NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 9: Termite
At the first push-up, the system registered his effort.
By the tenth rep, his arms shook.
By the eleventh, he was struggling.
Checking his progress, he saw...
Push-ups: 10/100.
"…So half-assed attempts don't count?" He groaned.
"Great. I didn't think I'd get a personal gym instructor one day."
He braced himself.
"This is gonna be a long night."
Sadly Things didn't go as planned.
His sister walked in on him doing sit-ups.
She screamed and it caught his mother's attention.
Then declared that her lazy brother had been possessed.
Because the entire household was waking up.
Long story short?
Their mother made him continue outside.
Barefoot.
Under the moonlight.
With only one witness.
The little gray ant, perched on his shoulder.
...
By 11 PM, Timothy had completed his workout.
He was exhausted.
But despite everything, he found himself growing fond of his tiny, unexpected companion.
Since it had eaten his Mana crystal, if that was even possible, he considered returning it to the association.
But for now?
It was staying with him.
"…I'll call you Little Gray."
The ant twitched its antenna.
DING!
[Daily Quest Completed]
You have received 4 free stat points.
[Do you wish to claim your rewards?]
"Yes."
[Choose a reward:]
1. Full Recovery
2. +3 Stat Points
3. Random Box
Timothy thought for a second.
"…Let's try the Random Box."
A small chest materialized in midair.
The moment he touched it, it vanished.
What remained in his hand was
"…A thermo flask?"
DING!
[Blessed Thermo Flask Acquired.]
Water inside clears 5-50% fatigue and is replenishable over time in inventory.
Timothy blinked.
"…I feel scammed."
For a moment, he felt robbed of a good reward.
But then, out of curiosity, he took a sip of the water.
It was cool on his tongue... Warm in his stomach.
A rush of relief spread through his body.
"…Okay," he admitted.
"Not bad."
He turned to Little Gray, who was now crawling aimlessly around him.
"This system is starting to feel like a game." Timothy sighed. "Let's just hope it's not as dark as certain RPGs."
Little Gray continued wiggling its antenna.
[Stats]
Strength: 10
Stamina: 10
Agility: 10
Intelligence: 10
Perception: 10
Free Stat Points: 4
...
Timothy smiled.
"Hopefully, this isn't a dream."
'Which stat should i invest in?'
'Strength? No.'
Agility? Useful, but not yet...
After a while he came to a conclusion.
"Add all four stat points to Stamina."
DING!
[Stats Updated]
Strength: 10
Stamina: 14
Agility: 10
Intelligence: 10
Perception: 10
Free Stat Points: 0
...
"…Don't feel different yet," Timothy muttered.
"But stamina isn't exactly a physical stat."
Curious, he tried out the inventory feature.
"Inventory."
A grid-like screen appeared before him...
Completely empty.
He tried putting his thermo flask inside.
The moment he thought about it, the flask vanished.
His eyes widened.
"Thought-operated?"
Testing further, he summoned the flask back.
It reappeared instantly in his palm.
Timothy grinned.
"That's useful."
Out of curiosity, he attempted storing a rock.
Nothing.
He tried a leaf.
Still nothing.
He even tried storing Little Gray.
The ant refused or the system refused.
"…Guess I can't store living things."
Little Gray, oblivious, hurriedly nibbled on the leaf he dropped
Timothy raised a brow.
"What kind of ant eats leaves?"
He mentally noted to research it later.
12:01am
"Another Night, Another Grind"
DING!
[Daily Quest: A Strong Body]
Push-ups – 100: Incomplete (0/100)
Sit-ups – 100: Incomplete (0/100)
Squats – 100: Incomplete (0/100)
Running – 10km: Incomplete (0/10)
*Warning: Failure to complete will result in a penalty.
...
A fresh set of exercises.
No hesitation this time.
He got to work.
With Little Gray perched on his back, Timothy finished earlier than before.
By 3 AM, he was done.
Even with the thermo flask's help, he had discovered its limit...
Continuous usage weakened its effects.
Still...
DING!
[Daily Quest Completed]
+4 Free Stat Points Earned.
This time, he chose...
"Reward 2."
[+3 Free Stat Points Acquired.]
His breath heaved.
His body ached.
"System..."
"…You need to" He panted.
"...Give me a break!!!."
He got No response though
Timothy slumped against a wall.
His eyes drooped.
I'm feeling sleepy again
'I just want to see my stats…'
DING!
[Status]
Name: Timothy Walters
Title: None
Level: 1
Class: None
HP: 100
MP: 10
Fatigue: 65
Strength: 10
Stamina: 14
Agility: 10
Intelligence: 10
Perception: 10
Free Stat Points: 7
Timothy smirked.
"…I'm getting stronger."
Timothy stared at the new section of his status screen, eyes wide in disbelief.
[Colony (1)]
Silverback Termite (Gray) Lv. 1
"…What in the hell?"
His jaw dropped.
He had a colony?
'System, what does colony mean?' he asked mentally.
No response.
Typical.
The system never handed out answers, it expected him to figure things out on his own.
But the implications were huge.
"Is this really some kind of RPG game?" Timothy muttered, staring at the sky.
"Or have I been reincarnated?"
The exhaustion from his training and survival test weighed on him, but none of that mattered now.
His life had taken a sudden turn, and he had no idea if it was for the better or worse.
But…
For now?
There was nothing urgent except getting some sleep.
Timothy picked up Gray, the tiny termite twitching its antenna, and placed it into the box he had used for his mana crystal.
After a series of knocks and rushed apologies, he was finally let back inside the house.
He didn't even bother to figure out where to put Gray, he simply collapsed onto his bed.
And slept like a rock.
---
Timothy woke up at 8 AM.
Surprisingly, he hadn't slept through the entire day this time.
The house was empty, his family had already left.
After tidying himself up, he found some leftovers for breakfast and checked the time.
10 AM.
"Friday, huh?" he muttered.
"That means they'll all be home earlier than usual today."
He looked around the house, searching for something to store Gray in.
There wasn't much to work with.
Timothy never had a pet, nor did he ever care to have one. The privilege wasn't guaranteed, and he never had the luxury.
Eventually, he settled for the same box he had stored his mana crystal in.
Using a needle, he pricked a few holes for air and light, it wasn't easy since the box material was tough, but at least it wasn't metal.
Now to find Gray.
That was the problem.
'Where would an ant be?' Timothy thought, then immediately froze.
Ants.
No, wait.
He quickly recalled the status screen.
[Colony (1)]
Silverback Termite (Gray) Lv. 1
"…Termite."
Timothy facepalmed.
"How could I forget?" He sighed.
"Ants aren't the only insects with six legs and antennae."
He pulled out his phone and searched for 'termite habitats.'
Most results showed what he already knew:
They live underground.
They chew through wood.
They create tunnels inside furniture.
His eyes slowly turned toward the only wooden furniture in his room.
His reading desk.
"The same place Gray came from before…"
Walking over, he inspected it closely.
It was sturdy, old, but portable.
No visible signs of termites.
He checked the edges.
Nothing.
"Where are you, little guy…?"
Then, as a test, he tapped the table lightly.
A crooked antenna twitched up from a tiny gap near the edge.
It wiggled in all directions, as if sensing the air.
Then A tiny gray termite crawled out frantically and rushed toward him.
Timothy stared.
"…You were here the whole time?" he said helplessly.
He checked the hole Gray emerged from.
It was sealed shut.
There was no visible tunnel or opening.
It was like Gray had made a door and closed it after coming out.
"…Interesting."
Timothy picked up Gray and gently placed him in the ventilated box.
Today's plan was simple.
Go to the Hunter Association and get Gray checked.
If this was a summoned creature, it was best to confirm it wasn't dangerous.
He doubted it was a normal insect, especially considering the mana crystal incident.
And if it turned out to be some weird dungeon species, they needed to know.
He wasn't hopeful, though.
The Hunter Association tended to bullshit low-ranked hunters.
They barely cared about an E-rank like him.
But…
It was still worth a shot.
Timothy grabbed his things and set off.
The Association was far from his home, meaning he had to take public transport.
The fare was ridiculous, but it was the only way.
As he stepped onto the crowded bus, he sighed.
"…This better be worth it."