Chrysalis Chapter 1699 - That Which is Holy

“So it showed up after all,” Alir mused, shifting his gaze from the document resting before him.

Once more, the vista from his Green Mountain villa proved to be nothing short of magnificent. The area was renowned for the thick canopy covering its inhabited zones, and he looked out over a rolling carpet of emerald foliage that cascaded toward the shimmering lake. Flooded with radiance and vitality, the crisp air invigorated his lungs, leaving him feeling both refreshed and full of energy.

In truth, he had endured years of hardship in the third stratum, harvesting elixir from demons and negotiating on behalf of the Path. Returning to the fourth was simply the reward he deserved following such immense sacrifice and suffering.

“To whom are you referring, Grand Priest?” Deaconess Martha inquired from her seat across the table.

Lately, these breakfast meetings had turned into a routine, centered on analyzing the latest Union reports regarding the delvers' advancements. Not that there was much progress to speak of. Curiously, despite the massive bounty he had put forward, not a single ant had been seized since the start of this operation. Alir remained unperturbed. The ants had behaved exactly as expected for such primitive organisms, retreating and sealing themselves behind walls, thereby denying the Green Mountain delvers entry to their colony.

This merely indicated that he had to pursue a different tactic. News of the reward was circulating throughout the fourth stratum, and plenty of delvers were eager to test their luck at capturing a live ant.

Either those insect monsters would hide away in their tunnels forever, or he would obtain his living specimens. To him, both outcomes were a victory. By weakening the ant monsters and increasing their fragility, he would eventually get what he desired; it would simply require more patience.

Furthermore, those live samples would allow him to produce more elixir, which he would use to plant the seeds of a grand crusade. He knew for a fact that interest was growing; the people just required a final shove. While he had extracted a significant amount from the initial ant, no one was prepared to pledge their resources without additional evidence.

He required more.

“The tier seven ant produced by that colony of monsters,” he explained. “Surely you've heard of the chaos it ignited at the Silver City?”

“I have, yes.”

“We assumed it had descended into the fifth stratum and perished. No word of it has surfaced for months. Now, it suddenly reappears in the tunnels and intimidates all the delvers? I wonder where it has been hiding all this time?”

An event must have transpired. Perhaps the ants were routed by the Krath and forced to retreat, pushing the ant back to this stratum. Yet, even that explanation felt off. The ants should have been crushed months ago, so where had this creature been?

“Actually, I am not entirely certain the delvers intend to withdraw,” the Deaconess remarked, sliding another page from the daily report toward him.

The document was a brief analysis by a Dungeon Seer stationed near the front lines, evaluating the potential worth of the formidable ant.

Alir’s brow furrowed as he scanned the specifics, wondering how they had identified so many of the materials within the beast. When his eyes landed on 'Soul Crystal', he nearly sprayed his coffee across the table.

“W-what?” he gasped.

Soul Crystal was incredibly precious to the Church, as it resonated with the spirits and minds of the faithful! Such a substance had rarely been discovered within the Dungeon! Once the Church learned of this, a Judgement Battalion would be dispatched without a moment's delay!

Beaming with joy, Alir continued reading, only to turn pale again when he saw the figure at the bottom of the page. Even though the Seer emphasized it was merely a projection, such a fortune was enough to buy .

A thousand delvers could live in luxury if they divided such a bounty!

Alir felt a surge of anticipation. There was no possibility of the ant being taken alive—killing such a powerful monster was hard enough, let alone doing so while showing restraint. However, if they managed to slay it, the ants would be crippled, perhaps even provoked into a vengeful counterattack. Should that occur, his crusade would arrive sooner than anticipated.

“I have several pressing messages to dispatch,” he declared, reaching for a fresh sheet of parchment. “The Church must be alerted to this monster, and the Union must be informed of our bid for the Soul Crystal.”

If a buyer was already secured for the monster’s parts, the profit for the delvers was no longer a theory; it was a certainty.

“According to this update, the ant has seized several delvers and is… offering to sell them back to Green Mountain,” Deaconess Martha said with a hint of hesitation, handing another page to Alir, who was already busy writing.

“Sell them back?” he grumbled. “Who do they think is going to pay for them?”

“Us, evidently.”

He gave a dismissive snort. More monster nonsense. Just because he provided a bounty and financed the expeditions did not mean he was responsible for their lives. Delvers perished in the Dungeon constantly. That was the nature of their work.

“I don’t care what that ant is plotting; it is only tightening the noose around its own neck. If luck is on our side, we might fulfill every one of our goals in a single stroke.”

Truly, the radiance of the Path was shining upon Alir today. His steps were surely leading him toward his destiny.