Mantis

Mantis is the leader of the Parasites faction, a level-eight poison user who controls his own members through a lethal poison only he can remove. Seeking status with a larger faction, he sabotages the Cursed group and poisons its fighters during a formal duel. When Quinn corners him, Mantis kills himself rather than remove the poison, but Sil copies the extraction technique and saves the victims. (Chapters 677–701 and 889)

Biography

Sabotaging the Cursed faction

Mantis approaches Linda with a superficially civil proposal while secretly compelling Parasites members through poison. He orders subordinates to delay Quinn during the joint hunt and chooses a supposedly ability-free game that his faction has prepared to exploit. His aim is to demonstrate strength and take the Cursed planet, then use that success to obtain a high position with a larger faction. When he mistakenly thinks Graylash protection makes the plan dangerous, he tries to cancel the duel, exposing that ambition as carefully risk-limited rather than fearless. (Chapters 677–689)

Poisoning the duel and refusing accountability

Once told Graylash will not intervene, Mantis proceeds. During the duel he poisons Dennis by touch while stronger controlled fighters restrain the Cursed team. The poison continues working after the match and threatens several core members, forcing Quinn to pursue him. Mantis relies on additional poisoned bodyguards and the hostages' dependence on his extraction power, but Quinn and Sil break through those protections. (Chapters 689–698)

Mantis removes his own poison from Sil when forced, giving Sil a direct model of the technique. He then kills himself, denying Quinn an easy cure and abandoning the faction members who also depend on him. Sil reproduces the extraction and saves both sides; Mantis's death consequently dissolves the Parasites and lets willing survivors join the Cursed faction. Paul's later level-eight poison book is identified as originating from Mantis, preserving his ability without implying his survival. (Chapters 699–701 and 889)

Distinct later use of the name

In Chapter 1961, Zero cries out “Mantis” among several names during a breakdown. The Parasites leader has been explicitly dead for centuries by that point, and the corpus supplies no mechanism connecting the two. The later name is therefore a separate or unresolved namesake, not another appearance by this Mantis. (Chapters 699–700 and 1961)

Appearance and personality

Mantis is a green-haired man with a smile that makes Linda instinctively uncomfortable. The corpus does not give his height, age, clothing, or other stable features. He is calculating, status-seeking, and willing to convert followers' dependence into obedience. He understands the limits of his political power and avoids stronger factions when possible, but becomes shocked and desperate when Quinn's group exceeds his estimates. His suicide is framed as escape from consequences rather than sacrifice. (Chapters 677–689 and 695–700)

Powers and abilities

Level-eight poison ability

Mantis transmits potent green poison through touch. His poison can incapacitate powerful fighters, remains active after the initial contact, and will eventually overcome a weaker level-six poison used to slow it. He also knows how to draw the poison back out of a body, making him both the source of the threat and the only cure his followers know. Sil can copy both placement and extraction after experiencing the process, proving they are techniques of the same ability rather than a separate medical skill. (Chapters 689, 697, and 699–701)

Control through delayed lethality

Mantis poisons roughly a thousand Parasites members so they must continue receiving his help or die. The method secures orders without demonstrating mind control: Wevil and others retain their judgment, fear him, and act because of the pain and lethal consequence. Mantis's own combat position depends on restrained targets and stronger bodyguards; once those layers fail, he does not demonstrate the close-combat ability to defeat Quinn or Sil. (Chapters 680–689 and 695–701)

Relationships

• Wevil: Mantis keeps Wevil obedient through poison, even when Wevil recognises that the plan may kill them all. After Mantis dies, Wevil asks Quinn to save the faction and chooses the Cursed group. (Chapters 680–700)
• Quinn: Mantis sabotages Quinn's return and poisons his allies. Quinn corners him seeking a cure, but Mantis's suicide prevents direct accountability. (Chapters 681–699)
• Sil: Mantis removes poison from Sil under pressure; Sil copies the motion and then surpasses Mantis by extracting poison from the entire faction. (Chapters 699–701)

Items

No inventory item is configured for Mantis in the supplied manifest.