Crushing the Cockroach's Tenacity
Snikt—!
As my body brushed past with the slicing sound, a scream erupted from Gardal's mouth.
"Gaaahhh!"
His upper body tore open in a massive X, crimson blood droplets painting the air.
'Still pure and clean blood, huh.'
The epitome of filth, cockroaches. Yet their blood was the same vivid crimson as anyone else's.
A fleeting stray thought amid battle, but seeing it ignited a spark of excitement.
Not because I was some blood-mad lunatic, of course. It was the self-satisfaction, the thrill of knowing I'd grown enough to cripple a Complete Body upper-tier like Gardal in combat.
Sure, luck and circumstances aligned perfectly, but still.
'If I leave him like this, he'll just come back.'
Right now, the massive wound would kill most via blood loss, but cockroaches were different.
That tenacious clinging to life meant he could revive if even a breath remained. I had to finish him for good.
'So...'
Pzzt, pzzzt! Electric sparks leaped from my legs.
'Primal Jump!'
With that, my forward-leaning center of gravity snapped back like a grasshopper, defying physics to regain balance.
I could now leap in any direction. Without hesitation, I rocketed backward toward him.
This was why the 'Primal' skill was so broken.
My target was Gardal's neck, swinging my forelimbs with single-minded intent to sever it in one stroke.
"Grrrk— you bastard!"
Even in that state, he frothed blood from his mouth, eyes flashing as he reacted to my follow-up assault.
As expected. A Complete Body warrior earned their rank for a reason.
As he raised his twin daggers to block my incoming forelimbs,
'Smoothly.'
I pulled another inspiration from the whirlwind in my mind.
Like a butterfly's wingbeat, fluid and graceful.
Like a gentle breeze, soft and yielding.
My arms wove intricate patterns in the air.
Then, like a centipede gliding over a fence, they slid smoothly up his twin daggers, along his arms, over his shoulders—
Snikt—!
Straight through his neck.
"Grrrk—."
Gardal's eyes bulged in disbelief, widening impossibly.
His severed head hit the ground, staring wide-eyed, but—
Spurt—!
As expected, the headless body spun toward my back.
Clang—!
Crossing my arms to block the daggers shoved me back, but I kept my eyes locked on the corpse.
Stagger, stagger.
It finally wobbled and collapsed.
'Whew, gotta respect that tenacity.'
Probably the final command input before decapitation.
Any other race would've been done. But this thing was still plotting a counterattack right after I blocked.
And the funniest part?
'Playing dead, you punk.'
I knew a Complete Body like Gardal wouldn't drop that easily. Absurd.
The source of cockroach vitality: the Super Vitality trait.
The small fry I'd crushed earlier were low-grade; headless survival was brief. But Gardal's had to be A-rank or higher.
'A-rank and up don't die from decapitation, right?'
No wonder they're zombie fodder.
Left alone, he'd enter suspended animation and last days until healed.
Inferior to Transcendent Regeneration—could only repair his own body, even mangled—but Craig's lab might revive him.
'Can't leave loose ends.'
I flashed a feral grin.
Crunch!
Stomped his head to pulp and kept grinding.
"Kk!"
His final death rattle echoed.
Thus, Gardal met his end far sooner than in my previous life.
'Ridiculous how much effort this takes.'
What enviable vitality.
I had its superior, Transcendent Regeneration, but that was a recovery rune.
Theirs constantly infused the body with vigor.
Mantises had tough life force as relatives, but nothing compared to primal cockroaches.
Lucky they weren't combat specialists. With real power, they'd rival the Four Great Clans.
Predation activated.
Target confirmed as same Mansi Sangmok lineage.
Traits available for predation.
Acquire Super Vitality?
'...!'
I jolted, forgetting I was mid-battle.
'Traits can be predated too?'
Traits defined a race's essence.
Unlike skills derived from them, traits were the core qualities themselves.
I'd only gotten skills via Predation before, so I assumed that was it.
'Close kin share origins, so traits are absorbable too.'
Astounding.
This meant I could snag unique traits from fellow mantises, even cockroaches or white ants.
'No brainer. Take it.'
Traits required genetic adaptation, hence confirmation. But Super Vitality? No hesitation.
Paired with Transcendent Regeneration, the synergy was unimaginable.
Acquired trait: Super Vitality (C)
'Krr.'
Vitality exploded through me; I shuddered.
Cockroaches lived with this constant surge?
Battle fatigue vanished instantly.
Even at C-rank, it overflowed uncontrollably.
Then—
'...!'
A chill ran up my spine; I crossed my arms just in time.
Exoskeleton activated instantly too.
Boom—!
Overwhelming heat engulfed me.
'Guh.'
Even pain-hardened me struggled. Skin-melting agony.
Sssshhh!
My hasty exoskeleton armor nearly melted away.
Residual heat kept tormenting.
"Blocking that too?"
A new voice, laced with admiration. A burly middle-aged man with striking red hair: Burteng.
Bomb Dust Beetle. Top threat alongside Gardal.
He'd been rampaging afar, but—
'Came running once he confirmed Gardal's death.'
Regenerating via Transcendent Regeneration, I stared silently. Super Vitality seemed to boost it positively.
"Hah, Gardal... you fucking idiot. Actually dead."
Burteng spotted the unrecognizable remains, clutching his forehead.
"Huh? What the hell are you? Recovering from a direct blast already?"
His eyes sharpened on my rapid healing.
Unlike brute Gardal, he was calculating, nitpicky.
Now, eyeing my regen like he wanted to dissect me on the spot.
'Didn't expect it this fast.'
Thanks, Burteng, for the instant demo. Body restored, I gauged odds.
'Maybe 10% win rate.'
Burteng differed from Gardal.
Bomb Dust Beetles weren't combat specialists, but explosions were rare and deadly. He was primalized, wary.
No frontal win possible.
'Backup still coming?'
They'd come in numbers, stirring chaos everywhere.
Scouting escape routes, scanning desperately—
Flinch!
I hurled sideways.
Snikt—!
Scorching pain on my back.
"Whoa, dodging that too? This guy's the real deal."
A voice from behind: Ghost Ant!
Stealthed approach, ambush.
Without super senses, it'd cripple me.
'Complete Body too. Sarhan?'
Worst case. Sandwiched by two Complete Bodies.
Win rate? Zero.
Frontal assault = death.
Abandon direct fight. Can't die with these upgrades.
Brainstorming: 'Primal Jump, Stealth, Burrow.'
Skills they wouldn't expect. Used right, escape viable.
"I can hear your brain grinding from here."
Ghost Ant—Sarhan—flashed eyes.
Sharper than he looked.
'Sarhan it is.'
Reaper of death, Sahan's right hand, future assassination king.
Headache incoming. Persistent bastard.
Mountain after mountain.
1v1, I'd eat him.
"No point sparing him. Kill quick."
"Yeah, too risky to leave."
Consensus. They tensed for attack.
I braced, utmost tension—
Rooooaaar—!
A massive roar shook Chung Hak Gwan.
Tremors swept the battlefield.
Boom—!
Earth flipped, explosion roared.
Cockroaches and Bomb Dust Beetles ravaging nearby vanished in an instant.
Missiles in survivors' eyes: thick dread.
Terror from witnessing the transcendent.
"What the...?"
"Nngh."
Burteng and Sarhan trembled too.
All eyes turned to one spot.
'Him?'
Followed: the culprit.
Thud, thud.
Sole footsteps echoing in silence.
"Trainee Aleck, fall back. It's dangerous. I'll handle the intruders from here."
A low, soft voice called my name.
It was Phines.
10th Squad instructor.
'Whoa.'
I knew he was strong, but this surpassed imagination.
'Touching Ultimate Body territory.'
Higher realms had vast power gaps within stages.
Phines, near Ultimate Body, dominated solo.
"Good work."
As I retreated, his warm words followed.
Praise for fighting without holding back.
'Lucky break.'
Never dreamed it'd end their pincer like this.
Crisis averted. Chung Hak Gwan weathered the storm.
Phines controlled the field, including those two Complete Bodies.
"Whoa..."
"Insane. That strong?"
First-timers gawked. Me too—who wouldn't?
'One of Chung Hak Gwan's war heroes...'
Most plausible guess.
As I admired Phines' prowess,
"Aleck, word."
Drvito whispered.
"Figured their goal."
"What?"
"Chung Hak Gwan holds an ancient relic fossil: Thunderwing. They're after it."
'...!'
My eyes widened.
'Must protect it.'
Can't let them take it.
This Thunderwing fossil was Ultio's father's corpse.