Insect Tamer's Ascension

With Clara gone now, Theo couldn't help but feel a lot of anger toward the boar.

The scene of her getting hit played in his mind again and again.

'Mantis, metallic strike to the right eye,' Theo gave a mental command, making the mantis hop up in the air this time, and before it could land, it used the skill in midair, making it zoom forward toward the boar.

The boar saw a flashing white light moving toward him fast. It closed its eyes instinctively, yet the mantis threw both its forelegs right at the eye.

First, the eyelid punctured, and then the foreleg went directly inside the eye. Even a normal attack could have punctured an eye, but using the ability had made that attack even more effective and lethal.

SQUEAKKK

A shriek of pain came from the boar as it shook its head with all its might, making the mantis hop down to a strand of grass before camouflaging to the colour.

Theo looked at the boar with an angry frown. Both the boar and the pup made their way to Theo and latched onto both his sides, and looked everywhere with aggression too.

The boar looked like it was going to attack anytime now, but Theo got it—Clara was still alive and well enough to give a mental command to both of them.

Theo heard the pup growl for the first time. Its voice was so deep and thick that it felt like an adult wolf was growling.

When the five-second cooldown was over, Theo made the mantis attack again.

This time, the boar didn't even see the shift in light, as its whole right side had already become a blind spot.

The mantis made a deep swipe to the boar's neck this time, making it feel another set of pain.

It was all happening in a matter of seconds that looked and felt like long minutes by now.

The mantis hopped onto its back this time and tried digging its forelegs into the metallic skin of the boar again and again.

The boar shook multiple times, but the mantis had dug one of them enough to stay stable.

Suddenly, two more heads bobbed from different sides toward the battered ground.

The grass strands had either been stepped on to squash or cut from the attacks that weren't even aimed at them.

It made the visibility clearer.

The boar and the pup growled in their own ways, but the first thing that both the boars saw was each other.

The next second, both their tusks flashed red and they travelled toward each other.

BANGG!!

Both pairs of tusks that were covered in their abilities smacked against each other and locked in.

They both squeaked intensely, making it sound like a war roar.

Theo didn't get distracted. This was an opportunity. He gave the mantis the command to attack at the same spot.

The mantis looked up and then ran forward toward the boar's face before jumping forward and then curving its body midway.

It activated its skill and shot right back at the neck at a near-perfect angle, piercing the neck with its all.

—————

[Moss Carapace Mantis kills an Ironback Boar (Level 2)!]

[Level (-) and grade (+) difference detected]

[Adding 5% to the base EXP]

[EXP gained: 30 + 5%]

Distribution:31.50

Theo Merrick – 12.60

Moss Carapace Mantis – 18.90]

____________

Theo huffed in relief and made the mantis get ready. They were going to take advantage of that prolonged tusk's hug of the boars.

When the cooldown was over, he gave a mental command, 'Sporelash at both their faces.'

The mantis, who was on the body of the dead boar, looked at the two boars with a twitching body as if it was ready to go.

It started running on the ground and in just a second or two, reached the two boars and latched onto one of their leg.

It started climbing up, and the other boar saw the scene of a small green insect trying to come up to the other boar's body.

It tried reacting with more strength, yet it made the other one even more aggressive, and it increased the strength from its side too.

By that time, the mantis reached way up at the boar's body and finally became stable on its back.

Theo grinned. The mantis was ready. 'GO.'

It hopped up again toward the place where both their faces were together and the tusks latched to each other in a slight diagonal manner.

When the mantis reached close enough, it did the same thing again and smacked both its forelegs together, making a lot of spores come out.

The boars flinched as the spores started attaching to their faces. A lot of them were inhaled from their big nostrils, and some were absorbed through the eyes.

Just mere few seconds later, their legs started jerking as if there was little strength left in them.

'Wait…' Theo finally realized something, making him feel like an idiot.

'Metallic strike to the head.'

Theo gave the command, and while the mantis had landed on one's head, it hopped again without using the ability—right at the head it was sitting on.

Theo noted this observation, and before he could see the results of what would happen to the head, he heard a light rustle right from the grass that was very close to him and the pup.

The pup growled, but when it sniffed the air once or twice, its ears and eyes reacted in a friendly way.

Theo didn't observe and went on guard before he saw a shining dagger move out first. He looked at that dagger and felt nostalgia, as it had the same design as Clara's.

SQUEAAKKKK

The injured boar jerked its head so much that it got out of the tusks attached to the other one.

Theo realized that Clara was coming in, yet his gaze went to the rabid boar who had bloodshot eyes. There was blood flowing from its head.

'Metallic strike to the same spot again.'