We warred for survival. That was our driving motivation for so long that when we eventually reached the point that survival wasn't threatened, we almost didn't know how to act. We had established enough power, enough allies, that the forces who sought to exterminate us were unwilling to pay the cost, and thus secured our ongoing existence.
Some theorise that it is only when one doesn't have to struggle day to day that their true personality can shine through. In that case, this period would reveal who the Colony was, what our priorities were, and who we saw ourselves being in the future.
Even the Eldest, so often the driving force behind our development and direction, stepped into the background. Left to our own devices, the Colony had to search deep within itself to find a new direction, a new channel in which to place its bottomless energy.
Excerpt from the private notes of Historiant
Turns out, it takes a lot of mana to create a volcanic eruption.
[Stay away from the master you trash! Die!]
[GRAAAAAH!]
[Ssssurrender your livesss to me!]
BOOM! BOOM!
And it requires an extreme level of concentration and focus.
[Succumb to fear! Retreat from the shadows!]
[Ahhh. The experience isss mine!]
[HRAAAAAAAAA!]
[Can you keep it down, dammit! I'm trying to focus!]
[Sorry, Master!]
I take a moment to push away my irritation. It's not exactly reasonable to expect them to be quiet as they protect me from an unending torrent of furious termites.
[It's fine. Do your best up there and I'll try and get this ready as quickly as possible.]
[Okay!]
Invidia and I have created a little bunker for us to huddle in, but it doesn't take long for the larger termite soldiers to start scissoring away at it. Even the workers are capable of nibbling at the stone and tearing it down piece by piece. Since neither I, nor Invidia have the energy to spend on repairing it, we are becoming more exposed as time passes.
I suppose the little demon could divert his attention to whipping up some stone, but personally I'd rather have him on explosion duty.
Gah! This spell is such a freakin' pain in the noggin!
Multiple types of mana flow out of the omni-elemental construct at a constant rate, each seized by my mind constructs and condensed before they are added to the intricate weave that is this spell. Its structure is almost like a spherical cake, one with dozens of wafer thin layers that surround an explosive, condensed lava core.
Not something that I want to be standing next to when it goes off, but I don't know how long it takes to detonate after I finish it.
Exciting!
[Master! There's more of them coming!]
[More? How in the name of all that is ant can there be more?!]
[I don't know, but they managed somehow!]
I shift to look and what do you know, she's right. It's horrifying, but also fascinating to see. The termites flood around the tunnel corner like literal water, a densely packed wave that sloshes and froths as individuals are sent tumbling or flying by the sheer weight of mass behind them.
Word must have gotten out to the wider nest that the queens were under threat. Naturally they drop everything, no matter what is happening, to come and defend the queen. In fact, the ka'armodo might have found their mental control breaking if they tried to deny the termites their most basic instinct.
I wager there's a few lizards with mighty headaches out there right about now.
[There's nothing I can do about it!] I tell them. [Unleash everything you've got. I need more time!]
[I-I've got it, Master.]
[I hasssss it! Givesss it to me!]
Invidia bursts out, his eye crackling with power as he unleashes his devastating eye beam. In fact, he appears to have supercharged it this time, the green light shredding through everything it touches. It looks like it's shredding anything that even gets close to it! Holy moly you little eyeball, you've been holding back on me!
Except now his eye is bleeding, thick ichor dripping onto the tunnel floor beneath his hovering form. That is less cool.
[Don't overdo it, Invidia,] I tell him. [We're okay.]
[We willssss be,] he replies with supreme confidence.
As much as I want to worry about him, I can't. Instead, I turn and pour all of my attention into the spell, weaving threads with all the delicacy and speed I can muster. Within, the omni-elemental construct spins and whirls as raw mana is pumped in one end and converted into the elements I need.
Just managing the damn thing is taking me five mind-constructs!
Come on mana, just… frickin… work!
[BWAHA!] I cry out in triumph. [I've got it!]
[Is the spell complete?] Crinis asks.
[Heck yeah! Check it out!]
[Master… shouldn't we run?]
[Oh, right.]
When it's finished, the spell flashes into existence, a hovering sphere that has almost every drop of mana I had within me contained inside. Coated in a jagged, rocky exterior, the spell begins to radiate immense heat just a few seconds after I complete it. As impressive as it is, we need to get the heck out of here.
[Which way isn't covered in termites?]
[None of them!]
Well nards.
[Then let's make a new one! This way!]
My brains creak as I draw on them again, grabbing hold of ambient mana and yanking it into my drained core. From there I pump it into the omni construct and grab hold of the earth mana that comes out the other side, which I flood into my mandibles.
[We're digging our way out!]
I throw myself at the wall and start ripping into it even as I use the mana I've created to break up and soften it. A blizzard of stone chips and loose soil is funnelled behind me as I pump my jaws, repeatedly using the combo skills.
The second I clear enough space, the other three pile in behind me, Tiny fending off the ravenous horde with his feet as they rush in behind him. Even now I can feel the heat building behind me, starting to conduct through the stone around us. It must be blazing hot down there next to the thing.
Keep on digging, Anthony! Dig like your life depends on it!
The next few seconds are spent desperately scrabbling. Even Crinis uses her tentacles to tear and sweep at the earth as we try and gain even just a few more metres of space.
Then there comes a deep rumbling, followed by a shattering CRACK that resounds throughout the mountain.
Then comes the lava.
-x-X-x-
Dig, dig, dig, dig, DIG, DIG, DIG!
The mountain shakes beneath us as a catastrophic BOOM rips through the nest and the temperature skyrockets again. The tunnel opening behind us glows brightly before the first hint of lava is seen.
[Invidia! Block it off, quick!]
Another BOOM shakes the stone around us as Invidia quickly weaves stone to protect us. Experience notifications are starting to pour in, but I don't have the time to pay them any attention. Instead, my focus is on pumping my jaws as quickly as possible.
Have. To. Dig!
My earth mana infused mandibles rip through the dirt and stone at incredible speed, but we have a long way to go before we reach safety. Just how powerful is this spell going to be? I knew it would pack a punch simply based on the amount of mana and complexity required, and I compressed all the energy I poured into it for good measure. Even so, this literal mountain-shaking response is more than I expected.
In fact, I so didn't expect it that I'm once again at risk of getting roasted by my own spell. I really need to work on this issue, I've come closer to ending my second life than my opponents have.
Enough thinking! More digging!
My face is on fire, even with the refreshing energy of the Colony rushing through my body. The combo biting doesn't stop, and Crinis does her best to sweep away the loose material and funnel it behind us.
[The sssstonesss won't holdsss!]
I shift my head slightly and I can see the "plug" that Invidia has been working on is starting to crack, the seams glowing bright as the rock heats up. Poor Tiny still has a foot on it, and he yanks it off as his skin starts to sizzle.
Ah, nards. This is going to get hairy.
[I'll help with the rock, keep pushing!]
I divert some of my minds to helping channel earth mana, hardening the layer of rock being pushed up behind us by the lava pressure. The only thing that gets us out of here is if we break through!
Chompchompchompchompchomp!
Come on!
My next bite slams through the rock and I feel the resistance break as I blow through into a tunnel.
[Get through! Gogogogogogo!] I roar at my allies.
I dive through the opening to clear the way and am immediately dived on by a dozen termites who start gnawing on my antennae and pulling at my legs.
I don't have time for you morons!
VOID CHOMP!
It feels like the muscles in my face are on the verge of snapping, but I unleash my potent bite and evaporate the offending cockroaches, only to find a hundred more in their place.
Because of course there are.
Their nest might be collapsing around them, but are they going to let the opportunity to gnaw on me pass them by? Of course not!
I wonder if the ka'armodo are still in control of them. Actually… it's possible the lizards have just abandoned ship at this point. Alternatively, they may be directing the termites to munch on me in an attempt to secure vengeance.
Either way, they aren't going to get what they want.
[Hustle! We need to get uphill.]
It's easy to tell which direction slopes upwards and we scramble to get to higher ground, pummeling any insect that gets in our way. Not a moment too soon, because only a few seconds after we clear our emergency tunnel, a burst of lava jets out of it, roasting all in the area.
Our little tunnel is now acting as a lava hose, more and more of the stuff beginning to burst out each passing second, the flow increasing as time goes by.
Just how much lava is coming out of that damn spell?!
RUMBLE.
At that moment, an ominous shake rattles through the mountain, sending the fine hairs on my antennae trembling. What the heck was that?
[Crinis… the fungus gardens were beneath us when we cast that spell… right?]
[I think so, Master.]
[And that fungus is… highly flammable… right?]
[Yyyyes… yes it is.]
[Plops.]
RUMBLE.
[MOVE IT, PEOPLE! SHE'S GONNA BLOW!]
Ignoring the termites who try to cling to us and pull us down, we push, shove and dash our way further up the tunnel. I frantically check my tunnel map, trying to get a sense of the fastest way to the surface.
[Here! Straight up!]
I rocket up the side of the tunnel and onto the roof before I slam my face into the ceiling and start chewing a new tunnel. The ground below us is steadily being covered in lava and the slower-moving termites are already aflame. Things are getting toasty, real quick.
[Get up here, Tiny!] I yell at the ape as I burrow into the new tunnel.
Face filled with concentration, the big ape leaps up and digs his thick fingers into the stone, Invidia clinging to his back as he hauls himself up behind me.
A blizzard of stone chips and dirt fills the space around me as I turn myself into a tunnel-digging threshing machine. If this entire mountain is about to go up in smoke, I don't want to be in it!
After a minute, though I swear I aged a hundred years in those sixty seconds, we crash through the last layer of stone. I immediately roll out of the way to see the mountain towering over me, and that thing is smoking.
I don't mean it's an attractive mountain, though I mean, I'm sure it's fine as mountains go. No, I mean it is literally smoking.
A second later, Crinis, Tiny and Invidia burst out of the tunnel and into the clear.
Then fire.
-x-X-x-
The mages have achieved a strange dichotomy that can largely be attributed to the identities of the Council members who came to lead them. The two not only differ in the magics that they choose to employ, but also the tactics. Where Propellant favours direct, forceful action, and the application of excessive force to achieve a goal, Coolant is more subtle and desires efficiency of resources, though it may take her longer to complete her objective.
At first, this didn't matter so much as the two cooperated well, and indeed, they still do. But as the caste grew larger, the two of them were no longer able to oversee all the mage ant activities, having to pass certain responsibilities on to their subordinates.
At first, this also didn't matter; all of the members of the Colony are family, after all, and despite their differences, they will work together without complaint.
However, due to this expansion of the caste, and the implementation of a larger authoritative structure, the two schools of thought held by the council members became entrenched in a way that neither of them intended.
The school of fire, and the school of water.
Each individual ant, upon evolving into the caste, had to take it upon themselves to choose their place. Once they did, they would begin their training, engrossing themselves in the mindset, mana types and favoured tactics of their founding mentor.
Although some have sought to exploit this divide within the Mage caste, they have been unsuccessful. Differences of opinion within the Colony are common, betrayal is unheard of.
There is also a third school of mages, though much smaller than the others. Those who follow the path of the Eldest. Of that chaotic group, I will not speak.
- From the notes of Historiant
"What the hell are they doing down there?" Propellant yelled.
"I don't know," Coolant replied, a faint trace of irritation marking her scent. "Perhaps you should focus on the battle that we are currently engaged in."
"Of course. Right. Yes. The battle."
Propellant did her best, she really did, but as she pulled forth the fire mana to give it shape and purpose, she couldn't help but flick her senses down beneath her six legs. It was like a hook caught in her brain, and no matter how hard she tried to look away, it always managed to drag her focus back.
Somewhere down there, the Eldest had done something. And whatever they'd done, it was quite literally boiling with incredibly dense fire mana. This was orders of magnitude more potent than any spell she'd ever seen before, and she was the premier fire mage in the entire Colony. Nobody had fire mana manipulation as high as she did!
Come on, Propellant. Light some stuff on fire. Focus!
She admonished herself and flung a few balls of fire out into the massed wall of termites in front of her. Even the delightful explosions that sent their hated foes flying through the air weren't enough to distract her fully. Her mind was constantly pulled back downward.
It.
Just.
Kept.
Growing.
"How is this possible?" she wondered.
"I don't know, but is it relevant to us?" Coolant replied. "We are here to support the front lines and prevent them from being overrun. Are you going to help or not?"
"I am! Of course I am!"
She hastily wove and threw out more fireballs.
"But I still can't believe what is going on down there. Aren't we the highest level mages in the Colony? Aren't we supposed to have pushed the knowledge of basic spellforms further than anyone else? The Eldest is levelling up all sorts of crazy stuff, we just focus on magic. How do we not know what is going on down there?"
"I don't know," Coolant said coolly, "but being surprised by the Eldest is a pointless endeavour. When they do the unexpected so regularly, it becomes expected."
"Expected?" Propellant spluttered before pointing with one leg. "Coolant, the mountain is on fire!"
And it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.
Coolant watched her sister become wholly entranced with the scene in front of her and rolled her antennae. With her forceful mind, she began to weave her spells even more dexterously, picking up the slack of her dumbfounded partner.
What had begun with billowing smoke rising from the various openings on the mountain had now become titanic gouts of fire rising dozens of metres into the air. Out of the holes poured termites, fleeing the burning hell their nest had become before it was too late.
Propellant watched with glistening eyes as the flames roared higher, the smoke rising thicker and thicker.
Pockets of pure fire covered the mountain. The crackle and roar of it was such that she could hear it clearly from where she stood, her antennae tingling with the pleasing sting of the smoke.
Then came the lava.
At first, it was a trickle. Liquid fire dripped out of the openings, setting all it touched aflame. The lava followed the cuts and ravines, snaking down the mountainside in dozens of places, the flow thickening with each passing second.
More fire. More smoke. What a glorious spectacle.
And then the mountain shook. Then again.
Propellant was so spellbound that she nearly forgot to grip the ground despite the shaking. So it was that when the mountain exploded, she was nearly knocked flat onto her back.
Thankfully, she was able to hold on and watch the entire spectacle from start to finish.
With a colossal roar, the mountain split open, an impossible force surging upward from within. Lava and rock catapulted hundreds of metres into the air, enormous chunks of stone that weighed dozens of tons just thrown up like a human child's toy.
The lava jetted up in a constant stream, the red glow illuminating everything it touched. The fire mana was so thick it rolled off the mountain in waves, buffeting against the stunned mage's senses.
She stumbled, no longer able to send the strength needed to hold herself up into her legs. She fell to the ground, still staring up at the magnificent spectacle in front of her.
"It's just... so perfect," she whispered.
Coolant looked down at her sister for a second, taking in the adoration and feverish joy that had seized the fire mage.
"This won't end well," she remarked, before turning back to her work.
-x-X-x-
Rassan'tep looked back at the still burning mountain, his eyes gleaming with interest. The warmth he could feel, even from this distance, was pleasant on his scales, and he didn't mind indulging himself in a little basking every now and again.
[Master, we should leave,] Ammon'sil urged him. [This place is not secure.]
The Old One flicked his tongue to taste the air. Smoke and ashes came through powerfully, expected, given the circumstances, but underneath was that vibrant riffle of energy and life so common in the fourth stratum.
The Colony would rebuild that mountain, he was sure. It likely wouldn't even take long. With tens of thousands of mages to create and shape the rock, they'd be able to make it bigger and better than it had been before in a matter of weeks.
In attempting to push the ants down, the ka'armodo had only made them stronger.
He huffed in displeasure and the Set'sulah pulled back from him, concerned they had drawn his ire.
Hubris had been the downfall of many among the old races, and so it continued to be. The assumption that they were the highest, greatest and strongest on Pangera, simply by virtue of their birth, simply because they were first, was deeply flawed.
The place at the top was not a birthright, but a constant struggle.
The ants understood. They fought and strove every minute of every day to carve out a place for themselves. If the ka'armodo had displayed a fraction of their drive over the past two thousand years, his people would be the undisputed rulers of this world.
[Master,] Ammon'sil urged him again, [we must away. I am not confident we can keep you safe if we remain.]
The great lizard turned an eye toward his favoured servant.
[Peace, Ammon. A few minutes longer. The winds blow quickly here, sands are shifting beneath our claws. I wish to observe this change with my own eyes.]
[Is it worth risking your life? They will kill you if they find you.]
Rassan'tep closed his eyes.
[It is.]
[As you wish.]
He was dimly aware of Ammon'sil directing the others to form a perimeter, to watch with eyes and sense with minds for any danger, but he paid them no mind.
Instead, he cast his focus out toward the mountain once more. Not long ago, it had been teeming with their enslaved termite colony. A vast operation that had been guided and controlled by just a few of his people. Millions of individuals that created an ecosystem of their own, farming, gathering, building and making way for the next generation.
All of it gone in one glorious eruption.
He pondered on what this might mean for the potential Ancient, the ant, Anthony. Surely, he was the one who had cast the spell that destroyed the nest. A haul of experience like that may push the monster all the way to tier seven if it was close enough. If so, he might really see something interesting in the coming days.
A slight twitch in his senses alerted him to something approaching. He focused, using his prodigious Skills and experience to peer through the glamour they had shaped around themselves. One look inside, and he huffed once more, irritated.
[Mount,] he told his servants. [We will soon be gone.]
Relief radiated through the bond, and perhaps, under normal circumstances, the Old One would have chastised his Set'sulah for allowing their emotions to echo so powerfully, but he restrained himself. He knew they were relieved for his sake, not their own. In short order, they had climbed onto his back, comfortably holding the golden tassels woven into his covering to help them balance.
A few moments later, one of his own arrived on the hill he stood atop.
[Oolan'tep,] he greeted her, [I am pleased to see you were able to survive the calamity.]
Not unscathed, by the looks of it. The ka'armodo looked more than a little singed. In several places, her scales had been burned black. She must have lost one or more Set'sulah whilst escaping the mountain. A terrible blow for any of the bonded.
He hooded his eyes and dipped his head.
[I grieve for your loss,] he stated formally.
The younger ka'armodo's eyes locked onto his, fury burning openly in her gaze.
[You,] she growled.
Rassan'tep observed her with surprise. She was clearly emotional, the repeated catastrophes of the day had been more than she could bear. Even so, he expected her to retain her dignity. She was baring her teeth at him!
He looked down on her from the height his fully grown physique allowed him, his upper arms folded across his torc.
If his status and posture that declared him her elder slowed her at all, she did not show any sign of it.
[This is your fault,] she fumed, [everything was going well before you came. The plan was proceeding according to projections.]
The temerity of the declaration was almost enough to stun him.
[Everything proceeded according to your plan until the ants arrived,] he said. [I came here explicitly to warn you of them, which I did. I can hardly be faulted if the design you and your team created was not up to the task.]
Oolan'tep hissed at him.
Rassan'tep felt the rage of his Set'sulah rise to boiling point at the blatant show of disrespect.
Before their emotions could boil over, he took one long stride forward and struck his junior across the face with his upper claw.
As one, her remaining servants cried out and stood, ready to launch themselves at him in defence of their mistress.
[DOWN,] the Old One bellowed in their minds.
In the face of his fury, Oolan'tep and her servants bowed their heads, shame finally showing in their posture.
[How dare you act in this way? You bring shame upon yourself, and upon me, for having to strike you before my honoured servants. If you had not suffered such loss today, then I would challenge you to the Ank-Kai and wash this stain from my scales with your blood.]
He took a deep breath to calm himself. To lose his temper in such a fashion… such disgrace.
[This entire project was a folly from the start, and it has cost our people dearly. We lose support amongst the old races. The Legion has turned its back on us. And for what? We strengthen our enemies and bind their alliances tighter together.]
[What will happen to me?] Oolan'tep asked piteously.
Her anger had drained from her with that strike, leaving her with nothing but shame and grief. It overwhelmed her now, threatening to pull her down into despair.
[You will be disowned,] he told her bluntly. [They will say you started this mad project of your own volition and blame you for everything that happened. Your kin will turn their tails against you, even your clutch-mates will deny you sun and warmth.]
His words rained down like hammer blows on the young mage. How could this have happened?
[This cannot be…]
Rassan'tep gazed down on her, his eyes calculating. Oolan'tep was a promising mage, skilled with core manipulation and fiercely attached to the monsters she created.
He paused for a moment to ensure he was thinking clearly.
[You need allies to shield you from the fallout and a place in which you can develop and display your Skills,] he told her softly. [Tell me, what do you know of the Truth?]
-x-X-x-
The war is over. Well, this war, anyway. Man, the Colony really gets into too many wars. Can't an ant take a break?
And no, it's not my fault! Most of the time!
This conflict with the termites wasn't started by me at least, and the skirmishes with the ka'armodo are also not my (direct) responsibility. My conscience is clear!
I lie on the still smouldering ground for a while, keeping a watchful eye on the lava flow to make sure that I don't get baked while I flop. The mountain is still a smouldering wreck, belching smoke and fire into the normally pristine skies of the fourth stratum. The voice of Gandalf still rings inside my mind, letting me know there are still termites inside the nest somewhere getting roasted.
I don't even want to begin wading through the barrage of System notifications I received. I must have killed hundreds of thousands of termites with that spell, and maybe a few ka'armodo. The bulk of them would provide me with almost no experience, being a much lower tier than me, but hey, one experience apiece from a million monsters is still a million XP!
I'm almost nervous to check my level. Was that enough to push me over the top and get me to one-sixty?
"You look comfortable, Eldest," Coolant observes from nearby.
"Eldest, you HAVE to teach me that spell. That was the most glorious thing I've ever seen in my life!" Propellant gushes.
I suppose a volcanic eruption would be rather exciting for a fire magic specialist. Judging by the stars sparkling in each of the thousands of lenses that make up her eyes, Propellant isn't going to leave it alone until I tell her.
"I'll try," I say, "but the spell requires combining a number of mana types, compressing the heck out of them, and it isn't cheap, cost wise. Without all of the relevant skills, you might not be able to use it until you hit tier six."
After all, unlike a specialist like Propellant, I happen to be able to use whatever elements I like.
"Noooooo!" Propellant howls. "I have to evolve! I have to evolve NOW! Coolant, let me kill you."
"Excuse me?"
"I need experience! You wouldn't deny your closest sister her dreams would you?"
THWACK!
"Calm yourself a little," I scold the fiery mage, "before I tell your sister to coat you in ice. Yeesh. Be a little patient and you'll make it to tier six soon enough."
Coolant eyes her sister, who is still rolling on the ground rubbing at her wounded head, for a moment before she turns her attention back to me.
"Speaking of evolving, Eldest. Have you…?" she trails off.
I shake my head.
"I haven't checked yet. I kind of wanted to enjoy the sensation of not being exploded for a bit. Me and the crew were a little too close to getting flambéed. I'm pretty sure Tiny's feet are medium rare at this point."
"Well, you should probably check anyway," a new scent breaks into the conversation and I roll a little to see Sloan arriving.
The general looks tired, but triumphant. The battle is won, another great victory for the Colony, but her work is still far from over.
"If you've reached the threshold to evolve to the next tier, then that will change what the Colony will do over the next several days, perhaps even weeks."
I throw her a confused look.
"What do you mean? I'd just be evolving right? I've maxed out my mutations, you don't even have to feed me. Let me rustle up a heap of cores from the nest and I'll be good to go."
There's an awkward silence around as the council members all shuffle back and forth. In the end, it's Coolant who breaks the tension.
"Eldest…" she starts, "not having you available to protect us is a bigger issue than you seem to realise."
"The Colony isn't so weak," I scoff, "what are you so worried about? It's getting to the point where you don't even need me around anymore, and I'm happy about it. I've got other important work to do besides fighting all the time."
Like grub tickling.
"We have to be careful," Propellant tries to pitch in. "You're an important part of the Colony, and we need to know in advance if you aren't going to be available."
What on Pangera are they talking about? I give all three of them the stink eye as I try to work out what is going on here. However, I'm saved from over-taxing my brain by the appearance of Protectant, the nigh invisible guardian appearing seemingly from thin air.
"They are attempting to lure you into a secure location and have an extensive protection detail placed around you at the time of evolution," she says, blunt and to the point. "They fear you'll reject them if they make a straight up request."
Coolant, Propellant and Sloan all slap themselves in the head with an antenna.
"Why would you say that?" Sloan complains. "Now the Eldest will never agree."
I stare at her.
"You want to protect me while I evolve? Did you think I was going to wander over to a ka'armodo fortress and evolve on their doorstep or something? Just how dumb do you think I am?!"
A pause.
"You weren't?" the general asks.
"No! Of course not. I was going to evolve under the Mother Tree or something. If I could get back to the third stratum without feeling like my guts were getting ripped out, I'd probably do it there, but I can't."
"That's part of the issue," my bodyguard pipes up. "They don't fully trust the bruan'chii, or the tree. It isn't even a question of if they will attack you while you are vulnerable, the Colony isn't sure if they can defend you adequately."
"What do you mean? Who's going to come and attack me while I'm evolving? I think you are all getting paranoid. Wait, what do you mean the Colony?"
I shift my focus and see there are thousands of ants nearby, all dead still as they focus on our discussion.
"Oooookay. Don't we all have work to do?"
"They want to know if they need to build a fortress in the next few days," Cobalt breaks in this time, wearily joining our small circle. "If it has to be done, we need to make sure it gets done right."
"A fortress?!" I yell. "Why in the name of the shining strands of the bounteous beard would I need a fortress?! You've all gone gaga!"
It's Protectant who breaks it to me.
"The Colony will not risk anything happening to you while you are at your most vulnerable. Here, in the fourth layer, we are weak, with little knowledge of the threats and with no fully fortified position. Our enemies could take advantage and attack if they were to learn you were comatose."
"It's not that big a deal," I protest, but I feel like I'm losing this argument.
"You won't be allowed to risk yourself, Eldest," my guard tells me. "Once you're awake, you're in charge and can do what you want, but while you're asleep, your safety is entrusted to us and we won't let you be hurt."
All of my siblings around me present a unified front, and I find myself casting about to try and find a way out of the spotlight. I really don't want all this fuss! I just want to evolve in peace. Maybe I don't even have to evolve! I might not even have the levels… all this worry for nothing!
"Look, there's no need to worry anyway. How could the termites provide enough experience for… erm… ah, nuts."
-x-X-x-
I really hate this.
And when I say that, don't think that I'm speaking lightly or any such thing. This isn't one of those times when someone says they hate it when they put their socks on inside out, or they hate it when their food is a little cold.
I mean I hate this.
Currently, I sit, a sullen lump of sparkling carapace, in the centre of a vast formation of ants. There are scouts roaming and looking for threats. There are healers monitoring my condition. There are squads of soldiers and generals patrolling around the clock. There are teams of mages tunnelling beneath me and fortifying the stone.
Even the humans are in on it! I can see Beyn from where I sit, leading the gathered faithful in some sort of ceremony whilst his followers weep and point at me. Some even fall to their knees, raising their hands to the sky as if overcome with emotion.
I'm just evolving! This is what monsters are supposed to do, right?! It happens all the damn time… nothing special is going on over here.
[Do I really have to sit here and wait?] I complain for the hundredth time.
[Yes, Master,] Crinis says happily. [You aren't allowed to move until the fortress is complete.]
I give her the evil eye, which she brushes off easily. The little murder-ball has been way too pleased by this turn of events. Having me under this absurd lock-down protocol seems to have finally relieved her of a deep-seated source of stress.
Namely, me.
She's busy humming to herself and weaving her tentacles into fantastic shapes in order to practise her control, pleased as punch that, for once, I can't get myself into trouble.
[What about you, Tiny?] I cast about for an ally. [You must be bored out of your brain, right? Want to break out and leave?]
My first ally on Pangera opens one eye lazily. Then he yawns.
[Sleepy,] he says, before he closes his eyes and rolls over.
[Traitor,] I grumble.
Invidia is my only hope now. The green eye blazes as he stares down at me from his position on top of Tiny.
[Give your levelssss to meeeee,] he hisses.
Not getting any sympathy there.
If it weren't for the pressing need to maintain my dignity, I'd roll onto my back and kick my legs in frustration.
I want out of here! Let me go! Let me goooooooo!
"Here's the next batch of cores." Protectant appears and dumps another pile on the ground in front of me.
The leader of my imposed bodyguards has never looked so smug as she does in that moment. It's enough to make my blood boil.
"Do you really have to inspect the cores before you bring them to me?" I whine. "What the heck are cores going to do to me? They're cores."
It's not just the spherical gems that are carefully examined before being brought within the Carapace Curtain. Everything is obsessively checked, even the Biomass. It's insane, and what makes me even more exasperated is that I appear to be the only one who realises it.
"During this time, we can't be too careful," Protectant smugly says, her smug face smugging up the air with thick clouds of smug.
"You love this, don't you?" I collapse, filled with bitterness.
"I do," she readily admits. "I wanted to have you under this sort of protection from day one."
"That would have been unwise," Coolant says as she approaches. "The Eldest will only tolerate this for a short time, and only because they believe we are at least partially correct to act as we are."
"For the record, I believe no such thing," I declare wearily. "This is me humouring you to the best of my ability."
I can't really do anything else now, can I? I know the Will of the Colony as it flows into me as clearly as I know my own thoughts. They are determined, obsessed even, with ensuring that I evolve perfectly and safely. It's such an overwhelming outpouring of support and love that I can't exactly spit in their faces and say no. Right now, there are hundreds of thousands of ants rummaging through the wreckage of the termite mountain, securing and rebuilding it into a secure location for my evolution.
"We appreciate it," Coolant assures me. "Arrangements are being made as quickly as possible. Granin and his team have been notified and are on their way down. We are doing everything we can to secure the most powerful cores we can find to push your energy as far as it will go. Construction is occurring around the clock, and the bruan'chii have agreed to lend their support in defending us. It won't be long now."
"In the meantime, I just sit here, smush cores together and eat?"
"Yes."
"... Fine."
It's not exactly a bad life, but having all of this focus, attention and effort being put on me makes me feel like I'm covered in crawlies. It almost feels like I'm mutating!
I'm tempted to pull up the evolution options now, just to have a sticky-beak, but I know that's a bad idea. All the advice I've ever had suggests that it's far better to wait until everything is set before exposing oneself to temptation. There's no do-overs when it comes to evolution.
"How are things in the mountain going? Any luck flushing out the last of the termites?" I ask, desperate to keep the conversation going while I have someone here to talk to.
"We are still finding pockets of the enemy in the depths," Coolant replies, an uncharacteristically displeased tilt to her antennae.
"Something wrong?"
The mage ponders for a moment before replying.
"I struggle to believe that the ka'armodo were fully cognizant of what their creations were doing," she replies. "They tunnelled so deep, and expanded their gardens so far, that we believe they may have begun to brush against the edges of the fifth stratum."
I boggle at her words.
"What?! That's insane!"
"I agree. The tunnel complex they created beneath the nest is vast. Despite the numbers we have available, it will take weeks to thoroughly explore it all. By that time, I believe it highly likely that one or perhaps several groups of termites will escape."
That… isn't good.
If monstrous termites are similar enough to regular termites, that means any female worker can become a queen. They may not even need to evolve to start the process! Despite crushing this colony, we may have spawned another three or four smaller ones that will have to be put down later on. A distraction that we can't afford.
"That's going to be a pain in the abdomen," I groan. I flick my antennae at the thousands of ants currently posted to guard me. "Don't you think they have more important things to do then?"
"No," Coolant says, unruffled. "Your successful evolution is the most important priority for the Colony. It will be months before rogue termite nests have grown enough to be any sort of threat."
Dammit. Well, I tried.
"Have we started to come across more interesting fourth stratum monsters at least? I really wanted to see something cool down here, and all I've had to fight so far are termites, more termites, and yet more termites."
Coolant hesitates.
"We did… find something. We weren't sure if we should show it to you or not."
How intriguing….
"And why is that? I'm bored out of my mind over here, I welcome any and all distractions."
I wave my antennae magnanimously.
"Whatever it is, bring it over. I'm keen to take a look."
Coolant twitches a little before she nods in assent.
"Very well. I will have your guards bring it to you. I will come see you… tomorrow, Eldest, I have an important issue to attend to."
And with that, the mage turns and scuttles away with unusual haste. That's curious in and of itself, but I put it out of my mind as I await the arrival of a new morsel.
I wonder what sort of creature they've managed to find? Some sort of jade dragon creature? Or a super cool-looking elemental entity? That's the sort of thing I was expecting to see when I got down here. The tree obviously predates most of the things that spawn on her mountain and the termites took care of everything on this one. Now that the lesser bugs are gone, we can finally start to see something interesting.
Ten minutes later, Protectant arrives with the new creature in her mandibles. It's mostly intact, which is nice, so I can get a good look at it. Whatever it is, it's long and sinuous, and it glitters in the light! Shiny!
Is this actually a jade dragon or something?
When Protectant finally puts it down, I eagerly rush forward to examine it.
Then I freeze.
It's long. And sinuous. It glitters brightly, that is also true. There are a few other aspects that I see as well, things that I recognise. The pinching claws, for one. The sting at the end of the tail is also familiar.
Are you KIDDING me, Gandalf?
This is a diamond centipede!
-x-X-x-
[You look happy,] Granin rumbles over our link.
[Har, har. You're a real comedian, you know that? In fact, why don't you take your show on the road?]
[Don't mind him,] Corun grins, [he's just excited.]
[It's not often you get to see a Mythic monster born,] Torrina adds.
I'm currently splayed out on the ground, my six legs stretched flat in all directions as I lay on my underside. The boredom has finally defeated me, and now I adopt the posture of surrender, unmoving and unthinking.
You can do an awful lot of not-thinking with this many brains, let me tell you. It's like having static in stereo.
[There's a lot of guards here…] Corun notes as he casts his gaze across the ranks of ants positioned around me. [Is there some kind of danger?]
[Not as such,] Wills, the guide for the trio, chips in. [The Eldest tried to break out yesterday, so we had to reinforce the garrison, significantly.]
I'll get those damn centipedes if it's the last thing I do.
[Well, we're here now, so you won't have to wait much longer,] Granin sighs. [Once you've evolved, you'll be free to move around again, from what I understand.]
[Oh, will I?] I say. [What about the Call, huh? Won't the Ancients have an even bigger hook in my guts once I evolve? Seems like the opposite of being free to move around, if you ask me.]
Granin spreads his hands.
[Maybe yes, maybe no. It all depends on how strong they think your potential will be. It's not ideal, I know, but at least you can take it as a sign that your evolutions are strong.]
[I don't care. Am I clear on this, Granin? I. Don't. Care. Whatever your precious Ancients want, I couldn't give a single pip of Biomass. If it gets in the way of me protecting my family, I will go down there and kick them right in the teeth.]
Man, I'm grumpy. These past few days have piled insult on top of injury. Not only have I been locked here under constant supervision while hundreds of thousands of my own siblings wait on me hand and foot, building an entire fortress just so I can evolve in it, the idiot Dungeon even went and made a diamond centipede!
When I, quite reasonably, insisted that I be released, that I might wage a holy war to purge the many-legged devils from existence, to scour them from the Dungeon until not a claw remained, I was prevented from doing so! Outrageous! Never mind the indignity of having ants pile onto me until I couldn't move; even Crinis, Tiny and Invidia pinned me down! My own closest friends!
The sting of betrayal cuts deeper than any centipede claw.
[You're in a mood,] Granin bluntly observes before he sits down in front of me, one hand resting on the tip of my mandibles. [Let's get started. The sooner we finish our discussion, the quicker you get evolving. I know you don't care about the Ancients and any of that nonsense, that's fine. You aren't an experimental subject to me, Anthony, you're a friend. That's why I came down here and risked mana poisoning.]
That's actually touching.
[W-wait a second. Mana poisoning?]
The big rock-covered golgari rolls his eyes.
[I haven't spent much time on the fourth in decades. Torrina and Corun have never even been here. We're acclimated to the third now, but it'll take a week of careful exposure before we can move around down here.]
[So how long until you get sick?]
[We're already feeling sick, idiot. Now are you going to sulk or are you going to consult with us?]
[Sorry! Consult!]
[That's better. Let's get to it then.]
I didn't realise they risked that much to come here and help me. It warms my little ant heart to know they care that much. It also scares me, I don't want them to suffer because of me. I do my best to shake off the malaise and focus. This is important stuff and we don't have that much time.
[Well, talk to me about the whole "Mythic" thing you mentioned. What's all that about?]
[That's about the strength of your core. You have a rare core right now, but after you push your core all the way, it should transition to a Mythic one.]
[Does that mean I get a Mythic evolution?]
[That's right. And we have a theory…]
Corun steps forward, although "bounces" might be a better term. He's as excited as a puppy.
[Yes. We think that ants are compensated for their weak starts with better and better evolutions as you proceed up the tree. This is due to the System presuming that almost none of you will ever reach that high.]
[Rrrright,] I say, [didn't we kind of know this already?]
[We have more evidence now. Back when you evolved to tier six, you were literally the only one to progress from worker all the way to six. We don't mean in your colony either, we mean on record, at all.]
[Now, there are more of you and the results are remarkable.] Even Torrina has an uncharacteristic gleam of enthusiasm in her eyes. [The Immortals and their Phoenix Fire Organ are a great example.]
Heh. A hilarious example.
[So you're saying… what? I can expect something good?]
[What we're saying,] Granin smiles, actually smiles, [is that you can expect something rock solid.]
[... I'm going to assume that's high praise coming from a people who cover themselves in rocks.]
[Damn right it is. I actually think we might need to revisit plans on your resets based on our findings.]
[What? Why?]
[Because we were hoping to get some juicy fourth or fifth stratum options for your carapace, inner plating and mandibles, but now I believe you might be given something better.]
[You mean…]
[Sixth.]
Ooooooooooooo- wait.
I have absolutely no knowledge of the sixth stratum.
[Is… is that good? I don't know anything about what it's like down there.]
[That's not surprising,] he grunts, [the fifth is a poisonous, toxic wasteland that is inimical to life. Very few are able to get through and explore what's below, so knowledge is limited.]
[What about portals?] I protest. [Surely only some need to get through and build a portal for others. It should be easy to travel through it.]
[The mana in the fifth is… special,] Corun fills me in. [Even using a portal to travel through it is… risky. And prohibitively expensive. I've never met anyone who's been down there.]
[Don't look at me,] Granin raises his hands before I can ask him, [you might just have to find out for yourself. All you need to know for now is that upgrades from that level are good. If you get to choose them, you should.]
He turns and looks over his shoulder at his two triad mates.
[Get started on the core,] he tells them, [I'll go over the rest with him.]
They nod and move away a short distance before they sit and begin to sift through the hundreds of cores the Colony has delivered, as well as taking out a few rare cores of their own.
[They're going to start making a Mythic core for you to absorb,] Granin tells me. [Going to take a while, even those we brought that fat demon's core to use as a base. Mythics make rare cores look like pebbles.]
Oh boy… that's gonna sting.
-x-X-x-
[If you're finished being precious, can we move on to looking at our options?]
Torrina and Corun both nod enthusiastically. The former already has a book and pen in hand, ready to scrawl down every little detail. I might well be the first tier seven ant monster in the history of the Dungeon, and they are not going to miss this chance.
Stupid monster research enthusiasts. Actually, why am I even surprised? They are literally members of a monster-worshipping cult. This is what they live for.
[That's easy for you to say,] I complain. [I feel like my end-zone is about to meet its end.]
The mythic core had been larger than I'd expected. Granin hadn't exaggerated when he suggested they were much larger than rares. The concentrated energy contained within was incredible, and after I'd maxed out my core and absorbed the monstrosity, I felt more than a little tender.
It hurt like hell! My guts feel like they're having a boxing match with each other. And everyone is losing. If it hurts this much when I'm just lying flat on the ground, I can't imagine how bad it would be if I started moving around.
[The faster you get through the menu, the quicker you can start evolving and the pain goes away. You say the same thing to Tiny every time he evolves.]
Granin is utterly without sympathy, standing in front of me with his arms folded across his granite chest. He's not wrong either.
[Fine,] I groan and start poking through the menu.
[You have reached the maximum level for your current stage of evolution. Would you like to evolve?]
I sure would.
After confirming my choice, I jump straight into the goods. What's my good mate Gandalf got to offer me? I flick my eyes through the normal options, reading through them silently for a moment.
[Well?] Granin is the first to break.
I look up at him, a cruel twinkle in my eye.
[What?]
[Dammit, Anthony. You're literally causing yourself pain just to make me impatient.]
That's true…
[Still worth it,] I mutter across the link before I start to spill the beans.
I mean, I feel like I'm about to pop from the pressure inside my body, but Granin looks about the same. As eager as his two apprentices are, he's easily double the two of them put together. He probably feels like this is the defining moment of his long life. I feel a little bad about teasing them now that I realise that.
[Okay, this is what we've got for the normal tier,] I tell him and then rattle off the details of the Supreme Major, Perfect Ant Mage and Worker Overlord.
[Looks like these evolutions are the end of the road for the three generic paths,] Granin observes as Torrina rushes to scribble everything down. [This basically confirms that the System never really expected any ant to make it this far, let alone go further. For basic evolutions, the benefits are considerably above average.]
[That's in line with the thesis,] Corun chips in.
[Indeed. What did you get for special?]
[Let's have a little looksee.]
· Formica Fury (Special)
· Acid Mage (Special)
[Interesting that a berserker type class would pop up now. The way it works off of nearby ants is also interesting. I wonder where that's coming from?] Granin frowns.
From the Vestibule would be my guess.
[The Acid Mage is actually a great sign,] the old shaper says. [The remodelled acid gland it comes with is straight from the fifth stratum. That evolution actually sounds extremely strong, and it's only special. I'm looking forward to the mythic even more now.]
He isn't wrong, this evolution sounds really cool. Being able to turn mana directly into acid would be crazy strong, especially since my acid would be given a huge boost with this option. I'd be like a water bender, but with bone-melting acid.
Time for the rare options.
· Putrid Major (rare)
· Jade-Diamond General (rare)
[Another fifth stratum choice. The stat gains are extremely nice for the Putrid Major and the resets are nothing to sneeze at either.]
[I mean yeah…]
It's called Putrid Major. I don't care how good it is…
[Don't be so quick to knock it,] Granin warns me. [This evolution would actually allow you to move quite freely in the fifth stratum. You'd be almost totally poison resistant.]
[I'd also toxify everything that came near me!] I retort.
This evolution has a package of resets for my carapace, mandibles, inner plating and eyes that would basically adapt me into a fifth-stratum monster. I'd also become so putrid that anything near me would start taking damage from the aura of toxin and decay I gave off.
[I'm a communal species. Anything that makes it impossible to work with my siblings, or my precious friends, is right out.]
[Well, the Jade-Diamond General isn't bad at all,] Granin concedes. [It pretty much hits what you want it to. Great resets, amazing stats. You'd be a tough nugget with all of this defensive stacking.]
Combining my diamond carapace with an infused jade found on the fourth stratum, along with a set of additional defensive glands that would harden my carapace even further, I'd be just about unsquashable. The evolution doesn't do much for my offence, straight up, but I could take care of that sort of thing myself in the manual changes.
[It doesn't really matter how good it is,] I wave an antenna wearily, [we are only here for the mythic options anyway.]
[So you got one?] Granin asks, relief on his face.
[Wha- what do you mean? It's not guaranteed?]
[It isn't,] he shakes his head slowly. [Nobody knows why, but some paths get cut off without being able to climb to mythic and above.]
[Huh… weird.]
[Wait,] he holds up a hand suddenly, [did you say options?]
The golgari's eyes are intense, Corun and Torrina look like they might jump right out of their true-skins.
[You're gonna want to hold onto your hat for this, Granin,] I warn him. [This stuff sounds pretty wild.]
-x-X-x-
[Mythic Evolution: Formless One. You have invited your kind in, and given back to them in turn. Now it is time to make the union complete. All stats removed. All body parts and mutations will be refunded. Every member of your chosen species will be granted a formless core and you will exist as pure energy dispersed across the network formed between them.
You may make upgrades to the formless core through mutation within each individual who contains one.
Together with your kind, rise as one.]
Uhhhhhhhh… what?
[That's… unexpected,] Granin says.
His face looks fairly impassive, but judging by the gobsmacked expressions on Torrina and Corun's faces, he's only just holding it together.
[Granin, what the hell is this? I wouldn't even have a body?!]
[Mythic evolutions can be extremely unusual,] he says after a brief pause. [A larger, more fundamental change to your existence. You've seen evolutions that make broad, fundamental changes before, am I right?]
[Well, sort of. I would have turned into a giant brain, not a literal ghost!]
[Not a ghost,] he corrects me, [you wouldn't have a body, but you would still exist as a living creature formed of energy. You'd effectively be unkillable. I'm no expert on this stuff, it's too high level, but as I understand it, the only way for you to die would be for every member of the Colony to be destroyed.]
[But what would I even do? Float around just… existing?]
[Don't underestimate creatures of energy. You could influence the world more than you think. And the more ants with the core in them, the stronger you would become.]
Both of us know that the population of the Colony will explode if we aren't defeated soon. This evolution would completely destroy my retirement plans! How am I supposed to tickle the grubs as a formless ghost?! Unacceptable!
[I'm not interested in becoming some bodiless spectre,] I say firmly. [I'd rather take a rare evolution than this one.]
[Well, I suppose it's a good thing you have more mythic options then,] Granin replies. [I'm just shocked you are getting choices like this at tier seven. It's unheard of.]
And also undesired. I just can't comprehend what that sort of existence would be like. And how would my siblings feel if I just… moved in? I'd literally be adding something they didn't ask for into their bodies. The whole thing gives me the creeps.
[Mythic Evolution: Larval Deity. +400 Might. +400 Toughness. Cunning reduced to 20.
The strength of your people flows through you and they sit within your power. To ascend higher, you must be reforged. You will return to being a larva. All body parts and mutations refunded.
Your form will be coated in Golden-Diamond Silk and your body replaced with World Essence Infused Flesh.]
What the hell is this, Gandalf?! These options are just bizarre! I hesitate for a long moment before I give the details of this one to Granin. As I explain the evolution, even his stoic expression cracks.
[Anthony… what on Pangera have you been keeping from us? What have you evolved into?]
[Uh… not much. Just… stuff.]
He doesn't seem convinced by my dissembling.
[These evolutions are not normal,] he stresses, [and there is no doubt they are a result of whatever it is you've been keeping from us. A Larval Deity? World Essence?! It… I-I mean… I need a second.]
And he does. The big guy folds his legs on the spot and takes a seat. Corun and Torrina sit down next to him, the three of them taking a moment to get their heads around things.
[So…] I say after a minute. [Can someone explain this one to me?]
It takes a moment, but Granin raises his head, his eyes looking a little feverish.
[Well, from what I can tell, you would transform into a larva, but not like you were before. Think of a gigantic, golden larva, with incredible strength, and almost unkillable.]
[Except I'd be blind and largely helpless.]
He nods.
[With your Cunning reset, you'd lose your magic and wouldn't be nearly as intelligent. I feel like this evolution intends for the Colony to effectively feed you experience and Biomass until you reached max level and evolved to tier eight. At that point, you'd be able to evolve into…]
[A Colony Deity? I'd be a god?]
That's a little unsettling….
[Not in a literal sense,] he assures me, [just an incredibly powerful monster. I can't even imagine how strong you'd be, but it would be… very. Very, very.]
He seems to have lost his words.
[So, essentially, I would need to sacrifice all of tier seven and have the Colony babysit me until I reached tier eight? I'm not really feeling it.]
[Please choose this one,] Granin raises a hand weakly. [Think about it carefully. Words like "deity" are not thrown out by the System for no reason. If you survived to tier eight, your path to ascend as an Ancient would be almost assured.]
[I don't care about that,] I remind him. [And I get the feeling you're not telling me something.]
He hesitates.
[Golden-Diamond Silk and anything World-Infused are valuable. Beyond valuable.]
[Literally priceless,] Torrina breathes over the mind link. [Impossible to buy because nobody is selling. Empires have burned to the ground for such monster parts.]
[Oh hell no!]
[We could protect you,] Granin assures me desperately. [We can cooperate with the Colony. I can contact the cult. ALL of the cults. I can gather an army from across the planet to defend you. We could accelerate you to tier eight in six months!]
Six months of having the Colony feed me resources and devoting their entire existence to trying to push me to the next tier? No thanks.
[Give it up, Granin, it's not happening,] I tell him ruthlessly. [I refuse to go back to being a grub and force the Colony to protect me. That's the opposite of what I want.]
I mean… I can't even imagine it. Flopping about in some chamber while the Colony fights and dies to bring me food? Sure, I could turn around and protect them once I reached tier eight. IF I reached tier eight.
No chance.
[Luckily for all of us, there's one choice left.]
[Mythic Evolution: Perfect Paragon. +80 to Cunning, +80 to Willpower, +150 to Might, +150 to Toughness. The pinnacle of all the Colony seeks to be. You have created for your people a home, invited them in and bade them sit. Now you must give them hope. Become the goal that they strive to be. The Communal Spirit Nave will be reforged into Soul Crystal (warning, this will reset all mutations) and a Soul Crystal Altar will be awarded for free (you must choose the purpose of the Altar). You may reforge body parts at half cost.]
Oh, thank my precious, precious commercial empire. Something normal (ish).
The stat gains are amazing, I'll complete the chain of evolution, and although I didn't get any fancy resets, I get to buy at half price. Heck yeah!
That'll take care of my carapace, plating and mandibles.
And I don't have to lose my body or turn into a giant grub! So much winning!
[I can already tell you like this one,] Granin says before I say a word about it. [I'm going to assume it completes your current chain?]
[Yep. And I get to keep my body. That really shouldn't be such a plus, but that's how things have turned out.]
The shaper sighs and straightens his posture.
[Anything you're prepared to share about it?]
I'm happy to give him the stats and talk about the discounted resets, which raises his brows.
[You can save a huge amount of energy with that. Enough that you can either dip for better, more expensive choices or reset twice as many organs.]
[Any advice on that?]
[Not really. It depends entirely on your priorities. If you want the best possible carapace, plating and mandible mutations, then spend big on those; if you want a more balanced approach, get cheaper upgrades, but improve more things.]
[That's not going to be an easy choice, is it?]
[Absolutely not.]
-x-X-x-
After discussing a few possibilities back and forth, I bid the golgari trio goodbye and they make their way back to the gate. Mana sickness is no joke and I appreciate them taking the risk to help me out.
It's a hard concept for me to grasp, being ill from too much mana. I literally need the stuff to survive, the more the better. One of the many benefits of being a monster, I suppose. I was born from mana, there's no way it can hurt me.
The lack of it can hurt me. Severely, in fact.
Which is another thing I need to keep in mind. Evolving yet again, increasing the density of my core and further making my body dependent on mana to exist. More resets, more fancy, high-energy components in my body, more energy needed to sustain me.
Perhaps even the first stratum will be out of bounds for me, even during a wave. The second might just be in bounds, perhaps. But then I have to worry about the Call.
It's a constant knife in my side. Even now, I can feel it trying to pull me down deeper. I'm worried this mythic evolution is only going to make it worse.
If I'd picked larval deity, it would have been agonising, I bet. An evolution with high potential like that, but with no ability to move around, I'd have been stuck on my backside for at least six months with a hook yanking on my soul.
"Eldest? It's ready."
Cobalt pops up in front of me and I'm pulled from my thoughts.
"What's that?"
"The evolution chamber. We're ready."
Nice.
"Alright then, let's get this show on the road."
I lever myself up onto my feet for the first time in days, and immediately collapse onto the ground again as my insides shift against the oversized core.
"Oof! Uh… one sec."
Second attempt.
"Aaaaand up! OUCH."
And down.
Cobalt looks at me. I look back at Cobalt.
"You can't move, can you Eldest?"
"It… it seems that I can't. This is, ah, a little embarrassing."
"Not to worry, Eldest, we'll take care of you. Don't mind a thing."
In the end, the carvers lift me up, raising the ground beneath me and hardening it into a rock sled that they propel into the fortress that they've built.
It's humiliating. Literally hundreds of thousands of my siblings watch as I lie flat on my carapace, being hovered into an evolution chamber that they'd purposely built for me.
The fact I can feel their respect and appreciation for me flowing through the Vestibule only makes me feel worse. This situation is pathetic and ridiculous! Mock me, dammit!
Eventually, I'm settled in place and the Colony takes up positions around me and throughout the fortress. Inside the chamber with me are Crinis, Tiny, Invidia and a few hundred dedicated guards. Thankfully, they managed to keep Beyn and the acolytes out. I saw them as I was hovering past and he looked like he was in the middle of a revelation of some sort. That guy needs a hobby. How in the hell are those idiots managing not to get sick?
[Well then, gang, I'm just about ready. Take it easy while I'm evolving, alright? Might be a few days this time. Possibly even a week or two, I don't know. Eat, sleep, have fun. Make sure I don't get eaten.]
[We will, Master,] Crinis says tearfully.
I'm not dying, oi!
[Your levelsssss, I wantssss them,] Invidia hisses at me.
[You might want the levels, but you do not want a mythic core in your midsection, let me tell you that.]
[Wantssss,] he contradicts me.
Tiny gives me a powerful thumbs up and a wink, which is a new thing for him. Who the heck taught him about winking? I'd wink back, but I'm not physically capable of it, or a thumbs up for that matter, so I just thank him mentally.]
[Thanks for that bud. I'll catch you all on the other side.]
And I jump straight into the menu.
Not wasting time after my farewells, I confirm my new species and prepare to fiddle around the edges, deciding on what to do with my evolutionary energy, but before I can, I'm confronted by something else.
[The Collective Will of your people has funneled into you and you have welcomed them into your house. The energy and focus of your people must be given shape. Select a purpose for your Altar before you can proceed.
· Altar of War
· Altar of Growth
· Altar of Culture
· Altar of Mind
· Altar of Strength
· Altar of Self
· Altar of Many]
Uhhh. Okay. The species notes did say that I needed to decide something regarding the altar, so I suppose this is it? There's a lot of options here… might as well dive in and go through them all.
Altar of War: Direct the energy of your people to matters of War. You must fight to survive and survive to fight. Increase experience gain when engaged in warlike conduct.
That… is… ominous. I get a bad feeling reading this. Like, why does it sound like it's going to have an effect on the Colony as well as myself? We are already plenty warlike, I don't need to make my siblings even more eager to fight!
What's really spooky is that I don't think the experience gain applies to just me either. I think it applies to every ant in range of the altar. That is… insane. Does it apply to Skills and levels as well? That can't be right.
Altar of Growth: Direct the energy of your people to Expansion and Growth. The future of your people can only be ensured by development and securing the next generation. Reduced Biomass cost for eggs, increased experience gain when scouting or building.
You… whaaaaaaaaa?! Reduced Biomass cost? Are you freaking kidding me?! How? How does that even work?! Does the altar literally convert the collected Will of the Colony into… whatever it wants? Experience, Biomass, anything?
This is blowing my mind right now.
Calm down, Anthony. You need to chill. Think about this logically. It will only work for ants within the range of the Altar anyway. I'm never hanging around the queens these days, they are way higher in the Dungeon. I can't pick this one, but holy moly, if the discount was even just 10%, that would be insane. If I fully mutated the Altar could I get it up to 20 or 30%?
Don't think about it. It'd never work.
Altar of Culture: Direct the energy of your people to Dialogue and the Arts. What is the point of a people if they lack civilisation and culture?
Nope. Don't care, not picking this one. Don't even tell me the bonus in case I get tempted. It's not that I disagree with Gandalf on this one, I actually would much rather pick this one than the Altar of War. My family has developed a wonderful culture of its own, with carvings, and tea, and sponge cake… for some reason. I love every bit of it, except for the fact that too much of it is focused on me.
You think I'm going to give a boost to those idiots who run around carving my face into everything they touch? I've seen cakes decorated with me on top of them! I refuse!
Altar of Mind: Direct the energy of your people to strengthen and develop their Mind and Will. Increased experience gain to those using Skills that utilise the mind. Decreased evolutionary cost for increasing Will and Cunning.
EVEN EVOLUTIONARY ENERGY!? This isn't real. You're lying to me, Gandalf.
This is revolutionary, this changes everything that I thought was possible. This is way too much responsibility.
Is this what they meant by the Colony Paragon? I thought I was supposed to be… like… a good example, or something. Be the best ant I could be and help the Colony sort of thing. This isn't just about being the strongest ant in the Colony, this is about deciding the future direction and focus of my family!
I'm not cool with that! Is it alright if I become a formless energy ball instead?
Argh! One of these options must be up my alley. Give me something here.
Altar of Strength: Direct the energy of your people to develop and empower their Might and Toughness.
This is just the physical version of the Altar of Mind. Something else?
Altar of Self: Direct the energy of your people to empowering yourself. You are the Paragon, an exemplar for all who look to you. Now, that Will can become your sword and your shield. Enables you to utilise the Will of your people to empower your Skills, Body and Mind.
Noooooope. Surely not. I'm not about that life, Gandalf. If I wanted it all to be about me, then I'd have picked the Larval Deity evolution. One left, surely it'll give me an outlet.
Altar of Many: Direct the energy of your people to empowering each other. You lead your people to bring out the best in each other. Disperse the Will of your people back to them, enriching and empowering them in turn.
Well. This is a little more like it. Making the Colony stronger is what I'm all about.
If I pick this, then at least I'm not shoehorning the Colony into a particular direction or mentality. We've become such a diverse group, each caste doing their best to serve the family in their own way, utilising their own strengths. I'd hate to advantage some over the others, that would destroy what makes us so strong. We can take on any challenge because we cover every base.
The Altar of Many will allow me to continue to give back to my family. Every ant around me will be that little bit stronger, have that little bit higher chance to survive. I've seen what my family can do, if I give them a little edge, they'll be able to do so much more.
It's the right choice. Except. Is it?
Is that really the right choice? There have been times where I pushed the Colony to fill in for me. I created the council so I wouldn't have to be a leader, because I knew I would be terrible at it. I'm no leader, I know that, but I don't think I want to be a cheerleader, either. I wanted to step forward and put myself between the Colony and danger, I wanted to protect and defend them.
If I pick the Altar of Many, aren't I asking the Colony to fight for me? Aren't I stepping back and telling them to take care of it? If that's the case, then what's my purpose?
Suddenly, I feel a cold shiver run through my entire body as a realisation washes over me, like a cold blast of air to the face.
If someone is going to step up against impossible odds, then I want it to be me. If someone is going to risk their life for the others, then I want it to be me.
If an ant is going to die, then I want it to be me. They can trust me. They can depend on me. If there's a need, then I'll step into the breach.
I want the strength to protect them from anything. So long as they believe in me, I can never let them down.
Altar of Self. That's the correct choice. I won't hide behind my family.
-x-X-x-
This evolution is going to make the Call worse, I can already tell. Stupid Ancients and their dumb… whatever it is they're all about. Do whatever you want, just leave me and my family out of it.
But taking this much power into myself is definitely going to make them more interested, rather than less. Although, I'll be much weaker when away from the Colony. Maybe they won't like that so much? Bah, who am I kidding, I'll be a beast once this evolution goes through. The stat gain alone is insane, everything else is just gravy.
Speaking of everything else, it's time to decide what I'm going to do with the rest of my evolutionary energy! You know what that means, resets baby!
Let me at 'em!
I've got them at a discounted price, which naturally means I'm going straight to the expensive stuff and poking my antennae where they don't belong. Don't hold back on me, Gandalf! I want to see your finest materials, straight from the top shelf.
If I'm going to reset my carapace and mandibles, then I want only the best. It'd be a ridiculous waste to reset them again, so whatever I pick will need to be good enough to carry me through the rest of my monstrous life. It has to be incredible! And shiny!
The first thing I do, naturally, is go and take a look at the Golden-Diamond Silk. From what the trio had to say, it's incredibly valuable, and rare. I need to check it out. I have to poke back and forth a bit before I find a version that will apply to my carapace, but I get there in the end.
[Golden-Diamond Silk Woven Carapace: A clear diamond Chitin threaded with a complex network of Golden-Diamond Silk thread. The lustre of this material is only matched by its tensile strength. Against physical damage, this material is nigh unbreakable.]
Holy moly! An almost unbreakable carapace that is shiny in the extreme?! This is going to be hard to pass up!
And it's expeeeeeeensive… sweet mackerel of malfeasance, that is pricey. Just how much evolutionary energy are you going to charge for one reset? This is larceny! Even paying half feels like I'd be carving out my own liver. If I even have a liver….
I kind of want to confirm it anyway. This is exactly the kind of upgrade I want. Even if I flick through and look at the other upgrades that Granin and I discussed, fourth stratum stuff like the 'Living Diamond' just doesn't measure up. They're good and all, but a self regenerating crystal carapace just doesn't sound as nice as being woven through with the toughest and most valuable material in the entire planet.
Come to think of it, do I really want to be a walking sack of cash money? Being a highly evolved monster is already painting a target on my back, goodness knows what a mythic core sells for, but I'm sure it's a lot. Do I really need to make my body parts even more marketable? That's worth contemplating….
Still, I better look more thoroughly through the options, just to be sure I don't miss something that would work for me.
I spend quite a bit of time looking at cheaper purchases. The Golden-Diamond Silk is eye-wateringly costly, so I naturally err on the less expensive side, but I don't find anything I want more. There's tons of nice stuff, all sorts of cool diamond variants that perform some powerful and bizarre functions. The Living Diamond is just the tip of the iceberg in that department. Resonating Diamond that oscillates at high speeds when activated is cool, as is the Liquid Diamond, which isn't actually a liquid, but sort of a thick gel formed of micro-diamonds that hardens when impacted. Interesting stuff, but not better than what I already have my eye on.
Not finding anything I like better, I decide to poke a leg over and gander at the options even more expensive than the Golden-Diamond Silk. I immediately regret it.
I mean, it's good that I found it, but my poor little heart can't take this level of cost. Why do you do this to me, Gandalf?
[Gravity Compressed Diamond. Compacted to its ultimate density, this Diamond has been forged in the most crushing environment imaginable. This material holds a natural affinity to the force of Gravity.]
Noooooo. I mean, yesssssss, but also, nooooooo!
No mention of shininess at all. What about my precious lustre?! This could be the key I need to push myself over the edge and get the Gravity Mana affinity, but the cosssssssst. It burnssssssss me!
No! Summon your damn guts, Anthony! You get it half-price this evolution, and judging by this extravagant price tag, this material is some deep-dungeon stuff. You won't get a chance like this again anytime soon! You wanted to be a Gravity Mage all the way back when you evolved to tier three! Commit, dammit!
I also have to hunt for a synergetic material for my plating. If something is going to work well with this incredibly expensive diamond, then it's likely also going to be expensive. I'm excited to look at the options, but nervous at the same time….
Alright, let's see what we have. There's all sorts of cool stuff in here, including some pretty neat looking options that would have tempted me were I not on a quest for synergy. The plating needs to work well with the carapace! If it doesn't enhance my Gravity Compressed Diamond in some way, I'm not interested!
After flipping down the list, watching the costs rise as I go, I eventually find something that I think is going to work.
Since my carapace will basically be made from an ultra condensed diamond with some affinity to gravity, I need an inner plating that will raise its toughness to even greater heights! It needs to cover the weaknesses and enhance the strengths!
The strength is of course the incredible hardness, the weakness is its lack of flexibility. I can't directly give the diamond more bend, it's diamond, it'll just crack, but what I can do is influence it through the power of… you guessed it, gravity!
[Boson Agitating Crystal Flesh. A material that generates manipulable gravity fields in a small radius around it. A mesh of tiny, hardened gems, this substance is flexible and durable.]
With this, I can generate small fields on the surface of my carapace that may even allow me to shape it, depending on just how strong the affinity turns out to be. I like the choice, the only problem is the mind-boggling expense.
With a reluctance that burns my soul, I lock in resets for my carapace and mandibles that will convert both to Gravity Compressed Diamond and the plating reset. My heart aches as such a large portion of my evolutionary energy is immediately lost. No time for regrets! We only move forward!
I still have a good amount of energy left to spend, this is tier seven after all, but after considering it for a moment, I decide on at least one more reset for this evolution…
The Gravity Mana Gland.
If I'm going all in on pushing for the speciality, then I can't overlook this little gem! Currently, it's my only source of the stuff, and if I don't get the Skill, then I better be in a good position, Mana wise.
If I do get the Skill, then I'll need to make sure the reset and mutations will enable the gland to have a purpose even after I can make gravity mana myself. It's a delicate balancing act, and if I don't find an option that works in both a Skill-less and Skilled scenario, I may have to give up on the whole idea.
Time to dive into the list. I really do spend way too much time reading these damned lists….
There's all sorts of interesting options that do plenty of generic things like gather the mana more quickly, compress it more readily or make it easier to use. I'm not overly worried about that, I have an absolutely stacked set of brains that are only getting stronger with this evolution, I don't need any help compressing or handling the mana, I need something that's going to do something that I can't do myself.
As I creep through the list, the options get more and more expensive and I (metaphorically) sweat more and more. Obviously, when I reset, I want to get the best… but I don't want to have to pay for the best! Don't be dissuaded, Anthony, you have to commit. What were you going to spend that energy on anyway? Precious, life-saving stats? BAH!
Finally, way past the point where I'm happy with the cost, I find what I'm looking for.
[Resonant Well Stone: This material harnesses rare properties of the singularity to harmonise and accentuate gravitational energy. It will convert a portion of that energy back into Gravity Mana.]
Awwwwwww snap!
If my Gravitational Mana Gland is made of this, then it'll literally feed a portion of what I spent from it back into the pool. Gweheheheh. Harmony will be achieved!
I'll have to test my new carapace and mandibles with their gravity reactive material to see how they respond to it as well. I might have created a nice feedback-loop with this.
Am I achieving Synergy? At last?! Granin would be proud.
In fact, I'm kind of excited. This evolution might be a big change for me, finally becoming the gravity-powered ant of doom I was always destined to become!
After confirming that purchase, my reserves of evolutionary energy are depressingly low. I mean, there's still a good chunk here, I had a level of wealth at the start of this process that I could scarcely believe even two evolutions ago. I'm tempted to consider another reset, but I desist. Too many at once is not a good idea according to Granin, so I'd best be patient. I don't think I can afford any big ticket items either, so it's time to spend the rest of my stats.
I sink my abundant strength into a 40:60 blend of size and density and then use the same ratio on my toughness, except the larger portion goes on external defence. With all my upgrades, I'm going to be a hell of a durable bug!
A cockroach will wish it could survive as well as me.
My mental stats go into powering up my brains fairly evenly, with a slightly larger portion going to the main mind. That brain is intended for gravity specialisation and I want it sufficiently beefed to handle the load. With the added power given to the smaller minds, they'll each be able to handle double the mind constructs they could before, vastly increasing my spellpower.
Any spare energy I have left I pump into my Might, maintaining the same ratio as before. I'll be a big ol' ant when this process is done!
Looking over my choices, I feel a sense of satisfaction. With this new form, I'll be stronger than ever and able to protect my new family against the things that threaten them. I can't wait!
Confirm it, Gandalf!
Time for a chat.
-x-X-x-