Chrysalis

Titus watched the battle unfold from the rear of the formation. The irregulars had formed up once again and begun to execute another charge. Using them as shock troops, charging, pulling back, charging again, was a brutally effective tactic the Legion had long made use of. It was hard on the half-monsters, in terms of effort and casualties, but it was a role they seemed to relish. The ants had held up remarkably well against the punishment, but as he had expected, they were being ground down.

In the distance, he could see the abomination buck and lash out with its mandibles, using its body to shove against the tide and try to push the Legion back, all to no avail. The auxiliary troops rammed into the gaps the regular Legionaries opened up for them and the ant lines were thrown back once more. Another wave of the giant insects flooded out of the gate, jaws snapping at the air in rage as they replaced those who had fallen and after a few minutes of furious fighting the order was given and the irregulars pulled back, replaced by the iron wall of the Legionaries who continued to relentlessly batter away at an enemy that outnumbered them immensely, but couldn't hope to match them one on one.

In a way, the ants had chosen a poor field of combat. Within the confines of the tunnel, their ability to maximise the effectiveness of their numbers was hampered. In a more open battleground, where they could flank or open up more fronts, their numbers would matter far more. Still, they hadn't had a choice. In many ways, he had to acknowledge the cleverness of whoever had coordinated the defence of the ants, presumably the abomination. This was the only plan that could hope to save them, and it had almost worked.

Had the wave come early, and he had been worried for some time that it would, he would have ordered his troops back to the base camp already. Orders were orders, but any commander who pushed to complete the mission and got their Legion wiped out would get hanged and deservedly so. Even now there was a chance, a narrowing window in which he would be forced to order the retreat, but it was so slim now that he felt rising confidence that this nest would be purged before time ran out.

It was likely the satellite nests wouldn't survive the surge of monsters from the third strata without the support of their most powerful members here, but just in case he would have his troops bunker down within the nest to ride out the wave. Once it was done, they could emerge and track down the remnants at their leisure.

"Looks like the gate is starting to take damage, commander," Aurillia observed from his side.

The other tribunes attached to his Legion nodded their heads, each of them an experienced head with decades of experience, they watched the fight with the air of hawks.

"After the next push, they'll probably fall back behind the gate and wait for us to break it down," Titus mused.

"Do you think they have another gate?" Alberton asked, the Loremaster having joined with his advisors. "They have two, why not three?"

"Judging by the size of the nest, I deem it unlikely," spoke up Meognus, a newly attached tribune, "but the possibility exists, as you say. If we find another gate, we'll knock that one down too. How else can we achieve our aim?"

The young tribune was a fresh promotion, placed within Titus' Legion for a bit of seasoning. He was a good soldier, but Titus found him a little green as a leader.

no judgement in his voice, "if there is another gate, we will pull back to give rest, water and food to our people. The men and women who put on the

nods, but it was Alberton who

"B-but…"

him with

circumstances,"

'What about Morrelia?' he'd wanted to say, but Titus had known his intentions before he finished opening his mouth. Despite appearances, Titus was desperately worried about his daughter. The thought of her in the clutches of these monsters was enough to make his blood boil and his

evident in their observations. Discussions centred on the rate the monsters were slain versus the number of Legion casualties and how those numbers could be improved were had in quiet voices amongst them as various hypothesis were pondered. Such talks may seem inhuman, and

ant lines enough that they were forced to pull back once more lest the Legionaries cut their haphazard formation to pieces. Acid and spells rained down on the Legion forces as they advanced more and began to batter at the gate itself. Without

his only remaining child.

thoughts was the commander that he didn't notice the disturbance behind until Aurillia reached out to shake

she shouted,

his own lack of awareness, the veteran turned

entire tunnel had turned green. Even as he watched, vines and leaves sprouted out through the

under his breath as he drew his axe

an unfathomably deep voice echoed out of the darkness. "You have

mother is a monster," Titus

halfway between a sigh, a laugh and bending tree branch resounded through

always were, his head near scraped the ceiling of the tunnel as his thick wooden limbs were

origins of

from the Dungeon," Titus replied, "that