Insect Tamer's Ascension
Chapter 149 - 149: Bigger danger (3)

"We need to make a plan first, Elias. From today, my goal is to defeat a level 7 boar when the mantis is at its current one," Theo spoke while pointing a finger up.

"Tell Chip to please find a level 5 one this time, I would like to try some tactics first," Theo spoke again.

Elias nodded. A sigh left his mouth involuntarily. Going to the level 7 one with such little preparation was downright lunacy.

Theo knew that, but his secret plan was simple—he needed to know what difference was left between the mantis at level 4 and a level 7 boar.

The more the abilities improved, the harder it was to level up. If Theo needed to progress quicker, he needed to use his brain a lot more than usual.

Chip only took five more minutes until it found the whereabouts of the level 5 boar.

"Chip says there are 3 boars on the way toward our destination. It's risky to go deeper," Elias spoke, and Theo went into thought.

"Is there no way of moving around them, Elias? These wild boars don't sense danger until we come right at their faces. Surely we can move past their small clearings," Theo spoke in thought.

Elias went silent and looked at Theo before he nodded. "That is a great idea. I will devise a way to go past them, young master," he spoke and closed his eyes again.

Theo found it satisfying that Elias tried treating him like a kid time and time again, yet it failed miserably each time.

After another five minutes of just sitting in the clearing waiting, Elias was finally ready with the plan. And for it, Chip had to come back again to direct them.

When Theo finally saw that bird gliding down again and sit on Elias's shoulder with a melodious chirp, he saw the mantis sitting like this too and smiled.

With the bird as the navigator, they started moving ahead in the tall grasses. Theo saw the glimpse of one of the boars in the clearing. It was leisurely eating something after pulling it out of the ground.

Theo saw a big root system moving down from the thing that it was chewing before he silently moved forward.

Looking at that thing, Theo realized something—he still hadn't found a low-grade herb in the outskirts.

If things were to go like this, according to Clara, it would always show that he didn't have an aptitude, skill, or experience in finding such stuff in the simple outskirts of a forest.

Theo realized that it would not be that bad, but still, having the record say he knew how to do it was always a better thing. Any opportunity could present itself anytime, and he had to be ready even if he didn't like it.

Soon, they moved past another one of the clearings. Theo did not see anything in this one, but according to Chip, a boar was in there.

After moving past another, they finally halted. Theo glimpsed inside the clearing only to see a big boar inside it.

Theo took a deep breath after checking the stat. This was it—the boar was level 5.

"Would you like me to help you first?" Elias asked in a whisper, and Theo just shook his head. There were some things he had to test first.

'Usually, when the boars get scared, they will start running like a maniac with either closed eyes or open… That means I have to do something about its leg first…' Theo thought with his eyes locked in on the boar's body.

The boar was sitting on the ground right now with its head down. Theo felt like it was sleeping.

While the boar's body was overall thick, its legs were the only things that were skinny. There was still metallic fur on it, but it was not as long as the ones all around the body.

'Mantis, get close to it,' Theo gave a command, and the mantis, who had already left his shoulder, started moving with even greater speed.

When Theo got a light emotion again, he gave the next command. After he felt the motions again, Theo was satisfied.

He had just made the mantis move very close to the boar without it noticing, while also giving him a report after doing so.

So far, what he was thinking in his mind was also the same that was happening.

'Metallic strike to the bottom of the leg, near the hoof.' Theo gave a complex command, yet it was not the first time he had done so. The mantis was more intelligent than ever since the upgrades.

A small flash of light came into sight, and a loud shriek from the boar came next.

Theo stepped forward and locked in his gaze with widened eyes, not to miss a single thing.

The boar tried getting up, only to stumble once, but with another few quick tries in a matter of seconds, it was able to stand up and look around frantically.

SQUEAAKK

Another loud voice filled with a whimper came from it, and Theo sighed inwardly. It was still able to get up.

'Spore Lash,' Theo gave another quick command, seeing that the boar was trying to move forward.

But to his delight, when it took a step forward, the leg wobbled, and it was very close to falling before it found balance again.

Theo was surprised and happy at the same time—this was it.

Suddenly, another suppressed whimper came from it before it fell body-first on the ground.

Theo looked at the cooldown and smiled. It was gone, so he tried giving a command.

Yet before he could do so, the white flashing light came again, and Theo saw the boar wake up from its paralysis almost instantly.

Theo tried looking at the place the mantis had attacked on its own but failed to find it.

Until the boar tried moving up and fell down completely again.

"What?" Theo thought aloud. He still couldn't see where the boar was injured.

"Young master… it seems your beast has amputated the boar's hoof…"