Chrysalis Chapter 1715 - Escalation

[Master, the nameless have discovered something. A massive ambush. Hundreds of delvers have congregated and prepared traps for your arrival. Would you like me to reach out and eliminate the FILTH?]

[Uh, no, that’s quite alright. Just inform me of their location and I can handle the rest.]

[... Fine.]

I mean, I could certainly set Crinis loose, but that would mean inflicting horrors beyond comprehension upon my enemies. I doubt there would ever be a hope for peace between the Colony and its neighbors if I allowed that to happen.

A peaceful resolution is necessary. If we are unable to keep committing our antpower to the fifth, we risk losing every gain we’ve secured down there. Once that war is finally won, we won’t need to remain idle and handle enemies like Green Mountain with such a gentle touch.

Until that time, these situations must be settled without excessive violence. The worst possible outcome would be pulling the Colony into another significant conflict. We simply cannot afford to split our attention right now.

Well, hundreds of delvers, all wanting to meet little old me? I had a feeling they might start grouping together eventually. Since they were scattered across so many tunnels, it took some time for a proper gathering to occur. I suspect many of them are starting to retreat toward Green Mountain, making it highly probable that this ambush is the final hurdle I’ll face in the near future.

Once I have dealt with this, it will be time to hunt down the stragglers and capture as many as our mandibles can grab.

Gweheheheheh.

Thanks to the nameless and Crinis, the exact position of this trap is known to me. I activate submarine mode and begin gliding through the tunnels, hovering through the air while being pulled along by a gravity well.

It took a surprisingly short amount of time for my vestigial legs to reach full size after I detonated my previous ones with an empowered Dash. I’ll require more mutations to ensure every tendon in my legs doesn't snap at once the next time I attempt that. Still, it was a useful lesson in how the vestigial legs function. The ruined limbs were essentially discarded, much like a lizard dropping its tail, and the new ones began to sprout immediately. It feels slightly strange knowing a backup set of legs is growing inside me, but given the speed of their development, I think the triad made a wise choice.

Once I mutate them, I am certain the time required for them to reach maturity can be reduced even further. Eventually, I might be able to lose every leg and have a fresh set in less than a minute. Wouldn’t that be something?

As I drift through the passages toward the intended ambush, I weigh my best options.

Up until now, I’ve been able to dominate every encounter against the delvers with ease. None of them have been capable of resisting the empowered Gravity Domain, nor have they managed to inflict any real damage on me.

Well, if I stood there and let them strike me long enough, they would eventually break through my carapace, but the regeneration network is proving to be… a truly ridiculous organ.

While I haven't tested the wellspring extensively yet, it would have to be incredible to surpass this gift provided by Theorazzn’s mana.

However, dealing with hundreds of delvers and prepared traps won’t be quite so simple. After all, the way to counteract the Gravity Domain isn't by being strong enough to stand within it—only monsters could be that powerful. Or perhaps monstrous humans.

Morrelia’s father could probably manage it. That man is terrifying.

No, the counter is to disrupt the mana using external mana manipulation. Against a magnificent specimen like myself, a dozen mages simply aren't enough for the task.

But a hundred? Ehhhhh… maybe. If I can't just flatten everyone into the dirt, then finishing the fight without casualties becomes much more difficult. Of course, the Colony could justify some of these delvers never returning home, especially given their reasons for being here, but minimizing the damage will be better for our reputation. I’m certain the Church of the Path is out there spreading all kinds of lies about us. We need to ensure they continue to look like whining losers in the face of our benevolent mandibles of justice.

Stopping a few kilometers away from the ambush site, I descend to the floor and land on my feet, still thinking.

Obviously, a trap isn't much of a threat when I know it exists… but walking right in still leaves me open to whatever they’ve prepared. Wicked spells, pit traps, falling rocks, who knows what else. If I can trigger the worst of it from a distance before entering myself, I’d feel much more comfortable.

Hmmmm.

Alright, let's try this.

I drop the concealment techniques I’ve been maintaining, allowing the power of my core to radiate outward like a glowing, miniature sun. There is no way they won’t detect that. Hopefully, they also notice what follows, because they’ll be in a world of trouble if they don't.

Planting my feet firmly into the ground, I accelerate my minds and seize the Gravity Mana within me. Then I begin to draw it out. A lot of it.

I haven’t cast a singularity since I woke up; I wonder if I can control the spell a bit better this time?