Chapter 197: Is taming the ant queen possible (2)- EXP needs for level 6 and 8
Theo took a big stretch to get up again, and while the others protested that he should rest, he didn’t and got up to sit opposite Lucien.
"Congratulations."
"Thanks, elder brother. Though I will need help to grow from now on," Theo muttered and asked for his tea.
It felt like tea was going to be the one thing that would get him energetic again.
"Your growth has made me feel an urgency that I didn’t feel even when Cedric was getting ahead," Lucien spoke while looking out the window, making Theo feel weird inwardly.
It was not something he had thought Lucien was here to talk about.
"It’s only right to help you when you have blazed this feeling of growth and strength again. Well, the gate had some part to it too... but nothing like this." Lucien sighed and looked at Theo directly in the eyes before getting up.
"Get some rest right now, younger brother. I will meet you soon enough..." Lucien spoke, and before Theo could even say anything, he got up, opened the gate of the room on his own, and went away.
Theo saw a glimpse of his attendant before the gate could close, and he bowed toward Theo to show respect.
Just like that, Theo was left alone with Clara and Elias.
"I can’t believe you are already level 5, young master. Congratulations are in order." Clara spoke with a warm smile, yet there was this concern on her face too.
While Theo was happy that she felt good for him, that concern only made him more annoyed when he shouldn’t have been.
’That’s the thing with being in a too loving family... things I haven’t experienced before keep happening... not that I dislike it but...’
Theo knew being unhappy about something that people dearly wanted in their life was ridiculous, but being someone who was never shown any concern in the previous life, some aspects of human behavior were also new to him.
Leaving that aside, Theo thanked them both for congratulating him, and the two of them soon got the idea that he was in no mood to talk right now.
’The ant queen... I could never have imagined it to do something like this... trying to force the hive link on the mantis...’
At the thought of the mantis, Theo looked all around to look for it, only to see that it was not around.
Without wasting any more time, he opened the gate of the terrarium room to look for it, only to not see it anywhere.
He looked at the ant terrarium for a mere second before diverting his gaze and moving out of the room.
"Have you seen mantis, Elias?" Theo asked.
Elias looked at him and smiled. "It’s given you didn’t realize it, young master. Close your eyes and think about your bond, you will find it there." He spoke with a happy tone.
Theo’s eyes flashed in realization. "I did breakthrough level 5."
He quickly closed his eyes and peered inside the bond between him and the mantis.
This time, it didn’t take him even a few seconds to get there, as if his concentration had become better or the bond was stronger.
The focus increased and he soon reached a whitish space where he saw a dot.
When he got near the dot, Theo saw the dot change into the green mantis.
’Mantis,’ Theo spoke out to it, but the mantis didn’t seem to wake up.
Its lower body was moving up and down in a synchronized manner, just like every time it slept.
Theo just opened his eyes in real life and frowned. "It isn’t waking up, what’s up with that?"
"That happens every time a beast gets in a beast space for the first time. I remember when mine went and slept for many hours. Gave me a scare, young master." Clara spoke while having tea with a bright smile.
It was as if she missed the tea from the castle, and Theo only smiled in satisfaction.
"So I should just leave it be, right? Do I have to get it out on my own or will it come out when it’s done napping?" Theo asked in curiosity.
"It will usually take a few hours for it to wake up. The first time a beast enters the beast space is a lot similar for everyone. When it’s ready to get out, you will either feel it from the connection or it will just come out on its own." Elias explained and continued, "If it comes out on its own, then you will have to do extra training with it so that it does not do it. And judging from the previous interactions..."
"Yes yes, I already know it will be out on its own just like how it went in without me knowing." Theo spoke with a laugh. By now, everyone knew the mantis’s blunt personality.
"I should check my status now," Theo spoke and opened it.
When he saw everything, he felt good when there was ’beast space’ in his skills section now.
All his stats had also increased by 5, which should have made him feel something, but as he was unconscious he slept through the whole discomfort.
Yet when his gaze went to the EXP bar, his face sunk.
"5000...." Theo knew it was coming, but even now, he didn’t feel ready.
"That’s the normal reaction everyone goes through, young master. And it will only become ridiculous from here on."
Theo looked at Elias and nodded in acceptance. "I think I remember elder brother Lucien telling me how he needed 25000 to reach level 8..." Theo thought, which made him feel a lot better.
"Makes you feel how at level 5, we need 5000 experience. But at level 6, it’s about 15000, but to reach level 7? It jumps to 25000. And every time, we have to start with 0 experience after every level up." Clara spoke while looking at Theo with a knowing smile.
While Elias thought of how this would just demotivate Theo, to his surprise, Theo’s smile only widened.
"So that’s why many don’t want to level up anymore huh... 25000 for level 7, just imagine how much my father needs to reach level 17?"
Just the thought of that broke the trio’s imagination.
"I will ask him soon," Theo spoke with an excited chuckle and continued, "Let’s hope it’s not more than 100,000."
Clara and Elias couldn’t believe how Theo was looking at this with excitement when this was the thing that broke many people — the sense of how they might even reach level 9, but reaching level 10 will need another one of those breakthroughs...