The Mantis Stalks the Cicada

Chapter 29: The Mantis Stalks the Cicada

Corpse Explosion.

Essentially a technique for manipulating Necrotic Aura that every necromancer masters, it is less of a spell and more of a specialized combat skill. The principle involves activating the energy remaining within the undead after they have been raised, forcing them to follow a pre-planned energy flow that compresses rapidly until it reaches the threshold of self-destruction.

In reality, it is just a glorified homemade firecracker.

To maximize its potential, one must put effort into the choice of the detonation carrier. For instance, Drowned Zombies, with their abundance of rotting, toxic flesh, are well-suited for dealing with large numbers of unarmored targets. Conversely, when facing light units with naturally tough skin—like those covered in leather armor—using skeletons that shatter into shrapnel akin to high-explosive grenades is a highly economical operation.

Si Ming had mastered this operation.

This level of innovation was, for him, truly not difficult at all.

And so...

"BOOM—"

Twenty chain explosions erupted in unison. Each Corpse Explosion, consisting only of bone, possessed the efficacy of a High-Explosive Grenade packed with large fragments.

Sharp bone shards sprayed in every direction. They easily pierced the many Night Demons that had been pouncing upon and suppressing the Skeleton Soldiers. The hundred or so Night Demons at the forefront were killed instantly, while the groups slightly further back naturally suffered heavy casualties as well.

Bone fragments flew.

The shards flying toward Si Ming were, without question, blocked entirely by his fully formed Battle Qi Armor. At the very moment the explosions occurred, the Necrotic Aura used to trigger them flowed back rapidly. Though it had become inert due to the impurities mixed within—rendering it temporarily unusable for a conventional necromancer—it became available once more the instant it returned to Si Ming, transformed by his Night Battle Qi!

Transform, and transform again.

Death energy turned into Battle Qi, and Battle Qi turned back into death energy. The originally chaotic and impure Necrotic Aura was thus rapidly purified. In other words, in this chain of Corpse Explosions, the only thing Si Ming needed to consider was whether his own stamina and mental focus were sufficient!

"I command you, rise!"

The surging death energy was released once more, swiftly and violently merging into the remains of the Night Demons that had just lost their lives to the Corpse Explosion. In a mere instant, the dead corpses were transformed into raised skeletons, and dark soul-fire ignited, bringing to these Night Demons—who already possessed a modicum of intelligence—a terror that beasts would never know.

Intelligence is not entirely an advantage.

From among the Night Demons that should have served as the follow-up force, a series of terrified roars erupted. Their originally perfect and tight formation fell into chaos, and this was exactly what Si Ming's subordinates needed to take action.

Forward.

The skeletons raised their blades and axes, hacking down ruthlessly.

Great swathes of blood and minced flesh sprayed out, causing the living to emit the agonizing roars of the dying. Yet, the operational logic of these merciless executioners was to maim rather than kill; they simply left the heavily wounded Night Demons to wail on the ground while they continued to advance like a wall, bringing their weapons down upon the next targets.

Brave Night Demons screamed as they brandished crude weapons to charge forward, only to have their movements blocked by the bone shields of the Skeleton Soldiers. Sharp blades then pierced their chests and abdomens, leaving them to die in frustration, having achieved nothing.

Intelligent Night Demons roared, commanding their kin in unique tones to maintain formation and trigger the rockfalls and pit traps within the tunnel. However, their voices and gestures exposed their status; the moment they were spotted, bone javelins and arrows were precisely launched by the Skeleton Soldiers in the rear guard, piercing their throats or chests.

A vast number of Night Demons died.

Their deaths were in vain.

Any Skeleton Soldier that was knocked down, torn apart, or smashed would invariably trigger a self-detonation before being destroyed. And after each detonation, another new Skeleton Soldier would step forward to take its place.

The tunnel, soaked in blood, was filled everywhere with the screams and wails of the severely wounded Night Demons.

The total number of Night Demons had an end, yet the undead Si Ming raised were endless and infinite.

"ROAR—"

One Night Demon realized this situation; it hid itself, struggling to observe Si Ming's blind spots. A Night Demon like this belonged to the brave and intelligent sort; among this newly born group, it could almost be considered a growing leader.

And so—

"HUM—"

The air suddenly boiled. The Night Demon with the potential of a leader watched in terror as its own flesh began to churn and squirm. Unimaginable heat melted its skin and scorched its tendons and bones in an instant. The blood within its body boiled and vaporized rapidly, turning it into an overloaded pressure cooker!

"POP—" A balloon with an unappealing shape, exploded.

Only then did Si Ming discover that the Fusion Gun could actually produce this type of special effect when fired at a special Xenomorph like a Night Demon. Of course, this was just an insignificant little interlude; he simply urged the Magic Wolf beneath him to continue deeper into the lower levels of the subway system.

He was the commander; he only opened fire when he spotted high-priority targets. Sometimes he used the Fusion Gun, which had a range of only fifty meters but possessed immense power. Other times, he switched to the Anti-Material Sniper Rifle, which had slightly less power but a range of over a kilometer and excellent penetration and destructive capabilities. He used a classic Barrett, capable of erasing a Night Demon hiding behind thin cover in a single shot.

Occasionally, he would let his Magic Wolf move a little, using its sharp claws and wind-cannon breath to tear the special-ops Night Demons that snuck in through abandoned ventilation ducts into shreds. But most of the time, he would carry a Heavy Machine Gun loaded with large-caliber explosive ammunition, sweeping away great sprays of blood in the wide areas where the Night Demons swarmed out.

The Main God's scoring announcements rang out one after another. The harvest of reward points grew ever larger. Without a doubt, as a newcomer who had just reached the World Two stage, he possessed the qualifications to farm points in this realm. Although the side quests were still a bit stingy, the harvest of reward points was greater than he had anticipated.

Perhaps I will be the only newcomer in this cycle of the reincarnation world who, without even triggering a team battle mechanism, is already able to purchase a 'Return to Origin'?

Thoughts swirled, but Si Ming was able to keep his mind focused. Occasionally, in the gaps between combat—or rather, cleaning—he would activate the supply system of his Nano-Biochemical Suit to ensure the nutrition in his body remained sufficient.

The surroundings suddenly grew quiet.

Before Si Ming encountered the long-awaited underground collapse trap, the Night Demons that had been charging forward one after another, hoping to overwhelm him with sheer numbers, suddenly became sparse. A vast, exceptionally wide space—perhaps once a large underground station—came into his view.

Something was hiding here.

This thing required a wide space to maneuver, or perhaps it posed a sufficient threat to the Night Demons as well. Soon, he heard the low growl of the giant beast that shook the ground.

"Hao—"

A low roar, a composite, massive bellow.

From the darkness, six crimson eyes lit up.

It was a dog.

Currently, the only things that could be infected by the KV Virus and fully transformed were humans and dogs. And the one that appeared before Si Ming possessed a physique that even an African elephant could not compare to, along with three massive, bloodthirsty heads.

It is a mutated creature.

Or perhaps a specialized species bred specifically by the wealthy of the peaceful era.

Regardless of the truth, it has now been infused and transformed by the KV Virus into an enhanced monster.

'Boom--' The sound of a collapse echoed from afar; it seemed to be a hint, or rather, a signal. Accompanied by a strange, sweet, and bloody scent that suddenly permeated this underground space, the Three-Headed Giant Dog, which had previously only been growling as a warning, suddenly turned bloodthirsty and crazed at this very moment.

A violent gale whipped up.

The few Skeleton Soldiers blocking the front were instantly shattered into dust as if struck by a speeding truck.

However, Si Ming's first-stage Gene Lock was already open, and he quickly gathered and analyzed the movement parameters of the Three-Headed Giant Dog!

He could make it; there was still time.

The mutated bloodline of the KV Virus did not exceed the standard difficulty of World Two!

"Come out!"

The soul-fire in the eyes of the Skeleton Soldiers suddenly extinguished.

Replacing them was the Spider-Shaped Bone Golem, formed by the aggregation of dozens of Skeleton Soldiers, which had been prepared in advance within Si Ming's Summoning Domain.

It lunged out from the Summoning Domain, rapidly joining the battlefield. Before the Three-Headed Giant Dog could touch Si Ming, it collided fiercely with the giant mutated creature!

The air exploded with sound.

Collision, biting. The cluster of bones in the center of the golem emitted a sharp screech. The giant claws of the dog, which could easily crush even a Xenomorph, could only leave a slight scratch on the spider-like articulated limbs of the golem!

The timing was perfect.

The Magic Wolf carried Si Ming, rapidly maneuvering to the rear of the Three-Headed Giant Dog. He clearly saw a faint firelight surging within the throats of the three heads.

--Cerberus.

The thought flashed through his mind, but Si Ming felt no fear. The moment he raised the Fusion Gun at close range, the Burrowing Devil Worm, which consumed less death energy but possessed a larger physique, slammed heavily into the Three-Headed Giant Dog!

The fire about to be spewed out was suddenly choked off. And in that moment of massive, rigid vulnerability, Si Ming raised his gun.

Thermal Orb, rapid fire.

Amidst the roars and struggles of the Three-Headed Giant Dog, the shots successfully penetrated the heart of the giant beast.

'Boom--' A violent explosion ensued, and the massive hole that suddenly erupted tore the upper body of the giant dog to shreds. The three beastly heads were still twisting and struggling desperately, but the next moment, they became skewers on the bladed limbs of the Bone Golem.

It was dead.

Even though it possessed the power to force a fully equipped first-stage squad into a bitter struggle, or even cause casualties, it was still too weak in front of Si Ming.

--[Killed KV Virus mutated giant beast, obtained 1 C-rank side quest, 2500 reward points.]

The voice of the Main God rang out.

Si Ming's posture finally showed a hint of relaxation.

He had already summoned all of his undead creatures, and none of them were currently in a position to immediately protect him.

Therefore...

If there existed powerful and cunning heroes or monarchs among the Night Demons who controlled powerful forces other than this three-headed mutated dog, then now was the perfect opportunity to commit them to the battlefield.

And so, at this very instant, a swift and silent shadow emerged stealthily from the darkness behind Si Ming, lunging fiercely toward his neck.

But the next moment--

The blade of the Profaned Greatsword, appearing out of thin air, ignited with a dark, ghostly fire.