Chrysalis

Chapter 604

When the itching finally fades away, Crinis peels herself off the walls and regroups back onto my carapace to reveal something I didn't expect to see. Protectant, her cover dropped without me having to drag her out of the shadows for once, stands right in front of me, in the centre of the room. Exposed to my senses, she wears a nervous air, as if the simple fact of been able to be seen makes her uncomfortable.

"Didn't expect to see you, Protectant. What's up?"

Her antennae twitch in surprise.

"The rest of the nest? The surface nest? The surface? About two hundred million tons of rock and soil? I don't understand the question, Eldest."

Sometimes I forget the ants aren't up to speed with the lingo.

"I just mean to see what's up with you. I mean - forget it. Why are you out of cover? I assume you have something to say?"

"Where have you been?"

The question is more direct than I expected, but it's pretty much what I thought she'd say.

"Right here," I'm still not going to bow down to these babysitters.

"We couldn't see you."

"I know, that was the point of Operation Blackout."

scheme I can see her antennae go crazy with barely suppressed excitement. These damn security guards are as bad as the council. They love nothing better than a truly awful plan

need to hide from

can almost see her force her intrigue away in order to

privacy. You'll just

us to

did you think was going to happen to me here in the nest? Forget it, you'll just need to cope. We're heading out to do some grinding deeper in the strata now. I want to make

you at all times,"

of getting stronger

should probably hunt in teams of five, or ten depending on the

entrance to the chamber, his muscles bunching with excitement as he does his little gorilla boxing shuffle, throwing mini-punches into the air. The ape is pumped up and ready to fight. In fact, even Invidia has allowed his Cheshire cat

deny them? We speed out of our chamber and race through the nest, taking the fastest route through the mighty gates (still being reinforced) and taking new paths deeper into the strata. It's hard to move too quickly in the second strata, what with poisonous little barbs attached to almost everything

filling the air like tar. I swear that it's getting thicker. Is there going to be another wave soon? Somehow I get the feeling it'll be harder to deal with this time, exposed to the second strata, and the third beneath it as we are now. If we can master the technique that Rylleh used to push the Dungeon veins out of their territory, we'll manage to survive it much better,

as short as possible a time frame. We need dat sweet, sweet experience! Elemental constructs whizzing with mana, I step forward and unleash all the

In the third strata.

you know what we're going up against?" Myrrin

and resisted the

his secrets. Aside from the fact we're in the third strata, I don't even know where we are. I don't think anyone does. The commander is keeping his cards

citadel they had arrived in. Even though the Runic Armour shielded them from the elements, the searing heat scalded their skin and the taste of ash filled their mouths. Morrelia had never been in the third strata before, and she wasn't particularly enjoying it now. That was understatement. She'd barely seen any of the place, and

strode back into the hall in which they waited, not a one of them moved. But the tension in the air certainly

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