Chrysalis Chapter 1710 - Fun in the Tunnels

[Oho! You almost had me that time!]

[Wow! That was a valiant effort!]

[You’ll reach my level one day, champ! I have faith in you!]

[If you truly believed in yourself, that would have landed. Use that as motivation for our next encounter!]

Toying with these delvers is something I never seem to grow weary of. Just observe them dance! I love watching them cry out in hopelessness as I suddenly yank them into the sky!

Gweheheheheh.

My submarine tactics have once again been rewarded with another ambush, and I must admit, they definitely increased their effort this time around. It's likely that the rising count of missing delvers has made them anxious, but they appear willing to push much harder now to try and take me down.

This particular ambush began with a pair of doom spheres being hurled my way. Constructed from pure fire, they resembled miniature suns; the temperatures were so scorching that my antennae were singeing from hundreds of metres away. Though caught slightly off guard, I managed to retaliate with two gravity bombs, though they were so feeble I had to empower them to ensure they functioned correctly.

Commencing the battle with two massive explosive collisions between fire and gravity was certainly a dramatic choice. I suspect the delvers were praying for a more favorable result from their opening salvo, yet they still charged from their concealment to follow through.

Things deteriorated for them quite swiftly after that point.

[Oh no! My carapace took damage! Aaaand it’s already repaired. Dang, would you look at that.]

In all honesty, the healing network accelerates very, very quickly when so many delvers strike me simultaneously. Right now, my entire frame feels cold because of the massive volume of regeneration fluid surging through my body. A few of these delvers must be heavy hitters, as they actually manage to inflict some harm, biting chunks out of my carapace and leaving dents in my legs, but my healing is so incredibly fast that it simply doesn't matter.

Taunting them for their failure also provides me with a profound sense of satisfaction.

[The next person to strike me is going for a ride in the air!]

There is a brief heartbeat of hesitation from the crowd, but they eventually push past their terror and resume the assault. Since I can’t pinpoint exactly who hit me, I simply select one who looks like a prime suspect.

[Up you go!]

With a yelp of pure fright and shock, my target is hoisted up and left dangling in midair, flailing around uselessly. Suspending mages doesn't accomplish much, as they can continue to hurl spells at me, but combat types truly struggle when they lose their footing. They possess so much speed and power, yet it’s all useless when their tiny little feet are just wiggling in the sky!

Despite my overwhelming and constantly growing regeneration, I’m still doing my utmost to avoid taking any serious hits. My antennae are buzzing incessantly as I react faster than I can think—shifting my stance, dodging, and parrying with my mandibles—while processing hundreds of distinct sensory signals every second and acting accordingly.

Maintaining this state consumes a massive amount of physical and mental energy. Forcing this massive body to leap and pivot is no small feat. My muscles and legs have been strengthened through my evolution, giving them enough power, but it’s still a demanding task.

I’m fortunate that my tendons are mutated; otherwise, I’d probably collapse to the floor like a puppet with its strings severed right now.

[Alright, playtime is over.]

Having gathered the mana for the Gravity Domain throughout the skirmish, I empower and release it. I watch with glee as it tears through the tunnel, expanding with terrifying speed and pinning everything in its path to the ground.

Interestingly, I can sense a few small zones of space resisting my mana, attempting to withstand the overwhelming tide of gravitational energy. Since there are virtually no more strikes or spells raining down on me, I’m free to stroll over and see what’s happening.

Oho? Is that another priest? Actually, it's priests! Some serious anti-magic methods are being used here. Two small clusters of delvers remain standing because the priests, aided by some mages, are managing to block the domain from fully crushing them.

It is certainly impressive, yet it is clearly taxing them to their limits. They are drenched in sweat and trembling from the strain, meaning they lack the remaining energy to actually fight back as I draw near.

[You might as well just lie down,] I suggest to them. [Resistance is… only going to make her angry.]

The small group of mages and priests refuses to answer, holding on with stubborn pride, unwilling to surrender anything to a monster like me.

Well, that works for me.

[Alright, Crinis. They're all yours.]

If they refuse to deal with me, they can face the darkness instead. She has been accompanying me on my recent trips into the tunnels. With some assistance from the nameless, she has been able to track down and haul away any delvers I capture, making the entire process much smoother. Within moments, the shadows swallow every member of the group, and I move on. Legs up, gravity well on, submarine mode active!

I’ve spent the bulk of every day out here doing this, and for some reason, the delvers just keep appearing. That last bunch was the fifth I’ve crushed, and the battles haven't even been competitive. Truly, their greed has blinded them.

It’s almost a letdown, but then again, that was exactly what I planned.

After cruising around a bit longer, something catches my eye as I turn a corner in the tunnel. Arriving at a junction that splits into three paths, I glance toward the wall and spot tidy rows of tents and piles of crates.

A delver camp? Have we already pushed the front line this far?

Or perhaps they simply established themselves much closer to the nest than I realized? Consulting my tunnel map, they are remarkably close to what one could call the outer perimeter of the nest. I suppose the Colony’s timid behavior made them feel bold enough to think they were safe here.

What a foolish thought. Based on the scene, they recently abandoned the site. They likely sensed me battling that last group and decided to flee. This means there is currently a large crowd of delvers sprinting through the tunnels, trying to retreat to Green Mountain…

Well now…

The hunt is on!