Chrysalis

Those chasing in my wake don't seem to appreciate my gifts. Angry shouts and a barrage of blade light explode from behind me, shattering the stone and sending shards bouncing from my carapace. I don't think they like my souped up merchandise. They'll like it even less soon enough… Gweheheh.

Wha?!

BOOM!

My senses tingle and my legs fire before I understand why, just in time to avoid the fireball that streaks beneath me, searing the fine hairs on my legs before detonating against the tunnel wall in front of me. My vision becomes filled with smoke and dust, my antennae muddled by the residual heat. Even so, my future sense sends flashes of sensory input into my mind and I leap to my left, just in time to avoid the glittering broadsword that slices down.

Clang!

The blade flashes before my eyes and pierces deep into the stone between my mandibles, slicing through the stone as if it weren't there. Holy heck! My mandibles flex and snap shut with concussive force.

Doom Chomp!

The dark jaws of energy manifest and close with brutal swiftness. Irritatingly, the blade snakes up from the ground and draws a shining arc in the air that my jaws crunch down on and stop. They just blocked my Doom Chomp with sword light? Is that even a thing?

Turns out, it nearly is, but not quite. After a moment of strain, the light shatters and my jaws complete their path, crunching shut. But holy mcjiggers is that armour tough! I feel like I just clamped my mandibles down on a rod of reinforced concrete! What the heck is that stuff made of? Regardless, I wasn't able to penetrate the bulky suit in my first bite, but the person wearing it doesn't look comfortable. With a heave, I lift them from the ground and spin my body to one side, tossing them like a dwarf directly back into the path of the oncoming pursuers.

And they're gaining. It looks like there's ten of them and with this one making the sacrifice play to hold me up, they've closed the distance to just a dozen metres. At this sort of range, they can dash to cover it in an instant. If I turn my back on them now, I'm going to tank a heck of a lot of shots from them before I get far. We might have to stand and deliver.

I want you on the front line making a mess, just make sure

eye flashes green and curves

[Yesssssss,] he gloats.

Your Skill levels aren't high enough. If you think you have a chance to pick off one of them and take them out of the fight, go for it. No chances though, operate in

at my pets and speak with pheromones at the same time. Instructions relayed, I turn to take up the

hiss as I feel the prodigious power of his mind go

when he deploys it. Finally let off the leash, I can feel the mad little eyeball drawing out enormous flows of mana, spinning together into deadly flowers

are they? Is this just a hunting team, on a delve? They seem a little too well armed and armoured for that. The massive plates of living rock and steel that make up their suits are impressive as hell, every inch of the damn things look enchanted to the brim.

and begin to make their presence known. Here in the depths of the seconds strata, Crinis is at her most powerful, the thick shadow mana allowing her to manifest her tentacles almost anywhere she pleases. As she rises from my back and begins to take her true form, dozens of twisting limbs break away and slither through the air, only to vanish into the darkness. Tiny unleashes his lightning across his bulging, muscular form, his roar

just glares at the enemy and unleashes his

the figures dash together, huddled

BOOM!

soldiers erected manages to hold strong against the spell. Brandishing their shields high,

from the sight of the acid I fired growing on them. Not in an emotional sense, but in the literal. Clumps of acidic, sticky goop cling to their armour where

my attempts to latch onto the mind of one of these attackers. Whatever they've done to their helmets, it's still working, the spell just slides off them without taking hold. We've got

how they like shards

DOOM CHOMP!

the energy flowing out of my body. The dark mandibles manifest once more, but flatter, built for impact. The two shield bearers step forward, fearless, the dome-like shield enveloping them still. You want to underestimate this ant? You