Chrysalis

Chapter 1240

“We aim to advance in ten minutes. Make sure your squads are ready.”

They had spent a week preparing for this expedition, training, theorising, testing. Bella and Ellie had worked overtime, stretching their knowledge of monster anatomy to the very limits, studying the cores of fifth stratum monsters with intense focus.

Solant’s broodmates acknowledged her instructions and rushed off to carry out her word, only Leonidant remaining behind.

“How confident are you?” the scout asked.

“That’s an unusually direct question.”

“These are unusual times.”

“Very true words.”

Solant reflected for a moment.

“We really have come a long way, haven’t we?” she said, cleaning her antennae carefully. “It wasn’t that long ago the only thing we had to worry about was Tunnel Ball and completing our training exercises.”

“The Eldest certainly changed that in a hurry.”

The giant ant had thrown Solant and her broodmates into the thick of the conflict at the earliest possible opportunity. It had been a brutal learning curve, for all of them, but they had grown so fast as a result of the change, it was difficult to view it as a bad thing.

“I believe the Eldest was wise to place us here,” Solant decided. “It’s been an excellent opportunity to develop ourselves and be of use to the family.”

“That doesn’t answer my question. How confident are you?”

Solant considered the question for a moment.

“About half,” she said finally. “It’s lower than I would like, but we need to start testing our ideas sooner rather than later. More certainty will be hard to come by without taking a few risks now.”

general. “I’m sure we’re

course,” Solant nodded, “we

column. Solant left them to it. She needed to focus on the bigger picture, not spend her time fussing over the minor details before they set out. No

their capabilities, but it was hard to

are heading

members, approaching from the nest. Each looked

later if we are on the right track,” Solant said. “I believe in the work that you and your caste members have completed

thought we were working on solutions

focusing down the tunnel, but somehow looking far beyond. “For

the column and

depart. I’ll give you a full report

hope the pets will

“I’m sure they will.”

as the thousands of ants slotted into line. A constant stream of scouts ran forward and back, alerting Solant and the other generals as to the situation further down the

grim, as

closer to the fifth, but as reports rolled in, it seemed

way into their journey, the column ground to a

If things go according to plan, we won’t be here long,” Solant instructed,

moved toward the front of the long line of ants, running a keen eye along the troops as she passed. Was it a trick of the

Sumant

went on. Now, barely

way, forming a spider web of goop. It dripped from the ceiling, slid down the walls. Even the air was contaminated, dense with poisonous,

the slime produced more of itself, spreading, pooling, growing thicker and more noxious by the hour. If nothing was done, it would creep all the way to the nest and then up through the fortress until it spilled out into the waters that surrounded

wouldn’t come to that,

“Any monster sightings?”

“None, thankfully.”

“Then we can deploy.”

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