Insect Tamer's Ascension Chapter 442. training complete

Theo quickly intervened with the instructor, convincing him to hold off approaching the mantis until it grew accustomed to his presence first.

After the mantis evolved, Theo hadn't tested its 'button' yet, and he sensed strongly that the instructor could end up cleaved in two if he irritated the mantis excessively.

Meanwhile, the workers struggled to pry open the cage. Inside, the bear lingered, its gaze locked on the mantis.

Initially, Theo thought this would prove another simple task.

Then the bear advanced.

The instant it took that initial step in the cage, it snorted repeatedly and shook itself vigorously, as though shaking free from the oppressive force, before unleashing a thunderous roar of rage.

Hearing the bear's bellow, the mantis let out a piercing screech that sent shivers racing down every spine present.

Next, the beast emerged from the cage.

In that instant, Theo understood this marked the first low-level beast to shatter free of the mantis's suppression on its own.

Before the mantis could charge ahead and shred the beast into morsels ready for cooking, Theo issued swift orders: spare the beast any harm and allow it to exit completely first.

The mantis eyed him like he'd lost his mind, yet it complied and held its position patiently.

Once the bear had fully stepped out and tensed to lunge at the mantis, the mantis unleashed its spores exactly as instructed by Theo.

Rather than dispersing broadly, the spores coalesced into a focused stream, sweeping over the bear's face like a razor-sharp gust.

The bear attempted to slam its eyes closed, yet its jaws stayed gaping wide.

Seconds later, its eyes burst open anew, crimson veins webbing across them, before it crumpled to the ground with a resounding crash.

"Ouch..."

Everyone caught the distraction, leading to Merek suffering a scratch from a Mirewhisk’s claw amid his lapse.

Theo advanced, with attendants right behind. Luciena and Cassian trailed them, thick ropes clutched in their grips.

Up close, they grasped the sheer enormity of this beast.

Its forelimbs spanned nearly half Theo’s height, bulky and mighty, ending in razor claws eager to rip flesh apart.

Theo seized one foreleg while lifting the other, as Clara darted in to bind it securely before tackling the next.

Meanwhile, Lucien handled the tougher job of securing the beast’s muzzle to prevent any counterattack.

Cloth masked all their faces to block the spores during the binding process.

Clara even sealed her eyes, inhaling shallowly as she labored.

In under a minute, the bear twitched awake. Its eyes fluttered open, and it strained to rise, only discovering its body lashed tight with ropes.

They retreated, surveying their feat: conquering a beast Theo wouldn't have neared without unsheathing his sword.

Oric approached the bear and playfully tousled its head, bursting into laughter. The bear's eyes flared blood-red with fury, straining wildly against the bonds, which only fueled Oric's booming laughs.

Theo found the instructor utterly bizarre. From the others' faces, they either agreed or had long adapted to his quirks.

Theo looked over at Lysara and Garrick, observing the scene intently.

"Are you sure you don’t want to join? It could be a good learning experience nonetheless," Theo called out, drawing their attention.

Lysara shook her head with a neutral face, while Garrick gave an uneasy chuckle but stayed rooted.

Theo sighed to himself and faced the instructor.

"How was it, Instructor Oric?" he asked.

Oric ceased stroking the restrained beast and met his gaze. Something lurking beyond the instructor’s grin unsettled Theo deeply.

It seemed the man perceived far more than he revealed. His odd behaviors appeared tied to a deeper intent.

"Magnificently done. And all the credit goes to your beast, of course, the Apex Bloom tyrant," Oric said, attempting to catch the mantis's eye.

Yet the mantis merely glared at the bear, as if ignoring such prime meat was a grave offense.

In its thoughts, that creature ought to already fulfill its role—ending up in its stomach as sustenance.

Theo commanded the mantis to come back, but instead, it dashed toward the nearby frozen Mirewhisks.

Directly before Merek, the mantis devoured three Mirewhisks like mere bugs.

"Wow, his appetite is amazing!" Oric exclaimed, leaving Theo slightly mortified.

"If I could, I would like to compensate for the beasts it consumed, Instructor Oric," Theo stated directly, prompting Oric to gaze at him briefly before chuckling.

"You seem like a noble, yet somehow not entirely. I like you, Young Theo." The instructor remarked, giving Theo’s shoulder a pat.

"Compensation isn’t necessary at all. These Mirewhisks get bred precisely for this reason. We toss them to beasts like yours and every other one," Oric clarified. "They reproduce incredibly fast too, which makes farming them a breeze."

Theo gave a nod, allowing the subject to fade away.

Following a bit more conversation, they pressed on to wrap up the remaining training.

When the training session finally concluded, Theo had mastered the right ways to mine ore, fell trees, draw out sap or whatever liquids lay within, and gather plants in every variety.

On top of that, he picked up the knowledge that any plant’s fruit or seed part needed harvesting first before uprooting, then storing it apart in a bag crafted to delay its spoilage.

In that manner, once the second day of training ended, the whole group stood ready for their assignments inside the gate.

With that done, all that remained was dealing with Lysara and Garrick, who hadn’t pitched in anything yet—a situation that felt downright peculiar.