{Crete POV}

In the corner of my eyes, I saw my younger siblings moving the beetle’s dead body out of the pit and off into the area we designated for organic waste. My attention was not diverted from the unconscious nymph in front of me, however, as I would fully grasp the opportunity to investigate that weird energy this time.

This time was different. Unlike when I was using the beetle’s evolution, my brother’s only recently commenced and I assumed that his organs were in the process of being liquified, so I would have ample time to experiment. Searching for the energy with my mind, I found it a few inches away from his body seemingly originating from nothing.

I could still only sense it 6 inches away, but that was temporary because peering into the nothingness, I felt my range of perception slowly increasing. The realization of something getting closer with every increase in range.

From 6 inches to 6 and a half to 7, the range in which I could detect the energy kept on increasing and when I reached 9 inches, I felt the energy turn from a placid stream into a raging rapid. Diverting some of my attention to my brother, I noted that his body was visibly ballooning with the flow of energy.

The clacking sound of joints bending and snapping into place because of stretching and elongation was audible. All the while I was still focused and was increasing my perception of the energy, and when it reached 10 and a half inches, my brother's body stopped growing and I estimated at his current size if he stood up straight, he would only be a head shorter than me.

I was in awe of the change but not for long as I felt the energy going into my brother flow into his still developing core, I silently noted all evolved creatures I encountered so far had one but I was unsure if they were able to detect theirs because I wasn't. Reminiscent, I observed as the energy flowed into his core, and flowing away throughout his body, no longer detectable.

It was then I felt a barrier once more in my perception however, as it neared 11 inches it started slowing down, and my ability to sense the energy started to take its toll on my mind once more. Reaching 11 inches, I felt my mind was once more subject to a splitting pain, not to the level it was at before however, still manageable I noted.

So, pushing on further, determined to unveil the mystery of the energy I persisted until reaching 11 and a half inches. It was then I noticed the energy slowly receding, and realizing my brother was almost finished with his evolution I was reluctant to fail again; But the last half an inch felt like a mountain I had to scale, a mountain I felt would take longer than the time I had left would allow, and oddly it felt like a mountain erected to stop me from climbing...

Contemplating on the feeling of this barrier, the last vestiges of the energy escaped my senses, and I knew my brother’s evolution was complete. Focusing on him, I observed his body features; his thorax, abdomen, and legs looked just like the ones I was able to observe on myself thanks to my compound eyes, but on his head was something different.

On his head, I noticed a few faint white lines that ran from the end of his thorax to the top of his head before curling and curving around it in, almost like a crown, blasphemous. The thought of anyone other than the queen being royalty was quickly repulsed by that primal instinct that I just noticed had gotten a little quieter with my evolution.

Still in my thoughts, I didn’t notice my brother rouse from his slumber, making me question if my fighting to stay awake through that soul-rending pain was the best choice… Only when he nudged me with his not-so-small mandibles, did he knock me out of my considerations of what exactly my “primal instinct” was...

“How do you feel Vito?” I asked seeing his face not so far from mine that I had to look down anymore. “I feel incredible… everything just seems better… Heck if I had to fight that beetle again, I’m sure I could do it without losing half of my health points this time” he responded in a voice filled with pleasant surprise and contentment at the change the evolution brought to his strength.

{Vito POV}

The last thing I remember was the satisfying crunch the head of the beetle made between my mandibles, and the weariness and pain of the aftermath of our battle. However, all that was gone when I woke up, the only thing replacing it was a feeling of absolute comfort and pleasantness, everything just felt so right. Standing up on my legs I realized the ground seemed further away and looking at my absent-minded brother in front of me, his head seemed not so high up as usual.

Taking the time to observe myself, however, the reason for the strangeness became evident. My body was much larger than I remember it being, my legs and the muscles in them as well as my abdomen and thorax were also bigger. The pale white color of my body was nowhere to be found, the same sleek black carapace my brother replaced it.

Looking forward, I noticed my mandibles had grown as well, albeit not as large as Crete’s, but still much, much larger than they were before. I also felt that my physical abilities were increased, my main stat probably even enhanced to the point that the health points it provided completely eclipsed my health points prior to evolution.

Deciding that I’d admired myself long enough, I nudged my brother out of his pondering and he quickly asked me how I felt, and I could feel the concern and care present in his voice, warming my thorax. Confidently and quite excited to be honest I responded. “I feel incredible… everything just seems better… Heck if I had to fight that beetle again, I’m sure I could do it without losing half of my health points this time”

“That’s good, did you check your status? I got some skills with my evolution and my stats naturally increased too.” With his words, the curiosity I had at my new status could no longer be held back., but first I looked at the notifications I had gotten when I defeated the beetle and the option of evolution I had unconsciously chosen.

**Congratulations you have defeated an enemy of a higher evolutionary status** (500% more to experience gain)

*DING*

*Gained 415 experience points* (500%)

*Gained 2075 experience points*

**Congratulations you have leveled up**

**Congratulations you have leveled up**

**Congratulations you have leveled up**

**Congratulations you have leveled up**

**Congratulations you have leveled up**

*Criteria met*

Achievement gained. Grants a bonus of 1 extra stat every level up

**Congratulations on attaining max level and entering the next growth phase of the species: Cleial Isopteran (Termite)**

Would you like to undergo evolution now? (There is a small chance of death)

Yes / No

My skills had also leveled up quite a bit from that battle and looking at my status I noticed the new ones my brother had mentioned along with the achievement that granted a sweet bonus of 1 extra stat point for every level.

*Status*

Name: Vito

Species: Cleial Isopteran (Champion)

Gender: Male

Level: 10 > 0

Health Points: 50/50 > 130/130

Stamina Points: 45/45 >150/150

Mana Points: 0/0 > 10/10

Spirit Energy: 10/10

Strength: 3 > 6

Endurance: 3 > 6

Agility: 3 > 6

Vitality: 9 > 12

Intelligence: 6

Luck: 2

Spirit: 3

Perception: 2

Will: 7

Undistributed Stat Points: 29

Experience Points: 884/810 > 74/1215

Skills:

(Active)

Masticate- Lvl 2

Inspect- Lvl 1

Sprint- Lvl 3

(Passive)

Strong Body- Lvl 3 > Champion’s body- Lvl 1

Pheromone Language- Lvl 3

Compound Eyes- Lvl 2

Hyper Metabolism- Lvl 3

Titles: N/A

Achievements:

Member of the clutch (5% faster experience gain)

To go beyond oneself (Grants a bonus of 1 extra stat every level up)

Taking in the fact that my total health points already doubled, without me even distributing my stats yet, by the way, I asked my brother how I should distribute the 29 I had. He told me it would be better to focus in one general direction instead of a jack of all trades master of none.

He urged me to allocate some points to the secondary stats too, because he felt they were important, except luck, he didn’t really find a correlation between that stat and anything yet. So, following his instructions, the direction in which I would like to specialize already clear to me since the day I was born, I set about solidifying my power.

*Status*

Name: Vito

Species: Cleial Isopteran (Champion)

Gender: Male

Level: 0

Health Points: 130/130 > 190/190

Stamina Points: 150/150 > 210/210

Mana Points: 0/0 > 10/10

Spirit Energy: 10/10 > 19/19

Strength: 6 > 9

Endurance: 6 > 9

Agility: 6 > 9

Vitality: 12 > 18

Intelligence: 9 > 12

Luck: 2 > 4

Spirit: 3 > 6

Perception: 2 > 5

Will: 7 > 10

Undistributed Stat Points: 29 > 0

Experience Points: 884/810 > 74/1215

Crete and Vito made their way down into the pit, with Amore following behind. Gesturing for her to remain there while they go bring out her opponent from the holding room. Crete moved the rock blocking its entrance before heading in, Vito close behind.

Not even halfway through the tunnel, however, they heard loud thumping, as if two rocks were being rammed into each other over and over, so hastening their movement, they entered the holding chamber where they saw the cause of the noise. The two rocks barring the entrance to the pocket the other cocoons were placed in had been visibly displaced but still serving their purpose.

Both cocoons had hatched from the looks of it and the beetle’s that came out of them were desperately trying to escape. Crete and Vito ventured closer to the nearest of the two rocks before moving it aside and allowing the prisoner to be free of the enclosure. A very short freedom, as the beetle was quickly pounced on by Vito, who most likely had developed a hate for the creatures at this point

He made quick work of it, knocking it out, and Crete helped him carry the unconscious beetle into the pit before coming back to the holding room to make sure that the other wouldn’t escape. Fixing the rock in front of it, he firmly lodged it into the pocket, and Crete heard a very displeased SCREE from the pocket’s resident, to which he chuckled shortly before heading back into the arena.

Amore was ready to go, and Crete saw her fidgeting with excitement while Vito was standing over the still unconscious beetle. Sauntering into the arena, Crete decided to sit this one out while he combed through the next batch of grubs for the next participants in this colosseum. “Vito, I won’t be the one mediating the fight this time, I’ll leave that job to you while I search for grubs about to evolve. Make sure to keep Amore safe, but don’t step in unless you think her life is in danger.” he sternly commanded.

Giving his instructions to Vito he told Amore to be careful before addressing the other nymphs "Pay close attention to the fight so you have an idea of what to do when it would be your turn to face one of those beetles in the arena, I don't want any of you dying okay?" he spoke in his most big brotherly voice eyes sweeping over the nymphs; and with that he left the chamber, heading to the hole in the roof to greet the grubs.

While making his way over, however, he couldn’t shake the thought he had when he was trying to sense the energy… It felt like he was doing something he wasn’t supposed to, and against his better judgment curiosity pushed him forward to continue trying to unravel the mystery.

Somehow, he felt it had something to do with the fact that his mana points increased from zero, the only change he was unable to understand. It was another enigma of his status, along with spirit energy, will, and luck, Crete could discern that those values had an important meaning and he felt it was only through discovering everything about his status that he would fully be able to efficiently harness his power.

Not to mention that core he noted all evolved creatures possessed. “Damn” he cursed as he had forgotten to ask Vito if he could detect his core, but deciding he could do that when he came back, he laid the thought to rest. His absent-minded steps having carried him a long distance, he soon stood before the “hole” in the ceiling, except this time it wasn’t just a “hole”, he wasn’t able to perceive it before, but what he saw now just left him with more questions and even fewer answers...