The Irregular Ant's Last Stand

The ancient species creature gathered what could be called a brain thunderbolt, then began compressing it further. It shrank to the size of a marble, but the condensed destructive power felt at least ten times greater than the lightning bolts it had been firing until now.

"Tsurriririt!"

I thought it would shoot that lightning orb straight at me. But its action exceeded my expectations once again.

The sky?

This time, it hurled the lightning orb clutched in its grasp toward the heavens.

Why?

Before I could voice my question, it shot into the air amid a cloud of dust, landing far behind an open clearing. I tensed my legs, wondering if it was fleeing, ready to activate High Jump.

But its next move was a half-beat faster.

"Tsurririririt!"

It spread its four arms wide, tracing geometric patterns through the air. Then—

The lightning orb launched into the sky erupted in brilliant light, spewing bolts in all directions. The bolts stretched through the air, weaving into a single form—like a net.

Sorcery?

My jaw dropped involuntarily. How many times had I been shocked today...?

Awakened primal species could manipulate ether, but those capable of sorcery were exceedingly rare. Legends spoke of only the awakened Shinseon butterfly primals wielding such arts. I never imagined an ant-like creature could use sorcery—not even in my wildest dreams.

And this one wasn't even awakened.

If it were, I'd already be dead.

"Tsurriririt!"

The creature's mouth corner seemed to curl in smug triumph. Like a conductor leading an orchestra, it elegantly swept its four arms through the air.

Too many!

I barely dodged the bolts aimed at me, clicking my tongue inwardly. Its sorcery was still unrefined, so accuracy suffered. Even so, they poured down like a shower. Dodging indefinitely wasn't viable.

Worse, this standoff might let it escape at any moment. I needed a way to close in.

"Tsurriririt!"

As I broke through even its ace sorcery, it shifted tactics.

...!

Sensing the changing ether flow in the air, I grimaced. The bolts no longer targeted me.

The Night Insect soldiers hiding behind. It was going after them now.

Cunning bastard.

I bit my lower lip and turned toward the Night Insect soldiers. At that instant—

A massive bolt crashed toward the Night Insect soldiers.

"Arghhh!"

"Kyaaaah!"

They screamed, instinctively sensing the bolt about to strike before they could even dodge. With almost no lightning resistance, it must have felt like the reaper's scythe at their throats.

As the blue flash engulfed them, they realized—to their bafflement—that their bodies were unharmed.

"A-Aleck!"

"Oh, my god..."

I had intercepted the bolt right in front of them by a hair's breadth. I heard them murmur my name with regretful tones, but—

My guts are churning.

Nauseous from the turmoil inside, I barely steadied myself and looked up.

It's coming again.

The net prepared to unleash another barrage our way.

The spot where my charred corpse now lay—or so it seemed. The destructive power felt amplified, as if ether lingered there.

"Kuhhh."

A ragged breath escaped me for the first time. My hair stood wild, my clothes charred rags unfit even for rags in places.

"Tingly, huh?"

Still, I managed a grin. That last bolt had wrung out its final strength—the lightning net in the sky was dissipating.

Without Transcendent Regeneration, I'd have died standing right there. My organs had melted and reformed countless times. A first in my life, this horrific ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠ordeal.

The Night Insect soldiers passed out long ago.

They seemed fine, no life-threatening injuries, but knocked out by the residual electricity I hadn't dispersed.

"Tsurriririririt!"

The irregular ant burst into mocking laughter at my sight, approaching. Its gaze was like a spider eyeing a butterfly in its web—assuming I'd taken irreparable damage.

Thud, thud, thud, thud!

I ignored its laughter, removing the iron weights from my wrists and ankles.

"Tsrit?"

It flinched at the weights, confusion evident—what's that?

Feeling my body lighter than ever, I smirked.

Full power.

With the Night Insect soldiers out, no witnesses. I could unleash everything—no observers meant it was my turn.

Woooooong.

Activating High Jump gathered immense leg power. Not toward the sky, but straight at the ant.

Like a cannon shot, my body rocketed toward it.

Predator's Eye!

Golden light surged deep in my eyes. Flaws invisible before now filled my vision.

"Tsrellellet!"

Sensing danger instinctively, it flailed its four arms in panic. But—

Intuition Rune!

Time around me slowed. I grasped every angle, direction, and impact point of its swings.

In that slowed time, I twisted my body minutely, adjusting trajectory.

Whoosh!

Its attacks missed by a dragonfly wing's breadth. Its openings multiplied.

I channeled ether into my sword, striking one arm.

Craaaack—!

I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠hit where its hand formed a blade—precisely at the clustered flaw nexus.

Crack, crackle.

Cracks spiderwebbed from the point.

"Tsreeeeit!"

It screamed in agony for the first time.

Whining over this? I hurt way worse.

So this was just the beginning.

Whoosh!

More thrusting arms. I dodged them all by a hair again.

Before its bewildered eyes, panic rose.

Stealth.

I vanished instantly.

"...Ts, rit?"

It yelped in shock at my sudden disappearance.

"Over here. Looking the wrong way."

I reappeared behind its back. Before it could react, I swung at another arm.

Slash.

"Tsurririririt!"

This time, its left arm severed clean from the shoulder.

Unfamiliar agony convulsed its body as it shrieked.

I just scoffed.

"Think that compares to your guts burning whole?"

It couldn't recover. So I aimed a kick to capture it alive—but

"Tsurririririk!"

Its eyes blazed like suns. Scorching heat erupted from its body.

I knew this symptom well: frenzy or berserk. Boosting physical power at sanity's cost.

...Hard to take alive now.

I clicked my tongue regretfully. A new species—I'd planned to deliver it to Koon. No choice but to kill it here.

"Tsurririt!"

As I decided its fate, its remaining ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠two arms swelled over twice as thick.

I knew this too.

Ant strength.

Ants' innate ability. Temporarily amplifying power to rival Hercules beetles briefly.

Normally, evade and exploit—but

Perfect for the finisher.

Trusting Intuition Rune's strong signal that I could tank it, I activated the ant's power too.

Kwaaaaak.

My arms didn't bulge like its, but unprecedented might gripped my sword hand.

Sword met arm in cataclysmic collision.

"Tsrelrelrelet."

Crash!

It flew back, smashing into the ground. Its first cracked blade arm shattered completely. Of the rest, one half-broke, the other dangled raggedly intact.

I retreated one step. Perfect victory.

"Huuu—."

Exhaustion from ant strength hit; I exhaled deeply, stepping toward the fallen foe.

"Ts, tsurriririt!"

It crawled away, shrieking ultrasonically. Then—

"Kiririririk!"

The ant swarm returned. It sought time to flee amid them. But

Wind White Swordsmanship.

Form 8: Tempest Dance.

I leisurely turned, summoning wind and thunder ether, massacring the swarm.

In under three minutes, hundreds lay dead.

I turned back to it.

"Ts... rit."

In those three minutes, it barely moved.

Why I could leisurely handle the swarm?

Paralysis poison.

During the power clash, I'd triggered centipede paralysis poison on impact. Its ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠body stiffened immobile.

"Ts... rit."

Resigned now. Unable to flee as paralysis deepened, it stopped crawling, rolled onto its back, and stared silently at the sky.

Then it turned its head, gazing at me steadily.

"...."

Its unblinking eyes held only acceptance of its fate, resigned.

Primal ants are intelligent, but this one's on par with common species...

Why primal species never dominated despite power? Intelligence gap. Commons buy time to grow; primals lag mentally.

Yet this primal seemed exceptional.

Can't let it live.

Kill it here. Uncontrolled threats breed future disaster. Twenty years' experience taught me that.

Koon can analyze the corpse.

Regretting no capture, I raised my sword.

And swung at its neck.

...Or tried to.

...What?

With the alert, my vision flickered.