Chrysalis Chapter 1752 - Expanded Nursery

The nursery, surprisingly, isn't located where I thought it was. This fortress remains ridiculously enormous, with rooms constantly being reassigned for new uses. A kind Brood Tender sister named Tendant guides me to the right spot and shares the story of the relocation.

"With our territory growing larger, we've taken over more Krath villages. Hundreds now. They can't always escape smoothly, those poor creatures."

The Brood Tender clicks her mandibles sadly, and I start to think her caste's built-in kindness might be overdoing it. Every Brood Tender is meant to be a warm, nurturing guide for the young ones, sure, but pitying the Krath? Come on... they're the Krath! No slimy, scheming, outright disgusting race like them exists on Pangera. For real!

"Abandoning their eggs must hurt so much," the Tender continues, oblivious to my mental debate. "And plenty of eggs don't make it through the move, which is... just heartbreaking. Still, we've saved loads more healthy eggs and hatched our sweet baby snails. That's why we've had to massively enlarge the snailcare area."

"So... how many snails are we up to these days?" I inquire.

Back in my memory, there weren't tons of them. Maybe a few dozen, or a hundred at most?

"More than two thousand," Tendant replies cheerfully. "We've split them into tinier batches. They hate feeling packed in. The latest batch hatched only days back. They're tiny right after emerging. So adorable."

That's... far beyond what I anticipated. At this pace, we might build a solid population of these purified Krath. Could the Chal Empire reclaim its old splendor? Sheltered by their ant partners, naturally.

"I only wanted to check on the initial batch."

"Oh, Theresant surely won't mind that," Tendant says as we reach a pair of massive doors etched with detailed scenes of ants and snails laboring side by side in unity.

Turns out, Theresant is a tad uneasy about me viewing the Chal.

"Aren't you getting overly cautious?" I grumble, annoyed.

After ten minutes of back-and-forth, I'm beginning to feel insulted.

"Exactly what do you believe I'll do to them?"

"Everyone knows you poke at the grubs and tumble them playfully, Eldest," she retorts, a bit sharply.

"Not any longer," I counter. "I'm far too big now, and my antennae are much too hefty. Plus, I take offense at the idea I'd carelessly squash the snails! Do you really think I lack that much restraint?"

Hesitant as ever, Theresant at last permits entry into the facility. It's definitely my convincing points that swayed her, not my hint at smashing through the wall. After all, my calm nature is legendary.

Regrettably, my size bars me from entering the Chal care chambers, so Theresant has graciously agreed to fetch them out for a visit.

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The snailcare setup truly radiates a serene, caring vibe. The atmosphere hangs calm and soothing, every ant there glides with elegant, subdued delight that seems to seep into the rocks themselves. In the courtyard where I wait, various themed gardens dot the space, their layouts stirring diverse emotions and reflections in anyone who sees them. This aura feels... nearly divine.

And those noises! Hard to put into words. Nothing rings out clearly, but amid the hush, faint tones linger, pulsing with their own vibrant essence.

I end up waiting quite a bit. Initially, I suspected Theresant was stalling me, but soon I admit they're snails, and smallish ones too. Speed isn't their forte. They didn't coin 'snail's pace' idly.

When Theresant comes back, she's clearly anxious, fussing over a cluster of snails trailed by nearly as many Brood Tenders.

This time I'm offended! Is that necessary? Sheesh!

The snails, meanwhile, seem utterly at ease. Their eyes on slender stalks brim with tranquility, nearly closed, as their lengthy, slender whiskers drape along their faces and drag beside their forms. What a vision these snails make. They might have matured some, but their flesh glows with an inner soft gold, and their shells shine like rare gems, dazzling on their backs.

Without a word, they draw near and halt mere meters from one of my legs. Gradually, they arrange into a tidy line, perfectly spaced, then gaze upward at me, eyes steady.

Er...

"How do we even chat with them? Do pheromones work? Or maybe I should form a mind bridge?"

"No way!" Theresant barks. "Their minds are too delicate for that spell. They're mere babies!"

Okay, they're under a year, but they strike me as remarkably sage. Could be the whiskers, yet these tiny ones exude a vibe like timeless wise sages.

Even so, dismissing a Brood Tender's counsel isn't smart, so I decide to express gratitude via pheromones and trust someone translates later. Before I send it, the front snail starts to hum.

A lone tone, yet that flawless, crystal-clear sound vibrates through my antennae, leaving me speechless.

Next, a second snail adds a note, then a third, then more. Each chal chimes in sequentially until they're all humming, and the fine hairs on my antennae sway in a graceful dance.

Its sheer flawlessness nearly draws a phantom tear from my solid eyes. Swept up in the melody, time slips by unnoticed; every sub-brain and thought process drowns in the immersive symphony from the snails.

Suddenly, it ends, all noise vanishes, and I jolt aware, peering at the snails who now look pale and weary. Even their whiskers seem less majestic.

"Do they... tire out fast?" I wonder.

They'd only hummed for minutes, it seemed.

"No, they don't!" Theresant retorts, enraged, as she hastily herds the snails, who slowly follow her prodding antennae back to their quarters.

"What do you mean? They've barely been here a few minutes."

"It's been two hours."

"Uh... what?"

"Two. Hours. Eldest! That's exactly why I hesitated to bring them out. Things always go awry near you!"

"What did I do? That was entirely them! I don't even grasp what happened!"

"They performed something for you," she fires back. "Doesn't matter what, just stop visiting and wearing them down constantly. They're developing still."

Baffled, I inspect my exterior, finding no shifts in my carapace or limbs. Unsettled, I probe within, and after some searching, I discover an incredible alteration.

My Pure Core. It hasn't shifted greatly, the difference is subtle indeed, but it has gained a faintly more radiant look.

What in the world?