Chrysalis Chapter 1711 - Run Down

“I’m not a fan of this,” Frederick grumbled. “The silence is unnerving.”

“Just keep your mouth shut and your legs moving,” Shamus snapped, while Elsi gave a silent nod of agreement from his shadow.

“I probably shouldn’t say it, but I’m almost relieved those idiots tried to ambush that creature. Without them, we might have walked right into it without any warning,” Frederick remarked, keeping his pace steady.

It had been ages since he was forced to sprint through the Dungeon, fleeing for his life. In his role as a manager for the Union, he’d spent the better part of a decade confined to offices and endless cycles of meetings. He usually claimed he didn’t miss the life of a delver, but with his heart pounding and adrenaline surging through his veins, he had to confess it felt refreshing. Spending too much time behind a desk had left him rusty and his senses dull. In this moment, he felt more vibrant than he had in years.

He also felt closer to his grave than he had in a long time.

“This is exactly why I despise intelligent monsters,” he shouted his complaint. “It’s fundamentally unfair for something to possess that much power while being so skilled at masking its presence. We didn't even get a whiff of it until the fighting started less than two kilometers away!”

“I told you,” Shamus replied, his face tight with tension. “I warned everyone that it doesn't need to touch the ground and can hide its mana perfectly.”

“I know that, damn it. You don’t need to keep harp on about it.”

There was a specific skill required for high-speed travel through the Dungeon. Moving too fast was a mistake, as it would only provoke monsters that delighted in chasing down fleeing prey. Conversely, moving too slowly was useless, so one had to find a middle ground—covering distance quickly without acting like a lure for every beast in the vicinity.

Currently, the delvers were pushing the boundaries of safe speed, perhaps even exceeding them. Their sheer numbers helped intimidate some of the more aggressive monsters, but eventually, something was bound to give chase.

As long as that something wasn't the ant, they stood a chance.

“Oh no,” Frederick groaned.

“What is it now?” Shamus barked.

“I just jinxed us,” Frederick answered.

“Shut up with your superstitions,” Shamus hissed. “Keep your eyes on the damn tunnel.”

He was particularly agitated. After securing a payout that exceeded their wildest fantasies, he and Elsi had been pushing to return to the Green Mountain for days. However, they were repeatedly stalled because other delvers in the camp kept vanishing into thin air. With their patience at a breaking point, the two had been debating the risks of making the journey alone when this catastrophe struck. Despite the wealth they'd gained from their initial encounter with the ant, neither had any desire for a second meeting.

On all of Pangera, no one was more superstitious than a Dungeon delver.

The Union Manager followed the advice and focused his attention. The tunnel was crawling with monsters, but the vanguard was neutralizing the most aggressive threats with clinical efficiency, allowing the group to maintain their speed. Constant vigilance was mandatory, of course. At any second, a vine could snatch someone up, or a beast could drop from the ceiling, hoping for an easy snack.

Even though he knew he should be looking forward, he couldn't resist stealing a glance over his shoulder, seeking reassurance.

The sight he met turned the blood in his veins to ice.

Gliding like a massive airship, completely devoid of sound, was one of the largest monsters he had ever witnessed… simply drifting through the air, as if mocking those bound to the earth.

He locked eyes with it, and in that heartbeat, he was certain the creature knew it had been spotted. In that same instant, it began to accelerate.

“Contact!” Frederick bellowed, his voice echoing through the tunnel. “On our six! Do not try to fight it. Run! Run! Run!”

Heeding his own warning, he threw himself forward with every ounce of strength he possessed. He had no intention of being caught by that… thing.

Proving their professional mettle, the delvers sprang into action, pushing their speed to the absolute limit. There was no doubt that other monsters would join the pursuit, but it didn't matter. If anything, those lesser creatures might serve as obstacles to slow the ant down.

If Frederick needed any more reason to be terrified, he saw it in the expressions of Shamus and Elsi. The two delvers were deathly pale, using Dash with more desperation than anyone else, straining their bodies to find even a fraction more speed.

But… against a tier eight mythic monster, he should have realized it was futile.

When he dared to look back again, he saw the ant had touched down and was now sprinting on all six legs. There was a brief pause, a microsecond as it coiled its limbs… and then…

BOOM!

It appeared right in their midst, as if it had teleported across the gap in the blink of an eye.

An overwhelming mental force shattered Frederick’s defenses, latching onto him and the others as they stumbled in absolute shock.

[Leaving so soon?]