Chapter 1492 – Commander, Meet Goszi

The Legionary Commander and the Krath glared at each other, each wishing they could destroy the other, while Solant stood to the side, observing their interactions calmly.

[I refuse to say a word in the presence of this metal-clad usurper,] Goszi hissed into the general’s mind. [Get rid of her immediately.]

Solant clacked her mandibles, somewhat amused.

[Do you think I am here to question you? That is not the case.]

Goszi narrowed his eyes, turning his glare onto the ant as his mind buzzed with possibilities. Were the Legion the true architects of the invasion? Had they finally stepped forward to claim credit?

If so, he would rather die than talk. Goszi wanted to live, of course he did, but even he had his limits. Spill the deepest secrets of the Krath to their most hated enemies? You may as well have him talk directly to the tree!

He wouldn’t do it.

Chyron also turned her ire-filled gaze toward Solant.

[Do you really think if you treat a Krath nicely, they will reciprocate with kindness? They eat each other as a way to prune the weak. There isn’t a shred of kindness to be found in them. They are more monster than sapient.]

Even Solant couldn’t let that pass.

[Almost as if being born naturally or from the Dungeon has no bearing on character,] she chided the Commander, who didn’t take back her words. Not wanting to quarrel, Solant moved on. [No, being kind to Goszi will not elicit his sympathy or respect. By the same token, being cruel and administering pain will only cause him to withhold from us, or begin to lie. In order to persuade him to share, we have to give him something he values. Only then can we threaten to take it away.]

Chyron frowned. It was probably impossible to cause enough pain to a Krath to make them speak. They lived with acid burning within their bodies every second of every day. Pain was nothing to them, a constant companion from the moment they were born to the moment they died.

[You really think you can extort information out of this creature with tea and biscuits?]

[We will soon see.]

[Have you finally decided to reveal your true masters?] Goszi spat at Solant. [This whole invasion has been the work of the Legion all along!]

Now the general turned back to the slug, waggling her antennae.

[You believe the Abyssal Legion has created an army of monstrous ants and joined forces with the bruan’chii to wage war on the fifth?] she asked.

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She let the absurd question hang between them, raining ridiculousness down on Goszi’s head.

When he considered it, what Solant said made sense. The Legion would never do such things. The Legion wouldn’t cooperate with monsters or bruan’chii in any way, and yet, they were here! There was a Legionary Commander standing next to a monster staring daggers at him right this moment!

This had to mean something, a play by the real puppeteers, but for what? Perhaps they were trying to tip him off balance, rile up his anger by parading this hateful sack of meat in front of him. Or was it misdirection? Perhaps the Legion really was in charge, and this was just to make him think they weren’t! Still… would they really abandon the principles they had held onto for thousands of years?