Chrysalis Chapter 1609: 1717 - Word is Out

Information has circulated from Green Mountain regarding our policy of taking delvers alive whenever possible. Consequently, this particular group was more than willing to surrender after witnessing the sheer might of the singularity firsthand. With their traps ruined and their ambush compromised, their resolve crumbled, resulting in the somewhat pitiful display I had to watch.

I suppose it is fine, though it isn't as if I was vibrating with excitement for a grand, cinematic duel. Good grief.

My main source of annoyance is that the sheer number of these mediocre delvers means I am stuck waiting for ages while they are rounded up and escorted back to the Colony.

That is the sole reason I am utilizing the Gravity Domain on them. I am certain of it. There was absolutely no sinister laughter coming from the dark one within as I watched these submissive surrenderers squirm in the dirt where they belong.

Once they were finally out of sight and being hauled away, it was time to resume the march. Fortunately, the nameless were able to infiltrate the tunnels ahead of me to hunt down the remaining delvers while I was stuck sitting on my carapace acting as a babysitter.

A part of me wishes to return to the nest to oversee operations. Managing hundreds of highly trained, high-Level delvers cannot be simple, particularly with our current shortage of antpower. I left Tiny and Invidia behind for a reason; hopefully, that provides enough raw muscle to keep the prisoners in line.

I charge through the tunnels now, no longer bothering to float or mask my presence. There is no point in stealth, as the surviving delvers are all sprinting back toward the mountain. Now that word has spread that I am out here capturing people by the dozens, the notion that I might be vulnerable enough to kill is fading fast. The initial greed sparked by my bounty seems to have cooled off significantly.

I had hoped more would be brave enough to challenge me, and perhaps they will once they’ve had a chance to regroup. For now, too many have vanished, and I suspect the leaders on Green Mountain are starting to get cold feet.

After all, as more delvers disappear, the costs continue to climb. I know Merchant has been applying pressure to the mountain’s representatives; they must be getting quite anxious by now.

I accelerate through the tunnels, pushing my massive frame to its limits as I try to close the gap with the fleeing delvers. I am nearing the boundary of the Colony’s territory and approaching the lands claimed by Green Mountain. Does that mean I intend to slow down or halt my advance?

Absolutely not! We go even faster!

I’ve discovered something interesting while running around at this size: it is often far easier to go through an obstacle than to go around it. As I sprint, I shatter boulders and plow through stalagmites and stalactites, frequently tucking my legs so my body can simply bulldoze the terrain instead of climbing over it.

It doesn't feel like a very ant-like method of travel, but it is much simpler than constantly adjusting my trajectory. I refuse to yield to the terrain any longer! The terrain must yield to me! I must weigh hundreds of tons, if not more; I have to consider my poor joints!

I continue the pursuit, straining my muscles and joints to see exactly how much velocity I can wring out of this body. It turns out to be quite a lot. Swallowing the kilometers, I begin to detect disturbances further ahead.

If I can sense them, they can certainly sense me. They pick up the pace, desperately trying to stay ahead of me. Oho! They are still out of sight, but I am tempted to attempt another empowered Dash. However, being this far from the Colony, I’d rather not keep exploding my own legs. Besides, I am not even sure if the next set of vestigial legs has finished growing yet.

Thus, I just keep running, forcing myself to gain more speed until my legs are screaming and my joints are throbbing.

It isn't quite enough to overtake them since they are burning through Skills, but I am maintaining the distance. I only need to wait for their stamina to fail, and then they will be mine.

Or… I could provide myself with a little boost….

Working rapidly, I construct a gravity well and manifest it ahead of me, suddenly releasing all of its stored energy in a single violent burst.

The ground drops away and I am launched forward and upward with eye-watering momentum. Well, it would be eye-watering if my eyes hadn't been replaced by literal gemstones.

Soaring through the air at my scale is a truly remarkable experience, I must admit. Not to mention, it is fast. I can feel myself rapidly gaining on my targets, but a thought suddenly occurs to me that I hadn't previously considered.

How on earth am I supposed to land?

As it happens, the answer is "heavily."

CRASH!

Slamming into the earth with immense force, I don't even attempt to land on my legs, knowing they would simply shatter. Instead, I let my carapace grind against the stone as I skid forward, letting the friction absorb the massive impact energy.

Fortunately, the maneuver puts me right within reach of the delver party trying to flee my grasp.

Gravity domain!

A purple sphere of incredibly dense energy expands outward at high speed, washing over the delvers and pinning them to the floor. Another successful capture.