Level Up The Colony
Chapter 49: Rank Evaluation

Chapter 49: Rank Evaluation

The Chairman’s gaze shifted toward Gray, who stood motionless beside Timothy.

"And I assume the ant is a companion of yours?" he asked, his tone unreadable.

"It’s a termite," Timothy corrected, keeping his expression neutral.

Vanessa, the woman beside the Chairman, barely spared Timothy a glance as she spoke in a detached, robotic manner.

"It isn’t registered in his profile. An unregistered monster is subject to being subdued on sight and eliminated, with its owner facing appropriate consequences."

Timothy felt his muscles tense, but before he could respond, the Chairman interjected with a chuckle.

"I believe that is precisely why he is here today, unless, of course, his intention was merely to challenge an A-rank and hold his ground. Surprises never cease. Tell me, is this a summon?"

"No. Gray cannot be summoned or dismissed at will," Timothy replied, maintaining a respectful but firm tone.

"Ah, then it’s a beast companion? A pet, perhaps?" The Chairman’s curiosity grew.

"What are its abilities? How does it assist you in combat?"

Instead of answering, Timothy raised an eyebrow and glanced around the room.

The Chairman caught on immediately.

"Oh, my enthusiasm got the better of me. Vanessa?" he called.

Without hesitation, Vanessa turned to Joshua, who had regained his composure despite his torn clothing.

Though disheveled, he still carried himself with authority.

He strode to the door and, in a voice that was calm yet undeniably pressuring, ordered,

"Get back to work."

His words sent a ripple through the onlookers.

With no door to shield them, it was impossible not to see inside the conference room, but no one dared linger under Joshua’s gaze.

Those who had been recording quickly found their devices mysteriously malfunctioning.

The Chairman then turned back to Timothy.

"You are clearly not an E-rank. I suspect you’ve undergone a rank awakening. We might as well proceed with the test."

Timothy felt as if he were being pulled into a vortex beyond his control.

He hadn’t even agreed, yet the Chairman had already turned on his heel, with Vanessa following closely behind.

Timothy sighed and secured Gray with his scarf before trailing after them.

Joshua and the other three seated individuals followed suit.

They moved through the hall, drawing curious glances.

As they reached the end of the floor, a single security guard stood before a door.

Without breaking stride, Joshua moved ahead, using his keycard to unlock it.

The door slid open, revealing a restricted area within the association’s quarters, one not accessible to just anyone.

"This facility houses all the cutting-edge technological equipment in the building," Joshua explained as they entered.

"We designed it with VIP personnel in mind, as the one below is constantly in use. Though, admittedly, no one has actually used this room yet."

He moved to the side, gripping a large switch.

With visible effort, he pulled it down.

Power surged through the room, illuminating a vast space filled with an array of equipment.

Timothy recognized some mana detectors and storage units for mana crystals, but others remained a mystery to him.

"Oh, that wasn’t necessary," the Chairman remarked, though he made no move to stop Joshua.

Undeterred, Joshua led them behind a counter and gestured toward a platform at the center of the room.

Whispering something to one of the recruits, he gave a brief nod.

The recruit stepped onto the platform.

"These are some of our most promising newly awakened," Joshua announced with the air of a salesman.

"They’ve been monitored since they came of age, and now it’s time to see if they measure up. They are the children of some of the most renowned Awakeners in Rivers State."

He wasted no time.

With a press of a button, an orb the size of a basketball emerged from a thick metal rod.

The first recruit, a broad-shouldered man in his late twenties, tapped the orb and gave a thumbs-up.

Joshua pressed another button, causing the orb to vibrate before shifting in color.

It settled on a sky-blue hue, pulsing lightly.

Joshua’s face lit up with satisfaction.

The recruit’s stats, displayed before them, confirmed his mana capacity solidly within B-rank territory.

If he had awakened at B-rank, there was a real possibility he could push toward A or even S-rank with the right effort.

"Come back, Jeremy," Joshua instructed, motioning for the next recruit, a young woman, to step forward.

As the second and third recruits underwent the same process, the results were identical, each displayed a B-rank mana capacity.

Joshua was clearly elated.

He didn’t even bother checking the Chairman’s reaction, too absorbed in his own triumph.

"So, as you can see..."

"Isn’t it your turn?" Vanessa interrupted her calm, unwavering gaze landing on Timothy.

Timothy met her stare, equally composed, but she remained unfazed.

Without another word, all eyes turned to him, waiting for his next move.

Timothy quietly stepped away from the counter, making his way toward the platform.

As he moved, his scarf unwrapped Gray from behind him and seamlessly coiled around his own neck once more.

Gray, sensing the importance of the moment, scuttled to a safe position outside the counter but just short of the platform, an unspoken act of fair play.

Standing before the orb, Timothy hesitated.

This device was designed to evaluate Mana, yet he knew his strengths didn’t lie in that domain.

He was a brawler, relying more on sheer physicality than magical prowess.

However, dismissing Mana entirely would be foolish. After all, even the smallest action was influenced by it.

A lack of Mana could leave one drained, as weak as an ordinary human.

If this was a measure of potential, then he needed to turn it into an opportunity? No, he had to capitalize on it.

Without delay, he accessed his system interface, and an influx of notifications appeared before him:

---

[Daily Quest Available...]

[Dungeon Rewards have been applied to Silverback Termite (Gray)]

[Silverback Termite (Gray) Skill: Mind has leveled up.]

[You have reached the requirements for Skill: Colony Genesis.]

[Skill: Colony Genesis has leveled up.]

[Colony Genesis (Lv. 2) - "Brood Dormancy"]

Type: Active (Summoning)

Cost: 5 Mana or 2 Biomass to summon, minimal upkeep required

Effect: Summons four Termites linked to your Mana.

Mana Hibernation: Allows a limited number of Termites to enter stasis within your Mana signature, reducing upkeep drastically. Upon re-summoning, they appear in the exact state they were in before dormancy (unless killed).

Short-Range Recall: Termites must be within a 30-meter radius to be recalled.

Dormant Storage: A small number of Worker Termites can now be stored in inert "Mana hibernation" within Gray’s body or yours reducing maintenance requirements drastically.

[Mind: Lv. 2]

Increases overall brain function and mental control, improving cognitive abilities and Mana manipulation.

Successfully enables telepathic communication.

---

A flood of information filled Timothy’s mind.

It seemed that integrating Kobold’s heart and mind had yielded greater results than he expected.

This made him wonder if the Kobold had done this much, what kind of power would the Wyvern’s heart bring?

Shifting his focus, he checked his status panel, already forming a plan in his mind:

---

[Status]

Name: Timothy Walter

Title: Goblin Slayer, Dominion Seat

Trait: Hybrid <Unstable>

Level: 27

HP: 9,300

MP: 80

Fatigue: 20

Strength: 60

Stamina: 50

Agility: 45

Intelligence: 40

Perception: 45

Free Stat Points: 88

---

[Skills]

King <Unknown> – Lv. Max

Dash – Lv. 2

Pheromones <Passive> – Lv. 4

Armament <Enhanced> – Lv. 1

Tenacity <Passive> – Lv. 1

Colony Genesis <Active> – Lv. 2

Force <Passive> – Lv. 1

---

[Colony] <1>

Silverback Termite <Gray> – Lv. 27

Skills: Scout – Lv. 3, Mind – Lv. 2, Predation – Lv. 1, Trainer – Lv. 1

---

As expected, he had accumulated a considerable number of free stat points.

With a decisive mind, he made his choice.

The first attribute to reach 100 would be Intelligence.

He allocated 60 points to Intelligence without hesitation.

A strange sensation welled up inside him as if a surge of pressure was building within his core.

He instinctively fought the urge to belch, steadying himself as the orb in front of him began to glow, brightening ever so slowly until it was almost blinding bright, and then, all of a sudden, its brightness reduced.

A cool, calm blue hue now surrounded the baseball, signaling the test’s completion.

"Wow, you really do have one of the best," the chairman remarked to Joshua, the first time he had shown genuine admiration since Joshua’s display began.

Joshua, though displeased with the outcome, glanced at the other recruits.

They were in the same boat as him, leaving him no choice but to mask his frustration and return to his usual humble demeanor.

"Indeed, sir. Rivers State does not disappoint."

Meanwhile, Vanessa was focused on the control panel behind the counter, her fingers swiftly transferring data.

No... she wasn’t just recording the results, she was updating Timothy’s information.

Joshua’s irritation flared.

Neither she nor the chairman had acknowledged him, making it feel as though he had been completely sidelined. fгeewebnovёl.com

Timothy, however, had his attention elsewhere.

[Congratulations! You have broken through a threshold.]

[You have gained a passive skill: Mana Control.]

As he processed the system notification, he looked toward the counter.

The chairman met his gaze and gave him a thumbs-up, signaling that his evaluation was complete.

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