Molting the Mortal Coil

Demonic Plants were not known for their speed or strength, as plants they were all terrifying because of their seemingly endless vitality. Fighting them was always a battle for attrition. If it wasn’t for their slow speed and tendency to stay in one place, nobody would ever choose to take one on. The only reason anyone would ever make such an attempt was because their stationary nature made them like forts. With enough study, a weak point could be found! Nobody in their right mind would attack would attack a Demonic Plant without being prepared.

Your sacrifice won’t be in vain, little Centipede.

Even if the Spirit Insects were little more than biological robots, Sage still ended up talking to them sometimes. It was really just talking to himself, but it was similar to venting problems to a dog. The dog didn’t understand it all, but it would make the owner feel better.

Sage was not within the Steel Silk Centipede. He had hidden himself on top of the Solarium wall to watch the assault and guide the bug from a distance. As soon as the Centipede’s body was trapped he broke the link with it and started to Merge with a brand new Emerald Dragonfly egg. At the same time he released the rest of his fully matured insects from their cages and opened a bottle of special pheromones. Using his Spirit Power he harnessed a wisp of that scent and shot it towards the Demonic Plant. Firing out a half dozen scent arrows forming a hexagon around the captured Centipede.

A Chameleon Mantis, Steel Silk Centipede, Emerald Dragonfly, Charming Lance Beetle, and Warp Worm flew out of Sage’s Beast Bag one after the other. The Mantis flew down into the foliage at the base of the wall, darting into the unwebbed areas and disappearing from view. The Steel Silk Centipede steamed forward like a locomotive as it saw the other Centipede in peril. The Charming Lance Beetle and Emerald Dragonfly took to the air, flying down and circling around the Demonic Plant. Those six scent arrows were marking out an attack target.

It was the methods used by normal Insect Tamers. He couldn’t control them like a part of his own body like when he was Merged, but he could give simple instructions with scent markers like a dog tamer using whistles and commands. He was a 3 star Insect Tamer and he’d got there without revealing his Insect Immortal Index skills to the Sect. Obviously, they knew he had some secrets given the strange products and insects he produced, but it a pure mystery as to what they were.

Sage continued to merge with a new Emerald Dragonfly as he watched the confrontation. Centipedes were vicious among insects, steamrolling their prey with overwhelming force, injecting poison and turning things into meals. Acting of its own will, the Steel Silk Centipede completely ignored its silk spinners and tried to use its large body to brute force its way through the vines. Slashing the plants with its forelimbs and lifting its upper body into the air. Waving back and forth as it slashed and spit. The higher vantage let its acid spread over a large area and with greater precision while the slashing blade arms protected it in the interval between acid sprays. The Emerald Dragonfly was more of an air to air interceptor so the forest of plants was a dauntless target. The only thing it could think to do was fly back and forth dragging a net of webbing. It was like a thick streamer that trailed behind it. Once the streamer was the size of a hallway floor runner it would drop it from the sky. The strands of web were like huge strips of duct tape dropping from the sky and binding the vines.

The Warp Worm and the Chameleon Mantis had completely disappeared, but the Charming Lance Beetle dropped out of the sky like a rock. Smashing down atop the bushes somewhere to the size and charging forward towards one of the scent markers. It was like a big flying rhino that first did it’s stomping and stamping, circling and clicking loudly in the air. Then it smashed down to trample the plants and charged with its horn. The problem was the Demonic Plant was a bush and vine type that didn’t have an above ground main body to target. With only the Scent Markers to target, the Charming Lance Beetle took the only large body above ground as its goal. Charging forward it stabbed it’s large straight horn into the body of the trapped Steel Silk Centipede and started to drain its blood.

The free Centipede was causing havoc, melting vines everywhere. The Dragonfly was binding things at random, the Mantis and Worm were nowhere to be seen, and the Charming Lance Beetle was harming its own side.

No wonder most Tamers focus on one beast at a time. These guys are so uncoordinated.

The advantage was soon lost once more. The Centipede ran out of acid within a few minutes and the Dragonfly ran out of silk. The Charming Lance Beetle actually grew more powerful as it stole the life of the first Centipede, but it was oblivious to its surroundings as it started to click out proudly with victory. It even started to wave its horn around in celebration. The Demonic Plant caught them all unaware. The Dragonfly seemed the least threatening, but was caught first. Copying the bug’s tactic, dozens of vines stretched out into the air in the shape of a net to give the Dragonfly no room to evade. The brilliant green insect fell from the sky and disappeared among the Clone vines.

The silken path from the top of the wall down to the ground that seemed impenetrable was suddenly torn apart. The huge arena sized Solarium full of clone vines came to life at the same time. Rolling and undulating like a wave, the silken constraints were torn apart and the vines wound together like a huge braid, forming into a thick trunk that lifted into the air and then smashed down like a huge whip onto the top of the Charming Lance Beetle.

Crack!

Another carapace shattered and clear blood splashed everywhere. The huge blood sac on the underside of the Beetle popped open like a bladder in time with the hard shell on its back cracking in half. Sage had tested the Charming Lance Beetle himself and it could stand up to the attacks of rank 4 Cultivators without suffering a scratch. He intended to use it as a mobile shield. That overwhelming strike caused Sage’s eyes to widen, quite happy he’d chosen not to join in the actual attack.

After smashing the Charming Beetle in half, that huge vine whip swung back and slapped the Centipede. Swatting it into the air, the bug took off like a bullet and smashed against the inner wall of the Solarium. It sounded like an egg smashing onto the pavement as the Centipede was plastered onto the wall. More of that clear insect blood trickled down the wall. With the three main offenders dealt with, Sage figured it would be over. Unfortunately, the ground began to rumble. The Warp Worm’s black body was pushed out from the ground and left to writhe on the surface. While it was very powerful, the Warp Worm itself was not very intelligent. It was basically just a suped-up earthworm and its only aspiration and drive was to tunnel around underground and consume more energy. At least I’ve learned a lot about these Insects natural personalities.

Even with the devastation that the Demonic Plant has brought upon his side, Sage made plans for the future. Some of his Insects were useless without his control and others were quite good. Nevertheless, he still watched the Warp Worm get thrown out and wrapped up, joining the other three in defeat.

Thankfully, the new Emerald Dragonfly was finished maturing!