Level Up The Colony-Chapter 20: Home

"You said you had a story to tell," Timothy pressed, his instincts screaming at him to stay alert.

The goblin king studied him for a moment before shaking his head.

"You've already chosen your path. There's no need for me to tell it anymore."

Timothy frowned.

Something about that statement felt wrong like he had just missed something important.

"...I see," he said slowly. "Then what comes next?"

The goblin king's lips curled into a small smile.

"Next, we battle."

Timothy's body tensed immediately.

His stance shifted, muscles coiling in preparation.

The goblin king slowly stood from his throne, stepping into the light.

And Timothy finally saw him.

The goblin was tall, easily 8 feet with his body adorned with gold-plated rings and necklaces.

His garments shimmered in the dim glow, a stark contrast to the filth of goblins.

But then... something strange happened.

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With each step closer to Timothy, the goblin shrunk.

His stature lessened.

His golden garments shifted.

His features changed.

Until, standing just meters away, the monstrous goblin was gone.

In his place stood a man, his body engraved with golden markings, his expression unreadable.

The system reacted instantly.

---

[??? Human King] (Pure White Text)

---

Timothy's breath caught in his throat.

What...?

The name had changed.

The threat had vanished.

Yet every fiber of his being told him this was still the same being.

He stared in awe, his mind struggling to make sense of it.

"...Who are you?" Timothy asked.

The man sighed.

"It's been forever since I took this form. I swore I wouldn't risk it unless it was worth it." A small smirk crossed his lips.

"But I suppose I'm weak-willed."

Timothy narrowed his eyes.

"That doesn't answer my question."

The man chuckled.

"I've been many things, Kid." His calm blue eyes met Timothy's directly.

"Let's do this, If you can push me back... maybe I'll tell you."

"That's what you said last time"

"The conditions change"

"Why would I want your name and story? If you don't want to tell me, then keep it to yourself," Timothy said dismissively.

The Human King chuckled.

"Are you sure about that? You won't last long in the outside world without them. Even a slight increase in your chances of survival is a plus, don't you think?"

DING!

[Special Quest]

Objective: Land a hit on the Human King.

Time Limit: 60 seconds.

Reward: Dungeon Clear.

...

'What? He triggered a quest?' Timothy thought in shock.

Timothy's eyes squinted as his demeanor shifted in an instant.

"I won't fail again!" He muttered

His body tensed, his instincts screamed, and his entire focus locked onto his target.

He had sixty seconds, he had to make this count.

The Human King smiled as his garments fluttered in a smooth arc around him as if responding to an unseen force.

Despite the weight of his gold-plated armor and rings, he moved effortlessly.

"I take it you're ready?"

Their gazes locked.

In a blur of motion, Timothy activated Dash, his agility flowing so perfectly that even he marveled at the seamless movement.

He closed the distance in an instant.

Then impact.

A shockwave erupted as a rapid exchange of attacks unfolded.

Punches, kicks, and relentless maneuvers, each one swift, calculated, and brutal.

Yet, none landed.

A mere curtain of fabric blocked every strike as if it had a mind of its own.

Timothy's strikes became more ferocious, but no matter how many times he utilized Dash, no matter how unpredictable his movements, the cloth was always there before him.

And the Human King?

He stood motionless, eyes closed.

Timothy gritted his teeth.

Was this mockery?

Frustration ignited within him, pushing his Dash even further consuming more stamina.

He felt his muscles scream, his limbs tearing under the strain, but he refused to stop.

He pushed beyond his limits, beyond pain, beyond reason.

Then, something shifted.

His fingers found purchase on the fabric, just the hem but it was enough.

With a fierce pull, he tore through it, stepping into the Human King's radius.

He swung a fist and missed.

He attacked again and again, but his target evaded each blow with effortless precision.

Timothy felt his control slipping.

His legs wavered.

His vision blurred.

"You have no skill," the Human King said calmly.

"Only raw power and speed. Don't let your desperation control you."

Timothy didn't listen.

His strikes turned wilder.

His rage burned hotter.

Then, something caught his eye.

His nails blackened.

His arms were darkening.

"Don't panic."

Timothy barely registered the words as he kept moving, kept attacking.

"Be calm."

30 seconds left.

He kept attacking relentlessly until his pace slowed down...

And then stillness.

A strange calm settled over Timothy as he watched the Human King move, his garments weaving through the battlefield like living extensions of himself.

Like a sudden realization just hit him.

One moment, he was perched atop a pillar, hanging by a single thread.

The next, he was traversing the pillars, his cloth binding itself between structures like the web of a spider.

Timothy's eyes narrowed.

"A good choice of weapon you have there."

The Human King raised an eyebrow.

"Ah? You noticed? That's another point for you. I thought I'd have to forgo you already." He stood on one of the suspended cloths, balanced with effortless grace.

Timothy stepped forward, brushing his fingers against the material.

"Are these infinite?"

The Human King smirked.

"Obviously not."

Timothy's gaze lifted, meeting the King's piercing eyes.

"Are they part of you?" Timothy asked again and was replied with a smile.

He looked at his arms as they slowly turned from black to their normal color.

DING!

[You have successfully cleared the Special Quest.]

[Congratulations! You have cleared the Layered Dungeon.]

[You have received the rewards of the ??? King.]

[You receive no rewards for clearing the dungeon]

"They're not exactly part of me, more like an extension of my body," the Human King said with a hint of amusement.

Timothy's gaze remained fixed on the material before him.

It was translucent, reflecting light yet refusing to let it pass through.

He reached out, brushing his fingers against the strange fabric.

"What is it made of?" he asked.

"Definitely not something you're familiar with," the Human King replied.

"You still haven't told me who you are," Timothy pressed, still studying the material under his fingertips.

"You'll know when I'm gone," the Human King answered nonchalantly, maintaining his godlike composure.

Timothy finally turned his full attention to him. "Why are you here?" he asked, his voice calm.

This time, the question seemed to stir something in the Human King.

His expression shifted slightly before he dismissed it with a casual,

"Ask something else."

Timothy narrowed his eyes.

"Which of them is the real you?"

"None," came the effortless reply.

Timothy clenched his jaw.

"What do you want from me?"

The Human King smirked.

"There's nothing you can offer me either way."

Timothy took a slow breath.

"Then... what are you?"

"That's a vague question," the Human King remarked.

Timothy hesitated.

"Monster? Human? Beast? Or... something even worse?"

A chuckle.

"You assume everything outside your perception is a threat. A dangerous mindset, yet also a useful one."

Timothy exhaled, frustrated but unwilling to let the conversation slip through his fingers.

"I'm still here because of you. What happens when you leave?"

"This doesn't exist."

The answer stunned Timothy into silence.

He struggled to process it.

"Last question," he finally said.

"What is your connection with the system, the Chamber of Insects, the termites... and me?"

"In quality, I'd say it's beyond your current scope," the Human King mused.

"But I have no direct connection to you... yet. I'm only here to show you a goal."

Timothy frowned.

"What goal?"

The Human King smiled.

"Me."

Timothy finally looked away from the strange material.

"What does that mean?"

"You'll understand soon enough. I'll be watching. And as thanks for your time, you can keep it."

Before Timothy could react, an intense light engulfed everything.

Then darkness.

---

Timothy's eyes snapped open.

He was home.

Exactly where he had been before.

But something was wrong.

The apartment had been rebuilt, walls repaired, and furniture replaced.

Yet it felt... empty.

Deserted.

He took a slow step forward, the silence pressing down on him.

A wave of hunger crashed into him, sharp and unbearable, as if he had been starving for days.

His legs felt weak, forcing him to ease himself onto the couch.

"A hunter like me can't complain about going hungry... right?" He muttered to himself.

Then, he remembered.

Gray.

His forever partner.

He glanced down, and his eyes widened.

The little termite had grown.

It was now nearly half a palm in width, its once-subtle silverback marking now bold and unmistakable.

Timothy picked him up, scanning his body for any further changes.

Aside from the pronounced silver streak, nothing seemed different.

He quickly navigated to the status panel, flipping through the interface to check Gray's stats.

If he received a reward every five levels, it stood to reason that Gray did too.

Before he could analyze it further

Click!

The distinct sound of a shotgun being cocked shattered the silence.

"Who's there!? Come out right now with your hands up, or you'll get hurt!"

Timothy tensed.

He hadn't noticed anyone entering his perception range.

Or rather... he had ignored them.

Subconsciously dismissed them as not a threat.

And now, he was caught off guard.

He slowly turned his head toward the figure standing at the window, weapon raised.

Only then did he realize...

It was nighttime.