Chrysalis Chapter 1760 - Lost Treasure

Although she had never visited the fifth stratum before, Merchant found the surrounding environment quite underwhelming. Her personal battlefield and those of her siblings operated on entirely different principles, and she had no intention of venturing near the frontlines. While she held deep respect for the soldiers and generals who sacrificed so much for the family, such frontal warfare held zero appeal for her.

Furthermore, her own contribution was immense; the cores and materials she provided held the equivalent tactical firepower of ten thousand soldiers. She was acutely aware of her own worth.

“It is a pleasure to have you here,” the ant standing before her stated with a detached tone.

Merchant had heard countless stories about her fellow Champion, Solant, yet they had never previously crossed paths.

Merchant performed a precise, elegant bow, pulling back her cloak as the light glinted sharply off her lenses.

“It is an honor to stand before the Colony’s most renowned general. I have long awaited a chance to meet the sister responsible for single-handedly consuming the family’s entire resource output. If one were to actually tally the costs of this invasion, the final figures would surely be staggering.”

The general paused briefly, though her antennae flicked with an air of indifference.

“I doubt any ant would trouble themselves with such trivialities. The Eldest has tasked me with securing victory here, and that is precisely what I intend to do.”

“Oh, I can assure you that at least one ant has certainly crunched the numbers.”

The truth was, Merchant had analyzed the data. It was harrowing. The sheer astronomical consumption of resources was bad enough, but when one factored in the total labor hours of the ants involved, the scope became unimaginable.

Any nation the Colony had encountered thus far would have been left in insurmountable debt for generations to come.

The sheer potential of what the family could have achieved with such effort! Simply contemplating the grand projects and impossible heights she could have reached with even a small portion of Solant’s allocated resources left her mind spinning.

In the future, she would ensure her projects were greenlit directly by the Eldest. It was the only way to guarantee the full backing of the family. She swept a leg gracefully, producing a fresh cigar, which she placed between her jaws without igniting it.

“Anyway, I have been instructed to survey the bounty from this rejuvenated fifth stratum. I assume you have excavated all sorts of fascinating curiosities.”

“Our entire focus has been fixed on the war against the Krath and completing our primary objective. There has been little time to hunt for… trinkets.”

“A mere trinket in our hands could possess an incalculable value elsewhere. These materials exist nowhere else on Pangera. Who can truly predict their worth?”

“Indeed, who can truly say?” Solant replied.

“Me. I can certainly say,” Merchant quipped, her mandibles clacking with amusement. “That is precisely why I am here. Please, enlighten me with these treasures.”

The general pivoted and began to navigate through the fortress’s sprawling corridors, moving through the chaotic activity with effortless composure. Merchant observed the sights, sounds, and scents of the sector with interest. Given that she had meticulously calculated every single coin of material and energy poured into this endeavor, witnessing the results firsthand was deeply satisfying. She grasped the monumental scale of this undertaking better than anyone.

“We have collected all findings and tasked our primary material specialists with their analysis,” Solant explained, guiding her toward a narrow entryway.

Beyond lay an expansive chamber filled with tables, each covered by sealed lids in a perfect grid. A few ants were present, but only one looked familiar to Merchant.

“Smithant,” she greeted warmly. “It is wonderful to see you. I trust you haven’t been so preoccupied that my order has been delayed? I expect that steelwork finished on schedule.”

The Colony’s master smith looked up from her task, her mandibles clicking in visible annoyance.

“You…” she stated flatly.

“The one and only,” Merchant replied cheerfully, waddling over to investigate. “What are you crafting?”

To her assessment, it appeared to be a plain iron ingot resting upon some strange variety of fungus. It seemed the organic matter was actively cultivating or consuming the metal.

“It is a bacterium-infused fungus,” the smith explained. “Or so I am told. What I do know is that it holds a symbiotic relationship with metal. It erodes the substance, yet miraculously reinforces its strength simultaneously.”

“That is… quite intriguing,” Merchant noted, already weighing the possibilities.

“The issue is that if we heat the metal after the bacteria takes hold, it kills the organism, rendering the metal brittle and useless.”

Merchant stared down at the greenish-red material on the plate. It was remarkable how it had integrated itself into the ingot.

“Metal we cannot forge seems of limited utility,” she observed.

“We are capable of forging it,” the smith retorted grumpily. “We simply have yet to discover the proper method.”

“I shall leave you to it,” Merchant said, patting the smith’s back with a leg. She then turned to Solant, “Do you mind if I have a closer look around?”

“Feel free,” the general replied with her trademark stoicism. Even so, Merchant sensed a thread of boredom; her sibling clearly had more pressing matters and saw little merit in this research.

With authorization granted, Merchant felt like a hatchling in a candy shop. Every table housed different wonders, and she was desperate to examine them all.

Reaching into the pouch at her side, she drew out a series of specialized diagnostic tools and began her investigations.