Poison Centipede Scouts
‘Poison Centipedes…….’
I recognized the invaders the moment I spotted the emblem carved into their uniforms.
‘It’s Duraan.’
The massive insignia of the legion commander’s direct unit was emblazoned on them without any attempt at concealment.
Thank goodness for small mercies. No one knew Duraan as well as I did.
We’d clashed multiple times before my regression, and after I’d just reached Ultimate Body, we’d gone head-to-head several times. In the end, I’d personally taken his head.
"This guy's frozen stiff?"
Seeing me stand there silently, they mistook it for fear and approached with sleazy grins. Three poison centipedes.
‘All around Maturity Stage 2, huh.’
Maturity Stage 2 was elite soldier material anywhere else, but for the legion commander’s direct unit, they seemed a bit lacking.
‘That’s why they’re out here as scouts.’
I expanded my senses to scan the surroundings, then moved without hesitation.
"Hey! Where the hell were you hiding……."
The first one rushed in. I surged forward like a bolt of lightning, channeling ether into my right arm with partial primalization in an instant.
Partial Primalization + Lightning Ether Infusion
Crackle-crackle-zzt—!
Slash—!
A trail of blue afterimage lingered in the air as the scout’s head soared skyward.
"……!"
The other two’s eyes widened in shock as they caught up.
"What the—!"
One let out a cry of alarm and fumbled for his horn, but……
‘Not a chance.’
I flashed my eyes and charged him next.
Thud—!
"Gaaack!"
I drove my left fist into his gut.
"You motherfucker!"
The last one snapped to his senses and initiated partial primalization first. A long spear materialized in his hand.
The sudden turn of events would’ve rattled anyone, but these direct subordinates of the legion commander were made of sterner stuff.
‘Counterattacking right away? Not bad…….’
Crackle-crackle-zzt.
Slash!
In the end, he couldn’t block my strike and crumpled.
Dealing with Maturity Stage foes had become trivially easy now. Even these poison centipedes, a top combat race.
It felt like just days ago I’d been playing around with juveniles and infants.
‘Can’t compare to pre-regression growth speed.’
I could feel my rapid progress and explosive combat power surge in my bones.
‘Too bad Predation didn’t trigger.’
I dragged the bodies out of sight, grabbed the one still clutching his gut and out of it, and headed for a secluded spot.
"You…… urk! You bastard, you think you’ll get away with touching us……."
"Still haven’t figured it out, huh."
Time was short, so I hit his pressure points and followed up with needle strikes.
"……!"
His face twisted into the perfect picture of agony—like a famous expressionist painting from Earth.
Gasp, gasp.
His eyes bulged red with burst vessels. Lips quivering.
I wondered if I’d looked like that swallowing the Goliath Stone Eater’s extreme venom core.
His face cycled through every imaginable expression of indescribable torment.
After a minute, I figured that was enough and released the strikes.
"Spill everything you know. Next time it’s five minutes."
The moment I finished, he nodded frantically, eyes brimming with terror.
* * *
Now I had a grasp on the situation.
‘Dodged a bullet there.’
The worst hadn’t happened. When Duraan invaded Mantis Hall, we’d already quashed the internal rebellion and evacuated everyone.
In other words……
‘They prepared ahead of time.’
I’d sent letters nagging them persistently, warning directly about Craig’s potential invasion. They’d taken my advice to heart.
Craig’s original Mantis Hall assault had happened pre-regression too, but much later—and without Duraan leading the charge personally.
This Chung Hak Gwan raid must’ve made Craig desperate. A small satisfaction amid the chaos.
Anyway, priorities: handle the immediate threat. Mantis Hall had avoided the initial flames, and that mattered most.
But……
‘They couldn’t go far.’
Intel said they’d fled to nearby secret bases in haste. Some had been spotted and captured—cadets only, no high-ups. Duraan was raging, hunting for Karimru.
‘The lord’s holed up with Norton?’
That was reassuring. Norton, the pinnacle Ultimate Body mantis absolute powerhouse, could match Duraan blow for blow.
He’d prioritize Robed, of course, and protect Ruslan, Kind, and the rest traveling with her.
Tension melted away at the thought.
‘Should I thank the gods?’
I hadn’t realized how worried I’d been until now. Contemplating prayers to non-existent deities for the first time in my life.
‘First, track them down.’
I hid the informant’s body and moved out. I knew Duraan’s tenacity all too well.
A cunning, insidious centipede true to his poison breed. He’d scour every nook for Mantis Hall survivors, no matter the means.
‘With what I know of him, the intel, and Norton’s might, they’ll escape fine.’
Start with sweeping the Mantis Hall area stealthily. Poison centipede search parties were combing everywhere, so it wouldn’t be easy.
‘But Stealth fixes that.’
I activated it judiciously, shadowing them to hunt Mantis Hall traces.
Hours of searching later, I found a clue.
‘Hmm, this…….’
A subtle artificial distortion in the local ether flow caught my eye. Without my insight into seams or Predator’s Eye, I’d have missed it entirely.
‘No one nearby.’
I scanned with senses spread, waited, then slipped into the spell formation along the seam. Kun’s lessons from Moon Paper Forest proved invaluable.
"Intruder!"
"Damn it, found already?"
Shouts erupted as I entered. Mantis Hall warriors tensed, weapons trained on me.
"Aleck of Mantis Hall warriors."
I stated my affiliation, and their eyes went wide in stunned silence.
* * *
"Impossible!"
Inside the formation, I met a welcome face: the handsome middle-aged Karimru!
"How did you……."
"Long time no see, Lord."
"Haha! Indeed. You’ve changed so much I almost didn’t recognize you."
"A lot’s happened."
After a brief reunion with Karimru, I glanced around.
Strangers stared curiously; a few elders I recognized mixed in.
But……
‘No Norton, Monahan, or the kids?’
"Looking for the others?"
Karimru read my expression.
I nodded, and he replied flatly.
"They’re not here."
"Meaning?"
"Here’s what happened……."
His explanation: Early letters had him monitoring internal vibes. He sensed something off—the chilling undercurrent.
Prepping slowly for contingencies, then the alien residents and undetected spies revolted.
Forewarned, they contained it, but……
"……the messenger about the poison centipede legion came too late."
Rebellion distracted them; centipedes struck like they’d been waiting.
Unable to fully regroup, they scattered to prepared hideouts. That was the gist.
"We had to split up."
Mantis Hall had about 10,000 souls. Half already out, but thousands needed shelter.
"We’d prepped to relocate entirely, but these mid-sized concealment formations were a godsend."
Karimru, Monahan, Norton, elders, and brass scattered to a backup formation site.
"So Robed and the others……."
"Heh heh heh."
Karimru chuckled oddly, uncle-like.
"Worried about my daughter first, eh?"
"……?"
What nonsense was this? Joking now?
"Good! Heh, don’t fret about her or the kids. Trainees mostly went with Monahan to the safest spot."
"Relief."
I sighed. Monahan’s protection was solid.
"But…… only sure about Robed. Not all your peers went together. That worries me."
"I see."
Not fully safe yet. But no bad news meant no panic.
"Plans going forward?"
"Escape safely from here."
Karimru’s face hardened.
"Norton’s moving. Know why most warriors left Mantis Hall?"
"Hmm……."
I pondered.
‘Prepping to shift base from Craig’s influence. So…….’
"Warriors sent out on pretexts were securing the new base?"
"Exactly. Core forces are there. Norton’ll bring them back here."
The picture clarified.
"Craig rushed because he sniffed the relocation."
"Spot on! You grasp two from one hint."
"Flattery. How’d he find out?"
"Sigh…… a trusted elder betrayed us."
Karimru’s heavy sigh carried grief.
‘Maybe infected by the parasite. Rare for elder-level, but…….’
Craig wouldn’t have many such assets. Kun’s dewormer would clean it up soon.
I tsked inwardly.
‘Hang in there, old man.’
Even primal experts can’t read normal hearts.
‘Still, this is survivable.’
Wait for reinforcements here. Norton’d arrive in a day or two, per Karimru’s timeline.
‘Then I’ll annihilate them, Duraan.’
But the world rarely bends to will.
* * *
As we caught our breath in the hideout, a voice boomed across Mantis Hall.
"Listen up, you cockroach scum hiding! We found one of your nests! Don’t want to see your comrades’ heads roll? Surrender Lord Karimru or reveal your holes by today!"
One hideout exposed. Scouts reported hundreds lined up, bound and kneeling at the entrance.
"I’ll…… go."
"Lord! No!"
"Sacrifice the few for the many!"
"It’ll hurt, but abandon them. Just one—no, two days max!"
Everyone restrained Karimru, but I slipped out under Stealth to check.
‘Hah.’
A deep sigh escaped at the captives’ faces.
Because……
‘Kind, Bishier.’
Familiar, dear faces filled my vision.