Chrysalis Chapter 1727 - Don’t Look a Gift Church Army in the… Face?

Oh, come on. The Church of the Path—the very group I resent the most—has gone ahead and mobilized a massive punitive force of thousands to come after me right here?!

That's... that's... utterly tempting!

No. No! Settle down, Dark One! Retreat to the shadowy voids that gave birth to you!

Ha! Do you believe I'll just retreat into the shadows so simply when my targets have presented themselves so perfectly? No way! No, I insist! This is my territory, and I'll stand my ground here!

[How many do you estimate there are?] I inquire of Crinis.

[At least four thousand, Master. I didn't pause to tally them up; I feared they'd spot me.]

[Smart move, Crinis. It's preferable if they remain unaware of your presence.]

Besides, they could possess odd methods to capture monsters that might trap her and block her getaway. I'm the one aiming to ensnare them, not get caught myself.

A horde of thousands from the Path, positioned directly before me. It's practically unbelievable. Should I simply unleash a massive gravity bomb on the whole bunch? If I produce the largest bomb possible and boost the spell via the Altar, could they even handle an attack like that?

Hold on, I can't pull that off! Releasing a blast that enormous right beneath Green Mountain might shake the whole city apart! Who knows the extent of the destruction, and it would utterly ruin my strategy for peace in the process!

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Curse you, Dark Anthony! Back to the abyss!

Sheesh. It's completely justified to bear a grudge against the Church of the Path, but allowing it to disrupt all my efforts here? Absolutely not.

Though I'd love to go all out and vent my fury on this invading force, that approach won't secure the peace I'm after.

"Eldest… you aren't thinking of doing anything… drastic… are you?" Sloan inquires cautiously.

"Wha… Me? Of course not!"

"How bad?"

"I thought about bringing the entire mountain down on them using a gravity bomb so large it would probably kill all of us."

"That's pretty bad."

"But I've recovered! Sheesh! Sometimes you have so little faith in me."

"I was just a little worried, Eldest. You can be impulsive at times."

"... I wish I could say I'm shocked and offended by that description."

I can't, though. I really can't.

"Look, this makes things more complicated, but not overwhelmingly so," I explain to the general. "We face additional foes beyond what we anticipated, but that's okay. Our main objective stays unchanged. Actually, this might even benefit us."

"How could this possibly benefit us? Thousands of experts dedicated to slaying monsters are out there, aiming to eliminate you in particular. In my view, you ought to depart this region and head back to the nest."

"We agree," Protectant murmurs from some hidden spot.

Let me verify… she's perched on my head. Seriously?! That's not open territory up top! I begin twitching my antennae in subtle gestures, attempting to dislodge her without drawing notice, but she's far too nimble, which only heightens my annoyance. Quit leaping around there, blast it!

"I'm staying put! Our ultimate reward has simply grown larger, that's all. We can deliver a solid blow to both Green Mountain and the Church simultaneously. What's there not to appreciate? If they're wise, they'll realize not to provoke our colony and grant us the room required to complete our tasks in the fifth."

After we triumph there, becoming the first in Pangera to claim any success against the Krath, we'll stand as invincible legends across the world. No one would dare label us hazardous and pointless creatures following such a monumental feat.

"Eldest," Sloan states, "I'm simply concerned this might exceed what you can manage. You're strong, but your evolution is recent. The scheme was already risky with only Green Mountain to contend with. Now an additional full army enters the fray for you to face. Doesn't this surpass your limits?"

"Of course not," I retort with a scoff. "You haven't the faintest notion of my current abilities."

To be honest, I'm not entirely certain myself about my full potential, but this presents an excellent chance to discover it!

"You fret excessively, Sloan. Uh… Sloan?"

Only vanishing silhouettes meet my gaze as I turn toward the spot where the general had stood. Even in this moment? Right here?! They aren't playing games.