Chrysalis Chapter 1747 - Descending

Existence had always been a harsh trial for a monster, a truth she grasped right from her moment of spawning.

Dripping with foul ichor, tainted and ravaged by poison, she scraped along the passage, all six of her limbs twisted and impaired in various ways. But if she lingered in place, certain doom awaited her. Just as in every instance before, pressing onward remained her sole option.

She remained clueless about the frantic pursuit from those slug-like beasts, yet as she hauled her body into the passage descending to the following stratum, relief washed over her—she had escaped them at last. Sparks of electricity danced over her body, sealing her injuries, scorching away the contamination, and unleashing surges of agony that coursed through her entire form.

Her jaws clicked together while she braced against the torment. Lacking this power, survival in the poisonous realm of the fifth would have eluded her entirely. Even possessing it, the wounds and marks etched upon her demanded a long stretch of time to heal.

Teetering on her feet, she halted briefly, enveloped by the tunnel's pitch-black shadows. In her wake, the deadly poisons of the abandoned stratum churned and frothed, seemingly enraged at losing its victim. Before her, the mana grew denser by leaps and bounds. At the passage's far end, a tempestuous cloud, encircled by violet bolts, twisted as though alive. From this distance, fierce gusts assaulted her feelers, making the fine hairs on her exoskeleton tremble.

This appeared to offer a habitat far more suited to her tastes. Maybe now she could truly begin anew, reconstructing the existence stolen from her so abruptly after her emergence.

Rage coursed through her body, prompting another sharp chitter, as memories of previous events stirred her displeasure. Back then, she had been far frailer, far less developed. Following that defeat, she swore to become tougher, wiser, more capable of safeguarding her possessions.

Those errors would never recur.

Following some recovery time, she lifted herself onto her limbs again and started moving ahead. Though joy filled her at abandoning the infernal fifth, she held no illusions about the sixth. Threats escalated deeper in the Dungeon, a brutal truth she had absorbed through countless ordeals during her descent. What perils might hide in the sixth was anyone's guess.

No, any complacency spelled doom. With every sense sharpened, she inched closer to the threshold. As soon as her antennae brushed the cloud, they ignited with activity, her perceptions flooding with fresh details. Overwhelmingly potent mana assaulted her, brimming with energy, heavy and compact in a way that enticed her essence.

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Yearning for further discovery, she pressed on, her limbs clutching firmly. Visibility remained nil for the moment, the cloud churning too thickly to penetrate with her vision, but her antennae revealed plenty.

When she at last emerged, the passage's rim dropped off sharply, so she latched onto the stone and maintained her hold, suspended inverted, her feelers twitching.

A immense cavern yawned below, dominated by a furious tempest. Blasts of wind, mighty and cutting enough to slice stone, tore across the expanse and roared with near-endless thunderclaps.

Indeed, this felt worlds apart. The prior stratum had fallen short of expectations, to put it mildly. She had aimed to secure a domain there, shielded from the prying gazes and clutches of the tiny beings swarming the fourth, yet it turned out utterly unlivable.

This realm held far greater potential. Absent were the venoms, the slugs, and thus far, the little creatures. In this space, she could at last retrieve what had been seized from her. Her shell hummed with eagerness for the future, though she swiftly curbed such feelings. Uncertainty lingered. Scouting and assessment came first before any firm choices. Only through pursuit, evaluating the quarry and surroundings, would she determine if prosperity awaited her here.

Ever vigilant, she kept her grip on the stone and started surveying. Progressing deliberately, she circled the passage's mouth, gradually expanding her route, her antennae constantly probing as her thoughts delved into the wildly churning mana.

Annoyingly, the thick fog still blocked her sight, yet she gathered knowledge all the same.

Beasts soared within it, their essences suggesting moderate power, though they might be masking their true might. If she had mastered such deception, surely others had as well. After further mending, she could possess the strength to confront one.

Her wings stretched on her back, itching to soar, but patience guided her, as she stuck to her careful, systematic search.

For all her vigilance, remnants of the fifth's venom lingered in her veins, along with potential infestations requiring expulsion to avert more harm. With those cleared, hunting would commence.

And afterward, should success follow, she would seek an ideal spot to declare as hers.

Thrill welled up once more, and on this occasion, she allowed it to flow. This location simply resonated deeply, as though it had been her destined birthplace from the start. Though her brood had perished previously, she had advanced tremendously since, guaranteeing that future progeny would vastly surpass the young she once lost.

The Hive's revival loomed near.

With wings quivering, then thrumming powerfully, the Queen released her hold on the stone and plunged into the gale.