Chrysalis Chapter 1603: 1711 - Run Down

"I don't like this," Frederick whispered. "It's too quiet."

"Just shut up and keep running," Shamus growled, Elsi nodding in agreement as she trailed closely behind him.

"I probably shouldn't be thinking this, but I'm kind of glad those morons tried to jump the thing. We may not have had any warning otherwise," Frederick said, maintaining his steady speed.

It had been a long time since he'd been forced to flee for his life through the Dungeon. As a manager for the Union, he'd spent the better part of the last decade confined to offices or trapped in meetings. Always more meetings. He had always claimed he didn't miss the life of a delver, but with his heart pounding and adrenaline surging through his veins, he had to admit it felt invigorating. Too many years behind a desk had made him rusty and dulled his senses. Right now, he felt more alive than he had in ages.

But also, he was closer to death than he had been in years.

"This is why I hate intelligent monsters," he complained aloud, "it isn't fair that something can be that strong and be this good at concealing its presence. We didn't have a whiff of it until it started fighting not two kilometres away!"

"I told you," Shamus said, his face tense. "I warned everyone it didn't need to walk on the ground and could conceal its mana incredibly well."

"I know, damn it. No need to keep banging on about it."

There was a certain art to traveling through the Dungeon at high speeds. Moving too fast was rarely helpful, as it tended to attract the attention of monsters who loved nothing more than chasing down fleeing prey. Conversely, moving too slowly was obviously pointless, so a happy medium had to be found—covering ground at a brisk pace without making the monsters chase after you like excited golden retrievers.

Currently, the delvers were pushing right against the limit of safe speed, and perhaps even exceeding it. Their sheer numbers helped to dissuade some of the more eager monsters, but eventually, something was bound to give chase.

As long as it wasn't the ant, things would be fine.

"Oh no," Frederick groaned.

"What now?" Shamus snapped.

"I just jinxed us," Frederick replied.

"Shut up with your superstitions," Shamus hissed. "Focus on the damned tunnel."

He was especially frustrated at the moment. After receiving a payday beyond their wildest dreams, he and Elsi had been agitating to rotate back to the Green Mountain for days, only to be delayed repeatedly because other delvers in the camp kept disappearing into thin air. With their tempers on the verge of snapping, the two had been discussing the feasibility of making the trip on their own when this disaster happened. Despite what they'd earned from their first meeting with the ant, neither was in any hurry for a repeat visit.

Nobody on Pangera was more superstitious than delvers in the Dungeon.

The Union Manager did as suggested and focused. There were plenty of monsters lurking in the tunnel, but the vanguard was handling the most aggressive ones in a neat and efficient fashion, so the rest of them didn't need to slow down. Staying vigilant was always necessary, of course. At any moment they could be snatched up by a vine, or a beast could swoop down from above, fancying its chance to grab a quick meal.

Even though he knew he should keep his eyes ahead, he couldn't help but glance over his shoulder, just to reassure himself.

What he saw froze the blood in his veins.

Gliding like an airship, utterly silent, was one of the largest monsters he had ever seen in his life, just… drifting through the air, as if mocking everyone else for being bound to the ground.

He saw it, and in that instant, he was certain it knew he had seen it as well. In that moment, it began to speed up.

"Contact!" Frederick yelled, his voice booming through the tunnel. "On our six! Do not attempt to engage. Run! Run! Run!"

Taking his own advice, he accelerated, launching himself forward with all the strength in his body. He did not want to be caught by that… thing.

Proving themselves to be thorough professionals, the delvers launched into action, accelerating rapidly until they were moving as fast as they possibly could. No doubt some monsters would leap up and give chase, but what did that matter? If anything, those creatures would only help delay the ant by getting in its way.

If Frederick needed any additional reason to be afraid, he found it in the faces of Shamus and Elsi. The two delvers were as pale as sheets, and they Dashed with more urgency than anyone else, pushing their bodies to the breaking point trying to move just a little bit faster.

But… against a tier eight mythic monster, he should have known it would be useless.

When he hazarded a glance backwards, he saw the ant had landed and was now running on all six legs. A moment of hesitation, a slight beat as it tensed its legs… then…

BOOM!

It was right there amongst them, as if it had crossed the intervening space in less than the blink of an eye.

An overwhelming mind crushed through Frederick's defenses and latched onto him and the others as they all staggered in shock.

[Leaving so soon?]