Primal Jump! Thunder Core Evolution
The Primal Jump! that appeared in the system message window radiated a golden glow, revealing its form.
Primal Jump
I widened my eyes in disbelief, confirming it once more.
Obtaining a primal skill here of all places.
There were various types of skills, and tracing them back to their roots led to the foundational ones. Take jump-type skills like this one, for example—High Jump and Flea Leap were lower classifications. After progressing through the hierarchy, Primal Jump stood at the pinnacle of leap-based skills.
Moreover, acquiring the primal skill of any category let you use every skill beneath it.
With just Primal Jump, I could now activate not only High Jump and Flea Leap, but also Aerial Leap, Air Jump, and every other upper-tier jump skill.
That said, it didn't mean I could wield them freely right away. The structure unlocked sub-skills by category as the Primal Jump rank increased. Primal skills were essentially the ultimate root of each branch.
In Insect King's War, the combat power gap between characters hinged on how many primal skills you'd snagged from each race's arsenal.
As a veteran, I'd even tried a "primal hunt" to collect every possible one, so I knew all too well how brutally hard they were to obtain one by one.
If luck wasn't on your side, you might not get even a single primal skill by the end of the tribal wars... but now?
I'd nabbed one already in the Growth Stage. It felt like the goddess of fortune was smiling down on me.
Maybe it's because Megaera Mantis is an ancient breed, inheriting primal powers.
It was just a hunch, but my instincts screamed it was likely.
More importantly, if I could freely Predation skills without limits and complete the primal hunt...
I'd truly become a one-man army.
I grinned in satisfaction at the golden-glowing Primal Jump.
Crackle-crackle-zzt!
Then, lost in thought, the lightning tree's roots parted, and the thunder core emerged.
What's this all of a sudden?
I eyed it curiously.
"Chiriririp!"
—Ultio.
Thunder core. Absorb. Growth. Possible.
Ultio flailed her antennae and charged toward the thunder core.
Absorb the thunder core?
Her words snapped me alert. She'd mentioned it before—the thunder core nurtured by the lightning tree had a lifespan cycle. It released the old one to make room for a new one, much like insects molting.
The tree absorbed energy from the core to grow, then generated a fresh one to push its limits further.
Similar to Limit Break.
I realized the timing was perfect.
That explained Cinnamon showing up today and how I'd gotten the thunder core rune. And why, in my past life, the lightning tree in Thunderclap Forest lacked a core, its power weakened.
Regenerating a power source like that would take decades, not years.
So that means...
Ultio's traces never being found before...
Cinnamon got her.
"Chirip, chirip!"
—
Thunder core! Pretty! Beautiful!
Ultio thrashed her antennae and arms at the revealed thunder core. Watching her stirred a pang of emotion—and burning rage in my chest.
Did I let that bastard off too easy? Should've ripped off his limbs and fed them to the ant primals outside.
"Chiririririp!"
—Captain.
Me. This. Eat. Get strong.
In that instant, Ultio caught the falling thunder core with her four arms and chomped a big bite.
"Yaat...!"
I gawked, eyes bulging. Was it safe to raw-dog a clump of intense lightning like that?
Worry surged, but...
I was gonna eat that...
Well, Ultio getting stronger was as good as me getting stronger.
Crackle-crackle-zzt!
Electricity sparked wildly from her body post-bite, unleashing bolts.
"Ultio!"
I rushed over in concern, but...
Ultio's evolution conditions have been met.
Evolution via molting begins.
Evolution?
My eyes widened like saucers. One bite of that lightning clump and she was already evolving?
Is the thunder core basically an S-rank spirit pill?
I swallowed hard, watching intently.
Grind-grind-grrrr.
Her exoskeleton swelled first, accompanied by the grotesque crunch of joints twisting—like the rebirth of shed bones.
Her back split with a crack, and she began emerging from the shell.
"Chiriririp."
Ecstasy leaked from her mouth as her head poked out. Molting seemed more refreshing than painful.
Ultio's molting has completed successfully.
About 30 minutes later, the completion message appeared. Fully shed, Ultio looked vastly different.
Her size had grown by a head; her eye level now matched mine, whereas before it was slightly lower.
Her battle-damaged arm was perfectly healed, and her exoskeleton gleamed with superior polish.
Hardness feels way up too.
Hard to confirm without testing, but she looked tougher at a glance.
Not just that—her plump ant body had streamlined, elongating gracefully. Like a chubby toddler slimming down as they grew.
And the standout change?
Wings!
A small pair on her back. Barely palm-sized, too tiny for flight yet.
But the potential for growth into flight was there. As an Irregular, I'd worried she'd differ from the memory's Thunderwing, but she proved her flying heritage.
"Chiriririp! Chirip!"
—Captain.
Me. Wings. Grown.
She buzzed her tiny wings excitedly, over the moon.
"Oh, those wings look cool!"
"Chiriririp!"
—Captain.
Ultio. Wings. Praised. Joy!
Praised, she bounced in place, beaming. Adorable as ever.
Bigger and sleeker, but still my Ultio—every gesture warmed my heart.
"Chiriririp!"
—
More. Changes. Tail. Thunderbolt. Possible.
She raised her tail toward me.
"From the tail?"
"Chiriririp!"
—
She chirped happily, generating thunder from her tail.
Crackle-crackle-zzt!
"Oh..."
The tail's lightning felt overwhelmingly fiercer—embarrassing to compare to before. She was embodying the Thunderwing from my memories.
Status window.
Whoa...
Astonishment escaped my lips. Evolving from 3rd to 4th instar had boosted all her stats to C-rank or higher.
I was still scraping D-ranks...
She's stronger than me now?
Unbelievable. She was now solidly in early Maturity Stage 1. Already competitive before, she was on track now—no peers at her level, considering her traits.
Rune slots up to 2, with a formed Thunder Core. From devouring it, no doubt. She'd swiped the rune Cinnamon got in my past life.
Pure S-rank, no less!
The potential and power dwarfed upgraded lower runes. On Abian Continent, pure S-ranks were game-changers, capable of shattering racial limits.
No wonder a mere flea like Cinnamon earned the "Mad Flea" infamy.
Good thing Ultio gets the edge now.
Thunderbolt up to S+, Blade Morph to B. And a new skill: Acceleration (B+).
Perfect for closing on foes or dodging—ideal for her combat-optimized build.
Great for blade-morph melee or zipping around to hurl bolts.
Satisfying. We'd spar to refine tactics. With good synergy, we'd forge a solid style.
Ultio outpacing me? No biggie—she was mine anyway.
Time for my molt too.
Maturity Stage loomed. Once Elixir Absorption finished upgrading via Tyrosine Pill...
Upgrade Progress: 97%
Just 3% left.
At this rate, done by tomorrow. Gotta maintain owner pride—can't lag behind Ultio.
Maturity Stage molt, incoming.
"Chirip, chiririp!"
—Captain.
This. Captain's share.
She offered the half-remaining thunder core.
"...!"
Stunned, I asked, "You don't need to absorb it all?"
"Chiririririp!"
—Me.
Already. Lightning. Saturated. No more. Efficiency.
Haha... almost acted bummed out.
Absorption limit reached. Makes sense for a centuries-old lightning tree—not depleted easily.
Yet Ultio scored S-rank from her share. One realization hit:
So Cinnamon couldn't fully absorb it either.
He must've carried the rest. Explains his steady growth post-Ultimate Body.
Devouring a divine spirit pill solo is no joke.
Heart pounding, I took the core from Ultio.
Crackle-zzt.
Sparks danced on my palm, proclaiming its vitality.
I stared, then popped it in my mouth.
Crunch!
As it slid down my throat...
Crackle-zzt!
A thrilling jolt I'd never felt shook my body.