Chapter 768 - The gang mutates
It's not only the pets that need to get some mutating done, I'm in the same boat myself! Whilst I haven't been packing on the Biomass at the moment, I've been making sure I keep a steady intake in order to continue acc.u.mulating points and there's plenty that I can do with them. I'm not planning on pushing anything to +30 just yet, not even my precious carapace, since there's still much lower hanging fruit that I can reach up and grab with almost no effort. Upgrading my stomach would be good, but still too expensive at this stage. It's a whopping 140 Biomass to take a single organ from +25 to +30 and when I still have parts of my body without any upgrades at all, it just isn't going to happen.
That's right! I'm talking about my brains!
All four of them, to be precise. The main mind, main sub-brain and the two lackeys, the regular sub-brains. I actually spoke fairly at length with Torrina about mutations for brains, at Granin's suggestion, since he thought that she might have more expertise than he did as she specialised in 'spell-casting wimp monsters', in his words. I quickly learned that when it comes to brains there is way too much to know and very quickly had to ask the enthusiastic shaper to tone things down for me.
In the end, despite the plethora of possible options, combinations and builds that can be done with brains, there are only a few that are particularly relevant for me. In the end, what exactly do I want my brains to do? The focus is fairly narrow when it was put to me in those terms, and Torrina was only too happy to spell out the strengths and weaknesses of each choice at a level that I could comprehend it.
Still, I wistfully look down the list at the many intriguing options that I'll never get the chance to pick.
Rapid brain for faster processing of information. Very useful for speed type monsters like Vibrant. A mutation like this, as well as a nervous system upgraded similar to mine are almost a necessity for her as she gets faster and faster. Moving at that kind of speed without being able to think fast enough to keep up with it, or react fast enough when something jumps out at you, is a short cut to getting yourself splatted on a wall somewhere. I was sure to sit Vibrant down and press this point upon her as soon as I got the chance, which took a little doing. Gravity mana is a great leveller when it comes to catching her.
Motion Prediction brain? Another handy one. Develops and improves the section of the brain dedicated to motion tracking and prediction. I remember hearing that jugglers on Earth were found to have larger examples of this sector. It might seem like not much, but when you think about the amount of motion tracking that goes on in combat, you'd begin to realise just how important it can be to be able to accurately trace and predict the path of things in motion. I'd love to take this as a defensive option... but my heart is set on another path... Maybe if I get another brain...
Hormone control brain? Turns out even monsters have hormones that help regulate their body. Being able to exercise some level of control over them would be more than a little handy... Need an adrenaline kick at just the right moment? POW! Delivered right into the system when you want it.
Emotion regulator? This one seems a little weirder to me... The meditation skill does something similar once ranked up, but I can see there would be some synergies. If you were a rage monster like Sarah then you could use something like this to make you angry all the time. Apparently she isn't able to purchase this mutation due to a restriction of her species, which is something I've not yet run into. Though I suppose if you literally turn yourself into an unstoppable avatar of berserk rage then the System isn't likely to just let you turn it off whenever you want to. It'd be like allowing Vibrant to purchase a 'calm' organ. It's just wrong.
But it's in the magical options that the real juice of the brain mutations can be found. Better mana manipulation, or perception, or handling, or sensitivity, or even absorption are here. You can improve the brain's capacity to handle specific types of mana, or utilise particular types of constructs.
It's even possible to select mutation that will, after enough upgrades, permanently engrave a construct into the structure of the brain itself. Wild, I know. The advantage of not having to make and then maintain the construct are nice and all, but you could just get the mana organ if you wanted to. Of course, taking this option only takes up a mutation slot, rather than a new organ, essentially passing the cost onto Biomass rather than precious evolutionary energy. The drawback being that the brain you purchase this mutation for won't be able to utilise any other form of mana, which is a problem, obviously. I suppose if you were a specialist, it would be fine, but I have other plans.
When looking at it logically, what am I going to be using my sub-brains for? Creating mind constructs! It'll be the constructs themselves that go on to do the actual spell-casting, and I can't mutate those, they aren't physically part of my body. There's no point making my sub-brains better at casting any spell other than mind constructs, it's simply a waste of resources.
This is the point that Torrina was most determined to press upon me, not to be distracted by the shiny offerings but focus on the boring truth. The future of my sub brains is a grim one, they will be mind construct batteries and little else! The better they are at making mind constructs, the more spells I can sling! There simply isn't any way to overcome the difference by going down any other path!
So naturally, the option I choose for them is the Mind Mana Specialisation.
All three sub-brains are to be upgraded to +15, taking the mind mana mutation both times, then reinforcing it. With this, all three of them will become much more adept at handling mind mana, as well as using the mind mana construct. This will help my training speed as well as improving my ability to form new minds. Which leaves me with my main brain. Obviously, there's a few ways that I could go with this one. I could leave all the spell casting to the sub-brains and have my main mind be set aside just for processing combat information and moving the body, but that's boring! I didn't pump so many stats into this brain to have it handle all the simplest tasks! No! I pumped all the stats into this brain so that it could handle the biggest, most awesome magic of all!
Whipping through the menu, I find what I want and grin to myself.
Gravity Mana specialisation. I take this mutation at +5, then I scroll through and find the other mutation I want: Condensing Mana handling. Take that mutation at +10, then fuse the two together at +15. Gweheheheh. That's right, my main mind is for dropping bombs, literally. Of course, the sub-brains can cast the gravity bomb now, but that doesn't mean that's what I want them to do most of the time. Nope, they're reserved for creating mind constructs that will focus on elemental casting. When it comes to gravity magic, the main mind is going to be my go to and I'll continue pouring evolutionary energy into it until it can throw around gravity spells with contemptuous ease.
With these two mutations, my main mind has grown better at condensing mana and handling gravity mana. I can't wait to see how they work together!
With everything selected, I confirm my choices and almost gleefully allow the rising itch to take over, throwing my body to the ground and spasming my legs in the air like a poisoned spider. Just wait, Dungeon! My power will never stop growing!
-x-X-x-
Travelling the lands of the Colony was not something I was too eager to undertake. My decision to pursue this venture was only made after repeated, and passionate, requests from you, my dear readers. I was as intrigued as all of you, I'm sure, when word of this strange new place reached my ears in Derinon. A land of people cooperating with monsters from the Dungeon? It was scandalous! The old biddies and I were all too happy to titter over tea and imagine what such a place would be like. For my part, I was content to leave it to the imagination and dedicate myself to my cross-stitching, but you wouldn't have it, would you, reader?
My publisher all but broke down my door one morning, a barrel full of letters under one arm and his face as red as a baboon's rear. For a man with such pitiful physical stats, it was rather an impressive sight. After I sat the man down and got a stiff drink into him, he explained that demands for a travelogue detailing this wondrous new place had been pouring in. The people had spoken, he declared to me, and urged that I make preparations for the journey as soon as possible.
What am I if not your humble servant, dear reader? So it was that not a week later I had packed my bags and begun the long trek to the wild frontier! It was enough to make my bonnet spin, let me tell you. Naturally, my assistant and companion Riligent has joined me, along with several suitably strapping lads and lasses who have assured us they are up to the task of ensuring our safety.
So fear not, dear reader! As safely as possible, I, your beloved Tolly, will step foot where others fear to tread and bring you the vivid stories of faraway lands that you so crave! Await my next missive with bated breath, for we are only a few days away from the borders. What will we see? Find out next time!
Excerpt from Chapter One of 'Traveling Tolly in the lands of the Colony' published in the Monthly 'Pangera Gazette'
Freshly mutated and ready to go, my team of all-powerful, world-beating tier six monsters makes its way out of the evolution chamber in the heart of the nest and out toward the borders. We've got new wheels, time to take 'em for a spin. We don't get far before Tiny is already swinging his fists, a broad grin on his face. It's a shame we have to leave his armour behind since it no longer fits him. Even his noggin grew larger to the point his helmet wouldn't go on again.
Another visit to Smithant will be required, I think. I probably need to get measured up as well, since I kind of promised her that I would look at getting some armour organised once I'd evolved. At least I can say to this point that I've genuinely been busy helping defend the Colony during the wave. Hopefully that mad ant won't give me too much grief over it...
Regardless of insane blacksmiths, by the time we reach the front there's a tangible excitement in the air as both Tiny and Crinis are excited to test out their new selves.
"Greetings Eldest, back again already?" the general on duty at this checkpoint asks.
"Hey there!" I greet her. "Yep, the crew has evolved and we are ready to unleash some pain on the wave. How've things been here?"
She shrugs with her antennae even as she keeps her eyes laser focused on the never ending warfare around the chokepoint ahead of us.
"The pressure continues to build. We received a new wave of reinforcements a few hours ago, which certainly helps. I've increased the active garrison size by twenty percent and added a new shift to the rotation. Hopefully it's enough."
"It'll be fine!" I try to instil some confidence. "We've held on this far, haven't we? We're likely more than half way through it by this time."
The general doesn't seem as uplifted as I would have hoped.
"We'll see," is all she says, "it's a general's job to stay pessimistic. I'll keep expecting the worst and hope it pans out better than that."
"Probably a good play," I say. "If it's all the same to you, mind if we poke through the chokepoint and fight?"
"Go for it," she says, "just make sure you coordinate with the garrison."
Having gotten permission, we sidle forward and arrange with the ants in the thick of the action to allow us through the next time they pull back, which gives us a minute or so of waiting time.
[Alright then,] I say to my two newly minted pets, [who's going to go in first?]
Tiny looks at me like I'm insane and Crinis just sighs.
[Alright then Tiny. You're the first cab off the rank,] I laugh and the big gorilla slaps his b.a.r.e c.h.e.s.t with glee. [Just remember you don't have any armour on. Your bones might have hardened up, but the rest of you hasn't, alright? Be careful.]
He nods, but I can tell he isn't really listening, his eyes already fixated beyond the chokepoint as his fingers curl into fists, electricity sparking across his body. I can only roll my eyes (metaphorically) and ask Invidia to take care of the big idiot. A moment later and the ants pull back from the chokepoint, giving us the space to charge forward. Not wasting a second, Tiny unleashes a shattering war cry before he slams his massive fists into the ground, cracking the stone beneath our feet and sending himself barrelling forward into the teeth of the wave.
I can already feel the mana spinning in Invidia's grasp as he weaves numerous barriers and healing spells, but Tiny is oblivious to all of it. As the claws and fangs of the innumerable monsters reach for him, he rears back with one fist wreathed in pulsing light and launches it forward, his eyes ablaze with joy.
BOOM!
Like a cannon had gone off or an artillery shell had just landed, a loud roar rattles my head just as a dazzling light blinds my eyes. What the heck was that?! Unwilling to hesitate, I rush forward right behind the big ape and prepare myself to fight, only to find that with that one punch Tiny has managed to vaporize a dozen shadow monsters, clearing space around the opening.
What in the name of the great googly-moogly...
"Roar!"
Tiny bellows again with rage and joy as his fists begin to spark with lightning, the chittering crackle of electricity grows louder and louder until he reaches back and throws out his fists in a sharp one two combo, smacking directly into a hulking shadow slug that reared up in front of him.
BOOM! BOOM!
This time, two near simultaneous detonations ring out and despite being blinded by the flash once more, I get a better view of what is going on. The moment his fist lands, the energy contained in his fists is unleashed in a calamitous burst, striking out like a burst of lightning and decimating whatever is in front of him. It's almost as if he's throwing a bolt of lightning with each punch! This must be the work of the Lightning Ignition gland, allowing him to unleash more of the mana in a shorter time frame, letting him charge his fists in record time. It'll drain away his lightning mana at a rapid pace, but what does that matter in the face of this devastating amount of damage? There can't be much that would be able to stand in front of him long enough for him to deplete both of his lightning glands.
The massive, bat-faced ape roars once more, throwing his head back and smashing his fists into his c.h.e.s.t in a display of primal dominance. I can practically feel the glee radiating off of my oldest pet as his fists begin to chitter once more with sparking lighting and he steps forward looking for more challengers as I watch over him from behind. Well, it looks like he's pretty darn pleased with his evolution. When he finally runs out of juice, we'll see how Crinis feels about hers.
-x-X-x-
What follows is an hour in which Tiny goes completely berserk on every monster unfortunate enough to poke its nose into the tunnel in which we stood. So quickly was he mowing down the lower tier shadow creatures that he ended up pushing forward several hundred metres trying to find a challenger. He did eventually come across a lithe demon with scythe-like arms and a menacing aura. I almost stepped forward to take it on myself, but the moment he saw it, Tiny was off like a shot, bellowing his challenge as his wings spread out to build his speed even further.
My heart leapt into my mouth and I was genuinely concerned for the moron for a heartbeat. Despite being a tier lower than he was, demons have all sorts of in-built advantages over a first stratum monster like Tiny. Would he be alright?
As it turns out, my worries were somewhat warranted, despite how short the fight turned out to be. The demon, unimpressed with the gigantic monkey bearing down on it, slid neatly to one side as it slashed out with one arm. A powerful blade of light manifested along with the strike, homing in on Tiny's neck as he descended on the monster. For a brief moment, I thought his head was going to get sliced clean off, but without missing a beat, Tiny raised his left arm to block the strike as his right swung down, his own fist wreathed in light as a giant fist of light manifested to mirror his own.
At first, it appeared as though the Demon would win the day as its blade sunk deep into the ape's flesh, blood spurting out from the cut. But then, the attack just... stopped. As if it had run into a brick wall. Tiny's hand however, did not stop, and the poor demon was flattened into the ground by the brutal power behind that swing. Disoriented from the blow, there was little the third stratum monster could do to retaliate as Tiny stood over it and delivered a devastating combo, literally burying it in the stone floor of the tunnel.
When it was done, Tiny walked back toward us with a broad grin on his face, even as he continued to lose a copious amount of blood from the wound on his arm.
[Don't smile at me like that, you moron! Your arm is half cut off! Come over here quickly and get healed!]
When he came closer, it was clear to see what happened. The blade had indeed sliced through his muscle and tissue like it was paper, but when it came to the bone... no such luck. Tiny's new skeleton was harder than stone, harder perhaps than my own diamond carapace. When the scythe had struck the bones in his forearm it had been stopped cold, completely unable to cut through.
[Those new bones of yours are the real deal, Tiny!] I tell him, impressed.
He grins wide and brings both his arms up to flex, showing off his gains.
[Yeah, yeah,] I tell him. [You did well. Let's get out of here and head to another checkpoint since you've flattened everything out here. I don't want to range too far from the Colony on this trip, this is just a test run.]
We make our way back to the chokepoint, clearing up the still spawning monsters on the way and squeezing back behind the safety of the defensive lines. The general waves goodbye to us as we head off, stop for a quick meal, and then make our way to a neighbouring checkpoint. After finding things much the same here as at the last one, we wait just behind the garrison as they contend with the wave, watching for the moment they pull back and we can drive ourselves forward.
[Alright Crinis, it's time for you to shine. Are you ready?]
[I am!] the little ball sitting on my back extends a few tentacles and makes a miniature 'guts' pose, pumping herself up for the battle to come.
[Okay. You're going through first, so make sure you're completely prepared. The rest of us will follow behind. Tiny, you bring up the rear, no fighting for you, it's Crinis' turn.]
He nods unhappily and droops his shoulders as the rest of us ignore him, focusing on the intense battle in front of us. With a short hop, Crinis launches from my back onto the ground in front of me where she splats into a puddle that rapidly unfurls and grows, sprouting tentacle after tentacle until one great yawning maw after another opens wide, the black depths within an unknowable void from which nothing can escape.
Gradually, the light fades away until even in this sea of shadows there is a deep darkness that causes me to switch over to mana sensing to get a better sense of what is going on. This is Crinis working her shadow magic, which she has been practicing diligently I can see. To have this level of mastery of the darkness, she must have raised it to rank five or six, which is impressive. When the area around her has been submerged in total shadow, I can sense some of her tentacles reaching out and slipping into the ground beneath her, plunging into the realm between. I almost feel sorry for the creatures on the other side of the chokepoint, not even they deserve what is about to descend on them.
When the garrison pulled back, it wasn't with a mighty roar or valiant charge like Tiny that Crinis advanced, that wasn't her style, instead, she glided forwards on a rolling carpet of limbs, perfectly silent, nothing to announce her presence to the monsters beyond. The first the maddened creatures of the wave knew of her, was when all light faded from their eyes and the tentacles latched onto them, slithering around their bodies and winding between their limbs. By that time, it was, of course, far too late.
Somewhat reluctantly, I followed behind her, ready to assist in any way should it prove necessary, but instead I witnesse a one sided and sickening affair. Crinis' ability to independently control her tentacles had clearly risen, as a forest of dark, bladed limbs writhed before me, each one perfectly controlled as they batter aside claws, curl around and snap shut mouths before extending their barbs. The buzzing sound of her blades at work is enough to set my mandibles to chattering as the unspeakable takes place, the segmented body parts of slain monsters begin to fill the air as Crinis brings them back to her main body before they are stuffed into one of the waiting maws.
Sometimes the monsters have not even completed the transition from living threat to Biomass before they are dragged, struggling and clawing back to her, but it matters not, into the bottomless void they go, the gnashing teeth disintegrating them with every bite.
Holy moly! My eyes! My precious eyes! I can't even close them! I swear by the shining white beard of he with the pointiest hat that I'm giving myself eyelids the next time I evolve. It's not right that someone should be made to see this!
Even the monsters have had enough, overcome with terror they turn to flee, which is when Crinis unleashes the true horror of her new existence. From the shadows in front of them emerge a wall of limbs, blocking their escape. The creatures try to fight their way out, swinging with claws, biting with fangs and unleashing every other ability they have managed to gain since spawning, but it's all for naught.
Rather than block, rather than dodge, Crinis simply allows the limbs to phase out of reality. Fiendish claws slide straight through, teeth snap shut on nothing, acid and poison find no purchase. Before the monsters can recover, the ghostly limbs snap down, extending something new from their tips. This isn't anything I've seen before and I find myself curious despite everything, leaning forward and sharpening my mind to better catch a glimpse of what she's doing.
I soon wish I hadn't.
Glistening, ghostly tendrils hang from the tips of Crinis' limbs which she quickly drives down, straight onto the monsters' heads. If I hadn't been paying such close attention, I might not have noticed how those root-like, ethereal appendages drilled down into the monsters, slipping straight through whatever hide, skeleton or mucous covered them and penetrating their brains. I held my breath as they grew still for a moment, each of the beasts frozen in place like a nightmare painting.
Then they screamed.
The monsters of the Dungeon, filled with rage and drunk on mana, screamed in fear and terror before they set upon each other, tearing their fellow victims apart as whatever sanity they had fled to the furthest recess of their minds.
[Hee, hee, hee, hee!] Crinis giggled.
I could only bring my forelegs up to clutch at my head in despair. What have I created here?!
-x-X-x-
Much like Tiny, Crinis wasn't satisfied with her initial rampage and pursued her opponents deeper into the tunnels. I use the word pursued in the literal sense since they were actively running away from her at that stage. On some level, it was fascinating to watch, since there didn't seem to be much defence against the ghost tendril attack that she used to directly attack the minds of her foes. Once she managed to drill those tentacles into their heads, the opponents would go slack before they inevitably turned into raving mad-things that lashed out at everything around them.
The obvious solution would be to make sure that the limbs never touched you, but that wasn't exactly an easy thing to do, since she could manifest them from every shadow within her range, which was almost a hundred metres at this point. They could pop out at our feet, creep out of the wall behind your back, even drop down from the ceiling above. If you were somehow able to keep track of all of that, she could simply phase them out of reality, slipping straight through your body, moving through weapons and armour before driving toward the brain.
It posed an impossible problem and even tier four and five monsters did little better. They might be able to slice a few of her tentacles off, perhaps even many of them, but it didn't seem to matter as Crinis produced more flesh at a ridiculous rate, fuelled by her constant eating. Eventually even these stronger monsters were overwhelmed as their minds were invaded.
Once things reached this point, only one monster had been able to resist to any significant degree that I saw. A demon of the spell casting variety, it used its magic to fend her off as long as it could, but it too was eventually overcome. Once Crinis managed to drive her tendrils into its mind, the creature stilled, but not completely. Moving its thin arms desperately, it tried to claw at her tentacles and I could sense the vague shifting of mana around it as it attempted to form another spell. With a flick, Crinis sent a dozen more limbs toward the creature, each of them driving their tendrils into its mind which eventually overwhelmed its defences and it succ.u.mbed like the others.
When it was all said and done, we made our way back to the nest with a rather smug Crinis riding on my back.
[What happened with that demon, Crinis?] I ask her, [it seemed to put up more of a fight than anything else when it came to those tendrils.]
She huffed.
[That filth thought it could intrude on the domain of the master's family, it deserved worse than it got!]
[Yeah,] I ignore that part, [but how was it able to resist your new... thing?]
[Oh! What I attack with the Soul Seeker Cilia isn't actually the brain, but the mind, or I suppose you could say the spirit?] she tells me. [Creatures with stronger Wills and stronger spirits are harder to drive over the edge, so I had to use a multi-pronged attack.]
[When you say drive over the edge... what do you mean... exactly?]
She wiggles with glee on my carapace.
[The edge of sanity, of course, Master,] she giggles.
Ahhh heck. This evolution has only driven her further over the edge to a creature of pure horror. As long as she's happy, I suppose it's fine. I'll just have to make sure I find a way to avert my eyes from this point forward.
With the flexing of their newly evolved muscles out of the way, I take the group back to the evolution chamber to formally introduce them to the new temporary member of the group. I'm sure they both noticed the grub locked away in her cage when they woke up, but neither bothered to comment at the time, preoccupied with other things. However, when we arrive, I'm a little surprised to see that the larva has undergone a shocking transformation.
No longer a grub, she has busily spun herself a cocoon in the time we were gone and is now fully encased, undergoing her transformation within its silken confines. Larva has successfully evolved into pupa! Actually, that reminds me. I quickly snoop around for the cores I left behind, remembering what happened when Vibrant moved to this stage. Sure enough, they're gone. Now I have the skills to actually recognise the stronger mana signature coming from the former grub in front of me. How did she do it?! Is it something to do with champions?
[Is this what you were referring to, Master?] Crinis asks, extending a tentacle to poke the pupa gently.
[Yeah, this is her. This little grub has way too much energy, managed to escape out of the nest on her own. Was quite the sight, let me tell you.]
I frown as I look down on her. This is probably a little too quick for her to become a pupa, if my numbers are right. I get the feeling the little trouble-maker got impatient and decided to advance ahead of schedule... although the accelerated feeding program we had her on might have contributed to the problem. She would have reached the required Biomass far ahead of most of her siblings.
The question is, what do we do now? Monsters can't spawn in this section of the nest, thanks to the removal of the Dungeon veins, so she'd be perfectly safe if we left her here. My only worry is what would happen if she woke up and broke out before I returned? Considering the amount of chaos she caused as a grub, what could she achieve as a hatchling? I shudder to think of it. No, can't leave her here on her own. That means she has to come with us.
[Tiny, can I get you to break open that cage and carry the pupa along with us. Whatever you do, don't damage her, alright? That's the next generation there in front of us.]
With unusual respect and gentleness, Tiny reaches down his tree trunk arms and shatters the metal cage with ease, grasping hold of the pupa with one hand and bringing it up to his c.h.e.s.t where he cradles it with one arm.
[Nice work. Alright then, time to get back to it. We need to keep the pupa with us at all times, which means one of us is going to be on pupa watch every time we fight. I'll work out the rotation and I don't want to hear any complaining.]
I give Tiny the stink eye for a second and he looks at me with a wounded expression.
[The wave will peak and then subside soon, so we need to be careful of any new types of monsters that poke their noses up, or higher tier ones. We've been lucky so far that no tier sevens have shown up but I don't expect our luck to last. Any questions?]
They each shake their heads/tentacles and we make our way back to the front for another foray, helping to take the heat off the Colony's defenders. What I really want to do is push all the way down to the third strata again, strut our stuff down there now that the full group has evolved, but it's too risky. With all sorts of monsters spawning in the tunnels now, who knows what might pop up that the Colony can't handle without us?
No, we need to stick around and keep fighting. For the time being at least.
-x-X-x-
With the pupa safely ensconced within Tiny's muscular arms, we move at speed through the nest and back out to the front lines again. I've been doing this walk a great deal lately and I swear it gets busier every time. The vast farms that have been constructed are still teeming with ants, collecting the enormous quantities of Biomass and cores that flow endlessly every day. How on Pangera we manage to consume all of it, I have no idea. There must be a ton more hatchlings being trained in the stratum above than I think there are, if most of it is going up there. Just thinking about the rapidly growing population of the Colony puts a hop in my step. It won't be long until there are just too many of us to be dealt with easily, especially considering how strong we all are.
More and more tier fours are appearing all the time, to the point that down here in the second stratum, there are more tier fours than there are tier threes. Even more exciting than that though, is the growing population of tier fives! Almost exclusively soldiers and scouts, these powerful warriors are the vanguard of the ant age! It's a shame that, since we're monsters, there's no other way for us to level up and evolve other than to fight. The surface races don't have this problem, their farmers can grow crops and level up just from performing their duties, but not us! No matter how little suited to combat the carvers and brood tenders might be, it's the only way they can accrue the experience they need to evolve. Hopefully some of the creatures from the farms are also being used to funnel xp to these more peaceful castes.
Just because they don't fight, doesn't mean that there aren't benefits to evolving them! I can scarcely imagine how useful a tier six brood tender would be, every ounce of her evolutionary energy given over to auras and glands that nourish and aid the larvae and pupae. Knowing the System like I do, I wager the young would have all sorts of benefits from being raised by such a tender, higher stats, greater skill levels, perhaps even body parts and organs that perform above their usual specs.
Now that I think about it... that would be so damn useful!
If I can think of it, I'm sure the rest of the council can also think of it. No doubt this project is under way already. When the first tier six brood tender is born, I seriously want to be there to find out what they can do! That'll be insane!
For now though, it's back to the relentless fight. The only thing allowing the Colony to make the incredible strides forward that it had made over the past weeks has been the stalwart defence being made at the borders and it is our duty to help with that, being the strongest group of fighters the Colony can draw on!
After a brief conversation with yet another supervising general, we take our positions and drive forward into the face of the wave the moment the garrison pulls back. All of us except Tiny that is, since he's been relegated to pupa-sitting duty. He was strangely alright with the decision to leave him behind, cradling the cocoon as if it were a baby as he fell asleep against the side of the wall. I think it'll be fine, since if the ant ecloses in his embrace there is zero chance she'll be able to fight her way out of his grip.
For the rest of us, it's business as usual.
The monsters are nearly endless and I continue to train my mind magic on them whilst Crinis performs her dark work and Invidia detonates everything he can, radiating glee with explosion. When we run into the tougher monsters, we team up to take them down, harvesting their cores and scarfing down the Biomass as quickly as we can before getting back into the thick of it. Unsatisfied with just guarding the entrance, I direct the pets to advance down the tunnel with me, hoping to clear out the bulk of the monsters plaguing this section of the defence.
All goes smoothly, until Crinis notices something is a little different than usual.
[Master, isn't it a little more... damp than usual for the second stratum?]
[You aren't wrong,] I tell her, feeling a little tense, [eliminate everything nearby, something doesn't feel right.]
If something weird is going to happen, then I want every other threat in the area neutralised as quickly as possible. Only too happy to comply, Invidia picks up the speed of his detonations, spinning his magic at an incredible speed. Which is precisely when a bolt of solid water flies out of the darkness and smacks him right in the face.
[Invidia!] I cry.
I leap over to check on the demon to find that he'd protected himself at the last moment by weaving a shield in front of his face. The speed he works at... incredible! But where the hell did that water come from? I peer into the darkness around us, sweeping with all of my senses. It's faint, but I can detect a strange ambient mana in here that I can't quite put my finger on.
[Ssssss. Irritating...]
The little envy demon flutters his wings and lifts himself back into the air, the impact clearly having done some damage.
[Heal yourself up and stay alert,] I warn him, still watching the place where the water blast originated.
Imagine my surprise when I get hit from behind by a blast of water coming from the opposite direction to the first! Dammit! Even my advanced warning wasn't enough to dodge the strike, I was so focused on the other direction. My legs stagger under the force of the blow as my carapace absorbs the shock. This isn't any ordinary blast of water... it's heavy, and the water was moving fast.
Failing to penetrate my carapace, the pressurised water creates a fountain of spray that drenches everything around us in freezing liquid. That does it! Irritated by the attack, I spin together my omni-elemental construct and start churning out blue fire mana. As soon as I get a hold on some I whip up a fire domain that expands outwards from my position, roasting the area around me and drying me off instantly.
Water... monster?
Now that it's in front of me, I can sense it far more clearly, the aura of mana that had been spread throughout the tunnel has concentrated in one area, the hidden core of the monster now exposed and pulsing with power. This beast is no small fry, tier six certainly, and most likely not from the third strata. Not wanting to allow this newcomer to make the first move, I draw deep on my core, pulling out all the mana I can and feeding it into the construct, shaping and condensing it at the same time in bolts of pure flame.
[Invidia, you're on defensive duty, but feel free to take shots when you have time. Crinis, see if you can get a crack at its mind, otherwise keep the small fry away from us,] I tell my pets tersely.
The two of them acknowledge my orders as I stare up at the strange water monster. It's huge, towering above me and filling the tunnel with its presence. Its body seems to be fully formed of liquid, the core glowing bright in the centre of its mass. The water continues to flow, shifting and moving in constant motion, occasionally frothing and fizzing as competing currents wash against each other and form waves across its body. It doesn't take any particular form, no arms or humanoid shape, rather it simply looks like a giant mass, or pillar.
Then it shifts slightly and my antennae scream at me.
Holy moly!
I leap to the side, nerves afire with energy as a blade of water slices through the air where I stood just a moment ago, cutting an inches deep groove into the rock. What the heck was that!? It went straight through my fire domain like it wasn't even there! In retaliation, I fire off a duo of condensed blue fire bolts, watching as they fly straight into the water creature and fizzle out instantly.
Hmmm. That's not good.
BOOM!
Hanging back and staying behind me, Invidia weaves together an explosion right next to the monster that sends a spray of water flying out and causing waves of force... as well as literal waves to roll through the entire creature.
[Nice, Invidia!] I cheer.
Once more that gurgling roar echoes out and suddenly the air is filled with water, bolts, blasts and jets firing off every which way as the monster retaliates against the envy demon. Forced onto the defensive, Invidia weaves layer after layer of shields around himself to protect against the onslaught of aquatic attacks. Unwilling to abandon the floaty eyeball, I launch onto the offensive, peeling my mandibles back wide as I lock in place and charge!
Dash!
My legs surge with energy as I leap toward the target, bringing it within my fire domain that causes it to hiss and steam. Then, with a powerful surge I smash shut my mandibles, invoking my most powerful bite skill as I do so!
DOOM CHOMP!
It's hard, but I manage to force my jaws shut through the monster's body... but then what? I look up to see that giant mass of flowing water, the vague outlines of a face formed within it looking down on me with contempt. Alright then, so biting doesn't work... how about this?
FWOOM!
Not content to throw tiny balls of fire at the monster any more, I unleash a solid stream of blue fire that roars forward from between my mandibles directly into the creature's body. How you like them apples?!
Immediately a wall of steam bursts forth right in front of me, singeing my antennae and washing over my body as the monster roars in pain. My senses buzz with warning but I stay put, applying the blow torch for a moment longer before a wall of condensed water slams into my side, sending me skittering to the side as I absorb the impact. It's clear that he didn't like that very much. Perhaps small amounts of fire are easy enough for him to shrug off, but you apply enough heat it starts to chip away at him. Not willing to let up, I dash forward once more, working my sub-brains overtime to pump out more blue fire mana.
BOOM!
Freed from defence thanks to my offensive, Invidia finds the time to squeeze out another explosion that rocks the mass of water, sending foam and spray all through the tunnel.
[Master! I think I have it!] Crinis cries out.
She takes advantage of the distracted creature to extend her tentacles from a shadow she had prepared earlier, directly behind it. Turning them immaterial, she pushes them deep into the frothing water, reaching for the core held right in the centre. Clever girl!
With a sound like a tsunami breaking on the shore, the monster ripples with anger before every drop that makes up its form starts to rotate. In only a moment, what was a flowing pillar of water has transformed into a raging storm, a cyclone of ripping currents that shreds Crinis' tentacles where they connect to the ground, forcing her to retract them back through the shadow.
Damn! This thing is a right pain in the backside! It's clear that the core is it's weak point and Crinis nearly took hold of it perfectly, using her new abilities to reach right into the heart of the creature and pluck it out. Could I do the same with my gravity mandibles? Unlikely. Mana doesn't work that well on internal structures and I'm guessing the same rule applies here, otherwise Invidia would be setting off his explosions inside the creature rather than next to it. If I could spear the core, or attack from outside in some way... Should I use a gravity bomb? No. Not yet. If I can I want to capture the core whole so I can learn more about this creature. I'll face many more like it and I'd rather have more information than less if I can help it.
We know it doesn't like fire burning away at it, but I get the feeling it's only going to cause damage if I can really bring the heat. I'm going to need to bust out some serious firepower. Cursing that my mind mana focused mutation does nothing for me in these circ.u.mstances, I kick all of my brains into overdrive, drawing out every ounce of mana I can from my core and shoving it through the construct to produce as much blue fire mana as I possibly can. Once I get my mental hands on it, I use my main mind to squeeze it down and condense it as much as possible before handing it off to the smaller brains to shape into the spell I want.
Of course, all of this takes precious seconds, time that I spend trying to distract the monster as best I can. Still in its whirling wall of death, the creature is extremely dangerous to approach. I can see rocks being shattered and cut to bits by the pressure applied by the currents and swirling waters, so I'm not too eager to stick my head in. Instead, I dance around nearby, keeping it within the range of my fire domain and chomping away at it when I get the chance, doing whatever I can to make a nuisance of myself.
Frustrated, Crinis has been forced onto the defensive and occupies herself cleaning out any remaining small-fry as she watches and waits for her chance, keeping her main body at a safe distance and shifting position constantly to avoid getting pinned down. Without me actively casting offensive magic, the barrage of water has resumed and he drifts from side to side, dozens of shields popping into existence and shattering every few seconds.
It's risky, but I don't save him. With the monster focused on protecting itself from my two pets, I can use this precious time to supercharge my spell to the highest possible degree.
If anyone can be said to be big-brained, it's my little envy demon. I have every confidence in him!
-x-X-x-
Whilst trying to do everything I can to distract the vortex of water, I keep my focus internal, driving and shaping the mana as best I can to create the most powerful fire spell I've ever attempted. The spell shape isn't too complicated, not compared to the heavy lifting I've been doing lately making things like the omni-elemental construct. Even so, seconds tick past as I race to create it whilst Invidia does his best to deflect and dodge a barrage of water based attacks.
For his part, the little demon punched his massive brain into overdrive, weaving vast amounts of mana into shields at a speed that was dazzling to behold as he drifts lazily through the air. His eye blazes with power as the many mind constructs he's built weave spell after spell, deflecting and blocking the innumerable bolts of water that fly in his direction as if shot from a cannon. Judging by the damage done by those streaking water bolts when they hit the terrain, I don't think he'd survive if he were hit by a single one. Invidia might be a magical powerhouse, but taking shots head on is not exactly something he's designed to do. His tankiness is basically zero.
Cool as a cuc.u.mber with one massive eye, he sticks to his guns and pumps out shield after shield, somehow keeping up with the towering whirlpool of death as it desperately tries to prevent him from blowing it sky high.
Actually, I just had a thought... It's throwing out hundreds of litres worth of water... is that weakening it some way? If the water is part of its body, and I cause damage by burning it away, is it hurting itself by doing this? Then my mind is drawn back to the scene we saw when the creature first revealed itself. It had clearly dispersed it's body and then pulled itself back together, so perhaps it can call that water back to itself if given the chance?
[Crinis! Try and destroy whatever water you can find lying about.]
[Ah! W-what?! How do I do that?!]
[Just drink it or something!]
Wait a sec...
[Don't drink it, but do something!]
[Yes, Master!]
Hopefully she can prevent the creature from calling the water back, making the loss of mass permanent.
[How are you holding up, Invidia?] I call to my pet, still focusing inward on piecing my spell together.
[I sssshall take all it can give meeee!]
[I like that confidence!]
He does seem perfectly capable of it at the moment. Good luck chief! Keep up the good work! Because, as a matter of fact, I only need a moment longer to put the finishing touches on this damn thing...
The last of the condensed mana slots into place and each of my brains sits back with a sigh, wiping the metaphorical sweat off of their neurons. This is possibly the heftiest piece of elemental magic that I've put together to date and I hope to heck it works against this stupid thing. If not, I'll be forced to break out the bomb.
I skitter back from the monster, giving myself a little space before I rear up and unleash my spell. An immediate wave of heat blasts into existence, flaring into life and chasing away the perpetual shadows of the second stratum. The spell takes the shape of a tornado of pure flame that grows as it travels forward until it connects the ceiling of the tunnel to the floor. The temperature around us rises, precipitously as I hear the monster scream its rage once more.
Gweheheheh.
How do you like that, you stupid puddle?! Get roasted!
In only a few heartbeats, the fire and water collide with a deafening hiss as steam billows to an absurd degree, blotting out vision and causing my antennae to start dripping from the overwhelming moisture in the air.
[Invidia! Strike now!]
Preoccupied with battling against my fire, the barrage against the little demon has faltered at last. With a gleeful gleam in his eye, Invidia floats forward slightly before weaving together a devastating series of detonations that rock the tunnel and send debris flying.
Unsure what's happening, I start to draw out chunks of gravity mana and start squashing it in case I need it. Before I get far with that process, my antennae twitch in warning and I sense movement all around me. It's calling back the water! All of the dispersed water that Crinis hasn't managed to deal with are drawn back to the ball which is still reeling from the barrage of magic. Unwilling to let it heal itself, I charge more mana into my domain, spreading it further before leaping to intercept as much of the liquid trailing through the air as I can.
More hissing, more steam as the water evaporates when it contacts the domain. I keep the pressure on maintaining my domain and moving closer to the creature once more, relying on the constant burn effect to continue whittling it down. After a few tense moments, my patience is rewarded with the voice of Gandalf himself.
[You have gained experience.]
Nice! Finally got it! Eager to collect the spoils, I run forward into the drifting steam, casting my senses about as I attempt to find what I'm after. It doesn't take long to find the core, given how powerful it is the thing practically radiates mana. I leap on it with glee and seize it up in my mandibles before I start looking around for the rest of the rewards. It takes a long moment of turning left and right for me to work out that the creature was made of water... and therefore wouldn't have anything by way of Biomass.
No food! After defeating something like that?! How is that fair?!
I look down at the damp floor of the tunnel, the water now freely mixing with the dirt, rock and dust there... I think I'll leave it. I'm not that hungry. Tired and weary from the difficult fight, the three of us make our way back behind the defensive line to find Tiny still sleeping with the pupa cradled in his arms. Unwilling to wake him prem.a.t.u.r.ely, we settle down for a meal only to find he immediately wakes the moment any Biomass is placed within several metres of him. We chow down but I can't help but bring my antennae forward to examine the glowing blue core of this particularly strange monster that we ran into. It wasn't like anything I'd seen before and I'm quite interested to see how it ticks.
-x-X-x-
Travelling the wildlands of the uncultured south wasn't pleasant, dear reader, not at all! The depredation! The sheer lack of fortified beverages! I jest, readers, of course I jest. Who am I, after all? Tolly! The bold explorer of the unknown! Despite what I may have been led to believe by the general discussion amongst the ladies in my circles, the trip wasn't nearly as terrible as I might have thought. Rolling hills, green grassland, forests alive with birds and wildlife. I wouldn't go so far as to say it was picturesque, do not be confused reader, the sparse population of those lands means that the monster population is high and we saw many such critters roaming as we flew overhead. I only mean to state that it wasn't nearly so desolate as many might have you believe.
For the journey, I travelled by Skimmer, a lovely beast by the name of Skydaisy, and her handler Barlon who was more than accommodating on the trip. A lovely gentlemen who was himself born and raised in the wild country, he proved an engaging and informative guide as the kilometres vanished beneath us. It took several weeks of travel before we reached the lands once occupied by the frontier kingdoms, small fiefdoms established a mere few hundred years ago by break away families who sought to carve out their own destiny on the edges of civilisation, battling against the monsters and the land.
There is a certain romance in it, reader, is there not? As a fearless and brave adventurer, I myself can perfectly understand the wild, untamed spirit that would cause someone to leave behind the comforts and security of home to take hold of their own fortunes! The difference being, I would never do it. I would miss my sherry and the warmth of my enchanted hearth far too much to give it up entirely. It's already as much as I can bear to be away from my comforts for the time it takes to satisfy my curiousity and bring back these missives for you, you can't ask more than me than that, my demanding readers!
On a more sombre note, it was clear when we crossed the border and began to see the devastation that was caused by the wave. Ruined towns and cities, burned farmsteads and a flattened countryside were cold reminders of the tragedy that occurred here. It was such a sorry scene I needed Regilent to pass my smelling salts to dash away a case of light-headedness. I shall not dwell upon that which is past, though it pained my old heart to witness it, instead I shall return the focus of this travelogue to the bizarre present and the unknowable future!
For it wasn't long after that we began to fly over the first signs of civilisation! Newly built farmsteads with smoking chimneys, freshly ploughed fields and dark tilled soil, it was almost enough to bring a tear to my tired eyes. The unfailing spirit of the sapient! The hardy folk of the frontier, risen from the ashes like the phoenix of Avar! Although they did not do it alone... as you are well aware.
My heart fair skipped a beat when I first saw the first one, all the rumours I'd heard of this strange place flooding back all at once. Still a day away from the newly established capital of Renewal, we flew over a small village, scarcely more than a handful of farmhouses built next to each other, unremarkable in every way. Except for that one, key detail. The anthill! Quite a remarkable sight, dear reader, even for one as well travelled as I. Nothing like a crude pile of dirt that the word might evoke in your mind, not at all. This was a masterpiece! A hundred metres tall if it was an inch, every part of it reinforced and compacted until it gleamed like polished stone. And the carvings! Remarkable. Hundreds, thousands of skilful, expressive and detailed images such that my eyes couldn't quite work out what they should focus on and what should be ignored. Gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous.
Then of course, there were the ants themselves! I could only see three, peeking out the top of the 'hill', watching as we flew over. It quite whet my appetite I must say, and it was with rising anticipation that I awaited our arrival in the city. You know your Tolly, reader! My thirst for adventure is unquenchable! Await my next missive, in which I detail my first impressions of possibly the most remarkable city in the world!
· Excerpt from Chapter Two of 'Traveling Tolly in the lands of the Colony' published in the Monthly 'Pangera Gazette'
What a strange and curious thing... examining the core reveals both more and less than I expected to see and gave me my first insights into the sorts of things that were possible in the fourth strata. I'd been told little scraps of information by Granin, who had apparently spent very little time there as a younger, more sprightly Shaper on an expedition with his superiors, but to get hold of a core and see it for myself...
I didn't even think some of this stuff was possible! And these are the sorts of creatures I'll run into when I get to the fourth stratum? Holy heck! I'm starting to resent my start as a lowly ant hatchling even more, though I suppose it worked out alright in the end.
I mean, take a look at this! So apparently a Water Spirit... thing... actually does have organs, although not of the sort that I have obviously, rather they appear to be immaterial, or part of the water itself? Somehow?
For example, let's think about musculature. I need muscles to move around, that much makes sense, but how does a giant wall of sentient water with a face on it move? With magic, of course, but that magic needs to be channelled and directed in order to be fit for purpose. That's where the Tidal Mass Manipulator organ came into play! It allowed the spirit to create micro 'tides' by shifting the water within its body around, which allowed it to move. Then came the Liquid Shaper, a different type of water within the body the spirit that it could mould into different shapes. I think this was how it was firing bolts of water at us, by forming a pressure cannon out of this stuff and then blasting away.
There appeared to be quite an array of fancy core attachments as well, ethereal organs that are more akin to magical constructs than flesh and blood. One for attracting and moulding the water, one for permeating mana throughout the body, gradually changing the water into a ... I don't know the technical term here... magical water? I guess? It infused every drop of water the spirit absorbed with water mana, strengthening it and giving the creature better control over it. At least, that's what I think.
All sorts of different bits and pieces that I hadn't even considered before... The idea of being able to have a body that is essentially powered by mana alone... I suppose it makes perfect sense as you get lower down and the mana becomes more dense, but it's a different thing, seeing it for myself. Does this mean that Crinis might eventually be able to transmute her entire body into actual shadow? Just... be a living shadow and jump out of the dark at people? That's terrifying! Or Tiny! Could he just make himself into lightning? That would be... that would be rad as heck...
What about me then? What might I become? What am I already becoming? Maybe I'll turn myself into a sentient black hole, just floating around s.u.c.k.i.n.g up people. Wait, that sounds wrong...
At any rate, fascinating stuff! I flag down a passing scout and have them deliver the core to the core shapers, they'll be more than a little eager to get their mandibles on it, I've no doubt about that. We check in on the pupa to find that she's developing away as expected. This time we leave Crinis behind to babysit and head out once more into the breach, keen to improve our skills and drive back the wave.
Hopefully soon this mess will be over and we can all get back to more regular action. I for one am more than a little excited to get back to the third strata and have a better look around. I'm sure there's a heap of cool things to see down there!
-x-X-x-
Chapter 776 - 775 - The Boiling Rage
The heat was pervasive, radiating out from the rock around her, from the open pits of flame that guttered and belched smoke in the distance and from her own suit. With a grunt of effort, Morrelia brought her twin blades forward, driving them straight into the c.h.e.s.t of the frothing demon in front of her before she stepped back, smoothly withdrawing the glimmering steel as she did so.
With a flick of her wrists, she sent the bubbling ichor of the monster hissing onto the ground where it boiled away, the stench of it rising as a vapour and clogging within her helmet. She growled. Just what she needed. Teeth bared in a rictus snarl, she seized hold of that anger, that rage, and drew it out of her belly, through her c.h.e.s.t and into her arms. It hurt. A wrenching pain that pulled at her very bones, fueling the rage and driving it to greater heights as she continued to channel it.
Up and into the arms, into her hands, then with a final shove into her blades. The two swords flared with violent red light as her anger took root in them, resonating with the metal and magnifying her anger until the rage was all she could feel, all she could see.
She didn't know how much longer it was until she came to with a start, a large, armoured hand resting on her shoulder as she stood breathing heavily surrounded by slain demons.
"You need to be more careful," came her father's voice from behind her, "it's a dangerous Skill to use without the proper precautions in place."
She nodded silently as she braced herself. It hit a moment later, the overwhelming lethargy that came with the loss of her berserker rage. Her hands began to shake and her limbs felt completely numb. It was all she could do to sheath her weapons, needing three attempts to line the first sword with her scabbard. Knowing how she felt, her father didn't say anything else, merely led her back through the lines and into camp where she lay down on the first cot she found, not even bothering to take her armour off.
Titus just chuckled as he looked down at her and she weakly flipped a hand at him in protest.
"I was just thinking of your mother," he clarified, "she was often left in this state when she channelled the rage."
He turned and sat down on a bench nearby, he own abyssal armour ringing like a softly struck bell as the plates shifted against each other. She couldn't help but frown. When was she going to get a set like that? Her own armour was excellent, of course, but her father's was the real deal, forged hundreds of years ago from the best materials the Legion had. It weighed a ton, but she was starting to feel as though she might have the strength for it. If she didn't, she soon would, given the rate her level was climbing.
The commander watched his daughter recover for a few minutes, sitting silent and simply being present. When he judged enough time had passed, he unclipped the canteen from his belt and gave it to her, nodding when she sat up to drink.
"You're recovery time is getting faster. You've levelled it up already?"
Morrelia drank greedily, pouring the lukewarm water through her faceplate, uncaring of the state of the metal.
"Take your helmet off," Titus growled, "you're just being lazy now."
She growled right back at him, and Titus couldn't help but laugh. She did listen to him, dragging the runic steel from her head and letting to drop the ground, revealing her dirt-streaked face and short cut midnight hair. Free of restrictions, she brought up the canteen again and this time Titus didn't bother until she had drunk her fill.
The was a quiet moment, or at least as quiet as it could be when surrounded by a perpetual warzone, and Morrelia decided to say something that had been on her heart ever since they had come to the third stratum.
"Father..." she said, barely tripping over the word as she had in the past, "have you been sent here as punishment? For failing to destroy the Colony?"
It certainly seemed that way to her. Titus had returned to the Iron Mountain with his Legion just as the wave was getting underway. After reporting to the brass, his troops had been whisked into someone else's command and the decorated soldier had been unceremoniously sent into the third stratum with a small detachment of troops, Morrelia included, to guard an unimportant outpost, fighting tooth and nail against the wave with far too few troops.
After a brief silence, she raised her head to find her father looking at her with an odd expression on his face.
"What?" she demanded.
He just shook his head.
"Is that what's been bothering you? I swear you've been moody ever since we got here and only now you come out and tell me?" he chuckled again, and she marked not for the first time how much freer he'd been with his emotions since they had returned. "No, I'm not being punished. Why would I be punished? I did what I could, the situation was worse than we expected, and we retreated before the risk to my legionaries became too great. The council accepted my report, it was corroborated by the junior officers and that was the end of it," he shrugged.
"But weren't you stripped of your command? You troops?"
"Of course not," he snorted. "There's a wave on girl, the troops went where they were desperately needed. I'll have my Legion back when the wave is done."
"Then what about us?" she demanded, waving a hand at the desolate nothing around them, "why have we been sent out here to the middle of nowhere to guard nothing for weeks on end?"
Titus scratched the side of his nose for a moment.
"I thought you'd already worked it out. I'd actually thought that was why you were so irritable."
Morrelia frowned.
"What are you talking abou- ... mother."
The commander nodded with a wry smile on his face.
"Seems like she's not done babying you just yet. I was a little surprised when the orders came down, but it is something she would do."
"Are you telling me she sent us, and these other legionaries here, as a training camp for me?!"
"She did," he confirmed.
When he saw the rage starting to burn in her eyes, he quickly raised a hand.
"Before you get too wound up, be a little patient and I'll tell you a few things that might alleviate a little of your anger. Alright?"
With a conscious effort, she shoved her ire down and listened to what her father had to say. Seeing she'd taken control of herself, Titus went on.
"You might see this as coddling, unnecessary interference from a parent and a waste of resources," he gestured to the small camp around them, "but let me say this, we always defend this checkpoint during a wave. It may not seem like much, but if the monsters swarm through this area, they group up with other streams moving up and cause major issues to our holdings further up. To nip the problem in the bud, we deploy to several places down here to cut down the trickle before it becomes a flood. Make sense?"
Morrelia nodded, but still didn't agree. Was it important that this place be defended? Of course, what her father said made sense, but that didn't justify sending someone of his strength and experience to do the job. He was wasted here.
"Secondly," he continued, noting her dissatisfaction, "your mother did not send us here to babysit you, but to accelerate your growth."
She wanted to object and say those were basically the same thing, but she held her tongue.
"Promising Legionaries are often given opportunities like this when we see they have the potential to rise through the ranks. And before you ask, your mother and I had no part in selecting you for this accelerated program. Me being sent with you? That's likely to be your mother interfering a bit. Not that I mind though."
She frowned, thinking. If someone had put her forward for this, and it was a standard procedure.
"You're a candidate for officers training," her father confirmed before her mind could get there on its own.
"WHAT?!" she squawked.
Titus allowed the pride he felt to show on his face.
"Not many berserkers get chosen for this. Not considered stable enough. Though, I suppose your mother rising to Consul might have shifted opinions on that front a little."
Complicated emotions rose in Morrelia at hearing this. Did she deserve this sort of treatment? Was it even something she wanted? It had been her dream at one point in her life, she had worked herself to the bone to rise to her father's expectations. Now?
"I'm going to go hit something."
She pushed herself up out of the cot and shook her limbs out before grabbing her helmet and slamming it back on her head.
"You sure that's a good idea? So soon after your last rage?" Titus c.o.c.ked one brow as she stalked away.
She didn't reply and he allowed himself to crack a smile as he watched her draw her blades as she made her way back to the sounds of battle.
"We'll have to talk about your class evolution when you get back," he called.
-x-X-x-
Chapter 777 - Getting Classy
The third stratum remains a point of fascination for many researchers due to several of its unique properties. For similar reasons, the various powers of the world make it a priority to establish and maintain vast swathes of territory within this region of the Dungeon. The first reason for this is obvious: the world pillars. To my knowledge, no successful attempt has ever been made at destroying one of the vast columns that support the overworld. Whatever material they are made of, it certainly isn't plain stone. There have been many who simply sought to mine or study it, but even with advanced tools they were unable to so much as scratch them. Which isn't to say that we know nothing about them. The outside of the pillars appears to be a layer of self-regenerating stone, similar to Granite, with a very high resistance to temperature.
This outer layer can be removed with some effort, only to reveal the black rock that lies within. It is this stuff that none have ever damaged, though it's possible that the secret has been uncovered and is held very close to the c.h.e.s.t by those who have it, since such knowledge would surely shake the world. It isn't known if the black rock, which is known by many names, is even the final layer, or if an even greater secret is held within.
Just because none have ever damaged a pillar, doesn't mean that the many nations of Pangera don't fret and worry that it is possible. For this reason, securing the pillars that support their own lands is seen as a key plank in any policy regarding the Dungeon. Not that this is easy to accomplish. Proxy wars are constantly being waged, attempting to seize control of a rival's columns, threatening to cut Dungeon empires in half by cutting the depths from the surface. This is without the constant threat of the demons themselves, the other fascinating aspect of this stratum.
Intelligent, vicious and capable of forming rough societies with shared interests, the demons are the worst form of barbarian tribe, capable of forming their own self-governing cities, kingdoms or even empires. Their inherent nature makes them shaky allies at the best of times who are equally as likely to act against their own interests as they are for them. The prodigious spawn rate of larval demons means the population is essentially inexhaustible, with new powerful leaders rising from the sea of larvae to replace the old within days.
During a wave, this process is exacerbated a hundredfold. Almost all major upheavals within the third stratum occur during these events.
Excerpt from 'Musings on Mysteries' By Elric the Wild Mage.
Morrelia vented her frustrations and mixed emotions on the blameless monsters until the bodies were piled high and she could no longer raise her blades. Exhausted and numb, she stumbled back to the camp, stepping aside so that fresher warriors could take her place.
The demons were strong opponents, without the advantages of her Legion issued Abyssal Armour, or her new enchanted blades, she'd be overmatched easily. With them, she was able to cut through most of the opponents she faced in the third stratum so long as her rage burned hot.
As a berserker, it was the fundamental key to her strength and her most highly ranked Skill, having upgraded it to the seventh rank only recently. Such power came at a cost though, she could only maintain that level of power for a short period of time. Without triggering her rage, she was weaker than most legionaries of her level, since none of the synergies and abilities that came with her Class were active. Once activated, she became a killing machine, incapable of feeling pain or fatigue, driven to violence and empowered to do it. But that only lasted five minutes.
There were things that could be done to push the rage to last longer, raising the skill level, various enchantments, a few tonics, but most important was the mental state of the berserker. Anger didn't come naturally to most people, which naturally made them unsuitable for the Class. As a child, her impatience and drive fuelled her anger, alongside her natural short temper. Later in life, it was the dissolution of her family, the loss of her brother and the absence of her mother that she channelled into the rage as she ran her own delve team and roamed the wilds.
For the moment, she wasn't sure how she should fuel her berserker Class, she had run out of things to be angry about. That is, until her father dropped that surprise on her.
Before she'd left, her mother had given her some advice on managing her rage, cultivating it like a flame.
"It will burn bright some days," she'd said, standing over Morrelia as she gasped for breath after a sparring session, "but that doesn't mean it's strong. Think of your anger like coals, deep in the heart of the fire. People get distracted by the flame, dazzled by it, but that isn't where the heat is. Even when I'm calm, or bored, or happy, deep in here..." she tapped herself on her leather b.r.e.a.s.tplate, "... in here, the coals glow red hot."
Which wasn't the case for ordinary people. Her mother was a freak of nature and one of the strongest women on the planet. A natural born berserker who had once managed to fuel the rage for an entire hour, a record in the Legion.
Too weary to worry about it, she found her way into a tent and fell into the nearest cot, once again failing to undress, causing the wooden supports to creak under the weight of her metal garments. She was so tired, she wouldn't have noticed if it collapsed.
When she woke, she emerged from the tent to find the camp cook had left the stew on the boil and she was more than happy to ladle herself a generous helping, only bothering to pull her helmet off when she realised she couldn't shove her spoon through the opening.
"You probably should clean yourself up a little before we get started."
Titus' voice rang with disapproval but she merely grunted, not pausing in the slightest as she continued to stuff her face. As always, her father was clean shaven and neatly attired, his armour freshly polished and his leathers positively gleaming with a fresh coat of oil.
"Shouldn't you do some fighting?" she asked.
"I was," he said and sat down.
"I'm going to assume your weapon isn't as clean as the rest of you?"
He served himself a pot of stew and started eating.
"It was," he said between mouthfuls, "but like a dutiful legionary, I cleaned it."
She snorted and Titus crooked a smile before his regular, stern expression settled back over his features.
"Classing up," he said.
She g.r.o.a.n.e.d.
"Does it have to be now? I feel like garbage."
"I offered to let you clean up," he shrugged, "so here we are. Besides, time wasted is experience lost. As far as I'm aware, you don't have any other major Skill close to increasing in rank, so delaying any longer would be a waste. I think you've driven about as far as you can with your current Class and you should make sure you take advantage of having someone with my level of experience around while it lasts."
She flicked her eyes to him as he said that last part.
"What do you mean by that?" She asked slowly.
"Who knows what my next deployment is going to be, or whether you'll be part of it. If all goes well, you'll be put on the fast track, which usually means deeper deployments. They'll start you on the fourth, then maybe the fifth once you acclimate to the mana. You'll be pushed hard to see if you'll crack and sent against tougher opponents than you've ever seen before."
The slightly smug tone in Titus' voice alerted her to how he felt she would fare against the challenge, but she shared none of his confidence. The fourth strata? The fifth? The monsters at that level were crazy! Not even Anthony would be able to match up to many of them, and he was a giant a.s.s insect covered in literal diamonds!
"I really need to Class Up," she gulped.
Her father nodded.
"That's what I've been saying."