Chapter 176: Chapter 163

 

<We need to turn around!!> (C)

 

There's a notion of alarm in Chera's pheromones, a sense of foreboding danger.

 

<What do you mean? We can't! The path in front of us is clear, but there are enemy troops behind us. Our only open route is this big, putrid cave.> (E)

 

To be honest, this cave is massive.
It's rather empty now, but some natural light stones can be seen on the walls, and the ground is partly covered in moss.
If this develops it might become a notable land- errh, undergroundmark.
This place below the earth is truly a sight to behold.

 

<Yes, a cave. A wide, long cavity. Along with this smell, doesn't this tell you anything at all?> (C)

 

Even if it should, I seriously don't know the answer to this question.

 

<Ehk, no?> (E)

<I forget that you're so young and inexperienced. But to this degree is truly concerning. When I initially dug this tunnel to my current hive, this cavity wasn't there yet! Why do you think it is here now?> (C)

 

I already told her that I don't know all that much about underworld events to make even an educated guess.
However, Kyska next to me feels now increasingly distressed.

 

<Just tell me, please.> (E)

<There's just one cause I can imagine that would create this kind of circular hole. We are about to reach the territory of a terrorworm!> (C)

 

A terrorworm?
I think I remember having once heard that word.
However, it seems I can't quite remember what it exactly was about.

 

<It apparently wasn't there when you first went through here. But even if it is now, we have a small army here. Can't we just proceed?> (E)

 

I am so eager to see my mum again.
She must've been worried sick since I was abducted.

 

<The hole is around a hundred meters in diameter. Draw your own conclusions. But I'm not taking chances against this kind of threat. Not without a legion-sized effort at my disposal!> (C)

 

She doesn't exactly give a number,
It's just how her estimation translates in my head.

Wait!
A hundred meters diameter!?!
We're talking about a worm so its length must be...
Shit!

 

<This is ridiculous! How could such a creature exist?> (E)

 

At this size, how much food does it have to consume to maintain itself?

 

<The creature itself should be smaller. I suppose it was hunting here. A terrorworm, due to its massive size, circles its prey several times, digging more dirt away with each passing. Nevertheless, it massively outclasses us. Fortunately, we seem to be at the edge of its territory, so we might be safe for now. Yet proceeding further is out of the question. We can't risk losing our lives in such a manner. Capture would be preferable.> (C)

<Wait, are you seriously considering letting ourselves get captured?> (E)

<No, as it happens, I have a solution for this situation. We'll stick with our initial plan, but this time the tunnel will circumvent our pursuers. This way, we'll make it back to the safe confines of my hive.> (C)

<Wait, wouldn't that lure this monster straight to your hive? Will we really be fine? What if this kind of monster follows us?> (E)

 

Does it even change anything if we turn?
Even if we'd manage to fight our way through Gioras' forces back to the hive, would the drones at the hive really suffice to protect us?

 

<This is not to soothe you, but despite the danger they pose, terrorworms aren't particularly aggressive and have no way of following traces.> (K)

 

At this Chera chimes in.

 

<Their existence is marked by constant digging through the world. Terror worms exist by filtering any form of life from the dirt they're moving through. However, they possess a weak sense of life detection. If they detect a large concentration in their immediate surroundings, they'll target this area to increase their intake. If that would be the case it might just pass through us.> (C)

 

Ahem, maybe Chera has a point, and we shouldn't force our luck by heading further down this cave.
I heard that's inviting trouble to your person.
And who would want that?
However, building a tunnel long enough to get us past Gioras' forces will require quite some time, and this is hardly safe territory to do such a thing.

 

<What about the enemy forces that are supposed to be in front of us? They might attack us while we're digging.> (E)

<I assume they got eaten. They probably made the mistake of fleeing all in the same direction, which should work in our favor to hopefully lure the terrorworm far away from us. But I won't take chances, so I'll send a number of hunters down the path. They should pose a suitable distraction if it's still anywhere close and inform us in case any enemy troops remain.> (C)

 

As there's not much of a choice, especially as Chera insists on it, we turn our convoy and are starting to head the other way.
Yet before we reach even the other side of the hole we dug through the cave-in things take a dire turn.
Gioras' troops are right in front of us.

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"Did you truly believe those troops would hold us forever?" (G)

 

Damn, they were much faster than anticipated.

 

<It seems I underestimated the humans' capabilities. An unfortunate development. But not a hopeless one. Retreat! Destroy the passage!> (C)

 

At her command, our convoy moves back.
The workers try smashing the structures we erected particularly to stabilize everything, but they're solid and there's just no time.

 

"Oh, no, you don't! Charge!" (G)

 

I need to do something!

 

<I'll help!> (E)

<Erys!?> (C)

 

The enemies aren't too close yet, so I have some moments.
With a jerk, I extend my armblades and slice them right through the spots the workers seem to struggle with.
Naturally, they don't pose the slightest resistance to my acid.

 

<Fetch her!> (C)

 

Huh!?
Before I can contemplate her words, a worker grabs me and pulls me back, while I was still trying to slash the walls.
Promptly, Chera comes close.

 

<Just how young are you!? Stop putting yourself at risk! Do you want to get buried?!> (C)

 

I look at the few workers in front of me.
Some already having arrows or bolts stuck inside them.
They nonetheless relentlessly hit the walls.
The applicant gives in and at once the ceiling comes down.
It fell right onto some of the workers.

 

<While it's fine for the workers to take on this task, no matter how impressive your ability is, you're forbidden from putting yourself at such risk!> (C)

<But every second counts! I had to do something!> (E)

<You still fail to properly assess the stakes! Yes, getting captured would be terrible for the swarm. However, regarding what you told me, it seems highly unlikely that this would be permanent. On the other side, the blow to the swarm if a princess dies would be devastating! So don't go around and risk such a thing only to prevent a lesser evil!> (C)

 

For Formicea standards this thinking makes absolute sense.
If I got buried just now that would hurt the swarm much more.
That those drones lost their lives is still terrible, but I guess even they would tell me that I'm not supposed to take their place.

Sigh.
I can't win this argument.
Better just divert attention.

 

<What now? With the earth mages, I don't think that will hold them for long.> (E)

<This is no source of concern. It will suffice. We'll have the workers create our passage at this location to dig around their forces. The loose ground will be in our favor.> (C)

A passage?

 

Her reasoning makes sense.
Better to cut our losses now and fight our way back to the hive than risk getting mauled by an overgrown earth dweller.
However, it leaves a sour aftertaste to give up on returning to Valera, where I could try to help solve all the chaos my abduction caused.

 

<Are we even certain that the worm is in this direction? For all we know we might already be in the center of its territory, so we could just as well press forward.> (E)

<Erys, as unfortunate as it may appear that we can't proceed to our destination, for the time being, we'll instead opt for the next best purpose. Which is to return to the safety our hive provides.> (C)

 

I'm certainly not sure if this is the best course of action.
Depending on Gioras' forces he might even be able to attack the hive directly.

 

<And I told you before about the way we would achieve this. By stalling the enemy forces as long as we can reasonably afford we will gain time to create another tunnel past their position. Once this is achieved we will stall the enemy forces again, so we princesses can return to the safe confines of the hive.> (C)

 

This plan might work.
But it is awfully dependent on whether or not we can circumvent Gioras' troops.
If we dig the tunnel too short we might just get out within their army.
We'd dig it right to the humans.
The humans!!
That's it!

 

<I think we could do better than this. What if there's a way to accommodate both our interests?> (E)

<I see you're still unsatisfied. Know that, once this crisis is overcome, we may devise a new strategy to reach our initial goal. However, not getting caught or killed by any hostile force would be preferable for this purpose.> (C)

<That's not what I meant! No, I thought about a way where we could escape from here and evade our pursuers as well as the possible terrorworm.> (E)

<And how do you think to accomplish such a feat? We can't risk proceeding further through the territory of a terrorworm.> (C)

<What if we dig to the surface?> (E)