Outside the protection of the Silent Sword Mist Array, the situation had changed so dramatically that even Clayne, if he was watching, could imdiately tell that the world was no longer the sa world he had been observing several days ago.
The Mother Mantis, which had once dominated the surrounding streets like an unstoppable predator, was no longer displaying the overwhelming superiority it possessed before.
Although it remained one of the strongest creatures within the area, the monsters it was facing now were clearly different from the ones it had casually slaughtered during its earlier growth period.
The effects of the red mist, the constant cycles of mutation, and the endless struggle for survival had transford the entire city into a gigantic breeding ground where only the strongest creatures could continue living.
A giant mutated dog with black fur and protruding bone spikes rushed toward the Mother Mantis with astonishing speed. Its body alone was comparable in size to a small truck, and every step it took caused the ground beneath its feet to crack.
The Mother Mantis imdiately reacted by unleashing one of its sharp forelimb strikes.
The attack sliced deeply across the creature’s neck, causing blood to spray everywhere. However, unlike before, the beast did not imdiately collapse. Instead, it stumbled backward while releasing a furious roar that shook the surrounding area.
The Mother Mantis followed up with a second strike.
The second slash opened another horrifying wound across the creature’s torso.
Yet the beast still remained standing.
Only after a third powerful slash did the mutated dog finally collapse onto the ground, twitching violently before becoming motionless.
The difference was obvious.
Several days ago, the Mother Mantis could kill almost any creature with a single attack. Now it required multiple strikes to finish even one opponent.
What made the situation even worse was that the monsters no longer behaved recklessly.
The creatures were beginning to display a level of intelligence that made them significantly more dangerous. Groups of mutated dogs hunted together. Massive birds circled overhead in coordinated patterns.
Strange bat-like creatures remained hidden among ruined structures while waiting for opportunities to attack. Giant rats moved in packs. Even the insects appeared more organized than before.
The world outside the formation had beco increasingly dangerous with each passing day.
...
anwhile, inside the school building, Clayne stood near the fourth-floor window while carefully observing everything.
His attention shifted repeatedly between the battlefield outside and the egg sac resting on the floor below. The red mist that had previously flooded the entire building was finally beginning to disappear.
The endless streams of crimson energy that had been pouring into the egg were becoming thinner and thinner. The tremors shaking the structure were also gradually weakening.
The entire atmosphere was becoming strangely calm.
That calmness imdiately made Clayne curious.
He stared at the egg for a long ti.
The Beast Enslavent Spell remained active.
The connection between him and the creature inside was stronger than ever.
As he focused on the connection, an idea appeared inside his mind.
Since the creature already belonged to him, perhaps he could influence it before it fully erged.
Without hesitation, Clayne concentrated on the spiritual connection and sent a simple command.
Open.
The reaction was imdiate.
The surface of the egg trembled.
The entire sac began shaking violently.
Large bulges appeared beneath the mbrane.
Sothing was pushing from inside.
The movents gradually beca more intense.
The entire egg began writhing.
Then the outer layer suddenly split apart.
A sharp crimson limb pierced through the surface.
Another limb erged.
Then another.
The entire egg ruptured.
A strange creature slowly crawled out.
At first, its movents appeared awkward and unstable. Its body swayed from side to side as though it had not yet adapted to walking. However, despite its newborn appearance, Clayne could imdiately tell that this creature was fundantally different from its mother.
The newborn mantis possessed a dark crimson shell covered in glowing patterns that looked like flowing veins of energy. Golden light flickered within its eyes. Its forelimbs appeared sharper than polished blades. Every movent it made caused faint distortions in the surrounding air. Most importantly, the creature emitted an aura that far exceeded anything the Mother Mantis had displayed after its birth.
The newborn mantis slowly stood upright.
Then it raised its head.
Its glowing eyes locked onto Clayne.
For several monts, neither moved.
The connection between them beca increasingly clear.
Suddenly, the mantis released a sharp cry.
Although the sound itself was difficult to understand, the Beast Enslavent connection imdiately translated its aning.
The ssage was simple.
The creature was hungry.
Extrely hungry.
The hunger pouring through the connection was so intense that even Clayne could clearly feel it.
For a mont, he almost laughed.
The creature had only just erged from the egg, yet the first thing it wanted was food.
"Co with ."
The newborn mantis imdiately obeyed.
Not even the slightest hesitation appeared.
The terrifying creature followed behind him with complete obedience.
The contrast was almost absurd.
A monster powerful enough to cause heavenly tribulations was currently behaving like a loyal pet.
Soon, Clayne led the mantis toward the window.
The mont they looked outside, both of them beca still.
The Mother Mantis was still there.
The creature that had given birth to the newborn was still fighting.
For several monts, silence seed to descend upon the battlefield.
The Mother Mantis slowly raised its head.
The newborn mantis stared downward.
The two creatures looked directly at one another.
Then everything changed.
The newborn mantis moved.
The killing intent erupting from its body was so intense that even Clayne was startled.
There was no hesitation.
There was no confusion.
There was no recognition.
Only absolute hostility.
The newborn mantis vanished.
Its speed exceeded anything Clayne had witnessed before.
The creature appeared directly in front of its mother.
The Mother Mantis imdiately sensed danger.
Its forelimbs rose defensively.
Its body shifted backward.
Yet the reaction was too slow.
The newborn mantis swung one of its forelimbs.
A crescent-shaped crimson blade erupted from the swing.
Unlike the attacks used by the Mother Mantis, this attack never required physical contact.
The crimson blade flew through the air like a streak of destruction.
The Mother Mantis attempted to block.
Its forelimbs crossed.
Its body twisted.
Its instincts scread at it to survive.
None of it mattered.
The crimson blade sliced through everything.
The forelimbs shattered.
The armor cracked.
The body split apart.
The Mother Mantis was cut cleanly into two pieces.
The battle ended before it had truly begun.
Even Clayne stared with widened eyes.
The Mother Mantis had forced him to spend hours attempting to kill it.
Yet the newborn creature had ended everything with a single attack.
Then the real massacre began.
The newborn mantis released another cry.
Its body disappeared.
A giant mutated dog suddenly exploded into pieces.
A giant bird attempting to descend from the sky was sliced apart before it could even flap its wings.
A massive bat creature fell from the air after a crimson blade cut through its body.
The newborn mantis moved continuously.
Each appearance resulted in death.
Each swing resulted in destruction.
The battlefield transford into a slaughterhouse.
The surviving monsters attempted to fight back.
So charged forward.
So attacked from a distance.
So tried escaping.
None of them succeeded.
The newborn mantis moved through them like a living nightmare.
Corpses accumulated across the streets.
Blood covered the ground.
The sounds of dying beasts echoed endlessly.
Eventually, silence returned.
The battlefield beca covered with bodies.
Only the newborn mantis remained standing.
Then sothing strange happened.
The creature approached the corpse of its own mother.
One forelimb descended.
The skull split open.
A crystal rolled out.
The mantis imdiately swallowed it.
The crystal disappeared with a crunch.
Then the creature moved toward another corpse.
Another crystal disappeared.
Then another.
Then another.
Then another.
The newborn mantis consud everything.
Mutated dogs.
Mutated cats.
Mutated birds.
Mutated bats.
Every crystal beca food.
The more it ate, the brighter the glowing patterns on its shell beca.
The more it ate, the stronger its aura beca.
The more it ate, the more terrifying it felt.
Finally, after swallowing another crystal, the newborn mantis raised its head toward the sky and released a powerful scream.
The cry echoed throughout the city.
The cry contained excitent.
The cry contained anticipation.
The cry contained a desire for more prey.
As Clayne watched the creature standing amidst a mountain of corpses, surrounded by countless monsters still roaming the city, a dangerous idea slowly ford within his mind.
He rembered the endless hordes of creatures still wandering outside.
He rembered the red mist.
He rembered how every surviving monster constantly hunted stronger prey.
Most importantly, he rembered the terrifying growth speed displayed by the newborn mantis.
A slow smile appeared on Clayne’s face.
The more he thought about it, the more interesting the idea beca.
If ordinary creatures could beco stronger by devouring one another, and if this mantis could beco stronger by consuming crystals from those creatures, then perhaps there was a way to accelerate its growth even further.
Perhaps he did not need to hunt every monster himself.
Perhaps he could let the city raise the creature for him.
Perhaps the entire apocalypse outside could beco a gigantic feeding ground.
And the more Clayne imagined that possibility, the brighter his eyes beca.
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