Chrysalis - Chapter 509

Chapter 509: 509
Booms and thuds shake my cell as the battles continue out in the arena . With my Meditation Skill blunting outside influences my magic practice continues smoothly as Torrina batters my mind with her expert magical handling . To make things even more rude, she suggests that I order Invidia to participate in the training and somehow I'm talked into letting Invidia attack me with mental magic . After just ten minutes under their combined assault I'm ready to beg for mercy, which Torrina doesn't grant . After thirty minutes I want to collapse on the floor like a puddle, which Torrina refuses to allow . I could just order Invidia to cease his mind magic but somehow I feel like if I did that I'd lose .





[I was blinded by the sweet lure of levels! Damn you Torrina!]

The harridan in question frowns at me .

[If you still have the mental energy to whine at me then we aren't working hard enough . ]

[I HAVE FOUR BRAINS DAMMIT . IT'S NOT THAT HARD TO THINK THINGS AT YOU . ]

[Way too much energy . I'm going to increase the pressure . ]

[Noooooooo!]

Me and my big… . Brain… The presence of the Colony within the range of my Vestibule is working against me now . Even as my brains strain to their breaking point, the cursed Vestibule is refreshing them with nourishing energy from my siblings . The end result is that I last another two hours before the threads of magic twist out of my grasp and collapse into nothing .

[I'm out! No more!]

Torrina nods, seemingly satisfied with my efforts .

[You've done well this time . Much better than before . ]

[Guess I'm finally getting the hang of it! Ha! Ha… ha . ]

[Hmm,] she eyes me suspiciously before leaving the cell to get some rest .





Speaking of which, time for me to do the same . Invidia and I snack on some Biomass and I have to whop him with an antennae when he tries to take my food . He didn't even bother eating his own food first, he didn't want his own food, he wanted mine! Being an Envy Demon must be a massive pain in the backside . He's almost totally incapable of being happy with what he has . That's rough .

Following the food it's time for torpor . I'm so out of it I could practically hibernate . I'm done . Time to snooze…

HAP! I'm up!

Wasn't out for too long either . The Vestibule continues to do its work, turning me into an inexhaustible dynamo . Along with all that energy has returned the persistent whispers that drove me to separate myself from the Colony in the first place . To be honest, I'm still glad to have them back . I'll take it over the complete silence that I endured before .

Awake once more there is precious little to do in my cell until Granin turns up some time later . When he sees me up and about a look of surprise flashes over his face before he climbs down to my level .

[I hate this stupid ladder . I'll bet the other monsters have cells with stairs…] he grumbles as he moves hand by hand down the offending contraption .


[Wait, there are better cells than this one?]

[Of course there are! This is the sort of holding area we use for dangerous, uncooperative samples . Why do you think you have those three chuckleheads up there?] He jerks a thumb at the triad of Shaper guards whose presence is so constant it almost doesn't register on my mind anymore .

[Typical . There has got to be some sort of phobia to explain this prejudiced treatment . ]

[I didn't expect you'd be up this quick . Thought I'd have to wake you . ] Granin sighs as he settles himself down onto his seat .

[Oh? Something that needs attention?]





He nods .

[Managed to setup that meeting, but it'll only be with James, I'm afraid . Sarah is off limits right now . ]

[What?! Why?]

He holds his stone covered palms up toward me .

[I have no idea, officially . I haven't been told why she's been isolated, only that she has . I can make a few guesses as to why, as I'm sure you can too . ]

A cold fear blooms inside me as the first thought to strike is that she betrayed the escape plan, but it quickly fades . No, I don't think she would betray us . Much more likely that the jerks who keep jerking it up all over the place have continued their jerking ways of jerkhood .

[They're forcing her into the tournament, aren't they?] I say .

[I can't be certain, but that's what I think as well . I don't know if it's because they want you dead or if this was their intention from the beginning, but I feel almost certain that your opponent in the next round is going to be Sarah . ]

Well, that sucks .

[What do you think my odds would be if it actually turned out to be true?] I ask .

I really want to escape before that happens, but if I have to fight her I'd like to know where I stand .

[None . ] Comes the blunt reply .





[What?! Really?! What about my magic, my defence, my Gravity Bomb?!]

Granin slaps a hand to his forehead and drags it down his face .

[Look, I don't want to go into all of the details right now, but yes, none . She's way more powerful that you, with far higher levels in her Skills and her species is both rare and dynamic . She's also just much older than you and the other monsters in the tournament . If she actually enters and decides to fight, then she'll win . It's that simple . ]

Yikes . She didn't seem all that intimidating when I met her, but she wasn't exactly flexing her strength or anything . Granin's the expert on these things, I'll just have to trust that he knows what he's on about . Which means I need to get the heck out of here, as soon as possible!

[Alright then, off to see Jim!]

With my escort leading the way I once again make my way to the arena to find the worm wriggling his way through the sands .

[Hey, Jim!] I call out . [Have you heard what's going down with Sarah?]

I get a nod from the tail . At least, I think it's the tail .

[Yeah . No . Kind of? The friendly Shapers I talk to have gone quiet on her and I've not been able to get into her compound to speak with her for two days now . ]

[She has her own compound?! What the hell man . ]

[Don't look at me, I won't know you're doing it . Blind and all that . ]

[Look, I've been told that she's most likely been forced into the tournament and she'll be my next opponent . ]

[Ouch . You have nooo chance . ]

[Thanks, worm breath . Appreciate the vote of confidence . ]

The big worm slithers itself into a complicated knot, clearly agitated .

[Look, she's tough . She was strong before she got here, right? Her problem isn't in Stats or Skills, it's mental . She's a freakin' beast when she wants to be . ]

[Which is why I need to get out of here stat . How are things with the plan?]

[They've been better . I'm being watched, pretty damn closely, but I think I can finish by tomorrow . ]

[Tomorrow?! That's going to cut it mighty close . ]

[I'm doing what I can, alright?! This isn't easy work . In case you haven't noticed, we're literally surrounded by mages . ]

[Well, at least you won't have to tunnel Sarah out, not much chance of being able to bring her along now . ]

[Yeah . ] Jim deflates at the thought . [She's a good egg . She deserves better than this . I wish I could have made her listen to me . ]

[Not your fault, Jim . Look, if we can get out, there's always a chance we can come back and get her, right?]

[Right . ]

The worm and ant conspiracy is ready to be launched!