Chapitre 45: Chapter 45 - Little Mantis.
Xin could feel his gut get tense, complemented by a pulsation in his forehead. Intuition taking over? A barely discernible sound, somewhere far away, sounded somewhat out of place, making him alarmed.
"What?" Lei stared at him. There was a lot of trust in his gaze, he learned to rely on his partner.
"Wait. Need to activate the thing."
Lei nodded.
Xin rubbed his nose, scratched it inside with his nail and wiped it with his armguard. It then started leaking some transparent snot.
Everyone was confused, with him standing there like a statue.
Sniff. Sniff.
"Blood. Pheromones? Bugs. Human odour, animal meat. Weird." Xin's nose was leaking more snot and he stood there like in a trance, clearly overwhelmed. "Approaching, fast, crescent shaped group, there." He pointed back towards the trail they came from.
"Who? Explain normally."
"A group of bugs, but smells of humans, too. Wait." Xin lowered his arm and started jogging in the opposite direction. "Follow me, we are retreating."
Sniff. Sniff. Xin caught a weird, familiar smell, something that he couldn't identify in nature. Something from his non-hunter life. Slightly acidic, slightly... Metallic?
"The fuck is wrong with you?" Xie Taowei was jogging behind Xin, who was hastily moving away.
"They are catching up, we need to run and take a good defensive position uphill! Are there any metal path creatures in these lands?"
"Rust fiends, iron elementals, mercury snakes." Xie Taowei answered.
"No. No. Eh... No." Xin denied every option. He was now running even faster towards the high ground he envisioned a certain distance away from them, based on his hunter deductions and sense of smell. Still, he felt his soul being strained. His brain was forced to intake a bunch of information it was incompatible with, and he exerted his totem severely.
"Xin! How do I know you didn't go crazy?" Tu Qiang was running and helping Yao Nang run at the same time.
"Fuck off, it's not the time! Everyone, restore your qi, take the combat medicine!"
Lei and Rui Ming immediately complied, everyone else was a bit hesitant as they ran behind Xin. Tu Qiang let it slide, but it was still a disrespect of the master by a disciple. There will be consequences later, Xin thought. Irrelevant now.
Xin took out a pill of blood restoration, and gave it to Yao Nang, while applying a boar hide ointment to his skin. It didn't need to be applied to every patch of his skin, as it would soon absorb and spread even. He felt his facial muscles start going numb.
The group climbed a hill and created a battle formation. Xin started reloading.
"There, and there." He pointed towards the opposite sides of the grove. "The bugs will soon pincer us. Someone is controlling them, I think."
Xie Taowei looked nervous. He consumed four spirit stones in one mouthful, then activated his defensive method.
"Everyone, get ready to defend!"
Is his voice shaking? What's wrong with him?
Ah, Xin realised. He is indeed rank two, but his qi pool is at the bottom of his rank! And his regeneration is also slower than that of a regular rank two master, it seems. That's why he relies on formations and qi donations so much. Last fight, he probably spent a lot of energy, and was now caught off-guard by another attack. That's terrible.
"Windsplitter, how's your qi?" Xin was taking in a lot of information, trying to process everything that was going on.
"Almost full, I restored some. I reduced the environmental effects, too. I'll start using my wind path arrows." He procured a fancy looking quiver of arrows out of his bag of holding. Xie Taowei growled angrily, as if saying "you had a trump card you didn't use in the previous fights, you greedy bastard?".
Soon, Xin could hear the rustling of leaves and the loud rumbling of the ground. Weird, how many of them are there?
"What's that sound? Xin, how far are the mines?" Xie Taowei asked.
"Ten minutes of running from here, I think I know where they are. These creatures are faster than us, we need to defend here before retreating."
"We won't get any faster if we stay and fight, why the fuck are we standing?" Lei asked a question everyone but Xin and master Taowei had in mind.
"Humans are more durable than giant insects. We'll tire them by fighting, then they'll be forced to expend qi to restore their endurance. I also think it's better to defend the uphill position than to be caught stretched." Master Taowei agreed with Xin.
"I propose we just run, master Taowei." Lei sounded more nervous.
"Silence! Disciple Xin, could you activate that investigative method again?"
"I can't. Wait, I saw the silhouette. That's not a grasshopper. It's a giant mantis!"
Su Xing cursed and spat some blood on the ground. He was still injured and didn't receive proper help. Wu Xiaoyun gave him a healing pill. Every pill stressed out the body's meridians, and thus reduced the future possible qi regeneration from the spirit stones. From this perspective, combat medicine was a double-edged sword.
A swarm of bugs emerged from behind the trees and started climbing the hill. There were indeed some horse-sized mantises among them, but cannibal grasshoppers were still the majority. Some of the grasshoppers were even stage two, slightly bigger and taller, with a darker shade of green on their carapace.
"The bigger bugs might have some qi abilities! Be careful!" Xie Taowei warned everyone.
Xin knew that he only had two shots before the bugs would reach them. He carefully studied the creatures, trying to determine the most optimal target.
There, a giant mantis, squeezed from both sides by the grasshoppers! Xin aimed.
Swish! Swish! Swish! Rui Ming was showering the swarm with arrows. There were around three dozen creatures in it, and it would certainly be a hard fight for an already exhausted, somewhat beaten group.
Each arrow that he shot hit a target, the bug swarm was big enough that you were bound to hit at least something. The effect was devastating, as Rui Ming's own qi was amplified by the wind path infusions the arrows had, and he downed half a dozen creatures in no time.
Xin finally pulled the trigger. The giant mantis was shot in the prothorax, and the metal qi infused bolt went in deeply. The creature staggered for a moment, then kept running, albeit at a slower rate. Xin had no time to celebrate, and started reloading.
"This is winnable! We should stay and fight!" Xie Taowei shouted as he smashed another bug with a stone toss. He was certainly more conservative with his movements now, compared to the previous fights.
"I agree! Let's set up the formation!" Tu Qiang shouted.
Master Taowei opened the aperture of his core, and a stream of qi emanations that looked like ink paintings and translucent ropes spread across the ground, a bunch of little flagella slowly connecting to every member of the defensive line.
"You'll be pulled to stand in a certain position, make sure to follow this pull as much as possible! If you receive a reinforcement, use an empowered qi technique and pass it along!"
Master Taowei's aperture was now emanating a bunch of different coloured lights, which were a product of different materials being used up in his core to activate the formation.
By the time Xin finished reloading, the bugs had nearly reached their ranks. He felt the formation subtly pull him back two steps, and he complied without question.
He then aimed at this mantis' head, but stopped. Why is its abdomen so swollen? Is it pregnant? No, its eyes are big, and its antennae are pretty long, should be a male!
Fuck this. Xin suddenly shot the creature's abdomen, his bolt reinforced with metal qi, again.
"AGH!" The creature was stunned from pain, and a high male voice cried out from under it. The creature's abdomen then opened up, and a short figure in a straw hat and green robes emerged from it, covered in snot-like slime!
"Master Taowei!" Xin shouted as he switched to his glaive and ate a spirit stone.
"I see! Everyone, get ready!"
Everyone suddenly felt a bit of their energy drain, pulled towards master Taowei. The formation glowed with a bright yellow light, then the materials from the formation itself were used to augment the process.
"Get fucked!" Master Taowei procured a black boulder from his aperture, and launched it with a terrifying spin. It was glowing with bright yellow energy as it pierced the wind, leaving a trail of faint emanations behind.
The enemy master tried dodging, but apparently, this emanation trail wasn't just for show! Master Taowei grabbed it like a leash and redirected the flight of the rock!
Boom. This powerful rank two attack landed on top of the enemy master, the power of the hit would be strong enough to crack a castle wall! The rock exploded with black mud, covering everything in a ten steps diameter.
Suddenly, it rained! When the dust from the hit settled, the enemy master was standing there, a broken umbrella shaft in his hands, and a crossbow bolt in his shoulder. He pulled it out with a smile. His wound didn't seem to be bleeding.
"That's it?" He had a pleasant youthful voice. His face was thin and very angular. He looked fourteen, at most! "You made me break my artefact, I'll make sure my gains are worth it!"
Shit. Xin was anxious. So much qi was wasted on this attack, and it achieved nothing? What was even that method? Is the enemy a water path master?
"That was a Divine Midwife's umbrella! It's probably a replica, so it broke!" Su Xing shouted as he tried to hold a cannibal grasshopper away, despite his injury.
Good to know, but we probably have no strength left to repeat this attack. For now, Xin focused on what's important — killing bugs.
Xin started attacking the grasshoppers with his glaive. He now knew the patterns of their attacks, and, being reinforced by Rui Ming and Tu Qiang from two sides, poking from behind them, he had a very lucrative position on the battlefield.
A stage two grasshopper was assaulting Rui Ming, its legs covered in thin, but very sharp chitin spikes. Rui Ming's techniques weren't completely useless, but he was certainly exhausting himself trying to damage it.
Xin had an urge to look Lei up, but restrained it. The most optimal thing to do was to wait for a bug's attack on Rui Ming, and then deliver a Woodcutter's Downswing.
The grasshopper stabbed at Rui Ming from above, but he nimbly side stepped and its foreleg pierced the ground. Suddenly, a huge mass of grass grew under his legs, small vines grabbing him by the shins. A wood path method! It turned its miss into a restraining attack!
With the bug raising its foreleg above his head again, Rui Ming was now facing a choice — try and get yourself free, using qi and risking to get impaled anyway, or try and block, risking to be overwhelmed by a barrage of stabs, each strong enough to kill him if it lands. Naturally, Rui Ming chose to deflect, relying on his swordsmanship.
Now! Xin waited for the bug to deliver the first attack, which Xin rightly predicted Rui Ming would deflect, and jumped forward. The second attack was already coming, and it looked like Rui Ming was out of balance, holding his sword with only one hand.
Woodcutter's Downswing! Xin's attack landed right where the bug's front "shoulder" would be, and it almost sliced it off!
It was a stage two grasshopper, which roughly meant that it was intended for rank one masters to fight, but Xin's qi infused glaive, using a rare element breakdown technique, was just right to exploit its metal element vulnerability!
This was enough for Rui Ming. He twisted his blade around his legs, infused with wind qi, as if he was getting noodles onto a chopstick, destroying the grass vines with a burst of cutting wind. He then assaulted the injured creature with his own barrage of attacks.
It tried to retreat, but Xin grabbed its other front leg with a hook of his glaive, blocking its movement. He wasn't strong enough to restrain it, of course, but he didn't need to be. He just needed to win a moment for Rui Ming.
Swish! Rui Ming delivered a slash, chopping the creature's head off in one fell swoop.
Heavens, imagine if he didn't break through! We'd all be dead by now.
Xin looked around. The mortals need reinforcement, if their battle line collapses, it's over. Xin ignored the formation pulling him back and ran to help Su Xing, who was struggling against a grasshopper.
"Come back to your position! We've almost built up a second reinforced attack!" Xie Taowei crushed another bug with his mallet and threw a stone at the nimble slime-covered master. He easily avoided it.
"You are almost out of qi! You don't have another attack like this in you, hahaha! That kid is right to desert you." The figure in a straw hat was seemingly inactive, standing there, dodging ranged attacks and taunting Xie Taowei.
Lei killed another grasshopper. He heard the enemy master's words. He tried to demoralize them, break their will to fight, make them feel hopeless. Cheap trick. Still, Lei felt like there was a grain of truth in his words. Their true trap cards are him, Xin and Rui Ming, this old master was holding them back!
Fuck this, I'll activate the Molten Heart.
Lei cut himself off the formation and started decomposing metal qi into lava around his heart. He felt his body heat rise up.
"The fuck are you doing! Fuck!" Xie Taowei's voice sounded desperate when he cried out to Lei. Two disciples have removed themselves from the formation, it's about to collapse!
"Good, now that your squad has no fire path donor to finish the move, I am truly invulnerable! Thanks, kids!"
Xin briefly looked at the enemy master again. He looked so youthful, yet he called them kids! Could it be…? Well, no time to verify. Xin kept fighting the grasshopper that was attacking Su Xing. This was where the formation was most likely to break, so he reinforced it.
Suddenly, a stage two grasshopper and a giant mantis retreated from the fight. The area was too crowded, and they couldn't use their full potential, having to squeeze through a bunch of dead and living bug bodies. They created a living shield around the enemy master, who sat down on his knees and put his hands on his belly.
Lei killed another grasshopper, burying his saber into its head. He looked at what was happening and scowled. Somehow, he felt it was no good.
"Xin, reinforce me!" Molten Heart certainly made Lei hot-headed, he had to take it into account when gauging his decision making. No, he thought. It's a good idea!
Xin took a leap of faith and abandoned Su Xing, who was fighting shoulder to shoulder with Yao Nang, and ran towards Lei.
"You two! Get back!" Xie Taowei was impressive, creating a pile of dead bodies around him. But Xin knew his squad's limits already, everyone was probably running out of qi (Not even speaking about the injuries). And not even half of the opponents were dead.
Xin ran up to Lei, who was pincered by two grasshoppers, on the edge of their formation's right flank. Lei jumped sideways, leaving Xin to handle both of the bugs.
"The fuck?!" Xin was shocked.
"Hold on!" Lei infused his legs with fire qi and ran up to the mantis that was protecting the kneeling master, using the opportunity created by using Xin as bait.
The mantis was looking at him with a semi-intelligent stare, and was clearly anticipating something. It opened its mouth and launched a big thorn at him, glowing with light green energy.
A rank one attack! Somehow, Lei easily dodged it. He felt like he was moving more nimbly than he ever did.
There is only one possible explanation! Rui Ming read my intentions and sped me up, and I didn't feel his warm wind, since I'm already hot from Molten Heart!
Lei's spirit was elevated. He kept zig-zagging towards the mantis, who was clearly preparing to attack once again.
Swish! He dodged.
"The fuck are you doing?! It's a rank two master, fall back!" Tu Qiang shouted.
Lei could see a small part of the master's silhouette from between the mantis' legs, but there was something weird about it.
There was a white light emanating from his belly!
Fuck.
The mantis raised its forearms, inviting Lei to attack, clearly blocking the way to the kneeling enemy master. Lei listened to his battle instincts.
Propulsion shard! Fire Qi infusion! He soared forward and upwards, flying above the mantis' head, confusing it with his sudden movement. He only had a small moment to look at the enemy master, and what he saw confused him greatly, but he had no time to process this.
He landed on top of the creature's head with his left leg, and spat on the kneeling master!
Molten Heart, combined with intensity enhancing combat medicine! The enemy master manifested some sort of wooden shield, but the metal element in his attack sliced through it like butter.
"Agggh! Cunt!" The young master cried out in pain.
The creature didn't want to let Lei step on its head unpunished, and tried biting his leg with its powerful jaw. Lei only had one thing on his mind now — survival!
He used propulsion dao shard again, and managed to sear the creature's eyes with the fire it emanated, jumping backwards with an impressive backflip.
"Aaaagh! Too late! Aaaagh! You are all fucking dead, aaagh! It burns, fuck! I'll kill you, human!" The enemy master ran away, and so did Lei. He felt like his meridians were about to explode, and didn't want to even start thinking about the qi drain of this location. The worst thing, of course, was that a giant mantis was chasing him!
Luckily, Rui Ming's speed-up still affected him, and he managed to backstab one of the grasshoppers Xin was fighting as he retreated. It only then dawned on him what he just saw!
The master was sitting there, and an ugly cocoon-like entity was emerging from his aperture, like he was giving birth! It looked like an insect made out of pure metal, covered in mercury-like slime.
"It's an iron mantis! Retreat, fucking retreat!" Xie Taowei sounded terrified.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone