Awakening Empathy
Aleck blinked in surprise.
Empathy trait?
It was the first time he'd ever heard of such a trait in his life.
Check trait.
He couldn't hold back his curiosity. He immediately dove into examining what it was.
Empathy (F)
Can form empathy bonds with mantis species.
― Growth-type trait.
― Depending on the trait's rank and the user's abilities, the targets that can be empathized with, the effects of empathy, and the number of possible bonds will vary.
Growth-type trait! A small exclamation escaped Aleck's lips.
It seemed the system had recognized his transmission of will to Ruslan earlier as an act of empathy.
So this ability... can only be used on mantis species?
Depending on his abilities, the targets, effects, and numbers would change...
Right now, it was just at the level of conveying his will to Ruslan and inspiring him.
This must be another Megaera Mantis ability, right?
Predation seemed unique to the Megaera Mantis too, but maybe it lacked a rank. Or perhaps his level was still too low. He couldn't confirm the exact details.
But empathy, being a growth-type trait that couldn't be acquired without being born with it, kindly provided information even at its low rank.
Just how far could it go in the future?
Does that mean I could even control them at will?
He couldn't know yet. But if it became possible...
For mantis species alone, he'd wield godlike authority.
Come to think of it, that King Mantis primal back then reacted to my will—maybe that was empathy too.
The King Mantis primal that had saved him from the earth bee primal not long ago. It crossed his mind that its movement might have been due to this empathy trait.
There was a high chance that was the case.
If I use this right... His eyes sparkled at the new possibilities flooding his mind.
"Aleck! What're you thinking about?"
A clear voice came from beside him. Multiple pairs of eyes blinked at him curiously.
Oh no—he'd been too focused on checking the trait.
"Ah, just a bit tired."
At his words, they all let out little "Ahh~" sighs of understanding.
"We'll handle the cleanup. You and Ruslan go rest up!"
Leto and Geri insisted they'd take care of the training ground.
Such good kids. No reason to refuse. He was actually a little tired.
Was it from using empathy? His body felt fine, but his mental fatigue was considerable.
"Come rest over here."
Soeri guided him to a room marked VIP. It looked incredibly cozy.
He'd never used a trainee VIP room before, but it was no different from the main hall warriors' VIP rooms.
Maybe because he'd used the main hall ones like a second home before Mantis Hall fell. The familiarity drew him naturally to the massive central bed, where he flopped down immediately.
"Gonna... catch some shut-eye."
Soeri and Robed, who'd followed, nodded and left the room.
Guess I'll rest a bit, then...
His drowsy mind pulled him into sleep the moment his eyes closed.
* * *
Knock knock.
A knock echoed in Instructor Norton's quarters.
"Come in."
Creeeak.
With Norton's permission, a graceful woman of refined features entered.
"My respects to you, Elder."
"Hoho, skip the formalities. As you know, here I'm not Norton—I'm Norun."
"Understood."
The woman knelt on one knee in greeting, then rose promptly at Norun's words.
"Come, sit."
Norun stood from his desk and led Soeri to the reception table in the center of the room.
She nodded once, then carefully sat across from him.
"So, what brings you here today? Any progress with Ruslan?"
"Yes, about Ruslan... and I have something to report about Trainee Aleck as well."
At Aleck's name, Norun's eyes lit up.
His demeanor alone showed how much attention he paid to Aleck.
I've never seen him like this before.
Soeri wondered if Aleck's excellence was connected to Norton.
No way... is he the Elder's disciple?
Her words grew even more cautious.
"So, what is it?"
"When Ruslan fell into heart demon madness this time, Trainee Aleck..."
Facing Norton's subtly probing tone, Soeri slowly began.
She detailed how dire Ruslan's condition had been, Aleck's proposal in that moment, and how he'd healed him—everything down to the specifics.
"...!"
Norton listened intently, interjecting exclamations throughout.
Especially at the end, when he heard Aleck had overcome Ruslan's heart demon through sparring, he let out a genuine cry of admiration.
"Overcoming a heart demon by crossing swords? Hohoho! Did that boy transmit his sword heart to Ruslan?"
It was precisely the effect of the empathy trait, but Norun's guess wasn't entirely wrong.
The trait had activated because Aleck could convey his sword heart.
"A juvenile who's just entered that stage transmitting sword heart... I never know when he'll stop surprising me. What did the Third Instructor think? Impressive, right?"
"Pardon? Ah! Yes, yes—I couldn't believe it myself while watching..."
"Exactly. If he keeps training on the right path like now, I believe he'll surely become an ultimate body powerhouse."
"...!"
Soeri was inwardly shocked by Norun's assessment.
She was more focused on spells than martial arts, so she'd only vaguely sensed Aleck's feat. But hearing Norun's high praise made her realize it was far more extraordinary than she'd thought.
"To think Aleck has that level of talent..."
Soeri murmured in a daze. He hadn't seemed ordinary, but she hadn't expected this level of praise from Norton.
In fact, to her eyes, Ruslan seemed more talented.
"Um... is Aleck... your disciple, Elder?"
She voiced the curiosity that arose mid-conversation.
Norun's eyes curved into half-moons.
"Disciple... regrettably, not yet. That boy stood me up."
"H-He turned down a discipleship under you? My goodness!"
This shocked her more than before.
Who was Norton? Mantis Hall's greatest swordsman. A warrior whose name adorned the hall of fame. One of the few ultimate bodies across the Abian Continent—a great existence.
She knew elite mantis families poured immense effort to get their children under him as disciples.
Yet he'd refused such a position...
"Heh heh, not now, but someday he'll come as my disciple. No one in Mantis Hall but this one could handle that boy's talent anyway."
Whoa...
Soeri swallowed hard at Norton's words.
She had to drastically revise her view of Aleck today—from a standout trainee of some lesser mantis clan to a genius rookie with immense potential watched by a great warrior like Norton.
* * *
Mantis species inherently favored solitary activities due to their nature.
This wasn't ideal for Mantis Hall as an organization.
Thus, leadership encouraged club activities within the hall to foster camaraderie and cooperation.
This led to various clubs forming—some casual hobby groups, others elite gatherings of those from upper clans.
The prime example was the Overlord Club.
Overlord Club. Open only to shield mantis and king mantis clans.
Started purely for fellowship, it had evolved into an elite circle. As its alumni rose to key positions, its influence grew massive.
"Zakai."
"Yes, Vice President."
The boy called Zakai turned his chair and bowed politely to the seated figure.
"Word from the top."
Zakai flinched at "the top," tensing instinctively and swallowing hard as he awaited the vice president's next words.
"Among the new recruits who passed the survival exam, there's a broad mantis named Kind. Heard of him?"
Zakai racked his brain. The name rang a bell.
Kind... ah!
A sudden memory: the new recruit credited with uncovering ghost ant codes during the Mantis Grand Tournament incident.
"Yes, I heard after the tournament."
Scraaape.
As Zakai spoke, the man—who'd been facing away—swiveled his chair toward him.
The hulking vice president of the Overlord Club. First-timers might mistake him for a Hercules beetle, not a mantis—his build was that massive.
"... "
Zakai shuddered under the vice president's piercing, intimidating gaze. It always made him tense just looking at it.
"He's the next target."
"...Ah."
Zakai instantly grasped the meaning.
The next host for the cicada nymph. Kind had been selected.
Even if coincidental, since he contributed to foiling the last incident... using him as host won't raise easy suspicions.
Zakai was sharp. He understood the top's intent immediately.
Of course, questioning it would be foolish—this was the top's will.
"Can you handle it?"
"Leave it to me."
He'd infected Theo last time too. Though the current mood in Mantis Hall called for caution, infecting one newbie was doable quietly with some effort.
This is my chance to regain lost trust.
He was a mid-level exec in the Overlord Club, aligned with the vice president line, but the Theo incident had cost him credibility.
It was coincidental exposure, but here, only results mattered.
"I'll prepare thoroughly."
The vice president added flatly to the deeply bowing Zakai:
"As you know, procuring cicada nymph eggs is no easy task. No mistakes in the process."
"I'll keep it in mind—etched deep."
Desperate resolve filled Zakai's eyes. No room for even the slightest error.
* * *
Clank.
Aleck felt the heavy weight on his arms and legs as he entered the training ground.
His previous 15-kilogram iron weights had upgraded to 25-kilogram ones.
His physique had surged upon entering juvenile stage.
40 kilos heavier total, but it feels lighter than before.
The weights felt comparatively light. His juvenile upgrade had boosted his specs too much.
Time to up the weights soon. 30... no, 40 per ankle should be fine.
Anyone else hearing that would gasp.
"Sir Aleck, hello!"
Kind entered, warming up, and greeted him.
"Coming early these days."
"Haha, gotta catch up to you and hit juvenile soon!"
Kind had suddenly developed intense training passion.
Likely spurred by Aleck and Robed's advancements. With the team league approaching, he was doubling down.
That guy's growth is solid.
Aleck nodded, watching Kind settle in and start. He had potential to reach complete body if nurtured right—definitely a future asset.
Even if not, he's come a long way now.
Aleck chuckled and turned—
"Hey, Kind."
"Oh, Bishier."
"Training hard lately—looks good on you?"
"Haha, good...? Gotta hustle to keep up."
"Yeah, impressive. Hey! Got something to talk about—free after lunch?"
"Uh... just us?"
"Yeah, the two of us."
The sudden figure beside Kind: Bishier, a female trainee with zero prior connection to him or Aleck.
...She into Kind?
Spring for Kind? Aleck's eyes sparkled as he watched.