RinoZ
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Chapter 1530 - Strongest Under the Earth
🕑 Added 2025-01-29 05:46:35 +0000 UTCAuthor note: obviously the legion aren't exactly the 'good guys' in this story, they aren't even ants! Totally wrong number of legs. Even so, I've always had a soft spot for them and think they're super cool. Way back when I was first writing and thinking about Chrysalis, I was talking to a friend of mine about the idea of these mana addicted super-soldiers battling in the depths of the Dungeon.
I'm hoping to realise a bit more of that vision with the next few chapters and make the legion look as awesome as they've always been in my mind.
“Who are we?” Chyron bellowed.
“THE LEGIONEM ABYSSI!” the soldiers roared back.
“Who are we?” she demanded again, her voice effortlessly rising above the thunderous march of armoured feet on stone.
“THE SHIELD AGAINST THE DARKNESS!”
“Who are we?”
“THE SWORD OF CIVILISATION!”
“Who are we?”
“THE LEGIONEM ABYSSI!”
“What do you fear?”
“NOTHING!”
“To whom do you bow?”
“NOONE!”
“FOR HOW LONG WILL YOU FIGHT!?” the Commancer roared, her voice crashing like thunder.
“FOREVERMORE!”
“WHO ARE WE?”
“THE FIFTY SECOND LEGION!”
“THE FIFTY SECOND LEGION!”
“THE FIFTY SECOND LEGION!”
With every cry, the soldiers holding the banners lifted them proudly into the air, while the regular troops crashed their fists into their chest plates, causing the deep ring of abyssal steel to shake the walls.
The ants had opened the gate wide enough for the Legion to march through in a column ten wide, and even as she exhorted her soldiers and set their blood to pumping, she was running her experienced eye over the platform the moment she stepped through.
It wasn’t the first time she’d seen the fifth during a wave, but even so… this was something different. The intensity of the mana was absurdly high, and they hadn’t even reached the halfway mark of the wave. Above and below, the outer wall of the fortress formed a sheer barrier, rising into the darkness overhead and disappearing into the void below. The sheer emptiness of that gap between the fortress and the rest of the fifth was mind-bending to look at, but she didn’t pay it much mind.
No, what caught her eye was the platform itself.
As the Legion marched through the gate and over the bridge, their feet slamming down in perfect unison, she studied every aspect of the platform. Running through the channels beneath, an awesome amount of mana hummed, racing like a raging torrent through the conduits and into the fortress itself. All around the platform, the ants were already engaged in heavy fighting, alongside their militia.
The fighting was brutal. On the front lines, ants were deluged with acid, slime and mucus as they fought with their mandibles, ripping and tearing into the endless tide of monsters that threatened to smash through their lines at any moment. It was easy to see what the main strategy was. They wanted to use their most powerful weapon, the cleansed mana, to its greatest effect, dragging the monsters into the blue-zone and allow it to break the corrupted monsters of the fifth apart.
An obvious downside was that this allowed the enemy to get much too close. The monsters of the fifth were all too happy to be dragged forward, allowing them to discharge mucus, parasites and filth all over the platform. The support were doing their best, launching powerful barrages of acid and complex artillery spells into the oncoming horde, but it was never enough to hold back the tide.
Chyron rolled her shoulders and felt the old bones in her neck crack and pop. It had been too long since she’d had the chance to really attack the filth of the fifth. This would be a good day.
She turned her back on the chaos and watched as her soldiers marched into formation, pretty as a parade ground. Their armour and weapons gleamed, the banners of the fifty second were spotless, proudly displaying the Iron Mountain and crossed swords that had been the symbol of this Legion for over two thousand years.
Her officers formed up around her as the last of the troops came through the gate. Once they had taken their places and relieved the ants from their positions, those gates would slam shut, cutting them off from the rest of the fortress.
She couldn’t wait. Sometimes it was better when things were less complicated.
“Remember the plan,” she told her officers. “No need to make things fancy. Box formation, three deep. Mage batteries to call their own targets. Rotate on my command and keep the lines tight. Make sure the centurions are keeping a close eye on their people. It’s easy to draw too deep when the fighting is intense. If we lose anyone to overload, I’m holding you responsible.”
She glared at them, but they held her gaze and nodded, determined not to let their comrades down. She’d been worried when they’d foisted such young officers onto her, particularly Joshen and Morrelia as Tribunes, but so far they had proven to be promising steel, just as she’d been told.
Now it was time to put them in the fire and see their real qualities.
She turned her gaze back over the disciplined ranks of her Legion. It was impossible for her heart not to swell with pride at the site. The greatest honour of her life was to command men and women like these.
She raised her voice once more.
“WHO ARE YOU?” she roared.
“THE LEGIONEM ABYSSI!”
“THE ENEMY IS BEFORE YOU!”
“KILL! KILL! KILL!”
“NO MERCY FOR MONSTERS!”
“KILL! KILL! KILL!”
“WHO ARE YOU?!”
“THE STRONGEST UNDER THE EARTH!”
“SHOW ME!”
Chyron drew her blade and held it high as she turned and marched at the head of the column. Every moment, the sound of fighting drew louder, the stench of mucus and sizzling flesh stronger and stronger. Behind her, troops organised themselves with each step, shifting into formation, organising their ranks. Centurions moved swiftly amongst the troops, hunting for any flaw in their movement, but none was found.
With her left arm, the Commander hefted her shield, while in her right she gripped her demon blade tight. The Incus pattern armour sat heavily on her shoulders, but with the mana burning through her body flowing into the metal, it was a part of her, and she accepted it.
As soon as she was in range, Chyron levelled out her blade, drew in a sharp breath, then lunged into a furious, flawless stabbing motion.
She was still a hundred metres short of the conflict, her blade didn’t come anywhere near touching a monster, but it didn’t have to.
From the tip of her weapon, a beam of light surged, spearing through the darkness like judgement. The light clashed into a crab-like beast and pierced straight through it, breaking apart the shell like it wasn’t there.
“KILL!” she roared.
“KILL! KILL! KILL!” her soldiers replied.
Comments
TheShadowSlayer_
I’m not sure about other readers, but I’ve always seen the Legion as the “heroes” of this story, even if the ants are the “protagonists”. Yes, their legs are inferior, and they don’t have the childishly straightforward charm of the ants, but they’re certainly good guys. The Legion’s worldview is without fault, their mission undeniably critical, their work has saved billions of the millennia. They’re altruistic, selfless, honorable, and utterly dedicated to saving the world, unbelievably so. They hold back the darkness and protect the innocent, care for their own, and all the while understand they can’t be perfect, but need to try anyway. In every way that matters and most that don’t, they’re heroes. Given the devastation the ants are capable of, and given that the Ancients WILL eventually force the ants to enact that devastation, they are completely justified in attempting to destroy the colony. It’s the right thing to do, even if we love the ants. Of course, since Anthony has steered the colony away from genocide, and since he will shield them from the Ancients, the ants are completely justified in resisting the Legion, since the Legion is wrong is their assessment. As I see it, the Colony and the Legion are both the good guys. They just exist in a world that does not allow them to get along. Trusting in the Colony is a gamble, one the Legion CANNOT take, because civilization will fall if Anthony fails, and one the Colony MUST take, because the only way for the Colony to survive is for Anthony to succeed. Two separate factions who both have altruistic goals and justified, sympathetic perspective, and yet who must be in conflict with each other due to their situations. Such good drama and angst.
Honeyman
warhammer 40k vibes lol FOR THE ANTPEROR!
Jonathon Noha
It may not be Earth. But there sure is alot of earth above them.
KopiCAT
The Legion aint the good guys. But they aren't the bad guys either. They are antagonists. But they are still fighting their asses off, sacrificing themselves to protect all sentient non-monster life. In pretty much any other story, these people would be the organization the MC would eventually join and rise through the ranks of. The vehicle through which he would experience the world. Personally I hope we can some day see them truly fight side-by-side with the ants.
Edgar Delibo Jr.
They are the Space Marines of that universe. So for me they will always be characters that I both love and hate.
andwhyisit
Egg production for the ant queens is a conscious choice, because it consumes biomass that can otherwise go to upgrades. This means that the colony can simply decide to halt egg production and it will happen.
Roombot
It’s such a badass motto for a group of soldiers. “We’re so strong we have to go LOOKING for death because it refuses to take us”
Kenny
If they can control their population having these second generation onward "only egg laying" queens, then you are absolutely right that even though ants can become dangerous, they probably won't
alt31415
KILL KILL KILL
Gopard
Thanks for the chapter!
Brian Schwab
Except these monster ants have complete control over their egg laying (including stopping outright if they have to or want to) and intelligent minds to see economic and population growth limits and an instinctive need to do what’s best for the colony, and a population explosion to the point they have to turn on others or starve is never what’s best for the colony so they would never let that happen. There have been been future blurbs in previous chapters about how there interactions with other have always been fair and how they where never the aggressor, those they had and did engage in and brutality end wars when they where forced into them.
Michael Edwards
Psh, amateurs. Too many words. They aren’t near as cool as “WE SEEK!”
Kris Piskorski
Coooool stuff!
Tyrunex
For the Antperor!
Kenny
I actually think Legion is completely right in their thinking, like all their points are valid. Like how can they be sure that ants won't be a problem in the future given that they have primal need for biomass and as monsters can be also influenced by other stronger monsters. In addition what happens when ants become apex predators? They will baloon in their size and when there is no space to grow or when dungeon wont be able to support them, they would have no choice but to start eating other races, like they can't really stop increasing their population right? I don't know if we ever be at that position in the story, but for me i thinks ants are real dangerous for all races in the world, even if they are friendly and smart now, later they will have no choice but to conquer the world or make their queens impotent or something.
C Gillan
Solent is taking notes. For inspiration and for counter tactics no doubt.
Caleb Herring
I love the different factions we have brewing around now, the legion and the immortals have to be my favorite so far!
Henrique Seraph
Eles não são os vilões, são apenas e infelizmente... Antagonistas
ZaneofBane
You've characterized them well.
Bethany Bluebird
Oh man... BADASS. I'm always stoked for more Legion Lore <3
BelligerentGnu
Yeah, it's a shame. I'd love to see the ants and Legion fighting side by side. It'd be such a powerful combo - the Legion seems to be ridiculously powerful on an individual/unit level, far more than the ants. Meanwhile, the ants can provide perfect logistical support and inexhaustible auxiliaries. I I hope this isn't the only such fight we see.
TheLostGolem
To be perfectly fair to the Legion, Anthony is stuck with the call. Since the call is essentially a form of control by the Ancient ones, and since Anthony can't currently get rid of it, is the legion really in the wrong to be worried about the colony? I don't really see what would currently stop the Ancient that does the whole call thing from just offing Anthony by dialing the Call up to 11 and then taking control of the colony. Maybe the whole crusader thing? Either way, from my point of view, it does make a decent bit of sense for why they are so concerned about the colony.
Melody Haren Anderson
Also, I think they're afraid of asking the questions that might change their views because... hope has betrayed them before. It's realistic and both difficult and painful. If they realize they were wrong about him, how many other times were they wrong. How many demigods could have made the world better working with the other sapient peoples of the world?
Grey Knight Lord
I don’t see them as villains as all, just fools.
RinoZ
This is pretty much exactly it. They are dogmatic, because thousands of years of history has shown them that the dogma is correct.
Melody Haren Anderson
I don't see them as villains, but failing to understand the situation is abnormal in a way that utterly challenges everything they know. If they knew Anthony had prevented the Demon God from warping the minds of demons who have faith in him, that's both terrifying, but also hopeful. BUT... they've seen so often things go wrong, they can't accept this time might be different. It's safer to just kill. They are a hammer, and the world as they see it only has nails to be hammered or people who need remember to respect the danger of the nails.
Wensber
Thanks for the chapter!
Buck
TFTC!!!
William
Hmm, maybe it's just me but I've never quite had a soft spot for the legion. I would much prefer them suffering defeat or blunders. That's just me though. They seem a bit too cultish/inhumane (which I guess they really aren't anymore being mana infused).
Rick Delallata
Oh please let the next chapter be in Solant's perspective as she picks apart the Legion in her mind
Khalil Redd- Gomez
Nice, I do like the legion, very understandable where they are coming from. I just look forward to Anthony always throwing their prejudice and plans for a loop with his straight forward nature
Holly Webster
ANOTHER CHAPTER!! Thankye kindly great lord 🙏
