The mantisfolk was without question the strongest enemy this party had ever faced in a dungeon—maybe even in their entire adventuring career.
The last few days had gone way too smoothly. Everyone had gotten a little too relaxed, even Lawrence. Sure, he'd voiced some caution, but deep down, he too thought this run would be no big deal.
Then the mantis showed up and smacked them back to reality.
Still, the party wasn't made up of rookies. Shaken, yes—but they adjusted quickly. The stronger the opponent, the calmer you had to be.
At the backline, Adrian, the cleric apprentice, helped the injured Liam. Using Life Magic to stabilize his wounds, he pulled a small red potion from his pack.
It was a standard healing potion, one of their better loot drops from earlier runs—worth at least 30 silver coins a bottle.
Adrian poured it into Liam's mouth. Within moments, color returned to his pale face. Adrian sighed in relief and checked his condition. With the healing magic working alongside the potion, Liam was out of danger.
Meanwhile, up front—
The mantis locked eyes on Gauss.
Its compound eyes flared red. High-pitched screeches rang from its mandibles, echoing through the dungeon.
It ignored everyone else.
With a crouch, it gathered power in its legs, then launched forward like a missile—straight for Gauss at the rear.
The others barely had time to process what was happening.
"Gauss! Heads up!"
Zorc, the half-orc up front, spun around when the mantis flew past him at breakneck speed, roaring toward Gauss.
He tried to intercept—but he was too slow.
Bianca the ranger apprentice fired an arrow to distract it, but the mantis simply tilted its body and let the shot glance off its carapace.
No one else could react in time. It was just too damn fast.
The next thing Gauss saw was the mantis looming over him.
His eyes widened. Thankfully, his instincts kicked in and he rolled to the side just in time.
CRACK!
A scythe-like limb slammed into where he had just been.
Gauss scrambled up, heart racing.
He'd predicted the attack—barely. Even with Mage Armor, a direct hit at that speed could have been lethal. This wasn't like fighting goblins. This thing hit harder than ten of them put together.
He stepped back and drew his weapon, eyes locked on the mantis.
It adjusted its stance, clearly surprised the hit missed, but it didn't hesitate. Its blade-like limbs crossed in front of it, legs tensing.
A short-range jump—quicker, lower, still deadly.
It leapt again. Claws slashed down.
CLANG!
Gauss blocked with his thin sword. The force jolted through his arms. He was losing the power contest, fast.
But with his 7 INT, Gauss processed details fast.
In that high-stress slow-mo moment, he spotted a secondary limb aiming straight for his gut.
THUD!
It hit his stomach. Mage Armor flared, rippling out like water.
It hurt.
Gauss let the momentum fling him away. He tumbled, landed, and got up quickly.
He'd dodged the follow-up strike. Barely.
This mantis was smart. And nasty.
Before it could press the attack—
Zorc charged in, eyes blazing, muscles bulging. The beast had gotten past him once. Not again.
With a snarl, he stomped the ground, using the rebound force to launch into the air.
"Jump Slash!"
He arced like a bowstring, greatsword raised high.
The mantis twisted to block, secondary limbs catching the blade mid-swing.
CLANG!!
Sparks flew. Zorc poured every ounce of power into that slash. It was all-in, a hit-for-hit gamble.
The mantis staggered half a step—but it was far from hurt.
Then it retaliated.
BOOM!
Zorc's weapon was flung away. The impact sent him to his knees, arms numb, barely keeping himself upright.
"Chill Touch."
Finally, Lawrence's spell hit.
A spectral, blue skeletal hand latched onto the mantis's shell. Cold, necrotic energy seeped in.
The mantis flinched, body trembling from the magic, briefly slowed—just long enough.
Gauss saw the opening.
"Magic Missile!"
His staff flared to life—two glowing blue bolts shot out.
SWOOSH!
The first barely missed as the mantis jerked its head aside. The second hit dead-on—right in its abdomen.
BOOM!
A blast of force exploded from the impact. The mantis reeled, leaking green ichor.
Cheers erupted.
They could hurt it. They could win this.
Bianca shot another arrow—it struck its chest plate. Didn't pierce, but it left a mark.
The tide was turning.
Until the mantis snapped.
Its attention locked onto Bianca, red eyes burning.
It leapt.
"Watch out!" Gauss shouted.
But it was already there.
A massive claw slashed down—too fast to dodge.
SLASH!
Clean hit to the neck. Blood flew.
THUMP.
Bianca's confused eyes stared at nothing. Her head hit the floor.
Gauss froze, throat tight.
She was dead.
His teammate. Someone he'd just shared food and laughs with the night before. Gone.
He slapped his face, forcing clarity.
This wasn't the time to mourn.
He shoved dried meat into his mouth and shouted, "Everyone be alert! It's even more aggressive now!"
He was right. The mantis now turned to Edith.
Edith paled, but didn't freeze. She fired a crossbow bolt at its abdomen.
The mantis twisted mid-air, avoided it, then corrected its path and charged.
She pulled out a Spore Bomb—one of their rare loot items. She'd saved two, used one earlier.
She threw it ahead of its path—
Perfect setup.
But she'd underestimated the mantis's perception.
Its eyes instantly locked on the bomb. It sensed the danger.
Before it even hit the ground, it jumped sideways out of range.
BOOM!!
Blue fire roared. Smoke filled the air.
"Did that get it?" Edith squinted.
Then—BOOM.
The mantis burst from the smoke, alive.
Not dead.
She collapsed in fear—but even as her limbs gave out, she scrambled backward, crawling for her life.
The mantis towered over her, ready to kill.
"Magic Missile!!"
Gauss, panting, closed in, staff blazing.
A missile flew straight for its eyes.
The mantis dodged—but the flash of light blinded it.
That was the weakness. Gauss had seen it before. Sudden light stunned it, even briefly.
Time for the second missile.
But this one wasn't aimed at the mantis.
It was aimed at the Spore Bombs still in Edith's fallen bag.
BOOM!!
A chain explosion erupted.
Blue fire surged in all directions.
The mantis screamed as it was flung back, blue flame clinging to its armored frame, spores igniting in waves.