The Fairy's Favor and the Mountain of Madness
"……!"
The Fairy Butterflies' faces lit up with shock as they took in the pile of gold. No one had expected a mere Juvenile Stage mantis to be carrying around such a fortune.
"Haha, you…… you're quite the wealthy one, aren't you?"
The elder burst into laughter.
"Very well. By my authority, I'll entrust it to you. As you said, this isn't a losing deal for us."
"E-Elder!"
"What's the matter? Are we taking a loss here?"
"Well, no, but……."
"Then, Parkinson, have you already forgotten what you said moments ago?"
"Kh, my apologies……."
Parkinson retreated once more, his face twisted in frustration at the elder's words.
That guy's just got a personal grudge against me or something.
I shook my head inwardly as I glanced at him.
"My apologies for this. He has his reasons, so I hope you'll understand."
The elder said that, then fiddled with the ring on his finger.
Flash!
Light poured from the ring, creating a hole about the size of a palm—a miniature pocket dimension.
A subspace artifact!
My eyes sparkled at the elder's display. Interfering with dimensions was one of the most advanced spells on the Abian Continent, something even Ultimate Body warriors at the 8th hierarchy struggled to achieve. Crafting it into an artifact? That was on another level entirely.
That 'subspace ring' he wore was likely one of the rarest treasures on this continent.
He's no ordinary elder.
Using such a priceless item so casually suggested he was very close to the clan lord.
"This is the Restraint Stone."
The elder pulled a pouch from the subspace. Inside were five fist-sized crystals.
"Simply replace the current artifact mounted on the sacred crystal. And don't discard the old Restraint Stone—recover it as well. The method is……."
Without wasting time, the elder launched into the explanation.
"……just push it in. Think you can manage?"
"Of course."
I bowed my head immediately after hearing the details. It wasn't overly complicated.
"I like your straightforward answers. Here, take this too."
The elder smiled and handed me a necklace embedded with a nail-sized ether crystal.
This…….
My eyes lit up again. A necklace-shaped protective ward.
"It's a one-use item that generates a 'defensive field' if the wearer faces mortal danger. It could be a lifesaver in a pinch."
"Thank you."
Protective wards were artifacts infused with spell-like powers for battlefield use. Limited in number, they were incredibly hard to obtain—and on the Abian Continent, where survival of the fittest ruled, they fetched prices equivalent to their weight in gold.
A defensive field like this wouldn't come cheap…….
Broad-spectrum wards were especially prized by high-ranking elites. Even as a one-shot item, it would cost at least several dozen gold.
Handing this over just like that. Truly befitting of the Fairy Butterfly clan.
"Consider it a small gesture of goodwill, betting on your confidence. And an apology on behalf of my discourteous disciple."
"M-Master! How can you……."
Ah, so that's what it was. No wonder the elder's gaze toward Parkinson had been unusually affectionate—they were master and disciple.
Parkinson floundered, mortified that his master was apologizing on his behalf.
"I'm fine with it. He must have his reasons."
"……Sorry."
Seeing my nonchalant attitude, Parkinson bowed his head and apologized to me.
I gave a small smile and waved it off.
He wasn't a bad sort at heart.
"No need to drag this out. I'll head off right away."
I handed over the iron weights on my limbs, earning yet another round of stunned looks from the Fairy Butterflies, then made straight for the foothills of the Riandri Mountains.
* * *
Chiririririririt—!
The cries of primal crickets echoed from the mountain's entrance.
These guys aren't right.
Their pitch was higher than usual—excited, or awakened. That dark crimson aura seemed to be driving the primal crickets and locusts mad.
They might go berserk at this rate.
The Fairy Butterflies planned to observe from afar, but that didn't seem wise. These insects looked ready to enter full berserker mode.
Then it'd be a rampaging horde of insane crickets and locusts. Most were herbivorous primals, but once they swarmed, they could devastate the surrounding area in moments.
Better hurry.
I pictured the worst-case scenario and quickened my pace up the mountain.
"Chiririt."
"Biiiii."
Every path was crawling with red-eyed, murderous primal locusts and crickets leaking feral energy. Using the mantis clan's innate 'Presence Reduction,' I blended seamlessly with the forest, avoiding detection so far.
Mantises specialized in ambushes. Not as good as ghost ants, but concealing our presence was second nature to our kind.
After dodging primals for a while and reaching the mid-slope, I witnessed something shocking.
"Chiriririt—!"
Kwajik!
"Chi, chiririt!"
A carnivorous large primal cricket with blood-red eyes—a young cricket primal adult—was tearing into the neck of a thrips locust primal that resembled a grasshopper.
Young crickets are carnivorous, but they usually hunt smaller primals…….
Now, it was rampaging blindly, eyes glowing with madness, attacking thrips locusts indiscriminately. Definitely not normal.
Leaving this unchecked would've been a disaster.
I held my breath and slipped away. Drawing attention could've made me a target too.
Whoosh!
As I climbed, I saw more young crickets assaulting herbivorous crickets and locusts.
And it wasn't just them.
"Giiiik—!"
A chill ran up my arms at the bloodcurdling screech. That was the cry of a long-winged cricket primal—one of the fiercest in the cricket family.
It preyed on locusts, small-bodied primals, even wandering spiders like jumping spiders or wolf spiders. Even mantis primal larvae fell victim sometimes. A brutal predator.
"Chiriririri—!"
Another cry joined the long-winged cricket's roar, followed by frantic wingbeats, gale-force winds, and thunderous booms.
I ducked for cover and observed from afar.
That one.
The long-winged cricket primal was battling a cricket king primal.
A large-bodied cricket family member with a hefty build and powerful jaws—but
It's herbivorous.
Unlike its looks, it preferred grass. Docile unless provoked. Yet here they were, savagely clashing.
Kwajijik!
In that instant, the long-winged cricket bit off and severed the cricket king's front leg. A gruesome sound echoed as the limb tumbled across the ground.
"Chiririririri—!"
The cricket king howled in agony, its eyes erupting with blood-red light.
Kwa—jik!
Ignoring its severed leg, it charged ferociously and tore into the long-winged cricket's flank. Green blood sprayed everywhere as flesh ripped away.
"Giiiik————!"
The long-winged cricket retaliated, shredding the cricket king's neck.
They fought like they wouldn't stop until one was dead. Brutal.
Crickets never cannibalized like this. Everything here was utterly insane.
What the hell is that aura doing to them?
I couldn't comprehend it, but whatever blanketed the mountain left me unaffected. The Fairy Butterflies said it harmed them, so even common species weren't immune…….
I'll set that aside for now.
Shelving the unknowns, I focused on reaching the sacred crystal.
A while later.
Found it.
A massive stele, five times my height, loomed in the distance. A barrier-like line encircled the sacred crystal outward.
Inside that line, the ominous aura roiled thickly.
It's leaking out through the sacred crystal, causing all this.
Seeing it firsthand made the situation clear.
But isn't that barrier around Kun's dwelling?
I swallowed hard inwardly. My worst suspicions were solidifying. This mess seemed tied to Kun.
What the hell was happening inside?
First things first—get the sacred crystal working.
In the crystal's center, I spotted the powered-down Restraint Stone artifact.
That's it.
Now just reach it and swap.
No other terrain features nearby.
If the climb was easy, the hard part started now.
How to break through those guys.
The sacred crystal was swarming with mad-eyed locust and cricket primals…….
Including carnivores like mid-sized cricket kings and long-winged crickets.
But unlike mid-slope, they weren't fighting each other.
Completely entranced?
They huddled before the crystal, blankly absorbing the leaking aura. Like addicts hooked on drugs.
Maybe slip in quietly and check their status.
I stepped out from behind a tree, deliberately revealing my presence.
Thud thud.
The rearmost cricket's antennae twitched up and down, then its head snapped toward me.
I'd hidden again the moment they moved—no detection.
They react to changes around them.
Hypersensitive, even.
But this made punching through impossible.
Stealth and sprint to swap—might work?
Ether drain would be too high for sustained use. Fine for one or two, but I'd run dry when I needed it most.
Anything to draw their attention?
As I scanned around.
Thump.
The ground shook, and some 'creature' pounced on the smallest rearmost locust primal.
The victim: a bean locust primal. Brownish, among the tiniest locust primals. A larva, even smaller.
Kwajijik!
Chilling sounds of exoskeleton crunching and flesh tearing. The attacker had bitten its neck.
A jumping spider!
Now I recognized it. Tiny for a spider primal: oval head and abdomen, black everywhere but the belly, eight eyes darting to track movement.
Small, but ambush masters.
Jumping spiders were rare wandering types that didn't web and settle—they hunted on the prowl. Experts at surprise attacks.
Even primals usually sized up prey, but
Attacking a locust primal? That's new.
Its body was minuscule—half the size of the famously tiny bean locust. Unthinkable.
That aura's making them reckless…… wait.
I'd assumed the jumping spider was mad too.
Its eyes are normal? Come to think of it, on the way up, were there any non-cricket or locust primals acting crazy?
Curiosity about the aura's nature grew.
To solve it, I'd need to meet Kun inside the barrier.
Didn't expect a jumping spider to be that bold.
I wouldn't have charged that horde sane.
Anyway, this was my chance.
Because
"Chiririt—!"
The bitten bean locust primal screamed.
Thud thud. Flap flap.
The gathered cricket and locust primals whipped their antennae at the cry.
Some turned, spotting the jumping spider.
Flinch.
The spider, still latched on, rolled its eight eyes and finally noticed the horde glaring at it. It trembled visibly, realizing it was screwed.
And then
"Chiriiiiiit!"
"Biiiik!"
The cricket and locust primals went berserk, charging the jumping spider.
Thump!
The spider jumped in panic, but
Whoosh!
Thump thump thump!
Locusts and crickets flapped wings or leaped in pursuit.
The spider darted frantically, dodging with its tiny body.
Thanks to it, the path to the sacred crystal cleared.
Thanks!
While they swarmed the spider, I bolted the opposite way.
Swoosh—!
I reached the sacred crystal in a flash.
As the remaining nearby primals spotted me and their eyes flared with murderous intent,
Stealth!
My body vanished completely.