Chrysalis Chapter 1711 - Run Down

“I’m not a fan of this,” Frederick grumbled. “The silence is unnerving.”

“Just keep your mouth shut and your legs moving,” Shamus snapped, while Elsi gave a silent nod of agreement from her position right behind him.

“It’s probably wrong of me to think this, but I’m somewhat relieved those idiots decided to ambush that creature. We might have stumbled into it without any warning otherwise,” Frederick remarked, keeping his pace steady.

A significant amount of time had passed since he was last pushed to sprint through the Dungeon, fleeing for his life. During his tenure as a manager for the Union, his last ten years had been consumed by office work and endless cycles of meetings. He had frequently claimed he didn't miss the life of a delver, yet with his pulse thumping and adrenaline surging through his veins, he had to admit it felt refreshing. Spending too much time behind a desk had left him rusty, his instincts dulled. In this moment, he felt a spark of life he hadn't experienced in ages.

Simultaneously, he was closer to the grave than he had been in years.

“This is exactly why I despise intelligent monsters,” he shouted his grievance. “It’s fundamentally unfair for a creature to possess that much power and still be capable of masking its presence so perfectly. We didn't get a single scent of it until the fighting started less than two kilometers away!”

“I told you,” Shamus replied, his expression tight with tension. “I warned everyone that it didn't need to touch the ground and could suppress its mana to an incredible degree.”

“I’m aware, damn it. There’s no point in repeating yourself.”

Navigating the Dungeon at high speeds was a refined skill. Moving with reckless haste was counterproductive, as it tended to draw the gaze of monsters who enjoyed nothing more than hunting down fleeing targets. Conversely, moving too slowly was useless, so one had to strike a balance—covering ground quickly without provoking monsters to chase you like enthusiastic golden retrievers.

Currently, the delvers were pushing the boundaries of safe travel, perhaps even exceeding them. Their superior numbers helped intimidate some of the more aggressive beasts, but eventually, something was bound to give chase.

As long as their pursuer wasn't the ant, they might make it.

“Oh no,” Frederick let out a groan.

“What is it now?” Shamus barked.

“I’ve gone and jinxed us,” Frederick answered.

“Shut up with your superstitions,” Shamus hissed. “Keep your eyes on the damned tunnel.”

His frustration was hitting a boiling point. After securing a payday that exceeded their wildest fantasies, he and Elsi had been pushing to return to the Green Mountain for days. Their departure had been repeatedly stalled because other delvers in the camp were vanishing into thin air. With their patience nearly exhausted, the two had been debating the risks of making the journey alone when this catastrophe struck. Despite the wealth they had gained from their initial encounter with the ant, neither of them had any desire for a second meeting.

On the world of Pangera, no one held more superstitions than the delvers of the Dungeon.

The Union Manager followed the advice and focused his attention. Although the tunnel was crawling with monsters, the vanguard was neutralizing the most aggressive threats with clinical efficiency, allowing the group to maintain their momentum. Constant vigilance was a requirement, of course. At any second, a vine could snatch them up or a beast could drop from the ceiling, hoping for a quick snack.

Though he knew he should keep his eyes forward, he couldn't resist stealing a glance over his shoulder to calm his nerves.

The sight he met turned the blood in his veins to ice.

Gliding through the air like a massive airship, completely devoid of sound, was one of the largest monsters he had ever witnessed… just drifting through the void, as if mocking the very idea of being tethered to the earth.

He locked eyes with it, and in that heartbeat, he was certain the creature knew it had been spotted. In that same instant, its speed began to climb.

“Contact!” Frederick bellowed, his voice echoing through the passage. “On our six! Do not attempt to engage. Run! Run! Run!”

Following his own command, he pushed himself to the limit, propelling his body forward with every ounce of strength he possessed. He had no intention of being caught by that… thing.

Proving their professional mettle, the delvers reacted instantly, accelerating until they reached their absolute top speed. It was inevitable that some monsters would join the chase, but that didn't matter. If anything, those lesser creatures would only serve as obstacles to slow the ant down.

If Frederick required any more reason to be terrified, he saw it written on the faces of Shamus and Elsi. Both delvers were pale as ghosts, using their Dash skills with more desperation than anyone else, straining their bodies to the breaking point just to gain a few extra inches of distance.

But… against a tier eight mythic monster, he should have realized it was a futile effort.

When he dared to look back once more, he saw the ant had touched down and was now sprinting on all six legs. There was a brief pause, a tiny moment as it coiled its strength… then…

BOOM!

It appeared right in their midst, as if it had teleported across the distance in the blink of an eye.

A crushing mental force shattered Frederick’s defenses, latching onto him and the others as they stumbled in absolute shock.

[Leaving so soon?]