Chrysalis Chapter 1755 - Remember Me?

From the details at my disposal, the Krath outpost lies somewhere in this region. Solant managed to share a bit more than just that, yet tracking down those slugs has always proven a challenging endeavor. It's even harder when our scouts can't venture safely outside the purified mana zone.

The Colony continues to operate under strict total security protocols. The capture of even a single ant represents a catastrophe that calls for an immediate and unrestricted counteraction. I recall it occurring several times—the Krath are sly, elusive creatures, after all—and the Colony had to resort to extreme tactics to retrieve the prisoner before any conversion could happen.

Solid strategy, efforts to reduce risks, and a host of contingency plans have kept the slugs from reaching us thus far, though our understanding of events outside our borders remains quite limited.

Naturally, my siblings, those clever rascals, have devised alternative methods for intelligence gathering. Taming beasts from fifth stratum creatures is... no small feat, to put it mildly, yet they're immensely useful. It seems a small-scale conflict has erupted between the Colony and the Krath over pest management, with the slugs frantically seeking to locate and destroy every pet the Colony produces. Meanwhile, the core shapers, aided by Formo, are pushing to refine, enhance, alter, and advance their pets to stay one step ahead of the Krath hunters. I would've enjoyed chatting with the veteran sophos, but Solant was quite insistent once I returned below. Fingers crossed for soon.

With the Pure Core's aid, I can now allocate far more of my minds to exploration and reconnaissance, sensing the mana and surveying the surrounding terrain. It's tricky in the fifth stratum, since even mana perception isn't spared from the stratum's corrosive influence. Past a certain distance, my detections simply blur, as though disrupted by static interference.

Fortuitously, that's not the detection method I'm employing to track the Krath.

I navigate the tunnels with caution. One drawback of my current size is the added challenge in dodging the foulest barriers. Occasionally, I must shove through substances resembling output from an infected nostril, and it leaves me far from pleased. I scorch myself clean a few times, yet I'm cautious not to overuse fire and tip off the Krath to my approach.

A pointless precaution, likely. They must have detected me the moment I exited the blue mana.

Ah well, no matter.

Antennae waving gently, I probe meticulously, striving to capture the subtlest and most delicate sensations available to me. Krath, in truth, possess scant gravitational presence.

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I'd estimate a typical Krath weighs less than an ordinary human, although the biggest slugs pack considerably more heft. Compressed and stationary, spotting the wretches becomes exceedingly hard even when I'm certain they're nearby. Luckily, they remain clueless about my detection method and can't counter it.

That's precisely how I locate my initial slug. It's a crafty little specimen. The faintest ripple in the gravitational waves serves as my sole indicator, but I zero in on it, refusing to miss even the tiniest sign. Upon nearer scrutiny, something's undoubtedly there, so I examine more intently, all while keeping my interest discreet.

Seeing and sensing nothing with my vision or other faculties piques my curiosity further. A monster would at least be visible, perhaps with a detectable core. But nothing registers.

That doesn't confirm a Krath's presence, mind you. This is the fifth stratum! The beasts here are devious, sly, treacherous entities. I wouldn't care to be ensnared by any native dweller. Once more, I scrutinize, detect, twitch my antennae, and deploy my minds and gaze to verify as thoroughly as possible.

Then it stirs.

Aha! Starting to feel jittery, eh, little Krath? With me so near, holding steady and motionless grows tough? Tough luck! That minor quiver might seem insignificant overall—like a mere twitch of a small toe in comparison—but it sufficed.

I spot you.

Spread flat into an ultra-thin sheet, the slug has camouflaged its hide to merge seamlessly with the surrounding mold. To be frank, it's virtually undetectable. Without the gravitational waves pinpointing the exact spot, I'd never notice the creature in a lifetime.

Your own weight has given you away, slug.

Nevertheless, uncovering a solitary slug isn't the goal. Slowly, I broaden my perceptions, extending them outward to scan the waves, the mana, and all else. Primarily, I'm after more Krath, but also fissures and hidden crevices in the stone. Detecting them is arduous, yet they too disrupt the gravitational field amid the solid rock.

Eventually, I abandon the effort. No further signals emerge. It appears only this single scout clings to the wall.

Time to handle it, then—I can't let it flee and relay its observations, naturally.

Opting for blatant directness, I extend an antenna and prod it. It yields far more softly than stone ought to, confirming I've nailed the unfortunate slug.

Still, it remains immobile.

So I prod again.

At that point, the slug lashes out, ballooning swiftly before spewing a glowing, radioactive-like ooze directly toward my antennae.

Hah! Anticipated that!

My antenna dodges clear before the gunk can connect, leaving the slug staring upward at me. As expected, it detonates itself to avoid capture.

Onto the next one.