Ultimate Body VS Ultimate Body
‘He’s the type who follows through if he says he will.’
I narrowed my eyes, recalling Duraan’s temperament. It was hard to believe he’d really execute hundreds of prisoners. But the guy I knew would absolutely chop off every last head if Karimru didn’t show up.
"I’ll say it again! I’m waiting until midnight. Let’s see just how strong your comrades’ bond really is!"
His voice boomed once more for confirmation, and I had no choice but to make my decision.
First, I move.
That night. After sunset, when the thin crescent moon hung in the pitch-black sky.
A few in the hideout had already drifted off to sleep one by one. I rose slowly from my spot and slipped out quietly into the night.
It’s regrettable they decided not to act, but I get it.
After Duraan’s threats, the hideout buzzed with debate. Some argued we had to save them. Others said we had to sacrifice the few for the many. Tensions flared, planting seeds of discord. But in the end, the mood shifted to abandoning them.
That’s probably what he was aiming for, the spineless bastard.
It wasn’t incomprehensible. There were no key Mantis Hall figures among the prisoners. Meanwhile, the lord was the glue holding Mantis Hall together. If Karimru threw his life away now, Mantis Hall’s future would sink into darkness.
But I can’t abandon Kind and Bishier.
I remembered my first encounter with Kind. No pleasant memories—just a toxic connection. But he hadn’t just submitted to my strength briefly. Over time, he’d come to genuinely support and follow me. It hadn’t been long, but I’d grown truly fond of him. And Bishier, who I’d warmed up to later, had somehow carved out a big place in my circle without me realizing.
The thought of them dying pointlessly made hot emotions surge in my chest.
Whew.
I took a deep breath as I left the hideout. A slight tension wrapped around my body. And rightly so.
Over there was Duraan—an Ultimate Body absolute powerhouse. I knew charging him head-on was suicide. But if things escalated suddenly, it might come to that. I had to keep it in mind.
This would be my first time facing an Ultimate Body as an enemy since my return. And that wasn’t all. Recon had revealed that not only Duraan, but the legion’s third captain had come along. Another Complete Body elite. Strong enough to match Kiria, maybe. Even handling that third captain instead of Duraan would be a stretch.
Plus hundreds, maybe thousands of Poison Centipedes. It was like throwing an egg at a rock.
But I wasn’t moving without a plan.
Stealth
The moment I stepped out, I activated Stealth to shake them up. My body melted into the surrounding terrain.
"Hm? Didn’t I hear something over there just now?"
"Where?"
The Poison Centipede soldiers patrolling nearby tilted their heads, sensing my presence for a split second.
Partial Primalization
Mantis forelimbs and razor-sharp blades sprouted from my arms. Immature wings emerged from my back. Patches of exoskeleton covered my body.
Farewell.
I swung silently from behind. They spun around, spears spraying venom, but—
Slash!
"Gah!"
"Urk…."
They couldn’t react properly and met their end.
Stealth really is broken.
In this dim night, its effect doubled. These Maturity Stage guys couldn’t detect or block my superior specs.
Hiss…
Immunity to All Poisons is slightly strengthened.
As expected.
Thanks to the venom they sprayed in their final moments, Immunity to All Poisons had leveled up a bit.
Grinding poison resistance by hanging out in poison zones and fighting bugs in the game is paying off like this.
Of course, now it wasn’t just basic resistance—it was evolving toward true Immunity to All Poisons. The principle was the same, so it responded as expected.
I couldn’t wipe the whole legion, but I could lay groundwork toward full immunity.
It’s a long way off, but I need to keep at it steadily.
A nice gain. Anyway, shaking off the thought, I moved fast. Time was life—no time to hide bodies.
But before heading out again, I slipped a hand into my pouch and gripped the red ruby.
Vmmm!
The communicator worked fine. My insurance—and the drive letting me act now.
"Didn’t you hear something over there?"
"The guys who went that way… their presence vanished."
This time, three. Same method. Stealth, approach from behind, slice before they react.
"Gurk!"
"Grk…."
They collapsed without proper response.
Predation activates.
Predating Poison Centipede corpse.
Deadly Poison (C)
Oh, nice.
Predation finally triggered. As Poison Centipedes, higher chance for Deadly Poison over paralysis. Now I had both—the most versatile from them.
I smirked in satisfaction.
If Predation pops right, I can push both to B-grade or higher.
They’d see hell tonight. I planned to go all-in with mantis ambush traits.
Specialists in combat, sure, but rooted in stealth attacks.
Time to hunt, you bastards.
In the pitch darkness, my eyes gleamed. The door to the killing realm swung open.
"Patrol squads keep going silent."
"What? They slacking off?"
"With the legion commander here? No way. Maybe mantises are moving."
Shortly after I started hunting Poison Centipedes, one centurion got the report.
"What do we do?"
"What do you mean? Don’t make a fuss—send guys to check what’s up, fast."
"Yes, sir."
"Nah, I’ll go too. Split into five-man teams, search from the silent spots first."
Centurion Quadru didn’t want trouble. Really.
The legion commander—rarely seen—was here with them. Problems now meant…
Ugh, my head on the block too.
He moved personally to grasp the situation quick.
Slash—!
What, what?! A lesser mantis?!
Watching a subordinate’s head fly, he shuddered. A lesser mantis—but not quite. And that was his last thought.
They caught on?
I nodded at the suddenly increased Poison Centipedes in five-man teams.
Still, I’ve taken out plenty.
Time until noon was short. I’d dropped nearly fifty already. The tight-knit legion finally sensed something, shifting patterns.
Not bad—Paralysis Poison hit C-grade. Short of twin B-grades, but fine.
Then—
"Didn’t expect you to come out too."
As I headed for the prisoner pen through the search net holes—
"……?"
An unexpected figure appeared. Lord Karimru.
"Why are you out here, my lord?"
I asked incredulously.
"And you?"
"……."
His counter left me speechless.
"Haha, don’t look so shocked. I came for the same reason as you. Did you think I’d sit idle with hundreds of my kids’ lives on the line?"
…Yeah.
"That face… you wound me."
"……."
Honestly, yeah. He’d agreed so easily when others urged him to stay.
"They’d never stop nagging, so I played along. This way, no one can block me. Haha!"
"Uh… there’s an Ultimate Body over there. Any countermeasures?"
"Nope. You?"
"Haha…."
I let out a disbelieving chuckle. This guy… emotions often overrode reason.
Monahan or the elders would clutch their necks seeing this.
Still.
Not bad. I’d pegged him cold after ditching his men quick. But this human side? Better. A genuine smile tugged my lips.
"I’ve prepared countermeasures."
"Knew it! Hoped you had something. What do I do?"
"Hm… first, slip through the search net to the prisoners."
"Heh, easy."
With that, Karimru melted into the dark.
Right—Complete Body powerhouse. Forgot, seeing his neighborhood uncle vibe.
Of course the lord’s seat wasn’t luck.
Even better.
I had the Duraan plan. As long as we avoided him, teaming with Karimru made goals easier.
"Kuh."
"Wha… guk!"
"Urgh!"
"E-enemy… kuhk!"
First time syncing, but we meshed well. Five-man teams made clean kills tricky, but with a Complete Body mantis? Breeze.
"You’ve gotten so strong. Maturity Stage already is nuts, but that movement? Unreal for Maturity. And isn’t that Ghost Ant Stealth?"
Karimru gawked the whole time, eyes wide. Couldn’t hold back his awe despite the stakes.
"Later."
"Right… damn! Knew you were Irregular, but my eyes didn’t lie."
His eyes curved like the crescent moon. Seeing my uniqueness thrilled him.
Normally, I’d cringe at that. Not now.
Potential (SSS) stirs.
Again with this.
My body itched, power surging.
"You okay?"
"Ah! Fine."
He noticed my twitching, asking curiously.
Potential (SSS) stretches.
Potential (SSS) begins to awaken.
Potential (SSS) clamors.
Potential (SSS) ….
…Now every kill triggered Potential messages. My body heated up more.
Hoo.
Even exhaling blew hot air.
"You… don’t look fine at all."
I nodded lightly to his worried tone. For real.
Condition better than ever. Heat brought overflowing power. I could face Karimru straight-up now.
That’s when we neared the prisoners.
Vrrrrm.
The air trembled, a massive roar shaking the mountains.
"Kuhahaha! A real man after all, Karimru!"
Overwhelming aura. Tyrannical pressure crushed us, defying resistance.
"Y-you really have a plan, right?"
Karimru’s voice shook. I just nodded.
Now.
I gripped the ruby tight, pouring in ether.
Lord Koon! Help us now!
My counter for Ultimate Body Duraan: Calling another Ultimate Body, Koon.