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Chapter 1517 - Unthinkable Occurrence
🕑 Added 2025-01-11 06:19:43 +0000 UTC“It’s remarkable what they’ve achieved here,” Rathwyn said to his colleagues. “Not just the scale of the construction, but the speed! To think this has all been done in such a small amount of time is incredible!”
He had and his fellow researchers were sitting in their joint lounge. The Colony had put them into a set of adjoining suites, giving each their own sleeping quarters but with shared living space. Considering where they were, the quality of the lodgings was well in excess of what they had expected.
“The productivity of their society is astonishing,” his colleague, Ramala stated. “I’d be fascinated to know just how their economy functioned. Though, I’m not sure if it could be described that way, since they don’t have currency.”
“Please,” Tirwon groaned, “let us not be drawn in by economics,” he nearly spat the word out, as if it left a foul taste in his mouth. “We are here to advance real academia. The wave has begun and we are perhaps the first academics to study the fifth stratum under these conditions. It’s unprecedented.”
“Don’t forget why you are really here,” a voice stated coldly from the wall. The officer of the Golden City, Nemis, stared at the mages with a hard gaze. “You are here to assess the capabilities of the Colony and determine the likely success of this venture. The Child Emperor has allowed you to come here, so make sure you achieve the goals that were set for you.”
The academics fell silent, except for Rathwyn who made a soothing gesture.
“Of course we are aware of our mission, how could we not be? The Child Emperor’s wishes are our priority, naturally! However, it was also agreed with the Tower that we would be able to conduct our own research. Please forgive our enthusiasm, but don’t think for a moment we have forgotten our purpose.”
Nemis grunted disbelievingly then returned to watching over the group. It was uncomfortable, having an agent of the crown in the room as they discussed, and it took some time for the conversation to resume its flow.
Shortly after, there came a knock at the door. Rathwyn rose to answer, and found a strange pair of ants waiting outside the door.
One radiated cold, the other immense heat. Various features about them told of just how dedicated they were to their respective elements, down the ice-rimmed antennae on the one, or the literal volcano shaped carapace rising on the back of the other.
[Greetings,] the ice-mage said, [my name is Coolant and this is my sibling, Propellant. We have come to ask if you and your fellow academics might be of some assistance. We have found something in the fifth that you may wish to take a look at.]
[Oh?] Rathwyn stated. [What might that be?]
[It’s difficult to explain,] Propellant said, [you should come and take a look for yourself.]
It wasn’t hard to convince the acamedics to come and take a look. The prospect of new knowledge was something they found almost irresistible after all. Despite Nemin’s glares and muttered complaints, the group happily bundled off through the tunnels, discussing amongst themselves and conversing with the two elemental ant mages.
After an hour, they eventually made their way to a small chamber deep in the heart of the nest. At one end, a relatively small basin had been shaped out of the wall and it contained some form of glowing liquid.
[What we want you to see is inside the basin,] Coolant urged them.
Rathwyn nodded and led the way forward. The basin was around waist height for him, and he bent down to peer into the liquid, seeing naught but some fist-sized spheres resting within. Each of them was a light blue colour, though they could just be the water, and if he wasn’t mistaken, there was some movement inside them?
[What are we looking at?] he asked.
[Krath eggs,] Propellant replied.
“Holy Jiminies of the Child Emperor!” Rathwyn cried, jumping back.
“W-what is it?” Ranala asked, hesitating to approach the basin herself.
“They said they captured Krath eggs!”
“That’s impossible!”
[To clarify,] Coolant broke in to Rathwyn’s thoughts, [these used to be Krath eggs. We found them during the expansion, but they were… changed somewhat, when we brought them within the cleansed mana. Honestly, we didn’t expect them to survive, but they have. These aren’t all we found, but they are the closest batch to… ah, it’s starting.]
[What is starting?] Rathwyn asked, mind spinning at the implications of what he’d heard.
Krath eggs? Actually Krath eggs? Cleansed somehow?! So what was growing inside them then? Then his thoughts clicked.
“They’re about to hatch!” he cried, and his companions leapt back in horror, worried a Krath was about to leap out of the basin and devour them.
[It’s quite safe,] Coolant assured them, [look closely. I hope you might be able to explain what you see.]
His companions hesitated, so Rathwyn swallowed, steeled his nerve, and walked closer to the basin, once again bending down to look more closely. There was movement, more and more, the eggs were vibrating slightly, rocking and back and forth as something inside tried to get out. His mind was filled with terrifying visions of viscous slugs leaping out of the pool and latching onto his face, but he firmed his resolve. If his hosts said it was safe, then it must be.
With a sudden pop pop pop, several of the eggs fell open at once, releasing shards and clouding the water, making it difficult to see.
Rathwyn rose, still looking down as he waited, filled with trepidation, for something to emerge. Soon, something did.
It was a snail, complete with tiny, glittering shell. Its colour was soft, an almost pinkish blue, and its tiny eyes shone like jewels on the tips of its stalks, while two long moustaches drooped down from either side of its face. The newborn snail peered up at them curiously, but remained silent.
The academics, as one, fell flat on their backsides.
“Th.. th… th…” Rathwyn wheezed.
[These are the same as the others,] Coolant observed. [We’ve built a creche of sorts for them, but we don’t know what they are.]
“That’s a Chal!” The mage uttered, filled with stunned disbelief.
Comments
Sidy Diallo
I had to respond to this. It’s crazy to think that this novel has a whole fandom in Brazil
Henrique Seraph
Oh, of course! Since we don't have the work officially translated, we translate the chapters that come out in Royal Road from fan to fan and many even make donations here on Patreon thanks to that! We love the ant here in Brazil lol
Elmithian
They literally have no memories of their past. They are young lings being raised by the ants, not ancient elders that vie for power. I reckon the ants view on the world and desire to expand is quite on the same line the old empire of Chal acted, so I think they might get along nicely.
Elmithian
Wait, there is a genuine fan club at yer side of the pond regarding our lovely (and totally not insane) Anthony?
Xavier Cruz
Thank you so much
Gopard
Thanks for the chapter!
Gopard
And in fact it was believed they "went extinct after they were the first to meet the Krath in the 5th because they were the strongest ancient Empire and first to establish themselves in the Fourth" I think its much more likely they met the original corrupting Guardians of the Ancient and BECAME the Krath!!!
Greyg
Snails have two small tentacles above their mouths for smell sensors
Isiah Debarros
Yes and no on they would have to act happy but they would be linked to the colony and have no real power
Ibuks5
No wonder it sounded familiar. Good catch!
Buck
Yeah, I imagine Goszi will flip out if Solant tells him about the Chal.
Buck
As fair3238 posted below, the Chal were previously mentioned in Chapter 1237 - Sick of the Slime. Though it seems that the chapter preface mentioning them is not actually correct given what we just learned in the current chapter. The preface says that the Chal pushed into the 5th and met the Krath and”…fell to ruin”. It is more likely that the first Chal to push into the 5th were corrupted by the mana there and were converted into Krath, who then wiped out the remaining Chal.
Shimelton
It’s….. a Den Den Mushi!
alt31415
" while two long moustaches drooped down from either side of its face." - I'm sorry, BEG PARDON?!
TheLostGolem
Thank you for that.
Gonvas
For those interested, excerpt of ch 1237 introduces the Chal.
Gonvas
The Chal are one of the Old Races of sapients.
Henrique Seraph
hoh, my theory was right. Here in Brazil, the community created many theories about what the eggs were!!
BelligerentGnu
The real mvp right here.
Melody Haren Anderson
Well well, now we need to learn what Chal are, but the fact they're recognized and now there's a direct link between then and the Krath, I suspect they just stumbled onto a whole number of thesis for the Tower.
Fabian
Maybe Theorazzn used the corrupt-method to take over the first few, like their recent strategy with trying to get ants?
Conspirant
Restoring an old race has to do a tremendous amount of work for their PR team
Sneaky Duc
Heck yeah baby snails, wait till Goszi hears about this
fair3238
It was mention in excerpt chapter 1237.
Brandon14754
Iirc it was said they were one of the first races to the 4th and tried conquering the 5th but then they were basically wiped out supposedly by the krath
Goldraven
Was that mentioned before or are you just big Brain?
Buck
The Chal were one of the Old Races on Pangera. They used to have a large empire before they were wiped out by previously unknown means, making them the only Old Race to disappear. Looks like we now know what happened to them: they were corrupted by Theorazzn and turned into Krath.
Sapphire Rose
Probably super peaceful race with positive biological effects where they spawn. Yknow, cause the fifth is an absolute hellhole of negative effects and war
Gabus Deux
Super epic, thought extinct magic snail of infinite power
Wensber
Thanks for the chapter!
Brandon14754
I thought it would be a red vessel spawn point but this is better
Roombot
Ooooooh big developments
Rick Delallata
Interesting, we going to get an excerpt next chapter?
Rahsheem Reid
Woop 🙌🏽 tftc
Patrick
Now we wait for explanation.....
