Chrysalis Chapter 1756 - Invasion!

“We’re under attack!”

“Impossible!”

“The walls are cracking, you fool!”

Zullz yearned deeply to devour the dimwit paired with him for sentry duty, yet it was evident that now wasn't the moment to savor a strengthening morsel.

He couldn't fathom what had distracted the scouts so thoroughly that they failed to warn of the impending strike on the Slimeground, but he wished them a grim end for their negligence.

“Stay here and try to spot what's going on,” he barked at his foolish companion, “I'll head back to inform Sluthziss.”

However, as Zullz started to pivot, he noticed his partner had already scrambled a dozen meters along the tunnel.

“I'll handle it!” the other shouted while disappearing into the shadows.

Zullz swore under his breath and spewed scorching, bubbling acid onto the adjacent stone.

“Clever when it suits him,” he muttered in rage. Now, he was resolved: upon returning to the Slimeground, he'd gobble that idiot regardless of any punishment.

The walls trembled once again, nearly shaking Zullz loose from his perch. He clamped his foot tighter against the surface and attempted to evaluate the situation. Some enormous entity was tearing through the rock, likely pounding it to weaken the structure. Might it be a stray beast from the passages? If such a creature detected the Krath's presence, certain monsters would attempt to breach a Slimeground to prey on the slugs inside.

Typically, though, those threats were steered away well before nearing a Krath enclave. It was inconceivable that the scouts would shirk their responsibilities to such an extent, risking their sanctuary from the tunnels. Could the ants have assaulted and eliminated the scouts? Every single one?

That scenario didn't add up either!

With fangs grinding and fury surging within, Zullz concluded he must probe further. Remaining stationary might expose him to peril, whereas returning to the Krath’sizz empty-handed guaranteed execution.

As a seasoned slug, he observed all necessary measures, compressing his form and blending his hide with the surroundings, while suppressing and masking his inner mana. Satisfied with his concealment, the slug then commenced his descent toward the Slimeground's access.

Crafted as a twisting corridor to capture any faint odor from leaking out, the entryway existed precisely to thwart such intrusions. Zullz proceeded cautiously, for the surrounding stone fractured and shattered with increasing speed the deeper he ventured.

At last, a portion directly beneath him crumbled, exposing the devastation's scope. The perpetrator had already burrowed halfway to the Slimeground!

A grotesquely massive form extended upward, its terrifying maw slicing through the stone with effortless disdain just meters from Zullz’s visage. Suppressing a startled outburst, he swiftly withdrew up the tunnel, seeking a clearer view of the intruder.

Undoubtedly a beast of some kind, but which? It resembled nothing from his knowledge, yet that defied logic—he was familiar with all tunnel-dwelling monsters. Perhaps an outsider from a deeper level? Impossible, without a wave!

Once more, the jaws cleaved the rock, biting through it like tender mushroom, compelling Zullz to retreat further. Then came a halt. Wary, he pulled back a bit more.

Perfectly timed.

An immense shape burst into sight and crashed into the wall with tremendous power. The shockwaves nearly dislodged him entirely, his hold maintained by the slimmest margin.

The aggressor appeared only fleetingly, but that glimpse sufficed for Zullz to recognize the foe.

An ant!

Not merely any ant, but the largest he'd ever beheld!

Armed with this vital insight, the Krath spun about and fled at maximum speed. An ant raid? In this place? It defied reason—how could they endure within the fifth, so distant from their accursed blue mana?

Straining his foot to its utmost, he dashed through the serpentine, slender fissure until emerging into the Slimeground.

A contingent had assembled, with the Krath’sizz, Suzzil, positioned at the forefront. An immense female renowned for her explosive ire, even among Krath, she was the last Zullz desired to bear ill tidings to, yet options were scarce.

“It’s the ants!” he bubbled after wriggling through the portal and restoring his shape. “A colossal… a colossal ant is breaching the entrance. It’s aware of our location!”

“That shouldn’t be feasible,” Suzzil hissed, her eyes narrowing on their stalks as she eyed Zullz sprawled on the floor, regaining composure. “Did you witness it personally?”

His gut feeling had served him well.

“I did!” he affirmed. “A gigantic ant, immense, likely tier seven or eight, slicing the stone and battering toward us.”

“Only one?”

“Even one could suffice,” he replied, then rued the words instantly as the Krath’sizz fixed him with a scorching stare, her wrath flaring.

“Do you doubt our ability to overcome a lone ant?” she rasped, her hide starting to froth and sizzle as her acid heated up.

“N-no, we can surely manage,” Zullz reassured her, “how could we fail? Still, others might lurk—I glimpsed just the one.”

Though this was a fresh outpost, it brimmed with fighters. Thus far, they'd thwarted the ants' expansions and conducted regular strikes on seized passages. Suzzil's assurance was well-founded.

She scrutinized him at length, but the intensifying tremors signaled the ant's rapid approach.

“Ready to safeguard the Slimeground,” she commanded sharply.