Chrysalis Chapter 1712 - Like Rats

Frederick felt as though his heart had been encased in ice within his chest. Every fiber of his being shrieked in pure terror while the massive creature towered above him. The monster’s overwhelming might was so potent that he could feel its power vibrating through every cell of his body.

Victory against a nightmare like this was impossible; he had been a complete fool to even consider the chance. This wasn't a task for mere delvers. To combat such a beast, they would need the full might of the army, or perhaps even the Legion!

Suddenly, he watched as the monster's legs violently erupted.

A deluge of blood sprayed over the paralyzed delvers, geysering from the joints of the beast’s six limbs. Moments later, the legs themselves seemed to detach, tumbling to the earth followed by the monster itself, which hit the ground with a bone-jarring crash.

[Dammit!] the creature’s voice thundered inside their minds, but Frederick saw the only opening he needed.

“RUN!” he bellowed.

“We should fight! It’s injured!” some moron shouted in response.

“Shut up and run!” Frederick screamed back.

For all he knew, the damaged legs were nothing more than a deception. He wasn't about to gamble his life to find out. Instead, he bolted.

A second later, he leaped over Shamus and Elsi, who were lying flat on their backs as if they had already surrendered. He felt a surge of contempt for their cowardice. Did they truly believe that because the beast spared them once, it would do so again? It was pure idiocy. After all, no one else had ever returned after encountering it.

[No you don’t!]

A burst of purple light, a whistling rush of air, the sound of shattering stone—and then Frederick was slammed face-down into the dirt. With a shattered and bleeding nose, he struggled to turn his head to draw breath, only to realize he had been driven several inches deep into the solid rock. The force pinning him down was staggeringly powerful. No matter how much he strained, he couldn't break free. Standing up was a hopeless fantasy.

What was this?!

[You really thought my legs exploding was going to be enough to let you get away. Foolish!]

There was a brief silence.

[How long do these damn… ah! There we go.]

Seconds later, Frederick felt the floor vibrate, signaling that the monster was mobile once more. Hah! He knew it had been a ruse! One could never predict the capabilities of a monster. Regenerating limbs wasn't even that shocking; he had once encountered a beast that sprouted vestigial heads, controlling them like puppets from a distance.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

[These things are way too small! Vestigial legs my thorax! These are vestigial stumps! Oh wait, they’re growing. Neat!]

The monster continued to broadcast its thoughts into Frederick’s consciousness, ignoring his attempts to block it out. It babbled to itself like a child, yet he couldn't ignore the underlying malice behind the internal monologue. Why would it broadcast these thoughts unless it wanted to flaunt its dominance? The monster was so certain of its own invincibility that it could afford to dawdle and mock the delvers in their desperation.

Regardless of how hard he pushed, Frederick simply could not move, so he stopped trying. He was capable of holding his breath for an hour if necessary, but struggling would only exhaust his oxygen faster. So far, the situation was mirroring the report Shamus had given of their previous meeting. The mysterious force was crushing everyone into the earth, holding the delvers captive.

What would happen now?

[Oh, hey! I remember you two! Lying face up, good idea.]

So that was why they had done it!

[Still can’t breathe, though, can you? Not enough strength to expand your lungs.]

Hah! Take that, Shamus, Frederick thought with a spark of spite.

Shamus must have attempted a reply, but only the monster was able to hear him.

[I don’t know, lift more or something. Work on your diaphragm. In the meantime, just relax. I need to go poke around.]

The vibrations intensified as the beast began to prowl around, drawing closer.

[Not you. Wh-why would you even think about that in this situation? Weirdo. Nope. Not you either. There has to be someone here… oh, a priest! Welcome, welcome. Not you either.]

Frederick felt the mental weight pressing on his mind grow even heavier.

[Aha! Someone in charge. Hello there. I’ll let you up for a moment.]

The suffocating pressure vanished instantly. Frederick rolled over and looked up to find the ant standing unnervingly close, peering down at him with waving antennae.

Antennae? They looked more like whips.

He stood up tentatively. From this low vantage point, he could see the ant’s mandibles on the bottom of its head. It was grotesque. A horrific vision of himself being torn apart by those twitching, claw-like appendages flashed through his brain.

[Right then,] the ant projected. [Much like before, I’m thinking of sending one or two of you back, to really drive in the fear and terror. Build up a sense of helplessness, all that good stuff. By the time I reach Green Mountain, they should be trembling with greed and good old-fashioned terror. You know what I mean?]

[I-I do,] Frederick stammered, though he was completely lost. This ant intended to march up to Green Mountain alone? No matter how powerful it was, that was a death sentence. As a fortress mountain designed to repel monsters during the peak of a wave, it was garrisoned with soldiers and defensive arrays that rivaled the finest the Legion could offer. [I’m sure they will be… very afraid. You should go there as soon as possible.]

[You know I’m in your head, right?]

Frederick cursed himself. He had grown soft and was no longer used to shielding his thoughts after being away from the front lines for so long.

[You know what? I probably don’t need to send anyone back at all, now that I think about it. The absence of survivors will be more than scary enough.]

Recognizing his impending doom, Frederick ripped his sword from its scabbard and charged the monster, his blade glowing with light. If his life was to end here, he would die with a weapon in his hand.

An instant later, he was slammed back into the dirt, his skull ringing from the impact.

[You’re still in the domain… Are you really a manager? Sheesh. Crinis, take this lot away, would you? This is getting embarrassing.]