Chrysalis Chapter 1602: 1710 - Fun in the Tunnels
Previously on Chrysalis...
[Oho! You almost had me there!]
[Wow! That was a solid attempt!]
[Keep at it, champ! You’ll get me one of these days! I believe in you!]
[If you truly had faith in yourself, that would have landed. Use that as motivation for next time!]
Messing with these delvers is something I never seem to get bored of. Just look at them dance! I love watching them wail in pure despair as I snatch them up into the air!
Gweheheheheh.
My submarine-style scouting has paid off once again with another ambush, and I have to admit, they put in a lot more effort this time around. Maybe the rising number of missing delvers has made them a bit twitchy, but they seem much more desperate to take me down now.
The ambush started with two doom spheres being hurled my way. Constructed of pure fire, they resembled miniature suns; the temperatures were so scorching they were singeing my antennae from hundreds of meters away. Caught slightly off guard, I countered with two gravity bombs, but they were so weak I had to pump them with extra mana to ensure they did the trick.
Kicking off the battle with a massive explosive clash between fire and gravity was a spectacular spectacle. I suspect the delvers were hoping for a better result from their opening volley, but they still burst from their hiding spots and followed through with the attack.
Things went south for them quite quickly after that.[Oh no! My carapace is cracked! Aaaand it’s already fixed. Dang, look at that.]
In truth, with so many delvers swarming me at once, the healing network activates incredibly fast. My entire body feels chilly right now because of the sheer volume of regeneration fluid surging through my veins. Some of these delvers must be heavy hitters, as they actually manage to deal some damage, gouging chunks out of my carapace and denting my legs, but I regenerate so fast it simply doesn't matter.
Mocking them for their failure brings me a profound sense of satisfaction.
[The next person to attack me gets a free flight!]
There is a brief pause as they all hesitate, but they soon push past their fear and resume the assault. I can't actually pinpoint who the culprit was, so I just select a likely-looking suspect.
[Up you go!]
Yelping in terror and shock, my victim is hoisted up and left dangling in midair, thrashing around helplessly. Lifting mages doesn't accomplish much, since they can just keep casting spells at me, but for the physical combat types, they really struggle when they can't find their footing. They have so much speed and power, but none of it works when their little feet are just wiggling in the air!
Despite my overwhelming and constantly increasing regeneration, I’m still doing my best to avoid taking any serious hits. My antennae are buzzing nonstop and I’m reacting faster than I can think, dodging, repositioning, and parrying with my mandibles while processing hundreds of sensory inputs every second.
Maintaining this requires an immense amount of mental and physical stamina. Making this massive body leap and pivot isn't easy work. My legs and muscles were empowered through my evolution, so they are strong enough, but it’s still a demanding task.
It’s a good thing my tendons are mutated, otherwise I’d probably collapse on the floor like a puppet with its strings severed.
[Alright, playtime is over.]
After gathering the energy for the Gravity Domain throughout the fight, I empower and release it. I watch with satisfaction as it surges through the tunnel, expanding with terrifying speed and pinning everything in its path to the ground.
Interestingly, I can sense a few pockets of space resisting my mana, attempting to block the overwhelming flood of gravitational energy. Since there are almost no spells or attacks raining down on me now, I’m free to stroll over and see what’s happening.
Oho? Another priest?
Darn priests! There are some serious anti-magic techniques being used here. Two small clusters of delvers are still standing because the priests, aided by some mages, are managing to stop the domain from fully swallowing them.
It’s impressive, sure, but it’s clearly taking a massive toll on them. They are sweating profusely and shaking from the exertion, which means they don’t have any strength left to actually fight back as I walk toward them.
[You might as well just lie down,] I suggest to them. [Resistance is… only going to make her angry.]
Refusing to answer, the small group of priests and mages holds on stubbornly, unwilling to surrender anything to a monster like me.
Well, that’s fine by me.
[Alright, Crinis. They're all yours.]
If they don’t want to deal with me, they can deal with the darkness instead. She’s been accompanying me on my recent trips into the tunnels. With some help from the nameless, she’s been able to track down and haul away any delvers I capture, making the whole process much smoother. Within moments, the shadows swallow every member of the group, and then I’m moving on. Legs up, gravity well on, submarine mode engaged!
I’ve been out here doing this for most of every day, and for some reason, the delvers just keep coming. That last group was the fifth one I’ve taken down, and the battles haven't even been close. Truly, they have been blinded by their own greed.
It’s almost a letdown, but then again, that was exactly my plan.
After cruising around a bit longer, something catches my eye as I round a bend in the tunnel. Reaching a junction that splits three ways, I look toward the wall and spot neat rows of tents and piles of crates.
A delver camp? Have we pushed out this far already?
Or perhaps they were just stationed much closer to the nest than I realized? Checking my map of the tunnels, they are surprisingly close to what could be considered the outer perimeter of the nest. I suppose the Colony’s timid behavior made them feel safe enough to set up here.
What a foolish idea. Looking at the state of it, they abandoned the site quite recently. Maybe they sensed me fighting that last group and decided to bolt. That means there’s currently a large crowd of delvers sprinting through the tunnels trying to reach Green Mountain…
Well now…
The chase is on!