บท 19: Cliches! Cliches everywhere!
A menacing four-metre tall Mantis slammed both of its pincers onto the ground as it emerged out from its long slumber. It possessed four piercing eyes, each one reflecting the dye of a bleeding sun.
Its many wings flapped rapidly, creating torrents of whirlwinds which sliced down any tree that came within five metres of it. All six of its legs slammed pierced through the hard rock, giving it an immovable stance for a Magic Beast its size. Numerous wind blades broke out from the humongous Magic Beast forcing both Yachi and Chen to fall back in caution.
Yachi got to her feet quickly, spinning her wand and rubbing the sweat off her body. She looked at the newcomer with wary eyes, not knowing the right way to react.
One… two… three… four… five…
It took five full seconds for Chen to realise what had just occurred. His face paled, and voice cracked as his mind was thrown off a steep cliff.
"M-Mantis Q-Queen..."
"A Mantis Queen?" Yachi asked.
"T-That's right! It's a Mantis Queen! No wonder there has been a resurgence of Death Scythe Mantises in this area!"
Mantis Queen. The higher evolved version of all Death Scythe Mantises. Male Death Scythe Mantises were smaller but more agile, while female Death Scythe Mantises were bigger and much more dominant. In general, the females were the stronger of the two, with many cannibalising on their smaller mates just because they could.
And when a female Death Scythe Mantis had eaten too many of its fellow compatriots, there was a chance for it to become something different. Something much more powerful than a mere D-ranked Magic Beast.
"Oh? So this bigger bug is causing the smaller bugs to move out of the forest?"
"You fool!" Chen screamed at the naive young girl's description of the monster that stood before them.
"A Mantis Queen is a true B-ranked Magic Beast! It's ten times stronger than any ordinary Death Scythe Mantis! Its power is no less than that of a true Magician at the peak of their powers!"
"..."
Yachi puckered her lips and tilted her head. She looked at the Mantis Queen once more and tried to examine it from the top. Innately, Yachi felt a primal fear creep up her core, causing her to be hesitant to stare directly in the Mantis Queen's eyes. However, something in her gut was telling her that the Magic Beast that Chen was so afraid of… was nothing more than a giant insect.
It was an odd feeling, but Yachi couldn't understand why she was feeling that way. So, she kept quiet and allowed Chen to lead the conversation.
"Senior! We must retreat now! A Mantis Queen is a Magic Beast that requires at least an A-Class Adventurer to subdue! We are no match for that monster!"
Roan thought about it for a while before shrugging his shoulders in surrender: "You are the one who calls the shots, so you decide."
"Okay, let's move!"
Chen wasted no time and leapt back with everything that he had. Using Aura was too much of a burden on his body, so all he could rely on was his superior athletic talent. Roan and Yachi, on the other hand, cast simple body enhancement spells to keep up with the retreating youth.
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!
The Mantis Queen screeched, showing the depths of her immense wrath. All around her were the carcasses of her dead subordinates. Loyal minions that had brought her food throughout her stay in the outer regions. Yet, all of them were laying dead right in front of her abode.
In a fit of fury, the Mantis Queen lost all sense of rationality. It didn't care about the wisdom that its ancestors had imparted onto her. It didn't care about the fear of the outer roads. All the Mantis Queen wanted to do was to kill the ones who trespassed onto her domain.
The B-ranked Magic Beast abandoned her lair and sent thousands of wind blades flying through the forest. Trees were cut in a matter of seconds, and an open path was created.
Chen and Yachi were affected by the sudden gush of wind that was similar to that of a hurricane and toppled onto the earthen floor. Only Roan was able to keep some semblance of balance, which allowed him to turn back and examine the horrendous Mantis Queen.
"You done fucked up now, main character."
"Hah… Hah… Mantis Queen! Why is a Mantis Queen here?"
"Isn't it because of the flags you raised? Do you honestly think that a main character would have a simple subjugation request where all you need to do is kill a few bugs?"
"Damn it! We have to run! There's nothing we can do against a Mantis Queen!!!"
"Run? Run to where?"
"What do you mean where? Of course, it would be the..."
Chen stopped himself mid-sentence. There was only one place for the three of them to run to. The place that had commissioned them to subdue the Death Scythe Mantises in the first place. But was it truly wise?
"If we run to Ganger Tavern, that angry Magic Beast will follow us there. Also, by the looks of it, it doesn't seem to be all that friendly to humans. Especially after we killed so many of its subordinates. And if we lead them there..."
"The innkeeper and his daughter..."
Chen bit his lower lip. The innkeeper and the barmaid weren't Magicians, and neither of them had the capability of defending against a Death Scythe Mantis, let alone a Mantis Queen. If the three of them were to lead that Magic Beast to Ganger Tavern…
'Should I beg this senior to kill it?'
The resourceful mind in Chen spun. He thought of every possible solution to deal with the Mantis Queen. Perhaps if he begged Roan, the Magician would fight the B-ranked Magic Beast on his behalf. Maybe if he agreed to Roan's request and became his disciple, Ganger Road could be rid of the tyrannical Mantis Queen.
It was an attractive solution. Chen didn't have to lift a finger, and he wouldn't need to risk anything to earn everything. Alas...
'No… What am I thinking? Involving an innocent party into my mess?'
But in the end… Chen didn't succumb to the temptation.
The Magic Warrior took a deep breath and slammed his two feet on the forest floor. He swung his spear behind his back and stood his ground. Roan and Yachi both stopped in their tracks as well, looking confused at Chen's sudden movement.
"Senior, please retreat back to the tavern. If possible, help the innkeeper and his daughter leave Ganger Road."
"And what about you?" Roan asked with a raised brow.
Chen shook his head and didn't answer. There was no need for words. The Magic Warrior was about to let his actions do the talking.
Chen's spear ignited with a beautiful red inferno as a profound crimson aura shot free from his inner pores. Like an infernal incarnate, numerous red magic circles formed right above Chen's head forcing waves of flame energy to come crashing down on his body. Fires exceeding a thousand degrees wreathed around his fingertips and continually seeped out from his young and petite body.
At that moment, time seemed to stop.
The fires billowed continuously, and yet… the forest didn't burn.
The temperatures were enough to smelt ore and turn metal into mush, and yet… the ground didn't melt.
The fires that protected Chen… they weren't flames that destroyed everything in its path. They weren't flames from hell.
No, they were imbued with control that few could ever achieve in this world.
They were akin to… the flames of Heaven.
The Mantis Queen stopped her advance and looked down at the Nezha personification beneath her. For the first time in its life, the Mantis Queen felt danger. As if this small little creature that it could slice with one of its blades… could potentially claim its life.
So it waited. The Mantis Queen may have lost itself in anger, but it was no brute. It knew how to observe and adapt to its opponent's strengths and weaknesses. Which was what made a B-ranked Magic Beast so tricky to deal with in the first place.
However, that moment's pause was all Chen had hoped for. Once again, he bellowed out: "SENIOR LEAVE NOW!!!"
"... Got it," Roan replied half-heartedly and dragged the confused Yachi away.
Five… Four… Three… Two… One…
Slowly but surely, Roan and Yachi's presence faded away. But Chen expected that. After all, Roan was a Master Magician. His spells and techniques must have been top-tier as well.
'I shall leave the Innkeeper and Victoria to you, senior...'
If it was Roan, the inhabitants of Ganger Tavern would surely be safe and sound. Chen took a deep breath, knowing that at the very least, he had saved a few more lives.
With one final sigh, Chen held his spear upright. The Magic Warrior took many deep breaths, absorbing as much of the fresh air as possible. Magic torrents swirled all around him, and power rushed through his veins. It was his perfect state, a condition that Chen thought his body would never ever revert back to.
'Essence burn… I'm really going to lose everything that I have here, huh?'
Chen pitied himself. Not because he was going to die soon, but because of the overwhelming power that coursed through his body. It was only going to last a short while, a minute or two perhaps. But it was unquestionably his most perfect form. The Magic that he possessed when he was at the peak of his powers.
And after this minute was over… all of this power would be eroded back to dust.
'A B-ranked Magic Beast to accompany me… Haha, not a bad way to finish my life!'
Chen roared with everything in his soul. He swung his spear around and continued to wreath it with his controlled fire. Charging forward with both Aura and Magic Spells in hand, the Magic Warrior slammed his spear onto the ground and sent forth a flaming crescent moon towards the Mantis Queen.
The Mantis Queen screeched in anger and retaliated with its own magical abilities. It flew back and landed squarely above some trees while spitting out thousands of wind blades to neutralise the intense fire attack.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMM!!!
A sonic explosion, mixed with residue fire and wind, blasted out in all directions and burnt the forest floor to a crisp. Chen somersaulted in the air, not in the retreat of the blast, but towards the stunned Mantis Queen. He absorbed the damage from the explosion with blood trickling down his mouth and eyes.
Nothing was holding him back now. With his life essence burnt, Chen no longer needed to worry about pulling his punches. He was about to die anyway, so he might as well leave with a bang.
Chen propelled himself right towards the Mantis Queen with everything that was left in the tank. All of his fire elementals, all of his mana, and all of his energy were expended in his final attack.
Every muscle in his body was crying out. His Magic Circuits were all burnt away. His Magic Source diminished exponentially until it was nothing more than a dimly lit bulb. Everything was stripped away from Chen at this moment as he flung his flaming spear.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!
The spear reached the Mantis Queen and detonated like a napalm bomb. Intense heat broke out from the inner workings of the metallic object and lava spewed all over the Mantis Queen. Smoke obscured Chen's vision, but the deathly cries of the B-ranked Magic Beast told the young red-haired teen that his final attack had worked. And not to mention…
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeekkkkkkkkkkkkk!!!
Chen could see it with his own two eyes. The Mantis Queen, just like his spear, had bits of its exoskeleton melted away. The Magic Beast's left front leg was charred, and half of its face had been melted off. It yelped in agony, unable to stand on its own legs.
'Even with all that, you still won't die? Hah… As expected of a B-ranked Magic Beast...'
Chen��s heart felt heavy. In the end, after sacrificing his life, he was unable to kill off the Magic Beast that terrorised Ganger Roan.
'No matter… As long as it doesn't attack the tavern, I'm content...'
Although the Mantis Queen was still alive, it was mortally wounded. There was no way that the intelligent Magic Beast would risk its own life to attack a human settlement anymore. At the very least, Chen had resolved the request that the innkeeper and his daughter had made.
The Mantis Queen continued to yelp until it found Chen's motionless body. He was sprawled out on the floor, weak and damaged. The intense flame that protected his body was nowhere to be seen, and his Magic Source was flickering away.
It was this brat… This human brat that had made her fall to this extent!
The Mantis Queen screeched once more. This time not in pain, but in pure anger. It was in no position to attack Ganger Tavern, but it had all the energy in the world to kill that man who caused her this pain.
And thus, it charged over. Raising its remaining front leg, the Mantis Queen aimed right at Chen's heart, ready to reap the life out of his unmoving body.
Chen saw it all move in slow motion. He didn't have the power to resist, and thus, he just closed his eyes as he waited for the inevitable.
'"Mother… Father… Hua'er… I've failed you. I will make it up to you three in my next life."
Saying his last words, Chen resolved himself to the eternal darkness that was coming.
But well… that darkness never came.
"Wow, you really said those words! Haha, you really are a walking cliche machine! Yachi, take notes! This is how you progress your character arc!"
"I understand!"
The sound of his death was replaced by two cheerful voices. Still, in a delirious state, Chen opened one of his eyes, and sure enough, Roan and Yachi were standing over him with two broad smirks.
"S-Senior… W-Why..."
"Why? You passed my test, stupid boy! I wanted to conduct a few more background checks on you to ensure that you're the real deal, but honestly, there's no need for that anymore."
Roan waved his hand, and a green magic wave flowed out from his body. It entered Chen's body with no resistance from the man, and the young man felt his slipping consciousness rapidly returning. The Magic Source that was supposed to be spent was slowly recovering, and the fatigue that he'd built up was being washed away.
It wasn't enough to heal Chen completely, but it gave him the energy to open both of his eyes.
The Mantis Queen, which should have pierced its front leg into Chen's body, was now standing over them frozen in place. Its body was shaking as if it was tried up by temporal chains. Its eyes which reflected rage and death were now dyed in a different hue… One of complete fear.
"Character… I give five stars! Talent… Five stars! Intelligence… Five stars! Cliche magnet, infinite stars! Chen, I'm going to make you my disciple even if you're some criminal overlord!"
"S-Senior? The M-Mantis Queen?"
"Ah, this bug?"
Roan glanced over his shoulder and looked at the oversized Magic Beast with indifference. The way he looked at the monster showed his real thoughts. If Chen didn't mention it, Roan might have forgotten about its existence.
"As I said from the beginning..."
Roan turned off his chirpy mode and raised his right hand up. In a nanosecond, a complicated red Magic Circle expanded from his palms. The next second, flame elementals gathered from all over the forest and charged the Magic Circle up with their energy. And finally…
FFFFFFFFFFFFTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!
An intense light shot free from the Magic Circle. As someone adept in using fire, Chen could feel how powerful that Magic Spell was. That heat was something that no one in his clan could ever hope to create. Not even his esteemed Grandfather, who was once known as the Patriarch of Flames, could generate that sort of heat.
But most shockingly…
Ssstttt…
After a few seconds, the light slowly dissipated away and it showed the aftermath of Roan's nonchalant attack.
Over two kilometres of the forest was burnt down. No, it was incinerated down to molecules. The earthen ground had turned into charred ash, and the clouds above had split away in fear of Roan's majesty. And the Mantis Queen?
It was nowhere to be seen.
Roan's single attack… had killed a B-ranked Magic Beast instantaneously, leaving no corpse behind.
"As I said from the beginning, this is how you take care of bugs."
Roan smiled and put out a victory sign with his free hand.
"T-That… T-That..."
Chen watched Roan while holding his breath and in a mixture of shock and mana overuse…
"Ah, he fainted. Yet another cliched move by a main character."
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