Stalked by the Cloud Centipede
"Too bad, Aleck. It would've been great if we could go to Chung Hak Gwan together."
"Yeah, what a shame."
"Well, you said you have business to take care of, so no helping it. Oh, by the way, if it's okay, want me to tag along? The road to Chung Hak Gwan could be like a trip, and trips are always better with two people than alone..."
I let Katt's rambling words flow in one ear and out the other as I double-checked my route to the Moon Paper Forest, home of the Shinseon Butterfly clan.
The shortest path from here to Moon Paper Forest is crossing the Jayang River. But I don't have a way to do that right now.
I clicked my tongue in regret. There was no means to cross the river at the moment. Transportation on the Abian Continent was notoriously poor.
It won't change until about ten years from now, when the Continental War breaks out and sparks a revolution in travel.
The catalyst for the Continental War had been the Cicada Wave. After that, massive research into cicadas led to combining them with shamanic seals, making them usable even on primal species.
As a result, land travel used locusts, grasshoppers, centipedes, and pathfinder primals. For the skies, bees, butterflies, and dragonflies. For seas, water beetles and such.
Of course, success rates in infection limited their numbers, but it revolutionized transportation.
To reach Chung Hak Gwan on time, I'll have to use a pathfinder primal.
One of the few primals that Abian Continent folk had successfully tamed. The pathfinder. It was the only primal used for transport right now. But taming via pure shamanic seals meant few existed, and the cost was exorbitant.
Luckily, the white ant extermination patent brought in a good chunk of change, so fees won't be an issue.
As I finished my mental calculations, Katt's lengthy monologue was wrapping up.
"...so if you want, I could totally consider traveling together."
I shook my head inwardly at Katt, who had just finished speaking. How is he such a chatterbox...?
My head shook side to side again.
"I'm taking a pathfinder to travel."
"...!"
Katt's eyes went wide at my words.
"Aleck, you're loaded, huh? Yeah, I'll head out alone then. Ahaha, alright. See you at Chung Hak Gwan in a month. Take care and handle your business well."
"You too, senior. Safe travels."
And so I parted ways with Katt.
Freed from chatter hell at last.
I felt a profound sense of liberation, my steps light as I moved on. Alone, my pace was much faster.
Walk to the Jayang River area, rent a pathfinder mount there, and head near Moon Paper Forest. That was the plan.
First, disguise myself.
I traveled alone for a bit until I reached a secluded lake with few people around. Then, in a dense thicket nearby, I cast Heavenly Transformation Disguise.
To leave no traces on my way to meet Kun.
Shh...
My refined features shifted to an utterly ordinary look, one that wouldn't stick in anyone's memory.
Getting more comfortable with Heavenly Transformation Disguise.
I approached the lake, peered at my reflection, and thought so. It wouldn't be long before it became a skill. A satisfied smile crossed my face as I stood.
That's when a voice pierced my ears.
"Ho, transformation magic? Because you're from the lesser mantis clan...? How can you handle such shamanism? Fascinating."
"...!"
I whipped my head toward the voice. My eyes widened in shock.
Floating in the air, looking down at me, was a figure.
Kiria!
She was the top warrior of the Cloud Centipede clan, the one Norton had chased but lost during the Mantis Hall raid.
I pondered how we'd crossed paths here.
She's been tailing me.
This wasn't coincidence. Unless she'd been watching me the whole time, the odds of her witnessing my disguise in the secluded thicket by the lake were zero.
Craig sent her? But I haven't done anything lately to draw attention. Why?
I bit my parched lower lip and looked up at Kiria. She grinned, eyes brimming with intense curiosity.
If she'd approached to subdue or eliminate me, I was in the worst possible spot. I had no sharp means to escape her definitively right now.
* * *
Kiria.
A continent-level villain with a massive bounty, Craig's hidden blade.
She'd recently gotten a message from Kuremlin.
'Lady Kiria, there will be people heading from Mantis Hall to Chung Hak Gwan soon. Please use one as a cicada host. Lord Craig wants the Thunderwing fossil inside Chung Hak Gwan...'
Kiria moved immediately upon receiving the missive.
She observed Aleck and Katt en route to Chung Hak Gwan.
That chatty one stands out too much.
She'd first targeted Katt as host. Simple reason: Craig planned to use the host to stir chaos at Chung Hak Gwan. Controlling a Growth Stage king mantis like Katt seemed far more useful.
But.
After days of watching, Katt talked too much. Cicada hosts weren't emotionless corpses. It required ongoing signals for brainwashing-like control. Behavioral patterns were limited.
Leave the talker be, and he'll draw eyes. Wasting a pattern to shut him up is too costly.
Katt was scrapped. He didn't know it, but he'd dodged disaster by sheer luck.
Could've supported making both hosts.
Two would've made Craig's chaos easy. But he'd only invested one cicada egg. Probably too pricey for both.
Golden bug through and through.
Kiria tsked inwardly.
No choice.
Like the proverb of bees over wasps, she switched targets to Aleck and kept tailing him.
For a lesser mantis, he had impressive physical balance. Smaller than Katt, sure. But for Juvenile Stage, way above average.
That's how he got into the warrior class.
She knew lesser mantises rarely made warrior class. Days of observation convinced her: Aleck was prime host material.
She bided her time.
Then... Aleck split from Katt?
Perfect.
Thinking luck had smiled, she followed. Aleck even headed to a remote spot—exactly what she'd hoped.
Chasing gleefully, she witnessed something shocking.
Shh...
Aleck's face morphed into an unfamiliar one.
Transformation magic!
Thick interest swirled in her eyes. He was no ordinary mantis. She realized it then.
* * *
"This is too fun, really."
Kiria spoke with a sly smile.
"What are you, exactly? Not your average lesser mantis."
"...."
I couldn't answer. I activated Predator's Eye, senses wide open, scanning for openings—but none.
Her level: at least Complete Body. Top tier within that.
No flight ability could've escaped Norton that day without mature Complete Body prowess.
In other words...
Worst-case scenario.
Crisis where I couldn't overpower or flee her.
"Hm, super tense already? No fun if you tense up now."
Kiria eyed me like a flea in her grasp. Then she drew a slender stick embedded with a gem from her bosom.
I recognized it instantly.
Cicada control shaman stick.
With that thought, the gem in her stick glowed red.
Kagagagagaga!
Sudden ground vibrations. My intuition screamed alarms.
Fooosh!
I dodged urgently; dirt exploded where I'd stood, revealing three massive king centipede larvae with black bodies.
Had I not moved, their ambush would've nailed me.
"Training the larvae on the side."
Kiria's leisurely voice from above. She controlled these king centipede primal larvae via cicadas.
Already succeeding with primal hosts this early.
The four great lords' cicada development was ahead of my expectations.
"Paralysis venom only. Subdue, don't kill."
Vmmm!
Her command made the stick glow red again.
Kieee!
Red light gleamed in the larvae's eyes. They roared, charging me.
Larvae, but each 2-3 times my size. Adult king centipedes grew to tens or hundreds of meters—terrifying behemoths.
At least the youngest batch.
Still, not great. King centipedes were apex predators. Leagues beyond the young locusts or island beetles I'd faced.
Shashashasha!
Dozens of legs propelled them at me with centipede speed.
Thud, thud thud!
I unleashed all my steel orbs without hesitation. No room for holding back.
"Ho!"
Kiria gasped in admiration at my orbs. Every move of mine seemed novel to her.
Foosh!
The nearest ones spewed paralytic gas from their maws. Knowing what it was, I retreated instantly.
One whiff, and I'd be stiff.
Kiiit!
They screeched sharper, more frenzied, as I evaded.
Shashashat!
One barreled straight at me, intent on reckless bite.
Even if I look easy, that's crossing the line.
Impatient one. I drew my sword, circulated Wind Qi Gong at full power.
Recalled their weakness: poor eyesight, reliant on antennae for touch/smell. Nocturnal predators. Daytime antenna hit would disorient.
Such a charge? Over the line.
Wind White Swordsmanship.
First Variation, Single Gale Blade.
Fierce wind from my blade shot toward its antennae.