Chrysalis

“Engineer Griner?” Titus rumbled.

“That’d be me. You must be the commander?” the burly, sleeveless man said as he turned from the enormous armoured suit he’d been working on.

Titus rolled his shoulders.

“Just about everyone down here is a commander, or higher,” he noted wryly, “so why would I be, ‘the commander’?”

Griner shrugged.

“I don’t make the rules. Turns out when you command successfully down here and up there, people take notice.”

Some in the Legion thought that the soldiers stationed in the deep looked down on those fighting high in the Dungeon, but that was far from the truth. Legionaries in these depths relied on the plentiful mana, powerful techniques and equipment it enabled to fight. In the first stratum, they would be helpless.

“‘Titus’ is fine, Engineer Griner. Now, I’m told you’re the man who’s been taking care of the old girl. How is she?”

The two turned and looked up at the intimidating suit of Praetorian armour looming over them. At eight metres tall, the suit wasn’t close to the largest the Legion could field, but the added bulk of thick armour certainly meant it was on the heavier side. Without a weapon or shield, the suit looked… undressed, but still presented an intimidating visage. Brought across the chest, with thick pauldrons at the shoulders and the Legionem Abyssi emblem engraved on the front. The decorative touches around the edges of the plates imbued it with a tangible sense of gravitas.

“I won’t say she’s as good as new. I’ve given it the once over, and, mechanically, she’s as sound as can be.”

“What about the mana circuits?”

lot over the years, been assigned to two others after you left. Didn’t do nearly as

she’s functional? Ready to

to be able to do better than this. It won’t be too much longer before the old girl needs to be decommissioned, but

a hand to press

hard to

point in delaying. Can you help get it ready? I want to try a

“Sure thing, Commander.”

take

Clearly, Minerva had been in luck and there

He definitely had a few more twinges in his shoulders

head rose up, creating a

comfortable. I’ll hook up the liquid mana once you

“Thanks,” Titus acknowledged.

behind him. When the metal clanged shut, followed by the audible click as it locked and sealed, he became enveloped in

matter. He’d spent so long inside this suit,

out his arms, finding the panels and grips that he sought, wrapping his thick fingers around them. He

the mask, the matrix that melded his consciousness with the armour. He tsked. Whoever