Chrysalis

Chapter 784

[Alright Invidia, you can spit her out now.]

With a wet splat the hatchling is deposited onto the tunnel floor in front of me still dripping with demon saliva. With a shiver she begins to shake her legs and abdomen in an attempt to cleanse herself of the goo. She has a little success before furiously cleaning her antennae, dragging them through the elbow joints of her front legs over and over again to clean the delicate hairs that line the appendage.

"I really thought we were getting past that whole thing," I point out to her. "You're getting your answers aren't you? Just be patient."

She keeps cleaning but gives me a look that I can only interpret as "Patience? What even is that?".

"Well, keep trying if you want," I shrug my antennae, "it just means more time with your second instructor and lets me rest. Now, are you ready to see this next part of the nest?"

Finally finished getting the worst of the mess off, the hatchling immediately looks around excitedly, only to be disappointed to find we are in a plain tunnel without anything remarkable about it.

doesn't seem that

antenna down on her head with

take a breath. "Where we are headed is the industrial heartland of the Colony. This is where all the raw resources that we collect are gathered to be processed. The ores, the wood, the gems and other

filling the air with that metal on metal discordant whine that only grows louder as it draws closer. It resembles a mining cart, except far larger, the box made from solid wooden planks reinforced with metal banding welded together by the finest of fire mages. The base of the cart glows with flowing light that is emitted from runes that run the entire base of the cart forming an intricate pattern that loses my focus the harder I look as my eyes are drawn down into

in order to make way and the soldier gives a nod of gratitude as she focuses on her work of hauling. Only when she starts to go past do I realise that there is more than one cart. Three in total make up the train, attached together by a locking mechanism. At the rear of

super ants?! Each of those carts is packed to the brim with ore, I can see it from here! Maybe ten cubic metres worth in each. That has to be

to look more closely also. Which leads me to another discovery. As the wheels shift forward the track lights up just before they touch, matched by a glow from the wheel itself. The moment the track has passed under the wheel, that segment grows dim. It appears as if the track is enchanted to react with the wheels in some way? Or the wheels

Or both?

enchanted to reduce friction as the wheels pass over, perhaps with some variant of water or ice magic? I've no idea. Whatever the case, it's incredible work since it allows such a huge amount of

raw ore is brought in to be processed," I tell the still staring hatchling, "let's move in a little deeper and take a

journey into the heart of the antdustrial empire. Two things become readily apparent as we walk, the temperature is gradually rising and the noise is continually building. The ringing of metal, the crack and crash of

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