kscans

Chapter 28 - Shadow of the Unseen, Invisible Mantis

My Perception reacted for just a moment, and faintly at that.

I stopped for a while to check things out, but when nothing happened, I cautiously proceeded forward, towards the place where Perception had reacted.

I think it was a stroke of luck that I noticed it just before being attacked. Thanks to that, I barely managed to escape the first blow. A dangerous scythe strike from a giant mantis monster.

"Whoa, that was close."

When I used Appraisal, it turned out to be an insect-type magical beast called an Invisible Mantis. It was much taller than me, and the length of its scythes, I guess you could call it the blade length, was nearly fifty centimeters. Unlike a normal mantis's scythes, it seemed they could not only capture prey but also be swung around to inflict fatal wounds. It had been standing still with protective coloration, or rather, a level of concealment almost on par with Stealth, so Perception alone couldn't fully grasp it. It seemed Perception had difficulty reacting to things that weren't moving. I probably survived because I usually use Perception and Appraisal at the same time. I've been using them in combination almost every time I go outside the village, so my levels have been improving at an abnormally fast rate. When I sense something with Perception, I cast Appraisal on that location. The effect of this combo has been remarkable, allowing me to know of the approach of many magical beasts in advance. Until now.

This time, the mantis didn't charge at me from a distance. It waited motionlessly until I got close and then launched a surprise attack as soon as I entered its range. It's frustrating, but it was the one that got the first move.

If I don't improve my current situation of relying only on Perception, venturing into the forest will be nothing but a pipe dream.

"Well, I'll put my reflections aside for later. Right now, I have to deal with this thing."

However, this mantis, after I dodged its first attack, isn't trying to attack me any further.

"In a way, is it similar to a spider? It doesn't obsess over prey it failed to catch?"

If that's the case, maybe I don't need to force a fight, but with such a dangerous magical beast around, I can't move around here at ease. Better safe than sorry, I guess it would be right to hunt it.

"I'll try to see if a conversation is possible. Hey, you, do you understand what I'm saying?"

I tried talking to it, but it remained motionless. When I slowly approached it...

"Whoa, that was close!!"

It attacked again as soon as I entered its range. This thing is no good. It's moving almost entirely on reflex.

Negotiations seem impossible, so I'll hunt it for my own safety. When dealing with this type of opponent, it's best to take care of it from outside its range. I blew its head off with a Wind Cutter, but its body kept moving for a while. It's creepy.

"Appraisal says it's edible, but I wonder if it's infected with horsehair worms or something. It seems the scythes can be used as weapons or materials..."

I've hunted insect-type or similar magical beasts several times before, and I've even eaten them, but I still can't really get used to it. No, I'm not in a situation where I can be picky, so I'll eat it properly. It's quite good when you try it.

"Well, I guess I should be happy that I got some food..."

More problematic than that is the weakness in my detection ability that was revealed this time. It seems that against an opponent with little movement, my current level of Perception alone is not enough to deal with them effectively. Which means...

"It's not just ambushes, but if a trap or something was set, there's a high possibility I'd fall for it, right?"

I should probably deal with this matter as soon as possible.