Thunderwing Fossil Stolen!
Taat.
I heard that sound and immediately shot toward Jebril's lab.
Figures these guys were making all that noise just to draw eyes.
The sudden invasion of Chung Hak Gwan hadn't made sense before. But now it clicked—they all had a purpose.
I can't let them have the Thunderwing fossil.
It was practically a keepsake for Ultio. I'd been planning to snag it someday anyway. If it ended up in Craig's hands, the chances of getting it back would drop to zero.
Faster.
Pazit, pazizizit!
Lightning ether surged through me at my command. I channeled it into my legs, ramping up my speed even more.
Still too slow.
Even so, Jebril's lab felt agonizingly far. By the time I got there, would the fossil already be gone?
Hm?
In the middle of my dash, I spotted something: massive statues of primal species lined up in formation. And they were pointing straight toward the lab.
No time to go around. I triggered Primal Jump without hesitation.
Kwaang!
My body rocketed upward like a cannon shot, landing on the head of a butterfly primal statue.
Twung!
I leaped diagonally to a stag beetle statue next.
Shuuk!
With momentum built, I stepped off the spider primal's head and soared into the sky.
Triangle Leap!
It was a mantis shrimp specialty—pinpointing three points from multiple angles to ambush prey. I'd adapted it perfectly with Primal Jump.
Tsee-ee-eek!
My body sliced through the air several times faster, rocketing skyward. Far off, Jebril's lab came into view.
At this speed, gliding in a parabola would land me right there.
A little earlier.
"Hng, smells like money."
Ruspa hummed cheerfully in front of Jebril's lab.
"Can we loot everything inside?" one of the five thief ants standing behind her asked.
"That's why we're here, isn't it?"
Her eyes gleamed as she replied. The thief ants burst into laughter.
"Uhahat."
"It's a party."
The moment they barged in, a researcher spotted them and tried to intervene.
"Wh-what? Who are you... Khek!"
Ruspa kicked him mercilessly.
"Emergency! Emergency!"
Weeeeng!
The commotion triggered the alarm. Guards rushed in.
"That do it?"
But the guards were no match for her. She subdued them effortlessly. Even without being a combat breed, she was a Complete Body powerhouse. Her specialty was theft, but fighting these guys? Absurd.
Plus, her five elites—handpicked and trained by her—were Maturity Stage with solid combat skills for their level.
"Where's the Thunderwing?"
"In... in the basement..."
They headed underground and ran into Jebril, the lab director.
"How could fellow ants do this?!"
She'd already pieced it together from the noise above: Ruspa, thief ant queen. As a house ant herself, Jebril vented her fury at the betrayal among kin.
"Hng, hilarious. Since when were ant clans so buddy-buddy?"
Ruspa snorted. Fair point. Ants formed the largest societies among insects. But they also crushed other clans most ruthlessly for gain.
Parasite ants, samurai ants, thief ants—born raiders. Army ants, Dinoponera, Paraponera, and more plundered and parasitized freely.
Thief ants lived that way from primal days, raiding nests for food. No need to belabor it.
"Fine, ants or not, I'll spare your life."
Ruspa winked and punched Jebril out cold.
Plop!
The old researcher crumpled from the light impact.
"Alright! Now..."
Ruspa's eyes sparkled at the massive tank in the lab's center. Suspended in green fluid, the head-sized Thunderwing fossil radiated otherworldly energy.
"Ahh—gorgeous."
Craig's orders or not, she'd have stolen it anyway.
"Boss! Tons of rare fossils here!"
"Clear this out, and we're covered for payroll today."
Jebril's lifelong collection went next. Ruspa's crew looted every last one. No exceptions!
Tsee-ee-eek!
Gliding from the sky toward the lab, I spotted six figures crawling out.
That woman...
I focused my vision on the leader. Thief Ant Queen Ruspa! Infamous phantom thief across the continent.
It was her. She'd actually shown up. That meant at least three of Craig's top captains—Ruspa, Gardal, Burteng—were committed to this raid.
Craig wasn't messing around.
No way I'm letting this succeed. Miss now, and it's over.
From my past life, I knew her escape skills. Fail to catch her here, and the fossil was gone for good.
All in one go!
Tsee-ee-eek!
I streamlined against the wind, shooting like a mantis shrimp straight at her. Strike before she noticed.
"Huh? What—evade!"
Her senses were sharp. She detected me mid-fall.
Kwaaaang!
I cratered the ground instead.
"Well, aren't you a surprise?"
She laughed in disbelief at my sudden appearance.
"Another witness. Little mantis? But that look..."
Like Gardal and Burteng before, she tilted her head at my form. I seized the opening for a blitz.
No questions!
If she dug a tunnel, she'd slip away. No time to waste—overwhelm her.
Tsee-eek!
Her eyes widened at my bullet speed. She backflipped desperately.
Too late.
Chwaaaak!
My right arm slashed her torso.
"Kyaaak!"
She screamed, but I'd only grazed her chest and collarbone. Damn—aimed for the neck.
"You dare! You dare! You DARE!"
Blood ignited her rage.
"Hold this."
She tossed the Thunderwing fossil to a subordinate, manifesting her signature weapon.
Geiiiing!
A hook. I'd heard of it, but seeing it was wild. Complete Body weapons reflected personality—hers screamed thief tool, not fighter's gear.
"You're dead."
Her body armored up in exoskeleton. Perfect Primalization.
She's going all out?
She figured a mere Maturity Stage was no threat.
And honestly, she might be right.
Even non-combat, her full power outclassed me in ether output and raw strength.
Frustrating. Gotta hit Complete Body soon.
Tensing against scrubs like this? I could handle her, but it irked me. Growth momentum fueled my hunger for power like never before.
Geiiiing!
As if answering my wish, inspiration flashed.
Flicker!
My foreleg moved like lightning. Peak speed for this body—my mind traced the path, unleashing hyper-focused motion.
Kaaaang!
"...!"
She barely blocked with her hook, face etched in shock. Her trembling arm showed the impact.
No wonder. She underestimated my Maturity Stage. My physicals devoured standard Maturity 3rd.
Not Complete Body yet, but quasi-Complete? From an ant's view, I was a monster.
"What power...!"
She stammered in panic. I pressed without mercy.
Kang, kaang, kaaaang!
Her blocks grew frantic. No rage left—just bewilderment. She'd lost initiative, purely defending.
I can do this.
Combat sense is relative, but hers felt pitiful.
I'm that good... or she's that rattled?
A ether burst could flip it, but she wasn't even thinking basics. Zero peer-level fights, apparently.
"B-Boss!"
Variables: her five Maturity thief ants, panicking but ready to join. Could drag this out.
Manageable.
I trusted my power to handle them all.
"We'll help!"
They moved to intervene.
Perfect.
Time was on my side. If they bolted with the fossil, it'd split my focus. Them bunching up? A gift.
But.
"Stop! Get caught here, we're all dead. Luon, cover me—the rest, prep to escape!"
Ruspa's judgment was sound, if her combat sense lagged. Delay too long, and Chung Hak Gwan elites would swarm. She chose pragmatism over pride.
"Shame."
I smacked my lips.
"Think I don't see your dirty tricks?!"
She snarled, pride clearly bruised. Rampaging unchecked, only to be pushed by a "Maturity"? Infuriating.
"Next time I see you, you're done."
With a subordinate's help, she broke free, grinding her teeth.
"But we got our goal. This ain't running."
Huh? Talking like victory let her flee.
Run or not, that fossil's mine.
Had to cling before, but now? The rearmost ant held it. Priority: reclaim.
Ultio, now!
I unleashed my ace.
Puhwak!
The ground erupted.
"Wh-what?!"
"Tsuririririt!"
—Ultio.
Appearance!
Ultio burst before the fossil carrier.