Chrysalis

The Queen recoiled as the heat flared, searing her carapace and burning her sensitive antennae and eyes. The demon roared, tongues of flame lashing the air as healing magic flowed over the Queen once again.

Around them, the Colony and demons continued their ongoing battle. Dramatically outnumbered, the demons struggled to make any headway against the massed ranks of ants who bombarded them with acid and spells, yet the arrival of this tier seven demon had complicated the situation to no end.

Advant ground her mandibles in frustration as the stalemate continued. The Queen could withdraw if she wanted, even a tier seven wouldn’t be able to punch through the formation they’d assembled before she managed to get away, but the burning aura the monster projected was a wonderful counter to the Colony’s numbers.

If their mother was to fall back, it would cost thousands of lives to bring this demon down without her. So she stayed. Yet it was difficult for the ants to support her in this battle. So potent was the fire that emanated from the demon, even Advant couldn’t get within fifty metres of it without beginning to take serious damage.

If she were to draw near enough to actually bite it, she would likely be burnt to a crisp a few seconds later. And would she even damage it?

The only reason the Queen had been able to hold on was due to her healing magic, but that had a limit.

“Mother! We need to retreat!” she implored the Queen once more.

The Queen didn’t look down.

“I will not allow my children to die in my place,” she said calmly.

“If we take any longer, then even more powerful demons may rise from the depths! If that happens, then we all will die.”

If the tier eight demons climbed out of that hole in the ground, then maybe not even an army of hundreds of thousands of ants would be able to defeat them. Certainly, the Queen would refuse to leave, probably ordering them to flee while she tried to buy time, but she would fall instantly.

Then Advant and her siblings would charge in to avenge her, leading to innumerable casualties.

She desperately cast her thoughts about, trying to find some way to avert this disaster. All around her, her siblings fought against the demons who continued to rise from below in a neverending tide.

Artillery spells and huge blasts of acid rained down from above, wreaking havoc amongst the demon ranks, yet still that burning demon stood tall. The unnaturally searing heat that surrounded it acted as a perfect shield against acid attacks, evaporating even the most dense barrage with ease. Their spells also seemed to do less than they should, as if the flame burned their mana away.

would surely punch through, but the Eldest wasn’t here

any longer. Advant made her

together,” she told the Queen. “We must defeat the

the Queen said, “the heat

my place, just as much as you won’t allow me to do the same. So we go together, and whatever happens, happens. Are

happy about it, but she could see the sense in her

said. “Gather the others behind me and I will shield them as best I

good a compromise as she would get,

will charge the monster and overwhelm it so the Colony can retreat. Somebody contact the mages and coordinate their

ever, the ants scrambled into position with their customary rapidity. In less than a minute, the

close to me, children,” the Queen said, her scent determined. “I will shield

THE COLONY!” Advant

their collective pheromones spreading like

from the beast beyond that of a hundred smelters, enough to sear and

ants and

and sending thousands of demon larvae flying as it skidded to

Eldest groaned. “Brilliant, are my insides back on

onto the back of the other

this

not say it

in Invidia’s mouth and leave you there for a hundred years,” the Eldest

waved an antenna weakly in

an incredible feat I just achieved… Eldest. Most

you? I feel like my guts are about to be yanked out of

its grip, rolled to the

“Good enough.”

as they forced themselves to their feet, then gave their antennae a