NOVEL WEB Chapter 8: Chapter 8: Scary Forest Mantis
Ezra was about to slash at the green vine when he spotted Seraphina above, her index finger pressed against her lips.
It was then he realized they had forgotten to look for her while escaping.
She drew them into the shadowy embrace of the tree, twirling her arms elegantly while sitting.
Ezra watched as numerous tendrils of vines swam around them, weaving together silently until they formed a cocoon with tiny gaps to view outside.
When Selene finished, she huffed and signaled for silence, her green eyes reflecting an intense seriousness.
Ezra and Seraphina's bodies tensed as they gripped their weapons tightly. The place was dark and eerily silent, with only the sound of the wind and rustling leaves echoing around them. Suddenly, Seraphina gazed into the depths of the forest through the gaps in the vines.
A few seconds later, Ezra heard a distant buzzing sound.
Ezra's spirit body, which he had left in the distance, looked up and spotted a giant green insect flying over the forest, heading toward their position.
His heart tightened, and his expression became solemn.
With a thought, the helmet retracted, and he mouthed to the girls, "Incoming flying monster."
Selene swiftly motioned for silence.
Ezra, ready to escape, paused.
'She wouldn't want to risk herself by staying behind, so I should wait. Besides, escaping a flying monster is almost impossible with my injured ankle.'
The three of them quieted and waited with bated breath. Ezra was already prepared for battle while trailing the monster with his spirit body on the ground.
The speed of the spirit body was impressive, making Ezra realize he was the one limiting it with the 100-meter distance apart. But the flying monster was faster.
Soon, the monster was above the trees.
Ezra's heart almost jumped out of his chest. His knuckles turned white from gripping the sword too tightly.
But the monster didn't pause; it shot into the distance, hovering a few meters from the boundary between the forest and rocky terrain—not too far from their hiding spot.
The three of them watched the monster in tense silence.
Suddenly, the ground began to vibrate slightly before rumbling into quakes.
They could feel it from the treetop as they gazed into the rocky terrain.
Ezra didn't waste time and sent his spirit body forward when he realized nobody could sense it.
The spirit body shot ahead, and before it reached the 100-meter distance, it spotted a horde of crabs coming like a flood tide.
'Oh shit! Hope they can't climb trees…' Ezra silently prayed, not bothering to inform the girls since the horde had already become visible.
They watched solemnly as the horde rushed but abruptly halted at the border of the forest, with a few tumbling into it.
The insect dove down with blistering speed, launching into a rampage. Its steel scythe-like legs sliced through the crabs that dared to breach the boundary.
The three watched in horror as the mantis cleaved each crab in half with a single strike, showcasing a deadly combination of precise accuracy and blurring speed.
"It's a Forest Mantis. A Second Order Mortal with strengths in speed, camouflage, and a deadly pair of sharp, scythe-like legs. Although its defense is among the weakest in the Second Order Mortal rank, its attack power is among the top, almost reaching the Third Order," Selene explained in a whisper while the mantis rampaged.
After a while, the horde, having watched, turned and marched back toward the temple.
Suddenly, a grating roar reverberated in the distance, sweeping through the area. Ezra assumed it came from the temple.
He shivered at the sound, realizing it might be the reason the temple was labeled a dangerous zone.
The Forest Mantis rose, releasing a whistling shriek that seemed to challenge the source of the roar. After hovering for a moment, it settled onto a tree at the boundary.
Ezra, Seraphina, and Selene watched in silent frustration as the monster stubbornly refused to leave, even after an hour had passed.
Ezra began thinking of a way out:
'If I take the running route, I will be left behind because of my injured foot. And if I'm left behind, killing it alone is a death wish. Using their aid to kill it will be the best.'
'Wait! What am I thinking? Killing it? Was I the person considering that moments ago? I thought I should be thinking about how to escape? But… I can't deny my thoughts are correct.'
Ezra turned from the mantis to face the girls and whispered, "We need to kill it."
Seraphina nodded, as if it coincided with her thoughts, while Selene's eyes widened, as if both of them had gone mad.
"For perfect teamwork, let me share my skills. My class enhances all my damage, and I can create an invisible version of myself to scout ahead," Ezra explained, stating what was necessary.
Seraphina replied calmly, "My class is Beast Marshal. It boosts my physical stats and gives me good hearing along with sharp instincts."
Both of them turned to Selene.
"You guys… aren't serious, are you?"
Seraphina replied, "We are both the same rank and order with that monster Selene. We fought the wolves and killed them, remember?"
Selene snapped in a forceful whisper, "The wolves were already injured and somewhat defective. That…" She pointed at the resting Forest Mantis. "...will split us in half regardless of our armors."
"But we can't outrun it. We have to take the initiative," Seraphina calmly insisted.
Selene shut her eyes, squeezing her trembling fists. After taking a deep breath, she opened them with determination. "Fine. My class grants me control over plants. This 'Vinest'..." she gestured to the woven vines surrounding them, "...can cloak our presence and muffle our voices."
She wiggled her fingers, causing a thread of vine to extend and poke Ezra's forehead before retracting. Ezra couldn't help but grin at the sight of her furrowed brows and exaggerated pout.
"That's petty," he mumbled. "But I wasn't the only one who suggested it. Besides… what a perfect scenario: 'a monster in the forest.'"
Seraphina tilted her head at his statement, while Selene's eyes twitched, as if she realized that his words weren't just about the Mantis.
"Well, here is the plan…" Ezra began.