Chrysalis Chapter 1607: 1715 - Escalation

Previously on Chrysalis...

Alerted by the Nameless and Crinis to a massive ambush involving hundreds of delvers, Anthony prepares to navigate a potential escalation. Despite the threat of prepared traps and concentrated enemy mages, he remains committed to a peaceful resolution to avoid dragging the Colony into a wider conflict. After testing his newly regrown legs and considering the strength of his regeneration network, he decides to trigger the trap on his own terms. Rather than walking blindly into the snare, he reveals his presence and begins channeling an immense amount of gravity mana to manifest a singularity from a distance.

[Master, the nameless have made a discovery. A massive ambush lies ahead. Hundreds of delvers have congregated and prepared traps for your arrival. Shall I step in and eliminate the FILTH?]

[Uh, no, that is unnecessary. Just provide me with their coordinates and I will handle the situation.]

[... Very well.]

I suppose I could have unleashed Crinis, but that would mean letting loose unimaginable horrors upon my enemies. If I did that, I doubt there would ever be any hope of peace between the Colony and its neighbors.

A peaceful resolution is essential. If we cannot stop pouring our antpower into the fifth, we will lose everything we have fought to gain down there. Once that war is won, we will no longer have to hold back or treat enemies like Green Mountain with such a gentle touch.

Until that time, these issues must be settled without excessive violence. The worst possible outcome would be pulling the Colony into yet another major conflict. We simply cannot afford to split our attention right now.

So, hundreds of delvers are waiting to meet little old me? I had a feeling they might begin to group together. Because they were scattered across so many tunnels, it took some time for them to organize properly. I suspect many are already starting to retreat toward Green Mountain, making it likely that this ambush is the final one I will face in the immediate future.

Once I have finished dealing with this group, I’ll start hunting down the stragglers and capturing as many as our mandibles can grab.

Gweheheheheh.

I know exactly where the trap is located thanks to Crinis and the nameless. I activate submarine mode and begin zooming through the tunnels, gliding through the air as a gravity well pulls me forward.

It was surprisingly fast for my vestigial legs to reach full size after I destroyed my original ones with an empowered Dash. I’m going to need more mutations to ensure every tendon doesn't snap at once the next time I attempt that. It was useful, however, to see how the vestigial legs actually function. The ruined limbs were essentially discarded, much like a lizard dropping its tail, and the new ones began to sprout immediately. Knowing I have a backup set of legs growing inside me feels a bit strange, but given the speed of their growth, I think the triad made an excellent choice.

Once I mutate them, I am certain the time required for them to reach full size can be reduced even further. Eventually, I might be able to lose all my legs and have a fresh set in less than a minute. Wouldn't that be something?

As I drift through the tunnels toward the ambush site, I weigh my potential options.

Up to this point, I have managed to dominate every encounter with the delvers with relative ease. None have been able to withstand the empowered Gravity Domain, nor have they managed to inflict any real harm on me.

Well, if I stood still and let them strike me long enough, they would eventually crack my carapace, but the regeneration network is proving to be... a truly ridiculous organ.

I haven't tested the wellspring extensively yet, but it would have to be incredible to outshine the gift provided by Theorazzn’s mana.

However, dealing with hundreds of delvers and prepared traps won't be quite as simple. After all, the way to counter a Gravity Domain isn't to be strong enough to stand within it—only monsters could be that powerful. Or perhaps monstrous humans.

Morrelia's father could probably pull it off. That man is terrifying.

No, the actual counter is to disrupt the mana using external mana manipulation. Against a magnificent specimen like myself, twelve mages aren't enough to get the job done.

But a hundred? Ehhhhh... maybe. If I can't simply pin everyone to the floor, ending the battle without high casualties becomes much more difficult. Of course, the Colony could easily justify making some of these delvers disappear, especially given their reasons for being here, but minimizing the damage will be better for our reputation. I'm certain the Church of the Path is out there spreading lies about us. We need to ensure they continue to look like whining losers compared to our benevolent mandibles of justice.

Stopping several kilometers away from the site of the ambush, I descend to the floor and land on my legs, still deep in thought.

Obviously, a trap isn't much of a threat when I know it exists... but walking right into it still exposes me to whatever they have ready. Dangerous spells, pit traps, rockslides, who knows what else. If I can trigger the worst of it from a distance before entering, I’ll feel much more secure.

Hmmmm.

Alright, let's try this.

I stop suppressing my presence, allowing the power of my core to shine outward like a blazing, tiny sun. There is no way they won't feel that. Hopefully, they also sense what is coming next, because they are going to be in a world of trouble if they don't.

Planting my feet firmly into the ground, I accelerate my minds and seize control of the Gravity Mana within me. Then, I begin to draw it out. A lot of it.

I haven't cast a singularity since I woke up; I wonder if I can control the spell a bit better this time?