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Down the Deep Blue Hole
Volume 1 Chapter 8: Do like the French do: Make a hasty retreat

Volume 1 Chapter 8: Do like the French do: Make a hasty retreat

Dungeon Battle: During the Dungeon Battle, you can gain DP. For every enemy monster of creature that die in your domain, you will recieve half of their DP value. For every friendly creature or monster who perishes in your domain, you may only gain a tenth of their DP value. This value can vary from monster to monster, creature to creature. 

Dungeon Battle: The blockage obstructing the tunnel to connecting the two dungeons has been removed. Monsters and creatures may now pass through. 

Dungeon Battle: Mapping: In order to attain the layout of the enemy dungeon, you must first have a friendly monster or creature traverse the hostile territory. The traversed area will then be revealed. It will remain revealed even after you monster or creature perishes. 

"GUUUUUOOOOOOOOOOO!" Nope, not my stomach, it's the enemy dungeon. I would like to call their technique the floodgate techinique. Why? Because they had been waiting at the entrance, smothering it, waiting for the floodgates to be released. And flood they did. My dungeon was suddenly filled with the spine shivering clicks of insectoid legs against the cold hard stone. Nevertheless, I had forseen such a situation. What? I can't hear that. Speak lowder, I can't hear those praises they need to be lowder! I am the greatest, the master, the tactician! Such a simple yet foolish plan, I have forseen it all!

To give a quick rundown, I have split my larva into 4 different squadrons. Team Clipeum is made up of 8 of my fighter larva, the strongest 8. Their duty was to hold back the enemy at all cost except death. I will not let any of my adorable larva to perish. Next, Team Obturbo was made of 4 of the older larva, the stone throwing ones. Their job was to distract the ants so that Team Clipeum can finish them off. Then, we have our elite team. Team Equites is made of my 3 larvacks and 2 other fighter larvae. Why are the larvacks considered as my elite? Let me pose a counter question. Take a man who works everyday in the mine, a master at that. A single swing of his pickaxe, even the dullest pick, is able to crack and split hard stone. Now imagine that on a soft body. The soft body would simply crumble against the force, so logically, it should work the same here. The larvacks were to eat the main threats enemy and neutralize them, with 2 larva to gaurd them in case of emergency. Lastly, our last team. Team Sicarius, containing my single parasite larva, is currently on standby. I will send it in if need be but most of this battle he will be standing by the sidelines.

So, as the seething swarm of ants closed in onto Team Clipeum, they instictively spread out but still stayed within reach of each other. Immediately, the battle was thrown into a chaotic melee. The ants were desperately trying to bite off the skin of the larva but failed horribly in doing so. They were then picked off one by one by the larvae and faced the crunching death of their jaws. My training clearly paid off, alright. They were skilled, but not complacent. They knew that a single mistake can still cost them their lives. The ants were crawling up them, they could not kill the ants fast enough. The ants attempted to search for softer areas to attack, but were immediately removed. Then came a rain of stone. 

Team Obturbo had done their job well. I need to praise them after this. Just had when Team Clipeum was almost overwhelmed by numbers, the barrage of stones came and crushed a large number of the ants. Startled, some of them froze still, which led to their swift demise. However, I believe that this may not work as effectively the second time. It also appears that some of the ants have leaked through and heading towards Team Obturbo. Fret not, for I, the master strategist have made full preparations!

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Team Equites, do your thing! Team Clipeum, stay strong! Together, we will win this! 

...

Now a full hour has passed and I still see no end to the ant swarm. Granted, they were thinning out but my larva are getting tired. The manaleaves can only do so much, and my pebble and stone stockpile are also almost depleted. Some of the more unfortunate larva in Team Clipeum had suffered the acidic stings of the ants. But no worries, they were thinning out! Hope! The light! I see it! 

...No....No..NO! Please, not them! Why now! Please! The worst fear that I had, why must it happen. Because now, marching in neat rows in perfect unison, are the might of the ant empire. Their strongest force, an army that none can conquer. 

The soldier ants. 

They were faster, stronger and better. They had fearsome mandibles that were capable of ripping even my fighting larva into 2, an acidic sting that would melt their insides into mush and worst of all, they could not fight back. They were just as large as them, their armour tougher, their jaws stronger, their numbers overwhelming. No way.... In a desperate bid, I immediately had Team Clipeum retreat slightly, forming a \/ shape with the soldier ants coming in from the wider side. Then, I had the ends close off to for a 0, while the front lining larva struggle to defend, Team Equites would charge in and mutilate the ants so much that they were helpless. The strategy worked, kind of. A couple of times during the melee the soldier ants overextendted and were separated from their allies. Me, being the fantastic dungeon I am, would not miss out on such an easy kill. Round them off and finish them off. My interior was now strewn with ant corpses and more were still coming. A couple times when the soldier ant lines where thin Team Equites charged through, dealing massive damage and causing pandemonium. However, the enemy soon learned to be careful and the soldier ants kept close and making no openings. We were losing, gradually, but still losing. We need. To. RETREAAAT!

There is a Chinese saying from my previous life that running away is not always a bad decision(三十六计走为上计).

Do what the French do best and make a HASTY RETREAT! Pull back! Initiate Plan StoneFall. Round up! Retreat! 

The last of my larva pull back as a huge chunk of sone slammed onto the entrance, crushing whichever unfortunate ants that were still there. This would seal the entrance.... for now. It will be time for round 2 soon, and I will be readier yet. The mightiest, the greatest, the smartest dungeon did not run away! He did not! It was a tactical retreat okay? It wasn't cowardice okay? 

Ant dungeon! I do not know who you are, but the cost of humiliating me is steep. Be prepared to face the full payback! With interest! Gyahahahahahahah-*cough*cough*!

----------------Ant dungeon POV------------------------------------------------

I am angry. I am furious! My beautiful little prey, I could even sense its desperation. It was SO CLOSE! The fear, the anguish, the desperation, OOHH how delicious they were. I have never layed my toungue on a dish ever so divine, I have to savour it, relish in it, burn the rich flavour into my mind, sear it into my memory. Yet, my little prey had so cunningly slipped from my grasp. It had used interesting techniques and strategies, some of which even I had never seen before. It was weak, very weak, too weak. Yet, my numbers that I sent in, only half returned to tell the tale. Of the strange green things that they munched on and suddenly outstrip them in every sense of combat ability. Of the fear where there were creatures which could break through even the toughest soldier's amour. Of fear, the greatest of all, were the unrelenting cunning their commander had. Every weakness, every mistake, it had capitalised. None were unpunished and the price they paid for commiting such a sin was death. My monsters could only watch asthe best soldiers, the strongest elite force, simply crumble on their 6 legs, never to raise again. I am hungrier now. You have brought this upon yourself, little prey. My hunger cannot only be sated with your crystal alone now. I will not..

"My Queen. It is time. For our little prey, will have to SUFFER!"

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