Chapter 799 - Discussions With Royalty
I mean... he's fat. Like. Really fat. I probably shouldn't focus on that too much, considering that this demon is almost certainly seventh tier, the first that I've ever seen. But still, he's like... a mega-chonker.
Atop that bulbous mass of flesh, split through the middle with a grotesque mouth that even now is stuffing itself full of Biomass from trays heaped with the stuff on either side of the figure of the city lord, the shockingly humanoid upper body looks down on us with thinly veiled contempt.
"Why have you entered my city, Insect?" he demands, staring hard at me.
Why is he singling me out? Is it my carapace? The precious diamond that I carry? You can't have it! This carapace belongs to me, certainly, but also to the world! I am merely it's caretaker, shepherding this glorious form through the Dungeon so that uncultured swine might gaze upon my magnificence and achieve enlightenment!
"This is one seriously pompous fatty," I complain to Brilliant, "not to mention rude. The least he could do is offer some of that Biomass to us."
When I don't scent a reply from the little ant, I focus a little more in her direction and only then do I realise that the poor thing is frozen in place, totally overwhelmed by the dominant aura of malevolence rolling off the powerful demon in front of us. A tier three monster standing in front of a tier seven, it's to be expected. I myself haven't experienced that sort of disparity since the first time I laid eyes on Garralosh.
I really need to ask Granin about this strange manifestation of power as I understand very little about it. Is it simply the difference of intensity in the core that causes this effect? Is it a biological sense that's inborn in monsters so that we can tell the more powerful specimens when we come across them? A curious thought. I reach out to the grotesque mound of flesh in front of us with my mind.
[Mind retracting your aura a bit? My sibling here is still young.]
High above the heaving flesh, the demon's eyes glitter with malice.
"I will not," he replies.
I shrug my antennae.
[Suit yourself. Be warned that this might be construed as an insult to the Colony though.]
Those eyes narrow.
"Are you threatening me? In my own city?"
[I mean, in a way? I suppose if you wanted to interpret it that way, then I am. Yes.]
"I could have you shredded to gobbets with the wave of a hand, Insect."
[You'd have to put your food down first.]
The two of us stare at each other for a long moment before I decide to try and extend a claw in peace.
[Look. It seems as if we've gotten off on the wrong mandible. My sibling and my friends here have climbed down from above to take a look at your lovely city and experience the delights of the third stratum. Are visitors welcome in the city of Roklu? That's the name right? If they aren't, we can just as easily leave back up the pillar the way we came.]
Gotta lay on the charm when you're dealing with these types. Although it's taking all my willpower not to reference the demon's vast bulk. It's not like I can even avert my eyes from that heaving gut, I have near three-sixty degree vision! My change in tone seems to have taken this ruler by surprise and he regards us in silence for a moment. I'm hoping this is a good sign. Spirit of adventure is all well and good, but I'd much rather I didn't plunge the Colony into a war on this trip. I'm due for an outing that ends without starting a major conflict.
"I am the city lord of Roklu, Grokus," he finally speaks and introduces himself. "Generally speaking, visitors are welcome, albeit rare, in my city. Visitors from above are even more rare, there are few who would brave the dangers of the descent. I would have you know, that I am already aware of your... colony..."
I could distinctly hear the lack of a capital when he referred to my family. Disgraceful.
"... and I must warn you that any attempt to encroach on my territory will be met with extreme force. I have struggled long to gain my position and I will not surrender it."
I shrug.
[In the end we're just a group of ants,] I gesture towards Brilliant besides me, still frozen in place by the presence of the large demon, [I can't imagine that a city full of big bad demons has much to fear from us, surely?]
Grokus looks at me with one eye cast askance.
"That doesn't seem to be what you were suggesting earlier when you threatened me..."
I clack my mandibles and wave away the suggestion.
[A little bl.u.s.ter in a conversation is to be expected, is it not? We are strangers in a new place, it's normal for us to be somewhat cautious. I for one, have never set claw in a demon city and had no idea what to expect. I certainly didn't realise that I'd be dropping down into the city lord's compound. So I take it we might have your leave to explore the city?]
The giant demon looked down at me and my group a little longer and I take the opportunity to examine his core a little more closely. It's clear that his core holds more energy than mine, but not by that much. Clearly he hasn't benefited from a maxed core at each stage of his development. That doesn't mean I'm equal to him, a gap in tier represents a doubling of potential after all, but he isn't that much stronger than I am. With all my allies present, I'm confident we could make a mess of the place, though I expect that's why I detect so many strong demons nearby. Grokus isn't taking any chances with us.
Judging by the way he's looking at me, he doesn't think I'm taking any chances either. A correct assumption.
I sense he doesn't want a confrontation here and now, not in the seat of his power when he doesn't have a clear advantage over us. The tension seems to dissipate from his frame as he waves a magnanimous hand in our direction.
"Provided you mean no harm to me and mine, you are free to roam the city. Be warned however, a demon city is not like your Colony, we tend to not play as nice with each other. I will ask that you stop by again before you leave, I do like to keep track of the comings and goings of those who are within my walls."
I give a friendly wave with my antenna.
[We'll take our leave then. Any chance I can get someone to guide us to the gate? I assume you wouldn't want us wandering around your estate on our own...]
"I would not."
With an unheard mental command, Grokus appoints one of his guards as our guide, the whip-thin demon with far too many teeth flexes its claws around us a little too many times for me to feel comfortable, but it does its job and deposits us in front of a gate which will take us out of the city lord's compound and into the city itself. With the confrontation over with I breathe a slight sigh of relief, releasing the tension that had crept through my carapace. As blasé as I'd wanted to appear, I had known things could go very badly for us there.
Not that they couldn't go badly for Chubs McFattrolls.
I slowly begin to dissipate the Gravity Bomb I had constructed, breaking the mana off one tiny piece at a time from the roiling ball of condensed power inside me. I'd done my best to conceal it, but there's not really any way to hide such a concentrated mass of power. If things had gone badly, Grokus would have copped the blast right in the face, and he could sense it. Being tier seven, I can't imagine he doesn't have any tricks up his sleeve, but surely even he would have a nasty headache after going a round with the unlimited power of gravity.
He certainly has plenty of mass...
Never mind. We've made it this far, infiltration successful! Now it's time to see what we came here for! Demon society thrives on the other side of this gate! Let's go see!
-x-X-x-
Chapter 800 - Tourists
"Get back here!" I grumble at Brilliant, "if you don't behave yourself, you're going back in the mouth!"
She freezes in the process of dashing off into the city and turns back towards us.
"Do I even fit in there anymore...?" she asks doubtfully.
[Invidia, show her the mouth.]
He does.
"I see that I would indeed still fit..." she says, the scent faint.
"Yes, yes you would. When it comes to mouths, Invidia is ranked second in our group behind Crinis in terms of size and believe me, you don't want to spend any time in there."
"Why is that?" she asks, her curiosity overwhelming her good sense... as usual.
"Because everything that goes in there is slowly annihilated, disintegrating into tiny molecules that are then digested. She doesn't even need teeth to shred her food."
"That's... horrific."
"I think that's the point. Anyway, before we run off into a strange city full of demons that we don't know anything about, how about we stick together as a group and agree on some simple ground rules?"
"Ground rules like what?"
"First of all, you're currently tier three and every entity in the city that I can sense right now is at least tier six. So, to almost every monster in here, you are a snack. Try not to get eaten. Second, let's try not to antagonise anyone, pun not intended. I'm pretty sure the city lord would be more than happy to destroy us if we give him a chance, so let's try not to give him one. Clear?"
"Crystal!" she nods enthusiastically.
Looking down at her clear and energetic eyes, alight with the promise of new knowledge, I just know that this is going to go horribly wrong.
"All right then," I sigh, "let's get going."
[Tiny, watch the hatchling carefully. I get the feeling she'll try to run off at some point.]
He nods seriously at me before taking up a position near the little ant, always keeping her in his eyes. I hope it'll be enough. There's a slight gap between the wall that encircles Grokus' compound, and therefore the base of the pillar, and any other structures, a gap we cross rapidly and find ourselves immediately surrounded by the press of strange buildings and even stranger residents.
There doesn't seem to be any roads, because why would there be, or any sort of planning having gone into the layout of the city that I can see so far, which correlates to the o.b.s.c.e.n.e tangle that I witnessed from above. It looks as if the demons just build wherever they please and knock down any building that gets in the way. The neighbourhood planning committee meetings must be quite the sight...
I'm not exactly sure what I was expecting, but the demon city of Roklu somehow manages to defy all expectations. As we move deeper amongst the buildings, more faces poke out to watch as we walk past, each and every one a different shape or size than the one before. The demons come in a seemingly endless variety of types and even if some are similar to each other, there are almost always some differences that can't be put down to mutations alone. Compared to the uniform appearance of my own family members, besides the obvious differences between the castes, this is almost a ridiculous level of diversity. I keep an eye out for demons similar to Invidia and although I see a few that are close, there doesn't seem to be any that I see which are exactly the same.
[Are you one of a kind, Invidia? I thought there'd be a lot more demons similar to you down here, considering how powerful you are.]
[I do not know.]
[I suppose it doesn't really matter.]
"ROAR!"
BOOM!
A powerful bellow quickly followed by a ground shaking crash rattles through the air and I plant my feet firmly, antennae swaying through the air rapidly. To the side, I see that Tiny has leapt forward and snagged Brilliant off the ground before she could make a getaway, although she was heading toward the source of the noise, as opposed to away from it...
[Be cautious... let's go check it out.]
Looking at the demons around us, none seem to react all that much to the disturbance, seemingly far more interested in us than they are in whatever caused it. Feeling my tension unwind a little, I nonetheless keep my guard up as we thread our way through the buildings toward the source of the noise. A few minutes later we find what we're looking for in the form of a large, brutal looking demon dragging away what appears to be whatever is left of the demon he had a disagreement with. The ground is heavily cracked, and a few nearby walls are clearly damaged, but again, nobody seems to be willing to do anything about it. The hulking form of the grey skinned behemoth slowly stomps away out of our line of sight, and I breathe a sigh of relief.
Either that big chap is tier seven or at the very peak of tier six, judging by his core. Clearly a physical build, he was as bulky as Tiny and just as large. Which reminds me.
[No Tiny, you can't go fight it.]
He looks disappointed, relaxing from the impressive pose he'd pulled in order to best display his gorilla physique.
[And you can probably put Brilliant down now.]
[Urr?]
The little ant in question is currently having her face rammed into Tiny's right bicep as he lifted his hands to better flex. Looking apologetic, he gently places Brilliant on the ground, giving her a little pat on the back and dusting off her carapace. I'd roll my eyes if I could.
"Are you alright, Brilliant?"
"I ... think so?" she says, staggering a little as she gets her balance.
I have no idea what just happened. Are the demons here just allowed to eat each other whenever they want? And damage the city? That can't possibly be right... how would they even form a city if living in it provided no sort of safety? Why would any of them live there at all?
[Because living here is much safer than living elsewhere. But you must reconsider your assumption that 'safety' is the primary concern of the city's residents.]
That seems like a reasonable thing to say actually... demons are monsters, much the same as the members of the Colony. But whereas the ants of my family are all related to one another and have an innate d.e.s.i.r.e to cooperate, no such thing binds demons. And considering that, judging from what I've seen, safety doesn't seem to be one of their concerns, I can corroborate that with what I've witnessed in the wild at least. That leads to the question, what exactly is it that demons want?
And whose voice was that?!
With a start, I realise a mind bridge has connected to me, so stealthily, so sneakily that I hadn't even noticed it happen?! Who the heck?! All my minds and constructs blaze with activity as I rally my own mind mana to my defence.
[Who's there? Why have you invaded my mind? Is it because of my carapace? It's the carapace, isn't it? So shiny... so marvellous... one look and you were entranced... addicted! Well you can't have it! It's mine. Mine I say!]
[Ah. I mean no offense. Allow me to reveal myself to you and we can clear this misunderstanding.]
-x-X-x-
[I don't see you demon... are you going to show yourself or - HOLYGIZZADIGUP!]
Even as I ask for the creature to show itself, it seems to blink into existence on the edge of my vision, shocking me with both its sudden appearance, and bizarre form. A giant eyeball wreathed in fiery tentacles that appear almost more like tongues of flame than appendages of flesh stares down at me like a watchful sun.
[I did not mean to shock you,] the voice in my mind says, [I have been here some time, but have hidden my presence by erasing it from your mind up to this point.]
[Isn't that a bit rude?] I challenge the demon to help cover my unease at having my mind invaded so easily. [You can't go around just diving into people's minds willy-nilly! How the heck did you even do it?!]
My guard is up. Way up. This demon is clearly powerful, a tier seven, much like the huge brute who stomped away earlier. Its appearance is something like a cross between Invidia, Crinis and a bonfire, giving it a disturbing visage to say the least. Instead of the intense green of Invidia's own eyeball, this demon's eye is red, as in totally red. The iris is red, the pupil is a different shade of red, and the white? Let's just say it isn't all that white. Looking into this thing's eye is like looking into a fire in a fire in a fire in a fire.
[It is how I protect myself,] the demon doesn't seem perturbed by my attack, [being a physically weaker creature, I use my mental prowess to hide myself from the attention of those that would seek to do me harm.]
[Seems like it would also go a long way to making it rather easy to inflict harm,] I point out.
[That is also true,] it responds, unbothered.
The rest of my party has reacted to this sudden presence with a display of aggression. Tiny has snatched up the hatchling once more, putting his body between the newcomer and Brilliant, whilst Crinis has made herself known by threateningly extending some ghastly limbs from her resting place on my back. For his part, Invidia has continued to hover, threateningly, his eye blazing with envious light.
The demon floats in the air with no apparent effort, looking down on me as we continue our stand off for several long moments.
[Sooooo...] I try.
[Ah. I apologise, I was lost in thought.]
A pause.
[Hello?]
[Ah. I apologise, I was -]
[Lost in thought?! Again!? Can you please just let us know if you're going to try and eat us or what so we can either get to fighting or running away?! I'm getting antsy over here!]
Heh.
The eye flickers at my sudden barrage and after a brief pause begins to explain itself.
[I have approached you for a very specific reason,] it starts, [I have spoken to you in the hopes that you will slake my hunger.]
DANGIT.
[KILL!] I bellow and prepare to leap into action.
The eye blinks in surprise before vanishing right before my eyes, causing my heroic dashing leap to end with me planting my face into a wall, knocking the already damaged side of the building in completely. That slippery corona-demon! Where the heck did it go?! I frantically try to sever the connection it has with my mind, but find my efforts are fended off as the creature smothers my attempts.
[I should be clear,] the voice rings out again, [that I hunger not for your flesh, but for knowledge.]
As it pronounces that word, I can almost hear the ravenous hunger boiling away beneath that seemingly calm and patient manner of speaking. I pick myself out of the rubble and turn around to find the demon has once more appeared, hovering in the air in exactly the same place as before.
[You hunger... for knowledge? What kind of demon wants to turn itself into a encyclopedia? That doesn't seem to be how you guys operate, from what I've seen so far...]
[Oh... Uh. Like a book filled with huge amounts of information organised so that it can be easy to find.]
With a blaze of energy, the eye ignites, the flare of heat drying my eyes in a split-second.
[Hot! Hot!]
The fire subsides quickly, and the demon appears as before, hovering calmly above us.
[I apologise,] the voice is once again contained and unruffled, [I have never heard of this concept before. I find it... delicious.]
This is seriously weirding me out.
[So... if you don't mind me asking... what sort of demon are you? One that craves knowledge over Biomass? I just don't think I've ever heard of that.]
[I do not mind. It is important that you understand my nature if we are to complete our transaction. I am an Avarice demon, but one of a particular nature. Avarice demons d.e.s.i.r.e to take and hold that which belongs to others, to accrue vast wealth. But the form of that wealth may change from demon to demon. There are some who hoard precious jewels and minerals, such that the humans and those like them are ignited with greed. Others seek to amass slaves, controlling the life and fate of many others.]
Interesting...
The giant eye hovers for a moment.
[That is apt,] it concludes. [This is a fundamental aspect of demonic nature that I sense you may not be aware of. All demons are driven by some manner of obsession. The more highly evolved a demon is, the more refined that obsession has become.]
There's something interesting about the way it framed that...
[So is it evolving that refines the obsession, or is it refining the obsession that leads to evolving?]
Is there some element of the demonic monster archetype that is fundamentally different from other monsters? From what I understand, that's not the case, I certainly haven't seen anything like that when examining Invidia, for example.
[The one plays into the other,] the demon responds. [But you have asked an interesting question, one with a lengthy answer. Now we come to the nature of my request. I have seen that you are new to Roklu, new to this stratum and have many questions, questions that I can answer. In return, you have knowledge, information that I wish to possess. I propose a trade.]
[Since you managed to barge into my mind uninvited, couldn't you just take what you want? Why go through the bother?]
I'm not sure I trust this fire-eye.
[Information extracted in this way is incomplete and fragmented. Unsatisfactory. I hunger for the whole meal, not a collection of scattered morsels.]
[So... let me get this straight. You're offering to be a ... guide?]
The eye blazes bright once more.
[What is this... guide?]
[Holy smokes! It's a person that shows other people around, gives them key information about the place they are in! Chill out a little!]
[Interesting. Yes. I propose that I shall be your guide. In return, you shall give me the answers that I seek. I view this as an even trade. Do you accept?]
I mean... I don't really see much of a downside... As much as I dislike having a demon as strong as this one following us around, I don't think that we couldn't take it on if we worked together, provided we can find a way to counter it's ability to vanish from our mind's eye. On the other hand, we stand to gain a lot.
[I guess we have a deal.]
In response to my words, the eye smoulders with barely suppressed hunger.
-x-X-x-
[A demonic existence can be reduced to a single need: obsession. There are many forms that this d.e.s.i.r.e can take, almost innumerable, but every demon feels it. Provided we are given the freedom to pursue this obsession, we are largely content. Though this does not mean we are peaceful. A slaughter demon has but one d.e.s.i.r.e, and it will seek to fulfill that d.e.s.i.r.e always.]
[So... if a demon is going around killing other demons in Roklu, you just... let it go about its business? That hardly seems like it would be conducive to allowing other demons to 'freely pursue their obsession'.]
[As with anything to do with demons, there are no hard and fast rules. A demon of murder killing others is to be expected, it is its nature, so it is not punished for such. Kill too much, and the demon in question could be exiled, sent across the plains to find another city.]
[Not killed? You guys don't kill as a punishment here in Roklu?]
Judging from what little I saw of Grokus' compound, they definitely do.
[We do, but it is generally the city lord who would enact such a thing. It is the right and the responsibility of the strongest demon in the city to enforce their will on it. Those who do not appreciate this burden are free to leave, either to find another city more to their liking, or eke out an existence on the plains.]
[How do you think Grokus has been doing here?]
[I have answered your question,] the blazing eye turns toward me, focusing the full heat of its gaze upon my shiny self. [It is now time for you to answer mine.]
[Fair enough,] I gesture with an antenna, [go ahead.]
The demon, who we've come to know, actually has a name, as do most demons who live in the city, apparently. I was a little surprised at first when he introduced himself, but hey, if a demon wants a name, who am I to go about not using it? So it was that the giant eye wreathed in tongues of flame that hovered around us came to be referred to by his proper title: Allocrix. Or Al, depending on your mood.
[You have mentioned this 'Colony' before. Describe it to me. I wish to know more of it.]
[The Colony? I suppose that's fine. I guess I should ask first off, how much do you know about ants?]
The eye roars with flame.
I sigh.
[Alright then, I suppose I start at the beginning.]
We continue our somewhat bizarre stroll around the plate city of demons, Roklu, whilst I expound on the ants of the surface world. Tiny insects capable of forming vast mega-colonies, a collective so unified as to act as a single organism as the eyeball in the centre of the aurora borealis listens with childlike fascination.
[You have two stomachs?]
[Social stomach and a regular one,] I confirm, [that way some of our food can be regurgitated later for sharing purposes.]
[Fascinating.]
[Alright, that's a lot for one question, obviously you want to know more, but I think it's my turn, surely?]
A pause.
[Very well.]
By this time we've made our way toward the edge of the plate and I have to say, the view is rather striking. The vast emptiness vanishes into the distance, well beyond the point my eyes can see as the heat haze and ash eventually blocks my view. Far, far below, the Plains of Leng, even now a writhing carpet of weaker demons locked in eternal combat, the flats pierced here and there with pillars of rock, mountains with sharp cliffs and flat tops. It's mesmerising in its own way. I can't believe this vast field circles the entire world.
The chaos of Roklu has continued around us, as more demons emerge and begin to resume their normal activities the noise and movement has steadily risen back to what I presume is a more normal level.
[Can you explain what the deal was with that giant demon smacking someone down in the middle of town earlier? Something seemed a little off about it, and you were in that area also...]
I'm quite curious about that incident. The fact that there were two tier seven monsters in that spot, when they seem quite rare in the city from what I've seen. In fact, as far as I can tell, there's three.
[That situation... frustrating.] Al falls silent for a moment as he contemplates his response. After a few moments he speaks up again. [Demon politics can be simple or complicated, depending on the particular demons involved. When it comes to demon politics, there is only one issue that is fought over, who will be the city lord.]
[I'm going to guess, the strongest demon?]
[Generally, it is so. Simplistic. Grokus has ruled over this city for hundreds of years, generally by exterminating any who would grow strong enough to challenge. Now, two demons who are strong enough to mount a challenge have arisen in short succession.]
[I'll jump in and say, you and the big guy?]
[It is so.]
[Pretty darn obvious, isn't it? You three are the only tier seven monsters that I've managed to detect in the city.]
Oof.
[That's fair enough,] I sigh. [So there are two challengers for the throne? As it were?]
[In a sense,] the fire dims around the Avarice demon as he sinks down toward the floor, seemingly depressed. [I have no wish for the role. The scheming, the fighting. Nuisance. I wish only to pursue and hoard knowledge, that is my d.e.s.i.r.e. Mongu'nin does not share my indifference.]
[The big guy?]
[It is so. He actively wishes to challenge Grokus for the position of city lord, but feels he must dispense with me, the other challenger, before he can make his claim.]
[Wait, so he wants to challenge, but won't until he's managed to ... what... kill you first?]
[Yes.]
[Then he'll go and challenge Grokus, and I'm going to assume that this challenge is a fight to the death.]
[It is so.]
[You demons sure don't mess around.]
[As I said, simple, yet complicated. I have been hiding from Mongu'nin for weeks, just as I have hidden from Grokus and his minions, but the constant attempts to track me down have become... tiresome.]
I give Al a bit of side-eye, which isn't hard given the nature of my compound eyes.
[In other words, you wouldn't necessarily be averse to the city coming under new management?]
The eye narrows.
[I would not...]
[More on that later. So, what you're saying is, the big guy, Mongo, is trying to find and kill you, so that he feels justified in going and killing Grokus. Meanwhile, Grokus probably wants the pair of you killed, and is not shy about attempting to make that happen.]
[This is the case.]
[Is it safe for you to be wandering around town with us then?]
Sounds like all the powerful demons in Roklu want Al dead, so I'm surprised he's so comfortable wandering around the city with us.
[In this instance, I am counting on you and your twenty-three companions to dissuade the others from making any moves that might be considered... too bold.]
I suppose that's fair enough. I'm a little shocked that Al was able to penetrate the incredible abilities of my bodyguards to stay unnoticed. However he did that, I'm impressed.
Wait a second... twenty three?!
I rapidly turn to better focus on Tiny and the big ape looks back at me with confusion written plain on his face.
[Tiny! Where's the hatchling!?] I yell, panic creeping into my mental voice.
He looks at me, looks down at his empty hands for a long moment, then back at me. Very slowly, with great care, he lifts his feet and carefully inspects the soles.
[You didn't stand on her you thick shake! She snuck off!]
Because of course she did!
-x-X-x-
I don't mind sharing with you, my dear readers, that as much as I enjoy travelling around the wonderful world in which we live, exploring its many incredible, unbelievable sights and relaying them to you in my own quirky fashion, I do miss my bed. Oh! Such comfort! Such bliss! The means with which you have so graciously afforded to me my readers, they have not gone to waste! Enchanted stone-wood frame, carved ever so intricately with doves and vines, the mattress, with its three layered structure providing the perfect level of support and softness. The bottom layer, made from earth infused deep sponge, is my personal favourite. Stern and unyielding, but forgiving and with a warm heart. This is topped by the second, a cheeky four inches of water infused sea-king reeds which give the mattress that slight wobbly feel I love so much. Finally, the top layer, a full, luxurious six inches of tight stuffed down from the Cloud Ranging Sky Goose. It's like resting atop the fluffy pillows of the sky itself, dear readers.
Needless to say, this was not the level of comfort I enjoyed when staying at the Hill of Rest in Renewal, but Mrs Bellweather's establishment comported itself far better than I expected this distance from civilisation. I awoke refreshed and excited, ready to face another day in this remarkable land of ant and human.
After a short yet hearty breakfast, I was greeted just outside the establishment by my guide for the day, arranged by Mr Bellweather the previous day. A chatty know-it-all who would be more than happy to spend hours answering endless questions from an old duck, he assured me. I was quite pleased to find this was indeed the case when the young girl in question, a Ms Emilia Cretherton, greeted us with a warm smile the moment we stepped out the door. The first thing I had to ask was the nature of the particular garment she wore, which included a rather striking set of antennae like attachments to a band she wore through her hair. As Emilia was delighted to share, all members of the community who chose to take the ant related Class line wore such a headdress as an indication to others that they are available to work as translators between the ants and the residents!
A special Class line! I was stunned to hear of such a thing! Especially being shared so openly! Of course, I had to know more. Luckily, the cheerful young girl was all too willing to share. Supposedly, this information isn't even an open secret throughout the city, it was just something that was freely shared. Emilia informed us, quite proudly the dear young thing, that she had reached the first Class evolution, turning her 'Antmancer' into the well regarded 'Antspeaker'. This Class gave her the incredible ability to utilise mana to produce pheromones, which in turn allowed her to communicate with the ants without the need for any sort of mental magic! Incredible! Indeed, this ability was soon put on display as we made our way throughout the town. Some might have thought the residents would hide their close affiliation with their insect-monster allies, but nothing could be further from the truth. Ants roamed throughout the city, walking right alongside everyone else. The monsters themselves were of various sizes, ranging from large dog all the way up to a bull.
When one of them walked past us, I just had to know, so I turned to our guide and asked if she could please interpret for us so that we might converse with the fascinating creature. My two bodyguards were not at all happy about being so close to a monster they weren't allowed to kill and I was repeatedly warned from this course of action, but I heeded them not! If you have a chance to speak to a giant ant-monster reader, you take it!
Through our interpreter, I was to learn that this particular individual ant (unnamed, though I discovered than many ants choose to take a name, a fascinating subject all of its own) was in town to study the growth of crops. Of crops! She had recently graduated from the ant 'academy' and d.e.s.i.r.ed to study agriculture on the surface before attempting to take the lessons learned and apply them below ground. I had to ask, as I'm certain that you are also wondering, reader, what on Pangera an ant would need crops for, and she replied it was for the sapient population living under the care of the Colony, as if it were the most natural thing in the world!
And watching our Antspeaker communicate was a fascinating thing all of its own! Both Emilia and the ant made no sound, all our human translator did was raise one hand, glowing softly with the tell-tale light of mana to produce the pheromones, the scent that the ants use to communicate with one another. Just incredible!
After a brief chat, our ant friend went on her way and we continued our jaunt around town. Fear not, dear reader for there was so much more to see!
Excerpt from Chapter Four of 'Traveling Tolly in the lands of the Colony' published in the Monthly 'Pangera Gazette'
Brilliant? I should have named her Idiot! Has her insane level of curiosity not been sated yet? I thought she'd been cured of the worst of it, yet here we are, in the middle of a literal city of demons, and she runs off on us?! If I hadn't been so distracted she never would have been able to slip from our grasp.
[Dammit! We need to find her!]
"Protectant! Are you telling me that none of you saw her sneak off? How is that possible?!"
A rather disgruntled looking Protectant appears behind me.
"Our role is to watch you, not her. Though it is remarkable that none of us noticed..."
"She doesn't even have the stealth Skill! I looked at her core myself! How is it possible that one little ant can be this slippery!?"
Protectant scratches at her head with one antenna.
"Perhaps she has an impeccable sense of timing? Or just pays close attention to everything around her? It's a remarkable talent..."
If the Colony had any need for an escape artist, then this would have been a massive missed opportunity.
"Well get out there and find her!" I roar at my erstwhile security detail.
"But..." Protectant hesitates.
"GO! If she dies do you have any idea what the Colony has lost?! GO! GO! GO!"
[Tiny! Crinis! Invidia! We have to hunt down that damned hatchling.]
I switch my focus to Al, floating patiently alongside us.
[I hate to do this to you Al, but we need to go and find the hatchling who was with us, she's a curious creature who hasn't quite developed a sense of self-preservation yet...]
Something I will rapidly move to fix.
The eye flashes with interest.
[A curious creature? Such a thing should not be discouraged. I will make myself hidden and assist as I can from the shadows.]
[Alright then.]
Charge! With any luck, I'll be able to find the little interloper through the vestibule before long and we can avoid having anything dramatic happen in the meantime. Even now I can sense the twenty bodyguards scattering from this location, diving here and there amongst the buildings, twists and alleys of the city as they hunt down the scent of the runaway hatchingling. Where is she? Where the heck could she be? My attention sinks deeper into the vestibule, seeking, questing for that infinitesimal sliver of energy and regeneration she provides to me.
[This way! Let's goooooo!]
Changing directions, my legs grip hard at the ground until stone ch.i.p.s fly into the air. Tiny screeches to a halt before he unleashes a mighty roar, bounding forward like a force of nature, his eyes blazing with electrical energy. The demons in our way scatter like pigeons, unwilling to get in our way.
-x-X-x-
In the back of mind I worry that the king chubster himself, Grokus, might have seized the hatchling the moment she slipped away from us, to use as leverage, or just to eat, who knows? But from what I can tell, the trail leading to the little runaway doesn't lead back to the column in the centre of the plate, in fact, it seems as though it looping around the outside.
Stupid hatchling! You just wanted to go sightseeing that badly?! When I catch you, I'll dangle you over the edge for a week! See if that doesn't fulfill your need for a good view!
[Master! Do you sense her?] Crinis asks.
[I do! But the trail is weak. Can you see anything?]
[Her mana signature is so weak,] she frets, [it's almost impossible to find her when we're surrounded with so many tier six monsters.]
That's something else to remember, even if they didn't all evolve perfectly, each and every single monster around here is the same tier as us. If all of these demons decided to fight us at the same time... it wouldn't be pretty.
[This way!] I cry as the sense from my vestibule veers sharply one way.
[No! She's looping back! This way!]
A hard turn brings us smack into the middle of a pack of demons coming in the other direction, a variety of shapes and forms, all grotesque and deadly in their own fashion.
[Move it!] I bellow.
CHARGE!
Dammit! This level of attention is the last thing we need... Maybe we can lose them.
[Quick! Take a hard left, we'll try to lose them around that corner!]
Stretching the strength of my claws to the limit, I divert my non-inconsiderable weight around a hairpin turn, dashing into an alleyway between to teetering buildings. A difficult manoeuvre that has strained my legs, but with any luck we've managed to break line of sight between us and our pursuers. Now quickly! Onto the trail of the hatchling!
BOOM!
Aaaand Tiny couldn't turn in time and has ploughed straight into the building on the left... that's perfect. Driven even further into his rage by the offending structure, the giant ape lashes out, his powerful arms smashing any remaining wall within reach and turning the stonework into dust.
[Enough with the wall! Come on!] I urge him and he shakes off the bricks and bounds to feet, leaving a new collection of enraged demons in his wake.
Naturally, with their howling and slashing at the air, they make a perfect spotlight for the first pack of demons, who quickly follow after us. Just... perfect.
[I thought you were supposed to have the fanciest feet?!] I yell at Tiny but he's too far lost in his rage to hear me.
Perhaps losing track of Brilliant, who he'd been so protective of has really tipped him over the edge. Which could be a problem... nothing I can do about it now though. Recapturing the hatchling is all that matters now! How many tens of thousands of new ants have been born between Vibrant and Brilliant! She might be a handful, and a massive pain in the abdomen, but Vibrant is one of the strongest and most dedicated ants in the entire Colony, with her own high-levelled army to help her protect our family. If Brilliant is even half as capable when she's done evolving and developing her Skills then she'll be an incredible asset to the Colony. An irreplaceable part of the collective that will help uplift all of us!
Most importantly, without capable and selfless champions, how is the Colony ever going to develop to the point that they aren't dependent on me to protect them?! They need to be able to stand on their own six legs! I can't guarantee that I'll be around to help pull the carapace out of the fire every time!
Although an argument could be made that I'm the one who puts the carapace in the fire most of the time. Actually, to take that a step further, aren't I throwing myself into trouble and the Colony is the one pulling me out of it? Isn't that carapace in the fire in fact... me?
Ahhh! Worry about it another time! Get. That. Hatchling!
If there's no point trying to hide anymore then who cares about these alleys and gaps? I'm an ant, dammit! I'm going over the top! As I speed toward another building, instead of going around it I simply raise my front legs up and dig in with my claws, racing up the side of the wall and over the top.
BOOM!
Tiny of course doesn't realise what I've done and just runs straight into the building, leaving an ape shaped whole in the wall. Worry about it later! The sound of demonic shrieking and blades striking flesh rings out from below me as I continue running, followed by Tiny's bellow and the harsh impacts of fists striking home with tremendous force. Next thing, two demons are thrown out the side of the building with tremendous force, smashing into a neighbouring building and smashing that wall in for good measure. A chorus of growls and shrieks ensue.
Wonderful.
When I get my mandibles on that hatchling....
There she is! From my position on the top of the building, a faint whisp of energy trickles into the vestibule, snapping my attention around just in time for my antennae to catch a whiff of the little ant. With one dashing leap I throw myself across a gap and onto a nearby building where, looking down into the alley, I see a suddenly cowering Brilliant looking up at me.
"Fooouunnnnd youuuuuu!" I rasp.
"S-Senior!" she stammers, "f-f-f-fancy s-seeing you here!"
"How dare you run away! In this city of all places! You'll pay little hatchling! You'll pay dearly!"
The little ant draws herself up, suddenly bold and yells back at me.
"I held it in for so long! So long! You expect me to resist it forever?! I WON'T, I WON'T, I WON'T! I have to knooooooow!"
So screaming, she dashes off, around the corner and out of sight in a flash. Think you can get away now?! When I have your scent?! You're a hundred million years too early to escape from me! In a flash, I'm off, all six legs moving so quickly they blur. I have her now, it's time to secure the capture.
[Crinis! Deploy!]
[With p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e, master!] the black void attached to my carapace declares.
As I run, her tentacles emerge, latching onto the building around us so she can lift her body from my back. In seconds a writhing forest of thin tentacles is moving across the rooftops with me as we follow close in the footsteps of Brilliant.
"No escape, Brilliant! I'll get you, no matter what!"
-x-X-x-
"ROOOOAAARRRRR!"
A leg shaking bellow rocks the ground, followed a moment later by a giant, winged ape leaping high into the sky before crashing back down on the road beside the building I'm on, crumbling a few walls in the process. I'm beyond caring about the property damage at this point, all that matters is securing Brilliant, the rest we can deal with later.
Hopefully.
"GET BACK HERE, HATCHLING!" I rocket my pheromones forward, blanketing the area with my order.
"No!" my antennae pick up her much fainter reply. "I'm going to see it for myself! You can't stop me anymore!"
"WANNA BET?!"
Her path zigs and zags, crossing between buildings, between demon legs and underneath foundations. I can see her now, everywhere she goes her head ducks this way and that, her eyes taking in everything they see with a feverish, almost vacant stare. Likewise, her antennae are going crazy, whipping this way and that so fast it almost appears as if they'll lift her into the air like the blades of a helicopter.
Like a dog with its head out the window of a moving car, she's going crazy from the stimulation of so much new information rushing into her brain at once. I should have known bringing an ant so curious that she would conduct her own tour of the Colony as a grub to an entirely new stratum would be way too much for her to handle. For some reason I thought that after evolving and becoming more intelligent she'd have a better grip on it. Turns out that I was more than a little wrong, I think it actually made it worse.
But I'm gaining ground. With her Skills as low as they are, even if she trained Dash as hard as she did, there's no way she can match my speed. No matter how slippery she is, there's no escape for her now! The nearer she draws, the more I tunnel in until there's nothing I can see but the little ant speeding through the crowded traffic beneath me, no matter the destruction and chaos that is being sown behind.
Closer, closer, CLOSER!
She's practically below me now, her little legs a flurry of movement as she ducks and weaves as only an ant can, flickering from one point to the next. But I see her!
[Crinis! GO!]
At my order, she rockets forward, a writhing mass of barbed limbs that clutch and tear at the buildings as she descends to the ground level, proppeling herself forward until she's right on the heels of Brilliant, her tentacles reaching forward to snatch the little thing into the air. From above I have an almost perfect view of the limbs stretching through the air, seeking, homing in and grasping... nothing.
Somehow that little weasel manages to slip through a gap that I don't believe even exists and rockets up the side of the large building in front. Ha! You think Crinis is the only pet I have at my disposal?!
[Tiny! Invidia! Go!]
With a green flash, Invidia materialises a solid platform in the air in less than a second as Tiny bounds high into the air, both feet slamming into the shield before Tiny uses it to propel himself to even greater heights, homing in on Brilliant like a hairy ballistic missile. Just to ensure the capture, I race up the side of the building so close behind the little monster that I could almost reach out and snatch her up with my mandibles.
Just. Another. Second!
CRASH!
Cracks spread like spiderwebs beneath my legs and I have just a moment to think 'well.... Nards' before I'm falling through the air, Brilliant in the air just above me before we impact the ground and I lose sight of her.
Dammit! Gotta get my legs under me! I scramble and scrabble at the air for a few moments before I manage to right myself after a little rocking back and forth. The first thing I see is Tiny, hunched over on the ground next to me.
[Tiny! Did you secure the package?!]
His tightly wound frame unwinds bit by bit until a hand emerges with a thumb proudly extended into the air. A moment later, he stands tall to reveal Brilliant clutched tightly against his c.h.e.s.t. The little ant struggles valiantly against his iron grip, but to no avail.
"No! Let me go! I want to see! I want to know! YOU CAN'T HOLD ME FOREVER!"
"Is that what you think?" I ask with a soft scent as I creep closer. "There are things in this world that you've never dreamed off, little one. If needed I'll weave a prison for you out of the fundamental forces of this universe! You really think you can escape me?! I can sense your thoughts! I can smell your impulsive little mind! I'll bury you under the weight of a thousand tons of mass if you think you can walk away from me!"
[Masssster.]
[What is it, Invidia? I haven't finished venting at Brilliant yet!]
[There issss danger here... open your senssssses.]
[I guess that might be a problem...] I mutter to the fluttering demon.
[Not that. Turnsssss.]
Wait, what?
Suddenly I realise what he meant. From behind, namely, from within the large, final building that we demolished, a powerful aura is surging. When I switch on my mana sense, it becomes clear that a tier seven core is inside, and that its owner is not happy.
[This wouldn't happen to be the residence of one Mongu'nin, would it?]
[I believe it isss so.]
[Right. LET'S VAMOOSE! Tiny! Do NOT let go of Brilliant even for a second, we are getting the hell out of town!]
[Wheressss do we go?]
My mind races.
[Down! No way I'm going to try and bust through Grokus' compound with all this going on. Let's find a way through the plate and climb down the pillar!]
A giant flaming eyeball appears out of thin air next to me.
[I might just so happen to know a way down.]
[HOLY MOLY! Stop with that already! Are you going to show us the way now, or are we going to negotiate? Spoiler warning, we don't have time to negotiate!]
[I will show you. I think leaving town will be... wise.]
Behind us, the rubble explodes outwards, showering us with stone and debris as a truly massive demon bellows to the heavens with rage.
[Let's SCOOT!]
-x-X-x-
With her incredibly enhanced vision, it wasn't too hard for Wills to make out the details of the demon city far, far below. Any ant who wasn't a highly evolved scout would find it impossible to see what she could, but for her, it was simple. The advantages of evolving to tier five. Being able to see clearly at long distances generally wasn't something that scouts needed in the regular course of their duties, but with knowledge of the third stratum, she'd known that it would be a necessary trait for some of her caste to have. Unwilling to leave the experimentation to the new generation, she had been the first to develop her eyes in this way and it was paying dividends already.
"What in the world is the Eldest doing down there?" she wondered.
Smoke was rising from the city in several places, forming a long trail around the outer edge of one side. She could see several buildings had collapsed completely and tiny figures swarmed over them like... ants. The ants would be swarming over there soon enough.
"What do you think?" Advant asked, her scent tense with worry.
Wills chuckled.
"Looks like the Eldest has kicked up quite the fuss already. A good section of the city is on fire already and no I have absolutely no idea why. It's a mess down there, not going to lie."
"Is the Eldest trying to soften their defences before we make an assault? We aren't ready yet!"
"Considering we haven't consulted with them in any way on this plan, how could they possibly be aware what we're going to do, let alone when we plan to do it?"
"That's... a good point."
"Personally, I think the Eldest is just doing what they always do. Making a mess of wherever they happen to be at any given time."
"That's a ... bold way to state your opinion of the Eldest..."
"I didn't say it was a bad thing," Wills smirked. "Wherever they go, there is always something interesting happening, something that pushes the Colony forward. It's impossible for us to be stagnant whilst the Eldest is around."
"That's the truth," Advant agreed as she tried to see what was happening so far below. After a few long moments, she was forced to give up, her eye mutations were dedicated to better track motion in the thick of battle, peering over the edge of the bridge did nothing for her. "Let's head back to the rally point. I don't think there is more to see here."
The two ants turned and began the climb back up into the second stratum alongside their escort. It wasn't long before they encountered more of their kind, a lot more. Carvers swarmed over the area alongside soldiers and scouts as the ants restructured the area around the top of the pillar to better suit their needs. If this was the connection point between the third and second strata, then the Colony would see it defended and fortified to the greatest extent.
"Tungstant! How goes preparations?"
The much smaller carver turned from where she was advising several work crews to see her fellow council members approach. Judging by the slant of her antennae and the irritable clacking of her mandibles, she wasn't in much of a good mood.
"How are they going? They're going, I suppose. What else can you expect?"
"Why? What seems to be the issue?" Wills asked, a humorous tilt to her head.
"Wait -" Advant tried to head off the tirade before it started, but she was far too late.
"What seems to be the issue?!" Tungstant ranted. "How dare you say that to me! If there were ten of me and Cobalt, there still wouldn't be enough to get all the work done! You want us to design and build new nests, you want us to fortify a massive section of Dungeon, you want to construct new farm zones, upgrade the main nest, plan further expansion sites and THEN you want us to come all the way down here to build a fortified position and staging ground the size of the main nest again! Are you outside of your minds! The work is sloppy! It's rushed! It's a disgrace! You think we can be happy with this?!" she gestured with one foreleg toward the massive walls that were rising to block off the tunnels, gates already being levered into position.
"I think it looks like you've done incredible work," Advant tried to soothe her sister. She truly believed what she said. What the carvers and building crews had achieved in a short amount of time was nothing short of incredible.
"It's FILTH! I hate it! I hate all of it! The gates are bad work, not enough time used in the tempering, not enough time used for the enchanting! The stone in the walls isn't fully compressed, nor has it been satisfactorily reinforced with the metal framing!"
That has been an eye opener, seeing how the carvers had designed a system for reinforcing their compressed stone walls by installing a wire framework of their hardest mana infused steel. First the stone had been stripped away, then the frame installed, and the stone literally shaped around it by earth mages. Advant had been curious enough to enquire about the work as it was being done and what she'd learned is that it was a lot harder than it looked. The frame itself had to be designed and built to specification to start with, then had to include tolerance for the stone being compressed around it. This meant the framework had to be designed to squeeze and shrink without breaking as the ants did their best to condense the stone as hard as possible around it. The calculations alone had been dizzying to the soldier.
"Aren't all the other castes doing their best to help out?" Wills reasoned, now trying to calm the storm she had willingly unleashed. "The soldiers are doing all the heavy lifting, the generals are helping coordinate crews, the advance build teams the scouts have put together are working well, aren't they?"
In the press to ever expand the territory, the Colony had realised that it just wasn't practical to send carvers, among the weakest of the castes, far away from the nests to investigate distant sites for proposed nests, or to begin the preliminary digging work in totally unfortified areas. Instead, several teams of scouts had side specialised in basic construction skills, allowing them to make basic assessments and plans, as well as commence simple building practices, like flattening out areas, laying foundations, digging sound tunnels and establishing temporary walls. With this initial work done, the site could be made much safer for the proper build crews to arrive and begin work.
"I suppose they are," Tungstant grumbled, "we're just really busy is all."
"Isn't that a good thing?" Advant laughed. "You don't want to be busy?"
Tungstant glared at the much larger soldier before she snapped a claw out, pointing down at her own shadow. Curious, Advant looked down before she leapt back with a curse. The shadow was pitch black, deeper even than the darkness of the second stratum would dictate. Rather than a shadow it looked like a portal into hell. As she stared, a ghostly figure of an ant rose from inside the shadow as if appearing from deep underwater. The figure slowly raised one leg in front of her ethereal mandibles.
"Shhhhhhh," came the scent as if from an impossible distance before fading to nothing.
In a blink, the ant was gone and the shadow had returned to normal, leaving Advant trembling in fear.
"A-a-are t-they...?"
"Always," Tungstant confirmed, clacking her mandibles in satisfaction. "I've lost six crews in the last four hours alone. In two more hours, they'll take me as well if I don't stop working."
"Maybe you should take a break?" Wills suggested, trying to maintain her cool.
Tungstant just laughed grimly and flicked her antennae in the direction of the tunnel leading down to their position. Advant and Wills could see columns of ants appearing in the distance, soldiers, generals, mages, core shapers, scouts, marching together in ranks toward this new front line.
"You think I have time for that?" the carver pointed out.
"Let's help out," Advant sighed.
Torpor would take them all soon enough. Might as well get to work in the meantime.
-x-X-x-
The nest was ablaze with activity, even more than usual. Since the start of the previous wave, the Colony had moved as if a fire had been lit beneath it, one put there by the Eldest member of their family. The race to expand and grow before their enemies returned to challenge them had begun and the ants refused to lose. Already, four new nests had been established and the Queens installed. Those new satellite nests were not even fully complete, but plans for the next round of expansion had already begun. After long discussions and planning sessions between the Queens, carvers, scouts and soldiers, it had been determined that the current design of the Colony's territory should be replicated in a new area.
This was to become the template for the Colony's expansion. A central, heavily fortified main nest, with smaller satellite nests established around the periphery, all enclosed in defended checkpoints that created a bubble of security. It was hoped that eventually each main nest would contain a gate that would allow rapid travel between all of the Colony's territory. This blueprint had been accepted by the council and within a day advance scout teams had been sent to traverse the dangerous tunnels to seek out appropriate sites for this next wave of expansion, this new phase of the Colony's growth.
It was all happening so fast that it was becoming absurdly difficult to keep track of it all. Coolant had done her best to make sure that things were being done as efficiently as possible, but with so many ants working in so many places, it was almost impossible to be aware of everything that was happening at once. Hence the construction of the Antministratum.
It was with a certain sense of satisfaction that Coolant looked out over the open area at the rows of ants working diligently at their stations. It had only been a matter of time since the creation of ant 'writing' that they would develop the next level of this valuable technique: ant filing!
"How goes it?" came a scent from behind her.
The mage turned to see Bella standing behind her, the core shaper a key partner in making this central filing system a reality.
"As you can see," Coolant said with satisfaction, "the work has begun in earnest."
There were a hundred ants currently located here, each one analysing the many slates of work reports that were being ferried in by the numerous pets that had been assigned to the task by the core shaper caste. They were perfect for the role, since one ant with many pets could ferry the records for a wide area of the nest. There were already observers watching and recording all of the work that had been going on within the Colony, it was just a natural step to have that data collected and collated in a central location.
Not that it had been easy to pull off.
"You really think that this is going to lead to an increase in efficiency in the workforce?" Bella sounded doubtful.
"If you didn't think so, then why did you agree to help with this project?" Coolant was irritated.
"It's pretty rare that we core shapers get invited to help with the things that you all have going on," she shrugged, "if we can provide value and prove our worth in this task, then perhaps the others will be amenable to reaching out for our help."
It was a little irritating for Coolant to hear that her sister had committed so much time and energy to a task that she didn't even necessarily believe in, but she saw her point. The core shapers weren't relied on as much as they should be by the others, even when they could provide a ton of value, such as with the Antministratum.
"You'll see, this is going to pay dividends for the Colony in no time flat. These workers here have their antennae on the core of the Colony, they know more about every movement of all of our family members than anyone else. If it's possible to find places where optimisations can be made, it's them."
Even as they watched, the records continued to pour in and the fl.u.s.tered workers raced about the wide chamber with ruthless efficiency as stacks of slates were piled in their work spaces. Antennae waggled furiously as they read and processed the information, making their own summary records and collating the data at an incredible pace. The old slates were then sent for filing whilst the new ones were gathered together and examined by a separate team who compared the work being done about the Colony to the work notices that had been posted for their siblings to fill.
Any difference, whether too much labour had been allocated to one particular task, or not enough to another, was noted and sent up the flag pole until clear, concise data of inefficiencies could be seen.
"There! You see this?" Coolant proudly displayed the fruit of all this labour to her sister, "this is concrete evidence of wasted effort! With our help, this kind of waste can be eliminated from the Colony all together, increasing the amount of work we get done as a collective."
"Yes," Bella pointed out, "but there is a great deal of labour going into making that report. This is only a worthwhile exercise if the efficiency you gain is greater than the time lost spent gathering all this information together."
"That's... true."
"And besides that, how exactly is the Antministratum going to enforce these efficiency gains?"
"Enforce?" Coolant was taken aback, "I don't envisage that they'll enforce anything. No, they'll make recommendations to help our siblings make more efficient choices, or they'll have some input into the posting of work notices so that the allocation of the workforce is more accurate."
"So you see them as an advisory body?"
"Y-yes."
The core shaper thought for a moment.
"I suppose that makes sense. So where exactly are we using an excess of labour? Which area appears to be the most wasteful?"
Interested in the answer herself, the council member quickly began perusing the slate in front of her with an antenna, picking up the imprinted scent line by line.
"So?" Bella asked after a moment since her mage sibling hadn't said anything.
"The Antministratum..." Coolant g.r.o.a.n.e.d.
Bella laughed.
However, after the kinks in the process had been ironed out, Coolant's pet project was able to show its worth and assist the Colony in achieving an even more ridiculous level of efficiency.
-x-X-x-
Beyn stared at the notification in front of him in complete shock.
[You have reached level 20.]
[Your current Class: Antmancer, has reached its maximum level. Class evolution is now available. Would you like to evolve your Class?]
Finally! He'd finally done it! After all this time working alongside the ants of the Colony and assisting his brethren in completing their work, it had finally paid off and he was now the first who would be given the chance to evolve this sacred Class and see the wonders which lay beyond! O blessed day! O joyous occasion!
He wanted to run, to leap and shout his joy to the heavens, but he refrained from doing so only with the greatest of effort. He was currently on patrol with a mixed detachment of human and ants, sweeping away the monsters from within a swamp expanse in order to allow the Colony to return their aphid workforce in safety. It was slow, gruelling work and the humans were tired and drained. Even the ants were beginning to flag, their antennae drooping in a tell-tale sign of insect fatigue.
"Something the matter, priest?" one of the nearby human guards asked him, concern plain on the young man's face.
"Not at all," he quickly replied, not wanting to distract anyone in an active combat zone. "Please, focus on your task and I will ensure that my Skill remains active."
Indeed, the presence of the Antmancers meant a great deal to both human and Colony participants in these patrols, the buff it provided to any mixed group was invaluable and allowed even the relatively green guard force from Renewal to perform well above their level so long as there were ants nearby. The ants themselves also enjoyed the buff, though they needed it less, especially when clearing monsters from here in the first stratum. The speed at which they'd been able to sweep through the various expanses within their territory spoke volumes of the growing strength of the Colony.
"I think we'll be done here in a few hours," another guard commented to the group, her eyes never leaving the surrounding foliage.
Several of them had been injured by underestimating the plant life around here. Only the intervention of ant healers had saved their lives.
"Another day, another expanse," the first guard chuckled and the others laughed along, if quietly.
"There is much noise from the humans," Beyn detected the pheromones of one of the soldiers, a huge soldier the size of a small building who had been up front. "Is there something the matter?"
He was more or less used to it by now, but when he suddenly switched from listening to words with his ears, to smelling them with his nose, it was always a struggle to reorient his mind.
"I will check with the antennae'd one." a much smaller mage said.
This was his cue to step forward. The ants had taken to calling the order of Antmancers 'antennae'd ones' since they functionally had antennae, both on their hoods, and in their capacity to smell and interpret the ant's communications.
In short order he felt a mind bridge connect to his own and the ordered thoughts of the mage intrude on his own.
[Human Beyn. It has been noted that your fellow humans have been making noise. Is something the matter? Can we assist?]
By this time, Beyn had become much more accustomed to addressing the holy workers of the Colony, he hardly ever shouted at them anymore. At first the ants had tolerated it unquestionably, but eventually they'd learned that deafening mental communication was not in fact the natural state of human mind to mind speech. This had caused Beyn no end of embarrassment and he had lashed himself at the failure to properly perform his role until he had managed to master his fervour.
... most of the time.
[Honoured worker,] the ants were quite pleased to be referred to as 'worker' no matter the caste. In fact, to address them by any other name, subtly implied that they were not, in fact, workers, which displeased them to no end, [we are simply remarking on how quickly we have progressed on our mission today. It is an unusually large amount of territory to cover in such a short amount of time, by our reckoning.]
The mage tilts her head slightly.
[It is only natural,] she remarks, [when many of us work together, we achieve far more than we could working without support. This is the strength of the collective.]
Beyn felt a wave of emotion roll through him at the ant's words. Yes. It was true. This path was so simple for the members of the Colony to walk on, it was their natural mode of life. Whereas others were riven by jealousy and greed, they instead had harmony and peace. He wiped a tear from his eye, this was the truth.
Their estimation of the time needed to complete the task had in fact been too large. In an hour and a half, their sweep had been completed. The monsters were dead, the expanse secure, and the ants began to escort their precious aphid cattle into the open space, planting them on the lush Dungeon vegetation and herding them with antennae to ensure the smaller bugs moved to the best and juiciest parts of the plant.
Work complete, Beyn and his human cohorts parted ways with their ant allies and began the trek back to the human barracks that the ants had constructed for them within the territory of the Colony. It was called a barracks, but in reality the furnishings and accommodation were far beyond anything most of them were used to. The comfortable beds, clean, fresh sheets daily and surprisingly delicious tea were one thing, but apparently at some point an ant had taken great fascination with the art of embroidery, creating the most incredible scenes on the rugs. Beyn himself found it incredibly moving to kneel on the artistically represented ant hill on the rug within his own room as he prayed.
Not that he had time for that. Before he could pray, before he could eat, before he could even wash off the muck from his journey, there was a task that had to be fulfilled! He couldn't even bring himself to pause and speak to his brethren, such was his rush to discover what the future had in store for all of them. Once he had confirmed the evolution options for his Class, then he would gather the faithful and speak to them in full!
Breathless, he rushed into his room and slammed shut the door, throwing himself behind the (wonderfully carved) desk as he gathered paper, ink and a quill with his shaking hands. With all at readiness, he gathered his wits and re-opened the menu.
[Your current Class: Antmancer, has reached its maximum level. Class evolution is now available. Would you like to evolve your Class?]
[Please select one of the following options:
Antspeaker.
Antbishop.
Antorator.
Antstandardbearer.]
Eager to see what each of the new classes offered, he quickly dismissed the stat gain per level and focused on the unique benefits of each Class.
[Antspeaker: This Class evolution will enhance the passive perception of pheromonal language and allow the Class holder to convert their mana directly into pheromones, enabling direct communication with ant type monsters. A social based Class that will enable the holder to act as the bridge between two peoples. When engaged in conversation between an ant and a sapient, both will be more inclined to look favourably on the other.]
[Antbishop: Your service to the ant is as much religious as it is practical. This Class evolution will enhance the 'United in Purpose' aura Skill and turn it into the 'Fervour of the Faithful' aura Skill. For those that share your faith, the range and benefit provided by the aura will be increased. Be warned, in order to level this Class, it is no longer sufficient to battle alongside ants and people. You must serve alongside ants and believers. An additional Skill will be granted, Ant's Peace, that shall enable you to radiate the selfless nature and hardworking attitude of the ant around you.]
[Antorator: Powerful in both word and deed, the Antorator is a potent motivational speaker, able to persuade and convince people to follow in the path of the ant so long as the insects are present. Speeches given under these conditions will receive large bonuses, allowing you to sway others to your cause. You will become a diplomat, bringing others into the fold of your union with the ant.]
[Antstandardbearer: You have marched alongside the ant and made their battles your own. This Class will give you the tools required to lead your people into a deeper bond of cooperation on the field of battle, carrying the standard of your union. So long as you bear the standard, the effects of your aura will be further enhanced and its range increased. Furthermore, a new Skill 'Rallying Cry' will be gained, that will allow you to raise the morale of both insect and sapient in the heat of battle.]
-x-X-x-
[How long will the curious one remain imprisoned within the mouth?]
[Until she's learned not to be a massive pain in my commercial zone.]
A wave of heat washes over me from behind.
[What is this... commercial zone?]
[You know what? Never mind.]
The already sweltering temperatures of the third stratum inch up a couple of degrees as Al literally burns with a level of curiosity that, being honest, I just can't be bothered dealing with right now. All I'd wanted to do is hang out in the demon city and see what they got up to in there. Is that too much to ask? Apparently, yes. I'd kind of expected that things would go wrong, I mean, they tend to. Tiny would get into a fight, or Crinis would accidently mind-control somebody, or Invidia would nab something he shouldn't and then all hell would break loose.
I make it sound as if I'd expected my pets to be the cause of any issues, but I can be honest with myself. I fully expected that I'd be responsible for some kind of drama, be it getting into a fight I shouldn't have, pinching stuff I shouldn't or mind controlling someone. What I didn't expect was a damned hatchling to go freaking crazy on me!
Now the only way we're going to get back into Roklu is at the head of an army. Good thing the Colony is probably going to assault the place in fairly short order. In the meantime, we'll just have to hang out down here, I suppose. Not that it isn't exciting!
[I ... dislike this place.]
Al has a distinctly displeased tone to his usually flat and unemotional voice which surprises me enough that I turn around to face him.
[What about it makes you so unhappy?] I ask. [Isn't this the place that you were born?]
The floating eye of fire swings around the plains around us in one irritated swoop.
[All demons are born of the plains. From the moment we emerge from the spawn points we know nothing but a desperate battle to survive, surrounded on all sides by foes. We consume each other until we piece together our sentience, bit by bit as we evolve. Even those who try to escape the fighting and climb the pillar are thrown back down. Until we reach tier six, we aren't considered a real demon.]
[It doesn't sound like a good upbringing at all,] I sympathise, [but isn't life like that for all monsters? Most of my kind are born within the comfort and safety of the nest, surrounded by family, but I personally was born on my own, one of the weakest creatures in the entire Dungeon. It wasn't easy, but I was able to fight my way up to this point.]
[It is true that most monsters climb up and survive only by fighting for their lives, though some hide and cower in the dark in order to avoid notice.]
Like a certain worm that I know...
[For these reasons, it isn't common for a demon to actually enjoy returning to the plains...]
Fair enough I suppose.
In truth, we are yet to actually arrive at the plains themselves. At the moment we are clinging to the pillar a hundred metres above the ground, looking down on the chaos going on below.
[There really are a lot of them, aren't there?] I say, hesitance clear in my thoughts.
[A never-ending supply. Even if you try, for some mad reason, to purge them all, the spawn rate will increase until the numbers return. This is the natural state of the third stratum.]
[The wave is over isn't it? This is the normal rate for them to appear?]
[This is still higher than normal, but nothing like what it was during the wave. When the wave was at its height, they were several metres deep around here.]
Looking straight down, it's pure chaos, a frenzy of feeding and fighting that just goes on and on as new demons crawl from between cracks in the ground to replace those that have fallen. When I pan my attention across the wider plains, the scene is replicated everywhere I can see, for kilometres and kilometres, in every direction.
[That's an awful lot of Biomass...] I wonder 'aloud'.
[More effort than it's worth to harvest,] Al comments, [not that you or I would gain anything from hunting prey such as these.]
[I wasn't thinking about us...]
I was thinking about potentially hundreds of thousands of little hatchlings who would be more than happy to feast on these demons. Looking over the vast plains and the unending supply of small demons, thousands might not be enough to consume all that I can see. We might need millions...
[May as well get down there...] I sigh and begin the final climb.
When I finally reach the bottom, I tentatively put my first claw down onto the ground, trying to find a gap I can place my leg without squishing any demons in the process. To my surprise, they almost flow away from me, creating space where I won't crush them underfoot. As I bring more legs down, eventually bringing my whole body down onto the ground, the rolling melee continues to shift away so as not to impede me.
[Do they always do that?] I point out the strange phenomenon to Al.
[They will instinctively shift away from those more powerful than them.]
The giant eye flares in a kind of shrug.
[It is not so surprising. To an infant demon, you are either food for now, or food for later. Anything that is more powerful than themselves is food for later. Better to occupy yourself with the food for now than chase that which you cannot defeat.]
[Huh.]
Tiny drops down onto the ground with a grunt, carefully placing his feet so he doesn't squish any of the smaller creatures, not that he needed to bother, they move aside for him just as they did for me. Just like that, we found ourselves on the plains.
[Sooooooo... what is there to do down here? It's not like you can really go hunting... since there aren't any strong demons about to fight...]
It does seem like this vast wasteland is a bit of a waste of time. Heh. Nothing to hunt but an endless sea of runts? No Biomass, no experience? It's practically valueless to a tier six like me.
[Now you see why we ignore this place,] Al deadpans. [Still, it isn't as if it is completely barren. It is possible to travel to another pillar and find another city which you can investigate. There are also tier fours and fives roaming the plains, though they are generally harder to find. There is also the network of tunnels beneath us that connect to the next layer. Within them, you will find an environment more similar to what you might think of as 'normal Dungeon.' In that region there are rogue demons who have carved out their own portion of territory in the wilds.]
Wait a second.
[You mean the tunnels that connect to the next stratum?]
[No. The next layer of the third.]
[You mean there's another place, just like this one, beneath us?! With pillars, and cities and plains?]
[Yes. This is common knowledge.]
Come to think of it, someone might have mentioned that to me in the past... I just... This place is so huge though...
[Okay, so how many layers to the third stratum are there?]