Chrysalis Chapter 1779 - I’ve Found… Something!

The slugs' panic is almost palpable as I keep steering in the same direction no matter how the tunnel branches twist.

Gweheheheheh. No escaping it now, slugs! I'm tracking the sludge, and here, the sludge always tells the truth! Sure, it's revolting and deadly as hell, but at least it's upfront about it!

As I press on, the sludge veins thicken and pulse quicker within the soft, meaty walls. Trillions of liters of that gunk must surge through daily, or perhaps hourly. This isn't the sole spot where these veins merge, yet it's definitely one, and I'm positive a big Krath colony awaits there.

And it'll taste my fury right away!

A pursuing slug has apparently spotted how my healing intensified with each strike, sharp noticing indeed, yet far too late. My regeneration network blazes at full throttle, unleashing a torrent of restorative fluid across my frame. It's easing off slightly now, but I'll hit my goal long before it turns troublesome, guaranteed.

This really highlights the lethal nature of this depths' surroundings. Without the regeneration network, generating sufficient healing fluid to survive would be impossible. The acidity down here is insane, corroding my carapace and limbs, gnawing at my joints relentlessly. Like chilled liquid, the healing fluid races through my form, spreading to muscles, sinews, shell, and legs, mending harm the instant it occurs.

Adding the relentless battering from slugs and beasts, the cumulative injuries since entering these lungs could have slain me dozens of times.

Who'd have guessed I'd ever appreciate Theorazzn for something, but dang, this regeneration network... well... rocks.

Good thing loads of ants stay within Vestibule range to fend off exhaustion, which all this healing apparently triggers.

At the moment, I'm bursting with energy, primed and eager to rumble.

Fortuitous timing, since I've likely located my target.

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Ahead, multiple thick tubes converge, each throbbing and swollen from the massive sludge flow inside. These behemoths, twenty meters across apiece, fuse into a colossal super-tube. The pressure shoving all that slime through creates a thunderous, repulsive clamor of goo and filth that vibrates my antennae wildly.

Heading upward here means I'll leave the lungs alongside this enormous pipe structure.

I dig my legs into the sickly, squishy wall flesh to climb, but it's brutally tough going. Even if healthy, the sponginess can't support my mass properly—the porous tissue tears free under pressure—so I deploy another Gravity Well to hoist myself instead.

Floating grandly isn't the issue; I just prefer not to burn extra mana. My reserves are vast, bolstered by the Everflow Wellspring for replenishment, but far from secure territory, hoarding resources feels wise.

After launching upward, I fold my legs beneath my carapace and painstakingly weave through the leftover tunnel. One downside to Gravity Well flight: maneuverability leaves much to be desired.

The Krath trail behind, watching closely yet holding back attacks, which has to enrage them. I relish their presumed torment without a hint of remorse.

Just as anticipated, scant tunnel remains, and abruptly, I'm out of the lungs. Thank goodness! That deadly maze has trapped me for ages.

Upon exiting, a vast, broad tunnel greets me, reminiscent of those in the fifth's upper strata. Stretching a kilometer wide and hundreds of meters high, this immense void—per my tunnel map—sits directly under those accursed lakes that halted me earlier. No surprise, the Krath filled them with endless lung mucus! Undoubtedly, that's their slime source for flooding the nearby fortress too.

What truly sets this tunnel apart from upper ones isn't merely the elevated mana concentration boosting toxicity and grossness, but the enormous sludge-filled artery piercing up from the floor into the wall stands out blatantly.

Impossible to ignore stands the massive cluster of Krath, convinced they’re shrouded by elaborate illusions no doubt. I spot them clearly, which proves convenient, but even more so, I now detect the dread magic they’ve been crafting, slyly veiled from my senses until this moment—a mega-doom-sphere of colossal size.

A trap. These slugs come with a trap!