Chapter 736 - Straight out of the ranch
It was with no small amount of pride that Sloan watched the first shipment of Biomass and cores come in from the newly established farm around the nest. Thirty soldiers, each carrying a full mandible load, as well as being weighed down with bags slung over their backs. It was tiring and difficult work, one that the ants performed with joy and pride, especially this group. All the Biomass being hauled currently was destined for the academy, to allow the hatchlings to evolve with full upgrades.
"Finally, some results for all of that work," Cobalt looked exceptionally pleased as she stood next to the general watching the soldiers run by. "The carvers were pushed to the limits of their endurance, but it was worth it to see this happen. I've heard they're already starting to harvest some cores as well."
"Already?" Sloan was a little surprised. Monsters could only form cores when the concentration of mana within their bodies reached a certain point. She had expected it to take longer for the requisite mana to accrue within the farms, even if they had installed a carefully controlled irrigation system to ensure that infused water was available in each of the farming chambers.
"Yes," Cobalt confirmed, "I heard Bella gushing about it earlier, though I'm not sure how many of those cores she expects to see considering that Eldest wants the academy graduates to reach tier four."
Even now most hatchlings weren't able to evolve with full cores from the second to third tier. Getting enough cores to max every ant from third to fourth? A pipe dream. Even so, the Eldest was determined and despite everything that happened, they were usually right when they insisted on things like this.
"Bella and Ellie have approached me about another idea to get more cores," Sloan said, "they want to send small groups of core shapers outside of our territory to obtain resources."
"Is that safe?"
The general shrugged.
"Safer for them than for any other caste. Every one of them has two or three pets that they can use to fight, which means two of them pairing up actually brings four to six combatants who each need cores, Biomass and experience to be effective. They won't get any of those things if they hang around here, we need every scrap for the hatchlings. I approved the idea; they've already started heading out."
Cobalt just shook her head.
"Things are moving fast right now," she muttered, and Sloan had to agree.
The end of the siege was only a week ago and the Colony had been working furiously ever since to get the farming project up and running as fast as possible whilst also building up their defences, holding off the wave, training an unprecedented number of hatchlings and ramping up their industry in all respects. It felt as if the Eldest were targeting their limits with laser-like precision with these projects, yet Sloan didn't think that much thought went into it. Not that she'd ever say that out loud, or where the Eldest would find out.
The two council members enjoyed a few moments of quiet as they watched their family rushing about on the thousands of tasks that needed doing, enduring the occasional pheromone message of "Slackers!" or "Stop being lazy!". It was only when they saw a large scout blazing a trail through the many other ants on the trails that they perked up and called out.
"Burke! Where are you off to in such a rush?" Tungstant called out.
The scout stuttered to a stop, her legs pumping hard to slow her momentum before coming to rest in front of the two of them.
"Just had word from an outlying scout relay that the Eldest has been spotted on the way back. I was rushing to get word back to the council."
Sloan and Tungstant both sagged a little with relief at the news, none more so than Sloan. She was the one to crack and tell the Eldest to get out of the nest and keep levelling, only for their mentor to up and disappear for five days! Rather than hang around just outside the defensive line like Sloan had assumed they would, the Eldest had merrily plunged into the Dungeon without so much as a backward glance, during a WAVE. Tier six they might be but that was surely just madness!
So, it had been that the entire Colony had been on edge as the days ticked by with no word about the fate of the Eldest. Sloan had noticed she'd been getting some none too friendly glares as she moved in the tunnels recently and she was more than pleased that particular ordeal would be over.
"Any idea how far away they are?" Sloan asked. "Not too far I hope?"
"Nope!" Burke chuckled, eyeing the general off with amus.e.m.e.nt. "Shouldn't be more than ten minutes behind me. From what I hear the Eldest is after a rest."
Not surprising since they'd just returned from plunging headfirst into the Dungeon during a wave! At least Vibrant hadn't done anything that crazy. As far as they knew she was still rushing from one checkpoint to the next, lending a hand and then vanishing into the distance before anyone thought to ask where she was going next. Her evolution had only made things worse, increasing her speed to the point it was dizzying to even try to keep up with her.
A general buzz of activity and excitement started to build in the chamber as word got around that the Eldest was on their way back to the Colony and would be here shortly. Ants started to rush, trying to get through their work faster so they could come back and see the glorious return of the strongest member of the Colony, an odd sort of behaviour that Tungstant didn't remember seeing much before.
Had something changed? Or as the Colony grew, did the reverence reserved for the very oldest of their number simply become magnified. The number of ants who'd never met or seen the Eldest certainly increased day by day, increasing the aura of mystique around them, so to speak. She puzzled over this question as the hubbub grew and then, suddenly and without fanfare, a giant ant pushed through the tunnel and into the wide chamber followed by the guardians.
They looked rough. The gleaming diamond carapace of the Eldest was dirty and chipped in places, their antennae looked like they desperately needed a clean and it was obvious to those who were watching that they were tired, their movements a little sluggish. The great ape looked even worse, a mass of injuries and filth that caked over each and every part of armour still strapped to his body. The shadow looked much the same as always, her darkness impeccably clean and without stain. The eye was similarly clean, though several small injuries marred his tiny body.
It was with some trepidation that Sloan stepped forward to greet the Eldest on their return.
"Welcome back!" she said. "I hope everything went well?"
The Eldest blearily swung their antennae about for a moment before realizing who had spoken.
"Ah! Sloan. Fine. Everything was fine! I'm just tired. The third strata is crazy, you've gotta see it to believe it. Biomass for days down there if we can get it. Anyways, sleep. Bye."
Having said their piece, the Eldest continued to stumble onward toward a resting chamber, a thousand ants watching them go. The moment their hero had left the room, it was back to business for the masses of Colony members, and they rushed to their tasks with renewed enthusiasm.
Sloan was stunned.
"Did they say... third strata?" she muttered.
Tungstant and Burke nodded, not trusting their pheromones to properly reply.
"What sort of madness would inspire you to go to the third strata IN A WAVE?!" the general wailed.
-x-X-x-
Getting back to the nest helped a lot with my physical exhaustion, washing the fatigue from my limbs and easing the pain in my muscles, but the mental fatigue is still there weighing me down and after five days of almost continuous fighting, even the impressive constitution of a tier six monster is barely enough to keep me going. Even Tiny has no fight left in him by the time we make it back inside the defensive wall of the nest, stumbling forward like a punch-drunk boxer, the lights almost entirely out in his eyes.
Crinis has been asleep for a while now, just latching onto my carapace and falling asleep the moment she can, whereas Invidia is having trouble keeping himself in the air, his small wings flapping with more energy than usual to correct his frequent dips and lurches as he zones in and out.
All in all, the trip to the third strata was a success, but it nearly killed us a couple of times, which was less than ideal. From what I gathered from the troops stationed at the walls, our intervention was very keenly felt across a wide area along the deepest edge of the Colony's territory, which is gratifying to hear. Including all the experience, Biomass and cores we accrued over the journey, as well as the intelligence we gathered regarding the third strata, I would have to qualify our adventure as a rousing success.
By the time we reach our chambers inside the inner part of the nest, all four of us have had it. Collapsing into a pile of carapace, fur, and a giant eye, we fall into slumber immediately, the relaxing grace of torpor falling over me and dragging my mind into the void to rest. Until...
MOVSLAJAGGA!
I'm up!
Awareness rushes back to me and I spring up onto my legs, my mind refreshed and my body completely awash with energy. The thoughts, hopes and wishes of the thousands, tens of thousands of my kind in the nest pouring into me and bubbling up as a mass of spiritual power that, for a moment, threatens to overwhelm me completely. I grapple with it for a moment, my Will straining until I succeed in shoving it into the background, the roar of the Colony fading back to a dull murmur.
What the heck was that?!
It's never behaved like that before... Is it the acc.u.mulated desires of my siblings that piled up when I was resting? Are the members of the Colony just impressing more of their will onto me than usual? Are there just more ants around here than I was expecting as their numbers reacted with my new Vestibule? For a moment I'm tempted to ask for advice from Granin and co about the issue, but after thinking on it for a moment I decide not to. It isn't that I don't trust the golgari trio, but I feel the need to keep some of my cards close to the carapace. Also, there's just something odd about the Vestibule and Nave and the way they interact with the rest of my kind that makes me a little hesitant to spread the word around. They just seem so different from anything else I've seen from other monsters that I sometimes wonder if I'm the only monster in the Dungeon who would have an evolution like this.
Everyone I've ever spoken to says insect monsters tend to not reach tier five or six, so it might be entirely possible.
Ah well, something to worry about another day. I rouse Tiny, Crinis and Invidia, who wake with some reluctance, especially Tiny, before charging out of the chambers and into the nest in order to go about our day. So much to do, so much to see! As always, it's go, go, go in the nest, with ants rushing hither and thither on their innumerable tasks following the dozens of scent trails that lead to every destination in our territory. Such is the hubbub that it takes longer than expected to make our way to our destination, but eventually we find our way to the Core Shapers workshop to find Bella and Ellie busy arranging their caste in numerous teams.
There are thirty ants gathered into groups of three when we arrive, each lined up neatly and listening to Bella give a grand speech on their mission. She stumbles to a halt when I arrive and I suddenly find myself the centre of attention as each of them turns their attention to me.
"Uh... hi. Don't stop on account of me!" I wave an antenna awkwardly.
"Nonsense Eldest," Ellie rushes over to welcome me. "How nice of you to visit us when you are so busy. You haven't stumbled across any other revolutionary core shaping techniques on your latest outing by any chance?" she gushes, stars practically gleaming in her eyes.
"No," I crush her dreams immediately, "but I did bring you a couple of gifts."
[Crinis?]
From my back, Crinis extends a tentacle that arches back until it plunges into her own mass, fishing around for a few moments until emerging with a small cache of cores gripped in a curl of shadow flesh.
"A small selection of demon cores fresh from the third strata!" I proclaim as Crinis hands them over to a suddenly reverent Ellie, who grips the spheres in her mandibles as if they were precious diamonds. "We weren't able to grab many, things were a little hectic down there, but here is what we got."
"Thank you, Eldest!" Bella exclaims. "We've been given a few demon cores from the outer defences, but they've been trickling in. To have some directly from the source will be most useful to our research!"
"Glad to see they've gone to a good home. All the best you two!"
After waving goodbye to the two core shapers and their somewhat awestruck audience, we move on to another section of the nest for another visit that needs to be checked off the list. I find Granin and his group engaged in tea-time with Enid, surprisingly enough. The three oversized rock-people look a touch out of place in the neatly furnished rooms of the mayor, their cups of tea appearing comically small in their large hands.
[Anthony,] Granin rumbles in my mind, [nice to see you made it back in one piece.]
[Did you know that the third strata was like that?] I demand. [It's freakin' hot down there!]
He raises one stone carved eyebrow.
[People are more commonly disturbed by the idea of the entire surface of our world being supported by rocky pillars. But sure, yes, it's very hot]
[Also that! What the heck is going on there?! You cannot possibly tell me those rocks are strong enough to hold up the gojillions of tons above them!?]
[Nice to see you too Anthony,] Enid says as she takes a long sip of her tea.
Ah.
[Sorry Enid, my manners have totally gone begging. How's things been with you? I trust Renewal is doing well?]
[Well enough,] she laughs, [don't mind me, I'm just getting old and fussy. Although, as we're speaking of it, is there a chance you could make an appearance on the surface? It would be wonderful to show you what we've achieved up there.]
Go to the surface? As tier six?
[Uh... I'm not sure - ]
Before I even finish the sentence, I can see the disappointment flicker in the old woman's eyes.
[There's a wave on, lad,] Granin reminds me.
[Oh right. Would that be enough though?]
He shrugs.
[If the three of us tag along and help channel mana for you, I think you'd be able to manage for a little bit. You'll need to wait until the wave reaches its peak.]
It seems like a bit of a pain, but sure. Enid has done a lot for me and the Colony, I don't mind humouring her.
[Alright then, Enid,] I say, [you heard the man. When the mana levels peak, I'll try to sneak up there for a tour. Sound good?]
She puts her tea down to clap her hands together, her smile wide and eyes shining.
[Wonderful,] she says, [the people will be so pleased. Now please, continue your conversation.]
[Why are you interrupting me anyway?] Granin demands gruffly. [I'm trying to have some tea. Where the heck did you even get tea anyway?]
[I think we stole most of it from the golgari... I'm actually in need of a consult. Got some time?]
[For you?]
[Obviously not,] I jerk my antennae back toward Tiny and Crinis behind me. [For those two.]
-x-X-x-
Discussions with Granin take a few hours as we discuss and weigh the different possibilities that may await my two pets upon their evolution to the sixth tier. Neither of them has reached the required level as of yet, but their mutations are close to maxed out and I thought it prudent to draw on Granin's wisdom earlier rather than later. Since he and I are both in the nest right now, may as well make the most of it.
Torrina and Corun are eager to pitch in, offering their own suggestions which are weighed and measured by their senior before he gives his own opinion on them. As the time passes, we narrow down on the better choices for the pair of monsters, Crinis listening intently whilst Tiny sleeps in the corridor.
[One thing you must do,] Granin stresses repeatedly, [is raise Tiny's intelligence so he can use the manual evolution menu before he evolves. It'll cost him a good amount of Might, but he can gain that back and more when he goes through with it. Normally for pets like this you would develop the pet Skill tree a little more to the point that you are able to handle their evolutions for them,] he raised a hand to cut off my protest, [... but I know that you don't feel comfortable making all their decisions for them. That's why bumping him up to the point he can do the manual evolution by himself is the only choice. The records on Lightning Fist Ape evolutions are thin and I'm probably one of the few who's even bothered to look into them, which I did after you left. As you suspect, they're so feisty, and stupid, that they basically never survive to make it to tier three. Those that do are strong, but are even dumber. The cult had never seen a tier four variant according to what I read.]
This and many other points were discussed before we waved goodbye to Enid and the three golgari. Time is precious right now and we can't afford to be away from the front lines for long. The job before the Colony is pretty straight forward right now: ride out the wave whilst dragging in all the resources we possibly can. For myself, that means getting Tiny and Crinis to tier six, as well as levelling up my bodyguards to tier five. The collective experience needed is massive and it's going to take a heck of a lot of grinding to get the job done. Which means we need to get back to it.
Rushing through the nest, it isn't long until we find ourselves the centre of attention as we move through the masses of ants. We do stick out a touch, my pets and I. Since evolving to tier six, I've increased substantially in size, whilst most of my siblings remain at tier three. It's no exaggeration to say that they could safely walk beneath my abdomen with only their antennae brushing against my carapace, that's how large I've gotten. It reminds me of when I met the Queen for the first time, except now I'm the one towering over hordes of much smaller insects. Having my family members looking up to me in the literal and figurative sense is a touch overwhelming if I let myself dwell on it, so I don't.
The whispers are always there, however. No matter how much I try to shut them out, a trickle always seeps through. As we run, I open myself up to them and I'm suddenly flooded by the inpouring of spirit from the Colony. Trying to steady myself, I reach out with my mind to touch the edge of this energy, to get a sense of their thoughts without getting overwhelmed. Dipping in one leg, I can feel the voices of hundreds of members of the Colony, their Will echoing in my mind. After steadying myself for a moment, it's actually kind of nice, even if I feel as though I'm eavesdropping in some way. Most of the thoughts I hear are devoted entirely to growing the Colony and making it more prosperous, of helping, of being useful.
The smith who toils on her projects, hoping to protect her siblings in battle.
The brood tender who raises the young with care and loving attention, raising the next generation as best she can so that the Colony may flourish.
The soldier patrolling the tunnels, defending the nest and protecting her siblings.
The worker, transporting food to the Queen's chamber, eager to do the work that will feed the growth of her family.
The mage fighting on the walls, using her magic to fend off the ever oncoming waves of enemies, her heart never wavering in the face of danger.
The miner digging minerals and ore, her mandibles working without rest despite the chaos of fighting around her.
All of their experiences flow through me and for a moment I feel as though I were them and all of them were me, lost in the collective of my family. It was an overwhelming feeling of togetherness, the sense of belonging I had experienced being amongst this caring group magnified a hundredfold. It was almost addictive and I found myself brushing around the edges of the stream of the energy flowing into me, experiencing the Will of hundreds of different Colony members at a time.
[Master?]
[Eh?]
Only when Crinis' voice echoed in my head did I come back into myself.
[Sorry, what's up Crinis?]
[You'd gone still, Master. For a few minutes now. I was wondering if there was anything wrong, I'm sorry if I disturbed you...]
[Really? That long?] I feel a little chilled. [No, you did the right thing. If I zone out like that again, feel free to speak to me, alright?]
[I will, Master,] she replies, happy to be praised.
Yeesh. The more I learn about the Vestibule and it's new addition, the Nave, the less I understand them. Having the Vestibule reformed using Soul Crystal has magnified the effect the organ has massively. Not only is the energy I receive vastly more than what I took in before, so too is the purity and clarity of Will. Being able to dip into it and experience the flowing thoughts and impressions of the Colony is not something I expected. Is that a product of the Soul Crystal? Or the Nave? Or both combined?
Bah, it's not like I have time to worry about it now. Onward! To battle!
"Ah, Eldest, heading out to the walls?"
"Wills? Haven't seen you in a while, what have you been up to?"
"Scouting," she replies, not a twitch of the antennae to give away the sarcasm.
"Ha, ha. A little more detail, if you please, Wills."
She clacks her mandibles in amus.e.m.e.nt.
"Not much to expand upon, Eldest. With the wave happening we've been pretty much locked into our territory, so the scouts have been doing a detailed survey of every inch of it, making sure we map the entire thing completely. It's been exhausting, detailed work, but we're just about done now."
"I guess you guys can't really go ranging very far at the moment, given the situation," I muse, "that must be annoying. I know you scouts like to get out on your own."
"It's annoying," she affirms, "but there's not much we can do about it. Wave and all that."
"So what are you scouts going to be doing now?"
"Running messages and helping to fight. Not much else we can do."
"You wouldn't happen to know where we're getting hit the hardest do you? I'm off to provide some relief and level up my group."
"Straight down, where else?" she points to the floor beneath our feet with one leg. "That's where the majority of demons come, along the lower edge. To the sides it's mostly shadow creatures."
"That's what I thought, but it never hurts to check. Care to come with? Since you're off fighting anyways?"
"Let's get to it. Wonder if Vibrant has made her way down there yet?"
-x-X-x-
We move through the nest with Burke running alongside and once again I'm stunned at the sheer level of industry that the Colony has grown to. The farming territories swarm with ants, culling the ever-spawning monsters and ferrying a constant stream of Biomass back to the nest. From there the food will be transported around the territories, to the Queens, to the satellite nests, to the academy. Biomass is the lifeblood of our growth and for the moment, an endless river of it is flooding into the Colony such that we have never seen before. For however long the wave will last, provided we can fend off the never-ending foes from below, we are going to experience incredible wealth in terms of food.
The future is bright!
Though it's past time I got back to doing my bit. Past the farms and deeper into the tunnels we come across the emergency medical facilities, packed with wounded soldiers and other castes with heavy injuries. Medics fuss and fidget over them, using their medical skills to heal as best they can, feeding Biomass to the injured in order to speed up the healing process. Beyond them we come across the inner walls, each manned with a full complement of ants despite the wave not having penetrated this deep. As we progress deeper and further from the nest, we pass more layers of fortifications, walls, traps, pits, barriers, and spiked ramparts still being worked on by perfectionist carvers.
"They're preparing for another round of satellite nests?" I exclaim as Wills reveals the council's plans. "Is this really the time for that?!"
The scout shrugs.
"It was Victoriant and Antionette who pushed hard for it. I can't say I disagree with them either. It takes a significant amount of time to raise a Queen and lay the groundwork for a new satellite nest. The territory needs to be mapped out, the construction and preparation of the tunnels takes time, forging the gates, gathering the resources for enchanting. The egg-laying chambers will need to have the Dungeon veins removed. There's a ton that goes into it."
"I get that, but how exactly is any of that supposed to take place during a wave?!" It seems like madness to me.
She shrugs.
"The preliminary work can get done. Tungstant and Cobalt are already working on designs and pouring over the maps we were able to build before the siege started. For now, I think they're hoping to build four."
"FOUR?!"
"Yep, with two Queens in each. From what I gather, they'll be built quite a ways away, but together in a cl.u.s.ter, if you take my meaning. Since they'll be so far from the main nest and we can't support them at short notice, the idea is that they'll be able to lean on each other when needed."
Another eight Queens... if each is laying two hundred eggs per day... that's another sixteen hundred hatchlings PER DAY?! Holy moly! And two hundred is a lower bound... When they evolve further that can jump to as high as five hundred, each, which would be four THOUSAND. A DAY.
Oi.
Things are getting out of control here aren't they? What the heck is the Vestibule going to be like when there are literally millions of us? Do I even want to think about that? I know ant colonies on Earth could grow into the millions, that's not surprising, but thinking about my Colony, with giant, thinking ants, it paints a different sort of picture. How are we going to feed that many grubs?! All of a sudden, the vast farms the Colony has constructed feel entirely too small. We need to scale up! Quickly!
Even so, the council really did take my call to be ambitious seriously, didn't they? Four more satellite nests already in planning... The expansion of the Colony really is speeding up to an absurd degree!
Whilst I'm still digesting the news, we arrive at the frontline, the din of battle rising to near deafening levels as a blast of pheromones hits me right in the antennae. As expected, the fighting is fierce, ants swarming in numbers behind their choke points, pouncing on every monster who sticks so much as a foot through, dragging them back and piling onto them before they can fight back. Even with all of our advantages, ants still get injured, or worse, as the fighting intensifies.
We find a general nearby, directing traffic and providing buffs to the fighting.
"Reporting for duty," I snap out a quick salute with an antenna, "mind if we jump in for a while?"
"Eldest!" she seems surprised to see us here. "By all means, it'll be nice to have the pressure taken off."
[You heard the lady,] I tell my pets, [we're going through.]
I give a significant look to the ceiling as well, letting my guard detail know that I expect them to be levelling as well.
"You coming through with us?" I ask Wills.
"I think I'll provide some long-distance fire support," she replies, "I'm not exactly built for the front."
"Suit yourself," I shrug.
We charge forward, giving little warning to the ants who scurry out of the way. I burst straight through the choke point and drive into the horde of scratching, biting and clawing monsters on the other side, my mandibles gnashing for battle.
DOOM CHOMP!
Notifications ring in my mind, but I pay them no heed. With a little space created, Tiny bursts into the gap, his roar of fury and joy ringing from the stone walls as fists of light manifest and snap out with blistering speed.
[Get to work Crinis,] I remind her, [we aren't here for me.]
[Yes Master.]
She replies as she peels off my carapace, growing into her proper size, her three maws open wide, the dark void within ready to consume all that she can see.
[You and I are on support,] I tell Invidia and his pulses green to show his understanding. Already he's binding shields to Tiny and healing the minor wounds he's received.
I spin together the omni-elemental construct and prepare to start grinding levels. Every time I level up the Skill, handling the construct and the elements it creates becomes that little bit more fluid and intuitive. As time passes, I'll be able to fling around elemental spells with wild abandon. I do need to keep in mind my need to grind mind magic also, but that can wait for the time being. The elemental magic is going to be far more useful in this situation, so it gets priority.
We quickly settle into a rhythm, Tiny and Crinis in front, battling hard and fighting for every drop of experience they can get, with Invidia protecting and healing them whilst I throw fire, lava, ice and whatever else takes my fancy. Every now and again a more powerful monster, such as a demon, comes forward to challenge us and we team up to put it down hard, ensuring that the experience is taken by someone who needs it. This goes on for hours until our energy starts to dip and I order my group back through the chokepoint to rest.
[Wasn't too bad was it guys? Nothing compared to our last expedition!]
Tiny harrumphs, as if to say that the last expedition was pure madness, and nothing should be measured against that standard.
[Well, get some food into you and have a quick nap. We're going to relocate and then do it again as soon as you're ready.]
Crinis sighs and stretches a small set of tentacles as she settles onto my back, preparing to snooze while she can. I haven't even finished talking before Tiny is out, snoring up against the wall. Thanks to the Vestibule, I'm full of energy, but these two have been doing the bulk of the fighting and don't have my benefits. It's going to be a rough wave for them, since this is all we're going to do until they reach level eighty, which could take over a week.
I snack on a small piece of Biomass I snagged outside the wall and lower myself down. The life of a monster really is an endless grind.
-x-X-x-
The power I held, it was so great I couldn't see the whole of it, couldn't grasp the scale, so vast had it become that I didn't have a reference point for it, something to help me see its true nature. As it was, I came to understand it far too late to make a difference to the final outcome. I cannot blame myself. Nor do I blame us. What were we, except the victims of our conditions, living our goals and ideals as best we could?
I weep for those who were left behind, but I did all I could. As did we all.
Unknown.
It was always so damned hot down here. The wave certainly didn't help, the fire mana hung so thick in the air Alir could smell it, brimstone and sulphur tickling the edge of his nostrils with every breath. He coughed and spat, trying to get the foul taste out of his mouth to no avail, the spittle evaporating to nothing mere seconds after it touched the ground.
"Blast it," he muttered under his breath, stepping outside the inner chamber to try and get some air.
The acolytes outside stepped out of his way as he burst out the door, robes flapping behind him. They bowed low as he passed, their foreheads below the level of their waist, as was proper. Alir paid them no mind, such things were beneath his notice, instead he focused on his own restricted lungs as he marched through the temple and toward the front door, hoping to find relief.
"Grand Priest, a messenger awaits outside for you," a timid priestess informed him as he strode past, causing a frown to crease his face.
"Demon?" he snapped.
"Y-Yes, Grand Priest," she stuttered.
He grunted with irritation and continued his walk. A demon with a message usually didn't bode well, more likely than not it was a frivolous waste of his time for something only the twisted denizens of this place would consider important. The unfortunate reality was that there were some demons he couldn't afford to put offside, for the sake of the church's work here. Maintaining a cooperative partnership was a requirement of doing business on the third strata, not even the church of the Path was immune from this requirement. Foul mood growing by the minute, Alir shoved open the stone doors of the temple and stepped outside.
Rather than the clear air he sought, he was greeted by the sight of the blasted wasteland that was the third strata, the blistering heat and demon stench even more pungent than before. The demon city of Roklu was no grand sight either, the rough stone buildings and even rougher denizens not improving the priest's mood one iota.
It might have been a touch less stuffy in the open as opposed to the enclosed inner chamber, although that may just have been his mind playing tricks. Regardless, he dragged in a few lungsful and spat once more for good measure. He knew very well that only the most trusted members of the church could be given assignments like his, but the Path knew he regretted the strength of his own devotion on days like this.
"Humanssss," ground a voice from nearby and Alir turned to see a razor thin pride demon eyeing him hungrily from nearby.
"What do you want, filth?" he sneered. No need to be polite with the help.
The demon didn't react to his taunt, their kind seldom did.
"Grokussss wantsss you," a fetid grin stretched across the creature's face as it delivered its message.
Before Alir could even retort, the beast was gone, it's wire thin limbs moving with uncanny speed to carry it away. Pride demons, he grimaced. They had a way of getting on his nerves. Thinking of the message that had been delivered, his mouth twisted, what did the petty despot ruler of this plate want with him today? The church had never failed to uphold their end of the agreement, despite the constant wrangling and sly machinations that were levelled against them from their 'partners'.
This day couldn't get any better.
He made his way through the city, the winding path leading him ever closer to the centre of the disk of stone the city stood on, and therefore, to the pillar. The various denizens of the city, mostly demons with a mix of sapient settlers, moved out of his way as he stomped through their midst. Judging from the look on his face, the Grand Priest was in poor mood and none wanted to be the unfortunate to feel his wrath.
There was something gratifying about having monsters ten times your size step aside as you walked, but Alir had grown numb to such things long ago, his focus was on the great pillar and the palace established on its face. Grokus' residence wasn't carved into the pillar itself, no force on Pangera could cut into that stone, but had been constructed around it, a compound that circled the full circ.u.mference around the centre of the city. What possible use the bloated demon could have for all of that space, he wouldn't want to guess, but he'd ruled there for hundreds of years, embellishing the décor to the point where it had become frankly disturbing to behold.
When Alir arrived at the entrance carved into the outer wall of the compound, he nodded to the two pride demons on guard and waited for them to open it for him. Pride demons as door watchers. Subtlety was not one of Grokus' strong points. If their post grated on them, the two wire thin figures gave no sign of it and hauled open the heavy gate to allow him entrance. As he stepped inside, Alir tried to block as many of the sights and sounds of the compound, his lip curling with distaste as he walked, gaze focused directly ahead. Despite years living amongst them, he was no closer to understanding the mindset of demons, to the point he doubted they could be understood. Their twisted natures and barbaric amus.e.m.e.nts were one thing, but their callous indifference to life, any life, including their own, was quite another.
From the corner of his eye he could see all manner of bizarre and horrific 'entertainments' being engaged in by the favoured lackeys of the City Lord. The victims, more often than not, were other demons, those who had wagered and lost, those who had failed a task given to them, or those who were simply bored. The charnel atmosphere managed to do the impossible and make the air even more unpleasant to breathe, the sickly stench of ichor and flesh mixing with the heat and brimstone to create a truly nauseating experience.
Even with his high Will stat, keeping his lunch down proved a challenge to Alir, and he battled manfully until he reached the inner courtyard to find the ruler of this place lounging, as best as a monster of his proportions could, beside a pool of liquid fire surrounded by depraved statues depicting various monsters being feasted on. Grokus himself was an old and particularly contemptible Excess Demon, a tier seven monster who had achieved a powerful evolution from the tier six Gluttony Demon. A bloated mass of pale flesh, a rarity for a demon, split across the middle with a mouth that measured more than ten feet from edge to edge. From the top of that bulbous pile of meat emerged a disturbing, human like figure cut off at the waist. It was to this that Alir directed his voice.
"You have summoned me and so I have come, Grokus," he intoned, trying and largely failing to conceal his contempt. "What do you desire of the Church of the Path? An absolution, perhaps?"
The human figure atop the mass smiled thinly at the poor joke whilst the huge mouth guffawed deafeningly, a green, barbed tongue lolling from between the fat lips.
"I have called you here because some information has come to my attention that might be of interest to you and your people, priest," the too pale figure of Grokus replied. "My scout has returned very quickly with news of the strata above. There appears to be an insect infestation above us."
-x-X-x-
Alir c.o.c.ked an eyebrow.
"What sort of insect?" he asked, his interest piqued.
It wasn't unheard of for an insect swarm to get out of control and pour into the second strata, their numbers making up for their generally weak individual strength, but that's usually where things would end. Generally speaking, the surface and upper layers of the Dungeon had far more to fear from swarming monsters than deeper down. For them to make it to the lower parts of the second strata was already quite the achievement.
"Ant," the massive demon replied succinctly.
"Ant?" the priest was surprised. Ants? "How deep were they?"
Grokus steepled his fingers atop his own bulging flesh.
"My scout encountered one just inside our strata, blocking the path to the second."
"Inside the third?" now he was really surprised, "what tier was it?"
"Six."
"SIX? An ant?"
"Do not make me repeat myself, priest."
Alir ignored the veiled threat, the novelty of the situation having tickled his fancy. Such a high tier ant was... exceptionally rare, if not completely unheard of. Without access to the complete Church records he wouldn't be able to check, but certainly he himself hadn't heard of such a thing in all his years. What could it mean for such a creature to emerge here?
"The ant in question had three pets, each of them fifth tier as well," the City Lord continued.
That information pointed in another direction entirely.
"Traveller. Has to be."
"That is my suspicion also," Grokus confirmed, nodding thoughtfully even as his larger mouth sn.a.k.e.d out a tongue to grasp a hunk of Biomass being proffered by a servant, sucking it into his maw with a wet slurp. "There were other ants present as well, a small number, but each of them were tier four."
"You think this traveller is raising up their colony? Creating an army?"
"Perhaps so, perhaps not? Without more information, it's difficult to say."
Alir considered this news, his arms folded across his chest and he ignored the disgusting sounds of eating that continued to emanate from the tumescent wall of meat in front of him. This news was certainly interesting, and highly unusual. He was tempted to put off his work for an afternoon to doc.u.ment this rare occurrence for the church records, though likely they wouldn't take a demon's word for it. He'd need to see it himself if he wanted to submit a report, and he wasn't about to go hunting through the Dungeon during a wave. Which brought him to the point.
"So why tell me?" he asked. "The church maintains only a minor presence here in Roklu and we have abided by your strictures to the letter. If the ants invade, I'm sure you'll be able to deal with it, it certainly wouldn't be the first time the city had been attacked during my stay here. If you want the colony exterminated, then you're capable of mounting an expedition above on your own, you have no need of us."
Grokus waved a hand.
"I have no great desire to leave my post, nor do I wish to send my precious forces above at this time. We have a war scheduled with Orpule in a few days and I simply can't spare them."
The priest tried not to roll his eyes. Orpule, the City Lord of the nearest neighbour to Roklu, was an Avarice Demon, an unhealthy species for a ruler. Her desire for control led to endless conflict between her and ... everyone. Even so, Alir was taken aback.
"A war during a wave? Is that wise?"
"I am not the aggressor in this conflict, as I'm sure you know. Besides, the city's population has grown rapidly over the past week, with new demons tipping in every minute. We are in need of a cull."
"So you would like the Church to take up this challenge for you," Alir surmised, seeing what the demon wanted. With his own forces committed against his fractious contemporary, he didn't have the resources to try and nip the problem possibly growing above in the bud.
"There's a great deal of resources to be had in exterminating a Colony of such creatures," Grokus smiled with both mouths, a disturbing sight to say the least, "I'm sure the Church would be interested in mounting an expedition to claim such wealth."
"And you allow us free use of the gate?"
The demon grinned.
"I'm not sure free would be the right word. Discounted perhaps."
Alir grunted. Typical.
"I'll send word to my superiors and see what they have to say," he said, "I can't very well make a call on this myself. If that's all, then I'll be going."
"Do not be late with my next payment of Syrup," Grokus purred, "I am ever so eager for that flavour to hit my tongue once more."
When Grokus indicated his dismissal with a wave of one delicate hand, the priest turned on his heel and marched out, ignoring the repulsive sounds of eating that begun the moment he turned around. Back through the compound, his gaze strictly narrowed, through the city and into the temple once more. Back amongst his own people, he once again was able to breathe easy, or as easy as was possible in this cursed place. As he made his way back inside the inner sanctum and sat at his desk, the conversation with the City Lord continued to run through his mind. He was certain there was another angle to it, demons didn't live as long as that tub of lard without being clever at seeking out advantage. It's possible he just wanted someone else to deal with this problem for him, it's possible he just wanted the church to owe him a favour, or perhaps he wanted both at the same time.
A traveller, born as an ant. What a poor, unfortunate soul. He would love to take in such a creature, to help them put their experience to good use, to pass on that essence. At tier six, it would be a difficult capture, but not impossible. And all of those other ants, possibly thousands of them. It would be an immense harvest, and he was certain the bishops would be tempted, but he personally doubted they would commit. The church presence in Roklu, himself and a mere twenty acolytes, priests and priestesses, was hardly meaningful, and it was unlikely that they would be willing to move in force in this remote corner of the stratum.
Still, he took the time to write a missive to be delivered through the portal when the next delivery would be made, describing the situation and his own thoughts.
Speaking of the delivery, he had best get back to work.
Turning around in his chair, Alir stood and began to inspect the runic inscriptions carved into the floor in the centre of the chamber. Even unpowered as they were at the moment, they glowed with arcane power, the latent energy in the room enough to make them crackle with mana. He walked a slow circle around the edge of the room, studying every inch of the complex matrix with care. After two such circuits, he turned his eyes to the chalice that sat in the centre of the carvings, his eyes flaring with light as he enhanced his vision to inspect the enchantments woven into the vessel. Another slow circuit and the light faded from his eyes, his interrogation complete.
Satisfied, he turned his eyes to the form hanging suspended upside-down from the roof, the bright steel wire mesh of the netting shining red in the dim light. A demon of ignorance, one of his most detested variants, filthy mind mages that they were, provided by the City lord himself. The creature didn't move, couldn't move, not so much as twitch an eyelid, such was the paralytic effect Alir had put it under. It was still conscious however, and he looked it carefully in the eye as he began the ritual once more.
"Monster," he intoned, "I take now your life, your experience, and your essence. In the name of the Path I do this. Be at ease, for you will not fade from this world, but be passed down to another in your entirety."
So speaking, he tapped a foot on the floor and concentrated as the matrix came to life, reaching up to the creature hanging above with a ghostly tendril that emerged from the chalice to connect to the flesh above. After a few seconds a single, shining drop of silver liquid pooled on the monster's head and dropped down into the cup waiting below. Then another. Then another. Alir watched, concentration never wavering as the holy work was done.
Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip.
-x-X-x-
[Get him, Tiny! Hit him with the left! Then the right! Ooooo, here comes the C-C-C-COMBO!]
The big ape flashes a grin, more than a little happy with my ongoing fight commentary as he duels with the latest demonic offering from the third strata, a particularly nasty, snake-like creature with a huge number of clawed hands rising from its back to form a hood similar to what a cobra would have. It's the first of its kind that we've come across and I sent Tiny out to have the first crack at it. He's levelled his Skill significantly over the last few days of concentrated fighting and so far he's managing to more than hold his own against his opponent.
As he should! I don't care about this first strata is weaker than third strata nonsense, he's a full tier above it! I refuse to accept that we are significantly weaker just because we happened to be born higher up. I won't accept this prejudice!
[Get 'em, Tiny! Look for the upper, the upper!]
Totally unnecessary advice on my part, since Tiny is always hunting for that sweet, sweet uppercut. A few moments later, after a masterful feint, he finds a chance when the snake demon rises above him, either to bite or perhaps grapple with the ape using its many clawed hands. Big mistake! Light on his feet as a dancer, the giant ape glides forward one step, his body held low, hands in close to the chest as he drops his centre of mass and begins to rotate his shoulders.
Here it comes!
His hands flash with light as he activates his Skill, forming a giant fist of pure energy that manifests in front of his own. In one burst, his wings unfurl to their full length and he leaps, springing up from the ground as his fist extends, sending the punch straight into the chin of the looming demon whose head smacks straight into the roof of the tunnel with a thunderous crack, the stone above its head splitting on impact.
Groggy from the blow, the snake-thing reels, trying to put some distance between it and the furious ape-boxer but Tiny is having none of it. Shoulders forward, he charges with surprising speed, his wings beating a powerful rhythm to give a boost of acceleration. As he closes the distance, his fists come alight with chittering electricity that ripples down his shoulders and coalesces around his hands in a near blinding light.
[Yeah, Tiny! Finish it!] I cheer from the safety of the back row.
He sways left, then right, then plunges forward, hands flickering as he punches with maximum speed. Still recovering from the previous blow, the snake struggles to react, trying to swat at the gorilla with its tail but failing to push him away as he lays blow after blow into its body, each one discharging a potent jolt of electricity that sizzles flesh and shocks nerves. Once he gets going, there's no stopping him and the furious rush of punches doesn't cease until the enemy lies still, overcome by the pummelling.
[Yeah! Good job, Tiny! Drag that thing back this way, we'll get some Biomass out of it for sure.]
[What about me, Master? Have I done well?]
I turn to Crinis who's spent this entire time fighting off masses of shadow beast by herself, allowing Tiny the space to have his one versus one. Dozens upon dozens of tentacles ranging in thickness from wire thin to tree trunk move in a constant flurry of grabbing, twisting or bending monsters into shapes they were never intended to be. I can see the fear effect trigger in numerous enemies, sending them scurrying in terror from the dark orchestra that Crinis is conducting. When it comes to thinning out large groups, she really is in a class of her own.
[You did exceptionally well, Crinis. Can you cover us whilst we retreat back to the lines?]
[I will!]
[Alright then, let's go!]
Full of good cheer, we march back the short distance to the defensive wall of the Colony and slip inside, turning over the defence to the detachment of soldiers, scouts, generals and mages placed here. Healed up and rested thanks to us taking over their duties for a few hours, the ants look fighting fit and eager to get back to work. Tiny drags through his hard won Biomass and once we clear the second defensive line with its second garrison getting ready to rotate with the previous one, we settle down to eat and discuss our progress.
[Still not level eighty, Master,] Crinis reports mournfully, [I have gone passed fifty, however.]
[How about you Tiny?] I ask the big ape.
He doesn't pause between shoving huge mouthfuls of Biomass into his face, just waggles a hand back and forth to indicate 'about the same'.
Hmm. The levelling is going well, all things considered. Despite the huge amount of fighting we're doing, there are simply too many weaker monsters to boost the two of them much more quickly. If it weren't for the juicy xp they were getting from the tier four demons who pop up relatively frequently, it would be a much slower grind. Even so, I'm happy with how things are going and I try to encourage my first two pets.
[You're doing super well,] I praise the pair of them, [we are going to keep grinding at this until you two are both the same tier as me. We aren't going to fight in the third strata until I'm confident that all of us will be able to survive down there, and that means evolutions. Keep doing what you're doing and we're going to be fine.]
With Tiny and Crinis reassured, I turn my attentions to the roof.
"And how are all of you going? You have a deadline, don't forget. When this wave is done, any of you who aren't tier five will be barred from coming with me to the third strata, you hear me?"
"... yes. We're making progress," comes the muttered reply from thin air.
"Good. This is for your own good, I won't hear any excuses."
The past few days have been rough on the Colony, the endlessly surging wave is putting pressure on the defenders all around our territory, especially in the deepest half. No matter how much we try to help, the moment we arrive at the next site the defenders are hard pressed and struggling to hold on. We relieve them for a while, let them get their legs back under them, only for them to be back under the pump the moment we leave. It's not as if the ants aren't improving either, this sort of sustained combat is giving them Skill levels and Biomass out the wazoo, but with every hour that goes by, the wave grows more intense. The mana levels continue to rise and the strength of the monsters rising out of the depths keeps growing. It won't be much longer and we'll start to see tier five demons showing up in small numbers, I feel confident of that.
Thankfully, we shouldn't see many tier six like Anga, since they're sentient to some extent. I don't expect many of them will be wanting to leap out into the middle of the Dungeon during a wave. Which means all we need to do is keep holding the line as the pressure ramps up. I've been seeing a few tier five ants popping up here and there, which is going to help. Other than Vibrant that is, who I've seen blitzing about the place even faster than she was before. I think she mutated her aura gland to give even more of a speed boost than it did before as well, since everyone around her was really zipping along.
[Alright,] I announce to Tiny and Crinis, [I think I'll take a look at your cores so we know exactly what we're dealing with and can start making a few decisions as we get closer to your evolution. It's a slight invasion of privacy, I know, but I think we can agree this is for the best. Who's first?]
-x-X-x-
It's been a long, long time since I took a gander at the cores of my two longest serving companions. All in all, a little inspection is probably overdue, but I've grown to feel that poking at their status too often is probably a bit invasive. They've never complained about it, but so far I've hesitated to ask. But the time has come! I can no longer shy away now that the momentous moment of evolution is approaching. After a bit of wavering back and forth, it's Tiny who winds up first on the chopping block.
Bringing my antennae forward to tap him on the arm, I activate the core shaping skill that hasn't been used in quite a while. Immediately a flood of information pours into my mind, but far from being overwhelmed by it, my recently minted super brain is more than capable of tackling the load. Quite different from my past experiences, I navigate through the disjointed mess and find my way to the core of what I'm looking for. The summary of everything that Tiny is, the status page!
Name: Tiny
Level: 52 (Rare core) (V)
Might: 267
Toughness: 51
Cunning: 11
Will: 28
HP: 102/102
MP: 262/262
Skills:
Grand Master Kong Fist Boxing (V) level 56; Horizon Piercing Uppercut (IV) level 25; Comet Leap (IV) level 30; Master Heavy Smash (IV) level 11; Expert Athletics (III) level 17; Expert Grappling Level (IV) 25; Penetrating Smashing Blows (IV) level 6; Glittering Fancy Feet (IV) level 8; Flicker Dash (III) level 18; Expert Dodge (III) level 14; Expert Kong Combo (IV) level 31;
Mutations:
Detonator Enhanced Musculature +25, Condensed Granite Bones +25; Collapsing Meteor Legs +25; Stone Shattering Sonic Enhancer +25; Compressing Rapid Lightning Mana Affinity Gland +25; Compressing Rapid Lightning Mana Affinity Gland +25; Rapid Combusting Energy Conversion Gland +25; Potent Flex Shadow Wings +25; Magnifying Tesla Fur +25; Regenerating Steel Flesh Fists +25;
Species: Shadow Kong Emperor
Skill points: 20
Biomass: 211
Holy mackerel! Look at these Skills! How the heck has he managed to raise them so high? Actually... when I take a look through the list, almost every skill is related to punching in some way... so long as he's hitting stuff, he's pretty much leveling every skill. Also, it appears as though he fused a bunch of skills to make Grand Master Kong Fist Boxing, which would explain why his fighting style looks so much more organised than it did before. His punches are so much cleaner, far less wild swings, and much faster. I notice that his dashing and dodging skills are lagging a long way behind his general hitting skills. Typical Tiny, far more interesting in belting his opponents around than he is in avoiding damage. Fancy Feet has certainly come a long way though.
Looking through his mutations, all of them are as straightforward as they could possibly be. More explosive muscles for hitting harder, more solid, regenerating fists, so he can hit harder, extra energy, for hitting more often and more solid bones to absorb the force of his punching. Is this what Granin was talking about with his 'synergy' talk. Somehow, despite putting no thought into the process at all, Tiny has managed to turn himself into a lean mean punching machine, with almost all of Skills, body parts and mutations dedicated to hitting things as hard as he can. And blasting lightning at stuff, let's not forget that also.
[I'm actually impressed, Tiny. You may be thick as three bricks fused into one, but you know what you like and you've stuck with it. I think the things we discussed with the shapers will work perfectly for you, although I'll have to talk you through it since you slept through the whole thing...]
Tiny gives me a quick thumbs up as he gets back to eating.
[Just keep in mind that I'll be bumping your Cunning up to twenty before you evolve so you can use the manual evolution menu. Which means you're going to lose a little muscle mass.]
He freezes in horror and clutches at his biceps whilst staring at me reproachfully. I ignore him.
[Alright Crinis, your turn. You can keep eating if you want, this won't take long.]
[Oh, no! I'll wait.]
Enlarged to her full size, Crinis is a much more intimidating sight than her usual blob. Three fanged filled maws that seem to be wrapped around a dark void, a mass of shadow flesh that sprouts innumerable tentacles, each one covered in oscillating barbs that gleam razor sharp. In many ways, she's a terrifying creature, but I sincerely struggle to think of her that way after all of the time we've spent together.
I bring my antennae forward to touch her mouldable flesh before I activate the skill once more and navigate the stream of information that comes flying my way.
Name: Crinis
Level: 54 (Rare Core) (V)
Might: 130
Toughness: 110
Cunning: 86
Will: 64
HP: 210/210
MP: 260/260
Skills:
Grand Master Shadow Flesh Manipulation (V) level 45; Grand Master Grappling level 18 (V); Master Shredding (IV) Level 39; Omniscient Tremor Sensing (V) Level 39; Barbarous Dismembering (IV) Level 22; Quivering Fear Inspiration (IV) level 26; Mana Moulding (IV) level 11; Dextrous Tentacle Walking (IV) Level 2; Master Tentacle Fu (IV) level 25; Finer External Mana Manipulation (IV) level 12; Master Shadow Magic Affinity (IV) level 34; Expert Stealth (III) level 18;
Mutations:
Amorphous Armoured Shadow Flesh +25; Disintegrating Ion-Void Maw +25; Bottomless Endless Dimensional Stomach +25; Tri-Legion Tentacles +25; Sharpened Diamond Barbs +25; Visceral Teeth +25; Far-Seeing Omniscient Mana Sensory Gland +25, Compressing Reservoir Shadow Magic Gland +25; Instantaneous Shadow Flesh Generator +25; Piercing Shadow Eye +25; Broad Masterful Tentacle Conductor +25; Broad Masterful Tentacle Conductor +25; Fathomless Light Sink +25; Hyper Shade Phase Organ +25; Disintegrating Ion-Void Maw +25; Disintegrating Ion-Void Maw +25; Mouldable Cell Structure +25;
Species: Tri-Maw Amorphous Horror
Skill points: 45
Biomass: 149
A much more diverse build, Crinis has also made excellent progress on her Skills, as well as ensuring that her mutations are in tune with each other. Her ability to create a plethora of tentacles and control them with incredible dexterity continues to grow. Her dual tentacle conductors act like sub-brains whose sole responsibility is handling tentacle movement, each capable of managing sixteen separate limbs without the input of her own mind. The three disintegrating maws are fearsome offensive weapons, capable of breaking down almost anything that she manages to get her teeth into. She certainly has a lot more versatility than Tiny in her build, but is very, very good at what she does.
[You've done really well, Crinis,] I praise her enthusiastically. [You've set yourself up perfectly to implement the ideas we discussed. I can already tell that your next evolution is going to be very, very impressive.]
[T-Thank you, Master!] she replies, her tentacles writhing with glee as the three-mouthed horror sways back and forth in a strange display of bashfulness.
With the inspection complete and the two of them finished eating their way through their Biomass, it's time for us to get back on the road. We gather ourselves together and head to the tunnels once more. The wave continues and we need to do our part to push back the tide.
-x-X-x-
Examining Tiny and Crinis' status reminds me that I really need to take a good hard look at my own. I've stacked up a reasonable supply of Biomass, certainly enough to start investing in upgrades to the two most expensive organs I have, the Vestibule and Nave. I've brought my antennae up to +15 since the reset, but to this point I'm yet to even have a look at the options for those two new(ish) additions. In the past I expanded the range of the Vestibule, but that was due to a rather specific reason, namely being captured and hoping the Colony would be able to detect me. Now that no such conditions are pressing on me, I have a little more flexibility in what I want to choose.
I watch and assist as Tiny and Crinis continue their rampage through the ever growing wave, turning my thoughts over in my mind. I mean, first and foremost amongst my concerns is that I still don't really understand precisely what the combination of Vestibule and Nave actually does. The sustained energy that pours into me, ensuring I never get tired, refilling my reserves and refreshing my body so long as there are ants nearby, that's all great, and certainly the effect is vastly more pronounced than it was before. As long as the Colony is nearby, my energy is absolutely limitless, to the point I think I could run at top speed forever, without ever growing tired. Something else I noticed is that my health regeneration around the Colony is also much higher, my cells regenerating with incredible alacrity so long as the Vestibule continues to provide me with its power.
When you add on top of that the rapid healing provided by the regeneration gland, and the fact that the gland refills super quick thanks to the Vestibule, my level of heal tanking is getting out of control. Combined with my general defensive setup, being both hard to hit and hard to damage, I'm very, very hard to kill. Which is obviously a good thing! I'm sure that if I poured all of my evolutionary energy into it, I could have been an absolute brick of a monster, with multiple carapace and supporting structures in between, with additional healing glands to keep the juice pumping in a continuous cycle, but I've had other considerations.
All in all, I'm fairly happy with my current build. Good defensively, good with magic, reasonable physical fighting capacity. To be honest, it's the physical fighting that I'm by far the worst at. My stats lag far behind in the pure brute strength department, and I just don't have the kind of Skill synergies that Tiny has that give his punches extra destructive power. I might be far more flexible than my ape companion, but other than specialised attacks like the gravity bomb, my ape like pet has me beat on pure offensive output and he's only a tier five! I suppose in the long run I'll out sustain him. I'll be using Doom Chomps long after he's passed out from exhaustion so long as there are a few of my siblings nearby...
Alright! This cannot stand! I'll have to dive into the menus and see what I can do about powering up! Surely some new Skills must have unlocked for me since the last time I had a poke through the list!
[Good work you two! Let's pack it up and move back behind the chokepoint. Make sure you bring some Biomass back for snacking.]
They happily get to work complying, especially Tiny, who's living in a kind of heavenly bliss right now, fighting, eating and sleeping every day. Enjoy it while it lasts, big guy, it isn't going to last forever. The two of them cooperate to grab a few of the more delectable offerings that they were able to defeat and fight off the monsters swarming around them as they retreat. Invidia and I provide cover with a few healthy blasts of magic and before you know it we're back behind the wall and inside the safety of the Colony's territory once more.
[Great. Let's eat and then I'm going to go through my menus and do a bit of mutating. You guys know what to do, right?]
The two of them nod solemnly, though I can tell Tiny is already thinking of his nap.
[No sleeping until it's done,] I warn him, [you know how important this is.]
He grudgingly nods again and I turn around, satisfied, and start poking away at the menu while they eat. Honestly, what could be more important than maintaining the dignity of the Eldest within his own family? There's more at stake here than just my shallow pride! This is Colony shattering stuff! Also, I'm certain that if that damn statue carver ever saw me mutating there would be a gold plated monument of me rolling around on the ground with my legs flailing in the air before the day was out! Unacceptable!
Now, menu time. Ah, the endless lists have returned once more. Back in the good ol' days there were like, five Skills I could purchase? Look at me now, there has to be hundreds available, unlocked by glands, or size, or crossing stat thresholds, or just pure mass, or any of the other things I now know can unlock skills in the menu. There's a ton of good stuff in here too, makes me wonder why I don't go poking around in here more often...
Wait! This is actually something Granin warned me about! Even though Skill points feel as though they rain down from the skies above, if you actually purchase a whole bunch of skills and then level them until they actually become properly useful, say rank three or four, suddenly you've invested twelve levels worth of Skill points! Then maybe you find a nice fusion, that could be another ten, or more... It adds up. Skill purchases need to be carefully managed to avoid bloat.
With that in mind, let's see what we can see. I'd really like some more combat actives, although active Skills tend to be hard to come across. At the moment, the only active Skills I have are Doom Chomp and Dash, which doesn't lead to a whole lot of variety. Granted, Doom Chomp is a fusion of three different active bite Skills, but still. That brings up a good point, what do I want to be able to do? To be honest, I'm not really sure. I suppose I'll just take a look at the options and see if there is something I like.
Leaping Strike? Do I have the physical stats to qualify for this now? At rank one it basically helps you coordinate better as you jump at an enemy, but I can tell this will turn into an active as it ranks up. Do I really want to be jumping at my opponents? I'll think about it. What's next?
Charge. Seems fairly straight forward. I bet I had access to this Skill ages ago but never bothered looking for it. According to the description, this is more about using your mass to inflict damage as you move forward than it is about moving as fast as possible, ala Dash. I'm willing to bet my left antenna that the two Skills fuse. This one is a possibility. What's next?
Antenna Whip. I mean... really? Who in their right mind wants to use their sensory organs to hit their enemies with? Does a human attack with their eyeballs? Wait... does the Queen have this Skill?! I don't think she did back when I modified her core... but it wouldn't surprise me if she picked it up somewhere along the way... Not interested.
Slash Attack. Ah, the Slash Attack, I haven't seen you for a long time. You were one of the first Skills I could buy, allowing me to attack with my legs... which seems really, really unnecessary when I have powerful mandibles right on the front of my face. Besides, my legs aren't really made for attacking... I could have mutated them for it, or attached blades to the end of them when evolving I suppose. It just doesn't seem very... ant.
Come on, there must be some other useful Skills in here?!
-x-X-x-
Trawling through the list I see tons of interesting but niche Skills that would be useful but would contribute to Skill bloat that I pass over after a glance. Do I want to have a digging active? Sure, it might sound nice to have Shovel Mandibles to work in tandem with the Dig Skill, but it's just way too niche. I bet a lot of the carvers focused on construction have it at a high rank though...
There's actually a few sensory passives that I spy which would probably be exceptionally handy to have. Sharp Eyes, Open Ears, Fine Touch, Particular Taste, Picky Smell are all passives that give a boost to their respective sense, and I have absolutely no doubt that they fuse at almost every rank as well. It's also possible that they might turn into actives in the higher rank, allowing me to expend energy to enhance a particular sense. This is really tempting, I'm just not sure which ones I would want... or at what rank I would fuse them... I know I need to avoid buying too many rank one Skills... I mean, if I picked up eyes and touch... would those would be the most useful for me? Eyes is obvious, and touch would help my antennae pick up vibrations in the air. Ears... doesn't really appeal, since ants have pretty poor hearing in general. Smell might also be good... since my antennae are so sensitive now... Argh! This is hard. Shelve it for now and move on. Combat actives! Focus on the Goal!
Oho! What have we here?! Mandible Parry?! Helps the wielder to use their mandibles to parry blows? Starts off passive, but I bet this turns into an active down the line! Not to mention that it provides another layer to my impenetrable defences. Gweheheheh. This one is in for sure. I wonder when this chap unlocked? I'm not sure, but I'm very happy to see them now!
What else, what else... there has to be some more juice in here somewhere.
Mandible spear?! Are you serious?! How do you even stab with mandibles?! Well... again, I suppose you could mutate or evolve to make that less of an issue. Another one that is likely to turn into an active as it levels up. I'm not sure I'm sold on this one, but is there a chance that it fuses with charge? There could be something in that combo that is worth my while...
I keep flicking, evaluating and dismissing dozens of Skills until I find something like what I'm looking for.
Crunch Combo! A bite attack combo skill similar to what Tiny has for his fists! This is good stuff! Tiny's turned active at rank four, letting him turn it on to give a huge boost to his punching speed for an increased cost of stamina and I'm fairly certain this will act in a similar manner, which will prove hugely useful. With my effectively bottomless stamina reserves, is there a chance I'll be able to activate this together with Doom Chomp and unleash a torrent of potent bites in rapid succession? Gah! I'm practically salivating just thinking about it! So exciting!
With a number of Skills as likely contenders, I turn my attention over to the mutation menu to see what I can see in there. The Vestibule and Nave are... particular and somewhat intimidating organs whose functions go way beyond what I might have expected of a biological component of my body. Which naturally makes me more than a little bit nervous when it comes to messing around with them, but in all honesty, I can't just ignore them. They are powerful, and will be more so with mutations, so I need to make it a priority to max them out. For now, I have enough Biomass to take both to +15, which means two mutations and a fusion for each.
Ideally I want the options I choose for both to have good synergy, a multiplicative effect, if you take my meaning. But what aspect of the organs do I want to improve? Sigh. No point delaying any further, let's get into the menu and take a look.
Hmm. Being honest, there are less options for the Vestibule than I expect, ditto for the Nave. Has it been reduced since the last time, or was it always this size? I honestly can't remember. Perhaps this is a product of the reset? It wouldn't shock me if Soul Crystal was perhaps a touch less mutable than a more base component.
No matter. If anything, this will help make things a little easier on me.
Starting with the Vestibule, what sort of options do we have? The range extension is there, just as it was before. Pretty straightforward, it allows the Vestibule to collect Will from further away than it could before. Something I've noticed since the reset, is that the Soul Crystal has already expanded the range of the organ from what it originally was before I mutated it the first time. It isn't the same as the +25 range I had before evolving, that would be nuts, but it's a significant boost nonetheless. Certainly enough that I don't see range as an issue.
There are a range of other options that surprise me, such as the determination mutation, which would allow me to manually direct the energy to emphasise a particular aspect of the organ. Do I want increased Stamina regeneration? Direct it that way. Increased healing? Off you go! Recharge my organs faster? Get on it! Obviously pointing the energy at one thing makes the others replenish slower, but being able to push the resources in the direction you most need at the time would be handy indeed.
The Pure mutation will simply make the Vestibule better at doing what it already does, refining it and allowing it to collect and distribute Will more efficiently, increasing the regenerative effects. This is a straight forward option that is hard to criticise. Do what you do now, but gooder! Might lack the oomph of some other choices, but is certainly a safe bet.
I don't see the option to include more species in the Will collection anymore, which is odd. Not that I would ever pick it...
There's an option that allows the gathered regenerative energy to be shared out as an aura, which is a cool one. I'd become a walking healing battery for all the ants around me, refilling their energy and stamina during battle. I have to admit, that's a tempting option, but it's not exactly how I see the Vestibule functioning for me. I like the Vestibule because it allows me to fight for my family, rather than help them fight with me. The whole idea is that they don't have to fight! That's what I want!
I wonder what else there is? I poke through the list and find various options that might suit what I'm looking for. Buried in the list I find something that sounds decent. The Empowering Vestibule. Basically allows me to convert the energy from restorative to strengthening for a limited period of time. Judging from the description, this essentially translates to a boost in my effective Might stat whilst the effect is active, improving the mutation will increase the size of the gain, as well as the duration, which is fairly short.
I can see this mutation coming in clutch when I'm under the pump, so long as there are enough members of the Colony nearby, as well as helping me overcome my still somewhat lacking physical strength. It's certainly tempting... There's another mutation which does something similar for toughness, which would make me more durable in a pinch, but I feel as though my defensive options far exceed my offensive ones at this point, so perhaps I'll put that option on the backburner.
Alright, I think I'll commit to the empowering mutation and take it all the way to +15. This will help create a new trump card that I can use as a last measure, shoring up one of my weaknesses.
Which leaves me with the Nave. The Communal Spirit Nave is a strange organ, to say the least. Attached to the Vestibule, it acts as a signal booster, a force multiplier, taking the energy fed to it and strengthening it as it focuses and delivers it to... nothing right now. Once the energy exits the Nave it's dispersed into my body where the regenerative properties kick in, but the more I think about it, the more I think it's likely there's another component to these connected organs which I'm likely to be offered in a future evolution. I wonder what it could be? Maybe I should have poked through the evolution menu and looked for it... ah well.
As I browse through the options for the Nave, and there really aren't that many compared to most organs, probably due to the rather narrow focus it has, I can't help but feel like knowing what the 'destination' would be that the Nave is supposed to connect to would have a significant impact on my decision regarding mutation. Well, if worst comes to worst, I can reset the thing and move on with life. For now, I'll go with the Purifying Nave, which essentially means the organ does its current job, but better. I'll take that to +15 as well whilst I'm at it.
Which means my final purchases of this session of self-improvement look like this:
Empowering Collective Will Vestibule +15 (Soul Crystal).
Purifying Communal Spirit Nave +15.
And my new Skills:
Charge.
Crunch Combo.
Mandible Spear.
Mandible Parry.
I'm going to leave the sensory passives for the time being, but I'll look to pick at least some of them up at a later date. I'm grabbing spear in the hopes that it can fuse with charge to make something interesting, as I really don't see my mandibles as stabbing weapons. Let's confirm the purchases!
... here we go...