Chapter 1609 – A Difficult Journey

“We need to move faster,” Chozth demanded. “At this rate, it will take a week to reach the heart and give this invader what it deserves.”

She followed her statement with a powerful strike to the side of the ooze cocoon that contained the giant ant. However, power was relative, and no Krath had ever considered their arms strong, sticklike as they were. Zluth doubted the monster within felt a thing.

“We are at the peak of a wave,” Zluth hissed at her. “Moving through the Dungeon is dangerous enough even without dragging this giant sack around with us.”

A noise grabbed his attention and he swivelled his eyes, flattening himself against the tunnel wall on reflex. After a few moments of careful examination, he resumed his normal size, confident that they were, for the time being, safe.

Discontent with his lack of respect, Chozth glared at him, but was smart enough to know she should defer to the experienced scout at times like this. Zluth had successfully traversed sections of Dungeon that no other scout would even attempt in recent months. It would be foolish to argue with him.

“Then how can we move faster? The less time we spend in the tunnels, the safer we will be.”

Objectively true, yet there wasn’t much Zluth could do to fix the situation.

“Have the ants pursued us into the tunnels?” he asked. “Mulzoz was going to watch them.”

“Nothing so far,” Chozth spat angrily. “The ants are more cowardly than we thought.”

“Or smarter. They may be willing to sacrifice this one in order to keep their invasion alive.”

They hadn’t expected this. The Krath had been confident that the ants, who had shown they would go to extraordinary lengths to prevent even one of them from being taken, would stop at nothing to retrieve their leader. That the giant monster had preferred to let itself be taken rather than allow its allies to take on risk and help said all that needed to be said.

“If they don’t come, their invasion is still over,” Chozth burbled gleefully. “Once this beast is turned, we can set it against its own kind. How will they react when their own champion returns to them, dripping with malice and hate?”

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Zluth also felt a surge of savage, hate-filled joy at the thought. The cursed ants and their invasion had gone on too long to be tolerated. It was time for them to feel the true terror of the Krath and fight against one of their own. He couldn’t wait to see what emerged from the primordial slime once the ant had been tossed in. A shambling horror, no doubt, its mind twisted and warped like all the others who had experienced Theorazzn’s touch.

“What’s going on back here?” Thulziss growled as he slid around the corner. “We have a hundred warriors holding down this section of tunnel so we can plot our way forward, not hold conversations!”