RinoZ
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Chapter 1729 - The Titan Approaches
🕑 Added 2025-12-05 01:00:03 +0000 UTCNormally, the hardest part about hunting for a powerful monster was trying to pin it in place and bring your force to bear. In the worst case, this could involve a month’s long campaign of carefully manoeuvring, slowly cutting off tunnels, taking control of sections of the Dungeon and gradually herding the creature where you needed it to go.
Graham had played this game of cat and mouse dozens of times in his career and was more than proficient in the methods used to put a monster exactly where he wanted it. Yet, this time, that knowledge and experience wouldn’t be useful. Not only was the monster unusually intelligent, it had more than a few allies and a literal fortress it could retreat to whenever it wanted. Most monsters, especially powerful ones, lived a solitary existence or cultivated a small following of beasts at most, not a whole civilization of millions.
Should the ant seek to retreat back to its territory and vanish, then there was precious little that the War Bishop could do about it. As adept as his Judgement Battalion may be at fighting monsters, it wasn’t enough to assault a fortified position and fight a tier eight Mythic while inside of it.
However, this was, it seemed, destined to be the strangest monster hunt of his career. Not only had the ant not retreated to safety, it seemed determined to deliver itself to them on a silver platter. Not an hour after scouts had been sent out, reports had come back that the beast was nearby, waiting.
Deep in a conversation with the Marshals about strategy and tactics, Graham had been taken by surprise at the news. Was the ant less intelligent than he’d thought? Was there some strategy involved that he didn’t see?
Further scouting had indeed revealed that the creature wasn’t alone. An army was camped nearby, a mix of ants and sapients who should surely know better, along with several other strong monsters that were hiding themselves. So it seemed that the ant did not intend to throw its life away, but instead wanted to engage in direct conflict.
Readying the troops for imminent battle wasn’t what Graham had thought he would be doing that day, but he welcomed it. A quick resolution, glory to the Path, and he would retire back to the barracks beneath the Cathedral where he belonged.
“Do you really intend to march out and confront the monster right now?” Grand Priest Vinting asked, unable to conceal the nervousness behind the question.
“I thought you would welcome such an outcome,” the War Bishop said, not giving the man much of his attention. Forming up the Battalion and their allies was taking longer than he would have liked, and perhaps some more time to better integrate the two forces would have been ideal, but they didn’t have that luxury. With the monster so close, they couldn’t very well start doing training drills, it could charge their position and be upon them in a matter of minutes. “You’ll be out of here quickly and back to the Cathedral.”
What Alir wanted was to be out of the Dungeon before any conflict took place. That wasn’t going to happen.
The Grand Priest's face turned a deeper shade of red as his anger boiled up inside him. Graham had noticed that Alir was having a more difficult time managing his emotions as of late. Before he could open his mouth and vent whatever spite had bubbled up, a nearby voice called to Graham in an urgent tone.
“The monster is on the move!”
In an instant, the Grand Priest ceased to exist in Graham’s mind.
“Towards us or away?”
“Towards!”
It was coming, now.
“Get everyone in formation. I’ll speak to the Marshals and make sure they are confident in our strategy.”
So saying, the War Bishop strode away, his armour gleaming in the soft light of the Dungeon and white cape fluttering behind him.
“You’ve heard, then?” Williams noted, not really asking a question.
“Yes. We can expect to be engaged shortly. Are you both comfortable with the strategy I laid out?”
Williams and Selda once again exchanged that silent glance. Graham could tell they knew each other well, with years of experience working together, simply by noting how well they could silently communicate.
“Your plan is… unconventional,” Selda said, phrasing her thoughts with some delicacy. “You’ve laid out your reasons, but we are unsure if we concur with your conclusions.”
Graham nodded.
“Then I expect you to clear the field as quickly as possible.”
So saying, he moved to turn and walk away, only to be stopped by Williams reaching out to snatch hold of his arm.
“We didn’t say we were leaving,” the bald man stated softly.
“If you are not willing to follow the strategy I’ve laid out, then I do not want your help,” the War Bishop returned without malice. “Without these elements in place, you will be more hindrance than help.”
Both Marshals were taken aback by his forthright attitude. Perhaps they had expected a negotiation, or further discussion. None would be forthcoming, there wasn’t time.
Sensing a slight change in the flow of mana, Graham turned to see the giant ant round a corner in the distance and look towards them.
It was massive, like a moving building, and the sheer weight of its presence could be felt even at this distance. Its carapace seemed to glow, a soft purple light rippling along its exoskeleton, while its eyes shone like burnished jewels.
Without hesitation, it began to walk towards them, unhurried, unthreatened.
Graham turned back to the Marshals.
“We will follow your lead,” they assured him, both looking past him to the approaching beast.
“Good. May the Path be with us.”
Comments
mo akt
Any idea what time chapters get uploaded?
Slapjack
Same I think Anthony's going to try to go non-lethal until the War Bishop pulls off some devastating tactic and Anthony's forced to go all out. All of the excerpts have been pointing towards this huge war between the Colony and other races and this might be where it starts.
Slapjack
How could a sword compete with the mandible of justice?
Silent Consent
Idk 9k soldiers on home ground and a special unit specifically designed to take out large monsters. I think he is going to do something really messed up to Anthony.
kingoff00ls
I love/hate how you always time the good cliffs on a Thursday and we gotta actually look forward to Monday like a good little ant.
alt31415
Well yeah, that's what happens when individual chapters are 1k words.
alt31415
He specifically did wonder ya dingus. Read the chapter.
alt31415
I mean, 'thousands' is a LOT of people.
Mandarin
I hope Anthony so thoroughly either destroys or disables the army in a few seconds or minutes to humiliate the church of the path
Sean Bloodgood
Tyftc!
Loulatsch
Now the cliff till monday is evil
Goldraven
I hope it ends with an epic duel between Graham and Beyn.
CentaureHeart
Dude not even wondering why his target is unafraid to go straight to fighting?
Paul S.
Anthony was also just a kid when he reincarnated, so it's not like he had some military training or knows much battle strategy from before. But, I expect there are abilities and skills that Anthony hasn't even flexed yet after evolving and RinoZ is just looking for the right time to reveal them.
NyxWell
Respectfully disagree. I hope Anthony puts them through the reverse engineered elixir process. Show them what they put his sister through.
Brian Schwab
Wait, in the first paragraph, is it supposed to be spelled manoeuvring or maneuvering?
Hayden Leech
Does Anthony really plan a non lethal takedown of the judgment battalion supplemented by thousands of green mountain troops? He’s clearly not taking this seriously. I kind of hope he gets stomped. It would be a good life lesson and reminder that he is not an unstoppable god. Hmm.
Nathan Quitugua
Could you imagine a creature of the dungeon whose whole kit revolved around breaking the 4th wall repeatedly? A Deadpool level creature that controlled the most powerful thing in a story...the narrative...
ZaneofBane
It was stated earlier that a tier 8th Mythic hasn't been slain since the cataclysm. I think both sides are underestimating Anthony. (Including Anthony) Anthony was punching a tier above his own last evolution. The gap has probably improved.
Bobbj
I see the patterns here, this is gonna take a while, I’ll be back in a few days cause I KNOW this is gonna be at least 10 chapters
Gabus Deux
This is no longer the green mountain, this is the church of the path. He even told tiny teaching mode off
Brian Pierce
I think both sides are underestimating each other
Jomel Mirafuentes
Gogogo Judgement battalion and mercenery camp. Give anthony a good beating and dont make this war a 1 chapter panel 😂. Hope this war is epic and could go down in history.
Hayden Leech
I don’t think Anthony can do much of an altar enchanced attack. He’s pretty far from the colony. Directly under green mountain apparently.
Slapjack
I wonder what Anthony's plan was in trying to give Green Mountain a 'bloody nose'. Surely he knew they would attack on sight and see this as an invasion....right?
Slapjack
I hope so! Graham seems like a baller and The Colony could use a War Bishop. Anthony would probably hate another Beyn though.
Black Rose
Tftc
Scott Faulkner
shit this is going to end with Graham eventually turned to The True Path of The Ant and being the new #2 of it's church
invo
Gendalf is opening his pack of popcorn
Karra Hill
More please and thank you I'm dying for them to be humbled ohhhh it's gonna be so good, also your the best love this series soooooo much it's the only patreon I'm paying for lots of love ❤️ ❤️ ❤️
UNKNOWN
Why do I hear boss music?
LuffyBR
Go Judgement Battalion! I wish you all the misfortune of the world. Hope you find yourselves deeply unsatisfied and desperate before the might of an altar enhanced Singularity spell and that you all die the most horrible and pathetic death possible. A death that even Crinis would thought: "That is too much.... " as that is the only path you deserve.
Hidari Shotaro
Cant wait for next week
Ether's Blessed One
Then, Go to the deepest pit of Path you desire. Black Holes Bombs *HOOOWWWWLLLLLLL* x2
blucube 14
Thanks for the chapter! I don't think Gandalf is with them..
ChillyPepper
Everybody has a plan until they get a gravity bomb to the face
NightShade
thanks for chapter
Im in Your walls
Yay, and if they keep following this path of theirs the only path they gonna end up in is the path of a digestive track 🙏
