Crimson Mantis Roars
Hwaaaak!
Blue light erupted simultaneously from spots all across the Riandri Mountains, blanketing the peaks. This was proof that the Five Holy Stones had finally begun operating properly once more.
"My god! That little mantis kid really pulled it off."
"No way... How in the world?"
"Heh heh, looks like that boy's a true noble soul after all."
The Shinseon Butterfly clan was in an uproar. No one had truly believed Aleck would replace every single ritual tool.
At first, with the first stone, then the second... they'd dismissed it as unlikely each time one activated. But when every last ritual tool was truly replaced, they erupted in cheers.
The dark crimson energy that had crushed their minds and inflicted endless agony had vanished completely.
"That kid... he'll be okay, right?"
"I saw a colossal specimen show up earlier. The situation doesn't look great."
"Elder Hose! Why not head out right now?"
By the time the fourth stone activated, they'd finished preparing to scale the mountain the instant all tools were replaced. Over a hundred spellcasters from the clan—those still mobile—gathered under the lead of Elder Hose, who had reached the 7th hierarchy.
Some had criticized Hose for recklessly entrusting the task to a runt from the lesser mantis clan. But now, most were clamoring to rush up first, check the situation, and confirm Aleck's safety.
"Everyone, no need to worry. The protective charm I gave him hasn't activated yet... Wait, what?"
Hose's face paled mid-sentence, his casual reassurance cut short. He could sense whether the one-use charm he'd given Aleck had triggered. Until now, amid replacing all the Five Holy Stones, it hadn't once. But now, it had just activated.
Which meant something had gone wrong with Aleck's safety.
"Everyone! We move now!"
Light poured from Hose's body as he transformed into primal form—a state only reachable at 7th hierarchy or Complete Body. Violet wings sprouted from his back, antennae from his head, and fur covered his entire frame.
With primalization complete, he shot into the sky like an arrow toward the final stone's position. A few other 7th hierarchy Shinseon Butterflies followed suit, primalizing and trailing him. The rest of the clan's spellcasters began ascending the mountain at high speed via Haste spells.
* * *
A little earlier.
When I swapped out the final Constraint Stone ritual tool, I saw blue light surging from the Five Holy Stones.
The light blocked every trace of the dark crimson energy leaking from the barrier. The locusts and crickets in primal frenzy, their eyes blood-red, returned to normal.
"Chiriririt!"
"Keeeek!"
Confused about why they were even here, most scattered in all directions, abandoning the area.
I watched hundreds of locust and cricket primals flee every which way.
If the carnivorous ones had targeted me, it would've been a headache. But luckily, they were too focused on escape.
That settles it for now.
With fewer than thirty primals left, I focused on recovering my bottomed-out ether from the ground.
Things had gone according to plan so far. Once I met Kun, I'd hand over the praying mantis egg and get advice on fusing Wind Qi Gong with Thunder Qi Gong. Mission accomplished.
That was when I finally relaxed.
...!
Suddenly, my super senses blared a fierce danger signal. Without thinking, I kicked off and rolled aside.
Kwajik!
The moment I moved, something massive slammed into where I'd stood.
That's... a wolf spider!
I instantly recognized my attacker: a wolf spider primal. Eight eyes in three rows, eight long hairy legs, grayish-brown body with bright stripes, two sharp fangs. Tiny for a spider primal, but two or three times bigger than a jumping spider—meaning a huge gap compared to my jumping-spider-sized body.
Ran into a tricky one.
I clicked my tongue softly. My combat power was way down right now. Transcendent Regeneration had healed the wounds from dual skill activation, but my ether was still scraping bottom, and fatigue lingered.
Carrying an ocean of ether, but can only use a bucketful. So damn frustrating every time.
Nothing to be done. My body's durability limited how much ether it could handle. To fix that, I needed to molt repeatedly and hit Maturity Stage at least.
Only then could I wield ether more freely.
Still, one wolf spider primal? Manageable.
Impossible not long ago. But with recent gains—Predator's Eye, Super Senses, Paralysis Poison—I could handle it.
And Thunder Qi Gong too.
Lightning excelled against foes without spider-tough exoskeletons. Calmly scanning surroundings, I leveled my sword at it.
"Kiriri!"
The wolf spider let out a mocking chitter, looking down on me.
The nerve.
Snorting at being underestimated even by a small primal, I charged. No room for complacency against an enemy.
Time to teach it vigilance is eternal.
Predator's Eye.
Golden energy exploded from deep in my eyes. Weak points flooded in.
Face and abdomen!
I wrapped my blade in Thunder Qi Gong ether and unleashed illusions to bewilder it. Wolf and jumping spiders had keen eyesight, but here, that was a curse.
If it couldn't distinguish my feints, every strike would seem real.
"Kiririri!"
As expected, it cried out in confusion. Confident in victory, I thrust at its brow—along the grain, laced with paralysis poison. Even a graze would cripple it.
The moment I was sure it was over—
My super senses rang again, time slowing around me.
...!
Too late, I realized: it wasn't alone. Another lurked in stealth!
Their strength was speed. If I pulled back now, its attack would land.
But retreating means 2v1.
Tough in my state. And even if I won, another predator could doom me. A dazed island beetle was already circling—no time to hesitate.
Protective charm. Trust it.
I drove my sword into the first one's face, banking on Hose's one-use charm.
Puk!
"Kki, kkiririri...."
The impaled one shrieked, then stiffened—paralysis triggered. Grain-piercing strike mangled a third of its face. Out of the fight.
Then—
Zeeying!
The charm at my neck activated, erecting a force field around me.
Kung!
It held firm. The second wolf spider's fangs halted against it.
"Kiriririri!"
Frustrated beyond reason, it thrashed.
A mated pair, huh.
The crippled one male, this female—eggs clustered on her back confirmed it. They hatched young on the female's back.
Explained their bond.
Why target me, then...
As I tsked at their mistake—
"Kiriri!"
"Kiririririt."
"Kiriririri."
Wolf spider cries echoed from all sides! Dozens materialized—fifty at least.
Not just two.
My face hardened. They'd gathered to hunt lingering locusts and crickets... and I was right in the middle.
Too late to flee; they wouldn't let me.
Stealth won't last.
With my ether, barely ten seconds. Their sharp eyes and speed meant quick detection and pursuit.
Worse, the island beetle's eyeing us more.
It had snapped to, registering us. Far scarier than spiders. Hooks on its forelegs would snare me instantly.
Worlds apart from the survival exam runt—tiny, regressed from captivity, dulled senses. This one was wild-honed peak condition.
Frontal breakthrough impossible. Then... pit them against each other and slip out.
Caught between. Plan: retreat to island beetle, bait spiders into stealth vanish. They'd clash; I'd escape amid chaos.
Some spiders might spot and chase, but better than now.
As I moved to execute—
Jjirit.
...!
A spine-chilling thrill made me shudder.
This sensation...!
Familiar. Jjiririt!
Cells firing, I froze and turned. Toward the dense trees.
Saa aaa.
A massive shadow and eerie wind stirred the woods.
The charging spiders halted too. They'd sensed it: an overwhelmingly superior presence approaching.
Dead silence for seconds.
Then, air-shaking roar.
Samaaaa!
Every exposed being froze solid.
...Except me.
The arrival exuded bone-shaking aura: a colossal mantis primal, long red mark streaking its chest.