Molting: The Predator's Aura
The aura crashed over us and the primal ground bees once more.
"……Ugh."
Amy, running beside me, staggered, her pace slowing. It was the effect of the Predator's Aura.
"Snap out of it!"
I glanced back and shouted at her. Fortunately, the charging primal ground bees were also affected by the aura, wobbling in midair and plummeting one by one, unable to steady themselves.
'Please work this time too.'
I grabbed Amy's hand forcefully while biting my lower lip at the sight of the primal king mantis ahead—a massive beast over ten meters tall. It was the same one we'd encountered earlier. If it swung its foreleg at us now, we'd be defenseless.
Squeeeak—!
With the sound of slicing wind, the primal king mantis's foreleg shot out.
Whoosh.
The wind pressure whipped my hair. '……!'
I watched in relief as its foreleg sailed over our heads and snatched a pursuing primal ground bee right behind us.
Whoosh!
The remaining ground bees flapped their wings frantically in panic as their kin was attacked.
'Hurry!'
I pulled Amy's hand and sprinted past the primal king mantis.
Samaaaah!
The Predator's Aura erupted from behind again. How many times a day could that thing even be used? It had already gone off three times today. It drained a ton of stamina, yet they were spamming it like this?
A fleeting doubt crossed my mind. It almost seemed like they were using it to protect us.
'Nah, no way.'
I shook off the ridiculous thought. But suspicions lingered. They hadn't shown any aggression toward us, and they'd saved us from crisis twice now. Once I grew stronger, there'd definitely be room to test things with a primal mantis someday.
'For now, just survive!'
You can't reflect or verify anything if you're dead. I dragged the dazed Amy along at full speed.
"Th-thanks, Aleck."
After a few more minutes of sprinting, Amy finally came to, her face flushed red as she spoke. Was she that out of breath from the aura? I finally released her hand, noticing how unusually red her cheeks were.
"Think they've lost us by now?"
I turned to look back the way we'd come. Far off, now the size of a fist, the primal king mantis was locked in fierce combat with the ground bees.
Groooowl! Boom boom boom!
'Even from this distance, the echoes are insane.'
Every time the king mantis swung its foreleg, a ground bee split in half and plummeted to the earth. A true apex predator.
'But there are too many ground bees.'
No matter how elite the primal king mantis was, facing dozens after exhausting itself with repeated auras? Victory was doubtful. If it ended up overwhelmed because of us, the guilt would be unbearable. I couldn't shake the feeling it had sacrificed itself to protect us—me, specifically.
Flutter flutter!
Then, the primal king mantis spread its wings wide, kicked off the ground, and soared away. A few ground bees gave chase, but hunting a fleeing king mantis like that? Impossible. As long as it avoided encirclement, it'd pick them off one by one.
'Whew, good.'
Relieved, I hurried off with Amy before the ground bees could circle back.
* * *
"You two must've had it rough."
Estelle looked shocked as we recounted our chase by the primal ground bees.
"Aigoo, sis, don't even ask. We nearly crossed the Jordan for real this time."
Amy played it up to Estelle like she'd been on death's door. It wasn't that bad. There were close calls, sure, but nothing like brushing actual death.
I pondered what Amy was getting at.
"Sigh, really, you... Stay out of danger. No injuries, right?"
"My limbs ache a bit... If my realm had been any lower, I might've never seen you again."
As Amy looked down with a trembling voice, Estelle's eyes quivered slightly.
Whoa, look at that acting. I blinked at Amy's new side, then realized her angle with an inward tongue-click.
'She's pushing to get stronger.'
I'd glimpsed Estelle's disapproval when Amy caught that soldier white ant. There must've been friction over Amy's sword training.
'So when she insisted on tagging along with that innocent face, she'd calculated this far?'
If so, I needed to reevaluate Amy completely. A century-old tiger butterfly lurked in that girl—not a millennium, but still. Blood truly ran thick. Like sister, like sister. Not just looks; her cunning was no joke.
"......Be more careful from now on."
Estelle's expression suggested Amy had won. Using her sister's concern like that? Impressive, in a way. Not purely bad, though. Amy was destined to become an absolute master reaching Ultimate Body.
'Wasting that talent would be a shame.'
Without Amy pre-regression, Estelle and Red Rose Merchant Guild never would've hit the continent's top three. Amy was her pillar and sole kin.
Anyway, once our tale wrapped up, Estelle tilted her head.
"But from what you two say, that primal king mantis seemed to help you on purpose?"
"Huh? Yeah, thinking back... kinda feels like it......"
Amy nodded vigorously, replaying events. I had to agree. It definitely felt like the primal king mantis had aided us.
"Maybe it recognized you as mantis kin?"
"Mm, but primal mantises don't hesitate to cannibalize their own......"
Estelle trailed off, glancing at me. Fair point. Primal mantises were infamous for kin-slaying. Helping a commoner like me? Unlikely on logic alone.
But ironically, that bolstered my certainty. Once was coincidence; twice was intent. Something about me had triggered it.
'That sensation I felt definitely stimulated the primal king mantis.'
No other explanation fit. Estelle and Amy probed if I knew more, but I had no concrete answers. And if I truly influenced it, this was a secret to bury deep. If the four great lords learned, they'd hunt me for live experiments.
'Perfect primal domination is their lifelong dream.'
Success would've meant their victory in the pre-regression tribal war, not mine. Unproven as it was, the thrill of possibly wielding their coveted power made my heart pound.
'Whew.'
I exhaled the rising anticipation, the faint warmth in my chest reaffirming Megaera Mantis involvement. Wasn't Megaera the ancient mantis progenitor...? Should've read the lore more before possessing.
'Who could've known.'
Anyway, this power might eclipse my expectations entirely.
As I steadied my breath, Estelle brought the prepared kurassan.
"A bit more than you asked for. Won't run short."
I smiled at her thoughtfulness. Estelle was the real deal—big-hearted. After all the hassle, my molting materials were complete.
* * *
Before returning to Mantis Hall, I flipped my disguise and dispelled the face-altering spell, reverting to my original look.
"Trainee Aleck of the Warrior Division, confirmed. Proceed."
I verified with the gate guard and reentered. No lingering stares followed me now. Good. The brief scrutiny was just routine probing, as expected.
'Contextually, Kind's "coincidental" actions exposed their whole plot.'
My biggest worry—exposing the bomb orb neutralization—hadn't leaked. Only the lord, Norton, Monahan, Haon, and I knew.
Vacation ended tomorrow, so today: ingest kurassan and ground bee venom for molting.
'Today, I ascend to Juvenile Stage.'
Back at my dorm, resolute, I uncapped the kurassan vial from Estelle.
'Sweet.'
Its alluring honeyed scent wafted out, despite being an acid. That sweetness eased revulsion, sparking early popularity. But its body-amplifying prowess came with brutal side effects, curbing use.
Metamorphic failure—incomplete molting—was prime. Too risky.
'Until ground bee venom cracked it.'
That demand skyrocketed. Everyone craved strength in Abian Continent's ecosystem. Estelle's discovery revolutionized averages, dubbed a revolution.
Kurassan built tolerance fast, effects varied by potential, but it propelled one guild to top ten. My Limit Break S shattered limits for explosive growth.
'Normally, post-Growth Stage minimizes pain, but with venom, fine.'
The golden system message floating before me urged immediate consumption—my Infant Stage body could handle the backlash.
Consume the kurassan immediately.
'Thanks to Super Regeneration Rune?'
Timeline fit: message post-regeneration acquisition. Logical.
'Targeting that rune first was genius.'
I mixed kurassan and venom precisely.
'Done... Time to down it.'
Confirmed, I chugged without hesitation.
Gulp gulp.
It slid down smoothly. Then—
Hoooosh—.
Molten lava boiled in my gut, heat exploding outward.