<h4>Chapter 10: Soul essence obtained...</h4>
As Ben stood before the ttened body of the ck mutant spider, he activated his Soul Drain skill. He extended his proboscis, now transformed into razor-sharp fangs, and plunged it into the spider''s lifeless body.
╔═╣Soul Drain╠═╗
With a mystical chant, a radiant energy emerged from the spider''s corpse, eagerly slurped up by Ben''s razor-sharp fangs. As the energy coursed through his veins, a warm sensation enveloped him, igniting a surge of power.
[Mutant spider, soul essence absorbed—low tier] ]
[Exp gained: 5/20]
[Soul Essence: None]
Curiosity sparked within Ben, and he turned his gaze to the floating, translucent screen before him. "System, what''s this whole soul essence thingamajig?"
[ Ah, my dear host, a soul essence is an extraordinary weapon crafted from the essence of a living being''s soul. The stronger the soul, the mightier the weapon.]
Ben scratched his chin, pondering. "So, like, everyone here has a soul essence, right?"
[Nope, sorry, host. Very few beings in the universe can tap into their souls and forge them into weapons. The reincarnation system happens to be one of those select few.]
"Whoa, that''s creepy cool! I never expected the reincarnation system to be this badass," Ben chuckled, taking to the skies in search of new targets to level up.
Although there were quite a lot of living beasts in the forest, Ben wasn''t so confident that he would evennd a scratch on any of them.
[Indeed, my dear host, the reincarnation system is an absolute powerhouse, rivalling only a handful of multiversal and primal gods.] #ProudSystem
"Oh, wise and almighty System, can you shed some light on this ''low tier'' beast thingy? And what''s up with tiers anyway?" Ben inquired, his eyes scanning the previous kill notifications.
[ In this world, beasts are ssified based on their strength, which we call tiers. Humans have confirmed five tiers so far:
Low Tier Beast
Normal Tier Beast
Advanced Tier Beast
King Tier Beast
Supreme Tier Beasts
Some im to have encountered even mightier beasts, but whether it''s truth or legend, nobody knows for sure.]
"Wait a sec, you''re supposed to be the all-knowing system, right? Can''t you confirm if those super-duper beasts exist or not?" Ben quizzed himself, zipping through the forest with lightning speed.
[ My apologies, dear host, but I''m just a budget version of the reincarnation system. My knowledge is limited to what humans have discovered so far (at least in this version).]
"Well, let''s brush that aside for now. By the way, System, what kind of beast am I ssified as?" Ben tried to steer the conversation.
[Based on my calctions, you''re currently a low-tier beast ]
While chatting with the system, Ben''s eyes sparkled as he noticed a bunch of mutant beasts he could feast on.
"Hahahaha, I found them!" Ben eximed, looking at the group of purple ants, about 1 inch in size each, moving towards a tree trunk in a rythmic pattern.
"He system, what kind of beast are they? Are they stronger than me?" Ben asked, rubbing his silver mosquito hands in excitement.
[These are mutant purple ants; they are Low Teir Beasts, but weaker than you.]
Ben''s excitement grew as he realised the purple ants were within his range. With his newfound strength and skills, he felt confident that he could handle them without much trouble.
"Time to put my skills to the test," Ben muttered, a mischievous grin spreading across his mosquito face.
Descending from the sky with an elegant glide, Ben positioned himself strategically, just above the marching line of purple ants. He focused his attention on the lead ant, which seemed to be themander of the group.
"Let''s see if these little fellows can handle the power of a rising mosquito god," Ben chuckled to himself, preparing to unleash his mosquito''s buzz skill.
╔═╣Mosquito''s Buzz╠═╗
With a single p of his wings, Ben let out a deafening and irritating buzz, amplified by his evolved vocal cords. The sound waves targeted the purple ants, causing confusion and disarray among their ranks.
The ants scurried in every direction, bumping into each other and losing their sense of order. Ben seized the opportunity, diving down with precision andnding on the back of the lead ant.
As he clung to the ant''s exoskeleton, Ben activated his Blood Needle skill.
╔═╣Blood Needle╠═╗
A sharp, crimson needle shot out from Ben''s fangs, puncturing the ant''s exoskeleton and injecting a small amount of his own blood. The ant recoiled in pain, struggling to shake off its newfound attacker.
[ HP: 4.5/5.0]
Ben''s excitement grew as he continued to strike with precision, taking down one purple ant after another.
[Mutant ant killed; low tier beast]
[Exp: 10/20 ]
[Soul essence : none]
"Tsk," Ben chuckled, looking at the unsatisfying result, "another one." He said this,unching towards another nearby ant.
╔═╣Blood Needle╠═╗
His agility and speed allowed him to avoid their feeble attempts at retaliation as he shot the crimson needle directly at the ant''s waist, cutting it in half. Without wasting any time, Ben descended on the ant''s body and used the Soul Drain skill.
[Mutant ant killed; low tier beast]
[ Exp: 15/20 ]
[ Soul essence obtained, low tier armour (Grade 1)]
"Woohoo! Finally, I got my first soul essence; time to grind more," Ben said in excitement, killing one more ant with two blood needles until his HP reached a critical level.
[Mutant ant killed; low tier beast]
[Exp: 20/20]
[Levelling up to level 6, all stats +0.5 ] [Free stats +0.5]
[ Soul essence obtained, low tier armour (Grade 1)]
"Two soul essences in one raid—that''s what you call op luck!" Ben buzzed in excitement, leaving the ants alone. Flying to a safe distance, away on a tree.
"Hey system, tell me how to use soul essence," Ben asked, excited to try his new toys.
[To use a beast weapon, the host must call the weapon''s name and order a summon.]
"Oh, that''s it! Alright then, mutant ant armour, I choose you," Ben said, pointing at the air in aical pose before a bunch of purple light emerged out of the air, covering his body.
When the light finally dissipated, Ben, who was jade ck and silver in colour, was now covered by a crystaline purple shell like armour, from legs to wings, only leaving the movable parts and sharp edges open.
"Cooollll! I feel like I am in a Mark 85 Ironman suit or something," Benmented, looking around at his shiny mosquito butt covered in purple armour.
"Although it looks good, I really doubt it''s that strong. I mean, if it''s the same material that the ant back was made from, then I can easily tear it apart using a blood needle or something!" Ben concluded, testing the armour''s durability by scratching on it with his fangs.
[Host, to make this item stronger, would you like to merge it with other armour?]
"I can do that." Ben asked in disbelief.
Yes, host, each same type and grade of soul essence can be merged to upgrade to the next grade. [Not only this, but if the grade is high enough, you can even upgrade your weapon tier.]
"That''s so cool; why didn''t you tell me earlier?" Ben asked, buzzing in excitement. " I would like to merge the two armours for the next grade."
[Understood, host. Initiating the merge process.]
Excitement filled the air as Ben eagerly initiated the merging process. The two low-tier armours floated before him, emanating a faint purple glow.
The armours shimmered and began to fuse together, their individual essences blending into a new, upgraded form. Gradually, the crystal structure transformed, gaining additionalyers of strength and resilience.
After a few moments, the merging process wasplete, and the armour took on a more refined appearance. It now possessed intricate patterns and a subtle pulsating glow.
[Congrattions, host! The low-tier armour has been sessfully upgraded to low tier armour (Grade 2).]
"Wow! This looks even better!" Ben eximed, admiring the upgraded armour''s sleek design and improved protection. "I feel like a true mosquito jockerr... I mean warrior. I feel like a true mosquito warrior now!"