Alright, this is getting silly. How much of this liquid mana did Solant make inside the fortress?! The flow bursting out of the vents hasn't weakened in the slightest, the jets are several metres thick! This is liquid mana! I didn't even know that was a thing!
Forget about condensed mana, this is condensed, condensed. I almost can't believe how dense it is. The power contained within is absolutely crazy. The only time I've ever seen anything with more dense power would be highly expanded cores like my own. Even in my current, rather distracted state, I'm still astonished by what Solant has achieved.
This liquid mana won't stay this way forever, it's already started to… evaporate? I guess? Over time, the space above is filled with more cleansed mana, pushing back the incoming toxic energy. If things continue this way, it'll take over the heart in less than an hour.
When I think of the vast torrents of power that flooded through the platforms and into the channels, I suppose it only makes sense. If the vast majority of that energy was being siphoned off, condensed and stored, then I couldn't possibly say how much there is.
"Eldest! How are you feeling?"
"Fine! Completely fine."
"Somehow I doubt that…"
"Well… I've been worse."
"Have you been worse lately?"
"I mean… just after I fell into the pool, I was in pretty bad shape. Much worse than now."
Several healers kick me at the same time. I'm not trying to be difficult! I'm doing my best over here!
"We're going to have to move you soon," one of the healers tells me. Then she kicks me again.
"Is that really necessary?" I complain.
"Yes," they all respond.
Sheesh.
"Why do you need to move me so urgently? Is there a problem?"
"You're about to be underwater! Are you paying attention to what's going on around here?"
"To be fair, I do have other things I need to be worrying about."
I'd say ninety-eight percent of my brainpower is currently devoted to the containment of the toxin. My brains are all running at full steam, the constructs spinning as fast as they can, turning their strength inwards, trying to unravel the insidious energy within my body.
Lousy Ancients and their unfair, lousy powers. First the Call, a chain snapped shut around my neck, then Arconidem being a massive pain in my thorax, and now this!
I'm half tempted to go down to the middle of the Dungeon and give them a piece of my mind.
"How are you going to move me? I think I'm a bit too heavy for you," I point out.
As much as I would like to see the healers try and lift me, I don't want to see them hurt themselves. I can't begin to imagine how much they would complain about the extra work.
"We have found another way to move you. Are you going to answer the question now? How are you?"
Honestly, I don't particularly want to answer now. I don't even know what answer they want to hear!
"I'm… not well," I hazard.
A barrage of kicks rain down my carapace.
"We know that!"
"Answer the question!"
"I'm trying, dammit!"
I almost wish they hadn't learned to avoid hitting me with their antennae, since my carapace is much too hard for them.
"Hey there, Senior! How are you?"
Oh great, Brilliant is here. I didn't even notice her pop into existence on top of my back.
"I've been trying to answer that question."
"You should have just asked me! After all, I'm BRILLIANT!"
"Yes, yes, thanks for that."
If Brilliant is here… does that mean…. Ah, nards.
"Are you going to try and do a weird teleport thing again? I hate that."
"Not quite," Brilliant laughs. "If I tried to do that here, the two of us would be toxified before we got more than a kilometre! Toxified? Is that a word? It must be, since I used it! After all–"
"DON'T even. We get it. So if we aren't getting blipped from one place to another, then how are you going to move me?"
"Little bit more of a complicated process. We've done a little work using shadow mana, and the Mother Tree is helping us create pockets of darkness. I can blip you from one to the next, but it'll take a little time, moving you and the healers at the same time is going to take a lot, so we are going to need breaks."
"We are going to need breaks? Isn't it just you?"
"That's impossible. I'm BRILLIANT!"
"Right. Of course."
I can't help but look up. The battle is still going on up there, the Colony is fighting, and here I am sitting on my backside. It's not how I wanted this to happen! Crinis, Tiny and Invidia are there, doing their best to keep me and the others safe. At times like this, I really feel the weight of my mistakes and poor decisions.
Brilliant notices how distracted I am, and she laughs before shooting me down with characteristic bluntness.
"You're just in the way right now, Senior. What are you supposed to do in the state you're in? Everyone is going to be better off if we get you out of here."
Well, that's a little deflating. It's even worse that she isn't wrong. I know they're conscious of me, all of them. Through the Vestibule, I can sense their concern and worry. Every now and again, they look down and see me, unmoving on the ground, and they're distracted, worried, concerned.
It'll be the best thing for everyone if I'm no longer here, including myself.
I'm in trouble. Big trouble. No matter what I say to the healers, I can at least admit it to myself. This infection isn't going away.
It's growing.
"Alright then," I sigh. "Let's get moving."
-x-X-x-
The Krath were losing. No matter how many times they beat back the armoured ants, they kept coming back, climbing up the walls, throwing themselves recklessly forward, as if they didn't care if they lived or died. Even when they seemed like they were about to fall, even when it seemed like they couldn't take any more, they started… burning, catching fire from within, and then they were fine. And then they came again.
Even that was better than the bigger ones, with the mushrooms. They were dead, Zluth was sure they were, he'd seen them. They were burned, or cut, or contaminated, but it didn't seem to matter. Regardless of how badly they were damaged, they pulled themselves back together, their bodies rewoven, and then… they just kept going.
He was no fool. There were hundreds of monsters in the fifth with unnatural endurance, and all of them were beaten the same way: overwhelming offence. It was just, no matter how they tried, the Krath hadn't been able to inflict enough damage on the ants for it to overcome whatever was holding them together.
And the shadows… the shadows were everywhere.
The huge gorilla beast roared in savage defiance. Lighting cracked and thunder boomed. He was getting closer and closer. Soon, those massive fists and the explosive light that came from them would be in range. Zluth did not want to see what would happen once he was in range.
The writhing tentacles, an entire forest of them, lashed and consumed everything they could touch. Zluth had seen what happened once they touched something. He never wanted to see it again.
Detonations rang out nearby, manifesting in midair. The concussive force pressed the slug against the wall of the heart. To be honest, it was a stretch to say he was even on the wall anymore, this was the roof of the chamber! They'd run out of room.
Nearby, Soluzz worked to rally his tribe against the invasion. Radiating with fury, the powerful Krath'lath hissed, spat and bellowed at the invaders, drawing on his magic time and time again to push the invaders back. No matter how successful he was, it simply didn't matter. The blue mana continued to draw closer and closer as the flow erupting from the vents continued without pause.
Zluth was only now starting to come to grips with just how long the ants had been planning this: from the very beginning. The entire invasion had been orchestrated to create this moment, here and now. Even the wave, which had seemed like the perfect opportunity to destroy the invaders, had been necessary for this plan.
The cursed platforms, sucking in all of that mana for those days and weeks, he'd assumed it was just enough to maintain the fortress against the fifth, but he had been very, very wrong.
Zluth looked around carefully. The shadows were still a constant threat,and he refused to allow himself to be caught unawares. More and more, he was starting to think that this battle wasn't one they could win. If that was true, then this entire section of the fifth wouldn't be safe for long.
The Krath around the Dungeon needed to be warned. The sooner all of the tribes were able to rally against this threat, the better. If they stayed divided, the ants would pick them off, one heart at a time. They would only learn the true extent of the danger if a survivor told them about it, someone who had been there to see it with their own eyes.
If a slug was needed to do this, then why not Zluth? It would be incredibly difficult, traversing unknown sections of Dungeon, never knowing when the deadly blue mana might overtake him, but he had made a habit of performing impossible feats lately.
He didn't mind his chances.
"Hit them!" Soluzz roared. "Everything you have! Melt their bones. Give them pain!"
He continued to exhort the others, and the Zissth responded. Zluth had to give it to them, they were a powerful and united tribe. It wouldn't be enough, but he did admire them for that. Had the Krath been able to properly prepare for this fight, he had no doubt they would have won it, but it wasn't to be.
Zluth continued to look as if he was participating in the battle, spitting out blasts of acid when he could, but more and more, he was sidling back to the opening into the upper chamber of the heart. He was careful to make sure he was never in Soluzz' view, shrinking his body when necessary.
Not too quickly, never enough to raise suspicion, but bit by bit, as the lines were pushed back, Zluth allowed himself to be pushed just a little bit faster, and a little bit farther.
Until, finally, he was the rearmost of the Krath. The entirety of the Zissth had risen to defend their Slimeground, which meant there shouldn't be anyone to see him if he emerged into the upper chamber.
Zluth took a final look below and felt a surge of seething hatred at what he saw. Invaders, within the very heart, pushing the Krath out of their own Slimeground. It was an unheard-of insult, spitting in the eye of every Krath who had conquered this stratum and made it their home over thousands of years.
There would be consequences for this. Terrible consequences. The ants would be broken, their leaders turned and set loose on them, hunting their own through their nests. When the full might of the tribes was rallied, they would descend on the invasion like a plague. Those above in the fourth would tremble in horror whenever this invasion was mentioned after the Krath had finished extracting their vengeance.
Zluth would make sure of it. When he was done, it would take a thousand years before anyone had the courage to invade again.
He flattened himself down as far as he could and camouflaged his skin. When he was sure nobody had seen him, he slipped over the lip and into the upper chamber.
Then he froze.
Standing atop a massive, hollow tree root, easily fifteen metres in diameter, Solant looked down, clacking her mandibles thoughtfully.
"Looks like they are starting to retreat. The timing has worked out perfectly."
"Shouldn't be too surprising," Leonidant said from beside the little general, "you were the one who worked out the timing, after all."
She tapped the tree root with her foreleg.
"Should we turn on the tap, as the humans say?"
"No need to delay any further," Solant said with deep satisfaction. "Turn it on."
There was a deep rumble from within the hollow root, and Zluth remained frozen in shock as the first gush of the glittering blue liquid fountained out of the opening and fell straight towards him.
-x-X-x-
"Where is Zluth?" Soluzz bellowed.
The other Krath'lath had remained close to him, cowards and fools, all of them, but at least he had seen Zluth out fighting. That scout had shown he was a capable Krath'lath, though still young, and Soluzz had plans for him, a pawn to extend the power of the Zissth even further, but now he was nowhere to be seen.
"He ran away," Ulizz spat, "fled to preserve himself."
Soluzz glared at the Krath'lath of the Bulg. Useless and weak, the slug had conserved what power he had even to this point, perhaps waiting for Soluzz to grow weak so he could turn on him and try to seize control of the Zissth. A useless effort, as Soluzz could smash the weakling even if he was half dead.
"You expect me to believe he ran away while you remain?" Soluzz spat.
He turned his furious glare at the others around him, including Mulzoz, leader of the Lirz, and Puzzith of the Suggoth.
"You're useless," he ground out through his clenched fangs. "Cowards and traitors. You call yourselves Krath?!"
Despite the fury that burned in his veins and sizzled his flesh, Soluzz could see that the heart was all but lost, a fact that stung him so fiercely the pain of it was greater than the acid within him. It was all he could do not to start lashing out and feasting on the weakling leaders around him. He would need them, for a little while longer. When he had led the survivors of his tribe to a new slimeground, established a new centre of power for himself, then he would turn on them.
Disgusted by the pathetic display and the possible betrayal of Zluth, Soluzz raised his voice to gather the remaining members of his tribe.
"Fall back!" he ordered. "Regroup in the upper chamber!"
Once the order had been given, he made his own move immediately. Without the slugs actively pushing back against the oncoming enemy, it wouldn't be long before the lower chamber was lost completely, and he certainly didn't intend to be the last one in line. Clinging to the ceiling, he pushed and bullied his way forward as the Krath rushed to the relatively narrow opening.
Only for a flood of shining blue fluid to pour down from above.
Horrified, the slugs slid to a halt, though some were already too close. The blue liquid gushed through the opening, spraying drops in every direction. Those Krath closest to the opening fell back, writhing and hissing in pain and fury, their skin sizzling as even a single drop burned into them. Soluzz knew well how that pain felt, and he wasn't eager to feel it again.
The ants must have cut them off and started flooding the upper chamber behind their backs. It was a trap all along.
A part of him could see how cunning and conniving the plan of the invaders had been, leaving them no escape. It was a very Krath thing to do. Even so, he was the leader of the Zissth tribe, Soluzz! He was as calculating and underhanded as he was powerful. There was still a way out, there had to be!
"This way!" he bellowed. "We have to blast a hole through the wall of the heart, it's the only way out!"
He led the charge himself, but, for the first time in this desperate battle, he realised that not all of his tribe was following. Seeing the opening to the upper chamber cut off had shaken his people, and some were beginning to panic.
Pathetic fools, he sneered. How had they ever been considered worthy of the heart?
Damaging his own home seemed offensive to Soluzz. This was their Slimeground, the central hub of their territory, a sacred site that contained the pool of the Ancient. Yet, to survive, everything was on the table. As he slid across the ceiling as fast as he could, Soluzz gathered his power again. Summoning the acid from within his flesh and sucking in mana, he wove them together, not to harm the ants or drive back their assault, but to blast a way through the rotten and slime-infested wall of the heart itself.
The slugs around him gathered their strength to aid him, and Soluzz felt his confidence surge. He would survive to fight another day, and next time, he wouldn't lose. These invaders had struck a blow, had achieved something no one else had in thousands of years, but this would be the end of it. When the tribes were united, there was nothing that could stand against them, not even the whole of Pangera.
The fist of the gorilla came from nowhere, slamming into the ceiling, the enormously thick fingers tearing into the heart. Soluzz turned and fired his magic on reflex, straight into the rage-filled face of the ape-monster. The beast slapped away the spell with its free hand, roaring defiance even as its skin bubbled and burned from the power of the Krath's acid.
The free arm came back and swung with dizzying speed, but Soluzz was ready, sliding to the side as he hissed in defiance. What he hadn't accounted for was the sheer power of that punch. The entire heart rocked from the force of the blow, and Soluzz, so close to the point of impact, lost his grip, and began to fall.
He barely had time to realise what had happened, to come to terms with his inevitable death, before he was snatched out of the air by a writhing forest of dark limbs. He tried to expel his acid through his skin, to burn his way free, but he wasn't fast enough.
The barbs lining the tentacles dug into him, then began to rotate.
Before he even had a chance to scream, Soluzz was no more.
-x-X-x-
Solant watched as the last of the Krath resistance was swept from the field. They'd lasted longer than she'd expected, a testament to how tenacious they were as enemies. She had a respect for the slug tribes. As enemies, they were everything the little general could ask for: cunning, vicious, willing to sacrifice in order to achieve victory, canny in the ways they utilised their advantages.
Their defeat in this campaign was simply a matter of planning. Solant had prepared for this outcome from the very beginning. With the power of initiative, the Krath had been forced to react, always on the back foot. So long as they hadn't succeeded in cracking the fortress, then the Colony was assured of victory.
It came close, closer than she'd thought it would, but thanks to the heroics of the battalions, the sacrifice of many of her siblings, and the unrelenting will of the Eldest, they had held firm. Now it was time to reap the reward.
"I suppose you think the work is done," Mendant snapped as she walked up to the general. "Did you forget we still need to heal this massive thing?"
"Of course not," Solant replied calmly, patting the irascible healer on the carapace with her antenna. "I'm well aware of the work that still needs to be done, have no fear. You will be given all the time and support you need."
Mendant huffed, not appeased in the slightest.
"Oh? You're going to give us more time, are you? I expect you'll shut down the mana flowing down from above, then. Wouldn't want the heart to fill up too quickly now."
Solant clacked her mandibles with regret.
"Sadly, I do not believe we are able to shut off the flow once it has begun. Needless to say, the faster we can fill the heart and have it start to spread our concentrated, cleansed mana, the better."
The healer shook her head, disgusted.
"Typical," she said before walking away, muttering to herself. When she reached a group of healers busy working on a section of wall, Solant could see them discuss amongst themselves for a moment before the entire group turned to stare at her.
"You should be careful not to get injured any time soon," Leonidant advised her.
"I think you might be right," Solant agreed.
Of course, they could shut off the flow from above, but she wasn't wrong in saying it was important to fill the heart as fast as possible. If they let the cleansed mana trickle in and slowly dissipate, it would be eaten up by the fifth in no time at all. Only by pumping out highly concentrated energy would they be able to achieve their aim: a full conversion of this entire section of Dungeon.
Which meant the healers would need to make sure the entire heart didn't fall apart over the next hour or so—a daunting task, to say the least.
"They've been doing a good job so far," Leonidant pointed out. "Look at the floor."
Indeed, the lower reaches of the heart had been fully healed already. Where once it had been a yellow-grey, slime-covered mass of pallid flesh, now it was a hale and hearty red, beating stronger than before.
Of course, there were still the holes that the Mother Tree had punctured through the walls that needed to be closed over, but hopefully they wouldn't pose too much of a problem. Solant put the healers from her mind and turned her attention to another issue.
The whirlpool down below was still there, the cleansed liquid mana reacting violently to the sludge left behind by Theorazzn. She hadn't expected it to succumb quickly, but it was lasting much longer than expected, which meant it was consuming more mana than she'd allowed for.
At least it was finally starting to go down. It would take a few hours, she guessed, but eventually the pool would be eradicated entirely, no longer able to corrupt the heart from within.
"We'll have to add that to calculations for the next one," Solant noted aloud.
Leonidant followed her gaze and nodded.
"Hard to imagine what sort of creature could create such a thing, or have it last so long."
"I don't think we will have to imagine for too long," Solant said.
Leonidant looked to her sister, expecting her to elaborate, but Solant said nothing, instead looking up to the roof of the upper chamber. It was up there that the Krath had made their homes, and it was still quite contaminated.
"Let's take a look," she said, and began to climb.
"Should we be going up there?" the scout questioned, ever cautious.
"We have protection against the mana."
"But what if there are still Krath up there?"
"There aren't," Solant replied confidently. "Have no fear and come."
For a slug to remain in the face of imminent death would be antithetical to every behavior they had displayed so far. If any Krath had refused to go down to the battle, then they were long gone by now. As the two ants climbed, shielded from contamination by Smithant's works, Solant's confidence was proven to be well founded.
Despite the large size of the settlement, with hundreds and hundreds of dwellings, along with large feeding pits and mould farms, they found not a single soul.
"There is a great deal we need to improve for our next assault," Solant mused. "Knowing how the slugs form their settlements within the heart is important knowledge. If we can start to fill from the top, we could avoid having to fight altogether."
"Are you assuming that every heart-settlement is the same? We have no evidence of that," Leonidant cautioned.
"A valid point," Solant conceded. "However, I think the strategy still has merit. Something to think about after scouting and construction plans have been laid out."
As the two ants moved through the eerily empty settlement, Solant continued to muse and expound upon her strategy going forward. There was a great deal to do, so much that Leonidant's head was spinning. Indeed, the tunnels needed to be mapped, the borders of this new safe-zone marked, scouting done into the surrounding territories, defences built, mana intakes and channels constructed, wuffers to be bred, new targets to be designated.
It was clear that Solant had been considering the next steps for a long time, possibly from the very beginning.
The two found their way into a particularly elaborate chamber, right in the heart of the structures. As they moved inside on a whim, Leonidant noticed a distant pool, built low to the ground. When they drew closer, she saw it was filled with pearls, glistening beneath the surface of the shallow liquid. Originally grimy and yellowish, already the pearls had become flecked with motes of shimmering blue.
"Looks like we need to contact the Brood Tenders," Solant said, clacking her mandibles. "They'll be pleased, I think."
-x-X-x-
I don't like travelling with Brilliant. Her little… dimensional hops, or whatever she wants to call them, leave me feeling nauseous and headachy. Even trying to imagine how the process works is enough to make my brains throb. How did she even figure out how to do this?! There weren't any ants in the Colony who had any knowledge of different dimensions, and now Brilliant is out there swimming through them like a particularly loud and annoying eel.
"Are we there yet?" I groan.
"No," she tells me happily. "Two more hops before we arrive."
"How is the poison progressing, Eldest?" one of the healers asks me.
We're no longer pretending it isn't progressing, eh? Well, it is, that's for sure. Every cell of my body that is changed makes it that little bit harder to slow it down. I'm holding on as best I can, but my grip is starting to slip.
More and more, I'm worried for Protectant and the others. Each of them took much less into themselves than I have, but are they able to hold it off as well as I can? If not… I dread to think of how they're suffering.
"Slowly, for now," I tell her.
For the time being, my thoughts haven't been affected like they were before. I wasn't a fan of that, to say the least.
"Once we get you back to the fortress, there will be more we can do. Continue to hold it back as you have been."
"Of course, what else did you think I was going to do?"
I was expecting to get a kick or two, but my carapace suffers no impacts from irritated healer feet. They must be distracted, which isn't a good thing. They're doing their best to keep my body in as good a condition as it can be, whilst also trying to manipulate the invasive mana within. She said they'll be able to do more for me back at the fortress, but I'm genuinely not sure what that might be. If they have some tricks to help deal with a problem like this, they're something I've never seen before.
"Alright then, everybody aboard!" Brilliant laughs.
"I'm not a ship…" I grumble.
"In this instance, you technically sort of are," she tells me.
"Are you trying to make me feel better about the situation? If so, it isn't working."
"I wasn't," she confirms, tapping me on the back. "I think everyone is here, good! Let's go!"
I brace myself and soon feel the weird twisting sensation that always precedes one of these 'hops'. There's a sickening, sucking feeling, and then darkness. Which isn't too shocking, we're hopping from patches of total darkness to other patches of total darkness, after all. There isn't anything to see.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from NovelFire; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
"I don't know what's making me feel worse. The infection or these dimensional shenanigans."
"I'm pretty sure it's the infection. That doesn't look pleasant at all."
I raise up an antenna to prod the little mad scientist.
"You can see it?" I say.
"Of course I can! I'm—"
"Nope."
She huffs.
"—able to see all the mana around me, even if it's hidden away inside something. You'd be amazed at how much energy is sneaking about, just beneath the surface."
"That's kind of impressive. I assume you have some sort of organ for that?"
"No, I'm just BRILLIANT!"
She snuck that one past me, dangit.
"Tell the truth. Organ?"
"Yes, yes it is."
I knew it.
"How many more do we have to go?" I groan.
"Just the one more. Give me a few minutes and we'll be ready to jump."
Not like I have a choice. The healers get back to work fussing over me, doing their best to help with the infection, and I do the same. We're close to the fortress now, I can tell by the sheer volume of Will flooding through the Vestibule. It washes away my fatigue, refreshing my brains and easing the strain in my body. Which is important, because I am working my carapace-covered backside off.
Soon I'll be right back where I started, as if my protectors hadn't ever taken a drop of the corruption out of me. The pace continues to grow, and despite all of my best efforts, I'm losing this battle. Perhaps with enough healers working on me, we'll be able to overcome it? I don't know. I suppose I'll have to hope so.
At this point, I don't see that I have any other options but to trust the Colony can save me.
"Alright, here we go!" Brilliant announces.
I'm too tired to say anything anymore, I just brace as best I can and then… bam! As quick as a blink, my surroundings change from total darkness to a brightly lit and crowded chamber inside the fortress.
There are dozens of healers around, and as soon as I appear, they leap at me, antennae prodding as they urgently confer with the few who made the trip with me. The pressure eases a fraction, and it's enough to almost make me sigh in relief.
"Eldest, don't rest! We need all of your effort to fight this," one of them scolds me.
"I'm working! Sheesh!"
I don't want to mutate into some horrific, contaminated monstrosity. I'm putting in my very best effort!
A figure walks up to me, arms folded across a broad, stone-covered chest. I feel a mind reach out to mine and allow the bridge to connect.
[Granin? What have they brought you here for?] I say. [Don't you have to worry about mana sickness?]
[All three of us are here,] he tells me, face creased with concern. [They thought we might be able to advise.]
He looks me up and down slowly.
[You look rubbish. Is it that bad?]
[Gee, thanks, Granin. Nice to see you too. And, it's the contamination straight from Theorazzn's back-end, so I suppose it isn't wonderful.]
[You're understating that by a significant degree, aren't you?]
[... Maybe.]
He groans and pinches the bridge of his nose.
[This isn't helpful, Anthony.]
-x-X-x-
"How bad is it?" Corun asked.
Granin took his hand off the dark purple carapace and grunted.
"I won't make a song and dance about it. It's bad."
Corun looked shocked, but Torrina only nodded, her expression grim.
"What are the options? There has to be something we can do, otherwise you wouldn't have agreed to come here," she asked him.
Granin grunted again and folded his arms, thinking.
"It's not up to us, it's up to Anthony, and it's up to the Colony. There are things we can do, but only if they let us, and all of them will have consequences. This is a delicate moment for Anthony; we have to respect his wishes."
There were dozens of healers crawling over the massive ant now, poking and prodding, their minds turned inward, trying to break down the mana within his body, an exceptionally difficult task.
"There are ways he could expel the mana," Torrina said, stepping up beside Granin, her eyes locked onto his. "You know as well as I do that he can get rid of it."
"You think I don't know that?" Granin growled. "Are you going to force him to do it? You know he won't."
"He's a proto-Ancient," Torrina insisted. "You've been charged by Yarrum himself–"
"Stop. Right now."
Granin scowled, his deep, rumbling voice brooked no argument. Only when his student remained silent, despite her obvious frustration, did he continue.
"I know all of that. There is no one who wants him to come through this more than I do, but it is impossible for us to force him to take the easy way out. Even if we convinced the Colony to help us, he still wouldn't cooperate. If all of us try to force him, then he will resist, and it will become very dangerous, very quickly. If he's overcome by the corruption here, inside the fortress, then the cleansed mana will kill him in a matter of minutes and everything is finished."
[What are you whispering about?]
Anthony's voice rang in the golgari Shaper's head, sounding more strained than Granin could ever recall hearing it. It was always strange to hear such a young-sounding voice coming from such a large monster. It was difficult to remember sometimes just how recently he'd been hatched.
[Talking about options to dispense with the mana inside you.]
[I'm taking suggestions.]
[I bet,] Granin chuckled, then grew serious. [Anthony, there are ways… that you could get that mana out of your system. It won't be easy, but you do have a mutation that will help.]
"Are you talking to him?" Corun asked.
"Yes, I'm talking to him," Granin snapped.
"Are you going to bring it up?"
"Yes! I'm just being tactful!"
Torrina and Corun both stared at him, eyes full of doubt. Granin cursed under his breath and ignored them. He could be tactful when the situation demanded!
[Your mandibles. You can inject mana into the things you bite,] Granin said abruptly, too irritated to dance around the subject any longer.
The big ant hesitated for a moment, Granin could hear his thoughts turning over, slowly. Almost all of his mental energy was devoted to the war within.
[It doesn't work like that,] Anthony said slowly. [I can't inject mana that I don't control.]
[It would be difficult,] Granin said. [But we could move the mana through your body, not breaking it down, but containing it, and then force it out through your mandibles.]
[Wouldn't I have to be biting something?] Anthony asked, still skeptical. [Wouldn't I have to be biting something for like… a long time?]
Those thoughts continued to turn over, until he arrived at the conclusion. As Granin had feared, the reply was immediate.
[No.]
The Shaper felt a deep, desperate frustration. Right in front of him was the monster of his dreams, the hope of thousands of years of cultists all over the Dungeon. Anthony could do it, could become an Ancient, he could feel it, but now that monster was dying. He couldn't allow it. He just… couldn't!
Yet, he also refused to force his friend to do something he was unwilling to do.
[There are many who would willingly take on the burden for you. I would do it. Gladly.]
[Granin, I'm not going to kill you with toxic mana. Sheesh.]
Injecting mana in this way would require the 'victim' to be very still, for a very long time, and accept the poison coming their way, since Anthony didn't have direct control over it. They couldn't use a monster as a sacrifice, it had to be a volunteer. Anthony had figured it out, and flatly refused.
[Well, there goes that idea.]
[Thanks for trying.]
"He said no, didn't he?" Torrina asked when she saw the grumpy look on Granin's face.
"Of course he did. We all knew he would."
The faces of all three fell as they contemplated their next steps. In silence, they thought, as the ants around them continued to climb and fuss over their Eldest. Despite their silence, it was easy to see how agitated they were. The insects were jittery, hesitant, moving back and forth, as if they didn't truly know which way they needed to go.
Granin raised his head, looking at the huge ant, laying on the ground beside them. The bridge between them was still connected, and distantly he could feel the turnings of the monster's mind. He was focused inward, as was natural, with only very superficial thoughts running through his head.
Then, out of nowhere, there was a blast of emotion. At first, a wave of confusion, followed by fear. They came so quickly, one after the other, sharp and profound. Granin snapped his head around, wondering what had happened to provoke such powerful emotions in the big ant.
Then, burning away the fear, came a hot wave of anger, searing and scalding.
Before Granin could react, he felt the world around him change, a storm of mana that rolled through the chamber. Up became down, down became up, and he fell to the ceiling, flailing in the air along with all the ants, Corun and Torrina. Pressed to the roof, Granin struggled back to his feet, looking down on the giant ant below, who stood up, brimming with fury.
Anthony clacked his mandibles sharply, and Granin could only turn to look at the members of the Colony struggling alongside him.
"What did they do?" he wondered.
-x-X-x-
The powers of the Ancients are legendary, even among those who know them best: the cults who worship and serve them. If one were to ask the Cult of the Worm what Yarrum was capable of, they would attest to the incredible strength of the monster, able to crush mountains by wrapping around them and squeezing. Or perhaps they would wax lyrical about the dreaded maw of the great worm, with teeth able to rend anything apart, be it rock, steel or diamond.
However, none of these cultists have actually seen Yarrum for themselves. These are legends, passed down from those precious few who actually had encountered the Ancients and survived to tell others.
To try and accurately gauge the strength of the Ancients is an impossible task, as the monsters themselves are wreathed in myth to the point that most don't believe they even exist.
In these pages, I will attempt to record what stories have survived, gathered from the various cults I have come into contact with.
-Excerpt from 'Collective Wisdom of the Cults' by Granin Lazus
It didn't take long for Granin to find out what had happened. Anthony snapped his mandibles and glared up at them, only to collapse back to the ground a moment later. While still pinned to the ceiling within Anthony's gravity domain, he extended several mind bridges until one finally connected and he was able to speak to a mage.
[The healers tried to withdraw the infection into themselves, like the others did,] the ant explained, dispirited.
[The others? There are more ants who are infected?!]
[Yes, twenty of them. They have been quarantined and are being treated as well as we are able.]
Twenty more? This didn't bode well. The legends about Theorazzn's abilities were… disturbing, to say the least. If any of the twenty were overcome, then the chance they could spread the toxin to others wasn't zero.
[Be very careful around them,] Granin warned. [Eventually, the toxin will erode their spirits and attack their minds. When it gets to that point, they'll start to attack others and infect them.]
[I-I'll pass on your message.]
Below, Anthony continued to lie still, focusing internally, even as he kept the gravity domain up.
[You'd better tell the Eldest you won't try it again. The longer this domain stays up, the worse the toxin will spread. It's taking away vital mental resources.]
[We know. The others are trying, but the Eldest is… unconvinced.]
Stupid, stubborn ant!
[I'll try,] Granin said.
He reached out to the big ant again through the bridge that linked them. As expected, the ant was still furious.
[Anthony,] Granin said cautiously. [Cut off the domain. I've spoken to the others, they won't try it again.]
[They didn't even ask me! As if I would ever let them do that!]
That's why they didn't ask. Granin kept that thought to himself.
[I have another solution,] he assured the massive monster. [It isn't ideal, but it will work. Now let us down. If you're too far gone, then even this won't solve the problem.]
[... Fine.]
The dark purple mana that filled the room flickered and faded away, leaving Granin, Corun and Torrina, along with a hundred insect monsters, floating in mid-air for a terrifying moment before they plunged to the ground.
Torrina managed a neat turn in the air and landed on her feet. Corun attempted the manoeuvre, but didn't turn far enough and landed flat on his face. Granin didn't bother and crashed into the floor like a boulder, his granite second-skin absorbing the impact. He grunted as he picked himself up, noting the floor had come off second best in the impact, and turned to the gathered ants.
[I have a possible method that will work,] he told them.
As one, the ants' attention snapped towards him, all of them pointing towards him at once. Granin held up his hands, feeling a little defensive.
[The Eldest has to agree. And it won't be easy to do, but we might just be able to pull it off if everyone cooperates.]
There was much antenna waggling as the ants communicated amongst themselves.
[Speak to the Eldest and see if they will agree. If you can get their cooperation, we will provide anything you need.]
Granin nodded and drew in a deep breath. This was the best option he could see. It wasn't ideal, as he'd said, but it was better than letting the most promising proto-Ancient he'd ever seen die. Anthony was more than that, though, he was also a friend. Granin would put everything on the line to make sure he would survive.
[Alright, Anthony. I've got one more solution for you. It's better than the last one, but you might still not like it.]
[Does it involve killing someone else so I can live?]
[It doesn't.]
[Well, I'm a fan so far.]
Here goes nothing.
[In short, you need to evolve.]
There was a long silence as Anthony just looked at him, slowly processing.
[Wait… That's it?!]
[It's possible you will get an evolution option that will enable you to either absorb and utilise the energy in your body, or one that will make it possible for you to survive it. If such an option appears, you'll live.]
The big ant thought for a moment.
[I suppose I've seen something like that before. There's this strange feeling I have that you aren't telling me everything, Granin. What's the catch?]
[You're in no state to manage your own evolution,] Granin told him bluntly. [So you'll have to let us do it. Also, we'll have to try and keep you from dying during the course of your evolution, which could take weeks. It'll be a tremendous pain in everyone's backside, and we may not even succeed, but right now, I don't see another path.]
The golgari folded his arms across his chest once more and levelled his stare at the ant before him.
[It's not ideal, I know that, but if you relax enough to manage the evolution yourself, the toxin will expand too fast. Also, your evolution will be somewhat forced. Whatever option will help you live is the one we have to take. We could be seriously harming your potential by doing this.]
Granin hesitated for a moment, but ploughed ahead. He owed Anthony the whole truth.
[The corruption of Theorazzn may not even be totally gone. You've probably experienced it to some degree already.]
[Wow… this suggestion is sort of rubbish.]
[It's the best I can do,] Granin snapped. [I tried to convince the Colony to let the mages from the Silver City in here to look at you, but they don't trust them enough.]
Anthony laughed, a thin sound that echoed in Granin's head.
[I suppose we better move quickly, then. How did you even know I was max Level?]
Granin shrugged.
[I didn't.]
-x-X-x-
As a member of the Cult of the Worm myself, I believe it is most appropriate to begin with what is known of Yarrum. There are, of course, many tales passed down within the cult regarding the feats the Eternal Worm achieved while on the surface, but it is difficult to know which have some basis in reality.
Yarrum is said to have drunk an ocean, consuming all of the water and monsters who had dwelled within. This is a surprisingly common tale, to the point where some research was put into it. Within the cult in the modern era, it is mostly believed Yarrum did consume a large body of water, an inland sea south of what is now the Wave Sands.
Generally, Yarrum is said to have truly immense physical strength to go with their size, skin so dense no weapon or magic can breach it, and a maw that can devour all that enters it. If the Eternal Worm has abilities beyond these, we do not know of them.
-Excerpt from 'Collective Wisdom of the Cults' by Granin Lazus
Once the decision had been made, events progressed quickly. The Colony leapt to action once Anthony had given his approval, rushing to secure cores and Biomass to feed to their Eldest, pushing him towards a perfect evolution.
As if Granin would have settled for anything less. If they were going to do this, then they would do everything they could to ensure the evolution was as perfect as possible. He refused to watch Anthony's future be cut short by this absurd happenstance. He refused.
"Do they have a mythic core for him?" Corun asked as the three golgari consulted with each other. "Without the core, they would be crippling him."
"It's being prepared as we speak," Granin said.
"Will he be strong enough to absorb it?" Torrina fretted. "He's growing weaker by the minute."
"He doesn't have a choice," her teacher stated grimly. "He has to eat and has to take in that core. Once he's ready, we will have to start immediately."
"I'm not sure about this," Corun fretted. "Are we really the right ones to guide the evolution of a monster this powerful? An Ancient candidate? He has the Call! What if we make a mistake?"
"What if he dies?" Torrina shot back. "I would rather make a mistake and save him than let him fall here."
"I would rather we save him and do it right," Granin growled. "Stop doubting and centre your minds. If we are going to do this, then we are going to go in with level heads and clear thoughts."
A steady flow of ants came and went, dropping off Biomass that Anthony slowly consumed, stuffing himself absent-mindedly as he focused his energy within. There were more healers around him now, doing all that they could to hold back the toxin. Granin felt the passage of time as a painful drip. He stood, arms crossed, leaning against the wall with Corun and Torrina beside him, watching events unfold.
"What I'm really worried about," he said, "is if we need to make the mutation decisions as well. His mind is weak, we won't be able to consult him much, if at all, and that gravity mana of his is becoming the focus of his build, but we still don't understand it well enough to properly capitalise on it."
"That is a valid concern," Torrina frowned. "We may have to speak to him, even if it distracts from holding off the toxin."
"As little as possible," Granin warned. "If we distract him too much, then we may as well have him do it himself."
There was a disturbance to the side, and moments later a column of ants marched in, a soldier at their head, an enormous core clutched in her mandibles. In short order, it was placed in front of Anthony, who extended a single antenna to touch it.
The moment they came in contact, a burst of energy erupted from the core, spiralling into the air in dense ribbons of light. It twisted and spun, swirling towards the massive ant and sinking within his carapace. Anthony shifted uncomfortably as his own core swelled within him, pushing into his organs and compressing everything within his carapace.
Even as the core was absorbed, the great ant continued to eat, shovelling in the Biomass bite by bite.
The moments ticked by and Granin grew more and more impatient. It felt like an eternity before the whole of the core was absorbed, watching Anthony grow more and more uncomfortable as he absorbed the energy.
-x-X-x-
Theorazzn is one of the few examples where an Ancient has left a persistent sign of their power that has lasted to the modern era. Followers of the Ancient's cult are quick to point to the fifth stratum as evidence of Theorazzn's might, claiming they were responsible for turning it into the toxic hazard it is today.
Interestingly, there is some consensus amongst the cults laying the blame at the feat of this particular Ancient, supported by rumours that the Krath deify Theorazzn in some way.
Regardless, extreme toxicity and corruption are the primary abilities attributed to Theorazzn of the Decaying World. Even being within a kilometre of the Ancient was said to cause almost instantaneous death to all but the most mighty of warriors due to the miasma exuding from the monster's flesh. Getting any closer almost guaranteed a bad end, since you were now susceptible to a direct application of the Ancient's slime, which polluted an entire stratum and persists after a thousand years.
-Excerpt from 'Collective Wisdom of the Cults' by Granin Lazus
Theresant looked at the chal gathered around the door and wondered, not for the first time, just what the little hatchlings were thinking. At least they weren't straining themselves like before, there was no risk of injury that she could see, but it was still unusual behavior.
"Any movement?" Florence asked.
"No movement," Theresant sighed.
It was nice to have her sister and fellow Council member here to help. After things had finally started to settle down here, she had come to see if there were any aspects of the new curriculum being developed for the snails that could be used to enhance the education program of the Colony's own hatchlings.
For over an hour now, every single baby chal within the Snailcare centre had been crowded around the door, silent and unmoving. It was as if something outside the room had captured their attention, but what and how the Brood Tenders had no idea!
Even more puzzling, nothing like this had ever happened before. The hatchlings had been perfectly content with the activities and space inside the carefully controlled environment that had been provided for them. All of a sudden, it seemed as if they universally decided they wanted to leave. It was baffling!
So far, the Tenders hadn't interfered much, there wasn't any danger that they could see, after all, but their small attempts to lure the snails back to other activities had completely failed. Without exception, every single one of them was focused on the exit to the exclusion of all else.
"Should we… let them out?" Florence suggested.
"What?" Theresant gasped. "The fortress still isn't secure! There are sections still flooded with toxic mana! Absolutely not."
"Those sections are completely blocked off. I'm not suggesting we let them slide off unsupervised," Florence tried to calm her sister, clacking her mandibles in amusement. "If they are sensing something outside the chamber, then it shouldn't be far away, surely? After taking some precautions and ensuring the surroundings are safe, we can let them out and carefully supervise as they lead us to whatever has captivated them."
"I don't see the need," Theresant stubbornly refused. "There's no reason to risk the hatchlings' safety. Any minute now, they may grow bored and go back to playing and meditating."
"They've been staring at that door without moving for over an hour. Whatever is out there, they really want to see it."
Florence couldn't help but laugh. The Brood Tenders were obsessively protective about the young, of course they were, but it seemed as though her sister was coddling the little snails even more than she did the grubs. Perhaps she was just sensitive, considering the recent singing trauma they had all experienced. That was perfectly understandable, but from her perspective, there was no harm in letting the snail hatchlings out so they could learn just what had seized their attention.
"With preparation, there should be no risks at all. What do you say?"
Theresant didn't look happy. Her antennae swung in agitation as she ground her mandibles together. The little snails had only recently recovered after exhausting themselves singing! They'd slept for so long, and been so lethargic afterwards, the Tenders had been afraid to even start singing lessons again, in case their 'vocal cords', which were apparently a thing, had been damaged.
Healers had been in multiple times to inspect them in the last day, under strict instructions to keep their complaining outside the room!
Despite having been given a clean bill of health, she still wasn't confident they were well. If this had happened in a few days' time, perhaps she would have been more comfortable….
"The possibility exists that we wait and wait, expecting them to go back to their normal routine, but they keep standing there, not eating or resting, and it becomes an emergency," Florence pointed out. "If we act now, we can head off a potential problem."
Theresant's mandibles snapped shut.
That was a lot more convincing. The chal were stubborn, very much so. If they didn't get what they wanted, they may well just stay there for days on end, driving the Tenders mad.
"Fine," she eventually muttered. "But you have to ensure their safety! I want the whole fortress on alert!"
"Fine, fine," Florence laughed. "I'll be thorough. I don't want anything happening to them either. Try to remember that."
The two put their heads together, discussing the best way to ensure the little snails would be safe, no matter where they went in the fortress, before Florence left to start putting their plan into motion. If all went well, it would be less than an hour before the door could be opened and the chal could be introduced to the rest of the fortress.
-x-X-x-
Syssernix the Dark Spear is one of the more mysterious Ancients, a trait adopted by their Cult. The followers of the Dark Spear are almost impossible to find, a secretive organisation that operates primarily amongst the brathian, who surface for reasons known only to them before they vanish once more.
What little is known is that Syssernix is a creature of shadow and water, suspected to have been born in the second stratum, which would make them perhaps the youngest of the Ancients. This does not, by any means, mean she is the weakest.
In the far north, the Ridgeway canyon, a thousand-kilometre-long stretch of sheer walls, is assumed to have been formed by the passage of the Lewn River. Amongst the Cults, its formation is attributed to the Horn of Syssernix.
-Excerpt from 'Collective Wisdom of the Cults' by Granin Lazus
As Anthony continued to eat, Granin watched carefully, judging his condition by the behaviour of the ants around him. It was a better indicator than asking him how he felt, after all. It had long been a pattern with him. Almost as if he felt a reflexive need to downplay his own suffering.
There might be a reason behind such behaviour, but Granin wasn't going to be able to get to the bottom of it in the next hour, so he ignored it, and watched.
All the while, he conferred with his triad, and, intermittently, he spoke to the monster himself. It was admirable how well Anthony was holding up, though the strain was clearly taking its toll. More than that, Granin was carefully sensing for any sign of corruption in his thoughts, yet so far, he had felt none.
[How much Biomass do you have now?] Granin asked.
[Enough. Surely, enough. I'm fit to burst.]
[That doesn't mean anything to me. I need a number.]
[Sheesh. Give me a second, I have other things on my mind. Can't you just check my core and see the number anyway?]
Granin raised a brow.
[I can, with your permission. Are you happy for me to take a look at your core?]
[Don't you have to do that anyway?] he replied wearily. [I don't have the headspace for trawling through mutation menus. Please, tell them to take the food away, I'm stuffed.]
[I'll tell them to take it away just as soon as I confirm how much Biomass you have stored up.]
[Geh.]
Placing his hands on the great monster, Granin let his consciousness slip inside and carefully access his core. As always, he marvelled at the tremendous flood of information that came pouring out. The information that all monsters contained was dense, intricate, and for the most part, irrelevant. From long experience, Granin knew that every single detail of a monster was contained within their core, down to the alignment of their muscles and ligaments, the exact dimensions of their digestive system.
He allowed all of that to flow past him as he sought out the one piece of information that he needed. Thankfully, he knew where to look.
After a quick glance, he withdrew his awareness and came back to himself.
[Got what you need?] Anthony said.
[I did. You've been stockpiling Biomass for a while now, haven't you? Or have you just been putting off mutating because you couldn't be bothered lifting the mental load?]
There was a conspicuous and long silence from the massive ant.
[I… wouldn't phrase it that way,] Anthony said evasively. [I've been rather busy. Very busy! I haven't had time to sit down and read through endless menus! We've been conquering the fifth and such out here.]
[And you were lazy.]
[... Maybe.]
Granin grunted, but pushed his exasperation to the side. In his defence, Anthony had been busy. His presence on the platform had been near constant, and his downtime consumed with resting, healing and purging himself of corruption.
[It's fine, you have more than enough Biomass to finish the last of your mutations,] Granin sighed. [We can get to it immediately, if you're willing.]
[Fine, fine,] Anthony said, distracted and weary. [Let me know if you need help.]
Granin turned to his triad and gestured for them to draw near. Corun and Torrina looked serious as they stepped forward, but their alacrity alerted him to the nervous energy they tried to mask.
When they reached him, he spoke to them in a low voice.
"We have his permission to finish his mutations and assist with the evolution," he told them and watched as their eyes came alight. "Try to contain your excitement," he warned them, then gave a very slight smile, "though I am also excited to help guide a possible Ancient. Now, link your thoughts with mine and we can begin."
Corrun and Torrina raised their hands and placed them on Granin's shoulders, then closed their eyes and focused inward.
Despite being one of them, Granin could not say why the golgari had such a natural predilection for the sharing of minds. Perhaps it was something that had developed over the centuries as they had huddled amongst the deep stone during the Rending. Or perhaps it was a defence mechanism they had developed in the old times before they learned to bond with the Second Skin. Whatever the reason, the sharing of minds had become a core part of golgari society, and the foundation of the triad system of teacher and students that they used today.
Granin felt their thoughts flow into his own, and he opened his mind to them. When the process was complete, they were no longer Granin, Corun and Torrina, but a combination of the three, greater than the sum of their parts.
As one, they extended their hands towards Anthony and let their minds be swept into the sea of information contained within his core.
-x-X-x-
One of the most deeply contested grudges amongst the Cults is held between the followers of Theorazzn and Morribolg of the Fetid Earth.
Perhaps this reflects the long-held myth that the two Ancients themselves are bitter rivals who competed over the fifth stratum, trying to find who would succeed in the race to paint it in their own image.
Morribolg is said to be a creature of water, earth and death, a unique combination that came to be known as 'Fetid Earth'. Without a solid form, the Ancient is a vast mass of mud with incredible strength and endurance. More than this, anyone touched by Morribolg, legend has it, is doomed to die, unable to escape, the life being sucked from them every passing second.
The location Morribolg is believed to have surfaced during the Rending has not recovered to this day, a seeping wasteland of death and destruction referred to as 'Never Swamp' by the locals.
-Excerpt from 'Collective Wisdom of the Cults' by Granin Lazus
As always, there was the initial rush as all that was contained within Anthony's core washed over them. The combined minds of Granin, Torrina and Corun were far more powerful than any of them were alone, and they parsed it almost as fast as it came in. After a few moments, they were able to piece together the full breadth of Anthony's status.
Name: Anthony
Level: 320 (Mythic) (VII)
Might: 380
Toughness: 342
Cunning: 228
Will: 195
HP: 684/684
MP: 2300/2300
Skills:
General:
Grandmaster Excavation (V) Level 10; Master Grip (IV) Level 40; Expert Stealth (III) Level 20; Tunnel Compendium (V) Level 11; Diamond Mind (V) Level 80;Grandmaster Stamina (V) Level 46; Unseen Dash (VI) Level 32; Expert Efficient Movement (III) Level 20; Master Observance (IV) Level 40; Manifold High-Focus (V) Level 80;
Mana:
Advanced Mana Craft (VI) Level 84; Condensed Mana (V) Level 80; Grand Finer External Mana Manipulation (V) Level 80; Mana Hoarder (V) Level 63; Multi-Layered Mind Magic Affinity (VI) Level 46; Extended Directed Mana Sensing (V) Level 80; Master Healing Magic Affinity (IV) Level 40; Advanced Omni-Elemental Affinity (VI) Level 121; Master Mana Masking (IV) Level 32; Wood Magic Affinity (I) Level 1; Metal Magic Affinity (I) Level 1; Lightning Magic Affinity (I) Level 1; Master Force Magic Affinity (IV) Level 40; Master Barrier Magic Affinity (IV) Level 40; Grandmaster Gravity Magic Affinity (V) Level 80; Expert Mana Dismantling (III) Level 20
Pet:
Far-Flung Pet Communication (IV) Level 38; Core Crafting (IV) Level 20; Pet Growth Speed (I) Level 5;
Defensive:
Divine Exo-Skeleton Defence (VI) Level 111; Flicker Dodge (VI) Level 93; Grandmaster Endure (V) Level 80; Expert Mandible Parry (III) Level 20; Precognitive Agile Defence (IV) Level 40;
Offensive:
Pinpoint Acid Shot (VI) Level 82; Grandmaster Precise Shooting (V) Level 16; Starcrusher (VII) Level 57; Master Chomp Combo (IV) Level 20; Spear Charge (III) Level 20;
Mutations:
Senses:
Broad Intent Focal Compound Eyes +35; Prescient Ripple Antennae +35 (Twilight Filament);
Defence:
Horizon Intensifying Compression Carapace (Gravity-Compressed Diamond) +35; Regenerating Amp Displacer Inner Carapace Plating (Boson Agitating Crystal Flesh) +35;
Physical:
Fortified Absorption Legs +30; Vicious Injecting Mandibles (Gravity-Compressed Diamond) +30; Hastened Potent Regeneration Gland +30; Widespread Stinking Pheromone Gland +30; Expanding Discerning Compression Stomach +35; Coiling Hyper-Twitch Musculature +30; Distributed Instantaneous Sub-Neural Network +30;
Acid:
Hyper-Thick Spreading Mana-Feasting Bind Acid Gland +35; Flexi Hyper Pressurised Scattershot Acid Nozzle +30; Enriching Draining Acid Concentration Gland +30; Viscous Enfeebling Acid Stimulation Gland +30;
Mental:
Steadfast Coordination Cortex +30; Crushing Gravity Well Main Brain +30; Mind Mana Mastery Sub-Brain +30; Mind Mana Mastery Sub-Brain +30; Mind Mana Mastery Sub-Brain +30;
Mana:
Vast Gravity Magic Gland (Resonant Well Stone)+15; Accelerated Might Infusing Collective Will Vestibule +35 (Soul Crystal); Grand Empowering Communal Spirit Nave (Soul Crystal) +35; Vast Impregnable Starborn Altar of Self +35 (Soul Crystal);
Species: Perfect Paragon
Skill points: 171 +325 - (skill fusions).
Biomass: 3120
None of the three had worked on a monster this powerful, nor one this evolved, and it was difficult to grasp it all. Anthony's status was… a mess, especially compared to the carefully pruned and developed Skills of the monsters the Shapers crafted within the Cult of the Worm. They were trying to create lean perfection, but this was a true beast of the Dungeon, fighting for survival and figuring it all out as they went.
And it was this less streamlined and organised monster who had thrived, where the carefully designed creatures had utterly failed. There was a lesson in that.
However… there was one detail that immediately infuriated the golgari.
[Anthony,] they growled in unison. [Why on Pangera do you have so many maxed Skills?!]
So many of them!? One or two was acceptable, but how long had it been since this moron had checked his status?! The progress wasn't stored if he didn't rank up his Skills, it was simply lost!
[Yell at me another time, Granin… and… company. This is hard. Get on with… that thing you were doing.]
[We were going to finalise your mutations.]
[Right. I… feel vaguely worried about that for some reason… but I can't quite grab it. It's fine. Ask if you have questions, otherwise try not to mess anything up.]
[There's a lot of mutations to be done. We will need your input on a few of them.]
[Fine, fine.]
Wanting to work quickly, the triad scanned through the relevant information, concentrating on what needed to be done.
There were fifteen organs in total that needed upgrading at a final cost of almost three thousand Biomass. Some of those were important mutations, with the +35 options able to unlock powerful new possibilities for Anthony, while others could be relatively ignored, since the body parts were likely to be reset or fused in the upcoming evolution. The triad organised the mutations into those two groups so they could prioritise their efforts.
Important mutations:
Coordination Cortex.
Main Brain.
Sub-Brains, of which there were three.
Sub-Neural Network.
Musculature
Mandibles
Regeneration Gland
Gravity Mana Gland
Resets and Fusions:
Legs.
Acid Nozzle.
Acid Concentration Gland.
Acid Stimulation Gland.
The three minds consulted and agreed that the final four organs would be best served with a fusion and reset. Anthony had attempted to make his acid more potent by purchasing several cheap body parts and mutations to increase its power and flexibility, but with the toxic mana within him, this was the perfect opportunity to try and fuse these organs together with his acid gland to create something far more powerful.
His legs were also due for a reset. If he got much larger, they wouldn't be able to hold him up properly, and besides, his earlier mutation selections weren't as viable as they could be.
The triad settled on some generic options for these organs that played to the strengths they already had without wasting more time than they had to. They would be reset to nothing soon anyway, so there was no need to spend too long on them.
After considering for a moment, the triad decided to work on the brains first and dove in.
The sub-brains were dedicated to maintaining Anthony's host of mind constructs, and indeed were doing so right now. Specialised in handling mind mana, they were able to craft far more mind constructs than they could without this mutation, but there was a loss of efficiency here.
Anthony had enabled himself to create a large number of mind constructs, but those constructs still needed to utilise parts of the physical brain in order to do their work. Further increasing the sub-brains' specialisation in mind mana wouldn't help, but increasing the cognitive capacity of the brains would. Significantly.
Three minds unified into one raced through the list of possible mutations, looking for candidates that suited their needs.
In all honesty, Anthony's brains could use a reset, reforging them with a more powerful material than simple fleshy neurons, but with a list of other body parts likely to need resetting, it would have to wait.
After some time, they narrowed their options down to three:
Webbed Sub-Brain. This option would utilise mind mana, which the brain was constantly handling anyway, to stimulate added connections within the brain itself, essentially forming new neural links out of mana to make the brain matter more efficient.
Condensed Sub-Brain. This mutation would draw on Gravitational mana, which they didn't understand but knew was present throughout Anthony's body, to draw the brain inward and compress it, pushing the cells closer together, shortening the links between them and increasing processing speed.
Interwoven Sub-Brain. Less specific to Anthony, but well regarded in the Shaper literature, this mutation would serve two functions: linking the sub-brains together, and weaving greater connections between the neurons.
Ultimately, they selected the Webbed Sub-Brain. With a constant supply of mind mana, the brains would become twenty to thirty percent more efficient as the connections formed. Since Anthony supplied it already, there was nothing but upsides here. Adding brain mass to each of the sub-minds was also a far more attractive prospect with this mutation in place, allowing the benefits to compound.
For Anthony's main brain, similar decisions had to be made. He had specialised this brain in two simple fields: condensing mana and handling gravitational mana. Little wonder his 'gravity bombs' were so effective.
Much like his sub-brains, he hadn't given any thought to mutations that would enable his brain to work more efficiently in general. At this point, reinforcing the aspect he had already mutated would have diminishing returns. It was time to increase the effectiveness of the brain as a whole.
The Condensed option they had already explored was a strong contender here, as it would synergise well with the brain's intended purpose: handling gravity mana. To be sure it was the best mutation, they thoroughly examined the list and found another tempting prospect.
Will-Forged Main Brain. The triad weren't overly familiar with the power of Will that Anthony absorbed through the Vestibule. They only knew what Anthony had told them about it and what they could glean from his core. However, this option seemed very viable.
Utilising the power of Will, it would work to increase the processing speed of the brain, running the cells hotter than they should, but sweeping the waste away and preventing the neurons from burning out using that mysterious Will energy. It was something Anthony had in abundance already, so long as the Colony was somewhere nearby, and according to their calculations, would provide a greater boost than the other mutations they looked at.
They locked it in and turned to the coordination cortex.
This was where Anthony had placed the responsibility of increasing the efficiency of his brains. The coordination cortex worked to distribute tasks across the four brains and reduce the strain on each, ensuring they were each fully utilised and able to work harder for longer.
The triad dove into the list of options, looking for something that would provide the power boost Anthony would need. Mutations for the cortex were somewhat limited in scope, the organ could only do so much, but they were able to find one they liked.
Event-Horizon Coordination Cortex. Drawing on the power of Gravity Mana, this mutation would, somehow, dilate time within the cortex itself, allowing for what appeared to be lightning-fast processing. It was expensive in terms of mana draw, but Anthony was more than capable of providing the power necessary, and would even recoup a percentage of the cost via his Resonant Well Stone Gravity Mana Gland.
This balanced approach to the use of Anthony's resources appealed to the triad. None of the brains would draw a detrimental amount of mind mana, gravity mana, or Will, and they made use of distinct, readily available energy sources.
They locked it in and moved on.
-x-X-x-
Carriflare, for some reason, has many stories and legends passed down amongst their followers. Either the Kindling Cult of the Hell Flame is more creative than the rest of us, or the Ancient did indeed interact with their forebears more than their peers.
Whatever the reason, Carriflare's power isn't difficult to conceptualize: it burns. An entity of living flame, the Ancient is possibly an elemental, born of the fourth stratum, that has evolved to the very pinnacle of what is possible. According to the Cultists, all things burn in the presence of Carriflare, even that which has no form. When pushed to explain, they will tell tales of when the Ancient burned time itself, though for what purpose, they are less forthcoming.
Regardless, it is widely believed that Carriflare is fully capable of burning mana itself, making them invulnerable to almost any form of magical attack. The devastating offensive potential of such a flame does not need to be stated here.
-Excerpt from 'Collective Wisdom of the Cults' by Granin Lazus
With the brains dealt with, the triad turned their collective attention to the next organ they needed to handle. Anthony's musculature was fully mutable, and had been almost exclusively mutated to enhance its 'burst' potential. He was able to unleash extremely explosive power from his muscles in very short spans, making the crunching impact of his bites truly punishing. It also meant his dashes and dodges were extremely rapid, which synergised beautifully well with his foresight, making him a truly elusive target, despite his size.
The triad considered his body and realised Anthony had likely never realised he was suffering innumerable tear and strain injuries as a result of his musculature. His tendons weren't mutable and couldn't stand up to the explosive release of energy, leading to numerous tears, and his muscles themselves showed signs of wear from repeated healing. His ability to flush his body with regeneration fluid at a steady rate thanks to the Vestibule had allowed him to largely ignore the problem, along with the healing the strange organ provided as well.
In truth, his musculature could do with a reset, and his tendons definitely needed to be made mutable, regardless of other decisions, but for now, they sought out a mutation that would help emphasise Anthony's strengths. The triad was loath to lean any further into explosive power, not without something to compensate for the damage that was done, so they avoided the mutations that worked solely to improve that aspect of the muscle.
After debating back and forth about the merits of several options, they narrowed the choices to two.
Histone-Veined. An interesting mutation that would inject an area of muscle under tension with a compound that would harden and toughen the fibres, allowing them, for a short time, to withstand far greater punishment and unleash even greater kinetic energy. This option killed two birds with one stone, preventing injury and increasing power.
Regen-Fluid. Parts of the triad wanted to approach the problem from another angle. If Anthony was going to injure himself unleashing tremendous power, why not select a mutation that would simply recover the damage as efficiently as possible? This would allow him to further push himself, unleash greater strength, and the damage wouldn't matter.
This mutation manipulated the muscle tissue and liquified it the moment it was damaged, repairing torn cells and reforming them in fractions of a second. Combined with Anthony's Vestibule whisking away fatigue, this would allow him to fully utilise the options he'd selected so far and operate at peak strength for longer.
Ultimately, they chose Histone-Veined, but resolved to try and reset his muscles if the budget would allow. His eyes and legs would be first, but there might be room for more depending on evolution choices.
The Sub-Neural Network was an interesting addition to Anthony's suite of organs. If he'd known he could make his own nervous system mutable, he might have done so rather than add an additional nervous system to his body. Making his actual nervous system mutable and then aiming for a fusion down the line could be an effective choice, depending on the options presented.
As it was, the sub-neural network acted as a bypass of sorts, sending information rocketing back to the brain far faster than his own nerves could hope to achieve thanks to his mutations. With his recent mutations, his legs could dodge without the stimuli even reaching his brain, enhancing his reaction speed even further.
If the triad were honest, it was one area where Anthony had actually managed to properly coordinate his mutations and organs, giving him an enormous defensive advantage.
They carefully examined the list of +35 mutations, looking for something that would continue to apply the strengths that Anthony had applied to it. Reacting quickly was immensely useful, though it would grow more difficult as he continued to grow larger. His gated subneural network helped to combat that, but it could only do so much.
Ultimately they found an option they were happy to settle on.
Cortex-Infused. A useful upgrade to the Coordinating mutation that placed bundles of nerves along the network, allowing it to act without direct influence of the main brain. This mutation took it ever further, enhancing the processing power of the nerve bundles, allowing them to do more, reacting better and faster without having to wait for an actual brain's processing. In essence, this single mutation was like placing six small sub-brains in Anthony's legs without having to pay any evolutionary energy for the privilege. Combined with his brain mutations, his mental processing would receive a massive boost from all this streamlining.
The Regeneration Gland was an important organ for any monster to have. The fluid that was generated within was a strange concoction that Shapers had studied for generations. It was believed the liquid closely resembled the 'living mana' that most monsters were born from—not quite raw energy, not quite living tissue, but something in between.
Pumped through the body, it would rapidly transform into cells to repair damage to any part of the body. Sadly, it didn't work so well in non-monsters. There had been secretive experiments conducted all over the world, with horrifying results.
What worked for monsters was clearly not intended to work for mortals.
After his initial mutation, which increased the speed at which the fluid would regrow his limbs, Anthony had dedicated every subsequent mutation to increasing the speed at which the gland refilled. Combined with the benefits of his Vestibule, Anthony was able to refill the gland with almost hilarious rapidity, but he had never mutated to increase the capacity or efficacy of the regeneration fluid itself. This made the triad's job particularly easy. After all, to maximise the benefit of the rapid refill pace, any mutation that improved those two aspects would have an enormous impact on the potency of his regeneration gland.
After investigating, they selected a mutation that worked similarly to the brain mutation they had looked at earlier.
Gravitation-Well.
Although it would cost Anthony more of his gravitational mana, and it wasn't cheap either, this single mutation would have the largest impact on both capacity and quality. Able to hold much more regeneration fluid, and concentrating the fluid itself, Anthony would receive close to double the healing every time he triggered the gland. With the rapid refill mutations and Vestibule, he would still be able to use it with absurd frequency as well. He was effectively invincible against slowly accumulated damage at this point; only significant strikes that inflicted major injuries would be enough to worry him, and not for long.
Which left the immensely important Gravity Mana Gland itself. Reset and formed of Resonant Well Stone, a material that seemed specifically tuned to mana of this type, Anthony had so far mutated the organ to +15, increasing his capacity at each step.
This made sense, since his spells appeared to need vast quantities of the stuff. The Resonant Well Stone not only empowered those spells but increased the regeneration speed of the organ, which helped him have mana available more often, but it would certainly help to improve the regeneration speed.
The triad improved capacity again at +20, then refill speed at +25, then opted to emphasise the refill speed.
This would help Anthony have more mana available more often, but the +35 was the big ticket item, and again, there were many options that would work. Increasing the density of the mana was always valuable, and further increases to capacity wouldn't go far astray either. Ultimately they found one that seemed like it would be… rather interesting.
Field-Feast.
It wasn't easy for the triad to understand, and they had to disturb Anthony briefly for a quick word, but he seemed to approve, which was positive.
Ultimately, the mutation would allow the organ to draw on gravity fields that were affecting Anthony, bleeding off some of their power and turning it into more mana. According to Anthony, that meant he could effectively make himself lighter, reducing the grip the planet itself had on him.
They locked it in.
-x-X-x-
It isn't uncommon for members of the various Cults to debate the merits and strengths of the Ancients as monsters, though with an obvious and significant bias towards their own deity. When debating who is the physically strongest of the Ancients, Rigorite and Yarrum are usually the two names that are first raised.
Although Rigorite, formed of living metal, is not thought to nearly approach the size of the Eternal Worm, the Ancient is nonetheless massive, a breaker of mountains whose charge is as irresistible as the turning of Pangera.
Steel Cultists tell tales of Rigorite's gleaming presence, and the deadly blade formed from the Ancient's head and running up its back. Despite their massive size, the blade of Rigorite is said to be so sharp it can cut air.
-Excerpt from 'Collective Wisdom of the Cults' by Granin Lazus
Satisfied with their work so far, the triad moved onto the final mutation: the mandibles.
Anthony's mandibles were critically important, his primary weapon and literally the first thing his opponents had to face when they approached him. More importantly, he needed to ensure he remained physically capable of battle. There were many ways to get around mana-based attacks, and according to legends, some of the most powerful monsters in the Dungeon were close to fully immune. If he couldn't deal strong physical damage to his opponents, then Anthony would find himself face to face with enemies he could never hope to defeat.
Fortunately, he had cultivated powerful pets who would be able to help him, but that wasn't always enough. Crinis, Tiny and Invidia would never be stronger than Anthony himself, and helping them to progress was going to become prohibitively more expensive over the upcoming tiers. He had to be able to do it himself.
Which meant his mandible mutation was all the more important. So far, he had taken the savage mutation three times, which increased the size of the mandibles and changed their shape, making them sharper, with longer 'teeth' giving them more penetrating and gripping power. For his next three mutations, Anthony had chosen to explore the ability to inject his opponents with gravity mana. An interesting power that he hadn't been able to explore much in the fifth. Getting up close and personal with fifth stratum monsters was seldom the best approach, after all, and for the mutation to work, he had to physically bite something, not just hit it with his chomping Skill.
Once he actually got to grips with his opponent, injecting them with gravity mana should allow Anthony to overcome many foes, allowing him to manipulate them from within. Even a monster immune to external mana attacks wasn't safe from energy inside of them.
The triad consulted and decided that the best way for Anthony to improve his combat proficiency was to further enable his mandibles to deal strong physical damage. They had to be sharper and deadlier, which would have the benefit of enabling them to crack through defences, facilitating mana injection.
They searched through the long list until they narrowed down their options, debating and discussing the merits and drawbacks of each.
Ultimately, they settled on one.
Vorpal. This mutation sharpened and hardened all edges and cutting surfaces to only a few microns. Further iterations on this mutation would have the potential to create mono-filmament edges.
Such a powerful enhancement would also have a dramatic effect on the strength of the Skills he used with his mandibles, which would be something to behold. Although the triad hadn't seen the Starcrusher at work, they had spoken to many who had. A potent weapon indeed. It would be their responsibility to ensure that the giant ant could properly utilise it, and the rank eight version, after his next evolution.
[Alright, I think we are done,] they said to Anthony, speaking as a collective.
[Huh? What about my pheromone gland?]
The triad had made the pheromones produce a pleasant smell in the area which calmed and soothed those who smelled it. They figured anyone around Anthony could do with a little help staying calm.
[We took care of it,] they told him.
[Alright then, go ahead. Seriously, though, I can't help but feel like I'm forgetting something…]
[No matter. These mutations will significantly aid your cognitive power, which will help you hold off the toxin inside you. We should proceed immediately.]
[I get it, I get it. Go on then.]
All three golgari nodded in unison, then confirmed the mutations. In that instant, Anthony's antennae spiked upwards.
[Wait! I remember now! NooooooOOOOOOOOOO! SHABAKABAZZIFLAP!!!! THE ITCH!!!!!!]
To the shock of everyone in the chamber, the ant leapt up, crashed into the ceiling, only to begin flailing wildly in midair. Anthony landed heavily, with an enormous crash, legs kicking while everyone scrambled to move away from him.
[What is happening?!] the triad demanded.
[My body is mutating! It itches like CRAZY! GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!]
It itches? It wasn't supposed to itch! No monster they'd ever seen reacted in this way to mutating.
[Hold still! You have to focus on protecting yourself from the toxin!] the triad urged him, but Anthony seemed unable to listen.
[My secret shame,] he groaned as he continued to writhe and kick. [I HATE THIISSSSSS!!!!]
The healers flung themselves back onto Anthony, doing all they could to stop the progression of the toxin while the triad extended their awareness into Anthony once more. The poison of Theorazzn was spreading quickly, too quickly.
[How long does this itch go on?] they demanded. [Quickly!]
[My brains are like a fire that's on fire while within another fire! My muscles! My FACE! GAH!]
We have to start the evolution right away, the triad thought grimly. There was a chance the evolution process would help slow the spread as the toxic energy was consumed by whatever new species they chose.
Acting as one, all three stepped forward and placed their hands against the wildly swinging body of the giant ant.
Begin managed evolution.
-x-X-x-