOU GUYS AS HUNTERS!"

"NNNNNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!"

"GIII!"

"GIIIIII!"

"NE~ve~r...."

"..."

[Congratulations! You have been chosen as a Awakener]

[Awakening Ability that best suits you…]

[Completed! You have Awakened the Ability "Overloaded Heat"]