Chrysalis Chapter 1736 - You Weren’t Supposed to Do That

Previously on Chrysalis...

As battle raged in the tunnels beneath Green Mountain, the city's guards and citizens debated sallying forth to aid the fight but ultimately deemed it too risky, standing down as night fell and unease gripped the mountain. Shadows thickened across quiet streets, pooling and creeping into homes where the Nameless struck without a sound, swallowing delvers whole and spiriting them into the darkness. Their harvest of targets nearly complete before alarms clanged and lights blazed, the Nameless gathered like a stream and fled down the slopes into the tunnels, captives in tow, honoring the Eldest's call while a distraction unfolded below.

I came up with a straightforward strategy, since I believe intricate schemes are roughly as effective as having none whatsoever. Solant might argue otherwise, and perhaps it suits her just fine. But for me? I recognize my own boundaries. Especially since I'm coordinating with Tiny, that foolish priest, and various others whose smarts are dubious at best.

Why bother making it overly elaborate?

Perhaps I was naive to assume that 'hold back until they wear themselves down, then strike on my cue' was straightforward enough for everybody to grasp. How on earth could anyone twist that?! There's simply no space for errors here!

So why, for the sake of everything wonderful in this world—like grubs, and tickling, and especially tickling grubs—are these humans breaking ranks and surging ahead, abandoning the ants in the dust?!

Oh, that fool Beyn is spearheading the charge. You've only got one arm, you moron! No weapon in sight! No armor either! And clearly, no brains!

Ugh.

Over here, meanwhile, I'm taking a brutal pounding from ten thousand attackers! To be fair, I anticipated some of the tricks these people could pull off. Light lances zipping at light speed were one matter, but fire arrows as wide as my antennae raining down caught me off guard. So did that golden bell of dizzying catastrophe. Each toll made it feel like my mind was about to ooze from ears I don't even possess.

Lightning pillars blindsided me, as did their Force Magic attempts to shove me aside and block my strikes. The moment I unleashed Starcrusher again, they fired it right back at my face. Smart move, though not fully effective.

Truth be told, they've got plenty of methods to confuse, hinder, and trap me. It clicks when I consider it. Taking on a beast like me head-on? Not likely! Instead, they aim to exhaust me, curb my mobility, drain my mana bit by bit, and stack up injuries over time.

But it's falling flat.

First off, I'm nowhere near fatigued. Second, my mana pool is insanely vast. Attempting to deplete my magical energy is pointless. Third, my sub-exoskeleton can now handle a boosted Dash, so pinning me is impossible. Whether it's spirit-light chains, instant swamps, water dragons, or their metal restraints, the instant things turn dicey, I'm out of there.

If I needed to pull that off repeatedly in quick succession, I'd be concerned, but up to now, I've managed to stay in control.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

To be candid, I didn't anticipate how well they'd manage to inflict harm on me. My carapace isn't something to scoff at, and landing hits is tough enough, much less ones that actually sting. Their success in racking up damage is noteworthy.

Too bad it all falls short against my healing gland. Er, network. Or whatever you call it.

Which is going utterly berserk, by the way. I figure I've hit the peak healing speed already—surely it can't ramp up more—or maybe I'm just numb internally, with my guts feeling like they've been dunked in a frozen sea during the dead of winter.

I'm freezing!

Stunned beyond belief, I'm barely evading as I observe these dimwitted humans rushing in, flailing their weapons like lunatics, obviously ignoring the strategy.

Thoroughly annoyed, I signal the poised ants with an antenna; they've held their positions but look bewildered. Spotting the cue, they surge forward too, though without appearing deranged in the process.

[Tiny?]

[Punch?]

[Yes, Tiny. You can punch now.]

[Good!]

[And me, Master? Can I KILL AND MAIM THESE DISGUSTING—]

[No. No you cannot.]

[Well, can I use my magic and scare them a bit?]

[As we agreed, yes you can.]

Sheesh.

Sorry, you army bent on slaying me and carving up my body for gain—I tried my hardest to spare as many of you as possible, but someone went and botched it all. If it helps, I'll give him an earful once we're back at the nest.

With a sigh of defeat, I focus on weaving through attacks and upholding the Gravity Domain while Tiny bellows from afar. I can nearly sense the shockwave spreading through the clustered soldiers. It's not pure terror, precisely, but they're far from thrilled by the sound. Nor by his swift leaps toward them, his frame crackling with electric veins.

And he seems thrilled to join the fray.

The moment tentacles burst from the earth and seize folks, that's when panic truly stirs. When Crinis unleashes her Curse Magic, things escalate badly. Since I've rarely witnessed her deploy it, I wasn't sure what to anticipate, but the nightmarish faces of dark purple fog cackling as they swoop and burrow into chests are far more gruesome than imagined.

Those struck by the curse convulse and writhe like undead, wrestling invisible enemies while struggling to battle on.

Yikes! That's eerie...

Tiny crashes into the fray like a tempest when he arrives, smashing through the lines with reckless fury, lightning blasts erupting nearby. At first, I overlook Invidia perched on his shoulder, but the initial explosion tips me off. He's apparently hurling up tons of shields to protect his ride, letting Tiny handle the bulk of the destruction.

This... this is heading south fast.