Insect Tamer's Ascension

When Theo went inside the hole, the mantis felt something and looked toward the hole.

It stopped eating and started moving toward the hole at a rather fast speed.

Theo crouched down and, for the first time in his whole two lives, was this close to a viper.

The somewhat bloodied tail of the viper kept moving, and Theo looked at it with focus before he quickly stepped on the upper part, making it stay on the ground.

At this time too, Theo found the viper's strength better than his core's - it was trying to push hard, and Theo moved ahead and placed his full body pressure on it.

The rope was now in his hand, and he elongated it. He looked at the branch once that didn't seem to be fazed and, with a deep breath, Theo went closer.

Clara's strength on the branch increased and a small 'CLICK' sound came from it. Theo looked up in panic and Clara gave him an apologetic look before controlling her strength.

"Keep it like this, I am going to shut its mouth now, Clara..." Theo spoke as he came closer and closer, the viper's sharp eyes stuck on him.

He moved his hands fast and kept the rope on its body before tugging it up.

As the branch was holding the head firmly, the lower body tried to get up with the tug and started curving.

Theo just closed off his brain to not be scared and roughly curved the rope from below and finally had the first knot done.

Clara looked at him in confusion, thinking about why he was making a knot a little below the head.

Theo made another whirl around the cylindrical body and then moved above, making another twirl until the viper's neck part was fully covered with the rope.

He then looked at Clara with determined eyes, "Loosen the grip a little when I tell you to, but don't let its head come out, okay?" Theo gave a somewhat unreasonable demand yet Clara just nodded confidently.

With trust in her, Theo went even closer while making sure the tail wouldn't start thrashing around again.

The branch was lifted from the ground slowly and the viper finally had some chance to move up and down.

And at that moment, Theo took his daring risk of moving the rope to the lower part of the viper's mouth.

Clara looked with widened eyes and when she felt the viper was going to thrash again, she quickly placed some strength and dug the 'v' into the ground.

Fortunately, Theo was able to make one twirl around the face and he quickly made a knot. He looked at her again and nodded.

Clara just gritted her teeth and nodded before she pulled back the branch slowly again.

The viper's face moved a little up and Theo moved the rope below it one more time while making sure the last one wouldn't just loosen and come out.

There was a reason he had placed the knot around the neck first.

He quickly made another knot and then another like this until he finally made some distance.

When he looked back again, he saw the mantis bobbing its head toward the hole with its same emotionless stiff face. It was near Clara's leg and she didn't even realize it.

Theo quickly got out of the hole. His clothes were all dirty now, his heart was pounding very hard, his heartbeat could be felt in his forehead.

He took deep breaths and said quickly, "Clara, take the branch out."

Clara looked at Theo who was breathing very fast and then at the viper again. This time, she quickly pulled the branch out, digging out some ground with force.

The viper's face went a little above slowly yet it stayed there, its eyes still.

Theo frowned, was the viper dying?

The viper didn't move at all as if its neck was either broken or too tired.

Theo looked at the mantis twitching to get the viper in the hole yet he sent many commands not to do it.

"Young master, should we take it back now?" Clara asked while patting her knee, there were a lot of wet soil patches on her clothes now.

Theo nodded, "I was just thinking that but how do we do it?" He asked in a confused tone.

Clara tilted her face in confusion and pointed at the viper, "What do you mean, young master? We will just carry it, right?"

Theo looked at her as if she had said something very dumb, but he soon came to realization - how else would they carry it back?

Clara hopped inside the hole without saying anything and Theo saw her crouch.

She grabbed the neck part of the viper and the tail firmly before picking it up altogether.

Theo saw the middle body of the viper try to thrash around. The viper was trying to wrap itself around Clara's body yet disastrously failing every time.

Clara gave him a cute giggle while showing the viper's body in her hand. Theo just chuckled - she might have been a lot crazier than he thought.

She quickly moved one foot up and grabbed onto the ground before tugging herself up in one go. Theo was shocked by that strength.

'One day... Theo, one day...' He thought with satisfaction.

Stuff like this was what made him want to get stronger and stronger.

"It doesn't hurt your hand, Clara?" Theo asked.

"The only thing that is supposed to hurt from a Thornhide viper is its rough stone-like tail and the poison, everything else is just normal. Well, this couldn't be said about the ones that are higher level but you get my point."

Theo nodded and requested the help of both the boar and the pup to get the hole filled with soil again.

Destroying the ecosystem was not a good idea in a forest such as this. If someone were to come to the same location and get attacked by so many vipers like now, it could get bad.

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In a far-off tree's top, a man was seated while yawning. His gaze was stuck on Theo and Clara before he squinted his eyes. He was so far that there was no way for Theo and Clara to know if someone was watching them.

"Interesting kid."