Crushing the Mantis Warriors
"I'll do it!"
"No, me first!"
"Me too!"
The moment Norton announced that he'd teach a lesson to anyone who could take down Aleck, the warriors of Mantis Hall had flames roaring in their eyes.
They all wore confident expressions, eager to spar with Aleck without exception.
'There are rumors he's made some progress this time...'
'He's still just a runt mantis!'
'He can't close the gap with a king mantis or shield mantis like me.'
'This is my chance! I have to take it!'
Some had heard the rumors of Aleck's incredible exploits. He'd supposedly reached Complete Body already. He'd slain Gato, the infamous third captain of the poison centipede legion. He'd even blocked the path of the legion commander Duraan himself, grabbing him by the ankle.
To them, these were nothing but absurd tall tales.
'Rumors always get exaggerated anyway.'
From a listener's perspective, they had no choice but to dismiss it as wildly inflated gossip. The stories were just too outlandish.
'Sage Kun was there, right? Probably some garbled account of him handling everything.'
It was so ridiculous that some even thought that!
And the most crucial point...
'His aura doesn't feel like much right now.'
That's right. To the naked eye, Aleck didn't exude the overwhelming presence of a powerhouse matching those rumors.
That was why everyone felt bold enough to step up.
'They really underestimate me.'
Aleck let out a hollow chuckle at their reactions.
He glanced down at the ring on his finger.
When he'd ascended to near-Complete Body, his previous ring could no longer contain his power and failed to hide his markings.
Before departing, Kun had given him a new one.
'In case your growth after leaving overwhelms the ring's effects, I made this one properly. It'll be far more reliable than the prototype.'
He'd prepared it in advance, anticipating something like this back at his residence.
'Kun really delivers on performance.'
This time, it perfectly concealed both his markings and his aura.
―Heh, let's see how much you've improved.
As Aleck sank into thought, a telepathic message arrived from Norton.
'Must've been killing him not to see it firsthand.'
Before coming here, Norton had heard from Karimru and others just how valiantly Aleck had fought against the poison centipede legion.
He'd worn a look of dying curiosity the whole way here, and now he couldn't hold back, setting up this whole spectacle.
'Fine, I'll play along. But...'
Aleck was already scheming.
'Felt bad taking Heavenly Thunder Swordsmanship for free. This can settle the score.'
Aleck grinned, a sly curve forming on his lips.
* * *
"Alright! Line up in the order you called out."
Norton bellowed at the clan warriors.
In an instant, they formed a neat single file.
Their disciplined formation showed just how tightly drilled their morale was.
An impromptu sparring ring formed in a flash.
And I stepped up onto it.
"Please go easy on me."
The king mantis warrior in front of me stretched casually, without a hint of tension.
After greeting me, he charged right in.
Sek!
Lightning-fast movements.
He must've planned to end it quickly.
"Ooh!"
"The Windstorm Mazaha lives up to his name."
"Clean and crisp!"
The first challenger seemed to be something of a name around here.
The onlookers erupted in cheers at his fluid strikes.
'Not bad.'
I flowed around Mazaha's attacks, murmuring my admiration under my breath.
His strikes were sharp enough to justify his confidence.
'For a normal Complete Body warrior, that is.'
But to me—practically at Complete Body myself, with freakish stats—it was yawn-inducingly slow.
'Got his measure.'
Having fully gauged Mazaha's level, I moved in.
I slipped into his guard and lightly punched his gut.
Done.
Thud!
"Gahk!"
Mazaha's waist folded in half from one hit.
He clutched his stomach and dropped to his knees.
"...!"
"W-What?"
"Mazaha down in one shot?"
The sudden reversal left the Mantis Hall warriors' eyes bulging.
To them, Mazaha must've looked like a storm unleashing.
But now the attacker was on his knees—naturally, they were dumbfounded.
"I... I lost."
Mazaha gasped out, face pale.
As the first loser stepped down, the next challenger climbed up, a bit tense.
Unlike Mazaha, he held a sword.
He looked determined to go all-out, no holding back.
'Doesn't change a thing, armed or not.'
I smirked and charged first this time.
Thud!
Done.
"Urk!"
The nameless warrior couldn't block my strike and crumpled to his knees.
"...!"
"F-Freaking insane..."
Even the second Complete Body warrior fell in one hit.
Now they realized it wasn't luck against Mazaha.
'Gotta see it to believe it.'
The warriors' gazes shook like boats in a gale.
"Next."
I said flatly, eyeing the long line.
"......"
Gulp.
Those who'd been so confident now looked like primitives herded to the slaughterhouse, faces ashen as they stared at me.
* * *
"Ha!"
Norton unwittingly let out an exclamation.
The reason was simple.
Aleck's display of prowess soared far beyond his expectations.
At minimum, upper Complete Body.
And anyone could see Aleck wasn't even going all-out.
'Is he really not Complete Body yet?'
When he'd first heard about Aleck's feats from Karimru and the others, and then seen him face-to-face...
It had been too unbelievable.
Even with the results right there, common sense rejected it.
'Is this the potential of an ancient species?'
He shuddered from head to toe.
It was well-known that the four great lords obsessed over ancient species.
He'd never understood why they'd risk everything for remnants of an extinct past, and figured he never would.
But seeing Aleck—the living embodiment—made it click.
'I'd go mad for that power too.'
Norton swallowed hard, tension thick in his throat.
'How far can he go? I need to know.'
He finally understood why Karimru had raved about Aleck the whole way here, spittle flying.
He wanted to stand before Aleck right now and draw out his full power.
But there were limits, even for him.
He was Norton now, not Norun.
He had to uphold the dignity of Mantis Hall's greatest warrior.
Charging in recklessly would be rude to Aleck and earn scorn from the others.
"He took down all those warriors in under ten minutes."
"One shot each."
"Insane."
"Look at the goosebumps. That guy's no ordinary warrior."
"He really reached Complete Body?"
"The rumors were true... Unreal."
As Norton felt a flicker of competitive fire amid his awe, Aleck had dismantled every warrior who'd lined up against him.
All in one hit.
No one lasted longer.
After Mazaha, not a single one endured past three seconds against Aleck.
"We came on the news... What a monster's appeared."
"Heh, a supernova's been born."
Then came raspy voices.
The warriors turned to the owners.
"...!"
"The Sima Twin Ghosts!"
"Ooh, the captains are here."
They were the duo known as the Sima Twin Ghosts—top-tier Complete Body warriors in Mantis Hall.
As leaders of the main strike force, they were said to be next in line after Norton for Ultimate Body.
Famous powerhouses no one in Mantis Hall didn't know.
"Heard if we take down that junior, the great warrior'll teach us a move. That true?"
"Aye! I'll guide ye personally till yer realm ascends."
"Does that apply to us too?"
Norton nodded silently at the Twin Ghosts' interest.
'They'll draw out Aleck's real strength.'
He was dying to see Aleck's true power anyway.
Perfect timing—these guys showed up to satisfy his curiosity.
"Junior, mind if this senior shamelessly challenges you?"
One of the Twin Ghosts, Kirian, grinned mischievously at Aleck.
He seemed eager to see Aleck flustered by his entry.
"Come on up."
Aleck replied nonchalantly, as if it were nothing.
"Heh, impressive confidence."
Kirian's eyebrow twitched at the indifferent attitude.
No matter how much history Aleck was rewriting in Mantis Hall, to him he was still a green kid.
The casual response scratched his pride a bit.
"Thinkin' we're no different from the others? Ye might regret that."
Ziiing!
Kirian manifested his Trait the moment he stepped onto the platform.
A long green spear formed in his hand.
Rare for a mantis, he'd been granted a spear instead of a sword as his Complete Body trait.
"Emerald Green Spear!"
"That's Kirian-nim's signature weapon, said to pierce even ghosts."
"Already feelin' that prickly aura from here."
"Whoa, I thought even Kirian-nim might lose earlier... Gotta reflect on that."
"As if. He's at peak maturity. Aleck's amazing, but no way he wins."
"He seems even stronger than last time."
"Kuh... The Twin Ghosts live up to the name."
As Kirian's trait weapon revealed itself, everyone swallowed hard at the surging, overwhelming aura.
This wasn't about Aleck's strength anymore.
It was proof of Kirian's might.
"I'll yield the first move. Come at me."
He beckoned Aleck, ether prickling the air.
'Time to teach this cocky junior how vast the heavens are.'
Thoughts of learning from Norton had vanished far away.
Now it was just about giving a junior—who'd barely started stretching—some guidance to temper his arrogance.
"Then I won't hold back."
Aleck didn't refuse the concession.
And unlike before, he drew his sword from his waist for the first time.
Strangely, the moment Aleck gripped his sword, the tense atmosphere—thick with the Emerald Green Spear's menace—shifted dramatically.
'Hm?'
Kirian sensed the ominous aura too, his eyes widening slightly despite himself.
"Wind Blade."
The low murmur followed.
"...!"
At the same time, immense ether gathered in Aleck's left arm holding the sword.
Whooooosh!
Soon, everyone witnessed a massive vortex of wind swirling around the blade.
It was like a typhoon incarnate.
Kirian, who could only muster something similar at full power, gaped.
"W-What the...!"
He forgot all decorum, mouth agape.