Chrysalis

Grove Keepers were unreasonably strong. How exactly they were born, the Legion wasn't sure. They weren't monsters, as such, none of the bruan'chii were. They were not spawned of the Dungeon and unlike the ants, they weren't created by a 'parent' monster through the traditional means. This was why the Legion didn't really have a problem with the wood people per se, but rather their murderous, meddling parent. Naturally the bruan'chii were unwilling to sit by and allow the Legion to destroy the source of their entire race, and so conflict had ensued. Throughout the decades of battle, the Legion had learned many lessons, one of the most important being: Grove Keepers were unreasonably strong.

The gigantic tree creature brought one ponderous wooden fist down in an overhead smash that would collapse a house but Titus was undaunted. Timing his footwork perfectly, he Dashed to one side before pivoting and Dashing once more, forward this time, his axe raised to strike. The Keeper moved with deceptive speed and grace, pulling his left leg back and rotating his body to sweep his left arm in a wide arc to catch the commander before he could unleash his blow.

Without pause, Titus brought the axe down, using the enormous power of his wrists to divert the blade to the side where it collided with the offending arm, releasing a shockwave that rumbled the stones around him.

"Haaaa," the tree rumbled with its impossibly deep voice. "You are a strong one."

Titus reset himself, his eyes absorbing everything in an instant. The blow had been shallow, without the full weight of his Skills or Might behind it. Even so, he had carved a deep wound through the bark of his opponent from which leaked a thick, golden sap. The commander breathed deep, soaking the mana surrounding him into his body and sending it circulating through his mana channels at a furious pace. As if awakening to a craving he had long put behind him, no matter how much energy he poured into his body, it still wanted more. The amount wasn't the problem, but the purity. Once he had become acclimated to the mana in the deeper strata, the thin stuff this high up would never be enough to truly top him off. Nevertheless, he would make do with what he had.

He approached the tree with caution, unwilling to be caught off guard. With a flick of his wrist, his axe ignited with red light, a powerful aura rising from the blade. In an instant, the vines and growth around his feet lashed out from the wall, a thousand barbs reached for his flesh and sought to twist within his armour.

"HAH!"

the green growth burn sparked anger within the eyes of the Grove Keeper for the first time and he stepped forward, his body suddenly illuminated with

been claimed by the mother-tree!"

growth. Twisted shapes of flowers filled with fanged jaws and vines as thick as a man with barbs that dripped with virulent, orange poisons erupted all around Titus within seconds, yet he did not retreat. He took a deep breath and poured his energy into the axe in his

a ten metre radius centred on the heavy armoured Legionary. The Keeper hummed out a low growl and stepped forward again, drawing his hand back for a mighty blow. Titus' face bore no expression, still carved in lines of iron as it always was and he watched the strike come before he shifted his feet again and prepared to intercept it. The demon sealed within his weapon howled with glee as he slashed

hands of the others. Instead, he delayed and hoped that the battle within the nest went well for his people. Determined, he raised his axe again and waited for the other

attacking in an endless, mindless rush that never ceased. The Queen

need to do it fast, my Queen," Brendant warned her from nearby. "We will not sit by and watch

we can do to reach her," the Queen argued, "haven't you done so many times

she would attack us. It is what she feared would happen,

quickly than they did. It pained her to see the

a mage!" the Queen demanded. "Connect my mind to hers. Let me try

small team of mages leapt forward to weave the necessary mind magic. In only a few seconds the connection was established and the Queen could feel her thoughts match with those of the

do not need to

swings of those deadly claws slashed through the air