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 to

hesitate any longer.

told the Queen. “We must defeat the demon as quickly as

said, “the heat

just as much as you won’t allow me to do the same. So

it, but she could see the sense in her

behind me and I will shield them as

and nodded. This was as good a compromise as she

she could. “Gather behind the Queen! We will charge the monster and overwhelm it so the Colony

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

said, her scent determined. “I will shield you from

COLONY!”

QUEEN!” The others roared back, their collective pheromones spreading

its fury. Heat radiated from the beast beyond that of a hundred smelters, enough to sear and crack even

the charging ants and the roaring

of demon larvae flying as it skidded to a halt, face

moly!” the Eldest groaned. “Brilliant, are my insides back on my

said, gripping onto the back of the other for dear life. “At least

you say this would

say it

I’m going to throw you in Invidia’s mouth and leave you there for a hundred years,” the Eldest declared flatly. “In fact,

ant waved an antenna weakly in

feat I just achieved… Eldest. Most would

you? I feel like my guts are about

grip, rolled to the side and

“Good enough.”

to their feet,