Chapter 115: Centipede Clans
"Actually... I got beaten by Montiol and Pasasi."
Katt's mouth finally opened, spilling out the story I'd half-expected.
"The day you left on your mission, Aleck, those two called me out..."
According to Katt, it went like this.
Montiol from the Black Giantia centipede clan.
Pasasi from the Cherry Red centipede clan.
They'd lured him aside under the pretense of a talk.
At the time, Katt had been deep in the Chung Hak Library—Chung Hak Gwan's own repository—devouring books on ancient species.
One in particular had hooked him so hard that he'd ignored their summons.
So they waited until he emerged, then grabbed his arms and dragged him to a dim corner.
'A mantis ignoring the centipede clans?'
'Let's beat some sense into him.'
They'd pummeled him one-sidedly.
Katt was king mantis clan, tough enough elsewhere, but against those two—near-upper clans—he didn't stand a chance.
'Wh-what did I do? Why me?'
'If you'd come when we called, this wouldn't have happened, punk.'
By the time Katt was battered and broken, clueless why, another figure arrived.
'You... you're...'
'Still got breath to talk? Tsk tsk. This is what happens when you're soft—this guy's running wild without knowing his place.'
'Our apologies, Drvito.'
It was Drvito from the Amar King Centipede clan.
'You two, get out. I need a word with him alone.'
With that, Drvito faced Katt one-on-one...
"That's when he pulled out a shaman stick in front of you, right?"
"Uh, yeah."
"About the size of your palm, with a clear gem embedded?"
"Yeah! How'd you know?"
"Hm."
I swallowed a grim sound at Katt's words.
That shaman stick was surely the tool for controlling thread parasites.
I'd suspected as much...
Memories of meeting Kiria clicked into place.
She'd admitted trying to infect either me or Katt with a thread parasite.
She hadn't known the exact reason—just orders from above, and she was carrying them out.
It'd nagged at me...
What did they want with us as hosts?
And now, the one tied to that mystery appeared: Drvito.
He had answers.
I told Katt I'd explain how I knew the stick's look later—other circumstances.
True to his scholarly fire, he pressed with questions.
"I'll tell you next time."
"Ugh, but it's killing me..."
"More importantly, what book had you so glued in the Chung Hak Library?"
"Oh, that!"
I shifted topics, and Katt's eyes lit up like stars.
"You know how I love digging into ancient species, right?"
"Yeah."
"Well, they had tons on them—geography, ecology, clans... Stuff you can't even glimpse in Sama Battleground. I started flipping through, and then I found this book classifying ancient species, with a whole section on the Megaera Mantis—our mantis origins..."
"Hold up."
Katt's eyes sparkled, his chatter kicking into gear. I was relieved inwardly—he was shaking off that defeated slump.
I braced for an earful, letting him ramble on his favorite topic.
Then a word hit me like thunder.
"Megaera Mantis?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah—super obscure name, right? It was this ancient species shrouded in mystery, maybe even real or not. But that book had proof it existed. I got totally sucked in..."
Huh.
I let out a silent breath as Katt yapped on.
A book on Megaera Mantis.
Why hadn't I thought of that?
Chung Hak Gwan: the continent's top academy, packed with premier primal research labs.
Ancient species were fair game.
Even obscure ones like Megaera Mantis, unmentioned in common lore.
"Katt, spill everything you know on Megaera Mantis. No—where's that book? Let's go borrow it. I wanna see."
"Whoa! Aleck, hooked on ancient species' mystic allure too? Welcome to the club! But we can't check it out—on-site reading only."
"Then let's hurry."
I grabbed Katt and bolted for the Chung Hak Library.
The thought of Megaera intel quenched a burning thirst.
If it's legit research, I can gauge if that inner vision... is really Megaera Mantis.
Heart pounding oddly, I strode fast—
"Hey, you! Freeze. Was just about to hunt you down, and here you waltz right to me."
"Tch."
Two burly figures blocked us.
The redhead swaggered up, mouthing off cockily.
One's Montiol... redhead's Pasasi.
I clocked them instantly.
Montiol and Pasasi—the ones who'd jumped Katt.
I'd figured they'd come for me after his tale.
But right now?
I was itching to hit the library for that book. Even brawling with these clowns felt like wasted time.
"Busy now. Talk later?"
"Ha! Look at this mantis punk. All you mantises missing brains or what? Forgot you're under Amar King Centipede thumb?"
Pasasi strutted, picking a fight.
Sigh. His smug mug drew one out of me.
Sama Battleground was under Amar King Centipede "rule"—not true dominion, but centipedes lorded over mantises routinely.
Classic case.
I sighed again, skipping the lip-flap.
"Fine. What's the deal?"
"Ha! Cocky little shit. Think some muscle makes you hot stuff, runt mantis? Combat's not just brute force, got it?"
"..."
I shut my mouth, staring him down at his tired taunt.
It only riled him more, snarling fiercer.
"Lower those eyes when I'm talking nice, punk."
Looking ready to swing.
Hm. Cause a scene here, with all these eyes?
Chung Hak Gwan prized freedom, but cracked down on rule-breakers or vibe-killers.
Like with Katt—quiet spot, silence the victim.
Not even pure Amar King Centipede blood—just offshoots, strutting like this.
Classic "fly borrowing bee's sting"—leeching clout.
Spot on for them.
"Let's go."
"...What?"
"You heard. To the spot you dragged Katt-senior before, right?"
"...Still playing tough to the end. Fine, follow."
He whipped around and marched.
Silent Montiol beside him turned too.
"Senior, come on."
"Y-you sure?"
Katt's eyes quaked like an earthquake, flashing back.
What to do.
They'd called for me alone, but I decided to bring Katt.
Crush them before his eyes—erase any trauma for good.
They started it.
My eyes flashed.
* * *
Pasasi of the Cherry Red Centipede clan.
His mood soured today.
'That runt mantis!'
Source: Aleck.
'Daring to defy me?'
Abian Continent ran on survival of the fittest.
Mantises bowed to centipedes long ago.
Mantises deferred as unspoken rule.
Even that dim king mantis Katt had trembled right.
Yet this runt defied him.
'Time to break him.'
Grinding teeth en route to the dim warehouse where they'd tuned up Katt.
'Why's this guy so damn quiet?'
He shot Montiol an annoyed glance.
Upper clan or not... why even was he upper?
Same giant centipede stock—hated admitting it.
Sure, Black Giantia averaged taller, stronger.
'Anyway, must've bruised his pride losing strength last time.'
Pasasi tsked at Montiol.
Mute around Aleck? Shame from that bout, probably.
Perfect. I'll take lead, smash the runt.
Pasasi's slit pupils narrowed vertical.
Tongue flicked, craving blood after ages.
Cherry Red loved gore.
Pre-arrival, routine feasts.
Here? Itching bad.
Heh heh.
Keep it subtle, though.
Like with Katt.
Drvito crashed then, mid-feast.
This time, blood first—before he shows.
Even hot-blooded, mind Drvito.
True Amar King Centipede superior.
"In here."
Chung Hak Gwan's tucked-away shed.
Once stored teaching gear.
New building took it all—left empty.
Prime for shady deeds.
"Well then, now..."
He turned to Aleck, pupils slitting, tongue lolling—
Thwack—!
"Guhk!"
Stars burst; vision blacked.