Chapter 94: Impossible Kill
The grotesque transformation of the giant anteater did not conclude after its eyes turned that unnatural dead-red color. If anything, that moment merely marked the beginning of something far more disturbing. Clayne remained standing beside the broken window while the evolved mantis crouched nearby, both of them watching the distant battlefield with unwavering attention. The city below had already become a graveyard of collapsed structures, burning vehicles, and mountains of corpses, yet the center of the chaos continued drawing their focus.
The enormous anteater had stopped roaring.
For several moments, it simply stood there. Motionless. Silent.
Its towering frame rose above the surrounding streets like a living monument. Thousands of undead surrounded it. Countless corpses littered the ground beneath its feet. The crimson glow within its eyes continued pulsing rhythmically.
Then suddenly, it moved. The creature lowered its elongated head. Its grotesquely long tongue shot outward.
Several undead were instantly wrapped up and dragged into its mouth.
Crunch.
The sound echoed across the surrounding streets.
The undead vanished. Then more were swallowed. And more. And more.
The giant creature no longer seemed interested in fighting them.
Instead, it was feeding. Devouring. Consuming.
The sight immediately caused Clayne’s expression to darken.
The thing was eating everything around it.
Groups of undead disappeared into its mouth by the dozens.
Some attempted to climb onto its body.
They were swallowed. Some lunged toward its legs. They were swallowed. Others simply wandered too close. They were swallowed as well. The process continued for an astonishing amount of time.
The creature seemed insatiable.
Its massive body absorbed countless undead. Black veins spread across its fur. The dragon-like wings on its back gradually changed color. Portions of the dark fur began falling away and revealing hardened flesh beneath. The muscles continued expanding. The claws became longer. The aura surrounding it became increasingly sinister.
Most importantly, the undead energy accumulating inside the beast became denser with every passing minute.
Clayne could practically see it.
The corruption was spreading.
The creature’s original aura was disappearing.
The undead aura was taking its place.
The giant anteater was becoming something entirely different.
Beside him, the dragon-headed mantis suddenly released a series of rapid clicking sounds.
"Krrrk."
"Krrrk-krrrk."
"Krrrkk!"
The mental connection immediately translated the meaning.
"Master." "We have problem."
Clayne turned.
The mantis remained focused on the giant beast.
Its draconic eyes had narrowed.
Its blades flexed slightly.
"The food."
"What about it?"
"The food becoming bad."
Clayne frowned.
"What do you mean bad?"
The mantis immediately projected its understanding through their connection.
The giant anteater’s crystal. The valuable core. The thing the mantis wanted. The thing currently sitting inside the beast. That crystal was being affected by the undead corruption. The longer the transformation continued, the more the crystal changed. The more it changed, the worse it would taste. The more it changed, the less useful it would become.
The mantis sounded genuinely distressed.
"Need kill now." "Need remove crystal." "Need save food."
Clayne blinked.
The situation sounded absurd. The giant monster was undergoing some horrifying undead evolution capable of threatening entire regions.
Meanwhile, his mantis was worried about preserving the flavor of its future meal.
Still, after observing the creature for so long, Clayne had learned not to underestimate its instincts.
The mantis understood crystals far better than he did.
"You sure?"
The mantis immediately nodded.
"Krrrk."
Then another thought entered the connection.
"Very sure." "If wait." "Food ruined."
Clayne glanced toward the giant anteater again.
The corruption had become increasingly obvious.
At this rate, the crystal really might change completely.
Eventually he nodded.
"Fine."
The mantis immediately brightened.
"Kill?"
"Do whatever you want."
The mantis looked delighted.
Then Clayne added another sentence.
"As long as you don’t die."
The creature actually laughed.
Or at least, its version of laughter echoed through the connection.
"Krrrk-krrrk."
"Master worry too much."
"No danger."
"No threat."
"Easy food."
The confidence was so overwhelming that Clayne could only shake his head.
Just as the mantis prepared to move, however, another sound suddenly appeared from the distance.
At first it was faint. Then louder. Then unmistakable. Rotor blades.
Clayne immediately turned toward the horizon.
Several helicopters were approaching.
His eyes widened.
Military?
The aircraft emerged from between distant buildings and rapidly entered the battlefield. There were multiple helicopters flying in formation. Heavy weaponry could be seen mounted beneath their frames. Searchlights swept across the city. Soldiers occupied the side compartments.
The moment they arrived, the attack began.
Machine guns opened fire.
Streams of bullets rained downward.
The undead horde exploded apart.
Bodies were torn to pieces.
Entire groups collapsed.
Several rockets launched from beneath the helicopters.
The missiles streaked through the air before crashing directly into the giant anteater.
Boom.
A massive explosion erupted.
Flames consumed entire streets.
Concrete shattered.
Windows exploded.
Several nearby buildings partially collapsed.
The military forces continued attacking relentlessly.
More rockets.
More bullets.
More explosions.
The battlefield transformed into a sea of fire.
Clayne watched everything unfold.
The destruction was incredible.
If he had witnessed such a scene during the first day of the apocalypse, he probably would have viewed it as overwhelming firepower.
Now?
His expression remained complicated.
Because despite all the explosions...
The giant beast remained standing.
When the smoke finally cleared, the creature slowly emerged from the flames.
Not dead.
Not even injured.
The blackened fur covering its body had absorbed most of the damage.
The hardened flesh beneath remained intact.
Several missiles had exploded directly against its chest.
The result amounted to little more than scorch marks.
The giant anteater slowly lifted its head.
The helicopters seemed tiny compared to it.
The beast’s eyes glowed.
The undead aura surrounding it intensified.
The soldiers immediately launched another volley.
More explosions followed.
The creature ignored them.
Clayne felt a chill.
That thing was absurdly durable.
He slowly looked toward the mantis.
"You sure you can take that thing?"
The mantis did not even hesitate.
"Yes."
Just that.
Absolute certainty.
No arrogance.
No boasting.
Only certainty.
Clayne exhaled slowly.
Part of him remained worried.
Another part wanted to see the result.
The mantis had been born from the Tiny World.
Fed by heavenly-tribulation-tempered treasures.
Strengthened by countless mutations.
Empowered by red mist.
Evolved multiple times.
Perhaps this was the perfect opportunity to discover its true strength.
The mantis finally moved.
No dramatic roar.
No flashy entrance.
The creature simply vanished.
One moment it stood beside Clayne.
The next moment it was gone.
A faint blur appeared in the air.
Then—
A single crimson wind blade materialized.
The attack crossed the battlefield almost instantly.
The giant anteater never saw it coming.
The undead surrounding it never saw it coming.
The soldiers in the helicopters never saw it coming.
The wind blade passed through the battlefield.
Everything along its path stopped moving.
Then separated.
Dozens of undead split apart simultaneously.
Buildings collapsed.
The giant anteater froze.
A thin crimson line appeared across its neck.
For several seconds, nothing happened.
Then its head slid from its shoulders.
Boom.
The enormous corpse crashed into the city.
Silence followed.
Clayne’s eyes widened.
The military forces had spent countless missiles trying to hurt the thing.
The mantis killed it with a single attack.
The creature did not stop there.
It accelerated again.
More crimson blades erupted.
The helicopters suddenly split apart.
Not damaged.
Not disabled.
Split apart.
Each aircraft separated cleanly through the middle before exploding.
Fireballs erupted throughout the sky.
Metal debris rained downward.
Yet one helicopter survived.
For some reason, the mantis ignored it.
The aircraft immediately turned away and fled.
Clayne expected another attack.
None came.
The mantis simply watched it leave.
Then returned its attention toward the giant corpse.
The creature landed beside the fallen anteater.
Its blades flashed.
The body opened.
Several precise cuts later, the mantis reached inside and extracted a crystal.
A beautiful crystal.
Yellow-green.
Radiant.
Powerful.
The same color as the Mother Mantis crystal.
The mantis immediately flew back toward Clayne.
It landed beside him and proudly presented its prize.
For several moments, Clayne could only stare.
His gaze shifted between the crystal and the battlefield.
Then back again.
The size difference alone made no sense. His mantis was roughly the size of a car. The giant anteater was comparable to a five-story building. Yet the battle had ended instantly.
No struggle. No exchange. No prolonged fight. Just one attack. One movement. One death.
As the mantis happily offered the crystal while waiting for praise, Clayne found himself staring at the creature with genuine disbelief.
How the hell was something that small capable of killing something that large so easily?
