Chrysalis

“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.”

you,” the scout reassured her general. “I’m sure we’re going to

course,” Solant nodded, “we

quick salute, Leonidant rushed off to join the others organising the 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 matter how much she wanted to. The more she tried to look over their thorax and check their

their capabilities, but it was hard to let go

are heading

Council members, approaching from the nest. Each looked visibly worried, antennae twitching

we are on the right track,” Solant said. “I believe in the work that you and your caste members have completed to this point. Without proper assessment, we won’t be able to advance according to the timetable I have

Ellie asked. “I thought we were working on solutions for the toxic mana and miasma for the wave

but somehow

in the column and Solant

myself, it’s time to depart. I’ll give you a full report the

the pets will do us all

“I’m sure they will.”

left the two behind and took her place amongst the column as it slowly began to move, picking up the pace as the thousands of ants slotted into line. A constant stream of scouts ran forward and back,

grim,

held by the Colony, moving out and down, closer to the fifth, but as reports rolled in, it seemed they would hardly need to

their journey,

not to stretch themselves. If things go according to plan, we won’t be here long,” Solant instructed, and the runners

of the long line of ants, running a keen eye along the troops as she passed. Was it a trick of the light, or did they straighten when they came under

Sumant said, indicating forward with

had grown shorter and shorter as the wave went on. Now, barely a single kilometre from where they’d started,

Thick pools of mucous covered the floor of the tunnel, fibrous strands stretched every which way, forming a spider web of goop. It dripped from the ceiling, slid down the walls. Even the air was contaminated, dense with poisonous, acidic gases that made

toxic mana of the fifth was basically self-sustaining; 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 the mountain. At that point, it would become someone else’s problem,

to that, of

“Any monster sightings?”

“None, thankfully.”

“Then we can deploy.”