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Chapter 1712 - Like Rats
🕑 Added 2025-11-05 01:00:08 +0000 UTCFrederick felt like his heart had locked solid in his chest. Every nerve in his body screamed in terror as the giant beast loomed over him. With such overwhelming power, he could feel the monster’s might within every cell.
Against something like this, there could be no victory and he’d been a fool to even entertain the possibility. This wasn’t work for delvers, they needed to get the army, or the Legion if they wanted to fight this beast!
Then he noticed the monster’s legs explode.
A shower of blood rained down over the frozen delvers, bursting out from the joints of the creature’s six legs. A moment later, the legs themselves seemed to… detach, falling to the ground, followed by the monster, who collapsed with a thunderous crash.
[Dammit!] the creature roared in their heads, but this was all the opening Frederick needed.
“RUN!” he roared.
“We should fight! It’s injured!” some idiot called back.
“Shut up and run!” Frederick roared back.
For all he knew, the legs being injured was just a trick. Was he going to risk his life to find out? No he was not. Instead, he ran.
A moment later, he stepped over Shamus and Elsi, lying on the ground facing up, seemingly having surrendered. He sneered at their cowardice. Because it spared them once, they thought it might do so again? Foolishness. After all, nobody else had come back after meeting it.
[No you don’t!]
A flash of purple light, a rushing sound, cracking stone, and then Frederick was face down on the ground. Nose broken and bleeding, he tried to turn his head so he could breathe, only to find he was buried several inches into the rock. Whatever force pressed him down, it was incredibly strong. Even if he strained hard, he couldn’t overcome it. Standing up was just a dream within a dream.
What was this?!
[You really thought my legs exploding was going to be enough to let you get away. Foolish!]
A pause.
[How long do these damn… ah! There we go.]
A few seconds later, vibrations through the floor told Frederick the monster was moving again. Hah! He knew it was a trick! You could never know what a monster was capable of. Regrowing limbs wasn’t even a surprise. He’d once seen a monster that grew vestigial bodies, puppeting them about the place from a distance.
[These things are way too small! Vestigial legs my thorax! These are vestigial stumps! Oh wait, they’re growing. Neat!]
The monster continued to force its thoughts into Frederick’s mind, regardless of how he tried to force it out. It nattered to itself, almost like a child, yet he couldn’t help but feel the sinister intent behind the chatter. Why broadcast these thoughts to them at all, unless to demonstrate its mastery? So confident of its invincibility, the monster could afford to take its time, to mock the delvers in their plight.
No matter how he strained, Frederick simply couldn’t move, so he gave up trying. He could hold his breath for an hour if he had to, but if he strained further, that time would rapidly diminish. So far, everything was following the same pattern Shamus had reported from their encounter. The strange force that crushed people into the ground, pinning the delvers in place.
What would happen next?
[Oh, hey! I remember you two! Lying face up, good idea.]
So that’s why they’d done that!
[Still can’t breathe, though, can you? Not enough strength to expand your lungs.]
Hah! Take that, Shamus, Frederick thought vengefully.
Shamus must have replied but only the monster could hear him.
[I don’t know, lift more or something. Work on your diaphragm. In the meantime, just relax. I need to go poke around.]
More vibrations as the monster began to move around, coming closer.
[Not you. Wh-why would you even think about that in this situation? Weirdo. Nope. Not you either. There has to be someone here… oh, a priest! Welcome, welcome. Not you either.]
Frederick felt the weight in his mind intensify further.
[Aha! Someone in charge. Hello there. I’ll let you up for a moment.]
Instantly, the crushing pressure was gone. Frederick flopped over and looked up to see the ant standing uncomfortably close, looking down at him, antennae waving.
Antennae? They were like trees.
Cautiously, he stood. With this view from below, he could actually see the ant’s mouth on the underside of its head. It was disgusting. A nightmare vision of himself being consumed by those twitching little clawlike things flashed through his mind.
[Right then,] the ant said. [Much like before, I’m thinking of sending one or two of you back, to really drive in the fear and terror. Build up a sense of helplessness, all that good stuff. By the time I reach Green Mountain, they should be trembling with greed and good old-fashioned terror. You know what I mean?]
[I-I do,] Frederick said, not understanding at all. This ant wanted to waltz up to Green Mountain by itself? Even as strong as it was, that would be suicide. Built as a fortress mountain to hold off monsters during the most intense of waves, it was packed full of soldiers and defensive arrays that rivalled the best the Legion could produce. [I’m sure they will be… very afraid. You should go there as soon as possible.]
[You know I’m in your head, right?]
Frederick cursed internally. He wasn’t used to guarding his thoughts anymore, not after so long away from the field.
[You know what? I probably don’t need to send anyone back at all, now that I think about it. The absence of survivors will be more than scary enough.]
Seeing the writing on the wall, Frederick ripped his blade from its sheath and ran at the monster, bladelight blazing along its edge. If he was going to die, he was going down fighting.
An instant later he was face down on the ground again, head ringing from the force of the impact.
[You’re still in the domain… Are you really a manager? Sheesh. Crinis, take this lot away, would you? This is getting embarrassing.]
Comments
eryos
This might work if it's something like, "You have to exterminate this many centipedes to get your freedom back." The real question is whether the colony would pay for the service or simply take very good care of them while they are in the colony
Gonvas
Problem came from his tendons not legs. Just to move normally, Granin told him to mutate them several times with X mutation. Now he did an empowered dash... +15 tendons can't handle that.
Nathan Patrick
I thought awhile ago that Anthony would put the Delvers to work to pay off their own releases and that thought has only grown more after Green Mountain seems reluctant to pay and the clergy out right refusing.
Mo Alawami
I'd love that type of ending to this arc where the colony end's up "winning" against green mountain almost completely because of Merchant
Anna Malkova
Can't wait for the bit where all the prisoners encounter cruel and unethical ant colony torture of finest tea and biscuits variety
1N7L68E
I wondered if Merchant has started destroying Green Mountaina financial base? Having they're main disputed goods and buyers be out bone by Colonys products? Maybe she has groups of fish people helping her, playing some kind game for the outcome?
David Harshman
Just resetting them may be part of the issue. If he didn't mutate them, that means they are still level 1 legs, even if they are of higher quality materials.
David Harshman
I don't know if that is the kind of secret that Brilliant can find...it certainly implies a distinction between experience gained by elixir vs experience gained in combat that we don't know exists.
Icharris
Sorry, what happened to his legs? Why did they explode? Just from his dash? Doesn’t seem to make sense after he just reset and rebuilt them
Clara
I think the best outcome for dealing with the church is if brilliant figured out how to reverse the potion process specifically to drain previously drunken potions out of people, nonlethally. That way they can create a legitimate financial incentive for people to kidnap church members for them (payment of half their potions is definitely tantalizing), and also defang the church of hard power
Nicholas Brautigam
I am listening to book 7 on Audiobook since it released recently. I am on chapter 55. Bloomington Potential, it says that Brilliant evolved into a Special evolution when she absorbed a rare core for her tier 5 evolution. Is that correct? Why not a rare evolution?
Scott Faulkner
and again the most dangerous being to Anthony is in fact Anthony when he doesn't think things through. Curse you past Anthony why must you be so handsome yet stupid.
alt31415
He is most definitely not 'always holding back'. We have seen him cut loose more than once.
Pyronite_OD
thousands at least. Dudes a war criminal by earth standards, but honestly people wont view him any differently no matter how many guards or legionaries or golgari or ka'armodo he kills, so who cares
Hayden Leech
Man I really hope Anthony doesn’t hold back on this church army. He’s always holding back.
Hayden Leech
I wonder what the counts up to.
Wensber
Thanks for the chapter!
Anthony Romanov
5 star Anthotel! Where they will be served with best tea and cakes! This is normal treatment of prisoners for the Colony. Or get eaten by ants if you endanger Queen or Grubs!
RinoZ
only darkness lies down this path
Anthony Romanov
Are yes fed with cakes and Tea. They will be so sad to return to their families without any gear and be in debt! 😜😜😜🤣🤣
kjrubberducky
You ended the chapter too early! Crinis needs more screen time. It should go: [Anthony] Crinis, take care of it. [Crinis] Yes, Master! [Crinis] *takes care of it* [Everyone] *has nightmares*
blucube 14
Thanks for the chapter! Took me a second to realize what happened with the legs lol. He need to mutate those guys more before he goes dashing around lol
David Harshman
I have to assume Green Mountain is designed to withstand 8th Tier monsters attacking, even during a wave. After all, even the 3rd Tier had enough 8th Tier demons to lead the entire lower layer of the stratum amok. There must be at least some 8th Tier monsters in the 4th Stratum that hibernate between waves and come out during waves to get belligerent. Maybe even a rare 9th Tier? Unless the implication is supposed to be that the Delvers are so good at striking every 7th Tier monster in the 4th stratum that they never have a chance to become 8th Tier?
McMax
Rats can't be trapped this easily your trapped more like carrots
Chimurry Al
So far, it seems Green Mountain keep forgetting Anthony Is ONE OF MILLIONS! Sure, He's the only tier 8, the Colony have their struggle on Ant's resources to send into 4th conflict (maybe We will see soon Golems or hybrids, it's been long time and so far I think it's mentioned only used by the Legion), but the Colony still could get a few thousands there + the Nameless working right now...
BLACK_STALKER_3512
They're going to wake up on the bed thinking was a nightmare and realize they're still in the nightmare 🤣
Buck
Wonder where Crinis is sending the delvers to?
Aeseof
Pff. That charge at the end... This whole chapter was a giggle fest. 😂
Bethany Bluebird
ALL HAIL THE GREAT ONE! PRAISE HIS INFINATE WISDOM AND SHININESS! HE BLESSES US ON THIS DAY WITH SUCH INTERESTING CHAPTERS! PRAISE!
BallsDeep69
I wonder what that one soldier was thinking about...
Licht
TFTC!
