"I need to get the fuck out of here."
Fear surged through Ricky's tiny body like wildfire.
Before he could fully process what was happening, his instincts had already taken control. His wings buzzed furiously as he darted through the air, putting as much distance as possible between himself and the deranged warlock.
Behind him, Warlock Kurtas stood like a living inferno.
His body glowed fiery red, crackling with unstable energy, sending chaotic shockwaves in all directions. The ground beneath him splintered, the surrounding trees groaned as if weeping under the sheer pressure.
"This is it..."
A manic grin split Kurtas' face as he trembled with ecstasy. Every fiber of his being thrummed with unrestrained power.
For the first time in his life, he felt invincible.
If he so wished, he could reduce the entire forest to ashes with a mere flick of his fingers.
But… that was just an illusion.
Drunk on newfound strength, Kurtas failed to notice the flaw—until it was too late.
His eyes narrowed. The intoxicating rush should have stopped by now…
Instead, his body continued to expand, stretching like an overfilled balloon. His skin pulled taut, cracks forming as veins pulsed grotesquely beneath the surface, leaking rivers of blood.
"Why is it not stopping…?"
Panic set in.
Kurtas clenched his teeth, forcing his will upon the raging mana within his veins. "Stop! Stop!"
But the mana refused to obey.
The ritual had been nothing more than a catalyst—a small spark needed to ignite his ascension. Once the process began, he was supposed to take control.
Yet something was horribly, very horribly wrong.
The ritual wasn't stopping. Instead, it was consuming his own mana to sustain itself like a living entity that had a mind of its own.
"Someone is interfering!"
Realization struck Warlock Kurtas hazy consciusness like a hammer.
Everything had been perfect. Every step meticulously planned. There was no way he should be failing.
Unless—
Someone was tampering with the ritual!
His bloodshot eyes flared with fury.
"Who is it?! Come out, you rat!"
His voice boomed across the battlefield, shaking the very air.
Then—his gaze locked onto a small figure zipping through the sky.
A small mosquito.
A low snarl escaped Kurtas' lips. His eyes burned with murderous intent.
"A fucking pest…?"
How had this thing survived the ritual's catastrophic energy surge?
Something wasn't right.
And if something wasn't right… it had to die.
Ignoring the soul-crushing pain, Kurtas roared.
"DIE!"
A suffocating force enveloped Ricky mid-flight, crushing down on him like an invisible fist.
He could feel his body imploding from within.
"No! I have to escape!"
Ricky gritted his teeth, activating every skill in his arsenal.
Blood Infusion! Robust Iron Frame! Shadow Perch!
His tiny frame doubled in size in a mere heartbeat, his exoskeleton hardening with an iron-like sheen.
The sheer strain of activating multiple abilities at once pushed his fragile soul to its absolute limit—but Ricky didn't care.
He had one goal.
Move.
MOVE!
A faint crack appeared in the crushing aura. The suffocating pressure loosened slightly.
Ricky's eyes gleamed.
His chance!
With a sudden burst of speed, he broke free, tearing through the air at breakneck velocity.
Kurtas' eyes widened in disbelief.
"How…?"
Before he could react, pain slammed into his chest like a spear.
His breath hitched.
A spurt of blood escaped his lips.
The world spun.
His grotesquely enlarged body collapsed with a deafening thud.
---
Ricky slowed mid-air, his wings trembling as he cautiously turned his gaze toward the fallen warlock.
The madman lay motionless, his chest still rising and falling in weak, ragged breaths.
"He's… injured?"
Ricky's proboscis twitched.
That gigantic lifespan—the sheer vitality contained within Kurtas—was too tempting.
He could taste the energy in the air, feel the endless potential coursing through the dying man's body.
How many years of lifespan could he absorb from him?
Ricky's tiny mouth almost salivated.
But reason fought against instinct.
"No. I can't take the risk."
His wings buzzed, ready to flee.
Yet his body refused to move.
That hunger, that primal desire rooted in his very existence… It was too strong.
"I can't miss this chance."
He had a feeling if he missed this chance, he might never encounter such an opportunity ever again.
With gritted teeth, Ricky turned.
His tiny figure drew a sharp arc in the air, descending rapidly toward his prey.
Kurtas was too weak to resist.
Hehehe…
A cruel smirk crept onto Ricky's face.
There was no empathy, no remorse—only instinct.
His proboscis sharpened, glinting with a deadly gray sheen.
With a single forceful thrust, he pierced Kurtas' flesh.
[10 days of lifespan absorbed.]
[3 days of lifespan absorbed.]
[15 days of lifespan absorbed.]
Notifications flooded his vision, but Ricky barely acknowledged them.
He drank greedily, absorbing life essence at a relentless pace.
The hunger—was finally being satisfied.
Time blurred like shadows moving through the endless expanse.
Kurtas' once-mighty form lay still, his body now stiff as wood.
For the first time in his existence, Ricky felt full.
A deep, almost euphoric satisfaction settled over him.
Just as he was about to leave—
[Requirement for evolution met.]
[Sufficient genetic code acquired.]
[Evolution paths are now available.]
[Click to see evolution path.]
Ricky's antennae twitched.
"So fast!"
Although he had expected to great evolution progress but direct evolution was something inconceivable.
Curiosity flickered in his gaze.
Without hesitation, he clicked.
A list of paths unfolded before him—
[1 - Blood Drinker Mosquito]
[2 - Shadow Wing Mosquito]
[3 - Venom Fang Mosquito]
[4 - Fire Breathing Mosquito]
Ricky's mind spun.
Each path… tied directly to his skills.
His choice today would undoubtedly shape his future.
The forest around him had fallen into an unnatural silence.
He exhaled slowly.
"I need to find a safe place first."
This wasn't a decision to be rushed.
Not when the next step could change everything.