Re:Ant Lord-Chapter 177: Exit Rift

---

Her body shuddered through it, every nerve tuned to the sound, the shape, the aura of Kai’s new form. Some inside her started to flow out like a waterfall. It drips her thighs slowly.

He didn’t even look at her. Which only made it better for her to enjoy the moment.

Kai stood still for nearly a minute, absorbing everything.

Every stat. Every plate. Every scent in the wind. Every fragment of broken lightning still hissing on the ridge behind him.

He turned his head slowly, and the very air followed.

His presence bent the world now. His shadow looked like it belonged on a throne.

And then— A flicker of light came in front of him. The system pulsed again.

[Warning! Rift Stability: 3%

Exit Portal: Active

Size Remaining: 1.1 feet (and shrinking)

Urgent Warning – Escape is Recommended]

Kai’s glowing eyes turned to the far horizon.

Through the haze, he could see it now—barely a crack in the air. What once had been a full gate now dwindled to a narrow gleaming slit.

A timer.

His evolution was done but his escape was not. He cracked his neck. Flexed his new tail/butt. And walked forward, claws leaving glowing footprints on scorched stone.

The glow faded from his body, and Kai stood in silence, steam rolling off his shoulders. Then with a sharp breath he stepped forward and willed the change.

A soft shimmer rolled across his skin like heat distorting glass.

Segmented exoskeleton plates rippled, retracting beneath his surface like armor folding back into hidden cavities. His elongated limbs condensed. Antennae coiled inward and vanished. His tail withdrew with a metallic hiss, folding neatly into his lower back as skin smoothed over obsidian bone.

What remained was a man. His body was dense, sharp, carved from muscle and mana. Every strand of flesh hummed with purpose. His hair hung in air like waves, still crackling with faint static. His red-gold eyes dimmed but did not die—they watched the world like they owned it.

He exhaled and the land bowed in silence.

Behind him, Azhara moaned softly.

She had collapsed onto her side, her legs trembling, her chest heaving. Her thighs were still covered with thick white milk like liquid that had waved out of her rabbit hole moments ago.

And now—there was shame in her eyes. This is the second time since eight to ten years that she had an orgasm. First time was when she became a mature woman.

She averted her eyes. Her hand shook as she reached into her side pouch and pulled out a tattered cloth. Wordlessly, she wiped herself, slow, quiet, meticulous. Her claws clicked against her skin.

By the time she stood again, Kai was already walking.

She ran, half stumbling. Trying to catch up.

He didn’t look at her. He didn’t need to. His mind had moved on from glory and desire.

Because ahead of him... was failure.

The Rift Gate....

He saw it, a sliver of skylight wedged between dimensions, barely the width of a dagger. The opening had once spanned meters. Now, it was just over one foot. It was quivering, pulsing, on the verge of collapse.

[System Alert – Rift Collapse Imminent.

Exit Portal Size: 1.05 ft

Estimated Duration Before Complete Closure: 1 minute 6 seconds

Warning: Host’s current size exceeds Rift limit.]

Kai’s breath stilled. Then, in a single blink, The slit shrank again. 0.5 ft.

His heart didn’t skip. It clenched—tight and cold.

"Shit."

His jaw locked, teeth gritting as a pulse of heat rushed up his spine. (Not from fear.) Kai didn’t fear anything that could bleed. But this... this wasn’t a beast he could devour. This was time.

And time was ruthless.

He stepped closer, fists clenched. "Too fast... it’s collapsing too fast."

The crackle of dimensional friction screeched like tearing metal. Space was closing on itself, curling inward with threads of silver peeling away like burning paper.

His mind sharpened.

Every second counted now. Every stat he hadn’t yet assigned. Every scrap of energy in his blood.

If he hesitated... he’d be trapped here. Or worse... spliced across realities. He drew in a long, cold breath.

Kai’s brow furrowed. He approached fast. His boots crunching small rocks underfoot and stood before the gate.

It was too late. He reached out anyway. His fingers touched the edge. Static bit his palm.

He pressed harder and tried to pry it open. But his muscles bulged as aura surged into his shoulders and arms.

His veins lit up. His bones groaned. The gate trembled under his force—

—but refused to widen.

Kai’s fingers twitched. He wanted to rip it open. To smash the gate wide with brute force. But he knew better. This wasn’t a wall he could break. It was a dying breath. A final heartbeat.

[Ding! System Notification: Rift Gate is an external dimensional construct. Physical force cannot force expansion once the critical shrink threshold is reached.]

Kai growled. "Then how did I get out before it closed?"

[Query Accepted – Answer Delivered

Time of Exit: Pre-collapse anomaly.

Dimensional vibration cycle misaligned. A phase-glitch allowed emergency passage.

Time: 1 minute.

Host must prepare full aura compression and rapid transit technique to force get out from dimensional seam during distortion.

Warning: Incomplete compression will result in body splicing, temporal bleeding, or death.]

His hand dropped. Kai inhaled slowly. One minute. That was all he had.

And the only way to force himself through... was to amplify his strength and control and compress his size and mass into peak state, something he couldn’t do yet.

He opened his system.

[Available Unallocated Stat Points: 152

Strength: 307

Speed: 275

Stamina: 260

Note: Distribute now and transfer onto Monarch apex Form.

Physical Enhancement Multiplier in Monarch apex Form: x3]

Kai’s teeth clenched. His hand hovered over the interface. "I’ll need all of it," he muttered.

"All the strength and speed."

He had no time to think. No time to test. Just act. The light of the Rift shimmered once more. A pulse echoed through the valley. Behind him, Azhara stopped, her ears twitching.