Insect Tamer's Ascension

The moment Theo spoke, the mantis moved right away and hit its right foreleg right at the ape's face.

The ape felt a little itch yet just shrugged it off before trying to start fighting again. But the spores had already left the mantis's forelegs and entered the ape's eyes and nostrils almost instantly.

The ape froze for a second with its eye widened, a screech came out it's mouth, and it went limp for a single second. Yet it still stood with bent legs, as the paralysis was not enough to have a level 7 individual be effected fully.

"It's paralyzed now," Theo spoke gently, both to inform Clara and to avoid waking the ape.

Clara had already seen the mantis on the ape now—it stood out against the brown fur with its green hue.

She mentally told something to the boar, and before Theo could realize if she had given a command or not—

The boar took a few steps back, and soon, its tusks started glowing reddish. The color was prominent against its originally whitish tusks.

SQUEAKK!!

With a loud battle roar that even broke the ape out of its paralysis, the boar charged forward while the ape tried to stop it by grabbing its tusks again.

But it was impossible to stop the boar—it had already come too close.

Without making a single sound, the reddish tusks pierced the ape's gut, finally making it look ahead in bewilderment. It was as if it didn't understand what had just transpired.

The boar's tusks were still inside the ape as it thrashed weakly, trying to hit the boar again—only to feel itself growing weaker. The boar's tusks seemed to return to their original color, yet they remained buried in the ape's body.

And with a single tug of its tusks and brute strength, Theo saw the boar lift the ape, which screamed with all it had.

The ape's suffering was clear, yet in Theo's eyes, there was no mercy left for it. It had tried to kill one of his most beloved people, and that was something he could never accept.

And while he hadn't been able to do much, the mantis had once again done something outrageous—something that made Theo feel as if fate had truly guided it to become his tamed beast.

The ape was now in the air, and when the boar started swinging its tusks left and right, the creature writhed, trying desperately to break free.

Blood had already splattered everywhere. Even though the skill had deactivated, the tusks were now fully red.

The ape's eyes fluttered shut again and again, its consciousness fading by the second.

Until finally, its body went limp, and its torso collapsed over the boar's face, hanging there lifelessly.

=====

[Moss Carapace Mantis helped kill a Petrastone Ape (Level 7)]

[Grade (+) and Level (+) difference detected]

[Adding 150% to the base EXP]

[EXP gained: 40 + 150%]

Distribution:

Theo Merrick – 40

Iron Mantis – 60

=====

[Theo Merrick (You) have leveled up!]

[All Stats increased:

Strength – 12 → 13

Stamina – 7 → 8

Agility – 6 → 7

Vitality – 22 → 23

Intelligence – 32 → 33

Dexterity – 12 → 13]

[+3 Free points]

[Theo Merrick (You) have reached Level 3 successfully]

=====

When Theo got the notifications, for a moment, all of this felt like a dream.

He ran with all his might, stumbling over one or two roots before throwing himself into Clara's arms without any hesitation.

Clara felt the impact as Theo hugged her at full speed, but she still placed a hand on his back and face.

A trickle of tears escaped the corner of her eye as she held him—relieved beyond words that he was safe after such an impossibly difficult battle.

They stayed like that for a full minute before Theo pulled away, not meeting her gaze.

Clara gently lifted his chin to make him look at her, but he refused. For some reason, he couldn't bring himself to meet her eyes.

"… Just you being alive is the greatest outcome of this situation, young master. Us surviving was just an additional benefit," she said with a gentle smile.

This time, Theo looked up, his eyes filled with an intense rage that caught Clara off guard.

"Never think of yourself as expendable, Clara. Never do something like th— No. This situation will never happen again. I will make sure of it…" Theo stated with determination, his voice shaking slightly. Tears threatened to spill from his eyes, but he held them back. It was no time to cry, it was time to improve for his loved ones.

Clara remained silent. Something about his words told her this wasn't just a child's emotions—it was something much deeper.

"… Thank you for saying that, young master," she finally said, bowing her head.

Theo gritted his teeth. Even after saving his life, she still bowed before him just because of what his status. It was infuriating, to say the least.

His gaze fell on the boar, which stood with the same commanding presence as ever. Its head, however, was completely drenched in blood—both its own and the ape's.

Theo stepped forward, and the boar stared at him. When he was close enough, he gently placed a hand on the side of its face.

Theo's eyes filled with sorrow. The amount of damage and pain the boar had endured today was beyond reason. With every hit to its head, Theo had feared its death.

"… Thank you."

The words left Theo's mouth softly. The boar stared into his eyes for a moment before slowly moving forward—dragging its entire body against Theo in a show of trust.

Clara giggled. "He likes you, young master."

Theo chuckled too. He scraped his hand along the boar's back and gently caressed it, ignoring the prickly feeling.

The boar snorted once but didn't protest, as if enjoying the touch. Soon, the pup approached him too, nudging for attention, and Theo gave it pats unconditionally.

—————

While they were sharing a moment of peace and appreciation, two individuals observed the group from a distance, hidden from sight.

"Why didn't we help them, Master?" the attendant asked, his gaze never leaving the group.

Lucien stared at Theo, a deep sigh escaping his lips. With a perplexed expression, he muttered, "I don't know…"