Chrysalis Chapter 1735 - Night Time in the City Above

The fierce battle erupted in the tunnels beneath, and everyone in Green Mountain sensed it to varying degrees. News spread like wildfire. The tremors from the clashes reached the guard posts and barracks in the city's lower levels.

Debates surged across Green Mountain, with uncertainty and terror clashing against fury and boldness.

Would the leftover forces charge out to join the fray? Should the explorers be sent to exact vengeance on the beast that had plagued them? Was the danger too great? Was it essential?

In the end, leaders concluded that interfering in the fight so late would only cause more trouble than aid. Backed by a Judgement Battalion and four thousand soldiers from the Mountain, they ought to handle it without issue.

Restless and reluctant to miss the chance, a few still demanded permission to leave the city, yet their pleas were rejected. The dangers outweighed the benefits, the urgency too slight. Thus, most were ordered to stand down, returning to their quarters as darkness enveloped the city.

Candles were snuffed, shutters closed tight, glowing orbs dimmed while the Mountain's residents retired, restless and dreading the conflict unfolding underground.

Naturally, the Nameless paid no heed to their anxieties or fears. The Nameless pursued just a single goal above all else.

Explorers resided throughout Green Mountain, scattered across no single area, neighborhood, or quarter, making the roster of marks extensive. Merchant had obtained the required locations; nothing was beyond reach for the proper coin, naturally.

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Darkness grew denser into absolute night and extended over the silent roads, gliding along buildings and slipping beneath thresholds. Fluid as liquid, it seeped and accumulated, growing dense enough to reveal the multifaceted gazes peering out from its depths.

The initial victims were snatched without a sound. They just evaporated, engulfed entirely by the gloom, either pulled into their bedding or overrun by shades that crashed over them like surging tides. Stealthy and invisible, the Nameless attacked repeatedly, residents of Green Mountain vanishing from their homes, occasionally right beside their partners slumbering nearby.

Facing thousands of objectives and a narrow timeframe, such a large group of Nameless hadn't gathered in ages, but they stood ready. Readiness defined them always.

, one signaled to the Nameless One.

Boundaries blurred at times between the shadow realm and reality. Perched on the edge, the Nameless One sensed herself existing in both worlds and none simultaneously. She descended again, forming a dark puddle that flowed over the stone path, past the garden's oak and upward along the slope.

Skip this road, skip that one, aim for the following. From the obscurity, she scanned the marker: Elm Street. Here it was.

Without a noise, she motioned to her companions, and they understood the plan, targets assigned long beforehand. They advanced as soundlessly as demise and as hidden as tombs.

Eight ants, eight victims. Within mere moments, captures were made, unfortunate explorers drawn into the shadow domain and whisked off. Before long, they would surface from the void, unconscious still, in the passages, ready for transport to the colony and soft resting spots arranged just for them.

the Nameless One signaled.

Her allies acknowledged, familiar with their duties yet recognizing the value in verbalizing them.

As events unfolded, the Nameless One had misjudged Green Mountain's vigilance. They nearly completed their collection before warnings spread. Bells tolled wildly and cries echoed, folks dashing through lanes with urgent calls. Lamps flared inside and the populace stirred from sleep, vigilant and on edge.

Ah, but the Nameless recognized when to withdraw… they often ignored such cues, though here they honored their vow to the Eldest for retreat upon detection. Merging like raindrops into a river, the shades converged while fleeing downhill, building speed and power en route. They poured into sewers, dashed via ditches and hidden basements, downward, ever deeper till the tunnels welcomed them back.

Once inside, pursuit proved impossible. Endless shades, boundless night, and their unmatched skill sealed it.

Within hours alone, the mission wrapped up. They resumed positions in the colony, and should any spot their absence, silence prevailed wisely. If someone observed the former holding areas for guests now brimming anew… discretion doubled.

The Eldest had summoned them for this duty, confident the shadows could triumph as their elder diverted attention below, and the Nameless would never ignore such a summons.

With their role fulfilled, attention shifted back to vital matters. Eight hours stood as the order, and eight hours the Colony would claim.

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