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.”

trust you,” the scout reassured her general.

course,” Solant nodded,

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.

believed in their capabilities, but it

really are heading

two core shaper Council members, approaching from the nest. Each looked visibly

later if 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

“I thought we were working on solutions for the toxic mana and

the tunnel, but somehow looking

place in the column and Solant turned to

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

hope the pets will do

“I’m sure they will.”

the thousands of ants slotted into line. A constant stream of scouts

was grim, as

down, closer to the fifth,

the way into their journey, the column ground to

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

line of ants, running a keen eye along the troops as she passed.

predicted,” Sumant said, indicating forward

distance had grown shorter and shorter as the wave went on. Now, barely a single kilometre from where they’d started, Solant was confronted with the full scope of what

spider web of goop. It dripped from the ceiling, slid

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, the brathian most likely, who would be forced to clean up and eradicate the mess lest another stratum fall as

wouldn’t come to

“Any monster sightings?”

“None, thankfully.”

“Then we can deploy.”

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