Chrysalis Chapter 1759 - Crest the Wave

Solant took a sip from her tea, then tilted her head to munch on her biscuit. The flavor was exactly to her taste, featuring a touch of citrus and a mild sweetness that wasn't too intense, causing a slight tremble in her antennae. Naturally, the tea itself was exquisite. It carried robust, soil-like undertones that transitioned into a gentle mix of tastes on the tongue. Recently, Solant had started enjoying her tea without any milk, favoring the bolder flavor, but adding sugar remained essential, of course.

With the expanding supply routes linking the fifth layer to the surface world and the Colony's increasing agricultural output, tea and sugar had ceased to be scarce luxuries at this level as they once were. Her mandibles clicked in contentment as the small general reclined and savored the instant.

“You appear quite at ease,” Leonidant remarked from close by.

“I'm perpetually composed,” Solant responded with calm detachment.

Her sibling twitched her antennae mockingly.

“Oh. Others might not notice, but I can. You've been utterly anxious awaiting the Eldest's return, and everyone knows it. What other reason would explain our relentless efforts?”

This held truth. Even though she excelled at hiding her feelings from the majority of ants, her nineteen nearest sisters, those who emerged from the brood with her, always pierced her facade regardless of its craftsmanship.

“Because I requested it of you?”

“We've exceeded your expectations far beyond what's required, and you're fully cognizant of that fact.”

That rang true as well.

“Well, the Eldest has returned now,” Solant pointed out. “Thus, our circumstances are somewhat less critical than previously.”

“That's a mild way to phrase it,” Leonidant commented.

Both had reviewed the revised map earlier that day. The alterations weren't dramatically visible, yet their implications were profound. Merely a week had passed since she assigned the Eldest the mission to demolish the four outposts confining the Colony.

In all honesty, most of the Eldest's time had been consumed by traversal. Circling the four distinct borders of the seized land covered a substantial expanse, naturally. Upon reaching each frontline, the Eldest typically eradicated the Krath, seized a few, and reversed their alterations to the passages within a single day.

She remained uncertain about the events of the recent evolution, but evidently, it had aided their mightiest ant in acclimating to the fifth's conditions. After shattering the barriers that had hindered her for months, they now descended toward the lower levels to assault the obstruction below.

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“Do you believe the Eldest grasps the true severity of our predicament?”

“Likely,” Solant replied, sipping her tea again. “Determining the extent of our elder's awareness is invariably challenging. They are… capricious.”

“That's an understatement. I still can't comprehend what transpired during our Tunnel Ball match.”

Solant froze, tension thickening the atmosphere around her. She did not like to be reminded of her defeat.

“Irrespective of… that incident. I'm confident the Eldest, at least partially, recognized the escalating peril. With territorial growth stalled, the Krath amassed along our frontiers, intensifying the strain. It was merely a question of time before they exploited a vulnerability in our defenses.”

“You've accounted for every contingency,” Leonidant countered. “Is there truly a weakness to exploit?”

“No one can anticipate all possibilities,” Solant countered. “Not even I. If I were convinced our fortifications were invincible, would we have labored so intensely to avoid putting them to the test?”

Central to Solant's approach was the ongoing extension of the Colony's domain outward. Should the Krath gain sufficient opportunity, they would devise counters to the purified mana; after all, corruption represented their greatest strength, the domain they mastered most thoroughly. To avert such an outcome, she needed to persist in advancing, repelling them, denying them the chance to fortify their positions.

During her Senior's slumber and transformation, she had strived to cope in their absence, upholding her tactics and propelling advancement. Enormous advancements occurred in that period, though the pace inevitably decelerated in relative terms. It had been a precarious balancing act she performed against the Krath. They were barred from infiltrating the secure area to injure the ants, yet the ants similarly couldn't penetrate the corrupted zones to damage the slugs.

Thus, they competed fiercely, vying to shatter the impasse first. Solant currently held the advantage there, but the slugs would persist unyieldingly until the conclusion. This was partly why she sought prisoners. Cooperation from any seemed improbable, but uncovering the slugs' current endeavors would allow her to surge ahead once again.

“The forthcoming expansion phase is set for two days from now,” Leonidant stated, despite Solant's prior knowledge. “How aggressively do you plan to advance?”

“Sufficiently to force their withdrawal,” she answered. “Our primary attention must shift to other priorities.”

“Oh?” Leonidant expressed surprise. “What prompts that?”

“Since that's where our adversaries' attention lies.”

In the profound depths below, the overwhelming majority of the slug clan's opposition had congregated. The Krath aimed to prevent deeper penetration, and she was determined to uncover the reason.

“We must pierce through to the sixth,” she declared, “without delay. Establishing a connection to that untapped realm will grant the Colony boundless influence. Kingdoms, empires, and cities alike will crave entry. Those will serve as our allies. By persuading sufficient numbers to initiate their own incursions into the fifth, the Krath will face overwhelming battles across multiple theaters, incapable of concentrating on us. When that occurs, victory is ours.”

“And regarding Merchant? Rumors say she'll arrive tomorrow.”

Solant took another bite of her biscuit.

“Based on my knowledge, I doubt she offers much aid, but the Eldest demanded it. I'll accommodate her briefly.”