Clayne continued observing the battlefield outside with growing interest and increasing curiosity. The more time he spent studying the creatures wandering through the ruined city, the more differences he began noticing between them.

At first, he had assumed that all crystals were essentially the same and merely varied in size or quantity of energy. However, after repeatedly watching his mantis consume crystals from different creatures, he gradually realized that there were fundamental differences hidden within them.

The crystals produced by ordinary mutated beasts contained energy, but that energy felt rough and unstable.

On the other hand, the crystals produced by creatures that had consumed fragments of heavenly tribulation tempered dried fruits were completely different.

Those crystals possessed a denser aura.

Their colors appeared brighter.

The energy circulating within them seemed purer and more concentrated.

Even from a distance, Clayne could sense that they contained a quality far superior to ordinary crystals.

The realization immediately caused numerous thoughts to surface within his mind.

If the quality of the crystals differed, then perhaps the benefits they provided also differed. If that was true, then the creatures consuming those crystals might develop entirely different evolutionary paths.

The more Clayne thought about it, the more excited he became.

Without wasting any time, he opened the Spiritual Vault stored inside his pocket.

The storage space still contained a surprising amount of supplies despite everything that had happened. Most of the dried mangoes were already gone.

The chips had long since disappeared. Several snacks had been sacrificed to the Tiny World. However, among the remaining items, Clayne spotted something that immediately caught his attention.

Several bags of dried strawberries.

His eyes lit up.

A slow smile appeared across his face.

If dried mangoes could create monsters capable of surviving heavenly tribulations, then perhaps dried strawberries could produce entirely different results.

Without hesitation, Clayne opened one of the bags and carefully cut off a small piece. He did not intend to waste the entire supply. He only wanted enough to begin another experiment.

After preparing the fragment, he walked toward a window overlooking the city and threw the dried strawberry far into the distance, making sure it landed well outside the territory currently occupied by his newborn mantis.

The moment the strawberry touched the ground, the reaction began.

At first, the area remained silent.

Then movement appeared.

A giant insect emerged from beneath a broken vehicle.

A mutated rat crawled out from a collapsed sewer entrance.

Several strange birds descended from ruined rooftops.

A massive lizard-like creature appeared from behind a destroyed building.

Within minutes, dozens of creatures had gathered around the tiny piece of dried strawberry.

Then the slaughter began.

One creature lunged first.

Another immediately attacked it.

The second was torn apart by a third.

The third was devoured by a fourth.

The fourth was attacked by a fifth.

The fifth was ambushed by a sixth.

The entire area rapidly descended into complete chaos.

Blood splattered across the streets.

Broken limbs flew through the air.

The sounds of screeching, roaring, hissing, and growling echoed continuously.

Every creature wanted the same thing.

Every creature wanted the energy hidden within the dried strawberry.

More creatures arrived.

The battle became increasingly violent.

The corpses piled higher and higher.

Some creatures attempted to flee with pieces of flesh.

Others were immediately chased down and ripped apart.

The frenzy continued without interruption.

As the battle dragged on, the surviving competitors became stronger. Every victory allowed them to devour more flesh. Every meal allowed them to absorb more energy. Every absorbed crystal increased their strength further.

Eventually, only one victor remained.

A gigantic mutated dog stood alone among mountains of corpses.

Its body was enormous.

Dark crimson fur covered its frame.

Sharp bone spikes protruded from its back.

Its eyes glowed with a ferocious red light.

The aura surrounding it was far stronger than the aura it possessed before entering the battle.

It had clearly evolved.

It had clearly benefited from consuming the losers.

The sight caused Clayne to nod in satisfaction.

Then he transmitted a command through the Beast Enslavement connection.

Kill it.

The newborn mantis reacted immediately.

There was not even a trace of hesitation.

Its body vanished.

Not because it became invisible.

Not because it used a special technique.

It simply moved so quickly that Clayne almost lost sight of it.

One moment the mantis stood beside him.

The next moment it appeared near the giant dog.

The creature raised one forelimb.

Then it swung.

What happened next caused Clayne’s eyes to widen.

The mantis never physically touched its target.

Instead, a blade of compressed air erupted from the swing.

The surrounding atmosphere condensed into a weapon.

The attack moved so quickly that it seemed to ignore distance itself.

The giant dog never even realized danger had arrived.

One moment it stood proudly atop its mountain of corpses.

The next moment its body split apart.

The cut was perfectly clean.

The upper half slowly separated from the lower half.

Then the body collapsed.

However, the destruction did not end there.

The wind blade continued moving.

It sliced through abandoned vehicles.

It cut through concrete walls.

It passed through damaged buildings.

One structure after another separated cleanly.

Several buildings collapsed moments later with thunderous crashes.

Clouds of dust erupted into the sky.

Concrete shattered.

Steel beams snapped.

The destruction continued far beyond the original target.

Even Clayne became silent.

The attack’s power exceeded his expectations.

The Mother Mantis had been dangerous because it could instantly kill creatures near its level through close combat.

Its offspring had surpassed that limitation entirely.

Now it could perform the same feat from a distance.

That single difference increased its lethality enormously.

The newborn mantis calmly approached the giant dog’s corpse.

Without hesitation, it lowered its head and consumed the crystal hidden within the beast.

Crunch.

The crystal vanished.

The mantis appeared satisfied.

Then Clayne remembered something important.

The Mother Mantis possessed a crystal as well.

Yet after killing her, the newborn had completely ignored it.

That behavior made no sense.

Curious, Clayne decided to investigate.

For the first time in quite a while, he stepped outside the protection of the Silent Sword Mist Array.

His movements remained cautious.

His senses remained fully alert.

Fortunately, the area surrounding the Mother Mantis’s corpse had already been cleared.

The newborn mantis obediently followed behind him.

Soon, they arrived beside the fallen body.

The giant corpse still rested where it had been cut apart.

Clayne pointed toward it.

"If you’re still hungry, why didn’t you eat your mother’s crystal?"

The newborn mantis remained silent for several moments.

Then it slowly extended one forelimb.

The tip pointed toward the Mother’s body.

More specifically, toward numerous wounds covering her shell.

Only now did Clayne truly examine them.

The injuries were severe.

Many areas showed strange discoloration.

Several wounds emitted an unhealthy appearance.

Through the Beast Enslavement connection, fragmented thoughts and emotions flowed into his mind.

Pain.

Concern.

Regret.

Then understanding.

The newborn mantis was explaining.

Its mother had already been dying.

Some kind of poison had spread throughout her body.

The poison was consuming her vitality.

The poison was weakening her.

According to the newborn, the Mother Mantis would have died within a short period regardless of outside interference.

The newborn sensed this immediately after hatching.

However, it did not know how to cure the poison.

It did not know how to save its mother.

Worse still, it feared that once the poison completely overwhelmed her, she might lose control and attack everything nearby, including her own offspring.

Therefore, it made a decision.

A cruel decision.

Yet from its perspective, a merciful one.

It chose to kill her quickly.

It chose to end her suffering before the poison could finish its work.

Clayne fell silent.

The explanation genuinely surprised him.

This was not simple instinct.

This was reasoning.

This was judgment.

This was intelligence.

The newborn mantis was capable of analyzing situations and making difficult decisions.

Eventually, Clayne nodded slowly.

"I understand."

The mantis appeared satisfied.

Then it immediately released another sound.

This time, the emotion transmitted through their connection was much simpler.

Hunger.

Intense hunger.

The crystal from the giant dog had not been enough.

The creature wanted more.

Far more.

Clayne could not help laughing.

The thing had barely been born, yet its appetite seemed endless.

"Alright."

"We’ll get you more food."

...

Far away from the school, Urduja Wells stood near the edge of a rooftop while observing the distant city.

The surviving students gathered behind her appeared exhausted.

Several sat against walls while trying to recover their strength.

Others stared nervously at the streets below.

Nobody felt safe anymore.

The return of the undead tide had shaken everyone’s confidence.

One female student finally gathered enough courage to speak.

"Miss Wells, what is happening?"

Another immediately joined.

"We thought the undead were gone."

"Why did they come back?"

"What made them return?"

The others looked toward Urduja as well.

They desperately wanted answers.

Unfortunately, Urduja remained silent for a long time.

Her brows were tightly furrowed.

Numerous possibilities flashed through her mind.

She continuously compared the current situation to events from her previous life.

Yet nothing matched.

Nothing made sense.

This was not supposed to happen.

The undead tide should have continued moving away.

It should not have reversed direction.

It should not have returned.

Something had changed.

Something enormous.

Something powerful enough to influence millions upon millions of undead simultaneously.

The realization caused her expression to become increasingly grim.

The students repeated their questions.

Only then did Urduja finally respond.

"This wasn’t supposed to happen."

Her voice carried unusual seriousness.

"I expected many things."

"I expected monster migrations."

"I expected beast tides."

"I expected territorial conflicts."

"I expected countless dangers."

"But I did not expect this."

The students immediately became even more nervous.

If someone like Urduja felt uncertain, then the situation must truly be dangerous.

Urduja turned her gaze toward the distant horizon.

The undead tide continued moving.

The sounds of countless footsteps echoed endlessly.

Then suddenly, one of her tails twitched.

A moment later, it twitched again.

The reaction became increasingly violent.

Urduja’s eyes widened.

The treasure-sensitive tail.

The tail responsible for guiding her toward opportunities.

The tail that had never once failed her.

It was sending a warning.

A powerful warning.

Leave.

Retreat.

Danger.

The message repeated continuously.

Urduja’s expression immediately changed.

Something terrifying was approaching.

Before she could issue any instructions, a distant sound echoed through the sky.

At first, the noise was faint.

Then it gradually became clearer.

Louder.

Closer.

Everyone instinctively looked upward.

Urduja looked upward as well.

The moment she saw what was approaching, her pupils contracted.

Several helicopters were flying across the sky toward the city.

And for the first time since the apocalypse began, human military forces had finally appeared before their eyes.