The evening had taken an unexpected turn, leading Evander down an unanticipated path of reassurances and placations. A steady stream of soothing words flowed from him, a reassurance of his acceptance of the relationship they had woven around him. Yet, as he navigated this labyrinth of reassurances, a realization surfaced in his mind. Why would anyone think having this many significant others is a good idea? It's exhausting trying to keep everyone happy.

  As the night drew its dark veil over the world, Evander found himself standing a few feet away from the camp, facing the towering termite mound. The mound, silhouetted against the cerulean glow of the magical energy shield, stood tall and daunting. It was an embodiment of chaos and danger, a stronghold of monsters they were yet to defeat.

  Evander's mind, however, was racing in a different direction. He was intrigued by the concept of the time stop skill. Now, standing at the brink of potential power, he realized the truth of his condition. With my male system, there are so many more useful skills to unlock...

  All he needed were opportunities, chances to prove himself in battle and accrue the much-needed experience. The termite mound presented itself as a veritable hotspot of such opportunities, teeming with monsters, each representing a stepping stone towards unlocking his potential.

  In his hand, he could feel the cool, reassuring weight of his magical railgun. A weapon, armed with a variety of functions, ready to spit death at his command. The sleek weapon, with its ethereal glow and potent power, was a testament to Evander's growing strength. He was keen to use it, to see its true potential unfurl in the heat of battle.

  As the hushed whispers of the night lull the world into a deep slumber, Evander’s journey was just beginning. He reached into the trove of weapon accessories they had gathered, his eyes skimming the assortment before finally resting on several magical energy batteries compatible with his railgun. The batteries, humming softly with the energy they contained, were a tangible promise of power and protection in the coming battle.

  Casting a furtive glance around him, he ensured the coast was clear before slipping out into the mysterious embrace of the night. The energy shield flickered slightly as he passed through, but the camp remained oblivious to his nocturnal excursion.

  As the distance between him and the camp increased, the monstrous silhouette of the termite mound loomed closer. Trudging up the sloping incline leading to the mound’s base, he felt a prickling sense of anticipation. His breath came out in measured puffs.

  Within minutes, the first guard made its appearance. A massive termite, its exoskeleton glistening under the dim glow of the moon, stepped forth. Without missing a beat, Evander trained his rifle on the beast and fired.

  The hypersonic projectile, powered by a fusion of electrical charge and magical energy, launched from the barrel with an intimidating velocity. It zipped through the night, a blur of lethal power, and collided with the termite in a violent explosion of kinetic energy.

  The impact was devastating. The termite’s sturdy exoskeleton, evolved to protect it from predators, crumbled under the enormous pressure, splitting apart in a grotesque display. The projectile bore through, tearing the termite’s innards into a fine mist that sprayed in every direction.

  Evander moved like a phantom in the night, his actions punctuated by the deafening roar of his magical railgun and the ensuing symphony of destruction. Each step he took was deliberate, every shot he fired, a well-aimed kill. Yet, it wasn't brute force that carried him through the labyrinthine interior of the termite mound—it was the execution of a strategy, carefully curated and expertly implemented.

  His pulse quickened, adrenaline surging through his veins, as he peered down the cavernous, earthen passageways of the termite mound. The sharp, musky scent of the termite-infested mound filled the air, a stark reminder of the enemy that lay in wait. This was their world, their fortress, a labyrinthine maze tailored to their needs.

  Time to do what I do best, he thought, steeling himself.

  With a quick thought, he triggered his Time Stop ability. The world around him seemed to freeze, time held in abeyance by his command. Only he moved, unaffected by the temporal stasis he had invoked.

  A flicker of satisfaction crossed his features as he trained his rifle on the approaching termite horde. The world in suspension, he had all the time he needed to aim, to make each shot count. The eerie silence was punctuated only by his own heartbeat and the soft whirr of his railgun charging up.

  Taking a deep breath, he tightened his hold on the railgun and pulled the trigger. The hypersonic projectile leaped from the weapon's barrel, ripping through the stillness towards its target.

  But he didn't stop at one. Swiftly adjusting his aim, he dispatched another round, then another, selecting his targets with precision, each shot guaranteed lethal. One by one, the defenseless termites were marked for destruction.

  As he released his hold on time, the frozen silence was shattered by the cacophony of hypersonic impacts. In a fraction of a second, what had been a menacing horde of termites was reduced to a chaotic mess of chitinous shards and gore.

  This dance of death continued as Evander navigated through the labyrinth, a grim specter of destruction. Time and again, he would stop time, taking precious seconds to aim and fire, each shot a harbinger of death for the oversized insects. His path through the mound became a trail of devastation, a testament to the deadly efficiency of his tactics.

  As Evander continued his methodical slaughter through the termite mound, the twisting tunnels began to widen, leading to increasingly larger chambers. The deafening silence only intensified the sense of isolation. It was him against a monstrous world of insectoids, a silent war waged beneath the earth.

  What a predicament I've landed myself in, he mused, but at least I'm doing it on my own terms.

  The caverns' walls bore the termite's intricate handiwork, a grotesque tribute to their labor. Thousands upon thousands of intricate tunnels stretched in all directions, a testimony to the relentless industriousness of these creatures.

  Gradually, the tunnel opened into an enormous cavern. The sheer size of it took his breath away. It was a cathedral of natural architecture, a massive dome carved painstakingly out of the earth. The ceiling, coated in a luminescent fungus, radiated a soft, eerie glow that cast long, twisting shadows across the cavern.

  In the heart of this cathedral-like cavern, an overwhelming sight awaited him - the queen's nest.

  An enormous, grotesque bulge sat nestled in the cavern's center. The queen, a termite of monstrous proportions, dwarfed the size of several full-grown men. She was a bloated, pulsating mass, her segmented body swollen with the promise of thousands of offspring. Her minions moved around her with a sense of reverent urgency, tending to her needs with meticulous care.

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  Evander's stomach churned at the sight. Gods, the size of that thing. It's like some grotesque parody of a throne room.

  Her antennae twitched in constant, erratic movements, as if picking up on signals from her devoted subjects. Every few moments, her abdomen would convulse, birthing a fresh round of eggs into the waiting arms of worker termites. It was a gruesome sight, a harsh reminder of the stark brutality of nature.

  Before he could second-guess his decision, Evander had already selected the explosive rounds from his rifle's inventory. Time seemed to ebb to a crawl around him as he invoked his Time Stop ability. In this suspended reality, he was a god of destruction, unopposed and untouchable.

  His finger twitched against the trigger, releasing a volley of shots into the grotesque body of the queen. Each projectile was a harbinger of doom, racing through the still air to meet its mark. As time returned to its usual course, the effect was immediate, and devastating.

  The first round met the queen's abdomen with a sickening squelch, immediately followed by a visceral explosion. Her massive body was torn asunder, chunks of chitinous armor flying in every direction. An almost tidal wave of grotesque viscera and fluids erupted, painting the surroundings in a grisly tableau of destruction.

  The shock wave rippled through the cavern, toppling worker termites and dislodging the luminescent fungi from the ceiling. Echoes of the explosion reverberated through the underground labyrinth, a symphony of chaos and destruction that left an eerie silence in its wake.

  Is it done? Evander thought, his heartbeat pounding in his ears as he lowered his smoking railgun.

  As if answering his question, a bizarre spectacle unfolded before him. One by one, the worker termites collapsed. Their tiny bodies shriveled, life fleeing from them in a matter of moments. It was as though the queen's death had severed an unseen umbilical cord, leaving them lost and lifeless.

  Suddenly, a surge of energy coursed through him. It was like being struck by lightning, an overwhelming influx of power that left him reeling. The experience counter in his visual space skyrocketed, the numbers blurring as they increased at an exponential rate.

  So this is what leveling up feels like, he thought, struggling to keep his footing as the sensation washed over him. His body seemed to be absorbing the power from the fallen termites, assimilating their strength and incorporating it into his own. It was an exhilarating, almost intoxicating sensation.

  A reverberating silence blanketed the chamber. It was as though the subterranean labyrinth was holding its breath, awed by the spectacle of destruction it had just borne witness to. Evander broke the spell, his voice resonating within the cavernous expanse, "Now, I just need to figure out the best skill to invest in."

  The statement echoed off the walls, distorting and morphing as it bounced around the chamber, but it didn't die out as expected. Instead, it was met with a curious response that caused Evander to freeze in his tracks.

  "Whatever does that mean, investing in a skill?" Amara's voice echoed back, mingled with the sounds of shifting debris and clinking armor.

  To his absolute surprise, the women were there, standing at the entrance of the queen’s chamber. They looked like battle-hardened warriors, with their armors smeared in blood and guts, their faces streaked with sweat and grime. Their hands clutched large blood-stained bags, presumably filled with their spoils of war.

  "What are you doing here?" Evander asked, taken aback by their sudden appearance.

  In response, Seraphina flashed a devilish grin, her bright blue eyes twinkling with mischief. Her hands gestured towards their blood-soaked bags as she declared, "We've been collecting the monster stones and other parts from your victims. Didn't want a fortune going to waste now, did we?"

  Her words hung in the air, a subtle testament to their audacious venture. A wave of admiration washed over Evander as he looked at them, his 'wives', these women who had come to his aid in this gruesome aftermath.

  In the hushed, sprawling cavern that once throbbed with the monstrous life of giant termites, Evander stood amidst the slain queen's carcass. Its lifeblood, a viscous purplish fluid, oozed languidly across the floor, a morbid testament to the carnage that had occurred. The high, ethereal glow from the remaining magical lanterns cast long, spectral shadows on the gory scene, lending it a surreal quality.

  Evander summoned his status. Now, which skill should I choose? His gaze danced across the possibilities as the echoing silence of the chamber provided a canvas for his thoughts.

  But the echoes were shattered abruptly by the intrusion of a decidedly human noise. He turned to find the women, his unexpected comrades, emerging from the darkness of the tunnels, bedraggled and smeared with blood, but alive. They stood in a huddled group, their gazes shifting uneasily between Evander and the grotesque remains of the termite queen. Their bodies were clad in makeshift armor, and each carried heavy, blood-stained bags.

  As the initial shock of their sudden appearance subsided, Evander found his voice. "What... What are you doing here?" His voice echoed off the cavern walls, his tone carrying a subtle tinge of annoyance mingled with concern.

  Seraphina, ever the pragmatic one, flashed him a mercenary grin. "We thought it'd be a shame to let all this go to waste," she replied, hefting the bloodied sack on her shoulder. "Monster stones, termite ichor, chitinous plates – these could all fetch a pretty price in the market."

  His surprise was soon replaced by irritation as the women started berating him, their relief at his safe return swiftly morphing into concern. "You shouldn't have gone in alone, Evander," Lily admonished, her voice tremulous but stern. "We're supposed to be a team."

  Evander sighed, his mind sliding back to the information in the environment of his mind. The flickering neon grid became a welcome distraction from the women's chastisement. They're half-right, he conceded in his mind, but it's not like I leaped in blindly. He spared a glance at the women, taking in their worried faces, their stern gazes, and the blood they had spilled in his wake. I might be a man in their eyes, but they're starting to trust me. That's something, at least.

  His lips curled into a half-smile as he turned to address the women, his tone a melange of reassurance and light-hearted mockery. "You worry too much, ladies. I'm not some damsel in distress you need to rescue," he said, flexing an arm for dramatic effect. "As you can see, I can handle myself pretty well."

  The women shared a look that was part exasperation, part amusement, and part begrudging acceptance. Their trust in him, while still a work in progress, was beginning to solidify.

  While the chatter of the women was but a murmur in the background, Evander's thoughts circled back to the array of skills, his eyes scanning the options. The decision was crucial, and he decided to postpone it for later.

  Evander stood at the mouth of the gruesome labyrinth, gazing out at the sprawling landscape of slain monstrosities. The sprawling maze of the termite mound was behind them, leaving behind the chilling silence and oppressive darkness that held tales of their brutal ordeal. The corpses of giant termites formed a morbid valley that weaved its way into the distance. The glossy chitin of the deceased monsters reflected the wan moonlight, creating an eerie tableau of death and conquest.

  Amidst the women, Evander moved with a cautious grace, his eyes constantly scanning the shadows for any potential threats. Can't let my guard down yet. Not until we're safe. The women seemed to gravitate towards him, their banter and laughter ringing out in the quiet night, a stark contrast to the grim path they trod.

  Money, Evander mused, shaking his head in mild amusement. Even in the face of death, they think of wealth.

  Yet, amidst the group's high spirits, one pair of eyes watched him with an intensity that sent a shiver down his spine. Amara, the ever-mysterious strategist, regarded him with a mix of curiosity and caution, as though he were an enigma to be solved. There was a strange light in her eyes, one that Evander couldn't quite decipher.

  She approached him, her steps slow and deliberate, her gaze never leaving him. As she drew closer, he could see the subtle furrow of her brows, a hint of her contemplative nature. The sight made him feel like a peculiar specimen under a microscope. Is she trying to figure me out? He thought, a hint of unease gnawing at him.

  He turned to meet her gaze, his eyes questioning, almost challenging her silent scrutiny. She merely blinked, her expression unreadable, her silence more unnerving than her gaze. In the grim glow of the monstrous graveyard, Amara's regard made him feel as though he had sprouted horns.

  She remained silent, her gaze unwavering, her curiosity apparent. Her eyes seemed to strip away his bravado, examining the man beneath the warrior.

  To the rest of the group, Evander was a silent companion, listening to their chatter with half an ear, occasionally interjecting with a witty quip. To Amara, he was a puzzle, a complex labyrinth akin to the termite mound they had just left, waiting to be deciphered.