Chapter 757 - Clean Up
The gravity bomb finally fades away, leaving behind a compressed ball of ex-frog, stone and various other detritus, I pick myself up and let my strength boost fade away. The energy of the Vestibule and Nave once more returns to its normal cycle, nourishing my body and washing away injury and fatigue. Although it can't seem to do anything about that damned toxic mana eating away at me! Cursing irritably, I direct my exhausted sub-minds to get cracking breaking the stuff down and turn my attention to the rest of my body.
The sludge on my back did quite a number, eating into the carapace and multiplying itself along the way. I whip up a little water and try to hose it off my back with some small success. I think the only way to be truly rid of the stuff is to break down the mana itself. What a pain in the backside! Literally! Other than that, I'm in pretty good shape, my health ticking back up toward full as the regeneration gland does its work.
Still, that fight was way more trouble than I expected from a single monster, even if it was from the fourth strata. Considering it was wild and more likely than not wasn't raised with perfect evolutions all the way through to tier six, I should have a significant advantage in overall evolutionary energy, but some of the things it was capable of... dammit. Is this the tyranny of the deeper layers?! They get this level of crazy advantages?!
It's a real shame I won't get a chance to eat the damn thing. I wander over to examine the remains, giving the unbelievably dense sphere a quick poke with one leg but swiftly give up. This thing is 95% rock, it'll be almost impossible to extract any Biomass from it, and the core is nowhere to be seen, possibly smashed to pieces by the spell itself. Dammit! This is why I didn't want to use the gravity bomb if I didn't have to!
I'm impressed at how well the sub-brains were able to put one together without the main mind kicking in to help. Since they can handle the assembly on their own, that means being able to fight whilst putting the gravity bomb together is a possibility at last! Muahahahaha! There will be no escape from my clutches! With my deadliest spell suddenly far easier to produce in the middle of a conflict, my offensive power has skyrocketed!
Overall, I'm satisfied with how things went, the only issue is...
Turning around I'm confronted with the oozing pit of slime in front of me which Invidia and Crinis are still working hard to try and break down. With a sigh, I head over and start chipping in, pitting my mind against the dreadful sludge and trying to rip apart the truly bizarre mana it's made of. This stuff is the real puzzle if you ask me. I have no idea what kind of mana it is, but the stuff is horrendous to deal with. It does damage, invades monsters' own mana-streams, persists in the environment, eats away at stuff like acid and replicates itself like a virus, feeding on whatever mana it touches!
This stuff is exactly as deadly as I wanted my acid to be, dammit!
Although the part where it spreads uncontrollably all over the place is a bit of a pain to clean up, I have to admit. It's massively draining to exert your mind breaking down mana, especially on a scale like this. After the first ten minutes, I've already devolved into something of a fugue state, despite the fact my energy is always topped up. It's just boring and taxing work. I can't imagine how Crinis is feeling right about now. When the greenery first starts to pop up in the tunnel, I don't even notice. It's only after a flower literally bonks me in the nose do I notice something is happening and look up to find the infected areas are now covered in a wall of greenery that reminds me of one specific being.
What in the heck is she doing growing in here?! This is the Colony's territory! I eye one particularly lush looking shrub with great suspicion and it has the gall to wiggle innocently in front of me. How dare you, shrub! My mandibles flex dangerously, but before I can do anything, the rest of the ants are there, moving forward to complete the assault and retake the outer defences now that the threat posed by the monster has been removed.
"Eldest? What exactly has happened out here?" Sloan asks, confused.
Still giving the shrub the stink eye I quickly explain what we fought and the mess it left behind, followed by the sudden appearance of the Bruan'chii's mother in leaf form.
"Do you think she's perhaps here to consume the mana?" Sloan ponders.
"You're suggesting that a tree is actually seeking out the stuff and wants to consume it?" I say, filled with doubt.
Still, I activate my mana sense and try to get a feeling for what is going on, now that my line of sight is blocked by a carpet of flourishing plants.
"Holy mackerel, I think you're right..."
Looking closely, it appears as if the offending mana is being drawn up into the plants which then trap the stuff somehow. I can feel little reservoirs being built up within each bush, flower and bud, pooling even as something starts to go to work on that energy, nibbling at its edges.
"I'm more worried about a monster from two strata down making it all the way here," Sloan says, her antennae drooping. "Monsters like that are too strong for us to deal with..."
"We'll need to work on strategies," I say, "but I don't think it's impossible. The unknown is always harder to fight than the known. Besides, this was always going to happen. The mana levels rising mean that monsters who need more mana to sustain themselves can start to climb strata. It's not odd that we would see one. I'm honestly surprised that there hasn't been a tier seven invader yet."
"Tier seven!?" Sloan goggles at me.
"Sure. I think the mana is high enough to sustain one here, so we shouldn't be shocked if one turns up. The idea of the mana concentration rising so a strata can support higher tier monsters than normal is the scariest thing about a wave, Sloan. Remember?"
"But how would we deal with something like that? We don't have a pool of tier six warriors we can combine to fight it..." the general mutters.
I jerk an antennae back toward Crinis and Tiny.
"What do you think I've been trying to do out here?"
"Right! You should get back to it immediately then!"
"I will, but first I want to drop by the Bruan'chii and ask a few questions. Catch you later Sloan."
-x-X-x-
[Hmmmmmmmmm] the big tree blinks at me slowly a few times, as if surprised that I still exist rather than focusing on the question that I asked it.
I wait patiently whilst he inspects me but my patience is quickly running by the time he finally gets around to talking again.
[You look different,] he observes.
[Obviously, I've evolved!] I explode at him. [Can you explain to me why your plant-based parent is sprouting willy-nilly and soaking up gross mana around the place?! Do I have to ask every question three times or something?!]
He blinks.
[No.] He says finally.
I take a breath.
[So why aren't you answering my question then?] I grate out.
He looks at me with an almost palpable sense of pity.
[Because mother finds it amusing and so won't let me answer.]
The leaves and flowers that sprout from every surface around us seem to wriggle with amused joy and I slump where I stand.
[This might not be diplomatic of me, Mr Grove Keeper, but your mother is a massive pain in the thorax. Is she always like this?]
The tree nods in understanding.
[She is always like this, and we know. I ask that you be patient with her. She hasn't had the easiest life on this planet.]
The leaves rustle angrily and the Grove Keeper holds up his hands.
[I will say no more, but I think I might be able to answer your question now?]
The bushes sullenly return to stillness and the giant tree dips his head in appreciation.
[Hmmmmm. To answer your question in full, I will need to explain a little about mother, which may be why she is reluctant that I share, but I do not see the harm in a little truth. It is an extension of trust between us.]
[An olive branch? I can get behind that.]
The tree-man smiles wide, the bark on his face creaking.
[An olive branch? Yes. I like that.] He ponders the metaphor with a pleased hum that reverberates in his chests and sets all the plants to swaying before he continues. [The Mother tree is very sensitive to mana, her roots can sniff out changes from quite a long range, and her roots spread wide. When you stumbled into a tertiary root in this area, she began to expand her network in this area, this enabled her to detect the mana that you spoke of.]
[Wait, how much of the planet does your mother have roots through? And that massive thing I ran into was a tertiary? So it branched from a secondary that branched from the primary? How big is the primary?!]
The Grove Keeper chuckles.
[The primary tap-root of the Mother Tree is... vast. I will not bother attempting to describe it to you. As for your other question, I will not reveal much other than to say that it is likely less than you think. Our Mother is not a normal tree, but rather a monstrous tree, thus she does not follow the same set of rules you might think she does. To grow her network here, she needed to sacrifice root systems in other places.]
The bushes shiver in an accusatory fashion and the Grove Keeper once again holds up his hands in a placating gesture.
[An olive branch,] he says to both me and her.
The plants settle again but I can tell they aren't happy. Can a shrub glare?
[Okay. So what is it about this particular brand of mana, I don't even know what kind it is, that your mother finds so attractive that she would sprout up in our territory like that?]
[This... Hmmmmmm. Again, I do not speak overmuch. Suffice to say, Mother is an expert when it comes to containing and eradicating this particular form of mana.]
The branches around us creak.
[And she finds it delicious,] the Grove Keeper adds.
I raise an antenna.
[Delicious?]
[Yes,] he nods.
[I'm guessing the Mother Tree doesn't need water to survive, right? She 'drinks' mana?]
[This is true.]
[Alright then, I think I get it.] I take a look at the Grove around us, just as lush and vibrant as what I saw near the Colony during the siege, if not more so. What I don't see is nearly as many Bruan'chii. There are a few here and there, tending to the plants, engaged in what appear to be lively conversations with each other, but I expected to see many more. [Where are all your people, Grove Keeper? Has something happened?]
I can't imagine they were assaulted by the wave, it barely seems to affect them at all here. Their Grove falls outside the Colony's territory, but only just. We are more than likely taking the majority of the heat from the wave for them, but standing here, it feels like the madness in the tunnels is a mile away.
[Most have returned to the Mother to rest during this time of upheaval. When things quiet down again, they may return, or perhaps the Mother Tree will need them elsewhere,] he shrugs, [they will not mind regardless.]
Uh, what? They 'returned to the mother'. What the heck does that mean? Are they dead?!
[When you say, they returned...] I open cautiously, [are they... still alive?]
The leafy face looks at me curiously.
[Of course they are still alive.]
Phew!
[Just checking! I don't really know how... all that works.]
He just smiles.
[It is normal for there to be problems communicating between our peoples. There will be many misunderstandings, I'm sure. In time, we will know each other better.]
[Me too. Thanks for satisfying my curiosity and answering my questions. I'll be sure to come back and check in when the wave is done, just to chat and see how things are going.]
[You will be most welcome,] the keeper waves farewell and we turn to exit the grove.
I'm kind of surprised that I got as much information as I did, especially considering how irritating that damn tree is. I do kind of wonder about her situation and how willing she is to reach out to allies. To do the things she does, she must be what, tier nine or above? At that level of power, she still needs help? What the heck!? What exactly is threatening her? I'm also rather curious as to where her main body is. I wonder what strata she chooses to make her home?
The moment we leave the grove, it's like a light has been turned off. The environment changes in an instant from peaceful garden to shadow warzone. It's so abrupt that I'm certain there must be some sort of magical effect at work. My pets and I don't run into anything too challenging and are able to fight our way back inside the Colony's borders without much issue. With that mystery sorted, it's time to get back to charging forth and smashing the wave back to the outer defensive line.
-x-X-x-
It takes a day of near constant fighting to help the Colony shove back the wave to the outer defensive walls and once again the endless defence against the monsters continues. It's all worth it though. Every hour, the family is harvesting ridiculous amounts of Biomass and cores from the farm zones, and our savage, one sided tactics are ensuring that the frontline soldiers, generals, scouts and mages are getting a constant flow of experience.
The number of tier four ants is steadily increasing, with some rare individuals tipping over into tier five. These ants are the OG's, possibly born to the Queen before I was. If it weren't for a strange quirk making me the first of the Formica Sapiens, these battle hardened siblings would be receiving the sort of respect that I get. And they'd be much more deserving in my opinion! The 'Eldest' salutes you, brave ants! With her constant flurry of motion, Vibrant is rushing upwards in levels at a prodigious rate. I ran into her not long ago and she was almost the same level as Tiny, which was rather shocking. Despite lacking the ape's tremendous power, her raw speed and ability to go for days without sleeping is helping her mow through the enemy at incredible speeds.
I might have to arrange more rest for her... if she manages to reach tier six before my pets, it won't look too good...
After that point, I drive my pets even harder! More fighting! Less resting! We plough through endless hordes of shadow monsters, grind tier four and five demons into dust, and fortunately only run into one more monster from any deeper than that. I'm forced to step in and gravity bomb the creature into the next universe before it can spread its poisonous influence too far and we retreat back behind the lines for a quick regroup.
We push like this for a few more days and finally comes the time that I've been anticipating for so long!
Crinis is the first to reach the milestone, much to Tiny's chagrin, her ability to pulp weaker monsters like a blender is just too much for the big guy to keep up with, even if he scores more experience from higher tier monsters due to his incredible stopping power. Crinis is beyond excited to finally reach the milestone and isn't shy letting me know it.
[I finally caught up to you, Master!] she exclaims, leaping through the air to blob onto my carapace, giving me the quite comfortable, but surely horrendous looking 'thousand tentacle hug'.
[Well done, Crinis!] I praise her without holding back. [You've worked hard! I can't wait to see what your tier six form is going to look like!]
She preens as I pat her head with an antenna, bringing a pair of tentacles up to her blobby 'face'.
[This means I won't be holding you back anymore, right Master? You'll be able to start collecting experience again and push for tier seven!]
Tier seven?! I just evolved to tier six! Don't rush the process! I need like, three hundred levels before I can evolve again! But she is correct that once the two of them have evolved I'll be able to start prioritising my own experience and growth again. Not to mention we'll finally be able to remove the seal on Invidia. The poor demon has been basically forbidden from gaining experience from the moment I reconstituted him, just so that everyone could catch up. After this, he can finally start accruing experience for himself again as the long road to his next evolution starts.
[Yes, yes] I say to Crinis, [I'll start taking more experience again. For now, you need to act as Tiny's support so that he can reach level 160 as fast as possible.]
[I will!] she says, wiggling happily.
When we return to fighting, Tiny goes at it with a vengeance, his armour taking a beating as he throws his considerable weight around, making a mess of everything he can get his fists on. It's quite the impressive display and despite the fact he routinely exhausts himself, his levelling speed picks up significantly and in less than a day, he too has reached the milestone.
[There you go, Tiny!] I cheer for him. [You've finally made it! This is your chance to get even more massive!]
The big ape flexes his trunk-like arms and beats his fists onto the chest plate of his armour, grinning all the while.
[But first I'm going to have to chip away at your bulk in order to make you less stupid.]
The giant bat-faced ape loses his grin as he curls his arms protectively around himself, as if trying to protect his beefy arms from my depredations.
[Don't sook about it, you'll get back everything you lose and more when you evolve. Sheesh!]
With our goal achieved, the victorious party makes its way back into the territory of the Colony and then all the way into the nest. After a bit of fussing from the Council, at first wondering why we weren't out fighting, then wondering why we weren't hurrying to evolve, we finally manage to make it into the same chamber I evolved in, where we can finish feeding the last of the required resources into the two pets. Rare evolutions for both of them this time around. I have to say, I'm almost as excited for them to evolve as I was for myself. It's a really good feeling looking at the monsters I've raised grow alongside me. Tiny was first pet, I can still remember when he was just a little baby ape riding around on my back, getting into trouble. Crinis came much later, but she has quickly become an important member of the group, and her adorable antics are always good fun, even if her actual form is nightmare inducing.
[I'm really proud of you two,] I say to them, feeling a touch emotional, [we've come a long way together and getting to this point has been difficult. It's going to be so nice to be able to run around the Dungeon together at the same tier again, and I won't have to worry about it as much.]
Surprising me, Tiny walks over and wraps his furry arms around me in a big hug, prompting Crinis to extend her tentacles and do the same. It's very nice, but then I spot Invidia, floating by himself off to one side, watching us with his green eye.
[Come on, greedy-boy,] I tell him, waving him over with an antenna, [get in here.]
He hesitates for a moment before fluttering over and before he knows it, he gets snatched out of the air by Tiny and brought into the group hug.
-x-X-x-
The other predominant theory is that the demons' very nature, their demonic disposition, if you will, is what causes them to embrace conflict. It's true that the demons are generally untrusting, aggressive, greedy, short tempered, perpetually unsatisfied, possess an inflated opinion of themselves or all of the above, but the question I always come back to is: why?
It's not enough for a scholar to say 'they're born that way' and have done with it. When we observe creatures of nature and the traits they are born with it is possible with study and reason to determine the purpose of those traits. Why do some sorts of insects cooperate? It increases their chances of survival! Why do wolves operate in packs? Why do geese flock together? Why do lions move in prides? Why do bears hibernate in the winter? We can make educated guesses as to the purpose of all of these things. So, in my opinion, it stands to reason that we can do the same for demons.
When viewed in this way, the answer becomes apparent rather quickly, though I have failed to convince many of my contemporaries of the veracity of this hypothesis. Demon society is embroiled in a constant state of conflict, at almost every conceivable level, because it produces stronger demons that way.
There is no such thing as resting on your laurels, for a demon. No such thing as a happy retirement. If one of their kind manages to rise to the top, they need to continue to rise, lest they be overtaken and cast down by others more worthy. It's a brutal, single-minded approach to community, but one that suits them rather well. Though many have tried, there are none who have managed to subdue the monsters native to the third strata for long. They can be reasoned with, to an extent. Bargained with, to a point. But they are so, so difficult to conquer.
Excerpt from 'The Demon Below' by Axelgesis
Warm and fuzzies out of the way, it's time for the big moment! We max out their cores, but before anything else can happen, I need to make a few adjustments to Tiny's core.
[Get over here, dammit!] I yell at the ape as he attempts to run away. [It's not going to hurt! All I'm going to do is transfer some stats from might to cunning.]
He flinches as if I just told him I'm going to shift his bones around.
[Tiny...] I warn him. [Get over here right now or I swear I'll switch half your muscle mass into neurons. Maybe then you'll be smart enough to stack one block on top of another.]
He gives me a wounded look as if to say 'that was a little excessive. I'll have you know that I put two blocks on top of another, thank you very much!'
[Alright, I'm sorry. Okay? Just come over, I'll make you smart enough to use the manual evolution and that's it.]
Reluctance still evident in every part of his body, Tiny makes his way over, running his hands along his biceps and bulging shoulder muscles with a mournful look on his face. I do my best to ignore his pleading expression as I bring my antennae forward and activate core manipulation.
With the sheer mental power I bring to the table now, it's way easier than it ever was before to adjust cores and I get to work making the necessary changes. In order to keep things in balance, I do my best to ensure the loss of Might is generally applied across his whole body and not concentrated on any particular place. That way he won't become ungainly in some way that might negatively affect his evolution. When the job is done, he's become noticeably less bulky in places, but now has enough cunning to be somewhat less dense. Speaking of which.
[Just exactly how thick was your skull man?!] I demand. [There wasn't enough room up there for additional mass, half of it's sitting in your neck!]
It's true, his skull was remarkably thick, which might explain how he's managed to avoid severe brain injury from all the beatings he's taken over the weeks and months. I knew he was thick, but didn't realise it had quite gotten to this level. After making this change, it's off to see Granin for a final appointment.
[Finally got there did you?] Torrina welcomes us with a smile as we park ourselves outside the Golgari offices. No chance we all fit in there... [I'll get Granin for you.]
A few moments later and the surly old rock trundles out to greet us.
[Now it's your turn eh?] he turns to Tiny and Crinis with a broad grin. [Tier six! The big leagues! Jeez, I can't remember the last time I heard about a shaper walking about with three tier six pets. That's a literal fortune in cores being invested right there.]
[Rare cores this time around,] I boast, [only the best!]
Corun rolls his eyes.
[Obviously rare cores. You think they deserve worse than you got?]
[No!] I protest. [I'd give them better if I could!]
[Oh, Master,] Crinis wiggles about in her spherical form on my back.
Granin just grunts.
[All right then, I'll talk to these two one at a time and give them a few guidelines and try to set some expectations so they know what they're going into. Tiny should get something along the same lines you did in terms of reset, although the weird shadow mana infusion he got does complicate things a little. Crinis on the other hand... it's a little more up in the air. Do you want to sit in on the conversations?] he asks me.
[Absolutely,] I say. [They're my friends and I want to help as much as I can.]
The old golgari pauses for a moment when he hears the word 'friends' but otherwise just nods.
[All right then,] he says, rubbing his two hands together as that familiar enthusiasm takes hold of his frame. [Who's first?]
As long as I live in this world, I'm sure I'll never see another sapient as enthusiastic about evolving monsters as this guy. It can't be healthy.
-x-X-x-
The master spoke long with the stone people and Tiny did his best to pay attention. What had been done to his core seemed to help his concentration, and he was able to follow the conversation better than before, but he still felt a little itchy all over, but there was nothing nearby for him to hit. All that he could do was sigh and flex his fingers into his favourite shape: a fist, lamenting the noticeably less bulging muscles in his forearms as he did so. He just had to be patient, he comforted himself, soon he would be larger and more bulgy than ever before. Then he would hit things harder than ever before!
[In terms of resetting body parts, I highly recommend going with bones,] the rock man was saying.
Bones? Tiny snorted. If he was going to make any part of him more powerful, it would be his muscles!
[Why the bones specifically?] the master asked, [I'm pretty sure Tiny is going to want to make himself stronger more than anything, so wouldn't his musculature be a better idea?]
Tiny felt a small bloom of joy within his chest. It was nice having a master that understood him so well, even though they did keep Tiny from fighting all the time.
The stone man frowned and shook his head.
[Why do you think we have bones in the first place?]
[To hold you together? I honestly can't even remember what it felt like to have bones on the inside. I'm probably not the right person to ask.]
[Look. Muscles need something to attach to, that's true for you as well. When our muscles flex and contract...]
Tiny knew about flexing! He hunched his back and brought his arms forward to accentuate his chest and arms. The other two ignored him.
[... they are moving something. And that something is your skeleton. Or carapace.]
[Right. I'm still not getting why the bones need an upgrade before anything else.]
[If he resets his muscles to a better material, then spends a ton of his evolutionary energy on Might...]
[He will,] master assured him.
He would.
[... then it's entirely possible that his strength will be greater than what his skeleton can withstand. He either won't be able to use his Might properly, or he will literally shatter his own bones when he fights.]
That... didn't sound good. Tiny frowned. Not being able to hit things hard was bad, the worst! It sounded like he would need to make sure his bones where strong enough to withstand infinite power! Because he wouldn't be satisfied until his punch could make a mountain explode!
[I hope you got that, Tiny,] the master said, [you're not punching anything with busted arms.]
Tiny nodded to show how seriously he understood the point, then decided to give a thumbs up for emphasis.
[It's actually weirding me out having you be smart enough to listen this well,] the master observed.
[I'm really interested to see what he evolves into,] the rock man said, [Lightning Fist Apes just don't live this long. I'm amazed you pulled it off.]
[It wasn't easy,] the master grumbled, patting Tiny on the arm with one antenna.
Tiny smiled and flexed a little to show the master he appreciated his care. He felt really twitchy though. He glanced around a little then slumped. Still nothing to hit.
[Alright then, Tiny. Off we go,] Tiny started and realised he'd missed the end of the conversation. Still, he'd done well! He'd listened and learned a few things, like how to make sure he punched harder! He turned around and followed the master out of the chamber and back to the space in which they were to evolve. The whole way there, his master pelted him with reminders on what he was to do, and what he wasn't to do, when evolving.
[No matter what,] he was told again, [you aren't allowed to reduce your Cunning below twenty, got it? I want you alive long enough to reach tier seven, not running up to an ancient and trying to punch it in the eye. Keep in mind what Granin said about the bones, and... just make sure you're happy with your choices I guess.]
Tiny reached out with one, displeasingly thin arm and hugged the master to his side.
[Aww, I appreciate it you big lug. Just make sure you use the manual evolution, alright? I know it's a pain and there are so many options, but it'll be worth it in the long run.]
Tiny nodded, gave another thumbs up before he settled onto his backside and leaned against the rocky wall of the chamber. If he was going to be evolving, he'd need to make sure he was comfortable. With a thought, he activated the System menu, a broad grin stretching across his features. He would grow bigger! Stronger! And when things got in his way, were annoying, threatened his master, or whenever he felt like it, he would hit them! Way harder than before!
[Would you like to use the evolution menu?]
[Congratulations on reaching the maximum level for your current species. Evolution will allow you to change your form and increase your stats as a monster.
Warning: evolving will make securing XP and Biomass more difficult as fewer rewards are given for preying on creatures less evolved than yourself.
Your evolution options are as follows:
Mighty Puncher
Kong Boxing Champion
Winged Thunder Fist (special)
Dark Lightning Kong (special)
Lightning Fist Emperor (rare)
Thunderstrike Mountain Kong (rare)
Tiny had been explicitly told to ignore the basic evolution, so he reluctantly passed over the Kong Boxing Champion and moved straight to the rare choices. He knew enough about himself to understand he didn't have the patience to trawl through each option, his new intelligence gave him at least that much self-awareness.
[Rare Evolution: Lightning Fist Emperor (rare). -5 bonus to Cunning, +5 bonus to Will, +200 bonus to Might, +50 bonus to Toughness. A fusion of impact and lightning, the Lightning Fist Emperor is a creature capable of shattering the sky with a single fist. The skin, particularly focused around the fists, will be transformed into Bluesky Mithril, an exceptionally hard material that is both conductive and has a multiplicative effect on lightning mana. In addition, a Lightning storm generator will be added to both lightning mana glands.]
Tiny thought about this option and he decided he liked it. He liked it a lot. He would get stronger and tougher and he would be able to shoot lightning out of his hands even better than before! If there was one thing Tiny liked as much as hitting things, it was hitting them with lightning on his hands at the same time. This evolution would help him do that and then some! What about the next one?
[Rare Evolution: Thunderstrike Mountain Kong (rare). -10 bonus to Cunning, +1 bonus to Will, +220 bonus to Might, +75 bonus to Toughness. As enduring as the mountains themselves, the Thunderstrike Mountain Kong is the physical embodiment of where the earth meets the sky. The bones will be remade to Earthblood Basalt, a self-healing, flexible and tough material and will allow the Mountain Kong to endure extreme forces. In addition, a Lightning Ignition Gland will be added to both Lightning mana affinity glands, allowing the Kong to release larger bursts of lightning in a shorter time frame.]
Tiny's eyes, widened! The bones? This was exactly what he wanted. He was a little sad to miss out on the metal infused skin, but he supposed having rock infused bones would be just as nice. Also, he got even more Might! He happily selected this option and then frowned while a whole new set of windows and menus popped up, filling his vision. Anger stirred in the chest of the great ape, but he smothered it with a sigh as he started flicking through the lists, ignoring his growing headache. This would take a while.
-x-X-x-
By the time her master returned, her perfect, wonderful master, Crinis was practically vibrating in excitement. What a wonderful day! What a precious opportunity! To have her dearest master devote his care and attention to her evolution on a personal level, it was far more than she, a mere servant, deserved! But she would happily accept, in fact, she wouldn't dream of saying no! Such a chance wasn't to be squandered.
Her master walked toward her, his carapace shining so beautifully as the darkness mana washed across that perfect form that she nearly didn't realise when he spoke to her.
[ -ready to go Crinis.]
[Ah! Yes, Master!] She squeaked.
[Great. I'm a lot less worried about your evolution than I am about Tiny's. I trust you to not make any dumb decisions.]
I trust you. I trust you. I trust you.
The words rattled around in Crinis' head, drowning out anything else that was said until she finally snapped back to reality a minute later and they were already inside the room. Crinis shook herself and tried to drive away any distractions. She had to focus and not let the master down in her evolution! She slapped herself on the side of her little ball form with two tentacles, the little impacts sending waves through her jelly-like shadow flesh. Her master looked at her curiously for a moment before turning back to the conversation and she herself began to listen more attentively.
[Shadow creatures can be a little tricky, particularly at this level of evolution,] the golgari shaper, Granin, was saying.
[You mentioned something like that with Tiny as well,] the master noted with perfect intuition, [what is it about shadow monsters?]
Granin frowned and Crinis huffed. How dare he show such a displeased expression when faced with perfection?! Did he need educating!? Her blades extended ever so slightly before she retracted them. Now wasn't the time.
[The trick is that shadow monsters are such different beasts compared to first or third strata monsters. Shadow Flesh is in a category of its own in terms of core body components. It can be hardened into an almost chitinous material, or be as spongy as your pet Crinis here has made it. When it comes time to reset, it's hard to get something that will perform remotely the same function.]
[Hmmm,] her master didn't sound pleased, so she released her claws again, [so... Crinis could reset her shadow flesh into ... I don't know... demon flesh or some other third strata equivalent, but it wouldn't be able to serve the same function?]
[Right,] Granin nodded, [there's no reset available from the third strata that would allow Crinis to remain as malleable as she currently is. If she were to reset, she wouldn't be able to compact herself down to her current size,] the shaper gestured toward her current, cute ball sized shape, [or glomp onto your carapace the way she does.]
[Rejected!] Crinis declared before thinking.
[... uh... what was that Crinis?] the master asked.
[Um. I like my current shape, is all I meant... master,] she stammered out.
[Which is fine,] Granin said, [the issue is that the flesh is both the strength and the weakness of the shadow monsters. It's malleable and flexible, compressible and easily regenerated, but it is not very tough, no matter how many mutations you pile onto it. As you go deeper, it'll become harder and harder to avoid taking significant damage, or inflict damage, because everything you run into will be able to carve through your tentacles with ease.]
[Is there a solution?] master asked and Crinis felt a warm glow at the clear concern in their mind.
[There are plenty, just none that are guaranteed at this stage of evolution,] Granin appeared frustrated. [That's the issue with shadow creatures. Demon stuff from the third strata doesn't really suit, you really need stuff from the fourth, which are rare for tier six. Which is why I bring this up. If Crinis gets a choice to reforge her shadow flesh into something from that low in the Dungeon, she absolutely has to take it.]
[How exactly will she know?]
[It usually isn't hard to tell from the name. If it's not demonic or poisonous it's probably fourth strata. Just keep in mind that getting such an option would be exceptionally lucky. The system is fickle with things like this. In the much more likely event that she doesn't get an option like that, I recommend we focus on these areas...]
The discussion went on for some time after that and Crinis was diligent as she listened to every point that was made and every option that was discussed, asking a few questions herself when she needed clarification. She was determined to do her best and make her master proud! Later, when the talking was done and she had attached herself to the master's carapace once more, she received the best advice.
[When you evolve, just make sure it's something you'll be happy with,] the master said, [you don't need to worry about being useful, or looking after me or anything like that. As long as you're happy, that's all I want, alright?]
She felt warm and fuzzy at the care her master gave and pat him on the back with a few tentacles.
[Yes, Master] she said.
When they arrived in the evolution chamber, the ape was already there, fast asleep. She assumed his evolution had begun and he hadn't just gotten bored reading through the menus. Eager to begin, she parted from her master and made a comfortable home for herself in a dark corner, nestling her body half into the shadows and half out as she prepared to undergo the greatest change of her life to this point.
[Good luck, Crinis!] the master encouraged her.
She wouldn't let the master down! She engaged the menu, her attention riveted on the details.
[Would you like to use the evolution menu?]
[Congratulations on reaching the maximum level for your current species. Evolution will allow you to change your form and increase your stats as a monster.
Warning: evolving will make securing XP and Biomass more difficult as fewer rewards are given for preying on creatures less evolved than yourself.
Your evolution options are as follows:
Jelly of the Inbetween
Floating Orb of Madness
Shadeshifter (special)
Shadow Ghost of Darken Realm (special)
Immaterial Mind Breaker (rare)
Beholder of the Ineffable Truth (rare)
Endless Maw (rare)
Acting with extreme care, she read through each option, taking careful tally of the bonus stats, estimating the value of each of the included organs and resets in order to try and glean the best value. She also tried to read the intentions of the System by the choices given, what it was thinking for her future, something that Granin had discussed at length with the master, though it had appeared master was thinking about other, no doubt more important things and hadn't listened.
The two key foci of the System appeared to be her mobility, and her mind affecting abilities in this evolution. Her mastery over shadow magic had grown quickly in the second strata and her ability to move through darkness had likewise improved. All that time practicing with the order had done her some good. These Skills were rewarded with options like the Jelly of the Inbetween, the Shadeshifter and Shadow Ghost, each of which improved her ability to slip from one place to another through various means. The Orb of Madness and Mind Breaker evolutions were tips to her growing repertoire of ways to affect the mind of her foes, something she didn't mind admitting she delighted in. Those that slighted her master deserved nothing less than the most twisted torments, after all!
Finally, the Endless Maw evolution was more slanted toward consumption and biting, turning her into an amorphous blob filled with endless mouths. It was tempting, but not quite what she was after.
Naturally the rare evolutions provided the best value and so it was to these that she was drawn.
[Rare Evolution: Beholder of the Ineffable Truth (rare). +60 bonus to Cunning, +60 bonus to Will, +60 bonus to Might, +60 bonus to Toughness. The Beholder is a knower of things and a perceiver of that which others would like to remain hidden. Blinded to light, it sees through, and into the between. Shadow Eye will be reformed into a Dimension Eye (warning, this will refund all mutations), allowing the Beholder to pierce the Veil.]
This evolution would focus on her perception, pushing her general, all-rounder build further along and helping seek out that which would harm the master. She liked it, but was drawn to the other.
[Rare Evolution: Immaterial Mind Breaker (rare). + 70 bonus to Cunning, +70 bonus to Will, +50 bonus to Might, +50 bonus to Toughness. The Mind Breaker is a creature not satisfied with shattering only the flesh, but seeks to destroy also the mind. Opponents will be left reeling as they attempt to fend off attacks that will crush bones and sanity alike. Reforges Shadow Flesh into Immaterial Flesh (warning, this will refund all mutations) a substance that can move through solid matter at will, with an expenditure of mana. In addition, Soul Seeker Cilia will be placed on the ends of the limbs, allowing for strikes directly into the mind to occur.]
This one... she liked.
-x-X-x-
With Tiny and Crinis asleep in the evolution chamber, I feel as if something of a weight has been lifted off me. Not in the sense that I don't have to worry about them anymore, I'll always be worrying about them, but it's nice that they're going to be as strong as I am now. With a group of potent, maxed out tier six monsters running around together, we'll be able to fight off the depredations of the wave far better than before, and even the threat of a tier seven rising to challenge the Colony isn't as threatening as it was only a moment ago.
The two of them are now surrounded by the soft glow that heralds the beginning of their change. From this point they will undergo the metamorphic process of growing and becoming something entirely new. For this evolution, it's likely to take a day, perhaps more, so the question is, what do I get up to in the meantime? With the ape and the murder-ball out of action, it's just me and Invidia.
[Well then, it's just you and me chief,] I say to the hovering eyeball, [I think these two are going to be just fine here on their own, considering all the guards the Colony has in place. Why don't you and I head into the Dungeon and cut loose for a while. You can finally get some experience for yourself!]
That massive eye flashes with green.
[That would be pleassssant. I have yearned for my sssssshare.]
[I bet you have.]
Come to think of it, isn't it sort of nasty to force a Envy Demon to sit around watching others get something that he's forbidden? I've made him float about healing and shielding as he watched myself, then Tiny and Crinis soak up all of the experience right in front of him. In hindsight, it seems a bit rough. I say a silent apology to my loyal pet as we make our way through the tunnels and out into the open spaces outside the nest. The farming of the wave continues at a furious pace out here, thousands of workers rushing this way and that, carrying loads of cores or piles of biomass for distribution or storage. The sheer volume of resources being pulled in is boggling to the mind, making our first farming effort seem like child's play. With any luck, this spree will fuel the Colony for months after the wave has ended, providing the raw materials necessary to raise the next generation even better than the one before.
I should check in with the core shapers at some point also. I know that they sent out hundreds of teams to farm outside the boundaries of the Colony in the upper second and lower first strata. Hopefully they manage to stay safe out there. Raising pets is an expensive and trying ordeal, so I know what they're going through.
Eventually we reach the front and after a short wait, we get ready to push our way through the outer wall and into the Dungeon to face the wave. Before that, I decide to chat to Invidia about strategy.
[Well, this is your moment to do as you please really,] I tell the demon, [we can start funnelling experience into the two of us, so I guess it doesn't really matter who's doing the most damage. You can just cut loose and let the enemy feel your wrath.]
[I have no wrath,] he corrects me, [only envy.]
[Wait... so you don't feel wrathful ever? How does that work?]
[It'ssss a demon thing.]
[Fair enough then,] I shrug, [feel free to go crazy, just don't bring the tunnel down or anything like that. Use your eye laser if you want to, just, again, don't collapse the tunnel on our heads.]
[Isss there anything elsssse?]
I think for a moment.
[Not really. Let's get to it! Unleash the magic!]
[I sssssshall!]
I whip together the omni-elemental mana construct and start churning out some varied mana for my brains to practice with, ice for one, blue fire for the other. It's hard for them, but whipping together two separate spells with two different types of mana just makes me feel giddy inside. My dream of ultimate magical power is nearly achieved! Soon I'll be throwing out dozens of spells at once, using four or five different mana types! How do you defend against that? Gweheheheh.
For his part, Invidia looks just as excited as I am, his eye practically glowing with eagerness as he pushes forward, pelting the first monsters in front of us with a magical barrage of ice, fire and explosions that practically dissolves them on the spot. Then it turns out it wasn't my imagination that his eye was glowing, as the light grows more and more intense before a beam of pure energy lances forth, cutting through the dark tunnel and detonating every monster it touches.
BOOM!
[Holy smokes, Invidia! You aren't holding back!]
[I havessss no need to.]
[True!] I laugh. [Go for it little buddy!]
I can feel his prodigious mind at work, weaving mana together at an unbelievable pace to form detonation after detonation that rock the air and send shards of stone flying everywhere. It's like an artillery barrage has landed around us, the noise, light and devastation are savage. Into the mix I throw my own shards of ice and jets of flame, roasting or spearing everything that manages to survive the ongoing explosions. At long last allowed to revel in his full and complete power, Invidia does not let the opportunity slip by and rains hell down on his opponents until even demons are shattered by the power he unleashes.
After ten minutes, the tunnel in front of us is a pockmarked warzone, covered in Biomass, shards of ice and superheated rock. Invidia chuckles to himself, an eerie 'ssssshhh ssssshh shhh' sound, before his teeth unveil themselves from thin air and he flaps his way over to the Biomass and starts chomping. Not far away, we can hear the tide of monsters swelling again, it won't be long before we are forced back into the fray. But, for now, the two of us are content to recharge our mana, chow down on some biomass and reflect on the joys of magic.
[Feel good to go full force for a change?] I ask the demon.
[Yesssss,] he almost purrs, [I have been waiting to takessss what they had for myself, for sssso long.]
[You mean their experience?]
[It belongssss to me.]
[I mean, it does when you finish them off, I suppose. Or are you saying that all experience in the Dungeon belongs to you?]
[Not all,] he corrects me.
Oh? That's a little surprising.
[That's not what I expected to here from an Envy demon,] I tease him a little.
[I cannot take from the massssster. Or that which belongssss to the masssster.]
[Ah. So you mean, all experience in the Dungeon belongs to you, except for me, Tiny and Crinis.]
[Yesssssss,] he purrs as he chomps down some more Biomass. [Alllll for meeee.]
-x-X-x-
The wave ground on as Tiny and Crinis continued their evolution, the ants of the Colony working industriously as they always did. The never ending spawns of monsters were a blessing and curse, disrupting all usual business, but flooding the nests with Biomass and cores that were in turn used to fuel the further expansion and growth of the Colony. Queens toiled, eating and laying eggs that were taken by the brood tenders and nursed in their protected chambers. Once hatched, each larvae was cared for as if they were royalty. Fed and groomed near constantly, played with and tickled on an hourly basis. Each grub was tended by the same ant from the moment it hatched until the happy day they graduated the academy. This allowed them to maximise the utility and bonuses gained from their mentoring Skills.
It was a well-oiled machine, but one that was constantly in the process of being reinvented. The world of Pangera was ever changing and it was up to the Colony to adapt to stay ahead of it, lest they fall and become extinct. And it was exactly this worry that kept the two brood tender council members on their claws.
Theresant and Florence worked tirelessly to ensure that the next generation of the Colony were reared in the best way that they knew how, and when that knowledge changed, so too must their methods. Nothing but the most effective, most efficient methods would be acceptable for such an important task, but even these tried and true practices weren't always up to the task. Sometimes, they were forced to think outside the box, because, as strange as it might sound, not every larva, or pupa, or hatchling, was the same.
Particularly this one.
"Where has she gone this time?!" an unusually fl.u.s.tered Florence groaned when Theresant gave her the bad news.
"If I knew that, I wouldn't have come to you," her fellow council member grumbled to her, clearly suffering from a lack of rest.
"This is the third time she's escaped today! If I hadn't seen it for myself, I wouldn't have even believed a grub could move that fast! What did her caretakers say?"
"They're bordering on hysterical. The idea of a larva going missing is unheard of. The whole group are bordering on panic! They think they've failed in their duty to the next generation!"
The two dipped their antennae, such a feeling was beyond pain to the tenders. This could not be borne!
"Make sure they are comforted, they have not failed the Colony, but rather this grub is beyond anything I've seen before. What possible reason would a larva have to abandon the brood chambers?! And how the heck could they even do it!?"
"Calm yourself, sister," Theresant said, "we must take this situation in hand. No grub will be lost on our watch, no matter what."
"You're right, of course. Thank you Theresant," Florence collected herself and found her calm. "Do you have any thoughts as to where we should look first?"
"There must be tracks, it's a grub after all. Let's gather a team of tenders and see if we can requisition some scouts. We'll have that larva back in our care before they know it."
Having thus firmed their resolve, the two ants moved quickly. In a matter of minutes a search party was gathered, a passing group of scouts press-ganged into service. It made a strange sight, one rarely seen in the nest, when the brood tenders sallied forth from their chambers in search of a wayward larva. What they expected to be a quick search, soon took a turn for the worse as the scent they followed ranged high and low through the tunnels.
Much business was thrown into disorder as the increasingly desperate party of brood tenders raced from place to place, bursting into the blacksmith's forges and turning them upside down before turning and racing out again. Many an antennae was set to wiggling anxiously when they raided the resting chambers, disturbing the torpor of many workers and unknowingly throwing the Unnamed One's into despair by throwing their counts off. But there was nothing to be done about it, there was not a single ant in the Colony who would stand before the brood tenders and impede their work. There was no hierarchy amongst the castes, no pecking order or chain of command, but all knew that the work of caring for the young was the most important work of all. When the tenders burst into their workplaces, all the ants could do was get out of the way until they were gone.
So it was that Theresant and Florence grew increasingly frantic as they followed the trail of this impossible grub all through the nest until finally the scent led outside the nest itself.
"HOW?!" Florence burst out, "it can't possibly be this quick! It doesn't have legs!"
Theresant pondered for a moment.
"Do you think it might have latched onto other ants using its mandibles? That might explain the quick pace and the lack of tracks."
Florence stared at her.
"You don't think they'd notice?" she asked.
"It's a larva! They are small and light. If it latched onto a leg, or underneath the carapace..."
"Dammit!" Florence swore. "That means it could drop off anywhere in the tunnels and crawl off. We need to move quickly! What if a monster spawns next to it!"
"We won't let it happen," Theresant promised her sister before turning to the search party behind them. "Bring your sisters," she ordered them, "we need more antennae for the search."
Five minutes later, the single largest gathering of brood tenders outside their chambers ever witnessed descended on the Biomass farms like a storm, scattering all before them in their hunt for the grub. Chaos reigned wherever they went as more and more ants were forced to join the hunt until thousands upon thousands of ants flooded the tunnels, searching high and low, tracing the faint scent of a single grub that seemed to criss-cross everywhere throughout the territory until none could be sure where the trail began or where it ended.
As the tenders grew more distressed, more ants abandoned their work to assist them, which quickly grew out of control and all industry in the Colony ground to a halt. Even soldiers were dragged into the mess, pulling the generals with them. Before she had even realised what was happening, Sloan found herself organising the central command post for the search, directing no less than fifty different search parties as they tore the territory apart in search of the grub.
Advant herself lead a charge to the very edge of the Colony defences, following a faint trace that led right to the outer wall before doubling back, somehow toward the farms. Eventually the pattern began to emerge as Sloan pieced together the movement of the grub and organised the searchers into a wide net, cast out to surround and constrict the territory in which the elusive larva could move. With hearts pounding in chests, the ants slowly converged, turning over every rock and leaf so as not to let their prey slip past. Creeping step by step they advanced, drawing close the strings around the target and blocking off escape routes.
Emergency walls were constructed, an army of carvers working without pause, walled off tunnels and built emergency watch stations. Every ant passing in and out was inspected head to toe, lest they unknowingly smuggle the grub through a check point.
Florence and Theresant felt joy surging in their hearts as the web drew ever more taut. They would not lose the larva and their sisters would know joy when this lost lamb had been returned to the fold. They placed themselves at the forefront of the search and none were more diligent than they. The two siblings checked every rock, every fold in the stone and left no shadow seaweed uninspected as they advanced.
Eventually, the multitude of search parties gathered around a single point, an intersection of tunnels close to the edge of the Colony's territory. Hearts were in mouths all around as the thousands of ants gathered within sight of each other. Somewhere ahead, in this innocuous looking patch of rock, the grub was hiding, they had made sure of it. All trails led to this point, escape was impossible!
"Ahh! What a nap! I'm feeling good! Oh. Ah. Hello everyone?"
At that moment, the Eldest stood up, right in the middle of the multitude of spectators, stretching after a period of torpor.
"Eldest? What are you doing here?" Theresant asked.
The giant ant turned to cast their eyes over the tense antennae of the gathered crowd.
"I was resting here. What the heck has been going on while I was resting? Actually. Don't worry, I think I have it."
The brood tender tilted her head, unsure as to what the Eldest meant when they moved forward, ducked down and seemingly from nowhere plucked a grub from the ground with their mandibles, holding it up for all to see.
"This what you're after?"
There was perfect stillness for a moment, then, the gathered throng burst into wild applause, clacking their mandibles as waves of pheromones rolled through the tunnels. The brood tenders were almost overcome with emotion as the long search finally came to an end. Theresant and Florence walked forward on shaking legs to approach the Eldest and inspect the larva for themselves.
"Finally we've found her!" they cried. "We can take her back to the chambers and tend to her needs properly."
The little grub wriggled viciously in the Eldest's grip but the mighty ant had no problem maintaining their grip without hurting the little one.
"I'm not sure that's a good idea," the Eldest shocked the two of them, "this one reminds me of Vibrant. She's the only other grub I've seen with this much energy. If you take her back, she's only going to escape again. You might as well leave her with me. I'll bring her up personally."
The two tenders felt a chill run down their carapace.
"You? T-teach her personally? A-are you s-sure that's... safe?" Florence stammered.
The Eldest eyed the two of them, an aura of irritation rising from them.
"What are you implying?"
So quickly they almost missed it, the hovering demon guardian of the Eldest appeared, a giant mouth splitting the air beneath it and opening wide. Quick as a flash, the Eldest turned and flung the grub straight into the waiting maw, which quickly closed and vanished from sight.
"ELDEST!?" Theresant shrieked.
"Calm down," the Eldest groused. "He's not going to eat her. If she's going to be a pain and send the entire Colony into a tizzy, she can have a little time-out. In this case, time-out means being held in a demon's inter-dimensional mouth."
Then they laughed. Oh how they laughed.
Scarred and frightened, the two tenders retreated back to the brood chambers, to reassure their sisters and comfort each other from memories they would rather forget. An hour later, the Colony was back to its normal industrious self, as if nothing had ever happened.
-x-X-x-
The first time I met Anthony, I honestly didn't think much of them. Insect type monsters were weak, such was common knowledge. In fact, that knowledge was so common, that it was some time before I realised I didn't actually know much about that branch of monsters, I had simply dismissed them out of hand based on the collective poor disposition toward them. After working with him and sensing his potential, I spent a considerable amount of time digging through the archives and studying the material we had on the subject, which was pathetically little. There were many records of ants, but mainly of the historical sort, detailing this outbreak or that, the types of individuals encountered and how they had been exterminated. Extraordinarily little work had been done exploring the branching evolution trees, common mutation types, or any of the rigorous research that the Cult of the Worm was renowned for.
Why? Why was this branch of monster, more than any other, disregarded in such a total manner? It was baffling to me, but I had little choice but to admit that I myself had done the same. Despite garnering a reputation for delving deep into monster archetypes that were typically looked down upon by my contemporaries, I had never considered looking into ants in any sort of depth. I suppose I can understand the bias, ants are a despised monster archetype. General Dungeon dwellers hate them for the damage they cause and the rather terrifying manner they attack, tunnelling through walls and bursting into vulnerable areas with a flood of chitinous bodies, whereas my fellow scholars had little use for such individually weak monsters when trying to craft the apex predator that is an Ancient.
So I set out to gather together all of the knowledge I could to rectify this mistake. By pulling together and cross-referencing studies on every hive-type insect monster I could find, I began to build a profile of what may be possible, not only at the lower tiers, but also at the higher. What emerged was a picture quite unlike what I had expected. High tier insect monsters are very rarely seen, but without exception, they are powerful. High tier ants, other than Queens, are never seen, but it stood to reason that they too would be just as strong.
My expectations in this regard were borne out, though not in the manner I had foreseen.
- Excerpt from 'Reflections on the Insectoid evolutionary chain in the New World' by Granin Lazus
Champion monsters aren't exactly unknown to me, seeing as Vibrant is one. I spoke to Granin about it, as a passing topic and given that he knows just about everything on the topic of monsters, he had plenty to say. Generally rare, but especially so amongst communal monsters, champions are a distinct threat when encountered by delvers. Smarter, stronger and capable of rallying other monsters around them, these creatures have apparently always been a known quantity in the Dungeon that were better left alone and avoided than confronted head on. I have already experienced the joy of taking care of one ant champion and I'm not particularly enamoured of the idea of taking care of a second.
[Whatever you do, make sure you don't eat her, Invidia. Just, be careful, you know?]
[I sssshall. The young isss sssafe with me.]
[Good to know.]
The absolute mess that this larva caused was beyond the pale. Not even Vibrant was that much of a pain in the neck before hatching. To think that this potential champion is already capable of this level of disaster causing... only my finest and strictest training will be able to mitigate the catastrophes to come. Still, she hasn't even gone into the pupal state yet... what exactly are we going to do with her when we're supposed to be out fighting the wave?
Invidia will do his absolute best, I'm sure, but I don't really expect him to fight whilst cradling a grub in his mouth. We need a more permanent solution...
As I ponder what to do with the little thing, I drift my thoughts down to the Vestibule and the flow of Will that is contained therein. The grub is there also, its barely conscious mind is providing energy to me, just as any other member of the Colony would. I can feel her thoughts, ever so softly, and only when I concentrate. There is immense curiosity there, as well as a burning impatience. I can tell she's in a hurry to grow up and hatch, to join the workforce and take her place amongst her siblings.
It's not time yet, little grub! You've got a bit of growing to do before you're ready to do that! Having said that, may as well go and secure some food for her. The three of us wander off and find a creature spawning in the tunnels which I put down with a quick chomp before asking Invidia to release the little one so she can get fed.
The grub emerges almost tentatively from the nightmare zone that is the demon's pocket dimension, wiggling out onto the ground with obvious relief. They have little in the way of senses, the larvae, blind and with very little by way of smell, but I'm sure it wasn't all that pleasant in there, which is nothing less than what she deserved after the panic she caused. Smelling the food, she wiggles her way toward it with that strength and energy which reminds me so much of Vibrant as a larva.
Soon the sound of chomping and chewing rings throughout the tunnel and I watch the little grub go at it, eating far more than one would think possible for a creature of her size. Even then, she tries to crawl away, nipping behind a rock and attempting to roll away from my clutches whilst I'm not paying attention. Sadly for her I was well aware of her intentions the moment they formed in her little head. Back into the mouth with you! You'll learn eventually.
-x-X-x-
The society of the Colony was alien to me at first, as one may well expect. The differences in origin between I, a surface born sapient of the Iron Sands, and the ants who made up the insect empire (as I like to call them. They dismiss the title and refer to themselves exclusively as 'the Colony' or 'family'), are obvious at a glance, and so it was difficult for me to make heads or tails of their dealings for a goodly while.
An example would be the lack of a clear chain of command. An absurd amount of industry and labour is done inside the many nests of the Colony each and every day, but who decides which work is to be done? Who decides who does what work? Where are the decision makers and enforcers that ensure the necessary work is completed? It was to my shock that I learned that no such roles exist. Imagine a warehouse with no roster, a mine with no foreman or a ship with no captain. How could it possibly function? How would anything get done?
My mind rebelled against the feasibility of such an arrangement when I heard it, certainly I had no parallels to draw within my sphere of experience. It was only from this point forward, that I truly began to understand the differences between our peoples.
The division of labour within the Colony is surprisingly democratic. The ants organise themselves into groups with similar Skills and capabilities, then decide what it is that they are going to do. Central to this structure is the detailed information that is disseminated throughout the Colony of their activities. There are many ants tasked with simply collecting information as to what goes on within the territory. How much ore was smelted today? Will there be a shortfall? Is there a dearth of cores? Exactly how much Biomass has been gathered? All of this is known, collated, and spread throughout the workforce. If there is a shortage, teams of ants will go and fill it. If there is a surplus, they will find other things to do to not clog the pipeline.
When more complex tasks arise, research projects, large scale construction, a large shipment of goods to be transported and protected, a call is put out for capable family members to join the team, which they will do voluntarily. Once they feel they have enough ants for the job, they'll get to work, feverishly and industriously racing to complete the task. When it's finished, the team will either move onto another similar task, or dissolve, the individuals joining other groups and finding more work to do.
It's a system that only functions thanks to the unique nature of the ants. They are without ego, always stepping aside if another more capable individual presents for the work, without greed, always prepared to sacrifice for the collective, and without sloth, for nothing is more absurd than a lazy ant. I found it fascinating to observe in action, growing bewildered at the sheer speed they could assemble a specialised group, complete a task, then move to the next. If ever there was need, there were workers to meet that need. The pace of it all was enough to make my head spin, the incredible number of individuals involved, the density in which they lived with each other.
It was as if they collectively formed one organism. A giant, living and breathing creature formed of millions of parts, with one will and one vision. It was beautiful.
Excerpt from 'The Insect Economy: Macro and Micro perspectives' by H.R.R. Slyth.
Invidia and I fall into a regular pattern that sees us out crushing the wave for a while and then returning to feed the grub and trap it back into its inescapable cage. Some might say that putting the larva into a prison carved from solid metal is inhumane, but she chewed her way through the rock so we didn't have much choice. Luckily, if we force feed her a ton of Biomass until she basically passes out from a food coma then we get a good hour of stress-free fighting in before she becomes mobile again and the escape attempts commence.
It's especially frustrating because I can't really sense any malicious intention from her, she's just curious and wants to roll about the place, free and uninhibited, quite apart from most of the grubs in the Colony who are perfectly content to go with the flow. The only downside is that she's a completely defenceless larva with almost no sensory apparatus or ability to defend herself. Considering her almost uncanny ability to wriggle out of sight and hitch a ride with passing ants, locking her up is necessary for her protection...
It was that or she stayed in the mouth, alright?! I think I'm doing well!
While Crinis and Tiny are continuing to evolve, Invidia and I bond over our mutual love of explosions, magic and lasers. This has also been a wonderful opportunity to start grinding my mind-magic. I only need to push it up a rank or two and then I'll have the ability to create mind constructs just like the envy demon! Of course, I don't expect that I'll be able to maintain nearly as many as he does, but it should help multiply the amount of magic I can do.
I went into depth with my triad of advisors in regard to this technique before I evolved. As they said, the normal method, for a monster, is to go the same route that Invidia has. Pile up one huge, omnipotent brain, and then use advanced mind magic to spin off constructs that essentially allow for parallel thinking. Each construct isn't nearly as powerful as the original mind, but with increasing expertise in mind magic, and with a more potent 'host' brain, the constructs become stronger and able to handle more workload. Going even more advanced than that, the constructs can cooperate with each other much like my own sub-minds do, working together to handle spell-weaving that they couldn't do on their own.
I took the time to speak to Invidia about it and it turns out he needs two mind constructs working together to weave each instance of his explosion magic, something that surprised me a little. As he explained it, since his go to detonation spell required two different elements, namely gas and fire, it was far easier to create them with two separate minds carrying the load rather than the one. So, during our spell barrages I manage to work hard on my mind magic, reaching out with bridges and connecting to monsters, twisting their minds and throwing false thoughts at them as they attempted to dodge Invidia's spell barrage. It was familiar casting that I'd spent a lot of time on before but hadn't been using lately as training other skills had taken priority. Now it was finally time for the mental warfare to make its triumphant return! All in the name of mind constructs!
We spent over a day in this pattern, force feeding the larva and fighting to our heart's content, driving back the ever-surging monsters and helping provide breathing room to my siblings. Invidia continues to gleefully detonate every monster he can, vacuuming up experience at a phenomenal rate as I content myself with training my skills and picking up kills where I can. After enough time has passed, we gather up the iron cage and cart it back to the evolution chamber where we find Crinis and Tiny emerging from their sleep, newly forged and ready for battle.
-x-X-x-
The soft glow of evolution is gradually fading and the two of them are looking significantly different. Well, Tiny is, at any rate. Crinis remains blobbed up in a small ball, wobbling slightly as whatever internal changes that are taking place complete themselves. My first pet and friend in this Dungeon, the giant bat-faced ape, has continued his trend of getting more absurdly muscular as time goes by. Another increase in size has him looming over the room, his considerable bulk taking up almost half the available space. I can see that he's made sure to put back on all the muscle mass that I took from him, times about five. His shoulders have levelled up, as well as the rest of his upper body, but surprisingly even his legs are looking beefier. Clearly he wanted an all over power increase without targeting any particular area.
He remains largely dark in colour, the influence of the shadow mana that he took into his body is still there, though traces of flickering silver are starting to return to his back. Still somewhat shaggier than a gorilla would normally be, his fur crackles with faint electrical energy that discharges into the air and leaves an acrid tang on my antennae.
I waddle over to Crinis to more closely inspect her condition and I'm intrigued by the slight changes I can detect around her. Although she appears dark and wibbly-wobbly as always there's something new that I can see dancing on the edges of her body. It's an almost ephemeral, ghost-like outline that hovers around her form. I'm super curious to know what it is, but I don't want to peek at her core while she's still evolving. Also, it'd feel a bit rude to look at someone's core whilst they were sleeping. It's just not on.
So I set down the cage with the still sleeping grub inside it and settle in to wait with Invidia. We idly engage in mind magic warfare to pass the time but it doesn't take long before the glow around the two monsters fades completely and they begin to stir. Crinis is the first to shake off the sleep, of course, the greedy ape will cling to every ounce of rest he can get his meaty hands on. The little blob shivers a little and I feel her consciousness stirring to wakefulness as a collection of small tendrils extend and she starts to almost unconsciously feel out her surroundings.
[Hey there Crinis! How does it feel to be tier six?]
The little ball wibbles a bit.
[Ah! Master! You were waiting for us?]
[We haven't been here long. Invidia and I have been out fighting the waves while you evolved, for the most part. You didn't answer my question though. You're now a member of the exclusive tier! The biggest and baddest creatures in the Colony! Are you excited?]
[Um, no? I-I'm happy I'll be able to serve you better, Master!]
I slump a little. Ah well. I suppose it's fine like this. I'd sort of hoped she might be a little pleased with the increase in her own power for her sake, rather than mine, but it appears there's some distance to go before I can remove the 'pet to master' relationship we have. I won't rest until my pets are free of all compulsion and able to make their own way in the world! This is my vow!
[Get any juicy options?] I follow up. [I'm genuinely curious to hear what sort of things you were offered. Given your species and ... specialties, there must have been some odd ones.]
Crinis is only too happy to explain to me what her choices were, extending a few small tentacles to wave about the air as she excitedly describes the various dimensional mind horrors that she could have turned into. Naturally she picked the most terrifying one. She's one step away from being able to flay minds. I look slightly askance at her as I ask: [And you're happy with your choice?]
[Yes!] she confirms joyfully.
Well... I suppose it's to be expected. She's happy, that's what matters.
[Actually, since you've got new... mind... invasion... stuff, you should check the Skills available to purchase. You might have unlocked something to do with your new capabilities. In fact, I'd be shocked if you didn't. You should also make sure that you test out your phasing ability as much as you can before we go out to fight again. I get the feeling it might take a little while to get the hang of, so practicing early will pay off.]
Only too happy to take my advice, Crinis tentacles her way over to a corner so she can start perusing the lists and I see her already trying to pass a tentacle into the wall, shifting the flesh to become insubstantial. There really is going to be nowhere to hide from her much longer. I feel a chill.
Thankfully, Tiny manages to distract me from my grim future by sitting up and yawning with an unexpected amount of energy. His thick, packed arms and shoulders shift and bulge beneath his fur as he moves and as he becomes more aware I see him glance down at himself, a mighty grin breaking out on his face as he beholds his new mass.
[Yeah, yeah. You're huge. Did you get anything else in this evolution, or did you just pour it all into Might?]
He gives me a thumbs up that I could interpret in several ways but I decide that he is probably indicating that he did actually diversify in some way.
[And you remembered to make sure that your Cunning score stayed over twenty?]
The thumb droops a bit, but he does keep it up from which I take it to mean that he did do as I said, but he'd much rather have sacked more of his brain matter if he could.
[Good! Well done Tiny! Why don't you run me through what your choices were and what you picked? I'd love to know all about it.]
Even with his increased intelligence, Tiny isn't much of a talker, but with a mixture of words, gestures and interpretative dance (which he's surprisingly skilled at) I manage to get the gist of what he's saying.
[Sounds like you got some hella impressive bones there big guy,] I congratulate him. [Not as amazing or shiny as my carapace, but still, not bad.]
I have a thought.
[By the by. The two of you ought to finish up any new Skill purchases and do some mutating! Pour some Biomass into those fancy new duds you're carrying around now, then we'll go out and get to combat practice! Sound good?]
I get a resounding cheer from all my pets, even Invidia for some reason, and all of us settle into perusing menus.