Chrysalis Chapter 1712 - Like Rats

Frederick felt as though his heart had been encased in ice. Every nerve ending shrieked in primal terror as the colossal beast towered above him. The monster’s overwhelming might was so potent that he could feel its power vibrating within every single cell of his body.

Victory was an impossibility against a creature of this caliber; he had been a complete fool to even consider the chance. This wasn't a task for mere delvers. To combat such a beast, they would need a full army—or perhaps the Legion itself!

Suddenly, he watched in shock as the monster’s legs appeared to detonate.

A crimson spray rained down upon the paralyzed delvers, erupting from the joints of the beast's six limbs. A heartbeat later, the legs themselves seemed to give way, tumbling to the earth followed by the monster, which hit the ground with a bone-shaking crash.

[Dammit!] the creature’s voice thundered within their minds, but Frederick saw only an opportunity.

“RUN!” he bellowed.

“We need to fight! It’s wounded!” some moron shouted back at him.

“Shut up and just run!” Frederick screamed in response.

For all he knew, the destruction of its legs was merely a deception. He had no intention of risking his life to find out. Instead, he bolted.

Moments later, he sprinted past Shamus and Elsi. They were sprawled on the ground facing upward, looking as though they had already surrendered. He sneered at their blatant cowardice. Did they truly believe that because the beast spared them once, it would show mercy again? It was pure idiocy. After all, not a single soul had ever returned after an encounter with this thing.

[No you don’t!]

There was a sudden burst of purple light, a whistling sound of rushing air, the crack of stone, and Frederick found himself slammed face-down into the dirt. With his nose shattered and bleeding, he struggled to turn his head to catch a breath, only to realize he had been driven several inches deep into the solid rock. The force pinning him down was incredibly immense. No matter how much he strained his muscles, he couldn't break free. Getting back to his feet was nothing more than a distant fantasy.

What kind of power was this?!

[Did you honestly think my legs blowing up would be enough for you to escape? How foolish!]

There was a brief silence.

[How long do these damn… ah! There we go.]

A few seconds passed before Frederick felt the ground vibrate, signaling that the monster was mobile once more. Ha! He knew it had been a ruse! One could never predict the capabilities of a monster. Rapidly regenerating limbs wasn't even the strangest thing he'd seen. He once encountered a beast that grew vestigial heads, controlling them like puppets from a distance.

[These things are far too tiny! Vestigial legs my thorax! These are nothing but vestigial stumps! Oh wait, they’re actually growing. How neat!]

The creature continued to broadcast its thoughts directly into Frederick’s consciousness, ignoring his attempts to block it out. It babbled to itself like a curious child, yet Frederick couldn't ignore the malicious intent behind the rambling. Why would it broadcast these thoughts unless it wanted to flaunt its absolute dominance? The monster was so certain of its own invincibility that it could waste time mocking the delvers in their desperate state.

Regardless of how hard he struggled, Frederick remained immobilized, so he eventually stopped trying. He could hold his breath for an hour if necessary, but struggling would only drain his oxygen faster. Thus far, the situation was mirroring the report Shamus had given regarding their previous meeting. The mysterious force was crushing everyone into the earth, pinning the delvers firmly in place.

What was going to happen next?

[Oh, hey! I recognize you two! Lying on your backs, smart move.]

So that was the reason they had done it!

[You still can’t breathe properly, can you? You don't have the strength to expand your ribcage.]

Hah! Take that, Shamus, Frederick thought with a surge of spite.

Shamus likely tried to respond, but only the monster could perceive his words.

[I don’t know, go lift some weights or something. Strengthen that diaphragm. For now, just stay put. I need to go have a look around.]

The vibrations increased as the monster began to prowl, drawing nearer.

[Not you. Wh-why would that even cross your mind right now? You're a weirdo. Nope. Not you either. There has to be someone useful here… oh, a priest! Welcome, welcome. But no, not you either.]

Frederick felt the mental weight in his head grow even more intense.

[Aha! Someone in charge. Hello there. I’ll let you up for a second.]

The crushing weight vanished instantly. Frederick rolled over and looked up to find the giant ant standing uncomfortably close, staring down at him with waving antennae.

Antennae? They looked more like whips.

He stood up warily. From this low vantage point, he could see the ant’s mandibles on the bottom of its head. They were terrifying. A horrific vision of being torn apart by those twitching, claw-like appendages flashed through his mind.

[Right then,] the ant projected. [Just like last time, I’m considering sending a couple of you back to really spread the fear. Build up that sense of total helplessness, you know? By the time I arrive at Green Mountain, the people there should be shaking with both greed and old-fashioned terror. Do you follow me?]

“I-I do,” Frederick stammered, though he didn't understand at all. This ant intended to march up to Green Mountain alone? No matter how powerful it was, that was a suicide mission. As a fortress mountain designed to repel monsters during the most violent waves, it was overflowing with soldiers and defensive arrays that could rival the Legion's finest.

“I’m sure they will be… terrified. You should head there immediately.”

[You realize I’m inside your head, right?]

Frederick cursed himself. He was out of practice when it came to shielding his thoughts after being away from the front lines for so long.

[You know what? Now that I think about it, I probably don't need to send anyone back. A total lack of survivors will be plenty scary on its own.]

Realizing his fate was sealed, Frederick yanked his sword from its scabbard and charged the monster, his blade glowing with brilliant light. If his life was to end here, he would go down swinging.

A split second later, he was slammed face-down into the rock again, his head spinning from the impact.

[You’re still inside my domain… Are you really the one in charge? Good grief. Crinis, would you please take this lot away? This is becoming embarrassing.]