Chrysalis Chapter 1775 - I Don’t Think They’re Happy to See Me

Having experienced Krath welcomes on multiple occasions, I must admit this one ranks quite high. There are tons of slugs here to welcome me, and they’ve even brought along companions like pets and local monsters, each deadlier than the one before.

It’s definitely buzzing with activity, though a bit riskier than I’d prefer.

Quit trying to chew through my eyes, damn it!

Lamprey-shaped worms have clamped onto my eyeballs, and from the sharp horns over their mouths plus their nonstop stabbing efforts, I figure they’re aiming to drill into my skull and devour my brains or whatever. Best of luck with that, losers!

Unsullied Crystal peepers prove too tough for your weak teeth and horns!

At the moment, though, I can’t see a thing since my eyes are blanketed by these wormy invaders. All the while, Krath assail me from every direction with unimaginable terrors, and if I slow down even slightly, I dread they’ll bury me under inescapable goop!

Desperate times demand desperate actions.

“Clear the rear-zone! Anyone caught back there is going to regret it! Also, if someone can clear my eyes, I’d be grateful…”

After alerting Protectant and the rest, I reposition myself, directing my industrial empire along one tunnel side, and fire off two swift acid blasts.

Why two? The Krath, and fifth-stratum creatures generally, resist acid tremendously. Heck, down here the water is acidic. A single acid shot just won’t suffice, though I suspect two could be slightly excessive….

Empowered by Theorazzn, my commercial district crafts legendary products that pack a serious punch, even in this depth. The moment I launch them, the nightmarish, hissing, swiftly swelling acid begins devouring the closest monsters, who scramble back in frenzy to scrape it away.

Soon enough, the entire zone will drown in that muck, so we’ve got to escape fast! One of my defenders—uncertain which—graciously scorches my face with flames. Honestly, they overdo it a smidge, charring my head uncomfortably, but it purges the brain-devouring worms, leaving me unable to gripe.

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“We need to move!” I bellow, spewing Dragon’s Breath ahead into the tunnel while carving a forward route. Trailing me, my acid keeps ballooning, propagating like pestilent flames, slithering across the tunnel floor and gorging on the charred wall tissue.

Linger here and we’ll soon be ankle-deep in it.

The Krath refuse to give me space. They clearly despise my presence—violently so. Acid sprays and various foul projectiles launch my way from all angles without cease. Staying hidden and unleashing endless minion surges, the Krath stick to their usual: sneaky combat and maximum annoyance.

I’m absorbing considerable damage overall, though each hit is minor, triggering my regeneration network into frenzy, saturating my body with restorative fluids. The Krath may believe they’re grinding me down, but every attack just amps up my healing!

Gweheheheheh.

That said, carving through this tunnel demands tons of effort. The monster horde is insane, which tracks since mana density and flow here are utterly wild. I can’t fathom the chaos during a wave down below; even I might falter against mana levels that high, as I expect they’ll spike.

As I charge ahead, the tunnel behind erupts into sludgy mayhem with monsters thrashing to push through. Total bedlam, yet now I fight only forward.

As before, locating and obliterating Krath hideouts will drive them from the region, letting me pave the path for the Colony. They must lurk nearby, maybe inside the hearts. I ought to chart this vast lung-shaped maze too, but nonstop assaults will make it a nightmare.

I dart left and right, snapping ferociously and unleashing steady Dragon’s Breath bursts to dissolve the mucus and slime poised to swallow me. So freaking many of them! They’re throwing everything to boot me out, but I refuse. Wherever the Krath bar me, that’s my destination.

Before long, I reach a tunnel fork and pause briefly before veering left. The right path feels off somehow, though I can’t pinpoint why. Maybe I’m missing an obvious clue once more?

The Krath are just the type to rig these tunnels full of traps and illusions. Truth be told, that's precisely the kind of trickery they pull off.

That's alright. Whatever secrets they're trying to bury, I'll uncover every last one.