The Croca-Beast doesn't last much longer than the Lion Ogre, with the sheer number of ants swarming over the top of the hill, any individual monster is going to get chomped apart without any chance to retaliate.
I almost feel sorry for these guys, covered in much smaller monsters that bite them and spray acid on them from point blank range. The Croca-Beast had six hatchling workers pulling on just one leg, ensuring it couldn't move, before I looked away.
It's a tough Dungeon! Don't look at me like that Croca-Beast!
Clearly I don't feel too badly for the monster, since I'm already searching for my next target.
There, that Adult Centipede!
YOINK!
Aha! Another ripped deer!
YOINK!
Yet more victims are pulled to the top of the ant hill, only to be summarily devoured by the hungry swarm of hatchlings.
It doesn't take long before I start to see workers transporting the Biomass down into the nest, already industriously dispensing that food throughout the colony. At this point the gravy train is over however. As fun as it's been pulling monsters out of the battle to their immediate doom, the drain on my gravitational magic gland has been severe, I'm already down to twenty percent!
Reluctantly I shut off the infused mandibles and the mana gradually fades out of them. At least the advantage of the gravity gland shows itself inn my still fully charged core. If push comes to shove I can still activate my regular infused mandibles to give myself some added cutting power.
Somewhat at a loss for what to do next I turn about to survey the situation.
A scene of chaos meets my eyes.
All around the base of the ant hill a wild free for all is taking place. Larger monsters stand tall amidst a veritable sea of smaller beasts. Titan Crocs, Bear Tyrants, Death Rabbits are all battling against each other whilst around their feet, spark chimps, centipedes, blade tailed rats and others crash into each other like angry waves.
What a catastrophic scene! This is the last thing I wanted to happen leading into the wave! I should be talking to the Queen and trying to work out a strategy to ensure the colony can survive, we don't have time for this stupid free for all!
Glancing quickly at the workers around me I can see that their blood is up. There is Biomass to be had for the colony and by golly they are going to go and get it! I don't think I could possibly dissuade them from doing something so fundamental to their identity.
Thankfully they are at the very least cautious enough to continue launching acid into the crowd of monsters swirling around the base of the hill. With the combatants so thick on the ground it is impossible to miss! Hundreds of individual shots are launched into the sky, literally making it rain acid on the crowded creatures down below.
Holy moly!
With five hundred ants firing their acid out at once, it makes for a fairly impressive sight! Hopefully Tiny managed to avoid getting hit...
Thinking I may as well join in on the action I present my commercial zone towards the enemies and begin to pick out some of the larger targets in the fray to hit.
POW!
Take that Titan-Croc!
POW!
Actually, take a second shot Titan-Croc, I hate you guys!
POW!
Stupid bear! Feel the burn of my acidic law!
Since my evolution my acid gland has expanded its capacity once more, allowing me to fire ten shots at a time. I continue to pick out the largest and most threatening targets in the crowd to inflict my adhesive acid upon, hopefully weakening them for any battle to come.
Even as the acid burns away at dozens of monsters in the melee I'm still concerned for these workers advancing into that maelstrom of battle. Several hundred of these workers were only just hatched! If they die now they won't be able to protect the colony during the true disaster to come!
I'm so annoyed at myself! I tried so hard to avoid bringing harm down on the colony and now, because I was rushing and in a hurry I brought the very disaster I was hoping to avoid at the moment I could least afford to do it!
Dammit Anthony! You've got to fix this somehow!
At this moment I can feel the anthill shudder beneath my feet. The dirt is shifting, as if something in the ground beneath my feet were pushing upwards.
My heart sinks as I think I realise what is about to happen.
Sure enough, from the top of the ant hill emerges two long antennae, followed by a massive ant head. In a familiar scene, the peak of the ant hill collapses as the Queen drags herself out the top and onto the field of battle.
Dammit! Not this again!
What if something happens to her?!
I run up to the Queen, I'm not even sure why, perhaps to try and reason with her so she goes back down into the nest?
"Queen! What are you doing up here?! Shouldn't you go back down into the colony?!" I yell.
It's kind of strange, I actually 'shout' in the sense that I 'speak' loudly with my pheromones due to the sheer amount of noise around us, but it is completely unnecessary since we are actually communicating using smell rather than sound. I could whisper, barely releasing any scent at all and she would still be able to understand me perfectly well.
"The colony is threatened" she replies, "we must defend it".
"Do you need to be here though?!" I plead. If the Queen ends up dead because of this I'll be giving myself a right kicking.
"I will protect my children!" the Queen replies in her deep, matronly voice.
Without any delay she immediately begins to race down the anthill, charging forward with unstoppable momentum. The workers eyes are literally on fire, blazing with a feverish energy so intense it may well scorch their foes to death before any bite is applied.
I can't stop them now...
All around the ant hill the workers are rushing into battle, eagerly, joyfully even. With the Queen by their side I can see that they are implacable. I feel as though I need to keep reminding myself that these are ants, not people. A person would hesitate whereas these workers will gladly die for the colony.
The only way to protect them now is to fight!
If I destroy every monster here then there won't be any left to kill my fellow ants!
Let's do this Anthony!
Chaaaaarge!
I hurtle down the ant hill with such speed I feel I'm in constant danger of tripping with each step. I'm going so fast I pass the Queen and find myself in front of my fellow ants!
In the brawl below I can see Tiny, mighty fists swinging, hooting in Triumph as he moves from opponent to opponent, destroying his enemies with electrified punches.
As the combatants at the base of the hill grow rapidly larger in my sight I begin infusing my mandibles with mana from my core, causing them to glow brighter and brighter.
Closer! Faster!
Out of the melee I pick one target, a mighty Bear Tyrant, mottled green streaks through his fur glowing with fierce energy as the wounds and cuts in his body regenerate at a tremendous pace.
I rush closer! Closer!
Mandibles wide, here we go!
-x-X-x-
This is it. To save as many members of the colony as possible I have no choice but to fight!
Come on then Bear! Let's see how you go!
Pushing off all six legs I leap high onto the bear's back. These stupid Earth Bear Tyrants are a pain in the neck to kill with their innate toughness and regeneration, but I was able to kill one before I evolved so I'm sure as heck going to kill one now!
Mandibles fiercely glowing I crunch down on the bear's back!
Piercing Chomp!
The mana charged mandibles, powered by every ounce of strength I can summon from the musculature of my face dig deep into the bear's hide.
ROAR!
Enraged by this sudden strike the Earth Bear Tyrant twists its massive body, trying to see what creature has dared to strike at it in such a manner.
It's me, fool!
Piercing Chomp!
[Piercing Chomp has reached level 5]
Unrelenting, I draw out yet more mana into my mandibles and chomp down again, by jaws biting ever deeper into the bear's indomitable hide.
The bear is seriously angry now, not to mention in severe pain. My second piercing chomp has penetrated deeper through the bear's defence, making it more vulnerable. In response, green energy flashes through the monster's hide and I can see the wound I've caused visibly closing before my eyes, even as the bear reaches back to try and claw me from his back.
Not happening Yogi!
Focusing my will, I draw out more mana from my core, forcing it into my mandibles until they hurt.
Crushing bite!
This time I target the wound I've already created with my crushing bite. At first my mandibles thunk into the fur before slowly at first, then with increasing speed I tear through the muscle and start to crush the bone.
Ha! Take that!
My victim bellows in pain and throws its body to one side, rolling onto its back in an attempt to throw me off or crush me.
I'm too quick for that! Leaping high I launch myself from my perch, landing on the ground nearby. As soon as my foe has regained its feet I charge in again fearlessly. You won't get the time to regenerate bear! You're mine!
Surrender your Biomass to me.
My mandibles are aching from the sheer amount of mana I've forced into them but I don't stop the flow, instead it ever increases. Unseen by my opponent I run towards a back leg and fiercely bite down, crushing the muscle in my vice-like mandibles.
The bear staggers, the wound crippling its rear leg!
It turns to face me, bringing terrifying teeth and claws to bare but I'm already gone, circling around it with my greater mobility and jumping onto its back once more!
Crushing Bite!
Before the wound I'd previously caused can heal over I bite again! Tearing open the gash once more and ripping into the muscle and bone once more.
Again!
Crushing Bite!
This time my mandibles shred even deeper into the bear, dealing critical damage. The bear slumps to the ground beneath me and I bite down once again to finish it off.
[you have slain level 8 Earth Bear Tyrant]
[You have gained experience]
Having defeated the bear I slow the flow of mana from my core, I don't want to exhaust it so early in the battle and such a high amount of mana is unnecessary for most foes. Of all the creatures I've met only these damn bears have been able to display such a tough defense!
Who is next?!
The maelstrom of battle surrounds me on all sides, my compound eyes giving me a near 360 degree view of the chaos.
Isolated duels and mass battles are occurring all around the ant hill, and now the wave of ants has crashed into the fight. Hundreds of workers, biting furiously and tearing at every limb they can get to. The acid rain still falls from above, splashing over every monster, seemingly regardless of friend of foe.
The damage is starting to pile up, many monsters are looking the worse for wear just from the sheer volume of acid being projected by so many ants.
Come on Anthony! This battle has just begun!
I turn to a monster who has its back to me and charge, mandibles wide!
[You have slain level 2 Infant Garralosh]
[you have gained experience]
[You have slain level 9 Decaying Death Rabit]
[you have gained experience]
[Crushing Bite has reached level 8]
Gah! Those death rabbits still taste disgusting!
Surrounding the Death Rabbit is a horde of the smaller Blood Tooth Rabbits and having defeated their evolved defender I descend on them like thunder. Every snap of my jaws sends another rabbit to the beyond.
They pepper me with bites, extended fangs screeching against my diamond carapace.
[Exo-Skeleton defence has reached level 4]
[you have slain level 3 Blood Toothed Rabbit
[You have slain level 2...
[You have slain level 3..
[You have reached level five, one skill point awarded]
When I can see no more rabbits around me try to find another large monster to target. They are the greatest threat to the workers, the more I can take out the better!
Looming out of the battlefield I can see a Titan-Croc currently duking it out with a massive Dog-Snake. The terrible snake is absolutely massive, probably an evolved version of the smaller kind I'd seen earlier. It's snarling, wolf like head darts here and there, snapping with bone crunching force at the Titan-Croc, who tries to rip back with its own fearsome crocodile teeth.
The snakes long body coils and whips around as it moves, crushing smaller creatures under its bulk as it moves. The body must be at least twenty metres long! At its thickest the twisting body is almost as thick as I am!
Sorry snake, you've got to go!
Trying to force my way through the battle I have to snap and bite my way towards my target.
This is going to be tough, but I've got to try!
Even as I fight, dodging left and right, lashing out with my mandibles, I begin to draw out the gravitational energy inside, letting it flow from the gravitational energy gland and then compressing it into a tight ball of death.
The Gravity Bomb!
To try and handle this violently fluctuating energy in the midst of a battle is going to be tough but hopefully it doesn't spin out of control and kill me!
I almost can't take a step without running into another monster, each and every one of them is red eyed and ready to battle to the death, the fervour of the fight has seemingly infected them with unstoppable bloodlust.
Moving inexorably forward I get battered and bitten, slashed and belted from all sides. I can't react or respond to every strike, the majority of my focus being dedicated to handling the growing Gravity Bomb in my throat, gaining energy and density with each passing second!
Snapping left and right I bisect a centipede and shear straight through the leg of a Wolf-Dragon before continuing forward. I can't afford to stop for a second, as the Gravity Bomb grows larger, more and more of my attention is required to contain it!
The mass of energy in my throat is starting to rotate faster as it greedily sucks in all the gravitational mana I can provide. Holding nothing back I draw out every drop I have and send it circling into the Gravity Bomb.
Suddenly it undergoes that qualitative change I observed last time, changing from an ultra-dense fog into a seamless sphere, so dark as to be almost black.
Just in time! I can't hold on any longer!
I've reached within twenty metres of my chosen targets. The fearsome Snake has wrapped itself around the Titan Croc, constricting its arms and savagely biting its constrained prey.
Perfect for me!
Feel the wrath of Anthony!
Opening my mouth wide I finally release my grip on the Gravity Bomb and it blasts out of my mouth, filling the air immediately with the piercing wail I hear last time. Even through the din of monstrous battle the Gravity Bomb cuts with ease, the horrific, high pitched shriek assaulting every monsters senses.
The Dog Snake immediately sees the source of the noise and tries to disengage itself but the Titan Croc, ignorant of the danger, seizing on its opponents sudden attempt at retreat to latch hold with its claws and bite at its foe, locking them both in the path of the bomb!
-x-X-x-
The Gravity Bomb howls through the air like an angry demon. The air itself being sucked into it, causing a rushing wind as it blasts through the air.
Trapped in the grip of the Titan Croc, the unfortunate snake frantically twists its body in an attempt to escape the impending threat, but to no avail.
As it impacts against the entwined beasts the Gravity Bomb flickers for an instant, before expanding in a blink. The high pitched shriek emitted by the ball turns immediately into a thundering roar. The two hapless monsters are gradually pulled inside the ball, consumed by it, as other nearby monsters are also caught in its inexorable pull.
Like the maw of an insatiable demon, the black sphere drags its victims in before they complete disappear, crushed within the void.
[You have defeated level 9 Canem Pythonem]
[You have defeated level 11 Growing Maw Garralosh]
[You have gained experience]
[You have reached level 6]
The horrific sight persists for only a few seconds but the impact it has on the battlefield is immense. Nearby monsters, suddenly freed from the gravity that had seized them slump to the ground, their desperate efforts to resist no longer required.
Several of these monsters, stunningly, turn and flee into the forest! Perhaps they were so intimidated or startled by their near death experience the bloodlust was knocked out of them, causing them to flee?
Whatever the reason, the panic proves to be contagious as more monsters begin to flee the field, their fear spreading to others who, intimidated out of their frenzy, turn and retreat into the shelter of the forest.
Yeah you better run!
...
Because my core and gravitational energy are completely exhausted. I'm so damn tired!
Even with so many adversaries quitting the field, the battle still rages on, turning around I can see the workforce continues to be locked it combat with other smaller creatures, here and there a larger monster is being swarmed, covered in over a dozen workers at once and pulled to the ground.
The Queen stands tall above the fray, her antennae flaring brightly with healing mana every now and again as she targets smaller groups of workers for her ministrations. To my relief she hasn't pushed herself to the very frontline, risking becoming separated from the workers, but instead has remained close to enough to help where she is needed, lunging forward to chomp at troublesome enemies before she retreats back slightly to heal the wounded and look for trouble spots.
Whilst she probably could rampage through the monsters here, I'd glad she hasn't. If she were to die then the colony would have no future.
Despite being so drained, so long as the workforce is engaged in battle I will be also. A dedicated ant worker has no time for slacking!
Staggering forward I mechanically enter the battle, chomping left and right at every monster who comes in front of my path.
The more Crushing Bites I dole out the more drained my stamina becomes, my physical exhaustion rising to match that of my mind. I continue to be battered on all sides in the fight, smaller monsters rushing in biting and slashing at me as I doggedly push through their ranks like a car slowly pushing its way through a crowd.
Eventually I'm forced to activate my regeneration gland, largely because one of my legs becomes complete crippled. My diamond carapace is able to deflect most of the harm but enough 1hp hits will eventually mount up into serious damage.
Thankfully the limb regeneration proves up to the task and my leg is mostly reformed within a minute.
My mind grows increasingly dull as the battle rages on, my actions become almost completely mechanical. Step forward, bite, bite, bite, look around for more enemies and then continue the process. I can barely even acknowledge the voice of Gandalf in my head as the battle continues.
[You have slain...]
[Crushing Bite has reached level 9]
[Exo-Skeleton Defence has reached level 5, upgrade available]
Finally there comes a time where I chomp on a monster and then look around, only to find worker ants picking over the Biomass.
All around me a carpet of remains covers the ground, the anthill rising out of the carnage, a tall spire emerging from refuse.
As my tunnel vision slowly expands and I take in the sights, hundreds of workers are still alive, seemingly unwearied, dragging away Biomass, lifting it in their mandibles before making the journey up the hill. Here and there I can see a large body being picked over by ten or more workers, industriously carving up the Biomass.
The field has been surrendered to the ants. The sheer number of us, combined with my own intervention was enough to chase away all but the most suicidal of monsters, leaving the colony as the ultimate victor.
Tiny staggers over to me.
The poor ape is covered in wounds, a broad smile plastered on his bat face.
You dumb ape... I'm glad you're still alive.
Having seen me and made sure that I'm ok my ape friend turns and begins to chow down on Biomass, wolfing it into his face with wild abandon. It's a good thing, the food will help close over those wounds faster. The big guy must have gained a ton of levels in this fight also, I have to make sure his core is ready to evolve.
No rest for the weary!
Shaking myself and using my own antennae to slap my face, I try to wake up my exhausted mind, much like a human slapping themselves on the cheeks. There is extremely important work to do!
I didn't intend to cause this enormous battle on the doorstep of the colony but since it has happened I will not waste the opportunity provided to help the colony survive!
The Biomass can go to the workers and Queen, I don't need much, but the cores I have to have. Tiny needs to evolve and I have to raise the Core Mechanic skill as quickly as possible. Judging by the ridiculous power demonstrated by the Sophos Formo and his rock worm of death, it is possible to modify and raise monsters to be superlatively powerful. If I can get my skill high enough, maybe I can engineer Tiny or the Queen, and improve our chances of living!
I briefly activate my Mana Sensing and cast my awareness about, seeking those little concentrated balls of mana that are cores.
I'm quite pleased by what I see! Plenty of cores around!
In fact, there is a very large one walking right up to me!
Oh, wait.
"Hello, your, uh, majesty!" I stutter, dropping my Mana Sensing and greeting my new Mother as she looms over me.
...
Thwack!
My heads is knocked down as the Queen whacks me across the head with one of her antennae.
Ouch. I deserve that.
"You must learn to be more cautious child" the Queen warns me gently, "you must not endanger your family".
I squirm internally at her words. Family as a concept is ... a little difficult for me to understand. I mean, my family certainly fed me and clothed me most of the time but ... even this experience of being disciplined by my mother is a bit new.
It feels ... nice. I suppose?
"I'm sorry your majes.... Mother. I uh, learned about a great danger and was trying to return and warn the colony".
"Danger? What danger do you speak of?"
"Actually, it's going to happen very soon! I've been told that in one or two days there will be a 'wave' of monsters. Our enemies will appear at incredible rates, coming straight out of the walls! They could appear right inside the colony, right inside the brood chambers!"
As I'm speaking I realise just how crazy this sounds, how crazy this is! I'm talking to a giant ant Queen, who is probably only a few months old. I probably know more about the Dungeon than she does at this point, and what I know came from a single conversation! How is this even going to work?
"Do you believe the colony is threatened?" the Queen's calm, soothing voice breaks into my swirling, tired thoughts.
"I do" I say.
"What should we do, my child?" she asks.
That simple? You believe me just like that?! You'll listen to what I say so quickly?!
Almost as if she can sense the direction of my mind the Queen answers my inner doubts.
"We are family".
...
Ok then.
I guess we are.
-x-X-x-
So... I mean.. It's a little odd...
I was a human before after all. I may not have lived what people would call a ... normal life ... but hey, I went to school, a bit, I saw people, I ate human food.
Now I have a giant ant Queen staring down at me and insisting that she and my many siblings are my family now.
...
For some reason I'm surprisingly ok with that.
I had a pet ant colony as a human, I kept them contained and fed them, watched the colony grow and cleaned out their spaces for them. In some ways they were the most constant members of my household, I certainly saw them every day, which wasn't really true of anyone else.
Perhaps that is why I don't really mind being an ant.
If I'm going to be a member of this family then I have to do my best to save them!
I start thinking out loud.
"Ok then, Queen, I don't think we are uh, strong enough to survive the wave. If our nest is invaded from the outside as well as the inside, we could be completely wiped out!"
The Queen looks concerned and taps me with her antennae, urging me to continue.
"I think we need to move the colony! We have to get somewhere ... else. Somewhere safer".
"Do you know where we should go child?"
Err.... No?
We live in the Dungeon, and from what I'm told the entire place is going to become a death zone for up to a week!
I don't even know that the surface will be safe from the impending danger!
...
But ... it may be safer than the Dungeon?
If endless numbers of monsters will be fighting and going crazy through these tunnels, going to the surface might actually be better. Of course that doesn't mean running headlong into the humans, that would be suicide, but with my Tunnel Map I can clearly see where the entrance I first encountered the humans is. If we can find a way to the surface far enough away from a human settlement, we might be able to remain undetected and ride out this disaster!
...
Am I crazy? If I get the colony to relocate to the surface there's definitely a chance that we all get killed by those powerful human soldiers, burnt to death, cut to pieces and slaughtered without mercy.
If we stay down here, will the outcome be any different?
I think we have to take a chance.
The Queen has waited patiently as my thoughts run circles inside my head. My resolution firms as I see her commitment to waiting on my directions.
"We have to dig a new tunnel to the surface!" I declare.
The Queen slowly digests this bombshell, taking time to think them over.
Then she responds.
"What is the 'surface'?" she asks.
...
Of course, how could she possibly know about it?
"We will dig a new tunnel upwards, that bypasses the existing Dungeon passages and if we can dig far enough upwards, we'll be safe!" I say.
Hopefully that is simple enough that she can understand what I'm saying!
The Queen pauses for another moment, her monster intelligence mulling over this suggestion. I wait nervously for her to puzzle out exactly what this means to her.
To my surprise she calmly nods.
"We will do as you suggest child. Where should the family dig?"
Phew! At least the first hurdle has been cleared! If the Queen has agreed to my plan then I might have a chance of getting the workers to cooperate. I'm not exactly sure how the pecking order works in a monstrous ant colony. In a normal ant colony on earth, the Queen doesn't actually 'rule' over the rest of the ants, in fact, she is basically dragged around by the workers, almost an egg laying slave.
Instead, the workers run the colony on a kind of democracy system. For example, if one worker finds a good place to move the nest, they'll lay down a trail and start moving the brood. If other ants find the trail, they will go and check it out and if they agree with the first ants opinion, they will join in, eventually when enough workers have agreed on a course of action, it will happen. It isn't always so smooth of course, sometimes the workers don't agree with each other and you'll have two competing sets of workers each moving the eggs and larvae to two different places!
In this world though, the Queen is intelligent, not a mindless egg laying slave, and she is far from a helpless creature at the mercy of the workers. If anything, she is probably closer to what most humans think an ant Queen is like on earth, in charge, making decisions and actively helping to direct the future of her family.
I'm not sure exactly what she can do to direct the workforce, it's clear that they can understand my pheromone language to some extent, perhaps she can just talk to them.
I shake these thoughts out of my head and address the Queen once more.
"Let's sweep clean this battlefield first, the Biomass is too valuable to the colony for us to abandon it. Once that is done I'll start digging the tunnel, if you can help get the rest of the ... family ... digging, then we can make faster progress. Hopefully we can dig our way clear of the threat in the next two days".
Even in the time since I spoke to Formo, I've already noticed the brightness of the forest has diminished. The mana is continuing to recede, just as the Sophos had predicted. The forest is going to grow even dimmer, perhaps even fading to black, before the wave.
Satisfied with our discussion the Queen gives a few more friendly taps on the head with her antennae before retreating back to the security of the nest, leaving the workers to do what they do best and complete the work required to secure the Biomass the colony demands.
As the Queen ambles away, the workers are doing just that, continued to comb over the battlefield and collect the spoils of war. As more times goes by the number of ants showing visible signs of mutation is increasing, here and there a worker with longer antennae, or stronger looking legs, or larger mandibles can be seen.
This is excellent news! If the workforce becomes stronger then we will have a greater chance to survive.
I proudly watch the workers rushing about, this is my family now and every one of these ants is my sibling. I didn't have any brothers or sisters that I knew of in my last life, going from that to having hundreds is a bit of a shift.
Enough sentiment! I have important work to do!
Flipping my mana sensing back on I glance around and try to identify the location of as many cores as I can. I have to secure all of them! Every one!
Rushing around I immediately commence the messy task of extracting cores from monster remains. I desperately need to rest but the looming danger of the wave requires that I push myself beyond my limits.
When I'm finally done, the haul is definitely worth it.
In these dangerous times, with battle being constant in the forest, many monsters are fighting and levelling up at a rapid pace, so the number of cores to be found in the surviving monsters is higher than what I had experienced before.
When we are talking about a large scale battle in which hundreds of monsters died, we are talking about a good haul of cores!
Over twenty in all!
Not to mention the special prize! I wandered over to what was left of the larger monsters who had been caught in my Gravity Bomb.
A small, ultra-dense ball of Biomass was sitting on the ground, looking more like a model planet than anything else.
I tried to lift it and after nearly breaking my neck I had to give up.
This thing is stupidly dense! It's probably only the size of a tennis ball.
Determined, I try to nibble at it. When I find no success with nibbling I try full on chomping. It's like smashing my teeth on a gobstopper. After a little persistence I am rewarded!
[You have consumed a new source of Biomass: Canem Pythonem, you are awarded one Biomass]
[Basic profile of the Canem Pythonem unlocked]
[Canem Pythonem: Dog Python, Evolved from the smaller Dog Snake, the sheer brute strength of this monster should not be underestimated. Capable of constricting its prey to death in a matter of seconds, the speed of this creature, combined with its powerful canine senses, make it a deadly hunter]
This Biomass is so condensed I managed to get a whole point from that little mouthful!
As intriguing as this is, the real prize is lying in the foliage nearby.
That, is a fairly impressive looking core!
-x-X-x-
Gathering the large python core, I'm sure it was from the python, judging by the tail section I found it next to, I bring it to the rest of my hoard which I transport into the colony, burying them with my Death Rabbit core that I had saved in the first trap network.
This is the most precious harvest of this battle. I have great plans for this resources! I have to work quickly though.
Before I can begin that work I make one final trip back to the field, to gather some Biomass for myself and to collect my now fairly spherical ape. Are you made of rubber you stupid gorilla!? How do you fit so much damn food in your stomach?
Tiny appears happy to simply lie on his back, rolling about gently in contentment, his distended belly proudly displayed to the forest canopy.
Really classy Tiny, you really are living your best life.
By this time the industrious workers have done a fairly good job of picking clean the field, but I'm not too worried. I head back to the condensed gobstopper of Biomass forged by my Gravity Bomb.
Standing over it I have to say it doesn't look that impressive, a small ball that doesn't really look like meat or food of any kind. The ball is a kind of orange colour, streaked through with different layers and the occasional splash of other colours. Looking closely, it reminds me a little of the planet Jupiter from images I'd seen in textbooks.
Tentatively I try again to lift it, no success. Most of the Biomass of two giant monsters is packed into this little ball! There must be easily over a ton of material in there, it isn't surprising I can't lift it.
I'll have to eat as much as I can here and now then!
Once again I crouch down and start gnawing the hell out of the thing.
OM NOM NOM NOM NOM.
Yield to me you damn sphere!
OM NOM NOM NOM NOM.
[You have gained one Biomass]
...
This is going to take a while.
I feel like a dog gnawing on a bone...
NOM NOM
...
After a solid twenty minutes of chewing I've managed to gain six more Biomass. The rate at which I was able to extract the food was slowly starting to increase towards the end, apparently chipping away at it was loosening up the Biomass a little. If I had more time I'd be able to get a whole lot more Biomass out of it but I can't afford to hand around.
I just have too much to do!
The food does a lot to reenergise me, helping to close over my smaller wounds and refreshing my mind somewhat. I still need a sleep desperately but it will have to wait a bit longer.
Having eaten I quickly hustle back into the nest and make my way down to the Queens chamber, ants are desperately running about, passing food around, feeding the larvae and presenting Biomass to the Queen.
The only problem is she shows no interest in eating.
I can subtly see that the workers are distressed by this. A small pile of Biomass is growing in the Queens chamber and the workers are wandering back and forth with no real idea on how to proceed if the Queen won't start eating.
When I bustle into the chamber the Queen perks up and pushes through the crowd of workers towards me.
"Are we ready to dig?" she asks, the concern thrumming in her 'voice'.
"Good to go!" I try to reassure her.
I move over towards the slowly dimming walls of the chamber and start to feel out the dirt with my antennae. I'm relying on my Excavation skill to guide my instincts and detect the best place to start digging.
In my Tunnel Map I can see that the entrance where I encountered the humans is roughly two kilometres to the... let's say west. That isn't far enough away to be certain we are clear of human settlement.
I don't know if the entrance I found is in the middle of a thriving city or a cow paddock but since I know that there are humans there we need to surface a good distance away. That means we need to dig not just up, but further away from that entrance.
Eventually I find a patch of wall that feels the most promising to my tingling instincts and start digging. I want to pitch the tunnel upwards about twenty degrees, by the time we reach the surface we should be a long distance away from the entrance I was attacked at.
If we run into an already established tunnel then we'll have to back up, close off a section of tunnel and dig around it, we cannot risk exposing our escape route to the wave.
Even as I dig the glowing blue veins that have penetrated all the way here, to the heart of the colony glow brightly directly in my face. Towards these curling lines of light, to which I once felt such fascination I now only feel dread.
As I begin to remove the dirt the lines fade and vanish on the soil that is no longer connected to the wall, as if it were part of a circuit that had been disconnected. When the mana fades away, the dirt looks perfectly ordinary, as if there had been nothing different about it before.
"We should dig our tunnel here, your majesty!" I turn and say to the Queen.
I use my antennae to indicate the angle we should dig.
"If we dig in this direction we might be able to escape the worst of the wave. Get the workers to dump the dirt in the tunnel leading down from this chamber, if we can block monsters rising from deeper down that would be an added bonus!"
Having said my piece I take the clod of dirt in my mandibles and retreat to the lower tunnel in which we had battled the berserkers. If more monsters like them, or worse, were to attack during the wave we would be in serious trouble.
Even this long, spiralling tunnel has become filled with the mana veins. When the wave breaks, if Formo was correct then this entire tunnel would start to spawn monsters....
If we hadn't been forewarned we would surely be wiped out! If I get a chance I have to make sure I pay the Sophos back for their help...
Returning to the Queen's chamber I'm shocked to see the Queen herself digging away at the wall.
A nervous swarm of workers is bustling around her, even climbing over her in their attempt to render assistance.
I can also hear her gently encouraging the workforce with her soothing voice.
"Come little ones, let's dig a new tunnel here. Dig quickly children".
Although they cannot reply to her the fervour of the workers to respond to her words clearly demonstrates their understanding. The workers are practically vibrating with eagerness and it isn't long before a long chain of ants has been established, feverishly digging away at the wall with the Queens assistance whilst others cart away the dirt and dump it in the tunnel below.
Watching the furious pace the ants are working at my heart eases a little in my chest. Perhaps we might be able to make it after all. They may not be the sharpest tools in the shed but when it comes to work ethic I can't imagine anyone being able to beat a colony of ants.
I have to work just as hard!
I'm so exhausted, my mind feels wrapped in a fog. I can't slow down, there is too much to do and only a little time in which to do it!
I'll leave the digging to the colony for the time being, there are other things I can do to prepare for the upcoming struggle that the others can't.
Emerging back into the first trap network I find Tiny has settled himself down to sleep off his meal happily. This ape has gotten seriously larger lately, it won't be long before he reaches his full size at the pace he is going. Considering the amount of Biomass he packed into himself I today I wouldn't be surprised if he wakes up another foot taller!
Snoring softly, the little bat face seems to peaceful when asleep. It's a little difficult to associate this restful scene with the hooting battle crazed gorilla I'd seen not long ago.
Ah let him sleep. I'll be troubling him quite soon, better he gets rest whilst he can.
Digging away a patch of soft earth I reveal my treasures, the cores I'd saved.
Looking down at the glittering, gem-like spheres my heart slowly begins to burn with anticipation.
If the Sophos can engineer such powerful pets then why can't I?
And if I can, then what could possibly stop us?
-x-X-x-
My glittering prizes are spread across the tunnel floor, a collection of precious gems ready for my mental ministrations.
Pushing away the fatigue I feel, I shake myself a little, slap my antennae on my face and begin to work.
My antennae stretch forward and touch the first core as I activate my Core Mechanic skill. My mind is immediately flooded with information regarding the creature from which this core came. All of their basic stats and skills are laid out before me in a dazzling mental map. Rather than a solid menu the values and ideas are communicated in pictures or colours.
It's pretty disorienting but I feel I'm gradually starting to get the hang of it.
I prepare myself mentally for a moment and then push with my mind, catching hold of one of the stats and shifting some of its value to another stat. Doing so requires an immense effort, my mandibles are tightly clenched as I feel a pounding headache coming on.
With that done I then wrap my thoughts around the change I made like concrete, holding the values down as it tries to slip away and change back, squirming like an eel in my mental hands.
Stay put dammit!
Eventually the change that I'd made settles and grows still, no longer fighting against me and I can slowly release my grip. My mind feels stiff and in pain, like hands that had been holding something down too tightly for too long.
That was just one small change!
It's insane how difficult this is!
I can only comfort myself with the idea that as I level up the Core Mechanic skill the burden might lessen, allowing me to progress more rapidly.
By the gnarled staff of Gandalf I'm so tired...
Bah! A worker knows no such weariness! Push through Anthony!
I slump forward and bring my antennae to the same core once again, throwing my mind into the strange swirl of information contained inside. Gathering my will I try again to exact the same change I made before, shifting a piece of toughness into might. This time it's even more difficult! The core resists my efforts to change it with even more vigour, stretching my mental resources to their limits!
This would simply be impossible if I weren't a mind ant!
I refuse to fail!
You will be conquered by me you stupid inanimate gemstone!
HHRRRNNNNGGG!!
By supreme effort of will I enforce the change I desire on the core and hold it in place as it writhes against my mental barriers. Eventually, finally, it stops resisting and I collapse to the floor in exhaustion.
[Core Mechanic has reached level 2]
...
Ah.... Ah ha!
t.....triumph!....
Ugh...
Slowly I pick myself up from the floor and collect the core in my mandibles before placing it to one side, next to Tiny.
I select another small sample from my collection of spherical gemstones and place it on the floor before me where it sparkles innocently, totally belying the pain and suffering this innocuous thing will soon inflict on me.
No whining Anthony! The colony needs your skills! Suffer like you love it dammit!
Stretching forward once more I activate the Core Mechanic skill and bring the strength of my will to bare.
...
AGRUPANUFFF!!!!
[Core Mechanic has reached level 4]
.....
.....
VICToryyyyy.....
*Snore*
BAH! I'm awake!
I snap out of torpor with a vigorous shake of my body, startled by my unexpected snooze. I managed to get through six more cores, making two adjustments to each before my Core Mechanic reached level four and I effectively passed out from exhaustion.
... That could have been dangerous! How long was out of it?
Glancing around the tunnel I can see that Tiny is still sleeping soundly, a small pile of seven cores placed in the dirt next to him. Relieved to see my ape is still sleeping I turn to the tunnel walls and attempt to judge how much time I've missed based on the change in brightness from the mana veins that have even managed to push their way into this tunnel network.
The light radiating from those veins is probably half what it was before. Does that mean we are halfway to the start of the wave? Will the mana rush back immediately once the walls are completely dim or will there be some time spend in darkness before the wave breaks?
I'm frustrated, I just don't know enough! If I had just ten more minutes with Formo I could have learned so much more!
No time to cry about spilt Biomass!
Even if I hadn't wanted to rest my mind is feeling much refreshed! I still have a heap of unmodified cores here I need to push through to level 5 and advance the skill!
Determinedly I grasp another core in my mandibles and bring it to a clear patch of tunnel floor before activating the skill and continuing my work.
1st core done!
2nd core done!
3rd core done!
.... Hoo boy! Need a breather.....
4th Core done!
[Core Mechanic has reached level 5, upgrade available]
Thank Gandalf! Holy moly that is tiring! The improving skill level has surely helped but the task of modifying the cores is still intensely draining. It's like trying to hold a cube of water in shape with your hands.
Eagerly I jump into the menu to check out the new skill.
[Core Mechanic -> Core Engineer. This skill allows the user to exercise finer control when making adjustments and reveals a deeper layer of information with the core to be manipulated. Cores may also be fused].
Buuuuuyyyyy iiiiiitttt!
Gweheheheh!
This is the first step on the long road that the Sophos have walked, manipulating monster cores to create invincible monsters!
Eagerly I grasp another core and activate the Core Engineer skill.
Once again that dizzying rush of information invades my mind, but the knowledge is even more dense this time. Beneath the surface details there is now a deeper layer. As soon as I identify it I let my mind sink down to it, ready to flex my new skills.
Even more details are now accessible here, behaviour, evolution paths and advancement choices, all can be adjusted!
The Core Engineer skill not only allows the user to adjust the stats and skills of a monster but also its evolutionary path!
This must be the secret to how Formo and his kind are able to custom design such fearsome beasts to meet their needs! They can take a base monster and then customise it for the present, as well as shape its evolution well into the future! This helps explain how it takes so long for them to grow their monsters. The Sophos probably begin with a low level monster, possibly one that hasn't evolved in the first place, then begin to shape and direct it over multiple evolutions. They probably have directions and paths that they have worked out over hundreds of years of trial and error, like recipes, allowing them to produce exactly the monster to suit their needs.
Fearsome....
I'm still a long way from that level!
The other side of this skill is just as important. Core fusion? Allowing me to combine cores...
In order to test my thoughts and exercise the hidden instincts the skill has implanted in my mind I take two small cores that I have yet to tamper with and place on antennae on each before activating the skill.
Immediately the dazzling information of two cores is slammed into my mind at the same time, nearly stunning me insensible with the sheer volume of data. Pushing the mental strain to one side I follow the half realised pathways that were forged in my brain as I learnt the skill and begin to draw the two cores together.
They resist each other. Furiously.
Like magnets of opposite poles the two cores fiercely resist my efforts, pushing at each other, trying to shove each other away. In the implacable grip of my will they have no choice however.
In times like this I'm thankful that ants don't sweat because I would dripping buckets! Through sheer force of mental effort I push the energy contained in each core together and hold it there against the powerful resistive forces.
And hold it.
And hold it!
Gradually the two cores begin to fuse. Slowly at first and then with increasing speed the physical gems grow softer and begin to emit a blinding light as they gradually melt together.
Eventually it is done! The two small cores no longer exist and in their place is a slightly larger one! Tiredly I activate the Core Engineer skill on the new core and shudder at the tangled mess of data I find with their now.
Yuck!
[Core Engineer has reached level 2]
Phew!
It appears that my fusion lacked a bit of elegance and control. The result of combining the two monster cores is not a functional new monster species but a tangled mess of data that contains more energy than either of the two cores held separately but is a horrible mess of a monster!
If I were to actually reconstitute this core then the monster created may not even be able to functionally live and immediately pass away!
Not a pleasant fate....
-x-X-x-
With my Core Mechanics skill successfully advanced and my first test of core fusion complete it is time to move onto the next phase of my preparations!
I have already collected a small pile of cores that I have modified twice next to where my ape friend lies snoring soundly.
Formo indicated to me that there are a number of skills that relate to 'pets', which is the term the Sophos, and perhaps others in this world, use to refer to monsters that have been reconstituted from cores.
I honestly can't remember finding any such skills when I was last browsing the list, but then, I wasn't looking for them. With some skill points up my sleeve I want to take another look and see if I can find something that will help me harness the strength of Tiny to battle the upcoming wave.
Opening the skill menu with a few practiced thoughts I begin flipping through it, looking for anything that touches on the word 'pet'.
Naturally, armed with this new information I manage to find a ton of skills related to pets.
...
Running through the list I can see skills that make it easier to handle a larger number of pets, skills to help raise the pets more quickly... that must be referring the time and Biomass required to grow the monster back to full size, skills that allow you to monitor the pets stats, even a skill to accelerate the levelling speed of your pets.
So many!
No wonder the Sophos were able to utilise their engineering skills to survive so long living in this place with their weak physiques. By engineering such fearsome monsters and then controlling them with all of these skills, they would be a fearsome opponent indeed.
Most of these skills don't seem that appealing to me however. I don't really want a massive army of pets, it seems fairly redundant since I'm already surrounded by hundreds of monsters. Rather than that, a small number of strong pets seems more desirable. Allies that can protect me and the colony until it can better protect itself.
I didn't really mean to take any steps down this 'pet' path, reconstituting Tiny was an accident to begin with, but since I've had him I've found myself growing fond of the big lug. I had to raise him after all, from a little chimp back into the mighty gorilla he has now become.
Since I've got him I'm going to make sure that he becomes the best ape he can be!
Instead, the skill that catches my eye is this one:
[Pet communication: establishes a mental link between pet and master, increasing levels in the skill will improve the clarity of the link and the distance at which it can be utilised].
If I can speak more effectively with Tiny then he will become a lot more helpful, able to receive a few instructions rather than just running off and fighting everything he can see!
Learn this skill!
When I approve the skill point expenditure with Gandalf the now familiar trickling feeling shivers through my mind.
Whilst I'm at it I also check out the advanced version of Exo-Skeleton defence, since that skill has reached level 5 and can now be upgraded.
[Exo-Skeleton Defence - Advanced Exo-Skeleton Defence: Improves the ability to utilise the nature of an external skeleton to fend off physical damage].
I'll take that as well!
With a few skill points spend its time to commit to the next phase.
[Wake up Tiny!]
I try to use our newly established mental link to communicate with my sleeping ape friend.
A small presence in my mind pushes back like a petulant child. I don't think he wants to wake up....
[Wake up you ape! We have some stuff to do!]
Once again that presence in my head seems to roll over and wave me away, the mental equivalent of pulling a pillow over your head.
Going to be like that eh?
Eyes narrow I pick up a core and approach my drowsing companion.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
Get! Up! Get! Up! With each word I smash down the core in my mandibles on his head.
Ignore me will you?!
It isn't long before Tiny has responded to my affectionate request to wake and is sitting against the tunnel wall staring at me reproachfully and rubbing his head.
[Tired]...
A deep, sullen voice echoes in my mind suddenly.
The voice of Tiny! The skill is working well!
[We've got stuff to do buddy. A big day for you in particular!]
Tiny looks at me blankly before his eyelids slowly start to droop down.
BAM!
[Owww!]
[Take this core and use it!]
Impatiently I drop the core in front him. Trying to sleep in front of me again... I mean really!
Tiny looks down at the core and then back to me. I can sense the bubbling confusion in his mind as he ponders over what it is I want him to do.
[Use the core to reinforce your own!]
...
[Core?]
[Yes! Core! That thing there, on the ground!]
[This?]
[Yes!]
[Core?]
[Yes!]
...
[Don't know how....]
ARGH!
Not the first time I lament that Tiny seriously struggles with a limited mental capacity. To put it bluntly, this ape is dumb. Strong, but dumb as a stump.
Last time I had to belt him over the head with the core until he fused with it instinctively.
Looks like I might have to repeat the process!
With an evil glint in my eye I retrieve the core from the ground and slowly approach my nervous ape pet.
[Will you absorb the core, Tiny?]
[Absorb?]
BAM!
[Absorb it dammit!]
BAM!
[Ow!]
BAM!
THWACK!
Ah! Different sound...
Quickly checking my mandibles I see that the core I'd painstakingly modified twice has vanished.
Thank goodness!
A pat Tiny on his sore head with my antennae!
[Good job! You did it!]
[Did ... it?]
[Yes! You absorbed the core! It's gone, see?]
[Ohhhh!]
A light seems to have been lit in those dim eyes as he finally seems to understand what I want him to do.
Great! On to the next!
[Now absorb this one!]
...
[Absorb?]
DAMMIT.
[Make the stone vanish! Reinforce your own core!]
....
He just stares at me blankly.
Sigh.
BAM!
[Absorb the core!]
BAM!
Thwack!
Aha!
Tiny is now sitting with both of his large gorilla hands covering his head. I almost feel sorry for him, my poor simple minded ape buddy, but this is for his own good. He must be getting close to evolving after that last battle, he went on a massive rampage! I have to max out his core as soon as I can.
I grab another of my modified cores. I plan to save the untouched ones so that I can continue to practice on them.
[Ok. Now this one!]
Tiny looks at me through his fingers with deep sadness and trepidation in his eyes.
[Why don't you just take it without me having to hit you with it then!?]
I pop it on the ground in front of my defensive ape friend.
[pick it up!] I order him.
Being able to communicate with him is so nice! I get the feeling that he might not be enjoying the experience much however.
He reluctantly picks up the core, the gem looks so small in his meaty, gorilla hands. I suspect he must have advanced his hands in some way, they surely look stronger and more powerful than they did before.
With the core resting on his massive palm he looks at me tentatively before concentrating briefly. With a short flash of light the core melts into his body and vanishes.
[Yes! You did it! Well done Tiny!]
I shower him with praise and repeatedly pat him on the head with my antennae until the silly gorilla is wriggling with joy, a broad smile on his bat face.
Dawwwwww.
[Now this one!]
...
I continue to pass Tiny cores until, after the eighth one, he shakes his head, taps himself on the chest and says simply:
[Full].
A wave of excitement rises in my chest. I can practically feel my eyes flashing with evil light as I turn to look at the massive snake core.
Time for dessert!
-x-X-x-
It is well known that different nations and cultures hold different attitudes towards the Dungeon. That the Dungeon provides resources to be used is a common thread to be sure, but the manner of their use, the manner of their acquisition and the reverence with which they are treated varies greatly across the continents of Pangera.
The Legionem Abyssi's defensive attitude towards the Dungeon and restrictive policies towards it are well known to all major scholars.
The Church of the Path and those of the broader faith regard the Dungeon as a holy place, the battling of monsters and the harvest of materials from within a religious calling. The more fanatical branches of the church are rumoured to conduct all manner of rituals within the Dungeon and certainly encourage all members of the faithful to seek enlightenment beneath the earth.
The Cold Blades of Illirethil, the Wise Ones of Coggar Nothan, the Eastern Empire of Kallasar, all have their own traditions and expectations towards the Dungeon that they have cultivated over thousands of years.
Cultural study of Pangera and the Dungeon. Chapter 1. By the Magio Scholar Tarius
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The large snake core glitters in my eyes as I pick it up and take it over to the rest of my cores. I can easily see that this core is powerful, but I'm not certain that it is powerful enough for my purposes.
Using my antennae, one placed on the large core and the other on one of the smaller ones, I activate the Core Engineering skill and try to combine the two.
Immediately I feel incredibly fierce resistance, pushing back against my mind until a pounding headache erupts between my temples. ARGGHH. These stupid cores... they think they're all that!!!
COME ON!
Forcing with all my spirit I mentally smash the cores together and hold them tightly, refusing to allow their energies to budge even a millimetre apart.
The larger core exerts far more force than the smaller one, pushing back with an almost irresistible pressure.
But my will is indomitable!
Surrender to me you damned rock!
HRRNKASSAFRAZ.
Eventually the two cores melt together, or more accurately the smaller core is pulled into the larger one and they fuse together.
With the sudden release of pressure I collapse onto the floor of the tunnel. Ugh. This is way too hard.
I don't allow myself to slump for long. Picking myself up I peer carefully at the massive core, my antennae tapping over it intensely and listening for the voice of Gandalf.
[Compatible core detected, do you wish to reinforce your core or reconstitute the monster?]
As if I would want to reconstitute the mess of a monster this core contains after I smashed another core into it! All I want is to try and manufacture a special core!
Determined, I grasp another small core and begin the process again.
HRRRNNNNNNNNNGAPAAAAA!
Success!
Gasp!
So hard!
[Compatible special core detected ...]
Yes...
YESSSSSSS!
MAUAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!
I gleefully grasp the core in my mandibles and take it towards my trusting, unsuspecting pet Tiny.
[Tiny, use this core as well]
The bat faced Gorilla stares at me for a moment before shaking his head and tapping his chest.
[Full].
[I know buddy, but you can take in one more, just this one].
[Full].
....
BAM!
BAM!
Absorb the special core you disobedient ape! I just spent so much effort making this for you!
BAM!
Thwick!
Eh? What the heck is thwick?!
Retracting my mandibles I pull back from my pet to see what is happening, and my heart lifts when I see the core is stuck to the top of Tiny's head like a spherical hat and his ape face is scrunched in concentration and pain. I can see the energy within the core leeching out and into the suffering ape. As time passes the core grows smaller and smaller as the suffering on my friends face becomes more intense.
I can totally sympathise with my poor ape buddy. I clearly remember the pain of having that special core push your own capacity beyond the limit. Endure it Tiny! This will unlock a whole new future for you!
As more time passes the expression on Tiny's face turns from one of suffering into a snarl. His broad shoulders heave and his powerful fingers claw deep trenches into the tunnel floor as he embraces the beast within.
You can do it Tiny! Endure it!
Finally the process is finished and the core has been fully absorbed. The poor guy is still growling, his fists clenching and unclenching.
I tentatively approach him and pat him on the head with my antennae.
I have to admit a strong feeling of guilt is rising in me. I really don't want to see him in pain, I raised him from when he was just a core after all! I try to firm up my resolve by reminding myself that this is for his own good.
[Evolve Tiny! You need to evolve and get stronger, then you won't hurt anymore!]
I don't think he hears me. His beady bat eyes are filled with anger and pain, his mouth is wide open, revealing his fangs but no noise emerges. Tension fills every line of his face.
[Come on Tiny! You've got to evolve! It's the only thing that will help!]
I move closer to my suffering pet to try and soothe him with my presence, stroking his head with my antennae and constantly talking encouragement to him, urging him to begin his evolution. I'm not even 100% certain that Tiny has reached his max level, given the ape's intelligence, it would be very hard for me to try and extract that information. I could have taken the skill that lets me see his stats but I'm reluctant to part with a skill point just for that. Any reasonably intelligent pet would be able to communicate that to me on their own, surely?
Even if he can't evolve, I'm living proof that a monster can live with an oversized core for an extended period of time. If he can't evolve right now then surely it isn't far away. The main point of my soothing is just to try and help Tiny calm down and adjust to the painful feeling of his new core.
Gradually Tiny is able to relax, his muscles unclenching and uncoiling one by one and his breathing goes from a whistling grunt to slow and even. Slowly but surely he grows more still until his eyes slowly close and he falls back to sleep once more.
Phew.
Poor guy, he really struggled with that process.
I don't know if he is evolving or just sleeping but I'm glad he's no longer in pain. Despite feeling terrible about inflicting such harm on my loyal friend I can't help but be excited for what the future holds for Tiny. I don't think many monsters are able to push their core beyond the limit and achieve a special evolution in this Dungeon, after all, without a human like intellect how would they be able to recognise the benefits?
Perhaps such monsters, capable of a more intelligent reasoning are common deeper in the Dungeon? The rabid beast like monsters up here are certainly not up to that sort of thinking. If one of them managed to achieve such an evolution it would be by pure accident!
Hang on... What's that?
Despite having turned my back towards him I can still make out something going on with Tiny, a shift or ripple in my peripheral vision. Snapping back to him my heart leaps with joy!
The apes skin appears to be roiling with energy! It's an almost ghastly sight as the fur and flesh of my pet appear to balloon and flow like a liquid, or a sheet blowing in the breeze!
I've never seen it myself but I think this can only be one thing!
Tiny is evolving!
Before my very eyes the changes continue rapidly. Even as his body continues to shift like clay his fur is growing rapidly, going from short and bristly to silken, stubby growth to long hair in only a few moments. His body continues to change at a rapid speed, in some places sinking and collapsing whilst in others bulging out with rapid expansion!
As the process continues I can see that he definitely growing larger! Quite a bit larger! His hands go from a dark brownish colour to a brilliant blue in what seems like a split second. When I lean closer to inspect the change I'm almost fried by a sudden blast of electricity that explodes from his hands, spreading to cover his whole body!
All over him twisting ropes of electrical current appear and disappear every instant, sizzling with power and rising the temperature of the tunnel to a boiling point!
And still he continues to change!
I wait patiently, watching every shift and detail of the evolution, my heart pounding with excitement.
When the evolution is finally complete I stand silent and awed. Tiny has become twice his previous size, completely dwarfing me and the tunnel in which we sit. His massive form is hunched over, shoulders pressing against the roof.
His fur has grown, hanging down from his long, powerful arms. I can see some of the finer hairs rising from his body, hanging, almost suspended in the air. I suspect the electrical energy in his body is running a current through him constantly, causing some of his fur to rise like this.
Suddenly, he opens his eyes and looks around in confusion.
I hesitantly try to speak to him.
[You ok there Tiny? How do you feel?]
Slowly he swivels his beady eyes over to me and they gradually focus. Then, he grins a wide grin. His bat features split to reveal his glittering mouthful of fangs. Then he thumps himself on the chest with one blue fist.
[Tiny feel strong!]
He certainly looks damn strong!
The size of the guy!
I think it's fairly clear to tell that almost all of that evolutionary energy went into Might! Somewhat sadly. I really wish even a sliver of that energy had made it to buffing up his brain power.
Well, it isn't all bad I suppose. Since Tiny has me to help him do the thinking, and he can now receive my instructions, being as good as he can at fighting is probably for the best, especially when considering the upcoming crises we will soon face.
The final thing I need to do is complete my mutations. With eleven points of Biomass to spend I'll be able to select a mutation advancement for my legs and then upgrade my Gravitational Energy gland twice.
I open the menu eagerly not even listening to the prompts of Gandalf. Lemme check out dem legs!
Ho boy! Look at all these juicy options!
So many selections that I can choose!
Let's see now.... Legs that stick to surfaces? Peh I can already do that... Legs with barbed spines emerging from them to stab enemies? Ouch! Legs with extra running speed, frictionless feet for sliding, legs with skin between them to allow for gliding? What the heck?
I'm tempted to take an option that just makes me faster or something plain like that but then my eyes fall on a choice that piques my interest.
[Absorption Legs, connects the core to the feet, allowing the monster to drawn in mana from the surface it is standing on].
So, if I'm running around in the Dungeon, this option will let me draw in mana from the walls and floor?! If the absorption rate is decent then this could provide the missing link to my magic practice! If I can refill my core and the even more mana hungry Gravitational Energy Gland faster they will become much more useful!
I'll take it!
[Do you wish to select Absorption legs and improve Gravitational Energy Gland to +3? This will cost 11 Biomass]
Hit me!
FLANARGLE!
AHhhhH! The Itch!
Stupid thing!
....
Most of my preparation in this place is done for now. With Tiny's successful evolution it's time to re-join the colony and do our part to assist the digging efforts! I ask Tiny to bring along the remain cores and we leave the trap network, heading back to the main shaft before we make our decent to the main nest.
The tunnel walls have grown eerily dim. I haven't experienced this low a light level ever since I was reborn in this Dungeon. The change in condition is disturbing, making the tunnels feel much more threatening and oppressive. Shadows dance menacingly across the walls as Tiny and I pass through, the patterns of light breaking every time we move.
Tiny is squeezing through the tunnel, hunching his shoulders forward to the point he's almost kneeing himself in the face as he walks. In one hand he cups the remaining cores protectively against his chest.
We descend down the main shaft in silence. The absent workers and darkness press down on our mentality. The only sounds we hear are the echoes of our movements as we descend.
It seems insane that in a few short hours this empty place will become a monster filled death zone.
I'm almost pathetically grateful when arrive towards the lower end of the shaft and the noises of the colony reach my ears.
Being ants and incapable of any sort of speech, it isn't chatter that I hear but scritching scrabble of thousands of legs and grinding of dozens of mandibles as the colony hauls dirt, working at a ferocious pace.
Tiny and I finally descend into the Queen's chamber to discover the room is completely packed with workers, hundreds of them together. Other than a few workers tending to the brood almost all of the ants must be here in this tunnel.
They climb all over each other, some of them heading out and down to the lower tunnel with jaws full of dirt and others running back to collect another haul.
"Keep working children", the warm voice of the Queen sings out, gently encouraging the colony.
I honestly don't think the workers could work any harder! They are practically vibrating with energy, so eager to work at the side of the Queen as she digs.
[Tiny, go down to the lower tunnel and make sure nothing goes wrong] I instruct my ape friend .
He simple nods before lumbering off gently pushing his way through the bustling workers who mostly disregard his presence, some workers even start climbing over him, just walking up his arms and down his back as they move through, still clutching the cores in his hand.
Taking a breath I start to push my way through the worker frenzy, using my larger size to force aside the much smaller hatchlings and workers. So desperate are the others to contribute that I eventually have to resort to quite vigorous methods, knocking other ants out of the way or climbing on top of others in order to get to the front!
It isn't annoying at all, these are the sorts of people (ants) you want working on your side in a disaster!
When I get to the front of the tunnel I can only be impressed with the progress that has been made. With the Queen working at the front, her enormous mandibles carving up the dirt and rock at a constant rate, combined with a veritable army of assistants carting off the dirt, progress has been rapid indeed.
But it still isn't enough.
The tunnel has already extended roughly two hundred metres away from the chamber, far from the several kilometres it needs to be! At the moment there probably isn't even room to put the brood and all the workers inside this tunnel!
And when I consider Tiny....
No way we all fit!
"Hey there Queen!" I say to the Queen as I start ripping into the dirt with a frenzy.
It's convenient to be able to talk without moving your mouth...
"Welcome child" she responds, similarly with her mandibles loaded with dirt.
The two of attack the wall, our mandibles tearing away large clumps of earth which we then turn and fling behind us, allowing the smaller workers to do the job of hauling it away.
We aren't the only ones at the front digging. At any one time there are near to a dozen workers chomping away, extending the tunnel one mandible load at a time. Most of these ants gather up their diggings and cart it away themselves, creating a constant exchange of workers at the front.
The Queen and I remain constant, mandibles pumping like piston engines until my face aches from the sheer repetitive effort of it. Thankfully the feeling of ant zen returns to me once more, the indescribable feeling of doing what it is that you were born to do. My primitive ant senses are flooded with contentment as I dig.
I can't afford to waste any time though! I shake off the restful zen regretfully. Digging doesn't require much thought, so I should dedicate this time to practicing my valuable mana skills!
Surrendering my digging to my mechanical instincts I use my will to summon the mana from my core and begin my shaping practice. With the assistance of the sub-brain the mana is drawn out easily, wispy tendrils of strange energy that respond to my thoughts start to flow out and form into mystic patterns within my body.
I still have no idea what these patterns are for or what they represent. They were imprinted in my mind when I learned the skill without any sort of explanation. I'm guessing the only way to actually learn what each is for is by testing, which could be quite dangerous!
I'm resolved to try and begin the experiments away from the colony as soon as my skill reaches an appropriate level. I still find it difficult to form many of the shapes and my success rate, not to mention the speed I can form them, is far too low for practical use.
Practice and then more practice!
Let's do it!
Just like that, the Queen, me and the entire colony dig for our lives.
As only a colony of ants can, we dig desperately, endlessly, with the single mindedness only an insect can express.
I lose myself to the repetitive motions of my mandibles and the formless mana within me, my body and mind almost completely separate from each other.
After an indeterminate amount of time my awareness snaps back when my core has been emptied, not even faint mist of mana remains.
Quickly checking my stats I can see that my mana shaping has rising by two levels!
Now I just need to wait for my core to refill, hopefully my new legs will be able to assist with that.
The mana veins don't exist in this particular section of tunnel, since we've dug it so recently, so I don't feel any mana coming to me through my feet for the time being.
We've been digging for a while, I'd better go check how dark the nest has become anyway.