Insect Tamer's Ascension-Chapter 335. Partially taming the crawler- Is that possible?

Chapter 335: 335. Partially taming the crawler- Is that possible?

Theo kept patting its head, and the crawler didn’t move at all. It was hard to tell what the little guy was even thinking.

But then, its body suddenly shifted, making Theo panic for a second, but instead of pulling away, its head nudged into his hand. Only then did Theo realize that it was trying to get pats on its head instead.

They stayed like that for a full minute until Theo finally stood up.

’Ant queen, tell it that it has helped us a lot. Tell it that it’s going to enjoy a big feast today, of creatures it couldn’t even imagine eating before. And tell it that it’s now free to go back afterward.’ Theo spoke with a genuine smile on his face as he looked at the crawler.

The Ant Queen relayed everything he just said in a way the crawler could understand.

Theo waited and waited until, for the first time, the crawler crawled forward and perched itself on Theo’s boot.

At first, Theo thought it might just be trying to suck his blood, but instead, it began rubbing its head against his boot and snuggling closer, making Theo feel like patting it even more.

That was when the Ant Queen sent a few emotions through their bond, making him realize something.

"You... can’t go back? Why is that?" Theo asked, curiosity creeping into his voice.

For a beast to say it could not go back. That made no sense. It was given the opportunity to be the freest beast ever.

The Ant Queen portrayed his emotions to the crawler and then returned with an answer, one that was far more complicated for Theo to understand.

But when he finally pieced it together and seemed to understand it, Theo’s eyes widened beyond measure in shock.

"So you’re saying... that thing attacked us because you were with us?" Theo muttered out loud in astonishment.

He glanced toward the massive, open mouth of the monarch creature and realized that it was far more than it seemed.

The Ant Queen sent a lot more emotions, which made Theo understand even more.

’So you guys are born just to serve as food for these creatures... and you’re born by another massive one deep underground?’

For a moment, Theo thought how ridiculous it seemed that the crawler could explain so much to them, especially with such a weird method of communication too.

"Now you’re an outcast because of us... huh." Theo didn’t like the sound of that one bit.

The creature might have been just another of those mass-produced pieces of fodder. Livestock, in fact. But to him, this one was important. He had spent a long time training with it, and because of that a bond had formed between them.

’Ant queen, will you be able to partially tame this one? But only if it wants to.’ Theo spoke to the Ant Queen.

A few minutes of silence followed.

When the Ant Queen answered again, Theo realized that the crawler didn’t want the Ant Queen to tame it.

It wanted him to do it.

And that made perfect sense. From the very first moment of their conversation, the crawler had wanted that.

’If I convince this thing to become partially tamed by the Ant Queen... that will be the first time I will have halfway tamed a creature that isn’t an insect... did I just find a cheat I can use against the curse?’ Theo thought.

’Tell it that taming it completely is impossible for me, and that if it agrees to be partially tamed, then it can stay with us forever,’ Theo said, taking a deep breath.

The crawler remained still for a while, its mind clearly elsewhere as it communicated with the Ant Queen.

A few minutes later, its many eyes lifted to look at Theo. For the first time, Theo didn’t find the sight creepy, as its mouth was closed.

Another emotion came through the Ant Queen’s bond, and Theo smiled.

He checked the crawler’s status, and there it was.

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Burrowing Crawler (Partially Tamed) 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Grade: Uncommon

Level: 6

Type: Burrowing beast

EXP: 12/25000

ATTRIBUTES

Strength: 10

Stamina: 53

Agility: 68

Vitality: 100

Intelligence: 18

Dexterity: 25

ABILITIES

Burrow (Passive) (Level 6, 21%): Allows the crawler to move through soil, loose rock, and soft stone without resistance. The ability grants partial damage reduction while underground, with speed increasing as it gets familiar with depth.

Tremor Sense (Level 4, 34%): Detects vibrations within a certain radius.

Regenerative Flesh (Level 2, 2%): The crawler slowly regenerates wounds unless its head or core is destroyed. The ability helps regrow minor segments of the body.

Blood Draw (Level 7, 61%): Latches onto a target and drains blood directly. The blood quality temporarily boosts strength and speed. But prolonged use causes bloating, which affects mobility.

Adaptive Metabolism (Passive) (Level 0, 48%): Allows the crawler to gain disproportionately from unusual food sources. Eating stronger beings could trigger enhanced growth.

Affinity: Earth

Favourability: 80 (Awesome)

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"Woah! You have so many abilities," Theo spoke as he went through all of them.

’Most of them are passives. Quite useful ones, but still passives. Still, it’s good to know about... then comes this Blood Draw ability... blood quality temporarily boosts your strength and speed? Didn’t realize that. And yeah, prolonged use causes bloating, noted.’ Theo thought as the images of the bloated crawlers flashed through his mind.

That was something that had been carved in his memories already.

’But this Adaptive Metabolism...’ Theo mused. ’It hadn’t been used that much since it was born, but I can tell that it is really important for its development...’

’Maybe I should make it eat a lot of the basilisk; that seems about right. The taste is already a lot worse than a normal crawler, and it’s gigantic.’ Theo thought.

His eyes finally gleamed with excitement when he reached the last option.

He had intentionally avoided looking at it till now since it always made him skip the main status of a creature, which was an important thing to examine first.

Theo still didn’t know much about the Adaptive Metabolim ability, but one thing was clear: it was the skill of an underdog. He could feel it.

And now, it was finally time.

*****

[Evolution Potential: Detected]

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