The First Dragon God-Chapter 101: Battling The Praying Mantis

The battlefield was a wasteland of destruction.

Leo’s breath was ragged, his body battered, but his stance remained firm. His knuckles were torn and bruised, and his arms, screaming from the strain of the continuous, brutal combat.

Blood seeped from a fresh wound on his side where the mutant praying mantis had previously caught him off guard with its skill, [Wind Blade], leaving a deep tear in his flesh.

Across from him, the mutant praying mantis stood tall, its insectoid form eerily poised, shifting ever so slightly on its thin, bladed legs.

Its emerald-green exoskeleton gleamed under the faint light filtering through the ruined buildings, the segmented plates reflecting like polished steel.

Its most terrifying feature, however, were its forearms—two massive, scythe-like appendages that curved ominously, each one long enough to cleave through a tree in a single swipe.

A gust of wind rushed between them as the creature hissed, its elongated head tilting slightly, the eerie glow of its compound eyes narrowing in focus.

Its body emitted a faint hum, the sound of air vibrating and building up within its limbs.

Leo narrowed his eyes.

Here it comes.

The mantis suddenly lunged, with its skill, [Wind Blade], activating in an instant. A crescent arc of razor-sharp wind sliced through the air toward him.

Leo moved with his body reacting purely on instinct.

He twisted, barely slipping past the slicing force, the wind pressure grazing his shoulder.

A second [Wind Blade] followed almost immediately. Leo ducked, feeling the air shift just above his head as the attack carved through the cracked pavement behind him.

It’s fast.

He had already taken one of those hits earlier in the fight, and the pain from the wound at his side reminded him just how deadly even a single mistake could be.

But now, he had adapted. The battle had dragged on long enough for him to be able to read the mantis’ movements, to understand the rhythm of its strikes.

Still, even with all his improvements, he wasn’t winning.

The mutant mantis was a force of nature. Every movement it made were precise, seemingly calculated.

It didn’t waste energy with any unnecessary attacks and it didn’t flinch under pressure. Its attacks came in relentless waves, each faster than the last, each more precise.

Leo gritted his teeth. Even now, he couldn’t believe that despite the damages he had inflicted on it, it was still standing.

He knew it. The praying mantis is completely different and stronger than the others.

He had fought countless mutant creatures by now, but this one was on an entirely different level. Leo clenched his fists tighter, ignoring the burning in his muscles.

No, he wasn’t just keeping up. He had grown.

Just weeks ago, he wouldn’t have lasted a second in a battle like this. He would have been overwhelmed, torn apart.

But now—now, he was standing against a monster that should have been beyond his level, holding his ground, trading blows.

He could do this.

The battlefield around them had become a graveyard of shattered bodies. The corpses of various mutant creatures and zombies lay scattered, broken and forgotten, testaments to the sheer destruction their battle had wrought.

Even the lesser creatures that had initially swarmed the area had long since retreated, driven away by the overwhelming pressure of the duel.

Only two remained.

Leo inhaled deeply, ignoring the pain in his ribs.

.....

Unseen to both combatants, high above the battlefield, floating amongst the clouds, a lone figure watched.

She was draped in flowing white and green robes, the fabric shimmering softly as it fluttered in the wind.

Her long, silken hair cascaded down her back, and her pointed ears twitched slightly as she observed the battle below.

Her violet eyes gleamed with curiosity.

Interesting… she thought, resting her chin on her delicate fingers.

She had come to this world expecting to find nothing but fragile low-level mortals scrambling for survival. And yet, below her, a native was holding his own against a creature that’s about to complete its evolution, and attain the Evolved Rank.

How rare…

She watched the battle and she saw that there was no hesitation in Leo’s movements, no trace of fear in his strikes. She also saw how he was adapting, evolving in the middle of combat.

That makes him useful…

A small smile graced her lips.

She had no interest in the weak. But strength… strength was worth watching. Strength was worth investing in.

Her gaze lingered on Leo for a moment longer before she turned, vanishing into the mist.

She had seen enough.

...

Back on the battlefield, the wind howled between the ruined structures as both Leo and the mantis remained locked in place.

The battle had reached its breaking point.

Leo’s body screamed in protest, every muscle burning from exhaustion. His breaths came in ragged gasps, his vision blurring at the edges.

The constant, brutal exchange of blows had drained him beyond what he had anticipated. His stamina regeneration skills, which had carried him through previous battles, could no longer keep up. His reserves were nearly empty, and every movement felt like wading through thick mud.

But he wasn’t alone, across from him, the mutant praying mantis was just as battered as he is.

Its once-gleaming emerald exoskeleton was cracked in several places, green ichor leaking from the wounds Leo had managed to inflict.

Its movements, once fluid and precise, had begun to slow, betraying the exhaustion creeping into its body.

The constant use of its abilities had taken its toll as well—its last [Wind Blade] had been noticeably weaker, the cutting force no longer as sharp or deadly as before, but still carrying with a blunt force enough to knock Leo off his feet.

Leo panted, sweat dripping from his brow, mixing with the blood seeping from the gash at his side. He hadn’t expected the fight to last this long.

In the previous battles he had fought before he met the praying mantis, he had always relied on overwhelming his enemies quickly, relying on his sheer adaptability and Nightshade’s lethality.

But now, without his weapon, without his skills, it was just him—his fists, his endurance, his instincts.

And it wasn’t enough.

The mantis was faster than him, stronger than him, and despite all the damage it had taken, it was still standing.

Leo forced himself to think, to analyze.

’This thing isn’t normal. It’s too damn strong.’

He had faced dozens of mutant creatures in the past few days, some even larger than this one, but none had fought like this. None had lasted this long.

’Its intelligence, its endurance…’

Leo’s eyes narrowed.

’Is this thing close to evolving?’

If so, then that would explain everything.

It wasn’t just another mutant—it was on the verge of reaching the Evolved Rank. And there’s also the fact that mutant creatures are naturally stronger physically than their human counterpart.

Leo gritted his teeth. If that was the case, then he was in more danger than he had realized. A creature fighting for its life so that it can meet its evolution requirements and attain the Evolved Rank isn’t an ordinary opponent.

The thought sent a fresh jolt of adrenaline through him.

’I have to finish this now.’

But there was a problem. He could barely move.

His legs felt heavy, his muscles sluggish. His body had reached its limit, and no amount of sheer willpower could change that.

If he made a mistake, if he faltered for even a second, the mantis would cut him down.

The battlefield around them was eerily silent, the ruined streets littered with broken bodies. Even the lesser creatures that were previously lurking in the shadows had retreated, recognizing that they were nothing but collateral damage in this brutal fight.

Leo and the mantis were locked in a deadly stalemate.

Neither of them dared to move.

They both knew the truth.

The first to make a mistake… would die...

Then—it happened.

A single misstep.

The mutant mantis shifted its weight, preparing for another strike, but in its exhaustion, it hesitated.

It was brief—barely a fraction of a second—but Leo saw it.

And he reacted.

With a roar, he surged forward. His hand lashed out, gripping the mantis’ raised arm—its deadly, scythe-like limb.

Then, with every ounce of strength he had left, he twisted.

A sickening CRACK echoed across the battlefield as the mantis’ arm was torn from its body.

The creature let out a piercing shriek, its body convulsing as dark, greenish fluid sprayed from the wound. Its remaining arm flailed wildly, but it was too slow, and Leo was too desperate.

Leo didn’t give it a chance.

Still gripping the severed limb, he turned the creature’s own weapon against it.

He swung the severed limb in his grip, its jagged, scythe-like edge still glinting menacingly in the dim light.

The mantis barely had time to react before Leo drove its own weapon straight into its neck.

The blade sliced through its thick exoskeleton like butter, severing its head in one clean, brutal motion.

The mantis’ body twitched violently, its legs spasming as its severed head tumbled to the ground with a dull *thud*.

Then, silence.

Leo staggered back, his chest heaving, his vision blurring as the world swayed around him.

The mutant praying mantis, the relentless predator that had pushed him to his absolute limit, collapsed lifelessly at his feet.

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It was over.

[You have acquired Level 20 Mutant Praying Mantis Life Force!]

[…..]

Leo exhaled slowly, his knees buckling as he dropped to the ground beside the corpse.

His entire body ached, his hands still trembling from the sheer force he had exerted. His breaths came in short, ragged gasps, but a smile painted his face.