Chrysalis Chapter 1734 - Behold It!

Beyn struggled to catch a glimpse of the clash unfolding before him, his sight blocked by the relentless stream of tears. Overwhelmed by raw feelings, he found it nearly impossible to carry out the task he mastered above all: delivering speeches.

The sight of the Great One hurling themselves into peril, enduring assaults and the shame of clashing against foes so much weaker, stirred him to depths words couldn't reach. What a noble offering! What a compassionate core of insight! Indeed, the Great One had risen to a level of enlightenment where they would battle and endure pain for others, even courting death itself. Such selfless affection! Such boundless kindness!

How could Beyn just remain idle and observe?! No, he'd rather offer up his last arm, his two legs, and every organ inside, preventing the sacred form of the New Path from enduring such torment!

Yet... yet he would—greedily—plead to retain his eyes, allowing him to still gaze upon their splendor, and his tongue too, so he could proclaim their wonders.

Regrettably, no such decision was offered to him, leaving Beyn with nothing but the agony of watching and holding on. But then, that wasn't entirely accurate, was it? He was merely a single individual, a frail and flawed being who had chanced upon the perfect moment and spot for an epiphany. Beyn had never viewed himself as exceptional or worthy. In fact, upon facing the wonder of the New Path, his initial response was rejection! A wrongdoing that cost him a limb in penance.

Still, he possessed gifts, he recognized that much. He held unwavering loyalty, the mindset of a true servant, and a fiery zeal for belief. Moreover, through the mercy of the New Path he followed, he ranked among the finest public speakers.

Determined, he wiped the tears away with his sleeve and pushed up from his knees, where he'd dropped unnoticed at some point. Gripping the ant-headed staff firmly in his grasp, he faced the two battalions—thousands of humans and scores of his fellow Priests—and lifted his chin proudly.

“BEAR WITNESS!” he bellowed, his voice booming so fiercely it reverberated from the far tunnel walls and pierced every listener's ears, rising over the chaos of combat. “Bear witness to the service and sacrifice of the Great One!”

Using his staff, he gestured toward the massive creature, hemmed in from every direction and fiercely defending itself right before their eyes. Beyn avoided turning to stare, knowing the surge of emotion might halt his words entirely.

“See how they suffer in our place! See how they take on the burdens and struggles that were meant for us. This is the fight of the new against the old, the past against the future! By your side stand the members of the Colony who have never betrayed you, who have never turned you aside, but rather welcomed you as a member of their family!

“Over there see the servants of the old way! See those who spurned you, who looked down on you, who suppressed and oppressed you!”

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“I tell you truly, we have been shown a New Path! A new way to exist within the Dungeon! We have been given salvation beyond what we deserve and grace far greater than we could ever hope to repay.”

In the gazes of the believers, Beyn spotted the matching intensity he knew burned in his own. Numerous followers wept freely, tears flowing as they raised their hands to the tunnel ceiling or toward the Great One. Some snapped their mandible clackers to emphasize his words, the rhythmic clicks resembling quick rounds of cheers and agreement.

The ants felt a touch puzzled but paid little mind anyway.

A rush of passion filled the priest, and his voice expanded to its richest, resonant strength as the audience surrendered to the magic of his address.

“DO NOT FEAR!” he thundered. “THE ONLY THING THAT SHOULD TERRIFY US, IS OUR OWN UNWILLINGNESS TO EMBRACE THE NEW WAY!

“YOU HAVE BEEN SHOWN THE LENGTHS TO WHICH THE GREAT ONE WILL GO FOR YOU. ARE YOU WILLING TO RETURN THAT SAME DEVOTION?”

“YES!” the crowd thundered back.

Within the throng, a handful started questioning the direction this was heading. They weren't slated to join the fray yet; the strategy had been outlined for all, and a zealous rush into the melee had definitely not been included in the overview. Even with their doubts, the priest's compelling and mighty rhetoric dragged them along in the tide of fervor sweeping through the assembly.

Beyn scanned the two battalions, reveling in the enthusiasm staring back at him. The ants aside, naturally, who just appeared somewhat baffled. Though he could communicate via pheromones, these declarations weren't meant for them, but for the faithful.

He flung his arm out broadly.

“Let us pray.”

Head bowed, Beyn spun to confront the battle again and dropped to his knees once more, the stone pressing into the thin cloth of his robe.

“Great One. Giver of hope. May your antennae always seek truly the light of the New Path. May your mandibles forever cut through the lies and deceptions of this world. May your carapace shield us from harm and inequity. Ours is a simple request, that we be allowed to shelter you as you have sheltered us. That we may FIGHT to realise THE TRUTH and let it be made MANIFEST, HERE, IN THE FACE OF THE UNBELIEVERS.”

Despite his efforts to contain the fire, Beyn's voice climbed to a thunderous peak by the prayer's close, exploding from his chest and drowning out the clamor of the fight.

Before he could continue, a system notification popped up in front of him.

[Congratulations, you have reached the maximum level for your Class: Ant Orator.]

[You may choose to advance this Class to the following: Prophet of the Colony.]

Beyn's heart quieted in his chest. He confirmed the notification right away, but the ensuing details escaped him as his mind raced and fresh tears welled up.

As though more confirmation of his path's validity was required, here it arrived regardless.

He rose and hoisted the ant-headed staff aloft.

“FOR THE COLONY!” he bellowed.

“FOR THE COLONY!” the soldiers bellowed in reply.

Then, brimming with righteous anger and zeal, they surged forward... abandoning their stunned and perplexed ant companions in their wake.