Chapter 2837 - Chry 39

Chapter 413 Formo returns

[Is there a particular reason why you Sophos are so loud?]

[LOUD? WE'RE TALKING MENTALLY YOU CRETIN. NOT A SOUND IS MADE!]

[Formo! You know exactly what I mean! Every time I form a mind bridge with a Sophos I've had my head rung like a bell! Can you tone it down a little?]

[WE ARE SIMPLY EXUBERANT, MY BOY! FULL OF BEANS!]

[I seriously doubt you eat beans, Formo.]

[WELL, NOT UNLESS IT WAS A BEAN MONSTER I SUPPOSE!]

[Just, take it down a notch, please?]

[I SHALL- ahem. I shall try. I must say young Anthony, I didn't expect that I would see you again. Judging by your change in size, you've been quite productive over the course of the wave.]

[Well, once the colony got rolling, the wave was almost more help than it was harm.]

[Hmm. I wonder if you understand why that might have been the case.]

[I'm not sure what you mean.]

[No matter. Come, my boy, let us wander this way. My domicile is found near the forge.]

The two of us continue our stroll through the Sophos community. I'm not sure what I expected, but the place is much more humble than I had assumed it would be. After my first meeting with Formo, I envisioned the Sophos to be an all-powerful community of core shapers without compare. I'd assumed that they would live in the lap of luxury, but that isn't the case.

The village is built along wide tunnels, with domiciles carved out of the rock. I'd asked where the giant worms and such lived and had been informed that most of them lived in holding areas beneath the village. I'd been a little surprised at that. I'd expected that they might treat their pets a little better, considering how much they relied on them. Tiny and Crinis have been sent down there as pets are discouraged in the upper levels. I've been assured they'll be treated with the utmost respect, and I really have no option but to trust them. Formo has never steered me wrong yet.

The other thing that struck me is the total lack of Mana Veins here. The walls are bizarrely clear of them, light instead being provided by a series of core powered lighting installations. I was pretty darn interested in learning how the heck they did that but Formo was cagey about it when I asked. Damn you, you bulbous headed Sophos! Give me your secrets!

Another thing that struck me was how few Sophos I saw. Most of them looked fairly similar, the real defining feature I could pick out was the mottled colouring of their skin. Most of their skin was green, but some had patches of red, or blue, or even orange I saw. Other than that, their featureless faces appears the same from one to the next. Mind you, they would probably say the same about us ants.

[I don't see a whole lot of your people around Formo. Is it a market day or something? People sleeping in?]

[What? Of course not! There just aren't many of us! We've worked hard to ruffle the Dungeon's feathers and it doesn't appreciate it, not a whit! So the spawn rate for Sophos is abysmally low.]

Even I can tell how bitter he is from his tone.

[How does that even work? The Dungeon just up and decided your people were monsters?]

[BAH! You touch on a sore subject, old boy. We don't much like talking about, but when the opportunity to rant about the Dungeon pops up, who am I to pass it up?!]

[I'm sure I wouldn't know.]

[INDEED! My people were underground dwellers long before the Dungeon appeared. When mana began to seep through the ground, we were the first to experience and make use of it. When the Dungeon tunnels connected to ours, we were the first to come into contact with monsters and battle them. The surfacers ignored our warnings and laughed at our pleas for help. I have to say, their attitude towards us was much the same back then as it is now.]

[That's terrible.]

[STIFF UPPER LIP AND ALL THAT OLD SPORT! It's tough to keep a good Sophos down! We adapted, thrived even! But things began to change. After hundreds of years, we were so steeped in the mana of the Dungeon that the stupid System couldn't differentiate between us and monsters. In an instant, like a switch was flipped, we lost our Classes, we couldn't bear young, our levels were gone and only Biomass could sate us.]

My mind boggled. What a tragedy! How the heck did they survive?

[Just step this way. That was more than a thousand years ago, and there are some of us still alive from that time. We were nearly wiped out, I'm afraid to say, it was a close run thing. Luckily we'd relied on our pets from the outset, and they did not desert us. Now we build our settlements around any spawn point we know has produced a Sophos and we battle against the Dungeon wherever we can.]

[How do you actually fight the Dungeon? Is it a thing that you can hit? I thought it was more of a nebulous sort of.... Entity.]

I'm not sure how much I should share about my conversations with a mind that seems to think it runs the show around here. The Sophos may already know about it, or they might pin me down and dissect me. They seem pretty anti-system in general to me. Probably best if I play it cool.

[Oh, there is much about the Dungeon that can be learned, even when it doesn't want you to. It's also possible to work against the interests of the Dungeon, once you know what it wants. For example, have you seen the Expert Profile of a creature after consuming a ton of it?]

Ah, the profiles! I've unlocked a heap of those after all the fighting and eating that's gone on over the last few weeks and I haven't been bothered to read through them all. I actually unlocked Garralosh's full profile after eating her Biomass, considering there was only one of her the Expert Profile was unlocked straight away. I haven't been able to bring myself to read it yet. I mean, I killed and then ate her. I'd rather not learn something that gave me cause to regret it. As a fellow former human though, I probably owe it to her.

[Sure I have. Those damn centipedes were the first.]

Formo nodded his head.

[PRECICELY! Ahem. You were probably a mite taken aback by what it said. That profile gives a little insight into the dastardly intentions of the Dungeon.]

[If I recall correctly, that profile suggested that the centipedes were proving to be a good species and would be propagated further...]

[Right. Which means that species has been successful and the Dungeon wants to see more of it. Spawn rates will go up and new varieties will be tried, perhaps a shadow variant on the second strata, or perhaps further down than that.]

[What?!] I squawked. [Those filthy centipedes are trash. TRASH I SAY!]

[INDEED, OLD SPICE! SO IF YOU WERE TO GIVE THE SYSTEM WHAT FOR, THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION WOULD BE TO HUNT DOWN EVERY CLAW CENTIPEDE YOU COULD FIND AND WIPE THEM FROM THE DUNGEON IN ONE FELL SWOOP! THUS FOILING THE BLIGHTER'S PLANS!]

[You know what, I just might.]

I'm certain the colony would be happy to follow me in an anti-centipede crusade. I hate those things.

[Ah, just around here.]

The two of us turn a corner and I can't help but gasp. Before me the space opens up into a massive cavern and every surface is filled with circular work stations cut into the stone. Here and there I can see Sophos diligently meditating in the clear space in the centre of their stations, a core sitting in their gnarled hands as they strive to modify it to their wishes. There are cores, everywhere. Every bench hold dozens of the things and in the middle of the cavern a huge repository with tiered shelving runs from the floor to the ceiling and each layer is covered in cores.

I can't help but drool a little.

[WELCOME TO THE FORGE, YOU LUCKY DEVIL! NOT MANY GET TO SEE IT, YOU KNOW. HERE WE CREATE THE MOST FEARSOME PETS THE WHOLE WORLD OVER!]

The pride is obvious as Formo slips up control of his volume, but I don't mind too much. This is quite the sight!

-x-X-x-

[Most of our civilisation was lost when the blasted system changed us. No need for farmers, artists or poets when you're a monster. It was our ability to manipulate cores and create pets to fight for us that mattered, and over the years we've taken that skill as far as we can.]

The two of us were relaxing in Formo's house, carved into the wall around the outside of the forge. The inside was as simple as the outside, a small number of rooms, a crude bed and furniture which had been carved from the rock. Formo sat on a stone chair next to a small table whilst I stood just outside with my head through the door. This part of the town wasn't exactly made for monsters to move comfortably in, and the Sophos were quite small.

[I'm a bit surprised that you guys all seem to look pretty similar. Since you're monsters, shouldn't you have evolutions and all that? What tier are you anyway?]

Formo's snort rang in my mind for a moment before he spoke.

[It's a touch rude to ask that sort of thing, old bean. But I don't mind I suppose. We deliberately don't evolve much in order to keep our settlements in the upper levels of the Dungeon. Most of us are tier five and a few of us are tier six. We use mana concentration enchantments to bring mana up from below in order to sustain us. If we kept on evolving, that'd become impractical and we'd have to move down. This settlement is already something of an oddity, since most of our communities are in the second strata. Better cores down there.]

[I can imagine. Any chance you would share those enchantments?]

[Nope.]

[Dammit.]

I think for a moment. I can feel that the mana in the air is more concentrated in here than it was in the tunnels outside, which is crazy considering there aren't any mana veins. Are they moving mana around with some sort of mana air conditioning system?!

[Your friend Tirimon seemed very interested in my pet Crinis. Any particular reason for that?]

[Is that the tentacly one?]

I nod.

[Yes,] he began to muse, one clawed hand coming up to stroke his narrow chin. [That's quite the rare specimen you have there. Quite rare indeed. Very new species. We encountered them for the first time during the wave, which I presume, you did as well.]

[For sure. Scared the heck out of me.]

[Hah! I bet! It's not unusual for the Dungeon to spit out new species during events like a wave, see how they fare. Now that things are calming down, we're quite keen to send an expedition to the lower levels to see what we can see.]

I refrain from pointing out that they won't see much, due to being blind. That's too cheap, even for me.

[No one's going to steal her are they?] I ask nervously.

[What?! THEFT!? NONSENSE! The Sophos aren't petty thieves! ]

[Tirimon seemed pretty keen to get his hands on her.]

[Tirimon is a BLITHERING IDIOT for letting his pet out into the tunnels unsupervised. If he wanted to test its performance then he should have done so here in the proving grounds. I'm sure he wanted to replace his lost specimen but he got what he gosh darn deserved.]

He stood up, his thin legs wobbling a little as his oversized head began to tip his balance.

[WHOA THERE! Might as well pop down to the pens if you're worried though. I wouldn't mind checking in on my pets also.]

I have to back myself up a little in order to clear the doorway and we pass through the forge where Sophos diligently work their craft and we come to an enormous staircase leading both up and down. These stairs are so massive that I think even Garralosh would be able to navigate them! Makes sense I suppose, there would have to be somewhere the Sophos could move their pets throughout their community. That's probably why their streets are so wide to start with.

The stairs slowly curve and it isn't long before we arrive in the 'downstairs' area and my mandibles drop open reflexively. Had I really thought the Sophos would treat their pets poorly? I'm an idiot.

What I see could only be described as the most luxurious stable I've ever seen. A trickling stream of mana infused water meanders between spacious pens with high walls and comfortable amenities. The pets have beds. BEDS! And they look so much better than what the Sophos themselves enjoy! In fact, from the entrance I can see into a nearby pen where one of those enormous worms is comfortably nestled on an enormous padded cushion. A pile of Biomass rests next to the languid worm and I can see a Sophos inside, massaging the great beast.

In fact, there are far more Sophos here than there were upstairs. They move from pen to pen, checking on creatures, or even just resting alongside them. They don't appear to be doing much physical labour, which is understandable considering how weak they are, instead they direct other pets to the heavy lifting and move alongside them.

[It seems as if your people spend more time down here than upstairs.]

[Hurrumph! We can't have children anymore, you know. The Dungeon doesn't allow natural reproduction from 'monsters'. Not in the way we could before. My people invest most of their energy in their pets. They are the only children we'll ever have. Of course, not all pets are treated this way. Some are disposable soldiers, an unfortunate reality of living in the Dungeon, those who've been with us for a long time though... It's hard, when they die.]

[I understand. I've wanted to try and find a way to free my pets.]

[Hmm. You don't want them to be compelled to follow you but do so from their own choice?]

[Right!]

Nice to meet someone who understands my principle!

[SMASHING empathy there chap, but I have to say we haven't found a way to do it. When you reconstitute a core, the bond is formed and we don't know how to sever it.]

[Dang.]

Speaking of my pets, I find the pair of them resting in the lap of luxury within a pen waited on hand and foot. Tiny appears to be loving life as reclines in a padded chair that seems designed to hold his sort of weight as he munches on handfuls of Biomass. Crinis, for her part, is cringing against the wall trying to hide herself for a small crowd of six Sophos who appear to be standing and staring at her, motionless.

Now of course, I know that they are probably having a rich (and loud) mental conversation but I have to say, it looks a little creepy.

I can feel Formo weaving together a mind bridge in mere seconds as he attaches us to what I can only describe as a mind web, a multi-link bridge construct between the Sophos.

[WHAT IS ALL THE HUBBUB?!] he bellows.

[NO NEED TO BUTT IN, YOU PEASANT!] Comes the sharp reply.

As they erupt amongst themselves, I wander over to Crinis.

[How's it going there, Crinis? How long have they been here?]

[The. Whole. Time.]

Oof.

-x-X-x-

[Do you guys mind? My pet is feeling a little put upon here.]

As one the Sophos turn on me.

[MIND YOURSELF, BOY! THE EXPERTS ARE TALKING!]

Yikes. Not one to mince words, this one. Although, I could say the same for all of the Sophos I've met. They seem universally loud and pugnacious.

[THAT'S HIS PET, YOU NINCOMPOOP!]

[HOW DARE YOU!]

[OH, I DARE THAT AND MORE!]

[FORMO, YOU SLACK JAWED NINNY! I'LL MAKE PAJAMAS OUT OF YOUR FAVOURITE PET FOR YOUR WORDS!]

[YOU WANT TO TRY IT ASONAN? I'LL TURN YOUR HOUSE INTO A BIOMASS PANTRY. AND LAUGH! HEARTILY!]

[Calm down! Sheesh! No need to get so worked up!] I interject.

They turn on me once more.

[THIS- ahem. This is merely banter, old boy. Conflict between Sophos is- well, its unheard of.]

[AND NOT JUST BECAUSE WE CAN'T TALK!]

[OH HO! JOLLY GOOD JAPE!]

[QUITE SO!]

I'm not sure if my burgeoning headache or weariness will become more pressing in the short term. These damn Sophos are exhausting.

[WE WERE MERELY EXAMINING THE CHOICES YOU'D MADE WITH YOUR PET!] the one named Asonan shouts at me.

[I don't see why it's so interesting] I said, honestly. [For the most part, I let Crinis make her own choices.]

Silence fell at my words as the Sophos sightlessly stare at me for a moment before they turn back to studying Crinis.

[Anthony, you really let your pets make their own evolution decisions?]

[Yes?]

[Even that one?] Formo points and Tiny as the ape continues to shovel handfuls of Biomass into his face.

[Yep.]

[You didn't design their evolutions? Or manually control their evolutions?]

[I did a little work on Crinis before I reconstituted her, but my skill levels were low back then, and still are now, compared to yours I suppose, so I wasn't able to get much done. For the most part, I let them pick what they think will work out.]

[... why?]

I can tell the other Sophos are listening along the communal line as Formo queries me. I'm not sure why they have such an interest though, I feel a little defensive.

[Look. I'll come clean! On the one hand I can't be bothered to micromanage every little thing, on the other, they have their own minds, even if they're pets! They can decide what they want and how they want to go about it! These are big decisions, after all!]

[We don't disagree with that, we just find it interesting that your pets were able to make quite good decisions without your input.]

[Really?]

[Yes. Although with that one,] he points at Tiny again, [You'll need to intervene. The Lightning Fist Ape is an interesting creature, but it chews up its own mental attributes every time it evolves until it eventually becomes effectively mindless. We rarely bother with them due to the hassle, but if you can find a balance it could prove to be strong.]

[Uhh, that's great advice.]

[We tend not to give our pets such free reign. But I can respect your choice to do so.]

[Thanks!]

[WE REALLY CAN'T DECIDE HOW MUCH POTENTIAL THIS NEW SHADOW BEAST HAS,] another member of the Crinis fan club interjects. [IT'S AN INTERESTING NEW APPLICATION OF THE SHADOW FLESH ARCHETYPE. I'M CURIOUS TO SEE HOW IT WILL EVOLVE!]

[Well I think Crinis is pretty darn close to evolving right now, aren't you Crinis?]

[Ah! Yes, Master!]

[Well we can see that by looking at her core,] Formo says.

[How the heck can you look at her core without touching her?]

I can almost feel the Sophos around me rolling their non-existent eyes.

[Level up your skills Anthony. We hardly waste time on core shaping our real pets until we reach rank six.]

SIX?!

[Sheesh. I created a whole new species of Ant monster and I'm only rank three in core shaping.]

[YOU DID WHAT?!]

I get a solid mental blast right in the sconce at that. All of the Sophos turn to stare at me once more, but this time the air feels a little more tense.

[I, uh. I modified the Queen's core to produce offspring more like me and the species of the entire colony, including myself, changed when they were born.]

[WHAT A BLASTED THING TO DO!]

[INCREDIBLE!]

[INSPIRED!]

[BLOODY FANTASTIC IS WHAT IT IS!]

[ANTHONY MY BOY!] Formo is back to his head thumping loudest. [CREATING A NEW SPECIES IS A GRAND ACHIEVEMENT! ESPECIALLY FOR A LOST SOUL SUCH AS YOU! GOOD SHOW! GOOD SHOW INDEED!]

His pronouncement is met with a chorus of "GOOD SHOW!" and "INDEED, YES!" from the gallery.

[Phew. I have to admit for a second there I thought you guys might get angry at me for making super intelligent monster ants.]

[BAH! WE'RE NOT SO EASILY FRIGHTENED! WE'VE FOUGHT OFF SWARM MONSTERS DOZENS OF TIMES!]

[HUNDREDS!]

[WE ARE NOT INTIMIDATED BY ANTS!]

[You know, that's nice to hear. It's good to find people who aren't afraid of monsters.]

[WHAT BOSH! WE ARE MONSTERS!]

[I even made a caste within the colony who are dedicated to core shaping after I was inspired by Formo's pets.]

[OUTRAGEOUS?!]

[HOW DARE YOU, INSECT?!]

[NOW, THAT IS THREATENING!]

[What really?!]

[NO! OF COURSE NOT!]

I sag to the floor a little, my legs splaying out. These Sophos are exhausting to deal with. Almost as if taking pity on me, the Sophos gather around to pat me on the carapace with their gnarled hands.

[It's rare that we find someone who values the shaping arts to such a degree. We're impressed, Anthony.]

[Thanks, Formo.]

[Lost souls such as yourself are not often in such a good position as you. Most that we come across are... disturbed, even from the beginning. That you have been able to defy the Dungeon and find a place in it is impressive.]

[Thanks. I've only run into one other of my kind and that was Garralosh.]

[Hmm. She died recently, did she not?]

[How do you know?]

[There are ways.]

[Be mysterious then. I know you mentioned another that you'd met.]

[Young Sarah! Fine young woman/bear.]

[BEAR?!]

[Indeed!]

[How is that fair?!]

[What? That she started as a powerful bear? And Garralosh started as a fiendish crocodile, whilst you were an ant?]

[Exactly?]

[Just another reason to hate the Dungeon!]

[QUITE SO!]

[HEAR HEAR!]

No need to remind me about that. These guys really carried a grudge.

[COME YOUNG ANT MONSTER. LET US DISCUSS THE FINE ART OF CORE-SHAPING, AND IF YOU WISH WE CAN SPEAK OF WHAT WE KNOW OF YOUR KIND.]

[That'd be great!]

-x-X-x-

Tungstant snapped back to alertness with a start. Her mind was still fuzzy with fatigue, but she pushed her feet beneath her with alacrity, energy surging through her body. There was so much to do! So much work, so much discovery! It was electric! How could a Formica Sapiens possibly rest when the tasks to perform lay spread before them like a delicious banquet? Impossible!

She charged out of the chamber in which she was resting to find the tunnels filled with frenzied ants. Pheromones blazed against her antennae, the air was thick with ants communicating at a rapid pace.

"Hurry up! I've gotta get to the new crafting district yesterday!"

"Not my fault you're late, slacker!"

"Quit polluting the air with your nonsense! Some of us are trying to discuss construction theories!"

"Take it a workshop or chamber. This is completely not the place for that!"

The Carver caste council member took it all in for a moment before she threw herself into the crush. In an instant she was buffeted on all sides by ants of all castes as they rushed to get to a hundred different places. Her position as a council member afforded her no extra consideration from her siblings, they cared only for the task at hand.

She followed the branches of the tunnel toward her first destination, the brood chambers. Upon arrival, he couldn't help but feel delighted by the masses of young she found there. Hundreds of them, lovingly cared for by dozens of tenders. This early in the day, the Brood were being transferred to higher chambers in order to benefit from the warmth of the sun.

Tungstant frowned. The humans used fires in order to warm enclosed spaces. It was a crude system, to be sure, and the smoke would be troublesome. Perhaps she should check in with the mage caste to see if they were making headway with enchanting. It should be relatively simple to produce a core enchanted to generate heat. With some care, the brood chambers could be at the optimal temperature for the entire day.

More work to be done, but rather than crushed, she was delighted. Her mind was afire with the possibilities. The visits to the human village had been everything the Eldest had promised they would be. Access to a civilisation with thousands of years of learning behind them had been invaluable. Of course, the people of the village were still struggling in the aftermath of their kingdom being laid to waste, but still the ants had been able to extract a tremendous amount of information. Forging, construction, enchanting, agriculture had all been new concepts to the colony but they had pestered the humans endlessly and then started experimenting straight away.

And with experimentation, came new skills and new skills meant grinding!

"Florence! How goes the brood?"

The brood tender turned away from her charges for a brief moment to speak with her fellow council member.

"Tungstant. As nice as it is to see you, we really are very busy here right now. Could you make this quick?"

"Who has time for a conversation that not's quick these days?" Laughed the carver. "I was asked by the generals to check in, they wanted to know how many hatchlings we were expecting over the next few days. They've been attempting to scout out hunting grounds in order to provide enough experience and they're worried there won't be enough.

Florence twitched her antennae but was able to recall the numbers in an instant.

"Three hundred and twenty four tomorrow and three hundred and fifty seven tomorrow."

"Fair enough. How long until we reach full capacity?"

"The first round of eggs from the new Queens hatched yesterday. We expect them to enter the pupal stage in five days."

"Great! Have a great day, Florence."

"To you as well."

The Tenders were always so polite. If only the mages could follow their example, as that was Tungstant's next destination. Back out into the connecting tunnels of madness before she made it to the mage chambers. Inside, dozens of mage caste ants were practicing their craft, grinding their skills and experimenting with enchanting cores.

"Got some more work for us, Tungstant? Need to hand more tasks to the big thinkers in the colony?"

"You do know carvers have higher Cunning than mages, right?"

"Speak not of this heresy!"

"Actually, Propellant, I had something that might be right up your alley. Fire enchantments to keep the brood chambers warm."

"Oh Ho! I see it. Yes. Yes! Simplicity itself!"

"Just make sure you test everything properly. I'll put a team of carvers on it as well. We can compare notes. Have your researchers made much progress?"

"We were only able to learn a small number of basic enchantments from the humans. Other that using those to grind our skills, making new breakthroughs is difficult. It's going to take time."

"Not to mention the lack of resources."

Tungstant looked out over the chamber. The colony still hadn't done much by way of architecture, most chambers were just hollowed out spaces of earth and rock without decoration, but she could see the beginnings of customization here in the space. Each mage had carved out their own little work space, demarcated by a small circle of raised dirt. Within each space, mage ants were meditating, shaping mana or engraving mana onto cores.

The cores were the key. They needed cores for new members of the colony, they needed cores for the core shapers, they needed cores for enchanting. The colony had an insatiable appetite for them right now, and there was only one way to get them, fight and destroy monsters.

"The soldiers and scouts are doing everything they can," Propellant said, "we just have to make do with what we have."

Tungstant could only agree. "Keep in touch. Things are moving fast right now, we don't want to miss anything."

"You could say, things are really heating up."

"Just. Why?"

Only too happy to leave the mages behind Tungstant began to make her way back to the carver workshops. Of all the castes, theirs had been the one to receive the most new knowledge from the humans and with so many areas of advancement to keep track of she couldn't afford to be away for long.

The workshops were where the carvers had been doing the bulk of their work and it was a flurry of activity as usual when she arrived. Cobalt was watching over a team of carvers who were experimenting with new developments in earth magic.

"How goes it, Cobalt?" Tungstant greeted her sibling.

"Busy! Where have you been slacking this time?" Came the good natured reply.

"Has there been much progress?"

"Since yesterday? No, of course not. These things take time."

"I just can't help but feel a little impatient."

"I understand that, sister. If we rush we'll come to false conclusions. Steady progress is key."

"I've been told we will be getting four hundred new carvers in three days."

"That's more than we thought!"

"Well, do we have work for them?"

"We could find work for twice that number."

"Right. All of the castes are being pushed hard right now."

"We wouldn't have it any other way."

Looking out over the ever expanding workshop, Tungstant felt a burning passion rising in her chest. Here and there, ants were constructing forges, trying to create tools shaped to their claws to replicate the techniques they'd seen from the humans. Already a few had learned the Skill. Next to them were experiments in enchanting, earth magic, engraving. She could see along one wall where a carver was using earth magic to shape a wall, gouging neat and perfect lines into a mural. Artwork, a tapestry of stone and soil.

Curious, she moved closer to inspect the work. It was still taking shape, but it was clear already what it would be. The Eldest was depicted in bold lines, standing atop a fallen monstrosity, Garralosh. It was strange, the sensation of emotion that rushed through her abdomen as she beheld the picture. The power images, and storytelling. This was also something the colony would seize. They would seize everything.

-x-X-x-

Morrelia was tired. There were many reasons for a person in the village to be tired. Construction had continued unabated since the threat of the horde had faded for one. The militia had not relented in their training and practice either, which consumed a lot of energy. Small scale Dungeon delves still took place every day, much safer now than when the wave had been underway and that required coordinating and supervision.

There were rescue teams being sent out constantly also. Morrelia knew that she and Anthony hadn't managed to find everyone in the kingdom who might have been hiding from the ravenous beasts, there were sure to be more out there and many members of the village had volunteered to go out to search. Perhaps they hoped to find family members or friends who might have survived, it hardly mattered. This required coordination, administrative effort and a heck of a lot of oversight.

None of which came easy, and obviously that didn't help Morrelia's energy levels. But mostly, she was tired because of Isaac.

"Well 'ello there spicy lady. What might 'ave you lookin' so magnificent today?"

"By the Legion."

Morrelia groaned and clapped a hand over her eyes to shield them from the pain.

"Isaac. Not again," she growled.

She took her hand away to reveal the man in question, leaning against her door frame, a broad grin on his face and a plate of hot breakfast in one hand.

"The roar of the tigress does nothin' to dampen this Lion's ardour."

"They aren't even... you know what? I don't care. Give me the food."

She snatched the plate out of his hand and shouldered past him eliciting a grunt that the lower levelled man tried to contain. Morrelia didn't notice and kept walking, shovelling the much needed meal into her mouth. She had no idea who had managed to start making fresh bread but in her opinion, that person needed a church more than Anthony did. If he could eat regular food, she had a feeling the ant might agree. She couldn't imagine he reacted well to seeing the church being built. She'd asked Enid about it and the older woman had been cagey, which told Morrelia all she needed to know.

"I just want to go one day without having to punch you," she spoke to the air.

But sure enough, Isaac was right behind her.

"I thought those were love taps!" She could feel the muck-eating grin on his face, even without having to turn around.

"I swear, if I weren't so busy, I'd get my blades and hack you to pieces. Why are you trying so hard to piss a berserker off?"

"Sounds like the flames of yer passion are burnin' out of control!"

"FINE!"

In one motion she whirled around, plate gripped in two hands and she -.

Ten minutes later she was with Enid in the under construction town hall.

"The healers are busy enough as it is," the mayor groused. "It's not like the ant healers pay us a visit every day."

"I know," Morrelia sighed.

"This is three days in a row now."

"I know! How is this my fault, by the way?"

Enid slapped her pen down and stared at the younger woman.

"Because Isaac is an idiot and you are a former Legion trainee. One of you is expected to have some self-control and it isn't him!"

"Send me away then. Let me go on a delve, or to hunt for survivors. Let me go to the city and see if the Legion force comes up. You know I can be useful there."

Enid raised a hand and pinched the bridge of her nose. There was so much damn work. They'd managed to get a paper press together, goodness knows how, and she had seized on the opportunity to start documenting everything, as a good merchant would. A census was done, followed by an inventory then they'd had to start drafting official documents. The kingdom of Liria might have fallen but Enid would be damned to the fifth strata if she would live in a place without law.

Which meant consulting the people, drafting a town guard, putting regulations in place. It took a tremendous amount of time. Then of course there was the trickly of survivors that were coming in. The search parties had been successful, which meant more mouths to feed and house, which meant more work.

How it all got done, Enid had no idea and she was the only person who knew everything that was going on.

"Enid, you need help."

"What?" She snapped, only to find Morrelia looking at her with worry in her eyes.

"Your burning out, Enid. You need help, bring someone on board who can help shoulder the load. There's too much going on and too many people for you to be doing all this by yourself. And it's going to get worse, you know that."

Enid sighed.

"I know," she said. Her shoulders slumped a little. "I've known that for ages. I could run my merchant house by myself, but this is bigger. I just... If I start bringing in more people, make a council, then all of this will start to feel official. Politics will come into it, tussling for authority. We don't need that."

"What we don't need is the mayor to fall flat on her face from exhaustion."

"Maybe I'd be less tired if our strongest warrior wasn't knocking out the captain of the town guard daily."

"Ahem. Putting that aside. I don't' think it'll be as bad as you suspect. The people here are united. I've never seen anything like it. Besides, the ants are watching us so closely now. People are on their best behaviour."

"Maybe you're right."

"I am."

The two women fell into a companionable silence for a moment. Outside Enid's office, the sounds of a village, not a village, a town, drifted in through the glassless window.

"I'm going to get out of your hair," Morrelia announced. "You don't need me right now. I'll leave some people behind to keep training and leading the delves, but I think I'll be put to better use in the city. I'll head over there and start a delve to try and make contact with the Legion. They might be on their way up already, wouldn't hurt to meet them halfway."

The mayor watched her coolly for a moment.

"Even I've heard of Titus. How do you think your father is going to react if he finds out what things are like here?"

The air grew still as they both considered that. Legion policy toward monsters was direct, clear and incredibly simple. Kill them.

"Are you saying," Morrelia began slowly, "that you don't want the Legion to know about this place?"

"What I'm saying, is that you should be careful how much you say if you happen to have a reunion. Collateral damage is inevitable when the Abyssal Legion moves in force. You know that better than anyone. These are good people here, just trying to put their lives back together. They've taken the help that was available. That's not a sin."

Morrelia looked down the still seated Enid, her eyes narrowed.

"Just what have you started to believe, Enid? That sounds quite close to something that Beyn might say."

Enid turned to look out the window.

"It doesn't matter," she sighed, "I can't tell you what is divine and what isn't. I've gotten attached to these people and I'd rather they not be purged. That is something we can all agree on, isn't it?"

Morrelia nodded.

"It is."

-x-X-x-

It's been nice, visiting the Sophos. Despite their somewhat decrepit and ghastly appearance, they were fine hosts. Every day they'd bring Biomass to Tiny, Crinis and I and we'd feast together with Formo and his favourite pets. They even took time to show me how they worked with cores and put together some of their most powerful pets. I have to say, their means and methods were far beyond what I was capable of. Even after the first session I was happy to bow down to their superior skill and capability.

Particularly in the area of core melding. Which is apparently a skill I've yet to unlock. Many of the Sophos best monsters were formed by fusing multiple cores together. This is an advantage in a number of areas. Firstly, by making changes to multiple cores, it was possible to effect more changes than if you focused on a single core. The resistance barrier they called it, the wall you pushed up against every time you made a change to a core. More changes, more resistance. If you could only make ten changes to one core, then by forming a monster out of two cores, you could make twenty changes!

Of course, it sounded far simpler than it was. That was just the theory. The art, as Formo was at great pains to point out, was in making the changes in such a way that not only did you push toward your desired outcome, you simultaneously shaped the cores so they would fit more snugly together. Doing that, was a massive pain in the commercial zone. The Sophos could spend days, even weeks, plotting a single change to ensure that the final outcome was closer to what they wanted, whilst also enabling the fusion process. I myself had seen multiple Sophos standing over a pair of cores arguing and slapping each other over the head as they discussed what changes to make to a pair of cores.

Then there were the three core constructions. Holy moly, that was a whole new level. Only the best and brightest of the Sophos dared to attempt it. Those with the best stats and highest Skill levels. Apparently the worms were such a pet. Crafted for each Sophos either by themselves, if they were capable enough, or by an expert. Each core had to moulded with the final product in mind, which involved two fusions. So the first two cores had to be shaped in such a way that they would fit together snugly and accept a third once that process was done. It sounded like completing a puzzle that then had to fit inside another puzzle. HARD! COMPLEX!

I was keen to give it a go and take my findings back to the colony. The core shapers had already proved their worth and this was just more evidence that they would be able to make a powerful contribution to the family.

[I can see it in your face you BLIGHTER, you're thinking of trying this, aren't you?] Formo burst into my thoughts.

[... maybe]

[Well don't be a COLOSSAL, BLITHERING INGRATE. These techniques are incredibly stressful to the mind and require high level Skills. You're only up to Core Surgery and don't even have the core fusion skill. That becomes available once you rank up Core Surgery. Don't even think of trying this until that's done.]

[What's the harm?" I protest. "Even if it doesn't work out, it's not like the core is wasted. I can just give it to a pet to absorb it, right?]

[NOT RIGHT, YOU DONKEY!]

[Donkey?!]

[Every core is precious! And some are vanishingly rare. Besides, more experience towards the next Skill level is granted from utilising that Skill correctly, as opposed to stuffing around! You could fudge your way to the next rank over hundreds of failures or you could achieve it with dozens of successes. If your colony is trying to raise many core shapers, do you truly believe you have cores to waste?]

[Ah. No. No we do not.]

[PRECISELY, OLD BOY! Do as we do and take your time to ensure each core you work on is a SMASHING success. That'll maximise your gains.]

[Good advice... Should we go help your worm?]

[Barry? BAH! With Garralosh gone, there's nothing around here that can hold a candle to him! Worry not!]

[I suppose so...]

It truly didn't appear as 'Barry' needed much help. The worm is gleefully smashing everything we came across, either using its tremendous bulk or simply swallowing everything in front of it.

[I do want to point out though, we came out here to get experience for Crinis.]

[Ah! So we did!] Formo exclaims as he smacks himself in his bulbous noggin. [Barry! Heel you lovable noodle!]

It was a little strange to hear Formo call his pet as if it were a dog, especially when he could have kept that conversation private, it was even stranger to see the massive worm turn and slither back, full of excitement and practically wriggling in delight.

[Okay Crinis. Your time to shine. Go in there and smash some monsters! We'll get you fully mutated and ready to evolve in no time!]

[Alright, Master!]

The abominable ball of death sitting on my back raised two tentacles like clenched fists in front of her face in a somewhat adorable pose before she inflated in size to open her mouth and reveal the nightmare void barred behind her razer teeth.

[You too Tiny, get in there and practice your Skills. Just don't steal too much, these kills are worth way more XP to Crinis than they are to you.]

[HRN!] Tiny grunts in acknowledgement.

It's amazing how much he communicates with a grunt. I can tell from that grunt that he's not happy to be restricted in his fighting, but nonetheless happy to be able to cut loose.

[What about yourself?] Formo asks.

[Ah, no. Not for me, thanks. I've recently hit tier five, these monsters won't do a lot for me.]

[Right you are! Won't be long till you'll need to descend!]

[Wassat?]

[Well the mana here is too thin! It's already too thin! You've been fine in our commune because the mana is thicker there!]

As Crinis and Tiny move forward and begin to hunt I check my core and notice that he's right! I've started losing MP! This is a big deal since I've been using my sub-brains to draw in mana using external mana manipulation in order to train the skill and it's still not enough! Yikes! I could work a bit harder and maybe be fine, but still, this isn't a good sign.

[You're a second strata creature now, NO MISTAKE MY LAD. I recommend you head there immediately when you've finished your holiday with us! The mana here in the first strata is weak! WEAK I SAY! Every time you go down a strata, there's a qualitative change. You'll see.]

[I guess you're right.]

[Besides, there's a good chance you might be able to find more people such as yourself down there. With a bit of luck they're more sane than Garralosh was!]

-x-X-x-

[The time has come, Crinis! Time to seize your destiny. To elevate yourself to a higher plane. A new tier, if you will. You shall become stronger, more powerful, more excellent in every way. But choices will need to be made. You must navigate the labyrinthine System and make the selections that speak true to you. Be certain of your path and firm in your convictions! What you select matters not, only how you feel about your choices matters. Reach deep inside the infinite void of endless murder that lies within and be true to the self you find there! Do you hear me Crinis!]

[I- I do! Master!]

[Good energy! You've come a long way, Crinis! Tiny and I are proud of you!]

[HRM] Tiny grunts.

[Exactly! We are with you all the way. There is nothing to fear except fear itself! And that fear is something we will fight! On the beaches! And the trenches! Or tunnels, I suppose...]

Dammit, I'm losing it!

[I've got it, Master! Don't worry, I'll be fine.]

[Okay, great!]

Phew. I was really running out of steam there. I need to see if there's a pep-talk skill. Any help I can get would be welcome, because I suck.

[Got your mutations sorted then?]

[Yes.]

[Special core's been absorbed?]

[Yes.]

[Right. Then we are all systems go. Let me just check your core to see if everything's on the up and up.]

So saying, I scuttle up to Crinis and touch my antennae to her shadow flesh.

Name: Crinis

Level: 20 (core) (III)

Might: 90

Toughness: 80

Cunning: 41

Will: 42

HP: 160/160

MP: 230/230

Skills: Expert Shadow Flesh Manipulation Level 15 (III); Expert Grappling Level 12 (III); Expert Shredding Level 16 (III); Greater Tremor Sensing Level 5 (III); Barbaric Dismembering Level 1 (III); Greater Fear Inspiration Level 9 (II); Mana Transformation Level 11 (III); Slick Tentacle Walking Level 4 (III); Advanced Tentacle Fu Level 4 (II); Further External Mana Manipulation level 4 (II); Advanced Shadow Magic Affinity Level 2 (II); Stealth Level 3(I);

Mutations: Armoured Shadow flesh +15; Obliterating Void Maw +15; Endless Dimensional Stomach +15; Legion Tentacles +15; Razor Barbs + 15; Grisly Teeth + 15; Omniscient Mana Sensory Gland +15, Reservoir Shadow Magic Gland +15, Abrupt Shadow Flesh Generator +15; Clear Shadow Eye +15; Masterful Tentacle Conductor +15;

Species: Shadow Murder Orb

Skill points: 27

Biomass: 14

As always, Crinis has been diligent in practicing her skills. All of her magic abilities are progressing at a steady pace, as well as her fighting skills. She should probably emphasise her Shadow Magic Affinity until she can get it to at least the third rank. The real juice starts to come out at around that level. The real difference is the mutations. After eating her fair share of Garralosh, and stuffing her face through the tunnels in the days since, she'd been able to get enough Biomass to max out her mutations, further aiding her evolution.

As I look at her choices, I can tell she's put a lot of thought into it. She fused her Shadow flesh mutations to create a tougher body that would hopefully take a bit more of a beating. She chose to emphasise the disintegrating aspect of her Maw, anything that went in there would start to break down at a fairly rapid clip. Nasty. Fused her stomach and now it truly is starting to get bottomless. Her dividing tentacles were fused and how she's able to produce even more of the damn things. She chose to emphasise the cutting aspect of her barbs and how they are sharp. Should help her cut through sterner defences. The teeth... I don't want to talk about the teeth. They scare me. Her sensory gland was fused, increasing range and granularity of her detection. Her Shadow magic gland was fused, bringing the properties of rapid refilling and greater capacity. The shadow flesh generator now spits the stuff out even faster than before. The Shadow eye was interesting. She chose options to increase the clarity of her shadow sight and then reinforce it. Makes a world of difference, I'm told. As to the tentacle conductor, she surprised me a little. I thought for sure she would increase the number of tentacles it could control, but instead she gave it finer control, allowing the sub-brain to make incredibly fine movements without her having to think about it.

All up, she's done a great job. How far she's come from when she couldn't make a choice for herself at all! Looking at this powerful, intelligent and accomplished pet, my heart is filled with pride. If I could, I would shed a single, manly tear.

[Looks fantastic, Crinis. Go forth! Evolve!]

[Okay!]

Crinis gives her guts pose once more before she slithers into the corner of the pen and falls still. I turn to the ogling audience of Sophos.

[Can she have a little privacy please?]

[WHAT?! OH! OF COURSE, APOLOGIES!]

These guys are incorrigible. I can't find in my heart to get mad at them though. They're just obsessed with pets to a truly unhealthy degree. Helping each other evolve their pets is par for the course around here. To them, I'd the odd one out who wants his pets to evolve themselves and would rather nobody was around.

[I'll wait for you upstairs, Anthony. You can find me at my home.]

[Thanks, Formo. Appreciate it.]

[Not at all!]

Turning on their heels, the small crowd of Sophos walk away, stumbling every now and again as they lose their balance. They really have horrific physical stats. Tiny drags my attention back by rolling over and slapping his hands against the soft leaf matter that makes his bed.

[Bit unhappy are you, eh Tiny?]

[HUFF!] the giant ape snorts and turns his back toward me.

What a baby. I crawl over to him and pat one furry shoulder with my antennae.

[No need to worry about it, big guy. Crinis is just catching up in tier. It was bound to happen eventually. You still have a significant lead in levels. You'll hit tier five long before she does.]

He shrugs his massive shoulders, but I can tell some of the angst is draining out of him.

[Won't be long now and we'll head down to the second strata. Thicker mana down there. Crazier monsters. Who knows what we're going to find, eh? Could be anything! We should be able to find some serious fights, don't you think?]

[GRRRR.]

[That's right! Things will pick up Tiny, don't you worry.]

Somewhat satisfied, the battle mad ape, settles himself and prepares to sleep. For my part, I lower my body to the ground and start to practice my mind magic skills as I wait for Crinis to complete her evolution. For tier four, it should take half a day. I'm very curious to see how she comes out!

-x-X-x-

Of course there's a dodge skill. It's obvious that there would be one. It's a classic skill! One of the very basics. Right up there with 'charge' and 'hit', there is always going to be dodge! I don't remember seeing it in the menu when I first checked the available skills, so it must have unlocked at some point. Perhaps when my stats were high enough, or after I'd successfully avoided an attack from something.

Why the heck didn't I go back and check for dodge? I suppose I've adopted a strategy of allowing myself to get hit for most combatants. What with my incredible, shiny carapace and ability to shift position to maximise the usefulness of said shiny carapace, I've not really needed to dodge. Except when I run into the big powerful stuff, then I really, really needed to.

Grumbling at myself, I purchase the dodge skill. I really need to be a little more diligent in checking for new skills popping up over the course of my battles. There's no prompts, so you never know if something super useful has popped up. Whilst I wait for Crinis to complete her evolution, I pass the mind magic shenanigans over to my sub-brains and peruse the lists looking for more defensive options.

Sure enough, a couple stand out and I purchase them readily.

[Endure: Provides knowledge and instincts to assist absorbing impacts when struck by heavy blows.]

[Grace: Assists the user in maintaining balance when moving or in combat.]

Combined with dodge, these skills should help to elevate my defensive game to a new level! With my future sense and massively heightened reflexes, I should be able to dodge, duck and weave my way out of a lot of trouble! If I'd thought to purchase these skills and level them up I'd have had a much easier time avoiding those reckless charges from Garralosh!

Ah well, no use crying over it.

Actually since, I'm sitting around waiting. I should do a couple of cheeky mutations. Before we advance deeper into the Dungeon, I surely want to upgrade my stomach. If we're going to run into some higher tier enemies, I definitely want to be able secure my fill of that sweet Biomass!

[Do you wish to improve Discerning Stomach +5 to Bottomless Discerning Stomach +10? This will cost 40 Biomass.]

I do! And then for another 65, I'll fuse those two upgrades to achieve the Gluttonous stomach +15! Bwahaha!

Nice!

HURK!

It's okay! I can take it! Just one organ mutating is nothing to me now! A mere stomach. How could that possibly compare to the maddening itch of your very skeleton mutating? Or your muscles?! Bah! I can resist! I'll stand strong!

[Master? Are you alright?]

[GAH! Crinis! I thought you were still evolving?!]

[I'm finished, as you can see.]

It was true. She'd changed very slightly in shape once again. Her evolutions had a tendency to be undramatic on the outside, but a little more show stopping on the inside. This time was no different. Her size has once again seen an increase, she's approaching a beach ball now. She still has eight stubby tentacles and are permanently extended that act as her 'legs' and now she has four slender tentacles that extend equidistant from each other around the circumference of her body, almost like arms.

[Looking good there, Crinis!] I grind out as my stomach continues its metamorphosis. [I hope you're happy with everything that you picked!]

The ball of death shifted from side to side, suddenly shy.

[I believe so, Master. Why don't you check and see what you think?]

[Good idea!] I gasp.

Moving slowly so as not to betray the awful itch tearing up my insides, I stagger jerkily towards Crinis and slap an antennae down on her before she can question my lack of control.

[Right then! Let's have a look!]

Name: Crinis

Level: 1 (Special Core) (IV)

Might: 100

Toughness: 90

Cunning: 56

Will: 57

HP: 180/180

MP: 230/230

Skills: Expert Shadow Flesh Manipulation Level 15 (III); Expert Grappling Level 12 (III); Expert Shredding Level 16 (III); Greater Tremor Sensing Level 5 (III); Barbaric Dismembering Level 1 (III); Greater Fear Inspiration Level 9 (II); Mana Transformation Level 11 (III); Slick Tentacle Walking Level 4 (III); Advanced Tentacle Fu Level 4 (II); Further External Mana Manipulation level 4 (II); Advanced Shadow Magic Affinity Level 2 (II); Stealth Level 3(I);

Mutations: Armoured Shadow flesh +15; Obliterating Void Maw +15; Endless Dimensional Stomach +15; Legion Tentacles +15; Razor Barbs + 15; Grisly Teeth + 15; Omniscient Mana Sensory Gland +15, Reservoir Shadow Magic Gland +15, Abrupt Shadow Flesh Generator +15; Dark Shadow Eye +15; Masterful Tentacle Conductor +15; Tentacle Conductor; Light Sink; Shade Phase Organ;

Species: Gratuitous Killing Sphere

Skill points: 27

Biomass: 14

From the looks of things, Crinis has continued her balanced stat increases. Her stats are still good even when compared to mine. Curse my lowly starting ant stats! I'm starting to overcome that handicap now, but even so, it stings a little. Her organ choices are interesting.

Another Tentacle Conductor? Clearly she's aiming for the ability to control even more tentacles. Considering how many she can manifest, it makes sense. I wonder if she'll stick to the same mutations with this one? Finer control of a smaller number? Or go the opposite way, somewhat improved control over more limbs?

The Light Sink. That's interesting. She seems to be fully pursuing the limits of her shadow nature. This little organ will allow her to absorb light, darkening whatever area she's in. I wager with enough mutations she'll be able to strengthen the effect to the point she's surrounded by complete darkness whenever she wants. A massive advantage for her, since she needs no light to see and indeed, some of her abilities are stronger in the dark.

Lastly, the Shade Phase Organ. Quite the incredible piece of evolutionary gear. If I'm reading this correctly, it'll allow her to move not just her tentacles, but her main body through patches of shadow. A limited teleport, if you will. That could get particularly nasty. Along with the development of her skills, Crinis is ready to take on the second strata!

[Great work Crinis! I'm very proud of you!]

[Thank you, Master. If you've finished mutating we can head upstairs.]

I can hide nothing from them.

-x-X-x-

The second strata has for centuries been known as the place in which true danger begins. The first is considered the realm of the mercenary, the opportunist. Any party with a modicum of organisation and training should be able to eke out a living there. Farming for the smallest of cores and the petty materials that form at such low levels of concentration.

No, the real promise and opportunity of the Dungeon lies below. Where the mana grows thick, and takes on attributes as it is exuded into the air. The second strata, the shadow realm, is the first such challenge. It should not be assumed that only shadow mana can be found here, but it is for sure the thickest. There are other insidious and dark forces at work here. Undead, terrible lightless and cold creatures abound in this layer, making it far more dangerous than the first. But the rewards are commensurately great.

The Dungeon is always fair. Greater risk means greater reward. Cores are more abundant there, not to mention the incredible wealth of attributed minerals and materials. The armour of the Undying Phalanx of Rillex was crafted from metals mined in this layer, the powerful death mana sustained those men beyond what their bodies could endure. Such are the rewards of the deeper delves.

[A shame you couldn't stay longer, old chap! It's been wonderful to make your acquaintance a bit better this time.]

[Likewise, Formo! Your people have been remarkably hospitable. I have only positive things to say! Except for maybe the noise...]

[WHAT?!]

I wince.

[That's it, right there.]

[I suppose you are right. We hardly notice it, you know. Until you pointed it out, I hadn't even considered how we sound to others.]

[Well, how often do you meet other people? I can't imagine you get many visitors down here.]

[Hardly any! Since we were classified as monsters, we get hunted by a lot of opportunistic nincompoops. Those tend to get fed to the worms. There are a few groups still willing to trade with us, but they tend to be considered a little unsavoury by upstairs standards.]

[IGNORANCE!] I shout.

[QUITE SO!] Formo agrees. [Nevertheless, we persevere. Good luck on your journey, young Anthony. I wish the best for your colony.]

[Any chance I could bring some of my core shapers here to learn from you?]

[HO HO! HA! No.]

[Worth a try.]

[No it wasn't. Your kin are more than welcome to come and trade with us, but we don't share all of our secrets so easily.]

[Didn't seem so shy when you were teaching me...]

[We didn't show you nearly everything, boy!]

[Fine, fine. All the best Formo.]

[Farewell, young Anthony.]

Only Formo came to see me off, which is fine. I gather that these sorts of farewells are not a big thing amongst the Sophos. I've had a good time staying here, and I've learned a ton, but it's time to move on. Some might say I've been shirking my duty to the colony, and we can't have that!

Standing in the tunnel somewhere outside the Sophos village, I wave to Formo with one antenna. Naturally they wouldn't see me off from the village, oh no, they had to darken our minds before hauling us out on a worm. At least they were polite this time and didn't knock us out immediately, they asked politely, which is something.

Formo raises one scrawny, shrivelled arm to wave back before he mounts his enormous worm and turns around, moving back down the tunnel.

[Alright then gang. Time to go deeper!]

[Yes, Master!]

[HRAAAAA!]

Tiny matches his mental communication with a rowdy bellow. He's ready to unleash his rage upon more powerful monsters and harvest that rich, succulent xp! And I can't say I blame him. I'm ready for a more serious challenge as well. With Crinis on my back and Tiny thumping the ground by my side with his meaty fists, we set our sights on a new destination.

Using my Tunnel Map, we angle back towards the colony, but with a new twist: we're going down. As the tunnels start to slope downward I can feel excitement building in my heart and relief building in my core. Every metre down thickens the mana in the atmosphere and eases the burden on my newly densified core. My body is thirsty for mana now, I can feel it. Even using my sub-brains to drag the nearby energy into my core is barely enough to sate my appetite. The second strata is calling to me and I'm happy to answer.

Not to mention all of the goodies the Sophos told me about down there. Enriched materials, stronger monster cores are compelling arguments. When we eventually return to the colony, it'll be with a mighty haul of riches, I've no doubt. Before then, we need to amass cores to reinforce ourselves and experience to improve our levels and skills.

We proceed with caution through the Dungeon. The after effects of the wave are still being felt here in the form of monsters who were spawned in the height of the wave or made their way up and are now surrounded by monsters who aren't their match. Most of what we encounter are just the usual first strata dross, not nearly able to match up to us, but every now and again we come across a nasty shadow creature or evolved beast which means we need to progress carefully.

I let Tiny and Crinis fight for the most part, both of them need more experience than I do, but I take more than my fair share of the Biomass. I need a heck of a lot of the stuff now, post evolution and I'm going to make sure I max everything before I evolve again.

It takes days for us to shift our away across since we move laterally more than we do vertically, but soon enough we come to a place where the narrow, craggy tunnel opens up to a wide, wide passage before us. Immediately I can smell a change in the mana in the air. We're close!

-x-X-x-

The air tickles against my mana sense, a new sensation, like a pool of shadow lapping against my mind. There's something else that's off about this tunnel. It's too... civilised. The usual crags and stony pillars that jut upwards or downwards are curiously absent. It's almost as if someone had curated this section of tunnel to make it more palatable to move through.

Oh snap!

Have we come across another travelled section of tunnel that the humans use? Or does someone else live around here? I can't rule it out. It's time to engage stealth mode! Which I have to say, I'm not nearly as good at now, given my size... It's better than nothing!

[You guys hang here for a minute. I need to go and explore this tunnel to make sure it's safe.]

[Hurr?] Tiny grunts.

[No we can't just fight everything. If we run into those Legion guys, they'll be more trouble than we need right now. Use your head.]

[Harr!]

[Yes, I was a bit harsh there, I apologise.]

For an ape so thick that his skull might have been condensed in the heart of a neutron star, which itself was the bastard child of another, even more dense neutron star, he really could inject plenty of emotion into a grunt.

Crinis, ever obedient and eager to please, was happy to hop off my back but I'm certain she's planning on keeping an eye on me with her mana senses. Time to engage stealth mode! Come on Grip Skill! Strain! My claws groan as I start my journey up the wall, my vastly increased mass causing all sorts of trouble. With a bit of effort I make my way to the ceiling of the cavern and start snooping along down the side of the cavern.

With every step the mana thickens and changes, my legs drink it in from the walls and my core soaks in it, recharging at a rapid pace. Nice! We must be close now. This tunnel is truly massive. It gapes, more than a hundred metres wide and easily more than twenty metres tall. It's quite the drop from up here, even for me. But fortune favours the bold, forward Anthony! Go boldly! Where no Formica Sapiens has gone before!

Yes. The further out into the tunnel I travel, the more clear the signs of civilised intervention is. The floor of the tunnel hasn't been carved into stairs, but it's clearly been flattened and smoothed out, especially in the middle. Perhaps some kind of road? I'm intrigued!

Slowly and carefully I shuffle forward step by painful step, even gaining a new level in Grip along the way. Which helps, but not much. Damn. I've got six legs, I should know to never skip leg day! Tough it out, Anthony! Breathe through it!

A few hundred metres down I spot something that makes me do a double take. It's a wall. Normally not cause for a whole lot of excitement, but when I say wall I mean an actual, constructed wall. I might not have noticed it if I hadn't noticed the smooth curve as it met the tunnel wall on the other side. Bless you, eye mutations. All of those itches were worth it!

Like a stalking tiger, which is actually an ant and upside down, I creep forward one leg at a time. I've learned since the last time I snuck up on a guard post, they have monster detecting crystals. Considering I can detect a few small critters creeping about, suspiciously few, to be honest, I don't think they know I'm here already, but I don't want to get much closer.

Instead, I creep around the perimeter long enough to establish that this isn't some tiny guard post but rather a more substantial fort-like structure. I can see a rampart, a gate, narrow windows for the firing out of. What I don't see is any people hanging around, but to be honest, I don't need to. I've seen enough!

Time to hightail it out of here! Stealthily...

I turn and sneak my way back to my waiting pets. Tiny is asleep and Crinis is quite anxious. Typical.

[We have an issue guys.]

[What is it, Master?]

[The way forward is guarded by a big ass fort.]

[HARR!]

[One we won't attack you abs for brains!]

[How we will proceed then?]

[We will do as any good ant should! Prepare the digging formation!]

What else would an ant do? All problems can be solved through the power of digging! The tunnel won't even have to be that long. A couple of hundred metres and I should be able to pop out past the fort and home free to the second strata! Gweheheh.

The deep calm of ant zen washes over me as my face hands get busy in the soil and rock. With my tunnel map, it's trivial to angle our little tunnel to curve so that it will meet up with the main passage past the fort. Post evolution, all that extra power I have goes a long way to speeding up the digging process. My mandibles dig huge grooves out of the dirt, crushing rock with ease and making rapid progress. Tiny and Crinis take up position behind me and haul the dirt out. Tiny with his massive ape hands and Crinis with her hundreds of tentacles are able to scoop and shove the loose material behind us at a rapid pace.

At this speed we'll be through in less than a day! Muahahahaha! Stupid fort! Did you really think you could stop me?

-x-X-x-

Diggy-Diggy Dig!

It's digging time! My soul is soothed and my very being is suffused with peaceful serenity as I get busy chomping my way through the dirt and soil. The going is slower than I'd thought it would be, I'd underestimated the increased tunnel size required to fit my newfound bulk through. It really is quite discombobulating (is that a Sophos'ism?) to have ones' body change to such a massive degree. I'm more than double the size I was just one evolution ago. For my next evolution, which should be far away, I think I'll be focusing less on increasing my size and more on density. There should be a heap of easy gains to be had there since I enlarged myself so drastically last time.

Still, such thoughts melt away as I dig. They are transient, as the dirt is transient. With our labour and efforts, such things can be moved, they can be shifted, made light by the work of our face hands. Indeed, the only truth we find is that which we unearth for ourselves. Dig, for peace. Dig, for truth. No matter the reason, dig!

Time flows by and I'm truly disappointed to find that my time carving out this tunnel has come to an end as the rock crumbles before my chomping mandibles, opening up to reveal a dark, dark, cavern. Poking my head through I can see the other side of the fort some two hundred metres away on my right. The gate is more clearly visible from here, a tough looking steel grating covers even more imposing banded gates. The fort is built into the wall of the cavern itself, its stone walls curving to meet the cavern rock on either side. The ground leading downward toward where I currently spy from has been cleared away to allow clear sight lines and make it impossible to sneak up. Thankfully they weren't that thorough on the uphill side.

Well, it's none of my concern. I'm in the clear!

[We're through. Let's go guys! Second strata here we come!]

The excitement is real as Crinis and Tiny help me rip away the last of the stones and we tumble out into the main cavern. With barely a moment to pause and gather our balance, we bound forward into the dark. And it's dark for real. The light seems to sputter weakly throughout the cavern as we race forward, trying to put some distance between us and the fort.

Hugging one side of the rocky cavern walls, my antennae detect strange movement amongst the deepening shadows. Flitting forms dart about on the edges of my sight in an unnerving way. The other thing my antennae notice, is that it's getting bleedin' cold! With every step the temperature is dropping and my heat detection is falling away. Even the hints of creatures that I see seem to give off barely any heat.

Come to think of it, does Crinis? I swivel my temperature awareness back to the enlarged blob riding on my back. Sure enough, as the heat leeches out of the air her temperature has fallen down to practically nothing.

[You cold, Crinis?]

[Uh, no?]

[How about you Tiny?]

[Cold,] he grunts.

He actually spoke a word?! He must feel very strongly about it to manage to squeeze out actual language! That tells me I'm onto something here.

Another hundred metres down the tunnel we come to the tipping point. The tunnel curves down sharply here, as much as forty-five degrees, and before us is what I can only describe as a shoreline. Except it isn't water that eddies and swirls before my feet, but something else entirely. It's like a mist, or a fog that hugs the ground, except thicker, brought almost to the point of being liquid. It stretches out before us and seems to go on forever down the tunnel. I think this is the official border. Formo had told me I'd notice the change when I got to it, and here it is. Tentative, I dip one claw into the stuff. Just for a second.

Cold!

It's like freaking ice! I snatch my limb back and the dark air seems to cling to it for a second before settling back down to its normal calm, unruffled swirling. You know, I knew it would be dark. But I didn't expect the cold. We're going deeper into the ground, shouldn't it be getting warmer?! This doesn't make any sense. But then again, it is mana. Who am I to tell it what it can and can't do?

Nothing for it. I'm not going to let a chill stop me from progressing on my path to adventure, awesome and colony world domination!

[Come on team, let's go!]

Leading boldly, I push forward, plunging down into the Second Strata. Immediately the cold washes over me, and as soon as my head pokes through the surface layer, I can appreciate just what the Shadow layer is all about. Dang it's dark! Where the heck is the light from the mana veins? That comforting blue glow I've relied on for so long?! I bring my head closer to the wall and to my shock I realise that the mana veins are still there, but no longer do they pulse with soothing blue mana, but black shadow magic now flows through the Dungeon's veins!

[Oooh, this is nice!] Crinis croons from my back.

I can feel her stretching her tentacles and her powerful flex as they reach out into the cold, dark air.

[This must feel like coming home in a way. How do you like the air here?]

[It's invigorating! I feel like I'm connected to every inch of space down here!]

I suppose that makes sense, since this place is so damn dark and completely saturated with the kind of mana she uses to reach through shadows. I wonder, does that mean that other shadow beasts are able to do the same? I don't like the sound of that!

I try to scry the dark tunnel with my eyes, but they just aren't doing much for me down here. I'm starting to get a little nervous. My heat sensing antennae are almost useless, my eyes are in the same useless senses boat. How the heck am I supposed to navigate? There could be shadow monsters reaching out of thin air to poke me in the eyes right now!

Quick! Mana sense! I mentally snap on the skill and I'm relieved to find that it works just dandy here the second layer. The thick mana in the air floods my senses, but just like eyes underwater, the sense still works, just not perfectly. Looks like I'll be grinding this Skill for the time being. Let's press forward!

-x-X-x-

Although cold and dark in extreme ways, it'll be nice when the colony expands down to conquer this place. A new terrain, a new frontier that shall submit to the superior power of the ant. I feel a little guilty leaving the family behind, but things were a little weird there after my evolution. The whispers I was hearing, the reverence I was starting to get, it didn't quite sit right with me. It seemed like a good time for a little separation. Perhaps after some time apart the strange atmosphere that was taking over up there will dissipate. And maybe I'll be able to figure out what exactly being a colony paragon entails. I'm a 'juvenile' after all. I can suppose that when I next evolve, I'll be given the option for 'mature' colony paragon. That may be the rare evolution, or perhaps even a normal one. What'll that entail? I already have the communal will gland, weird flesh crystal that it is. Do I get another? Or something else? And the strange whispers that I heard. What the heck was that about? I don't want to think about it too much, I shy away from the implications. I'll have to face up to it at some point I suppose.

But not now! Right now, we have a new world to explore! And what a strange place it is!

It's been curiously quiet, activity-wise, as we continue to descend quite sharply into the second strata, With every second that passes my mana sense grows a little more accustomed to navigating this swirling mass of dark mana. It's almost like navigating through a storm. Instead of hail and sleet pelting down from above, it's the ebb and flow of Shadows that twirl like mist caught in a breeze. Except there's no wind down here. Spooky. I start to feel like I'm underwater, plunged into a Shadow Sea.

And the landscape begins to change as we progress. The rocks become strange, for one. They twist and curve in strange directions. Instead of normal stalagmites and stalactites they create an eerie geometry. Sharp angles and unexpected curves create shapes that cannot be found in any nature I subscribe to. The beginnings of an ecosystem are popping up amongst the rocks.

As we skitter along, Tiny trundling next to me, the great ape's shoulders shrug uncomfortably as he eyes the tunnel with unease. On my back, Crinis still appears to be having the time of her life. Her newer 'arm' tentacles wave happily in the air, almost as if they were trailing through the thickening shadow magic, or as if she were waggling her 'fingers' in it.

At our tread, small shifts of movement amongst the rocks are the first thing that clues me into a new form of monstrous life here. I skitter a little closer and I'm stunned by what I see. It almost looks like a coral. From the stone floor, at first it appears like a small rock formation, maybe basketball size, but tiny fronds emerge from holes in the rock to trail gently in the air. It would almost be adorable, if not for the staring eyes that tip half of the stalks, and the mouths full of razor fangs that top the others. When I draw near, the gently waving fronds retract into the stone in an instant, all that remains is a seemingly innocent junk of stone with indistinct holes.

Well, provided they don't get any larger than that, I don't anticipate this thing being a problem. Wait, did I just curse myself?

As I ponder just how horrifying a massive version of this creature would be, a sudden shift in the twisting shadows around me snags my attention. To my mana sense, it looks as if small whirlpools appear spinning in mid-air. To my eyes, I don't see a thing. What a curious thing...

Then five shadow beasts leap out of the air.

[Holy moly! Enemy attack!]

I shout to my allies, uncertain if they are wise to the danger and in Tiny's case I can see I was right. The ape looks confused as his head swivels left and right, trying to see. Crinis is, of course, right in her element. More sensitive to the changes in the mana than I am, her tentacles are already in air and snaking towards these beasts as they begin to fall towards us.

I can sense the slash coming before it even occurs and my reflexes are absurdly fast, twisting my body to the side and presenting the perfect angle of carapace to the shadow claws that strike down from the lead beast. Sparks fly from the diamond carapace, unmatched under heaven for both hardness, and sparklyness.

The beast snarls, its twisted maw of rubbery shadow flesh grimaces as its surprise attack is foiled. Too late for regret, creature! Experience my mandibles of power!

CHOMP!

Too lazy to even activate an attack skill I snap out with my mandibles, fully expecting the rending of shadow flesh between my snapping jaws, shock strikes as my jaws snap shut. Even though I saw it happen, I'm not sure I believe it! The Shadow beast absorbed it's leg inside its body and just extended it out again in a different position! They can do that?!

Since when?!

[Something is weird! Smash them!]

"ROOOAAAAA!"

Tiny bellows in rage as one of the beasts swoops down and rakes its claws along his back, drawing blood. Unwilling to take it, his lips peel back to reveal his sharp bat fangs and his massive hands sweep through the air. One creature is unfortunate enough to land within that meaty palm and with a shout of joy Tiny clenches his fist, securing his victim. It isn't pretty. After he brings the monster up in front of his face to roar at it, Tiny rears back to smash the beast into the ground with all his strength. No coming back from that one. I don't care what type of fancy tricks they have.

The strange, slippery abilities the monsters are displaying are giving Crinis some trouble. Every time her tentacles latch onto one, they morph and reform their bodies to escape. But she learns quick. Multiple limbs start to reach for each creature, latching on in several places at once. The beasts aren't able to shift themselves fast enough before the barbs emerge and begin to rend them apart.

After that, it isn't long before we clean up the last of the beasts. The fight was instructive. It's clear that the shadow monsters will enjoy advantages here that they don't otherwise. I wonder what else will crop up?

-x-X-x-

[Remember why we came down here guys?]

[To escape our responsibilities?]

[No! Crinis, what the hell?!]

[Sorry, Master! I- I thought you said -]

[Never mind what I said! Those are things we keep between us. Special secrets that we never utter out loud.]

[But we aren't talking out loud?]

[Besides the point! No, let's focus on the other important reasons we're here.]

Crinis raises one of her thin tendrils to scratch herself on the top of her sphere.

[Well. We're here so you can absorb mana and survive long term...]

[Mission accomplished on that front. My core is ticking along great down here.]

[Wonderful!] Crinis considers again for a moment. [We also came to get experience and Biomass for Tiny and myself.]

[Right. Since we don't get much experience up above, or Biomass, we should find more challenging, highly evolved monsters down here.]

[And we want to scout out the strata for the colony, since the Queen will need to come down here eventually.]

[She will, and soon.]

[And you wanted to try and find traces of others like you.]

[Correct! More like myself and Garralosh. According to the Sophos, there are a few of us down there in the depths. I'd love to hear what they've been up to, so long as they managed to hold onto a little sanity.]

I think for a moment.

[Does it bother you that I was from another world and resurrected here as a monster, Crinis?]

[No? Why would it?]

[Uh. I have no idea. Perhaps you would think I wasn't a proper monster since I used to be a human?]

[Pfft. Master? Not a proper monster? Surely you're joking with me!]

Eh?

[What do you mean?]

[Come now, Master. I don't think you'll find another monster that's as strong...]

Well I mean, that's true.

[... or as wise...]

I am known far and wide for my great wisdom, it's true!

[... or as savage...]

Natura- ... wait, what now?

[... as cruel and relentless...]

Hold on, really?!

[... merciless and ambitious as my Master!]

[That's really how you think of me?]

[Of course!]

Ouch. That's some serious psychological damage you're inflicting there Crinis. You don't even realise it, either. Actually, somehow that makes it worse. Am I really that nasty? I mean, I've done some stuff, but cruel? Savage?! I'm not confident that Crinis' views can be trusted on this one. She has a strange slant sometimes. In my mind I'm a perfectly lovable ant monster.

We finish munching on the Biomass of the defeated Shadow Beasts and I'm interested when a notification pings from the System.

[Master profile of the Dark Ghoul unlocked.]

Oh? I've not checked in on my unlocked profiles for a long time, but Formo did say that the master profile was a way of peering into the mind of the Dungeon itself. Which he seemed to think was important. There's no harm in it, so I may as well take a look.

Idly munching I bring up the full profile for the.. Dark Ghoul.

Master Profile:

[Tenebris Pallidi: Dark Ghoul, A Shadow Affinity monster with powerful claws and tricky movement. Beware the Shadows.]

Might: 56

Toughness: 33

Cunning: 15

Will: 18

Current Evaluation:

The Dark Ghoul is an iterated version of early base design Shadow Creatures. Despite the age and relatively crude design, the Pallidi has proven to be an enduring monster archetype, the Shadow variant particularly so. Perturbations were introduced to the evolutionary tree of the creature this cycle to attempt to find a better pathway to carry forward, as higher tier versions haven't lived up to the base monster's efficiency.

Interesting. So it seems these Dark Ghouls have been around for a long time, since the Dungeon finds them to be successful monsters, but the evolved versions are underwhelming? I've yet to see much of the evolved versions of this monster. No doubt I'll run into plenty down here. Not that I want to do too much fighting just yet. I think it'll be better if Tiny and I can acclimate to the conditions in this strata a bit before we go too crazy.

To that end, I decide it may be best if we leave this main passageway and explore a few side tunnels. We're less likely to run into any big bads, or stumble into an expanse if we stick to the smaller passages. If we use the body analogy, these big tunnels are the main arteries that connect the organs, or expanses, together. The smaller tunnels are like capillaries, the little veins that are useful for hiding and settling smaller monsters in. Sadly, I no longer fit in all of these but there are some that are larger than the others and I can get around alright.

I direct the team to the left wall, dodging around some more weird corals and I stop when I feel something wrap around my leg. Not feeling too threatened I look down and notice the waving fronds another small plant like thing. It almost appears like seaweed. Long and wide leaves that float through the air as if we were underwater. I didn't notice them since this specimen seems quite small, less than a metre tall, just enough to wrap up the tip of one of my legs.

I pull my leg free with ease but when I do, a sharp stab of cold pierces into me. Ouch! What the heck was that?! Bringing my eyes closer for a better look, I spy small needle points line the edges of the fronds. It appears this stupid plant stabbed me! If only my legs were as tough as the rest of me...

I will have vengeance. Without mercy I turn and unleash a blast of acid at the offending seaweed and watch with satisfaction as it bubbles away to nothing. Still, checking my HP I notice that I've only taken a single point of damage from that strike, but the cold feeling remains, as if ice were injected in my veins. Poison is a strong possibility here.

[Crinis?]

[Yes, Master?]

[Could you cut the end of my leg off?]

[!?]

[Please?]

Protesting, but not as strongly as I'd expected she would, Crinis wraps the stinging leg in one tentacle and her barbs do the rest. Thankfully I can regenerate half a leg in no time flat. Ten minutes later and we are back on the move, wary of poison plant things.

Within another ten minutes we locate a side tunnel with enough headroom to accommodate Tiny and myself, so we plunge forth. The narrower space gives a sense of comfort in this lightless environment and I feel a little more secure, less worried about creatures springing from nowhere.

At least the - Oh god! Creepy spider!