[...All right, I'm back. What'd I - hey, where's the squirrel?]

  Finally.

  I've still lying down in the same place as earlier. It's handy to know what numbers are when you need to measure time. I hadn't moved an inch, unsure if Joule needed me to stay in the same place to come back. A spider crawled over me about half an hour ago and didn't even notice me.

  [Where have you been?]

  [What do you mean? It's only been a few minutes - why is it dark?]

  I stand up, my legs creaking from unuse.

  [Do you have any idea how long you've been gone?]

  [...What time is it?]

  [How should I know?]

  [...How long has it been back here?]

  [About eight hours. My clock isn't great, but I can count now, so I waited.]

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  [For eight -]

  I have a strange feeling in my head, as though she short-circuited for a moment.

  [I am so sorry. I thought it was just a minute or two, I swear!]

  [I don't really have the energy to be angry anymore. After an hour or two I was just worried.]

  If whatever Joule was could cry, I feel like she would be.

  [I'm never doing that again.]

  [What were you doing, anyway?]

  [I was doing some research on the difference between monsters and creatures. I think that the squirrel we saw earlier was a monster.]

  I start walking home, maintaining the conversation as effectively as I can.

  [What is the difference?]

  [Monsters can acquire 'skills' and increase their physical abilities and size. That squirrel was actually called a 'Muscle Tail'. Apparently their tails have more strength than the average human arm, despite their small size. Something about compact muscle grouping.]

  A thought occurs to me. It's not until much later that I realize how critical the difference is.

  [Am I a monster or a creature?]

  [I'm fairly sure that you're a monster, classically speaking. Your Void lets you increase in power at a way faster rate than any regular monster, though.]

  [So I'm an apex ant?]

  The thought makes me far less pleased than I thought it would.

  [...Not quite. There is a species of ant in the Lymphadra region that's significantly more powerful than you are right now. In fact, their intelligence is likely on your level, if not slightly lower.]

  That, although there's no way Joule could know it, is phenomenal news. Not having a colony is the eternal shame of any ant, especially a lowly male. If I get strong enough, there's a slight chance I can join their colony.

  [Let's get more powerful than they are, then!]

  [I think that's a great idea!]

  waaayyy more in-depth. It's especially a good opportunity to dive more into the worldbuilding of the planet (target host) lives in, and will reveal more information on Noah Cosmic (barely any at all, and in tiny portions).