Chrysalis

[He's close! We need to get all minds on the job. Try and find his mana signature. It'll be hard, he's good at hiding, so we need to get on this now!]

[Anthony…] Sarah's mind hesitantly reaches out to mine.

[Later,] I tell her brusquely, [I can hear what you have to say later. The Colony won't be dissuaded on this, not after what he did.]

I switch my mind directly to my allies.

[Crinis, reach out through the shadows, cover as much ground as you can.]

I reach back and pat her with one antenna.

[This will be a huge strain on you, so be careful. It's important, but not more important than you are.]

[I understand, master.]

[Al, I need you to help track down this worm.]

[I do not understand. Confusion. What is a worm?]

[It's a type of creature that’s long and burrows through the ground. Just try and find the damn traitor, please?]

[I will try.]

As I've been talking all of my minds have already bent themselves to the task of tracing the mana that Jim wove with such cunning. I refuse to believe he's so good that he can hide all evidence of his weaving.

Wherewherewherewherewherewherewherewherewherewherewhere?!?!

AHA! A sniff!

[This way!] I roar over the mind bridge to my team and we rush northwards. [Crinis! Let's go!]

sight, so I make sure to call to her before I dash forward like a terrier on the trail. He covered his tracks as carefully as only a true coward can, but he can't

past numerous demons who we simply knock to the side, unwilling to waste time fighting them. A quick right hook from Tiny and

tunnel, master. I can sense

sense, most likely the one he used to reach us in the first place.

it's collapsing behind

[Dammit!]

I sure as hell am not going to let him off that easy. Run! Like the wind, Anthony! A thousand thoughts try to intrude on my mind as we run. I spent time with Jim. He helped me escape from

cold. I can't afford to get distracted when the trail is

Do you

I'm not able to catch up

hard. As long as he doesn't get too far ahead then we

purchased an organ or skill that helps him hide his mana. I know he's not that far away, but I can't seem to grab hold of his core despite the fact that I should be able to

shouldn't be all that surprising, considering he's a worm, but he's one

to determine what has happened. My sense of Jim is fading, but not in

might be going to breach the

Crinis asks,

he might be leaving the tunnels! Quick! We need to

for the worm to wriggle his way up than it does for us, as we run and climb our way out of the tunnels our hold on the trail grows ever more faint. By the time we reach the plains I can barely sense him at all, only Invidia and Al

[Thissss way.]

[You're sure?]

[Alwaysssss sure!]

for me,

ground beneath our feet carpeted in battling demon larvae, we continue to run as somewhere ahead of us, just below the surface, Jim continues

the thoughts forward wildly, blasting out a wave of mind magic which may or may not even reach him. [Didn't you have something

anger to bubble up within me but under the

here,] I taunt, [you sure you don't want to let her know why you betrayed her? Did you know she almost died because of you? Why don't you

and I turn my head a little to stare

[… sorry,] I mumble.