Leo lay sprawled on the ground, with Fiona and the wolves also on the ground beside him. His body aching in ways he hadn't thought possible.
The air was thick with the scent of burnt flesh and scorched earth, a testament to the relentless battle he had just endured.
Around him, the remains of the mutant fire ants littered the ground in grotesque piles, their charred exoskeletons cracked and shattered.
His breaths came in slow, measured gasps as he fought to steady himself. His muscles burned, his stamina depleted, but despite it all, a sense of triumph coursed through him.
He had done it. He had fought through an unending horde of mutant fire ants, pushing his body to its absolute limits. And in return, he had reached the threshold he had been working toward.
The system's notification still hovered in his vision.
[You have reached Level 20. You have received three stat points.]