The mantis is one of the ultimate apex predators among carnivorous insects—a truly perfect and beautiful hunter.

The reason it's considered one of the greatest hunters in the insect world is because it has evolved into a flawless killing machine.

Its strong, spiked forelegs ensure that once it grabs hold of something, it never lets go. Even if the prey senses danger and tries to flee at the last moment, the mantis can still catch it.

That's because, with incredible agility, it can redirect the angle of its strike in the blink of an eye to pursue its target.

Also, professional FPS gamers are said to fire the moment they detect even the tiniest change in a single pixel on screen—well, a mantis’s compound eyes can detect those minute changes just as sharply.

On top of that, mantises can not only detect movement, but also perfectly judge distance with their eyes. Thanks to their large compound eyes and three ocelli, they naturally possess 3D vision.

And if that wasn't enough—

A mantis can even look behind itself.

It can fully turn its head to check what’s going on behind its back.

Quick reflexes, hypersensitive and wide-angle vision, and flawless tools of the hunt—these three qualities make the mantis undeniably the best predator in the insect world.

So even without venom, a mantis is already an incredibly appealing creature. And now this one even has venom?

I couldn’t help thinking it:

‘Jackpot.’

And of all mantises, the most beautiful is the Orchid Mantis.

It’s called the Orchid Mantis because its body looks just like an orchid blossom, and in my past life, people used to keep them as pets.

They came in white, pink, red—beautiful in every color.

Mantises are also very responsive to food, making them easy to raise. And when they're this pretty, they’re in high demand.

Of course, back in my country, you weren’t allowed to keep them.

‘Seriously, nothing ever worked out in that place. For us hobbyists, it was a depressing country. Anyway... should I call this one a Lily Mantis?’

The one I caught seemed like a spirit creature based on an Orchid Mantis.

No, it didn’t quite feel like an orchid—if anything, it should be called a Lily Mantis.

It looked exactly like two wild lilies stuck together.

‘Maybe something like Lily Mantis?’

It was about the same size as Hongdan right now, so clearly not an adult.

Young mantises are called nymphs, and judging from the wings, this one definitely was.

Mantises are categorized as either adults or nymphs depending on whether they’ve developed wings. This one had wings, but they weren’t fully grown.

Mantises form their wings gradually through molting. Since this one was a spirit creature, the process was probably a bit different—but based on its size, I guessed it had gone through maybe three or four molts.

Still, mantises go through incomplete metamorphosis, so they look just like the adult from an early age. Apart from the wings, it was probably identical to its mother—elegant and stunning.

–RUMBLE. KWA-BOOM.

–Ssshhhhhhhh.

As lightning flashed in the sky, the creature’s beautiful colors appeared and disappeared again and again.

A milky white body tinged with pink—absolutely enchanting.

‘Damn, it’s pretty.’

Still half-dreaming from Sister Jeokwol’s venom, the creature lay there in a daze.

–Tsrurur!

–Piiiii!

Behind me, the kids’ loud cries echoed through the torrential rain—but none of it reached my ears.

I was completely focused on the creature in front of me.

‘Its tail looks like a flower—so maybe the venom is secreted from there?’

That’s when it happened.

Suddenly, my ear was yanked.

“Ow ow ow ow ow!”

A sharp tug pulled my head sideways, and glancing to the side, I saw Hyang on my shoulder, gripping my ear in her mouth.

–Tsrut! 『It’s dangerous, Daddy!』

Only then did I register her voice. Even while biting my ear, she was scolding me with the sternness of a parent.

Just like her mother.

That’s exactly how Hwa-eun scolded me too.

“All right, all right! Hyang, let go... I said I’m fine!”

She was warning me about the danger of lightning. It wasn’t a bad call—just in case—but come on.

Getting struck by lightning was statistically rarer than winning the lottery.

–FLASH.

–KWA-RRROOOM.

The moment I said I was fine—

Another bolt of lightning struck the same stone pagoda as earlier.

‘Of course. This is just my kind of luck. Or... is that good luck?’

It always felt like "just in case" scenarios ended up hitting me. The shock made Hyang let go of my ear.

–Tsu?

–Huh?

Well, of course. Another bolt hitting the pagoda caused a flash so bright that our vision turned completely white.

The top of the stone pagoda had already been destroyed by the previous strike, leaving it shorter now—but that only made this second strike feel even closer. The flash blinded us momentarily.

Once my sight returned, I looked around and shouted at the others nearby.

“Yikes! Everyone, get on me—now!”

Panicking, I scooped up the mantis and the kids clinging to it and sprinted toward the main hall. Realizing the danger, Sister Jeokwol lowered herself mid-flight and clung to my back.

That’s when I felt it—

My body hair standing on end.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

There was no metal on me, but I felt static charge prickling across my skin?

A telltale sign of an impending lightning strike.

It was something I’d learned to recognize while foraging.

‘Seriously, of all places—why here!?’

Using lightfoot techniques, I rushed beneath the eaves of a half-collapsed pavilion nearby—but the moment I landed—

Lightning struck the roof of that very structure.

–RRUMBLE! KWA-BOOM! CRACK!

The already damaged pavilion crumbled further, collapsing in on itself and kicking up a huge cloud of dust.

–THUD.

Shocked, I huddled close with the kids and Sister Jeokwol wrapped in my arms.

As the dust swirled around us, I checked on everyone’s condition.

“Cough, cough—you guys okay? Sister, are you all right?”

–Tsrurur.

–Chii.

–Kkyut!

It sounded like everyone was saying they were fine. As we pushed our way out of the cloud of dust, I saw that the fallen roof had landed right next to us.

We’d dodged it by just a hair.

The wrecked wooden building reeked of char from the lightning strike.

“Ahaha... that scared the hell out of me.”

I wiped something from my forehead—sweat or rain, who knew.

We’d come this close to disaster.

If Hwa-eun had seen it, she’d never have let me off the hook.

‘Whew. That was close.’

But she wasn’t here, and we ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) were safe in the end. So I could breathe again.

We returned to the hall. I relit the fire and started drying off.

Everyone was soaked, so I wrung the water from my clothes and used them to dry the kids, then did the same for the mantis before setting it gently on the reeds.

I could ask Sister Jeokwol to wake it from the dream state—but that might spook it and cause it to lash out, so I decided to wait until morning.

–Tsrururur! 『Daddy, are you seriously going to do that again!?』

‘I’m sorry, Hyang. My bad.’

–Tsrut! 『You just went running off even though I was calling you!』

‘I was wrong. Forgive me, my princess.’

–Tsk! 『Well... if you say that, maybe Hyang will—hee...』

Despite her scolding continuing on for a while, as I scratched her under the chin and said I was sorry, Hyang's antennae began to wiggle in delight.

Once her scolding had finished, I sat by the fire drying myself and munching on a few roasted lily roots—when I finally understood why the mantis had attacked us.

Thinking about it, lilies were both a hiding spot and a home to this creature.

And we’d been digging up and eating those homes nonstop. No wonder it was irritated.

For the first time, I fully empathized with the witch in Hansel and Gretel.

Imagine how shocking it must be to have a bunch of brats show up and start eating your house.

‘Anyway... the real issue is—how do I take this thing with me?’

That was the problem now.

How do I coax it into coming along with us?

As I mulled it over, dawn started creeping in outside.

It looked like the mantis was a bit gluttonous, so maybe offering food and having a gentle talk would work. But it was still pouring rain—hunting wasn’t an option for now.

After some thought, I decided to wake it up and try greeting it first.

Maybe it would go better than expected. Plus, I was dying to see it move.

I was too curious about what it would look like when a flower-like mantis started walking around.

“Sister Jeokwol, if I wake this one up and it tries to escape, can you put it back to sleep?”

–Chii.

She nodded.

Good enough for me. Time to wake it up.

“Sister, please wake it.”

–Chii.

Her body shimmered faintly red—and then, the mantis’s antennae started to twitch.

They gave a little jerk, and its legs began to move. Soon, a shadowy black spot formed in its eyes.

A false pupil.

Insects like dragonflies, grasshoppers, and mantises develop these—they look like pupils but aren’t real. They're just parts of their compound eyes that absorb light differently, giving the illusion of a black dot.

That meant—it was awake.

Its head, moving with the distinctive, jerky grace of a mantis, turned to observe us.

Behind it, the crackling fire.

To its left, Hyang. To the right, Sister Jeokwol.

In front—me, Seol, Bing, Dong, and Hongdan.

It recoiled slightly and let out a strange noise.

–Pipi...

It must’ve been frightened by all of us.

And who could blame it?

It had attacked us first—and now it woke up surrounded by scary older girls.

“Uh... hey there. I’m not a bad guy or anything—”

–Piiiii!

The moment I spoke, it panicked and scuttled backward, only to freeze in place as it felt the heat of the fire behind it.

It was young and clearly timid. I’d have to be careful—

But then, Hyang stepped forward.

–Tsrurur! 『Hey! What are you crying about? You attacked us first while we were sleeping! Do you have any idea how bad that was!?』

The mantis flinched and rubbed its forelegs together apologetically.

Still just a baby—scared, and quick to seek forgiveness.

‘Should I stop her before she goes too hard on it?’

I almost stepped in, but... spirit creatures might have their own way of communicating.

Better to observe a bit longer.

–Pi. Pipiii.

–Tsr! Tsrut! 『Just saying sorry doesn’t make it okay! Dad got hurt because of you!』

–Piiiii...

–Tsrururut! 『Do you realize how dangerous that was? People could come hunting for you!』

She was repeating exactly what I’d said to Sister Jeokwol once, word for word. Whose daughter is this? So sharp-tongued and precise.

–Pii?

–Tsrut? 『You didn’t know? Didn’t your mom or dad teach you?』

–Pipii.

–Tsrut? 『No mom or dad? No siblings? No older sisters?』

–Pii.

–Tsr? 『No one at all?』

Well, of course. Mantises lay eggs and leave. They don’t raise their young.

And if the siblings don’t move away after hatching, they’ll eat each other—so naturally, it didn’t know them either.

–Tsrutsru? 『You’ve been all alone? Hmm...』

Hyang tapped her chin with a tiny front leg, then looked at the mantis.

–Tsrurur. Tsutsu. 『Then, wanna be a little sister? Hongdan’s our sibling too, you know? Look—we all look different, right?』

–Pii?

–Tsrut. 『If you become our sister, then if a bad guy comes, we’ll beat them up for you. And Daddy will call you pretty and nice and everything.』

–Kkii!

–Kkukkkuu!

Hongdan, Seol, and Bing all nodded in agreement at Hyang’s words. The mantis looked up at me, seemingly thinking it over.

It was genuinely considering the offer.

And then—it nodded and chirped softly.

–Piii.

Hyang stepped forward and gently patted its head.

Negotiations successful.

I guessed it had been pretty lonely. It accepted Hyang’s proposal without a hint of suspicion.

‘Wait... that actually worked?’

They say when kids grow up, they’ll naturally start helping their dad with his work. And now, here was my Hyang, charming spirit creatures with ease.

Just like her dad.

‘GAHHH! My daughter!’

As I basked in my fatherly pride, a name from the Secret Compendium of Venomous Creatures drifted into my mind—

Twin-Blossom Lily Mantis of Soft Crimson one of the Twenty-Four Poison Branches.