I left the chamber dazed, but highly impressed and also conflicted.

From what I had learned, the phenomenon that was called a status was not a natural thing. I had connected to it through the essence of Greed, which was the hateful pebbled I had found. And that it could enhance my body. For what purpose or at what price, it didn’t say and I couldn’t figure.

I decided to remain vigilant, but also accept the phenomenon since it was already a part of me. The other annoying things could be dealt with in the future. Also, I needed the strength that was being promised.

I found Princess in the royal chambers, but I wasn’t allowed to go in. She was in distress, but not in mortal danger. I knew because I was her royal guard, and not just in name.

I left a message for the princess with the guard: I’ll be on the forty-first floor if you need me. She was dumbfounded upon hearing what I was admitting to, but didn’t say anything otherwise.

I returned to the slave quarters with a bounce in my steps. I felt invigorated, empowered. There were pointed antennae and name-calling from the few soldiers training on the preceding floor, but no physical harassment. However, for the first time, their jeers felt like mere shackles they had lain to bind me. They had no effect.

There were fewer wounded and recovering in the usually clamorous corridor that led to the crystal lit cavern. The pheromones in the air were also lighter, of worry and fear, rather than pain and death. It was an odd sight to witness.

Since all the slaves had been taken away as war resources I believed the crystal lit cavern at the end of the tunnel to be empty. But there were many bodies milling about, mostly workers, but here and there were a few soldiers resting or practicing.

I found the aged warrior sitting on the ledge. The young soldier, her apprentice, was moving in front of her. Many of the workers about were taking care of the fungus, but even the few present couldn’t hide how desolate the cavern looked. I was not used to the bustle that populated the cavern halls, but instantly knew the emptiness would be impossible to get familiar with.

I approached the aged warrior and she almost stood up upon seeing me.

You, she started then shook her head to organize her thoughts.

I heard what happened yesterday. The soldier said. Have to give it to you; you are pretty stubborn for someone your size.

There is no hesitation in you today. The aged warrior said. Something must have happened.

Of course, something happened! The kid got taken out by a termite! I can’t believe the humilia—

There was a loud snap and the soldier was limping around in a frenzy, cursing the aged warrior and calling her an old hag.

What did you realize? The aged warrior asked me, not paying attention to the soldier. Did you figure out your fourth lesson?

No. I said. That I haven’t figured out.

Then why are you here? She scented. I didn’t detect sarcasm from her. She was solemn, nostalgic. I did remember her saying she would be the first one to leave for the war if she could. But she was here and alone.

What happened last night was what had caused me to hesitate in the first place. I was afraid of being hated by the soldiers, but someone told me it didn’t matter. All that mattered was how I felt about what I was doing. Sure, the others might not be happy with my decision, but if I was happy then that was all that mattered.

She didn’t look surprised, so I whipped my antennae at her. She easily deflected but was astonished.

I don’t know what the fourth lesson is —I continued— but now I know that I have much more to learn. What I learned from you saved my life. I am sure that if it’s you, you can help improve my skills.

She looked at the soldier who clicked at her in annoyance and she busted out in amusement.

Kids always keep demanding for more. You want to learn how I can catch you sneaking up to me, and you want to hurt me don’t you? Then come let’s see how much abuse your young skeletons can take.

Ten minutes later, I was running around the aged warrior in circles, the soldier was in front of me, and we both wished to die.

What I believed was a figure of speech was her actual true intentions. She was really trying to break my skeleton.

She made me run with my lame leg and its opposite clenched up to the base of my thorax. She said it was easier to learn running with four legs instead of five. I don’t know where she was getting her information, but I had been getting around on five limbs just fine. This, however, was torturous.

It wasn’t easy holding the legs clenched, but running on top of it was painful. Worst was my supposed trainer who was hitting me every time I tried to stop. She was juggling between me and the soldier without breaking a sweat, while I was on the verge of breaking down. If this was the level of someone aged as her, I wondered what the battlefield looked like where thousands of warriors like her fought together.

She wanted us to dodge her tearing whips without looking. We were both failing spectacularly at it.

My mind was starting to wander, and I was hurting in the areas where it shouldn’t. There were a few skills that I had acquired, but I was dying there.

Why are you stopping? Is this it? Didn’t you beg me to teach you? Where did that fire go? She whirled her antennae at me, striking me the end of my sensitive bottom! My feet automatically picked up the pace. Since my antennae were not healing properly she wanted me to learn a different form of sense. Apparently, there was no better method of doing it than running for my life.

Do you sense anything yet?

No!

The Whip struck the top of my abdomen.

How about now?

NO!

It nicked my chest.

Do you like to get beaten up?

NO!

She made me trip. I fell hard and almost didn’t get up.

Are you giving up? Is this all you had to learn?

NO! I answered. I had to keep answering. The soldier already knew, but I learned the lesson of not answering her back the hard way.

She struck me in the head when I was getting up and I faltered back to the ground.

Doesn’t the ground feel good? Don’t you want to sleep?

NO!

She took a step in. I felt her shift behind me. Something moved. It was fast and coming for my eye. I tried dodging, but I was tired and as a result too slow. The clubbed end of her antennae struck me fairly on the head and I went down to the ground again. However, thoughts erupted in my head instead of the usual cursing.

What was that?

The answer came in the form of a notification.

Lo and behold, he has now woken up to the senses of a warrior. Wait for some time and he’ll be dumb like them too.

You have acquired sensitive hearing.

[Sensitive hearing][Tier-1][Lv-1/10][Passive][Racial]

[Antennae, hair, and feet together make the three advanced sensory organs of an ant. Every ant can use its antennae to taste and feet to sense, you have just opened to the new sense that is the combination of sensory information you receive from the vibration under your feet and the signals of your hair.]

[Effect: It allows you to sense your surroundings. The range depends upon your skill level.]

[Reward: Your Wisdom and Intelligence increases by .1 points every skill level.]

Then I felt it again. It was a feeling akin to being poked, an alarming sensation. I rolled forward on impulse. The snap came from my previous position and I knew I had made the right decision. I steadied myself and got back on my feet, facing her. I was learning to roll, instead of letting the system push my body through the motions. It was an awkward maneuver to perform, but I was getting better at it.

The aged warrior had stopped moving, antennae hanging freely in front of her face. The soldier by her side was equally perplexed. They still hadn’t gotten over the rolling. They called it un-ant-like.

You got the feeling, did you not?

I nodded.

Keep on to the feeling. Let’s keep practicing so you don’t forget the sensation.

Wait, what happened? The soldier asked, perplexed. He got hit! How is that a success?

Stop complaining you smelly brat. Move your body, not your mind if you want to learn something, too. You have been at this thing for the past three days; about time your blasted bottom received a whipping. The aged warrior moved to hit him as he pulled back but something caught her attention and she went past him. Go play with each other. She scented. I’m too tired.

***

Finally, I faltered. Nothing was left in me. I was exhausted and hungry. I got up to eat the fungus, but the soldier stopped me.

You don’t want to eat that.

Why? I asked.

Right now you only have an odor of the fungus on you. It will disappear with time. However, you eat that thing and you’ll be one of us. I got up to rebuke him, but then he said something that didn’t make much sense. And there is no place in society for those who eat that.

Weren’t the slaves promised life if they returned alive?

Yes. He said and left me. I asked him to stop but he didn’t listen. It was a worrying behavior, but I was too tired to worry about someone else. I fell asleep.

It was high noon when I left the cave. By this time our soldiers would have reached the city and started fighting the termites.

The scouts had returned baring news from the neighboring cities. The help was being sent. There was also news of a scout from the 43rd city on way to the city.

As the chief, the commander had ridden out with force, leaving the city to the government, which was basically a committee made of the various department heads. One of them was the head of the treasury who announced the need for immediate recovery of the food wasted on the war effort.

Harvesters were to ride and bring back food to fill the empty treasury.

I had slept, but my mind was still wandering. It was in this drunken stupor that I collided with someone. He was a winged male, a royal captain, steering a team of the harvester on a mission to gather food.

Be careful. He said and started walking. I knew him. He was the one who had led the team to the mountain region, the one that had found the termites. Something came over me as I blocked his path and scented out louder than I was expecting to. Honestly, I’m glad I did it.

Captain, I called. Can you get us to 47th city?