Chrysalis

The expedition had been proceeding smoothly so far, something Mirryn was exceedingly grateful for. The royal guards and the Legion had cooperated in the clearing of the upper levels and hundreds of lower levelled monsters had been destroyed in preparation for the wave.

It normally wouldn’t take long for such high level warriors to move through this area of Dungeon. To the higher levelled Legionaries this place was simply no threat at all, they could probably walk through with six monsters hanging off them and hardly take any damage.

To be completely thorough and clear out every side tunnel, every passage and all of the branches systematically took a lot of time and effort. With two forces as sharp as the Guard, who only accepted the best, and the Deep Legion, who lived for this kind of fighting, the task was done as quickly as it realistically could be done.

"Don’t they look relaxed over there" grumbled Donnelan, indicating the senior Legionaries standing by the tunnel wall chatting and laughing together.

"I wouldn’t stare too much if I were you, and keep your voice down" Mirryn whispered back, keeping her hands on her crossbow and her eyes on the tunnel, "Aurillia is rumoured to have incredibly advanced hearing skills. If they hear you whining you’ll be digging latrines into the rock".

"It just doesn’t seem right that us lower levelled trainees with weaker jobs have to do all the heavy lifting whilst the full Legionaries stand about and watch. I’ve launched so many fireballs in the last ten hours my fingers have almost burnt black" Donnelan moaned.

Donnelan usually wasn’t the type to whinge and complain when he was on the job but fighting monsters and being on constant alert for the better part of half a day was enough to get anyone in a foul mood. To make matters worse, even the trainees were high enough of a level that they received very little experience for using their skills or killing monsters this high up in the Dungeon.

"Hold on a little longer you sook" Mirryn admonished, "we’ll make it down to the first Expanse soon and set up the advanced camp. We’re scheduled to rest once the fortifications are in place".

"Great, more digging".

Mirryn could only roll her eyes at Donnelans’ continual complaints. She couldn’t blame him too much. Mages who specialised in fire magic like Donnelan were often called "Blast Mages" because they were effective in wiping out large amounts of lower levelled creatures, Donnelan had been forced to work much harder than she had.

"How are you two travelling? Managing to stay awake?" laughed one their Centurions, Alexi, as he approached to check on them.

The two trainees immediately saluted. "Just fine Centurion!" Donnelan declared, his voice full of vigour, "I’m ready to serve another ten hours, easily".

Alexi snorted. "No you’re not, in another hour you’ll be snoring on your feet."

officer gave them both an encouraging slap

a rite of passage. Expect that you’ll be worked extra hard. By the time we’re done you’ll feel dead and reborn at the same

Donnel audibly groaned, causing

once we reach the first Expanse", Alexi leaned closer to whisper conspiratorially, "you may not know this but us higher ranked Legionaries are built to function a lot deeper in the Dungeon than this,

a laugh. "What? Because

enough. You’ll

shout from

of them immediately snapped to attention.

glaring at Alexi with a heat he could almost feel. "IF you’re done running your mouth to the trainees centurion, then I

Donnelan almost wept.

trudged away, cursing silently at their Centurion,

so hard on them?" Aurillia asked, one

his grip on the massive axe resting on his shoulder. Instead of answering

paste, put us back together

seen. We don’t coddle Legionaries Aurillia, we liquefy them so we can pour them into our mould. If those kids aren’t crying themselves to sleep tonight we haven’t

"And Alexi?"

frowned, "I’ll have a word with our chatty

with commander Titus, Alexi wouldn’t be

Royal Guard clear on their duties until the wave, Tribune?"

can leave protecting the Dungeon entrance and the upper tunnels to them. I’ll have to thank the Queen personally

he wasn’t sure it was necessarily the best idea for the Queen to send her

Dungeon began to reveal itself, as well as its wealth. Monster cores were

to spend such an extended amount of time on the surface. He wasn’t built for up there, writing

the expedition was prepared to advance further into the Dungeon. Titus positioned himself at the head of