Level Up The Colony
Chapter 74: Skills

Chapter 74: Skills

"But I can’t move from this spot or turn my back on it. If you’re planning to set up an ambush, now’s the time. Just don’t take too long."

Miebaka studied him, then gave a sharp nod.

"Got it."

They fell back, leaving Timothy alone.

Just then, a system message popped up:

[Silverback Termite (Gray) has begun evolution]

[Companion will be stationary while evolving]

[Evolution may take some time]

Timothy stared at the notification with a small smile.

Not bad timing.

As if in sync with the moment, the cocoon began wrapping around Gray, shielding him while the process took place.

Five minutes later, a signal came from the others.

They were ready.

Timothy didn’t know the strategy.

He didn’t need to.

He had finally figured out his role on the team, the one he had struggled to define until now.

He was the tank.

Drawing in a deep breath, he summoned his system panel.

...

[Status]

Name: Timothy Walter [Evolution Unavailable]

Title: Goblin Slayer, Mount, A Hardworking Man

Trait: Hybrid (Unstable) 2%

Level: 34

HP: 7,900¹

MP: 200

Fatigue: 20

Strength: 60

Stamina: 100

Agility: 60

Intelligence: 100

Perception: 60

Free Stat Points: 15

[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

Mana Control <Passive> – Lv. 1

Escape <Passive> – Lv. 1

[Colony] <5>

Silverback Termite (Gray) – Lv. 34 [Evolving]

Silverback Termite (Rex) – Lv. 7

Silverback Termite (Vox) – Lv. 7

Silverback Termite (Pax) – Lv. 7

Silverback Termite (Lux) – Lv. 7

---

Timothy took a deep breath.

He had to be ready.

His plan to lure out the monster hinged on one skill alone.

He activated it without hesitation.

[Skill Activated: Pheromones]

Suppressing his hesitation, he poured everything into it, his will, intent, and raw emotion.

He looked calm, but his eyes began to darken ominously.

He was still in control for now.

But letting go meant brushing close to the edge of something darker.

Something buried inside him.

When his irises turned pitch black, the air shifted.

Six glowing eyes blinked open in the darkness beneath him.

Slowly, deliberately, the creature stepped forward.

Its enormous form came into view, towering over Timothy, its six eyes staring right into him.

Timothy didn’t move.

But inside, a fierce struggle raged.

He wrestled for control of his mind.

The momentary release had almost allowed that other part of him to take over.

But he held on barely and the darkness in his eyes faded.

The pressure in the air lifted.

His first thought was bizarre.

"Beautiful."

’Did I say that out loud?’ Timothy thought

Looking up at the spider-like creature, he was sure he had.

Its movements were graceful, almost elegant.

A strange blend of white and soft pink shimmered across its body under the faint moonlight.

It radiated a strange, feminine aura, or was that just his compromised mind playing tricks on him?

The moment passed.

Without warning, the spider lunged.

Its leg whipped forward like a coiled spring.

Timothy raised his machete to block, but the force of the impact sent him hurtling through the air, crashing into a nearby wall with a heavy thud.

Pain exploded in his arm.

He wasn’t sure if it was the hit or the crash that hurt more, but either way, the thing still had seven more legs to throw at him.

Before he could recover, the creature was already on him.

He didn’t even get a chance to read its system tag.

Instinct took over.

He rolled aside just in time to avoid being impaled.

Turning to face it, Timothy noted something odd: six eyes, not eight.

Spiders were supposed to have eight.

Why only six? he thought, just as another leg darted at him.

He parried it, but that left him open.

One of his arms was in the air, and one of its legs was as well, but she still had seven limbs to spare.

And she used them.

Just before the finishing blow landed, vines shot out of the ground and coiled around the spider’s leg.

Then a fiery explosion engulfed the creature, slamming it into the same wall Timothy had just vacated.

He gasped in relief as he looked toward his teammates, Miebaka and Nonso had arrived just in time.

From that brief exchange, one thing was painfully clear: he was outmatched.

He no longer questioned where to place his free stat points.

He needed speed desperately.

[Agility: 60 > 75]

He dumped all 15 points into agility, trusting Armament to make up for his lack of raw strength.

The smoke parted slightly, and he finally saw the system description.

[Young Black Widow]

"A black widow, huh?" Timothy muttered.

"No," Nonso corrected from his left.

"Black widows have eight eyes. This one has six. And they don’t come in pink and white."

It was the longest sentence the silent assassin had spoken since they met which, technically, had only been earlier that day.

Before Timothy could respond, Miebaka stepped forward.

"Focus," he said.

The smoke dispersed completely as the spider pulled itself from the wall.

It looked... annoyed.

Despite the fireball, it wasn’t burned.

Its silky hairs were intact.

With a shriek that made the air tremble, the battle officially resumed.

Why do I keep calling it "she"? Timothy wondered.

Am I losing it?

The spider lunged, faster than before.

Nonso darted to the side while Miebaka rushed forward to meet it head-on.

The ground quaked from the impact as the two forces collided, and almost instantly, miebaka was overpowered but was pushed backward, drawing through the earth.

Timothy didn’t hesitate to see this

Gritting his teeth, he dove back into the fight.

The monster lashed out again, launching a spring-loaded foot at Timothy.

But this time, he was ready, he dodged cleanly.

Rolling forward, he seized the opening and unleashed a full-body swing with his machete.

The blow landed squarely, yet instead of slicing through, it was met with a shockingly cold resistance.

Admittedly he didn’t use Armament yet...

’Steel? No, it was harder.’ he thought

Timothy staggered back, stunned.

His strength and blade could cut through reinforced steel, but this? The strike merely nudged the creature’s leg backward.

The black widow loomed silently, unbothered.

Realization dawned on both Timothy and Miebaka at once.

"Change of plans. Physical attacks don’t work," Miebaka muttered before bolting.

Timothy followed, though it quickly became clear that Miebaka was heading somewhere specific.

Timothy was just trailing.

They dashed across thick root stems, hoping the terrain would slow the beast.

It might have worked, if this was a normal creature.

But it wasn’t.

Glancing back, they saw her walking across the wall as though gravity were an option.

The monstrous girl skittered sideways, swift and relentless.

"Any other plans?" Timothy panted.

Miebaka shot him a look.

"Yeah. Run faster."

Timothy grinned and then vanished ahead, leaving Miebaka in the dust.

Not out of cowardice.

He had a plan.

Miebaka just had to be the bait.

Miebaka kept running while dodging countless lunges without turning backward until his lungs started burning

The chamber was massive, and whatever Timothy had in mind, it better work soon.

Then, he spotted Helen.

She wasn’t hiding.

No sign of Prisca or Nonso, but Helen stood in the open, charging a massive fireball.

The spider didn’t even slow down.

It lunged for Miebaka, who somehow kept running as though he knew he wouldn’t be caught.

The fireball launched, smashing into the spider only to pass through it harmlessly.

But just as the creature’s fangs neared Miebaka’s back, it was violently yanked to the ground.

Thick vines had burst from the earth, coiling around its limbs and slamming it down into a blossoming field of writhing roots and bright, poisonous blooms.

Prisca’s skill: Blooming Sanctuary.

A garden bloomed in a ten-meter radius, slowing enemies by 50% for thirty seconds. And that wasn’t all, Prisca could cast two other skills during its duration.

Verdant Embrace: Controlled vines.

On enemies, bind and poison.

On allies, heal and grant poison immunity.

Leaf Shield: A passive barrier spell, yet unused.

The cost? Heavy mana burn.

Hence the time limit.

The spider shrieked and thrashed, slicing through vines as more erupted in its path.

The poison didn’t affect it, but the trap bought time.

Then shadows flickered beneath it.

From the spider’s underside, an unseen weapon plunged over and over, phasing through its thick carapace.

No wounds appeared but the creature grew frantic, its movements wild.

Nonso’s skill: Crepuscular Cloak.

He and his weapon had become immaterial, slipping through shadows and bypassing armor.

Against ordinary foes, it struck true.

Against heavily armored targets like this? The damage was null, but each hit left a weakness debuff at the impact point, lasting thirty seconds.

As for how long he could remain cloaked? He wouldn’t say.

The plan had come together in moments.

Miebaka knew only what he needed to: play the bait.

No one had time to explain powers in full.

Now, it was Timothy’s turn.

With Miebaka recovering near the edge of Prisca’s garden, and the spider vulnerable, it was up to him to land the real blow

Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m freew𝒆bnov𝒆l.c(o)m

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