To the various races of Pangera, the rise of the Colony has been somewhat meteoric, a terrifying ascent in the eyes of many. We went from nothing to a millions-strong society capable of standing amongst nations that have stood for centuries, all in less time than one of their �newborns� needs to take their first literal step. Given that perspective, what the Colony achieved must undoubtedly seem impossible.

Naturally, the one most responsible for our success is the Eldest. Without that one ant, not only would we have never gained sapience, we most likely would have never survived the first Dungeon wave.

Details of those early days are sparse; only the Eldest themself was truly aware then, and their time is far too important to spend on something as inessential as an interview. Even so, the basic history has been pieced together from survivors of those times, faint though the interviewees� memories are.

The Eldest first appeared some time after the nest was raided, the egg, larva, or pupa containing them having been taken far from the Colony. By the time they made it back to the family, they�d already fought their way, alone, to tier two. The implausibility of such a feat can hardly be overstated, and yet the Eldest did it, for that is what they were when they first appeared and joined a three-way battle between two relatively powerful monsters and the Colony, then composed largely of simple hatchlings. Upon arriving, the Eldest fought furiously to not only bring the dangerous foes down, but also to ensure as many of their sisters survived as possible.

However, they were a mere tier-two ant, and only intervention by The Queen prevented the worst from happening. Even so, their contribution was significant, reportedly finishing off one of those monsters themself. The Queen, having a relatively high Cunning for a pre-sapience ant, saw fit to save that monster�s core for the Eldest. And from that core came the first pet in the Colony�s history: the guardian, Tiny.

As with so many of the Eldest�s decisions, reconstituting the lightning-empowered ape proved doubly inspired. Not only did it secure a powerful combatant to aid themself and the Colony, but it was also the inaugural step down the path of core shaping, both for the Eldest and the Colony as a whole.

In fact, the Eldest took the inaugural steps for many of the Colony�s castes. The Eldest already understood that each role needed to be filled if the family was to survive and thrive. And, as the only ant with the necessary faculties, they had to do all of it personally. Barring the two that The Queen already had well in mandible, of course: healing and egg-laying.

Every family member knows the Eldest is the Colony�s foremost scout, greatest soldier, and most preeminent mage. It is all but impossible to believe otherwise when they constantly range the farthest and bring back the most crucial information, fight at the very front of our lines to protect the family from the danger which they take upon themself, and cast the most astoundingly potent spells, by far. These things have always been true, and they always will be true.

What is far less known is the roles they filled when no other ants were capable of the tasks.

Soon after evolving to tier three, when they and The Queen were the only ones with pheromone language, the Eldest took on the role of general, planning and leading the Colony�s exodus to the surface in order to keep us safe from our first Dungeon wave. That we emerged directly into a church at the outskirts of the capital of a small frontier human kingdom called Liria ultimately proved to be rather fortuitous, as those present eventually became vital allies.

The human priest, Beyn, completely misread the situation and attacked the Eldest. Naturally, he immediately lost the offending arm. It�s a tale Beyn tells repeatedly, proudly reiterating his refusal of Healing Magic to regrow the appendage as a reminder of his mistake, despite how it impairs him. This he often does in the �church,� preaching about the sacredness of the Eldest and the Colony in general, while wearing robes with imitation-antennae sewn onto the hood.

Humans can be very strange.

Determined to leave all the humans alive, the Eldest led us a short distance away from the city and to a spot where the Dungeon just barely touched the surface. While the Colony set about creating a temporary nest, the Eldest excavated the nascent Dungeon vein and directed a slow stream into the new chamber, thus creating the very first monster farm and providing much-needed Biomass after the long journey to the surface.

It was the Eldest�s second large contribution in their role as the Colony�s first carver, the first being the simple pitfall traps they�d built for us before the exodus.

While the Eldest did the work that only they could yet do, the Lirian ruler appeared and tried to fight her way through the Colony as she fled the city. Despite the deaths they caused us, she and the Eldest came to an agreement. They, together with Beyn, now understanding his error, and many other members of his congregation, fought to take control of Liria back from some usurpers.

However, she and her forces were unable to hold what the Eldest had won them.

While the Colony subsequently travelled to what would become Anthome, the kingdom of Liria fell to the giant, lava-spewing crocodile monster called Garralosh and the army of lesser monsters she�d dominated into serving her, including her own spawn. Refugees soon fled toward the Colony seeking protection, and they were directed to set the foundations for the new city of Renewal a short distance from the anthill.

Meanwhile, the Eldest was hard at work building farms for the budding nest and doing the brunt of the fighting against the wave with the help of Tiny and the second guardian, Crinis, who excels at combating large numbers of weaker enemies thanks to her many shadow tentacles.

Crinis was the Eldest�s first foray into actual core shaping, though we have no idea what modifications were made. Whatever the refinements were, the process surely proved edifying, as immediately after reaching tier four, the Eldest used the experience to help make the single greatest conceivable contribution to the Colony: modifying The Queen�s core and thereby changing our species to formica sapiens.

In addition to building the nine castes into the family�s evolutionary paths, the Eldest also gave hatchlings a longer incubation period and lower physical stats in exchange for the Cunning and Pheromone Language glands necessary to allow them to properly think and learn. However, when the first clutch of formica sapiens emerged, numbering only twenty, there were of course not yet any Brood Tenders to teach them. Thus, during this brief window, the Eldest pioneered that role as well.

Naturally, the Eldest lacks the auras of proper Brood Tenders, but they still take pains to personally mentor young Champions when they arise, as they did with speed-obsessed Vibrant even before the species change. They are the only one truly capable of guiding such individuals, after all, and will likely remain so unless a Brood Tender Champion ever emerges.

Once the Council graduated from the Eldest�s lessons and started to hone and pass them on, the Colony could begin to grow in earnest. The work they had once done alone to care for the Colony was soon done by hundreds. By the time the Eldest completed their final great contribution as a core shaper by creating the Aphid Queen, and thus providing a steady source of Biomass, which no other ant would have ever thought to exploit, the Colony had already multiplied its farming and martial capacity and started working toward a full map of the System�s Skills, Skill fusions, and mutations.

But even as quickly as we grew across every dimension, it was very nearly not quick enough, for Garralosh soon brought her horde to attack the human refugees and everything in their vicinity. Naturally, preparations began as soon as the Eldest returned from their scouting mission with the news. Most notably, the carvers built walls and traps around the anthill while the martial castes accompanied the Eldest to chip away at the enemies� numbers. From those early battles, the generals gained valuable insights, every combatant gained much-needed experience and Biomass, and, most importantly, the Eldest gained the Levels needed to evolve to tier five ahead of Garralosh�s arrival, though the ka�armodo and setsulah cultists aiding the giant crocodile took pains to stymie their efforts.

Ironically, it was one of those setsulah who provided the Eldest with their fortieth Level.

Only with the evolution of the Eldest did the Colony have any chance at all of survival. We did well to defend against the countless lesser monsters Garralosh directed at us, but we were powerless against the great crocodile herself. Only The Queen, newly evolved, could harm her in any way, and even then, only just barely. The Eldest�s evolution into a Rare tier-five monster took a great deal of time, almost too much, as they arrived to the battle mere moments before Garralosh could deal a fatal blow to The Queen, and the Colony with her.

The Eldest also nearly died in the ensuing battle, and would have, had Grant, one of the Council, not tackled them out of danger at a critical moment, at the cost of her own life.

Soon after that existential threat was dealt with, we all faced a new one: the Eldest disappeared, abducted by some golgari for their Cult of the Worm. The Colony naturally mobilised every possible member for search and rescue the moment Crinis returned with the news, for where would we be without their leadership? Our efforts were stymied by the abductors� use of a teleportation gate, but eventually, we prevailed and found the Eldest shortly after they escaped their captors.

They were not alone. Tiny was with them, along with their third and final pet, the Envy Demon, Invidia, and another escapee: the vile worm, Jim.

Once reunited with the Colony, the Eldest was determined to return to the golgari outpost to retrieve another captive, the Asura Bear, Sarah, who was nearly forced into a �tournament� with monsters the cult had groomed to become a new Ancient, as the Eldest had been before escaping. While there, the Colony ransacked the compound for knowledge and other valuables while keeping collateral damage to a minimum, with the exception of the other monsters, which were slaughtered, though the Eldest did order the cult�s leaders be taken hostage.

They all made it out of golgari territory after fighting off a pursuing force, and from that force, they also took two thirds of the golgari triad who had been advising the Eldest for their tournament matches, and had since been pressed into helping hunt them down: Corun and Torrina. Their triad�s leader, Granin, would not rejoin them until later, after being impressed into the far larger force the golgari subsequently sent to exterminate the Colony.

Had the golgari attacked us alone, we may have managed without too much trouble. The carvers of the Colony had already built a new nest in the second stratum, directly under the first, and had fortified it as best they could with what materials and knowledge they had at the time. But with the involvement of the Abyssal Legion on another front, which took all of the Eldest�s attention, the Colony was barely able to hold out against the Siege long enough for a new Dungeon wave to force both armies away. Had the human friend Morrelia not allowed herself to be taken hostage in order to prevent her father, Titus, commander of the Legion, from participating more than once, we surely would have failed.

The final hours of the Siege were when Jim betrayed the Colony by digging a tunnel that brought the golgari directly into the brood chambers. It cost the family dearly, though not as dearly as it could have, thanks in large part to Sarah�s assistance in driving the invaders out.

The near-annihilation the Colony faced showed us that the strength we�d gained was far from sufficient. To survive against the enemies we found arrayed against us, we had to grow much stronger. The Eldest determined that the antcademies should train new members to the fourth tier, where previously they would graduate upon selecting their castes at tier three. Though doubling the resource requirements was a daunting prospect, the change was immediately implemented, as the benefits of a tier four were more than double those of a tier three.

With the lessons of the Siege freshly learned, the Colony turned all of its efforts toward expansion almost as soon as the wave subsided. We went outwards in every direction, including straight down into the third stratum to conquer our first demon city: Roklu.

Though we succeeded in that conquest, the Eldest rightly admonished the Council for pushing too hard too fast, to the point that there was little room left to work around unexpected problems. One of which was the city lord, Grokus, a tier-seven Gluttony Demon with a devastating aura effect and instantaneous regeneration. The Colony foolishly invaded without the Eldest�s involvement, as they were busy training the new Champion, Brilliant. Had they not returned to Roklu in time, that one demon could have likely defeated the whole invasion by himself eventually, to say nothing of the other tier seven rampaging in the city.

Almost as bad, a neighbouring city lord declared a �formal war� directly after Roklu�s conquest. We had just finished working ourselves to the brink in preparation for the first demon city invasion, and now we had to immediately work toward another.

The Colony could not sustain this pace. Fortunately, the Eldest understood the problem for what it was and corrected us before it all fell apart.

The meeting dragged on for another hour before a reasonable plan of attack was determined. We had to consult Al fairly frequently throughout the process, trying to determine exactly what is and isn�t allowed in a formal war between demon cities. In the process, we got a bit of an overview on the history and practical application of this particular demon tradition, though Allocrix doesn�t have any idea when it started. He claims the practice is nearly as old as demon kind itself.

According to the burning eyeball himself, there was such a time that the third stratum was filled with demons who, as of yet, didn�t have any boundaries or structures as to how to lead their lives. Much as one would expect, it was complete chaos. At least, it was more chaotic than things are now, supposedly. I did have to ask him one burning question at this point in the conversation.

[Who exactly imposed the rules on you?]

[What do you mean?]

[At one point, you had no rules, and then these traditions were� put in place, for want of a better term. There must be someone who came up with them, right? An individual or group that was the origin point. Or were they just cooked up at some point and spread throughout demon society over time?]

[Ah, you ask who is the origin of our traditions. Arconidem.]

[Arconi-who?]

[Arconidem, the Demon God.]

[I didn�t realise you demons had a religion?]

I mean, how does that even work? They�re literally referred to as demons� or is this why they�re referred to as demons? Allocrix stares at me like he�s looking at an alien.

[You don�t know who Arconidem is?]

I try to think.

[It might ring a bell? I get the feeling I�ve heard the name before.]

[I believe you might.]

Is that humour I hear in the big eyeball�s voice?! A shocking development.

[Arconidem the Demon God is one of the nineteen Ancients and the progenitor of the demon race,] he informs me in his usual flat tone.

[Ah.]

Well, dang. I probably should have remembered that. Granin and his apprentices have drilled me on what is known about the nineteen Ancients, which isn�t much, generally speaking. In fact, from what I understand, most people in Pangera can�t name them, and many don�t believe they exist in the first place. Which isn�t a ringing endorsement. Although, the existence of the Cults throughout the civilised world means at least some people are keeping the, uh, dream, alive?

[Wait a second. He was the progenitor? Of all the demons?]

Al blinks. Which is quite the sight, but thankfully it�s too quick for me to see� it.

[It is known that he has made the claim. As to the truth of it, who can say?]

[But don�t you guys all spawn from the Dungeon? Like, there are millions of demons spawning out there as we speak.]

[Ah, I understand your confusion. Arconidem claims to be the very first demon, the one that the Dungeon used to pattern the rest of us. Again, who can say? As to the title that Arconidem claimed for himself, he is so powerful that there could be considered functionally no difference between him and a god.]

[But how would you know how powerful he is? I�m going to assume that you�ve never seen him? Like, how could you?]

[I have seen him.]

[WOT!]

The big eye nods.

[Some demons are taken to see Arconidem when they evolve. I would describe it as a type of vision, rather than physically seeing them. The experience was� haunting.]

[Yeah, I bet.]

It�s a bit of a shock to realise that I�m not the only one who gets to enjoy these �wonderful� trips to elsewhere when evolving, or even that it�s not a reincarnator thing. Apparently, a few of the native-born demons get to experience the same level of joy that I do, having their souls circle a drain and sink to goodness knows where to speak to someone they don�t necessarily want to see. I wonder if the Gandalf I see might end up being one of the Ancients as well? They haven�t given me a name, so� I suppose it might be possible? Although, from memory, I think they might have denied it? Or perhaps suggested that they and the Ancients are not one and the same.

Just in case, I might ask about it.

[Any chance you can describe what he looks like for me?] I ask Allocrix.

The fire dims around Al a little.

[I often get asked this question. Arconidem looks much like a larval demon�]

[Hah!]

[�Gigantic and seated on a throne formed of his own flesh.]

[Ah�]

For a moment there, I was stuck with the thought of an all-powerful Ancient who was about the size of my eyeball.

[Well, I�ve certainly never visited anyone like that.]

Al eyes me. Which is an intense experience, let me tell you.

[Why would you have?]

[Good point! Moving on!]

A pause.

[What�s he like?]

[I don�t want to discuss it,] Al says flatly.

[Fair enough! You can�t blame an ant for being curious. We�re talking about one of the Ancients here, after all.]

Actually, learning of someone who actually managed to communicate with one of those dudes is freaking me out a little. I always kind of imagined the Ancients as being so far away that they could never be reached. It feels like one of them just reached out from the depths of the Dungeon and poked me.

Revelations of gigantic monsters as old as time aside, the planning for the upcoming conflict went smoothly enough until everyone knew what they had to do over the coming days. Even if they weren�t happy about it.

�I still don�t understand why I can�t be there for the main battle!� Leeroy whines. �You don�t want the Immortals at the front, leading the charge, headlong into tier seven demons who will cut us to pieces as fast as they look at us? Why not!�

I look at her.

�You know damn well why!�

THWACK!

�Ouch!�

�Instead of complaining and sulking that you were left out of the last battle, why not try and do something actually useful for your family in the next one? Something that doesn�t involve throwing your life away in the hopes of perhaps, maybe chipping a demon�s claw as they separate your head from your thorax!�

�I still think I could have been in the last battle��

�How the heck are you supposed to climb down the cable when you�re wearing full armour?!�

THWACK!

The soldier pulls away from me, furiously rubbing her head with one antenna.

�I could have fought without it!�

�Oh, really? And you think you would be trusted not to charge blindly forward as if you were wearing it?�

�I�m not stupid!�

Every Council member present turns to her in confusion.

�I�m not!� Leeroy protests angrily. �I would have made a tactical assault!�

Prepared to give her a chance, I ask a leading question,

�Would this �tactical assault� have involved, in any way, you rushing forward, on your own, into impossible odds?�

��No?�

�You don�t sound entirely certain about that.�

�Alright, fine. Yes.�

THWACK!

Our plans made, the Council disperses, Vibrant disappearing over the horizon before I can so much as blink. Although� that could be a long measure of time, since I can�t blink. I�m actually starting to forget what it was like to close my eyes, to be honest. I mean, how long can you go without eyelids before you forget how they felt? I�ve been in a carapace so long that I�m starting to forget what skin felt like! It just seems so weird to me now, being squishy on the outside and hard on the inside. How does that make sense? Don�t you want the squishy stuff protected? Not to mention the possibilities for shiny perfection that I have embraced through mutation!

Even the demons reject the true doctrine of exo-skeleton. In fact, almost all monsters do� No, I must reject this line of thought. If I continue to follow it, I might wind up having sympathy for the centipedes, and that is simply something which cannot be done. Spiders� maybe. Centipedes? Never.

Naturally, the moment their leader runs off, a large detachment of suspiciously speedy ants races in pursuit. Now that she�s evolved to tier six, her follower count has significantly increased once again. Each and every one of her loyal troops is a peak specimen of the Colony, heavily mutated and experienced in battle. Just another example of the powerful influence a Champion can have on those around them. She may be a handful, but Vibrant has proven her value to the family a hundred times over. I have high hopes for the next Champion also, even if she continues to be a pain in the abdomen.

Speaking of the devil, she�s currently playing with Tiny, the giant trying to herd the hatchling with his hands as she schemes to get past him. Despite his massive size and quick reflexes, she almost manages it a few times, faking him out and playing mind games with the poor sod. Though, the more I watch, the more I begin to suspect she�s conditioning him for an eventual escape.

Just a constant pain.

We remain close to the pillar for the time being, but I�m already getting a little bored. We have things to do and not much time to do them, most important of all being continuing to train and Level up the hatchling. Getting her up and running, contributing to the Colony, and dedicated to her own niche as soon as possible is my main focus for the time being.

�Alright then, Brilliant, time to get busy.�

She pauses in her game and turns toward me.

�What do you mean?�

�Did you think we were done? You�re not even halfway to as evolved as you need to be! Your older sister is tier six! So am I! What exactly are you supposed to do running around as a piddly tier three?�

�What do you mean? I�m useful already!� she declares, her antennae waving wildly.

�At what? Annoying me or escaping? Those are the only two things I can see that you excel at.�

�Oh yeah? What if I told you that my mana shaping Skill is tier four?�

�I�d tell you�Wait� what?�

�I�ve been practicing inside Invidia�s mouth! No time is wasted!�

�Even mine is only tier five��

She puffs herself up proudly.

�Told you I�m the best!�

�How are you the best if my Skill is higher than yours?�

�Well,� she deflates again, �it will be higher soon!�

�You know what, I�m starting to believe you. Are you practicing now?� I ask.

�Yes, of course.�

Dammit! I can�t be overtaken by this damn hatchling! What about my pride as the Eldest! Desperate not to be outdone, I order all of my mental constructs to start spinning mana, any form, any spell, I don�t care! Just get to work!

Still, as I look down on the smug little thing, I can�t help but be impressed. I think this might be her talent after all.

�Keep up the good work, Brilliant, but as I said, we still need to Level you up. That�s going to be our next port of call.�

�NOT YET!� comes a wave of pheromones from above.

A few moments later, there�s a slip, the scent of fear and then a crash which reveals itself as Smithant, covered in various bits of metal plating stuck on her back, legs flailing after her unfortunate fall.

�Ouch! Someone help me up?�

Crinis obliges with a tentacle extended from her place on my back.

�Thanks. I heard you�d shown up here, Eldest, and I didn�t want you to go running off into the third stratum again without having a chance to give you what I�ve been working on all this time! Down here! Hurry up!�

The last part she shouts up the pillar to a trio of ants carefully picking their way down the vertical slope, each of them laden with more metal bits and pieces.

�Just how much stuff did you bring?� I ask a little warily.

Don�t cover up the diamond!

�Oh, it�s not all for you,� she informs me. �I�ve got things for Tiny, as well as a few pieces for Vibrant, is she still here?�

�Nope.�

�Damn. I was hoping to catch up with her.�

�Good luck with that.�

�Anyway, let�s start getting this stuff sorted out.�

The moment her focus turns to the metal, it�s almost as if the mad ant in front of me starts glowing. She coos and clucks over her work like a mother hen as she uses her mandibles and front claws to pick through the pieces, taking some from her helpers.

�This is what I was able to put together for Tiny. We still can�t work with the Legion metal very well, or at all, and there certainly wasn�t enough to make a full suit for him, but this should help.�

What she was able to come up with was several individual pieces that can be strapped to Tiny�s arms, legs, and shoulders. Forearm guards, a chest plate, and some reasonably fitted and padded pieces protect his thighs. It�s pretty good work, all things considered. And when we take into account his immensely dense bones, the lack of a helmet and knuckle protectors isn�t nearly as big of a concern as it once was. Just having something to protect his heart in the event something slips between his ribs is a big relief.

Tiny seems much happier with this smaller and more focused set of pieces than he was with the more complete set he had on before. After scratching at the straps and pulling at the padding underneath the armour a little, he seems fairly content, even rapping his knuckles on the forearm guard to test its strength.

�Well, he seems happy at least,� I observe. �And I am as well. Great work, Smithant.�

She stops fussing with the straps and turns back to me.

�It wasn�t easy, but I�m happy with the work. As for what I made for you, have a look!�

With the air of an artist whipping a cloth off a new statue, she throws a series of pieces down onto the ground in front of me. At first, I�m a little startled. They appear to be, rings? Weird ones?

�Soooo� What are they?� I ask, confused.

�Well, you said you didn�t want full armour, and there isn�t much I can make that would protect you better than your own carapace, certainly not to the extent that would justify the weight, so I went in a different direction and tried to produce the purest alloys I could and pack them with the strongest enchantments I could. What you see here is a masterwork of enchanting, by our standards anyway.�

She sounds a little deflated at the end, as if not catching up to the rest of the world in a couple of months was somehow a massive failure on her part.

�Nonsense,� I tell her. �A masterwork in the Colony is a masterwork the world over. Tell me what they do.�

�I think you�ll like this, Eldest. Should work well with your current skill set.�

It doesn�t take much to get Smithant pumped up again; as soon as her attention turns to the task of explaining her creations, she is immediately obsessed.

I�m not really wearing armour. It�s more like jewellery than anything else. Which isn�t something I wanted to point out to Smithant. She takes immense pride in being a smith, specifically in being an armourer, since she doesn�t make weapons. In fact, she takes an unhealthy amount of pride in that, such that pointing out how she has basically made what amounts to a series of necklaces might cause her to just scrap it all. Not that they go around my neck. Instead, they fit over my legs, basically tightening around the area where my legs meet my carapace, meaning I have six of them overall.

Apparently, Smithant tried to create some to attach around the base of my antennae but couldn�t find a way to fit them to an ant without irritating the heck out of them. With antennae as sensitive as mine, I imagine the problem would have been even more acute. Still, she was very satisfied with the work she�d been able to do, work that was only possible thanks to a breakthrough she had with her Skills. With whole teams of specialised carvers dedicated to mastering the craft of armoury and enchanting, it�s a minor miracle that Smithant still manages to be at the head of the pack.

It goes to show that individual talent is still a thing, even in a world like Pangera with a Gandalf-run System in place. I have to wonder if some of my struggles developing certain Skills are simply because I�m not personally suited to them, or perhaps I just get distracted too easily� most likely the latter.

After we get the equipment from Smithant, there�s nothing for it but to climb down out of the city again and make our way toward the tunnels that lead to the third stratum�s next layer. Obviously, that means running through vast fields of larval demons who continuously try to tear each other apart, even as they flow away from us while we walk past.

In a small way, my newly enchanted gear helps with this, since one of the functions provided is to reduce friction. It isn�t a huge amount, I�m a heavy ant-boi after all, but it�s enough to make a noticeable difference. I do a few test Charges as we travel, and it takes a little getting used to, but the reduction in drag is certainly there. A little extra speed, a little extra lightness on my claws, certainly nothing I�m going to turn away! If this is what Smithant was planning to give to Vibrant, then I have to laugh a little. The second she finds out she could be going faster, Vibrant is going to go nuts trying to track Smithant down and beg her to hand over the rings.

Though I�m not the only one who got new stuff.

[How about it, Tiny? Feeling comfortable?]

[Hmmmm,] he ponders as he continues to poke, prod, and scratch at the straps that hold the new armoured plates to his body. After a few moments, he shrugs.

[Can�t be that bad,] I tell him, [you managed to keep the full set on before, and this isn�t even close to being as restrictive.]

[Hrrn,] he grunts.

[You think so? I think you�ll get a ton of use out of it. Getting cut less is a good thing, no matter how you slice it.]

He rolls his shoulders and huffs.

[Invidia is not your personal heal battery,] I scold him. [It�s not his job to exclusively follow you around and stop you from getting killed. He had to do that in the past because you weren�t smart enough to stay safe and you had almost no protective measures in place. With your bones being as tough as they are now, I feel a lot better about you not getting carved to pieces, but you still have to worry about blood loss, muscle tears, and a million other things that can pull you down during a fight. You need to learn to defend yourself better, and this armour can help with that.]

He�s silent for a bit, pondering, before he nods a little sullenly.

[I�m not saying don�t be aggressive,] I say, exasperated. [Just maybe block once in a while, alright?]

[When do you think I might be given equipment, master?]

[Honestly, Crinis, I think we need to work out what would be the best way for you to wear it. Right now, you�re more or less whatever shape you want to be.]

[I could manifest some limbs permanently. That would be trivial.]

[I suppose so� Alright then, next time we run into Smithant, I�ll get her onto it. I�m sure she can think of some enchantments that would be relevant to you. Goodness knows what they might be, but hey, I�m sure they exist.]

[Maybe something that enhances my shadow affinity?]

[That�d work.]

It takes a while to reach the tunnels, and once we do, we plunge right in. It�s hunting time, and there�s a lot that we need to get done. I need Levels and Biomass, as does Tiny, Crinis, Invidia, and most importantly, Brilliant.

�Can I fight yet?� the hatchling asks.

�Absolutely not,� I laugh at her. �Do you have any idea where we are? This is the third stratum! If we were on the FIRST, you�d still be pathetically weak. Down here, you might as well be a gentle breeze compared to what we�re fighting. You�ll need to be tier five, at least, before you can even contribute, and even then, magic only. If you get close enough to a demon to bite it, you�re basically already dead.�

�Damn.� She kicks at the ground in frustration.

�Look, your time will come soon enough. Stuff your face with this Biomass, keep amassing experience, and before you know it, you�ll be evolving and ready to go. Now come on, we don�t have that much free time before the assault, we need to get busy.�

So saying, we plunge farther into the tunnels, seeking out the juicy prey we didn�t manage to get to yet. It�s also handily filling in my tunnel map as we explore new regions of the passages. We�re careful not to get too low, though. Whatever is going on deeper in the third, I sure as heck do not want to be kicking that hornet nest before we are good and ready. I know my limits, and I think I�ve made enough trouble lately.

[It�s so damn hot!] Sarah complained.

[Of course it is,] Granin snorted, [it�s the third stratum. Place is nothing but ash and lava.]

[You might be fine,] the giant bear grumbled, [but I�m covered in fur. If I was a rock person like you, maybe it wouldn�t bother me so much.]

The old shaper harrumphed.

[For starters, I am not a rock person, I am a goglari who has bonded with a true skin, a layer of ore that covers and melds with my natural skin. And I think you�ll find that mental toughness, rather than heat resistance, is responsible for my tolerance.]

Torrina rolled her eyes and joined in the conversation.

[Actually, our true skin does provide a huge increase to our ability to endure extreme temperatures. It�s one of the reasons the goglari were so successful expanding to the third stratum in the centuries after the Cataclysm.]

The giant bear fired a glare at the leader of the triad, who did his best to ignore the threat of being stared at by a truly vicious tier six Asura Bear. Particularly one equipped in the way she was.

[The armour probably isn�t helping the situation,] Corun observed helpfully. [I know I�d be hot under all that.]

It was true that the padding and weight of the armour, nearly two tons of it, were doing little to improve the situation. As if being a furred animal wasn�t enough, she had layers of cloth and steel covering her to the point she felt as if she were sweating literal buckets every second.

[I need to hydrate,] she gasped.

[I think you need an enchantment to help manage the heat issue,] Torrina observed.

[That�s a valid point, actually,] Granin observed. [Usually, first stratum monsters are a little more resistant to the environmental changes as they descend through the layers, but I think this is something of a special case. Sarah is much better built to tolerate the cold than she is the heat. If Smithant is still about down here, we should approach her to make those adjustments.]

[I�d really appreciate it,] Sarah said.

The four of them looked out from the platform on which they stood, taking in the absurd view of the wide-open space that extended in all directions as far as their eyes could see. The harsh glow of lava burned into their eyes and the taste of ash lingered on their tongues, making their welcome to this place an altogether unpleasant one.

[I hate this place,] Granin grumped, [it�s put me in a bad mood. Sorry if I come across as dismissive, Sarah. I�m just grouchy.]

[That�s alright,] she sympathised. [I�m much the same as you.]

Torrina could only shake her head at the two of them as she glanced over the side of the platform.

�I don�t know how you do that,� Corun shuddered. �I�d get vertigo.�

[We should be down in another five minutes or so,] Torrina informed the group. [Pretty quick trip, all things considered.]

[It�s impressive the Colony managed to get this lift system in place so fast,] Sarah said, looking up at the massive rope system that connected them to the ceiling so far above.

[There�s a lot of things that impress me about the Colony, but their ability to get stuff built is starting to become just a normal expectation from my point of view,] Granin shrugged. [How many times do they need to pull off the impossible before I just start to expect it from them?]

A short time later, the platform finally touched down into the city and they were able to unpin and open the gate, allowing the heat-affected bear to stroll out and then slump onto the ground.

[Alright, I�m here, take it off now.]

It took nearly ten minutes for the trio to unbuckle all the straps of Sarah�s gear, by which time the platform had already ascended halfway back to the roof.

[Oh, thank goodness,] Sarah groaned. [That is so much better.]

[You didn�t have to come down here,] Torrina reminded her. [This was your choice.]

The big bear rolled her shoulders uncomfortably.

[It just doesn�t feel right, sitting up there, enjoying the benefits of the Colony�s achievements without contributing anything. They work so hard whilst I sit around and what? Play with the grubs? It�s not right,] Sarah repeated herself as she pushed her body back onto its feet.

[That doesn�t mean you have to fight,] Corun reminded her. [It didn�t work out so well last time, did it?]

Sarah flinched a little but then held firm.

[It didn�t go terribly,] she defended herself. [I helped protect the nest� and if I hadn�t, who knows what would have happened? It went bad at the end,] she shuddered, [but I think I can control myself better now.]

[I think you can too,] Granin told her, his usual gruff tone just a hair softer than usual. [You just need to remember not to get carried away.]

As they moved through the city, it was heartening to Sarah to hear many of the mage ants and others reach out to her as she passed.

[Friend Sarah! Welcome! You missed a great fight!]

[Sarah! Had enough slacking? We welcome your assistance!]

[It will be good to fight by your side once more! Now that you are finished being lazy, that is!]

Sarah pouted, no mean feat for a bear. She wasn�t lazy!

Still, as they continued their walk, there were many ants who waved or approached the bear to give her a friendly tap on the shoulder, communicating their welcome even if they weren�t able to form a mind bridge and speak with her directly. By the time they made it to the staging ground around the central pillar, the Asura Bear�s eyes were wet, as was the fur trailing down the sides of her muzzle.

The golgari triad politely avoided looking too closely or remarking on it in any way. Instead, they chatted to each other about the work the Colony had done, already rebuilding the city to the point it was hard to see any signs of the invasion at all. The area around the pillar, once exclusively the domain of Grokus� compound, had been co-opted by the Colony to become their planning and organising centre. The wall that once encircled that section of Roklu was gone, replaced by an interlocking series of chambers which already had begun to look somewhat nest-like. It was almost as if the carvers couldn�t help themselves, given that this was their most frequently used design.

There they found Sloan, the general in charge of the defence of the city, pouring over maps and surrounded by a hundred other generals and scouts, each waiting patiently to say their own piece.

Despite the crowd, Sloan noticed immediately as they approached and rushed out to welcome them.

[Friend Sarah! Granin, Torrina, Corun. Welcome, all of you,] the general greeted once a bridge had been established. [We thank you for coming. If you are willing, there is much you can do here for us.]

Sarah nodded her big head slowly.

[I will do my best,] she promised.

�Whooooooooo!� Vibrant cheered as she raced across the Plains of Leng, delighting in watching the larval demons leap from her path just in time to miss her flashing legs.

The air was boiling hot and seared against her carapace as it drove her antennae back. The smell of ash and molten rock smothered her senses as the terrain flashed by, but Vibrant cared little for any of it. The rush of pure speed was what she craved, and these wide-open plains gave her an opportunity to run like she never had a chance to before.

�Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!� she hollered, legs flickering so quickly they couldn�t be seen, her brain flashing just as fast as she processed the barrage of visual information that flooded her eyes each second.

Far behind, though not as far as one might think, her followers were working hard to keep up as best they could. Their job was made far more difficult by the fact they�d long since fallen out of range of the aura that boosted their own speed, since their leader had raced so far ahead. Still, they too yearned for speed, just as their leader did, and their hearts were thumping with joy as they raced across the plains as a unit, desperate to keep up.

When they eventually did, they found Vibrant standing rock still, staring up at the target of their current mission. Emilia the general was among the first to arrive and boldly approached their uncharacteristically still leader.

�Vibrant? Is everything alright?� she asked.

The large yet sleek soldier twitched her antennae as she recognised the scent.

�Emilia, glad you caught up!� Vibrant laughed. �Have a look up there, it�s a little different, isn�t it?�

Obedient to the whims of her leader, the general leaned back and looked up at the demon city of Orpule far above. Just like Roklu, it was situated on a disc of stone that extended out from the pillar that supported the roof of the stratum so far above, but it was immediately clear what Vibrant was referring to.

�It�s much larger, isn�t it�� she observed.

Not only was the plate on which the city was situated larger than that of the city the Colony had conquered, there was more than one plate! The second, which hung beneath the first, in its shadow so to speak, was much smaller than that above it, as if it had only begun to form recently. Which raised the question, how did a demon city expand? Or was this a sign of a more powerful and ambitious leader driving her population to greater heights and expanding the influence of her city?

�Remember, we need to be careful,� Emilia made sure to remind her glorious leader. �There are tier sevens here that we cannot fight.�

�I know that, Em-em!� Vibrant cheered. �We can have a look around, deprive the city of resources, keep an eye on things and make a general nuisance of ourselves in the meantime! Which means we get to run! Lots! This is going to be a fantastic mission!�

Seeing her so happy, the hundreds of ants who made up her followers were emboldened. When Vibrant was happy, things were generally going well. They might be hectic, or even dangerous, but usually manageable. When she was serious, that was when they knew things were going to be bad.

�OOOOOOKAAY!� Vibrant yelled, waving her two front legs about in the air for emphasis. �First thing we do is run around and see what we can see! Let�s keep an eye on the city as we do and make sure we keep our distance! Let�s also make sure we go super-fast! Do your best to keep up with me, everyone, I don�t want anyone falling behind! We can regroup here after we get a couple of laps in, make sure you scan the area carefully! Let�s go!�

Although she spoke at her usual breakneck pace, a combination of similar mutations among her followers and familiarity with this speed of communication meant they perfectly understood what Vibrant had to say. As one mind, the group set off, speeding across the plains in a broad circle around the demon city of Orpule. They were noticed, because of course they were. Nearly a thousand monstrous ants running rings around the city were bound to be seen, that was the point.

When they came across any demon more evolved than tier three, the group set upon it, devouring their hapless victims in a matter of seconds, before setting off once again. The experience and Biomass were welcome, of course, but more than that, any evolved demon was a potential recruit for the enemy. If one of these were to reach tier six and gain their full awareness, then to Orpule they would go, recruited for the enemy. So long as they were at war with the Colony, they would be deprived of all resources.

After a few hours, it was clear those watching from above understood what was happening and a sortie was sent forth, powerful demons that included a tier seven foe in their midst.

�Leader!� a mage called, racing toward the front of the pack. �I sense a powerful foe approaching!�

�Veer off!� Vibrant laughed as she sped away, leading her group to flee from the city.

Unable to catch up, the demons pursued hopelessly for a time before they gave up and returned to the city. The ants turned around the same moment the demons did. To the enemy, the message was clear, if you go back, so do we. Chase us forever, or not at all!

Unwilling to commit to trying to catch these damned elusive insects, the demons opted to return to the city, and so Vibrant and her troops returned to running laps. They kept a watchful eye on the city at all times, looking for any who sought to come or go, and continued to deny any demons the chance to rise to tier six.

Once again, the demons sallied forth, and once more, Vibrant laughed at them as she raced away.

�Slow-Slow!� she taunted with glee as the demons flew along in their wake.

There�s nothing quite like a feast at the end of a successful hunt. Perhaps it�s the remnant of the primitive hunter in my brain, but chilling with my crew after a huge feast and just letting the drowsiness that follows wash over me is such an amazing feeling. My abdomen is full to bursting with Biomass, and my entire carapace is practically sagging with lethargy as I digest.

Tiny is in a similar position, his ape belly bulging as he leans against the tunnel wall, a satisfied smile on his bat face. Crinis is, for once, not currently attached to me, instead sinking halfway into a shadow as she finishes chomping on the last remnants of her meal whilst sending feelers out into the surrounding area to warn us if trouble comes.

Al didn�t eat nearly as much, since he claimed not to need it, which was interesting. I assume he�s close to maxing out his mutations or has already done so if he�s willing to turn his imaginary nose up at free Biomass. Brilliant can barely move. Her carapace is so bloated, it practically drags on the ground when she tries to walk, and more than once I�ve seen the little ant come close to regurgitating the precious resources we secured for her.

I made it my mission to feed her until both of her stomachs were as full as possible. It takes a lot more Biomass to fully upgrade at tier three, and she needs to pack it in as much as possible! Our time in the tunnels beneath Roklu continues to be fruitful in terms of the Biomass and experience we�ve amassed. A healthy number of tier five prey can be found down here, or at least, they could be found down here. Now that we�ve run through the place the last couple of days, I wager it�s going to take a while before more demons filter down from above. We even ran into a tier six, likely not affiliated with any city, while hunting. Since they chose to attack us on sight, I don�t suppose there was any opportunity to engage in peaceful dialogue.

Invidia hovers in the air nearby, his eye almost closed as he lazily flaps to keep himself in position. A feeding Invidia is always a somewhat horrifying sight as the food vanishes into the mouth, that also vanishes. With him and Crinis eating next to each other, it�s almost enough to drive a monstrous ant sick.

[All right then, gang,] I announce to my pets. [If you have the points, it�s time to upgrade if you haven�t already. Go over your available Skills, see what you can find that might spark a bit of joy.]

Then I turn to Brilliant.

�How are you coping, little one?�

�So� full��

I can sympathise. I�m fairly stuffed myself, but not to the same extent that she is.

�I know it�s not pleasant, but we want to max you out as soon as possible, so you�re just going to have to deal with it. Since we aren�t going anywhere in the short-term, take some time and purchase the mutations you want. Make sure you give thought to the overall balance of what it is that you want to do. At +15, you get to fuse your two mutations or emphasise one, so keep in mind how you want to be able to function going forward, alright?�

�Alright, senior, I will,� she groans.

A few seconds later and her eyes glaze over in the manner that lets me know she�s scrolling through the endless lists and menus that the System provides us. Given that I have a large store of points banked away from several hunts as well as from consuming Grokus, I should get to spending also!

Ignoring Skills for the time being, I check my Biomass and can�t help but clack my mandibles softly at the total. One thousand five hundred and forty-six? Are you serious?! That is a heck of a lot of Biomass! I knew I was piling up a fair bit back there, but holy moly! That�s amazing! I wonder if demons are more Biomass-rich than monsters from above? Or did Grokus just provide that much? A fully mutated tier seven is no joke when it comes to the sheer amount of Biomass that�s been spent. To take an organ from nothing all the way up to +30, which is my current max, costs over four hundred and fifty Biomass. To upgrade from +30 to +35 costs another hundred and sixty-five per organ, so it makes sense he was worth a ton. Pun intended.

With this ridiculous stockpile of Biomass, I�m going to be able to make a HUGE dent in my mutations. Let�s get to it! Oho! The joy of upgrading oneself, I�ll never get tired of it.

I hastily bring up my status to confirm my current position.

Name: Anthony

Level: 18 (Rare) (VI)

Might: 205

Toughness: 180

Cunning: 145

Will: 100

HP: 360/360

MP: 562/574

Skills:

General:

Master Excavation (IV) Level 6; Expert Grip (III) Level 15; Expert Stealth (III) Level 8; Tunnel Compass (IV) Level 4; Iron Mind (IV) Level 33; Master Stamina (IV) Level 11; Still Meditation (IV) Level 15; Snap Dash (IV) Level 21

Mana:

Mana Craft (V) Level 45; Master Condensed Mana (IV) Level 31; Grandmaster External Mana Manipulation (V) Level 22; Mana Hoarder (IV) Level 27; Layered Mind Magic Affinity (V) Level 13; Directed Mana Sensing (IV) Level 19; Expert Healing Magic Affinity (III) Level 19; Omni-Elemental Affinity (V) Level 25; Expert Mana Masking (III) Level 10

Pet:

Further Pet Communication (III) Level 11; Core Crafting (IV) Level 15; Pet Growth Speed (I) Level 5

Defensive:

Grandmaster Exo-Skeleton Defence (V) Level 24; Master Dodge (IV) Level 28; Master Endure (IV) Level 8; Expert Grace (III) Level 18; Advanced Mandible Parry (II) Level 5

Offensive:

Unerring Acid Shot (IV) Level 6; Master Precise Shooting (IV) Level 23; Doom Chomp (V) Level 23; Advanced Mandible Spear (II) Level 3; Advanced Chomp Combo (II) Level 6; Expert Charge (III) Level 3

Mutations:

Senses:

Sharpened Perimeter Eyes +25, Future Sight Antennae +15 (Twilight Filament)

Defence:

Complete Diamond Carapace +25, Braced Healing Inner Carapace Plating +25

Physical:

Hardened Rapid Absorption Legs +25, Mana Flooded Mandibles +25, Frequent Potent Regeneration Gland +25, Loud Convincing Pheromone Gland +25, Vast Hungering Stomach +25, Lock Hyper-Twitch Musculature +25, Coordinating Instant Transmission Sub-Neural Network +25

Acid:

Propagating Mana-Feasting Bind Acid Gland +25, Guided Hyper Pressurised Scattershot Acid Nozzle +25, Thickened Draining Acid Concentration Gland +25, Exhausting Thickener Acid Stimulation Gland +25

Mental:

Unyielding Coordination Cortex +25, Condensing Gravity Main Brain +15, Mind Mana Focused Sub-Brain +15, Mind Mana Focused Sub-Brain +15, Mind Mana Focused Sub-Brain +15

Mana:

Compressing Unending Gravity Magic Gland +25, Vast Expanded Collective Will Vestibule +15 (Soul Crystal), Purifying Communal Spirit Nave +15

Species: Mature Colony Paragon (Formica Sapiens)

Skill Points: 16

Biomass: 1,546

My Skills are coming along nicely. A few upgrades here and there haven�t really hurt. Mana Craft has started shooting up since I began competing with Brilliant, and I don�t plan to stop until I hit rank six! At least then, my rank will match my tier.

If I want to see serious improvement in my new Skills, I�m going to have to dedicate more time to grinding them. Using Mandible Spear in an actual fight just feels so stupid, though. Charge I�ve had a use for, but that one? Ugh. Looking at my organs, obviously nothing is fully upgraded as of yet, but I�m tossing up between starting to take things to +30, or getting the newer elements of my body up higher from +15�

In the end, despite how much I want to see my old organs rise to the grand old height of +30, I decide to start with the new stuff, specifically, the Vestibule, Nave, and Antennae. These reforged body parts are high performing and important to me, so I need to invest in them. With the huge wealth that I have right now, I can blast them all the way up to +30 with a massive amount of change in the bank.

For starters, let�s look at the antennae. One of the interesting things I discovered in my fight with Grokus is that looking into the future a few milliseconds is all well and good, but when you can�t do anything about what you see, you can run right into the wall.

In a way, the strategy the city lord applied against me was ideal. He didn�t need to act first; he waited to see what I would do and then reacted. Given that he was much faster with his hands than I ever gave him credit for, this was nearly enough for him to snatch me out of the air and crush me for good.

I have to keep reminding myself that I can�t rely on my future sense alone, no matter how much of a leg up it might be. Where I�m going, deeper into the Dungeon, there might be creatures who can see whole minutes into the future, who knows? Either perfect one strategy of survival, or diversify, that�s the only way to go about it.

Right now, I have Future Sight Antennae +15 (Twilight Filament). The reforged antennae are hyper-sensitive, tingling with every fluctuation of air, detecting scents far better than my old antennae did and enhancing my future sight once the mutation was applied. The current decision is, do I index further into future sight, or do I now seek to add another sense to my antennae? I previously had heat detection, which was interesting, but I don�t think it was useful enough for me to want to return to it. Given how sensitive the twilight filament is, no matter what sense I apply through mutation, they will enhance it like a high-quality radio dish.

It�s a tough call. My future sight isn�t currently incredible, just a moment, maybe two, into the future. When combined with my reflexes, though, it�s more than enough for me to get myself out of the way of danger or angle my carapace to help deflect the blow. It�s a good system and one that works well, really well. Even monsters that are significantly faster than me aren�t able to get the jump, and that makes a huge difference. But I�m just not convinced I need more of it. At the very least, before I commit, I want to investigate to see what I may be able to add to the antennae.

Into the lists I dive, and the innumerable different possible mutations roll by in front of my mind. All sorts of incredible, bizarre, and impossible-seeming options swim past that I filter out. What I�m after are senses. This is what will synergise with the material my new antennae are constructed from, and I need to take advantage of it!

Of course, the basic stuff is there. I can improve my sense of smell through mutation, which is probably more useful than I might give it credit for. My sense of smell right now is far better than a human�s, and it�s not even close. I pick up all sorts of stuff wafting on the breeze when I�m paying attention, but generally ignore it. If I chose to, I could improve my sense of smell to the point of making a tracking dog look nose-less. It would be powerful, I�ve no doubt, but I can�t really think of that many times I�ve been looking for something that I haven�t had other methods to find. Pass.

Eyes on the antennae? No. I mean, it�s not really eyes, but photo receptors. Still, no.

Ears? My sense of hearing is quite possibly my worst, given that I don�t really have ears in the sense that humans do, big flappy bits that hang off the side of the head that help to collect sound. I don�t even have holes in my head. I mean, why would I? That�d disrupt my perfect carapace. Ants hear by interpreting vibrations through our legs and the hairs across our bodies. Increasing the ability of my antennae to detect sound waves could make a huge difference in my ability to interpret what is happening around me. I�ll put it down as a maybe.

Taste? Obviously not. That�d be stupid.

Enhancing touch also seems like a total waste of time.

It�s in the other options, the non-standard ones, that I turn over the really weird stuff.

Detect emotional state? That would be a little odd. Why would a monster even want that?

Detect lies? Again� I�m a monster ant, not a detective!

Detect Mana. Juicy. This is similar to how Crinis perceives her surroundings, by �seeing� the mana in an organic way. My mana sense Skill performs a similar function, though probably not nearly as well. Still not sure I want to use a mutation slot on it.

Heat? Pass.

Electrical Current? No�

Movement? I mean� maybe? Looking at the details, it seems like an upgrade to the ability to detect shifts and vibrations in the air. Might be handy, might be handy.

Toxins? Being honest, the ability to detect poisons is going to be super handy if I live to see the fifth stratum. Apparently, the place is absolutely swimming in it. And the monster I faced from that level was no joke either. That perfect mana toxin was insane.

Dammit, there is just so much here, as always. I flick through the lists, and even narrowing it down to just senses is enough to give me a headache.

Then I stumble across something that gives me strangely mixed feelings.

The ability to sense, Gravitational Waves?

I mean� what?

I don�t recall seeing this before� If that�s because I wasn�t looking for it or if it was unlocked somehow� I can�t be sure. Being able to detect Gravity? In what way? As in, the strength of the gravitational field in any particular area? Or from a specific object? Maybe both? Neither? The description provided by the System is vague at best. I nervously eye the entry for a few long moments. On the one hand, I want to take it. This may help push my way to unlocking the Gravitational Mana speciality I want so very badly, but on the other hand, it might not. And then what? I�m stuck with this sense I don�t even know the usefulness of?

Let�s not forget, I already reset my antennae! I�m not resetting them again! If I end up picking this mutation, then I�m going to be stuck with it forever, most likely. Argh!

After several long minutes of agonising back and forth, I decide to stop thinking so hard and go with it. I committed to gravity early on with my choice of free mana organ, and I�m not leaving it behind now. Who knows? With a little luck, it�ll turn out to be useful in the absence of the mana speciality, and I won�t regret this choice in any way. Without too much hesitation, I ramp it all the way up to the max. And since the +20 and +25 are both the same mutation, my only option for +30 is to emphasise it again.

Done.

Moving on! Think, but not too much, that�s my policy! With my Vestibule, I�m keen to keep rolling down the path that I�ve embarked upon. There�s so many ants now that it�d be impossible to get them all in range of my Vestibule no matter what I do, but the more I can get at once, the better off I�ll be. Also, the farther away I can get without effectively gimping myself. That sweet, sweet regeneration has been an absolute game-changer, and I have no desire to go without again.

�Stupid golgari and their stupid cult.

Anyway, I�m fairly confident in ramping that mutation all the way to +30.

And finally, we come to the Nave. Right now, my Purifying Spirit Nave is concentrating and enhancing the energy it receives through the Vestibule, which goes on to fuel my regeneration or strength, magnifying that effect. I wager that if I were to have another organ added to the end of the Nave, then this enhanced energy would have an even greater effect.

I�ve long suspected this evolution path was going to be a three-parter from the moment I saw the Nave, really. The energy is collected in the Vestibule, magnified in the Nave, and then�?

Obviously, something is meant to come next! Which means I will step into my true power in my next evolution! Gwahahahahaha!

Maybe. Perhaps. I mean, who knows? I could veer off script and take a different evolution entirely. If there�s one that offers me juicy resets for my carapace and mandibles that will enhance my incredible diamond shine, then I�m almost certain to take it, consequences be damned! Alright then, with the Nave, I�ll continue on the path that I�ve already set down. There�s still a chance that I�ll end up resetting the organ, so I don�t feel too attached to my choices here. More concentrated and magnified energy? Can�t go wrong with that.

That takes these three critical organs from +15 to +30 for the low, low price of one thousand and thirty-five Biomass.

Nooooo, dammit! My wealth! My incredible wealth! Gone already? Is this some sort of joke? Damned greedy and despicable Gandalf! What�s with these costs? This is nothing but robbery!

For a few long moments, I gnash my mandibles in disbelief before managing to grind my frustrations out. Obviously, Levelling up means spending huge amounts of Biomass, I should know that by now. I can�t have expected to bring half my organs up to +30 in one shot�

My remaining stock of� five hundred and eleven will give me enough to upgrade� three. Darn it!

Which three to choose? I mean, carapace and mandibles are the obvious choices. I rely on them a great deal, the carapace to keep me alive and the mandibles to make other things not alive. I briefly toy with the concept of disregarding my mandibles and upgrading my coordination cortex, but disregard that. Although I fight with my minds just as much as the rest of me, the mandibles will always hold a special place in my heart. Chomping is love; chomping is life. When all the chips are down and there�s nothing left in the tank, the mandibles will still be there.

Which means I just have one more organ to take from +25 to +30. I could always do eyes, but I�m not doing too badly in the overall �senses� department these days. I need to prioritise staying alive more than anything else, so a more combat-oriented choice makes more sense to me. The inner carapace plating seems like a sensible choice, although the regeneration gland has proven its worth. Hard to go past legs� More speed and durability aren�t exactly bad things to have. The neural network to boost reflexes would also be handy�

Gah! Don�t think on it too long! Regeneration Gland! There, done.

For these organs, each only has the one option: reinforce the same mutation I chose at both +20 and +25. The carapace has only ever had the diamond coating, the mandibles has had its savage mutation ignored in favour of the infusion aspect ever since I fused them, and ditto for the regeneration gland and its limb-regrowing mutation. Luckily, two mutations seems to get the job done on those rare occasions where my reflexes and toughening mutations aren�t enough to avoid losing a leg. Or is it one and a half, since one was a fusion? Either way, I�m happy to emphasise the rapid refill again, especially since the Vestibule will push it that much further.

I really should make it a point to test the mandibles� infusion aspect, though, with all the elemental properties I now have at my disposal. Especially now that I have to invest yet another mutation into it� Oh well, the mandibles are definitely next on the reset list anyway.

With those �decisions� made, my final upgrades look like this:

Vast Expanded Collective Will Vestibule +15 (Soul Crystal) � Limitless Collective Will Vestibule +30 (Soul Crystal).

Future Sight Antennae +15 (Twilight Filament) � Future Wave Sight Antennae +30 (Twilight Filament).

Purifying Communal Spirit Nave +15 � High Purifying Communal Spirit Nave +30.

Complete Diamond Carapace +25 � Thickened Complete Diamond Carapace +30.

Mana Flooded Mandibles +25 � Mana Drenched Mandibles +30.

Frequent Potent Regeneration Gland +25 � Hastened Potent Regeneration Gland +30.

Now it�s on to the Skills! I feel I�ve done enough to shore up my foundations for the time being. It�s time to see what the future holds in store now that I�ve pushed Mind Magic as far as I have. Come onnnnn, Gravitational Mana! I can practically taste it!

Except it isn�t there. DAMMIT! I�ll have to check again after I get my mutating done, but holy moly, I�d hoped it would be there� I�d ripped open the magical Skills list the moment I had an opportunity and raced through it, my brain practically screaming for some sweet, sweet gravity. I�m crushed it�s not there. There are new things for me to look at, I was able to recognise that much, but the disappointment after waiting so long and not getting what I was after is genuinely crushing.

Damn you, Gandalf! Just give me what I want already! Haven�t I suffered enough?

GAH!

Well, forget that bearded fogey and let�s have a look at what was unlocked. It better be good! The earliest magic Skills available were, of course, the basic elements, which evolved into the advanced elements and can be fused into other elements. Once I�d raised those high enough, I gained access to Healing, Mind, Light and Shadow Magic. I was never particularly interested in Light and Shadow, but I�ve put a lot of effort into Mind and� some into Healing. Enough to make it useful, at any rate.

What has this earned me in the eyes of the System? A few things, apparently.

For starters, Barrier Magic has appeared, which is the field that Invidia has been pouring the majority of his effort into. A highly useful field of magic, to be sure! I�ll pick that up just on the off chance I need it. Getting it to rank three or four shouldn�t prove to be too much effort, and I have a sneaking suspicion those flying discs the demons use is based off of an advanced or fused version of this.

The second new field of magic to appear in my list is Curse Magic, and right alongside that is Inspiration Magic. I mean, it doesn�t take a genius to figure out what these two fields do. Curse Magic exists to weaken enemies you cast it on, and Inspiration Magic buffs those that you cast it on.

I�m not entirely sure I want either of them. Sure, both are useful, but I need to be realistic and consider exactly how much time I�ll have to devote to raising these Skills. I can�t just buy every Skill in the shop. The cost of Levelling them in terms of Skill Points will become prohibitive, for one, but mainly I just don�t have the time to Level them to the point of being useful! If I get some clear air and have a month to sit on my backside and grind out spells, then sure, I can come back and buy a few of the branches I skipped over, but for now, I need to focus on the ultimate goal!

And that goal is driving forward through the ranks of magic until I get what I want, which is Gravity! Even the taste of the basic forms of its power have been enough to whet my appetite. Nothing I�ve seen has even come close to the Gravity Bomb in terms of the sheer pants-wetting terror it induces. I have to have the full power of this spell form at my disposal!

The other reason I�m not massively keen on Curse and Inspiration is that I know, through discussions with Torrina, that they are generally fused with Shadow and Light Magic, respectively, to create the respected and feared Horror and Hope fields of magic. The spell forms unlocked by these combinations allow the effects of curses or inspirations to be applied more powerfully and over a wider area, using light or shadow as a means of spreading the buff/debuff.

This is probably a field Crinis could go down if she wished, although the other option she has is to fuse her Mind Magic and Shadow Magic together to form Nightmare. From what I gather, it�s rather unpleasant. Actually, I wonder if you could fuse Mind, Curse, and Shadow together? Torrina didn�t mention anything on that topic, though it would be interesting to find out.

[Hey, Crinis, when you get the chance, see if you can buy Curse Magic and start Levelling it. There may be an interesting fusion you could use with Shadow and Mind if you get far enough down the line. Maybe at rank five?]

[Alright, Master! I will!]

That was probably a bad thing to do. Haven�t the monsters of the Dungeon suffered enough?

Moving on! There are a few new magical fields I want to take a look at which might be good. Wood, Metal, Lightning, and Force Magic. I�ve heard mention of these as �advanced� Elemental Magic, which are a lot more common with higher levelled Delvers and Dungeon dwellers, according to the golgari. Usually, one would skip over the basic stuff as fast as possible and then invest their time more effectively in these more potent elements. At least, that�s what I hear.

Lightning is generally considered very powerful offensively, and I only need to look to Tiny for that to be proven true. Wood and metal are common magics for builders and crafters, though they also have their uses in combat. Throwing a spike of ice at someone is generally dangerous, sure, but throwing a spike of metal? More threatening, to put it mildly. Then there�s Force Magic. Good ol� kinetic energy. Wanna grab someone by the throat with magic in the most literal sense? This is the method! Care to throw out a claw and have a wall of invisible pressure extend outward, knocking down your well-armoured but comically inept foes? Boom.

Like a kid in a candy shop, I want it all. Or, well, so I hear. I never had money to spend on candy as a kid. But after all this demon-slaying, I�ve got plenty of Skill Points! I have f�four! Seriously? After all of that? I could�ve sworn I was sitting pretty, but I guess I�ve really been running on some pretty thin margins.

Well, shoot.

As much as I�d love to buy up all the cool affinities and anything else that might conceivably help me unlock Gravity Magic, it looks like I�m going to have to be a bit choosier. Just the essentials, then. Like Barrier Magic. There�s no such thing as �too much defence,� especially when it�s something that can also help me protect my friends and family. I think that and Force Magic will have to do. Out of everything, I�d say Force definitely has the best chance of leading to Gravity, seeing as the latter is a �fundamental force� and all. Together, just those two will cost me a third of my points, and I want to keep the rest handy for rank-ups. With the way I�ve been grinding lately, I could easily run out just by focusing on these new affinities, since low-ranked Skills are so easy to raise.

�You know, maybe it�s a good thing we�ve got another big battle coming up. An army of tier six (and seven) demons will surely net me lots of Levels, and thus Skill Points� I select my two new magic specialisations, and after a moment, I nod with begrudging satisfaction. I may not have gotten what I wanted, or even all of the consolation prizes I wanted, but at least I�m moving forward, taking another step on the path that will get me there. With these and my current stable of Elemental Magics to hold me in good stead, hopefully I won�t have to grind nearly as long on this level before I plunge through and into the next.

Running through the list of purchases I have selected, I feel good about my decisions. I think this marks another step forward for me, and having the first of my organs reach +30 is a very pleasant milestone. Let�s do it!

�Oh right.

Here it comes!

MAGGLESTAFFEN! DAMN ITCH!

When I eventually wake, it�s to find that the rest of the group has already completed their mutations, and Crinis has extended herself into a wall between me and everyone else, preserving my modesty in my most vulnerable moments. What a good companion she is!

[Thanks, Crinis.]

I mean that sincerely, with all of my soul.

[You are welcome, Master.]

I slowly pick myself up, and this time it�s a little more disorienting than usual. I stagger to one side before I manage to gather my balance and freeze. It takes a few seconds for me to work out what is giving me such trouble, and once I do, it starts to make a little more sense. The antennae. When I upgraded to Twilight Filament, I did so because the description spoke of how sensitive they were, and I�d hoped that sensitivity would translate to the future sense, since it�s essentially changing the antennae to �detect� more sensory information. I�ve done the same again, but this time made them able to detect gravitational waves, and they are doing a damn good job of it from what I can tell.

It�s like� I�m not even sure I can describe it. I can feel the pull of gravity not just through my body but to an incredibly fine extent through my antennae. And not just the gravity personally affecting me, my physical body, but in an area around me. Naturally, that pull is downward, toward the centre of the planet, but there are vibrations and fluctuations that perhaps someone with greater understanding over how these things work could explain.

On top of that, the two mutations are functioning together, so not only am I detecting the gravitational waves as they are, but also as they will be a few moments in the future! Gah! As I twitch my antennae, its startling to realise I can actually sense the very tiny fields being emanated by my companions. Tiny�s is stronger than the others, and even Invidia�s is large enough for me to detect. Perhaps I�m also sensing the mass he has stuffed away in his pocket dimension?

It�s bizarre and a little nauseating, but I�m hoping that�s a temporary side effect, otherwise I�ve just mutated my way into trouble once again. No worries, I�ll get used to it.

There are other differences besides that as well. It�s easy to forget that upgrading an organ does produce a small overall performance increase. In this case, taking my Vestibule and Nave from +15 to +30 at once, apart from the changes brought on by mutation, has produced a noticeable and startling effect. The amount of energy pouring in through the Vestibule has increased significantly, beyond what the range increase alone should account for. The Nave is flooded with that Will and is condensing and purifying it to the point it feels like liquid gold as it eventually floods into my system. The feeling is incredible, to be honest. I feel refreshed, energised, and uplifted as the Will of thousands upon thousands of my siblings flows into me.

With a start, I jerk my mind away from that path. I know from experience that sinking down into the thoughts and desires of my siblings that flow through me is a trap that�s hard to get away from. I�ve been disciplined about it lately, but it�ll take some time to adjust to this new level of intrusion. Still, it�s nice to see the improvements have been worth the rather massive investment I made.

My mandibles and carapace have also benefited from the process, of course. The pure diamond coating that encases me has grown that little bit thicker, adding to my lustre and shine. My jaws are a little larger, a little more dense, and even more responsive to my mana than they were before. I�m going to have to test them with every type of mana I have at my disposal to really see what they can do, something I�ve been far too lazy about and avoided doing. I mean, what happens when I bite something with Mind Mana infused into my mandibles? Goodness knows!

[Alright then, squad. It�s time to get back out on the road. We need to keep grinding Skills, Levels, and Biomass. I�ve got a long way to go to maxing out for tier six, and I�m sure all of you are the same!]

My pets each acknowledge my words in their own way, for they are true for all of us, even Invidia.

�Brilliant, are you able to move around much yet?�

�I-I think so��

She doesn�t sound all that sure, but looking at her, I can already tell that a lot of the raw Biomass has been digested.

�Tiny can carry you if we need him to. I hope you�re ready to reach tier four, because we aren�t stopping until you get there!�

�Tier four? Already?!�

�Yes, already. The Colony doesn�t have time to wait around; you need to get cracking, and you can�t exactly do much as you are��

�I can too!�

�Sure, sure. Come on then, let�s get going.�

It takes concentration, but as we roam through the tunnels with Brilliant loaded into Tiny�s arms like an ant-missile, I find that my sensitivity to gravitational waves is even more extreme than I thought. I can actually sense monsters through it so long as they are within a certain range, which is just ridiculous. The amount of gravitational force a monster gives off might be many times larger than a human would, but it�s still pathetically weak! The fact I can find them, even through walls in some instances, just blows my mind. This is nuts!

At least it makes for extremely efficient hunting! As soon as we find a monster, we knock it down and pummel it to the brink of extinction before Tiny rams Brilliant into it and she manages to chomp it to the point of giving her a notification. Then we hoover up the Biomass and move on to the next target. We only slow down when it becomes clear we�re roaming deeper and deeper only to find fewer and fewer prey.

[I believe if we were to go much deeper, we would break through to the next layer,] Al observes after a while.

I raise my head, letting my antennae swirl through the air as I attempt to detect anything that would indicate he was correct. The heat has only risen as we descend, the open pools of lava becoming more frequent as they drip down from above. If I were to crack an egg on a rock, it would be charcoal in a minute, that�s how hot it feels.

[By any chance, does it get a little cooler as we get lower?]

The giant eye of literal flame looks at me steadily for a long moment.

[I�ll take that as a no,] I sigh.

�How far off evolving are you?� I ask Brilliant.

�I�m Level nineteen!� she informs me from her position as a harpoon in Tiny�s grip.

One more monster and we can retreat back to the city.

Barrier Magic is another defensive tool in the box and I�m quite keen to train it up. With my reaction speed and increasing magical prowess, I bet I can throw down shields in the blink of an eye, putting them where and when I need them before my opponents can even react. I don�t think it would be much of a stretch to say I�m attached to my life in this world, a heck of a lot more than I was to the one before, so I�m invested in being not dead. The more methods I can deploy to ensure I remain in a living state, the better, in my opinion.

But then, defence alone won�t actually end any fights, so I also want to work on my new Force Magic. It sounds way too useful to ignore. I mean, kinetic energy on tap? The only limiting factor is mana and my ability to wield it!

Add on the chance that it could lead to Gravity, and Force has to be my next focus. While silently promising myself I won�t neglect the life-saving shields of my other new toy for long, I put half of my mind constructs to work practicing the construct that will produce the much more exciting new form of mana. And, as is tradition, the construct is a pain within a pain wrapped in an ache and garnished with a kick to the noggin. None of these damn things are easy, but then again, I suppose converting mystical energy from one form into another isn�t exactly an easy task. Despite the complexity, compared to the Omni-Elemental Construct, it�s basically a walk in the park. I have every confidence I�ll be able to put it together in a few hours, and then I can start playing with it.

As we make our way back to the city of Roklu, having completed our immediate tasks, I take some time to experiment with something else I�ve not investigated as deeply as I should. My mandibles are specifically mutated to accept mana and produce effects based on the type I use. I had a lot of fun infusing them with Gravity Mana back in the day, but more often than not, my opponents these days have too much mass for me to properly yank them. I think I phrased that correctly�

Basically, using the gravity mandibles is a lot more situational than it was before, since they don�t have the desired effect on things that are too massive. If I had more Gravity Mana to pour in, then perhaps I could get it to work as it did before, but I�m limited since I only have what is available in my organ and can�t make more for myself. However, since I mastered the basic elements and learned Omni-Elemental Magic, I now have ready access to every type of basic elemental mana, including the fusions!

Which means a whole host of different types of mana I can infuse into my mandibles that I haven�t really tried yet! I�m not expecting anything world-shattering, but it�ll be nice to see what kinds of effects I can produce. As we march back to the city, following the winding tunnels as they twist and turn back to the larvae-flooded plains, I use my Omni-Elemental Construct to flood my mandibles with every type of mana I can create and chomp on various things, rocks, the odd demon, to see what happens each time.

The mandibles respond incredibly well to the mana, drinking it up like some sort of mega-sponge. Continuing to mutate them down this line has clearly increased the strength of the effect that is produced, while also increasing the ability of the mandibles to take and hold the energy that I give it. I have to throw in a ridiculous amount of mana before they start to feel �full,� and the abilities they grant are quite startling when fully charged.

For starters, Water Mana. To my surprise, the feeling I get from infusing this energy into my mandibles is one of cutting, and when I chomp down on a rock, the mana floods out in a rush as tiny, concentrated blasts of water emerge from the spiked tips of my mandibles. When I withdraw my jaws and inspect the rock, I find the pressurised water has drilled holes deep into the stone. Nasty! This might help me crack tough defences in a pinch! I�m impressed.

Fire Mana, I�ve tested before, essentially super heating my mandibles, though I don�t really feel it, thank goodness, and sizzling whatever I bite. I�m a fan. Not much use in the third stratum, but I still think it�s a strong effect.

Air Mana is a bit of a weird one, similar to gravity in a way. Once fully charged, when I open my mandibles wide, the air in front of me is sucked away, dragging whatever happens to be in front of me forward as the air rushes toward me to fill the void. The range is much less than the pull Gravitational Mana gives me, but this effect is targeted on an individual in the same way. Except anything in front of me will be dragged forward, unless they are strong enough or properly prepared to resist the sudden drag.

I wasn�t sure what to expect with Earth Mana. I mean, it was always going to be an unusual effect, but what I got was surprising and pleasing. The sense of peace and fulfilment that washed over me was immense, and when I turned to the tunnel wall and began to dig, the earth just melted away beneath my mandibles. Bliss. True peace.

Ice Mana was much as expected; when I bit a stone, the mana flooded into it, and even in these boiling temperatures, the damn thing started to freeze, rapidly cooling to the point that frost started to form on the surface. Of course, mixing temperatures like this isn�t particularly healthy for a rock, and the damn thing cracked right in my face.

Blue Fire was much the same as normal fire, except hotter.

Gas Magic was subtly different from Air Magic. Whereas Air Magic created a vacuum in front of my jaws which dragged things in front of me forward, Gas Magic created a rush of air inward to where I was biting, effectively locking in place the target of my ire, unless of course they were strong enough to resist the inrushing atmosphere.

Stone took the previous levels of ease of digging to all new heights, earth and stone positively crumbling away whenever my mandibles got even close to them, the mana leaching out and into the rock, dissolving it from within. This could be useful for the carvers�

Returning to Roklu, we make our way up the plate on which the city was built, the changes that had taken place clear to see. Not ones to mess around, the Colony has clearly gotten to work to an extent that left the remaining local residents� heads spinning. Around the central pillar, the carvers had clearly decided �forget this� and just gone ahead and built an ant hill circling the base. What had once been Grokus� compound was now an elegant tower of stone and dirt, already displaying elaborate carvings and intricate arrangements on the outside as the more artistic workers set to their business.

The rest of the city was rebuilt sturdier and neater than before. No longer quite as tangled a mess as it had been, the Colony had imposed some degree of order on the demons without going all the way and tearing down their warrens completely. Thousands and thousands of ants are still in residence, watching in all directions, building, scouting, shifting resources from above and bringing them down into the city. The elevator they constructed is rather impressive, no doubt about that. The ingenuity of the Colony knows no bounds.

Of course, once we are settled, it�s time for Brilliant to evolve.

�Hop to it!� I tell her. �Make sure you think carefully about your choices, and don�t make any dumb decisions. You really can�t afford to waste your evolutionary energy.�

�I know that,� she grumbles. �It�s just that I�m so tempted to choose everything I see.�

�That curiosity is likely to get you killed one of these days,� I scold her. �Obviously you can�t pick everything. Be sensible about it.�

�Fine.�

I carefully watch her until I�m convinced she�s deep into the menus and thus too distracted by the System and the process of evolving to worry about what is happening in the real world.

[Chuck her in the mouth, Invidia, she can evolve in there while we go about our business. Mind you, if she gets too large for you to hold, make sure you let me know and spit her out.]

[Very wellll.]

A few moments later, the little ant is gone, vanished into a pocket dimension whilst the rest of us continue our tour of the city. It isn�t long before we bump into some old friends.

[Sarah! I didn�t expect to see you down here!]

We spot the big bear helping a few carvers by shifting some heavy stone blocks with not inconsiderable strength.

[Oh, Anthony! Welcome back! I couldn�t keep being lazy and thought I should come down here and help. I might have thought twice if I�d realised how hot it would be.]

[I can see that Smithant got a hold of you too.] I flip an antenna toward the rings of metal that adorn her limbs.

She pulls a face.

[This is nothing. You should see the full armour set. No, these pieces are just for helping keep me cool. It�s not great having fur down here!]

I bet. I walk over to her and give her a pat on the back with one leg.

[Just be careful with yourself, alright? You�ll be a big help in the fighting against the tier seven and six opponents we have to deal with here, but if it gets too much for you, make sure you back out before it becomes overwhelming.]

There are flashes of pain in her eyes as she recalls the near disaster she experienced the last time the Colony was under siege.

[Don�t worry,] she assures me, [I�ll be careful.]

We chat for a little while before she remembers to tell me that Granin and crew had come down looking for me, so I bid her farewell and let her get back to building, which in turn gets the carvers to stop accusing us of being lazy, and go looking for the golgari. I eventually find them resting just outside the anthill in a small compound that appears to have been constructed for them to reside in. The Colony is nothing if not accommodating!

[Granin, you old fogey!] I greet him jovially. [Torrina, looking wonderful as always. Corun, wonderful to see you!]

[Very funny,] the old Shaper grunts. [It�s great to see your big insect mug as well.]

[Is that any way to talk to a future Ancient?] I chortle.

He peers at me.

[Becoming an Ancient is no laughing matter,] he says. [You�re talking about becoming one of the most powerful entities on the entire planet. Or are you telling me you�ve actually decided to do this old rock a favour and make it your goal?]

[Hell no. I�m just trying to support my family and make it to my next evolution in one piece.]

He rolls his eyes and glances at Torrina and Corun, who are both radiating a noticeable level of �I told you so� energy. It�s interesting to me that the three golgari give off much stronger gravitational waves than one would expect given their size. I suppose the ore they cover themselves in isn�t just for show after all, but even taking that into account, I feel like their bodies underneath that rock and metal are denser than I might have expected. The golgari are rumoured to be naturally very strong; I suppose that�s no joke.

[Oh, by the by, I�ve been playing around with a few new things. Check this out!]

I infuse Stone Mana into my mandibles and wave them threateningly in the old Shaper�s direction, and to my surprise, he reacts, leaping back from me with a scowl on his face.

[What the hell is that? My danger senses are going crazy!]

[You have danger senses?]

[Never mind that!]

I can�t help but give him an odd look.

[I infused my mandibles with Stone Mana. I tested it on the way over, helps me cut through rock like it�s not even there,] I explain.

He shivers.

[No wonder. Made me feel like my skin was about to peel off. The golgari fought monsters with a similar power a long time ago. Stone Mantis. Except they infused the blades on their arms rather than their mandibles. We ended up driving them to extinction because of how threatening they were to our people.]

[Didn�t mean to stress you out,] I apologise. [I just thought it would be funny.]

[Don�t worry about it, Anthony,] Corun laughs. [It was plenty funny for us!]

Granin shoots them a dirty look.

[Enough of this. How is progress toward your next evolution?]

[Give me a break! I only just evolved! You think experience rains down from the sky?]

[No,] he frowns, [but it�s still risky for you to be down here as a tier six. Tier seven demons are no joke, as I think you�ve found.]

[I don�t know,] I shrug, [we managed to handle Grokus alright.]

[This is what I was worried about,] the big Shaper harrumphs, and even Torrina looks a little disappointed.

[We heard about that fight,] she says, [and from what we understand, you were almost eaten from the inside out despite having your opponent surrounded and outnumbered. If it weren�t for your strange gravity spell, you would have lost for sure.]

I mean, they aren�t wrong.

[And that big moron was an excess demon. Not exactly the most feared combatant you can encounter down here,] Granin says.

[What is?] I ask, curious.

[There are a few tier six demons who are straight up designed for killing. Slaughter demons are among the worst, but they aren�t alone. Wrath demons are a pain to deal with, blade demons, let�s not forget torture demons, those are a literal pain to deal with.]

It�s almost humorous how quickly the Shaper can fall into a lecturing tone. The guy was born to be a teacher.

[None of those sound pleasant. We had a tier seven war demon down here as well.]

[Those are massively dangerous. Don�t forget that the one you ran into was only recently evolved; they can get far more deadly than that. At the tier seven Level? Pride demons can evolve into vain demons or emperor demons, both of which are far more threatening than the tier six variant. Slaughter demons usually evolve into massacre demons, which are as bad as they sound. Blade demons can become slasher demons or sometimes violence demons, those are particularly nasty. At tier six, you can find blood demons which can evolve into bone demons. If you see one of those, I want you to get the hell away from it.]

That is unusually serious.

[What, why? What do they do?]

He tells me.

[Understood. I shall never go near them!] I vow within my mind and simultaneously within my soul.

That�s just nasty!

[Keep pushing for your next evolution,] Granin advises me seriously. [Tier seven monsters are the real threats on this stratum, and as a first stratum monster, you are far below them. Your next evolution will give you two or more resets that can not only level the playing field, but push you past them with good choices. I won�t feel confident for you down here until you reach that point.]

Enid looked down at her tea with a slight smile. Not only had the ants secured a source of truly delightful tea leaves, they also managed to procure sugar, goodness knows from where. In the same manner in which they tackled every issue, namely head-on, they had begun cultivation and experimentation of the substance the moment they had the free resources to do so. One would have assumed the ants would care little for such frivolous items, instead concentrating their efforts in other directions, yet she had visited the tea plantations herself, seen the vast amount of energy they put into the care of their leaves.

The Colony truly didn�t believe in outsourcing labour. The idea of having someone else grow the leaves and then purchasing them seemed almost alien to their insect minds. To be fair, labour wasn�t exactly something they were short of, but she could only imagine how frustrating she would have found it to deal with these monsters as a merchant. The second you found something they wanted to buy, you also created a competitor, because no sooner did they purchase it than they started trying to make or grow it themselves! Then, they would turn around and start selling your own merchandise back to you, and probably at a higher quality than you yourself had been able to obtain!

Infuriating.

The tea fields couldn�t be described as vast, but they were certainly extensive, and now with the sugar plantation added alongside them, they almost extended over an entire expanse, with further expansion planned. Not only had her own people in Renewal become addicted to the pleasant flavour and delightful sweetness, but so had Rylleh and an increasing number of the ants themselves, most particularly the Queens. And if the Queens wanted something, they were going to get it.

�Mayor, are you ready?� the calm voice of her secretary reached her through the door.

�Yes, Terrence. I�ll be there in a moment.�

With a groan, she forced her old bones to move up out of her chair. She�d been feeling her age more keenly than ever over the last few weeks, ever since the Siege ended, but she�d long gotten used to forcing the niggles and aches that plagued the elderly to the back of her mind. She gathered her things and regretfully left the plush and comfortable lodgings the Colony had provided for her in the nest behind. They�d even installed heating sigils that kept the room at a comfortable temperature at all times! Such an extravagant use of valuable cores was something only the royalty and noble class would dare contemplate in Liria before the wave, and now she was able to enjoy it.

Once she opened the door, she was greeted by the warm and cheerful face of Terrence, her latest secretary. He�d been a scribe in the capital before the destruction, a skill he was now able to put to good use in the service of the survivors.

�How are you today, Ms. Mayor?� he asked politely.

�I�m fine,� she groused, �stop harassing me. You�re worse than a grandchild.�

The middle-aged man just smiled as he fell into step beside her.

�There are a few things that demand your attention today,� he said, �but I presume we are heading to the hospital first?�

�Of course.�

�Right you are, then, Mayor. Good thing I scheduled your appointment with the Rylleh merchants for the afternoon.�

Enid groaned.

�What do those crusty old bats want this time?�

�They have approached the Colony about the possibility of imposing copyright law. I understand there are quite a few enterprising merchants who are already prepared to lodge claims.�

�And the Colony, having no idea what on Pangera they were on about, asked for me to sort it out,� she grunted.

�That is most likely the case.�

�I assume they want to claim the copyright on basically everything under the sun, since the Colony�s legal system, such as it is, is detached from everyone else�s, thus nothing is currently protected intellectual property.�

�There has already been a claim laid on the wheel, Ms. Mayor.�

�Damn vultures,� she muttered as she rolled her eyes. �I suppose this is how they�re hoping to stop the ants from competing with them, by having the Colony agree that it would be illegal to do so.�

Terrence didn�t say anything in response, but they both knew she was right. Competing with the Colony was an exercise in futility, since they essentially had a limitless workforce that wasn�t paid for. This was hardly the first time Enid had been tasked with hammering out the details of trade between the Colony and the societies that lived around them, and it likely wouldn�t be the last. So far, the wily old trader had proven to be more than a match for the greedy merchants who�d seen her as an easy mark. Though having an army of thousands upon thousands of monsters backing her up didn�t hurt any.

When they arrived at the hospital that had been set aside for the non-insect members of the nest, Enid wasted no time in stepping forward to comfort the injured and sick. A kind word here, a held hand there, she lifted the spirits of her people with her mere presence, and seeing the gratitude on their faces, Terrence couldn�t help but feel his deep gratitude to this old woman strengthen. She worked so hard for them when, by all rights, she should be retired and resting in a comfortable chair.

�There are quite a few with mana sickness�� she fretted after she finished chatting with a soldier who lay infirm in his comfortable bed.

He nodded.

�The assault on the third stratum hit quite a few harder than was anticipated. We think the mana levels were still elevated since the end of the last wave, and the conditioning program wasn�t enough to make up the difference. Every non-monster has been evacuated from that stratum for the time being until the Colony is confident that those who wish to join them have sufficiently adapted.�

�They are pushing too hard.�

Terrence raised a brow.

�The Colony?�

�No,� Enid snapped, �our people! I have no doubt the Council didn�t even ask if people would participate in the assault. They would have just incorporated the ones that showed up! It takes time to adjust to the mana levels in the deeper layers. In some cases, a long time. Rushing is only going to get good people killed.�

�I feel some of our people want to follow the Colony wherever they go,� Terrence observed softly, �like a child toddling after a parent. They don�t want to be left behind.�

�They don�t have to be left behind, but they have to be patient. The ants are monsters, they don�t suffer from mana sickness, but we do! How many of our people have already become too adapted to the Dungeon? How many can no longer walk on the surface without pain?�

�Hundreds, at least.�

It was something her husband had struggled through many times, the pain that came with delving deep and then rising back up. If not for her, he would have lived deeper in the Dungeon and thus spared himself a great deal of suffering reacclimating to the low mana conditions of the surface whenever he finished a job. It was taxing and could have long-term effects. If he hadn�t been as tough as mountain bones, then he likely would never have been able to do it.

�Perhaps I should talk with the Colony about establishing a program to help people acclimate to differing mana levels. Make it easier for those who want to return to the surface��

�I actually had word through a contact that they�ve already started work on that. They�ve created a few mana deprivation chambers close to the nest. They�ve peeled back the Dungeon veins and opened the rooms for our use. I meant to tell you yesterday.�

Enid could only shake her head.

�Damn ants,� she muttered, �they spoil us too much.�

While the hatchling sleeps through her tier four evolution, the rest of us take a break to strategize a little with Granin and company before we rest. Sometimes, it�s easy to forget the others need a break a lot sooner than I do, at least whenever I�m within range of the Colony. There�s just something about never getting tired that seeps into your subconscious; before too long, you start thinking of fatigue as abnormal. While everyone else is getting some-shut eye, I keep my minds spinning, working hard on practicing new constructs and weaving spells. The grind train is on and it don�t stop for nobody!

If the demons think I�m going to rest on my laurels, they�ve got another thing coming.

Still, talking to Granin and the others provides a much more sober evaluation of where we sit in the power scales. Despite having risen so far, there is so long to go.

[That�s the way of it in the Dungeon,] the old Shaper shrugs. [Until you get all the way to the middle, there�s always going to be something stronger than you are. The only time you can really feel safe is when you�re the highest tier in a particular stratum and there isn�t a wave going on.]

[The way things have been lately, there�ll be another wave before too long,] I grump.

[That�s true,] Granin says. [There haven�t been two waves this close together in recorded history, and the ambient mana level is still elevated. Some of the more anxious members of the cult feared this might indicate the Cataclysm would come again. I wasn�t inclined to believe them then, but now I�m not so certain.]

[The Cataclysm? You mean the Rending?]

[Right. You�d probably describe it as �not a good time.� Which sums it up. If we are indeed trending on that path, then the mana level will continue to rise higher and higher, building with wave after wave until the energy becomes so fierce that the Ancients will rise from the centre of the world and consume the surface once again.]

[That� sounds bad. Aren�t you supposed to worship these guys or something? Yet you think they�re going to come up here and eat all of us? What the heck is the point of that?!]

Wouldn�t it make more sense to be actively working against the Ancients rather than with them? Granin just shrugs whilst Torrina and Corun stand to the side, equally unfussed.

[First of all, we don�t really worship the Great Worm. The Ancients are close to gods in a lot of ways, beings capable of ripping the world apart if they so choose, but they are monsters. Our cult and the others around the world understand that the Ancients follow their nature. They seek growth, as all creatures in this world do. It�s not like we can be mad at them for taking experience and Biomass when they get the chance. If any delver had the chance to stab an Ancient through the brain while they slept, you think they wouldn�t take it?]

[I guess not�]

Seems a little unsporting, though� Mind you, I would definitely do it if I had the chance. I�m a monster, so manners aren�t expected. I�d likely get enough experience to go straight to tier eight or something. Not to mention the Biomass� or the core!

[Hang on a minute. If that actually happens, and they rise again, then won�t all of us be killed? Like, the entire Colony?]

[Maybe. Unless you can hide from them or fight them off, then yes, they would likely eat you. Or the flood of absurdly powerful monsters from the deeper strata would do the job.]

I slump.

[The only answer is to keep getting stronger, right?]

[Right.] Granin grins.

[This isn�t news to you, Anthony,] Torrina tells me gently. [If you wanted the Colony to thrive, you were always going to have to keep growing.]

[I get that, but I didn�t realise there was an Ancient-level threat on the horizon!]

[I wouldn�t stress too much in the short-term,] Corun encourages me. [It�s a big �if� that what Granin is suggesting will even happen. The Cataclysm has only happened once, and nobody was living in the Dungeon at that point, so nobody has any idea what the conditions that led to the Rending even were.]

[Weren�t the Sophos down here at that time?]

The younger mage pulls a face.

[Getting the Sophos to say anything is hard, let alone spill their secrets.]

[They�ve been more than welcoming to me�]

[Maybe because you�re a monster,] he shrugs. [They might sympathise with a sapient reborn as a monster. If you find them again, maybe you can ask.]

After chatting and discussing my magic progression with them, the Shapers retire to get some rest and I check in with the Colony leadership to make sure the plan is progressing as it should. Despite everything falling into place, I can�t help but feel a little disturbed. The Ancients might rise? Demons, I can deal with, if only barely. The Legion, I was able to deal with, if only barely. Gigantic mega-monsters rising from the depths? I�m not confident.

I have to take everything Granin says with a slight pinch of salt. He�s a cultist himself, after all, and he�s readily admitted that he wants me to rise to that level, become the twentieth Ancient� for whatever reason. Come to think of it, why is it so important that there be twenty humungo monsters lurking in the centre of this world? Is it supposed to achieve something? Do the civilisations on Pangera just hate odd numbers? I�ve never actually managed to get the triad to admit what they actually get out of making me reach the peak of monsterhood�

I�m practicing spinning barriers while I wait for the evolution to complete, but I�m finding it more difficult to handle than I anticipated. My low Skill Level is obviously an issue, but more than that, I think I underestimated how difficult it is to form these things due to how easy Invidia makes it look. Grabbing hold of mana in the air, pressing it down, then weaving and shaping it into a physical barrier takes time and a considerable amount of mental effort, especially since I�m working with mana that is external to my body. At the moment, dedicating three mind constructs to the process, they can form a barrier in around five seconds. That�s clearly way too slow, but the Skill is still only rank two. I�ve been told over and over again that Skills below rank five aren�t really worth mentioning. More practice required!

My experiments with Force Magic have continued apace, and I�m happy with how they�re going. The bulk of my mind constructs are dedicated to this branch of magic, and I�m trying to rise through the Levels as quickly as possible. I�ve raised it to the second rank already, but I�ll need proper combat practice to accelerate its growth faster. At the moment, the pushes, pulls, and other forces I can control aren�t nearly strong enough to be useful. I mean, sending out a Force Bolt is like whacking someone in the face with an invisible rock, except I have a spell that throws a rock, and it�s cheaper in energy, easier to cast, and is more effective! I may as well just throw a rock!

More Levels are needed for this magic to reveal its true potential.

It didn�t take much longer for the hatchling to complete her evolution. The jump from tier three to four isn�t nearly as large as those that follow. I imagine my next evolution is going to put me out of commission for days, perhaps as long as a week! That does make me wonder about the further evolutions. Will going from tier nine to ten take a year? What about the Ancients? If they evolve from where they are now, will they end up sleeping for a thousand years or something? Absurd!

When Invidia notices that Brilliant has begun to stir in her System-induced slumber, he lets me know and spits the little ant out onto the surface. Her size hasn�t increased that much, which means she�s continued to invest in almost purely mental stats, pretty much as I expected her to. In fact, she�s probably still smaller than carvers, mages, and core shapers at this tier, making her the smallest tier four ant in the Colony. I don�t know what she spent her evolutionary energy on, but it sure as hell wasn�t to beef up her physical form! When I�d initially created the different castes, I�d been sure to give at least a little boost to their Might and Toughness to make them a bit more durable. Dying is not the desired outcome for any of us!

It appears as though the hatchling hasn�t put as much thought into that. She looks so flimsy I could probably break her carapace with one leg! If she�s going to remain at this size, then she�s going to be easy pickings for the kinds of opponents we face here in the third stratum. Surely she came up with a few alternative methods to protect her own life? Actually, considering the attitudes within the Colony, that�s far from a guarantee.

After ten minutes of gradual movement, Brilliant springs up to standing and greets us.

�Ah! Hello, senior! I hope you weren�t waiting long.�

�I can already tell that you�d hoped I wouldn�t be waiting when you woke up so you could sneak away and explore on your own.�

�How?!�

�You�re as clear as glass to me, hatchling! How�d the evolution go? Manage to pick up something useful?�

�Definitely! I�m getting closer to being able to peel back all of the secrets of this world! Soon enough, nothing will be able to hide from me!�

�Really? What did you end up going with?�

�Muahahaha! Take a look and see!�

�Wait a second, did you just evil laugh? I�m the only one who is allowed to evil laugh!�

�It�s not an evil laugh! It�s an ominous chuckle! Not even remotely the same.�

�Fair enough��

Activating core shaping with one antenna pressed lightly against the hatchling�s head, I take a peek at her status.

Name: Brilliant

Level: 1 (Special) IV

Might: 40

Toughness: 40

Cunning: 80

Will: 65

HP: 80/80

MP: 0/140

Skills:

Advanced Digging (II) Level 8; Improved Acid Shot (II) Level 2; Expert Grip (III) Level 7; Crushing Bite (II) Level 5; Rapid Dash (II) Level 7; Exo-Skeleton Defence (I) Level 2; Advanced Stamina (II) Level 7; Mana Moulding (IV) Level 12; Finer External Mana Manipulation (IV) Level 2

Mutations:

Energy Reactive Exo-skeleton +15; Vampiric Mandibles +15; Potent Gripping Legs +15; Mana Weave Eyes +15; Mana Discerning Antennae +15; Melting Acid Gland +15; Gluttonous Stomach +15; Diverse Pheromone Language Gland +15; Heightened Mana Core Lattice +15; Penetrating Dungeon Oracle +15; Dimensional Eye; Energy Stone

Species: Omni - Seer (Formica)

Skill Points: 15

Biomass: 24

The heck is this?!

�Did you spend all of your energy on sensory organs? The dimensional eye and energy stone?�

�I did! I also increased my mental stats. The things I can see right now are incredible! My sensitivity to mana is unbelievable!�

For an ant that always wanted to see everything for herself, I shouldn�t be too surprised she decided to go in this direction. She�ll never be content until she�s ferreted out every piece of information, every hidden secret for herself. Not satisfied with her current level of sensory information, despite having access to some level of information from the Dungeon itself, she�s broadened her options. The dimensional eye in particular is a rather potent organ and likely the main benefit of her current species. Combined with the energy stone, she is now able to detect fluctuations of energy across dimensional boundaries! Nothing will remain hidden from her sight!

�In fact, I can sense energy flowing toward you, senior. And it�s coming from me!�

What?!

�Don�t worry about that!� I cut her off. �As long as you are happy with your choices, I�m satisfied. I can see you�ve been diligently practicing the foundational Skills of magic as well. Great work!�

Despite only having the one brain, Brilliant has shown incredible growth with her handling of internal and external mana. This further confirms my suspicion that she has a powerful natural predilection for these Skills.

�You�ll need to start working on an elemental Skill before too long in order to work your way up the tiers,� I instruct her. �Try a few different choices and see which ones you like. I wouldn�t stress too much about which ones you pick, play with all if you want, but be wary of how you spend your Skill Points.�

I take a few minutes to instruct her on the upgrades and fusions available at the entry level of magic before bringing everyone else into the conversation.

[Alright then, with Brilliant finished with her evolution, it�s time to move to the next phase. Are you ready to go on the offensive?]

Tiny nods and flexes eagerly.

[Good! Time to head over to Orpule and see what the next addition to the Colony�s territory is going to look like!]

I�m no good sitting around here on my backside! The Colony is more than capable of fortifying and defending the city without me. Vibrant should already be out there causing chaos, and it�s time for me to make my approach as well! Our main strategy has never been to sit back and wait for the enemy to come to us. Since the �rules� of demon combat allow us to attack during this time window, we shall! Of course, we can�t assault the city itself until the set date, but we can do a lot of other things. When they see what we have planned, the demons of Orpule won�t dare put a toe out of their homes.

After declaring as much to my pets and the hatchling, we zoom off! The Colony has already been kind enough to establish a lift from the city to the ground, mainly to shift materials in and out of the city without having to climb the pillar holding them in a pair of mandibles, but it serves equally well in order to send a group of heavy monsters down. And I do mean heavy, since Sarah is joining us on this outing.

With myself, the massive bear, and Tiny standing on the platform, we are surely putting the thing through its paces. It does creak rather worryingly, but we make it to the bottom just fine in the end.

[Let�s go, everyone! Time to cause some ruckus.]

I love it when I get permission for this.

There was a time that Titus had thought his daughter would never return to the Legion, that the untimely death of his son had robbed him of both his children. Now that he�d been reunited with Morrelia and she had integrated into the Legionem Abyssi, a part of him that had long been dead was once again full of life. Not that anyone could tell looking at his face, of course. To the world at large, he appeared as stone-faced and duty-bound as always.

Ever since Morrelia had been selected for accelerated development, his pride had almost been ready to burst out of his chest. It would seem odd to most people, but watching her earnestly work herself to the bone in order to achieve her ambitions filled him with powerful emotions. He dearly wished his son had survived his initiation so he could have seen both of his children rise to the challenge presented to them.

With a slow release of breath, he pushed out the grief that rose within him as his thoughts dwelt on what had been lost. It�d grown easier to bear over the years, but only a little. His acute awareness of how fleeting joy could be only made his current appreciation for his daughter all the more potent.

With a wrench of will, Titus dragged his mind away from Morrelia and back to the numerous papers scattered across his desk. Administrative work was the backbone of the Legion, and though he would rather charge into a horde of demons without armour on, the commander would do his duty and defeat the enemy that rested on the flat surface before him. Once more focused on his task, Titus took hold of his pen, dipped it in the waiting ink and returned to battle.

Resupplying his new Legion after the members had been recalled from their postings during the wave was a monumental task. Thousands of soldiers and thousands more auxiliaries needed to be accounted for, equipped, fed, billeted, and kept happy. Promotions, training, Skill development, Class upgrades, managing morale, all of it demanded the careful attention of the commander in charge, and Titus knew just how important each of these were to the successful running of a military force. This was the sort of discipline the Legion drummed into their officers! It was also something Morrelia would need to learn�

�Dammit!� Titus crashed his fist down on the table as his thoughts strayed once more.

�Something wrong, Commander?� Aurillia burst through the door, his old comrade looking around the room as if expecting to see a lurking monster.

The commander didn�t lose his temper. He just didn�t! For him to yell like that, something must be seriously wrong. As she glanced back to the face of her old friend and superior, she froze when she saw the hard lines of his expression. Though he always looked carved from granite, right now the commander appeared as if he was forged from Abyssal Iron! Knowing him for as long as she had, Aurillia could tell he was furious.

�What�s wrong, Titus?� she demanded, using his name in a breach of protocol. �Is something bothering you?�

Unlike most officers of his Legion, she was prepared to face his wrath if the moment demanded it. After a long moment where he took hold of his temper, Titus breathed out his tension, his expression softening imperceptibly as he did so.

�Nothing is the matter. I�m just irritated and finding it difficult to concentrate,� he admitted as he waved a hand toward the piles of forms and applications in front of him.

�Thinking about your daughter out working hard in the Dungeon?� She grinned. �I know how proud you must be.�

Titus frowned.

�Of course I�m proud, but that doesn�t mean I want to hear gossiping amongst the ranks.�

�Gossiping? About little Morrelia who we trained when she was a young lass? Why would we?� The old tribune innocently spread her hands.

�Hmph,� Titus snorted.

�I have to admit to you, Titus, a few of us are concerned about the pace she is setting. Overwork is a real issue, and she is clearly pushing up against the boundary,� Aurillia grew serious as she laid out her concerns. �We�ve seen her stumbling into camp once every few days, covered in ichor and half dead on her feet. She spends so much time in the field they are rotating three squads to accompany her. She�s doing three times the work of a normal Legionary! You can�t be alright with this.�

Titus didn�t blink.

�What did she say?� he said.

�That it was her decision and the rest of us should leave off,� the tribune grunted.

�There it is.�

�You can�t be serious, Titus! This is your daughter we�re talking about, don�t tell me that you aren�t concerned!�

He was concerned, but that didn�t mean he got to overrule Morrelia�s choices. Or the Legion�s.

�You never went through the advanced officer�s training, Aurillia,� he told her, looking her straight in the eye. �You don�t know what it takes to succeed at that level. If she worked any less, she wouldn�t have a chance of making it through.�

�This much is insane! She could die!�

�It�s her decision,� Titus stated, his tone hard as steel. �I will support her choices. She understands the risks and is willing to shoulder them. I will hear no more of this matter!�

The tone of his voice brooked no discussion, and his loyal tribune knew when she could push no further. Aurillia was far from happy with how hard Morrelia was being pushed, but she swallowed her objections for now. Seeing his officer no longer intended to question him about it, he moved the conversation to other topics.

�Has the scouting report on the progress of the ant colony come back?�

�Yes,� she forced her mind to move on to the business at hand. �Our sources in the third stratum have made contact with the church. Apparently, a demon city fell to an invasion of ants from above only recently.�

�Which city?�

�Roklu.�

Titus frowned.

�I�m not aware of that one.�

�It�s a relatively minor city directly beneath where we fought the ants.�

�So they dropped straight down into the vacuum. Is the territory around there contested?�

�It is, there are various powers at work in the area, including the ka�armodo. We expect to hear more feedback in the coming weeks as the ants seek to expand their influence.�

The commander leaned back in his chair and pondered for a moment.

�We spooked them,� he said.

�That is what our strategists believe also,� Aurillia confirmed. �The ants are seeking to aggressively expand in order to stave off further extermination forces. The intervention of other actors has also complicated the scene.�

The tree and the Folk. Neither of them friends of the Legion.

�We may have to wait until the ants manage to pull another enemy down on themselves,� Titus grunted. �The Legion doesn�t have the manpower right now to stamp out these insects now that they�ve spread. There are fires all over the place that need putting down, especially down below.�

�I�ll keep you informed, sir.�

When Morrelia awoke, her entire body was screaming in pain. This extent of muscle soreness wasn�t something she�d experienced many times in her life, even in the worst of her training sessions as a trainee Legionary. She gritted her teeth and forced her protesting limbs to yield to her will, shoving the pain deep into her chest and feeding it to the fire that constantly burned there. She�d known that hell awaited her if she chose this direction, and she wasn�t going to shy away from it now that she felt the sting of her decisions.

A splash of cold water followed by a vigorous scrubbing ensured no grime, blood, or ichor remained on her skin before she launched into an hour-long session of stretches and exercises designed to prepare her for the next excursion into the third stratum. It was agonising and she whimpered in pain more than once, but she gritted her teeth and followed through to the end.

Another splash of cold water to wipe away the sweat and then she donned her leather armour. Breakfast had been delivered to her tent and she scarfed it down quickly, her body desperate for energy and sustenance. The baptism the Legion had put her through meant she didn�t need to eat as much as a regular person, the mana burning in her veins made sure of that, but the brutal regime she was putting herself through meant her muscles craved calories and proteins.

When Morrelia finally emerged from her tent, she already radiated the intense focus one would expect from a warrior in the field. She managed only a few strides before a familiar face settled in beside her.

�Myrrin,� she greeted her friend without breaking stride. �Haven�t seen you for a little while. How�ve you been?�

�Busy!� the younger woman laughed as she lengthened her stride to match that of the berserker. �Since reforming, your father has had the entire Legion put through its paces! The drills are endless!�

�Nothing wrong with sharpening the blade before battle.�

�I just got back from battling the wave! I�m plenty sharp!�

�Where were you stationed?� Morrelia took in her friend, curious to see what had changed.

Though she�d completed her initiation before Morrelia had, Myrrin was younger by several years. Being introduced to full membership had forced her to rapidly grow up, however. There had been a hardening in the carefree young girl she remembered signing up to be a trainee back in Liria. It was the same transformation that hit all of them in time, the soft edges buffed out to be replaced by sterner stuff. Battling the Dungeon wasn�t an occupation for the meek; only the strongest could survive.

�I was in the second stratum, close to Yerryn,� Myrrin pulled a face. �I�ve seen enough of shadow beasts to last several lifetimes.�

�I hear that,� Morrelia chuckled.

The two of them continued to stride through the camp at a brisk pace, saluting any superiors they came across but not bothering to stop. Their relentless pace puzzled the ranger until she was forced to ask.

�What�s the rush, Morr? I hear they have you on some rough schedule, but you only got back yesterday!�

�And it�s time to get back at it,� she said, her face hard.

Myrrin�s mouth dropped.

�You can�t be serious! I�ve been told thousands of times how dangerous it is to overexpose to the Dungeon! You need to take a break.�

Morrelia didn�t pause in her stride. There hadn�t been any breaks for weeks, and she wasn�t about to start now.

�This is my decision. I need to push if I�m going to succeed in my goals, and that means killing monsters and polishing my Skills. I don�t have the luxury of holding back; I need to make up for lost time.�

The other elites within the Legion didn�t walk away from service like she had, they�d been battling ever since they�d passed their initiation alongside their brothers and sisters. If she wanted to stand shoulder to shoulder with them, if she wanted to rise above them, then Morrelia had no choice but to run herself ragged, despite the risks.

�I don�t understand what�s going on here, Morr.� Myrrin grabbed hold of her friend�s arm and dug in her heels, succeeding in stopping the other woman. �Talk to me.�

A flash of irritation flickered through the berserker�s mind before she suppressed it. She sighed and gestured for the two of them to sit down in a quiet area of the camp.

�I�m not trying to brush you off, but I really do have a patrol I need to meet up with soon, so I�m going to be quick,� she explained. �I�ve been put forward to participate in a training program for officers and deep Dungeon Legionem Abyssi. During the wave, I was basically part of an accelerated development program where they had me fighting pretty much around the clock.�

�And you still are,� Myrrin pointed out.

�I still am,� she confirmed. �That�s largely because of the path I chose to pursue. During my last Class promotion, my father laid out several different ways I could progress. Heavy armour, berserker, or try to develop leadership Skills to complement what I already have.�

�And what did you pick?�

�All of them.� Morrelia grinned.

Her friend stared back at her for a long moment before she started laughing and shook her head.

�That�s just like you, Morr. Your appetite is bigger than your stomach!�

�Can you blame me? If you had a chance at wearing Praetorian Armour, you wouldn�t take it?�

�Why not just choose to follow the heavy armour route?�

�I didn�t want to leave my Berserker Class in the dust, it�s been with me my whole life. It�s part of who I am.�

�Alright then, so why bother trying to incorporate leadership Skills?� Myrrin said, exasperated. �Aren�t you just making things difficult for the heck of it?�

Morrelia rolled her eyes.

�I�m not exactly enjoying this schedule. I�m in pain constantly, tired constantly, on edge constantly. It�s rough. But I decided it wasn�t enough to just be a killer for the Legion. I wanted to be a leader for the Legion. I want to have a say in when and where I fight. I want to know that I�m picking the right battles.�

With so many opponents to face, she didn�t want to see the Legion wasting lives throwing themselves against the Colony anymore. It would be a long time before she was qualified to make decisions like that, but she didn�t want to accept never having that authority. Their enemies were too great for them to be wasting energy.

�From what you�re saying, you�ve basically picked the most difficult path you could possibly have picked?�

�That�s right.� Morrelia sighed as she pushed herself up from her seated position. �Obviously not the smartest decision I could have made, but it was the only one I felt I could be happy with. The reason I�m going on so many patrols is to quickly Level through my leadership Class and polish the accompanying Skills as fast as possible. This way, I�ll be ready to transition to something that can combine all of my strengths. At the very least, I�ll be qualified to learn all that they have to teach me.�

She reached down and helped pull the younger Legionary to her feet before they once more resumed their march to the armoury. Morrelia needed to get her Abyssal Armour on before she could head back out into the Dungeon, and she�d intended to use what little time she had left to give it a thorough inspection. If Myrrin helped, they could look over the suit and she�d only be a few minutes late. Going out into the field without making sure of your equipment was a cardinal sin within the Legion.

However, as the two young women made their way to the imposing and well-defended building in the heart of the camp, they found a small delegation waiting there. Without any discussion, a uniformed centurion stepped forward and addressed them.

�Is one of you Legionary Morrelia Faronicus?�

�That�s me.� She saluted, her fist crashing into her heart.

The officer nodded.

�Your deployment has changed. Pack your gear and meet us here in an hour.�

�Yes, sir!� Morrelia saluted again then turned on her heel, running back toward her tent as fast as she could.

Myrrin watched it happen with a dazed expression before she turned back to the centurion.

�Where is she going? If you don�t mind me asking, sir.�

The armoured man flicked a glance at her, and she couldn�t help but feel as if her entire service record had been summed up by this person in that moment.

�She�s going deeper. That�s all you need to know, Legionary.�

�Have you seriously been running this entire time?�

�Yep-Yep! I don�t feel right unless my legs are moving. You feel the same, yeah? You have to move! Standing still is like dying, I can�t stand it! Being still is just⁠��

�Enough! No matter how fast you talk, I don�t have enough time to sit around and get chattered to death!�

I shake my head slowly. Vibrant has been evolving into more and more of a speed demon, to the point where it�s getting hard to interact with her in a normal way. When every inch of her has been mutated with speed in mind, including her brain, it�s only to be expected, I suppose. It just goes to show how extreme a monster can get if they allow one aspect or concept to completely take over their evolutionary path. I have no idea how fast she�ll get before she�s done, but I imagine it�s going to be pretty damn fast. If she keeps going like this all the way to tier eight or something, I doubt most monsters would even be able to see her. Especially since her Dash Skill reached rank six.

�So, you�ve done your job, then? No reinforcements have reached the city, none have left?�

�That�s right! I�ve been sure to check that no demons have been able to climb up the pillar and none have climbed down! No prob!�

�What about those flying disc things? Have any of those left, any of them arrived?�

�Oh sure-sure! Heaps! But there�s nothing I can do about those, right?�

�No, there isn�t. You were supposed to keep track of where they went and where they came from, though�.�

�Whoops! Haha! I forgot about that!�

�Vibrant!�

�If you don�t mind me breaking in, Eldest, I have kept track of the information that you are asking about,� a nearby general spoke up.

�Yay! Thanks, Emilia. I knew I could count on you to keep track of this stuff. I don�t have the patience, or the time. Hah! Isn�t that hilarious, you�d think I�d have more time than anyone due to being so fast but I�m always thinking about going fast or running which means I guess I�m always going fast, either in my brain or with my legs or both! I suppose I�m just not thinking about anything that�s all that important. Ha! Hey, Crin-Crin!�

The dazzling rush of machine gun pheromones from Vibrant finally subsides when Crinis extends a few tentacles to start tickling and poking the big soldier, and the two are rapidly caught up in a game of tag, with Vibrant vanishing from my sight as she dashes from place to place as Crinis pops tentacles up through shadows created by the ever-present demon larvae.

�So, you�ve been tracking the comings and goings?� I ask the general, Emilia.

�That�s right, Eldest. I have all of our observations recorded on a scent tablet as well.�

�Good work, General. Any particular point of interest? Any one location where more discs have gone than others?�

�I think so,� she wavers her antennae a little to show uncertainty. �The traffic seems rather spread out, and we aren�t sure if Orpule is dispersing forces that will converge on our city closer to the date or if they�re gathering allies.�

�They could just be hunting,� I suggest, �squeezing out some extra Skill Levels before the conflict.�

�This is also true.�

�Alright then, show me what you�ve recorded, and I�ll have a quick think.�

She gestures to a nearby soldier who is carrying packs slung over her back, one of which contains the tablet. After drawing it out, I flick my antennae across the surface rapidly. There�s been quite a bit of movement from the city; looks like they aren�t willing to sit back and wait for us, which is fine. The more forces they send out of the city, the more of them we can hunt down before time runs out. Battling in the field is perfectly acceptable according to their traditions, so there�s no foul. Gwehehehehe.

They�ve sent groups out on discs in pretty much every direction, though slightly more to the west. It�s possible they have a staging ground of some kind out that way, or perhaps the best hunting grounds are found over there.

�Okay then, we have a destination. I�m going to head west. Keep up the good work, General!�

[Come on, Crinis, time to go.]

[Yes, Master�]

[I�ll make sure you get time to play with Vibrant after this assault on Orpule is done. I know you two haven�t gotten to see each other much.]

[Thank you, Master!]

The two of them are friends from way back. I can still remember mini-Crinis and hatchling-Vibrant getting up to hijinks. It�s a shame they don�t get to hang out more. In fact, this is one of the few times that Crinis has shown a willingness to do something other than what I�ve told her to do, which I definitely need to encourage! Tiny is a bit more likely to act independent, but when he does, it�s only to fight, eat, or sleep� which I don�t feel like I need to encourage at all.

[Time to hit the road, gang.]

[There are no roads here,] Al points out.

[It�s an expression. I just mean, it�s time for us to run.]

[I will not be running. I have no legs.]

[I know that! Let�s just get going!]

Getting our legs moving, or wings, or however the heck Al moves, we rush onward in our chosen direction, leaving Orpule far behind. The vast Plains of Leng open up, with the endless carpet of demons rolling out before us.

[You have any idea what they might be looking for out this way, Al?] I ask the flaming eye.

[I cannot be sure. My knowledge of the area around Orpule is� lacking.]

And that�s bugging him, I can tell.

[Well, maybe you�ll learn something on this trip.]

As we run, we make sure we annihilate any tier four or above demon we come across, falling upon the hapless monsters with ruthless aggression, absorbing the experience and consuming the Biomass. Despite being lower tier than me, it�s clear that demons provide more Biomass than prey from the second stratum did. Thanks to my stomach mutations, I get a reasonable income from just picking on tier fours. Quite the side benefit.

As we travel, the remarkable terrain of the third stratum continues to roll by. It�s not as if the plains are completely flat, don�t let me give that impression, there are huge pillars and mounds of stone the thrust upward a mighty way without ever coming close to touching the ceiling. These too are covered in demons, and the constantly shifting surface almost makes them seem alive.

After a solid hour of travel, we find ourselves poised in front of another cleft in the ground, one that emits heat like a boiling cauldron.

[Not another demon crack! I bet they�ve gone down there again, haven�t they? Creeping around in the tunnels filled with powerful demons and ghosts. Gah!]

[You�ve been down one of theses before?] Sarah asks as she eyes the opening in the ground with a wary eye. [And did you say �ghosts?�]

[They are not ghosts,] Al huffs, [they are ghasts. The lingering obsession of demons that has fused with ambient mana.]

[That�s a ghost,] Sarah and I say at the same time.

I sigh.

[Well, Sarah, we�re going to be putting your enchanted cooling system to the test. Things get a little spicy down there. And by spicy, I mean boiling hot.]

The giant bear droops.

[Probably beats all this running,] she says. [I�m not built for endurance. Let�s just get to it.]

�GRRRRRRRRRR. GARRRRR!�

With another stone-shattering roar, Sarah brings the full weight of her body behind a vicious slash of her right forepaw, rending the sorry ghast that had risen in front of her to pieces. Far from her valiant and intimidating voice, her thoughts are rather less impressive.

[AHHHHH! I hate these damn things!]

I can totally sympathise.

[It�s the way they float, right? Sends shivers down my spine.]

[And the look in their eyes! It�s so freaky!]

She�s not wrong. The ghasts are beyond even regular demons when it comes to their obsession. Normally the obsessions drive the behaviour of the denizens of the third stratum, but for the ghasts, there is literally nothing else. Each is a maddened ball of living energy that contains a single thought, which makes them a little� manic.

[Good experience, though,] I note. [Even if they don�t leave behind any Biomass.]

It�s an interesting dichotomy, the relatively rich reward in XP as opposed to the total lack of food they leave behind. Since their bodies consist entirely of mana, it�s not like there is anything that could be eaten anyway.

Which leads me down an interesting line of thought. I mean, isn�t my body made of mana? And every other monster for that matter? Born from the Dungeon, it�s not like we were created from anything else. You could make an argument that I came from The Queen, who had to sacrifice Biomass to create my egg, but then I could just turn around and say, where did The Queen come from, then? She came from mana. I suppose the Dungeon must create the Biomass that makes up our bodies out of mana, meaning they are two distinct substances. I wonder if it�s possible to learn that. Is it possible to learn a mana speciality that will transform the pure energy of the Dungeon directly into Biomass?

That would be pretty nuts if you could do it� You�d be able to create monsters at will. Maybe the reverse is also possible, turning Biomass into mana. If that�s possible at all, I�m sure it�s some high tier nonsense, nothing I could touch at my current Level. I need to keep my mind occupied with the types of magic that are accessible. Namely, Force Magic. As we make our way through the tunnels, I rely on this branch of spell exclusively, which limits my input to the fighting but sure as heck contributes to Levelling it faster. I�ve already managed to raise it to rank three, which is helping to unleash a tiny portion of the mana type�s potential.

Force Bolt!

This basic spell snaps out a ball of pure kinetic energy. When it hits something, they react much the same as if they�ve been punched. The more mana I pack into it, the harder they get punched. Against the stronger demons, it�s basically a tickle they shrug off at this point, but that certainly isn�t all the tricks I�ve developed with this mana type. The Force Spear is an interesting one, the pure lance of kinetic energy acts much like a regular spear would, except it�s totally invisible and formed entirely out of energy. Not sharp enough to cut through a demon� yet the spell is still useful for slipping damage through narrow windows. Anyone not carefully watching the mana around them could find themselves stabbed awfully fast.

The Force Domain isn�t too amazing. Similar to the Wind Domain in a way, but whereas the Wind Domain rather predictably creates a rotating sphere of wind, the Force Domain is invisible and exerts a �push,� forcing opponents away from me. Useful to keep distance between me and other monsters, but at the level of its current strength, it�ll only really be able to force out much weaker monsters. Something like Grokus would barely notice it at all.

Applying force mana to my mandibles is another thing entirely. The mana has no obvious or flashy effect, but it does allow my jaws to close with even greater force than before, the added kinetic energy really slamming my mandibles together with an amazing CLACK. Anything caught in between is going to be in for a bad day, especially if I activate Doom Chomp at the same time. Gwehehehehe.

As I continue to grind my Skills and play with different abilities, the group descends farther into the tunnels, trying to sniff out traces of the demons who left Orpule. Despite our best efforts, it�s actually the hatchling who manages to get a sniff of their trail first.

�I think I have something!� she announces after we finished off a quick fight against some tier four demons.

�Oh? What have you picked up?�

�My Dungeon Oracle is picking up some strange whispers. Give me a minute.�

�How does that thing even work? Does Gandalf talk to you or something?�

�Stop stinking the place up! I�m trying to think.�

How rude�

�Some tier six demons came through this place. They were headed� that way!�

�How many?�

�I� I can�t be sure. More than five.�

�Hmmm.�

We need to be careful. If we assume that in our previous encounters with demons, they were taking us lightly, as Al suggested, then we can�t act as if every fight against a group of tier sixes is going to end up as an easy stomp. If they take us seriously, then things should be much more difficult than before. Tier sixes are capable of all sorts of shenanigans, after all, I should know! This is why we brought Sarah along. Also so she gets some experience fighting against third stratum opponents.

�So, how does the Dungeon Oracle work, anyway?�

Brilliant hesitates.

�It�s� a little hard to explain. It�s kind of like a whisper straight into my mind. I �hear� little snippets of information, or I sense things that might have happened in the past. Usually, all of it�s pertaining to monsters who were spawned or move through the area, or about the flow and movement of mana.�

�Strange,� I muse. �So, you get a little window into the past? But only in the realm of information that the Dungeon itself can provide?�

�In a way. I don�t fully understand it yet myself.�

�Aright. We�ll proceed as if your information is correct. Keep your� ear� to the ground but don�t get too far forward. You�re still eminently squishable to monsters around here, so don�t do anything stupid.�

We advance carefully, following the directions of Brilliant, and on the way, I try to inform Sarah on what we�re in for.

[So, just to be aware, demons are freaking crazy.]

[Anthony, I�ve been alive in the Dungeon longer than you have. A lot longer. I�m sure it�s going to be fine.]

[I know! I know. You�re the senior in terms of experience in this world�]

Even if she spent a lot of her life in captivity.

[Just� be aware that the demons are a little more� out there than the shadow beasts. Tier six demons are sentient, remember? It�s a different sort of battle.]

The big bear stumbles for a moment before she recovers her footing.

[I almost forgot about that,] she says. [They are intelligent, aren�t they?]

[I mean� I�m not sure I�d say �intelligent�� but they can think for themselves�]

As we move through the narrow and boiling hot tunnels, we start to see evidence of the demons� passage in the form of littered Biomass and visible signs of damage on the walls. Claw marks, deep gouges in the stone, and even scorches along the floor, not an easy feat in this lava-filled place. Whoever we�re tracking must be packing some heat, in the literal sense.

[Tiny! Try to keep it down!]

�Harrr?�

[Shhh, you damn ape! We�re trying to be sneaky right now!]

�Ooooorrrr.�

Despite having the stealth abilities of a Mack truck that�s been loaded onto a train, Tiny does seem to understand my point and stops randomly punching the walls whenever he gets bored. Having inspected his core, I know he followed my instructions and ensured he remained at the level of Cunning I insisted he not fall below, but I swear to Gandalf he acts even dumber than that when he can get away with it.

It�s as if he would rather be stupid so he just shuts off enough brain to achieve the desired level of dumb. Next evolution, I�m going to insist he set his Cunning to fifty! He can discuss philosophy instead of punching walls all the time! Hah!

�Down this branch. I don�t think we�re that far behind them,� Brilliant tells us.

�Great work. Keep your head down for the next bit, I don�t want you getting caught up in the fighting.�

[Brilliant says we aren�t far behind them now, so we should be ready to fight at any moment. Anyone in particular want to go in first?]

Tiny�s hand shoots up.

[Anyone else?]

Despite wearing armour, I still don�t want Tiny to throw himself in the line of fire. He�s not a tank and he never will be. The only real candidates for going in first are me or�

[I don�t mind,] Sarah says. [I-I guess there�s no better way to get used to fighting demons than to throw myself into it, right?]

[Well said, Sarah! Not to worry, we�ll all be here to back you up. You aren�t going in alone.]

[Thanks.]

[Tiny and I will make up the second wave, with Invidia and Crinis running support. Al, you hang back and keep an eye on the hatchling, we�ll reserve you for our trump card in case the fight goes bad.]

[I will watch the little one.]

I have a thought.

[When I say watch the hatchling, I also want you to make sure she doesn�t get hurt. It�s more than just looking at her.]

[I see.]

After some more creeping, we finally get a bead on the targets. The first sense to trip is actually my antennae. The monsters don�t necessarily emit that much gravity, but even those tiny fields are enough to set my senses a tingling.

[I can feel them. Two hundred metres, maybe less. Keep an eye out, Crinis.]

[I will!]

A few minutes later.

[I see them! Seven demons! Some of them are quite strong�] Crinis says.

[Alright, we should be able to handle that many. Invidia and Al, help me suppress our mana signatures. We should be able to sneak up on them, at least a little closer.]

Dampening mana and preventing it from being seen at a distance is a highly technical and difficult process. My own Skills in this department aren�t great, and Invidia�s are only a little better despite his greater brain power. Al, on the other hand, is a freaking expert. The guy spends most of his life floating about completely undetectable to everyone around him. If I hadn�t repeatedly stressed how unnerving and creepy it is having him pop out of thin air all the time, he�d probably be invisible right now.

With the three of us working together, we manage to dim the glow of our combined cores to a significant degree, allowing us to sneak even closer to the group of Orpule demons. After we poke our noses around a tight bend, we manage to lay eyes on them for the first time.

[Al!] I mentally hiss. [Take a peak and tell me what sort of demons you see. I want to know if there are any exceptionally dangerous types.]

The floating eyeball flickers and vanishes before, I assume, he wanders to the edge of the tunnel and has a look around the corner.

[There is a pride demon who I assume is the leader of this group�]

[Why always pride demons?]

They seem utterly incompetent to me. Overconfidence and arrogance are quite literally their defining features!

[They are one of the few types of demon who cares about leadership. Most others cannot be bothered with it.]

[That� makes a lot of sense.]

[There are two slaughter demons in the group, along with a blood demon. There is also an envy demon and a grudge demon.]

[A grudge demon? I don�t think I�ve seen one of those before.]

[They are not very common, but are immensely difficult to kill. I do not believe we will be able to manage it.]

[Are you kidding?! Aren�t you tier seven?]

[In this instance, I must draw the line between defeating a demon and killing it. The grudge demon will not be hard to defeat, but we will not kill it. It will escape and grow stronger as we feed its nature.]

[You mean, it�ll have a grudge against us?]

[Yes.]

[Well, that�s just great. And wait, did you say an envy demon?]

I turn to Invidia.

[Looks like we found one of your people! How do you feel about that?]

[I will takesssss everything from them!]

[Yeah� Yeah, I suppose that sounds about right.]

It�s wrong to think that demons of the same variety feel any kind of kinship with each other. They aren�t �clans� or �siblings� in any way. To be honest, having multiple entities who are chasing the same obsession is probably an inconvenience to a demon. If you�ve got two slaughter demons working together, that�s literally halving the amount of slaughter they get to enjoy!

Maybe enjoy is not the right word�

[There�s one more, right? What else we got.]

[The last is a greed demon.]

[Isn�t that what Grokus evolved from?]

[Correct.]

With a mighty bellow, Sarah bursts around the corner with myself and Tiny right on her four heels. The demons respond quickly, the two closest, both of the slaughter demons, turning toward us in a flash, transforming into a spinning whirlwind of death before I can blink. I should clarify that I mean very fast there, some human idioms will take longer than others to go away.

Behind them, the more spell-oriented of their group don�t miss a beat, the grudge and envy demon putting their minds to work with a level of force I can feel even from here. Not that Sarah minds. Armour or not, she barrels in with the unstoppable momentum of a freight train, her paws thudding into the ground so hard it shakes. A product of the first stratum she might be, she is still an absolute unit, and I think the demons are just as susceptible to being flattened by a ten-ton bear as anything else I�ve ever fought. It�s clear from the outset that our opponents have been warned about us. Sarah might come as a surprise, but a giant ant, a couple of demons, and a big ol� monkey aren�t exactly difficult to spot.

With how close we managed to get to our targets, the mad charge is over in seconds, and Sarah crashes into the demon�s ranks like a tsunami of furry muscle. The slaughter demons are nimble and lithe, nothing like the chubby or bulky sort of demon I�ve seen a lot of. One could be forgiven for making an assumption that ninety percent of their bodies is some sort of blade, but that would be nonsense. The true percentage comes closer to sixty percent, or so I�m told.

They slide around Sarah�s charge, attempting to dig into her flank as she barrels past them, but Tiny and I don�t let them, rushing to meet them head-on. Agile as a fish, they change tack halfway through their strikes and divert them to us. I rely on my foresight and heightened reflexes to catch the blade on the perfect angle of my carapace, deflecting much of the force of the blow before I bring my mandibles to bear, already having infused them with Force Magic.

Despite my flawless defence, the red-stained blades of the slaughter demon are unbelievably sharp and still manage to remove a small chunk of my diamond carapace. These guys are proper deadly. My force-empowered mandibles snap forward with devastating power, crunching together with a piercing sound that rings through the tunnel. Unfortunately, they close on empty air, the demon having danced backward out of my reach.

Tiny�s approach is a little different than mine, and I can�t really say if he does better or worse. Carrying all his momentum forward, he leaps, unfurling his wings and beating them down in one great thrust to give himself as much speed as possible and hurls through the air like a furry bullet. Rather than fend off the demon�s strike, he simply sticks an arm out and allows his opponent to cut halfway through it, the slaughter demon displaying consummate skill by avoiding the forearm guards and penetrating deep into the flesh.

Except Tiny cares little for the wound. A wild grin spreads on his face as the blade of his foe becomes stuck on his impossibly tough bones. Light flashes across my eyes as Tiny unleashes his coiled right arm, delivering a devastating punch straight to the chops of the demon, sending the creature flying.

Did he manage to land a punch? Yes. Is his left arm totally useless? Also, yes.

Sarah continues her forward press, jaws snapping and front claws slashing at anything that gets close enough. Already, I can feel the rage building in her as a number of minor wounds are inflicted; her anger is like a physical presence with its own rhythmic heartbeat, one that can be heard thundering through the air as she fights. Behind us, Al and Invidia put their minds to the test, pitting their force of will against our opponents who are trying to force the mana around us to yield only to them. Invidia is also kind enough to fling some Healing Magic at Tiny, hopefully enough to close over the wounds.

The front of the fight devolves into the traditional monster versus monster gnashing and slashing, but the demons are craftier than most opponents. Sarah�s offensive finally runs into a wall in the form of the blood demon, a horrific entity who appears to be half red liquid and half roiling demon flesh. The creature burbles and hisses as its body literally boils, slamming itself into the bear and sizzling her skin and muscle, further enraging the savage bear who begins to slash and tear blindly, hoping to rend the fluidic monster in front of her.

The slaughter demon in front of me is just as difficult of a foe; its body and mind appear heavily mutated to be nimble, and its limbs bend at impossible angles as it flings out blades like whips. I rely on my foresight and reflexes to protect me as I pepper it with spells. Force Magic isn�t strong enough to do the job that I need it to, the hard skin and condensed muscles of the third stratum monsters are way too tough for the pure bolts of kinetic energy to do much, but I have plenty of other tricks up my sleeve. What�s interesting about the slaughter demons is that they don�t have all that much mass.

With a lurch of my minds, I dump the Force Magic from my mandibles and pump them full of Gravity Mana whilst peppering the monster with a series of ice spears. It slices through them with ease, and the distraction buys enough time to fully charge my jaws as I lock them in place.

YOINK!

DOOM CHOMP!

Strong as an ox with a great weights routine, the slaughter demon reacts with alacrity, forcing its claws into the walls and digging in with its blades to prevent it falling into my mandibles, but so long as it can�t dodge backward, there�s no escape. With a shattering crunch, the dark mandibles of energy slam shut on my foe.

COMBO!

Once I have the wiggling little blighter in my grip, I refuse to let it go. My jaws pump open and shut at a rapid pace, blurring the edges of the mandibles in my vision.

�HARRRRRR!�

Wreathed in lightning, Tiny bounds forward to aid Sarah against the blood demon as his initial opponent recovers from the devastating right cross to the face it experienced at the start of the fight. Unwilling to allow its ally to be outnumbered, the pride demon steps forward, its noble physique a sharp contrast to the nightmarish frames of its allies. Before he can get too far, Crinis makes her move.

In a flash, the light is sucked out of the tunnel and a dense forest of limbs begins to extend from the walls and out of midair. Twisting and seeking, they stretch toward the demons, phasing out of physical existence as she tries to grasp their minds and limbs.

The demons counter immediately. Before my eyes, the darkness shatters, and a dense ball of roiling blood winks into existence before it begins to expand. Over the span of a second, the blood demon pours an immense amount of mana into it before tying off the spell and unleashing it on us. The moment it does so, a tidal wave of frothing red liquid explodes outward, turning the tunnel into a raging flood ground in an instant.

With almost no time to prepare, my brains spin on overdrive. As Tiny unleashes every ounce of Lightning Mana within his body into the oncoming tide, my minds grind out Lava Magic, and I weave faster than I ever thought I could. A counterwave of molten rock is formed, rising up in front of Sarah just before the blood hits, and the tunnel is seared as a blast of red steam and superheated liquid sprays across everyone.

When the mist clears, the tunnel is an absolute mess; pools of blood and hissing black lava are everywhere. Standing in the middle of it all is a gigantic bear. And she is mad.

In that brief window of stillness, as Sarah stands soaking and burned in the tunnel, the demons hear something they would later wish they had never had the misfortune to hear. It starts as a low growl in the back of the great bear�s throat, a rumble that shudders through the air and rattles against my carapace. But it doesn�t stop there; it grows in volume and intensity until it becomes an endless bellow of rage and madness that drowns out every other sound.

Her claws and teeth glittering with a violent red energy, Sarah�s aura rises in intensity until I feel as though it�s trying to press me against the wall. She clearly did not want to be caught in the middle of the blood and lava collision, and her temper is flaring something fierce.

If I can sense it, then the demons certainly can as well. There�s a certain wariness to their movements now as they prepare themselves to continue the fight, though I don�t think they�re ready for what�s coming. The envy and grudge demons are still locked in a battle of mental supremacy with Al and Invidia. The grudge demon is a rather hideous sight. Almost like a billowing cloud of menace and ill will surrounding a hunched, grim-looking entity. Despite what Allocrix had to say, it doesn�t appear all that difficult to destroy, but I�ll have to take his word for it.

In an attempt to block our path and protect the more vulnerable members of its group, the greed demon finally steps forward. I can see the traces of Grokus in its shape and form. Although not nearly as corpulent, it still has a significant amount of pure mass. Perhaps it will be able to stand its ground in front of an enraged Sarah.

�GAUUUUUUUUU!�

Or not. Her anger having reached its peak, the bear lashes out fiercely, carving red gouges through the air before rending the blood demon straight through the middle. Her success only emboldens her, and Sarah starts to charge straight into the waiting arms of the greed demon. The two large monsters clash with enormous force, but Sarah doesn�t take a backward step as she snarls and snaps at the corpulent demon with her teeth.

[Let�s go, Tiny! Follow up behind Sarah!]

With his arm partially healed, Tiny is ready to go once more, lightning flickering around his frame again as he readies his fists. My minds spin at a dizzying pace as I try to work out the best plan of attack, feeling out the situation with all of my senses as I charge. Despite being literally split in twain, the blood demon isn�t out for the count yet. Its strange, half-fluid, half-flesh body is already in the process of drawing itself back together as it slashes out toward Sarah.

We can�t have that happening! The Omni-Elemental Construct spins and whirls within my mind, the many-layered sphere churning out mana as my mind constructs cooperate to make the thing dance.

A searing jet of blue flame erupts from in front of my mandibles, torching the blood demon and sizzling it even as it tries to regather itself.

[Tiny! Give it heaps!]

Without needing more encouragement, the big ape leaps, both arms raised above his head before he brings them down in a shattering impact that rattles the floor, discharging the lightning he built up straight into the weakened demon. If it�s still kicking, then it sure isn�t going to be doing anything to harm us anytime soon. The envy and grudge demons at the back are growing ever more frustrated in their attempts to gather mana and weave their spells. The suppression of the two brainy beings behind me has been too much for them to overcome so far, but a deep flickering green light within the winged eyeball tingles my danger senses more than a little.

Without hesitation, I Dash forward, my legs firing and my brains blazing as I spin together a series of condensed Force Bolts over the course of a second. I run an arc around Sarah, who continues to savage and bully the greed demon in front of her, the big thing so far holding its ground.

As I draw closer, I place my six legs carefully and time my Skill activations to fire a triple Dash at the last possible second, unleashing my Force Bolts at the same moment as I Charge into the demon�s flank.

Despite being a hefty demon, the monster is knocked to the side as I unleash all of the force I can muster and blast the thing straight into the side of the tunnel, leaving Sarah with nothing in front of her for a brief moment. The enraged bear fixates on the pride demon who steps forward to assist its now- stunned ally, and I swear the swagger in its step falters as it stares down the Asura.

The unending roar of malevolence continues to shatter all of our ears, or rather, to send every hair along my body shaking as if I were standing in the epicentre of an earthquake, in my case.

[Tiny, deal with the fat one! Crinis! I need you to help me with the envy demon!]

The pulsing green energy is growing stronger within that eye every moment, and once charged, that beam is going to do serious damage if we let it. With Sarah pulling aside the only obstacle still remaining between us, I rush forward to engage the backline, my mandibles wide open and a Doom Chomp primed and ready to go. Before I can reach my target, the grudge demon leaps in front of me.

The demon is small and surrounded by a strange gaseous cloud, its body hidden behind the ever-shifting vapour. Unwilling to allow it to slow my Charge, I rush straight through it, slamming my mandibles shut after infusing them with Wind Mana.

An inrush of air compresses around the demon, compacting the gas before my jaws slam shut.

What the heck? It�s as if I didn�t bite anything at all! I may as well have bitten steam! Directly in front of my face, the demon reforms in an instant, and I feel a powerful sluggishness overcome my limbs. I think this darn thing just cursed me somehow! Dammit! I feel so weak!

Unable to advance as quickly as I want, I watch as the envy demon continues to build its energy until the eye is gleaming bright. Desperate to avoid getting blasted in the face with a laser of death, I spin together a host of Force Bolts, launching them at the side of the eyeball just as it leans forward to unleash the beam.

Struck at the last second, the eye swings to the side, scorching my side with immense heat before it�s directed into the wall of the tunnel. A few moments later, Sarah arrives on the scene, having already dealt with the pride demon, and crashes down on the flying eye like a collapsing house, putting a rapid end to the fight. I mean, the grudge demon is still here, but I have no idea how to kill it, and I�m not sure how well it�ll be able to fight on its own. The next thing we have to do is work out how to calm Sarah down�

[I really am sorry about that.]

[Hey, don�t worry about it. You�ve apologised already. I�m fine, you�re fine, we�re all fine.]

[I mean. Sure, but I still feel bad. Is there anything I can do?]

[No, seriously, it�s already healing. There�s no issue here.]

Calming down the rampaging Asura Bear turned out to be easier than I thought. She might be an unstoppable killing machine when she gets going, but she�s still limited to the strength of her tier. Between Tiny, Crinis, and myself, we managed to slow her down enough that she eventually came back to herself.

I mean, I did get bitten in the process, but it�s not too bad. My legs grow back fast, and I�m pretty nimble on five anyway. It was the deep grooves she cut into my carapace that I found more frightening. That�s just with her jaws, imagine if she got a full swing with her claws! Scary�

Once we subdued the bear and she calmed down, it was time to harvest our gains, consume the Biomass, and decide what to do with the grudge demon.

[They are an interesting type of demon,] Al remarked. [They aren�t exactly impossible to destroy, but it is extremely difficult and involves spending far more effort than is usually considered worthwhile.]

[When I bit it, I felt like I�d chomped nothing at all, then I got hit with a curse that made me feel super weak!]

[Yes, that�s right. The grudge demon is quite weak, but if you �destroy� it, then you will be hit with a sapping curse that drains your strength for a time.]

[The ultimate sacrifice play�]

[Well, we may as well send this creature on its way.]

So saying, Al enveloped the little demon in a pillar of flame before detonating it and dispersing the grudge.

[What the heck?]

[It will take some time for it to bring itself back from that. Of course, this means I will suffer its curse for longer, but it does not affect my mental abilities, so I shall be fine.]

They may be weak, but I still find the grudge demon quite scary. So persistent!

[What happens when a grudge demon evolves?]

[Due to their low offensive power, it is supremely difficult for grudge demons to accrue experience. Despite being so hard to kill, examples who have managed to reach tier seven are vanishingly rare. Should they succeed, the resulting demon is immensely powerful.]

[Yeesh. I hope I never meet one.]

Once we clear up the battle site, we gather once more to plan our next move.

[This was only one of the hunting parties sent out from Orpule, and tangling with them was no joke. That proves two things: we were right to be cautious, and we were right to hunt them down. If the Colony has to deal with these dudes themselves, then we are talking about a lot of dead ants.]

[And these were only tier six. I can�t imagine what the tier seven demons are like,] Sarah says.

[They�re messed up, big time,] I say, not looking at Al. [I think our best course of action is to keep hunting through these tunnels to see if we can find any other groups and then check back in with Vibrant. We know three groups came out in this direction, so I�d like to find at least one more before we leave, but we can�t be sure they are even in these tunnels to start with.]

[You think they might have gone elsewhere?]

[Who knows?] I shrug with my antennae. [It�s possible they entered the tunnels but at another point we don�t know about.]

[How many of these groups left Orpule so far?]

[Ten according to the general, Emilia. They�ve scattered all over the place.]

[It�s unlikely we�re going to get them all,] Sarah says with a sigh.

[No chance. But we should make every effort to find as many as we can. We have two days before we need to regroup with the Colony, so we need to move quickly.]

[Are you able to do that? You�re missing a leg, remember? Sorry about that, again.]

[It�ll grow back in a few hours. I�ve mutated specifically for that purpose.]

[You mutated to grow your legs back faster? How often does this happen?]

[More often than I�d like�]

I turn to Brilliant, who managed to keep her head down and not run off for once during the fight.

�You did a fantastic job helping us track these guys down. Now I need you to do it again, about ten times.�

�Ten! You really think you�re going to be able to catch them all?�

�Nope, but I�m going to try.�

�Fair enough.� The little ant looks back and forth. �Which way are we going to go?�

She makes a good point; we did pursue this group quite a long way.

�Let�s head back to where we entered the tunnels. I�m guessing if more than one group came down here, then they would have split up and gone in different directions; otherwise, we would have found them together.�

�Makes sense.�

I let the others know the plan, and we head back toward the entrance. There�s still more monsters and ghasts on the way, which we make sure to put down in order to feed as much experience and Biomass into the hatchling as we safely can. She�s tier four now, but I�ll be a lot happier when she reaches tier five. Bringing her down here was always a risk, but it�s serving a few purposes. Namely, accelerating her growth, and making sure I�m able to oversee her education.

Champion monsters, and Champion ants in particular, are a little weird. The way they inspire followers and loyalty is a good thing, Vibrant and her squad have been an amazing asset to the Colony, but there�s also a risk. If a Champion was raised within the nest? With all the rest of the hatchlings? What sort of influence would she have on them? How effectively would she have absorbed the lessons of the Tenders who may be inspired to follow her directions instead of their own?

Since I�m one of the few who seems resistant to the strange charisma that�s exuded by the Champions, I�m in the best position to educate them. I�m not just trying to get Brilliant to agree with everything I think, I�m simply trying to create the space she needs in order to develop into the ant that she wants to be. When I eventually let her loose on the Colony, she�ll at least have a solid conceptual understanding of who she is and what she�s passionate about.

I also get the opportunity to make sure she�s not obsessed with something that�ll get all of us killed.

[Alright. This is where we entered.]

The path branches from here in three different directions, meaning we have two possible avenues of investigation.

�Do you sense anything, Brilliant?�

She hesitates.

�Nothing right now. The trail may have gone cold, given how long ago they moved through here.�

So, we just have to guess. Ah well.

[This way. Let�s see what we can see.]

The Colony was like a boulder rolling down a hill. The moment the wave ended, they�d exploded outward, and their momentum had only grown as time passed. The more they expanded, the more nests they created, the easier it was for them to continue the process. More Queens allowed more eggs to be laid, which grew the workforce, which meant more nests could be constructed.

Only months ago, the Colony�then confined to a single nest�now boasted six satellite nests with four new main nests under construction. Kilometre after kilometre of tunnel was now the claimed territory of the ants, along with numerous expanses which they harvested vociferously, using every resource on hand to sate the unending hunger of the brood.

This relentless growth made it inevitable that they would eventually encroach on the interests of another power, but Coolant hoped that day was still far off. The destruction left behind by Garralosh meant the first stratum and surface were clear of any major influence for a great distance around their main nest. The frontier kingdoms no longer existed, and thus all of that empty Dungeon had become ripe for conquest. Likewise, the lands to the south were abandoned wilds, deemed too bothersome to settle by the established empires of the surface. Already, the Colony had cleared swathes of land, establishing farms, roads, and prepared sites for villages and nests.

The second stratum was more crowded, since the Colony knew that the Empire of Stone simmered to their east, still smarting from their earlier defeat. It made no sense to expand in that direction, as it would only shorten the time needed for the golgari to threaten their interests. The third stratum was likely to be even more contested. Likely it wouldn�t be just one neighbour to object to the growth of the Colony so close to their doorstep, but two or more. The golgari almost certainly maintained a presence on this stratum, rich with resources and hunting grounds as it was, but who else might they run into?

This was a question that the strategists and thinkers of the Colony obsessed over daily.

Coolant had been amongst the first to consider that she and her siblings knew precious little about the factions and kingdoms of the world, potential allies and enemies, all of them. This was essential knowledge that could guide their actions to the best outcomes possible. Who could they afford to offend? Who did they need to avoid? It was for this reason that the mages began to spearhead an effort to question and learn from as many of the people who came under their �rule� as possible. The refugees of Renewal and the people of Rylleh were all untapped sources of intelligence that could add the detail and colour that was so lacking in their picture of this world. Today, the Council member had come to the intelligence gathering station the Colony had established in the underground city where willing volunteers were interviewed and their information collated.

�How goes the day�s proceedings, Accountant?�

The rather idiosyncratic ant looked up at Coolant through her ridiculous and oversized glasses.

�Very well! The merchants have proven to be a wealth of information once we understood what they wanted.�

�They wanted to be paid?�

�How did you know?�

�They always want to be paid.�

�I� suppose that�s true, isn�t it?�

�So, what did we end up having to give them?�

�Nothing. The faithful barricaded their homes and stores until they volunteered to talk to us.�

Coolant slapped her forehead with a front leg. The humans could be very enthusiastic when it came to helping the Colony, sometimes more than was necessary.

�Make sure we give the merchants something for their time. They only recently calmed down and we don�t need them getting riled up again.�

The longer the Colony was in charge of Rylleh, the more they had learned running roughshod over everyone all the time wasn�t always the best decision. Sure, if they chose, they could dedicate the resources to locking down any whisper of descent in the city, but why bother? They had much more important things to do! Better that the systems they put in place and oversight they installed keep things running smoothly. This way, the ant presence within the city itself could be kept to a minimum.

�So, what have we learned?�

Accountant pushed her glasses up with one leg, a habit that caused a flash of irritation to run through the elder mage. Why the heck did she need glasses, anyway? A useless non-monster fixation! In truth, the glasses did in fact serve a purpose. Accountant had them made in order to provide magnification since she spent such an inordinate amount of time perusing human documents in her role. The glasses themselves were a work of art, hundreds of individual lenses aligned perfectly to her compound eyes to provide the necessary focus to read the tiny writing. The best part? She didn�t have to use any mutations or evolutionary energy to achieve the effect!

�Our understanding of the trade routes and goods exchanged with the ka�armodo to the north have grown extensively. The sand lizards are a fascinating society with a relationship that borders on symbiotic with their attendants⁠��

�But are they likely to fight us?�

�Oh yes, absolutely. They are very territorial according to the people we�ve spoken to. Obviously, we don�t have much by way of verifiable history here, but from what we�ve been told, the Dungeon society of the ka�armodo is amongst the oldest on Pangera.�

�Interesting. What of the brathians?�

�Ah, the water people. Yes. Apparently, there is a small population of them within the lake next to the former kingdom of Liria, though their main strongholds are far from here. Their presence in the third stratum is weak, for fairly obvious reasons, though we have learned they have a significant presence in the fourth.�

�Any ideas on why?�

�It�s said to be �lucrative.��

�What about these so called �old kingdoms.��

�They are far from us right now, much further north, beyond the lands claimed by the ka�armodo. I�m sure we will run into them eventually, but so far, we haven�t interacted with them in any meaningful capacity.�

�Have the people here had much to do with them?�

Accountant hesitated.

�It would appear not. It is� difficult, as I understand, for people who live on the frontier to visit the old kingdoms.�

�What about to our west?� Coolant asked.

�From what I understand, there is some conflict to be had in that direction that remains unresolved.�

�Between who?�

�The ka�armodo and the Mother Tree.�

�The bruan�chii?�

�Indeed.�

Coolant thought that over for a moment. There likely wasn�t much they could do to interfere in that mess at this time, but in a few months, when the Colony extended their reach deeper into the third stratum and began to extract resources from it? The tree had reached out to assist the Colony in their time of need, and she would make a powerful ally.

Victor looked out at the transformed city of Roklu with satisfaction. Even now, the plate bristled with ants at work, carvers and soldiers doing the heavy lifting and putting the finishing touches on the new defensive works. Small forts in the shape of anthills were now dotted throughout the city, giving the ants a fallback position and safe firing platform. The pillar above the city now sported similar protected hollows formed by bonding stone to the harder material of the pillar itself. Any approach to the city from the air would be subject to a bombardment of spells and acid that would put even the most powerful tier six minds to the test.

Although they lacked their human allies and the potent buffs they provided, it was hoped these home ground advantages would be enough to utilise their sheer weight of numbers to the fullest extent, holding off any demonic assault whilst their own offensive reaped the rewards in Orpule.

Tens of thousands of members of the Colony remained within the city, dug into position and ready to fight at a moment�s notice. When the enemy came, they would be made to understand the folly of challenging the Colony!

�How go the preparations?� Advant asked, crawling up into the central compound where the general, Victor, had made herself at home.

�Just about done. The last few days have been hectic, but I think we�re ready.�

�There�s been plenty of work to go around,� the soldier agreed. �Not that I was worried we wouldn�t get it done.�

�No, everyone knows how much is riding on this. With the Eldest personally involved, everyone is more than prepared to give their all.�

�Are you going to be alright here? Will the contingencies be enough to handle a tier seven if it appears?�

Victor shrugged her antennae.

�You cannot engage in conflict that is totally without risk. We have done everything we can to minimise it, but an element of chance will always persist. With the information we have at hand, we have made the best decisions we could. It should be enough.�

�Well, I wish you all the best. If all goes well, I�ll see you when the column returns with word of our victory.�

�Yes, shouldn�t it be leaving right about now?�

�The departure has begun. I just thought I�d check in with you before I went on my way.�

�Why, thank you, sister. That warms my heart.�

�You�re very welcome.�

The two enjoyed a moment of silence as they looked out over the vast emptiness that surrounded the city.

�Alright. I�ll be on my way,� Advant said.

�Tell the Eldest we have things looked after on this end. Make sure they do their job properly.�

�I will.�

So saying, the large soldier moved swiftly, dashing away and into the city to reach the edge of the plate. Before long, she�d reached the outside and began the long, arduous climb down the pillar along with a vast horde of her siblings. From a distance, it almost appeared as if the pillar were alive, covered as it was in a writhing carpet of enormous ant monsters. When they reached the floor, they spread out into one enormous column hundreds of metres wide that trailed through the Plains of Leng. Every ant stepped in unison, the combined sound ringing throughout the stratum like a fearsome bell or a giant knocking on the world�s door.

Even the ever-present demon larvae, rattled by the vibrations that shivered through the solid stone beneath them, moved far afield from the mighty column, revealing wide swathes of the floor to light for the first time in centuries. The ants were on the march.

It was a tired and bedraggled group that I led out of the tunnels after a few days of hunting. Trying to track down the groups of demons that escaped from the city proved to be a massive pain in the business district, much as I expected it to. Nevertheless, when we finally made our way to the plains outside of Orpule around which Vibrant and her gang were still running laps, we returned triumphant! Seven out of ten groups are successfully annihilated! It was rough going, especially toward the end when everyone�other than me�was tired, but we persevered! The destruction of these groups will surely cause some pain for the city, which will soon become part of the Colony�s territory!

Gwehehehehe.

Brilliant was instrumental in bringing about this outcome. Her ability to tap into the residual memory of the Dungeon itself was the only way we could track the wayward demons. As a side benefit, we�ve gotten close to pushing the hatchling to tier five in what must surely be the most rapid ascent of any ant in the history of the Colony! Another ten Levels and she�ll have it! Once the battle for the city is done, getting her to evolve is going to be my highest priority. When she reaches that stage, she�ll be decently strong, and I won�t have to worry about her evaporating in a puff of smoke when some demon looks at her the wrong way.

�Hey-hey, Senior!� Vibrant greets us enthusiastically when she loops around the city and back to our side. �Nice to see you again! How�d things go? Good, I hope! I�m sure they were good! Hello, Crin-Crin! Are you ready for more tag? I sure am!�

The machine gun of pheromones into my face is as unpleasant as ever, and it�s almost a relief to encourage the eldritch horror riding on my back to go have some fun with her friend whilst the rest of us take stock.

�How many were you able to destroy, Eldest?� the general, Emilia, approaches, ready to record our latest results.

�We managed to track down and annihilate the sixth and seventh groups who deployed south. It wasn�t easy, especially since the trail had gotten so cold, but we managed it in the nick of time.�

�Another three groups were sent out since you left, which means there are six still out there.�

Dang it.

�Well, that means the demons remaining in the city are even fewer, I suppose. Keep our claws crossed that the defence will manage to hold back at Roklu. Do you suspect any tier sevens left the city?�

�We can�t confirm it, but we believe that it�s likely. Some of the groups had fluctuating mana readings, which is almost always a sign that concealment is taking place.�

�There�s no way they sent out more than one, right?�

�We don�t think so. The mages in our group expect that it was a decoy effort to make it harder for us to work out which disc carried the tier seven.�

�Sneaky��

[Anthony� can I go sleep yet?]

[Ah! Sarah, don�t sneak up on me like that!]

[I�m bigger than you, how on earth can I possibly sneak? That�s not important. Sleep is important. Where are we resting?]

[Ah, it�s over that way.]

�I�ll be back later. I think the group is in dire need of a nap,� I say to Emilia.

It hasn�t all been running laps for Vibrant and her crew. She has all castes as members in her posse, and the carvers have been busy laying the groundwork for the coming invasion. Two kilometres from the base of the pillar that supports Orpule are where the staging grounds have begun to take shape, including a convenient rest area that Sarah, Tiny, Invidia, Brilliant, and Al can pile into for some well-deserved snooze time. After days without rest, constantly roaming through the dangerous, lava-filled tunnels, I can�t really blame them for being low on energy. With my twenty bodyguards and the huge numbers of ants teeming throughout this area of the stratum, I�ve generally been fine. Neither demon city ever left my range throughout our time on the prowl, thanks to the range-extending mutations of my reforged Vestibule.

Speaking of mutating, I should get some more of that done while I have the chance. I�ve managed to put away enough Biomass to pay for another few upgrades, and the fight tomorrow promises to be a tough one.

I look up at the city of Orpule. Bigger than Roklu, and not by a little bit, the demon city is made up of several layers rather than just the one. I don�t know how they�ve done it, but several of the giant plates have extended out of the pillar, allowing for multiple levels of buildings. Other than the primary level, the others are still much smaller, clearly in the process of expanding to reach their full size. I really do have to find out how they�ve enhanced the pillar to grow more levels. We could do with more space in Roklu, since that�s likely to be the primary staging ground for the Colony on this stratum.

With the others settled down to rest, I make myself comfortable and prepare to mutate. Before I can get started, the faint tickling that I�ve been feeling through the Vestibule for the last little while starts ramping up. After a few seconds, I realise what it is: the unified determination of the invasion force is welling up inside of me. It seems their emotions are rising now that they�re getting close to Orpule, enough that it almost drives me to my feet and sends me charging to the base of the pillar on my own. I restrain myself with some effort. Tens of thousands of ants all with a singular, unified purpose are enough to have a strong effect on me, even if I guard against it. I�ll need to be careful over the next few days.

I crawl to a higher vantage point, hoping to see the arriving force. It takes a little while, my eyes still aren�t amazing at a long distance such as this, but eventually they become more than a blur on the horizon. A huge column of ants marches forward, indomitable and unyielding. Before they are anywhere near me, I can already feel the vibrations of their steps through the ground, almost louder than the whispered Will of my siblings pulsing in my veins.

We aren�t holding much back for this assault. Now that we�ve gained a foothold on this level, it�s imperative we hold it. The opportunities and experience we can harvest from this stratum are the key to unlocking more tier six ants. We haven�t even begun to explore what rare resources we may be able to tap. Rather than take a backward step, we�ve decided to use this conflict with Brixin to expand our footprint and aggressively seize more land that we can then consolidate. Once we�ve secured our gains, it won�t end there. The Colony is forever growing, with an inexhaustible demand for Biomass and cores. We will push and push until something decides to push back.

That�s when the real fun starts.

As the vast army of the Colony flowed into the area around Orpule, they set to work like a well-oiled machine. Soldiers peeled off the line and started to set up patrols and a perimeter even as the carvers began construction of a vast project. It was fascinating to watch it happen. Sitting up on my rock, it almost reminds me of looking at timelapse videos of ants at work. A flurry of activity, dirt getting moved around with thousands of little bodies rushing here and there. The main difference in this instance, of course, is that every being I see is a fully sapient creature. There�s no wasted movement, no back and forth, just a clean execution of a previously agreed on plan that was carefully considered.

In ten minutes, tons of rock have been shifted, clearing the ground for what is to come. The vast field of plains around the pillar that supports the ceiling so far above our heads is effectively surrounded, teams of ants having formed a living wall around the city. Still, the vast concentration of the army remains here, close to me, feverishly building in a long line that extends from my position all the way to the base of the pillar.

Fifty minutes later, even the demons should be able to work out what is happening. The beginnings of a vast rampart are taking shape, the likes of which this stratum may have never seen before. Several kilometres long, it will reach from the ground all the way up to the lip of the plate on which the demon city sits. A truly ludicrous undertaking, but one the Colony will attempt to execute even so. Huge trails of soldiers and scouts have formed in all directions, hauling hundreds of tons of stone every minute back to the construction site where mages and carvers break it down and fuse it into the ever-growing ramp.

It is glorious, it is mad, and it�s amazing all at once.

This is the power of the Colony when they bring their numbers to bear. This is what forty thousand of us can do when we work together in harmony. In a year, there might be a million of us, or even more. What wonders will we be able to accomplish at that time? I can�t help but get shivers as I think about it.

But now�s not the time for sitting around on my backside daydreaming! Eventually the city is going to start retaliating, firing spells and dropping rocks on us as we build! At that time, I need to be on the frontlines, ready for action, which means I need to be mutating and resting my mind to ensure peak performance when the battle is at its peak!

No longer willing to stuff around and watch others work�think of my reputation!�I rush down into the resting chamber in which my group is already slumbering and prepare to mutate. This mainly involves making sure that nobody can see me, and I�ll be protected during �itch time.�

With this job done, it�s time to weigh my gains. How many points do I have to work with?

Five hundred and forty-seven. Not bad for a week�s work, especially considering the fact I�ve been sharing the food with a host of tier sixes�and a seven. It�s enough for me to take three of my organs� aaaalmost four of them, from +25 to +30.

Which of the lucky body parts will it be?

Ah, mutating. The subtle joy of making some selections within your mind and then having your body literally transform into a better and more capable version of itself. Not only is it mega-convenient, it�s super addictive. The feeling of constant improvement is just fantastic.

So, it�s with a giddy joy in my heart that I start perusing the menus and looking over my status, trying to decide which of my many organs and body parts needs to be upgraded next. Obviously, it�s an important decision. We have a big fight coming up and multiple tier seven opponents will be present, so I�ll need to be at my combat peak.

Then again, what entails the combat peak? My carapace and mandibles are upgraded, that�s fantastic, obviously, but what comes next in terms of offensive and defensive priority? Is it my legs? Speed is always good, and they harden up a little when I mutate them, which reduces the chances of going without limbs, which has been a recurring issue. No wonder the way ants fight each other on Earth was to pull the legs off. It�s a low blow, but effective. The weakness was the legs all along.

Therefore, legs is an option. My regenerative plating is another strong contender. Tier seven demons are going to be able to put some serious hurt on my carapace, I�ve no doubt, so being able to absorb some of that impact and regrow my diamond covering that much faster would be a boon. Although, there�s the mental edge. I could upgrade my brains rather substantially with this Biomass or improve the coordination cortex and give each of my brains a small boost that way.

There�s always the gravitational mana gland as well, now that I think about it. A big �ol Gravity Bomb is what got me out of the last fight against a tier seven alive, and if I�m being honest, it�s going to be my trump card going into this one as well. Having more Gravity Mana on hand to throw about sure couldn�t hurt.

Of course, improving my nervous system would also be a wise investment. I took my antennae all the way to +30 last time around, so it would make a lot of sense to go ahead and improve this now so I can keep up with what my future sense is telling me.

Gah! So many decisions!

All right, I only get three, so I might as well spread the love out rather than concentrate it in one place. I�ll improve my coordination cortex. That�ll give each of my brains a small yet noticeable boost and help me on the magical side of things. I�ll also improve the gravitational mana gland. Each improvement gives greater capacity, faster regeneration, and so on, but lately I�ve been mutating it to pre-condense the mana for me, and that has been a serious help in making the Gravity Bomb faster to cast. It might only be doing ten percent of the work I need, but it makes a huge difference in the heat of the moment. Finally, I�ll improve the inner carapace plating.

As good as my reflexes are, especially when combined with my future sense, Grokus showed me I can�t always rely on being able to dodge, even against foes as ponderous as he was. I fully expect to take some hits in this battle, and by improving the plating, I�m giving myself the best possible chance to survive.

In terms of the individual mutations, it isn�t that hard to pick out what I want from the exhaustive lists. As I stated, the condensing effect I�ve been adding to my gravitational mana gland has been great. It�s actually an idea I stole from Tiny, believe it or not. He added this effect to both of his Lightning Mana glands a long time ago, and it was only much more recently that I decided to follow suit. The carapace plating has a mix of mutations so far, aimed at improving its ability to absorb forceful blows as well as healing the carapace above.

I think I�ll look at emphasising the former rather than the latter. The healing effect I get from the plating is good, but that isn�t why I purchased the organ, I purchased it to help shore up my defence against solid, concussive blows. Making sure it�s working at maximum capacity in that respect is going to be the best choice right now.

In fact, when I next evolve, I might look at reforging the carapace plating along with the carapace. Rather than add the healing effect, I could go all in on bulking up my defence and add an additional organ or element to repair damage to the carapace on the fly. Even those diamond bugs I was offered last time� I�m not especially comfortable with having little parasites inside my carapace, but if they can strengthen and repair it, then it�ll be a worthy trade.

Anything to make the diamond shine brighter!

With all of that done my upgrades look like this:

Braced Healing Inner Carapace Plating +25 � Fortified Healing Inner Carapace Plating +30.

Unyielding Coordination Cortex +25 � Steadfast Coordination Cortex +30.

Compressing Unending Gravity Magic Gland +25 � Forceful Unending Gravity Magic Gland +30.

And those three upgrades are going to cost me just FOUR HUNDRED AND TWENTY BIOMASS. Holy moly, things are getting expensive at this tier. I seriously need to prioritise mutating my stomach the next time around. I need to squeeze all the Biomass I can out of the prey I get, because I need literally thousands of points to get myself to fully upgraded.

This is likely the downside of adding too many different body parts and organs� but it�ll be fine. As long as I spend enough time, I�ll eventually get to max. Considering I need to reach Level one hundred and sixty to evolve again, there�s almost no chance I�m reaching that Level cap before I finish my mutations. The sheer volume of experience required is just mind-boggling. Although, knocking down a tier seven opponent is worth quite a few Levels� hopefully I�ll get the chance again tomorrow.

With my selections confirmed, it�s time to put my head down and confirm my choices. I may as well let my mind get some rest whilst I�m at it. For a battle of this size, I need to be as fresh as I possibly can.

When I feel the itch start to roll over me, I almost welcome it. Then it erupts from inside my brain, and I immediately hate it again.

DAMN ITCH! WHY MUST YOU TORMENT ME?

When I snap out of torpor, I find the rest of my group has already abandoned me, leaving me inside the small resting chamber all on my lonesome. It�s fine, though, my feelings aren�t hurt. I�m tougher than this! Dammit� I need a diamond covering for my heart.

I head out of the chamber to find the Colony has been anything but lazy whilst I was� taking a tactical nap. Construction on the ramp continues at a vicious pace, and already the mighty edifice rises high into the burning air of the third stratum.

Seriously, there must be tens of thousands of tons of stone used to make this thing, if not more. It�s bonkers. Still, the Colony is doing it! A constant stream of construction materials flows into the site, but not as many as before. As I take a look around, I can see that a large concentration of ants has been assembled toward the tip of the ramp and that some form of conflict is taking place there.

It�s already started? I need to get moving! Flexing my legs a little, I quickly Dash forward, scanning around to find the mana signatures of my crew.

[Sarah? Tiny? Crinis? Invidia? Where are you guys?]

At first, I can�t spot them, then as I run up the base of the ramp and head toward the emerging end of the massive thing, I recognise them up ahead. They�re already at work!

[Guys! Why didn�t you wait for me?]

[Oh! Hi, Anthony!] Sarah greets me. [We thought it would be best to let you sleep. You�ve been up for a long time, after all.]

[But don�t let the fighting start without me! I need to be here to help out!]

[It�s fine. There isn�t all that much going on just yet. If things were getting too crazy, we would have definitely made sure you were around.]

She�s right. When I make it to the end to find all of my pets, Sarah, and Al gathered there, I realise that what I was seeing was only the initial salvos of what is sure to become a hectic battle. Right now, the distance between the edge of the plate and the ramp is still hundreds of metres, too far for most monsters to harm each other, except of course, the spell-slingers. Already, a fiery exchange is taking place as the demons throw literal fire, and a host of ant mages, along with Invidia and Al, fire back whilst protecting the horde of workers continuing to complete the ramp.

From Sarah�s point of view, not much is happening since she can�t do anything to contribute, but there�s plenty that I can do!

[Time to put my incredible shielding skills to good use!]

I�ve been training for this moment! Full of confidence, I rush to the front and begin to weave together some defensive barriers, putting all of my mental constructs to the purpose. Thanks to the upgraded coordination cortex, each of my brains has received an additional boost to their individual working capacity, along with their ability to cooperate, giving each construct that extra bit of oomph. Yes! Come to life, my shields! Defend the Colony as they work to bring us to the peak!

Except my shields are shattered almost immediately�

Dammit! I still haven�t grinded enough on the defensive magic! My priority has been on Force Magic over the last week, and I haven�t had enough time to rank it up that far. From his position hovering just over my right shoulder, Invidia continues to pump out enormous barriers with almost contemptuous ease. His silent judgement burns me like a hot needle.

[You�ve been practicing this for ages! Give me a break!]

His eye looks down on me.

[Your Skillssss. I do notsss need themsss.]

OOF.

[I�m still helping anyway!]

So, my barriers aren�t that great, but I can keep spinning them and throw some ordinance up at the demons firing on us at the same time. Keeping the opponents on the back foot will reduce the heat on our workers, and hopefully I�ll have enough time to rank up my Barrier Magic!

Sarah paced back and forth on the ramp as she strove to keep her bubbling anger from rising up. Though she put on a brave face, she was still scared. Scared of this battle, scared of what the Colony was attempting to achieve, scared of being so high up on a ramp with no rails, and scared of herself. The battle against the golgari back at the nest taught her a lot about herself, about the kind of person she�d been when she first arrived in the Dungeon and the kind of person she was now.

Most importantly, she�d come to acknowledge that her fear was the source of her anger, not a by-product of it. Her rage was a reaction to how scared and hesitant she had been when she�d arrived in this world as a little cub, newly formed in the first stratum and forced to fight for her survival from the very first minute of her creation. It was strange how those memories remained so fresh; even now, decades later, she could still remember the terror she�d experienced during her first fight. A rat-toad had found her not five minutes after spawning, as she�d still been stumbling about the tunnel trying to understand how to move with her new legs, shocked and confused about what had happened to her and desperate to understand where she was.

They were ambush predators, rat-toads, and this one had been holding onto the roof waiting for prey to wander under it, which she�d foolishly done. If it hadn�t been for her tough hide, she might have been done for then and there. As it was, she lost a chunk out of her shoulder before she knew she was under attack. The sudden pain flooded her system with adrenaline as she�d lashed out in a panic. Luck more than anything else kept her alive through that battle, and the fear that bloomed in her heart had never left her, even to this day.

And it never would. She was coming to accept that now, after so long. She wasn�t like Anthony, who�d embraced his new life with an innocent glee she could never hope to replicate. She didn�t belong here, in this place, in this world, but she was trapped with no way out. All she could do was learn to control her fear, to experience it without letting it consume her. Once she achieved that, once she had it within her grasp, then she would also control the rage.

It was there inside her now, churning away in a constant feedback loop that kept it moving, kept it growing. Rather than shy away, she leaned into it, allowed herself to feel it, to acknowledge it, and in that way, slow it down without letting it die. It wasn�t time yet. Soon, but not yet.

The air around her boiled with explosions, ice, curses, and lightning as the Colony and demons waged a magic battle, even as thousands of ants continued to labour on the ramp, extending it now only with Earth Magic, manipulating the stone with their minds from a distance rather than risk precious carvers stepping into the firing line where they couldn�t protect themselves. There was nothing she could do to help at this point, nothing at all, so she paced. Paced and focused inside.

[Come and get it, you morons! Eat fireball! Wait� fireballs probably suck against these guys� Eat ice-explosion! Hah!]

A constant stream of chatter came from Anthony, who appeared to be having the time of his life running back and forth on the very edge of the ramp, stepping forward every time it grew as much as a centimetre and flinging spells directly into the faces of the demons. He never seemed to run out of energy, probably a mutation or organ, not that she was going to pry; she had other things to focus on.

Every minute that passed, the firestorm of magic grew more intense, spiking the fear within Sarah ever higher as she managed its rise. She wasn�t even aware of it as she paced back and forth, but a low growl had begun to resonate in her throat, vibrating through the air and growing in volume all the time. As the ramp crept closer and closer to the lip of the plate, her rage grew ever more intense, a red filter falling over her vision as the Asura within began to beat with the thumping rhythm of her anger.

It was a familiar feeling, one she�d lived in fear of for so long she almost couldn�t remember a time that she didn�t. Only now, she did not shun it, she sought instead to ride it. Her growl rose and rose, and she rose with it, riding high on a wave of boiling rage that sought to drive her consciousness away from her body, and she allowed it to buffet her without relinquishing control.

The moment the ramp finally drew close enough, she felt herself roar, unleashing her bottled emotions in one air-shattering bellow before she Dashed, rushing toward the edge and leaping off. It was a bizarre sensation, as if she were a passenger within her own body, but unlike the previous times this had happened, she wasn�t banished to a little corner of her own mind, a locked box where she hid herself away. Instead, it was as if she clung to the back of a bucking bull, except that the bull was also her.

With a mighty crash, she landed on the plate right in the face of a huge horde of demons, who turned their ire on her. She was lashed with flame and fangs, but the pain only strengthened her.

The Asura Bear was the engine, and rage was the fuel it burned. The more they attacked, the more she swelled with power until her fangs and paws leaked red energy that intimidated all around her. A thud she heard only distantly told her that Tiny had joined her, leaping across the gap with his wings to aid him and landing amongst the demons around her with a devastating blow. With the space he�d bought her, she leaped forward, claws flashing, jaws snapping, and the enemies around her rose to meet her challenge.

She was amongst it then, battling hard against the monsters, the growl in her throat having grown to a never-ending roar, and at that point, it became too hard to hold on. At last, the bull had its way, and she was flung off, falling into the dim corner that she knew so well.

Even as her control slipped, she still felt a momentary surge of triumph. She had held on longer than ever before, and with a little luck, this time she might just come back faster as well. If she kept trying, perhaps the day would come when she was finally the one in command of herself.

Sloan looked out over the seemingly endless open space of the third stratum with trepidation in her heart. Everything that could be done had been done. The city had been rebuilt from the ground up, its defences strengthened and over ten thousand valiant ants were in position to act as the garrison and fend off any assault �an assault they knew would be coming. She just hoped it would prove to be enough.

The Colony was still untested against the demons. One surprise attack was not enough to determine how well they matched up, and without the humans along to boost them, there was every chance things would go much worse for her and her siblings in this battle than the last one.

The tier sevens were also a great concern. Despite all of their efforts, the Colony still had far too few tier six members. The power gap only continued to grow the further up the tiers a monster went, which meant this deficiency would be hard to overcome in the short-term. If one tier seven came to this city, then they would most likely be able to hold. If two came� things might get difficult. Measures were in place, and she could only hope they proved sufficient.

Scouts bristled all over the city, both up and down the column as well as a good distance away on the plains, hiding amongst the boundless throng of demon larvae. A relay of mages, able to pass messages between each other at the speed of thought, would likely be the way the Colony first received word of the impending attack. Until that moment came, she could do nothing but wait.

When time ticked over, and the seventh day arrived, a soundless disc of pure magic glided out from its hiding place amongst the mountainous outcroppings of rock several kilometres from the city. Then another, and another rose to join it, each of them bristling with demons.

Word raced through the messenger network before a minute had passed, and just like that, the defenders of Roklu shifted to an active footing, with ants settling into their prepared positions and readying themselves for the battle to come.

Seemingly without effort, the demons glided through the air, rising until each of their discs had reached equal height with the plate of the city before they halted, waiting for each of them to be in position. There were five discs in all, one for each of the hunting parties that the Eldest failed to find, with an unknown number of tier seven demons among them. Brixin was not content to merely defend her own territory. She sought to control and dominate, and that could not be achieved from a purely defensive position. Her aim was the same as the Colony�s: to win it all, to take new territory whilst protecting that which she already owned.

One way or another, one of them would get what they wanted.

Once all of the discs were in place, they began to glide forward in unison, approaching the city at an accelerating pace. Thousands of eyes watched. Hidden behind crenelations and concealed within folds of stone on the pillar, the ants watched and prepared.

The demons clearly knew what was coming. Well before they were within range, a host of shields and barriers began to form around each of the discs, protection enough to stop a mighty barrage indeed.

But perhaps not enough to stop ten thousand ants, all hell-bent on protecting what was theirs.

�RELEASE!� came the call from the pheromone glands of hundreds of generals all around the city.

In one unified moment, from thousands of individuals, came a deluge of acid and magic that no demon could possibly have foreseen. The plate and pillar blossomed like a flower as the trails of fireballs, ice, lava, and every other element homed in on the discs. The demons didn�t attempt to dodge, they just accelerated, putting all their effort into shields to protect themselves. It was never going to be enough.

The Colony�s barrage didn�t stop, it only grew more intense the closer the discs came to the plate. Demons dropped from every disc, on every side of the city, but still they came.

When they finally made contact with the city, it wasn�t the graceful and controlled landing they probably imagined. They crashed, ramming into the stone ramparts around the outside of Roklu like battering rams. The demons of Orpule were thrown from their perches and rolled in the rubble before they leapt to their feet and began the assault.

Sloan was everywhere, rushing through the command centre like a mad thing, listening to every report, communicating with every scout.

�Where are they�� she muttered to herself as the fighting heated up all around the city. �How many did they send?�

The moment the demons set foot on the plate, they were assaulted on all sides by coordinated teams of ants who subjected them to a constant run of attacks. The Colony didn�t seek to destroy their opponents immediately, wary of biting off more than they could chew. Instead, they opted to wear their opponents down, and in so doing, force the tier seven demons to reveal themselves.

It was a lone mage, hidden in a fold of stone on the ground, who detected it first. At tier five, she�d done all she could to improve her ability to sense and manipulate mana outside of her body, hoping to specialise in defensive magic and protect her sisters, just like how the little winged guardian protected the Eldest. Straining with every fibre of her mind, she reached out and tried to pierce the veil the demons maintained even now, warping and twisting the mana that emitted from their cores.

Then, she broke through, for just a fleeting instant, but what she sensed was enough to send a ripple running through every segment of her carapace.

[Tier seven!] she hollered to the general behind her over a mind bridge. [TWO OF THEM!]

The moment Sloan received word, she turned to the waiting scout by the entrance of the command hill.

�Two of them on the west side. Deploy countermeasures.�

In a flash, the scout was gone, her message delivered with a speed that Vibrant would approve of. Moments later, a deep rumbling began to be felt through the feet of every ant in Roklu, as if the plate itself was shaking. The vibrations only grew in intensity as the moments passed, until every member of the Colony, even on the pillar, could feel it. It had taken a huge amount of effort to raise this force to the sixth tier; now they could only hope it would be worth it.

�Please don�t mess this up, you idiot,� Sloan begged of the empty air.

�WE SEEK!�

The Immortals thundered through the wide streets of Roklu, a tidal wave of chitin and steel that seemed to rattle the foundations of the world itself as they ran. How many tons massed in their combined charge? Who could say? Certainly not Leeroy, who ran deliriously at the head of their flying wedge formation.

�This is it, my sisters!� she roared, blasting her pheromones wide. �We run in the darkest hour! We run to bring glory! Immortal no more! WHY DO YOU RUN?�

�WE SEEK!�

�SEEK NO LONGER! LAY DOWN YOUR SEARCH! WE HAVE BEEN TORMENTED BY A QUESTION, AND I TELL YOU THAT THE ANSWER IS HERE AND NOW! THIS IS THE MOMENT! THIS IS OUR TIME!�

Within each and every carapace-covered abdomen, the hearts of Leeroy and her loyal adherents beat with wild abandon. Before them lay the mightiest foes the Colony had ever faced. Dreadful in their power, fell in their purpose, the demons would slaughter thousands should they be left unchallenged. Each and every one of the Immortals knew they would pay any price to prevent that from happening.

Although, to tell the truth, they yearned to pay that price!

Surely, now they would fall! Though this select group had been raised to the sixth tier, they were not as mighty as the Eldest, did not possess their wisdom or strength, so how could they hope to prevail against such dreadful odds? They wouldn�t, they couldn�t! But with their final breath, they would drag their enemies down into the abyss with them, saving their family and freeing themselves.

Despite their weight, the ground was swiftly eaten up by their furious charge. The prospect of imminent death spurred them on to run faster than they ever had before, charge more desperately than could have been previously imagined. Soon, the target of their wrath was in sight.

The demons did not appear overly special when compared to the others around them, not much larger, nor much more powerful than the rest of their group, but the evidence provided by their sister was all the Immortals needed to commit themselves wholly to the fight. They would not take a backward step!

�Brace!� Leeroy roared, and the ants to her left and right lunged against her, interlocking their arumour with hers.

The motion was repeated down the line, and in the lead position, Leeroy was overcome by the sensation that their wills had truly become unified. Were she to lift her legs from the ground, the unstoppable momentum and strength of her siblings would still carry her forward to glory.

�Remember the inner fire and bring them down with you!�

The group of demons, only six in number, realised their deception had failed the moment the wave of furious insects appeared. Amongst them, the two most powerful had sneered, because despite the forceful charge of the insects, they felt no fear. No longer constrained, they allowed their power to swell, blanketing the area with an aura of violence and decay that sent the rest of the ants skittering back.

The demons believed this was a sign of fear, whereas, in reality, the Colony was simply making room for what was about to take place.

Emboldened by the retreat of the weak who fled at the first sign of their power, the two tier seven demons stepped forward boldly, willing to take the charge of the Immortals head-on. A curious decision. When the two sides met, the sound of screeching metal and shattering stone sent the hairs on Sloan�s antennae dancing all the way back in the command hill.

Like a freight train run off the rails, the Immortals smashed into a wall, paused momentarily, then punched right through it. The weaker demons were reduced to a fine mist as Leeroy and her sisters perfectly executed their final surge, combining their Dash and Charge Skills in one ecstatic surge. With the force of an explosive harnessed in insect form, they ran straight through their foes before collapsing in a tangled heap on the other side.

�Right yourselves! It�s not over yet!�

Amongst the twisted piles of wrecked buildings and tortured armour, Leeroy and her sisters began the desperate fight to break free. Several of them were injured, some limbs had been shattered at the moment of contact or the collapse afterward, but all had to be put aside so they might finish the fight. For she was not wrong in her assessment, their leader. Though wounded, their two great foes had not fallen in the initial charge, and now the irate demons sought to exact terrible vengeance upon the armoured insects.

Now the battle began in earnest, and Leeroy, the most battered of all the cadre, felt her veins blaze with joy as she stood, her helmet twisted across her head, before she once again raced forward to join the fray. Mandibles flashed and snapped as the two mighty demons roared, spitting fire, slicing with blades that split steel and carapace with equal ease.

It was a desperate struggle, with neither side willing to give an inch, but it quickly became apparent that although their opponents numbered but two, the ten Immortals were outmatched. Even though they shrugged off the overwhelming pressure the demons brought to bear, despite causing significant injury in the initial charge, the ants lacked the speed and power necessary to contend with enemies such as these. The monsters danced amongst the ungainly armoured figures, slashing with wild abandon as they sought to end the fight and complete their task.

But Leeroy and her sisters would not be brought low so easily! The more they were wounded, the more elated they became! As their HP dropped lower and lower, their hearts soared higher and higher! They fought more savagely, snapped their mandibles more viciously!

Every moment that passed, the Immortals felt the fire in their veins grow ever hotter, for they knew that which their opponents did not! Without conversing, without collaborating in any way, it so turned out that all ten had taken the same evolution at tier six. The System had looked into their souls and seen they were worthy, and so had bestowed upon them a most powerful evolution, with an organ that would see to it that they accomplished their purpose!

Even now, as the strength in her limbs was fading, Leeroy could feel it within her, pulsing with power that only grew as she drew ever nearer to death. Only when she breathed her last would it unleash its full might and pull these foul creatures who sought to bring harm to their family into the afterlife along with them!

As the battle raged on, the demons became increasingly frustrated. These horrendous ants simply refused to die! No matter the injury inflicted, they would come back, snapping their mandibles with ferocious energy that seemed impossible to snuff out. The two combatants were incredibly aware of the vast numbers of weaker ants who simply watched them from a safe distance, no doubt ready to leap into the fray the moment these armoured beasts were defeated.

The two demons decided simultaneously that they could no longer drag this fight out, they were weakened and injured as a result of this disaster and could not afford to let these undying insects exhaust them further. Acting as one, they marshalled their remaining strength and unleashed a devastating wave of power, a combination of fire and ash that swallowed everything around them in a fifty-metre radius.

When she saw that deadly conflagration ignite between the two demons, Leeroy felt a wave of peace wash through her being the likes of which she�d never felt before. With the last of their strength, the Immortals dove into the expanding sphere of destruction in order to bring themselves as close to their enemies as possible. Though they would die, they would succeed in defeating their enemies and thus live in glory.

�Farewell, sisters! Be at peace!� Leeroy flung one last message to her sisters before each of them were consumed.

When the blast finally cleared, every building within its radius had been reduced to a smouldering heap of slag. Drained, but victorious, the two demons surveyed what remained of their foes: little more than mounds of smouldering Biomass and superheated metal. They had no time to celebrate, however. Already, the surrounding insects were moving to confront them.

Then, something strange happened. An upswell of power they did not recognise began in each of their fallen opponents that grew so fast, they had no time to react before it burst forth in radiant light. Each of the defeated ants became bathed in golden flames that grew in intensity until none could bear to look at them. There was no heat, only a pure light that could be seen kilometres away, piercing through the ash of the third stratum.

The two demons were bewildered, but unharmed, and when the mysterious fire vanished, they despaired, as they found themselves once more staring at the ten massive insects, completely unharmed, though without their armour.

Each of the Immortals froze in pure confusion. They�d died, they were sure of it� What happened?!

As one, they threw open their status screens and inspected their new organ, demanding the System display its description.

[Pheonix Fire Organ: Throughout the course of battle, this organ will consume the strength of its holder, empowering itself as they draw closer to death. When the host expires, it unleashes the contained energy in a wave of flame that will annihilate⁠�]

Each of the Immortals realised at the same moment that when evolving, they�d stopped reading at this point and confirmed the selection on the spot. Leeroy hadn�t even noticed there was more text!

[�any injuries the host bears, bringing them back from the brink of death to live again.]

The battlefield remained frozen for a long moment as each of the ants tried to process what they just learned.

�DAMMIT!� Leeroy screamed.

I watched in surprise as Sarah, of all the monsters on this ramp, sailed through the air and crash landed on the plate, soon followed by Tiny. Luckily, the Colony wasn�t as distracted by their antics as I was and utilised the distraction to extend the ramp in a rush, crashing it into the side of the plate as the demons poured their fire into the two monsters.

�Get in there!� I roar and Dash straight across, activating my Charge Skill and ramming into the first demon I see.

Behind me comes a literal wave of insects as the massed ranks of my siblings establish a beachhead in Orpule by simply shoving themselves bodily into the demons defending the city, pushing back the front ranks through sheer force. Our enemies aren�t without their own strengths, and the battle escalates as those demons more suited to close combat find themselves with thousands of targets to unleash their craft upon. It�s these kinds of situations in which domain magic is at its most potent, and I�m not the only one with this idea.

An immediate war for control of the ambient mana erupts as mages on both sides exert their will. Small pockets of control form here and there, allowing domains to flicker to life. The demons clearly favour fire or strange swirling flecks of darkness that I can only assume is ash, which makes sense since those are the dominant forms of mana in this stratum. Wherever they touch, the ants are seared or worse before they can retreat back to safer areas.

Drawing on some of the only mana I don�t need to fight for control of, I reach deep within and pull out swathes of Gravitational Mana, swiftly forming it into a domain spell that spreads to crush the surrounding demons to the ground. At least, I would have liked it if they were smashed into the ground, but despite my best efforts, the Gravity Domain doesn�t have the necessary oomph to overwhelm monsters of this stratum. Although, that�s not to say it has no effect. The moment the added pressure bears down on them, the monsters around me visibly slow down as they exert far more force just to remain standing. Every time they extend a limb to fight, it becomes that much harder to hold it in the air.

With the added condensing effect from my most recent mutation, the mana is already fairly thick before I even get my minds onto it, which saves time and effort, allowing me to give the mana a quick compression session before I flip it into the domain, increasing its effect beyond what was possible when I first learned this spell.

The broader battle has become enormously hectic as more and more ants pile into the narrow landing strip we�ve secured, forcing their bodies into the fray and ramming into the demons to try and create more space for the ants behind them. It�s numbers versus quality right now. Each individual ant is not nearly as powerful as the demons they face, but with enough bodies and minds packed into the area, it won�t be possible for us to lose, which is exactly why the defenders of the city are working so hard to deny us any ground.

Fancy tactics don�t work so well when the crush is this intense, so no matter what either side intended, we�ve been drawn into an arm wrestle. In the thick of things, I take it upon myself to dive into the more powerful of the enemy domains, taking the damage on myself and countering with my own revolving shell of mana. Of course, behind me comes Tiny, Crinis, and Invidia. The combined strength of us four tier six monsters, with near-perfect cores and evolutions, is more than most tier six demons can stand against, especially when we�re backed by thousands of supporters. Mandibles gnashing, minds spinning, I ram forward again and again, bashing my body into the wall of demon flesh and demanding they yield ground to me.

In these cramped quarters, there is of course one monster who is able to reveal her strength perfectly. The constant din of Sarah�s roar somehow keeps rising, growing louder and louder until it feels like every part of my body is vibrating with it, and then it just keeps going! Even the demons are intimidated by her as her claws rip jagged red gouges out of the air and her jaws glow with terrible, dark light. Fingers crossed she�ll be able to come out of it alright this time, though I kind of get the feeling I might be missing a leg somewhere down the line.

The brutal, face to face attrition continues without end, but the moment enough space has been established, the Colony gains valuable reinforcements, fresh off the ramp!

�Hey there! It�s good to finally be up here! I�ve been running circles for so long it feels like I might have gotten dizzy! Nice-nice! Who needs help first? Is it you? Or you! Or maybe I just help all of you at once! Let�s go, everybody!�

A blast of rapid-fire pheromones hits everyone on the plate as Vibrant and her crew make their presence known. With enough space to manoeuvre on the plate, they can use their speed to their advantage, cycle-charging all over the place and causing headaches for the demons.

Vibrant in particular is a menace. No sooner has she crashed into a particular pack of demons like a cannonball, moving so quickly she almost can�t be seen, than she�s righting herself and picking up speed again, heading for another area of the battlefield! At her mass and strength, each of those charges carries unbelievable force, like a car travelling a hundred kilometres an hour. The impacts are absolutely shattering, but she rights herself each time in a matter of moments. There must be some mutations or organs at play there! I�ll have to check her core again at some point�

Faced with this relentless and unending grind, the demons cannot hold their ground and are constantly forced back. Progress might be slow, yet for every metre we gain, more ants are able to force themselves onto the platform and shove harder, whereas the surface area of the creatures against us just keeps getting larger, giving us more space to push. Pretty soon, the fire raining down on the ramp itself has dwindled to nothing, and the mages are engaged in a constant back and forth right over our heads.

Things are looking good for the Colony, but I can�t help but worry. Where�s Brixin and the other tier sevens? They have to be around here somewhere, but wherever they are, they haven�t deigned to reveal themselves yet�

All I can do is push until they are forced out into the open�

When the tide turns, it turns quickly. Sarah has taken immense damage with her reckless fighting style, but all that happens is she goes harder. With literally dozens of healers lined up behind her, it doesn�t seem as though she�s going to have any trouble maintaining her HP either, no matter how much pain the demons try to rain down on her. Unable to stand up in front of her, unable to bring her down, the line cracks as the enraged bear slashes and tears at everything she can reach. She really is a powerful creature, possibly the strongest I�ve ever seen from the first stratum, barring the big croc herself.

The moment there�s a hole in the line, the ants start to pour through it, wrapping around the demons on either side with expert precision. Sarah, of course, is rather oblivious to the trouble and simply rushes on, trying to catch the opponents who are now fleeing from her. With the battle on the verge of being won by the Colony, there�s little point in holding back anymore, and I reach out with my senses, trying to grasp hold of Brixin and her allies the moment they reveal themselves.

Which turns out to be now. From high above, a dense sphere of mana forms, crushing in on itself until it glows bright in my minds like a star. Almost as soon as it appears, it begins to drop, rocketing toward the clustered ants on the edge of the plate.

Aha! They wanted to annihilate us from above as we were cramped and vulnerable. If only we hadn�t been able to anticipate such an obvious move!

�SHIELDS UP!� comes the call that rattles the antennae of every ant in the city.

Dozens of mages leap to the task of weaving barriers above whilst they simultaneously reach out to try and snuff the incoming ball of condensed mana. Each of my mind constructs is bent to the task, having dropped the domain the moment it wasn�t needed, spinning shields and tearing chunks out of the spell above us with frenetic energy. I can feel so many minds around me doing the same thing, including Invidia and Al, which leads me to feel confident that we�ll be able to deflect this spell no problem.

Except, that doesn�t appear to be the case�

Barrier after barrier gets thrown up and mana is stripped from the giant ball of flame at an accelerating pace as it descends toward us, yet there are powerful minds still pumping the spell with mana, weaving vast amounts of Fire Mana every second. How is this possible? Are they literally up there riding the damn fireball down to us? Because that would be metal as all heck.

No, don�t think about that! I can�t allow my siblings to be roasted! We need victory here!

I�m already working as hard as I can, and so is everyone else, but we won�t be able to dissipate the spell before it reaches us, not even close. Which means the barriers would need to hold, which I�m not sure they will. If nothing is done, then a lot of my family members are going to get snuffed out right here. I can�t allow that!

But what to do? There�s little time until we�re all bathed in this dark fire, perhaps ten seconds at best. Not enough time to whip together a Gravity Bomb, not enough time to try and climb up there and attack the demons responsible for the spell directly. Perhaps Vibrant could� no, she would need to run to the pillar, climb up it, and then jump off. That�s too much, even for her. I could reach out to Al, but the fiery eyeball is already throwing all he has into defence. Which is rather a lot, by the by. He�s putting more shields in place than ten of me could�

That doesn�t leave many options! My main mind spins as the flames grow larger in my vision. I can sense the demons now, riding atop the fireball. I can even feel their gravitational fields, weak as they are. With the spell between us, I don�t see how I can possibly get to them in time.

[Master!] a voice rings in my mind.

[Wha�? Crinis?]

[Run through!] she urges me, and I spin in confusion.

Then I notice what the heck she�s talking about. Right behind me, my most horrific helper has poured all of her Shadow Mana into a black void on the ground as is currently trying to pull me toward it with her tentacles. There�s a second where I wonder if she�s trying to save my life by helping me escape, but I don�t think so. Crinis has grown protective of the Colony over our time together, almost as much as me, so I doubt she�d give up on all of the ants here.

Deciding to trust in my friend, I throw myself into the darkness. For a disorienting moment, I�m absorbed in a reel of perfect shadow before being spat back out again.

Aaaaand I�m falling.

Where the heck did she send me?! What shadow did she use as an exit? It takes a frantic second for me to get my bearings, and when I realise where I am, and can�t help but unleash an evil chuckle.

Gwehehehehe.

Crinis! You genius! With a giant fireball being formed by the tier sevens above it, where would a shadow be cast? Why, above them, of course! Right beneath me are three powerful demons, including Brixin, each of them focused downward on the dread ball of doom they have created. It must have cost Crinis just about everything she had in her to create a portal of this kind of distance, including almost every drop of mana inside her core. I have an idea what her limits are, and moving something like me this far is something I assumed was far beyond her. Transporting her own shadow limbs about the place using her Shadow Magic is one thing, a humungous ant is quite another.

I can�t let this opportunity go to waste! With only a few seconds left before the spell hits the ground, I need to do everything I can to stop them from reinforcing as soon as possible! But what kind of mischief can I get up to in just a few seconds?

Falling hundreds of metres with a group of tier seven demons and their giant dark-tinted fireball of doom wasn�t exactly part of my plan for the day, but here we are, and I need to make the best of it, and fast! Without enough time to think, I react instinctively and implement my first impulse, which is to reach the demons in any way that I can!

Gravity Mana floods my mandibles, and I reach out to the three demons, grabbing them with an almighty YOINK!

The strain on my mana is evident. Even if these three aren�t exactly packing heat in the mass department, they aren�t slouches. For whatever reason, likely the fact their attention is so heavily focused elsewhere, they seem unable to resist the energy taking hold of them and reversing the direction of their fall.

The three mighty tier seven demons suddenly stop falling, stand still for a moment, and then reverse direction, lifting through the air toward me. Considering the shock of it, they react with incredible decisiveness, turning to lash out at whoever dared to attach this foreign mana to them. Before I can so much as introduce myself, I�m bombarded by a series of spells that burn and damage my carapace. Thankfully, the powerful demons didn�t have much time to put a lot of juice into this effort, or I might have been obliterated on the spot. Instead, I merely endure a solid roasting before I cut the connection between us and defend myself, allowing them to begin falling again, except this time they are above me, and way too far from their explosive magic to keep assisting it.

As I freefall, I can already feel the spell diminishing in size as the Colony rips into it without the demons able to compensate for the loss. Now I have another issue, namely that I�m currently above this veritable bomb and I�ll be caught completely in the blast if I don�t do something!

Dammit! I knew I�d regret not getting wings at some point, and here it is. Seriously! Who wouldn�t want to be able to fly, Anthony, you moron! Alright then� what can I do? Think, think, think, think-think-think-think-think!

With precious seconds left before I splatter against the shields of my own allies and then promptly get roasted alive, I do what I can with my available resources. Working at the speed of thought, my brains whip up all the force mana I can muster, which I immediately spin into a series of condensed bolts. All I can think of is trying to move my position, and the only way I can think to do that in midair is by using the kinetic energy generated by Force Magic!

Manipulating the spells outside my body is difficult and takes precious time, but I gather the six bolts I�ve been able to create on my left side and let �em rip at the same moment. My Force Magic still isn�t that strong, but since I�m free falling without any means to brace myself, the magic knocks me to the right as all of the spells slam into my carapace at the same moment. Thrown violently off-course, I tumble away before an enormously dense surge of energy registers on my antennae, followed by a blinding flash of light.

KRAKOOOM!

Holy moly! That was Lightning Magic! Above me I see the enraged and twisted face of Brixin as her spell goes wide due to my last-second manoeuvre. Yikes! I�d almost forgotten about them, I was so worried about falling. Speaking of which, I�m still falling! I seriously hope that terminal velocity is not a literal term.

My diversion is enough to send me sailing to the side of the many-layered barrier the Colony has erected, as well as the impact zone of the doom fire the demons created, just not by a whole lot. I likely won�t be able to escape the fallout of the fireball unscathed, but at least I�m not going to be dropping flat into the middle of it. As the ground rushes toward me, I once again think that being able to close your eyes isn�t such a bad thing sometimes. Brace for impact!

I extend my legs out in the hopes of sacrificing them to absorb some of the impact and spare my insides from the pain that�s coming, when at the last second, a forest of tentacles explodes upward extending straight for me.

Crinis!

Thank goodness for amorphous blobs of terror! The tentacles twist through the air beneath me, creating a dense noodle stack that I plunge into like a boulder that fell off a cliff. Everything melds into a blur as I plummet the last fifty metres and then⁠�

BANG!

Oof! In an organ-rattling collision, I smack into the hard stone of the plate with nothing but the tentacles of Crinis to cushion my fall. Predictably, my legs fold like a house of cards before my carapace is rocked by the impact and my head starts spinning. Yikes. Not a fan of that.

[Thanks, Crinis! You�re a life saver�]

[I almost didn�t make it in time!]

[But you did. That�s all that matters.]

I trigger my healing gland and sigh in relief as the cooling fluid rushes throughout my body, mending everything that was damaged in the fall and beginning the process of once again restoring my legs to full usefulness. Luckily, they haven�t been ripped off this time, merely shattered in several places, so I should be good to go before too much time has passed.

BOOM!

I must have been falling slightly faster than the spell, since at this moment a cataclysmic detonation resounds from the side. My antennae scream of danger, and I use my mandibles to sweep as much of Crinis behind me as I can whilst my brains throw out the fastest barriers I�m capable of. They�re flimsy as heck but the best I can do on such short notice, and certainly better than nothing. Thank goodness I already triggered my healing gland.

The heat is immense as the fireball unleashes its remaining payload of doom, except there is more at play than pure Fire Magic. The spell had been miscoloured, flecked with darkness where one would expect Fire Mana to be bright, and I can feel the difference now as the flames eat into my carapace even as it burns me. This must be a combination of Ash and Fire Magic, putting the two most prominent elements of this stratum together into one horrific concentration of death!

How nasty.

My HP drops steadily as the fire rages, and I find myself fighting on two fronts. On one side, I�m trying to utilise my magic to hold off the worst effects of the spell by eating into the mana and countering with renewed barriers once my old ones are shattered, whilst at the same time, I fight against Crinis as she tries to wrap her limbs around to protect me.

[Dammit, Crinis! You�re weak to mana like this, you�ll just melt in an instant! Stay put!]

[I can help protect you, let me go!]

[Absolutely not! Just sit still, will you?]

[Never!]

[I�m ordering you!]

In the face of a direct command, there�s nothing Crinis can do, though even then I see her limbs shivering as she tries with all her being to force herself to disobey my instruction. My heart clenches in my chest in the face of her devotion, and I draw her ever closer to shield her from damage.

[You just saved me, now it�s my turn to save you,] I tell her firmly, even as she refuses to yield in her attempts.

By the time the detonation has finished, the area around me is a smouldering ruin and I am in a not insignificant amount of pain. Checking my HP bar, that I was too scared to look at prior to this point, I see that after everything I just endured, I�ve been chunked down to just under half of my pool. Considering regeneration fluid was making its way throughout my body throughout the explosion, it�s a shocking amount of damage to remain. The carapace on my back has almost entirely been eaten away, and what�s more, it is very slow to regenerate.

Perhaps a lingering effect of Ash Mana? I don�t know enough about the stuff to say for sure, but I have a sneaking suspicion my hunch is correct.

I know that I�m alright, but what about the Colony?! Taking in the sights as my eyes gradually lose the glare, I can see that my siblings have not escaped unscathed. Closer to the centre of the gathered ants, they were safer, having the full benefit of the shields woven overhead, but near the outer edge of that circle, things look much more grim.

Already the healers are picking their way over the wounded, administering desperately needed first aid. Every ant who can be saved will be saved, of that I have no doubt. But the fires of vengeance have been lit in me now. No chance I let them get away unscathed for this!

My sentiment is also echoed by the Colony, who bristle with outrage and determination. The ant tide will not be denied! CANNOT be denied!

My mind constructs spin furiously, bringing yet another mana type to the fore, namely Healing Magic, to get me back on my feet again. Far above our heads, the magic-oriented tier seven demons that Brixin reserved to defend her seat of power float, looking down on the remnants of their failed strategy. Doubtless, they hoped to triumph here in one fell swoop, but it wasn�t to be!

I�m not sure what their next play will be, but I have the utmost confidence we shall sweep that aside also.

�Come down here!� I roar using my pheromones and waggling my broken legs at them. �I�ll bite your ankles off!�

In the distance, I can still hear Sarah�s endless bellow. She must still be tearing through Orpule on a rage-drunk rampage, followed by a squad of ants who are going to try their level best to keep her from wrecking the entire place. I feel sorry for any demon that gets in her way at this point; once she gets wound up, she is absurdly hard to stop.

Speaking of squads following me around.

�Protectant? You lot still alive?�

A short pause.

�Yes. Please don�t jump into shadow portals that we can�t follow you through in future,� comes a clipped reply from thin air.

That�s a relief, I was worried they�d gotten themselves baked in the blast.

�Alright then, it�s time to bring these demons down and show them what�s what. Can someone go and get Tiny for me? I�m going to need him for this.�

�Uhm, are you talking to us?� Protectant asks, again not revealing herself.

�Of course! Who else is here to smell these pheromones?�

�Right��

I turn my mind to Crinis and connect with her.

[How�s things, Crinis? Did you pull through alright?]

She was badly singed on the extremities, and I don�t doubt she lost a lot of her flesh in the blast, especially before I ordered her to pull back.

[You should have let me protect you,] she mumbles in my mind.

I shake my head.

[No chance. You aren�t allowed to die before me, that�s an order.]

She falls silent, a helpless pile of unshapen shadow goo on the ground beside me. I feel a little bad about ordering her like that. I hate restricting them, but I feel this one with all of my heart. None of them are allowed to die before me.

With the demons high overhead, the only way the Colony could reach them was to unleash their best spells and acid blasts, doing everything possible to force the demons down, or at least drain them of mana so they were no longer a threat.

As I watch, it appears to be working. The demons use shields to block attacks as they move their stupid discs around, dodging the worst of the largely untargeted barrage, but there�s just so much stuff being thrown at them that they can�t possibly dodge it all.

As I lay here healing, I do my part to contribute to the struggle, hurling Gravity Bolts by the dozen at the demons, hoping to snag them and force them to come down to our level. At the very least, it�ll become harder for them to keep themselves in the air if they get heavier. Fairly soon, Tiny returns to my side and I don�t waste any time repeating the order that I gave to Crinis to him as well. When Invidia pops up, worn out from helping my siblings shield themselves, I tell him too.

[You are not allowed to die before me. That�s an order.]

Invidia doesn�t react outside of a slow blink, and Tiny just looks confused, but that�s fine. As long as I�ve given them the order, they�ll have to obey it.

[Alright then, Tiny, we have an issue that you can help me with. Invidia, try and help heal Crinis up, and grab her some Biomass� actually, hold on.]

�Someone go and get Crinis Biomass. She needs to regenerate.�

�Er� Is that⁠��

�Yes, I�m talking to you, Protectant! Get it done! I�m hardly going to be going anywhere right now, am I?�

I waggle my broken legs in the air for emphasis. A few moments later, I�m confident they are gone.

[Alright then, here�s the deal. I�m going to lighten myself and Tiny is going to throw me into the air so I can bring the demons down to ground level. Make sense?]

[Master! No!]

[For all we know, they are just holding their ground up there until they charge up another doom ball and obliterate this entire plate. They were surely going to blow up half of it with the last one! I can�t reach them from down here, but from up there, I can.]

[How are you going to land? I can�t catch you again, and you�re already injured!] Crinis protests vehemently.

[Bit of food into you and you�ll be back to catching ants in no time,] I reassure her. [Besides, we have more help this time. Invidia can slow me down with barriers, and Tiny can catch me in his big, beefy arms, right?]

Tiny nods seriously and flexes. Invidia blinks once.

[See? No problem, I�ll be fine.]

Crinis is obviously not convinced, but I need to do something to bring this situation to a swift resolution. The more time passes, the more advantageous this will be for the demons as they recover their energy and possibly wind up for another strike.

Working fast, I take hold of my Gravity Mana with my minds. Inverting spell patterns is a tricky business, but there are a few cases where I know how to get it to work, and the Gravity Bolt is one of them. I blast myself with the modified spell over and over again and notice with surprise how my antennae can feel the gravitational field around my body beginning to shift. This gives me rather precise control over how much of my mana I need to use.

After all, I still need to fall. If I get it wrong and start floating, I�ll be in serious trouble. I�d rather not spend too much time drifting through the air in front of Brixin and her crew if I can help it!

Once I get the balance right, I turn to Tiny and give him a nod. With a broad grin, the giant ape slaps his massive hands against his chest to warm himself up before lifting me with a two-handed grip. I can tell from the look on his face that I�m lighter than he expected, but it�s still awkward to get a decent grip on me.

[Alright then, Tiny. I want you to fling me straight up as hard as you can. Got it?]

[Hrm.]

[Don�t forget to catch me when I come down.]

And by that delightful blank stare, he�s already forgotten�

[Okaaaaay. Now!]

With a tremendous rush of force, Tiny leans back then throws both his hands up, propelling me straight up into the air like an insectile missile. The force of the air pressure flattens my antennae back to my head, and my eyes blur. Beneath me, the plate plummets away, becoming uncomfortably small as I look down on the battle still raging there. Despite the insanity, my minds are working overtime, preparing the barrage of spells I�ll unleash the moment I reach the apex of my flight.

Holy moly, I am going to come down hard� I hope those two are up to the task.

Probably the only entity more surprised than me to see a giant ant rocketing up above the plate is Brixin. Her face is a twisted mask of pure rage as I reappear before her in the air once again. It�s tempting to reach out with my mind and say something pithy, but I suspect she might use that link to obliterate my consciousness. Resisting the urge, I unleash a barrage of magic directly into the faces of the demons before they have a chance to act.

Condensed Gravity Bolts fly out with pinpoint accuracy at the same moment a domain snaps into existence, encompassing all three of the tier seven demons.

Down we go!

Taken by surprise, they fail to dodge the initial barrage, and once the domain expands to encompass them, they find themselves suddenly so much heavier than they were a moment ago. I can practically feel the confusion that rolls through them as they encounter Gravity Magic for likely the first time. The bolts that hit them did no damage, but then there�s this other strange effect. Do they defend themselves or not?

Their hesitation allows me to land a few more bolts before my upward momentum spends itself completely and I start to accelerate faster and faster toward the ground. With focused rage, Brixin extends an arm toward me that erupts in a jet of ashen fire that licks against my left-side carapace.

�YEEOUCH!�

Thank goodness for the Vestibule. I trigger my healing gland again as I continue to blast out Gravity Bolts, holding onto the domain as long as possible to apply as much pulling force to them as I can. The moment I drop out of range of Brixin�s flamethrower, the other two join the party, flinging a horrendous array of spells at me, which I find myself in a poor position to dodge, so I don�t.

I once again pump my mandibles full of Gravity Mana, exhausting my reserves in the process, reach out to the three figures, and YOINK!

Already so much heavier than they had been mere moments ago, the additional force of the mandibles pulling them has a much larger effect that staggers the powerful tier sevens atop their discs.

I manage to pull them down. Not by much, not nearly all the way to the ground, but as I sail out of their reach, peppered by the few spells that manage to find my falling self, I can tell I�ve done enough. How do I know? Because of the absolute torrent of firepower unleashed by the Colony that sails past me.

Suddenly, the sky is alight with fire and acid that engulfs the demons above in a never-ending stream of death that rises from over ten thousand mightily ticked-off ants far below.

Watching Brixin and her two chumps being bathed in the combined firepower of my siblings is certainly entertaining, almost entertaining enough to make me forget that I�m about to land in a world of hurt. Luckily, I come back to myself fast enough to roll over and look down at my waiting pets. To my joy, and somewhat to my surprise, Tiny is looking up at me, arms out and face creased with concentration as he repositions himself to attempt the catch.

Please don�t stuff this up, big guy, I do not want to end my second life scattered across the rock like an ant that got stepped on. I�m too young and certainly too shiny to go out like that!

To my relief, Invidia is on the ball. The brainy demon spins together a series of shields, each one layered atop the other with a metre between. I can even appreciate that he�s managed to adjust the strength of each shield so I�ll hit the weaker ones first before smacking into something stronger, thus bleeding off a little more speed each time. The ability of that eyeball to do this at the speed he did it� absolutely astonishing. Just another reminder that the distance between me and a truly dedicated spell-slinging monster is rather wide.

Thanks to my efforts with Gravity Mana, I don�t weigh half as much as I normally would, and I have far less force. Even so, I crash through the first of Invidia�s shields without even feeling them, and the following ones begin to get harder and harder, drawing out a wince of pain with every smack. To minimise potential injury, I roll onto my uninjured side and allow the carapace there to take the force, the inner carapace plating doing a lot of work to disperse the impact. Despite all that, my HP still takes a hit, much like my insides, as I effectively run into wall after wall.

After a dozen of these, the ground looms large in my sight, and so too does the hairy chest of Tiny�which I crash-land into, sending the two of us tumbling over the stone. When we finally come to a halt, I�ve rolled out of the big ape�s grip and come to a stop a few metres away. Tiny has a wide grin on his face and gives me a bold thumbs up, looking so pleased that it takes me a moment to realise his other arm is hanging uselessly by his side.

Why are you looking so happy when your arm is broken?!

With a sigh, I spin together some more Healing Mana and apply it to the big ape. It�ll be enough to get him through the short-term and kick-start the healing process. I�m not nearly as good a medic as someone more dedicated to the art.

[Thanks, Tiny. And thank you, Invidia. You both did great. Looks like we were successful.]

Above our heads, the air is still packed full of explosions, acid, fire, ice, bursts of steam, and all sorts of things as the irate Colony continues to unleash their wrath. To be honest, I don�t think Brixin is even there anymore. She probably managed to lift herself above it all a little while back, but just being exposed to that barrage for a second or two is going to strip the hide off even a tier seven.

In other words, I doubt she�s dead, but wherever she is up there, she�s not doing so hot.

Which is fine by me; I need a little time to recover. Becoming Anthony�s Flying Circus not once but twice in a day is quite the unexpected event, one I�m in no rush to repeat. Around me, the ants are beginning to move on from their unending assault on the air above to conquering the city more generally. As the moments tick by, more and more of my siblings stop slinging their anger and ordinance upward and begin to file into Orpule.

�Move in your teams! Follow the trails! Move quickly to secure your checkpoints! And somebody tell Vibrant to slow down!� a blast of pheromones billows out from nearby, stinging my antennae with their sharpness.

A few moments later, the source becomes apparent as Advant walks toward me, her antennae still swinging wildly as she blasts out orders to the surrounding ants.

�I thought Victor was in charge here?� I say.

�She�s further back. We didn�t want to risk exposing our top generals to attack when we arrived on the plate. She should be up here before too long, so long as nothing else goes wrong. I take it that was you I saw soaring through the air?�

�I think you�re imagining things.�

�Right� Just another story to add to the legend of the Eldest, eh?�

�What�s that?�

�Nothing. Are you going to be in any state to move anytime soon?�

I flex my legs a little.

�Give it a few minutes and I�ll be able to move about. Won�t be all that fast, but I�ll be mobile.�

�That might have to do. We haven�t finished dealing with Brixin yet. I believe she�s been weakened, along with the two tier seven demons who are supporting her, but they aren�t dead, not by a long shot.�

Focusing upward, I can see that some of the Colony is still hurling spells into the air. Visibility is beginning to return, and so far, the ruler of Orpule is nowhere to be seen. Former ruler at this point, I suppose. The Colony has flooded into the city and Vibrant has been running rampant in there, along with Sarah, for some time. If there�s much resistance left, it�ll be in the plate beneath us, which we haven�t invaded yet. If Brixin wants to take this place back, she�s going to have to nuke the thing from orbit; there�s no getting rid of us now.

�Do you still think our plan has a chance to work?� I ask Advant.

The steady soldier flicks her antennae.

�To be honest, I think the chance of it succeeding has improved rather than gone down. If anyone can pull it off, it�s going to be you.�

�Thanks for the vote of confidence,� I respond dryly. �All I have to do is face down three tier seven demons. Nothing at all.�

She shrugs her antennae.

�It�s not like you�ll do it alone. There are thousands of us here. Compared to that, what do they have?�

For the next hour, the advance of the Colony throughout the demon city continues to be unstoppable. More troops charge up the ramp and pour into Orpule, securing locations, moving down onto the second plate, subduing the local population. It was a huge concern of ours that there might be a non-demonic presence here, one that might object to our management, or indeed our existence, but thankfully that hasn�t turned out to be the case. At least not according to the reports I get whilst sitting and waiting. My legs have well and truly healed enough for me to be up and moving around, but I�ve decided waiting here, with my pets by my side, will be the best course of action for the moment.

Already, the carvers have begun to move in and redecorate the place, repairing the damage and securing ground around the pillar for the construction of a command nest from which the Colony can safely occupy the city. When we take over a place, we really don�t muck around. The previous rulers aren�t even dead, and already we�re paving over their castle and building our own over the rubble. If we weren�t insects, it might be considered rude.

The ramp itself will have to be taken apart rather soon. Not something anyone is looking forward to, I wager. Just looking at the thing is absolutely gobsmacking. Such a construction on Earth would have taken months, even when taking into account modern equipment. The sheer ludicrous mass of the thing, all that stone� my mind boggles. And now it all needs to be knocked down. It isn�t as if we can just leave a walkway up to a city we control; that throws away the best defensive advantage that the demon plates have!

I watch all of this activity happen around me, frankly a little bored while I wait for Brixin and her allies to appear. Perhaps I should have a little more tension about it, but I just can�t summon the adrenaline. After flying through the air twice during the battle, I feel as if I�ve bungie jumped from a helicopter that is itself attached to a bungie cord hooked to a rocket. I�ve been thrilled out, no excitement left.

Which is why I�m able to act so casual when the trio do finally make their appearance.

They come much as I expected, on a disc they likely used to escape from the city whilst we were still busy hurling literally tens of thousands of MP worth of magic at the sky. They approach cautiously, though not fearfully, as indeed by the customs of their people, they have no need to be.

We learned a great deal from Al when it came to demon wars and how oddly ritualistic and formal they are. The whole thing is odd to me �that the one type of monster I would expect to be ripping each other apart the most is the one with the most rules when it comes to conflict. Supposedly, it has to be this way since, once upon a time, shredding each other for any reason at all was exactly what they did. Just imagining the more advanced demons engaged in the same behaviour as their larval kin all over the stratum is enough to give me the willies.

As the three powerful demons approach on their disc, I begin to feel a little trepidation. The three of them combined could quite easily blast me out of existence if they worked together.

[You sure they aren�t going to attack me?] I ask Al as the fiery eye floats nearby.

[They will not. Confident. A formal war is not a fight to the death. There are separate rules for those.]

Because of course there are.

I draw some comfort from the knowledge I gain through the Vestibule. As the demons draw closer, the Colony has naturally taken note and mustered a sizeable force to respond to the first sign of aggression. Thousands of ants are converging on my position whilst trying not to be too obvious about it.

While they are still some distance away, I feel a powerful mind reach out and connect to mine.

[I have received word that my assault on Roklu has failed. Since Orpule has also fallen into your hands, I can only declare that I have lost the war and my territory is forfeit.]

And it burns her too. Brixin is not the sort of demon who is happy to lose. In fact, her obsession is entirely based around conquest and expansion.

[The Colony is powerful.] I shrug my antennae. [Far more so than you demons seem prepared to give us credit for. This will not be our last victory in the third stratum, far from it.]

The former lord of Orpule�s eyes blaze with rage and hunger at my words, which is precisely what I wanted to see.

[That being the case, we find ourselves in need of a demon to partner with. One who would be willing to embark on assault after assault, leading demons to fight by our side and helping to administer to the cities that we conquer. As I understand it, most demon cities will not rest quietly without a demon ruler at the helm. Could you think of a potential city lord who would be willing to enter into a partnership of this type?]

Brixin positively burns with the strength of her obsession.

Hook, line, and sinker.

The Council had thought long and hard about the potential of bringing Brixin on as an ally. While she was an enemy in one sense, that wasn�t really how demonic society functioned. She was expansionist by her very nature; she needed conquest and control the same way Grokus had needed to stuff his face and wallow in luxury. If there�s one thing I�ve come to learn about the demons, it�s that they are never looked down on or questioned for following their obsession.

A hunger demon might not exactly be happy to be the victim of a murder demon, but they understood it in a very pragmatic way. Murder demon gotta murder. By the same measure, Brixin hadn�t been doing anything immoral in attempting to wrest Roklu from my family. She didn�t even really see herself as our enemy. To her, we were merely an obstacle. Being defeated surely rubbed her the wrong way, but by offering the olive branch, we turned a potential rival into a powerful ally.

After all, not only did we recruit a tier seven demon who was more than willing to assist us in bringing more cities under our combined rule, we also gained the tier seven monsters who remained her allies. A powerful nucleus we could build our own demonic legion around. It was unfortunate that the strike team she�d sent to Roklu had been wiped out in its entirety. Those had also been potential recruits, after all, but I was extremely glad to hear the defence had gone as well as it had.

I�d have to give Leeroy a big pat on the carapace when I saw her again. She must have pulled out all the stops to win that fight. The fact that all of the Immortals somehow managed to survive even this trial has left me gobsmacked. They really were living up to their moniker.

Although, for some reason, all the healers in Orpule spent about an hour howling with laughter after the messengers from Roklu came in. I�d have to find out what that was all about.

The following few hours were fairly dull. Hammering out the details of our agreement with Brixin, she wasn�t pleased to discover we�d already knocked down her residence and started building an anthill on it, and were laying the groundwork for the short- to medium-term strategy.

Right now, both Orpule and Roklu were severely depleted in terms of combat-obsessed demons. Multiple wars and invasions meant that whilst both cities still maintained a healthy population of more reticent monsters, the out-and-out fighters were largely dead. Indeed, Orpule in particular was massively low on frontline demons. All of their remaining tier sevens were of the casting variety, which wasn�t a bad thing overall, but it meant they lacked balance.

Overall, the demons had a rather relaxed attitude toward the death of their own kind. I mean, it was hardly surprising since all they had to do was lean over the edge of the plate to see literally millions of infant demons ripping each other apart, desperate to ascend. Underpopulation was a problem that was guaranteed to remedy itself given enough time. Which was what we demanded Brixin agree too.

The Colony had very much overextended itself recently, much as I�d told the Council after the invasion of Roklu. We needed to continue our expansion, that was true, but the breakneck speed my siblings had been working at would only lead to disaster. Even now, there was a mountain of work to do before we could properly integrate Orpule and the surrounding territories! Already, tunnels were being excavated and infrastructure prepared to install a lift system to connect the second stratum above to the new city. Which meant expanding the encompassing defensive positions above. Which meant more outposts, possibly new nests, more scouting and patrols, which required more ants, which meant more hunting for Biomass and cores. On and on and on it went!

Time. We need time!

Perhaps as much as a month, at least two weeks. Time to consolidate, raise new ants and make use of the resources we�ve managed to acquire. We�ve only just managed to expand into the third stratum and have done literally nothing to make use of that fact! Surely, there is some incredible stuff down here that we can use if only we can give ourselves a chance to find and experiment with it!

Gah! You�d think every member of the Council had turned into Vibrant with the way they�ve been acting lately. After convincing Brixin of our timetable, she made her way back into the city to ponder her new circumstances and work out where the heck she was going to live. She�d gone from having no cities under her control to two in the matter of a few sentences, so I�m sure she has a few things to process.

[Hmmmmaaa? What�s going on?]

[Hey, Sarah. Welcome back to the world of the waking.]

The big bear rolls over before she jerks herself upright.

[Wait! What happened? Is everyone okay?!]

Her panicked reaction to what she might have done while rampaging tugs at my heartstrings. Imagine having to deal with that every time you came back to yourself. Just terrible.

[It�s fine,] I assure her. [Vibrant led you around the city until you ran out of steam thanks to not fighting anything, then you collapsed, and the Colony moved you over here. According to everything I�ve heard and seen, you did an incredible job and saved a lot of ants over this fight. Well done!]

The Asura Bear sags in relief, lying flat on the ground again.

[Thank goodness,] she says.

I give her a pat on the back.

[Hey. Don�t stress so much, we�ve got you. You might have been on your own before, but now you have thousands of us who are on your side. You�ll be taken care of, okay?]

The bear rolls her head in muted embarrassment, bringing her paws up to cover her eyes.

[I can�t get used to it,] she admitted. [Turning toward the things that I avoided for so long and embracing them. I just feel so scared.]

[No need,] I say dismissively. [Say the word and we can get a hundred thousand beings, each one far more intelligent than I am, to help sort things out. Do you really think you have a problem so big that the Colony can�t fix it?]

I wave my antennae at the city around us.

[�No,] she says. [I can�t imagine what your family can�t handle.]

[Oi,] I poke her with a leg. [OUR family.]

The air burned as Torrifex strode past, superheated by the seemingly endless energy that rolled off the massive demon in waves. Odin Malum had not been able to determine exactly what species the tier eight monstrosity was, but it clearly had a root in the fire affinity. Odin had seen the demon deploy many other weapons as well, though the oppressive heat that ignited the oxygen around his frame was enough to defeat some enemies on its own.

[Keep up, little mouse. I have no patience for your dithering.]

Odin stumbled as his indignation rose, but he forced down his ire to keep his thoughts level.

[I am not as fast as you,] he stated. [It takes longer for me to cover the same ground.]

The bigger demon snorted in contempt.

[You are the weakest servant our God has ever used. I do not know which is greater, the honour done to you, or the disgrace inflicted upon the rest of us.]

He wanted to retort that he did not ask to be contacted by that horrific creature, but he knew Torrifex would likely take his head off for the insult. His carefully honed survival instincts weren�t needed to deduce that much; his captor did not tolerate any form of disrespect toward his �god.� Odin wasn�t sure if he was prepared to accept that the terrifying being he�d encountered when evolving was divine, though he was certain he never wanted to stand in front of it in his physical form. Such an experience was to be evaded at all costs, that�s what his instincts told him.

At Odin�s lack of response, the giant monster snorted once more and put his head down, continuing his breakneck run. Torrifex wasn�t the fastest creature the reincarnated human had seen since his rebirth not that long ago, but he didn�t stop. Torrifex was a boundless source of energy that apparently needed no rest as he continued his endless journey. Odin did not share his bottomless reserves of stamina, far from it, he�d crafted himself to be a burst hunter, capable of incredible strength and speed but only for a short, intense period of exertion. This marathon run was torturous to him.

[Where� are we � going?] he managed to push out as he steeled his mind against the pain in his body.

The giant demon only turned to grin back at him.

[You will soon see, little mouse. We are almost there.]

The former assassin almost sagged with relief but wouldn�t allow himself to show such a sign of weakness in front of his captor. Odin grimly continued to put one of his clawed feet in front of the other. After another twenty minutes of running, he began to make out something in the distance, something other than the constant, monotonous outcroppings of rock that jutted up from the stone all around them. This looked too uniform, too structured, to be a part of the natural landscape.

Indeed, the closer they drew, the more clearly the construction stood out against the rugged stone of this place. Walls, parapets, perhaps even a medieval-style gate. This was the first sign of civilisation that Odin had come across in his second life, and it surprised him how much the sight buoyed his spirits. Humans hadn�t been kind to Odin in his past life, and he hadn�t been kind right back to them, but to see something familiar, even if it appeared more similar to something he would have seen in a history book, lifted his spirit.

The appearance of the two demons didn�t seem to have the same effect on the figures who occupied the distant fort. Even as he approached, he could see the flurry of activity taking place. Figures dashed across the parapets that loomed ever higher the closer they drew, atop enormous gates that, on Earth, he would have said were impossible to construct, let alone hold in place using medieval technology.

Before they came much closer, a heavy presence descended on them, threatening to press the young demon into the ground. He felt his mind broken into through means he couldn�t comprehend before a voice thundered inside his head.

[BEGONE, DEMONS! This place is forbidden to your kind! Leave, or feel the fury of the Tower!]

If he hadn�t experienced the impossible weight Arconidem�s presence had exerted, Odin might have thought the owner of this voice was truly powerful. Whoever reached out to them was definitely stronger than he himself, but was nothing next to the demon �god.�

[I go where I please, worm! Stand aside or face the wrath of Torrifex!]

The massive demon beside him erupted in flame, searing the air and sending a massive cloud of smoke and ash billowing from his shoulders. To Odin, it wasn�t clear if the creature was confident or just suicidal. If Torrifex wanted to charge headfirst into this garrison, then he could do it by himself. Those walls must be over a hundred metres tall! Trying to be unobtrusive, he began to sidle away from his captor, utilising his Stealth Skill in a lowkey manner as he created some distance.

[Foolish monster. Do you really think you can storm these fortifications by yourself? The Tower has held this ground for hundreds of years and has never fallen! Your arrogance will be your downfall!]

Odin concurred.

[Alone? Of course not!] Torrifex roared mockingly with his mind. [You have guarded this place for so long that you can no longer remember why. Pitiful!]

A nervous feeling stole over the weaker demon as he glanced toward the horrifying beast by his side. What did he mean he wasn�t alone? Odin would be no help at all against a force such as this! Did he refer to something else? Mind spinning, the former assassin began to arrive at some horrifying conclusions. Unaware and uncaring of his companions� fears, Torrifex grinned a horrific grin before he clenched his hands in fists and brought them together in front of his face.

The face of the mighty demon began to furrow in concentration as his hands erupted in blazing fire. The flames roared brighter and brighter as he poured more energy into it until his fists glowed incandescent white, chasing back the darkness of the third stratum for kilometres around. Tongues of flame burst forth, writhing and licking at the air, rising as high as the tops of the mighty wall in the distance.

The sheer heat that boiled from him caused Odin to scurry and create distance lest even his demonic flesh be burned by it. The unbridled power of it was insane!

Whatever Torrifex was doing, the garrison clearly weren�t prepared to allow it to continue. Huge balls of light ignited on the walls before they were launched through some means, arcing high into the air. When they reached the apex of their climb and began to fall toward the demon, he ignored them, focusing all his attention on his two fists. Just before the spells converged on him, Torrifex brought both fists above his head and roared, then he slammed them down, driving all the flame and heat directly into the rock beneath his feet.

The stone shattered as if impacted by a meteorite, shards of stone flying in all directions. A rolling wave of heat expanded out from the impact point like a shockwave, and the stone around the mighty demon literally melted into scalding black lava that bubbled and hissed evilly.

[WAKE UP!] The force of Torrifex�s mind staggered Odin as he tried to flee. [THE MASTER CALLS!]

A moment later, the magic launched by the garrison struck home, the impact powerful enough to knock Odin from his feet, though he was now hundreds of metres away. He rolled across the rocky ground, scattering the ever-present larvae as he did so, his mind awhirl with frantic thoughts. Had his damned abductor survived? Was he free at last?

The air hung still as all parties waited for a sign.

And moments later, the ground shivered, as if it feared what was to come. A new aura began to rise, one filled with a boundless thirst.

[I COME!] a new voice roared within Odin�s mind.

The ground rocked beneath his feet and he staggered to the side, halfway to rising.

[Come, sister!] Torrifex roared triumphantly. [There is much to be done!]

�Are you sure you aren�t being lazy, Eldest?�

�Positive. I�m conserving my energy, storing it all up like water filling a tank. Nothing is being wasted here, I assure you.�

�Stop slacking, Eldest!�

�Oi! I resent that! I�m actually doing something right now!�

�Slacking!�

�Dammit! Don�t you have things to be doing rather than throwing your scent-jibes my way?�

�We are working!�

�Ah. That�s true��

An unfortunate side effect of being ants, I suppose, they can be working with their mandibles and have their claws full of materials, but none of that stops them communicating through scent. Despite objectively being very busy, the team of ants working on construction in front of me are still quite capable of flinging their banter without missing a beat. Curse this extra layer of convenience!

Ah well, it�s not really all that distracting in the end. With my plethora of mind constructs, I�m perfectly capable of holding a dozen lines of thought all at once, so exchanging words with my siblings occupies merely a smidgeon of my vast mental capacity! It feels good to have so much brainpower.

As I absentmindedly continue my conversation, I focus much more of my attention inward, toward the Vestibule. With thousands of ants within the city, and more working above in the second stratum, and scouring the plains below, the organ is awash with energy, the collective Will of the Colony feeding into my being after being magnified through the Nave. The thoughts and feelings, the desires and drives of all those thousands of ants flutter within�a constant stream of them.

It�s not something I often do, in fact it�s something I usually avoid doing in a very deliberate way, but I can reach into the stream and take hold of a single drop, one specific sliver of thought, and experience that little wrapped up parcel of Will like a vignette. I�ve gotten much better at doing this lately, since I have been almost exclusively using this method to track Brilliant through the thoughts she unknowingly supplies me. Now that I have a little time on my mandibles, I�ve decided it might be a good idea to actually experiment and play around with this ability.

So here I am, plonked down in the centre of Orpule while several teams of workers build and modify the city around me, poking and prodding away at the vast sums of energy pouring through me at any given moment. Guided by divine providence, I reach within the flow with my mind and take hold of a drop of Will.

The Eldest really is slacking, but I suppose it�s fine. It�s the Eldest, after all!

�HEY! Yes you, the soldier over there! I�m NOT slacking off! I�m testing some things over here! Alright? Being the Eldest doesn�t make it okay to slack!�

The ant in question jerks with surprise at suddenly being yelled at, almost dropping the chunk of stone she had in her mandibles. As I settle down and relax once more, the surrounding ants all scratch their heads in confusion, turning to look at the poor soldier and then back to me. For her part, the soldier shrugs it off admirably and gets back to work, not thinking too deeply about what I�d had to say.

I know that because I checked on her through the Vestibule again.

Something odd occurred to me, though. It was almost as if my siblings nearby reacted to me a moment before I�d jump up and start throwing pheromones at them. This isn�t the first time, either. The more attention I pay to the thoughts and feelings of the Colony, the more I start to realise the Nave may be doing more than simply amplifying the energy I receive through the Vestibule.

It�s almost as if the connection were leaking back the other way.

Which isn�t a comfortable thought. I don�t really want the Colony exposed to my thoughts and feelings�they�re so much less productive than what they provide to me! The last thing we need is to have all of the ants struck by indecision, a lack of care to detail, and an allergy to proper planning. It would be a disaster! I�ll have to experiment more with this.

Pushing that worrisome thought to the side, I continue to practice monitoring the flow of energy, dipping into it to draw out a single �piece� and letting that wash through me.

A mage ant who specialises in Earth Magic, her mind bent to shaping the stone in front of her, determined to shape a sturdy home for her people.

A scout running messages, her legs sore and aching from constant movement, but a burning desire to help her family keeps her moving forward.

A general coordinating teams, ensuring she positions herself correctly in the grid to apply her aura buffs to as wide a radius as possible. So long as there are others working, she will remain in place to assist as best she can.

Vibrant is running! Fast, fast, fast, fast, fast-fast-fast-FAST-FAST-FAST! If she moves fast enough, she might even catch up!

A core shaper looks across at her pets, who she carefully crafted when they were cores and then raised from the moment they were reconstituted. They are like her own grubs, but she will sacrifice them for the Colony should the need arise. Nothing is more important than her siblings.

Brilliant is thinking, scheming, her mind racing at a hundred kilometres an hour, like it always does. A rare opportunity where the Eldest has let her off the hook. She needs to explore! To learn! To seek out the truth! Constantly in the back of her mind, the mana is spinning as she absentmindedly trains her Skills. She�s on the verge of a breakthrough, she can feel it!

The ease at which she can handle mana is just unfair. Even here in a game world, talent is a real thing.

I keep reaching into the pool, taking out parcels of Will one by one, letting the experiences of the Colony flow through me.

There was a certain weight in the air when Beyn communed with his flock. A solemn mood that permeated through the space around them as each member of his burgeoning priesthood lowered their head in silent contemplation of the glory that had been revealed to them. The words of the Great One, the ways of the Colony�it was a code for life that each of these people had only touched the edge of, yet already they found themselves in awe.

And so much more was to come. Beyn had been the first to evolve his Class, and it had been a torturous decision, trying to weigh which aspect he wanted to specialise in the most. It was as if the System had removed all his vital organs and then told him he could only have one back. How could he possibly live without the others? How diminished would his life become without the full range of possibilities that had been offered?

Ultimately, he had listened to his heart and made the selection that spoke most deeply to him, the one he felt would allow him to best serve his people. The Antbishop Class had called to him strongly, the ability to radiate the dedication and peace of the ant had been like a siren song for his very soul, yet he knew he would be better able to work if he took a different path. The Antorator. Though he was a humble man, even Beyn was forced to admit that his capacity for preaching was unusual. He could talk for days on end, his words flowing like wine and sinking deep into the minds of all who heard him. With this Class, he would be able to spread the word of the new path far and wide, so long as he had an ant by his side.

�Is this going to take much longer?� a wave of pheromones jolted him from his thoughts.

He turned to see that his new companion had moved away from the wall and approached him directly. A beautiful creature of dark red chitin with wide, multifaceted and intelligent eyes.

�Not march looonger,� he clumsily produced the scent to reply, his Skill too inferior for clear communication.

She flicked her antennae in the gesture he now clearly understood as the ant version of a shrug and moved away again, giving the Antmancers the space they needed to continue their prayers. When the final hour of their eight-hour vigil had finally passed, the gathered Antmancers rose to their feet before they bowed low in one unified motion. Only then did they step back and lower their hoods. For a long moment, none spoke, each savouring the feeling of revelation and peace that came from such a deep meditation. Then a few murmurs were shared amongst the acolytes, then a few more, and finally some hushed conversation broke out amongst them as they shared their insights.

Beyn felt peace wash through him at the sight and sound of his brethren engaged so deeply with their faith. As one who trod the fresh ground of the new path, he could ask for no better companions on that lonely road than those currently in this room. A sentiment he should share with them more often.

�Give me your ear for but a moment, my brothers and sisters,� he invited them, his tone warm and a broad smile on his face.

The sound of his voice was almost magnetic, dragging the listeners� attention to him as it rippled throughout the room. So long as his friend, Diplomant, was nearby, his powers of speech were elevated to an unprecedented level.

�The time has come for us to embark on a new mission. No longer can we be content to be few. No longer can we be content to walk beside the Colony, our benefactors, secure and safe as they bear the risk of protecting us. This path will not be forged by being so timid, so tame.�

He spat those last words out as if they were poison on his tongue. All around him, his comrades wore similar expressions of disdain and disgust.

�I call on you all to reject security, to walk away from the peace and shade that the Colony provides and be the messenger they deserve. We must walk before the Colony, beside the Colony, and support from behind also. Whatever it is that they need, we will become! I ask you to be selfless in your devotion, as the Colony is selfless! Now is our chance to truly embrace what it means to follow in the Great One�s steps, to be held in the mandibles of their light and heed the scent of their words!�

Such was the power of his speech that his listeners appeared almost drunk with it, although they were heavily inclined to agree with him even before he started speaking. His additional Class Skill that allowed him to release pheromones that would sway the mood of his listeners wasn�t needed here to instil the devotion that had already taken root.

Before him, all of his fellow believers were ignited in their passion and united in their devotion to the message. From here, they would march out, not only beside the Colony in times of war, but across all of Pangera, proclaiming the glory of the Colony and inviting others to be a part of it. The coming of the Great One was incredible news, and it would be horrifically, unthinkably selfish to hoard it to themselves.

All would learn of it in time!

�Look, it might not have turned out how you expected, but you�ve still done a lot for the Colony. You can�t let this keep you down forever.�

The ant in question sags a bit more, antennae hanging low.

�I mean, is it really that painful? Being alive? You�ve given yourself a whole new opportunity to fight for the Colony and help your family. Think about all the difficult struggles and hard work that we have in front of us; you�ll be able to be there and shoulder your part of the burden. You might even have the chance to face down an opponent stronger than yourself once more and� you know� die� again� over and over.�

�Are you making fun of me, Eldest?�

�Would I do that?!�

�Yes. The healers have been laughing at us for a week straight.�

�Hey, I�m not like them, alright? I want you to be happy, I just don�t want you to get killed trying to achieve that.�

�What if that�s the only way I can achieve happiness?�

�Then too bad. You think we worked so hard to bring you up to tier six so you could go ahead and die after one battle? You must be outside of your head, Leeroy!�

THWACK!

�Ouch! Hey, weren�t you trying to cheer me up?� she protests, trying to protect her head from my vicious antenna.

Oh, right.

�It�s hard not to get annoyed when I see you sulking. Your siblings are all working their butts off, and you�re lazing about feeling sullen because you�re still alive! How ridiculous can you get?�

�The Immortals just want to serve the family in their own way. We all agree on our perspective!�

�The issue I have is that you want to serve the Colony once. I made it clear to you soon after you were hatched exactly what I thought of that. Well, I suppose in the end you�ve got your wish�you�ll be able to die for the Colony as much as you want now!�

Leeroy collapses onto the ground at my words, the way she�s been ever since she and her fellow Immortals realised just what they�d done when they evolved. I can finally understand the waves of hilarity that the healers have been experiencing since the news spread. The idea that these particular ants, more desperate to sacrifice themselves than any others, have made themselves almost impossible to kill, is just too delicious for words.

I actually took a look at Leeroy�s core to glance at the specific organ they purchased: the Phoenix Fire Organ. To be honest, it�s a powerful piece of work, a very expensive gland, to be sure. From what I understand, they didn�t buy it but were offered it as part of the evolution they chose. As a consequence of so much value being put into this one element, the rest of their evolution was fairly sub-par. Most of the Immortals did the smart thing and poured their spare evolutionary energy into stats to compensate, making themselves tougher and stronger, which went a long way to helping them stay alive long enough for the Phoenix Fire to charge.

It�s not as if they can�t die, they absolutely can, but due to their specific circumstances, they�ve made it so much harder. The only way for them to be destroyed is if they are defeated too quickly for the organ to charge up. It takes time to build the energy necessary to �resurrect� them from near death and return them to perfect health. The organ simply can�t remain that charged permanently; it�d break down in minutes. The other way is to put them down again just after they heal, since it�ll take much longer for the Phoenix Fire to return to full power a second time.

The problem is both of those strategies rely on overcoming the absurd Toughness of the Immortals. Their carapaces are all highly mutated, and the vast bulk of their stats are in Might and Toughness, making them extremely durable. On top of that, the armour produced by Smithant only gets better as time passes, making it even more difficult to actually put a wound on these ants! Killing them twice? Not even a tier seven was able to do it!

Which makes it even more hilarious that this happened to Leeroy, of all insects.

In the future, as they mutate and further improve the organ, who knows how difficult they�ll be to defeat as they continue to grow? I never would have thought it, but the Immortals have actually turned into a powerful and useful force for the Colony. I expect them to see a lot of deployment when we start expanding further into the third stratum.

�Look, I didn�t come over to try and give you a motivational speech. I want you off your backside and back to work along with the rest of your group. There�s a ton of work to do, and soon enough there�ll be more fighting. If you keep wallowing in your own self-pity, then I�m going to pick you up and drag you around the third stratum myself. If I even hear from someone that you�ve been slacking off, then I�ll return from the edges of explored territory to whack you on the head. So pick yourself up and get back to it.�

For a moment longer, the soldier remains flopped on the ground, a dejected example of an ant.

�Fine,� she says as she starts to pick herself up.

I watch her stand with a critical eye, one antenna still raised threateningly.

�By the way, I don�t want you to warn the Immortals who haven�t evolved to avoid this species that you�ve picked. Nobody can tell them what to pick.�

�What? They�ll end up picking this one for sure!�

I shrug.

�That�s their fault, then. I�m not saying they can�t pick the one they want; I�m saying the exact opposite. They can pick whatever they want, without influence.�

Leeroy fumes a bit, but she can see where I�m coming from. She eventually nods in acceptance.

�Alright then. Go check in with Advant, I think she had something she needs you to do. It�ll be a little while before your new armour is repaired, so you�ll have plenty to do helping with building until it�s time to fight again.�

Having dealt with the Leeroy problem, I finally release a deep sigh. The moment she and the other Immortals arrived in Orpule, they�d been a solid weight dragging down on the Vestibule, their misery sinking into me through the Will they provide. I had to do whatever it took to get them moving and back on the go just to stop them distracting me! I mean, I didn�t enjoy seeing Leeroy so miserable either, but it�s not like she didn�t do it to herself. I probably could have cheered her up by promising that she could go and fight an Ancient or something and get smashed to paste twice in a second, but I refuse to play into her stupid obsession! The sooner she gets over it, the better!

All right then, where�s the crew? I need to get Sarah, Brilliant, and my friends together; it�s time to get out and get Levelling again. I won�t rest until the latest Champion has risen to the point where she can contribute to the Colony!

[So, this is the full armour set, huh?]

[Yep, it�s heavy, but it works very well.]

I didn�t get a good look at the full suit during the assault, and now that I have a real sticky-beak up close, I have to say that fully armoured Sarah is intimidating as hell. She is already a well-built monster in terms of mass, but with smooth, interlocking plates of armour covering her massive frame, she has an altogether different level of presence. It�s enough to make me start to consider what a full suit of armour would look like on me. Covering up my incredible, glittering carapace would be a total sin, obviously, but if the end result was this badass? I�d consider it for sure.

[What are you looking at?] Sarah asks a little uncomfortably as I circle around her.

[Huh? Oh, I wanted to get the complete picture of how you look with the armour on. It�s cool as hell, and looks like it does the job well.]

The fact it�s already repaired after the assault goes to show how little of a beating she took, surprisingly enough. There are still scratches and scuff marks all over the metal, but from what I understand, all that needed to be done was replacing a few plates, and she was good to go.

[You sure you want to take it out with us?] I ask her.

[I really need to get used to fighting in it, so it makes sense to take it out. The extra weight makes a lot of movements more awkward, so I want to practice.]

[Fair enough. We should see plenty of action, so you�ll get your chances.]

I have a quick look around.

[Alright then, I think we�re all ready. Invidia, you can spit her out now.]

Revealing his wide, toothy grin, Invidia opens up and pushes the bedraggled Brilliant out of his pocket dimension mouth and back into reality.

�Is that really necessary?� she complains as she shakes herself off like a soaked puppy and starts fastidiously cleaning her antennae.

�We both know how little you want to sit about while we wait for everything to get ready. If you aren�t happy that we needed to do this, then examine your own attitudes,� I tell her plainly. �Now we have one more evolution to achieve for you before we can stop power Levelling, and it�s time to go out there and get it. Have you made all the Skill purchases and completed all the mutations that you could do?�

�Yes,� she says and I get the impression she would roll her eyes if she could, �I did all that ages ago. Have you?�

I have not�but she doesn�t need to know that.

�Never mind that,� I say a little too quickly.

[How about you, Tiny? Crinis? All ready to go?]

I get a firm nod and a thump on the chest from Tiny.

[Yes, Master. I�ve fully recovered from my injuries.]

[Great. Thanks, everyone. Well, we might as well get going, then.]

As I turn to lead the group to the newly installed lift that will carry us to the ground, a giant eyeball flares into existence in front of me.

[HOLY SMOKES! Geez, Al! How many times have I asked you not to do that?]

[Many.]

[Yet you still do it�]

[I find it� amusing. I will join you on this expedition also.]

He couldn�t possibly have said the word amusing with any less inflection on it. I also notice he didn�t bother asking� ah well. It�s not like I can stop him from tagging along if he wants to. Having a tier seven demon in your back pocket isn�t something I want to turn down either.

[Fine. Try not to hassle me too much for information, alright? I�ve got some stuff I need to work on, and I can�t be telling you about Middle-earth all day.]

With the group assembled, we walk onto the lift, which hangs over the edge of the plate, exposing us to the frankly dizzying drop beyond.

�Let it rip!� I cheerfully wave to the group of ants operating the lift, and they accommodate us, triggering the mechanism and starting the descent.

I�m not sure exactly how we power these things� but however we do it is going to get a workout on this trip. Invidia and Al can fly, but between Sarah, Tiny, and myself, we are packing a fair bit of heft. As we slowly drop, I look out over the edge into the still-breathtaking view of the third stratum. It blows my mind even now that this much open space exists inside the planet. It makes no sense! Yet here we are, lowering into a world of blasted black stone covered in fire and ash. Also demons. Hundreds of millions of ankle-biting demons.

I get the feeling it won�t be long until the Colony comes down here and starts aggressively pruning the demon population in order to farm Biomass. They�ll need to strike a balance between feeding the insatiable hunger of the family and allowing enough demons to rise to tier six to join the population in our controlled cities. I�ve no idea how they plan to manage that, but I�m sure they�ll have thought carefully about it. Perhaps we should even �sponsor� certain promising young demons, make sure they max out their cores before they evolve to try and increase the quality of the demons that eventually join us�

That�s actually a good idea� I was bound to have one sooner or later!

It takes an hour for the lift to reach the ground, and we are more than happy to jump off by the time we reach it. Being cramped together on that small platform is far from comfortable.

[Alright, here we are, folks! Since the Colony is going to chill out for a little while, we have a few weeks in which we can go explore, fight, and conquer to our hearts� content without worrying about anything crazy happening back here. First priority is to get Brilliant up to the next tier so she can finally count as a real monster, and then the rest of the XP can be funnelled into us! It�s a long road to tier seven, so we better get moving!]

I haven�t forgotten the warning that Granin gave me, that I wouldn�t really be safe in this stratum until I evolved once more. It�ll be a long time before I manage it, but I�m determined to keep pushing until I�m strong enough to secure the future of my family. Tier seven is only going to be the start of that journey.

[Alright, we already did a ton of fighting in the tunnels to the west, so I think we want to head north and then see how things go from there? We all happy with that?]

A few nods from the group around me is all the affirmation we need.

[Nice. Let�s get to it!]

The Colony recoiled from the reprimand of its Eldest and most respected member as if it had been bitten on the antennae. It has not happened many times, the Eldest directly criticising the actions and decisions of the family, but each occurrence has resulted in great upheaval and a paradigm shift that changed the course of the Colony forever.

This instance was no different.

Warned of impending disaster if the reckless pursuit of expansion at all costs was not reined in, the Council and the Colony as a whole drew back and began to reflect. With the conquest of the demon city, Orpule, newly completed, there was a tremendous feeling of momentum amongst us, one we felt could lead us deeper into the Dungeon and catapult us into a large-scale invasion of the third stratum as a whole. Only when we drew back, only when we focused inward, did the cracks begin to become evident.

The need for reconnaissance of the new territories had become great, too great. In order to cope with the vast swathes of tunnel and open Dungeon that needed to be carefully mapped, examined for resources, and assessed for threats across both the second and third strata, older paths that had been considered safe were abandoned. Even those tunnels that lay between the main nest and the lands of the golgari had become criminally under-patrolled, and many a scout shuddered at the thought of what the Eldest might have said had they missed an invasion along those routes.

These irredeemable oversights were immediately corrected, and maintaining the watch of all approaches to the nests became the scouts� highest priority, as it should always have been.

But the lapses did not end there.

So large had been the need and demand for metalwork, construction expertise, and Earth Magic within the third stratum that progress on other projects had stalled, or even regressed. The best forged materials produced by the carvers had been used to create the chains and lifts needed to utilise the lifts to move materials between the second and third strata, which had significantly delayed construction of the gates required to secure the newly constructed nests.

There too, a lack of attention and focus had nearly cost the Colony dearly. Desperate to push an overstretched workforce, the carvers had gone well beyond their tolerance, overworking themselves to the point of collapse, forcing the intervention of the unseen enforcers. Whole teams of builders had been lost to the shadows, not seen for days at a time as they were forced to recuperate and recover their peak condition, forced to suffer inhumane periods of relaxation and rest.

In this, the wisdom of the Eldest was once again revealed. Nothing shamed the carvers and teams of construction ants more than poor craftsmanship, examples of which could be found everywhere in their latest work. As the Colony withdrew and consolidated, the carvers rededicated themselves to the pursuit of perfection, tearing down everything they had built with the slightest deviation and constructing it from the ground up once more. Filled with righteous fire at having to correct their own mistakes, the standard they would seek to meet from that point on was established over this month.

Likewise, the Brood Tenders were forced to regroup and reflect on their decisions. In the never-ending push to fight and expand the territory of the Colony, they�d raised many grubs to become fine soldiers, scouts, and generals. The boundless hunger of the Colony for workers to build and construct had encouraged them to evolve huge numbers of carvers. Critical for both of those endeavours, mages were also churned out of the antcademies in droves.

Yet the other castes had become under-represented. Healers were getting swamped under the workload; more and more injuries were left to recover on their own, with little but a scant helping of Biomass to speed the process. The core shapers had been used to plug the gaps left by the lack of scouts and soldiers in the upper layers of the Dungeon, but this caused them to draw down their wide-ranging core-gathering expeditions, creating a shortfall in the Colony�s supply. Worst of all, the Brood Tenders found they themselves no longer had the capacity to support the demands of the Colony. Having been so determined to meet the workloads of other castes, they selflessly overlooked themselves.

A careful and meticulous review of all Brood Tender tasks took place over that month, before a restructuring and reinforcement of the caste was established. Never again would they fail the young charges who depended on them for care. There must always be capacity for the brood. This was paramount.

All across the operations of the Colony, these errors and lapses were uncovered and swiftly rectified. Like molten steel, the Colony purified itself over and over again, hammering out the imperfections and doing whatever was necessary to ensure they would never repeat themselves. A feverish energy gripped each and every member as they realised how close to disaster they�d come, and the vast amount of work that was required to secure the future of the family without leaving any gaps for our enemies to exploit.

This was the true wisdom of the Eldest, the true lesson that lay hidden within the rebuke they delivered. An immense amount of work was required to expand the territory and power of the Colony, it was true, but far more was needed to do so faultlessly, without leaving gaps that others could exploit.

In seeking to push ourselves and expand rapidly, moving to take on what we saw as the greater challenge, we had in fact been lazy and shirked the true labour.

Which could not be borne.

Also, at this time, the Colony completed its mapping of the tier four evolutions, a subject of thousands of hours of careful research. The evolution lists had been pored through, each organ and possible mutation investigated to see what best suited the needs of the Colony. For each caste, two main variations became the default evolutions where more specialist evolutions were not required.

The soldiers came in two main types: offense and defence. All soldiers were tough and strong, with thickened carapaces, reinforced mandibles, and extra muscle added to the head to power their jaws. Yet the defensive battles that the Colony had fought demonstrated a need for a hardier breed of soldier. Higher Toughness, regenerative plating, innate healing factor, magic-resistant carapace coating, these ants did all that they could as they continued to evolve to harden themselves against all blows.

The offensive soldiers, whilst not sacrificing their survivability, focused on enhancing the penetrative power of their mandibles, such that even the armour of the Legion wouldn�t be able to stand against them should they fight again. Thickened muscles, sharpened mandibles, extending jaws, friction-reducing mandible coating, acid-hardened edges, and strengthened legs. These ants were like the living sword of the Colony, determined to cut through anything that stood in their way.

The scouts split into two main variants, focusing on speed and long-range bombardment. Although both remained swift, the faster of the two specialised in ranging far from the nest, engaging in rapid-response actions and using their streamlined profiles and hyper-mobile legs to reach truly absurd top speeds. Utilising their chameleon carapace coatings, they are stealthy and capable of remaining undetected via even magical means.

Devoting their attention to a hit-and-run style of combat, the other main variant of scout dedicated themselves to accruing damage over time, employing their highly developed and potent acid alongside their pressurised firing organs to achieve stunning accuracy over long distances. Though larger than their brethren, these ants need never draw close to their enemies, spying and firing on them from great distances.

Isn�t it incredible how quickly time flies when you�re having fun with your friends? It seems like only yesterday that we set out from Orpule to scour these new hunting grounds for delicious, delicious prey. By the by, I don�t want to give the impression that demons are tasty; they certainly aren�t. Their hides are tough as steel and, like everything else I�ve been forced to eat since I spawned in the Dungeon, they have a truly disgusting flavour.

I�m starting to forget what good-tasting food is even like! Perhaps there never was something such as �tasty,� perhaps that was just a lie I�ve carried over from my previous life. Certainly doesn�t seem likely that I�m going to find a monster that is anything other than disgusting to consume.

No, the taste isn�t good, but the Biomass points sure are! Even if we�re hunting monsters of a lower level of evolution than ourselves, with the stomach mutations that we have, the penalties are as reduced as they can be. Plus, the creatures of this stratum are so rich compared to the shadow beasts of the layer above. It makes sense when you think about it. The spawn rate of monsters on this level is insane, and it�s not even a wave right now. All those demon larvae ripping into each other, it all has to go somewhere, right?

When they get up to tier four and five, these beasties have had a right ol� feast, and then, stuffed full of Biomass, they retreat to these tunnels to hunt down others who had the exact same thought they did in the hopes of pushing through to tier six and achieving �true� demon-hood. That�s when they run into us. Gwehehehehehe.

It took over a week to power level Brilliant all the way to Level forty, and by the end, she was able to be genuinely useful to the process. Her offensive output is still questionable, but her ability to shape magic continues to develop at breakneck speed. Once she unlocked Light and Shadow Magic, she continued to play around with them as much as she possibly could, to the point it�s frequently annoying. Several times, I�ve had to dispense some THWACK justice when I was suddenly blinded by a lightshow blasting out of her antennae. It was often so bad, the little ant appeared to have a disco ball flashing atop her head, beaming rays of light out in all directions.

If there was a positive to the process, it would be that it encouraged the rest of us to lift our game in terms of practicing our magic Skills. I�ve been grinding obsessively all week, far more than I usually do, with Crinis and Invidia following the trend. Even Tiny has gotten involved! As we�ve hunted and fought, I�ve frequently seen the big ape pointing his fingers and zapping sparks of lightning all over the place. I thought it was adorable at first, the massive bat-faced gorilla wanting to join in the magic practice, but the more he did it, and the more time passed, I actually think he�s gotten better, more accurate, and quicker when releasing his lightning. A totally unexpected event!

Now the time has come for the hatchling to evolve� although, I probably shouldn�t call her that, considering she�s about to hit tier five.

�Alright then, Brilliant, you�ve done it, achieved Level 40.�

The little ant puffs up with pride.

�Was there any doubt I would?� she boasts.

THWACK!

�With all of us helping you get experience from monsters who would rip you up and tear you apart with one hand-claw tied behind their back? No, there wasn�t any doubt. You might have just started to make yourself useful in this hunt, but once you�ve hit tier five, you�ll be a far more valuable contributor.�

�Ouch! I was just expressing a little confidence!�

�You aren�t lacking confidence, nor have you ever lacked confidence. Humility and gratitude are the things I�m looking for.�

I give the no-longer-hatchling a hard stare with all ten thousand lenses in my compound eyes, and she wilts a little under the heat, but not much. She might have no achievements under her carapace at this point, but Brilliant is certain they will come with time. Is this some sort of inbuilt attitude that all Champions get in order to push them to leadership roles? Vibrant was never this overly arrogant, but then again, she never had a shred of doubt about herself either. Now that I think about it, pretty much none of my siblings have ever expressed much in the way of doubt. Perhaps this lack of questioning can be attributed to the nature of monsters? No idea. I�m not usually the reflective type myself!

�Alright then, you know the drill. We�ve maxed out your core and tossed in a Rare core to boot. Mutations are maxed. Make sure you go through all of the possibilities with a fine-tooth comb and pick the option you think melds best with you. There�s no need to rush, so take your time.�

�I�m going to have to go into the mouth, aren�t I?�

�Absolutely. You want to just hang out here in the open while you evolve? That�s madness!�

With a tired sigh, the little ant climbs into Invidia�s mouth and promptly vanishes from this dimension in order to evolve.

[Make sure you spit her out if she gets too big, Invidia,] I warn the demon. [We don�t want any accidents.]

[I knowssssssss. No worriessss.]

That�s precious cargo right there, the second Champion born to the Colony since it was created. We�ve only seen a glimpse of what she�s capable of so far, and I suspect there are great things in store for Brilliant in the not-so-distant future.

[Now that Brilliant is ready to evolve, what are we going to do?] Sarah asks. [Is it time to head back or are we going to keep hunting?]

[Keep hunting!] I declare. [Now that the little pest isn�t going to soak up so much of the experience, it�s time for us to get our rightful share! The other thing I want to do is head deeper into the tunnels and see if I can get a gander of the next level down.]

[Oh! That would be interesting. I�ve never heard how many layers there are to the third stratum.]

[I�ve no clue either,] I shrug an antenna. [But there�s only one way to find out.]

Well, I�ll be darned. There really is a whole �nother level just like the first in the stratum. I mean, I didn�t really have any reason to doubt it, I was given the information from reliable sources, after all. I just couldn�t help but refuse to believe it until I�d seen it for myself. Perhaps it�s still the Earthling in me. One giant open chasm inside the planet is unbelievable enough, but two? One right on top of the other? It makes no sense! How can this possibly be real?

And yet, there it is.

[That�s a long drop down,] Sarah observes, and I can�t help but agree.

[Sure is.]

We both poke our noses over the edge of the pillar and stare downward at the plate city below and the plains that stretch endlessly through the smoke and ash which swirls even thicker here than above. The mana down here is noticeably denser than in the area above, not nearly as large as the difference between strata, but enough that I was able to sense it.

Once we decided to head down, it only took a few hours for us to reach the bottom of the tunnels. From there, it was a matter of finding a path leading to an opening into the space below, which we eventually found, and now we�re staring down a whole new pillar, with an unsuspecting and vulnerable demon city awaiting conquest.

There sure as heck is a lot of lava in those tunnels, though, particularly at the bottom. It felt like I was digging for diamonds with the rate at which lava kept flowing from each and every direction. I can still see it now, pouring out of the stone tunnels above and falling the vast distance into the plains below. In fact, there are hundreds of such lavafalls I can see from here. Is this the third stratum equivalent of rain?!

[Should we go down, do you think?] I ask.

[Oh no. What if they�re hostile? I couldn�t possibly escape. In fact, how would I even get down?]

Good point. Bears might be good climbers, but they aren�t designed for a kilometre-long vertical climb on stone. Not even close.

[I wonder who�s in charge down there. You have any idea, Al?]

The giant eye flares at my question.

[I do not. I am most curious to know.]

[Why don�t you head down and take a look about? You can scratch your itch and then come up and tell us. I�ll even trade some information without being a pain about it.]

I thought the demon would leap at the chance to pick my brain a bit more, but to my surprise, he doesn�t, wavering in indecision.

[Something wrong?] I ask him.

[It may be dangerous for me in this city. I have passed through it before, and my reception was� unpleasant. I am reluctant to return.]

[Huh.]

I stare down at the city below for a little longer before I shrug.

[Ah well, if we can�t find out now, it isn�t a big deal. It�s not as if they�re going to launch an assault on the layer above or anything. We can go back into the tunnels and keep hunting until the hatchling� I mean, Brilliant, is done evolving. I�ve been getting some decent Levels, and I�m keen to keep that wagon rolling!]

The big bear nods.

[Me too! To think I might actually reach tier seven. I never thought it would be possible in the past.]

[Hopefully we can still last in the second stratum once we manage it,] I sigh. [To be honest, I almost prefer the cold to this incessant heat.]

[Gah! Another ghast! Whose turn is it?]

[It�s mine,] Sarah replied grumpily. [I�m willing to give it away, though�.]

Tiny shoots his hand up, an eager expression on his face.

[Settle down, you big lug. Sheesh, you don�t even get to eat �em when they�re done. Are you this greedy for experience as well now?]

The big ape gives me a long, slow nod before extending a sombre thumbs up.

When it comes to hoarding things for myself, I�m always greedy.

I can practically hear the thoughts running through his head, and it irritates me no end.

[We�re going to do this democratically. I�m not handing you any more freebies just because I�m feeling lazy.]

[I-I would like the chance to hunt it, master.]

[Crinis? Got the hunger for Levels, I see! Good! How about that, Tiny? Already another contender in the ring.]

He looks down at the black patch on my carapace, the pain of betrayal shining in his eyes.

[Get over it, you drama queen.]

Visible confusion ripples across his face.

[No, I�m not explaining it.] I turn to Sarah, [Are you sure you want to give this up? They reward a good chunk of experience, you know?]

The big Asura Bear shudders, a comical sight to say the least.

[No, it�s fine. They�re just so creepy. I�m happy to give up on it.]

[Alright then. Invidia? Are you in on this?]

Goodness� the look he�s giving me right now�

[Okay! I thought I should be polite and ask rather than just assume� You know what? Fine. Next time, we�ll just put you straight in the draw. No need to glare at me like that.]

I mean, I know he�s an envy demon, but I felt it�d be rude to just throw his name in the hat without bothering to ask. Seriously, the look he gave me, though� ouch.

[I�m also going in on this one, so that means all five of us are in. Don�t grimace like that, Tiny, did you think I was going to sit them all out? You all know the drill, get ready, three, two, one!]

Tiny plays rock, he always plays rock. The shadowy goop on my back stretches out to make scissors, Invidia forms a coloured barrier of paper, and I form scissors out of the ground beneath our feet.

[Who wins in this situation? I can�t remember�]

[Master�]

[Maybe we do best two out of three?]

After a few more rounds, we determine that I�m the winner. By which I mean, I determine that I�m the winner. Gwehehehehe. The experience will be mine! I�ve been meaning to test a few new things anyway. I�ve been diligently practicing my Force Magic over the last week, and now I think it�s ranked up to the point where I can do some real damage with it. I have a few new spell forms up my carapace, and I genuinely think the oomph I�m able to pack into even the basic Force Bolts is enough to cause some real damage if I use them in the right way.

Compared to their previous limp-wristed slapping when I first started using this particular affinity, they�ve now upgraded to a solid right cross.

Hehehe, stupid ghost, you�re in for it now. My minds spin into gear, winding up the Force Mana construct and spitting out the energy I need before I start shaping it into the required form. The moment my spell is ready, I fling it out at the unwary ghast, catching the demonic remnant by surprise.

The mana slings out in an open loop that catches around the monster and snaps shut around it, locking it in like a vise. Hah! You might be an ethereal douche-bag, but you sure as hell can�t slip through a net made out of mana! The moment the spell takes hold, the hideous creature spins toward me and tries to reach out with its dreadful claws, only to find itself bound tight. With an almost contemptuous attitude, the ghast begins to flex its might, aiming to break free.

Foolish monster. I find your lack of faith� disturbing.

With the many brains I have at my disposal, a number of spells have already been in the making, and they are unleashed one after another on my helpless foe. Condensed Force Bolts slam home like hammer blows, buffeting the beast and buying time for me to close the distance. As I prepare my Dash, I send out another, more potent Force Bolt. Unlike the others which travelled in straight lines, this one curves through the air, striking down at the monster from above and smashing it to the ground.

Filled with rage, the ghast finally breaks free of the cage I imposed on it, but it�s far too late.

DOOM CHOMP COMBO!

With a few devastating snaps, I shatter the final remnants of resistance within my enemy and its energy begins to dissipate as I read over the notification from the system. Oh yes, give me that juicy XP. I need too many damn Levels before I evolve again, I can hardly wait!

Man, it hasn�t even been that long since I reached tier six, and already I�m yearning for tier seven. Evolving is addictive as hell.

I�m so caught up in the moment of my victory, of thinking of the future and the short and sharp battle that I just participated in, that I almost miss the tiny thread of thought that wriggled through the air, seeking out one particular member of our group. So faint, less than a whisper, practically just a breath, but even so, it manages to barely snag my attention. If I hadn�t been practicing my mental Skills so thoroughly, then it may have slipped past entirely.

Insidious and careful, the thread of Mind Magic drifts through the air as I try to focus on it, to grasp it with my mind. But it�s so quiet I can barely sense it, and it moves like a leaf on the wind, drifting here and there on an unseen current until, finally, it connects to the giant bear patting Tiny on the back as she comforts him for missing out on the fight. The moment it touches her, she stiffens and sits up straight.

[Sarah�] it whispers.

[Jim!] she gasps.

And then I�m there.

[BROOD KILLER!] I roar as my minds descend on that thread like a pack of wolves, herding it from all sides until I can strangle it in a vice grip. [TRAITOR! Your flesh will feed a thousand grubs for what you�ve done, worm! You hear me? Do you think the Colony will ever forgive? You can�t slither away from us forever!]

[I can try�]

Like a gossamer spiderweb, the thread of Mind Mana falls apart in my grip, dissolving into nothing no matter how hard I try to hold on. Desperate to trace it, I cast my minds out wide, hunting for any sign of that mana, but there is none to be found. That punk worm must have worked his non-existent butt off to achieve this level of skill with mind bridges; it�s the only way he could hope to connect to Sarah again without the Colony latching onto his location.

Still, this is a lead. There�s no way he could reach us here from the second stratum, no hope at all. In fact, he can�t be that far away at all. He must be burrowed into the tunnels between the layers.

The hunt is on.

[He�s close! We need to get all minds on the job. Try and find his mana signature. It�ll be hard, he�s good at hiding, so we need to get on this now!]

[Anthony�] Sarah�s mind hesitantly reaches out to mine.

[Later,] I tell her brusquely. [I can hear what you have to say later. The Colony won�t be dissuaded on this, not after what he did.]

I switch my mind directly to my allies.

[Crinis, reach out through the shadows, cover as much ground as you can.]

I reach back and pat her with one antenna.

[This will be a huge strain on you, so be careful. It�s important, but not more important than you are.]

[I understand, Master.]

[Al, I need you to help track down this worm.]

[I do not understand. Confusion. What is a worm?]

[It�s a type of creature that�s long and burrows through the ground. Just try and find the damn traitor, please?]

[I will try.]

As I�ve been talking, all of my minds have already bent themselves to the task of tracing the mana that Jim wove with such cunning. I refuse to believe he�s so good that he can hide all evidence of his weaving.

Where-where-where-where-where-where-where?

AHA! A sniff!

[This way!] I roar over the mind bridge to my team, and we rush northwards. [Crinis! Let�s go!]

The blob of pure shadow has already vanished into the darkness, her body totally hidden from sight, so I make sure to call to her before I Dash like a terrier on the trail. He covered his tracks as carefully as only a true coward can, but he can�t compete with my mind power! Once I put Invidia and Al on the case, our grip on his trail becomes even tighter. Unfortunately, he�s just moving too damn quick!

[Since when was that damn worm so nimble?] I rant as we rush through the tunnels, brushing past numerous demons who we simply knock to the side, unwilling to waste time fighting them. A quick right hook from Tiny and a Dash is usually enough to put them in our rear-view.

[I believe he is travelling down a pre-dug tunnel, Master. I can sense it ahead of us.]

[Makes sense, most likely the one he used to reach us in the first place. Any chance we can use it for ourselves?]

[I believe it�s collapsing behind him.]

[Dammit!]

Because of course it is. The only thing this idiot is good for is betrayal and running away! But we have the scent, and I sure as hell am not going to let him off that easy. Run like the wind, Anthony! A thousand thoughts try to intrude on my mind as we run. I spent time with Jim. He helped me escape from the golgari. He�s been Sarah�s friend for decades. But none of these things matter; they count for nothing anymore!

To push those impulses away, I sink myself deep into Meditation, letting my emotions run cold. I can�t afford to get distracted when the trail is this faint and hard to follow!

[Crinis? Do you have anything?]

[He�s too fast. I�m not able to catch up to him.]

[Don�t push yourself too hard. As long as he doesn�t get too far ahead, we can follow the trail no matter where it leads.]

The worm must have purchased an organ or Skill that helps him hide his mana. I know he�s not that far away, but I can�t grab hold of his core despite the fact I should be able to sense it at my Level of Mana Sensing. I have a dozen minds sweeping ahead, hunting for every little skerrick of energy that leaks beyond the fleeing coward�s control, and it�s barely enough to keep track of him.

It shouldn�t be all that surprising, considering he�s a worm, but he�s one slippery character.

[Wait!] I shout as I sense something change. I screech to a halt as I cast my senses about, trying to determine what�s happened. My sense of Jim is fading, but not in the way it was previously. The direction has changed�

[He�s going up! He might be going to breach the surface!]

[The surface?] Crinis asks, confused.

[Onto the plains! I think he might be leaving the tunnels! Quick! We need to climb!]

With his prepared passage speeding him on his way, it takes far less time for the worm to wriggle his way up than it does for us. As we run and climb our way out of the tunnels, our hold on the trail grows ever more faint. By the time we reach the plains, I can barely sense him at all; only Invidia and Al are doing any better.

[Thissss way.]

[You�re sure?]

[Alwaysssss sure!]

[Good enough for me, let�s run!]

Back on the plains now, the ground beneath our feet carpeted in battling demon larvae, we continue to run as somewhere ahead of us, just below the surface, Jim continues his flight.

[Come on, Jim!] I hurl the thoughts forward wildly, blasting out a wave of Mind Magic which may or may not even reach him. [Didn�t you have something to say? Come back! Or are you unwilling to face up to your own crimes?]

The lack of reply only serves to cause anger to bubble up within me, but under the effect of Meditation, I allow it to flow past me.

[Sarah is right here,] I taunt. [You sure you don�t want to let her know why you betrayed her? Did you know she almost died because of you? Why don�t you come on back and apologise? My mandibles will welcome you.]

[Anthony!] Sarah growls at me with her mind, and I turn my head a little to stare at her.

[�Sorry,] I mumble.

Whether he heard me or not, Jim sends nothing back as he continues to increase the gap between us. As the long minutes of running continue to tick by, we begin to see what might be his destination. Far ahead, a pillar gradually becomes clear through the ash and smoke of the third stratum, and it�s a big one. The plate city has at least four tiers, and though it�s difficult to see it right now, it�s possible that a few smaller ones might be hidden from view.

It doesn�t make much sense. Why would he be heading for a city? What demon inside is going to protect him?

[Something comessss,] Invidia hisses.

[Any idea what?]

[No. Sssomething ssssstrong.]

[Keep running. We don�t give up the chase.]

At least, that�s what I would have preferred, except that a few minutes later, a powerful mind reaches out to us.

[HOLD,] it bellows arrogantly. [Do not trespass into the lands of your betters!]

There�s something about the touch of this mind that rubs me the wrong way. I feel as if it�s tickling my memory, but I just can�t put my claw on it� A sense of trepidation rises in me.

[Slow down a second,] I tell the others as I race out ahead.

[Identify yourself!] I fling the demand out wide.

[Insolent youth, I will do so once you have extended the courtesy.]

[Massster. The trail is fading towardsss the city.]

A moment before I decide to throw caution to the wind and commit to the chase once more, an unwelcome sight rises up from the plains and stalks atop a high peak not a hundred metres away.

Bejewelled, decked with bright, shimmering cloth and accompanied by two humanoid figures in robes that ride upon its back, the creature looks like nothing so much as a large lizard.

Ka�armodo!

Just. Perfect.

Fantastic, just what I needed, another giant lizard in my life. Haven�t I dealt with enough of these things? Considering our minds are connected, I carefully shield my exasperation and reply.

[Hey there, lizard bro! How�s things? Life treating you well? Try not to dry out too much down here, gets a bit warm in these parts. Make sure you, you know� stay moist. Or whatever a lizard does.]

I can practically feel the indignation radiating from the big fella.

[I am ka�armodo,] he hisses at me. [Do not refer to me as a lizard!]

Despite still having their hoods on, I can clearly tell the two attendants are glaring at me. What were those guys called again? I seriously can�t remember. This isn�t going so well. I�m going to have to break out the ol� Anthony charm offensive and see if I can talk this liz�esteemed ka�armodo around to letting us chase that damn worm into their territory.

Naturally, I�m more than a little tempted to just bust through and go running after Jim regardless of what this puffed-up gecko has to say, but I�m wary of creating another international incident that the Colony will no doubt have to clean up for me. Making enormous messes and depending on my siblings to deal with it is a habit I�m quite keen to break. It�s getting embarrassing at this point! I�m hopeful that I can reach a diplomatic solution here.

[Of course, my mistake! I would never seek to insult one of the ancient and wise members of the ka�armodo race! May your scales be ever shiny!]

Smooth.

[Anyways. Can we run through your territory and kill that worm? We hate that guy.]

And the quality follow-up. Nailed it!

This is what high-level diplomacy looks like! Sheer perfection in the realm of communication.

[No,] the lizar�ka�armodo retorts. [Take yourself from our lands at once.]

What! I�m genuinely shocked, but no matter, I still have one further trick up my sleeve.

[Please?] I ask.

He�s being swayed, I can tell.

[�No?]

See! He sounded much less certain of himself this time around! The negotiation is clearly tilting in my favour! He�s like putty in my claws.

[We have no intention of acting against the interests of the wonderful ka�armodo or your slave� helper� people� dudes.]

[Setsulah,] the old sapient grates at me, his mind clearly irritated.

[I mean no disrespect,] I try to give the Mind Mana equivalent of a thumbs up, [I simply mean to state that we have no intention of bringing any harm to you or your people, we simply wish to pursue our enemy and bring him to justice. That worm is responsible for the deaths of many of my kind, and my people would consider it a great service should you allow us this boon.]

Like the mental equivalent of silk, I feel like my words are smoothly seeping into every fold of this ka�armodo�s brain. I can already feel the disgust and disdain he feels billowing up like a rising tide. Clearly, the actions of Jim have infuriated the noble mage, and he is fully willing to cooperate.

[Leave our lands at once, or I will be forced to view your intrusion as an act of aggression,] the lizard says coldly.

Eh? I thought we were getting along like a house on fire! How could you possibly defend that damn worm? Once again, the urge to simply ignore the ka�armodo and his slaves is almost too strong to deny, but I forcefully restrain myself, even if it looks as if I�m visibly writhing with the force of effort required to do so. Then a thought strikes me cold.

[Are you protecting the worm?] I ask.

Immediately I feel the ka�armodo and his two servants grasping hold of the mana in the air and preparing to weave it into spells, which causes Al and Invidia to begin doing the same thing, and all of a sudden, the tension has skyrocketed through the roof.

Except for with Tiny, he has no idea what is going on.

Then Invidia pauses and his mouth appears, opening wide before his tongue pushes a still-comatose Brilliant out onto the stone ground of the plains.

[Ssssshe has grown too large for me to containsss. I can holdsss her no longer!]

He sounds genuinely regretful about that, probably because he had to let go of something, an act that isn�t really in his nature.

[Crinis!] I snap out an order, [protect Brilliant! Tiny! Grab hold of her and start running; we�re getting out of here!]

[Do you not wish to chase the worm creature? I sense it still,] Al asks me.

[No. Brilliant is more important, and we don�t want to start a fight we can�t finish. I�m not going to pull the family down just to get revenge on that piece of garbage.]

I try to shield Sarah from my sending so she doesn�t have to feel the anger in my thoughts, but I�ve little doubt that she brushed against them anyway. The giant bear�s eyes are quite sad beneath her helmet as she looks into the distance where Jim fled.

[Alright! Chill! We�re leaving!] I holler at the angsty iguana, and just like that, we turn and flee, Tiny bounding over to scoop up the prone Brilliant, and bam, we are out of there.

After a few seconds, I feel the three figures behind us start to release their grip on the ambient mana, and only then do I relax. I can still see the pillar behind us, the giant city fading into the distance as we move away from it.

[We need to learn the name of this city,] I tell Al, [and we need to know everything we can about the ka�armodo there. What is going to be the best way to do that?]

[An envoy from another demon city is almost never refused. Certain. If the ka�armodo do not know the envoy comes from a city that you control, they will have no reason to interfere.]

[Is that something that happens often? One city sends a demon over to another city to� do what?]

[Negotiate, often for formal war, though long-distance mind bridges are also commonly used for such talks. Exchange gifts. Travel.]

[Wait, travel? Are you telling me that some demons are out there on tour?]

I can almost feel the mental shrug.

[Demons like me, who crave information of one type or another, are often compelled to move around the stratum. Some simply can�t stay still for one reason or another. Perhaps their bloodlust is so strong they are unable to wait for a formal war to be arranged, so they travel from city to city, seeking conflict and battle. Others, such as Grokus, may travel to feast on different monsters and Biomass that can be found in different places. It is common.]

Well, that�s interesting, I suppose. I look down on Brilliant, held in the crook of Tiny�s massive arm. She�s still clearly in the process of evolving, her carapace shifting in strange ways as her body is restructured beneath her outer shell.

She�s an important member of the family and couldn�t be risked. I wasn�t really worried that we would be in danger from the ka�armodo and his servants, but the possibility that she might be harmed was enough to call the retreat, even more than not wanting to start a conflict. Even so, if we find out they�re sheltering the traitorous invertebrate, then there may be a fight between them and the Colony no matter what I have to say about the matter.

[Anthony�] Sarah breaks into my thoughts.

[I know,] I tell her. [We�ll talk when we get back to the city.]

I�m surprised at how long it takes for the emotion to bleed out of me as we march back to Orpule. I don�t know what I�d expected would happen regarding Jim. I suppose in the back of my mind, I always thought the Colony would find him eventually. As our numbers grew and we became ever more capable, it was only a matter of time until we got our claws on him.

No matter how good he got at hiding himself in the past, slithering between tunnels and avoiding every fight that came his way, he couldn�t possibly be so sneaky as to hide from literally hundreds of thousands of sentient creatures hungry for vengeance. Yet he managed to surprise me. Despite everything, the Colony still hadn�t managed to get a sniff of him until now, a testament, I suppose, to just how deeply and desperately he hid himself. Somehow, he even managed to come down to the third stratum, a dangerous place for a creature like him, considering how open much of this layer of the Dungeon is.

And it�s obvious why.

I glance across at the massive armoured bear marching along to the side of me. His strange attachment to Sarah was what caused him to betray the Colony in the first place, so I shouldn�t be too surprised that he followed her down here, hoping to get in touch with her. I don�t know how he spotted us as we roamed away from the Colony, but he clearly saw his chance and decided to risk reaching out to her. An idiotic thing to do, but I suppose it goes to show the depth of his obsession.

When we finally arrive back at the city, we take the elevator up in silence as each of us ponders over the events that have just transpired. My friends don�t disturb me, perhaps sensing the depth of my disquiet.

I keep a watchful mind construct on Brilliant at all times, monitoring the changes that ripple through her now larger form and waiting to see if she is ready to awaken. But she�s still comatose when the elevator returns to the plate.

[Take her somewhere safe and quiet,] I instruct Tiny and Crinis, [and then watch over her. Make sure there�s food available when she wakes up, and reach out to me before she goes anywhere. I want to check in on her before she starts running wild about the place.]

[Yes, Master.]

With Brilliant still cradled in the crook of his arm, Tiny nods and trundles his way toward the still-growing nest built in the centre of the city. I watch them go before I turn to Sarah.

[Let�s talk.]

She looks at me for a long moment, then sits with a thump and tilts her head back to stare up at the ceiling far above.

[I�m really not sure what I even want to say,] she admits.

I don�t say anything to that.

[Jim was a companion to me for years. Years, Anthony. I trusted him. He was my friend. I can�t just turn around and� I mean� I know what he did was terrible, I�m just�]

As she trails away, I can�t help but sigh.

[I get it. I understand where you�re coming from. Jim was your only connection to the life you left behind, the only person who really understood what it was like to be reborn as a monster in this world. It isn�t easy to turn him into a villain in your head, with all the history that�s been built up between you. Not to mention, you don�t recall the worst of what happened, since you were berserk at that time.]

I wander over to the bear and I give her a pat on the back with one leg.

[But you have to understand that, for us, there�s no coming back after what he did. Because of him, hundreds, if not thousands, of brood died. Helpless larvae, eggs that never got to hatch. It�s never going to be ok. The Colony will hunt him down no matter if it takes a hundred years.]

I let that statement hang in the air.

[That�s going to be hard for you,] I continue. [I totally get that. If you can accept it, then you are of course welcome to stay with us, you�re part of the family now. Whether you fight or not, whether you contribute or not, you�ll always have a place amongst us. You have nothing to prove to us, ever again. But if you want to try and save him? Then we may need to part ways.]

[He did it because of me,] she whispered. [We all know it. How is it not my fault?]

I shake my head.

[He did it for him. Don�t ever let that thought confuse you. He might have felt like he was doing it for you, but it was for him. He has a weird and twisted view of what�s in your best interest, coloured by jealousy and a need to possess. If he had the chance, he would desperately try to convince you that he only wanted to help you, but the reality is he just wanted you to himself. And I think you know that.]

With a final pat on her massive, furry back, I leave her to her thoughts. It�s a shame that everything is so complicated on her end, the emotional attachment built up over years of, if we�re honest, incarceration together. For me? For the Colony? It�s just so, so simple.

[Burke! Get your butt over here!]

[What�s a butt?]

[Never mind! Got something big to talk about.]

Not needing to be told twice, the powerful scout zips over to me with impressive speed. Clearly, she hasn�t skipped leg day, by which I mean the day dedicated to mutating the legs.

[We had a sighting of Jim the worm, to the north. We tried to pursue, but he ran into a section of the stratum near a large city. A ka�armodo was guarding the way, and they stopped us, but let him through.]

When I name the traitor, I can feel my sibling grow still, a cold rage blossoming in her heart. She nods, slowly, processing all that I�ve said.

[What do you want us to do?] she asks.

Whatever I say, they�ll do right now. If I demand that city come down, they will make it happen. I sink into Meditation to try and let my emotions quiet down.

[We can�t rush,] I say, my mental voice cool. [I�ve just asked the Colony to draw back and secure its position, I won�t ruin that by having us overreach now. We won�t be ready for a confrontation with the ka�armodo for a long time. Right now, we need information. I want that whole section of Dungeon mapped, and I want to know how many demons and lizards we�re dealing with. Most of all, I want the edges of their territory watched in case that worm comes slithering back our way. Got it?]

[It will be done, Eldest.]

The hot air of the third stratum burned against his skin, and Jim cursed as his tender flesh seared in the open air. He wasn�t built to be exposed like this, which was probably why they demanded he come out of the protective soil for this discussion.

The demon city of Arkesh loomed high overhead, the five tiers of plates disappearing in the smoke and ash far above. He shuddered and the rings that made up his long form coiled and twisted uncomfortably.

Now that he�d revealed himself fully, forced to writhe in pain, the three ka�armodo who awaited him at the base of the pillar stepped forward, accompanied by their attendants.

Without preamble, the combined weight of their minds slammed into him, smashing his thoughts aside in the most brutal way possible. If he had any illusions as to how high he was held in their regard, then this deliberate, crude intrusion would make them clear.

Fortunately, or perhaps not, depending on the perspective, Jim was under no illusions as to what the ka�armodo thought of him. To them, he was a tool, nothing more, nothing less. He viewed them in much the same way, and if it helped him achieve his goals, then he would gladly suffer some indignities. After all, hadn�t he lived imprisoned by the golgari for years? Compared to that, rough treatment from the giant, sentient lizards was nothing.

[We have protected you, as we promised we would,] the lead ka�armodo declared. [This is evidence enough of our sincerity, I am sure?]

Jim wanted to snort and scoff at the ridiculousness of that statement. Protect him? They�d very nearly left him for dead! If he hadn�t slithered directly toward their city, they may well have let that idiot, Anthony, catch him! But he couldn�t do that. The ka�armodo were touchy when it came to questioning their morals, regardless of how questionable they were.

[I am very grateful for your protection,] he said, using the power of his mind to find a little more balance within his own head, shoving the intrusive presence back just a smidge. [I would also like to think that my efforts have also served to more clearly demonstrate the threat that the Colony represents. I hope the old ones will be more receptive to my warnings now?]

The three lizards watched him lazily as their servants stood to attention around them. It was so difficult to read a ka�armodo; their faces almost never moved. If they wanted to, they could stand perfectly still for days at a time, their bodies not shifting position in the slightest. It was an unnerving sight.

[We are still unconvinced that the danger is as great as you suggest,] the ka�armodo to the left told him, breaking into the conversation. [We have heard dire warnings, but until now, we have seen and heard little of this �Colony.� A single ant, no matter how powerful, is of little concern to us.]

So stupid. Despite the pain he was in, Jim was reminded of the human gesture he might have engaged in so long ago, slapping a palm against his forehead. He no longer had palms, or a forehead, but the sentiment remained. How could they be so foolish?

[If a single ant can become so powerful, reaching tier six, with multiple tier six pets�]

He left the thought hanging, trying to allow the supposedly aged and wise ka�armodo to fill in the blanks on their own.

[Are you trying to suggest there are thousands of such creatures? All ants, with a comparable level of strength?]

The tone of the thoughts was loaded with derision.

[No,] he quickly denied, [but given enough time, they will be able to amass resources at a speed that will shock you. I have been inside their nest, I know how fast they work. By now, there will be tens of thousands of them, hundreds of thousands maybe. They can spread over an enormous amount of Dungeon and funnel resources to a few individuals. Surely, you see the threat?]

[These are all future concerns, far off and theoretical. Little to justify our continued efforts to protect you now.]

If he had any teeth, he would have gritted them in frustration. These damned lizards were such an unwieldly and slow instrument to work with! When his betrayal of the Colony failed, when the golgari and Legion had fallen short of eliminating the pest, he�d despaired of ever being able to pry Sarah away from the insects who pushed her to the edge of her sanity in their own defence. They were far too on guard for him to ever be able to approach the nest again, no matter how hard he tried, so he had been forced to watch and wait, something he was well used to doing.

When the Colony expanded to the third stratum, he felt he might finally have a chance. He knew that land in the third was more heavily contested than it was in the second, so all he had to do was try and find some of the ant�s new neighbours and give them a nudge. The empire of the great lizards, the Dune Kingdom, seat of the old ones, had been a perfect target. Too proud to ever settle to treat monsters as equals, a conflict with the Colony was inevitable. All he had to do was provide a spark.

[They have already conquered Orpule. That makes two cities that have fallen to the Colony in a matter of weeks. It won�t be long before they come here. I predict you will begin to see scouts poking at the edges of your territory in a few days, perhaps less.]

They certainly would be here, looking for him, but the ka�armodo didn�t need to know that.

If only he hadn�t reached out to Sarah in that moment, then Anthony and the Colony would still have no idea he was here, and there would surely have come a better chance to reach her. He was confident that if he just had a minute to talk to her, a little time to explain himself, then she would see things as he saw them. The Colony would destroy her in the end, he was certain of it.

But with him, he could protect her, keep her safe from herself.

[Your warnings are dire, but we are yet to see sufficient evidence. If you wish to continue to enjoy our protection, then you should honour your end of the bargain. Continue to be our eyes on this Colony, track their movements. If they seek conflict with the ka�armodo as you claim, they will learn how foolish it is to wage war against the timeless sands.]

Sensing the dismissal, Jim gratefully rolled his lengthy form and dove once more beneath the crust of the plains. Though the rock was hot, the air was even more so, and he was grateful to be shielded from it. He would return to the lands of the Colony, though he would have to be doubly careful.

He was confident the tinder had already been lit. All he had to do was be patient, then he would get his chance.

Tiny looked down at the little one cradled in the crook of his arm and felt a smile creep up on his face. It was good to protect the little one, and make sure she survived as she slept. Keeping her safe when she was awake was much harder. Tiny preferred times like this. It made him feel good, feel strong, when he cared for the little ones. They took care of Tiny, brought him food, were family with the master, so, he would care for them in turn.

The other thing that made him feel strong was the curve of his arm as he held the little one against his chest. This angle, this position, allowed him to flex his big bump of an arm muscle to an impressive degree, something he was sure to emphasise as he moved, so that all could appreciate the wonderful sight.

In truth, it absorbed his attention perhaps too much.

On several occasions, the little one had tricked him by asking him to pose and then escaped when his back was turned! Trickery! One time, she asked him which arm was thicker, his right or left, and Tiny had become so absorbed in the question that he remained as still as a statue for six hours. Only when the master realised that both he and the once-hatchling had gone missing did he return to find Tiny looking at both arms, flexing and straightening them one after the other with a thoughtful frown on his face.

Luckily, the master wasn�t too mad, though he did check Tiny�s core just to make sure his Cunning stat hadn�t changed.

Tiny found that a little insulting. No, he hadn�t changed his stats! He just devoted most of his brain to hitting things, and muscles, which were a key part of hitting things. Now that he had more brain than before, he could think even more about hitting things and muscles! He didn�t mind it so much, though sometimes he wished his shoulders were a little larger and his brain a little smaller.

(It should be noted that Tiny has truly, ridiculously, absurdly large shoulders.)

[Tiny. I believe that Brilliant may be stirring,] the voice of his sister broke into his thoughts of shoulders large enough to hoist a mountain on top of, and his gaze flashed down to the small form in his arm.

The shadow spoke truly; the young one had begun to twitch and wriggle, much as the grubs do, in small increments as she returned to the world of the waking. Moving gently, he placed her on the stone floor with one massive palm, then stepped back, peering carefully at the waking ant.

He didn�t want to make a mistake and have her run off on him again. The master would get annoyed, and then his brain would have to be even bigger for his next evolution� which would mean less energy for more important things! His fists curled in determination, which did interesting things to his forearms, but before he became distracted, he snapped his eyes back to the little one.

That was close�

[I have informed the master; he will be with us soon,] his sister informed him, and Tiny gave her a quick nod of gratitude.

That meant he wouldn�t have to focus for too long, which was a good thing. With the imminent arrival of their creator, they settled in to wait. Little brother decided he didn�t want to float any longer and settled himself on top of Tiny�s head, his two stick-thin arms supporting him. It was a shame the little brother has such a weak body, he�d never know the true joy of smashing things with his fists, which made Tiny a bit sad. On the other hand, the little brother was very good at smashing things with his brain, which Tiny couldn�t do.

Perhaps smashing things with the brain was just as fun?

He considered that for a second before shaking his head in denial. No. There was no chance of that being true, but the little brother enjoyed it, so that was good. At the movement of the head beneath him, Invidia stirred, forced to adjust his position, and Tiny felt a connection snap into being between the two of them.

On the other side of the bridge, the giant ape could feel his little brother�s mind, not so little right now, the weight of that ponderous brain looming like something that Tiny didn�t think he could lift.

[Be stillsssssss,] the little brother chides, his eye flittering down to his resting place�s massive frame. [Your sssstrength will be mine one day!]

Tiny shook his head again, causing the little demon to hiss with irritation. He knew the little brother would yearn for his great power. A pity he would never be as huge as Tiny.

Then the hatchling sprang awake, leaping onto her six legs and pointing an antenna fervently behind them.

[Look out!] she cried over a hastily-crafted connection.

Both Tiny and Invidia immediately turned, only to see nothing behind them at all, just a wall. Perhaps she wanted them to see the wall? Before the pair could lean in closer to more thoroughly inspect said wall, there was a skittering noise followed by a thump behind them. They turn back to see the hatchling splayed out on the ground, each of her legs bound by a coil of shadow.

[W-when?] the newly evolved ant groaned.

[Since before you woke up,] the sister said. [Stay still until the master arrives and I won�t mention your attempt.]

[Fine.]

She tried to escape! Tiny realised this and thumped one massive fist into his palm, then turned to his sister and gave her an energetic thumbs up. The patch of darkness that had bonded itself to the wall wibbled and sighed, then a tentacle extended and moulded itself into a matching gesture that Tiny happily bumped his own fist against before settling back.

Teamwork. It felt nice to have others he could rely on. It took him a long time to understand that.

Shortly after, the master arrives, rushing up in a blur before stopping and looming over the little one in a cloud of dust. At the last moment, the shadowy restraints slip into the stone and vanish, allowing the hatchling to stand once more.

[Thanks, guys,] the master told them, his honest gratitude shining over the connection, warming each of them like a gentle flame. [I really appreciate it.]

Then he poked and prodded the little one a few times.

[Now let�s see what you�ve done.]

I�m kind of surprised that the hatchling, I mean Brilliant, didn�t try and escape after evolving, but here she is, obediently waiting for me after waking. Has she finally learned her lesson? That would be a good thing indeed! Growth! Actual growth! And here I thought I was going to have to change her name to Massive-idiant.

[Well, well, well,] I look down on the emphatically no-longer-a-hatchling and clack my mandibles happily, [tier five. You made it to the big leagues! A big bad ant now! This is actually a level that the majority of the Colony hasn�t reached; you�re now part of the elite.]

I can tell she wants to reply something to the effect of �naturally� but knows she�ll get a thwackin� for it. As she should! Who did all the work?

[I feel good,] she says. [Strong. I feel like I can see things more clearly than I could before.]

[Oh? You mean you understand things better? Or your literal sight has improved?]

[�Both? I think?]

[Interesting. Well, I�m keen to take a peek at your core and see what you chose. Hold still for a second.]

I reach down with one antenna and throw my mind into her core, swimming through the rush of mana and information that is held within until I manage to sift it down to the parts I understand.

Name: Brilliant

Level: 1 (Special) V

Might: 50

Toughness: 50

Cunning: 150

Will: 150

HP: 100/100

MP: 0/250

Skills:

Advanced Digging (II) Level 9; Acid Shot (III) Level 5; Expert Grip (III) Level 15; Shattering Bite (III) Level 16; Flicker Dash (III) Level 19; Exo-Skeleton Defense (I) Level 4; Expert Stamina (III) Level 13; Mana Craft (V) Level 4; Finer External Mana Manipulation (IV) Level 27; Stone Magic Affinity (IV) Level 9; Expert Shadow Magic Affinity (III) Level 7; Expert Light Magic Affinity (III) Level 15; Advanced Mind Magic Affinity (II) Level 6

Mutations:

Rapid Energy Reactive Exo-skeleton +20; Enhanced Vampiric Mandibles +20; Mighty Gripping Legs +20; Clarified Mana Weave Eyes +20; Delicate Discerning Sensitive Antennae +20; Concentrated Melting Acid Gland +20; Gluttonous Stomach +15; Broadened Pheromone Language Gland +20; Elevated Mana Core Lattice +20; Piercing Dungeon Oracle +20; Weaving Dimensional Eye +20; Purified Energy Stone +20; Mana Crystal Weave; Brain

Species: Mature Omni-Seer (Formica)

Skill Points: 37

Biomass: 24

Wowee! She�s got more mental stats than I do! Considering that she essentially abandoned physical development, I shouldn�t be too surprised, but it still stings a little. Unlike me, she invested the whole lot into a single brain rather than spreading it out, which means she has quite the oomph behind a single line of effort, as opposed to my more diversified efforts. Eventually, she�ll reach the required rank in Mind Magic and then be able to craft the mind constructs, much as I can. I see she even went to the effort of making her brain mutable, which makes sense.

Since she became a Mature Omni-Seer, it�s clear she�s followed an evolution chain, and the main reward appears to have been the Mana Crystal Weave, a rather potent organ.

Brilliant has gone down a path I myself will probably have to consider rather soon, the road of investing in the core itself. She has two organs that interact directly with the gem that sits in her centre. First was the Core Lattice, a web of fine crystalline lines that branch off the core in a breathtaking structure. The purpose of this organ is multifaceted, allowing mana to flow in and out of the core more easily, as well as granting finer control over it in the vicinity of the core. Now she�s added the Weave, a sphere that�s part crystal, part flesh that the lattice connects to, further enhancing the effect and making Brilliant exceptionally sensitive to the teensiest vibration of mana that occurs within her frame.

She�s basically set herself up as a detector of all things, able to sense everything that occurs around her to an extraordinary degree, particularly in the realm of mana. I can understand why; she is desperate to understand and investigate all that goes on, and she has given herself the tools to make that happen. With these mutations, she�s also turned herself into a powerful all-around caster, with a steady flow of energy and very fine control over it.

With a few more Skill Levels under her belt, she�ll be able to pump out some mighty impressive magic, no doubt about it. With her absurd rate of improvement, I�m sure it won�t even take her long. Dammit! This feels unfair on quite a few levels�

On the other hand, she�s done basically nothing to make herself more survivable. Her Toughness is too low, she can�t heal herself, and her defensive Skills remain paltry garbage. If I hadn�t insisted on making her run so much, her Dash would still be in a terrible state.

[All in all, I like what you�ve done,] I congratulate her as I remove my antenna. [You�ll be able to puzzle out the secrets of mana and whatever the Dungeon hides in no time. This can only be good for the Colony.]

[Naturally,] she says smugly as she rises. [There�s not going to be anything in this world that I won�t be able to figure out. All I need is a little time.]

[I hope you�re right; there is still way too much that we don�t understand.]

Now that she�s reached tier five, I feel less like I need to be actively pushing her and feeding her experience, but I still think she�s not quite ready for her life as an independent Champion. The moment I let her loose, she�s going to start attracting a following and become another powerful and relatively independent force within the Colony, just like Vibrant is.

Vibrant obviously works together with the Colony and is a massive contributor, but she�s also a little tough to slot into plans and tends to make life a little difficult for other members of the Council without intending to. I fully expect the same will be true of Brilliant soon enough. She�ll help us progress, of that I have no doubt, but things will get a little messy along the way.

That�s a good thing in the long run. The way things happen around here can be a little too rigid at times. I think having Brilliant and Vibrant around to upset the balance is going to be healthy. I just want to make sure she�s ready.

[Alright then, Brilliant,] I tell her, [one more trip and that�s it. You�ll have graduated my teaching and will be able to make your way in the Colony however you see fit!]

The little ant freezes on the spot, then turns her whole body to look me straight on.

[Are you serious? One more. That�s it? One more and I�m free?]

I flick my antennae, a little annoyed.

[What do you mean �free?� You aren�t in prison! Forget it. Yes. I mean it. After this trip, you can go where you want, do what you want, investigate to your heart�s content.]

It�d be nice to mutate right now, but I want to build up my bank of Biomass a bit more before I take the plunge. Going through those endless lists and menus is a massive pain in the backside, and I�d rather save it all up and go through as much as possible at once.

That doesn�t mean I don�t tell Tiny, Crinis, and Invidia that they need to make sure they�re 100% ready to go before we head out. I leave my three friends to contemplate their options whilst Brilliant roams free, enjoying a taste of unsupervised freedom before I grab her back into the fold and head out in the stratum once again.

I have several ideas in mind for this expedition, but before I commit to anything, I feel like I should take advantage of the collected wisdom here in Orpule before I go gallivanting off into the wilds once again.

My first port of call is to check in with Sarah. Our last talk was a bit heavy, and I know she has some things to process. I figure the polite thing to do is to invite her out again rather than make an assumption.

[That�s kind of you, Anthony, but I think I�ll rest here in the city for a bit. I don�t want to go out there while my head isn�t on straight. With what�s going on with Jim� I just don�t think I�ll be in proper control of my emotions.]

Definitely not something you want if you�re an anger-fuelled murder-bear.

[I get you.] I give her an encouraging pat on the back. [Take it easy and rest for a while. Head up to the second stratum if you feel like it; might as well enjoy the cold while you still can.]

She shudders a little.

[I might take you up on that. Even with these enchantments, it�s so hot here.]

[You�re just too furry!] I laugh. [You need a nice shiny carapace in your next evolution. You won�t regret it!]

She eyes my diamond perfection askance.

[I�ll consider it�] she says, though I�m not convinced she means it.

What is this reluctance! Bah! Some people can�t accept true beauty when it�s right in front of their eyes� I say farewell to the big bear and head deeper into the city to check on the goings on in the anthill. As usual, my appearance causes a few ripples of disturbance amongst the ants, but it�s something I�m growing used to over time. I feel like the more attuned to them I become, the more attuned to me they get, as if the connection is working in both directions.

Which it shouldn�t be. I�ve studiously checked the flow of energy through the Vestibule, and it�s all one way. Though it�s hard for me to examine exactly what happens in the Nave, I can�t detect any hint of something leaving me and going to them, so I can�t explain it. Nonetheless, it feels as if it�s true.

[Eldest!] I�m greeted by Cobalt. Of all the ants, she�s certainly someone I didn�t expect to see here.

[Shouldn�t you be back at the nest taking care of all the expansion projects up there?] I ask suspiciously.

She holds both antennae straight up in the air.

[No thwacking!] she cries. [All the projects are running smoothly, and we delayed the timetable for expansion in order to make sure there aren�t any mistakes. Since I didn�t have anything to do, I thought I�d come down here and help with the research and construction going on.]

Research?

[You guys found some interesting stuff?] I ask, curious.

[Oh yes,] she nods, thankful that I�ve been distracted from more dangerous topics. [The scouts identified a new type of ore that we are currently testing. It�s saturated in Fire Mana and incredibly heat resistant. We can think of hundreds of uses for it, but so far, we haven�t managed to smelt it. Either we can�t make a fire that�s hot enough, or there�s another method we haven�t discovered yet.]

Interesting�

[Well, I�m sure you�ll think of something.] I�m not going to be the one to puzzle out this mystery,;I leave that to the smarter ants. [In terms of building, what are the carvers working on down here?]

Once again, she backs off as if frightened that I might discipline her. I�m not that scary!

[Just defensive works! Honest! I�ve even been sleeping properly, no abductions for a week!]

One week? That�s it!

[Just how often were you getting captured?] I ask, my antennae quivering with barely concealed anger.

[Not� that often.]

[Rest is important!]

THWACK!

After dispensing justice to the remorseful carver, I head off to find my three favourite rock-covered people in the whole world. That is to say, Granin, Corun, and Torrina, who made the journey over to Orpule not that long ago. As expected, I find them working with the core shapers, assisting in the research and practice of the caste as they experiment with the precious few demon cores to see what they can come up with. I have to say, if they manage to fold a shadow beast and a demon together into one monster, I�ll be impressed, though I have no idea how useful the resultant monster would be. Perhaps they�d be better off putting different types of demon together?

[Hey there, Granin!] I give him and the gang a friendly wave as I approach. [How�s things treating you?]

He barely looks up at me before he grunts over the mental connection.

[You still haven�t evolved yet?] he says.

[You can�t be serious!]

[What if I am?]

I stare at the stubborn old slab of granite, a touch exasperated, and Torrina comes to my rescue by stepping into the mental link.

[I think Granin is just a little concerned. We�ve been taking measurements of the mana levels here in the third stratum, and there are signs that they may already be starting to rise again�]

I stare at her, gobsmacked.

[Another wave? Already?!]

[No, not for a month or two, perhaps more, but it�s disturbing nonetheless,] she says. [After the last two waves, the readings never fell back to normal. In fact, after the last one, they fell even less than after the first. If this pattern continues�]

[This is evidence that your theory might be correct, that another Cataclysm is on the way�]

That ain�t good.

[Nothing is certain.] Corun holds his hands up. [This could just be nothing and we might find that the concentration of energy begins to fall again over the next few weeks.]

I�m not even sure if he believes it�

[It won�t,] Granin rumbles over the mind bridge, his thoughts unusually still. [We don�t have much time until they come up for us.]

He lifts his head and looks me in the eyes.

[So why haven�t you evolved yet?]

After absorbing this sober warning from Granin, I head back to where the gang is still sorting out their mutations and park my diamond-covered rear for a minute to consider my Levelling speed. It�s not as if I�ve been slacking off, and the hunting has been good, it�s just that the experience has been spread out over the group fairly evenly.

That�s not what Granin wants to happen; he wants me to force my pets to funnel me all the experience, as well as depend on the Colony to do the same. It wouldn�t even necessarily be wrong to do so. If I get accelerated to tier seven, then my friends will be able to enjoy my protection, along with the Colony, as I would be able to go toe-to-toe with our most powerful enemies without having to take massive risks or depend on surprise tactics to win.

Even so, it doesn�t feel right to me. During our extended hunting trips, I�ve been making sure that Brilliant is fed the lion�s share up until she maxes out, then letting everyone split our gains roughly evenly. I�m still ahead of my group in Levels, but not by a significant amount. Even my babysitters have been getting their share, since I forced them to take it. Although the flow of XP has been good, spreading it out over so many monsters has made the gains fairly low.

Idly wondering what Level I�ve even managed to reach, I bring up the menu and take a look.

Level thirty-five.

Not bad! All things considered, that�s not half bad! I mean� I only need to reach� Level one hundred� and sixty�

Holy moly! That�s another hundred and twenty-five Levels! Are you kidding me, Gandalf? That�s unreasonable! An outrageous demand! Actually, wait a second� that means in order to reach tier eight, a monster needs three hundred and twenty Levels. And tier nine would take six hundred and forty. Are there really any monsters like that?! It�s absurd! Complete madness! Who would come up with such a stupid requirement?! How could it possibly be achieved?!

Then again, if we imagine that the Ancients are tier ten, which I have no idea if they are, but let�s go with it for now, that would mean they�d need one thousand two hundred and eighty Levels to get from nine to ten�

I get that monsters don�t really age and will live forever if we don�t experience death by violence, and that the Ancients may have had literally thousands of years to Level up and achieve their current level of power, but it still feels ridiculous. If I had to grind Levels and Biomass for even a hundred years, I feel as if I�d go insane.

No, I think I will continue my current policy of sharing the love and refusing to hog the XP, although I do think we need to accelerate our efforts. The closer I get to the next tier, the safer I feel running around down here, although, aside from the few tier sevens I�ve run into, I haven�t really felt threatened by anything we�ve encountered.

Luckily for us, the bulk of the �wild� demons that we run into are lone wolves, operating on their own until they reach the sixth tier and join a city and demon society more broadly, making them easy pickings for our hunting party.

[All right, gang, everyone doing well? All ready to go? Manage to deal with the itch?]

Each of the pets gives me a slightly odd look, but I brush it off; coming out of a mutation can have that effect on a monster.

[It�s time to head out again. We�re going out towards ka�armodo territory, being careful not to tread on any scaled toes and irritate the touchy lizards. Even so, I think it�ll be a good idea if we can get a general picture of how strong they are and how many cities they control in this area. If we manage to pick up the trail of that traitor worm, all the better. Sound good to everyone?]

[Do I need to evolve on this trip as well?] Brilliant asks, one antenna in the air.

[No. No you don�t,] I sigh. [It would be nice to push you to tier six, but I don�t think you�re quite ready for it yet. You need to have a better idea of what it is you want to do and what you want to become before you commit to those decisions. Anyone else?]

Tiny, Crinis, and Invidia don�t seem fussed either way, so we quickly make ready and exit the city once more.

Burke wouldn�t say she disliked the company of other ants, not at all, but it couldn�t be denied that she, and quite a few other scouts, had developed a strange sense of independence over the months. More than any other group, except perhaps the far-ranging core shapers who spend more time with their pets than others of their own kind, the scouts spend huge periods outside of the comforts of the nests, patrolling, carrying messages, scouting�obviously. All of this alone time had made them a little reclusive, a little uncomfortable when exposed to the crush of the nests and the tightly packed ranks of their kind.

She herself could admit that upon leaving the demon cities and climbing down to the plains below, she�d felt a certain tension unwind within her thorax, a subtle pressure relax within her mind.

Burke breathed deep of the third stratum air and allowed the heated mana with a tinge of destruction swirl around her core. It felt good to be back out in the wilds of the Dungeon with only herself to rely on. A little peace. A little quiet. It was important to enjoy these moments whilst they lasted.

She detected a slight vibration through the ground being transmitted to her legs, the fine hairs there thrumming at an increasing pace.

Just breathe. Take in the peace.

The vibration had now become a faint rumbling. Even the demon larvae on the ground were starting to shimmy and shake as they engaged in their eternal tussle, yet Burke tuned it all out. Until the very last moment, she would concentrate on the here and now.

So soothing.

��hhhhhHHHHHHEY-THERE-BURKE! HOW-ARE-YOU-DOING-YOU-LOOK-TIRED-MAYBE-YOU-SHOULD-RELAX-A-LITTLE! BUT-DON�T-LET-THE-SHADOWS-CATCH-YOU-THEY�RE-WATCHING-FOR-SURE! I-THINK-THEY-FOLLOW-ME!�

An assault of pheromones washed over the suddenly exhausted scout leader as the vibrations ceased when Vibrant and over a hundred of her loyal crew slid to a stop right next to her.

�Vibrant�� she started, �aren�t you supposed to be inspecting the territory to the east of here? Isn�t that what you said you would do for the Council?�

All of that serenity, all of that quiet peace, gone in an instant. Already, she could feel the burgeoning pressure as over a hundred ants packed in around her. Burke loved to be around her kind, she just needed a break from them every now and again, and this wasn�t helping.

�And don�t forget to talk slower,� she reminded the much larger soldier. �I can barely understand you at that speed. I mean, can your followers even understand you? Can you figure out what she�s talking about?� she asked a nearby general.

�I-don�t-know-what-you-mean. It-seems-fine-to-me. Are-you-sure-you-aren�t-just-a-little-slow-maybe-you-should-speed-up-a-little. Aren�t-you-scouts-supposed-to-be-fast. I-mean⁠��

�I get it,� she cut her off. �Vibrant, please.�

�Fine-fine,� Vibrant cheered. �Though it feels so much more natural to go fast. How are you, Burke! I finished looking over the east side, it was really cool! Lots of demons, a few tunnel entrances, and some strange crystal thingies that some golgari and humans were mining. We ran up to say hello, but they all screamed and fled from us. So funny! Before you ask, no, I didn�t map it out or write anything down, but I think someone did.�

�I-did-leader-Vibrant. I-have-it-right-here.�

�Great! Thanks so much! There you go. So, I thought I should head over here and see if you needed any help!�

The scout leader deflated just a bit as she took it all in. Crystals, golgari and humans mining? So many questions. Although one issue did stand out to her.

�You do remember that you were supposed to remain hidden as much as possible during this scouting mission, right, Vibrant? During this period, the Eldest has explicitly stated we should avoid bringing unwanted attention to the Colony, right? You remember that? Vibrant?�

The more she talked, the more still Vibrant became, until even her antennae weren�t moving, as if every hair on her carapace had gone still.

�Vibrant? Anything to say?� Burke pressed.

The big ant shifted on the spot, her front legs brushing through the air in front of her as if sweeping the scout�s words into the bin.

�I forgot!� she cheered. �It�s fine-fine! We didn�t fight anybody and there wasn�t anyone around to chase us or anything.�

Burke wanted to slap herself in the face with one leg.

�That�s not the point, though. Just try and be more careful, please?� she begged. �We don�t want to ruin things in this important moment for the Colony, do we? There�s a lot going on right now, and a ton of things are getting fixed up above us, it�s just going to take a bit more time, time we can�t afford to lose dealing with extra hostilities from extra adversaries!�

Vibrant nodded and reached up to pat her on the back.

�Of course. Don�t worry, Burke, I�ll be sure to take care of things here for you.�

�You�re the one I�m worried about!�

�Ha-ha!� Vibrant laughed. �I�m sorry, I just find it a little hard to focus on these sorts of warnings sometimes.�

�Why�s that?�

�I kind of figure the Eldest would have ruined everything and gotten in trouble by now, so I don�t have to worry about it.�

�Just what do you think about th�Huh� you might have a point, actually.�

The scout leader was forced to reflect on all the times the Eldest had thrown the Colony headfirst into conflict without affording them the time to properly prepare. In a way, the accelerated timeframe for invading the third stratum had come about because the Eldest pushed downward, and though it wasn�t their fault, the Colony always wanted to follow where their oldest member went.

�Right? But don�t worry, I�ll do better!� Vibrant thumped herself on the front of her thorax with a leg. �What do you need scouted in this area? We can get it done in a flash-flash!�

�I�ll bet you can�t,� Burke muttered.

The scouts were certainly fast, amongst the fastest ants in all the castes, but speed wasn�t their only concern. They also needed to be stealthy, with keen senses and heightened detection abilities to find what others wanted to keep hidden and locate enemies before they were close enough to harm them. All of those things took a significant chunk of evolutionary energy, more than were dedicated to sheer physical prowess. Whereas Vibrant, and by extension her entire group, poured the bulk of their potential into covering ground as fast as they could. Her mages weren�t as strong as regular mages in the Colony in terms of spell-slinging, but they were a hell of a lot more mobile. If all Burke needed them to do was put some eyeballs on the terrain, then Vibrant and her team would get the job done by far the fastest out of anyone in the Colony.

�Alright,� she sighed, �you can do it, but make sure you�re more careful this time. Until we know the Eldest has stuffed up the peace in some way, you don�t want to be the one the Council has to blame.�

�Roger!�

�Look here,� she leaned forward to sketch a few rough shapes in the gritty stone between them, �we�ve located three cities in these locations, but so far, we haven�t mapped the ground between them and we don�t know who has interests here, so we�ve been reluctant to get too close. If you can rush through there at top speed and keep an eye out for tunnel entrances and traffic between them, that would be great. So long as that goes fine and there isn�t a reaction, then you can push further out in this direction and meet up with my scouts who should be operating in the area.� She indicated a section to the right of the cities with a front leg. �Check in with them, and then, if you have the energy to spare, you can swing out to the west. Once you�ve gone five hundred kilometres out, you should come back; we aren�t intending to go further out than that at this time.�

Vibrant looked at the map carefully before her head snapped up, her eyes ablaze with energy that seemed to sear Burke�s eyes.

�OKAY-BYE-BYE! SEE-YOU-AGAIN-SOON!� A wave of pheromones smacked Burke in the face once more, and then a cloud of dust kicked up, as well as a heap of demon larvae who didn�t move out of the way fast enough, blocking her vision.

When the dust and demons cleared, Vibrant and her entire group were gone.

Burke settled back with a sigh.

�Peace and quiet,� she huffed to herself.

Leeroy was tired. Not just in a physical sense, because she was definitely drained from long days without rest and filled with hard labour, but more than that, she felt a weariness that echoed deep within her very soul. Not even the harsh words of the Eldest had been enough to shake this lethargy and sense of aimlessness from her and her fellow tier six sisters.

If only she�d been more careful and read the evolution description more carefully!

If only any of them had done that!

The fact she and her sisters were similarly bound to the same fate made it so much worse than if she were the only one, for she felt responsible, that she herself had led them down this path which inevitably led to this end. What�s more, the Eldest specifically banned her from informing her younger sisters, who even now were battling and struggling to evolve to reach this tier, to their disastrous fate.

All these issues combined to infect the aptly named �Immortals� with a dreary malaise that many of their number despaired of being able to cure. Complying with the orders of the Eldest, the highly evolved shock troops managed to rouse themselves enough to throw themselves into work, hauling stone, tearing down existing structures, and doing all the heavy lifting the build crews could throw at them for days on end, working without rest.

Leeroy finished dragging a huge chunk of stone to the base of the pillar on which Roklu stood and looked up at the mighty work the Colony was engaged in.

She wasn�t sure when, but the carvers had discovered a new type of stone, one immensely resistant to heat that also appeared to have a sort of regenerative property. With further exposure to the conditions in the third stratum, the builders had learned much, including how the scorching, ash-infused atmosphere degraded almost every material that it touched. The existing demon structures, however, appeared to be immune to this weathering damage.

This led to the discovery of the new mineral, followed by a frenzied mission to find and process the stone. In typical ant fashion, this was achieved quickly by applying thousands of highly motivated individuals to the task until not only was a significant deposit located, but mining and refining had taken place over just a few days. Now thousands of tons of material were in the process of being hauled across the plains to construct a massive ant hill, a construction the likes of which the third stratum may have never seen before.

Reaching from the ground all the way to the plate a kilometre above, this hill would become the base of operations for the Colony in this layer of the Dungeon, a massive fortress that would occupy many millions of cubic metres, rivalling the size of the main nest itself. At the moment, the carvers were busy preparing the foundation, and although progress was slow since the number of build teams on this level of the Dungeon had greatly diminished over the previous two weeks, already the scale of the project was coming into sight. The footprint of the hill to come was staggering, almost a kilometre square. It likely wouldn�t be finished for months, perhaps longer, even if the Colony decided to commit tens of thousands of workers to the project.

Despite the ambition and effort on display, Leeroy struggled to find the joy and pride that she knew should be there inside her carapace. Instead, there was a hollow sensation that had only grown since she lost her direction, her purpose in life. All of the Immortals around her felt the same.

�Leader,� one of her faithful lieutenants approached her from the side, �do you plan to rest soon?�

�You shouldn�t call me that anymore,� Leeroy said bitterly, �after what I�ve led you to. This eternal� life.�

�We each chose our species on our own, and we each made the same mistake. You can�t be blamed for that, leader.�

�We will still follow you anywhere,� another said, moving alongside the first speaker. �Where else would we even go?�

The emptiness of that last statement found an echo in all of them.

�No, I will continue to work until I collapse,� Leeroy told the others. �I have been told to make myself useful, and so I shall. The Eldest demanded I work, not that I rest, so I will.�

The others had gathered together now, and they shifted uneasily as her scent reached them.

�The Eldest commanded us to rest��

�It is the thing that we are meant to do��

�Are you certain, leader?�

A flicker of anger was roused inside Leeroy, and she turned to the Immortals.

�Are you afraid of the enforcers?� she demanded. �Even now? I have nothing to live for but life, there is no fear left in me. Besides, we are all tier six! There are hardly any who can match our strength inside the Colony, let alone amongst the enforcers!�

�Is that so?�

�Is that so?�

�Is that so?�

�Is that so?�

A hundred threads of scent reached them at once, brushing against their antennae on all sides before dancing away as if they had never been. The reaction amongst the Immortals was immediate, and they turned nervously to look around themselves. Only Leeroy remained undaunted.

�I have work to do,� she said and began to trudge back toward the quarry.

She�d not taken three steps before the voices returned.

�You have run out of fear��

�No longer afraid��

�It is respect that is lacking��

�Whose command do you ignore��

�This is not for the Colony��

�For the Colony��

Again, a hundred different scents wafted from a hundred directions, a dizzying and disorienting effect that unnerved them all. Even Leeroy now felt a flicker of emotion that she shoved away violently.

�Where are you?� she demanded of the empty air. �Come out and make yourselves known!�

�Demands��

�From us?�

�We are the loyal��

�You are the one who has failed��

�We demand of you��

�The Eldest commands��

�You do not obey��

[Eight hours is owed�]

[Eight for every day�]

[You have missed many�]

The scent seemed to come from everywhere, even from within her own mind. The Immortals were disturbed now, turning this way and that as they tried to identify the source of the words. They could see nothing; they were alone on the plains, the city still resting on its plate high above, and the same workers toiled not far away on the foundations of the hill. Yes, they were alone. And yet�

�Show yourself!� Leeroy demanded.

[Tier six�]

[You think you are above us?]

[Above the commands of the Eldest?]

[Foolish�]

[Foolish�]

[In the extreme�]

[We are here with you�]

[We are always here�]

[We have ALWAYS been here�]

[Look down.]

Each and every one of them looked down to see that their shadows had changed. No longer was there a flickering shade cast by the intermittent light on the ground. Instead, there was an endless void of darkness without end.

And inside the black, there was a face, an ant face, their own face. It stared back at them with maddened glee, their own eyes twisted into merciless, pitiless orbs filled with laughter.

�Get out of my head!� Leeroy grated. �You can�t take me!�

[We already did�]

Then it was gone. The plains. The builders. The foundations. All of it gone. All that remained was the darkness.

[You do not fear�]

[This we can change�]

[But first. Sleep�]

[Rest�]

[We will wake you when your time is due�]

Leeroy felt her mind begin to slip, begin to sink. She fought against it. Struggled to remain awake.

�Who are you?� she said.

[Nameless�]

�Nice work, Brilliant! You�re getting a lot quicker with that Shadow Magic.�

�I quite like it, to be honest. Watching Crinis jump through shadows has been an inspiration for me!�

�What�s it like to be able to perceive the shadow dimension?�

The smaller ant thinks for a long moment.

�Weird,� she says.

�Fair enough, I suppose. Trying to explain another dimension to a person who can�t see it would be quite the challenge, I imagine. How do you explain colours to a blind person?�

The little ant has been hard at work over the last week improving her Skills and showing her usual obsessive focus when it comes to getting into places she shouldn�t. After carefully studying Crinis and her method of slipping through shadows, she has taken it upon herself to master the same technique, drilling herself with Shadow Magic until it ranked up to Dark Magic.

According to her, being able to perceive the shadow dimension all around her is quite the benefit, since she can tell where it is strong and where it is weak, thus allowing her to more easily create �gates� from one shadow to another. I�ve had a few discussions with Crinis, and she believes she could benefit from something similar. During her next evolution, I�m sure she will explore the possibilities in great detail.

What it�s allowed the little ant to do is to employ a wide range of tactics that involve, for the most part, keeping herself hidden in a shadow whilst launching sneaky spells by poking her head out of the darkness.

Whilst it�s certainly powerful, there are many drawbacks. The mana cost is prohibitive and difficult to maintain. This goes doubly so since she can�t absorb nearly as much ambient mana whilst hiding in a shadow pocket, so even her impressive mana intake isn�t enough to sustain it for long. Also, since the bulk of her attention is focused on maintaining the shadow portals, her offensive output remains lacking, to say the least. She�s still working on bringing her Mind Magic up to the point where she can use mind constructs, and once she gets there, I�m sure her ability to multi-task all these spells will increase dramatically.

For our purposes, it has proven to be an excellent way for her to engage in our hunts and continue to develop her combat Skills, since she can remain very safe for the duration of a short fight.

All we need now is for the damn ka�armodo to get off our backs.

[Leave! This area is claimed by the people of the sand! Your kind has no place here!]

[Alright already! Sheesh.]

I have a careful look around the area in which our last fight just ended. It�s true that I kind of lost track of where we were headed as we chased a tier four demon around. He was a speedy bugger, but we managed to chase him down eventually. Even so, I didn�t think we ran into lizard land.

[Is it just me or are your borders shifting? I didn�t think this spot was claimed by you�]

[Whatever we say is ours, is ours,] the pugnacious reptile replies. [Now leave!]

Seriously, all the giant lizards I�ve run into down here have a serious attitude. I mean, if I was a giant several-hundred-years-old lizard with a bunch of slaves who waited on my every whim, I might develop a stunted personality too, but it gets grating after a while.

[We�re leaving, alright? We�re leaving!]

Yikes.

We turn around, but not without making sure we drag the Biomass with us. Even if it�s only a tier four, I refuse to leave the prize behind!

As we go, I watch the big lizard and its entourage from the back of my eyes, a little suspicious of their rapid appearance. We�ve been skirting the edges of their turf for days now, poking our noses where they probably don�t belong but always making sure to pull back before we cross any lines. Despite that fact, they always seem to be there waiting for us, ready to deliver an ultimatum and declare we need to vacate the premises with all haste.

I�m going to have to check in with the scouts, but I swear to Gandalf they are appearing farther and farther from their cities each time they show up. If things continue at this pace, then by the time another week has gone past, we�ll be standing under the shadow of Orpule getting told to shove off. Naturally, this behaviour has failed to penetrate my calm�

Who am I kidding! It�s aggravating in the extreme! These damn lizards are clearly provoking us. They dare to try and stomp on the Colony? I bite them on the ankles! I�ll tear down their cities and turn their hides into shoes for my non-existent feet!

Clearly, I�m getting frustrated.

I�ve managed to hold my temper and back away each time. It�s been incredible to bear witness to my own growth! No, it won�t be me who throws the Colony into a mess again, it�s someone else�s turn. This time, I�ll be able to swoop in at the last second and save the day, with a quip and a slightly condescending attitude, I�ll be able to look down on the others a bit as they all praise me for saving their carapaces.

Gwehehehehe.

Nothing is going to get in the way of my dreams, no matter how irritating these ka�armodo get, I won�t budge!

With all the Biomass I�ve managed to haul in over the last while, I probably have enough to mutate a reasonable number of things. I should probably check in on my Skills as well, since I haven�t done that for a while. I make a snap decision on the spot.

[Alright then, gang, we�re going to head down into the tunnels for a bit of hunting and then look for a quiet spot to bunker down. I�ve got plenty of Biomass to spend, so it�s probably time I went ahead and got it done.]

[What do you want to do after that, Master?] Crinis asks.

I consider.

[I wouldn�t mind sweeping about through the tunnels to see if we catch a trace of the worm one more time. Once that�s done, we should check in with the scouts to see if they�re having the same troubles as we are with pushy lizards. I�ll be interested to see if these issues are more widespread than just us.]

If it turns out they are, then we might be seeing a prelude to another war. The ka�armodo shouldn�t have any reason to be aggressive against us, unless perhaps they think they might be capable of cashing in on the massive fortune that the lives of my siblings represent. Why go hunting for cores when literally tens of thousands of them can be found right on your doorstep?

It doesn�t take long for us to secure a little hideaway, and I ask my companions to shield me whilst I trawl through the menus. My current haul of Biomass represents several weeks of hunting, and though I�ve shared the haul, the final total is still quite respectable, if I do say so myself.

Seven hundred and fifty-six, in total.

Not bad at all! Even if the first hundred was left over from my last mutation binge.

I�ll be able to buy quite a few things with this little stash, push a few more things toward the max. At the rate I�m going I�ll be maxed out on mutations a heck of a long time before I come close to reaching Level one hundred and sixty, but that�s nothing bad. I�d much rather be maxed out by the time I hit the level cap than have to hang around waiting and eating like I did last time.

Now, which of my lucky organs will it be!

My business district needs a fair bit of love, or I could take my brains all the way� I will absolutely upgrade my eyes, the old classic, the first body part I ever mutated. Just thinking back to how bad my eyes were when I�d first hatched� yuck. Absolutely made the right call there. Fighting monsters when almost blind is not exactly what I�d call a good time.

Okay then! Eyeballs it is!

Where was I at with those things� Sharpened Perimeter Eyes +25. So far, the upgrades I�ve taken have given me all around better vision, emphasising being able to have a better view in all directions, and I also took an upgrade to have certain areas of my sight be more in focus than others, letting me see straight ahead much more clearly, for example. I�ve noticed that having pockets of better vision is bringing back the human habit of turning to face things so I can see them better, whereas an ant generally doesn�t have to do that. I know for a fact that some of the castes have been leaning in this direction, though, mainly the carvers, with a few others as well. This mutation is simply the cheapest and easiest way for our compound eyes to provide a patch of super clear vision.

Which is handy to have. I�m not saying being able to see in every direction isn�t useful, it absolutely is! Just being able to see in all directions clearly is better.

With that thought in mind, I think I�ll just continue down the path I�m on and fuse here. Which is a hundred and forty Biomass down the gurgler. Now, what�s next?

Ah! The stomach! Obviously, this should have been a priority earlier, though I suppose I can be forgiven for prioritising things that were more combat-oriented. I�ve alternated between taking the penalty-reducing mutation and increasing my capacity to this point, and I should probably continue that trend. The balance between efficiently absorbing food and being able to take in a lot at once is a good combo, especially since monsters are getting larger as I evolve, generally speaking. I do wonder if I might eventually end up reforging the stomach into something else. I mean, will there be much of a need for this mutation down the line, when I�m tier eight or something? Maybe� Might have to talk to Granin about it.

Alright, bam, that�s done, another hundred and forty gone.

What�s next?

Ah! My musculature! I should really get onto that. In fact, I actually have an interesting decision to make on that front� I�ve made my muscles incredibly reactive, able to fire at full power with only an instant of warm up time, which obviously synergises exceptionally well with my nervous system and foresight antennae. Predict the future, react with hyper-speed, and have my muscles fire in the same moment; it�s been a winner that has helped me get into position to attack and defend perfectly, but the problem I keep running into is a lack of penetrating power.

The mana infusion mandibles gives me a huge amount of utility in terms of what I can do with each of the different mana types I can pump into the chompers, but it does mean that I haven�t used my mutations to increase the pure chompiness of my mandibles, making them sharper, stronger, or more damaging, aside from a couple of early choices when I picked up the savage option.

In order to compensate for that lack, I decided to do what the famous trap jaw ants did back on earth by introducing a locking mutation. It allows my muscles to coil like a spring before being unleashed, slamming my mandibles shut with increased force, increasing their ability to shear through bone and punch into tough armour.

It�s worked a treat, all things considered, and I think I want to emphasise that aspect of my current mutations going forward. So that�s another one forty tossed to the wind. Yeesh, these mutations are expensive�

Currently I�ve spent four hundred and twenty, so one more will put me up to five sixty, which will probably do me for now. I don�t mind the idea of keeping a little Biomass in reserve for emergency purposes; you never know when you might need a particular mutation to push you over the line.

Alright, next I think I�ll mutate my neural network. It�s been a mainstay of my defensive tactics and probably the only clever thing I�ve done in working out my mutations over the journey. Every choice I�ve made for this part of my body has been to increase response time, even allowing distributed decision making in my extremities. I have to fuse those just to keep the wagon rolling. More speed can�t be wrong when it comes to my nervous system.

In the end, I lock in the following choices:

Sharpened Perimeter Eyes +25 � Focal Compound Eyes +30

Vast Hungering Stomach +25 � Expanding Discerning Stomach +30

Lock Hyper-Twitch Musculature +25 � Coiling Hyper-Twitch Musculature +30

Coordinating Instant Transmission Sub-Neural Network +25 � Distributed Instantaneous Sub-Neural Network +30

Looks good. Lock it in!

�wait.

Dammit�

She awoke in darkness. The stone beneath her was cold and hard; she pulled her hand across the surface until it rested in front of her face, yet she couldn�t see it. She blinked, wondering if perhaps she had gone blind. She could still feel her eyes, feel the lids close over them, but there was just nothing there.

She was calm, though. There was another sense, the new one, that assured her she was safe, welcome, and that no harm would come to her. It was all around, suffused into the very air itself. She drew that feeling of peace into her lungs with every breath as it even soaked into her skin. It hadn�t been long since she awakened this ability, to �smell� with her mind. It had something to do with her new Class, she was sure of that.

As she moved with caution and slowly pushed herself off the ground, using her hands to feel around and above for obstacles as she sought to rise, she began to realise she wasn�t alone. Similar noises sounded out to her left and right, as others who must have awoken at the same time she did mimicked her actions without being able to see them. She was tempted to speak to them, but she didn�t. She felt it wouldn�t be right. This was a place of silence, and she could respect that.

Instead, she waited.

It was impossible to say how much time had passed in that place. There was no sight, no sound, nothing to mark the passing minutes. The stillness was so complete the girl could feel the beat of her own heart like a drum, so loud, it seemed as if everyone would be able to hear it.

Eventually a new presence made itself known. She wasn�t sure how she could tell, but she was certain this being had been with them in wherever they were from the beginning. She didn�t hear anyone enter in the time since she awoke. Then, the feeling returned. A scent, a thought, a feeling that unfurled into meaning inside her thoughts like a flower opening itself to the sun.

�You are all patient. That is good. Patience is required to do what we do.�

Silence descended once more as the scent hung in the air. The girl drew air deeply through her nose, trying to take in more of the message, but it made no difference; she didn�t perceive it with her nose, not really.

�For three of you to awaken this talent so young, it is a curious thing. Very unusual, as we understand these things. For each of you to reach out to us, even more unexpected.�

There were three of them, then. Still, each did not speak, remaining still, comforted by the feeling that permeated all around them. Then, slowly, the girl raised a hand.

�You may speak, child,� the scent was warm and patient.

She opened her mouth to speak and suddenly her throat was dry and rasping. She coughed lightly.

�Sorry,� she croaked. �I didn�t mean��

�It is fine. Take your time.�

She swallowed a few times before she felt confident speaking again.

�I�m not sure I remember reaching out to anyone� about� anything?� she frowned.

�You may not recall, but I assure you it is true. Perhaps you did not realise what it was that you were searching for, you may not have even realised you were searching, but I assure you that you were. We�ve had our eye on you three for some time, and you have been drawing closer to us every day that passes, whether you knew it or not. So, we have chosen to make ourselves known to you. Do not fear; there is no danger here. Whenever you like, we can have you returned to the town above in moments; you have but to say the word.�

Each of the three young humans shifted on their feet, but none spoke. After a respectful pause, the scent began to flow once more.

�I will introduce myself.�

Something shifted in the dark, the sound of many legs tapping on the ground.

�I am the nameless one, and this is the Sanctum of Sleep. You should feel honoured; you are the first of your kind to see it.�

The girl shifted her head as if to look around her, though she could not see.

�It�s very nice,� she said politely.

�Lovely,� said a girl to her left.

�Very impressive,� a boy to her right spoke up.

A brief silence.

�I know you cannot see it.�

�I didn�t want to be rude,� the girl said. Her mother had taught her better than that.

She felt the amusement of the ant, for it must be an ant. She had seen them so many times in town, though never too close. She�d been drawn to them for as long as she could remember. To be this close to them, perhaps to more than one! She began to tremble with excitement.

�What are your names, young ones?�

�Allison Brimsby,� the girl on the left said.

�Trean Potter,� said the boy.

�Emilia Cretherton,� she said.

�In this place, we have no names, though you are not one of us, yet. For now, you will keep these names, and we will see how far you will come. Should you follow all the way to the end, you will be the first non-ant members of our order.�

The girl raised her hand once more.

�Why do you want humans to join?� she asked.

She didn�t intend to be rude, she was merely curious. The ants had always appeared so powerful, so distant and alien. The idea that they might want her help seemed� wrong, impossible, and strange. There was silence as the ant considered her answer.

�It isn�t necessarily that we want other non-ants to join us, but we have no reason to refuse those who yearn to spread the discipline of the Great One. There are many among the humans who seek to follow in the ways of the Eldest, but who is there to help those who would go astray? Who is there to provide guidance? Here in the Colony, we are ever watchful, but up there? Amongst the humans? If there will be those who follow the ways of the Colony, then we too must have our counterparts, to ensure it is done with the proper� respect.�

Each of the three processed what they heard. Then the voice went on.

�There are civilisations above who are yet to hear of the Colony, but they too will soon have those who are swayed by our ways. The teachings of the Great One will cover this planet eventually, it is simply a matter of time. When that happens, you will be ready. You will bear our burden and carry on our task amongst your people.

�You will be: nameless.�

She never knew when they might come for her. She would fall asleep in her bed in the orphanage, alongside the other children who�d lost their families, and wake up somewhere else entirely. At first it was confusing, opening her eyes and finding herself still enveloped in perfect darkness, but she grew used to it. The nameless one would meet them when they awoke each time, welcome them back to the sanctum and initiate the next round of training.

The loss of sight was the first challenge that was posed to her and the others. Could they learn to move in the darkness as if it were the light? Were they able to adapt until this state of sightlessness was as comfortable and relaxed as the daylight? To achieve this, they needed to rely on their new senses, to follow the scent that the nameless one laid down for them, even if it was an indistinct wisp, masked by misdirecting and misleading trails.

�Our training for you will be difficult for both of us,� the nameless one told them. �We have never explored the different ways the System interacts with you as opposed to our kind. You cannot mutate, cannot evolve, but you have your own advantages. We will push those to their limits, and it will require patience, trial and error, and dedication. Remember, you can quit any time you like.�

The reminder that they were free to leave came often, and at the end of every session. That first night, they had to walk through a maze relying only on their strange new sense of smell. None of the children succeeded, wandering for hours between cold, stone walls. When the time ran out, the nameless one gathered them up and reminded them that they could quit if they so chose. None of the children took the ant up on the offer.

She didn�t remember drifting off, but she awoke back in her bed, somehow refreshed and rested. She went about her day as usual, and the next, and the next, never knowing where she would wake after falling asleep.

�Welcome back,� the nameless one greeted them the third time. �Let�s get back to it.�

Over the weeks, they sharpened their senses and their minds to the point where traversing the maze without sight was trivial. Their trust in the new sense was absolute, and it continued to level at a rapid pace. If the ant was pleased with their progress, she did not show it; she simply told them it would be harder next time. And it was, it always was. The next time they entered the sanctum, the maze was gone, replaced with a running track. They would only be allowed to move on when they were able to complete it in under a minute.

Determined to show how much she�d improved, Emilia took off as fast as she could, her concentration complete as she sought any hint of scent.

�Jump,� she perceived.

Then she fell in a hole.

�There are obstacles on the track,� the nameless one told them, �which will change every time you arrive here.�

In order to complete the course in the required time, the three had to sprint as fast as they could, ducking, jumping, swerving hazards they could not see, the scent warnings coming at only the last possible moment. She was grateful the ants managed to find a way to pad everything; otherwise, she would likely have knocked herself out a dozen times over the month it took them to master the course.

�Remember, if you do not wish to return, you have but to say so,� the ant reminded them at the end of each session.

None of the three replied.

The next time they awoke, they were upside down.

�Unlike we ants, you do not have Grip, nor do you have the claws which we use to hold fast to the stone,� the nameless lectured the three startled youths from her position hanging from the ceiling. �Nevertheless, we believe this training is a fundamental part of being one of us. You must be able to move where the other humans do not think you are able to move. You must be as silent and as still as the stone itself. They must never see you coming.�

Emilia�s forearms were burning after a minute, and her fingers locked after three. Without a sound, she dropped from the ceiling to land on a soft padded surface.

�Rest for five minutes, then climb back up,� she was told, so she did.

When they could cling to the stone for an hour without falling, they were deemed to have passed.

�If you were ants, it would be twenty-four hours, but I suppose this is sufficient,� the nameless one stated.

On and on it went. Every time a challenge was overcome, a new one was presented. Move without sound until they could run without making a whisper. Blend into your surroundings until it became impossible to tell them and the darkness apart. They played games where they had to find each other whilst remaining completely hidden from the others. Emilia asked the nameless one to play once. Only once.

�This is called the eightfold genuflection,� they were told. �It will be difficult to perform with only four limbs, but I believe we will be able to modify it so we can recognise it and you can still comfortably perform it.�

The ant contrived a series of moves that pushed the three humans to the brink of their flexibility, straining and contorting their limbs to their limits and beyond. Then they practiced for hours on end, for weeks, until the nameless one was satisfied.

�It will do,� she finally relented. �You will repeat this practice for an hour at the start of every session here. Now you will learn the hidden speech of the order. Again, it will be hard, your bodies are different from ours, but I believe we are clever enough between the four of us to make it work.�

It took a long time for them to master the signs, a whole new language of gestures and postures designed for a shape so much different than their own. The nameless one never allowed them to grow complacent as they practiced. They had to practice while running the ever-changing courses. They had to practice while hanging from the roof. They had to practice while hiding from the nameless one.

You have done well, the ant signed to them. I am proud of you.

The rare word of praise filled each of the three with a warmth they could not express. Emilia�s eyes welled up, but no sound did she make.

You have become as comfortable in the dark as you are in the light. Your Skills have improved, along with your Levels, and you have each proven you are dedicated to our ways. I ask you one final time: do you wish to end your training? Do you wish to never return to this place?

They did not speak, and the ant dipped her antennae in respect.

Then come and take your rest.

The ant walked from the chamber and the three human youths hesitated. They had never left this single chamber within the sanctum in all the nights they�d been there. Were they supposed to follow? The three looked to each other for support and finally summoned the courage to step forward. The tunnels were winding and long, yet they followed easily, their movements flowing, their limbs suffused with almost inhuman strength and agility.

Tunnels eventually gave way to corridors of carved stone, which changed to vaunted halls, which led to a grand temple. The ants were everywhere now, along the walls, the ceiling, alongside them on the ground. Even so, they were able to follow the nameless one without losing her in the crowd of nearly identical creatures. They could find her anywhere. The temple was strange, the floor carved into a giant circle divided into eight massive segments, each filled with ants at rest.

The nameless one led them outside the great circle until they and a host of ants stood just outside the segment, waiting. Soon, all the still figures on this section of floor began to stir, stretching, and then leaving from the outer edge of the circle. Once the segment was empty, they began to shuffle forward as an ant signed to each member as they passed. Eventually, the three children reached the front, and the figure turned to them.

Good work, nameless ones. Please take your deserved rest, as the Eldest intended, she signed.

The three children choked up instantly, though they did not know why. Emilia couldn�t say which was the first to sob, perhaps Allison, or Trean, or even herself, but once they did, all three began to openly cry, their wailing the first sound to ever be heard within the heart of the Sanctum. As they wept, the ants continued to march onto the segment, and as they did, each of them stopped to embrace the three, a leg thrown around them to press their shaking bodies against hard carapace, an antenna reaching down to gently pat their heads. After a time, the nameless one gathered them and led them onto the circle where they found three soft, comfortable beds had been erected for them.

Sleep, nameless ones. You are one of us now, and we will never abandon you.

Exhausted and drained, the three folded themselves into the warm blankets and fluffy pillows they�d been given and slept more deeply and rested more thoroughly than they ever had before.

Emilia awoke in the orphanage, a soft smile on her lips and gladness suffusing her soul. She rolled out of bed and began to perform her regular morning chores, assisting the little ones to prepare themselves for the day while Maria prepared breakfast downstairs. When she arrived at the table, Maria took her to one side.

�Is everything alright, Emilia?� the old woman asked. �I know you�ve been busy with your new apprenticeship and all, but you just seem so much more quiet than you used to. I hardly hear you make a sound these days.�

Emilia looked up into the familiar face of their caretaker and noticed something.

�You look tired, Maria,� she said, reaching out with one hand to touch her on the arm. �Are you getting proper sleep?�

No matter how much he did, there was always more to do, Beyn lamented as he faced down a desk full of paperwork. Whoever managed to start creating paper in Renewal was both a blessing and a curse in the priest�s opinion. It was so much easier to organise things now, but the sheer number of documents he had to deal with was almost dizzying. Or perhaps that was just the mana deprivation�

The priest raised a hand to his temple and squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the moment to pass. Immediately, an aide was at his elbow.

�Are you alright, head priest?� he asked.

�It is nothing.� Beyn waved him away. �I simply need to return to the Dungeon. I am not currently acclimated to the surface, and it is taking a toll on me.�

�Perhaps you should rest,� his aide encouraged him. �You�ve been working for days now.�

Beyn frowned.

�I have little choice. The work must get done, and I have to do it before I return below ground. I wish it were otherwise, but these projects require my attention, and they shall have it.�

His brothers and sisters in the faith had expanded to the point where they had become a church in the truest sense of the word. The faithful flocked to the cathedral to hear their words, the ranks of the antspeakers grew every day, and the donations the people provided, despite being asked not to, had to be diverted to worthy causes. The orphanage needed more funding and the cathedral would provide. So many poor children were left without families after the disaster that it broke Beyn�s heart.

When the Colony learned that these children were without family, food had begun to arrive on the orphanage doorstep within the hour, grown fresh in the fields below. Diplomant had been openly confused at the concept. Although the ants intellectually understood that every human was not part of the same family, it still didn�t make sense to them on a fundamental level. Since all the people of Renewal lived together in harmony, then they were one Colony, surely? And if they were one Colony, then they were family. That is only right!

Just another way in which they teach us, Beyn thought.

Still, the forms in front of him had to be dealt with. The next one came to his hand, and he forced his tired eyes to focus.

�Mission to the farming communities,� he read aloud before diving into the document.

More and more smaller villages were being established across the former territory of Liria and even extending into the border kingdoms. The ants had even expanded to the site of the former capital and established a mighty hill there, sweeping aside the rubble and destruction Garralosh left behind in a matter of weeks. Wherever the ants went, the people were sure to follow, and a small community had left to establish a new steading there, unafraid of the Dungeon entrance that the Colony now guarded.

This was wonderful, of course. As the people spread, so too did the new way, which lifted his heart and nourished his soul. Yet these far-flung communities were no longer able to attend the cathedral, could no longer be nourished by the teachings of the Colony, which was a tragedy. He skimmed the proposal. Sister Yowyn had gathered a team of ten who were willing to go on a two-month mission to the villages, preaching and assisting the people in whatever way they could.

Beyn brushed a tear from his eye. Truly, wherever there was a need, his brothers and sisters would step forward without hesitation. Their hearts were so pure they shone like mirror glass. This endeavour must be approved. Things would grow more difficult for them here in Renewal and within the Dungeon beneath with ten of their number away, but they would rally together as they always did. The work would get done.

One matter dealt with, another followed as Beyn drew the next paper from the stack and began to read. He worked long into the night, long after his aide had left and the town had grown quiet. A solitary lamp was the only source of light in the office in which he worked at the rear of the cathedral. Distantly, he could hear the hum and mutter of the few souls still within the nave offering their devotions to the Colony, but no other sound reached his ears as he continued to work.

�You are diligent.�

�There is just too much to do,� Beyn replied absentmindedly, passing another paper to the side as he reached for the next.

�We did not expect that you would need to be reminded of your path so soon.�

The priest frowned as he continued to read.

�I tread the path as carefully as I can,� he muttered. �I strive to be an example to all.�

�You are an example to all. That is why we have come.�

The light flickered, and Beyn�s eye twitched, jolting his mind from his work-induced stupor.

�Who is talking?� he asked as he put the page down, looking around the sparse office, seeing nobody. �Diplomant? Is that you?�

No, she�d remained below ground when he came here. She had matters to attend to in Rylleh, something to do with trade� and coffee? He couldn�t remember.

He felt so tired.

�Where are you?� he called again. �I�m afraid I cannot see.�

He froze. Had he heard that voice?

Have you come from the Colony? He used his new method of communication, turning mana into pheromones to speak as the ants did. I bid you welcome.

You have sought to live as the Colony lives. But you do not.

How can you?

The Great One has demanded that all seek rest.

Yet they do not always do so.

There are those who enforce amongst the Colony.

Those who seek to ensure the word is followed.

The others rest because they know it is right. But also�

They fear.

You do not fear.

How can you?

You have lived without the consequence of transgression.

Did you think it would last forever?

Did you believe they would abandon you?

They would never.

Wisps of scent so faint, so ephemeral that he could barely perceive their edge drifted across the outskirts of his mind such that, only if he reached for them could he hope to grasp the meaning.

�I don�t understand,� he said aloud.

You will.

The priest brought his hands up to rub his eyes. His eyelids felt so heavy all of a sudden. Was he really this tired? His thoughts moved sluggishly as he tried to grasp what was happening. He glanced at the table. What happened to his papers? He shifted his gaze to the lamp. Was it burning less brightly? Yes, he believed it was. In fact, the light grew dimmer, and dimmer, and dimmer still, until the flickering light barely reached the glass that contained it.

As the light faded, so too had the sound. No longer could he hear the murmur of the faithful through the door, or the whispers of his brothers and sisters in faith as they tended to the flock. He strained his ears, but he could hear nothing at all�

�I don�t understand�� he said again, a tinge of fear in his voice.

You will.

There was a hand. The light was gone. Consciousness faded.

Eight hours later, Beyn awoke in a comfortable bed with plush cushions and a stuffed toy tucked under his arm. As he sat up, he realised the pain he�d been experiencing in his hip was gone, and his hair had been cut and brushed. He�d heard of the torpor police, of course, even seen the signs of their passing a few times, and he knew they were not to be spoken of. Now the Colony had ensured the humans would receive the same treatment, to ensure they did not stray from the will of the Great One.

�They truly care for us as their own,� he choked out, overcome with emotion.

When he had mastered himself, he turned to study the space he was now in a little more carefully. A row of beds, each with the same lush furnishings. A rich carpet covered the stone floor. They must be underground, he surmised. He turned to look the other way.

�Don�t say a damn thing,� Enid grumbled as she sat in her bed holding a steaming cup of tea.

Hunting has gotten harder out here on the plains as the ka�armodo continue to push into our territory. I�m gradually seeing more and more of the lizards, each with their own attendants, roaming over the plains, watching the borders and confronting every ant, although it�s mostly me, who gets anywhere near them.

MY RAGE CONTINUES TO BUILD!

But I�m managing to contain it, for now. To be honest, I�m impressed at myself; I really thought I would have cracked by now. But no! I hold strong in the face of this cold-blooded provocation. Keen to see if we can find any trace of the traitor, I lead my little group in a crisscross pattern over the plains and down into the tunnels, seeking any sign of the slithering sneak. Sadly, it�s all to no avail. That damn worm is a freakin� expert when it comes to hiding and sliding out of the way. I was almost ready to give up hope when we had something of a breakthrough.

�I think I sense something,� Brilliant says.

We�re currently snooping about in the tunnels beneath the plains, hoping to avoid the patrolling ka�armodo and get our noses a little deeper into their territory. The heat is as oppressive as always, but thanks to our efforts, the tunnels are less populated than they were in the past.

�What have you got?� I ask.

�It�s not easy to describe�� she mutters as her antennae swivel through the air and she shifts her body from side to side. �I feel like it keeps trying to slip from my grasp, which is weird, I should be able to see it clearly.�

�What are you talking about?�

�It�s like a dimensional space, or tunnel, or something. It�s over our heads right now, I think, it keeps shifting. I feel like there�s an area of space that�s been� compressed in some way. What�s odd is that I�m sensing Earth Mana more strongly than anything else from it.�

�Could it be something that Jim has left behind?� I ask, my hopes rising.

�Maybe,� she replies, still staring at the ceiling overhead. �I�m going to head up there and dig.�

[Let�s block off this area. Keep an eye out, everyone.]

My companions move to watch the angles of approach from all sides as I lift my head to watch the little ant climb the wall so she can start poking and prodding at the ceiling with her mandibles. After a few moments, I sigh and climb up the wall myself. It�s a strain on my legs, but I need to keep practicing my Grip Skill. If my ability to walk on the walls gets any worse, then I may as well retire as an ant.

My legs and claws straining, I climb up alongside Brilliant and start shearing away the stone with my mandibles.

�Somewhere in here?� I ask.

�Yes. A bit to the left. That�s it! Keep going, but not too quick.�

Following the shifting directions, I keep digging away at the stone until finally I notice a change in the response through my mandibles.

�I think this is it,� I say, and with one more chomp, I feel something shift in the stone before me.

�That cracked it!� Brilliant declares excitedly, and before my eyes, climbs up into the stone.

�How in the heck��

�Here, poke your head in!�

A little confused, I force my head up into the stone and a strange, warping sensation ripples over my eyes, and all of a sudden, I find myself in a narrow tunnel, barely large enough to fit my head. Too small for a monster of my size, the opening in the stone vanishes into the darkness in either direction. Something thin, yet long made this tunnel.

�It�s the worm!� I declare vehemently.

�There�s a warping technique at play here,� Brilliant mutters, scratching at the tunnel wall. �It�s like the space is condensed along with the earth. That might explain how he managed to be so quick.�

�Dammit.�

That would explain a lot. I thought it was odd he�d managed to move fast enough to escape us.

�Wait, what�s that?� the smaller ant asks as she leans in and pokes something with one antenna.

I take a look and then immediately recoil.

�Get away from that!� I tell her.

�What, why?� she asks, confused. �I�m sensing really weird mana from it.�

�Get away from it. Now!� I order.

A little miffed, the smaller ant turns away from the anomaly and crawls out of the worm tunnel, though I worry it�s already too late. I�m pretty sure I�ve seen a root like that before. It might be smaller than the last one, but I have a sneaking suspicion it might belong to a particular grudge-bearing Mother Tree.

Just what we needed.

�There�s something really strange about those things,� Brilliant said.

�No kidding?� I reply sarcastically. �I would never have thought that on my own, watching this damn garden of terror explode over the plains.�

�That�s not what I mean.� The much smaller ant waves my complaint aside. �I�m talking dimensionally. Also, the Dungeon sense I have is going wild. It�s as if a giant monster was just appearing out of nowhere in front of me. It�s crazy.�

�How big of a monster?� I ask, curious.

�Huge. It�s like the entire garden in front of us is one monster. What�s more, it isn�t even growing through the ground, not really.�

I look at the vegetation bursting through the black rock of the third stratum with vigorous energy as if it were a timelapse instead of real time.

�If it�s not coming from the ground, then where in the heck is it coming from?�

The little ant stares ahead, using all of her prodigious sensing abilities.

�There�s something odd about the way it moves through space, similar to how the worm tunnel felt. There�s a compression? Or a dilation? I�m not really sure.�

�Dilation? Since when do we even have pheromones for that word? You�re saying it might not even be possible to trace the roots back to the tree? That they�re detached somehow?�

�I can�t be sure. All I can tell from here is that it�s weird.�

It�s a bizarre sight, seeing an isolated little forest grow inside the demon layer, even more so than the second stratum. I mean, here we are, surrounded by fire and ash, and here is this blooming patch of greenery, replete with flowers and trees springing forth for no apparent reason. How does she even do this madness, that tree? What sort of tier do you have to get as a plant to be able to do something like this? How the heck did she even survive long enough to be able to do this?!

I�m looking forward to the day when I track down her main body and get to have a chat.

�If she doesn�t squish me first.

It takes a whole day for the garden to finish forming, and when it�s all said and done, a massive root, the same as I had run into before, has formed in the centre of a lush kilometre square green space. Another interesting thing I notice is the way the demon larvae ignore the place. As their rolling melee goes on, they scrupulously avoid falling into or even going near a single leaf. Even more telling, they don�t even spawn in there. Every inch of ground the garden covers is now a demon-free zone. It�s unnerving.

�What do you think?� I ask Brilliant. �Still feel like it�s a monster in front of you?�

She nods.

�Yes. A truly massive one. The amount of mana is insane.�

I can feel myself slump at the news. Just how high a tier is the damn tree? I�d hoped that maybe she was two in front of me, perhaps? Now it seems highly unlikely. I�m already tier six, dammit! How long am I going to feel weak in this damn Dungeon?

As boring and depressing as it�s been watching the Mother Tree manifest here in our turf, I can tell it�s going to take a little more time before we find out why. I don�t know how she spits out the Grove Keepers or bruan�chii, but I�m guessing the process isn�t instantaneous, which means we�ll have to wait. Perhaps I can see the process unfold?

I try to take a step forward into the garden, and I swear the plants hiss at me, the flowers and vines rattling with menace before I can put down a single leg.

�Alright! Chill! I�m backing away��

I have no clue if she can understand pheromones, but she clearly responds to my retreat, the greenery relaxing back into a gentle sway as if nothing ever happened.

[Master, I find this plant to be disturbing.]

[I have to agree, Crinis. I think she�s nuts.]

[Nuts?]

[Crazy in the coconut,] I confirm, unaware of the confused blob attached to my carapace. [I get the feeling she�s been in the Dungeon for a long old time, hundreds of years maybe. That�s enough time to drive even the most kind-hearted flower insane.]

[What should we do?]

[Wait and see what she wants, I guess? What else can we do? I�m not exactly going to try and blow up the garden, am I? As far as the Colony is concerned, the Mother Tree and the branchies are a potential ally.]

[What do you think they are going to do?]

[They?]

[Look.]

I single tendril extends from my back, pointing, and I focus my eyes on something I�d really rather not see. A ka�armodo, along with its attendants, is standing atop an outcropping looking down on the garden with an unfriendly gleam in those reptile eyes. Ah, this is going to be trouble.

[We should head over there and see what they want,] I sigh to the others.

Please let this not turn into a fight. I�ve been so good! I have no doubt the Council has been putting bets on who is going to break the peace first, and I seriously don�t want to lose! Just once!

We run around the plants since we apparently aren�t good enough to go through it and arrive at the base of the rock on which the giant lizard is currently sunning itself. True to form, the arrogant beast ignores us as it continues to stare down on the Mother Tree�s work, its long tongue flicking in and out.

[Hello up there!] I call once a bridge is established. [Mind letting us know what you might be up to on this fine day? Since we�re in the territory of the Colony and all.]

Gotta play it cool. Don�t blow the peace! Despite my best intentions however, the damned scaly bum doesn�t reply.

[Ah, hello? Are you unable to hear me? That doesn�t make sense, I�m speaking directly into your mind� Is your mind too weak? Surely not. I mean, you�re a centuries-old ka�armodo, no? Do you not speak my language? But the language is thought� Are you incapable of thought? How can we communicate?]

[Your insolence is boundless!] a voice erupts in my mind.

[Hey! Whoa! How is it my fault if you won�t reply?]

[Not only do you trespass in our land, you are conspiring with our enemies. Such faithless monsters. We should have exterminated you when we had the chance.]

[Wait? What! First of all. YOUR land? I suspect that you�ll find we are most definitely in the lands of the Colony this time, friend. Just because your borders appear to be shifting, amorphous things, doesn�t mean we can�t keep track of our own scent trails, and second. What enemies? There�s nobody here but us!]

[Then how do you explain the presence of the tree?] the ka�armodo hisses at us, lifting one claw to point at the luscious growth behind us.

I wave my antennae in agitation.

[You have beef with the tree? What do you mean?! And how in the heck are we conspiring with the plant, she can�t even talk?!]

[Enough of your babble,] the ka�armodo peels back its lips to reveal dripping, knife-like teeth. [I have summoned my people. We will burn out our enemy and then deal with your infestation after.]

[Well, pants.]

I break the connection irritably and turn so I can sprint back to the garden, urging my friends to follow behind.

�What�s going on, senior?� Brilliant asks, confused. �What did he have to say?�

�Looks like the lizards are in conflict with the tree and think we�re working together to mess with them in some way. Seems like they want to get aggressive.�

�What does that mean?�

�Looks like we might be heading into another war.�

Brilliant recoils, pauses, then asks,

�So why do you look so happy, senior?�

I clack my mandibles with glee.

�The stupid tree is at fault here. I wasn�t the one who broke the peace!�

��Does that really matter?�

�It matters to me!�

I have been in many a dangerous or difficult scenario, my dear readers, as well you know! It has been my joy over my forty-year career to bring you my tales of adventure and insights into the many wonders of Pangera has to offer, and we have shared some incredible times. The blood falls of the hidden city of Paranah. The lost rhino tribes of the Folk! The crystal labyrinth within the mountain Ultima!

Despite these grand undertakings, I have to admit that the simple act of sitting down for a cup of tea and biscuits was enough to get my old heart pounding. Almost a shameful occurrence, my dear readers, and I have to admit I did smile at the irony of the situation. In my defence, this was no ordinary cup of tea!

For starters, the depth of flavour and maturity of the leaves were a cut above even what I had experienced before. My new companion enjoyed only the finest that the Colony had to offer, and I have to say, though this may shock many a reader within the Sun City, that the taste was quite equal to the famed �Singing Hills� tea enjoyed around the globe in high society.

A shocking claim, I know! Nevertheless, my buds will not allow me to lie!

�This truly is remarkable tea,� I gushed to my host. �The Colony has mastered the art of tea brewing to a higher extent than many will think possible.�

Emilia politely translated for me and the giant Queen before me bowed her majestic head in acknowledgement of the compliment. When I sat down, I was informed by my guide that it was quite unusual to be granted an audience with a Queen, though not many asked for one. The people of Renewal left the Queens to their business out of respect, and few others were brave enough to sit with them. I was informed this was but one of eight Queens who occupied the nest within Anthome, and she was happy to meet with me given that she had completed her duties for the day.

�What originally began as a desire to ensure their guests were well cared for grew into something of an obsession within certain sections of the Colony,� Emilia passed the reply back to me. �These ants have dedicated themselves to providing perfect comfort to any who stay within our nests. They have mastered many skills in this pursuit �weaving, pottery, crochet, baking, farming. There are vast fields within the Dungeon where ants tend to crops of wheat, rice, and other surface staples, seeking to grow only the best.�

I looked around the room we found ourselves in and the lush, even decadent furnishings that wouldn�t embarrass even the finest of apartments. Dark wood tables and shelving gleamed with a mirror shine that accentuated the grain in the wood, the rug beneath our feet was a masterpiece of the art, intricate patterns so fine they seemed to fold in on themselves to an infinite degree, even the cups we were using were expertly formed, with delicate paintings evoking a mood of freshness and warmth.

�I take it all of this was made by the Colony, then?� I asked.

�Indeed,� the Queen replied. �Our children often seek to lavish the best that they can provide us, though we often ask them not to.�

�Oh, indeed?� I was surprised to hear this. �I must apologise, for I do not know how a queen would normally be treated inside a colony, but I would have presumed you would be happy to be venerated. Are you not critical to the future of the Colony?�

The Queen with whom I spoke had introduced herself as Elizabant, and she was a magnificent creature. Easily four metres tall and more than double that in length, she towered over me and the table we sat at to a ludicrous degree. The lustre of her carapace was remarkable, and she positively gleamed, a picture of perfect health, no doubt due to the constant ministrations of her children. Despite her size, she proved to be a delicate and gentle creature, her movements dignified and deliberate as we sipped our drinks and ate our cakes together.

�We are indeed important to the family, it is true. Our children pamper us and are loath to allow any risk to befall us.�

Which is certainly true. My faithful guards were not allowed into the room, nor was I permitted to form a mind bridge directly to the Queen herself. To even approach the outside of this room, I had been searched thrice, and if there was one ant less than a thousand on guard, then I�m more blind than my poor dog Phillipe.

�Yet we do not view ourselves as above any other member of the family. Each of us has a role to play, and without every member of the Colony working together, we could not have achieved what we have done.�

�Isn�t it true that there is one ant who is held in a somewhat higher regard?� I asked shrewdly. �The Eldest? Is this individual considered� above?�

The Queen waved her antennae gently as she considered the question.

�Yes, and no,� she told me. �The Eldest was the first of us, was the one who made us what we are. We all seek to contribute to the success of the Colony, and there are none who can hope to contribute more than the Eldest, so in that sense, there is reverence and respect. If you were to ask which ant carried the most authority within our family, it would be them.�

�Is it possible to meet them?� My heart burned for this exclusive interview, my dear readers, burned! �I would love to have a chance to write down the thoughts of such an august ant and share them with my readers.�

The Queen seemed a little taken aback by my request, and Emilia leaned over and placed a hand on my arm.

�You have to understand, Miss Tolly, that they are very protective of the Eldest. If you thought it was difficult to meat Elizabant, this is nothing compared to how difficult it would be to contact the Eldest. At the moment, they are very deep in the Dungeon and cannot possibly survive here in the first stratum. We could use the gates to move deeper within the territory of the Colony, but it would be almost impossible for you to come face to face with the Eldest.�

Almost impossible?

�So, you�re saying there�s a chance?� I smiled.

You know me, readers! I hate hearing the word �no�!

�Are you sure you aren�t responsible, Eldest?�

�What are you talking about, Sloan? I�ve been the soul of caution out here. All of this can be blamed on the plant. How are we supposed to know that the ka�armodo and the bruan�chii are having some sort of dust up?�

The general flicks her antennae in irritation.

�We�d heard that there might be something of the sort going on, but we never expected it would matter to us. Even though the ka�armodo sand empire is close to the former border kingdoms, we haven�t done anything to provoke them, so we never expected them to act so aggressively toward us.�

�Seriously though, what�s the issue between the tree and the lizards? What could they possibly be fighting over?� I ask.

�From what we�ve been able to gather, it has something to do with resources and land in the fourth stratum�

I stare.

�How in the name of heck are you able to figure that out? We haven�t been anywhere near the fourth stratum!�

�We have our sources, Eldest.�

I eye the smaller ant.

�You want to act all mysterious now? Fine. So what�s the plan?�

�The Colony is still restructuring and expanding above, so we want to avoid a major conflict if at all possible. We need to defend the garden until the Grove Keeper has arrived so we can learn why the Mother Tree has chosen to reveal herself to us at this time.�

�That makes sense. I�d love to know what�s going on inside her head. How many are we up against?�

�As far as we�ve been able to learn, there aren�t actually that many ka�armodo in the nearby demon cities, though they have a functioning portal in each one.�

�Meaning, we don�t expect that many to come, but it could possibly be a heap?�

�Right.�

�Darn. How many are we bringing?�

�Ten thousand.�

Oof. That�s a lot. Most of them are going to be tier four, with a good chunk of tier five mixed in, but that�s still a heck of a lot of monsters.

�When are they going to arrive?� I ask.

�They should be here in the next ten minutes. I left with them and rushed ahead to get here first. There are already scouts roaming ahead to find the approaching force. Things will come to a head here within the hour.�

Quicker than I expected. Nice to see everyone is so organised, I suppose.

�All right then, I�ll go and take a sticky-beak at what�s happening.�

�Eldest��

�I�m not going to fight anyone! Yeesh. Have a little faith, would you?�

The doubting� it�s almost enough to hurt my feelings, honestly. I bid farewell to the general and scuttle down the side of the rock we were standing on to rejoin my companions below. It�s barely been an hour since the garden grew, and already we�re in this mess. I have to thank the tree for her help the last time, but on this occasion, she�s thrown my family in the deep end, and insects can�t swim.

Although, ants in the Amazon are known to form living rafts and float along the flood waters, their entire colony clinging together, with their queen in the centre of the mass, in order to survive. We might have to do that, I suppose. Although, I think I�m far too heavy for the surface tension of the water to support my weight� Perhaps Pangera has particularly dense water?

[What do you think, Crinis? Do you think we�re strong enough to take on an army of ka�armodo and their attendants?]

[We are much stronger than we were the first time we faced one, master. I believe you can keep us safe.]

[Come on, Crinis, you�re just as strong as I am. How about we keep each other safe?]

[V-very well� Master.]

[How about you, Al? Do you feel like joining in on this one? And please don�t appear in midair on me, my heart can only take so much.]

After a short pause I hear the demon�s thoughts echo across the bridge.

[I will not,] he says. [I do not seek to make enemies of the ka�armodo. It is not my fight.]

[More than fair,] I admit. [Well, I suppose you�ll be hanging around anyway, just make sure you keep your distance. Things are likely to get hairy.]

Which reminds me.

�Protectant and company. Make sure you keep your wits about you. Pitched battles are a difficult place to be on bodyguard duty, so don�t overdo it.�

I don�t get a reply, but I know they�re listening.

I wonder if Sarah is going to come out for this one. Probably not, considering her reaction to being contacted by Jim. I�m sure she doesn�t want to risk being contacted by him again. So long as she stays up in the city back in Orpule, then I don�t see any way that he could get up there and bother her. I wouldn�t put it past him to try, though�

The dude has an unhealthy obsession, to say the least. Shouldn�t matter in the long run, since he�ll soon pay for his crimes. In the meantime, I better do my part to protect this stupid garden so we can find out what the damn tree wants. Looking into the distance, I can still see the big lizard and four setsulah attendants standing atop the outcropping. With a sigh, I decide I may as well head over and attempt a diplomatic resolution.

Let me just say going into it that I don�t expect it to succeed. In fact, I kind of feel like it�ll end up with the ka�armodo attacking me. Don�t ask me why, but I get the impression that no matter how hard I try to be accommodating, the parties I try to negotiate with always seem to end up in a rage. I can only assume that people on Pangera have short tempers or something, since I have been the soul of courtesy from the beginning.

I snap a bridge into place as we draw closer and try to sound as cheerful as possible with my smooth opening line.

[Getting any sun up on that rock?] I say, waving my antennae in a cheerful wave.

No reply, but I definitely feel a simmering anger across the bridge. Already? What did I even say?!

[Look,] I try a different approach and assume a more serious tone, [I�m sure you don�t want any of your brethren to suffer, or Gandalf forbid, die for the sake of pruning a stupid weed. Why not just let this one slide, eh? What�s the harm?]

The giant lizard shifts slightly on the rock, and I can feel the irritation bubbling away under the calm, near-motionless exterior. Something flickers between the attendants, and I feel one of them connect to our bridge.

[The lord no longer wishes to address you, insect,] I am curtly told.

Immediately, I feel them attempt to cut the bridge, but I hold onto it, rebuffing their initial attempts.

[You probably don�t think we�re strong enough to fight you, which is totally fine. Ants, right? First stratum monsters and all that. I get it. I just want to warn you that this might not go how you think it�s going to go. You turn up here with a hundred, we�re going to bring more. You turn up here with a thousand, we are going to bring more. And if you think we aren�t able to hurt you� well, I guess you�ll find out, won�t you?]

Having said my bit, I allow the bridge to be cut, then turn so I can walk away, though I do in fact wander past the outcropping so I can catch a glimpse of the lizards who are on their way. Right now, I can�t see them, but it won�t be long until they get here, and then we get to throw down in a big battle again. Finally!

�I mean. No. Bad.

Rassan�tep opened his eyes slowly. The warmth on his scales spread in waves and penetrated deep into his muscles, which nearly drove him back into rest, but the patient, still mind of his attendant helped focus his thoughts.

[What is it, Ammon�sil?]

[You have been asked to accompany an expedition, Old One.]

The great lizard blinked once, which was enough to cause his servant to prostrate himself immediately.

[I protested strongly against disturbing your rest, Old One, but the winds blew against me. The Mahaan has asked this of you personally.]

The words were digested as all things should be, with patience, as Ammon�sil remained pressed to the floor.

[There is no fault with you,] Rassan�tep said as he roused himself, shifting his legs to free them from the heated sand in which he�d rested. [We must all serve the will of the Mahaan. Even if she is a young thing barely free from her egg.]

[I would not dare to say that she is unworthy to scrub your scales, Old One,] his setsulah replied from the ground.

[Rise now,] the ka�armodo commanded. [If we have been ordered to assist, then assist we shall. Gather the others and prepare my war garment. The sand bath can wait until our people have been served.]

Only now that he had been commanded did Ammon�sil rise and move out the door, his steps smooth and languid despite his speed. As he awaited his attendants, the Old One took deep, slow breaths, his tongue flicking at the air as he gradually returned himself to wakefulness. By the time the setsulah returned, he�d extracted himself fully from his bath and the six bonded servants stepped forward.

Already rasped clean by the sand, his scales were polished and oiled before the ceremonial tapestries were laid over his back and neck. Next came the rings of gleaming gold around his legs along with the heavy, enchanted gorget that clasped around his neck. Bedecked in the finery that was deserved of a ka�armodo in its second century, the Old One held his forearms close to his body as his servants did their work. Once all was ready, the six bowed low before he lowered himself to allow them onto his back. Only then did he step forward, exiting his temporary abode and entering the chaotic city of Bintran.

When he had made his way through the streets, he found a gathering of his kind on the outskirts, the Mahaan herself in attendance. Rassan�tep approached, his arms clasped in front of him, before he roused the mana and connected himself to the bridge.

[Nice of you to join us, Old One,] the Mahaan said, eyeing him coldly.

He shifted his hands slightly, a pointed reminder that she was yet to grow the limbs as she had not reached her second century of life. Truly, the Great Desert did not value this place if one so young had been placed in such a position of responsibility.

[Perhaps it is simply my age,] he replied and said no more, closing his eyes and resting, though he could feel his setsulah bristling on his back.

[Peace,] he said to them alone, and they gradually relaxed once more.

[There has been a sighting of the Mother Tree nearby, within the territory claimed by the ant colony that has recently appeared around Orpule. Naturally, we must seek to stymie the tree wherever it is found, especially when the hateful creature appears on our front doorstep. I have ordered a sortie not only from Bintran, but our neighbouring cities as well. Destroy the garden, then return.]

[What of the ants?] another asked. [What if they seek to oppose us.]

[I care not,] the Mahaan replied. [Sweep them aside and deal with the enemy.]

When no more was said, the Old One opened his eyes once more.

[Let us leave,] he said.

Altogether, a dozen ka�armodo, each too young to have grown their full set of limbs, gathered together with their setsulah and pooled their minds together to create a disc of force that could carry them all. The coalesced mana lifted them from the plate and out over the cavernous expanse before lowering them to the ground before it disappeared.

[Which way?] Rassan�tep asked.

[To the east, Old One,] another replied.

With no need for excess words or actions, he led the young group across the plains. With their long legs, they ate up the ground quickly without using any Skills and soon met up with two more groups of a similar size. Brief greetings were exchanged, then they continued on their way. When he had considered things enough, Rassan�tep finally reached out to Ammon�sil, the most senior of his attendants.

[Tell me of these ants,] he commanded. [I had heard nothing of them when I retired to rest.]

[I also have not heard much, Old One. From what I have been able to gather, they have recently descended to the third stratum from above and conquered Orpule along with another city.]

[They originate in the second?]

[The first, I believe.]

[Unusual.]

Monsters from the first were generally inferior to those from the second, which made descending quite hard on them. Demons were born far more powerful than those from so high in the Dungeon. For them to be able to conquer two cities so quickly meant they must be highly unusual.

[They are intelligent to a high degree for such weak monsters, and several highly evolved specimens have been seen, as much as tier six, I believe. Other than this, I do not know, Old One.]

[This is sufficient. I thank you.]

More to ponder as his legs ate up the kilometres. The real question was why the Mother Tree would bother expending resources to manifest herself here. Was it for the ants? Was she trying to open a new front in her conflict with his people? Best they nip any potential problem in the bud. Sweep it away as the wind swept through the desert, erasing all traces.

Soon they arrived at their destination. A lone scout sat waiting on a high rock, and in the distance, the Old One could see the still-budding garden of the Mother Tree bursting forth from the dark plains.

All that stood between them was a sea of motionless insects.

Rassan�tep looked over the assembled masses of insect monsters and tasted the air with his tongue. Across the bond, he could feel the minds of his attendants stir with trepidation. They had not expected to see so many. In the lead of the insect formation, an enormous specimen, larger than the ka�armodo even, stood to attention, its gleaming carapace reflecting the light of the embers that fluttered through the air in this stratum. Altogether, the sight was impressive

[Lend me your eyes,] he commanded. [Let us examine them together.]

The setsulah, led by Ammon�sil, pooled their thoughts, allowed their mana to flow together before they collectively wove their spell and brought it back, laying it over their eyes. With their senses overlaid, the ka�armodo accepted the stimuli they provided and fed his own back into the collective. Each of them shifted in place as the ant army in front of them blazed with a richness of energy that they had not expected to see. More than that, there were ebbs and flows that should not be. The big one at the front, there was something� odd. Rassan�tep concentrated hard, and even then, he could just barely grasp the edges of that strange eddy, a curious ripple in the fabric.

[Release.]

The spell was allowed to unravel, and the seven of them contemplated what they had seen.

[Speak your thoughts,] he invited his bond servants. [Do not stand on ceremony.]

Ammon�sil spoke first, as was his right.

[There are more than we expected, and they are more highly evolved than anticipated. This force is not to be underestimated.]

[The tier six has a core bursting with energy. Should it evolve again, it may even develop to the Mythic stage,] Rapsep�sil, wife of Ammon�sil, spoke next.

[A possibility exists that we may not be able to overcome them,] Chahan�sep spoke next, the surprise evident in the movement of his thoughts. [There is more to this colony than perhaps we expected.]

[The others may not see as clearly as we have. I believe they may still think us to be a vastly superior force. It may be wise to consider retreat,] the youngest, Yuwan�sil said, which caused the others to stare at her for her impudence.

[Peace,] the powerful mind of Rassan�tep rumbled. [I asked that you speak your thoughts, did I not?]

[You did, Old One,] Ammon�sil replied.

[Young Yuwan may well have the right of it. There is a chance we are outmatched here, which I did not foresee. There is also a strong possibility the others will not arrive at this assessment, or ignore it even if they have. This is the brash attitude of the young, and it should not surprise us. How can we expect them to know better? They have but a mere century of life behind them.]

The old ka�armodo considered for a time.

To an outsider, the standoff between the two forces, still over a kilometre apart, would have looked bizarre. Neither side moved. Not a muscle, or a twitch. The insects, as was their way, stood in perfect ranks, motionless, as if carved from stone. Likewise, the ka�armodo, with the patience born of their long-lived nature and their reptilian ancestry, did not stir, waiting and watching in perfect silence as their elder contemplated his course of action.

[We have been given a task by the Mahaan, so we shall carry it out,] he declared at last. [I will speak with the others and see what their appetite is like.]

He withdrew his thoughts from the connection he shared with his bondservants and expanded a bridge toward the other ka�armodo, who quickly latched onto the mana weave. Communicating via thought was so much faster than other methods, allowing them to both analyse their foe and coordinate themselves.

[We have taken a measure of our opponent. They stand between us and the garden that we have been ordered to destroy, and it does not appear as though they will let us pass through easily. What are your thoughts?]

Generally, the next oldest would be the one to respond, but given that this war party was formed of adolescents and young adults, the hierarchy wasn�t clear. As a result, dozens of minds leapt forward at once, creating a clamour as they competed with each other.

[These weak monsters shall be swept aside!]

[How can they think to compete with us?]

[We must obliterate them to send a message!]

[I believe some level of caution may be required�]

The final voice, a young female, was immediately piled in on as the others decried her perceived cowardice and lack of determination.

[These insect monsters have cowered before us for weeks. Now that we arrive in force, they believe they can stand up to us? They shall be crushed beneath our claws, their attacks will brush off my scales like grains of sand. We should assault them immediately and rout them before we torch the garden.]

The Old One blinked slowly. Such a course of action would result in a resounding defeat. The ka�armodo were large and powerful creatures, each weighing tons, yet they were ill-suited for massed combat. In short skirmishes, they could throw their weight around and utilise their poisonous bites to great effect, but against more than a hundred times their number? They would be surrounded and picked apart, throwing away their greatest advantage, their magical superiority. Rassan�tep was tempted to show his teeth in contempt but managed to restrain himself. He wasn�t young anymore. Such a display was better left for the impetuous and foolish.

Still, this attitude gained much support amongst the youth ,and they stirred, as if contemplating rushing forth at this moment without waiting for his order. An unthinkable course.

[You�re too hot-blooded,] he rebuked them and could feel the young minds recoil at this stinging insult.

Such a thing to say to a reptile� yet they deserved it. Charging into the enemy? Such foolishness.

[We are not here to fight ants, we are here to destroy the garden. Ranged bombardment. Form teams of five and prepare to arc your spells over the insects. You have two minutes; begin now.]

Separately, he reached out to the poor female who had been rebuffed by the others for her caution.

[You have the right of it. I will commend your insight when we return.]

He didn�t bother trying to correct the others on their misjudgement. They wouldn�t listen to him, regardless of his standing or age; only experience would teach them, so that was what he would provide.

In a few scant minutes, the ka�armodo and setsulah had gone to work, taking a commanding hold over the mana around them and drawing it in to form intricate weaves of magic. For every ka�armodo, there were at least two bondservants, which meant each team contained at least fifteen minds, pooling their mental resources to craft the great siege spells they would launch to destroy the budding garden of the Mother Tree.

It was a difficult spell, one that required a powerful collective to craft. The Old One did not join any of the teams, instead he observed the reaction amongst the ants as he worked with his setsulah to craft his own artillery spell. One of the many benefits that age brought was the means necessary to support a greater number of bond servants, and Rassan�tep had been particularly choosy in selecting his setsulah. All of them were powerful mana manipulators with their own specialities. What�s more, they were excellent at cooperative spellcasting �everything a ka�armodo could possibly ask for. He was exceptionally proud of them.

As for the ants, they didn�t appear to have a strong reaction at all, which surprised him. There was almost no chance they were unaware of the spells being woven so close to them, as most of the teams were putting no effort at all into concealing their work, as if daring the monsters to do something about it. As he watched, his vision enhanced, and he could see the ants still stood at attention in neatly ordered rows.

It was fascinating to observe them. There were many varieties of ant in attendance. Different sizes, different shape, even different colouration. It was easy to determine the purpose of the larger ones; they had thick plating for their carapace, and large heads that were no doubt packed with muscle to enhance their bite strength. A melee or warrior class if ever he�d seen one. This only reinforced his opinion that a frontal charge was tantamount to suicide. One-on-one, he had little doubt he could crush one of these physical ants, but a hundred to one? Unlikely.

The smaller ant types were no doubt the more magical ones, mages of varying purposes. Against a single ka�armodo, he had no doubt the ants would be laughably outmatched, but that simply wasn�t how a swarming insect operated. It mattered nothing if a ka�armodo was better one to one; they would never fight one to one. A single ant was helpless, but a hundred thousand of them? A force to be recognised.

These ants were clearly intelligent and strong, something he hadn�t seen before. It was a worrying development. If possible, he did not want to enter an open conflict against them right now, when the kingdom had more than enough on its plate fighting off the recurring waves and contesting for territory against the Mother Tree. There was no need to go looking for enemies.

The massive ant that postured at the lead of the horde caught his eye once more. Large, shiny, and with a brightly burning core, there was little doubt this monster was a powerful individual without any support, yet here it had support in measures. If he judged rightly, the other monsters nearby, the only non-ants in the field, were likely to be pets. He could sense the connection somewhat vaguely between them. Another mystery.

The spells were ready, and still there was little to sense from the ants. Perhaps they intended to allow the ka�armodo to succeed? Was the intention to demonstrate that they were not in alliance with the tree but would gather in force to defend their borders? Such a thing would be most welcome to the Old One, an ideal outcome.

[Launch,] he sent over the bridge.

At once, seven points ignited in a fury of mana. Tremendous columns of flame formed, burning ever hotter at their cores as each of the ka�armodo stepped back from the blaze they created. The fires drew down on themselves until they combined and formed impossibly bright cores of pure white flame that seared the air until it crackled. Then, all at once, the superheated cores blasted into the air, arcing high as they blazed a trail through the scorched atmosphere of the third stratum.

The temperature skyrocketed, and Rassan�tep basked in the heat as he awaited what the ants would do. Would they continue to not act?

Before the arcing fireballs had reached halfway to their destination, the ants dropped the concealment they�d placed around themselves to reveal that they had in fact been hard at work the entire time. The Old One was impressed. Most of his attention had gone into working on his spell, it was true, but even so, he hadn�t so much as seen a glimmer of what they�d been weaving. It turned out they were constructing an enormous shield, but due to the effort required to keep it hidden, it wasn�t yet complete. As he watched, a tremendous flood of mana began to sweep around the insect formation, being drawn in and woven at incredible speed as even more energy was pulled out of the monsters themselves and surrendered to the working.

[They are working as one mind,] Ammon�sil observed with wonder. [All of their efforts move as if guided by a single hand.]

[An incredible level of cooperation,] Rassan�tep observed. [Though not all are working on the one spell.]

It was difficult to see, but there were different spells being formed in various pockets around the formation, including by the big ant in the front. Soon these workings took shape, and great spears of water were launched into the air, crashing into the fireballs with explosive bursts of steam and fury.

[Not nearly enough,] Ammon�sil said.

[They only intend to weaken them,] his master replied, [reduce the strength so the shield will hold. Look, they go again.]

More spears rose, then even more as the ants churned them out as fast as they could manage. The fireballs ate the water as if it were nothing, the concentrated heat melting them almost before they touched, yet even so, they began to shave away at the mana held within.

Then the large ant unleashed� something.

Even from a kilometre away, Rassan�tep felt a shiver creep across his scales as a deathly howl pierced the air. A sphere of dark purple rose into the sky, packed to bursting with a form of mana he did not recognise, yet the air itself was drawn into it, creating a wind that increased in speed the longer the spell hung in the air. When it made contact with a fireball, the sphere expanded rapidly to form a black void such that he had never seen before.

HOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWL.

That dreadful sound only grew more intense as the two spells collided, the energy in both crackling and roiling as each sought to devour the other.

[What is that?] Rassan�tep wondered aloud across the bond.

[I know not, Master, but I fear it,] came the reply.

Held in stasis as they fought each other, the ka�armodo was fascinated to see which would break first. He honed his mind to examine the conflicting energy more closely, and what he saw shocked him. Ever so slightly, but with increasing speed, the fireball was beginning to break apart. At first, just a tendril broke off and swirled around the darkness before sinking into its core, then the tendril swelled until the fire roared around the black sphere as if screaming its death cry.

The energy within the fireball was being eaten! When the horrific sphere finally vanished, that fireball was no more, consumed whole.

He hadn�t even realised the other artillery spells had detonated against the ant shield, which had held. The garden was unharmed, and the ants still stood in their silent ranks, unmoving.

They would not be able to destroy the garden, Rassan�tep realised. They did not have the strength to compete against what the ants brought here today. He would need to convince the others to turn back, that further conflict would be futile, which would take some effort, but with age on his side, they would obey. No doubt, their fragile pride had been stung by this failure. Perhaps they wouldn�t underestimate these superficially simple monsters next time.

Before he undertook that task, however, there was something else he was curious about.

Without drawing on his bond, he weaved a mind bridge, taking great care to conceal his work as he extended it across the distance between the two armies and felt it connect to the massive ant at the forefront of their ranks.

[Ah� hello, Mr. ka�armodo, sir?] the mind spoke to him in a hesitant fashion.

[My name is Rassan�tep, an Old One of the ka�armodo. I have but one question for you, if you would hear it.]

[As long as you don�t intend to shoot those damn miniature suns at us again, sure thing, let me hear it.]

[Have you heard of a thing known as the Red Truth?]

[Ah, hell.]

I watch the ka�armodo force turn and walk away with decidedly mixed feelings. Obviously, them leaving is a good thing and should be celebrated. We didn�t have to kill any of them, they didn�t manage to kill any of us, therefore this can be pencilled in as a win. We have managed to preserve the garden of the damn tree and not escalate our conflict with the reptiles beyond the point of no return!

Whooo!

On the other hand, we did have a rather deadly magical confrontation with them. I have to say, I was actually a little surprised the shield managed to hold as well as it did. Though Invidia helped a lot, he can�t match up to the mental firepower that the lizards brought all on his own. Not even close. We also have to consider the possibility that the ka�armodo will simply return with a larger force and steamroll us. It might take them a day or two to put together such an army, but I wouldn�t put it past them, considering how much they seem to hate the bruan�chii.

I suppose we can only hope the garden finishes spitting out someone we can talk to before too much time has passed, because if we need to bring another twenty or thirty thousand ants over here to fend off the ka�armodo, then the chances of the confrontation being bloodless are practically nil.

On top of all that, I have another damn cultist to worry about!

I�d almost forgotten about the followers of the Red Truth, which probably isn�t that surprising, since I only met one other member, the chap who was following Garralosh around, but I really didn�t want to attract the attention of more of these nutcases. I already have Granin and his triad latched onto me, and while their advice is useful and they are happy to let me have my freedom and go about things my own way, I can�t guarantee other cultists will be willing to let me roam loose when they see the potential for their world�s salvation in me.

Not that the weird lizard with the arms had much to say on the matter, he basically asked me if I knew what the cult was and if I knew what they were about. When I replied in the affirmative, he turned tail and moseyed off with the rest of his reptilian crew.

Stay away from me!

[Do you think we should follow them, Master? Perhaps we can pick a few off as they retreat.]

[Now�s not the time to be so aggressive, Crinis. We have to play it cool at least a little while longer. Once we�ve heard what the tree has to say, then we can be more confident in the direction we move.]

[I worry that they�ll be back and strike at us again.]

[I hear you, Crinis, and I think you�re right, but for now, we are on the defensive. We just need to play a stronger hand than they do.]

[Very well, Master. Try to keep yourself safe.]

[When do I not?]

I can feel the ominously writhing tentacles on my back as Crinis considers all the times I might have not acted with my own safety at the forefront of my mind. Think I might just leave that one there.

�Senior! Are you seeing this?� Brilliant cries as I approach where she�s been watching over the garden.

�I mean, I can see the plants just as well as you can, but I suspect that isn�t what you�re talking about.�

�No! Not the plants! The energy! The way it moves, and where it comes from� I swear this is some sort of pocket or naturalised gateway that she�s moving this material through. It�s fascinating! I just wish I could see it closer!�

�I mean� why can�t you?�

�I can�t go in the garden, she won�t let me in,� Brilliant flips her antennae as if I�m an idiot.

THWACK!

�Ouch!�

�Don�t get uppity with me, you were just a hatchling only a few weeks ago! I�m not talking about going into the garden, I�m talking about digging underneath it! You�re an ant, aren�t you?�

She stops rubbing her head and stares at me for a second.

�That�s genius! I�ll do it right away!�

With no further ado, the energetic little ant practically throws herself into the dark soil of the third stratum, gnashing and chomping like a mad creature as she starts to dig her way underneath the soil to better spy on the source of the garden�s mana. It wouldn�t be quite as disturbing a scene if she weren�t cackling madly the entire time, her pheromones flooding the surroundings with her almost giddy giggling.

�I�m going to find your secrets! I�ll see everything! You can�t hide them from me! I�ll reveal it all, layer by layer!�

Good lord. If she ends up attracting a following that takes after her� mercy save us.

With nothing else to do, the ant army that assembled to fend off the ka�armodo falls into a defensive position around the garden while scouts head out on patrols or to tail the retreating lizards. I don�t bother involving myself, but no doubt the leadership are calculating the likely strength of a second wave and making sure they have the antpower on hand to repel any such attempt.

In the meantime, all I do is sit down, and wait.

In the end it only takes half a day before the leaves begin to rustle and a faint tremor can be felt through the ground, followed by a tall, wooden-looking form that stomps out of the green depths, a broad smile on its face. A moment later it extends a bridge to me and I gladly accept it.

[Hmmmm. Hello there, ant-friend. It is nice to see you once again.]

Huh? This guy doesn�t look the same as the Grove Keeper I saw before�

[We�ve met?] I ask.

The big tree-figure shakes slightly with mirth.

[Mother has made me a little quicker than she usually would, so I do not quite look myself, but yes, I am the same Keeper that you met outside your nest.]

[Well. Okay then. Nice to see you again. Wonderful of you to join us out here in the third stratum. The pleasure of your company is felt both warmly and deeply. I just have one question, though, if you might indulge my curiosity for a brief moment?]

[Hmmmm. Of Course!]

[Great. What the hell are you doing out here?]

To his credit, the big guy doesn�t flinch. In fact, if anything, he seems amused by my slightly hostile question.

[Ah, yes. Mother was concerned that you might not appreciate her appearance in this area, particularly so close to her enemies.]

[Something tells me she wasn�t all that concerned.]

The leaves behind the Keeper writhe with barely concealed amusement.

[I knew it, you stupid plant! Why are you making a mess for us up here, you weed?!]

The Grove Keeper holds up two gnarled wooden hands.

[Peace, friend. In this case, I must defend the Mother Tree. She is not able to manifest herself anywhere she pleases. This happens to be the first point in this stratum where she has sensed your presence.]

[Why not just contact us further up in the second stratum? She already has a full forest set up there!]

[She withdrew those resources and redeployed them where they were needed, along with my fellow bruan�chii. Even bringing this small garden into being has been an expense she can ill afford right now.]

That surprises me a little.

[Are things really that bad?]

The Grove Keeper nods sadly.

[It has been a challenging time lately. Our enemies have moved against us in ways that we did not expect. We believe the ka�armodo may have even nurtured a monstrous species, much like yourselves, to unleash on us. Even now, these creatures attack our heartlands, threatening our mother in the seat of her power.]

[Monsters? Really? I thought that was frowned on.]

[It is.]

[What sort of monsters are they? I might know a little something.]

[We hope that you do. What can you tell us about termites?]

The word �termites� rattles around in my head like an out of control, rage-inducing pinball. If I had a lip, it would be curled! If I could hiss, I would hiss! Which is weird, since I don�t really have anything against termites per se, yet I feel an overwhelming need to rend flooding me. Look! My mandibles are actively gnashing the air without me having any input! It�s as if my entire ant body is filled with the urge to destroy after merely hearing the word of the ancient enemy!

In the interests of science, I decide to speak to the ants around me. As the rest of them are going about their business, I release a short and sharp burst of pheromones.

�Termites.�

Holy smokes!

The reaction is instant! Every ant within range stops on the spot and starts quivering, their mandibles writhing in the air as if yearning to clamp around the necks of they who should not be named. This is bizarre! I know for a fact the ants of my family have no idea what a termite is! They�ve never encountered them in their lifetime, never even heard the term. Is the hatred for the termite woven into our cores? Did I accidently drop that in when I modified The Queen�s core? I�m pretty sure I�d remember deliberately placing a hatred of wood-eating bugs into my siblings�

Regardless of the reason, the hunger for conquest is clearly there. How can the Colony live knowing that a giant monster termite nest exists out there in Pangera? We can�t! We must destroy it! They cannot be permitted to exist within the same Dungeon!

[I�ve heard of termites, yes,] I say hesitantly to the Grove Keeper. [Are you saying the ka�armodo have custom-built themselves a termite queen and are using it in a war against the Mother Tree and the bruan�chii as a whole? Isn�t that a little extreme?]

The giant wooden figure nods solemnly.

[Hmmmmm. It is true. Under normal circumstances, such a thing would be considered an evil, perhaps even illegal act. The Legion would censure them for this behaviour and their allies would turn their backs, but these are not normal days. The repeated waves have everyone on edge. The Legion is stretched and cannot react as they wish, nor can they afford to alienate one of the old races who form their base of support at this time. The ka�armodo have leapt on this chance to pressure us. The termites have proven to be a dangerous foe for my kind�]

Well yeah, you�re literally made of wood.

[�and Mother has decided to ask that you repay the favour you owe her.]

[Hang on, favour we owe her? So she helped defend the Colony before the last wave, now we need to rush down to the fourth stratum in order to save her from getting woodchipped? That�s a bit of a stretch there, chief.]

[Nonetheless, this is what she has asked. If you are familiar with our foe, then do you believe you can help us? If not, then I will speak with Mother and perhaps she can ask others to come to her aid.]

He doesn�t sound too hopeful of that. I suppose the repeated waves are giving everyone pressure, not just the Legion. If the Folk are up against it, then they aren�t likely to stick their necks out for the tree either, I suppose.

In terms of knowledge about termites, I know quite a bit. Given their relationship to ants, I researched them as part of my hobby. It was fascinating stuff!

Most people don�t realise this, but ants and termites aren�t closely related at all. Ants are descendants of wasps, which is where our body shapes, and the wings on Queens and males, come from. Some species of ant still have the stingers in the business district as well, which just goes to show how close the wasp relationship is.

Termites, on the other hand, are related to beetles. They have a different body shape and an entirely different social structure. Whereas ants are almost entirely female, termites are a mix of both male and female. The queens, who grow into pulsating, immobile egg machines, are paired with a male, a king, during their nuptial flight and remain together until one or the other dies. Unlike a female ant Queen, who usually only mates once in her lifetime, the termite royal couple will mate whenever they need to and can rule over their nest for well over a decade. What�s more, when the royal pair do finally die out, another pair will rise up within the colony to take their place, whereas most ant species will simply die out at that point as all of the females are sterile.

How this plays out in the Dungeon, I�m not quite sure. It isn�t necessary to mate here in order to produce offspring, for one thing. All that is required is Biomass, though I wager there are still male and female termite workers, not that gender matters. I imagine the ka�armodo captured and carefully modified the termite queen, and now they direct her and her offspring against the tree in every way they can.

What would we be up against? The majority of termites are tiny little workers, smaller than most ants, though immense in number. Then there are also the powerful soldier class with their massive jaws that are called upon to defend the nest.

Generally speaking, a termite colony is much larger in numbers than most species of ant. A termite queen can produce an egg every three seconds, which means about thirty thousand per day, or over ten million per year. There aren�t many ant species that can even approach those sorts of numbers, certainly not monogynous colonies, those with only one queen. Probably only driver ants could beat them, pumping out millions of eggs per month, which is why clashes between army ants and termite mounds are epic battles without equal in the insect world.

Back on Earth, anyway. This battle on Pangera? It�s going to be legendary. There�s not enough room on this planet for two social insect colonies to thrive.

[I�m going to have to report on this to the Council,] I tell the Grove Keeper, [and we�ll have to discuss what to do about it. I want to help, and I think the Colony will be more than willing to help out, but we have to put a timeline in place. It�s not like we can just rush down to the fourth stratum tomorrow and start fighting the good fight. This is going to take time.]

[The matter is more urgent than you realise,] the Keeper presses me. [If you are willing to help, that will be fantastic, and Mother has promised to grow a gate here that will take you straight to the front lines. It won�t be ready in a single day, but in a few weeks, you can be there. We can�t wait much longer than that.]

[Wait, wait, wait. You want me and the Colony to invade the fourth stratum in two weeks? Are you off your nut?]

�Termites.�

The Council recoils in shock, snapping at the air, their antennae twirling violently.

�That is quite uncomfortable,� Coolant observes in a detached way, as if she weren�t currently gnashing empty space like it had a head she wanted to remove.

�What-are-termites-I�ve-never-heard-of-them-before-but-all-of-a-sudden-I-want-to-fight-things-real-bad!�

�Vibrant��

�Sorry-sorry! Sometimes I forget. Anyway, I really want to fight something right now, why is that?�

The Council all turn to look at me.

�It�s not easy to explain. I had the same reaction,� I tell them.

I hesitate.

How much do I want to reveal right now? If I tell the Council all about termites, won�t they quite reasonably want to know where I came by my knowledge? I�ve never explicitly explained my origins to my siblings, and I don�t see why it would matter, but I feel a little awkward now that I�m on the spot. Bah! To hold information back just because I�m a little uncomfortable would be ridiculous! Ant lives are on the line here!

�Termites are a social insect, much like us. They have a queen, possibly a king, they produce eggs which hatch into nymphs that eventually mature into workers and soldiers. They are known to eat wood, which is likely why the ka�armodo decided to use them against the bruan�chii. They can even hollow out trees or logs and form their nests inside. Since the reptiles are using them as a weapon, I�m sure they�ve done extensive modifications to the core of the queen in order to influence the offspring and the overall species. In truth, they could be a very powerful enemy, and we should be extremely cautious.�

The ants gathered around the Council table all nod solemnly as they consider what I�ve said.

�When do we attack?� Leeroy asks.

�Dammit, Leeroy!� I crash an antenna down on the carved surface of the grand circular table. �This is serious business, not your usual �charge in recklessly� routine!�

�No, no. I think she might be right this time,� Sloan says, her foreleg tapping thoughtfully against her mandibles.

I boggle at the normally coolheaded general.

�You cannot be serious. From you, Sloan? I feel like I�ve lost my mind!�

�I have good reasons for my stance, Eldest, if you would hear me out before jumping to conclusions.�

�Fine!� I wave a leg in apology. �This whole thing has me stressed out. I�m sorry, go ahead.�

�Right then.�

The general stands in her seat to address the table, all our eyes focus on her as she fussily cleans her antennae before speaking.

�I believe,� she begins, �that I really hate the sound of these �termites� and want them exterminated as soon as possible.�

All around the table, there are solemn nods as each of the Council members absorbs this declaration.

SLAM.

�You can�t be serious!�

�Eldest, I assure you that I am serious. The very mention of these fiends stirs the mana in my core. They must be destroyed.�

�Look, I�m just as ready to leap into some hair-brained invasion of a stratum that is far too strong for me at the drop of a hat, but that doesn�t seem like a good policy for the Colony as a whole! Am I wrong? It was only a few weeks ago that I was telling you all off for rushing into the third layer too quickly, now you want to rush off into the fourth? We�ll be smashed!�

Victor raises both her forelegs in a calming gesture.

�Nobody is suggesting we mount a full-scale invasion of the fourth stratum.� She eyeballs Leeroy, ��I think. Slowing our rate of progress and being more deliberate with our expansion has already yielded dividends and will continue to do so into the future. When we do start to expand our holdings in the third, we will be in a much better place than we were before to safely hold that which we take. We currently don�t have anything like the strength required to conquer ground in the fourth, but we don�t have to, right? We just have to fight against these termites. Which means all we need to do is send an expedition to help protect the bruan�chii.�

�Hey-hey! I�ll go! Send me! I want to go there!�

�And there�s a volunteer already. Thanks, Vibrant.�

�No problem!�

I mean, I can see their point. We don�t need to fight against sapient races and conquer cities or worry about weird politics, we just need to protect the tree from the termites. Will we be able to destroy the infestation and annihilate their nest immediately? No chance. But we can dig in and fight a defensive war until we have the chops to properly compete in the fourth stratum.

�I�m just worried we�re going to be overmatched when we get there,� I fret. �Even the tree and the bruan�chii are struggling, which means these termites are powerful, perhaps more powerful than even the demons we�ve been dealing with.�

�We�ll have to send our best to have any hope of success,� Advant agrees. �We commit to a defensive strategy and dig in as hard as we can. As long as we blunt the offensive and relieve the pressure from the tree, then she�ll be satisfied that we�ve repaid her for the favour and shown solidarity to our allies.�

�I�ll have to go personally,� Cobalt chips in. �Working in a whole new environment is going to be difficult, to say the least, and if I�m on location, I can provide the best support to the build teams.�

�I�ll represent the healers,� Mendant says in her quiet scent. �We can�t afford to lose any of you, so you need the best treatment we can provide.�

�And who is going to stay here and make sure our operations on the third don�t stumble like they did before?!� I protest.

They all look at me.

�HELL no. I�m going to the fourth, are you nuts? Imagine leaving me in charge of anything��

I shudder.

The other ants around the table all shift their antennae in the ant equivalent of an eye-roll, which I think a little unfair. They know me well enough to understand my strengths and weaknesses by now, surely. Yet somehow, I�m constantly being thought more highly of than I deserve.

�It looks like we�ve decided to accept the proposal, then,� I say heavily. �I�ll go talk to the Grove Keeper and tell him to get that gate started. We only have two weeks to prepare, so I suggest we make the utmost use of that time.�

Everyone agrees and begins to stir from their specially designed ant-chairs as they prepare to leave. I remain in my own seat, my mind still spinning at the thought of entering the fourth stratum so soon. I�m nervous, extremely nervous. It�s far too quick! And yet the very thought of heading down there stirs the mana in my body and heats up my core. It�s so exciting! What challenges will we face? What opponents will we find? The urge to keep going deeper into the Dungeon only grows stronger the more I explore!

Almost like I�m being pulled deeper.

�Eldest,� a gentle voice prods me from my thoughts, and I startle when I realise that Cobalt and I are the only ants left in the Council room.

�Hey there, Cobalt. I was lost in my thoughts there for a minute, what�s up?�

The little carver looks up at me, towering over her in my chair, and reaches out with her specially jointed front leg to pat me on the claw.

�Thank you for sharing your wisdom about the termite enemy with us,� she says.

�Oh,� I�m surprised, �that�s no problem. Whatever I know, I�m always going to share with the Colony, obviously.�

She watches me calmly.

�We know,� she nods.

She pats me again.

�No matter what you were before, you are a member of this family and our precious senior. We believe in you and are so proud that you are prepared to believe in us. That is who you are now. Don�t forget that.�

With a final tip of her antennae, the carver lets go of my claw and crawls quietly out of the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts, and the shining threads of acceptance and love that flow from the Council to me.

Once the Council meeting ends, it�s almost as if I feel a gear shift within the Colony. By the time I make it back to Orpule, the change has already occurred and ants who I thought couldn�t possibly work any faster are zipping about like possessed creatures. A steady flow of burning determination creeps into me through the Vestibule as the tens of thousands of my siblings within range are all furiously devoted to completing even more tasks than they were before. More than once, I find myself offering cautionary warnings to ensure they all get enough rest, lest they end up getting more sleep than they bargained for.

Such warnings are never welcome, per se, but are usually heeded, and with good reason. If the ants are pushing themselves too hard and the work becomes sloppy, they do more harm than help.

The Grove Keeper is initially delighted when I report back to him that we�ve decided to accept his proposal but his enthusiasm dims when I outline exactly what we are offering.

[This is not exactly what the Mother Tree was hoping for,] he rumbles solemnly.

[Yeah well, she was basically hoping we�d throw away tens of thousands of lives in order to keep her alive and flourishing, which just isn�t going to happen. The Colony is in a precarious position right now, which you know, and more to the point, the tree knows, so I think she should be, quite frankly, exceptionally grateful that we are going to send our very best and most powerful ants to help her hold out. When we have the capacity to help more, then we will.]

[She did not hold back when she assisted you.]

[Even if that were true, which I can�t confirm, so what? You want us all to jump off a cliff? We�re ants, not lemmings! Don�t think I haven�t realised that you�re being more than a little reluctant to share details with us about exactly what we would be up against down there. If the Mother Tree and all of her children can�t deal with these termites, then how exactly you expect an army of tier four monsters, no matter how large it is, to deal with the problem is a little beyond me!]

The giant wooden figure slumps a little, real sadness evident in its infinitely deep brown eyes. After a long moment, he turns back to the bountiful plants behind him, which rustle indignantly for a while before he turns back.

[Mother is not pleased, but she wants me to make it clear that she understands. I have been given permission to reveal a little more of what is happening in order to clarify her position.]

He takes a long breath, the leaves that cover his body fluttering at the sudden inhalation, before he lets it all out in a gust of wind.

[The Mother Tree is a monster,] he says.

A pause.

[I mean. Yeah? I knew that.]

Isn�t that obvious? Everyone knows that!

[Hmmmmm. It isn�t something we usually confirm,] the Keeper tells me sternly. [And it is relevant to this topic. The matter at hand isn�t Mother, it is us, her children.]

[In what way? I mean� you guys get spawned like we ants do, no?]

At least, I don�t know of any other way it could be done. Monsters can�t reproduce in any other way. We don�t have a need to, since we�re spawned by the Dungeon itself.

The big tree shakes his head.

[No,] he says firmly, [we are not. The Mother Tree did not wish to create a race of monsters, spawned using the means of the Dungeon, since then we would be as mistreated and maligned as she is. It took hundreds of years, and only after ascending to a very high tier was she able to find another way and achieve it. In effect, we bruan�chii each contain a portion of Mother�s soul. Combined with the method she employs of growing extensions of herself, she was able to create an entirely new form of life: us, disconnected from the Dungeon.]

Hang on a second.

[Are you telling me she literally breaks shards off her own soul to make you guys?]

[Hmmmmm. This is true.]

YIKES. I knew she was crazy, but holy moly! This is the next level! It�s also hella impressive. She didn�t just spawn new monsters, she made an entirely new race, one that is accepted by the System. In order to do it, she takes on a heck of a cost, though.

[The reason we are so threatened by this new enemy, is not because they are stronger than us, or stronger than Mother, but because the ka�armodo have discovered how we were made, and engineered their insect weapons to target us specifically.]

I have a sinking feeling in my abdomen that tells me I know exactly where this is going.

[Let me guess. These are some sort of soul-devouring termite? They get a hold of you and then eat the shard you contain, which indirectly damages your mother?]

[And makes it impossible for her to recreate us,] he nods. [Normally, even should we die, or the materials that comprise our bodies are reclaimed, we live on within the tree, and she can spin us back out whenever we desire. Those who have fallen to the termites are forever lost, and now she refuses to allow us to fight them at all. Though she is capable of great things, the Mother Tree cannot do this fight alone. Her weapons are not effective against creatures who are designed to consume a monster like her.]

[Good thing you shared this with me. It�s helping a whole lot to garner my sympathy. At least now I understand why you reached out to us when you did. Look, the first wave will establish a defensive perimeter, create fortifications and ensure that no further significant damage is done to your mother. From there, we will hold the line until enough reinforcements are available that we can finish the job. Alright? We will finish the war for you, just not immediately.]

[Hmmmmm. It will do.]

With that, the Grove Keeper turns back to the garden, no doubt to confer with his mother. A moment later, all the greenery ripples as a massive pulse of energy flows through every leaf and vine.

[What the hell was that?!] I say.

[Mother has accepted your terms. She is bringing up the energy and materials that she needs to construct the gate. This is no light thing for her to do, friend. I hope you are able to do as you�ve said.]

[Ha. When it comes to eating termites, you won�t find a better ally than us.]

Nearby, Brilliant watches all the goings on with wide, glittering eyes.

�It�s amazing!� she screams. �I HAVE TO SEE MORE!�

A moment later, she dives into the garden and vanishes within a second.

Two weeks is both a long and a short amount of time, depending on perspective. Is it a long time to be standing around doing nothing? Absolutely. You�d go mad within a day. Is it a long time to prepare an invasion of the fourth stratum? No. No, it is not.

Despite the importance of the mission the Mother Tree has dumped on us, I don�t want the upcoming invasion to take away the main focus of the Colony, which is to continue expanding through the second and first strata to help build our capacity and strengthen our foundation before an eventual move farther into the third. With a wide chunk of territory in the third, we�ll have the resources needed to harvest the experience and Biomass required to produce more tier six ants.

Only then will we be strong enough to invade the fourth in strength and take hold of land there. Without those precious resets, we�d simply be too outmatched against the creatures born in an environment so rich in mana compared to ours. For the two weeks available, the Colony focused on bringing as many ants to tier five and six as possible, trying to power up an elite force capable of going toe-to-toe, mandible to mandible, against the termites.

And of course, things between us and the ka�armodo didn�t simmer down in the meantime, oh no, they only got more tense. A defensive fortification was constructed to protect the garden of the Mother Tree and manned with over ten thousand ants at all times. Even so, the reptiles and their bonded slaves never stopped poking about, arriving in small patrols or in a grand show of force, flinging spells at us only for them to be taken apart, or dissipate harmlessly against our shields.

And maddeningly enough, somewhere out there is that treacherous worm. I haven�t caught a sniff of him since the garden grew, and without Brilliant to help me trace the worm tunnels, I�ve very little hope of getting hold of his tail.

Although, interestingly enough, Sarah has volunteered to go to the fourth stratum and fight against the termites. Perhaps he�ll make an appearance? I mean, it would certainly be out of character for him to venture somewhere so dangerous, but I would have said the exact same thing about him coming to the third.

[Master, it�s almost time.]

[Huh? Oh, thanks, Crinis.]

For me, the past two weeks have been spent training and grinding, pushing my Level as high as I can in preparation for the test to come. It�s a been a gruelling regime of roaming far and wide with my friends by my side, hunting down every strong demon we could find. It was brutal, but it bore results.

In front us, a glittering portal bound by a great arch of wood through which are threaded golden veins of potent mana. The Grove Keeper hadn�t lied when he told us this was a significant investment on the part of their mother, the amount of energy she�s poured into growing this gate is nothing short of amazing. The fact she�s even capable of doing something like this is absurd in the first place! This must be how she can spread clusters of roots all over the place without any of them being connected to each other. Which means that not only are these gates capable of moving material objects through, like an army of ants, but also energy.

The Colony desperately needs to master the secret of these gates! If we could link all of our nests together�

The Grove Keeper stands at the ready in front of the gate, his eyes roaming over every detail and twist of the roots and boughs that make up the portal. Since it isn�t ready, I might as well try and hunt down something before I forget.

Where is she?

I dip my consciousness down into the flowing stream formed of the Colony�s Will. She�s going to be in here somewhere, though it isn�t always easy to spot. Her thoughts are just as slippery as the rest of her when she wants to be hidden. It takes a few minutes, but I catch a stray thought and I point with one leg.

[Over there, Tiny. Go get her.]

Like an excitable puppy thrown a ball, the giant, bat-faced gorilla leaps as if shot from a cannon, his powerful limbs slamming into the ground, crushing the stone as he bounds across the ground. As he draws nearer, he leaps high into the air before crashing down amidst the foliage on the edge of the garden like a fallen tree. The leaves and flowers rustle indignantly, but Tiny pays them no mind as he rummages about. After a few tense moments of groping at something beneath our line of sight, he grins and hauls up a wriggling ant by one leg.

[Good job, Tiny! Bring her on back!]

Filled with pride, he walks back as the Grove Keeper approaches.

[The gate will be ready in a few moments. Have you gathered all that you will take? It will not remain open permanently, an hour a day is all the Mother can maintain right now.]

That isn�t what I wanted to hear, but we were prepared for something like this.

[We�ll manage. Everyone is here, ten thousand of the finest.]

[Hmmmm. I hope it is enough.]

[Don�t worry about it. I�m going, aren�t I?]

He looks at me in a way that suggests my words might not have been as comforting as perhaps I hoped. How rude!

[The gate is ready,] he announces a moment later. [Move quickly.]

A qualitative change has come over the flickering space between the boughs. Where before it had been a hazy field of twitching energy, it was now a rippling window of golden light ten metres wide and ten high. An impressive feat for a plant, no doubt about it.

Behind me, the various members of the Council, along with the rest of the expeditionary force, wait in quiet ranks. Leeroy, Bella, Cobalt, Advant, Burke, and others have come to help guide their castes in this new environment.

�Alright then, a taste of the fourth stratum. Let�s go get it!� I declare before I begin to step forward.

As the portal looms larger in my eyes, I feel my heart pounding in my chest and the mana rushing through my body. I feel as if I couldn�t turn around even if I wanted to. I must step forward into the unknown. I don�t even have a choice.

Pulled forward like a fish with a hook in its mouth, I rush into the portal and am overtaken by a blinding light that washes away my vision and has me seeing stars. The texture beneath my legs changes, the temperature drops, and as the light slowly fades, I am left staring out into the impossible.

In front of me rises a mountain. An enormous, jagged and snow-capped mountain that rises from a floor so far below that I cannot see it and then continues rising to a height that boggles the mind. Mist and clouds shield the top, and unbelievably I realise it�s raining, faintly, but still, raining. I shield my eyes as best I can, since I have no lids to cover them, and stare in open-jawed wonder at the incredible scenery before me, heedless of the ants who begin to pour through the gate.

Between where I stand and the mountain opposite is a vast open space, filled with what I believe at first are incredibly dense clouds, but as it turns out, are something else entirely. They are floating rocks. Although �rocks� isn�t really the word I think fits them best. These aren�t pebbles or even boulders, these are huge, practically islands. Each must weigh thousands of tons, large enough to host a small village. How in the name of whatever the heck passes for Newton on Pangera are these things FLOATING?!

From one of them pours a steady stream of crystal-clear water, cascading over the side in a waterfall that scatters into mist as it plunges into the bottomless depths below. So obsessed am I with what�s in front of me, I almost don�t realise what it is my eyes are telling me lies to the left and right.

And the answer is more mountains, two more in fact, just as colossal as the first. Is this the layout of the fourth stratum? Impossible mountains, the bottomless valleys between, and the absurd floating islands in the sky? This is absolutely ridiculous! And I thought the third was weird!

[Hmmmmm. Welcome to the fourth stratum. I believe this is your first visit?] a powerful mind connects to my own and rumbles in my head.

I continue to stare ahead, soaking in this incredible vista.

[Yep, first time. No matter what someone tells you, it doesn�t really prepare you for actually seeing the real thing, does it?]

[Indeed, no. Though, if you really want to be impressed, you should more closely examine the mountain that lies beneath your feet.]

I suppose I�m standing on a mountain also, aren�t I? I can�t exactly tell how tall it is, since I can neither see the bottom nor the top, but perhaps I�m roughly a third of the way up? I do wonder what�s so special about this one that the Grove Keeper would point it out. Downwards is the only direction I can�t see all that clearly. I can see what is next to me, sure, but not what�s beneath my feet. I tilt to the side a little and examine the mountain I stand upon.

Except it isn�t a mountain.

�What?� I mutter to myself.

It doesn�t feel like dirt or stone, it�s softer than I think it should be, and the colour isn�t what I would have expected.

I turn around.

�NO. SHOT.�

It�s a tree. The tree. In place of the mountain is a gnarled tangle of roots so massive, so thick, I thought I was standing on a flat slope. Hundreds of thousands of these rise from deep in the earth and collect at the base of an absurd trunk that must have a circumference in the kilometres, which rises up and vanishes into the cloud and mist overhead.

[Is that the Mother Tree?] I ask stupidly.

[Of course,] the Grove Keeper�s thoughts glow with pride.

I slip into my mana sense, then shut it off. The amount of energy flowing through this tree is boggling, simply boggling, running up through the roots and converging within the heart of the tree. I had no idea it was possible to get this strong!

[Is the Mother Tree an Ancient?] I ask. I feel like I have to check!

The Grove Keeper stares at me in surprise.

[No, of course not. Mighty she may be, but she cannot compare to those creatures.]

I swear by every fibre in the holy white beard that the tree wiggles in laughter at me. Wiggles!

[I came here to save your butt,] I grumble openly, slapping a leg down on the root beneath me, [no need to laugh at me!]

[Hmmm. If you would come with me, I will direct you and your siblings to the conflict. The termites have not attacked us over the surface, it is through the tunnels at the roots of the mountains that they strike.]

By now, thousands of ants have gathered outside the gate, absorbing their surroundings in traditional ant silence, though I�ve little doubt my siblings are just as awed as I am. Just as we turn to follow the guidance of the Grove Keeper, a faint sound sends my antennae swaying through the air. That sound had definitely come from above, and was reminiscent of something I would really rather not see.

[Hey there, Keeper, do you guys all have the same name, by the way? Never mind that, I just wanted to ask if you knew what caused that sound?]

[Sky Wyrm.]

[SKY WYRM? As in, a dragon?!]

[Hmmm, no. As in a Sky Wyrm. I do not know this dragon of which you speak.]

I nervously clean my antennae as I keep my eyes trained on the sky above. Sky Wyrm sounds a hell of a lot like a dragon to me. If it sounds like a dragon, then it might well look like a dragon, and at that point, I don�t particularly care what you call it, I don�t want any part of it.

With a final glance upward, I follow along with the rest of the group as the Grove Keeper leads us confidently downward, eventually walking through a gap between two roots and then within the tangle. What I expected to be nothing more than a cramped maze of building-sized roots was actually a surprisingly verdant and well-lit cavern in which the bruan�chii made their homes. The wood of their parent has been shaped into all sorts of abodes, and a strange glowing fungus suffuses the scene with a warm light. There are hundreds of the tree people here, abiding together in the quiet manner of their kind. Here and there, the larger Keepers stroll, the plants glittering with energy and life wherever they go.

[This is Aruatha, one of our settlements. The main front isn�t far from here. Mother wishes for you to use this place to house your siblings, though we ask that you do not dig or use the roots as materials.]

[I mean� obviously.]

As much as not digging pains us, we aren�t going to start eating the wood. How would that make us different from the termite scum?!

[No, we don�t need to get settled or any such thing. We came to kill termites, so lead us to the front. We are keen to begin the work,] I tell the Grove Keeper, who seems a little disconcerted.

[You should adapt to the mana level before fighting,] he warns me, his slow, deep tones ringing in my head. [You aren�t used to what it�s like on this level. It can affect things in strange ways.]

He�s not wrong about the mana level, it feels as if it�s so thick I could swim in it. My legs are on fire, sucking incredibly dense energy out of the ground, which isn�t even the Dungeon, I�m just pulling it from the roots of the Mother Tree! What it feels like to actually step on the Dungeon floor where the veins are present� I can�t begin to imagine.

[My people hunger to taste termite, and even I may not be able to hold them back,] I confess to the large wooden figure. [It is best that you lead us to the enemy, otherwise we will run there on our own.]

He frowns down at me.

[I did not realise your kind were so bloodthirsty.]

[You�ve never seen an insect fight another insect? Best not get between them.]

Ever since we came beneath the surface and amongst the roots of the tree, I could sense a savage mentality rising amongst my siblings. And, if I�m honest, within myself also. The termites! They�re so close now! The hated enemy, the war that has lasted on Earth for over a hundred million years. Only one social insect shall be allowed to prosper, the resources of the Dungeon belong to the unending swarm of the Colony! We will not allow these rivals to exist!

Somewhat disturbed, the Keeper leads us away from the settlement and the nervously peeking bruan�chii who watch a force of ten thousand mighty insects march past their community, each one burning with the need to fight.

Deeper and deeper still we travel, along winding paths of intertwining roots that seem an endless maze that plunges into the heart of the world. The sheer size and scale of the Mother Tree is practically endless, and at last we come to something that speaks to me. Dirt. Precious dirt. As the lead ant, I set foot on the precious ground and immediately feel more at home.

[It is near here that they have been incurring against our mother.] The Grove Keeper sounds grim as he points to a nearby tunnel. [The beasts have taken a toll on my people, and now the Mother will not allow us to fight. She takes on the burden herself, and mighty though she is, she is not built to fight against this foe.]

[More like this enemy was specifically designed to fight her,] I point out, [and for some reason, I feel like your mother isn�t as good at fighting as she is at other things.]

The Keeper eyes me askance.

[She is mighty,] he assures me.

[I don�t doubt that, but for whatever tier she is, she should be mightier. Exactly how much evolutionary energy did it take for her to be able to create children from her own soul? I�m guessing, a lot.]

The massive figure of the Grove Keeper does not reply, but I don�t really notice. The termites are close and it is time to hunt.

�Be aware,� I warn my family. �We are close now. When we meet the enemy, it will be a savage brawl like you�ve never seen before. Remember, there are only two things that you need to do: stay alive, and kill termites. In that order. Am I clear?�

They do not reply, though I can feel ten thousand thrums of agreement through the Vestibule. There will be no energy wasted on scent when the enemy is so close at hand.

I move purposefully into the tunnel and note the roots of the tree are still present, breaking through the dirt here and there, splitting and winding into smaller widths the farther we travel. Soon, I begin to notice segments of root that have been chewed on�clear evidence of the termite presence. The tree is regenerating the damage, albeit slowly, judging by the various, visible wounds. It�s possible the termites are using some kind of saliva or mandible mutation to slow her healing process. Just how far did the ka�armodo go to prepare this enemy? Based off the signs, it seems as if they may have spared no effort or expense in their machinations.

Termites don�t have to eat wood, contrary to popular belief. What they want is cellulose, which wood just happens to have. All plants have it, though not to the same degree, and forms the cell wall that gives plants their hardy, non-spongy structures. Humans can�t even digest the stuff, so weak is their tract.

Up ahead, I hear something, so I speed up and soon encounter something that sets my antennae to twitching with disgust and rage. It�s a pheromone trail, but not the familiar, warm message of my siblings, oh no. This one is strange, alien, and utterly foul to me. My legs twitch and jerk as I try to run, battling the instinct to wipe my antennae clean. Just awful! It�s terrible! What sort of evil could possibly produce this stuff?

The reaction of the Colony behind me is just as severe when they come across the termite trail, and the upswell of rage within the Vestibule reaches unseen heights, thrumming within my carapace like a war drum.

Then we burst into a clearing, lush with life. Flowers, luscious leaves, and vines as thick as a human are everywhere, and they writhe in constant motion against a monster we can only glimpse through the clearing. Enormous heads and mandibles supported on spindly legs, snapping and tearing at the plantlife with wild abandon, ripping into the growth and breaking it down and eating it on the spot. There are hundreds of them right here, each one alight with mana indicating at least tier four monsters.

But these are thoughts, and there is no room for thoughts now.

�SUFFER NOT THE TERMITE TO LIVE!� I roar, and my siblings take up my cry as we rush forward in a tidal wave of chitin and rage.

�FOR THE COLONY!�

Seized with a primal rage that bubbles from a genetic level, my siblings rush forward, all thought of strategy abandoned as their mandibles gnash eagerly. Even I feel it, the emotions of the Colony flooding through me and adding to the urgent need to destroy the enemy insect. It�s difficult to remain in control of myself in the face of such overwhelming battle hunger, but I manage, barely. The steadying presence of my pets within my mind provides a rock which I can hold onto to avoid slipping into a mindless rage.

[Invidia, make sure you protect and heal the ants,] I force out, [they aren�t going to look after themselves as they should.]

[Yessssss. I sssshall havessss their gratitude!]

[Crinis, you do the same, look after the family. Tiny, just smash everything, we need to end this quickly.]

Ahead of us, the roots and plants continue to thrash against the encroaching termite threat, vines whipping through the air faster than I can see to smack into the insects, or wrapping around them and flexing in an attempt to crush them. However, it just isn�t working as well as it should. The termites are tough, very tough, and it doesn�t seem to matter how much the Mother Tree batters them with her vines, it isn�t enough. If she wants to deal with these critters, then she needs to bring something bigger to the fight.

The termites are quick and clever, I can see it from across the vegetation. They work together, scissoring the vines apart with their monstrous mandibles, protecting and shielding each other from harm as their very presence seems to wither the garden. The other thing I notice is the visceral reaction the termites have to our appearance. The moment they detect us charging, their entire disposition changes and the garden no longer matters. I can practically feel the fury radiating from them as they organise themselves into a loose battle lane and rush to meet us in battle.

My core ignites in rage all over again at the sight, as if the very thought of the termites attempting to stand before me is an insult that cannot be borne.

In the eternal conflict between ant and termite, one thing has always remained true: the termites are builders, but ants, ants are destroyers.

�FOR THE COLONY!� the battle cry rings out once more, and then the two lines smash into each other.

Far stronger than my opponents, I apply no subtlety or strategy, I simply charge into the leading termite like a battering ram. Unable to match my strength or mass, the hapless beetle-descendant is sent rolling end over end, and I rush to exploit the gap in their line, turning to my right to capitalise on the weakness. The termites are large, bigger than all but the soldiers at their equivalent tier, and their mandibles are truly savage; low, wide, and razor-sharp blades seek to latch onto my neck and sever my head from my thorax.

I mean, technically I don�t have a neck, but the joint between the segments of my body is certainly a weak spot.

I won�t have it, though! My mandibles explode with light as I pump raw mana into them and activate my most powerful bite Skill: the Doom Chomp!

CRUNCH!

[You have slain Level 34 Edax Aminae Termite (IV).]

[You have gained experience.]

My rage burns anew. I must quench it with termite experience!

But as I turn to look around, it becomes clear the inevitable has happened. A few hundred termites against a berserking force of ten thousand ants was never going to be a close fight. The termites have been literally buried under the weight of the Colony. All I can see are piles of ant bodies that roll and shudder as the hapless insects beneath are torn apart. The smell of formic acid and the enraged speech of my siblings is all I feel against my antennae, the termite pollution having already been expunged.

I can tell my siblings feel much as I do. It wasn�t enough! We need more! But I have a feeling we won�t have to worry on that front. Just imagining the enormous, bloated termite queen out there somewhere in this fourth stratum, pumping out eggs by the thousands every day, is enough to set my mandibles twitching.

�This is only the beginning!� I declare to my family. �There will be more, thousands more, millions! We have to be ready. Consume the Biomass and harvest their cores, we need to scout, build defences, and prepare. Get to it!�

I can�t let them indulge in their savage mindset anymore; we have too much to do before the termites, and by extension the ka�armodo, learn of our deployment here. I do wonder how the termites scout and locate prey, since they�re completely blind. Likely they have invested in a more advanced form of sensing organ, otherwise the reptiles would have to do a lot of legwork to direct their creations where they want them to go, and something tells me legwork isn�t exactly something a bunch of sunbathing lizards are all too keen on.

I get to consuming the Biomass too. It�s been a while since I paid monsters� profiles any attention, but let�s see what Gandalf has to say about this one.

[Basic profile of the Edax Animae Termite unlocked.]

[Edax Animae Termite (IV), Soul Eater Termite. Born of a modified queen, this species of termite exists for a singular purpose: to hunt and destroy plant-based monsters. Their mandibles are heavily mutated and attached to a Spirit Receptacle. The soul of those defeated by this monster will be drawn into the organ and devoured over time, furthering the growth and power of the termite.]

Revolting. To think the ka�armodo would believe unleashing such a creature against the world would be acceptable! It�s unthinkable!

Termites that literally consume souls. Such a thing is surely an abomination in the eyes of almost every race on the planet! Imagine, what if the Legion caught wind of something like this? They�d go ballistic! If they think the Colony is something that needs to get wiped out, then I can only imagine that something like this would send them right off the deep end. It might seem a little odd for me to reach out to those nutcases, but someone definitely should. If we can get them on our side for a change, I�d more than welcome it. At the very least, they might be able to put pressure on the ka�armodo to end this madness.

[You have fought well. I see the trust of our Mother was not misplaced,] the Grove Keeper greets me as he walks over, his eyes roaming over the destroyed termites with a quiet satisfaction. [This is only one place where they encroach against the roots of the Mother Tree. There are hundreds of such locations, and more are opening every day as the enemy digs more tunnels.]

[I think you�ll find that the termites might have met their match when it comes to shifting dirt,] I tell the massive Keeper smugly. [But I agree that is something we need to work on, and quickly. By compressing and reinforcing the dirt, we can create barriers that other burrowing insects are going to struggle with. If all goes well, we�ll be able to funnel them into a much more narrow avenue of attack. Once that happens, we can get down to what insects do best.]

[Which is?]

[An all-out grind-fest of a war. Whoever blinks first loses.]

[Hmmmmm� they have no eyes� and you have no eyelids. How is anyone supposed to blink?]

[It�s just a� never mind.]

The battle frenzy of the Colony was an ephemeral thing. Once the termites are gone, their Biomass consumed, and scent wiped away, my siblings and I are able to return to a more normal state of mind and begin to tackle the numerous problems at hand.

�The mana down here is absurdly thick. I feel like my core is on fire. We should adjust our spell rotations to account for the additional energy,� Propellant mused.

�Any idea what the dominant affinity of the stratum is?� I ask.

�Life, mainly. There�s more, but in small amounts, and it�s an affinity that none of the mages have come across before. It�s something advanced, that�s for sure.�

�Much like ash in the third, and death in the second.�

�It does seem like they have a dominant and more common mana paired with a more powerful and subtler force. Perhaps we can expect more of the same in the stratum below. Something to think about. In the meantime, I�ve pushed every earth-capable mage into the build teams to help fortify our position.�

�What can you tell us so far, Cobalt?�

�Not much. The roots of the Mother Tree are going to make our job a nightmare, I can already see that. They cover a huge amount of ground before they vanish into wherever the heck they go, and all of them are potential targets for the termites. Our fortifications will likely have to build quite a ways forward from this position, but we can�t rely on them completely, since the termites can dig just as well as we can. It�s going to be a difficult defence.�

�The termites are bigger and stronger than us,� I advise the group, �and it�s likely that they outnumber us, given we only have ten thousand here. We have to utilise our strengths to the maximum. That means using your heads and milking our defensive position for all it�s worth. Having said that, we can�t do much without more information. Burke, how do things stand on the scouting front?�

�Tunnel maps are getting filled as we speak, though it�ll be hours before we get a more complete picture. As Cobalt told us, the roots are huge and spread over an absurd amount of territory, the Mother Tree seems to have taken over this entire mountain to support her trunk. Once we trace the termites� trails back far enough, we can start planning where to construct our choke points and try to funnel the enemy.�

�We need to move fast on that,� I warn them. �We�re vulnerable to being overwhelmed until we get dug in. Not usually a problem we need to worry about.�

Each of the ants clacks their mandibles in amusement as they consider the unusual issue of being outnumbered by a single foe.

�Trust me, Eldest. We couldn�t be moving faster on the scouting if we tried,� Burke assures me.

Which means Vibrant and her group are doing it.

�We have to be hyper-careful when facing this enemy,� I warn everyone. �Their ability to feed on souls is disturbing, to say the least. I want everyone to be as careful as possible as we proceed. I�m going to move with the Grove Keeper and head to the hotspots. There are still ongoing raids from the termites as we speak.�

�Will you be alright on your own, Eldest?�

Advant is clearly concerned.

�I�m never really alone, you know that. Plus, Sarah is here. She�s strong.�

�I still think we should try and bring some humans here. With their aid, we�ll be much stronger.�

I shake my antennae.

�The mana is too thick. The humans are willing to come, but won�t be able to until they�ve adapted to the higher concentration of energy. It could take weeks before they can stay down here for any length of time.�

�I�m just worried,� she frets. �We need every advantage here.�

�I agree. They�ll be here, just not yet, alright? Until then, we just need to hold on for as long as possible.�

�Fine.�

�By the way, has anyone seen Brilliant?�

�Uh, no? Did she come through?�

�Yes, she did. Give me a second.�

Damn that ant, where the heck is she this time? Scanning through the Vestibule takes me a little while but I eventually find a small group of ants digging their way down alongside the roots of the tree. Luckily, they�d only made it a hundred metres before I found them.

�Brilliant,� I declare as I snatch up the little ant in my mandibles, �trying to get yourself killed again I see.�

She wiggles and thrashes in my jaws, but it�s hopeless, she�s sacked her physical stats to the point she�ll never be able to contest me once I get a grip on her.

�I want to see the point where the roots vanish,� she cries as she continues her hopeless struggle for freedom. �I need to see, I need to see, I need to see! Let gooooooo!�

THWACK!

�Nope. We have no idea where the termites might be tunnelling, so get your butt back to the safe zone until we�ve locked it all down.�

�Noooooooooooo!�

�And you lot, don�t encourage her!�

�Sorry, Eldest.�

It�s amazing how quickly these Champions can attract others to their cause. Already, she�s got a few willing helpers who�ll listen to her crackpot schemes. After delivering the little mad scientist back to the main concentration of the Colony, I meet up with Sarah and we begin a tour through the tunnel network that winds around the Mother Tree�s roots. The system is vast, covering kilometres of ground, and there are signs of termite activity all over the place. Nibbled roots here, a trace of scent there, it�s enough to get my mandibles twitching all over again.

[Hey, Sarah, how�re you finding the fourth stratum?]

The giant bear twitches in surprise. [Ah? Fine, I suppose. I�m kind of intimidated, to be honest. I never expected to be down here, especially not so soon.]

[I agree with you. I�m kind of worried about it, actually. The Colony has taken on a lot this time, especially when we still haven�t even started to expand in the third.]

[It�ll be fine,] she tries to cheer me up. [They�re smart, they know what they can and can�t do. I�m just glad to get away from it all, I was driving myself crazy up there.]

[Still worried about Jim?]

The giant bear grows silent as we walk side by side through the tunnels. Then she nods.

[I�m worried what he�ll do next. I feel like he�s got a grudge against the Colony and he�s doing whatever he can to damage us.]

Heh. You think I didn�t notice you say �us�? Think again! But I keep that little thought to myself.

[You know my view. He wanted you to depend on him, but you came to rely on the Colony instead. In his eyes, the ants need to be removed, then you will be forced to run back to him for support.]

[But I wouldn�t!] she protests. [After everything he�s done?]

[Hey, I know that, and you know that, but Jim? He�s crazy. Not that I can blame him too much. According to the Dungeon, we�re all crazy.]

The big bear�s head sinks to face the ground.

[That�s true.]

[These filthy termites have been busy�] I complain.

[I�ll say,] Sarah agrees. [They�ve dug all through this area. I�m not sure ten thousand of us is going to be enough.]

[It�ll have to be. The Colony has sent the best and brightest down here, which is going to make us more vulnerable to retaliation from the ka�armodo in the third stratum and slow our expansion there. Sending any more is out of the question.]

[I suppose you�re right. Hopefully, we can hold with what we have.]

[Hey, we have the mighty Asura Bear! Able to squash a million termites on her own! What could go wrong?]

[Shush, you.]

She swats me with one paw, and I brace to prevent myself from flinching as she rocks my carapace with one swipe. Dammit, Sarah! How the heck did you get so strong? Is this the kind of power that Garralosh would have been capable of had she managed to escape into the second stratum? She might not have even needed to evolve in order to display a far greater power than she did, simply having enough mana to properly fuel her core might have been sufficient. If she�d stayed in the Dungeon rather than rising to the surface, then I might never have won that fight.

Bah! Who wants to think about that croc now? We�ve got termites to slay! I turn to the Grove Keeper who�s been leading us around.

[Surely, this is all of the sites? We�ve been to dozens already!]

[Hmmmm. This is the last one. Well done; there aren�t any active incursions at this time. Mother is pleased that her roots are not being gnawed on for the first time in many weeks.]

The plant life around us rustles in agreement, but this time they lack their usual vigour and spite, as if the Mother Tree is fatigued. Perhaps the constant nibbling of the termites has had more of an effect than I thought. I suppose it only makes sense, she pulled her children back from the front and took on an enemy designed specifically to defeat her usual methods. It was only a matter of time until they wore her down. No wonder she was so desperate for us to get here as quickly as we could.

[Not to worry,] I broadcast as widely as possible, [your useless mother can be mothballed in an aged care facility now. We�ve got some competent monsters on the scene at last.]

[Anthony!] Sarah gasps.

[Be respectful. For your own good,] the Grove Keeper warns me.

A vine streaks down from above, aiming for my head, but I zip to the side before it can strike.

[Too slow, old bag!] I taunt.

Rumble.

My antennae stir like crazy as the walls of the tunnel around me begin to vibrate as if something truly ridiculous were coming. I switch over to my mana sight and clack my mandibles in admiration at what I behold. The stupid tree is shifting her main roots to squash me for my impudence, truly an impressive level of vindictiveness. However�

[If you weaken yourself too much, you�ll leave the bruan�chii vulnerable.]

The shaking stops.

[Not to mention you need me to defeat the termites! Bwahahahaha! What are you going to do about it, you old bag? You might be the biggest plant on the planet, but I have you in the grip of my claws! Take that, and that!]

I poke a nearby leaf savagely with one leg, watching as the vegetation around me trembles with rage.

[I ask that you do not push your luck too far.] The Grove Keeper steps between me and the leaf, forcing me to cease my relentless attack. [My mother has been known to make reckless decisions in the past. If you do not relent, I fear she will crush this tunnel, no matter the consequences.]

[Fine. Just go and rest, Mother Tree. We�ll take care of you and your children for a while. Once we have the strength, I�ll personally ensure that the termite nest is wiped from the face of the Dungeon.]

With my assurance, the plantlife settles down, though I can tell she still isn�t happy about it. I�ll have to be careful she doesn�t get back at me once her children are finally safe. Countermeasures will have to be put in place. Having dealt with the incursions, the Colony can now get down to the business of properly fortifying our position.

�It�s going to take a crazy amount of work, Eldest,� Cobalt warns me when I meet back up with her. She�s already established a construction headquarters, and her team is busy establishing a scale model of the work zone. �Even just in terms of soil reinforcement and compressing, we�re talking about hundreds of thousands, possibly even millions of tons of material. We�ve got a lot of talented mages and carvers here, but it�s still going to take a long time, and we have no idea when the termites will detect our presence and begin to launch a counter offensive. I get the impression they dislike us just as much as we dislike them.�

�Just focus on closing down the most direct paths and getting our detection measures in place. We can worry about the rest when we have the time. And another thing��

�What?�

�Make sure your teams are properly rotating through a rest schedule.�

She pauses in the process of working on the model.

�Do you think� they� are here?�

�They are everywhere the Colony is, Cobalt. You�d be a fool to think they weren�t here.�

�But how?! Only ten thousand came through, it was watched over and counted carefully, not a single soul was unaccounted for!�

�Is that right? You didn�t think to look down when you came through?�

�What do you mean?�

Confused, she looks down at her shadow on the ground, only for that thinly cast outline of herself to turn its head and smile.

�Gahhhhhh!�

�I wouldn�t be surprised if there were actually nineteen thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine ants on this trip,� I tell her grimly.

�One in every shadow�� she whispers. �But wait, Eldest, wouldn�t it be twenty thousand?�

I point down without replying.

My own shadow is a twisted mess of tentacles with three gnashing mouths of razor-sharp teeth.

�I don�t think even they could survive in there.�

For the next twenty-four hours, all mandibles were placed into work teams and we worked like only insects can to prepare ourselves for the inevitable retribution that would come. As of this moment, the termites, and by extension the ka�armodo, don�t know that we�ve arrived, since not a single termite came into contact with an ant and lived to tell the tale, but they had to know something was up. Several thousand termites had been killed, and not a single one who�d been sent out to raid the tree yesterday had gone back to the nest. There would be reprisals, no doubt about it.

This added a new dynamic to the termite/ant conflict. In my mind, it was always the ant who was the aggressor. Termites are basically peaceful creatures, herbivores who break down the sugars in wood and cultivate fungus to survive. Ants, on the other hand, are marauding killers who butcher other insects for food, killing more arthropods than anything else on the planet, even humans. There are even places in the world where ants are welcomed by farmers, since they know the ants will find and kill every other insect they can get their mandibles on.

In this case, it�s the termites who are coming to us.

Eventually, we�ll turn the tables on them, but not yet. For now, we bunker up as if this were a nest. For my part, I immerse myself into the zen of digging, sinking into a realm of peace that even the Meditation Skill cannot bring.

I am one with the soil.

The soil is one with the planet.

The planet is one with the universe.

All there is, all there was, and all there will ever be, is to dig, one mandible-load of soil at a time.

The calming sense of purpose and oneness that comes from a good dig is a welcome relief from the chaos and turbulence of the last few weeks. Fighting giant lizards and demons? Why the hell have I been doing that? I could have been digging this whole time!

Alas, it�s too good to last.

�Enemy spotted! Enemy spotted! Termites are advancing on the fortifications! Prepare for contact!�

A scout rushes through the section of tunnel I�ve been working in surrounded by my siblings, Tiny, Invidia, and Crinis, blasting her warning pheromones at full power. The response is immediate as ants cease their work and scurry back toward the safety of the more established defensive line. Mages stop compressing and fortifying the soil and rock and join the rush, a huge train of Colony members flooding back from the work sites here and farther out. I wait, holding myself to the side as the rush of my siblings continues to pass by. Only when the numbers begin to ease do I join in, positioning myself toward the back of the retreat.

�Any idea how far back they are?� I ask a nearby soldier.

�Not sure, but I don�t think it�s that far. The outer line of scouts was only positioned a few hundred metres past the furthest earthworks.�

�Then we likely don�t have much time before they�re here.�

�I hope not. I�m ready to fight.�

�Settle down there, soldier,� I caution her. �This is an opponent we can�t afford to underestimate.�

��Your mandibles are twitching, Eldest.�

Dammit!

�I can�t help it! Just keep running!�

Indeed, I can see it in all the ants around me as well. The hunger for battle has awoken in them, and they won�t be able to rest until they�ve met the termite in battle and annihilated the enemy. Exactly the same as me.

The tunnel we�re rushing through merges with another, then another, widening as it goes, the streams of ants converging into a mighty river of insect rage that spills into an opening on the edge of the main roots. The Mother Tree has been hard at work assisting us, withdrawing her gardens from the front line and helping by positioning the roots she can move in ways that don�t inhibit our work. The result is the beginnings of an ant fortress, a mighty wall atop of which an entire army of my siblings can position themselves to rain death down on the foe.

Without wasting time, the workers and I follow the scent trails to get into position for the battle to come.

�Eldest!� a scent reaches me. �Eldest! This way!�

�Advant? What�s the story?�

It�s difficult to make out individual smells in the crush of ants and overpowering wave of war pheromones wafting through the air.

�There�s a spot for you up here!� the soldier blasts at me from nearby. �The generals want you in the centre of the wall!�

�Right!�

[Come on, guys, time to roll!]

Given some direction, my companions and I rocket up the wall, Invidia fluttering his miniature wings while the rest of us climb, until we reach the top. Positioned directly in the middle of the wall, I�m surrounded on all sides by ten thousand of my siblings, ready to face off against the invading termites. The energy in the air is electric, and up and down the line, the uncontrolled snapping of mandibles rings out in a staccato rhythm, the ants unable to control their jaws, so desperate are they for the battle to begin.

What we had so far was just a taste, just a tiny serving of what this war will be. A few hundred termites at a time is nothing! Just the appetizer! No. Bring on the uncountable hordes! Bring wave upon wave of the enemy to crash against our bulwark! Create a fire in which the Colony can be tempered into a machine of war! This hunger has to be satisfied!

In mere minutes, the construction sites have been emptied and the full contingent of the Colony has been amassed here, not a single member absent. Apart from the uncontrolled snapping of jaws, complete silence falls over the line. No sound, no scent, only the tense wait for the first sign of the foe.

It starts slowly, a bare whisper, a scrape, the faint tik-tak of claws on compacted ground, which quickly swells as that same sound is repeated hundreds, then thousands of times. The repeated clacking builds into a crescendo until it almost becomes a roar, echoing through the tunnels like an oncoming tidal wave. The ants around me are practically vibrating, not from fear, but excitement. Come to think of it, Tiny is as well.

Then comes the first sighting, an antenna, darting left and right, followed by the head, those shrunken, useless eyes and long, elongated mandibles emerging into the light. Only two hundred metres across open ground, more and more termites emerge from multiple tunnels, creeping forward, snapping their jaws in our direction, and still more come, the tunnels behind them packed with reinforcements.

They brought a good number this time. Hopefully they can put up a fight!

�For the Colony!� I roar.

�FOR THE COLONY!�

Battle is joined.

The rate the termites emerge from the tunnel continues to increase as the first to emerge begin to charge against the fortifications we erected.

�FIRE!�

The order ripples through the line, causing mages to unleash their spells and others to let fly their devastating acid barrage. Naturally, I do both, raining hell using my acid and blasting out fire and ice spells utilising the Omni-Elemental Construct. Ha! With my multi-brain setup, coupled with my growing mastery of Mind Magic, my capacity to unleash hell from range has increased manyfold! I can be pumping out multiple spells at a single time, using more than one element. The fluency and power of my casting has also improved. Even at this speed, I can compress these spells to increase their destructive impact.

I�m not quite the one-ant army that I�d like to be, but I�m making great strides. The notifications start to roll in as I pummel the termite horde, and they don�t stop coming.

From atop the wall, a veritable deluge of ant ordinance has been unleashed. The flat, clear space in front has been lit up in the literal sense of the word, thousands of ants pouring out as much damage as they possibly can.

But it isn�t enough.

The tide of termite reinforcements continues unabated! The rate they push through the tunnels has risen to the point the cockroach-descended bugs are emerging piled high on each other, reaching almost halfway to the top of the tunnel! Forget thousands, there are tens of thousands of them! I can only hope there aren�t more, since we have no idea how many are actually coming. Not that it matters, I suppose, our only course of action is to keep pouring it on!

The barrage continues unabated as the ground before us becomes a writhing carpet of dead and dying termites covered by the still living ones crawling over their own, jaws gnashing furiously as they attempt to reach us. The flood of numbers has outstripped our ability to kill them sooner than I anticipated. The termites are tough, well-designed monsters, not the usual trash that would undoubtedly fill a social insect colony like this in the wild.

Their carapaces are tough, made from much better materials than our own. What�s more, examination of the cores we extracted earlier revealed that they each carry a regeneration gland to keep them in the fight longer. I�m certain that even now, there are termites beneath that mass of still-charging creatures who are healing, stitching themselves together to get back into the fight. In only twenty seconds, the tide of termites slams into the base of the wall, sending a shockwave through the structure that rocks it beneath our feet.

�BRACE!�

The order comes rolling down the line, and the response is immediate, mages stepping back and switching from direct fire to combined, arcing projectiles as a line of soldiers step forward. Climbing over each other, the termites rise like a wave to reach the top of the wall, and then the hard stuff begins. My minds continue to spin as I produce spell after spell, rattling them out at more than one per second, even as my acid continues to fly and I ready my jaws.

The first termite to reach me is almost mad with rage, its long, sharp jaws quivering in anticipation as it lunges across a mound of its own kind to snap at me. But it isn�t to be. My jaws, locked in position for several seconds, snap forward with the inevitability of a mountain collapsing, the dark mandibles of pure energy manifesting around them and extending the bite by several metres.

DOOM CHOMP!

Crunch!

The hapless termite is helpless to fight back against the overwhelming power of my strike, and so are the three behind it, but they are quickly replaced. All along the wall, a similar scene is played out as the strongest soldiers of the Colony, including Vibrant and her squad, meet the encroaching wall of termites face to face.

The scent is overwhelming as the termites blast their fury and rage into our faces whilst my siblings, willingly or not, are unleashing the battle pheromone, urging all around them to greater heights of savagery and action. All I can see is a press of termites in front of me, and still the actions I need to perform don�t change. Spell, spell, CHOMP, spell, spell, CHOMP!

When the wave of termites reaches over my head and threatens to overwhelm me, I lock my mandibles in place and summon my stamina from deep within.

DOOM CHOMP COMBO!

I unleash three, rapid bites, crunching through the opposition and cutting the termite offensive here in the centre of the wall, but only for a moment. If the middle is faring this poorly, I hope the sides are doing better�

�We�re getting pushed on the line. Fight back! Scouts to the front!� comes the call.

The scouts, who to this point had been responsible for unleashing an acid barrage over our heads, cease firing and climb on top of the soldiers in the first line to add height and more chomping power. Despite being scouts, they are still the second strongest caste in the Colony, and their aid comes at an opportune moment.

Work the jaws, work the brains, work the jaws, work the brains.

It�s no longer possible to see the tunnels through which the termites are coming, so I can only hope the reinforcements have slowed.

Snick!

A termite sneaks through my guard and snaps its jaws shut around my foreleg before I can lift, too busy dodging the bites from other foes. Immediately, I feel a pull as the termite tries to drag me off the wall and into the writhing mass of insects in front of me, to certain doom.

Not gonna happen, buddy!

DOOM CHOMP!

I lunge once more and cut through the enemies in front, freeing myself, except the creatures I destroy are quickly replaced, the mound of Biomass in front of the wall now acting as a ramp that only continues to grow.

�WE NEED CLEARANCE IN FRONT OF THE WALL! STEADY!� I blast all around me to carry my words farther. �Get ready for the charge!�

Stepping back, I raise all three legs on one side of my body and stomp down as hard as I can, sumo style, then repeat the action three times.

STOMP! STOMP! STOMP!

The signal causes the carvers hidden beneath me to blast the section of wall outward in a catastrophic detonation, revealing that the upper four metres of the wall here in the centre were completely hollow. And, I mean, we had to put something in there�

�WE SEEK!�

The charge of the Immortals takes place immediately beneath my feet, and the force of it is quite staggering. In a literal sense. The wall I�m standing on rocks as those armoured behemoths take their short runup and launch themselves into a literal mound of termite bodies.

The effect is stunning as the termites in front of me are launched back, their support being blasted away with an almighty CRUNCH. Then I see them, the brightly shining armoured figures of Leeroy and her followers mowing through the massed termite army like a plough through a field. In just a few short seconds, they�ve pushed the enemy back over ten metres as the sheer weight of their combined charge hits like a battering ram.

�Artillery forward! Mages forward! Fire! Fire! Fire!�

With the pressure relieved for a brief, precious window, the Colony moves to take advantage as swiftly as possible. The soldiers step to the side, allowing the mages to come forward even as the scouts begin to unleash their firepower directly into the horde below, heedless of whether the Immortals are struck or not.

I mean, with Leeroy and her crew, they�d probably be insulted if we tried to avoid hitting them. May as well just unleash hell.

With so many family members around me, I still feel fresh as a daisy, my muscles rejuvenated and my body humming with energy. I eagerly start to unload my machine gun flurry of magic on the enemy.

Peeking over the edge of the wall for the first time in a while, the unfolding scene is one of madness. A writhing carpet of termites, some living, many injured or reduced to oozing piles of Biomass, stretches from the base of the wall to the tunnels hundreds of metres away. The termites are still four or five deep for the entire distance. It�s insane. And the reinforcements are still coming!

Just how many of these damn things are there? Did the ka�armodo work out that we are here and decide to throw everything at us at once? Or even worse, is this just a taste of what they have at hand?

Perhaps the Mother Tree has been dealing with waves similar to this over the last few months? If so, she really should have told us!

I contemplate winding up a Gravity Bomb but shelve the idea. The Immortals might not mind if the acid rains down on them, but if I start flinging black holes on their heads, even they won�t be able to survive. And I refuse to give them the satisfaction!

�Push! Prepare to charge!�

When the order comes from the general behind me, I prepare along with every other soldier by moving forward and gripping tight to the edge of the wall. Now that Leeroy is out there amongst the mess, the pressure has been relieved from the edge and we need to get out there to support them before they get overwhelmed. Leeroy might be a pain in the backside, but that doesn�t necessarily mean I want her soul sucked out and consumed by a monster that descended from a cockroach.

�CHARGE!�

�FOR THE COLONY!�

Filled with the exultant will of my siblings, my heart is filled with righteous fire as I lean forward until my head is facing down and begin to rocket down the face of the wall. When I come to the gap that the Immortals charged through, I release and freefall for a frightening moment and then latch back on, my claws screaming with the effort of holding my weight up. It�s a close call that maybe I should�ve used some inverted Gravity Bolts on myself again, but it�s okay, I manage, just barely, to avoid slipping and landing on face. I will not be denied, not today, not with so many of the hated enemy right in front of me! Bring it on, bugs!

As I charge down the face of the wall, I continue the barrage, my multiple brains making it childishly simple to constantly fire acid and spells even as I manoeuvre my body. Heck, I still have the spare mental space to flood raw mana into my mandibles to increase their cutting power as we dive headfirst into the mass of foes.

The moment I hit, I begin to chomp like there�s no tomorrow. Even with this many ants around, I can�t afford to be wasteful with my stamina, so I don�t throw out Doom Chomps willy-nilly, but with the mana infused into my mandibles, they shear through the termites well enough.

From above, the rain of firepower continues from the mages and scouts as the soldiers pile in.

�Heal coming.�

�Ah, forgot you were there.�

�That�s the idea.�

The healer gripping my underside sends a wave of Healing Mana through me, closing over my superficial wounds and letting me save my regeneration fluid for a more dire situation. This is a bolder application of the healers, one they pushed hard for, bringing them into battle attached to those who need the most healing. It�s incredibly brave of them, and I hope they don�t suffer for it. This is going to be a long campaign, and the healers are going to be the most important caste of all by the time it�s done.

Once again, my eyes are filled with nothing but the enemy, and all of my attention is taken by the constant fighting. It�s impossible to know how the fight is going, and I have to trust the generals and other leaders know what they�re doing. Heck, they do a better job than I do, and no matter the result, I�ll still believe that. Even so, I can�t help but be worried for my family.

[Bring the noise, guys. No more holding back.]

My pets, my friends and comrades, leap to respond to my call. Tiny, who has held himself back only through the power of my direct command to this point, launches forward with catastrophic force, jumping high before landing amongst the termites like a collapsing meteor. His bellowing war cry reverberates off the stone walls before it rises in pitch and becomes as sharp as a lightning strike, stunning all who hear it. Well, not me, obviously, but the termites, despite being hard of hearing, are still affected.

The stillness only lasts for a second before they begin to writhe and gnash once more, but that second was more than enough time for Crinis to perform her dark work. I asked her to hide amongst the shadows before the battle began, and now the shadows are everywhere. Ant and termite are piled into a great mass four or five figures deep over a massive area that stretches from the wall to the tunnels, hundreds of metres in every direction, so much darkness into which she can slide.

In that moment, when all were still, she emerged, tendrils pushing their way up from below, slipping out of the shadows and winding their way around a target. The barbed teeth emerged to scrape and grind at the chitin shells of the termites, condemning them to a terrible fate. Even worse were those who fell victim to her invasive cilia, the ghostly vines twisting through the physical realm to bring madness to her victims. Those termites who succumbed to her power became ravening creatures of desperate fear, lashing out at friend and foe alike.

BOOM!

I honestly can�t tell if the first explosion was caused by Tiny�s fist or Invidia�s mind, but they began to ring out so fast that it hardly matters. A steady stream of detonations rocks the chamber, until the air is thick with smoke and a faint thrill of electricity tingles across my antennae.

�ROAR!�

THUD!

Unable to hold back any longer, it seems that Sarah has also decided to join the fight. Luckily, I can see behind a lot more clearly than I can see forward, otherwise she might have landed on my back legs. Covered in her glittering armour, she cuts an impressive figure, and she is massively heavy! After launching herself from the wall, she plummets like a stone and lands heavily, smooshing everything underneath her into a thick paste.

Nasty!

She doesn�t seem to care, though. Her blood is up, and the Asura Bear is not here for friendly conversation. Without so much as a �hello,� she rumbles forward, her lips drawn back in a fearsome snarl, her eyes tinged with red beneath her helmet. Not a good sign. If she�s already losing herself to the rage, then I can easily imagine what�s going to happen when she gets to fighting. Not much I can do about it right now, there�s still a battle to win, after all, but I will certainly file that under �issues I need to check on later.�

With a string of interventions from powerful, tier six allies, the ant cause has rallied once again in the face of the termite flood, and with these points of immense strength to rally around, the soldiers gather up and push into the enemy�s ranks with relentless force. Mandible meets mandible in all-out, brutal combat as the two ancient enemies face off against each other in this most unlikely battleground.

What was an endless war of mindless savagery in miniature on Earth has been recreated here in supersized fashion as thousands of insects the size of cars slam into each other, attempting to tear limbs and sever heads. It�s horrific, but I�ve no time to take it all in, all I can do is destroy the enemy, then find the next one. If I keep doing it fast enough, eventually we�ll win.

Despite the danger, I run up alongside Sarah, and with her help, drive deeper into the termite horde, relying on the broad swipes of her claws to keep me from being overwhelmed. Although not much time has passed since their grand charge, Leeroy and the Immortals have changed the landscape of the battle for the better. Yet, they have already been left on their own for too long.

I�m not even really that concerned that the termites will have killed them�those idiots are too dumb to die. No, I�m worried they�ll be pulling some shenanigans in a foolish attempt to achieve their long-cherished dream of gloriously sacrificing themselves for the good of the Colony. I will prevent it from happening at all costs! You�ll live forever, Leeroy, my stupid sister. Forever, dammit!

DOOM CHOMP COMBO!

My mandibles snap back and forth rapidly, the dark jaws of pure energy slamming shut with tremendous force on everything in front of me again and again. My energy drains dramatically, but the forward space clears, and I push into it to find a circle of shining metal-clad figures battling fiercely despite being surrounded.

�Tch. The Eldest is here,� someone complains.

�I knew it!� I bellow at them. �Glorious last stand, my business district! Every one of you idiots is getting out of here alive. Got it!�

��Fine.�

CRASH!

A massive detonation of electrical energy briefly whites out my vision, and when it returns, I find Tiny standing next to me with a broad grin and a fierce light of joy in his eyes.

[Don�t have too much fun,] I warn him. [We need this over with sooner rather than later.]

My first friend in the Dungeon gives me a quick thumbs up before he engages in the fight once more, his fists blurring as he snaps out punches faster than I can see.

�Well, that�s just great,� another Immortal complains.

�Shut up or I�ll bring Invidia and Crinis over here just to make certain that nothing happens to you!� I snap at them.

These morons!

�Now fight, or I�ll personally make sure you never see combat again!�

That lights the fire in them, and they redouble their efforts to fight off the termites. Every few minutes, one of them collapses, either from exhaustion or their wounds, I don�t know, but it matters not, bright light explodes from the downed figures, and soon enough, they are standing again, back in the fight.

My face is aching and my brains are tired, yet still the fight goes on until finally, it�s over. I chomp my mandibles shut and blast the monster before me with a spear of ice, only to find nothing standing behind it when it collapses.

�The termites are retreating!� Leeroy sounds partly happy, partly sad.

It�s true. Their shadows are still vanishing down the tunnels, heading back to their nest, leaving us in possession of the field and more Biomass than I can poke a stick at.

�I suppose we should get Vibrant to tail them, at least for a little while.�

�YOU-GOT-IT-SENIOR-BYEEEEEEE!�

�Be careful! They�ll be back soon! Vibrant?! Dammit.�

After Vibrant are her crew sprint off down the tunnels, the rest of us are left with the unenviable task of cleaning up the mess. And what a mess. I�m standing on a heap of Biomass three or four termites deep, and it sure isn�t going to eat itself. What�s more, when I throw on my mana sight, it becomes clear that quite a few of these termites have cores. Now, they aren�t anything like fully developed cores, not even close. In fact, they don�t come close to the cores my siblings in the Colony have, despite most being a long way from maxed.

Scanning the battlefield, I would guess that roughly half of the termites have cores, which explains why, despite their relatively high tier, they are close to matching up to us one-on-one. No, it seems that the ka�armodo have decided to embrace the swarm strategy at its most pure. Not a bad idea, since they have the natural advantage of being born deeper in the Dungeon. With more advanced body parts than we have, they don�t need strong evolutions to be dangerous. Is it also possible their soul-devouring organ provides the extra juice they need, giving them experience or empowering their evolution in some way? It bears more investigation.

�Report back to the wall! We need a casualty check and debrief! Move! Move! Move!�

Man� I can remember the good ol� days when we just tucked straight into the food. Things are a bit more organised now, what with the accounting the generals do to keep track of the wounded and make sure the post-battle scene doesn�t degenerate into chaos.

�Better get moving, Eldest. I know you�re fine, but there�s probably others I need to see to,� the healer strapped to the underside of my carapace tells me.

�Oh, right. Of course.�

I file back into line along with the others, and we climb back to the top of the wall, where the generals check over every single member of the ten-thousand-strong expeditionary force and lay out the plan to clear the battlefield so the work crews can get back to the more important task of fortifying our position. It�s impossible to walk away from this sort of conflict with no casualties, and every loss stings my spirit, but the numbers are remarkably low considering how many we defeated.

We were lucky this time. The termites, and by extension, the ka�armodo, were stupid. They threw numbers at the problem, hoping it would go away�a sign of impatience or overconfidence. If they�d taken the time to prepare a diversionary tunnel, or strike in more than one place, or any number of tactics they didn�t try, we would have been in a much more difficult position. As it is, we held them up with not even a tenth of the earthworks completed, let alone the full fortification project.

I�m not sure if this is a good sign.

�Hey,� I approach a nearby general, �what am I supposed to be doing? I didn�t get an assignment.�

All my siblings have already scuttled off, throwing themselves headlong into their next tasks, despite the crushing fatigue of having just fought a battle no doubt dragging them down. Heck, I�m tired, and I have an organ that replenishes my energy!

The general in question wriggles a bit and runs an antenna over the slate she has in front of her.

�Ah, you aren�t mentioned in the report, Eldest. I guess you�re supposed to do your own thing.�

I stare.

�I just wander off and do whatever? That doesn�t seem right!�

�Doesn�t it?� she shrugs. �You�re the Eldest.�

�I mean� I suppose so.�

Tiny reaches out and pokes my carapace. I find him giving me the most disturbing set of puppy dog eyes I�ve ever seen. Come on, Tiny! You�re an enormous gorilla monster over ten metres tall! Have a little dignity, man!

Sigh.

[Yes, alright. Let�s go eat. May as well start packing it away.]

I swear, the way the Colony has been treating me has been weird since� a long time ago. The statues, I could put up with, barely. The engravings and carvings, almost tolerable. But this feeling of being� �other� amongst my own family definitely stings a little. It�s nice to be respected and all that, but not to the point I no longer feel like a proper member of the Colony. I�ll have to think on this another time; the gains from the battle aren�t insignificant, and I�ll have to consider a big mutation session when this is all said and done.

By the time I climb back down off the wall, Tiny has already been stuffing his face. Great fistfuls of Biomass are being shovelled into his face hole. Despite his abundant appetite, when it comes to my comrades, he�s probably the slowest eater. Nearby, Invidia is unveiling his ghoulish grin, the hovering mouth comically larger than his miniscule body. He leans forward, and with an almighty CRUNCH, takes a huge bite from the sea of Biomass on display. Unfortunately, not even he can compete with the true glutton of the group. I can hear her at work now, though I can�t see her. Probably for the best.

A creature of the shadows has she become. She doesn�t even need to show herself in order to eat, instead merging with the darkness that lies in the gaps beneath us. Three separate, horrific gnashing sounds can be heard echoing up from below, and I for one am pleased it remains hidden from view.

I suppose I better get to it if I�m going to get my share. It won�t be long before the Colony starts to haul all of this away, and ten thousand ants can work up quite an appetite, let me tell you.

Rassan�tep kept his eyes lidded to conceal his impatience. Even the heated sand against his scales rubbed him the wrong way, irritating him further. The third stratum, it simply couldn�t compare to the fine grain and hot sun of his native desert, but how many decades had it been since he could run freely on the surface? Too many.

[Enough,] he spoke to his chief servant, Ammon�sil, who signalled the others, and they stopped producing fire beneath him.

The Old One stretched his hands, his claws flexing and scraping against the sand as he opened his mouth wide, stretching the loose skin and exposing his fangs, each a deadly blade that glistened with venom. Lethargy tugged at his thoughts but he pushed it away. There wasn�t the time to sleep.

[You seem very antagonistic toward the ants,] he observed to his guest. [I would like to know why.]

High atop his mound of sand that steamed and sizzled within the confines of the brick walled furnace beneath, the great lizard looked down on the enormous worm who writhed in discomfort. Despite the tough outer covering of the Earth Worm, its flesh was still soft and vulnerable to heat. What would Yarrum think to see one of his own kind display such weakness? A foolish question. Yarrum would eat the entire city in a single bite, never caring if the city was filled with worm-type monsters or not. Of all the Ancients, the Eternal Worm had a hunger second only to Tarriflyx.

Though there was quite a distance between the two.

[I-I�m not sure what you mean.]

Even the mind of this creature felt weak, slippery and noxious to Rassan�tep. In control as he was, he felt as if he gripped a poisonous toad as it wriggled within his grip. To think a creature such as this came from the same place as that ant. A much more promising specimen.

[You hate them.] Rassan�tep bared his teeth once more, a childish display, but he was angered. [You seek their destruction and you wish to use the ka�armodo to achieve it, because you are far too weak to achieve your desires alone.]

Sensing his master�s distaste, Ammon�sil placed a hand against the Old One�s side as he directed a glare at the worm. That such a thing would attempt to dissemble before his master was a sin that he would not forget.

[I b-betrayed them in the past. They seek my death! If they aren�t stopped, there will never be a safe place for me in the Dungeon, or anywhere on the planet. They grow so quickly! You haven�t seen what I�ve seen! The enemies they�ve defeated, the rate of their spread. Already, they have a dozen nests, each with two Queens! They produce thousands of young each week. And they can already fight against you�they pushed you away from the garden, didn�t they? What will happen when there�s a million of them? Or a hundred million? I might want them dead, but they are a threat that you cannot deny! Already, they�ve defeated the golgari and the Legion. Will the ka�armodo be next?]

The great lizard let out a noxious breath and closed its eyes as he probed with his potent mind.

[And what of the one you wish to save?]

The worm recoiled, as if struck.

[W-what do⁠�]

[I can almost see her in your thoughts. A female, yes? She is large. Powerful. Much more than you.]

He opened his eyes and stared fiercely at the creature, Jim.

[If we destroy the Colony, how will she be saved if you do not tell us? Have you even thought that far?]

A trace of his contempt leaked through, and Jim shrank in on himself.

[I thought� That is� I meant� I wanted to bring her up at the proper time.]

[You have lost your chance,] Rassan�tep spoke mercilessly. [I have it now. Sarah. A bear type.]

[Stay out of my thoughts!]

[Keep me out, if you can.] He flicked his tongue dismissively.

Obviously, the worm could not.

[You know nothing of this world, worm Jim. You think the Legion, defeated? The golgari, helpless? I have seen it all in your mind. A puffed-up border clan, filled with arrogance and foolishness. A green Legion, forced back to more important duties by the coming of the wave. The Empire of Stone can be traced back to before the Rending; their greatest warriors wield the mightiest blades of living stone this world has ever seen, their bodies coated in precious minerals harder than diamonds. I�ve seen golgari warriors conceal themselves in flowing magma. I�ve seen them chew through stone. They have battled the Dungeon for over two thousand years. They could annihilate this Colony with a turn of their hand, should they choose to.]

[But they were defeated!]

[You hear nothing of what I say. You think the strongest golgari are in the second stratum? The second? Don�t be a fool. It is a playground for the incompetent and the weak. That you would also underestimate the Legion is even more pathetic.]

[I saw them retreat with my own eyes!]

[I cannot educate a fool. That which you see as a looming threat is still a grub in the eyes of the ka�armodo; the Mahaan will never take your warnings seriously enough to bring the required force to bear on the Colony. Even now that they have departed to the fourth stratum, along with your Sarah.]

[What?]

The worm was so stunned he actually stopped writhing.

[She is no longer here,] Rassan�tep assured him. [The Mother Tree has called on the ants to protect her from my people, and they have answered that call. Your friend went with them.]

[B-but then� in the fourth? She�ll die! It�s suicide!]

[It is indeed very dangerous, and not just due to my people. There are more sapient beings living in the fourth stratum than there are on the surface, after all. Vast empires, enormous armies. The enemies of the Colony will learn they are there eventually, and then? Destruction.]

[I have to save her!]

Jim twisted and tried to lunge out the door, but his body froze in place, his mind gripped by the powerful Old One.

[You move too quickly, Jim. There is much we can do here before we depart for the fourth.]

[You� you�re going to� help me?]

[For my own reasons. I am.]

The gratitude that flooded the mind of the worm was the final straw for Rassan�tep, and he broke the contact. Such a weak creature. So unworthy. The ant, Anthony, on the other hand, showed great promise. Very early, he had drawn the eye of the Red Truth, and he had only grown magnificently since then. He even felt the touch of the Worm Cult in his thoughts. A promising specimen indeed.

Would it be enough to turn that ant into a true diamond? The twentieth Ancient? Rassan�tep knew there was only one way to forge such a hard material.

Pressure and heat.

One does not coddle an Ancient.

Commander Myriam wasn�t happy. In an unfortunate quirk of her character, at least in the context of the role she served within the Legion, when she wasn�t happy, it tended to show clearly on her face. Not the best trait for an ambassador to have, but as long as the Consul didn�t care, then neither did she.

In truth, the Legionem Abyssi didn�t seem to value tact in its representatives. The Legion didn�t value pretty words, they valued powerful actions, which was likely why all of their missives to foreign powers were carried exclusively by the immensely powerful.

It was difficult for the faces of the ka�armodo to show strong emotion, but she could tell from their stillness, their unblinking stares, and the defensive posture of the setsulah, that they could feel the anger rolling off her in waves.

Good.

These idiot lizards had spat on thousands of years of tradition and discipline, so they had better feel her anger. When she felt she had a good enough grip on her temper, Myriam turned to the ancient creature beside her and looked him dead in the eye.

�Please explain to me, Mahaan,� she grated out, �exactly what you expect the Consul to say when I bring her word of this,� she gestured roughly to the scene in front of her, �atrocity?�

The Mahaan shifted slightly under her withering glare, and the setsulah attendants reacted as if she�d punched the fool in the snoot. She shifted her glare onto them and they froze as the weight of her displeasure fell upon them like a physical force.

[If you would speak with your mind, I would understand you more clearly,] the deep tones of Parron�tep rang in her head. [It is important that we communicate clearly in such trying times.]

The commander gritted her teeth once again at the arrogance of the oversized gecko. Who in the hell did he think he was talking to?

�Let me be clear,� she bit off each word as she spoke, �if you don�t explain this situation to my satisfaction, I will request the Consul intervene personally. I assure you, she will descend on this mountain at the head of our massed Legions, and she will flatten it, along with you and everyone else in this room. Then, your people will thank her and pray to all they hold dear that she stops there. You are in the coldest possible sand, Mahaan, one wrong word and you will freeze to death.�

The clear, naked threat in her words riled the ka�armodo, and they reacted strongly. The enormous creatures peeled back their lips to reveal dagger-like teeth dripping with venom as the human in their midst threatened their lives with open contempt. All around the room, the attendants reached for their weapons, needle-pointed teeth bared in anger as their masters� indignation boiled across their bond. Despite all of their anger, nobody moved, Myriam remaining in the centre of the room untouched.

She even went as far as to tap her booted foot on the floor impatiently, waiting for a response from the Mahaan. Still, none of the ka�armodo moved. She could not be harmed, of this they were all keenly aware.

[We anticipated that you would not approve of this action,] Parron�tep replied. [As the Mahaan of this clutch, I have taken the responsibility of seeing this plan through to its completion. All that we ask is that the Legion leave us to execute on our strategy in peace.]

If it were possible, the commander�s face grew even tighter.

�You want us to look aside from a clear breach of everything the Legion has ever stood for? Thousands of years of martial tradition and sacrifice? For what gain?�

[The waves are growing ever stronger, and they have not ceased,] the Mahaan replied. [Surely, the Legion believes, as we do, that the possibility of a second Cataclysm exists? We cannot wait for such an event without taking measures to prepare. If we are able to remove the Mother Tree, it will be an incredibly powerful Mythic class monster that the Ancients are not able to convert to their side. Or worse, consume.]

�If you want to kill the Tree, then rally your forces, contact your allies, and attack it. Why resort to this� abomination?�

[We cannot risk losing even a fraction of our strength if we are to survive another Rending. Would the Legion throw their soldiers away knowing what is to come?]

The commander didn�t reply, but it was clear that she did not approve.

�All you have done is create another problem, bigger than the one you are trying to solve.�

[They are perfectly under control. There is no chance they will escape our containment.]

Myriam snorted.

�That�s what everyone thinks, right up until the last possible moment. It will get out of your control, nothing is surer. On the brink of a second Cataclysm, this is exactly the sort of thing you shouldn�t be doing. You create new enemies for us to fight at a time when we are spread far too thin already.�

She looked out through the shield once more into the chamber beyond. It was dark inside, but her enhanced vision saw everything in disgusting detail. Three pale, bulbous bodies, each over fifty metres long, pulsed grotesquely as an army of smaller insect-type monsters swarmed around them, hauling away clutches of eggs every second. At the heads of the beasts, a constant train of workers carried loads of fungus grown in the vast fields beyond the chamber, an endless stream of food for the queens.

It sickened her.

�I already know what the response from the Consul will be. Shut it down, now,� she spat.

A pause.

[With respect, Commander, we will wait for an official response from your leader before we make a decision.]

�And in the meantime, you�ll continue as planned?� Myriam growled.

The Mahaan closed his eyes.

[Of course,] he replied.

I�m no longer shocked by how fast the Colony can work. I mean, I�ve seen it all by this point, surely. But even if they can�t shock me, they can get pretty damn close! In the twenty-four hours after the initial battle with the termites, the area in which we fought has been transformed. A simple wall was only the stopgap measure; now we have defence in depth! Layers of walls, spiked pits filled with acid, surprise attack tunnels, the works.

The new walls are more than a little better. Compressed stone reinforced with Smithant�s finest steel frames, enchanted to further harden the metal, each wall covered in crenelations and cheeky sniper windows to allow mages to unleash their firepower from range. If the termites want to run headfirst into this, then they really are blind. Gwehehehehe.

The issue we have is the sheer amount of ground we have to cover.

�How much of the rock has been compressed in your area?� Cobalt asks.

She�s been doing the rounds, getting a sense of how far along the fortification is.

�Not even twenty percent, I�m afraid,� the site foreman lets her know.

Not even twenty percent? My brains are fried over here!

�You�re a long way ahead of the other teams,� Cobalt lets her know wryly.

�Well, I think we both know why that is.�

I mean, I don�t want to take all the credit. After all, there�s a lot of hardworking mages here putting in all thei�Oi� Why are you staring so admiringly at Invidia? He�s not getting nearly as much done as I am! If you wanted to blow up the area then, sure, he�d be your guy, but I�m out here busting my brains to squish this rock!

Sheesh.

�You know I�m joking Eldest,� Cobalt laughs. �No need to look so sour.�

�Who? Me? I don�t look sour. In fact, I don�t even know what you�re talking about. Who are you, again?�

Heh. Smooth. Covered myself well there.

�As much as your help is appreciated here, Eldest, we need you in another area.�

I eye the tiny carver askance.

�You sure that�s a good idea? The sooner we get this network set up, the safer we�re going to be from enemy tunnels.�

�The reality is, we can�t cover such a huge area in anything less than two weeks, no matter what we do. I�d need five times as many work crews to achieve the job in the timeframes we want. So far, we�ve managed to cover the most direct paths the enemy could take to access the roots. That should help funnel them into our fortifications. The rest is just going to have to get done when we can.�

�That increases our risk.�

�We have to take on some level of risk,� she shrugs. �By moving you around to where you�re needed most, we hope to minimise that risk as much as possible.�

�All right then,� I sigh and release the Omni-Elemental Construct.

Immediately, all of my mind constructs fall apart, and for the first time in hours, my brains relax. Compressing stone might be simple to do, mana-wise, but it takes a hell of a lot of willpower. You�re basically grabbing hold of the stone in a handful of mana and squishing it, using the mana to heal the fractures as they occur and bond the rock tighter together. It�s immensely draining, monotonous work, and I�m well and truly over it. Seriously, though, the next time I check my status, I ought to see a huge boost to my Elemental Magic. I might even hit the next rank!

I�m excited to see what sort of magic I can get my hands on!

My friends in tow, I follow behind Cobalt as we make our way out of the winding work tunnels that twist their way around the Mother Tree�s massive main roots. As we travel, I idly dip my attention into the Vestibule to see what my fellow members of the ten-thousand-strong expeditionary force are up to.

Quite predictably, most are digging, even the Immortals. Ah, it seems Leeroy has learned of the soul-devouring nature of the termites and is hoping, along with her sisters, that her soul will be consumed before her Phoenix Fire organ can kick in, circumventing her rebirth and finally achieving a glorious death in battle. Not a chance, Leeroy! I�ll pull your soul out and stuff it back into your body myself if I have to. The soldiers are helping to coordinate the movement of soil and stone. Ah, it appears that Brilliant is attempting to reconstruct the root gates of the Mother Tree using a few twigs, a small metal pin, a rock, and a fire. I�m not sure how much luck she�s going to have there�

What�s interesting is that I don�t see Vibrant anywhere. And I�ve just realised a large crew of scouts has assembled near the main exit.

I think I�ve caught on to the issue.

�How long has Vibrant been missing?� I sigh.

The carver in front of me jumps.

�Ah. Since the battle. She ran off to scout and hasn�t come back.�

�And you want me to go and look for her.�

�We want you to lead a team of scouts to find her, yes. There�s a bit of concern that she might have followed the termites too far in their retreat and gotten surrounded or� distracted.�

If I had money, I would put it all on �distracted� in a heartbeat. Still, we don�t want to leave Vibrant out in the middle of the fourth stratum on her own. As powerful as she is within the Colony, she�s a tiny little bug down here�even at tier seven, we�d only be average.

�You lot will have to be extra cautious while I�m gone,� I fret. �If the termites come again��

�We know the risks, Eldest. We have to have Vibrant back.�

�I know that. I just worry about the family.�

�We know. We�ll be fine.�

Dammit, Vibrant, if I catch you swimming in a pool with little golden fish or something equally stupid, I�m going to be a mad, mad, Eldest.

Some part of me is still buzzing about being in the fourth stratum. I can�t believe we managed to get down here without having to fight some epic war for survival in the third, or conquer an oppressive foe, or face down a full legion of metal death soldiers. It just seems weird. I mean, the ka�armodo are knocking on our door, and we have to fight to protect the tree down here, but I still feel like we got off easy. Especially considering we had to face down Garralosh before we could even descend to the second stratum.

I almost feel relaxed about it. We have tension with the ka�armodo across two strata, which is definitely an issue, but I�ll keep my claws crossed so they don�t try to pull us into a conflict across the third and fourth. That�d suck. Big time.

Fortunately, it won�t happen! We�re cruising right now. All we have to do is hunker down, get ourselves properly dug in, and then hold off the termites in a war of attrition they can never hope to win. Once we fortify our hold on our territories in the third stratum, and expand our numbers and nests within the second, we�ll be able to flood down here and smash our colony rivals into smithereens. Once that happens, we�ll be free to expand and explore the fourth to our hearts� content. Things are looking good!

Until Vibrant went and threw a wrench in everything. Where the heck did she get to? She was supposed to chase after the termites until they left the tunnels we�d constructed to funnel them toward us and then come back. Naturally, Vibrant being Vibrant, she�s probably found herself a pond and is trying to run on water or something ridiculous.

[Anthony!] a mind reaches out to me. [Wait for me!]

[Sarah?] I say as I turn and see the giant bear running up beside me. [You want to come along?]

[Yes. I�m not that useful for digging or constructing things, so I might as well come and help make sure you and Vibrant get back safely.]

[Sure,] I shrug my antennae. [Feel free to tag along.]

I think for a moment.

�You need to be careful out there, Protectant. We�re kicking around in the fourth now, so you lot should stay hidden unless you really feel the need to intervene. Even then, think twice.�

I don�t get a reply, but I know they heard me. Honestly, ever since my bodyguards showed up, I feel like I spend more time worrying about them being safe, as opposed to them worrying about me. They�re probably constantly having to intervene behind the scenes to keep me on the straight and narrow, though, so I suppose it all washes out in the end. Come to think of it, I should keep a closer eye on the guards through the Vestibule. Their hiding mechanism is incredibly strong, and unless I focus they still tend to slip under my radar.

I spin up a mind construct and dedicate it to filtering through the wash of energy I receive from the Colony, spying on Protectant and her crew.

[Alright then, let�s get going.]

Without too much discussion, we get ourselves organised and head out at a rapid pace. Vibrant and her group would have been really motoring along on the heels of the termites� retreat, so I don�t doubt we have a lot of ground to cover before we catch up to them. These tunnels feel strangely heavy, as if the whole weight of the immense mountain and tree above us bears down on them. It�s kind of strange that it feels more claustrophobic here than it does when I can�t see what�s over my head.

The veins of mana that permeate the Dungeon are present here as always, pulsing bright with a green-tinged light. The level of mana is so abundant that I feel as if I�m swimming through an ocean of it rather than walking through air. Perhaps it�s like humidity was as a human, if I can even remember what that was like anymore. High humidity, as I recall, felt like the air stuck to you as you walked around.

This level of mana feels far beyond that to me as a monster. It�s like the air is literally water. Or even thicker than that. Jelly, almost. My core sucks it in the second I lose a single MP and fills right back up. The mana being absorbed through my legs is absurdly dense, to the point I almost feel like I�m moving slower because of it.

Through the tunnels we go, soon passing beyond the point where the walls have been compressed and reinforced by the Colony and entering the wild territory of the fourth. Evidence of termite activity is immediately apparent in the tunnels and loops that have been carved into the rock here, where the Colony hasn�t been able to erase them yet. Beyond that, I start to sense a change in the air, a waft of life that brushes against my antennae before it fades away again.

[Do you feel that?] I ask Sarah.

[No, but I can smell it.]

[What do you think it is?]

[I-I�m not sure. It�s not like anything I�ve smelled before.]

[Be careful, everyone. I think we�re coming up on the end of the tunnel.]

The group tightens up as we continue on, and soon enough, there�s light beginning to filter through from outside of the mountain. When we finally reach it, it�s almost blinding. It takes a few seconds for my eyes to adjust, and when they do, the impossible vista of the fourth stratum is stretched out before me once again, though from a lower vantage this time.

We�ve emerged near the base of the Mother Tree�s mountain, and in front of us, in the distance, another just like it towers so high that it disappears into mist and clouds. Between us and this new peak lies a wide body of water of perfect, crystal blue, the mana so thick within it that it rises from the surface in a haze. As we watch, a humongous form breaks the surface, a host of razor-sharp fins glittering in the light.

[Anyone feel like a swim?]

Seeing all this water is just a special type of bizarre. I mean, where the heck are we right now? We�re in the Dungeon! We are deep, deep underground. I don�t even know how far down we are now, hundreds of kilometres? A thousand? I have no idea how deep the third is, since we only touched its first layer, but how in the hell am I looking at this freakin� lake right now? It�s insane.

From far overhead, some unfathomable distance up in the air, water falls in a fine mist. I presume that somewhere up above, there are a few of those islands that somehow manufacture limitless amounts of water. I�m super keen to figure out how that works, but for now, we need to get over this water.

I can smell the scent trail laid down by Vibrant and her crew, it�s right here in front of me and leads directly over the water. How in the hell they got over there, I haven�t the foggiest, but I�ll have to head to the mountain opposite to see if the trail gets picked up on the other side.

[Any ideas, folks?] I ask the group.

[We can ussse a platform to carry usssss,] Invidia hisses.

[Ah! Good call, I forgot you can do that now.]

[Your helpsss. Givesss it to me!]

[I�m happy to help, but that�s a rude way of asking, man, you need to work on that.]

Some things will never change.

Working together with my faithful envy demon friend, we construct a platform-shaped shield that everyone piles onto, and we lift off, beginning to float across the water. Sometimes I forget how heavy I am. Keeping this thing aloft is serious work. I mean, Sarah is most definitely heavier than I am, not that I�ll ever say that to her out loud, and she happens to be wearing her armour, which doesn�t help. The end result is that I spend the time drifting over this vast lake straining all of my brains until they start to steam rather than admiring the scenery.

[Master, this water looks very deep,] Crinis observes.

[Can you see much moving around down there?]

[There are many sources of powerful mana within range that I can sense. The water itself is also a potent source of mana; it�s not like anything I�ve ever seen.]

[Yeah, I can�t imagine what sort of things the monsters here are born with when the mana is this thick. Come to think of it, imagine what it�s like two strata down from here. It�s going to get crazy down there.]

[Do you really intend to go that deep, Master?]

I shrug, more focused on the platform than on the conversation.

[Why not? I feel pulled in that direction. May as well go deeper if it�s there, right?]

[If that is what you want, then I�ll follow, of course.]

[How about you, Tiny? Want to go deeper and punch some super powerful monsters in the face?]

I get a big thumbs up from the bat-faced ape as a broad grin spreads across his face.

[Nice one, big guy. Invidia? What about you, champ? Actually, never mind, I know what you�re going to say.]

The big green eye flashes with energy, then looks away, as if disappointed he didn�t get to chime in.

[Miiiiiiine,] I hear a whisper trickle across our mental link.

Despite my concerns, we manage to land on the other island without incident, passing beneath the falling mist to get my first shower in this new life. Didn�t take long, only� you know what? Doesn�t matter. Personal hygiene standards are different for ants. Just to be sure, I clean off my antennae.

Before us, a brand-new mountain looms, one not topped by a possessive plant. It doesn�t even feel right to call it a mountain, really, it�s so damn vast, and so stupidly tall. And these things probably ring the entire stratum, all around the planet. This whole world is just insane, how in the heck does it stay together.

Magic. It�s good stuff.

[Master, have you located the trail?]

Oh, right. I waggle my antennae this way and that, patrolling up and down the edge of the lake until I manage to catch the scent.

[Right here! Seems to head up that way.]

[That�s good,] Sarah says. [Hopefully we can find them soon.]

[I sense something strange up ahead. A mana reading I haven�t seen before,] Crinis announces.

Curious, I wonder what she�s spotted?

[Any clues for us, Crinis?]

I try to look around but can�t see anything that might be considered dangerous. In fact, I hardly see any monsters at all. The mountain slopes up ahead, the rock being overtaken by greenery and forest, vibrant and lush as only a realm filled with Life Mana could be.

[It doesn�t feel like a monster,] the ball of shadow says. [I can�t sense a core, but it feels� big.]

Well, that�s ominous.

[Let�s proceed cautiously and follow the trail,] I tell the others. [If it�s something we can�t handle, we go back and get reinforcements.]

They agree with the suggestion and we advance, leaving the water�s edge behind and entering the forest. It isn�t long before I begin to notice something is off. The trees don�t look quite right, less healthy than they should. Even the ground has a strange sort of feel, almost sticky under my claws. Shortly after, I start to notice patches of white mould clinging to every surface. The stuff pings strangely to my mana sense, as if it were part monster, part plant, part� something else.

And there�s only more of it the farther we go.

[Something is definitely off,] I announce. [Hold here for a second, I want to climb a tree and see what I can see.]

A tough-looking behemoth of a tree isn�t far away, so I wander over and claw my way up the side somewhat laboriously. Trees this large would be a rarity on Earth, but here they seem to be a dime a dozen. My legs strain to carry my weight, but eventually I clear the foliage around me and get a good glimpse of what lies ahead of us.

And it�s white.

An endless sea of white.

Come to think of it, don�t termites cultivate fungus?

It appears as though we�ve stumbled into the fungus gardens of the termites, and boy oh boy, are they extensive. From my perch up in the tree, I can see that the entire forest on this slope of the mountain has been overtaken by the white mould. From this distance, it almost appears as if the land has been blanketed in fluffy snow, but knowing what I know, the scene draws only vague disgust from me, rather than wonder.

Aren�t they supposed to keep the fungus garden inside the nest? Why are they letting their mess out all over the place?!

Gross.

I contemplate the act of fungus-growing as I pick my way down the tree. There are ants who live off the stuff as well, herbivorous species that don�t need to raid and consume other insects in order to survive. Probably the most well-known would be the leafcutter ants. In massive colonies of up to two million individuals, some of the largest of all ants, the leafcutters are so named due to the way they farm their food. Enormous work convoys exit the nest to find trees, where fat-headed majors use their thick jaws to scissor up the leaves for the smaller workers to carry back home. Once they get it all underground, they feed the foliage to their precious fungus gardens that they feed on. I remember reading that new leafcutter queens even take a small chunk of the Colony fungus with them when they leave, so they can begin to cultivate their own garden once they settle down.

In those instances, the fungus is carefully tended in the depths of the nest, protected by obsessive workers who have to make sure not a single speck of mould invades and corrupts the food supply. They certainly don�t let it hang out all over the place!

Perhaps this has something to do with the ka�armodo? If they cultivated their own queen, or queens, to produce a species of termite carefully designed to fight the Mother Tree and bruan�chii, then it stands to reason they had to engineer a food supply as well. Only, it would appear as though they failed to contain it. Or perhaps they didn�t try.

[It�s a fungus garden, a massive one,] I confirm for the others when I get back down.

[You mean this is all fungus?] Sarah sounds appalled.

[Yep, and you haven�t seen anything yet. The forest ahead, all the way up the mountain, is covered in the stuff.]

The giant, fearsome bear, shudders delicately.

[That�s terrible,] she says.

[I mean, it�s probably a viable source of Biomass. I doubt it�s a fungal trap designed to take over our bodies from the inside.]

[Don�t even mention that!] Sarah squawks.

I look at her oddly.

[You seem really adverse to the stuff.]

[I hate moulds and fungus,] she confesses. [Always have.]

[Is that a bear thing?]

[It�s a Sarah thing,] she tells me firmly. [Doesn�t matter which life.]

I shrug. [Fair enough. Anyone prepared to give it a chomp?]

Silence descends for a few long seconds before Tiny decides he�s game enough to try and wanders over to a clump of the stuff. He gets a good chunk in his massive, meaty hand, and tears it off the ground. It almost appears fluff-like, kind of cotton candy-ish in texture.

In one smooth motion, the giant ape stuffs it into his cavernous mouth. Breathless, we all watch him, awaiting his response. After chewing thoughtfully, Tiny looks at us, then shrugs. Seems like a fairly middling report from the big guy, which must mean it tastes absolutely disgusting. If Tiny isn�t enthusiastic about eating it, then I can only assume it tastes like radioactive waste.

[Well, if we aren�t going to eat it, we could burn it all as we go or just leave it alone, I suppose.]

Sarah considers my suggestions. [We�re on a rescue mission here, we don�t have time to be trying to burn down a giant fungus garden. If you still have the trail, then I suggest we just keep moving.]

[Sounds good,] I agree. [I�ve still got the trail, and it�s mixed with a ton of termite scent, so we should be careful. We can probably assume this mountain holds the termite nest itself, which means there�s likely a lot of them underfoot.]

Understatement of the century. There could be millions of the critters in this mountain, for all we know. Having made our decision, we set off again and are soon engulfed on all sides by the fields of white. It�s so weird, the natural vegetation is still alive underneath it, if somewhat diminished by having this white stuff growing all over it, but the mould is everywhere, to the point we have to walk through it. Tiny carves a trail through the stuff as if wading through powdered snow, a wide path of broken fungus stringing behind him.

Actually�

As I watch, the fungus begins to reform in his wake, coming back together ever so slowly. It grows so fast! That makes a lot of sense when I think about it. Vibrant came through here with hundreds of ants, there should be a wide path where they stomped through all of this growth, except there�s no sign of their passage at all! In the time between them running through and us arriving, it�s completely grown back over.

It seems the ka�armodo must have turbo-charged the growth of this particular fungus in order to feed the voracious appetite of their termite colony. What better way to pump them full of easy Biomass before sending them off to fight the tree?

My antennae waggle back and forth as we push determinedly forward, desperate to stay on the trail that Vibrant left behind. Only, the farther we go, the more concerned I�m becoming. Where the hell is she? Her scent remains strong, but I haven�t seen any sign of her or her followers at all.

Then I feel something. Is the fungus� shaking?

The fungus rattles around us, and we all still ourselves, casting our senses about to identify the source of the movement.

[Crinis? You got anything?]

[It�s difficult for me to see,] the usually reserved Crinis sounds frustrated and irritated. [The fungus has a mana signature that blocks my sight.]

Dammit.

[What about shadows? Are you seeing anything around us?]

[I think there are tunnels beneath us, but it�s hard to say.]

That�s not unexpected, considering where we are. I have little doubt the termites have tunnels underfoot, and all over this mountain for that matter.

[Stay sharp, everyone. I think we might have company soon.]

The fungus continues to rattle and shake as I eye it warily, my minds already spinning up the constructs necessary to fight. I decide to start pumping out Fire Mana, since it seems like it�ll have the biggest effect on the mould as well as on whatever comes out to fight.

The surrounding rattling continues to intensify before it suddenly grows still, the five of us left watching the field of white in perfect silence.

SNAP!

A second later, something beneath us breaks before the fungus begins to bulge in certain places, pushing upward as something erupts from underneath.

[Termites!] Crinis yells.

The surface layer splits to reveal the massive insects bursting through, their jaws filled with fungus and their antennae swivelling wildly. In truth, they seem just as surprised to see us as we are to see them, but that doesn�t stop either side from rushing in as soon as they realise what�s happening.

My jaws snap back and lock into position as I Dash forward, hoping to catch the termite on my right by surprise as it emerges from below ground.

[Crinis, how many are there?]

[I-I�m not sure! I still can�t sense underground through the mould.]

[Nards. We�ll stick here and fight for now, but don�t let yourself get cornered! If things get too spicy, we�ll have to back out and retreat to safety over the water!]

ROAR!

With a mighty bellow, Tiny�s frightening mass towers over the termites as he swings with colossal force, his fists tearing through the air to crunch into the chitin-covered insects, shattering their shells and sending them flying through the air.

CHOMP!

My mandibles slam shut on my chosen target, catching it across the head as it doesn�t turn in time to get its jaws between itself and me. With a satisfying crunch, the barbs on my mandibles punch through its shell, but without activating my Skills, a single bite isn�t enough to put one of these creatures down. Chittering with indignation, my opponent tries to pull back and snap onto my front left leg. In a normal fight between ants and other social insects, the battle for the legs is everything. With huge numbers available on both sides, fighting one-on-one is basically unheard of. Teams will try to gang up on an individual, latching onto their limbs and holding them down so others can move in for the finishing blow.

I don�t have the luxury of pinning this termite down for my ant allies to finish off, but the termite does!

No you don�t! With a heave of my mighty frame, I send the bug staggering back, its six legs flailing as it corrects its balance, jaws snapping shut on thin air, only to be met with my ferocious Charge a second later. The impact of activating the Skill is staggering, and the termite�s shell cracks further as my own diamond carapace slams into it.

Ha! You might be born on the fourth stratum, but even you can�t handle my shiny glory! Unwilling to play with it any further, I spin up the mana I�ve kept in reserve and unleash a torrent of blue flame, roasting the termite where it stands. What I don�t expect is for the flame to spread to the mould, melting it like wax even as it catches fire. If it were only that, perhaps it wouldn�t be much of an issue, but unfortunately for us, this fungus likes to burn, because the blaze spreads in an instant.

It�s getting hot in here!

[Anthony! What the heck did you do?!] Sarah wails as she bats away the termites who try to swarm around her.

[I don�t know!] I cry. [How was I supposed to know this stuff was so damn flammable?]

Even worse than the sudden conflagration is the reaction of our termite opponents. The sudden ignition of their garden sends them into a frenzy, and they alternate between trying to put the fire out and punishing us for setting it off. A few of them duck back underground and rush off through the tunnels, doubtless going to get help to manage the fire.

[We can�t stay here for long,] I warn the others as I ready my mandibles for another chomp. [Let�s clean up a little and then make a dash for it!]

[Are we retreating?] Sarah asks.

[Heck no! We�re following the trail of Vibrant! The termites will be too busy tending to the food supply to chase us for a little while.]

[If you�re sure�]

[Of course I�m sure!]

I express a level of confidence across the mind bridge that I absolutely do not feel, but what choice do I have? I can�t leave Vibrant and her crew behind, not for anything.

DOOM CHOMP!

Activating my potent bite Skill, I lunge and bring the black jaws of pure energy shut on a pair of enemies who have no time to consider what�s coming at them before they are nothing more than notifications ringing in my head. A few detonations go off as Invidia blasts some small groups of insects, and then we are off, racing through the fields as my antennae waggle furiously, trying to keep track of the scent.

[The trail is getting stronger!] I let the others know. [I think we�re on the right track!]

Behind us, we leave a scene of devastation and an increasing group of termites who boil out of the tunnels below and race about extinguishing the flames. A few give chase, but Invidia is more than enough to ward them off, detonating any stragglers who get too close. It won�t last forever, though. The termites are just as capable of following scent trails as I am, and I have no doubt they�ll be after us in force soon enough.

Dammit, Vibrant! Why the hell did you go so deep into their territory? There�s no need for it!

[Run, run, run!] I holler at the others as we sprint through the mould-covered forest.

It really is obnoxious to run through this mess. There�s mould beneath us, beside us, and crawling up the trees to cover the canopy above us. It�s like being in a suffocating winter wonderland, except far more horrifying. Especially now that some of it is on fire.

[I don�t think more fire will be a good idea, Master!] Crinis suggests as we race through the terrain.

[We might need another distraction soon. Starting a small fire will get the termites off our trail.]

[Won�t it just bring more of them?] Sarah demands.

[I mean, yes. But also, yes�]

They�ll be distracted, though�

Perhaps that�s still not good enough.

[No more fires,] Sarah tells me firmly. [We can think of something else.]

[Hmph. You�re just worried about the fungus spores getting inside you,] I mutter.

[I hadn�t even thought of that! Anthony!]

[Breathe it in deep. That�s the sweet smell of fungus country.]

[I should never have come here. I hate this place!]

[Look on the bright side. When the termites are defeated, we can remove the mould from this area and return it to wonderful forest, filled with aphids.]

[That�s alright, the aphids are cute!]

Just another aspect of ant superiority. Even if we started fungus farming, we wouldn�t let it run wild and out of control like this. It just isn�t civilised.

[Do you still have the trail?] Sarah asks, sounding a little panicked as we continue to blast through the termites� feeding grounds.

[I have it,] I confirm. [It�s getting stronger. Wherever they are, we�re catching up.]

I get a strong sense of relief from the giant bear as she heaves for air. She may be a somewhat delicate flower internally, but externally, she�s all beef. Her legs are thicker than a person and positively bulging with muscle underneath all of that fur, much like her shoulders. In fact, the shoulders are even larger. Yet, for all of her strength, she isn�t much of a long-distance runner.

[You�ve got to work on your stamina somehow,] I tell her. [How do you even last in a fight?]

[I berserk,] she snaps. [That usually takes care of it.]

Oh, right.

[Well, no need for that here and now,] I hastily assure her. My antennae waggle furiously. [The trail is starting to curve, follow me!]

I shift my weight and drive to the right, taking a chance to look behind as I do. There are definitely termites following us, but I can�t really tell how many. Tiny bounds along in my wake, suffering much like Sarah is in this long-distance sprint, Invidia perched on his back like a nightmarish bat, green eye blazing with energy as he surveys the land. We rush through a cluster of trees, blasting away the mould that had grown up to fill the space between them and showering ourselves in the horrible stuff before we pull up abruptly.

Up to this point, we had been running farther inland, heading up the slope of the side of the mountain, which had been increasing the farther we�d gone. I�d expected that to continue, but our opponents clearly have a different concept for this landscape. A vast, yawning chasm has been carved into the rock, the trees cleared for hundreds of metres in all directions. Like a passageway into the pit of doom, the wide tunnel is completely black on the inside, with no light source to be discerned from this distance. More terrifying still is the view of the mountain I get from here. There are holes all over the place, fortified with dirt and each angled differently. It�s clear they aren�t natural features of the terrain, and judging by the weathering of those areas, they are likely to be recent.

This is the termite nest. The whole damn mountain is the nest!

I kind of expected it, but to see it for myself� it�s just ridiculous! You could fit the main nest of the Colony into this thing ten times over with room to spare!

The other shocking development is the appearance of our quarry. In the mouth of the tunnel, a tight gathering of ants can be seen, the large form of Vibrant zipping here and there amongst them. It�s too bad they aren�t alone. Not only are they swarmed by a host of termites, which is bad enough, but watching from above are five ka�armodo with their attendants in tow. In a flash, I take in the full scene, drawing knowledge from the Vestibule as I allow the will of Vibrant and her coterie to fill me.

The ka�armodo are pinning them here, using shields and spells to lock Vibrant and her group into a fight so that the termites can harvest them for experience.

Not. Acceptable.

[Get in there!] I roar to Tiny, who is only too happy to comply.

The giant ape rears back onto his legs and thumps his chest with his enormous palms, bellowing his rage in an ear-shattering roar that shakes the trees. Then he�s off, bounding across the mould-covered stone, his fists cracking the ground with every step, gathering momentum as he goes.

[Invidia, keep him alive and blow up everything I don�t like!]

[Even the lizardsssss?]

[Especially them.]

I can almost feel his eye flash with delight.

[I will takesss everything from themssss!] he gloats as his prodigious mind begins to weave the ambient mana into bundles of explosive doom.

[What should I do, Master?] Crinis asks, ready to leap into action.

[Deal with the termites. You�re the best of us at holding off large numbers.]

[I�ll sweep away the trash in an instant!]

She begins to slide off my carapace and into the blooming shadow beneath me when I interrupt her.

[Just one thing, Crinis�]

[Yes?]

[I want them to fear.]

In her current shape, a formless blob of darkness, she wriggles with glee.

[They will,] she promises.

Damn lizards. You really think you can trap my siblings and feed them to your captive bugs? You must be outside of your mind! I start pumping mana into the Omni-Elemental Construct while also directing a small group of minds to draw deep from my gravitational mana gland.

Time to show these fools what they�re dealing with!

In seconds, I have enough Fire Mana to send spears of bright flame roaring through the air, igniting every bit of fungus they draw close to. Smoke and fire billow out, drifting over the wide entrance to the termite mound and sending every one of the blind insects into a frenzy. Then I rush forward, my jaws locking in place as they flood with pure mana. When I�m close enough, I spin together a mind bridge and extend it to the large ant zipping through the conflict at warp speeds, latching onto her almost by lucky accident.

[Senior! I had a feeling you might show up-up!]

[If you�re talking slowly enough that I can understand you, then I imagine you�re exhausted. How are you holding out?]

As I draw closer to the melee, I can see her troops are flagging, the relentless press of the enemy has been wearing them down. We�ve arrived just in time.

[We�d be fine if we could run!] Vibrant�s indignation at being denied the freedom to move is total. [Those lizard-gizards won�t let us leave!]

[Of course not, they want all of you to be trapped and die.]

[That�s terrible!] she gasps over the mental connection.

Even while running, I slap myself between my eyes with one antenna.

[What did you think they wanted with you? To go for a friendly jog? They want the termites to rip out your souls and feast on your Biomass! We need to break their concentration or force them to retreat, and then we need to get the heck out of here!]

[We aren�t going to invade the nest?] she sounds disappointed.

[Of course we aren�t going to invade the damned� no. That isn�t going to happen. I�ll be happy if we can get your group out alive.]

[Thanks, Senior!]

Despite all of the idiocy that led to this point, I can feel just how heartfelt her gratitude is, and underneath that, her desperate concern for those who had chosen to follow her. No more time for discussion, as I hit the melee, I force my way to the front and unleash a Doom Chomp, shattering several bugs before I hurl concussive blasts of fire down the tunnel.

As I arrive, so too does Tiny, the giant ape crashing into the encroaching hordes of termites with fire in his eyes and a broad grin on his face. Lightning crackles and fists of pure, blinding energy erupt in rapid succession as he deploys his patented ape boxing to devastating effect.

Invidia�s arrival is explosive, to say the least. Detonations rock the face of the mountain, even reaching out to threaten the ka�armodo in their vantage point. A powerful shield wavers in front of them and my green-eyed friend�s efforts are repelled.

[Give them the eye beam,] I command him. [You have my permission!]

It�ll take a little while for him to charge it up, but I�m sure he�ll be ready to unleash hell at roughly the same time I will. I flick my attention inward to check on the progress of my sub-minds, and I am quite pleased. Compressing a Gravity Bomb is no small feat, especially at the levels of density I can achieve now. Comparing it to how I was after my second evolution is like comparing a match to a bonfire. I�ll have to step in with my main brain soon, but for now, I can leave it to the constructs.

Wave after wave of termites pour out from the heart of the nest, and I fear they are only just getting started. There are likely to be far more termites in the nest than this�millions, even. They could be anywhere, high up in the mountain, or deep underground, tending to yet more fungus gardens. In fact, those who were chasing behind us are now starting to arrive, and if enough of them turn up, Vibrant and her group are going to get surrounded. Which isn�t ideal.

Chomp! Chomp!

I lash out at the enemy, dipping dangerously into my stamina in order to relieve the pressure on the other ants as much as possible and give them time to recover. They�re going to need their energy in the sprint out of here.

It�s almost with relief that I see a wave of dark tentacles emerge from all sides of the tunnel entrance, sprouting from the perfect darkness and lashing out at the nearest termite they can find. As the dark, barb-covered limbs wind around their victims, I focus on the greater threat above me, the ka�armodo.

I mean, it is important that I deal with these guys in order for us to escape, but I also really don�t want to see what Crinis does to the termites. They totally deserve it, but that doesn�t mean I want to witness it.Determined to give these giant lizards and their slaves a piece of my mind, I run back, creating some distance, only to slam into a barrier placed before me. The impact is sharp, though not enough to damage me, and I shake it off, looking up to see the shimmering barrier they�ve erected. Now that my pets and I are inside, they don�t want us to leave, eh? I thought as much would happen when we rushed down here.

I rear back and begin to repeatedly charge into the barrier, smashing my hardened carapace into it with all the strength I can muster, only resting to unleash my most potent chomps upon it.

It�s a futile effort, obviously, I can�t break down a barrier created by five ka�armodo and their dozens of attendants, but what I can do is keep them reinforcing it, trading my energy and stamina for their mana and mental reserves whilst something else is built within me.

Switching my focus internally, my main mind takes over the handling of the Gravity Bomb, leaving my body in the hands of a sub-mind whilst I marshal the rest of the constructs to assist in the formation of this, the most potent bomb I�ve ever formed. The dark energy roils within me, a growing sphere of malevolent force, already emanating its irresistible pull. The spell has grown so dark, it�s practically black, a perfect well of darkness that I continue to feed with Gravity Mana as I press and squeeze with every ounce of my will, struggling to keep it contained.

At this point, it�s as if the spell takes over, the flow of mana from my gravitational gland increasing from a steady flow to an outpour that threatens to outpace my minds as the greedy ball sucks in everything it can whilst my minds combine to desperately hold it together. What the heck is this? Does the spell have a mind of its own?!

[Invidia! Now!]

The little demon glares upward and unleashes a bright beam of green light that blasts toward the ka�armodo and shatters against their shield, the lizards looking on impassively as they maintain their protection. Let�s see how they feel about this.

Eager to relieve myself of this dangerous magic, I go to cast the spell and am stunned when I find it resists me, as if the magic doesn�t want to move. It�s so damn heavy, as it sits inside me and continues to drink my Gravitational Mana.

Oh no you don�t!

With a heave, I force the spell out and launch it toward the ka�armodo, and at that moment, something truly awful is born.

HOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWLLL!

The Gravity Bomb screams into life and I almost instantly die. The pulling force of the spell is so strong it nearly rips me from my feet before I grip hard to the ground to avoid being torn from the ground. The spell soon moves far enough away that the immediate danger is over and I can relax my hold, but a whole new fear is born in my heart.

If that�s what it�s like now� what will happen when it hits?

[�EVERYBODY, OVER HERE! NOW!�] I roar in every way I can.

[Master! What�s happening?] Crinis asks.

[I just unleashed the mother of all Gravity Bombs, and I�m worried we�re all going to die when it pops off. Get everyone over here on the edge of the shield so we can dig in!]

And I start to do just that, ripping into the ground with my mandibles to create more distance and give myself a firmer foothold.

All the while, that horrible scream shatters the air, the wind howling with despair as it�s consumed by the bomb in flight. Even the light is eaten, making the ball itself almost impossible to see, it�s so dark around it. The reaction of the ka�armodo is immediate, the lizards going pale�that might just be my imagination�and their servants reinforcing the shield Invidia had already been battering with his eye beam.

[�Move it, dammit!�] I scream as the ants disengage from the termites. [�Aren�t you supposed to be fast?!�]

Crinis is already retracting her limbs into the shadows and emerging next to me just as Tiny leaps out of the tunnel mouth, Invidia once more riding on his shoulder.

HOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWLLLL!

The wrenching sound of the Gravity Bomb has never sounded so terrifying. I do not want to be anywhere near this thing when it goes off. I continue to frantically shovel tons of soil and rock with my mandibles, hoping to see the shield end at some point, but the damn lizards have extended the thing into the ground, because of course they would.

�Senior! What the heck-heck is that?� Vibrant demands, rushing up next to me.

�Forget that! Dig and hold on! When the shield goes, we run for it!�

I poke my head up over the mound of loose soil I�ve created and take a gander at the bomb�s progress. I can feel the lizards desperately ripping into the spell, trying to reduce its strength before the detonation, but when I focus on the slowly revolving ball of Gravity Mana, I notice something strange. As they try to tear mana free, the ball is trying to pull it back in, refusing to let any energy escape its orbit. They�re managing to get hold of some and rip it free, but their efforts are only half as effective as they should have been.

How terrifying! This is a spell that won�t even let itself be torn down!

I smack my mind into the shield in front of me and confirm that it�s significantly weakened. Already, the ka�armodo are forced to pull their attention from it in order to protect themselves. The combined efforts of my family and I could break through it now, but I get the feeling that in a moment, this barrier is going to vanish entirely.

Just before the spell hits, the ants begin to arrive, diving over the earth mound I�ve been piling up and frantically digging holes for themselves to hide in, even if they don�t understand why. A small number of termites have begun to charge out of the tunnel mouth after us, and I almost feel pity. Those blind idiots are already dead.

The Gravity Bomb impacts against the ka�armodo sphere and flickers for a fraction of a second. I don�t see what happens next, since I stick my head as low as I can get it and hold on for dear life.

[�GRAB HOLD!�]

Everyone rushes to do just that, and for a brief moment, there is perfect stillness, as if the world were holding its breath. Then it screamed.

No, not a scream, a ROAR!

It�s like nothing I�ve experienced before. The wind doesn�t howl or shriek, it cuts and tears, ripping up the dirt, pulling up fungus, plants, trees, rocks, everything. I don�t dare poke my head out to take a look, I don�t dare relax my grip for even a second, I only force my legs deeper and press my body down to the ground.

[�Compress the soil around your legs! Do it!�] I order everyone.

Farther down the line, Tiny is hunched over, his hands and feet sunk deep into the ground, with Invidia tucked against his chest. Similarly, Crinis has positioned herself underneath my abdomen, absorbed into the shadow there. His eye aglow, Invidia does as I ask, along with all the other ant mages in the group, reaching out with their minds to compress the soil beneath us, tightening its hold on our legs.

Like a creeping dread, the pull only grows stronger, and every ant holds on for dear life, pulling themselves down until not a speck of space remains between their carapace and the ground beneath. The loose soil that was piled behind me as I dug is already gone, torn away in the first few seconds. If I angle my head even slightly, I�d be able to see behind me, see what it is I�ve unleashed.

But I don�t dare. Even just the edges of it are scary. All I can see is darkness. A void. From this angle, I can�t even see the sphere itself, but that doesn�t seem to matter as the complete and utter lack of light has extended outward. I don�t even know if the ka�armodo are still holding on. I haven�t received any notifications, but if they can survive that, then they�re a hell of a lot scarier than I thought they were.

I�ve gotten a lot for termites, though. A hell of a lot.

On and on it goes, the hold of gravity on our bodies is relentless, pulling harder and harder as the magic of the Gravity Bomb burns itself out.

Gritting my mandibles tight, I extend my mind out to touch the barrier and realise with relief that it�s gone and our way out has been secured. All we have to do is hold on until the spell fades.

[�The bomb will burn itself out soon,�] I promise the others, [�and when it does, we run like hell back to the Colony. I want to see that legendary speed! Until then, hold on for your life, none of you are allowed to die before me!�]

The ants are too tired to reply, all of their energy focused on gripping the rock. Or maybe my scent is just sucked away before it can reach them. Either way, our communal spirit is strong, with the weaker and more vulnerable members shielded and gripped by the strongest. In this way, we survive together.

The pull weakens slightly, then begins to gutter out.

[�GO!�] I roar.

And we run.

The pain was beyond bone-deep. Inside the communal bond, where once his servant, Issi, had been, there was now a wound that tore into his very soul. Rassan�tep clamped his fangs together and forced himself to rise, despite the protests of his body. The air was still filled with dust, making visibility poor, but he began to move toward the echoes that rang through the bond. Powerful legs scratched at the rubble, and soon he began to unearth his attendants. The surviving ones.

What had happened? What was that?

No. He wouldn�t allow himself to become distracted. The setsulah required his aid and the bond demanded that he give it. He could not do less, as their master. The mountain face above them must have collapsed, judging by the rubble, burying them all in tons of stone. He survived thanks to his own shield. If not for that� it didn�t bear thinking about.

After twenty minutes, he managed to excavate most of them, using only his legs. Even now, the mental strain pounded in his brain, every touch of mana like a twinge on an exposed nerve. By the sands, he was tired.

�Mas� ter,� Ammon�sil groaned as he was uncovered.

[Be silent,] the ka�armodo commanded. [You have numerous broken bones, and I have not a speck of magic left in me. We will need to carry you inside the mountain.]

The leader of his servants closed his eyes and nodded wearily, his once-pristine scales covered in dust, even torn away in places. His wife, Rapsep�sil crooned softly as she knelt by her husband and brushed her hand over his crest. Rassan�tep looked aside; it wasn�t for him to observe such a private moment.

[What a disaster,] a mind touched against his own, filled with disgust and fatigue.

[Irion�tep. You have also survived?] he replied.

[Barely. You will have to answer to the Mahaan for this failure, Rassan�]

Politicking already. He calmed his mind and sank his emotions under the dunes.

[In what way have I failed, Irion?] he said calmly.

His ally remained silent for a moment, though his rage practically vibrated over the mental link until he mastered it.

[Does that really need to be said?] Irion finally asked. [The evidence of your failure is all around us. I have lost two of my attendants in this disaster, directly as a result of your plan to lure the ants here with a false trail of pheromones.]

[And my strategy was a success. They were successfully lured, we trapped them, and would have fed them to our termites had we not been interrupted. Are you really blaming me for not predicting the existence of a creature capable of such magic? Who could have known such a thing was possible?]

Unable to retort that yes, he should have predicted the existence of a super-ant with command over an unknown mana, Irion�tep could only seethe in silence as he dealt with the grief that overwhelmed all ka�armodo at the loss of their servants.

[Let us continue to retrieve those who can be saved,] Rassan�tep suggested. [These discussions can wait for later.]

The two continued to push through the rubble, searching for their allies and their servants amidst the rock. As they worked, the dust continued to settle and the scale of the devastation gradually became known. It was absurd. In the face of the mountain, an enormous sphere had been carved that encompassed most of what had previously been the main entrance. That spell, whatever it had been, ripped up the rock as if it were plain soil, tearing it from the mountain with ease. The trees in the distance, which had not long ago been coated in a layer of fungus, were now clear and flattened, many uprooted and dragged across the ground, leaving enormous furrows in their wake.

If it hadn�t been for their shield blocking so much of the spell�s energy, or their efforts to break the spell down, the scale of devastation would have been far greater. How could one creature produce such an effect against the combined efforts of so many minds? The secret had to lie in that strange mana type the ant had used, something Rassan�tep had never encountered before.

Indeed, a very promising prospect.

The life of a cultist was a difficult one. They endured thousands of failures in their mission to create the final Ancient, yet each toiled through the centuries knowing they only had to succeed once. For the first time in a long while, Rassan�tep felt his heart quicken at the prospect of finally finding the one.

This ant, this Anthony, already more powerful than an ant monster had any right to be, also possessed this strange power. With another evolution, possibly two, they would have a clearer picture, but any monster able to do something like this at tier six was more than a worthy candidate. He would have to report back to the other members of the Red Truth; things had escalated beyond what he was able to manage himself.

As the work continued, they found two of their fellow ka�armodo had succumbed to their wounds beneath the stone before more of their allies emerged from within the mountain to assist and provide healing. Below, the termites boiled out of the deep tunnels, responding to a perceived threat that no longer existed, only to find that their fungus gardens had been destroyed, which drove them further in a fury. It would be a day before they calmed themselves, most likely.

As more ka�armodo emerged, discussions continued to evolve, next steps being considered, adjustments to the overall strategy. Rassan�tep only half listened, as he had other concerns to deal with. The largest issue being how to ensure this promising ant survived the retaliation that may come as a result of this incident. His people did not tolerate the loss of their servants lightly, let alone two of their number. He tapped into the communal mind bridge to find his worst fears confirmed.

A divide had formed between those who wanted to forgo any pretence of neutrality and directly intervene with a combined force of ka�armodo, setsulah, and their controlled insects to annihilate the ant force and take the fight directly to the tree, and those who simply wanted to increase the scale of the termite force.

He had wanted to apply pressure to the ant, but things could rapidly get out of hand.

[Master?] Ammon�sil approached his side and placed a hand against his scales, having been healed.

[I am fine.]

He wasn�t. He was tired, in pain, and in desperate need of a scrub, the dirt between his scales rubbed fiercely, but he had no time to rest. He gathered himself before he made himself known within the discussion. With a little luck, he could salvage this situation and ensure his precious prospect wasn�t burned out before he had a chance to shine.

The orphans were playing in the street below, and Enid smiled to see their carefree antics. One of the older girls caught her eye through the window and waved cheerfully, flashing a broad grin when Enid waved back. It soothed her old heart, watching the young ones play. Goodness knows she wouldn�t be around much longer, and little moments like this were a reminder of why she worked so hard. Everything they did in Renewal was to provide a better future for the displaced people who made a home here, and none had suffered more than the orphans.

She frowned. If only she could protect them from the shadow that now lay over the town. She�d seen it, that hesitation in the evenings when the tradesfolk where contemplating working for a few more hours. Or the wavering hint of fear in the eye of the farmer as they counted the hours of rest they�d had the previous night. So many had disappeared, vanished from their offices, fields, and somehow, even from the street in broad daylight!

She�d been talking with Mr. Hollin the smith about the lacking supply of raw iron as they walked toward his shop, only to find the man had been abducted right next to her mid-sentence! The fact she hadn�t heard or seen a thing only made the effect all the more chilling. She�d even taken several more steps, wondering why the usually talkative man would cut off so suddenly.

�They are causing havoc,� she growled to herself.

�Who is?�

Enid jumped, then realised her assistant had entered the room as she brooded on the emergence of these Sleep Police. Her surprise only added to her growing resentment. They had her jumping at shadows!

�The sleep enforcers, whatever you want to call them,� she grumbled. �People are scared of their own shadows, they record their hours of rest daily to ensure they remain above the threshold. It�s a reign of terror is what it is!�

She slapped the desk in front of her for emphasis.

Jonathan watched her antics with an air of resigned amusement. It was far from the first time he�d heard this rant from the mayor, and it wouldn�t be the last.

�This wouldn�t have anything to do with the fact you yourself were amongst the first to enjoy their hospitality?�

�Of course not,� Enid snapped. �This is about the wellbeing of the people.�

In truth, she�d felt more than a little embarrassed at being abducted from her home when trying to get some extra paperwork done. She�d been operating on five hours of sleep a night for weeks up to that point. If they were going to grab anyone, it was almost certainly going to be her. A warning would have been nice, though! She doubted that Anthony had to put up with this sort of treatment within the Colony.

Her assistant sighed and began to roll out the same arguments he�d employed the previous day.

�It�s hard to describe what�s taking place as �an attack on the wellbeing of the people� when they are literally being forced to sleep. Productivity is up. People report being happier and more content. Crime is down, which I didn�t think would ever happen, given how low it was to start with. The number of couples falling pregnant has risen. Even the orphans are performing better in school. I have to say, the Great One was clearly onto something when they decreed people sleep more. The effect it�s had is incredible.�

Despite the litany of benefits that people had been experiencing, Enid�s scowl only grew deeper.

�But the abductions are causing people to be afraid. How secure can someone really feel when they are terrified of vanishing from their own home!�

Jonathan strolled over to her desk and dumped another handful of papers in front of her.

�Yes. People are scared of being abducted,� he agreed, �but it�s not nearly as bad as you say. You make it sound like they�re getting murdered, when in fact they are getting a good night�s rest, a cup of tea, a massage, and a haircut. If it weren�t for the disorienting experience of being nabbed, people would probably be lining up for the service. The plushies of the Great One are also proving to be exceedingly popular.�

He flicked his eyes to the bookshelf in the corner where a plush and fuzzy ant with a fierce look on its face stood pride of place in the centre of the shelf.

The mayor shuffled in her seat defensively.

�It�s fluffy,� she said.

�Of course.�

�But that�s beside the point!�

�I�m not convinced that it is.� Finally cracking, Jonathan placed his hands on his hips and levelled a weary glare at his stubborn boss. �The only question that really matters is this: do you want to live with the support of the Colony, or not?�

�With,� Enid replied immediately. �We wouldn�t enjoy anything like the prosperity we have today without them. Forget that, we wouldn�t even be alive.�

�Right. Then you have to be prepared to adopt some of their values. This sort of stuff happens amongst the ants all the time, and they seem to operate just fine. In fact, they probably push the boundaries harder than we do, which is likely why the Great One insisted on this rule in the first place. It was only a matter of time until they applied this rule to us as well. In their minds, they�re helping us. And they are!�

Taken aback by her usually mild-mannered assistant�s direct speech, Enid slumped in defeat�a pose she was little accustomed to.

�I just wish they would have consulted us. At least given us a warning. There are so many things I have to deal with, and then I had a hundred missing person reports show up in a week, after I got abducted myself!�

�I think it just goes to show they really do think of us as part of them. This is something they live by, and therefore so should we.�

�I have to admit, that worries me slightly,� Enid admitted. �Do we really know what it means to be part of a monster society? Are we really ready for everything that they will decide is good for us? They have been so, so good to us thus far, and I trust them, but I worry about the future and what might happen after I�m gone. This time, it was something small, sleeping requirements, but what about next time?�

Now, finally, the true concerns of the mayor were brought to light. Her assistant shouldn�t have been surprised that she was worried about what would happen in her absence. She always worried about that.

�It�s too late now to worry about integrating with the Colony,� he reminded her gently. �We are already a part of them. We just have to ride it out as best we can.�

Enid sighed and looked out the window at the young orphans playing so happily in the street. At least they were free from such concerns, and the fear of vanishing overnight. As long as they were content and growing strong, then everything else was fine.

I must say, my dear readers, that I was positively giddy at the prospect of being able to interview the most celebrated individual member of the Colony. I had thought speaking to Elizabant would have slaked my curiosity, when instead, it only inflamed it!

For a Queen to be so deferential to this Eldest, the Great One that the common people of Renewal held such reverence for� I have to say that the possibility of meeting such a creature set my heart positively aflutter!

I hadn�t looked forward to a meeting so much since my much-celebrated sit-down with the Satrap of the Brathian Island conglomerate, a most influential and secretive individual!

Yet, my enthusiasm had to be tempered, dear readers, as my guide was only too quick to tell me.

�I must warn you, Miss Tolly, an audience with the Great One will be all but impossible to arrange,� Emilia said. �The Great One hasn�t been seen by anyone from Renewal in years. I couldn�t even tell you what layer of the Dungeon they are on.�

�Then who can?� I ask.

Always be problem-solving, reader, that�s the key to moving forward, no matter the project!

Emilia hesitated before she sighed and adopted a lecturing tone.

�Beneath Anthome, in the second stratum, lies the first and largest of the Colony�s deeper nests. It�s a very important site to the ants for historical and cultural reasons, and to the followers of the Colony like me, it�s practically holy. There are frequent pilgrimages to visit the nest that thousands attend every year.�

Well, this all sounded positively wonderful!

�And there, we will be able to find more information on the Eldest?�

�Perhaps. But we will need to follow protocols if we want to visit. The Colony insists that all visitors to the deeper layers undergo a mana-saturation process to minimise the chance of sickness.�

�How thoughtful! I don�t suppose there is any way to skip it?�

I have delved deeply into the Dungeon over the course of many years, as you well know, dear readers! But alas, there was no slipping through the regulations of the Colony. Who would one even bribe?

My delightful guide stepped away to discuss arrangements with a nearby ant whilst I took a moment to speak with my guards. Neither of the two strapping lads were particularly fond of the idea of pushing yet farther into the land of the Colony, but alas, the terms of their contract required that they accompany me. The poor dears. I wasn�t unsympathetic to their position, and a promise of increased compensation was enough to assuage their fears.

Then we were off! Deeper into the Dungeon once more, in the company of several rather imposing ant soldiers.

I have to say, in terms of excitement and danger, there really wasn�t much to enjoy on this particular journey. I hardly saw a monster, other than the ants themselves, of course. We approached a well-guarded building that contained several portals, each heavily trafficked. It was only thanks to the skilful negotiations of Emilia Cretherton that we were able to proceed at a reasonable pace.

�This portal will take us just inside the second stratum. While we wait out the mandatory acclimation period, we can tour the farms, visit the smelting facilities, and see a few other sights. Is that sufficient?�

�That will be wonderful, dear.�

Once through the portal, a process that took several hours of waiting, we were embraced by the dark mana of the Shadow Sea. It had been some time since I had delved to the second stratum, my lovelies, and it stirred the most wonderful memories of the adventures I experienced in my youth! Plumbing the dark depths, hunting for dark whales with the mariners of light beneath the grand pillar. All tales that you have no doubt read many a time!

So it was that I experienced a jovial mood as Emilia began to guide us through the darkness. Even here, the Colony had gone to every effort to ensure our comfort, offering warm clothing and enchanted light globes to ease our passage. Even without such considerations, there would have been no struggle at all, since the pathways were so expertly carved and well-lit. One would think we were strolling through an avenue in a well-heeled city borough, rather than plunging into the depths!

It was quite strange, but pleasant.

From there, we spent several days touring the fields of the Colony, and I must say, what an impressive sight it was. Hundreds of acres of once-wild and untamed expanse, humbled before the might of the Colony. Literally thousands of workers toiled without pause, tending to plants, delightful little aphid creatures, and tea leaves�so many tea leaves!

�Not all of the expanses within the Colony�s territory have been utilised in such a way,� Emilia told us, ever eager to continue her role as guide. �Some are left in basically their natural state, mainly to provide hunting grounds the ants can use to secure experience, cores, and Biomass. They have their own private areas in which they cultivate spawn points in an attempt to increase the number of monsters they can fight, but I personally haven�t seen them.�

�Can you explain those small creatures atop the trees to me, my dear?� I asked.

She was only too happy to launch into an explanation of the origins of the aphids, the progenitor of whom was apparently a reconstituted pet of The Queen herself! I do admit to some confusion when she first utilised the term �Queen.�

�Which Queen?� I asked.

�The Queen,� she replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

�Aren�t there many Queens?�

�Oh, I see what you mean. When I, or any ant, says The Queen, they are talking very specifically about the first one.�

�You mean, the first of all the Queens?�

She nodded solemnly.

�Indeed. Second only to the Eldest in terms of the respect afforded to them amongst the Colony and the faithful.�

She must have seen the light flare up in my eyes, for she was quick to continue.

�Don�t even think about trying to meet The Queen. It just won�t happen.�

I have to say, I was a little put out.

�Why would that be?� I enquired.

�The Queen has a reputation for risk-taking and bold action, so the Colony is extraordinarily careful to limit her opportunities to put herself in harm�s way. She famously still hunts for herself, refusing to allow the soldiers and scouts to provide her meals for her. The only way to see The Queen would be to fight through an army of tens of thousands of ants.�

I let it go, though reluctantly. Very reluctantly, dear reader! The Queen, it needn�t be said, sounded like a bold adventurer after my own heart!

�I�m telling you! We found a super, suuuper fishy scent trail and we decided to follow it!�

�How much of that was wanting to investigate a possible threat, and how much of it was just wanting to keep running once you got your speed up?�

�Both-both! Running is fun! Investigating for the family is important!�

I mean. That�s true�

�Just try a little harder not to run headlong into dangerous situations, alright? If I hadn�t shown up, you and all of your followers would be dead right now.�

�I�m sorry, senior.�

And she actually looks like it, for once. Vibrant�s grown up big and strong compared to that miniscule grub I saved way back when. Endangering herself and her squad wasn�t something she intended to do, and I�m pleased to see her properly reflecting on her behaviour.

�Well� don�t beat yourself up too much. It looks like the lizards set a trap, and we weren�t ready for something like that. If they can mask or somehow create scent trails, then that�s something we�ll need to investigate. If they can manipulate our sense of smell, then we may not be able to rely on our own trails. That�s a nasty swerve.�

�I�ll-go-let-the-others-know-okay-byeeeeeee!�

Unable to contain herself to a normal pace of conversation anymore, Vibrant blasts me in the face with words, then dashes away, kicking up a wave of dust that further smacks into my already reeling mug. That wasn�t necessary! Neither of those were necessary!

Ugh, whatever. Damn, I�m tired. It takes a lot to get me tired, but this whole escapade has managed it. The constant construction work, followed by a battle, followed by more construction, then the chase after Vibrant and another battle. Even ten thousand ants providing regenerative energy through the Vestibule isn�t enough to fully soothe my fatigue. More to the point, I�m mentally exhausted after the many ups and downs. I need a snooze. Badly.

�Eldest! Vibrant has been running around telling everyone all sorts of things about a giant mountain nest and bombs and lizards. I�m confused.�

Poor Victor looks it too, her antennae twitching as she tries to make sense of what Vibrant had been saying as she roared past.

�It�s not that complicated, but the implications are serious,� I sigh. �Basically, Vibrant was lured all the way to the termite nest. Well, a termite nest. I suppose we don�t actually know that there isn�t more than one. Anyway. It seems the lizards have managed to find a way to produce pheromones via mana in some fashion, so we�ll need to be extra careful and not rely on our trails too much. When I turned up, they had Vibrant trapped under a shield, along with her crew. My squad and I broke in, caused a bit of havoc, and then got them out. No problem.�

�No problem?� Victor doesn�t seem convinced. �It doesn�t sound like it was no problem. I�m guessing you�ve left more than a little of the story out of your telling.�

I shrug.

�The details will get out there soon enough and aren�t really relevant.�

I�m not wrong, all of Vibrant�s followers were there. The tale will be all over the fortifications before long.

�What is relevant,� I continue, �is what the reaction of the ka�armodo will be after we spat directly in their faces like this.�

�What are your thoughts?�

My thoughts? It always boils down to the same few options in the end.

�They�ll either back off or double down. If they reflect on what happened and conclude they might have bitten off more than they can chew, they�ll retreat, hit the pause button on their termite strategy. Or, they�ll get angry and invest even further in the termites before they come after us with a vengeance.�

�We should start preparing, then.�

�Indeed. We probably need another ten thousand ants to come down here, to be honest.�

�I�ll get the word out.�

Out of the two options, is there really even a point considering which they might choose? When have the enemies of the Colony done anything other than come at us harder? It�s predictable at this point.

�You do that. I�m going to go have a snooze.�

And check my status, I haven�t done that in ages. Me and my four comrades pile into a separate chamber, out of the way of the main worker thoroughfares, and fall into a long session of torpor. Sarah waves us goodbye before we stumble in, not an easy feat with a bear paw, before she lumbers off to help with construction. When I awake, it�s with a start as my insect body zaps itself to alertness once more.

HARRAZ! I�m up!

What was I going to do? Oh yeah! Status update. Man, I haven�t checked it in ages, there should be some juicy stuff in there. I don�t know the exact number of announcements I got after that Gravity Bomb, but it was a lot. Hopefully, I�ve managed to climb in Levels at least a little. Come to think of it, I haven�t really looked at it since my last mutation, which was weeks ago. So much hunting and fighting lately!

Name: Anthony

Level: 46 (Rare) (VI)

Might: 205

Toughness: 180

Cunning: 145

Will: 100

HP: 360/360

MP: 646/646

Skills:

General:

Master Excavation (IV) Level 31; Expert Grip (III) Level 20; Expert Stealth (III) Level 10; Tunnel Compass (IV) Level 9; Iron Mind (IV) Level 40; Master Stamina (IV) Level 14; Still Meditation (IV) Level 21; Snap Dash (IV) Level 31

Mana:

Mana Craft (V) Level 56; Master Condensed Mana (IV) Level 40; Grandmaster External Mana Manipulation (V) Level 31; Mana Hoarder (IV) Level 31; Layered Mind Magic Affinity (V) Level 24; Directed Mana Sensing (IV) Level 36; Expert Healing Magic Affinity (III) Level 20; Omni-Elemental Affinity (V) Level 80; Expert Mana Masking (III) Level 15; Expert Force Magic Affinity (III) Level 16; Expert Barrier Magic Affinity (III) Level 3

Pet:

Further Pet Communication (III) Level 20; Core Crafting (IV) Level 18; Pet Growth Speed (I) Level 5

Defensive:

Grandmaster Exo-Skeleton Defence (V) Level 45; Master Dodge (IV) Level 40; Master Endure (IV) Level 16; Expert Grace (III) Level 20; Advanced Mandible Parry (II) Level 10

Offensive:

Unerring Acid Shot (IV) Level 26; Master Precise Shooting (IV) Level 38; Doom Chomp (V) Level 55; Advanced Mandible Spear (II) Level 8; Advanced Chomp Combo (II) Level 10; Expert Charge (III) Level 6

Mutations:

Senses:

Focal Compound Eyes +30, Future Wave Sight Antennae +30 (Twilight Filament)

Defence:

Thickened Complete Diamond Carapace +30, Fortified Healing Inner Carapace Plating +30

Physical:

Hardened Rapid Absorption Legs +25, Mana Drenched Mandibles +30, Hastened Potent Regeneration Gland +30, Loud Convincing Pheromone Gland +25, Expanding Discerning Stomach +30; Coiling Hyper-Twitch Musculature +30, Distributed Instantaneous Sub-Neural Network +30

Acid:

Propagating Mana-Feasting Bind Acid Gland +25, Guided Hyper Pressurised Scattershot Acid Nozzle +25; Thickened Draining Acid Concentration Gland +25, Exhausting Thickener Acid Stimulation Gland +25

Mental:

Steadfast Coordination Cortex +30; Condensing Gravity Main Brain +15; Mind Mana Focused Sub-Brain +15; Mind Mana Focused Sub-Brain +15; Mind Mana Focused Sub-Brain +15

Mana:

Forceful Unending Gravity Magic Gland +30; Limitless Collective Will Vestibule +30 (Soul Crystal); High Purifying Communal Spirit Nave +30

Species: Colony Paragon

Skill Points: 38

Biomass: 653

Oh, shoot! That is a lot of Levels! Up to Level forty-six already? This is already past the halfway point from my last evolution. Nice! I�ve also got a ton of Skills that I need to rank up. I really should have checked my status ages ago.

Most interesting of all is the Level of my Omni-Elemental Affinity! All of my diligent practice has finally paid off! Muahahahaaaa! Better rank up these Skills and see what happens!

Ranking up my Elemental Magic after such a long time is a nice milestone and one I�m super pleased about. What sort of delicious new spells will I gain access to? I�ve only very recently seen what dumping all of my Gravity Magic into a bomb can do, and whilst it�s obviously mega powerful, I can only shoot one of them! I need other options, which is the whole reason I worked so hard on the basic Elemental Mana Skills!

As the trickling sensation blooms in my brain, I eagerly reach for the knowledge that is being created there, grabbing it in dribs and drabs as the Skill upgrades.

Oho! Some juicy things indeed!

And so many spells! New combinations of elements that I couldn�t perform before! More potent, more destructive, more awe-inspiring DEVASTATION!

Muahahahahaha!

Wait! Is that the long-suppressed resurrection of Dark Anthony? Down! Down, you fiend! Back into the pit from whence you came!

Now. New magic, what can I do?

Bubbling away in my brain, new spell forms continue to take shape, and I enjoy the process as they blossom into their final forms. Sometimes, ranking up in magic just makes you better at it, helps you handle the existing spells and constructs better than you could before, and sometimes, like on this occasion, new spells come into play, but I didn�t expect to see this many. I suppose it makes sense, since I�m technically ranking up eight different Skills at once.

Blue Fire, Ice, Stone, and Gas Magic being the four foundational elements and their combinations making up the rest.

The first new spell I investigate is one that seems to hold a lot of promise. A blend of Fire and Air, it takes a lot of mana, but can devastate a wide area with what looks like a fire tornado. Nasty. A base of twisting wind, a sprinkle of combustible gas, and a rip-roaring fire when mixed correctly will produce a towering pillar of wind that burns with a furious heat.

I�ll need to experiment somewhere safe, obviously, but it appears as though it won�t stay in one place either, moving over the terrain in a way I may or may not be able to control. Going to need to keep an eye on that.

The second is a rather unusual cocktail of Water, Gas, and Ice. This spell is also very resource-intensive, which I�m starting to suspect they all will be, and requires forming a wide spray of water that is then frozen, trapping an unstable gas inside. The end result is a metric boatload of finger-length, deadly missiles that will shatter with surprising force on impact, sending shards of magical ice all over the place.

Ouch. Probably not effective against more powerful monsters, but hey, with the sheer number of projectiles created with this spell, you never know. If I managed to compress the Water Mana before releasing it, the resulting ice may have more penetrating power than I expect.

I�ll call it, Concussive Needle! Or something.

The next option takes me by surprise. A flash-hardening technique that makes use of Stone, Mud, and Ice. Weird. Effectively allowing the caster to shape something out of Mud Mana, then harden it near instantly. Perhaps not as flashy as some of the other spells, but I can see a hell of a lot of applications out of combat and more than a few in it as well. I haven�t made much use of mud in the past, mainly because I felt it would be fruitless to slap something with wet dirt. Now that I think about it, there�s probably a lot more applications than I considered. Turning the ground beneath an enemy into mud? That�s a classic! And now I can take it a step beyond. I can bury an opponent under a jet of mud and harden it around them before they can blink.

Come to think of it, if I hit someone with mud, I can turn it into stone basically any time I want. Ooo, I think this one�s going to be tricky. Quick thinking in a fight hasn�t been my speciality, outside of my reflexes, of course. That doesn�t mean I can�t improve, though.

What else have we got in here�

There�s a rather deadly combo of Gas, Air, and Fire. This spell looks a lot like the flamethrower effect I can already pull off, except turned up well past eleven and closer to fifteen. With the combination of an air funnel and Gas Mana providing more oomph for the flame, it should burn hotter than I can make Fire Magic on its own.

I might call this spell Dragon�s Breath. It�s going to look rad as hell. It probably only tickles demons, considering how fire-resistant they are, but hey, I can see plenty of use for it.

And for the last one, well, this spell seems� different, compared to the others. Let�s see here. Lava? Lava is cool as heck, I want to use more lava. And we combine it with, Stone? It�s already part stone. What do we do with it, though? We create a highly pressurised pocket of lava underground. I mean, cool? Is that supposed to be some kind of lava landmine? Then why the heck does it require so much Earth and Stone Mana? Like, a lot.

Wait a second.

Is this� a volcano? I think it is!

Once the pressure below ground reaches a certain point, the spell creates a massive shift, driving the pressure upwards, which should result in a massive upswell as the lava bursts forth, sending flaming rocks and rivers of lava everywhere. With enough mana investment, I could make an actual, full-blown volcano.

But� we are talking about a ton of mana. More than I could handle in a day, probably.

If we tunnel underneath the termite nest� and somehow remain undetected, then I could gradually build up this spell directly underneath their mountain. I�d need help from other mages to conceal such a massive concentration of mana, but it could be doable.

If it all came off, we could destroy the termites without even having to fight them, the spell would flood their tunnels with lava and shatter the mountain from the inside.

Not a nice way to go, but all is fair in war against termites.

The delicious sensation of new and powerful spells is one thing, but now that it�s done, I have to turn to another experience, one that is perhaps less pleasant. Mutation time! Gotta improve that body and push my limits to beyond the� limit. Or something. I�ve managed to gather around six hundred Biomass. Not a bad effort, given the fact I�ve been at a higher tier than almost all my food. The penalty reduction from upgrading my stomach is definitely paying dividends right now. Imagine if I had to go against monsters as strong as I am constantly� No thanks.

It�s nice to have a challenge every now and again, but for real, beating up on weaker monsters is by far the more relaxing way of Levelling up. It just takes longer. Good thing I�m a very patient and restrained person�

Yea� I barely managed to keep a straight face when I said that, and my face is literally part of my skeleton.

Where to turn now? I�ve actually managed to mutate quite a few of the big-ticket items by this stage, and now it�s time to move on to the more niche things. My brains are still only at fifteen, and they definitely need to go to thirty as a priority. Considering how complex and mana-hungry my new magic is, any little bit of help with casting will make all the difference.

Let�s take a look at what we have going on. The three sub-brains are all specialising in Mind Magic, which makes perfect sense, as it allows them to better utilise the mind constructs. The multiplicative effect of being able to focus on so many things at once is certainly a powerful feature and precisely the reason I was able to pepper my enemies with so many spells in the defensive battle against the termites. It also helped me rank up my Elemental Magic at such a prodigious speed, since I�ve been practicing a minimum of three different Elemental Magics constantly.

The question is, do I go all the way to thirty with the Mind Magic speciality or do I slide something else in there to nestle alongside. Browsing through the options doesn�t really help. Despite the absurd plethora on offer, since my focus has finally started to narrow down, the vast majority of options simply don�t apply to me. Light or dark? Nope. Life? I guess now that I�ve encountered Life Mana, it would make sense for the option to pop up, but nope. There�s a ton of upgrades for better cognition that might come in handy. Better memory, faster thinking, more adaptive thought processes.

You really can just straight up make yourself a faster and better thinker through mutation. Almost feels like cheating.

But no. That is not my path! I have always left the thinking to the Colony and I shall continue to do so! I can be honest and say that even if I reset my brains all the way back to zero and focused on nothing but pumping up my cognitive abilities, I�d still be less capable of making good decisions than the Colony as a whole. More brains is better, and even if I have four, there are hundreds of thousands in the Colony by now, probably. I�ll put my trust in them. Besides, mutating my brains does provide a background improvement to all of their functions. Every +1 has a strengthening effect to the organ or body part being mutated. It doesn�t have as big an effect as the big-ticket mutations that land every five Levels, but it adds up over time.

To take one of my brains from +15 to +30 is going to take� three hundred and forty-five Biomass� You can�t be serious. Geez, this is getting expensive. Damn you, Gandalf! Does your greed know no limits?

I suppose that means I�m only going to mutate one brain up to +30, and if that�s the case, then it�s obviously going to be my main one. I�m pretty comfortable mutating along the same lines that I employed the last time. Improve my handling of Gravity Mana, and improve my ability to condense mana. The last Gravity Bomb I threw out is all the evidence I need to show the effectiveness of this strategy. I was able to pump just about all of the mana in my organ into that beast, though part of that was the spell literally pulling the mana out of me outside of my control.

And with that, my main brain goes from the Condensing Gravity Main Brain +15 to Crushing Gravity Well Main Brain +30.

Sounds like a black hole factory to me. I like it!

With that done, and the massive cost involved, I can take two organs from +25 to +30 with what I have remaining. I�m running low on options in this regard, my mutations are looking to be in a good place. The time has come for legs to shine! I used one legs mutation to let me move faster, but I largely focused on absorbing mana through them early on. That�s been less important lately, since my growing mastery of magic means I can draw in ambient mana far more efficiently than before. When I reset them, I�ll definitely need to go a different route. But for the time being, both components of my current trio of legs mutations are dedicated to making them more damage resistant. After all, the weakness of the ant is still the legs. Even now, I can�t afford to let these accursed termites get at my relatively flimsy limbs, so it�s just as well that my only option is to further enhance the toughening mutation.

I�ll pump up my pheromone gland next. I�ve basically made myself as �loud� and convincing as I possibly can when mutating this gland. Actually, when I think about it, the ant equivalent of �loud� is stinky! My scent is potent! When I speak, I drop bombs of pure smell for the ants around me to endure. I hadn�t really considered that before. I�ll consolidate my mutations there. Communicating with as many ants as possible in the chaotic battlefields has been an asset lately, that�s for sure.

As I check my status, I feel a warm sense of pride as I see my progress. The goal of +30 across the entire board is almost within reach, and I look forward to the day when my body is once again pristine and maxed out, securing that sweet, sweet evolution bonus.

All in all, this is going to cost six hundred and twenty-five Biomass, leaving me with very little savings. Ah well, let�s confirm it!

BRAZZINATH!

Dammit! Why!? WHY?!

It takes quite a while for the itch to finally fade. The length of the mutation seems to take longer the higher up the tiers I go. I can only imagine what it must be like to go from +50 to +55 or something. Part of me hopes I�ll never find out.

With that all done, I�m ready to emerge from my little hibernation chamber, and with my friends by my side, I emerge to find ants, so many ants, crawling all over each other as they rush about the place.

What the heck is going on?

The door was shaking on its hinges.

A piece of Legion history, the door to the Consul Chamber had stood for two thousand years. Abyssal steel, forged during the Rending, formed the core of the massive doors, which rose over ten metres tall, covered in potent enchantments of hardening and regeneration powered by Mythic cores. Atop that unbreakable frame, layer after layer of compressed living stone had been placed, bonded together to create an impenetrable bulwark that defended the highest officer of the Legion.

Intricate and detailed carvings covered the outer face. Legend had it that the hands of the founders themselves had held the chisel. The images were mirrored from one door to the next, the form of the ideal Legionary imprinted in glorious, expressive lines. A body of steel, weapon drawn, perfect form, eyes that blazed with determination and a heart that burned even brighter.

Despite its incredible density and weight, despite being a bulwark that could receive a blow from a battering ram without shifting an inch, it was shaking.

Outside the door, two of the finest soldiers the Abyssal Legion could produce stood to attention. Praetorian Guard, armoured in the rarest of the rare, full Abyssal Steel Praetorian Armour. The two stood an imposing four metres tall, weighted polearms held steady. Two veterans, who�d earned the honour of guarding the Consul Chamber through numerous campaigns in the depths of the Dungeon, fighting the worst enemies the sentient people of Pangera could face.

It could not be seen behind their visors, but sweat beaded both of their brows. The rolling waves of pressure that hammered against the door and bled through beat down on them. Lesser beings would be on their knees, blood pouring from their mouths, but within their coveted armour, they were safe.

Inside the chamber, it was far worse.

Idly, Commander Myriam began to wonder if this was how she would die. Not at the hands of an Ancient or some other terrible monster in the depths, but here in the heart of the Legion�s strength, crushed to death by the rage of her own superior officer.

She felt blood well in her mouth, so she leaned slightly to the side and spat in her helmet, which she held tucked under her arm. It wouldn�t do to stain the floor of the Consul�s office.

It was quite a thing to see, the legendary berserker rage of the Consul. This was the power that had given her the ability to rocket through the ranks, ascending all the way to the highest office atop the bodies of innumerable monsters.

Minerva drew deep steadying breaths as her fists clenched and unclenched. If she�d had her axe in hand, goodness knows what might have happened. Thankfully, it hadn�t come to that.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

The overwhelming pressure that filled the room pulsed with every exhalation of the Consul, causing the reinforced stone that formed the walls to creak and groan.

Blind, overwhelming rage filled her mind, blanketed her vision with red and flooded her body with strength. Containing it was difficult, just standing still was a trial. That power yearned to be used. It thrashed and coiled and whispered in her ear. She could lash out, she could strike, she could kill. Anything to let it out, set it free.

Just breathe.

Head down, eyes closed, the Consul went to war with herself in a way she hadn�t done for decades.

I�m in control, not you.

She gritted her teeth and slowly unwound her fists, allowing the tension to drain from her muscles one by one.

Commander Myriam leaned to the side and spat once more as the pressure began to ease. It looked as if she wouldn�t die today after all. The next time she came to report to the Consul, she was coming in armour, no matter what it looked like.

�I apologise for my lack of control,� Minerva ground out as she finally managed to force down her anger. �Your words took me by surprise.�

�I can�t imagine why,� Myriam replied dryly.

The radiating aura that had been so crushing only moments ago receded to a more tolerable level, though it simmered beneath the surface.

�Those damned lizards. They choose to flout the laws that have stood for thousands of years now? Which idiot thought this could possibly be a good idea? I�ll wring his idiot, scaled neck��

Minerva stopped pacing back and forth behind her desk, a habit she had unconsciously fallen back into, and breathed again. It wouldn�t do for the rage to emerge again so soon after she had put it away.

�I communicated to the Mahaan that you would be displeased, Consul. I also noted that the gathered clutch were predominantly younger and untested.�

�Throwing away disposable pawns so they don�t have to taint their own claws,� Minerva grunted, a mannerism in which she was almost identical to with her husband. �The whole enterprise reeks of cowardice.�

�I suspect they believed our own disagreements with the Mother Tree would lead us to look the other way as they instituted this program. I tried to warn them, Consul.�

�Too stupid to listen. Pride will doom this world a second time. I will not carry water for these fools.�

She slammed her hand on her desk, and the shockwave blew Myriam�s hair back. Remarkably, the table held.

�Send in the scribe!� the Consul roared, and the massive doors opened a crack.

The scribe entered in full armour, gleaming with enchantments that protected the wearer from outside influences. The commander nodded. A wise play. Except the Consul�s face darkened at the show of weakness. She stomached it, for now.

�Withdraw all forces from the lands of the ka�armodo, on every stratum. End all joint exercises, training and missions, immediately. Close all diplomatic channels and make preparations to relocate every base and training facility that falls within their sphere of influence.�

Myriam was staggered.

�Are you sure, Consul?� she asked, her voice steady despite her shock. �Some might see this as a grave overreaction. Certainly, the ka�armodo will not look kindly on us abandoning them in the face of the coming disaster.�

�Us? Abandoning them?� Minerva sneered. �We did not turn our backs on two thousand years of tradition. We didn�t spit on the memory of those who died in the Rending. We didn�t break the taboo and create self-sustaining monsters to do our bidding and fight our battles for us. We have held fast, fought the good fight, and stood firm in the face of the worst this world has to offer for the good of its people. A sand-baked hunk of lizard meat thinks to test our resolve? This is the Abyssal Legion, and we are unmatched beneath the surface. We have battled since the Cataclysm to preserve this world, and I am not going to stop now.�

The Consul stood straight.

�Some lines you only have to cross once. There is no going back. They will tell us it was only a rogue element. They will tell us it was done without knowledge or approval. They will tell us we are too hot-blooded and need to calm down. They can get stuffed. From this day forward, they are poison and we have cut them out.�

She glared at the scribe who quivered in his armour in the face of the most powerful human in the world.

�I have spoken,� she ground out.

It�s become something of a habit to poke into the gathered Will of the Colony whenever I want to know something about what my siblings are up to, but I�ve started to think that might be considered something of an intrusion. I mean, it might not be the same thing as peering into their minds, though it�s certainly adjacent! Instead of resorting to this more intrusive method of enquiry, I prod one of the rushing workers with an antenna and fire off a quick question.

�What�s going on? Why the rush?�

�Eldest! I didn�t expect to see you there� resting.�

I rear up to my full height, which is rather impressive now, over three metres, at least. I certainly tower over this presumptuous carver!

�I fought two battles back-to-back and hadn�t slept in days! Are you suggesting that I shouldn�t be taking torpor?�

�Ah� no.�

�Are you saying that torpor and rest are unnecessary?�

�No!�

At my words, the shadows within this stretch of tunnel darken precipitously as a cold wind blows against our antennae. The rush of ants continues past us, even quicker than before, every individual avoiding paying any attention to the unnatural darkness or the ant I now loom over. I eye the suddenly nervous carver.

�Just one more question� when was the last time you had a rest?�

The question strikes the poor worker in the heart, and she physically recoils, her antennae flailing wildly as she fails to control her panic.

�I�I�I�ve been busy!�

So shouting, she runs down the tunnel, only to be swallowed whole by the darkness that rises to embrace her. In a blink, everything returns to how it was before, the workers streaming down the trail, no ominous living shadows, no bitter cold wind, and no carver.

Good work, I sign to the air.

Then I poke another of my siblings.

�Hey, what�s going on?�

�Eldest! I didn�t see you there! I certainly didn�t see anything that I shouldn�t speak of��

�Good. Any chance you can tell me what�s going on? Why are there so many of us around here? Is there an emergency?�

�Not as such.� The general rubs her head with one antenna as she ponders the question. �I came in as part of the third wave an hour ago and received a short debrief before I was directed to the front. Apparently, the southeast quadrant is seeing elevated enemy activity and fortifications in that region are only sixty percent complete as of last reporting.�

Hang on� what?

�The three main fronts of concern are still the central, eastern, and northeastern, of course; the fighting there is intense, I�m told. There was a counter offensive launched down the main tunnel thirty minutes ago which eased the pressure, but they had to pull back to avoid supply lines being cut by tunnelling forces. The counter-tunnelling efforts are draining a huge amount of antpower, but if they keep the termites off of our carapaces, then it�s all worth it, of course. Anyway, thanks for the chat, Eldest, I really need to get going.�

With a quick and unnecessary salute, the general is gone, whisked off and vanishing into the endless blur of ants rushing past. Fighting? Counter-tunnelling? Three active fronts?

[Crinis� how long was I asleep and mutating for?]

[Around six hours, Master.]

Holy heck! In just six hours, the Colony has brought in a further two waves of reinforcements and the termites have assaulted in numbers? I expected things to escalate, but not before I�d finished my nap! Dammit!

I spread my awareness out amongst the ants within range, dipping into the stream flowing through the Vestibule and letting the impressions of thousands of individuals wash over me. It�s true, many ants are fighting, and many others are still building, working, fortifying.

[We need to get out there, guys! Things have gotten intense in the last little while!]

I keep half a mind on the Vestibule as we rush to the front once more, trying to get a more complete sense of what is going on, and what happened while we were sleeping. It looks as if the Colony has continued to reinforce in waves of ten thousand, as there are roughly triple that number currently within range of me. Across an area that covers dozens of square kilometres, ants and termites are clashing in tunnels and behind defences, on open ground and buried beneath tons of soil.

A constant stream of termites seems to be flowing from unknown sources to contest the Colony, but not as foolishly as they had before, running headlong into our defences. The termites are being more cautious, smarter, probing and testing, rushing in and then pulling back, as if being controlled by a more potent intellect.

Which of course they were�

Damn these lizards! They really can�t stand being beaten, huh? All that�s going to happen is they get beaten worse! That, I can promise.

�She did what?�

�She cut ties between the Legion and the ka�armodo, completely,� Titus said with a satisfied expression as he confirmed the news, whereas Morrelia could only sigh and bury her face in her hands.

�Isn�t that, a bit, extreme?� she pleaded with her father. �Isn�t everyone worried about a second Cataclysm? Isn�t the Legion being pushed on multiple fronts because we are undermanned and undersupplied? This seems like a poor time to be turning our backs on allies��

�I agree with you. We shouldn�t be turning our backs on allies right now.�

�Then you agree?�

�No. By creating a race of subservient monsters to wage war on their behalf, the ka�armodo have shown themselves to be no allies of the Legion. Your mother has only made formal the arrangements their attitude deserves. Now our Legionaries will not have to fight and die to protect those who would stab us in the back.�

His arms folded across his chest, Titus was an imposing figure. A stern expression was carved into his features, as usual, and the steely glint of absolute confidence could be found in his eyes. Seeing it, Morrelia began to doubt her objections until her head began to swim. She brought both hands up and scratched her head furiously.

She didn�t like dealing with the politics and the wider implications of what the Legion did, but lately she�d forced herself onto the path of leadership, and so she�d done her best to pick up everything she could. Even so, decisions like this made her knees weak. The repercussions of what her mother had done would resound throughout all of Pangera for decades, possibly centuries!

Titus chuckled and clapped his daughter on the shoulder. Not that long ago, she would have been rocked to the side when he did that. Now she withstood his hand with ease. Her Levels were accumulating rapidly; the training was working.

�Don�t think on it too hard, I guarantee your mother didn�t. Her role as Consul is to faithfully follow the founding principles of the Legion, not to engage in petty politicking. We aren�t sophisticated enough for that. We don�t compromise, we don�t bargain, that�s it.�

�Don�t we have deals with demons in the third stratum to operate in their territory? Pretty big compromise if you ask me,� his daughter pointed out.

�True,� Titus agreed. �We did try to eliminate demons completely, then gave up after five hundred years. The final decision was that the effort was totally fruitless, killing them only makes them spawn faster. Trying to block or disperse the spawn points doesn�t work, since they spawn everywhere. In fact, by focusing so many resources on a single front, the Dungeon became hazardous in other areas. A further three hundred years of campaigning were required to settle things down again.�

�Dad, enough history, please. I know about the five-hundred-year war.�

�Then you know why we compromised with the demons.� Titus raised a brow as he looked down on his daughter.

Only very recently had she started to call him Dad. He would never admit it, but that simple fact brought him great joy.

�Not that I�m unhappy to see you, but why are you here, anyway? I thought you were campaigning with your new Legion. You� didn�t go and fight the Colony again, did you?�

�No,� Titus frowned. �I asked to be deployed back to the second along with four full Legions to run a proper extermination, but I was denied. Again. We did a snap tour of the third instead. It went well.�

The commander shifted his stance slightly.

�The Colony, as you call it, has been put on the back burner for the time being. We have so many fires to put out that a group of monsters who are actively helping sapients rather than eating them is hard to commit resources to. As long as we can stamp them out before the mana gets too high, it should turn out alright.�

Morrelia hesitated, then spoke her mind, �If the ants aren�t hurting anyone, and are in fact helping people, then why stamp them out at all? If monsters have to exist, then isn�t that the type of monster we want?�

This was a sore spot between them, and she searched her father for any sign he had relented on this point. There was none.

�What the ka�armodo have done, creating a race of monsters to do their dirty work, has been done before, even as far back as the Rending. No matter how hard you try, no matter what restrictions you place on them, eventually the monsters go wild. Every time, no exceptions. Even worse, the Ancients had the ability to dominate monsters that came anywhere near them. The servants that had been so carefully reared turned around and decimated the fools who had raised them by the millions.�

�I�d never heard that,� Morrelia said quietly.

�Talking about anything from that time is sensitive. You didn�t have the clearance for it before now.�

�Great. Any other perspective-shattering secrets you want to drop on me?�

�Heaps.� Titus smiled. �Though now isn�t the time. I didn�t come here for that. You�ll learn all of it in time.�

She stepped back from her father and sat on her cot in the confined resting domicile they were standing in.

�As happy as I am to see you, Dad, why have you come now? I�m sure you have a ton of things that need doing. Is there something particular happening now, or are you just bored?�

The last was said as a joke, but true to form, Titus did not laugh.

�You don�t remember?� he asked.

He didn�t sound mad, rather, slightly amused, which only confused Morrelia further.

�Remember what?� she asked slowly.

The room rumbled slightly.

Titus glanced toward the door and nodded to himself.

�That should be it now.�

The walls shook.

Morrelia looked around carefully, her hands reaching for her weapons as she rose back to her feet and took a fighter�s stance.

�What�s happening?� she demanded, the snap of command entering her tone.

It filled the old campaigner�s chest with pride.

�I�d put the weapons down,� he advised, �they won�t help.�

The shaking was constant now, a steady vibration that only increased with every passing second.

�Dad, seriously, what is happening? Are we under attack?� Morrelia demanded, increasingly worried as the room shook all around her.

�In a way,� Titus shrugged.

�A monster?�

�Oh, definitely.�

�You aren�t helping!�

He grinned. �I�m not really trying to.�

There was something about that smile, so strange to see it on her father�s face, that triggered a memory. There was only one thing that made him behave like this. Her mind raced. What day was it? Her training had been so intense, time was a blur. She didn�t know. In fact, what week was it?!

All of a sudden, the reinforced bulkhead that was her door bulged on its hinges as the reinforced steel buckled under a tremendous impact. The metal warped and twisted like mud as some inhuman force ripped into it from the other side.

�I knew she�d come here straight away,� Titus confessed over the screeching sound of tearing steel. �So, I thought I�d be here for the reunion.�

Just then, an arm punched through the door, the jagged edges doing no harm to the hand or arm as it pulled back through. Rather, it was the metal that bent as the skin brushed against it.

With horrifying casualness, those hands grasped the edges of the hole they�d punched through and widened the gap, the metal screeching in protest.

Then a face appeared, grinning wide.

�Hello, daughter!� Minerva said. �Give your mother a hug!�

Her term as Consul had finally come to an end.

Death.

�Minerva, you�re gripping too tight.�

�Oh, damn.�

The pressure eased just enough for Morrelia to gasp down a breath of air. The darkness then receded, and she was able to raise her hands and pat her mother on the back.

�Nice to see you too, Mother,� she rasped.

�Aww, it�s great to see you too, kid.�

With one final bone-crunching squeeze, Minerva released her daughter, and Morrelia fell on her heels. She absentmindedly rubbed at her arms. Just how strong was this woman?

Minerva stood taller than her daughter by a few inches, though in many other respects, the two looked much the same. The same dark, wavy hair, the same squarish jaw and muscular build. Even their eyes were the same steely grey. Having not been this close to her for so many years, Morrelia was shocked at just how alike they were.

�It�s wonderful to see you two together again.� Titus smiled, an unusual expression on his generally stony face.

Minerva was quick to remark on it.

�Don�t smile, husband, you look strange.�

Then she laughed.

�By the flame, I am happy to finally be out of that office! Now all the pencil pushers will have someone else to bother and I can get back to campaigning. How about you, daughter? Ready to join me in the field?�

Minerva flashed a wild grin as Morrelia gaped at her.

�I�m still in training! I�m supposed to be meditating in my pod, isolation to reflect on my gains. Not that I can do that now, I suppose.� She gestured to the ruined door.

�It�s good to be patient and think carefully about how you want to proceed,� Titus approved. �Believe it or not, your mother had to go through it as well. Don�t mind her attitude, she�s just excited to see you.�

The former Consul eyed the commander through narrowed lids as she pondered violence. Titus just spread his hands. Finally, she sighed and sat on the bed.

�Of course I�m excited.�

She gestured vaguely.

�I�ve been glued to that desk, sending others out to do the fighting and the dying for far too long. I want to be with my family and start making a difference again.�

�You were the Consul, Mother. I think you were making a difference.�

�It�s not the same. I think you know exactly what I mean, Morr.�

She did. Much like her more short-tempered parent, Morrelia much preferred to get her hands dirty.

�Is it really alright that your final act as Consul is to break a thousands-of-years-old alliance?� she asked.

�That? Forget about that,� Minerva dismissed it with a wave. �That�s not worth worrying about.�

�You can�t be serious.�

�I�m deadly serious. They broke the alliance with their actions, I simply made it formal. Enough of that, I want to hear about what you�ve been up to here in this poisonous hellhole.�

Morrelia shrugged.

�Probably exactly what you�d expect. Getting adapted to the training armour. Working on Skills. Hunting monsters. Trying to survive the environment. Leadership exercises. They keep us pretty busy.�

�Of course they do,� Titus rumbled. �If you�re going to lead your own Legion someday, you need to be prepared. The soldiers won�t follow someone they don�t believe in.�

�Are you saying that someone wouldn�t follow her?� Minerva growled. �She�s more than ready to handle her own Legion.�

�Mother, you have no idea what Level I am��

She only just got here!

�Nonsense! I�ve been getting weekly reports from your instructors. I know exactly how far you�ve come.�

Morrelia turned to her father.

�Isn�t that an abuse of authority? Can I report her?�

�Obviously not. What are they going to do? Strip her of the role? Her term already finished.�

�As if they�d do anything to me anyway,� Minerva said, her eyes sparking with the faintest hint of her famed rage. �They wouldn�t have the guts.�

The three fell into a comfortable silence as the bulkheads around them groaned and shifted under the pressure they were subjected to. This reunion warmed Morrelia, though the absence of her brother had never felt so heavy. It was no doubt a painful hole that each felt keenly but wouldn�t talk about. There was no need. His memory was too large to fit into a few words; it felt as if he would be diminished if they were to try.

�How are you finding the Praetorian training?� Titus was the one to break the silence, curious about how Morrelia was handling the heavy warsuits of the Legion.

Morrelia slumped.

�Exhausting,� she confessed. �The mana demand is so extreme I can barely keep it active for ten minutes at a time. The power is incredible. I�m worried I�ll never be able to get my operation time high enough to qualify for a proper suit.�

�It just takes time,� Minerva assured her. �The more you demand of the mana channels in your body, the more they can do. The rest is down to your determination and ability to handle bucketloads of pain.�

�I�m guessing you did well, then,� Morrelia said wryly.

Minerva smiled.

�I still hold the record for the training course,� she boasted.

�And second is not close.� Titus shook his head.

�You would know.�

�You�ll never let that go.�

�Of course not.�

Titus turned to his daughter.

�Don�t bother comparing yourself to this outlier,� he jabbed a thumb at his wife, �she also holds the record for the longest exposure to the air outside without a helmet. Mainly because nobody else was dumb enough to try it.�

�A full minute.� Minerva laughed when Morrelia turned a wide-eyed stare at her. �Almost died for it, though.�

�That�s longer than most monsters from the fourth will last out there�� Morrelia muttered.

�That�s what I mean. Don�t compare yourself to someone as abnormal as your mother.�

�Your tone is getting on my nerves, Titus,� Minerva growled.

�Are you going to do anything about it?� he countered.

The two glared at each other, but under the surface level of simmering anger was something else that Morrelia did not want to explore.

�What happens if I continue to widen the mana channels in my body? The amount of mana I can handle goes up, but what about acclimatisation? Wouldn�t there be powerful side effects?�

Both parents turned to her, but it was Titus who answered.

�In short, yes. If you manage to pilot a Praetorian suit, you�ll never be able to walk normally on the surface again.�

He held up a hand before she could interrupt him.

�Obviously, your mother and I were able to return to the surface, but there were several key conditions. First of all, the process to reacclimatise to low mana environments was� extreme. Secondly, even after that extended process, we needed to take liquid mana supplements to keep us alive. Once your body has gotten used to having that much mana inside it, there really is no going back.�

Morrelia absorbed this in silence. She�d suspected just how difficult the process of returning to the surface had been for her parents, and the more she learned, the more she understood how hard, and how rare, of an act what they�d done was.

�Why did you do it?� she asked. �You could have raised us in the fourth if you�d wanted. Why did you put yourselves through it?�

It was Minerva who offered an answer, �Children should grow up under the sun. That�s all.�

From the floor of the third stratum, four giant pillars were rising. Compressed stone, marked with grooves, rotated upward from an enormous base of gathered material. Around the base of each laboured a thousand earth mages, combining their will to enable the great working, shifting thousands of tons of rock with their minds alone.

Hundreds of metres above, lashed with the burning wind and flecks of ash that filled the air of this layer of the Dungeon, yet thousands more ants gripped tight to the sides of the columns as they drew ever closer to the plate above. A barrage of spells fell toward them, deflected by shields and broken apart by yet more mages, but some fell through, crashing into massive soldiers who absorbed the blows with their hardened carapaces.

Atop glittering platforms of pure energy, teams of demons battled in the air, flinging magic and their own bodies at each other for control of the sky, such as it was, around the outer edge of the plate.

Yet more ants massed around the base of the assault columns, grouping together in teams before they began to ascend. The stone would make contact any moment now, and they needed to be in position for the final assault.

The air was filled with flashes of magic, smoke and fire, making it difficult for Sloan to see, but she could grasp enough of the situation from her position on the command hill to make a snap judgement.

�Move out the healer teams, we want them coming in right behind the assault crews.�

�Yes, General!�

�Bring the artillery scouts to the forward firing position. I want the edge of that plate covered in acid in one minute.�

�Understood!�

She fired off orders, and the messenger scouts positioned around her dashed away to deliver her instructions to the dedicated relay stations. A mixture of Mind Magic and enchanted pheromone projectors would be used to spread the word over wide distances in a short time frame. In thirty seconds, her instructions could hit any point on the battlefield.

The demon city above loomed ominously. Iritel, a smallish settlement by the standards of the third stratum, only slightly larger than Roklu had been when the Eldest found it. The petty lord who ruled over it had been the unfortunate recipient of the Colony�s eye and now faced an assault the scale of which could not have been foreseen.

Fifty thousand ants and hundreds of demons were massed against the city, and it could not possibly hope to stand against their combined might. Brixin commanded the gathered demon forces, her demonic heart pounding with glee as her territory was set to expand once more.

Iritel rested halfway up a world pillar that stood dozens of kilometres from Roklu, on the opposite side from the contested land with the ka�armodo. For now, the Colony decided against antagonizing their neighbours any further, though that situation remained volatile.

�Contact!�

A faint rumbling resounded from kilometres above their heads as the slowly rotating pillars crunched into the bottom of the stone plate. The moment they did so, ants rushed up the stone monoliths, and the living carpet that covered each pillar began to spread along the underside of the demon city, the ants clinging to the stone as they made their way to the edge, an enormous drop to the ground below them.

�Get the human teams in position. I want those aura buffs to hit the moment our teams rush over the edge. Tell the demons to unleash their maximum firepower. Are those artillery squads in position yet?� Sloan bellowed.

�Artillery firing!�

There was an extended series of low thumping sounds as four separate batteries of specially evolved scouts launched their enormous payloads of compressed acid into the air. Huge streaks of sizzling fluid arced through the sky before they fell upon the plate. The demons in the landing zones, trying to hold off the encroaching forces were forced back from the edge, lest they be overcome. No sooner did the first barrage land than the second was in the air, then the third.

Once the fourth landed, it was time to move.

Ants flooded over the edges, gnashing and biting at everything they saw as roaring priests and fiery-eyed human warriors leapt from their specially prepared floating platforms onto the plate to fight alongside them. Invigorated by the potent aura buff from fighting alongside their allies, the ants pushed forward aggressively and overran the outer defences of the city.

The landing zones rapidly expanded as more ants reached the upper side of the plate, splitting off in teams to reach their predetermined holding points. Brixin landed on the plate alongside her handpicked team of assistants and pushed hard toward the centre of the city. It was up to her to put down the tier seven city lord. The ants could defeat them, but not without sacrifice. Better to leave it to their demon ally and play it safe.

With their forces already running rampant through the city, the battle was over, and Sloan sighed. She didn�t allow any sign of her draining tension to show, but internally, her mind began to wander. Iritel was only the first city that would fall to the Colony this week; three others were lined up and preparations were already underway, resources gathered.

After several weeks of preparation, the time of expansion through the third stratum had finally begun. A hundred thousand tier three ants had poured down into Roklu over the last few days before sweeping over the Plains of Leng like a great scythe through a field. It was to be their final step before graduating the antcademy, though the Brood Tenders had been reluctant to let their charges into such a dangerous place. To ensure the students� safety, the Colony conducted a preliminary sweep to eradicate all demons of fourth tier and higher from the area, fed the spoils to the students so they could mutate before they fought, then posted guards around the perimeter to prevent any others from entering the cleared zone.

The perpetual blanket of low-tier monsters known as the �sea of demons� proved every bit the invaluable source of experience and Biomass the Colony had expected. With their Tenders� supervision, the students harvested a portion of it to push themselves the rest of the way to tier four in record time before bringing the leftovers to the Queens, providing the fuel needed to create the next generation. So quickly did they earn their Levels that their Skills started falling behind, much to the Tenders� chagrin.

Now at the requisite tier, the fresh graduates could bolster the Colony�s numbers for the offensive. With their help, the Colony would be able to achieve the goals they�d set for themselves: increasing their land, resources, and the number of demon allies they could draw upon.

Perhaps most importantly of all, the Colony needed the higher-level hunting grounds that would enable them to raise yet more tier six members who could assist in the conflict that raged even now in the fourth stratum. Things were getting busy.

Ten minutes later, word came back to the command tent that Brixin had emerged victorious. The city was subdued. On to the next.

�Well, isn�t this the plops.�

Isaac Bird looked out over the vast, smoke-filled expanse of the third stratum and sighed. After his first trip here, he wasn�t sure he�d ever be back, and yet here he was, fighting alongside an increasingly fanatic band of mostly human ant worshippers. His first battle in the demon layer had been a whirlwind tour of death that nearly got his head separated from his shoulders. The fact it culminated in a climactic battle that nearly got the Great One killed was just the icing on the cake. The whole thing had been catastrophically dangerous from the get go, and yet he�d returned without hesitation.

The things he did for love.

He was stronger now than he�d ever been before, by a long shot. The constant fighting, be it in battles against waves, or regular patrols within colony territory, had netted him bucketloads of experience and driven his spear Skills to new heights. He was a better, more capable soldier than he�d ever been. Even so, he couldn�t help but feel that his goal was getting away from him.

From the last he�d heard, Morrelia had retreated with the Legion and was now deep underground somewhere, in who knew what layer of the Dungeon, doing whatever it was the Legion did down there.

Unless he missed his mark, she was most likely doing everything she needed to in order to move forward. That�s what she did.

When he recalled those fiery eyes, her strong, powerful build, and those soft� fiery eyes, he just couldn�t pretend he wouldn�t do anything to see her again. To stand at her side.

Which led to his current dilemma.

�There you are, Isaac. What are you doing hanging out here? You weren�t going to jump, were you?�

Isaac turned to see Derrick jogging over to him with one hand raised in greeting.

�No, I�m not going to jump, you moronic plop-sweeper. Don�t joke about such things.�

Derrick ducked his head and grinned sheepishly.

�Sorry. You just don�t see many of us hanging around near the edge. For obvious reasons.�

The sheer drop of several kilometres being the obvious reason. The Colony really should put up a fence� Although, gripping the edge wasn�t something they really had to worry about; the ants regularly walked right off the edge and underneath the plate.

�I like the open air,� Isaac confessed, running a hand over his clean-shaven face. �This is as close as we get down here to a sky, so I wanted to take it in. Helps me think.�

�Well, you better think quickly. The call came in from the command hill. We�re moving out in a half hour.�

�Half an hour? You can�t be serious.�

�I know when not to joke.�

Isaac levelled a hard stare at his junior officer.

�Derrick, if that was another attempt at a joke, I�ll have you on latrines until your nose doesn�t work.�

�I never joke, sir. Can�t, in fact. Lost my sense of humour in battle.�

�Good. You�ll live longer.�

The two men settled into a comfortable silence, though it was clear Derrick was becoming increasingly impatient. Isaac ignored his fidgeting, at least for a few minutes, then sighed and turned away from the edge.

�All right then, go muster up the men. Are the elevators working yet?�

�Not yet.�

�They�re moving us by platform again?� Isaac�s face twisted into a grimace.

He�d much rather have something solid under his feet instead of a gleaming, iridescent plate made of mana. The whole thing gave him the willies. Still, it beat climbing.

�Seems that way. We�ve been told to meet up with General Anticus on the east side of the city. A camp has been prepared five kilometres� march from the base of the pillar. We have two days to regroup and then we move on the next city.�

Isaac listened with half an ear as the instructions were rattled off without pause. He still couldn�t help but feel amused when the former bouncer for an inn acted in such a professional manner, even if he should be used to it by now. In truth, what had begun as a ragtag group of former town guards and militia running into the Dungeon to help the ants had grown to be a professional outfit in a shockingly short amount of time.

Goodness knows what the Colony thought about them in the early days. They�d been abysmally weak compared to the monsters they were trying to help. Unable to keep up on patrols, panicking at the first sign of monsters. Even Isaac, with his limited Dungeon exposure, had been one of the more experienced members back then. It was the Colony that helped them, more than the other way around. They made sure the humans received experience, fed them weakened prey, protected and healed them when they were hurt.

Now they had a fanatical army ready to fight at their side.

�Derrick, I want you to round up the squad and make sure they get their gear packed and stowed properly this time. If Leon forgets his spare spear again, I�ll plant his first one directly where he doesn�t want it.�

His second in command nodded but hesitated. �You aren�t coming?�

�Not immediately,� Isaac clarified. �I�ve got some business I need to deal with in the command hill.�

�Okay. Good luck.�

�Thanks.�

It wasn�t often that non-ants poked their heads into the command structure of the Colony. In fact, it was exceptionally rare. Not that they were banned or forbidden, far from it, they were allowed in whenever they wanted. It was the overall atmosphere that people found intimidating. The ants did not find it odd or unusual to be climbing all over each other in cramped tunnels or low-roofed chambers, even when directing a battle, but for a human such as himself, being packed against so many monsters was unnerving, to say the least.

Still, his stride was determined. If he wanted to achieve his goal, he couldn�t afford to hesitate. She wouldn�t hesitate.

It didn�t take him long to find the structure. The ants wasted no time moving their command post up into the city the moment the battle ended. That way, they could better coordinate the arrangements within the newly conquered city. It was quite impressive that they managed to build a hill that was easily fifty metres tall and just as wide in a matter of hours.

He circled around the base until he found the non-ant entrance. A mage on duty connected to him via a mind bridge.

[Welcome, friend Isaac. You have something you wish to report?]

[I think I need to speak to the general. This is possibly important, and she might want to hear about it directly.]

[To Sloan? She is very busy right now. I will relay the message if you are certain.]

[I�m sure. Please do.]

He was knee-deep in the plops now.

Efficient as always, it didn�t take long until he was brought inside a small holding chamber, unsurprisingly with elegant wooden chairs, a woven rug and a hot cup of tea at the ready. He shook his head at the creature comforts and chose to stand to attention. He wouldn�t let them coddle him, though he was grateful they hadn�t decided to bring him into the inner chambers.

He waited for a short period before another ant entered the waiting room from the inner side. Small by comparison to the massive soldiers, but still larger than he, Sloan was quite distinctive due to the large number of advanced mutations she possessed, particularly her large, wider antennae that swept impressively through the air as she walked.

[Friend Isaac. I am told you have something important you wish to discuss.]

Isaac snapped out a quick salute and stood to attention. Technically, he wasn�t part of the ant chain of command and didn�t answer to Sloan, but that wasn�t how it worked in practice. Better to show respect where it was due, in his book.

[General Sloan. I have recently reached Level forty in my Spearman Class and I am ready to upgrade it to a new Class.]

The ant nodded.

[Congratulations,] she said sincerely, and waited.

Clearly there was more to come.

Isaac took a deep breath to steady his thoughts before he continued.

[Have you heard of the Class Ant Lancer before?]

�CHARGE!� I roar.

�FOR THE COLONY!� thousands of ants reply behind me in a tidal wave of pheromones that stings my antennae.

Before us, an army of termites five thousand strong, double our own number, is busy ripping into our outer defences, tearing down the stone barriers we erected to delay their advance.

[Tiny! Go!] I order.

�GRAAAAAAHHHH!�

With an ear-splitting roar, the giant ape spreads his wings of shadow and dashes forward with extreme speed, his body twisting as he winds back his fist for a mighty blow. The bright light of a Skill activation ignites his fist, along with a powerful lightning charge before he swings too fast for the eye to follow, a deafening roar following immediately after. The discharged electricity blasts outward from his fist like a bolt of lightning, subjecting the termites in front of him to an incredible amount of energy.

Some are able to tank it, if barely, while many others are roasted on the spot and give up the ghost, creating pockets that break up the termite formation.

�With me!� I call back to the others. �Annihilate the enemy!�

I can practically see the red light of anger flaring in the eyes of my siblings. When it comes to fighting against the termites, they don�t need any encouragement! To tell the truth, the wood-eating nemesis doesn�t look any different. There is no love lost between the two social insects!

The massive soldiers of the Colony form a flying wedge as our momentum builds over the final twenty metres, and the termites shift to match our tactics. Gone are the idiotic insects who ran at us like mindless creatures. The ka�armodo have been busy and have modified their experiment to better suit the new enemy who has appeared. The enemy lines up in rows, braced against each other as the largest soldiers present their savage cutting mandibles toward us.

The phalanx of ants with me at their head crash into the termites with a thunderous impact that smashes chitin, breaks legs, and shatters mandibles. The savagery doesn�t stop there. The termites strive to catch their jaws around my neck and sever my head from my thorax, but I don�t allow it, launching a final burst of speed to catch them off guard and twisting my body away from their bites.

The weak point of any insect�s armour is the joints between segments, and both sides instinctually target these weaknesses without having to be taught.

I want to push forward into the gaps that Tiny continues to open up with his onslaught of a rampage, but organised ranks of hardened defenders face me, making it difficult to rush forward without risking being surrounded. The tactics of the enemy continue to evolve, along with unique evolutions and mutations that I don�t believe existed before. Even now, some termites are rushing around their allies, applying a foam they vomit up to neutralise our acid. They can�t protect everyone, but they can blunt the effectiveness of our long-range weaponry.

As the ants continue to drive forward around me, the termites give ground, backing away and refusing to allow us to break through their lines. When they�ve retreated almost two hundred metres from where the battle started, the signal comes from the generals.

�Disengage!� is the call.

The response is immediate, and the front line steps back almost in unison, unlocking their mandibles from those of their foes with ease. The two sides stare at each other with barely concealed fury, neither happy that the other will be able to walk from the field alive. But it�s the right call. We�ve advanced beyond the outer perimeter, and this is no longer our territory. Scent trails can�t be trusted, nor can the integrity of the walls. For all we know, there could be ten thousand termites burrowing toward our position right now.

�Orderly retreat!� comes the scent up and down the line.

Tiny and I are the last to leave, staring down the termites with our steely glares until we too turn and head back to the secured fortifications of the Colony. More than half of the termite force was able to survive this engagement, and we are not satisfied. Those numbers will be replaced in just a few hours. But we still hold.

Damn termites. What the hell are those ka�armodo doing over there? They seem to pop out reinforcements just as fast as we kill them. I refuse to believe they can spit out tier four and five monsters so quickly without incurring some kind of cost. After all, the Colony has been doing this for months and have honed the process to be as efficient as possible. We have an entire caste of dedicated teachers, an academy with a constantly adjusted curriculum, and Queens with the most beneficial mutations for mass-producing the highest-quality individuals.

It�s just not possible that they are better at it than we are!

And in truth, they aren�t. Our enemies may be a higher tier than would normally be expected from their numbers, but their cores remain weak. The question is how the lizards managed to maintain the quality of their insect troops, or in fact raise it, whilst creating increased production to such a ludicrous degree. If they�d been able to produce these sorts of numbers from the beginning, I don�t think the Mother Tree would have been able to hold out as long as she did, not while withholding the bruan�chii from assisting her.

�Eldest, welcome back.�

�Good to see you, Eldest!�

�Work hard!�

�I will. Make sure you take an appropriate break, though!�

The ants who called out to me so cheerfully a moment ago hesitate in their stride at my mention of taking a break before they continue on their way. The fear of the torpor enforcers continues to apply even here during this desperate, ongoing battle. Tired soldiers are sloppy soldiers, and sloppy soldiers get their own allies killed. Personally, I�m thankful they�ve continued to maintain a strict standard of rest amongst my siblings, even in these circumstances.

But I�ll be the first to admit those standards have slipped from the traditional eight. It�s a war, after all.

�Eldest! The meeting is in here!� I see Advant calling me over with a wave of her antennae and follow her into the prepared chamber in the Colony�s main staging ground. Inside, I find the usual carved table�I really have to find out who makes these damn things, they are spectacular�along with each member of the Council who has joined me on this venture.

Vibrant, Advant, Bella, Burke, and Wills, Victor, Leeroy, Mendant, Cobalt, Propellant, and Coolant are all in attendance. Only the Queens and Tenders are not represented. For obvious reasons, they have not been brought down to the fourth.

Although, when it comes time to establish our own mountain nest in this stratum, I can�t wait to see the mighty Queens and powerful brood we create. Perhaps we should even create a central antcademy here? No, it�s far too early to be thinking about that stuff, don�t get carried away.

As I take my �seat� at the table, I glance at the others and am not surprised to see them looking fatigued. It�s been two weeks since my rescue of Vibrant from the ka�armodo trap, and there has been near-constant fighting since then. Whatever the big lizards are doing back at that mountain, they�ve been moving fast, ramping up the production of their proxy soldiers and making modifications to the templates within the queens to better arm the termites against us, their new foe.

In return, the Colony has sent three additional waves of reinforcements, bringing our total number of deployed Colony members to forty thousand. This is far more than I wanted to commit to defending the Mother Tree, but any less and we risk getting overrun. Fighting for the sake of someone not in the Colony is one thing, but having thousands of my siblings wiped out would be completely unacceptable.

�From the reports I have, the lines appear to be holding well, despite some back-and-forth movement on both sides,� Victor leads the conversation as the resident general. �Our biggest issue has been adjusting our defensive strategy to meet with the new reality of the foe. With the ka�armodo involved, the termites move completely differently to how they did before. Our plan to hole up in fortresses and let the enemy dash themselves against the walls can no longer be considered. Retreating like that will just give our now-smarter opponent the time and space to manoeuvre around us. Thus, we have engaged in an in-depth defensive strategy that involves hit-and-run tactics. How has it fared in the field, Vibrant?�

�Really-well-actually. The-hit-and-run-is-so-fun-fun! We-love-moving-really-fast-so-when-the-termites-come-we-chomp-them-and-run-away-before-we-run-in-and-chomp-them-again! It�s-funny-actually-because-they-can�t-move-fast-enough-to-keep-up-so-they-just-look-so-silly-don�t-you-think?�

�And what do you have to say, Advant?�

�We are exposing ourselves more than we would like, but by choosing the ground we engage on and moving fast, we�ve been able to damage the enemy and then pull back with minimal losses. So far, there haven�t been any incursions making it past the third defensive line.�

�The strategy seems to be succeeding, then. What are your thoughts, Eldest?�

Each Council member turns toward me, and I feel the familiar pressure that arises in these moments. It�s only made worse because I can feel their attention and high expectations through the Vestibule. Don�t turn those shining eyes filled with respect toward me! I made you smart for the express purpose of doing all the thinking so I didn�t have to, dammit!

�I�m worried,� I just come out and say it.

�Why?� Victor asks, her scent attentive.

I scratch my head with an antenna.

�I�m worried that the lizards are just pinning us down and keeping us occupied while they build up an even larger force. I�m sure you�ve noticed that no matter how many we kill, the raids continue apace. The termites are doing a better job of preserving their numbers through every engagement and are just probing our defences. I believe a surge will come, and possibly soon. I think they�ve increased egg production by far more than we�ve realised, and when the new generations are ready, they will throw everything at us, not in a massive wave, but in an organised advance that will engage us on as many fronts as possible.�

I pause for a moment.

�Which I think will also include the third stratum. There won�t be termites, but I think the ka�armodo will engage with allied demons and their own numbers to spread us even more thinly. If we don�t have the capacity, the antpower, to cover all of these fronts, we could be in serious trouble.�

It was almost as if Leeroy had died and entered some sort of paradise. Except, frustratingly, she still clung to her mortal shell, along with the other Immortals. Despite this, she revelled in her current existence. The release she sought, the glorious end she strove to experience, had never felt as close as it did now.

As she strode back and forth before the massed ranks of her followers, her chosen sisters, the massive weight of her armour was a comfort bearing down on her carapace. The Immortals were almost shivering with excitement to the point the joints of their armour rattled. They�d fought recently, a glorious battle that pushed them to their limits. The Colony had pulled them back and forced them to wait until their Phoenix Fire organs had recharged, and now they were ready to be sent out once more.

�Are you ready, my sisters?� she demanded of the waiting armoured troops. �Are you prepared for the fire that is to come?�

�YES!� they roared as they slapped their antennae against their armour.

�Will your charge never falter? Will you crush the ranks of the enemy?�

�YES!�

�Will you fight until you collapse? Will you fight until the last breath leaves your body?�

�YES!�

�Then, when you are engulfed in cursed flame, will you rise? Will you do it all over again?�

�YES!�

�WHY?� she roared, her pheromones billowing around her.

�WE SEEK!�

�WHAT YOU SEARCH FOR IS OUT THERE! IN THE MASSED RANKS OF THE TERMITE, YOU CAN FIND YOUR REST! GO AND TAKE IT!�

�WE SEEK!�

With that final, suffocating roar, the Immortals began to advance. There were almost two hundred of them now, each tier five or six, each armoured in a custom, fully enchanted suit of the finest armour the Colony could provide. Every individual represented multiple tons of pure, righteous ant fury. Their charge began as a walk, the armoured column moving in lockstep, the tread of their six legs shaking the ground as they moved as one.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

At the head of the column, the rhythmic drumming of their steps matched the urgent beat of Leeroy�s heart. Every time she had sortied over the last weeks, the battle had been desperate and they�d been pushed right to the brink before being pulled back.

So close.

She�d been so close! The glorious, blazing and climactic end that she�d yearned for from the moment she�d hatched had been within her reach numerous times. Even now, the scent of desperate battle hung heavy in the air. The acrid tang of formic acid, the bitter waft of ichor, and the meaty iron of fresh Biomass washed against her antennae as the battle drew closer. Her eyes burned with passion. As she�d told the others, it was out there. They just had to find it.

Leeroy picked up the pace. No longer a stately march, she accelerated to a quicker gait, her legs beginning to eat up the ground, and the column behind her rose to match her pace. No longer did their tread create a steady beat; the noise had elevated to a constant rumble, more like an avalanche building in the distance than troops on the march.

Soon, they saw the battle lines up ahead. A horde of ravening termites threatened to overwhelm the ant defenders through sheer weight of numbers. A desperate struggle had broken out, the Colony fighting to retreat as termite reinforcements poured from a tunnel in the wall.

Another breach. The ka�armodo were cunning, and their mastery of magic was beyond what the Colony could manage. Using their unknown methods, they�d been able to guide their insect slaves through twisted and convoluted paths in the rock, evading detection and penetrating deep into ant territory. The breaches could happen almost anywhere at any time, tunnels crashing open and vomiting thousands of enemy combatants behind the main lines. For this reason, the Immortals had been stationed as the rapid-response force.

As always, the sight of the hated enemy ignited a primal rage in her gut, and Leeroy embraced it. Their elongated mandibles, their strange, alien bodies, with only two segments rather than three, and their beady, near-sightless eyes. They were unnatural and did not belong in this world. She firmly believed that; how else could she explain this instinctual hatred?

With a flick of her antenna, the entire Immortal column accelerated to full speed. The avalanche was no longer in the distance, now it was right here, and the ground trembled under the force of their charge.

Leeroy activated her Skills, accelerating beyond what she was normally capable of as her Dash and Charge Skills combined to elevate her speed. The tunnel even sloped downhill, perfect conditions.

With the Immortals rushing in, the still-battling ants scrambled to disengage and get out of the way, unleashing potent blasts of acid and mana to create whatever distance they could before the steel phalanx that was the Immortals reached them.

These were the moments that Leeroy lived for. Her soul was on fire. The ranks of the enemy grew larger and larger in her vision as she lowered her head and prepared to meet them, the ground blurring beneath her.

The moment of impact was like the detonation of an explosion.

An inrush of air.

The deadly silence.

And then the deafening crash. The shockwave swept through her body as her armour crumpled, the termite before her vanishing as the sheer force of her mass sent it flying back into the massed ranks of its allies. What did she care for ranks? What did she care for the new tactics of the enemy? The Immortals did not acknowledge such things.

Their charge continued as their legs pounded the ground, urging every bit of speed possible. They smashed through line after line of the enemy, squashing them beneath their claws, breaking their carapaces upon their armour.

Finally, their momentum slowed, the charge ground to a halt, and still there were termites in front of her.

Leeroy clacked her mandibles with joy.

�There�s still plenty left!� she cried. �Rejoice, my sisters!�

And there were. The termites continued to flood from the tunnel before them, the lines reforming as they closed around the Immortal column.

And the ants rejoiced.

The grind of an ongoing melee was a very different type of combat than the thrilling and domineering charge of the Immortals. The mass that propelled them through the ranks of the enemy now bore down on their backs. Leeroy welcomed it. It had taken her a long time to grow accustomed to fighting with a second shell, but once she did, once her armour-wearing Skill had risen to a sufficient rank, she came to understand its power.

The jaws of the termite foe, long, curved, and sharp beyond belief, were designed to find the weak points of an insect carapace, the joints between body segments, and sever them brutally. For the Immortals, such weaknesses did not exist. The joints that connected their head, abdomen, and thorax were heavily protected by layers of enchanted and hardened metal that defied even the potent mandibles of their enemies.

The Immortals had no powerful magic. They could not blast with fire, or ice, or blow powerful gusts of air that would scatter their enemy. Nor did they have powerful streams of acid that would melt their enemies by the dozen. Their mutations and evolutions had driven them in a different direction, and it was on those strengths they now relied.

Their enlarged heads held dense muscles that powered their long, compounded mandibles, and they leveraged those with devastating bites. Their legs were specially evolved and mutated to hold their immense weight and drive bursts of speed that allowed them to initiate small charges when given a breath of space.

Though they couldn�t reach full speed, these smaller charges allowed them to throw their weight around, bashing into the termites, shattering formations, and cracking their shells, creating weak points they could exploit.

Fighting in close quarters with Leeroy and her followers was like a human trying to contain a miniature Vibrant in their hand. Painful.

They bashed and crashed, bit and scrapped, stepping over the fallen and broken bodies of their opponents as yet more emerged from the hole in the tunnel wall to take up the fight.

Even with their thick, reinforced carapaces and sophisticated armour, the best that ant ingenuity could provide, they were not invulnerable. As thousands of termites surrounded their hundreds, it was inevitable that they would begin to take damage.

The first wound Leeroy took was close to her neck, and she was glad for it. She�d gone too long in this battle without her HP lowering at all. Had her armour not stopped the pointed end of that barb dead in its tracks, she may have suffered a serious wound, more�s the pity.

She battled on, her reserves of energy dwindling as she expended her stamina to bite and snap her way through the melee. As the conflict raged, she and her sisters suffered more and more harm. Vastly outnumbered, there was a limit to what they could do to defend themselves as they sought to inflict as much damage on the enemy as possible.

Not that it mattered.

Those tier six members of the Immortals, inflicted as they were with the terrible curse of not properly reading their evolution options, felt the Phoenix Fire building within them. The more damage they took, the brighter it became until it raged within their bodies, a dense ball of energy just waiting to be released.

Still, they fought on. Dragging the enemy down with them kicking and screaming, buying as much time as they could for reinforcements to arrive so that this offensive could be repelled.

Finally, she could stand no more.

A termite lunged and Leeroy couldn�t react in time. The vicious monster grabbed hold of her leg and threw its weight backward, causing her to stumble. Before she could reorient herself, three more termites fell on her, biting furiously, their jaws seeking the gaps in her armour that had been torn open over the course of the battle.

Exhausted, wounded, no longer able to support her own weight, she slumped to the ground as the light began to fade from her eyes. It was in these moments that Leeroy felt most at peace, and though she knew it wouldn�t last, for a brief moment, she could embrace the illusion that at last she could rest, secure in the belief that her heroic sacrifice had bought time for her siblings, that she had died a worthy death.

Only for the briefest time could she indulge in this fantasy before it was cruelly torn away. That cursed organ, deep within her carapace, pulsed ominously before the energy contained within flooded out. A torrent of bright flame erupted within her and rushed through her veins before it ignited her flesh and seared the termites around her.

Awareness and energy came flooding back. From the brink of her eternal rest to cursed, rejuvenated life in a matter of moments. Strength filled her limbs, and Leeroy pushed herself to her feet, her mandibles clacking as she shook off the remains of those unfortunate termites who�d clung too closely when they thought her defeated.

All around, the fires of her sisters had begun to ignite as her fellow tier six Immortals took the brunt of the enemy retaliation, not to protect their weaker sisters, but to bring this moment on all the sooner.

When Leeroy surveyed the field, she saw that thousands of termites still remained to fight. Her siblings were hopelessly outnumbered, and no sign of the Colony�s reserve rushing to their rescue could be seen.

Joy and hope bloomed in her.

�NOW IS OUR TIME, SISTERS!� she cried and flung herself back into the battle.

Now, each wound would stick. Every dint in her HP was a step closer. Against impossible odds, the Immortals flung themselves again and again, grinding down the foe, burning out their enemies using their own flesh as the tinder. Leeroy fought like a creature possessed of madness. No injury could stop her, no massed ranks could suppress her, she charged again and again, crashing through the lines, biting and clawing at everything she could reach.

Her vision began to blur. One of her antennae had been torn off. One of her legs was broken. She fought on. Surely. Surely this time.

�Let not a single termite live! Chase them down and exterminate them!�

She didn�t know from where this new scent came, but the following rush of steps announced the arrival of more ants to the scene. Soon she was surrounded by fresh soldiers who threw themselves against the depleted termite force, filled with rage and vigour.

Her heart sank.

She�d been so close.

�Well done, Leeroy,� Advant came and patted her on the back. �You can go and rest now.�

She didn�t reply except to nod wearily as she dragged herself to the safety of the newly established ant lines. It would be hopeless to continue fighting, she�d tried it before. She didn�t want to be dragged back to the healers again. They hadn�t let her go for days.

�Immortals, to me,� she called to her sisters, and the now patchily armoured behemoths slowly began to regroup, pulling themselves away from the fighting, dejected. Another opportunity lost. Another chance at eternal glory denied to them. For how long? How long could they endure?

Forever, if the Eldest had their way.

Leeroy shoved down a wave of bitterness as she reached out to comfort those around her. A few required help to move, their armour having become so twisted it needed to be removed before they could rise. They set to the task sluggishly, all of their previous enthusiasm killed by the scorned hopes.

�Leeroy,� came a call, and the mighty soldier turned at the strange note she detected in the scent of her sister. �Come here.�

She turned to see one of her comrades standing over another Immortal, one leg extended and placed on the other�s carapace. The steel of the fallen one�s armour was so twisted, so tortured, there was no possible way she could stand, she would need help. Leeroy sighed and began to drag herself over. She would assist her sister, of course she would. She may need to bite through the metal and strapping in order to free her, then she could be healed and they would return together.

Except, the ant who called her remained strangely still. The fallen one still hadn�t moved.

A strange emotion bubbled up in Leeroy at that moment. A feeling she could not identify. A hope she would not name.

Her limping stride grew longer as she forced her broken leg to move.

�What is it?� she demanded, not taking her eyes off her fallen sibling.

�I� I think she�� the ant could not go on. She trembled.

Leeroy reached out with her remaining antenna and touched it to the carapace of her fallen sister.

�She�s gone,� she said.

Her words rolled through the Immortals like a wave. One by one, they gathered in silence until every member of their order stood in a circle around this singular, still form, lying where she fell on the tunnel floor. They dipped their heads in respect.

Overcome with emotion, it was all Leeroy could do to force herself to speak.

�Her search is over. This one has found her rest. She has found her glory.�

She choked.

�Does anyone know her name?� she asked.

�Cardigant,� someone replied.

Leeroy nodded slowly. She turned her head to better see the eyes of her sisters. They burned. They burned so brightly she almost couldn�t bear to look. She felt it too.

It was possible.

IT WAS POSSIBLE!

�RAISE HER UP, MY SISTERS! RAISE HER HIGH AND WE WILL BRING HER HOME TO HER FINAL REST! HER ARMOUR SHALL BE OUR TREASURE AND WE SHALL NEVER FORGET THE FINAL CHARGE OF CARDIGANT! SHE SEEKS NO MORE!�

�REST IN GLORY, SISTER!� they thundered back at her.

The other ants watched, bewildered, as a joyful and triumphant column of Immortals made its way back through the tunnels, bearing the body of the first and only member to find what she had been seeking.

When next Leeroy and the Immortals emerged to battle, they did so with a fervour and fanaticism that none had ever seen before. Their hope had been renewed. Once again, the Immortals were reborn.

A war of attrition against the Colony was not the wisest of strategies, Mendant reflected. The field hospital around her teemed with activity as the wounded were rushed in on her left. The fighting must be fierce today, given the numbers they were seeing.

Considering this was only one of the medical posts the healers had established, there must have been over a thousand ants in need of healing coming into the facilities run by her sisters.

Only the particularly serious injuries made their way to places like this, ones that couldn�t be instantly cured with an application of Healing Magic, or fixed over a period of hours after consuming Biomass.

One thing they weren�t short on right now was Biomass.

Like a conductor directing an orchestra, Mendant was the centre of operations as her healers flowed around her. She directed resources to where they were needed and when, ensuring every ant received the care they required in a timely fashion.

Most would be fine after a few days, whereas others might need a week to return to full health. The ants, especially the soldiers, were incredibly durable, able to recover even after losing half of their body, if they were tended to in time.

As she continued to direct traffic, she was distracted by a strange sensation that overcame her. She turned to see the other healers standing unusually still. A moment before she could reprimand them, she realised the patients were acting in a similar fashion.

What was happening?

She shifted to watch the entrance. There was a beat, then the bizarre sight of the Eldest being carried� or floating� into the hospital met her eyes.

Mendant stared in shock as the enormous form of the Eldest appeared to drift in. Were they being carried? She thought she saw ants underneath, bearing the weight of that frame, but she couldn�t seem to focus on what her eyes were telling her, as if her brain refused to acknowledge it.

She puzzled over it a moment longer before she shook off the confusion and rushed to meet the Eldest.

�What happened?� she demanded, her pheromones calm.

The healers were always calm, yet her eyes nearly boggled when they saw the extent of the injuries that had been inflicted on the strongest ant in the Colony.

�Oh, hey, Mendant! Good to see you. No problem, just a little explosion issue.�

A what?

�How does one have a �little� explosion issue?�

The Eldest, still somehow hovering in midair, waved their antennae expansively.

�I managed to track down a ka�armodo, and they weren�t too happy to see me, so to speak. I mean, did I try to bite them? Maybe. But I don�t think that means they needed to detonate me, especially that many times.�

The burns were one thing, huge chunks of missing carapace and the blackened flesh on the inside, but the cuts, as if sections of the Eldest�s body had been removed with incredible precision, were something else entirely.

�What caused this?� she wondered as she prodded the wounds with her antennae.

�Some sort of laser-thing. Absolute rubbish. Anyway, spot of healing, I�ll be fine. Hit me up, Mendant, and I�ll be on my way.�

She levelled the Eldest with an even stare.

�You�ll be here for at least a day. I�m assuming your healing gland is empty?�

�I think it needs to regrow��

�Right. Well. I�ll see what I can do. Is there any chance you can levitate over to a table?�

�Levitate? Oh. Sure thing, they�ll figure it out.�

And indeed �they� did.

Once that giant form was placed down, she prepared to get to work. As she began to spin up her Healing Magic, she prodded a nearby healer with an antenna.

�Get back to work, all of you.�

Her words shook the room out of its stupor, and the healers returned to their tasks as the patients also woke up and remembered they were significantly injured.

Mendant could only sigh and turn her attentions back to the Eldest, who continued to insist they didn�t need to be here, certainly not for a day, but she would brook no argument.

�Sit still and let me heal you,� she demanded as she continued to work.

Eventually, a series of dark tentacles sprouted and pinned the Eldest down, allowing Mendant to work. They even helped rotate the Eldest when she needed to shift her attention to a different wound. Literally wrapped up, the most esteemed member of the Colony could do little but suffer in silence, attempting to preserve what dignity they could.

There weren�t too many times in his centuries of life that Rassan�tep had truly feared for his life. He�d been outnumbered and surrounded during a wave defence in the fourth during his fifth decade, barely out of the nest. Only the intervention of an Old One had saved him from the jaws of a ravening horde of Emerald Lizards. As he grew, increasing his Level, power, and prestige, he had not found himself in that situation again.

Until today.

The ka�armodo found a nice shady spot and crawled in before settling down to try and recover some equilibrium. Not far away, others tended to the termite brood, accelerating their growth and directing them to battle each other to improve their Skills. The Old One felt nothing but contempt for the efforts of his comrades in their continued attempts to attack the Mother Tree and her ant defenders. Even so, he would continue to use them for his own purpose.

[Master!] His faithful chief retainer, the setsulah Ammon�sil, rushed to him, placing both hands on the great lizard�s side in an unusual public display of concern. [I felt your agitation through the bond. Is all well?]

Under the calming influence of his servant and the cool of the shade, the powerful mage began to feel his blood slow in his veins as he gathered himself.

[It goes to show what happens when I leave without my faithful servants by my side,] Rassan admitted ruefully.

[I warned you not to go.]

[Peace, Ammon�sil. I know. I judged it to be worth the risk, and I am still not convinced that it wasn�t.]

His chief servant subsided and bottled his objections, allowing his master to think and calm himself as he kept his hands pressed to the great lizard�s side. He monitored the breath and thoughts of Rassan�tep through the bond as he felt that ancient mind turn.

[I was able to find our specimen,] Rassan�tep conferred. [Though I saw it much closer than I would have liked.]

[You were attacked?] Rage blossomed in the heart of the servant at the thought of such a lowly monster threatening his master, but Rassan�tep only chuckled across their bond.

[I was indeed. Such a fury of a monster. I don�t know how it found me, but it came after me so quickly I didn�t have the time to retreat before it was upon me.]

The scene was far more terrifying than he communicated, and he could feel the confusion in his setsulah, but he made no effort to dispel it. Better that he remain in ignorance than try to grasp the desperate madness that monster possessed.

Rassan�tep had taken his turn to lead a brigade of termites toward the tree, controlling the horde through the methods the ka�armodo had built into their servants. Of course, he couldn�t possibly refuse this opportunity to study the budding Ancient in action and had purposefully attempted to engage it in combat.

After several days of careful manoeuvring, he had finally encountered the target near the centre of the lines. It had been trivial to arrange an engagement where he would be in position to both watch the conflict unfold and make a quick escape, yet things hadn�t exactly turned out that way.

The specimen was everything he hoped to see. Domineering, decisive, radiating strength and power. The colossal ant had fallen upon his termite horde like a natural disaster, the pets kept by its side unable to keep up with the sheer fury on display. Magic of many elements, including that strange, unknown power, was on display, along with potent physical abilities that shredded through the termite force far quicker than anticipated.

That was when things took a turn.

So engaged with watching the monster annihilate his troops, Rassan�tep missed the window to retreat. When he tried to correct this mistake and withdraw, he�d already been noticed by the ant he�d been trying to study. Even so, he should have made it out; the distance between them was large enough, though necessity was the mother of invention, after all. The ant had leapt at him, its body flying through the air as it burned its Skills to accelerate as fast as possible. That still wouldn�t have been enough, but a powerful explosion had erupted beneath the creature, flinging its body toward him even as it suffered severe damage.

It had commanded its pet to create the explosion in order to further propel itself.

The memory of that gnashing, chomping nightmare of chitin and flesh setting upon him was enough to accelerate the heart of Rassan�tep once more. Truly, a powerful monster. Any thought he�d had of preserving the potential Ancient had flown out of his mind after a minute of combat. It had taken every ounce of mana he could produce to keep the creature off him, and only after inflicting wounds that should have killed it five times over was he able to disengage and escape.

If his servants had been there, connected through the bond, their collective strength would have allowed him to withdraw far more easily, but even so, he couldn�t help but suspect the creature would have found a way to make him pay by destroying one of his servants. Truly, a fearsome and indomitable monster.

It was becoming increasingly obvious that he would need to make contact with whoever had created or was guiding this candidate so they might collaborate in their efforts. His plan to accelerate the growth of the creature through difficult combat appeared to be working, but it was always good to confer with one�s peers on the correct course of action.

Also, he strongly began to suspect that the termites and his fellow ka�armodo were significantly underestimating what would come their way when the ants began to turn on the offensive. Even after the display of strength at the termite nest, they still didn�t believe the ants were worthy foes.

And now that they had redoubled their efforts in producing a termite war machine, they failed to realise they were not grinding down the ant resistance, but feeding it, strengthening it. Despite inflicting casualties, the ants who remained were growing in strength, and none faster than the specimen. There was trouble on the horizon.

[I thank you for your cooperation.]

[To you as well. I hope that your research is of some use to the Colony.]

[As do I. If you wish to view our published work, you can find it in the pheromone library. There are copies in every major nest.]

[Wonderful. I will read with interest.]

Torrina placed her pen away and shut the book in front of her as the interviewee, a tier six mage, amongst the first, walked out of the room. With more ants reaching the sixth tier, it became more important than ever before to correlate their evolutionary options and choices. Granin in particular had been obsessed with it, almost as obsessed as the Colony itself, which was why the triad had been busy interviewing and documenting every tier six ant they could get to talk to them.

Which was all of them that they could reach. Once they realised the fruits of their research would be delivered to the Colony, they were only too happy to help.

If only her own colleagues had been as forthcoming with information, they would have been able to achieve so much more. The petty rivalries of the Shaper circle seemed even more absurd to her now than they had when she was a student. Perhaps the day would come when social discord and competition would arise amongst the ants, forcing the siblings to struggle against each other, but as of yet, that day had not dawned.

A level of cooperation that bordered on the fanatical, that was the defining trait of the Colony in her eyes. In many ways, Anthony himself exemplified the trait. There was nothing he would not give of himself for his new family, even if he would never say as much.

She stood from behind the desk she had been provided, ensuring she didn�t scrape the immaculately woven rug under the carved chair. Once again, only the best had been provided for her use, and she was careful not to damage any of it. Furniture such as this would have cost her a small fortune amongst the golgari.

As she stepped out of the office, she found Corun emerging from his own room next door. The young Shaper gave her a broad smile, the stones of his true skin grinding together as he did so.

�Another day done. Got everything you need?�

Torrina nodded.

�I don�t have any more mages or core shapers to interview, if that�s what you mean. I�m not sure if that will satisfy Granin, though.�

Corun pulled a face and laughed.

�I doubt it. I�m done with the soldiers, scouts, and generals that are within reach as well. For the time being, we won�t have any choice but to move on to something else. Hopefully, moving down to the fourth to see what Anthony is up to.�

The two fell in alongside each other, the easy manner gained through years of association and friendship between them evident in their relaxed demeanour.

�I don�t think he�s going to need us for a while yet,� she said. �He won�t be close to evolving this early, he�s only been tier six for what? A couple of months at the most? You can�t expect the same sort of speed out of him that he had before.�

�He�s hunting big game down there,� Corun replied. �From what I�ve heard, he�s been munching on literally thousands of tier four and fives. Even if they�re weak, that�s still going to be a lot of experience. He might want to get some advice sooner than you think. The next evolution is going to be a big one.�

�Damn right it is.�

The two jumped and turned to find Granin, the granite-covered senior Shaper looming behind them like a boulder. How he managed to move so quietly covered in such a crude stone, Torrina would never know.

�Hey there, boss,� Corun greeted their elder and leader of the triad. �I�m guessing this means that you�re done for the day as well.�

Granin grunted.

�Unfortunately. Most of the tier sixes have been sent down to the fourth, apparently. The rest are on the front lines of the expansion war. We just can�t find enough to interview to complete the evolution tree.�

She could tell how upset he was at that prospect. In all the time she�d known him, she didn�t think she�d seen the old man so enthused with his work, as she imagined he must have been in his younger days. He was obsessed and determined to burn the candle at both ends if it meant furthering his knowledge of this new monster-type he�d thrown his lot in with.

�Have you determined anything yet?� she asked him.

He flicked a glance at her.

�Not here,� he said. �Let�s get back to the rooms.�

Corun and Torrina shared a look at his caution, but they were conditioned to follow the triad leader, and so they did not question him, following along as he led the way.

They followed the corridor around the outside of the hill toward the area where their rooms were located. Candelabras of gleaming metal held small cores that burned with beautiful, dim light, illuminating the intricate carvings, woven rug, and tasteful embellishments that lined their path. Even such luxuries didn�t compare to the view she glimpsed through the occasional window as they passed.

Through a full metre of reinforced stone, she could see the vast open space of ash and smoke that was the skyline of the third stratum, the ominous red light bleeding from the outside into the corridor, infusing it with a macabre glow. Despite the opulence, it was impossible to forget where they were, or how high up. She�d been shocked at how quickly the builders put together this truly titanic nest, the capital of the Colony in this stratum, for want of a better word.

From the floor of the stratum to almost reaching the bottom of the plate on which the demon city of Roklu sat, the great nest was kilometres high. The internals were still being worked on, the vast majority of the nest�s volume remaining unused, but for now, a segment close to the top had been allocated for the allies of the Colony to use. Barracks, training rooms, and medical facilities for the troops, along with a separate area for Granin, Corun, and her to conduct their research.

The engineers had been embarrassed when, out of curiosity, she�d asked them why they�d chosen to place their rooms and corridors as the external walls of the nest. They�d timidly told her of their thoughts on a new technique, muttered something about crumple zones and then assured her they�d done everything they could to ensure they were as safe as possible. She�d shrugged and told them she thought they would want the view for themselves, but the ants had looked at her as if she were mad.

What care did they have for a grand vista? None at all. They wanted the dark and security of their cramped chambers and tunnels.

After walking down several flights of stairs, they arrived at their private rooms, greeting the few humans and golgari they saw along the way before filing into Granin�s chamber, the large Shaper closing the door behind them.

�Why the secrecy?� she asked, confused.

He flicked her a glance before he walked to his plush couch and took a seat with a sigh.

It had taken the ants a while to grow used to the idea of furniture specifically for golgari; their true skins didn�t allow for the same comforts as a human might welcome. Her people didn�t like soft or fluffy things, and they needed materials that were durable enough not to scrape or dent when exposed to the hard minerals that coated their bodies.

After some time, the ants had developed a soft, springy material that was firm enough not to be damaged by them, strong enough to hold their weight, and with enough give to provide comfort. It was quite a feat, and Torrina wasn�t sure she could live without the stuff anymore.

She and Corun sat as Granin leaned forward to discuss his thoughts.

�I have a few matters of concern. The first of which relates directly to Anthony himself.�

He considered his words for a moment before he went on.

�I�m sure you�re seeing the same thing I�m seeing with the tier six ants, but tell me what you think is unusual about them. I want to see if you�ve picked up on it.�

The two younger Shapers glanced at each other before Corun spoke.

�They�re strong. Very good evolution options, even at the basic level. Good stats and more than acceptable bonuses almost across the line. I�ve only encountered a few dud choices, which is rare.�

�I concur,� Torrina admitted. �No matter the ant, their Skill Levels or evolutionary energy, the choices provided by the System have generally been good.�

�Exactly,� Granin nodded, pleased. �And I think you are smart enough to make a few deductions as to why.�

�Ants aren�t supposed to make it this far up the tiers,� Torrina said.

�Right. A tier six ant should be as rare as a golgari with diamond skin, basically non-existent, yet now there are hundreds. The Colony has made something common that the System considers rare, and thus they are benefiting from these powerful evolutions.�

�This could still only be considered compensation for their weak starting position, don�t you think?� Corun argued. �The Law of Evolutionary Propulsion applies particularly well to ants since they have such a poor initial state.�

�Indeed, that is also the case,� Granin agreed, �which is having a compounding effect. We have a monster type achieving heights that the Dungeon considers rare, and thus rewards, as well as them having weak starting positions, which accelerates the quality of their evolutions. Across every caste, their options have been good. It�s almost unheard of.�

An excited glimmer sparked in the old man�s eye as he leaned forward.

�So, you�re particularly excited for what Anthony might get at tier seven, is that it?� Torrina asked.

�In part. Considering he�s maxed his core at each step, and in fact gone a little beyond where he should have, his core should reach the bottom of Mythic grade during his next evolution.�

Although they knew this already, the two nodded solemnly as they considered it. Going from a Rare core to a Mythic was a big deal for a monster. It meant they were on the road to being an Ancient. As far as she knew, there were only two classes of monster higher than Mythic, one of which being Ancient. Although, researchers couldn�t be sure exactly what grade of core those god-like beings possessed; nobody had ever seen one of their cores, after all.

Mythic grade demons were exceptionally rare, since they almost never evolved with maxed cores, but on the fourth, they became more common. The tier eight Mythic monsters were the true powers of that stratum.

�His next one is going to be big, and we should prepare ourselves for what�s coming,� Granin stated.

She nodded, then asked, �What else were you worried about?�

The triad leader grimaced.

�I got an annoying message delivered today,� he grumbled. �I hate dealing with those damn Red Truth idiots.�

Arranging a meeting between two cult members wasn�t easy, especially given the current conditions between the Colony and the ka�armodo. Granin grumbled at a constant rate as he and his fellow triad members trekked across the dangerous terrain of the third stratum. It was a testament to how wild the land was in this layer of the Dungeon that even the Colony, with its enormous numbers, intelligent approach, and absurd dedication, hadn�t been able to construct countermeasures to ward off the never-ending spawns. The best they could do was prune and manage the higher tier demons that still roamed the wastes between cities.

The Demon Raising program the ants had launched was another initiative Granin closely followed. Raising demons to be strong and efficient in their builds to use as pets was hardly anything new, Invidia was a perfect example of the practice, though some disregarded them due to their odd habits. Mass-producing high-quality demons on the scale the Colony achieved? He was almost certain it had never been done. After all, why would anyone bother? Nobody needed that many pets, and wild demons were liable to do whatever their obsession demanded of them. They were far from reliable allies.

Only the Colony had been able to harness the demons so effectively, probably because they allowed the third stratum natives to be themselves for the most part, whilst surrounding them with an overwhelming structure of authority. If he had the time, he�d love to research that work more deeply. The demons were another group of monsters that needed more research. Although, come to think of it, the Red Truth had probably done plenty.

And not shared it.

�Did we really need to come all the way out here?� Corun asked.

Granin turned to the young Shaper.

�Do you think we can wander over to a city controlled by the lizards and have a friendly chat right now? There�s significant risk for the other party too. Think about it for a moment.�

�I can�t imagine how it feels for someone with soft skin to walk around out here,� Torrina observed.

With the constant tongues of flame, ash, and smoke that filled the air in the third, it was certainly an inhospitable place. Protected by the hard minerals that coated them, the three golgari didn�t have to worry too much about the environment, even if it was uncomfortably warm.

�Let the humans worry about that. The ants, ka�armodo, and us have other things to worry about. In fact, the lizards absolutely love this stratum. The heat makes them all fuzzy inside.�

[Being cold-blooded has that effect on a being.]

The mind connection snapped into place with such ease that Granin almost didn�t notice it until the bridge was formed. He rolled his eyes. They always had to show off.

[Are you planning on showing yourself, or are we doing this full clandestine?] Granin drawled.

[Remaining hidden will be the wiser path in our current circumstances. I�m sure you understand.]

[That�s fine, but I want to include the rest of my triad in the conversation. You�re sharing this with your retainers, are you not?]

[�That is acceptable.]

With that, Granin wove mana of his own to extend the existing bridge to Corun and Torrina, allowing them to be part of the conversation.

[Rassan�tep, these are the members of my triad, Corun and Torrina. To you two, make sure you are properly respectful to Rassan�tep, he�s old.]

[Older than you?] Corun asked.

[Shut up.]

A tiny hint of amusement leaked over the connection, which, culturally speaking, was equivalent to a hearty belly laugh. If letting Corun make fun of him helped to loosen the ka�armodo�s tongue, then he would tolerate it, for now. When they got back to safety, there would be hell to pay.

[Well, you went to a lot of trouble to call me out here. Frankly, I�m not even sure how you did it.]

[Unlike the Worm Cult, we followers of the Red Truth have many means. It wasn�t overly difficult to locate and pass a message to you.]

[Come on, Rassan�tep. I don�t need the pointless �my cult is better than your cult� rubbish. Out with it. What did you want to say?]

There was a pause.

[And Yarrum would totally kick Arconidem�s arse,] Granin couldn�t help adding.

Indignation railed against his mind.

[That puffed up worm wouldn�t be a match for the Demon God! You can�t possibly expect me to let that pass!]

[Oh, come on. I don�t care how big a larval demon gets, there is no way it can beat the worm that wrapped around the world.]

[Comparing Arconidem to an infant demon? Preposterous!]

Granin laughed out loud. It was always like this between the various cults founded, according to legend, by each of the Ancients. The followers always bickered about nonsense rather than cooperate as they should, given that they shared essentially the same mission. Corun and Torrina were casting him odd looks as they listened to the exchange. They didn�t have much experience when it came to interacting with other cults, and insulting their patrons was a time-honoured tradition.

But they were all united in their mission to find the twentieth Ancient and usher in the new world.

[Alright. I�ve had my fun. What did you want to say? I presume it has something to do with Anthony? What�s he been up to?]

[He�s not injured, is he?] Torrina asked, a little nervously.

[He is, in fact, injured, though I expect he will be fully healed by now.]

[What happened?] Corun butted in.

[I did,] Rassan�tep replied, a little smug.

Granin�s hands slowly clenched into fists.

[What are you saying?] he growled.

Again, that hint of amusement over the link.

[I got a little too close and was forced to defend myself from him. He nearly ate me.]

Such an admission from a proud ka�armodo was not an easy thing to obtain. They were almost as stubborn and puffed up with hubris as the golgari themselves.

Granin relaxed.

[I�m a little surprised. He must be quite angry with your people to do such a thing.]

[There are fools amongst every race. This venture was a horrific idea from the beginning, and the execution has only gotten worse.]

[It�s going to cost your people a lot in the end,] Granin observed.

[It will not matter. We have been gathering power for thousands of years. We are ready.]

[Everyone has been gathering power. I think this might turn worse than you expect, by the end. At any rate, Anthony?]

There was a lapse in the conversation, and Granin could feel the prodigious mind of the great lizard turning.

[Are you aware of what it is that you�ve made?] he asked eventually.

Granin raised a stony brow.

[Made? Let me be clear, I did not make Anthony what he is. He did that himself. I saw his potential and decided I should put myself in a position to advise.]

[Are you saying he isn�t a planned attempt by the Worm Cult to create an Ancient?]

[He is not.]

[That helps explain how powerful he is.]

[That�s cheap.]

[I wanted to meet you,] Rassan�tep continued, [because I am beginning to believe that he might actually have a chance.]

There was some residual shock over the connection, and Granin assumed it came from the setsulah. They hadn�t been aware of their master�s thoughts.

[I�ve believed that for a while now,] Granin agreed, [and trust me, I think that after he evolves again, we won�t be the only ones.]

The great lizard�s thoughts sharpened, his curiosity surging through the connection.

[You have some information?]

[I�ve been conducting some research with my triad. I don�t think anyone will expect what�s going to happen next. Least of all your termite-breeding friends.]

I really need a holiday. As nice as it�s been to engage in endless combat against the termites, and believe me, it has been satisfying on a primal level to rip into those damn abominations, I feel like I need a break.

With the lizards stepping in and taking control of the offensive directly, the entire battlefield has turned into a giant cat-and-mouse game. Vast swarms of termites sweep forward, tear up our tunnels, try to hunt down our patrols, lay false scent trails, and are generally a nuisance before they retreat. Or they pretend to retreat and instead lay a trap. When we run in to try and chase them out, termites pour out of the walls and drop on top of us.

Naturally, this means the Colony has returned fire, setting traps of our own, false tunnels, chambers filled with concentrated acid, misleading trails, surprise forays into disputed territory, raids on termite tunnels as they ferry reinforcements to the front lines.

Despite the long conflict, we still haven�t managed to get hold of a single lizard. They�re crafty creatures, deceit dripping from every cursed scale. The only ant who got close was me, and I had to let Invidia half blow me up to get the rocket jump I needed to close the gap.

Every other time, they�ve slipped away without even being seen, no matter how hard we try to intercept them.

For my part, I�ve just been running at the termites along with Tiny, Invidia, and Crinis, sometimes with Sarah, causing as much mayhem as possible before retreating to safe ground. Once we regroup, we try to find another likely location and run out to do it all again.

Despite the ongoing conflict, the reality of the situation cannot help but sink in. The number of termites swarming the territory of the Mother Tree continues to increase. Things are coming to a head.

Which is why I�ve had to pull all the way back to the bruan�chii settlement to try and get an audience with the tree herself. As a fellow reincarnation, I have a much better chance of conversing with the insane plant than my own kin.

I stare up at the massive Grove Keeper as he stands over me. In terms of overall mass, I�m quite a bit larger than the tree-man, but ants tend to be much longer than they are tall, I�m quite a midget for a tier six monster in that respect. I barely come up to Tiny�s waist when he stands up straight.

[Is she willing to talk or not?] I ask.

[Hmmmm. I will ask, though I am not sure what she will say. Mother�s mood has been� difficult of late.]

Seriously? That weed? She�s always been difficult! As far as I�ve been told, she�s been difficult from the moment she reincarnated on Pangera�

Feeling a little indignant, I wait while the many flowers, bushes, and roots that adorn the walls in the chamber rustle amongst themselves as the Grove Keeper tilts his head, listening to the words of his creator.

[She will speak,] he tells me eventually.

[Nice. Though I have to ask, is she going to be able to help against the termite threat any time soon? We�ve been doing pretty darn well holding off the invasion so far on our own, but a little assistance now and then wouldn�t go astray�]

[She has been helping. When the incursions reach her roots, hasn�t she been fighting?] the Keeper replies without consulting his mother.

[She has been doing the bare minimum. When there is a direct threat to her, she fights, but my family are fighting, and dying, without any aid from her at all in the tunnels abroad. Don�t deflect my words, I want to hear from the shrub-in-chief. Ask her.]

What follows is an extended period of rustling as the two silently argue back and forth. I can�t even detect a mental connection between them.

[She has been gathering her strength. She expended a great deal of energy in her fight against the termites. Without our aid, there was little she could do to prevent them from destroying and pillaging their way towards her roots. It will be years before she is able to return to her previous strength.]

[So that means she doesn�t have to contribute to preserving her own life? That�s just nonsense! Without us here, fighting her battles, where would she be? Where would you be? We said we would come and lend aid, and we have. We�ve risked far more in the defence of your mother than she ever risked in protecting the Colony. If she wants to continue to enjoy our help, then she needs to step up.]

The anger in my voice is rising the longer I go on. My siblings continue to fight and die in a war that really is none of their business. If the Mother Tree wanted us to repay a favour, then I consider it repaid a hundred times over by now. She wants to sit back and lick her wounds while we defend her? No chance.

There is another long silence as the Grove Keeper and the Mother Tree argue. I can�t know what they are saying, but if I was to guess, the Grove Keeper doesn�t want her to get involved, and she is actually willing to help. The Keeper�s attitude grows stiffer as their debate continues, until finally, he turns to me.

[She will help,] he says gruffly and turns to stomp away.

Burke skulked with all her Skills working to the fullest, her stealth-enhancing mutations humming as she slipped from shadow to shadow, creating patches of darkness where none existed and blending into the rock behind her as her carapace shifted and moulded itself to match the surface she stood on. She was on high alert, every one of her senses strained for the slightest hint of stimuli.

When a pebble shifted and rolled down the tunnel wall, tumbling over the rocks on its way to rest on the uneven floor, the fine hairs of her antennae vibrated furiously. Despite being drawn to such a height of tension, she didn�t move, holding her position on the ceiling. She was on a deep scouting mission far from the territory of the Colony; she could not afford to make any mistakes.

Clinging to the darkness felt unpleasantly spiderish, an insect she despised with all her ant heart, as did being alone. She smelled no trails that were not her own in this far-away place, and it felt unnatural, to say the least. Yet even so, she enjoyed these moments, the times when everything rested on her own carapace and nothing else.

Confident there were no demons in the vicinity, she crept forward a few metres before she drew still, wrapping her stealth around herself once again. She was so close to the goal; she couldn�t afford to be impatient.

She briefly considered digging herself another resting chamber, a hidden room that she could fall back to and enclose to avoid danger, but decided against it. One look at the walls gave her all the information she needed as to why she shouldn�t.

Rivulets of lava streamed all around her, so hot they seared the air itself. Delicate blue flames danced across the surface as the boiling rock flowed ceaselessly from reservoirs of unspeakably dense mana above. She was far too deep now to risk digging anything at all. It was hard enough to find sections of stone solid enough to grasp onto; if she were to try and dig, the odds of everything collapsing on her head was far too high.

What was that? A trembling in the air. Eddies of wind that brushed against the hyper-sensitive hairs on her antennae.

She tensed, locking her muscles in position. She could retreat or attack in a flash, depending on what she saw, but hopefully it wouldn�t be necessary. She could see her target now. Having to fight at this point would be such a pain.

From the darkness opposite emerged a lithe, bladed shape. A demon, high tier. Illuminated by the lava streams, it certainly appeared dangerous, with flames glinting off the absurdly sharp blades that emerged from the dusk-dark skin that coated each of the monsters native to this stratum. Hesitant at first, the demon sniffed heavily, sucking in the heat and ash as it tasted the air.

Burke didn�t flinch. Her scent was disguised, just like the rest of her. The demon was only twenty metres away, but it was likely too far for a single Dash to reach. Patience was her ally.

Finding nothing amiss, the demon advanced toward the hole in the rock and vanished out of sight. Burke didn�t move. Only after ten minutes passed did she shift her leg, then froze again as she watched for any response. Confident that nothing remained in the area, she advanced to the target and began to poke her antennae through a millimetre at a time.

She still sensed nothing and now dared to poke her head in.

What met her gaze was as she expected. No matter how deep she went, the third stratum remained much the same, the only difference being that what made this layer unique was more evident the farther down one travelled. Right now, she stood over an entrance into the fourth �layer� that made up the third stratum. The pillar was close. Far below, obscured by burning air and thick clouds of ash that made it almost impossible to see, lay a massive demon city. At least a dozen plates, each larger than what the Colony had conquered at Roklu.

That would take a bit of work to control. And that was putting it mildly.

Thankfully, it wasn�t her job to worry about that. All the planning could be comfortably punted to the generals and carvers. She was of one mind with the Eldest when it came to thinking too much. Leave it to those better suited. She would instead focus on the things she could do exceptionally well.

Stealthy as ever, she emerged through the gap and clung to the ceiling above the sheer drop of a dozen kilometres that spread out beneath her. Once she�d achieved a solid grip, she positioned herself carefully and focused her gaze on the distant city, giving some time for her lenses to adjust.

Gradually, things came into better focus, though it was immensely difficult to see much through the smoke. It was so hot, she could swear the air was on fire. Ants certainly enjoyed the heat more than the cold, but there were limits for everything.

Wait a second� what was she seeing?

That smoke, was it purely a product of the stratum? Or was the city� on fire?

The longer she stared, the more confident she became. Something was happening down there. An attack? A planned demon war? She didn�t know who controlled the city below, but surely they wouldn�t allow an inter-city conflict to extend to this point?

That was when she saw it.

A demon. Enormous. Like a drawn blade of blood and fire. The moment she saw that towering form, its aura washed against her senses, crushing her will and battering her with thoughts of battle and war. Her mandibles strained against the desire to gnash and chomp as she fought for control of herself. Only after a long battle did she manage to regain mastery of her own mind.

What was that?

The city was burning. Whatever that giant demon happened to be, it was clearly attacking the city. With an aura that powerful, it had to be at least tier seven, and it was directly below the territory the Colony sought to claim� This wasn�t good.

As the fight progressed, her gaze constantly frustrated by the frequent gusts that broke her line of sight, she gained enough glimpses to chill her heart.

Then she saw another one.

In a flash, Burke was gone, back up the hole she�d emerged from and rushing back to her nearest hiding spot.

One was bad enough, but two? Just what the Colony needed. Another enemy too powerful to deal with.

�They found WHAT?�

Pulled aside by Victor during a break in the fighting, she drops some heavy ordnance on me.

�Tier eight demons,� she repeats grimly, �fighting in the deepest layers of the third stratum, right beneath the land claimed by the Colony.�

Pants. This is the last thing we need right now. We�ve got these termites to deal with, along with the ka�armodo pulling the strings and acting aggressive along our border in the third. There might be hundreds of thousands of us by now, but even we can be stretched too thin!

�I�ll have to go back up there,� I declare, firm in my conviction. �Nobody else in the Colony is equipped to fight them, not without suffering extreme casualties, so I�ll do it.�

Sloan slaps herself with an antenna as if frustrated by my reply.

�What?� I ask defensively.

�Eldest. You might be the strongest member of the Colony, but you cannot do everything yourself. Grokus was only tier seven, and he came close to killing you. If you were to go head-to-head with a tier eight, what do you think the outcome would be? Honestly?�

Well, if I think about it that way.

�I would be flattened like a pancake in a machine specifically designed for the purpose of crushing pancakes to be a single atom thick� would be my guess.�

�I don�t understand all of that, but I think my point got across. Even if these demons had abysmal-quality evolutions, they would still be far above you, and there are two of them. Any thought you have of defeating them yourself needs to be cast aside.�

It feels kind of sad to be pushed back like this in a moment of crisis, but she certainly has a good point. I can�t very well yell at the Immortals for trying to throw their lives away and then replicate that behaviour against even worse odds.

�All right then, so what is the plan? I presume we aren�t just hoping they won�t come for us.�

Now she looks insulted.

�Of course not. We are in the process of putting together a strike team of tier seven demons that we can call on in the event these powerful enemies find us. Observation and deep scouting operations have been increased dramatically, and teams of generals have been put in place to game out possible scenarios. We are doing all that we can.�

I have a question.

�Generals aren�t really the smartest ants. Are we sure you should be the group in charge of the theory crafting?�

They are the most intelligent of the soldier caste, obviously, but that doesn�t mean a whole lot. Not that Sloan appears to appreciate me pointing that out.

�Instead of insulting my intelligence⁠��

�That�s not what I meant!�

��what I wanted to ask, Eldest, was what Level you are currently?�

My Level? I honestly haven�t looked in a while, which is a bad habit I�ve been falling into. I�ve probably got Skills that need to be upgraded and a fair chunk of Biomass to spend after all the fighting we�ve been doing down here. I take a quick look at my status and almost jump in surprise.

�I�m at eighty-one,� I say, more than a little shocked.

That�s past the halfway point! Tier seven is approaching fast!

�Good. If you continue at your current pace, then you may be able to reach the next tier before anything happens with these demons. Jumping two tiers is too much even for you, Eldest, but one might be possible.�

Considering the boost to evolutionary energy doubles each evolution, I�m not sure how a tier seven would cope against an eight, but hopefully it�s not that bad! Despite the reassurances of the coolheaded general, I can�t help but look up nervously. The threats on the third are becoming more dire by the day, and I�m stuck down here in this endless insect war.

�I still feel like I should head upwards. Even if only for a little while,� I say. �I can help steady the situation before I return.�

Even if I�m only there for a few days, with me and my pets being such powerful tier six monsters, we can make a dent in whatever our enemies throw at us. Within that stratum, anyway. Once I�m confident no mass invasion of lizards, or uprising of uber demons is around the corner, then I can back down and continue to chomp on termites as we gear up for the final push.

Victor considers my proposal and reluctantly agrees.

�That might be a good idea. At the very least, it will help settle a few nerves. You must ensure you are back within two days. I worry that after that much time, the enemy will realise you are gone and try to take advantage.�

�Good call. I�ll get the group together and depart immediately.�

Which means kicking Tiny awake and going to look for Sarah. She�s been fighting all over the place recently, so it takes a little while to track her down.

[Hey there, Sarah! I�m going to be heading back to the third for a couple of days. Interested in coming along?]

The giant bear is currently being tended to by numerous healers as she heaves breaths that sound like the forge bellows operated by the Colony in the main nest.

[Just� give me a minute� I�m still� I�m still calming down.]

[Oh, shoot. My bad.]

I wait a few minutes for her to get a better hold of herself before we continue.

[It seems like you�ve been getting a lot better at controlling the rages,] I observe. [That�s great stuff! Well done.]

She smiles, as much as a terrifying death bear can.

[Thank you. I�ve been trying hard. I still lose control sometimes, but I can feel the improvement.]

[Nice. So, about the third?]

She hesitates, then shakes her shaggy head.

[I think I�ll stay. I�m helping here, and I�m making a lot of progress with my own problems. Besides, I don�t want to go back up there to where Jim is�]

[That�s fair enough. Don�t go too wild down here. Take care of yourself.]

[I will.]

With that done, it�s off to the gate. Back up to the trunk of the world tree, past the village, along the roots to where the gate awaits. After so much time fighting against the hated enemy, I�m almost looking forward to going back to the blazing hot land of the demons. All that smoke, and ash, and� and� what the hell am I looking forward to again?

Ah well. Here we go.

The gate looms in front of me, glowing with incredible mana that makes no sense to me. Wait a second, what am I sensing?

�Brilliant?�

�Uh. Yes�?�

�Where the hell are you hiding? I can sense you, but I can�t see you.�

�I�m working on something. Something dimensional.�

�Are you in another dimension right now?!�

�No.�

�Damn.�

�But I�m hiding in a pocket space!�

�Oh, sweet.�

�There�s a lot of research to go, but the team and I will crack the secrets soon!�

�I look forward to it.�

Nice to see the second Champion making strides. If she can make pocket spaces, will gates be far away? My hopes are up!

Feeling positive and not wanting to waste any time, I step toward the gate and brace myself for the disjointed feeling of being transported via magic.

Except I don�t feel it.

I look down. My leg hasn�t moved. That�s odd.

Let�s try that again. Take a step forward. Into the gate. Aaaand, now. Nope. What about� now! Nothing. HAH! Still not moving�

What the hell, leg? Why have you betrayed me?!

In fact, the more I try to force myself to move forward, the more something deep within reaches out and yanks on my being, locking my body in place. I�m just a few metres away from the gate, but I can�t move into it! This is so strange�

Then I feel it, more clearly than I ever have before. A tug. Like a hand taking hold of my leg and pulling on it ever so slightly. Except it isn�t my leg, it�s my soul. And it isn�t a hand, it�s the Dungeon.

It�s calling me down.

I strain. I push. I fight with every fibre of muscle and every strand of brain matter to get my body to move forward! Nothing. As an experiment, I attempt to move backward and find no resistance, though once I move forward again, no dice. I�m frozen in place as long as I attempt to move forward.

This is crazy! The Dungeon is basically refusing to let me walk forwards? Are you telling me I don�t have control of my own limbs?

Dammit, Gandalf! Get your scrawny wizard backside out here and explain this. I won�t take another step until this unpleasant phenomenon is spelled out to me. I mean� I can�t take another step� but that�s not the point!

[Master? Is everything alright?]

I realise then that my comrades have been watching me skuttle backwards and forwards, straining against an invisible barrier in front of the gate for over a minute now. I can imagine it doesn�t look all that sane, prompting Crinis to check in with me.

[I, uh, seem to be experiencing technical difficulties?] I reply.

Crinis is confused.

[I�m not sure what you mean, Master. Is there a problem?]

[In a sense. I can�t walk forward.]

[You can�t?] She extends a tentacle toward the gate and meets no resistance. [I don�t think anything is there?]

[This is a little hard to explain. It feels like the Dungeon itself is preventing me from going through the gate. As if it refuses to let me move somewhere that�s going to take me up a stratum.]

[The Dungeon isn�t letting you move?]

[Yeah, it sounds weird, I know.]

[CONTEMPTIBLE DUNGEON! UNHAND THE MASTER!]

Exploding with wrath, the tentacled shadow-mass unleashes her fury upon the Dungeon. In the literal sense. Stones fly and the bark beneath us splinters as Crinis lashes out blindly. Tiny, witnessing this chaos, naturally does the first thing that pops into his head, which is to join in. Chunks of wood start flying everywhere as the giant ape joyously smashes his mighty fists into the root beneath his feet.

[Hey. HEY! Knock it off, both of you. That�s not the Dungeon, that�s the Mother Tree!]

The plants nearby rattle and hiss in fury as my two friends restrain themselves, Tiny much more reluctantly than Crinis. A Grove Keeper stomps over, a rare expression of anger plastered on his face. I reach out to him with my mind before he can go off the deep end.

[Sorry about that! Misunderstanding! We didn�t mean to attack the Mother Tree at all.]

Obviously, this doesn�t satisfy the Grove Keeper one bit and he replies in a tone rumbling with anger, [You would brush off this attack so brazenly? Hmmmmm. There must be a reckoning!]

[Geez, we hardly chipped the bark, don�t get your logs soggy,] I retort. [Besides, since you�re here, I have a question for your mum. She might be able to help me out.]

[And why would she help you?] the Keeper grumps.

[Because you�d be dead if I wasn�t here?]

There isn�t much he can say to that. Still bristling with anger, the Grove Keeper turns toward the bushes and engages in another rustling session with them before he turns back to me.

[Mother is most displeased at her roots being disturbed. What is your question?]

[The Dungeon is preventing me from moving through the gate. Does she have any idea what that might be about?]

[Hmmm. The Dungeon, you say?]

[It sounds crazy, I get it. Talk to the tree, would you?]

I�m being a little rude, but to be honest, the inability to walk where I want to walk is freaking me out more than I�m letting on. Not being able to go back up a stratum is one thing, I kind of expected that to happen as I kept evolving, but this constant tug dragging me downward is something else entirely. Now that I�m aware of it, I�m starting to think it�s been there for quite a while and I just wasn�t conscious of it. Ew, that�s weirding me out. I have to wonder why it�s so much stronger now than before, has something changed? In fact, when was the last time I travelled up a stratum?

This could also explain why I was so eager and reckless when it came to descending.

[Mother has some understanding of what you refer to,] the Keeper sounds just as surprised as I am at the answer we get back. [The Call. She says that many monsters have felt it at one time or another, even Mother, for a brief time. She believes that any monster with the potential to become the final Ancient is called to the depths to take up the mantle.]

Are you serious? Does this mean the Dungeon itself has acknowledged me or something? I don�t want it, the Dungeon can get stuffed!

[She experienced it herself? But doesn�t now? What made it go away?]

This is an important point.

[She believes that when she evolved to her current form, sacrificing much of her potential to be able to create us, her children, she no longer qualified.]

[Then if I take on some useless options during an evolution, I won�t have to put up with this?]

[Hmmm. Useless?]

[Ah! Sorry, poor phrasing. You know what I meant! Useless in the �becoming an Ancient� sense. I like you branchies, always have, honest!]

The Keeper gives me a long look before he confers further with his mother.

[She has said all she wishes to say on this matter. Please refrain from attacking her any further.]

[That was totally a mix-up!]

I slap Crinis� tentacles down with an antenna as they start to extend past me to throttle the Keeper as he turns to walk away.

[Ha-ha! Friends, am I right!]

I pause.

[Crinis! What the hell?]

[�He was being rude.]

[You weren�t connected, there�s no way you could know if that was true.]

[I could tell.]

Ah� I can�t deal with this right now. Actually, didn�t Garralosh mention something about a pull or call? Was this what drove her over the edge as she spent all that time locked in the first stratum? Holy moly, that�s horrible. Doesn�t forgive what she did, obviously, but having this damn hook yanking at my guts for decades would be enough to make me crazy too.

Gah! I need more information. I have to know what�s going on, if it can be subverted or overcome. If the Colony needs my help in the third, I�m supposed to just sit here and do nothing? Ridiculous! But who can I talk to?

Granin. He has to know something, surely. He�s the most informed when it comes to Ancient stuff. If I can get back to the third, I can track him down, or put out a call and get him to come here.

Wait a second. I�ve got an idea.

[Alright. This might sound a little weird, but listen in, guys. Tiny, Crinis, I want you two to pick me up and throw me through the gate.]

Crinis freezes on my back whilst Tiny just looks confused.

[Look, I can�t walk through the gate, so I need another way to get through. Invidia, use forcefields to bind me up so I can�t bite or move my legs, then you two pick me up and toss me through.]

[Master, I can�t do that!]

Crinis is appalled.

Tiny, on the other hand, is grinning widely and flexing his hands.

This might have been a poor idea.

I�m not sure what anyone on the other side of the gate was expecting to see, but catching a glimpse of �the Eldest� as I soar gracelessly through the air probably wasn�t it. After I hit the ground, I roll several times, legs flailing wildly as I try to slow my momentum.

Dammit, Tiny! Was it really necessary to put that much arm into it? That lousy ape piffed me like a baseball. Just how strong is that idiot? I weigh multiple tons at this point!

As I finally get my legs under me and manage to slow my roll, I can see many ants standing guard around the gate boggling at me. I wave shakily with one antenna.

�H-hello, all. Nice to see you again.�

And then the hooks in my soul decide to make themselves known.

HAK! Holy moly! That suuuuuucks�

Tormented by the sudden intensification of the drag, I flop onto my back and flail at the air. It hurts! Great googly-moogly that stings! I feel like a fish with a shark hook lodged in my guts. It�s deeply unpleasant on a level I cannot hope to communicate.

Heedless of the damage my dignity suffers, I thrash my legs like a poisoned spider and shudder in agony. Without realising it, I�ve actually started to drag myself back toward the gate. Is this what Garralosh put up with for all those years? HOW?! It�s not possible, no way.

[Master, are you alright?] Crinis asks, her voice thick with concern once she rushes through the gate.

[No!] I yell. [Not okay! Not close to okay!]

[Should we take you back to the other side?] she asks.

[Yes! NO! Just give me a minute here� ugh.]

Tiny stomps through the gate and, seeing the situation, rumbles over and mimes picking me up again.

[No, don�t throw me again, you idiot! Just� don�t let me crawl over to the gate. Alright?]

The big ape nods, though he looks slightly disappointed. You enjoyed throwing me that much, eh? I silently endure the horrific and persistent tugging on my soul until it eventually becomes something close to bearable. Honestly, it�s worse than walking around with an inflated core. It�s a pain I can�t adequately describe. If it�s like this on the third stratum, I can�t even imagine how I�d feel going back to the second.

This sucks! There are still monsters on the third that are a higher tier than me! I refuse to believe they all trundle around enduring this sort of agony! In fact, aren�t there tier eight demons beneath me right now? How are they exempt from this when I�m not? According to the Tree, this sensation supposedly means I�m �qualified� or have the �potential� to become the final Ancient, which means all these other monsters who are stronger than me don�t possess that?

It�s flattering to have my awesomeness acknowledged, I just wish that appreciation manifested in a different form.

Once I�m up and walking, I head away from the gate and toward Roklu. If I�m going to find Granin, I�m likely to find him there. Increasing the distance from the gate is met with a corresponding increase in the yanking from the Dungeon, but I grit my mandibles and try to endure it. This is seriously awful. I don�t think I�ll be able to last up here all that long unless I find a better way to cope with it. Once I evolve, will it get worse? Or can I mitigate it in some way?

Gawd, I hope so.

Feeling utterly miserable, I drag my sorry carcass all the way back to Roklu. Sadly, not even the sight of the utterly enormous nest the Colony has constructed is enough to shake me out of my misery. Although, it�s impressive as hell. I wonder how on Pangera they managed to make something that big? Surely the weight of it would be enough to collapse the foundation. Unless there�s some form of superstructure inside? Oh, hey, I guess they did manage to distract me.

I approach the foundation of the massive anthill and park my rear outside before asking a nearby worker to see if they can fetch the golgari triad. I�d love to crawl around inside this comically impressive construction, but right now I�m just not feeling it. What I am feeling is the incessant claws of the Dungeon pulling at me, demanding I head back down to the fourth.

Get stuffed, Dungeon! If I want to stay here, I will. Maybe I�ll head back to the second stratum for a stroll while I�m at it!

Oof� Or not.

It doesn�t take long for the familiar, grumpy face of Granin to appear, thankfully, and he�s flanked by Corun and Torrina.

[Granin, you curmudgeonly boulder wannabe. What the hell have you done to me?]

The Shaper huffs and folds his arms across his granite chest.

[What have I done? Given advice. Everything else that�s occurred is on you. I hear you�ve been mighty busy down below, risking your neck and blowing yourself up.]

[On me, eh? And how the hell could you know about me blowing myself up? Wait� you�re distracting me. I won�t be deceived! Explain this infernal �Call of the Dungeon� that�s yanking my chain. I�m not fond of it! Not fond in the slightest!]

Probably for the first time ever, I get to witness surprise on the face of Granin. It looks weird. It�s like walking past a section of stone wall, then turned back to see a shocked expression on its face.

[You feel the Call?] he asks.

Even Corun and Torrina appear stunned.

[Are you referring to the immense pain I feel as a result of existing on this layer? When I tried to come through the gate, I couldn�t even move my body. Having my body controlled by the Dungeon isn�t what I signed on for. If this is what becoming an Ancient entails, I want off the ship!]

[Anthony, this is a great honour! Do you understand what this means?] Corun implores, his face ecstatic with excitement.

[Honour my glittering, golden commercial empire! By which I mean my bum! This hurts like crazy!]

[You idiot,] Granin huffs, though I can tell he�s excited. [That�s not the Dungeon calling you. That�s the Ancients. You�ve got their eye now, boy.]

Corun, Torrina, and Granin all stare at me with glittering eyes after they reveal it�s the Ancients who�ve stuck this hook in me rather than the Dungeon itself. At times like this, I have to remind myself that despite their intelligence, these three are cultists who essentially worship a giant worm.

[In your opinion, the fact that the Ancients have done this to me, rather than the Dungeon itself, should change my view of it?]

[Of course,] Torrina nods seriously. [They are the oldest and most powerful creatures in this world.]

[How could it not make a difference? Are you saying you don�t care that you�ve been called by these god-like entities?] Corun entreats me, grinning.

I stare him in the eye.

[OF COURSE I DON�T CARE! Why the hell would it make any difference to me? Are you stupid? Is your brain a worm?! I swear on the Colony, if I ever become an Ancient, I�ll stick a hook in your guts and haul you around the Dungeon, we�ll see if your opinion changes!]

Granin raises both his hands and tries to calm the mood.

[Alright, let�s settle a bit. Obviously, Anthony isn�t thrilled at being in pain. That�s perfectly understandable. I�m sure you can understand why we might be excited, though, right? You�ve essentially been touched by what we would consider to be omnipotent beings.]

[Granin,] I grate out, [even if I wasn�t in pain, I wouldn�t care about the Ancients. All they are to me can be summed up as �threats to my family.� Outside of that, they can take a long walk on a scenic trail.]

Corun almost winces.

[You really shouldn�t talk about them like that, Anthony,] he tells me.

[Or what?] I sarcastically bite back. [Will they cause me discomfort and limit my movements? Wouldn�t that be awful.]

I shift as the ache flares within my carapace.

[How are they even doing this?] I complain. [I can�t detect any mana that�s connecting to me. It�s like this sensation comes from nowhere.]

[I can�t help you with that,] Granin admits. [Nobody has ever been able to figure it out, or what requirements are necessary to trigger the Call. Some promising monsters begin to feel it early, perhaps even at tier four or five, but others never do, not even at tier eight. Other than a strong core, we have no idea what causes it to begin.]

That�s something, at least. Are they able to cause this sensation through the core somehow? It shouldn�t be possible according to what I know, but these monsters have been alive for literally thousands of years. If they haven�t figured things out better than I have in that much time, they�re beyond hope.

[All right,] I finally manage to push aside my anger and try to be reasonable. [You can�t help get rid of this, is there any way I can mitigate it? Reduce the effects? Right now, I can barely operate on this stratum at all, and I presume going to the second would be even worse. If the Colony needs help, this is going to make it difficult to help them, and frankly, I�m not a fan.]

Torrina nods, understanding where I�m coming from. She glances at Granin, who indicates she can answer.

[We don�t know how to lessen the effects of the Call. We only know that when it is in effect, it will be constant. The only way to get rid of it that we�ve ever found is for the marked individual to�] she reaches for the right words, [�lose the interest of the Ancients. Once they no longer believe you are capable of reaching their level, the Call will vanish.]

So if I don�t intentionally weaken myself during an evolution, this is just going to continue? That sucks!

[They want another monster to reach their level and join their ranks, completing the circle of twenty. For that reason, they�ve reached out and attempted to draw promising monsters to them,] Granin says. [It�s a crude method, but they are attempting to drive you to descend further, evolve more, fight and survive in ever more difficult conditions. Only a monster who can overcome all of that will be capable of reaching them. That is what we believe.]

I�m about to tell Granin exactly what he can do with his beliefs when a familiar scent wafts against my antennae.

�You aren�t being difficult are you, child?�

I turn toward the nest in shock. It can�t be! But it is!

Emerging from the elaborate entrance carved into the base of the hill is a swarm of ants who posture aggressively, zipping this way and that as they rush forward to assess any threats. But underneath all of that swarming carapace is a form I can�t forget no matter how much time passes.

�Mother?� I gasp. �Weren�t you in the second stratum?�

She�d been up there for ages in the main nest! She�d even managed to get her guards to let her go out hunting and everything. I kind of thought that would end up being her retirement, in a way. She could go catch her own food, battle and lay eggs, everything she wanted in life. What the heck is she doing down here?

The giant ant steps gracefully closer to me.

THWACK!

Yeouch!

I rub my head with one antenna.

�Was that really necessary?� I ask.

�I felt that you were thinking useless thoughts,� she replies calmly.

She raises her antenna again.

�Are you still thinking them?�

�No, Mother!�

Mother looks at me, a twinge of amusement in her eyes as her antennae continue to hover threateningly. I swear she gets far more enjoyment than she should by whacking me on the head. I�m not sure I�ve ever seen her hit someone else, to be honest. It�s not fair!

�Mother. It�s lovely to see you as always, I�m just surprised is all. I thought you were very comfortable in the main nest.�

�I experienced some issues due to a lack of mana. It was tolerable and I was happy to remain, but now that a secure nest has been constructed in this stratum, there is no reason I shouldn�t move down and take up residence here.�

�The fact the Colony is at war in this layer wouldn�t have anything to do with it?�

The Queen isn�t fazed by my question and replies forthrightly. �Of course, if my children are fighting, then I should help. Isn�t that normal?�

�I suppose it is,� I sigh.

Though I doubt the rest of the Colony are happy with her decision. In fact, the guards crawling all around are throwing me dirty looks for agreeing with her. What do you want me to do? Nobody is going to tell The Queen what to do, least of all me! If I suggest she try and look after herself, all that�s going to happen is I get smacked in the head. Still, I suppose I should try.

�Just� try to be careful? A bit? The family would be sad if anything were to happen to you.�

�Of course, child. I do not intend to needlessly throw my life away, but I have the ability to help, so I shall.�

She looks at me as if I�m a touch foolish to think she would do anything else. I stare flatly at the guards who now pretend they were never glaring at me to begin with. You morons, now Mother thinks I�m an idiot. That�s what I get for trying to help you.

�Well, we�ve had word that there are tier eight demons beneath us. So we need to be careful. If they come up here, we�ll be forced into a fight that isn�t likely to go well for us.�

�Good thing that I�m here, then,� The Queen declares. �The strongest of the Colony should stand at the ready to repel this threat. Isn�t that why you are here?�

�Sort of.� I scratch my head with an antenna. �I�ve got my own thing going on. We aren�t expecting them to pop up here anytime soon, but fighting them without any tier seven members is going to be tough.�

�Very well, then I will return to my hunt. Be well, child. Try not to cause trouble.�

�What, me? When do I eve� yes, Mother.�

Satisfied with my reply, The Queen pats me on the head once, then walks away, trailed by as many as a thousand ants who nervously skitter around her as if expecting powerful monsters to leap out of the air to assassinate her.

The Queen is always going to do whatever she wants, which is nothing less than she deserves after the service she�s done for the family, but I wish she wasn�t so comfortable risking herself. I know she doesn�t think of herself as irreplaceable, goodness knows how many Queens we have now, but were she to actually fall in battle, the entire family would be plunged into mourning.

Even the ants who�ve never met The Queen speak of her with such reverence. It�s kind of strange to think there�s so many members of the Colony who haven�t laid eyes on The Queen. Or me, come to think of it. Doesn�t seem all that long ago there were only a couple hundred of us and I had to shepherd my less intelligent family members to the surface to avoid the wave.

Now there�s thousands and thousands. Maybe even a million? Is anyone even counting? Where�s an accountant when you need one? Actually, an ant named Accountant probably does exist.

With Mother gone, I turn back to the golgari with a sigh.

[So, there�s nothing anyone can do about this, and I just have to throw myself deeper into the Dungeon until I�m either dead or a high enough tier that the Ancients accept me as one of their own?]

[Pretty much,] Granin confirms. [There�s a little more to it, I think, in terms of what evolutions you choose, and what path you emphasise. From what we understand of the Call, it won�t stop until you realise your potential, ruin it, or die.]

[Well, that�s just� great.]

This sucks. Big time. I�m not interested in being yanked about like a fish on a hook, but it doesn�t seem the Ancients are interested in giving me much choice. If I can�t find a way to mitigate this effect, then I�m just going to have to learn to live with it. Learning to live with things is my speciality!

I�ve learned to live with being an ant just fine, and when I was a human, there was that time with the legs. Those bones healed up alright, the pain when walking was less than the hunger pangs, and I dealt with those!

Actually, wait, no I didn�t, I died from hunger, didn�t I?

[Look, kid, I�m sorry I didn�t warn you about this. It�s out of our hands whether or not this happens, and I won�t say we didn�t hope for it, but for what it�s worth, I�m sorry.]

[Granin, this is too much emotion from you. Don�t make it weird.]

Corun huffs a laugh behind his triad leader, and even Torrina cracks a smile.

[None of this is your fault, I get that. This is largely a problem caused by me being too incredible and the Ancients being gits. Hopefully at some point down the line, it�ll all work out in the wash. Now if you�ll excuse me, I need to go bite something.]

[Make sure you check back in with us before you evolve,] Granin reminds me as I turn to leave. [You�re going to need a quick rundown. This one�s going to be big.]

[You said that about the last one.]

I cut off contact as we get farther from the hill.

[Master? Will you be able to fix this problem?] Crinis asks anxiously.

I can feel her wiggling about on my carapace back there, she must have been worried.

[No fixes in the short-term, but we might be able to come up with something in the future if all goes well. Invidia, keep your eye open and see if you can find something that is causing me this pain. With your massive brain, you might be able to figure something out I�ve missed.]

The green eye flashes with glee.

[Your painssssss, I will take itssssss!]

[Don�t take it, get rid of it, if possible,] I grumble. I wouldn�t wish this suffering on one of my friends! [Make sure I check in with Brilliant when we get back down to the fourth as well. She might be able to pick up on something we can�t, given that she has nine hundred different ways to sense information. She�s like an ant-shaped laboratory.]

Which was exactly what she wanted to be.

[Alright, let�s go see if we can help the Colony and beat something up. We�re fighting all over the place, so surely there�s somewhere we can pitch in.]

Deep within Pangera, things were stirring. Stone cracked, ice shattered, fire roared, and winds howled. The monsters of this deep darkness revelled in the flood of mana that poured from the centre of the Dungeon, eyeing the rivals with whom they had sparred for hundreds, if not thousands of years, whilst younger beasts stepped lightly, desperate to avoid the eye of their elders as they squabbled amongst themselves for resources. This was the world where no naturally born creature had ever set foot.

The final Dungeon.

True horrors lurked amidst the caverns here. Monsters so powerful and ancient that simply breathing in their presence would be impossible, so suffocating were their auras. Creatures who were born of and soaked in rivers of mana, the rules of their existence warped and twisted by energy. In this place, nothing was as it seemed. That which was solid flowed like water, that which was liquid floated like air. Forwards could be backwards, up could be down, and time could be anywhere and nowhere. The concentration of mana was so thick here, reality itself groaned under its weight, pushed to the brink of breaking.

Any creature born of such an environment, any monster that could thrive in it, was nothing less than an apex predator and amongst the most fearsome beasts in all of existence. Nightmares and gods in their own right, these mighty beings were proud hunters, pushing their fiendish intellects to the limit every day over centuries to survive.

And yet�

Something greater stirred. The truly ancient. The real Ancients. How long had it been? The monsters retreated to their dens, cast glamours and wrapped themselves in shadow as the oppressive, all-encompassing wave of dread washed over them. Had it been so long that they had forgotten? Did they grow complacent? Had they really dared to dream that perhaps now they measured up to the only beasts who still slept beneath them?

A foolish thought.

In a pocket of pure fire that burned like a sun, a being awoke. Though it possessed no limbs, no arms or legs to speak of, it stretched, and as it did so, the flame grew denser and hotter yet, until the air, the stone, even the fabric of space and time began to burn. As if rising from a deep ocean, consciousness returned gradually until finally the Ancient broke the surface and awareness returned in a flood.

Fire Mana boiled and condensed in the heart of the miniature sun until it began to harden and solidify. Shards of red crystal, the purest Flame Mana in all the world, began to form. As they formed, cracked and reformed, a tinkling sound could be heard ringing out beneath the ever-present roar of hungry flame, tiny flecks of crystal swirling through the inrushing air.

Old, older than the Rending itself, the creature surveyed its surroundings leisurely before expanding its mind. In an instant, the monster�s thoughts swept over thousands of kilometres of Dungeon, the weaker beings it sensed huddling low in their tunnels as they felt the gaze of a true apex predator touch them, ever so briefly. Fortunately for these monsters, it wasn�t them that the Ancient was interested in. It reached out beyond the caverns of unworldly heat that made up its domain and outwards, stretching farther to circumnavigate the globe, scanning the entirety of its home stratum.

It searched for its peers.

Responses were mixed. The Demon God was close to waking, its thoughts could be sensed bubbling under the surface as it drew in the mana needed to sustain itself. Hunger had awoken. Unsurprising, given the way its appetite was never truly sated. The desperate need to eat would always ensure it was the first to return to being fully alert. Yet more had begun to stir, the slow eddies of their sleeping thoughts quickening as their cores basked in the rising mana.

The stench of toxins and death had begun to permeate the edges of the flaming caverns the Ancient called home. With a flex of will, it sent purifying fire roaring throughout its domain, purging the corrupting mana. A necessary process when Decay�s territory bordered one�s own. The poison creeping beyond the boundaries was a sure sign that Decay too was rising quickly. It would not be long before almost half of them had awoken fully. How long had it been since such a thing occurred?

Carriflare could not recall.

Another mind, terrible and great, reached out to it across the void. It was no easy thing when two Ancients connected to one another. Forces too great to exist in proximity could create unwanted effects if they were to draw close. This meant contacting each other was a delicate thing; the proper distance had to be maintained, lest their prodigious minds clash and unleash destruction across the Dungeon.

It took a moment for Carriflare to recognise the alien thoughts that extended toward it, a being it had not spoken to for over a millennium. With care, the connection was established as Carriflare worked to withhold its power and its contemporary did the same. The tiniest thread of thought hovered between them, through which each could sense the ravenous power that lay beyond. Much of their exchange occurred as images and feelings, flashes of impression and intent. In the mix, some words were exchanged.

[*What hope this cycle?*] Carriflare asked.

[SOME,] Odren replied.

That was promising. Such words were seldom given from the Father of Monsters.

[Are there any that you like?]

The Ancient known as Odren was more aware of the goings on within the Dungeon than the rest of them, ever fascinated with the creatures known as monsters in a way the others simply weren�t. They cared for completing the circle, nothing more.

[SOME,] Odren replied once more, and Carriflare could feel the torrential glee roiling within the vast intellect beyond their tenuous link. [INTERESTING BREEDS THIS TIME. FRESH MEAT.]

A crude way to phrase it, but Carriflare understood the meaning. The Dungeon was producing new types of monsters, moving into a new phase in the cycle.

[Is there time?]

Nothing for a long moment. Then:

[SOME. ENOUGH.]

It would have to do.

The contact was broken, and the Ancient settled once more into its own mind, its own domain. Yet more mana would be needed before it regained its strength. For now, it could engage in a simple hunt. It had been so long�

Hello, my dear readers, it is wonderful to be able to share with you the next instalment of my adventures amidst the lands of the Colony! When last we spoke, I had been assured that a meeting with The Queen was quite simply impossible, outside of a crusade of the most bloody sort to fight through tens of thousands of fanatical insect soldiers! I enjoy a good crusade as much as the next person, but I have to say that even I am not that eager to score an interview.

So with a great deal of reluctance, I abandoned the idea of speaking to The Queen. I was, however, eager to continue to explore in the pursuit of finding the Great One, the Eldest! Exactly what had this ant done in order to secure such devotion from its Colony? Of course, my guide, Emilia, was replete with stories of this particular individual�s excellence. Great battles fought, duels won, incredible feats of strength, cunning, bravery, and derring-do!

I have to say, reader, that there could be a very good book in the telling of this ant�s exploits. Might I suggest, this author�s tenth best seller?

Naturally, I assume some level of exaggeration to be in play, but I am far too polite to push my guide for the exact details! That simply wouldn�t do! It pays to be polite at all times, this has been my policy for decades.

My guards and I continued to enjoy the hospitality of the Colony within the second stratum, and I must say the sights I beheld were quite beyond my expectations.

After the well-regulated expanse in which vast fields of trees hosted the aphids raised by the Colony, we visited a mine. Emelia was quick to assure me that this mine was typical of those operated by the ants, and I have to say, it appeared to be a model of efficiency. A replenishing supply of Cold Iron, the brittle, freezing ore that can appear in the Shadow Sea, was being efficiently harvested by a rotating team of ant workers. The entire operation was conducted in perfect silence, a trait of the ants that I struggled to adapt to.

It�s so strange! No matter how many of them are gathered in one place, the ticky-tack of their claws is basically all that one can hear. Emilia assured me that the ants were constantly communicating and were, in fact, quite chatty, but without the ability to understand their pheromonal language, it isn�t possible to partake in these conversations.

After visiting the mine, we followed the trail taken by the raw ore into the nest itself, whereupon it was delivered into the largest foundry I have ever laid eyes on. The heat was so intense, even within this frozen stratum, that the viewing area we were taken to was lined with cooling enchantments on the walls. The air outside wavered and shimmered in the heat rising from the enormous crucibles of molten ore. At least a dozen of these literal melting pots could be seen from our position, and Emilia took the time to point out the different minerals being processed and the final products they would be turned into.

Each crucible measured dozens of metres across, giant cauldrons into which tons and tons of material seemed to constantly flow, with waste product and separated liquid metals flowing from controlled outlets at the bottom. From there, the precious metals were funnelled into gravity-fed pipes and whisked away for further processing elsewhere.

The sheer scale of the operation opened my old eyes to just how vast the industry of the Colony truly was. How many mines like the one I saw would be necessary to feed a foundry like this? A hundred? And this was far from the only such foundry, I was assured. Hundreds of mines, with thousands of tons of material, were being fed to a literal army of artisans who crafted everything one could imagine, from arms and armour for ants, people, or their pet monsters, to furniture, statues, and kitchen implements.

The most senior and revered of all the craftsants was Smithant, and I was especially pleased to be able to meet this individual hard at work at the forge.

�Smithant was one of the original smiths in the Colony and the first to craft armour specifically for use by ants,� Emilia told me, a touch of awe evident in her voice as we stood to the side as the large ant beyond feverishly worked the tools of her trade. �It isn�t often that she returns to this stratum, as she runs the Colony�s largest armoury deeper in the Dungeon. She comes up to teach younger ants sometimes, or to check the quality of the more basic equipment produced here.�

Nothing I saw looked basic. Even my guards were impressed as we watched the dark-coloured ant shape the metal. The speed at which she worked was incredible, taking a raw ingot, firing it, and then using a strange, enchanted hammer to pound it into shape. Her six legs were constantly in motion, shifting, adjusting, firing the bellows, changing the angle, operating the hammer. It was almost dizzying to behold.

As she worked, I was able to see how she had adapted her body to her work. One leg channelled pure heat into the metal, keeping it cherry red as she plunged one claw deep into the molten steel. In fact, she needed no equipment to touch or move her work, so heat resistant had her body become.

I was even more shocked when she leaned forward and clamped down onto a rod of glowing iron with her jaws directly! Sparks flew as she chomped several times in rapid succession, her mandibles acting as hammers to compress and fold the metal.

Nor did she stop the motion of her obviously enchanted hammer during this process. The more I watched, the more I felt I wasn�t looking at a smith, but an entity who had designed its entire being around metalwork. She had moulded every aspect of herself to better suit her chosen field.

Without a mage present, I couldn�t speak directly to this remarkable individual, but Emilia offered to translate for me, and I was most eager to learn more.

�Can you ask her what she�s working on now?� I led with.

Always go for the safe questions first, readers!

To my eye, the ant before me didn�t respond in any way, even after Emilia turned to her and (I assume) began to speak.

�She is attempting to perfect a new archetype of heavy armour. Specifically, the Mark 10 Layered Armour, Immortal edition.�

�Mark 10?�

�Yes. She has developed nine previous versions of this particular armour, I believe. I must confess, Miss Tolly, I am not too certain of the technical aspects.�

�What specifically does she mean by �Immortal edition�?�

�I can answer that. The Immortals are a particular heavy armour division of the Colony. They are famed for their durability, to the point where legend holds that only one �proper� Immortal has ever died in battle.�

Every army in the world has these sorts of stories, but for some reason, I always give them more weight when I hear them in the Colony. The ants do not seem to have the capacity to lie.

�Can you ask her why she decided to become an armour smith?� I ask. �I am most fascinated as to why she chose this path.�

A brief pause as the two conferred, and then Emilia came back to me.

�Armour is good, a carapace is also good, why not combine the two? Would it be possible to create a methodology that would make an armoured ant not a hindrance, but more than twice as durable?�

I blinked.

�Is it? Possible, I mean.�

�She says, of course, that is what I did.�

The first day in the third stratum was the worst. Along with Crinis, Tiny, and Invidia, I rushed about trying to put out fires and help the Colony in every way I could. We took part in the siege of a city, overrunning the defenders in spectacular style, leaping from a pillar that rose ten kilometres high. I left the duel with the city lord to our resident demon overlord, though. I don�t want to tangle with any more tier sevens if I can help it.

Bit of a silly thought, considering there�s even stronger demons running amok beneath us, but there it is.

Speaking of Brixin, I don�t think I�ve ever seen a happier demon. With the territory that she controls expanding by the day, her smile is just as wide as her dial. The might of the Colony is allowing her to indulge in her obsession for conquest and expansion to the fullest. It won�t last forever, or even much longer, for that matter, but for the time being, she�s happy as a clam.

All well and good. With the city conquered, we don�t rest on our laurels, rushing back down and tearing off to find something else to fight. The Colony is now targeting demon cities that border along the area claimed by the ka�armodo, which has only exacerbated tensions between us. Except not really, because the lizards were apparently intent on steadily escalating from the beginning. Either way, border skirmishes are becoming more common, and both sides are exerting more pressure every day.

My family has been busy whilst I�ve been down below grappling with the termite menace. The number of cities seized by the Colony has reached twelve. Twelve! That represents a ridiculous amount of space within the Dungeon, a huge swathe of territory, along with the resources contained within.

The industrial arm of the Colony can be seen everywhere we go. Mines are springing up. Way stations are being constructed inside the mountain-sized pillars rising from the endless plains. Vast smelting operations are being established in the major hubs, and every single city is getting its own nest constructed around the base of the pillar. None of them are quite as absurdly sized as the original around Roklu, the scale of that thing is utterly bewildering, but they are still massive.

If they actually get completed, I don�t see how anyone is ever going to remove us from the land we�ve taken. I mean, are you really going to go inside those hills and fight us? You aren�t coming out, I can guarantee you that!

No sooner do we show our faces along the border than we run into a small patrol from the ka�armodo side. Two young lizards and their attendants are marching back and forth on our side of the invisible line separating our territory.

Obviously, they dispute that, but we�ve had enough of being pushed around by them. The proxy war they�ve started on the fourth has put all of us ants on edge. We no longer are willing to tolerate their nonsense.

Despite posturing arrogantly, it doesn�t take much for us to run this small squad off with their tails between their legs. A squad of tier six monsters is no joke. When all four of us reach tier seven, it�ll take something pretty serious to prevent us from doing what we want, at least up here.

Thinking about it, will I even be able to stay up here when I evolve? I think the mana level would be fine, tier sevens are fine here, after all, but what about the Call? As it is, I can barely�not really�tolerate it, and if it gets any worse� I may never be able to come back here.

BAH!

No negative thoughts allowed! The Colony has embarked on an unprecedented campaign of buttocks-kicking and I shall channel that spirit! The Call shall be kicked, along with the ka�armodo, the termites, the Ancients, and anyone else who wants a piece of this business district!

Anthony doesn�t back down!

Except when the lizards come back with a patrol of ten ka�armodo, several of them the older type with extra arms, and almost fifty setsulah. In that case, I back all the way down and hightail it to safety.

It�s nice they want to show they take me seriously, but do they need to bring out that many? That�s overkill, dammit! Even if I tried to nuke them with a Gravity Bomb, there�s a chance they�ll be able to break it apart before it can detonate. Even if they couldn�t, with that many mages, they could shield themselves for sure.

Day one ends with me and the crew hunkering down in a still-under-construction nest to get some shuteye, something that is exceptionally difficult for me given the pain I�m in.

Eventually I manage to get a little open-eye, at least to refresh me a little.

When I shock myself awake, I take a moment to stretch out the kinks and clean my antennae. I really need to take a break at some point and look at my mutations and Skills. I�ve fallen into a poor habit of not bothering to check my status page on a regular basis, but the upgrades to my important Skills come so far apart these days, it�s hard to work up the motivation.

I can remember a time when every Skill Point, every little crumb of Biomass, felt like a milestone. Now I need to stack up hundreds of Biomass before I can achieve much, mutation-wise.

It�s depressing in a way.

But no matter! The spirit is strong and I shall overcome!

�Once I get back to the fourth. Right now, I can�t concentrate properly given the incessant yanking on my guts.

When we go out and about, it doesn�t take long to find some trouble to throw ourselves at. A scout returned to the nest whilst I was napping and reported suspicious movements from the lizards over the border. Perhaps they�re going to pull something now that they know I�m here? A show of strength of some sort?

Or maybe they just want to lure me out and kill me after the trouble I�ve caused them. I wouldn�t put it past them�

Might as well go and find out.

The two sides stare each other down, the tension thick. Outside of myself and the elder ka�armodo, along with his attendants, nobody is listening in on our conversation, but apparently the body language is enough to put everyone on edge. In front of me stand a hundred giant lizards and five times that many setsulah. If that was all, perhaps it wouldn�t be so bad, but I know for a fact that twice that number are lurking in the area, laying low, ready to jump in case things go south.

Behind me stands an army of ten thousand ants, lined up in neat ranks, prepared to attack at a moment�s notice. I don�t doubt that more are mobilising in the area around us, but the Colony is currently spread across the stratum, making it difficult to pull massive numbers together. Given a few more hours, I�m sure we could pull ten times this number together, but we don�t have the luxury.

You�d think our odds would be good with these sorts of numbers, but in all honesty, the balance of power is even. The only thing tilting it in our favour is the presence of myself and the squad. With four powerful, tier six monsters hanging about, we have the advantage, and I think they know it. With the ant army backing us up, they don�t have the ability to quickly annihilate us, the number of shields that will appear the moment they get aggressive is absurd, so when the fight drags out, we�ll explode into their ranks.

What we have here is a good ol� Mexican standoff.

The only thing I�m not sure of is whether the lizards want to rumble or not. The Colony doesn�t, for the most part, but the lizards? Nobody�s sure.

[Are you sure you haven�t heard of the termites, Mr. Ka�armodo? Causing all sorts of havoc down in the fourth stratum. Thousands of them, hundreds of thousands, hell, maybe even millions. They�ve been attacking the Mother Tree, pushing her to the brink. She might be forced to call on her allies, maybe bring the Folk in. If that happens� who knows what�ll go down.]

The giant lizard sets his jaw as he folds his arms across his chest.

They look weird, these older ka�armodo. Their bodies are slightly elongated, the front raised up to something approximating a human chest with two arms. The rest of them is still the same, an elongated body, possibly eight metres from tip to tail, supported on four thick, sturdy legs tipped with barbed claws.

Each one of these guys is basically a monster in terms of their physical attributes. Combined with their powerful minds, it makes a hell of a combination.

[I have already told you, we don�t know anything about these termites of which you speak. The Mother Tree is no friend of ours, and her suffering brings me joy. She is nothing but a monster, and monsters should be destroyed, for the safety of all.]

That�s a little direct. I�m fairly sure that when he was talking about monsters, he wasn�t just referring to the tree.

[That�s an interesting worldview. I�m sure the Legion would be delighted to help you out. Why don�t you call them over? Get them down here so we can all tango together.]

A long, slightly awkward silence drags out.

[You can�t call them? That�s weird, this is exactly their sort of thing. They�d love to be a part of some monster culling like this. Get their hands on the Mother Tree? They�d love it. Or perhaps, they don�t have your back anymore, on account of some� shall we say �toe over the line� activity. The tree hears things, you know? She�s got her vines creeping all over the place.]

The ka�armodo looks decidedly unimpressed.

[You think we need the help of the Legion to crush you? You overestimate yourself profoundly.]

[Is that so? Then why don�t you step up and swing?]

A pause. Two armies, poised on a hair trigger, watch us. The lizard hesitates.

[�Swing what? My tail?]

[No, I mean� like� throw your hands.]

[�How do I throw them? By the sands, speak some sense, you absurd insect!]

[Dammit! I mean, attack! Make the first move! If you think you outmatch us so heavily, then attack us and see what happens. That�s what I mean.]

[Ah. I see your meaning. These idioms do not hold any meaning for us. I am surprised they do for you. You don�t have hands.]

[That�s fair. I should stop using them.]

[Indeed. This causes confusion.]

[Right� so� you want to fight?]

[Oh, no. We will return. For now.]

Before my disbelieving, and frankly, disappointed eyes, the ka�armodo force, which had been posing so aggressively just moments before, begin to retreat. I�m so shocked by the turn of events that I reach out to my opponent almost without thinking.

[Wait! You�re just going to leave? Why the heck did you come out here in the first place?]

What�s the point of mobilising all of these forces just to drag us out of our nests? Isn�t that a colossal waste of time? Damn lizards!

[Hopefully I will not see you again, insect,] he replies as he walks away, carelessly exposing his back to us, supreme in his confidence that we won�t launch the first strike.

The ant army behind me watches in silence as our opponents retreat, our scouts no doubt tailing them from the shadows to make sure they return to where they came from. As I watch them leave, the general who I spoke to before we left approaches from behind, and I turn to her, exasperated.

�What the heck was that all about? Are they just trying to waste our time?�

The general doesn�t seem nearly as irritated as I am, viewing the slowly emptying plains with calm eyes.

�This has convinced me that they are intending to invade us,� she replies. �I will need to report this immediately to the Council.�

�Hang on, what!? They didn�t even want to fight��

�They are probing us. Measuring our reactions, holding themselves back and testing how much they can push. Eventually, they will reach a point where they believe they know what we are capable of. At that time, they are likely to attack. We will need to be ready.�

�Oh, we�ll be ready,� I huff.

I�m still nervous, though. If the lizards are actively looking for a war, that�s another fight we have to deal with. There are tier eight demons going nuts just beneath us! How are we supposed to fight so many opponents at once?

�I don�t have long left up here,� I grumble to the general. �Let me know what you need done and I�ll get to it.�

Too many things are piling up. When I get back down below, I�m going to mutate, upgrade my Skills, and then tear into some termites. If I can wipe them out and get myself to Level one hundred and sixty at the same time, then I�ll be in a prime position to take care of business.

Don�t mess with the Colony!

�I�m really not sure about this,� Isaac muttered under his breath.

[That makes two of us�] his new partner replied.

�I really didn�t think they would go for this as enthusiastically as they did.�

[It�s how we are. If there�s an advantage in it, we�re more than happy to explore it. Even if it does prove to be� unconventional.]

Isaac felt the massive ant shift beneath him and tried to adjust his position to roll with the movement. The saddle they�d created wasn�t quite the right shape, the craftsants having never made anything of this sort before, and it chafed him ever so slightly in an area he would prefer didn�t see any chafing.

�I just never imagined I�d ever be riding on the back of one of you. I mean, I didn�t expect I�d be fighting alongside any monstrous ants, but I got used to that well enough, but to be riding on one? Feels kind of weird. You aren�t horses.�

[What�s a horse?]

�Have you seen a cow?�

[I have, in the farms around Renewal.]

�Right, so think of a cow that�s prettier and faster.�

[�I do not like this comparison.]

�That�s what I mean!�

The former guard captain heaved a sigh and once again fruitlessly tried to protect his most vulnerable zones from the pommel that rose too sharply between his legs. If it was made of cured leather, that�d be one thing, but that damned armour ant had decided to cover the thing in folded steel. To say he was sweating would be an understatement.

[I believe we are ready for the test. We will count you in starting in one minute�s time. Prepare yourself, Isaac, Cavalant.]

�Right then, here we go.�

[Make sure you don�t fall off this time.]

�You are at least half responsible for that.�

[That is somewhat true.]

Isaac gritted his teeth and hefted his lance once more. He again surveyed the course ahead, a dizzying trail of loops and whorls that took them between pillars of rock, up the walls, across the roof and back down again. If he just had to hold on, that would be one thing, but the series of targets he was supposed to hit with the lance added another layer altogether.

In truth, it wasn�t even a lance, not really, but rather an elongated spear with a slightly heavier head. He hadn�t bothered to correct the ants; after all, what the hell did he know about wielding a lance? On the surface, it was a noble�s weapon, and down below, no idiot would be fighting on horseback. The very idea of mounted combat in the Dungeon seemed absurd. But if you were going to ride on something, an all-terrain insect wouldn�t be the worst choice.

[Focus this time,] chided Cavalant, and Isaac rolled his eyes.

The most difficult aspect of his new Class was definitely the new mental link he shared with his nominated partner. Lancer�s Bond was the name of the Skill, and even at rank one, it provided significant bonuses. Not only were his thoughts connected to the ant he rode, to the point he didn�t need to speak aloud if he didn�t want to, but to an extent their senses were shared as well. Combined with a quite respectable combat buff, the Class might prove to be a powerful asset, if they could get their teamwork down.

He did his best to concentrate, his thoughts starting to align with those of Cavalant as she settled beneath him, flexing her six legs as she lowered her centre of gravity. When the countdown finished, she would explode from the starting line, and Isaac didn�t intend to be left behind this time.

[GO!] came the call from the mage, and as predicted, Cavalant launched herself forward, all six legs firing in a rapid series of Dashes.

The manoeuvre pushed them from a standstill to almost top speed in a matter of seconds, and this time he was sufficiently braced to hold on. Gripping with his legs, Isaac desperately clung to his partner�s back, straining to hold his lance steady as they raced between jagged pillars of stone.

[We�re going up,] Cavalant warned him.

�How could I forget,� he growled.

There was a moment of existential terror as they raced directly for the tunnel wall. The image of himself splattered across the rock flashed into his mind. Then, with a mind-bending twist of perception, Cavalant placed one leg on the wall, then the next, and suddenly they were rushing up.

He had no reins to hold onto, they weren�t necessary in this particular rider and mount relationship, but he did have a strap to grip to avoid falling to his death. A handy feature which he now took full advantage of.

�Bloody plops,� he swore as he struggled to keep his balance.

The ant beneath him radiated glee as she raced across the wall, zigging and zagging madly along the trail. For his part, Isaac held fast to his �lance� and aimed it as best he could, every day of his life spent wielding the spear being channelled into his arm.

Crack. Crack. Crack.

Three targets shattered beneath the point of his spear, and then, with one nauseating Dash, Cavalant was onto the roof.

[Grip!] she reprimanded him, and Isaac hurried to tighten his legs, desperate to avoid falling.

�I think I�m going to be sick.�

[Don�t you dare!]

Crack. Crack. Crack!

Three more targets fell as Isaac unerringly pierced them, his arm burning from the strain but still holding firm. Just when he thought he might slip, they zoomed across to the opposite wall and back down onto the tunnel floor. Isaac gulped down a few steadying breaths, preventing the loss of lunch that had threatened to get out of hand.

[We did it!]

He couldn�t tell if Cavalant was more pleased or surprised at their success. When they returned to the observers, he could tell they too were impressed and a little shocked by what they�d seen.

Which was odd in and of itself. He hadn�t been able to tell the emotions of the ants just by looking at them before. Perhaps this was Cavalant�s perspective bleeding across the bond?

[At least now we won�t have to do that again,] Cavalant sounded happy at the prospect.

�Is it really that annoying having to cart me around?� Isaac asked.

[Not really, I�d just rather be fighting than running tests.]

�That makes two of us.�

He�d never reach the person he longed for if he wasn�t advancing. He had to be patient; this was a step in the process.

[That was very impressive,] the mage who�d been watching them commented. [It seems this new Class will have direct combat applications. The generals can see a great deal of potential.]

[Well, that�s excellent,] Isaac replied with his thoughts. [I�m looking forward to getting back out there and seeing what we can do in a real fight.]

[A real fight?] the mage asked. [Oh no, we have long days of testing ahead of us before the two of you will be risked in real combat. We�ve only just begun collecting data!]

�Plops,� Isaac cursed.

[Plops,] Cavalant swore.

When the light of the portal fades to nothing and I find myself standing atop the roots of the Mother Tree, I practically sag with relief. The pain! It�s� not gone! It�s mostly gone, faded into the background to the point where I can tolerate it much more easily. And thank goodness for that. I was seriously hitting my limit up there in the third, it was absolute agony. Having that unrelenting pull on the core of my being� no rest? No pauses? Wouldn�t wish it on my worst enemy. Except Jim. That foul worm can get Called twice for all I care.

Freed from the worst of it, I take a long moment to bask in the open air of the fourth. Wide-open spaces, the gigantic tree overhead, the air brimming with Life Mana, the fourth really is a paradise by Dungeon terms. In the distance is the glittering waters of the vast lakes that lie between the mountains that rise and rise until their peaks are obscured amongst the mist and clouds above. Floating islands the size of cities drift impossibly through the air, raining water that dissolves into fine rain before it reaches the ground. Just lovely. Filled with impossible monsters of death, but still� good to look at.

One particular type of monster is occupying me right now, and that�s the termites.

It�s time to put an end to it. Initially, I wanted more time. To hold defensively until the Colony consolidated itself, until our numbers had grown and we�d gained a more permanent foothold in the third stratum. With demon allies, new resources, and hundreds of thousands of reinforcements, rolling over the termite menace would have been as easy as clacking my mandibles together. Alas, it hasn�t worked out that way. Too many enemies loom on the horizon, and a protracted fight down here is only weakening us, preventing us from properly dealing with other issues.

Issues like the ka�armodo getting more aggressive on our borders. Or like tier eight demons causing a ruckus beneath our cities for whatever reason.

The time to mess around with these insect impostors is over! We need to get aggressive, smash their nest, and annihilate their queens. Until that inferior slave Colony has been wiped from the Dungeon, I shall not rest!

To that end, we need to arm ourselves for the final push. That means upgrading my Skills and pushing my mutations to their limits. Once I�ve mustered all the strength I can, it�ll be time to fight.

Obviously, I push my companions to do the same. With all of us approaching the pinnacle of tier six, the amount of power we can bring to bear is nothing to sneeze at. If all goes well, we might earn enough experience through this assault to get us to the precipice of tier seven! Despite the many problems it will cause, the increased dependence on mana to sustain myself, the likelihood of suffering even further from the Call, I�m still excited to evolve. I can remember what it was like for me to go from a hatchling to a mature ant. The sudden leap in strength that allowed me to overcome challenges that had seemed insurmountable before. Ah, how I feasted on centipede tears back in those days. Good times.

Regardless, the time has come! Gimme that menu!

Usually I do the Skills first, but this time I�m going to dive into the mutations before anything else. I�ve been fighting and eating termites for ages, so I have a ton of Biomass to spend. Let�s get to it!

First off, I should see what I still have to upgrade from 25 to 30. I mean, basically the entire acid production line in the business district is in that category. Aside from that, I have to take my sub-brains up from +15 to +30. After that�

Wait, that�s it?

That�s it! Oh ho! I�m extremely close to completing my perfect +30 across the board form. Magnificent! After that, I just need to get my core to where it needs to be and I�ll be good to go!

Let me see� to fully max out my mutations, I need�

Five hundred and sixty Biomass, just for the +25 to +30. Then I need another� three hundred and forty-five per brain, and I have three of those, so that means another one thousand and thirty-five. So� one thousand five hundred and ninety-five Biomass in total?

Sweet bearded saviour! That is a hell of a lot of Biomass! Do I even have that much?

No�

But I�m so damn close! I have one thousand three hundred and forty-three� So frustrating�

I�ll upgrade the brains all the way, and then after a couple of battles, I�ll have all the termites I need to get the food required. Then I can upgrade the commercial empire all in one go.

As far as the brains go, the mutation required is hardly worth thinking about. The sub-brains are fully dedicated Mind Mana engines of refined excellence! The more mind constructs they can handle, the better!

Punch it in!

Checking the menu, each of them will go from a Mind Mana Focused Sub-Brain +15, to a Mind Mana Mastery Sub-Brain +30.

That sounds impressive! With more mind constructs, I can handle even more spells, or cast multiples of the bigger, more destructive versions. Heck, I may even be able to run a Gravity Domain almost constantly, until my mana runs out, of course. Perhaps even a compressed one! Or I can just chuck the handling of my body and spells to the sub-brains and let the main mind focus on crafting a bomb when the need arises. I�m excited for the possibilities.

Alright then. Time to let it rip!

Confirm that upgrade, Gandalf!

CHARANAZINAP! MY FREAKIN� BRAINS!

Gawd. Mutating is such an itch in the thorax. Once more, only once more and I�ll be done for my current evolution. Though, that means I�m drawing ever nearer to the next tier, and who can say how many mutations I�ll have to go through in that one? If I reset my carapace, I�ll have to go through all of those again, and I have to say they were some of the worst. My entire body, more or less, is covered by the exo-skeleton, and when it changes size or shape, the sensation is truly maddening.

The equivalent for a human would be their skin changing in size or composition over the course of a few minutes.

Horrific. But that�s for future Anthony to worry about. Current Anthony isn�t going to waste another moment thinking about it, not even in a sub-brain.

I mean, why would I? I�ve got mad SKILLS to be thinking about. I�ve been grinding my magic hard, as always. Having multiple brains is a wonderful hack in this regard. No matter how busy I get, I can always have a couple of constructs whipping up a spell and flinging it at a nearby target, or straight up into the air, whenever it�s done. This has resulted in some rather delicious gains in key Skills.

The final goal is always kept in sight! Gravity Mana Specialisation!

I�m probably not there yet, but when I get through enough ranks of new mana types, it�ll surely open up.

All right, time to take a look at what I�m working with.

Awww snap. Finally, I�ve achieved the long-sought-after upgrade to my biting Skill! I�ve been operating on Doom Chomp, or Doom Chomp, as I�ve come to think of it, for such a long time. Doesn�t have the same heft without that special emphasis within my mind.

Ah yes, it feels like yesterday when I first experienced the true joy of having the energy of my body, or stamina, manifest itself as jaws of pure light that slam shut in front of me. A special moment in my history; of that, there�s no doubt. Then, the fusion of all of my bite Skills gave me the ultimate chomp, that eventually became the pinnacle which came to be feared across the Dungeon.

What could the upgrade be?

[Doom Chomp (V) � Void Chomp (VI) � A devastating chomp that rips into the material of existence itself.]

That�s it? I mean, that�s awesome, but that�s short. I can�t freakin� wait to take this for a test run. This is a big-ticket item! A rank six Skill! We are freaking flying, baby! One Skill Point down, let�s keep the party rolling! Whooo!

Sometimes you just have to punch it with a whooo.

As I browse through the impressive list of Skills I�ve acquired over the journey, I can see a couple of other nice jumps I�ve reached.

Expert Grip is jumping up to Master Grip, which is nice. I need all the help I can get when I�m this heavy�

Dash has reached rank five! I�m super happy about that one. Flash Dash (V). Sounds impressive! If a bit wordy�

Mana Masking can promote up to rank four, another win for the stealth approach.

Mana Sensing is promoting up to rank five. Definitely going to be helpful.

Oho! Mana Craft is punching up to rank six! Nice one! That�s going to be a big deal. That Skill is literally the lynchpin of all magic in this world, governing the ease and grace with which one can grasp and shape mana. I can�t wait to see how it feels!

Force Magic going up to rank four is nice, without being a big deal.

Exo-Skeleton Defence is jumping up a rank! Also a big deal. Dodge is up to Grandmaster, as is Endure. An all-around increase in my defensive manoeuvring, capacity to avoid attacks, and absorb impacts. Winning all around!

Acid Shot is up to rank five, as is Precise Shooting. I�m especially happy about the second, as it affects all aiming, which includes spells.

Oh! Charge and Mandible Spear have both hit the third rank and can be fused! I wonder what the new Skill is called?

Spear Charge?

�Really? Isn�t that just literally combining the key words of the two Skills? Such laziness, Gandalf! That�s beneath you.

Chomp Combo has reached rank three as well, which is going to be even more devastating with the Void Chomp. Actually� I could hardly sustain a Doom Chomp combo� the new Void Chomp� oof. It�s going to be rough.

Wait, hold on, wasn�t Chomp Combo already maxed the last time I checked my Skills? And not just that, either�

Well� shoot.

I mean, to be fair, I was super excited about finally ranking up my Omni-Elemental Magic. So, really, who can even blame me for forgetting to rank up that other stuff when I had that in front of me?

�Yeah, definitely keeping this to myself�

Still, this is an incredible wealth of progress! I�m excited!

Looking over all the Skills that have progressed into the higher ranks, I�m satisfied with how far I�ve come. I know Granin likes to say that any Skills lower than rank six are basically pure garbage, but I haven�t been alive that long, I can�t be expected to push myself ahead that far.

In fact, I can probably thank my life of near-ceaseless, desperate combat for my rapid advancement up the ranks. So hey, an endless series of life-and-death struggles is good for something, at least.

Punch it with a whooo? Probably not the time.

After looking over all of my Skills, I confirm the purchases, knocking a decent amount off my Skill Points� total, but not really threatening it overmuch. I�ve racked up a hell of a lot of Skill Points. The days of worrying about whether I�ll run out are finally behind me! If anything, I�ve now got the opposite problem to deal with: I need to figure out what to do with all this excess, see if there�s anything new to buy. Probably not right now, though. I have a lot of new abilities to get used to, so I�m going to sit on what I have for the time being.

When I hit confirm, the warm drizzle of new knowledge creeps over my brain. Then it keeps on a creepin�, then some more, until my mind is literally shivering under the deluge of new information.

I probably shouldn�t have done all of this at once! A single rank six Skill is packed with a lot of stuff, and I just dropped like four of them on myself!

I wouldn�t say the sensation is unpleasant, like the mutation itch. It�s more like how a single shiver running down your spine is basically fine, but a thousand at once is a rather intense experience.

I hold still on the spot, vibrating as the intense sensation fills my brain. It eventually fades, and I take a look at my complete status, basking in my own glory.

Name: Anthony

Level: 84 (Rare) (VI)

Might: 205

Toughness: 180

Cunning: 145

Will: 100

HP: 360/360

MP: 768/768

Skills:

General:

Grandmaster Excavation (V) Level 1; Master Grip (IV) Level 1; Expert Stealth (III) Level 18; Tunnel Compass (IV) Level 17; Diamond Mind (V) Level 15; Master Stamina (IV) Level 22; Still Meditation (IV) Level 39; Flash Dash (V) Level 1

Mana:

Advanced Mana Craft (VI) Level 1; Grandmaster Condensed Mana (V) Level 1; Grandmaster External Mana Manipulation (V) Level 31; Mana Hoarder (V) Level 1; Layered Mind Magic Affinity (V) Level 36; Extended Directed Mana Sensing (V) Level 1; Master Healing Magic Affinity (IV) Level 3; Advanced Omni-Elemental Affinity (VI) Level 25; Master Mana Masking (IV) Level 1; Master Force Magic Affinity (IV) Level 1; Expert Barrier Magic Affinity (III) Level 12

Pet:

Far-Flung Pet Communication (IV) Level 1; Core Crafting (IV) Level 18; Pet Growth Speed (I) Level 5

Defensive:

Divine Exo-Skeleton Defence (VI) Level 1; Grandmaster Dodge (V) Level 1; Grandmaster Endure (V) Level 1; Master Grace (IV) Level 1; Expert Mandible Parry (III) Level 1

Offensive:

Guided Acid Shot (V) Level 1; Grandmaster Precise Shooting (V) Level 1; Void Chomp (VI) Level 1; Expert Chomp Combo (III) Level 1; Spear Charge (III) Level 1

Mutations:

Senses:

Focal Compound Eyes +30; Future Wave Sight Antennae + 30 (Twilight Filament)

Defence:

Thickened Complete Diamond Carapace +30; Fortified Healing Inner Carapace Plating +30

Physical:

Fortified Rapid Absorption Legs +30; Mana Drenched Mandibles +30; Hastened Potent Regeneration Gland +30; Widespread Stinking Pheromone Gland +30; Expanding Discerning Stomach +30; Coiling Hyper-Twitch Musculature +30; Distributed Instantaneous Sub-Neural Network +30

Acid:

Propagating Mana-Feasting Bind Acid Gland +25; Guided Hyper Pressurised Scattershot Acid Nozzle +25; Thickened Draining Acid Concentration Gland +25; Exhausting Thickener Acid Stimulation Gland +25

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:

Forceful Unending Gravity Magic Gland +30; Limitless Collective Will Vestibule +30 (Soul Crystal); High Purifying Communal Spirit Nave +30

Species: Mature Colony Paragon

Skill Points: 48

Biomass: 308

Having upgraded myself to peak condition, and with my friends and allies having done the same, it�s time to descend and inflict true despair upon the termite foe!

MUAHAHAHAAA!

With my newfound abilities and near-perfect mutations, the termites won�t know what hit them. As we march down the extended root system of the Mother Tree, heading toward the village of bruan�chii in which the Colony has established its forward headquarters, I get to playing.

My mind constructs are almost always in place. By mutating my sub-brains to specialise in Mind Mana, they are able to handle the constructs for extended periods without rest, despite running hot from the constant activity. When I�m around the Colony, the regenerative energy I get from the Vestibule is enough to soothe the mental fatigue as it happens, meaning I never have to shut my hivemind down.

It basically is a hivemind at this point. I�ve got over a dozen mind constructs operating right now, each one capable of independent action. With further mutation and another evolution, that may well push to over thirty, or even fifty! Hivemind, indeed.

But with my new improvements, I�m especially eager to put them to work. As we walk, I have them spin up even more mind constructs and get them working on mana of every variety. Soon, they�re moulding and shaping, compressing, using the Omni-Elemental Construct to create lava, and gas, and stone. I marvel at the ease, the relative freedom I have to direct it and shape it as I want.

Compared to how hard it was when I started, this is a joke! Improving my fundamental mana Skills is a big deal at this point. I wonder what rank seven will be like? I need to keep pushing, grinding and training as much as possible throughout this conflict, to proceed as fast as I can! I should prioritise my Force Mana also, as it�s the candidate I�ve chosen to work toward the next tier. I won�t shift to another mana type until I�ve gotten to rank five at least!

Except that all of my most devastating and awesome spells remain elemental, so I�ll have to rely heavily on that to do most of my damage.

The village is bursting with activity, as per usual. There�s thousands of ants crawling over each other in their rush to complete their tasks, a constant flow coming and going as they return from the front or head out. It doesn�t take long to find the general in charge. Victor is in the middle of the action, poring over a three-dimensional model of the conflict, directing messengers and generals on the path to victory.

�Victor!� I greet her with a hearty slap on the back. �How�s things? War going well?�

The much smaller ant rounds on me with a huff.

�Terrible! What did you think was going to happen when you went up top?�

�What? It can�t be that bad� Things were pretty much on lockdown when I left.�

�I suppose it�s not that bad, but our position is deteriorating. The termites, or the ka�armodo, I should say, are cunning. They�ve been pushing us non-stop whilst retaining their numbers as best they can. We haven�t had time to rest, and our defences are constantly being pressed. There must be millions of termites out there by now. The more time passes, the worse the numbers get for us.�

�Any reinforcements coming from above?�

�We�ve been getting a steady flow, despite the fighting above. There�s a hundred thousand troops down here at the moment. Enough to hold the line, but the situation is becoming fraught. If the termites mount an all-out assault on one side of the conflict, then we might not hold.�

I take a closer look at the model as the endless buzz of activity that surrounded the general a moment ago has stilled. In my presence, my siblings are polite enough to wait patiently until I�m done barging in and wasting all their time until they go back to their no doubt urgent business. Very nice of them! Such a supportive family, this really is a first for me.

The model the generals created is both large and highly detailed, as is their wont. The roots of the Mother Tree and the various gardens she cultivates in the area are sculpted to perfection, along with every tunnel, wall, and trap we�ve created. Markers indicate sightings and the likely position of termite troops, and things are looking grim. We are basically defending half of a sphere as the enemy builds up beyond our walls. It looks like the tree has stepped in to help. At the very least, she�s covering some of her roots herself, freeing Colony resources for other areas. Unless something happens soon, we�ll be locked into a very drawn-out defensive war.

�Well, I want this conflict done with,� I declare to the shock of all around me. �We�ve got too many things to deal with right now, and we can�t have the lizards dragging this out. I�m going to make some moves and try to kill as many termites as I can. Depending on how successful I am, you can take advantage of any gaps that appear and kick them where it hurts.�

Victor absorbs this information, slowly tapping on her own carapace with a single antenna as she thinks.

�Aren�t you worried that this is what they want?� she asks. �If you go out there, it�s almost a guarantee that they are going to collapse on you. They�ve tried it before. Do you really think you can fight your way out of a million termites?�

�Fight my way out? Why would I want to do something like that? The real question is� will a million termites be enough to take me down?�

�I suppose we�re going to find out.�

�Yes, we are.�

All the ants around me stare intently as I make my declaration. I can tell what they�re thinking, and to be honest, it�s kind of heartwarming. Each and every one of them is thinking they won�t let me die. Not to worry, everyone. I won�t be the one turning into Biomass.

By the end of the week, the termite queens will have fallen to my wrath! This is my declaration!

[Crinis, Tiny, Invidia. We�ll go and find Sarah, then we�ll head to the front. Time to get to it.]

Full of vim and vigour, we dash off to find Sarah toiling away helping to build walls. The great bear isn�t much for digging, lacking an ants� zen-like disposition toward it, or our powerful mandibles. You�d think hands would be great for shifting dirt, but nope, mandibles is where it�s at. The two face-hands are excellent for both cutting into the unyielding rock and gathering up loose soil into a clump.

[Hey, Sarah!]

[Anthony? You�re back already?]

[Yep! Ready to throw myself into unspeakable danger in the hopes of bringing a swifter conclusion to the war. You want in?]

The great bear slowly blinks a few times.

[You want me to join you on one of your crazy suicide missions.]

[Why not? You make it sound like something a person wouldn�t want to do.]

[Anthony, a normal person absolutely wouldn�t want to do that.]

[Bah! Who cares about normal people? I don�t see any of them around here. All I see are the greatest and most incredible ant that ever crawled, and a gigantic, badass bear of doom. What do you say?]

She thinks about it for a long moment before she nods. [Okay. I�ll do it.]

[Wait, really?] I�m shocked. [I thought for sure you�d say no. I was only inviting you to be friendly.]

[You invite people on suicide missions, just to be friendly? Actually, it doesn�t matter. I want to help. I want to end this war before it gets out of hand. Then, hopefully, we get some rest and the Colony can have peace.]

It�s a great thought, but I don�t want to tell her that it�s highly unlikely to happen. Even after the termites are dealt with, we still have a burgeoning conflict with the ka�armodo, the worrying demon movements to stress about, and the industriousness of the Colony itself. Even without foes pushing against us, the Colony will always keep growing outward until it hits boundaries.

With our expansion in the third underway, it�s only a matter of time until we get started on the fourth. As I understand it, free real estate is hard to come by down here.

With Sarah recruited, it�s time.

We stride past layers of entrenched defences as we make our way to the main tunnel connecting the Colony on the path to the termite mound. I don�t intend to pull any tricks. We are going straight into the heart of the enemy formation.

With a little luck, they�ll come for us and we can hold out long enough for the Colony to take advantage and punch some deep holes in the encirclement.

Complicated plans aren�t for me. I�ll drive forward, make as much of a mess as I can, and count on much smarter minds to make something good out of it.

As we keep moving, the silent ant guardians watch us with their unblinking eyes until we leave the last wall behind. My antennae wave constantly as I take the lead, feeling my way along in search for traps. The stink of termite is constant in this section of tunnel, their filthy trails clinging to the rock.

It�s dead silent, and dark, but that isn�t enough to hide from me.

The ebb and flow of mana has never been clearer to me than it is now. I can see the currents, the tiny shifts and ripples, better than I ever could before. There are literally hundreds of thousands of monsters swarming around these tunnels, and the effect they have on the mana flow is considerable.

More than that, so many chunky insects is like lighting a beacon to my antennae. The faint pulses of gravity send a tingling sensation running down the twilight filament. I can feel them, and they�re close.

[Get ready, gang, they�re coming for us,] I warn the others.

Tiny�s eyes blaze with inner fire as electricity begins to ripple across his fur. From the back of my carapace, Crinis begins to extend her tendrils, manifesting her body in increments. Invidia�s eye blazes with green light, and the air splits open, revealing his enormous cheshire grin.

In the distance, a light tik-tak sound can be heard echoing off the stone walls. Quickly, the sound builds, until the insistent clacking of claws is all around us.

My brains skip into overdrive, working mana furiously, preparing a variety of delights for the oncoming termite swarm.

The first termite rounds the corner, and promptly has its face blasted in by a searing bolt of lightning. I look at Tiny, irritated, and he grins back, his entire body alight with crackling power.

Detonation after detonation rings out in the narrow tunnel as Invidia weaves his intricate tapestry of death. With my enhanced Mana Sensing, I can see ever more clearly just how absurdly overpowered his mental gifts are. A hundred individual strands of mana writhe through the air at any given moment, pouring into the spells at a dizzying speed as the grinning demon produces magic at an absurd pace.

This is the power of specialisation! He even has time to be weaving shields in between explosions whenever he thinks Tiny is going to get bitten. This is the real big-brain play. In fact, this is the mega-brain play.

Large clumps of termites are not spared from his attention. With overwhelming force of will, he unleashes enormous concussive blasts that rend the air with fire and smoke. Truly, a demon of the third stratum.

Even so, despite our overwhelming power, the termite foe can endure far more than they ought to be able to. With their toughened carapaces and hardened bodies, the insectoid enemy have been redesigned since the arrival of the Colony. The ka�armodo wasted little time adjusting the focus of their shock troops from being specialised anti-tree soul-eaters to enduring soldiers capable of fronting up to the firepower of the Colony.

As I pelt them with spears, as Tiny unleashes his almighty fists, and despite Invidia�s explosions and the cruel ministrations of Crinis, the termites continue to advance. It takes a lot of effort to put them down, and when one falls, another three climb over its remains to draw ever closer. At this rate, it won�t be long until their mandibles are able to reach me, and we can�t have that!

Too bad this tunnel is far too narrow for a Gravity Bomb, otherwise I�d wipe them out in the thousands, but this is up close and personal, just the way an insect likes it.

Bring it on, termites! You think you can possibly defeat the Colony in our favourite battleground? You must be blind!

Actually� they pretty much are blind, but that�s beside the point!

Time to get serious.

I continue the Force Spear barrage while diverting a chunk of mind constructs to other tasks, directing them like a conductor does a symphony. In moments, more mana flows and is woven, followed by the ever-impressive Gravity Domain taking shape around me. Pre-compressed, the crushing force exerted by the purple sphere of doom isn�t enough to squash a termite flat, but given how heavy they are, it�s more than enough to slow them down. Buying that little extra time is all I need.

Heart burning with the pure fire of passionate youth, my mandibles draw back and lock into place as I brace my legs and zoom forward.

In an instant, I appear before the closest termites, my speed surprising even me! This new Dash is quick, like, super quick! The strain on my legs is a serious issue, and the stamina drain is immense, but holy moly, it�s fast! And that�s only the entr�e, now comes time for the main dish! The termites react quickly to my appearance, every inch of their large frames screaming of their hatred for ant-kind as they snap their wide mandibles.

Not fast enough!

VOID CHOMP!

The moment I activate the Skill, I feel my stamina plummet into the dirt. Such a precipitous drop! It�s not as if it just takes twice as much stamina to use as the Doom Chomp, this is more like five times! What the hell? I�m not going to be combo-ing this sucker any time soon, that�s for sure.

The result, however, is enough to bring tears to my eyes.

The dark mandibles of pure energy manifest as they did before, though darker and more menacing. Beyond that, a sphere of annihilation appears several metres before me, tiny at first, but swelling as my jaws slam shut.

I watch it happen as if it were in slow motion. My jaws close, and extended beyond them are the pitch-black mandibles created by the Void Chomp. Twice as long as before, they extend almost five metres in front of my face. The tiny sphere of pure black flickers and grows the closer the mandibles get, drawing in the unfortunate termite in front of me, warping and curving it as it�s pulled in.

When the mandibles touch the sphere, it�s as if a bomb has gone off, and an explosion of dark light blinds me for a moment. When it�s done, the termite and those near it, are� gone. All that remains are chunks of Biomass on the ground.

T� too powerful! Too damn awesome! The Void Chomp is everything I dreamed of! Too bad I can�t use it all that much, but with a bite that strong, I�ll be able to do some real damage to my enemies with nothing but my jaws! I�m so excited by the possibilities!

I wonder what the next rank of bite is like�

No time to think of that now, Anthony! You�ve got a battle to win!

Thankfully, my numerous brains are all over it, and my body ducks and weaves with preternatural grace, dodging and deflecting no matter how many bites come at me at once. I can�t use the Void Chomp recklessly, but with so many members of the Colony nearby, I�ll be able to charge my stamina up pretty quickly. I just have to rely on weaker Skills until then.

A steady barrage of spells and acid fly forth from me as I liberally apply normal bites to my enemies whenever I can. Just like this, we establish our formation, with me acting as the front line, Tiny standing behind, unleashing his fists and lightning, then Crinis and Invidia bringing up the rear. Until the termites manage to tunnel around us, we�ll hold this position, no matter how many of them come at us.

Sarah watched as the others threw themselves into battle with wild abandon. Anthony and his pets showed no hesitation in attacking the oncoming wave of termites any way they could. It was a dizzying scene. Explosions rocked the tunnel, tentacles lashed left and right, Tiny�s fists flashed so quickly she couldn�t see his hands, and Anthony stood in front, absorbing all the pressure he could.

The defensive mastery on display from her fellow Earth-born was incredible. Whenever a termite moved to attack, he was simply no longer there, or his body shifted just a few degrees and the enemy�s jaws would slide off him.

She didn�t know how he did it. How did he fight without fear? She�d made great strides in learning to control herself in battle, but even now she was hesitant to engage in combat. The rage that lived inside her lurked beneath the surface at all times, waiting for her to slip.

She�d fought against that realisation for a long time. For too long, she�d believed the violence was the problem, that as long as she didn�t have to fight, she would be free.

But that wasn�t the case.

She�d buried herself amongst the Shapers; layered behind their protection, she�d thought herself completely safe. She�d run from the Dungeon, run from the fighting, when in reality, she�d run from herself, and failed.

Because even there, with nothing to fight, the rage had boiled inside her, deep down where she refused to look.

Sarah rolled her powerful shoulders before she rumbled forward. The hovering form of Invidia made way for her, and she continued, gathering momentum as she bowled past Tiny. The giant ape leaned out of the way; the tunnel was barely wide enough for the two of them to fit side by side. As she accelerated, her lips pulled back from her dagger-like teeth.

Her paws pounded the dirt as she launched her weight into the fray, mouth open now as the fear built inside her heart. She ignored it as she tunnelled her vision on the closest termite.

Sensing her coming, Anthony stepped to the side and back, smartly avoiding a termite lunge as if he�d known it was coming.

Then, Sarah was there.

She barrelled straight into the massed ranks of the termites, her jaws snapping and claws reaching out to rend everything in front of her. The insects arrayed against her were scattered by the sheer force of her charge. Her mass and strength were enough to overwhelm a hundred termites, forcing them to fall back.

But she didn�t stop. She couldn�t.

Committed to the fight, she was a roiling mass of emotion. She was afraid�afraid of being hurt, of hurting others, of losing herself to the rage, of what she might find she�d done when she came back to herself. Underneath it all, the rage bubbled with fierce intent.

She lunged again, her jaws latching onto an unfortunate termite and closing with a crunch. With a toss of her head, she threw the Biomass away as a dozen enemies began to surround her.

The greater the danger, the greater the fear.

The greater the rage.

Her fur began to stand up as the first hints of malicious red light began to burn in her eyes. The Slash Skill was her bread and butter, and she�d recently raised it to rank six from fighting alongside the Colony.

Jagged rents of pulsing red light carved through the air with every swipe of her claws. Every termite unfortunate enough to receive these blows suffered egregious wounds as its carapace crumpled and the claws bit into the tender flesh beneath.

It took longer than she expected for the first wound to come. She�d gone too deep, carried by the rising tide of her rage, and had quickly become surrounded. She anticipated being buried under the weight of a hundred bites immediately, but between the barrage Anthony put out and the shields that sprang into being around her, she�d gone unharmed for a long time.

When the jaws of a termite finally punched through her tough hide, it almost came as a relief. In an instant, her fear rocketed higher, and alongside it, her anger exploded and she bellowed with rage.

The Asura Bear. She was a monster fuelled by her emotion, and that engine began to turn over now.

Her eyes ignited with red light, her vision swimming with the colour of blood as her lips pulled back to reveal a ghastly grin.

ROOOOOAAAAAR!

She bellowed with uncontrolled fury as her control began to slip. Desperately, Sarah clung to the rising tide of rage as the fight devolved further around her. Wild slashes of her claws filled the tunnel as Anthony and Tiny stepped in to drive the termites from her flanks.

Already, it was becoming hard to tell friend from foe. Her body hummed with energy, her eyes growing darker and darker as the hunger, the need to find some outlet for the emotion that boiled within continued to grow.

[Cool down, Sarah! You gotta leave something for Tiny to punch, otherwise he�s going to sulk.]

The touch of Anthony�s mind on hers was like a dash of cold water to the face. She froze for a moment, bewildered by the sudden loss of momentum, and copped a nasty bite to the shoulder.

[Don�t cool down that much!] her friend yelped in her mind. [Keep fighting! Just remember, we�re in this for the long haul, alright? This isn�t going to be done in an hour.]

Sarah forced her body to move and began laying about herself with her claws once more.

[I don�t think I can remain lucid for an hour, Anthony,] she confessed. [I was almost gone already.]

[Hey, no stress,] he told her, completely unfazed. [If you fly off the rails, we�ll take care of you. There�s plenty of termites to kill, have no fear!]

[Is that really alright?] she asked.

[Of course! What do you think, Tiny? Think we can handle it?]

The ape pulled back one hand after a particularly devastating uppercut to flash her a quick thumbs up.

[See? It�s fine. Just take it slow. If you feel like you might be losing it, pull back and let Crinis cover you. We�ve got this.]

After one more devastating swipe, Sarah hesitated, then began to withdraw. Shields sprung up around her and Healing Magic flowed into her body, closing over her wounds as Anthony stepped in front to hold off the surging termite wave.

She rested for a minute, her great bear body panting heavily as she fought to calm her emotions. When she felt in control of herself again, she began to wade forward once more.

This could be a great chance for her. By pushing herself to the limit and then pulling back over and over again, she might find the key to finally controlling her emotions! If she could learn to ride the wave, she might be able to enter her berserk state without losing consciousness completely. If she could do that�

�she would at least have one less thing to fear.

We fall into a rhythm as the battle progresses. Sarah unleashes absolutely abhorrent levels of devastation on the termites before she falls back to gather herself. When that happens, I step in, take the hits, push back against the wall of invaders, while Tiny punches their lights out and Crinis instils deep, deep fear in them.

Seriously, any survivors of this battle on the ka�armodo side are going to need therapy. Even the lizards in control of these poor hapless creatures are pitiable; having to experience such horrors, even vicariously, must be traumatising. I hate the termites, yet I wince when I see them rendered down into chunks. It�s nauseating.

Despite our prodigious level of firepower, the constant flow of attackers doesn�t stop, or even slow. I can feel them through the walls, urgently tunnelling toward us, flowing through the distant caves and rushing to engage us. I can practically smell the eagerness of the lizards as they sense the mana rolling off me and my crew of powerful tier six monsters. They know who we are, and even if they suspect a trap, they have no choice but to come out and try to finish us off.

After all, we�ve advanced so far outside the area controlled by the Colony, they�ve already cut off our path of retreat. They might think they�re being clever, but for whatever reason, I can sense their movements so clearly today. I know they�re holding back their numbers. They don�t want to overwhelm us and force a retreat, that would just make it all the harder to finish us off and increase the chances of the Colony rushing out to our defence. Instead, they keep the fighting hot, but not boiling, nothing we can�t handle if we stretch ourselves, whilst they completely encircle us.

I feel everything. I know that they�ve almost finished enveloping us in a sphere of termite death, one that is growing thicker and more impenetrable every passing second.

Once they believe we can�t break through, they�ll rush in with everything they have, and even the ka�armodo might stick their noses out to try and take a bite of us. With us four, well, five with Sarah here, tier sixes out of the way, it�ll be that much easier to complete their assassination of the Mother Tree! Everything is here to play for!

Which is exactly what I�m counting on! The fools are dancing right into my mandibles� heh heh� mu-hahaha� MUAHAHAAAAHAHAHAHA!

Do you really think you can pull these sorts of numbers down on my head without leaving yourselves vulnerable to the attacks of the Colony? With the Vestibule, everything is laid bare. I know the scouts are probing your siege lines even now. Generals are marshalling their troops, reinforcements are flooding through the gate, plans are being laid. The danger I�ve placed us in is very real, and I feel bad for exposing Sarah without explaining myself properly, but if the bait wasn�t this juicy, the lizards might not try and chomp on it!

Sure enough, they�ve reached out and stuffed us in their mouth, but as long as we take too long to digest, the Colony will slice open the stomach and set us free! It�s an all-or-nothing gamble, the only type of bet I know how to make!

Come and get it, termites!

Time to turn it up to eleven. Maintaining my Gravity Domain, I direct my other mental constructs to drop the Force Magic and begin to operate the Omni-Elemental engine I�ve held ready for this moment. Ten separate consciousnesses pump the metaphorical bellows, and soon a steady stream of various elements begins to flow. Weave a little of this, inject a little of that, compress it all down.

[Sarah! Swap with me!]

[Oh! Okay!]

The giant bear pulls back as I leap forward, unleashing a Void Chomp to clear space in front of me.

[Retract any tentacles, Crinis. It�s about to get hot!]

[Alright!]

I give a full second for my terrifying pet to withdraw her limbs, compressing the mana further before I unleash it on the world in one glorious burst.

Dragon�s Breath!

A combination of gas, air, and fire comes together to create the ultimate flamethrower. The roar of the flames is deafening, swiftly followed by the pitiful chittering of hundreds of termites as they are bathed in the superheated fire. Maintaining a spell this complex is still difficult, but I push myself to hold it for ten solid seconds as the temperature in the tunnel swiftly rises. The flames roast a full hundred-metre-long section of tunnel, forcing the swarming bugs that filled it to dive under the soil or cover themselves in rock to save their lives. When I finally release the magic, I�m met with the sight of superheated rock and flame-baked termites all the way back to the corner.

My brains ache after an expenditure like that, and I greedily suck in more mana from the air to replenish my core before letting them rest. I need to manage my resources carefully. Still, that bought us a little breathing room.

[Get ready,] I warn the others.

[I can see them,] Crinis tells me.

[Give them a warm welcome.]

[Right!]

The tunnel walls around us begin to bulge and collapse as the razor-sharp mandibles begin to slice through the rock. They are met by a swarm of tentacles that entangle and cut them, but there are always more coming in behind. The surround is complete, and now the real fight begins.

[Get ready, Sarah, it doesn�t stop from this point on.]

Tiny grins broadly as he cracks his knuckles. He was waiting for this all along. Dirt rains down on us as the ceiling begins to cave in, and Tiny unfurls his dark wings of shadow to cover himself before a powerful surge of electricity bursts out from his fur, covering the dozens of termites descending from above in crackling electricity. With one powerful bound, he leaps up. Concentrating his lightning in his right fist until it becomes blindingly bright, he pulls back and then unleashes an apocalyptic uppercut.

KABOOM!

Thunder booms! Rocks crack!

His giant fist, easily the size of a car engine, detonates against the falling dirt, discharging an outlandish amount of electrical energy. The force is such that the already loose rock and soil above us, filled with freshly dug tunnels, can do nothing except collapse on our heads.

There�s a brief rumble as the dirt begins to shift, then an avalanche of stone and termites rains down on us.

Tiny has such a smug grin I almost want to slap him right in the face. Then it�s hidden as the dirt hides him from view.

[Tiny, you IDIOT!]

The Colony really only had two speeds. Fast and breakneck, as the humans referred to it. The latter didn�t make much sense to the ants at first, they didn�t have necks after all, not in the traditional sense. What they could understand was the idea of moving so fast you ran a high risk of injuring yourself. The lecture the Eldest had levelled at them was a direct warning against this sort of behaviour.

The idea of breakneck pace had been rejected on a fundamental level. In its place came a new speed: slow.

Coolant liked slow. It was much more her sort of pace. Slow didn�t mean taking it easy, slow didn�t mean slacking, slow meant being careful, being patient, ensuring each task was done perfectly before moving on to the next one. It appealed to an ant with a detail-oriented focus like herself.

And in the end, what she found was that slow, wasn�t slow at all. Slow was smooth, controlled, which, as it turned out, was fast. No mistakes, no backtracking, everything progressing in its turn without clogging up the project further down the line. By working at a slow and deliberate pace, Coolant got more done, not less.

It was with this spirit that the Colony reinforced its position in the fourth stratum. Lines were drawn up, tunnels allocated, formations pre-planned before a single claw touched the Mother Tree�s bark. When the ants began to stream through, everything was prepared. They were directed by the squad into their allocated places. Once each formation was filled, the final ant slotted into position, the entire group would march forth along their planned path to engage in the ongoing battles already underway.

No time was lost. No waste or inefficiency dragged the operation down, despite there being no unseemly haste. To Coolant�s calm and unruffled eyes, it was beautiful.

�Why are we moving so slow!� Propellant raged.

Coolant sighed.

�You still haven�t embraced the �go slow to go fast� philosophy? You�re denying the evidence of your own eyes.�

�It�s nonsense!� the fire mage groused. �You go fast to go fast! The very thought of going slow and steady makes my carapace itch!�

�It seems like your rotten personality is the issue at fault,� Coolant observed. �With a little patience, you might be able to proceed further with your Fire Magic.�

�Bah! Patience isn�t required to master Fire Magic! What�s required is a burning hot spirit and guts!�

�If you say so��

�Don�t you two have your own places to be?� a new scent intruded on their well-worn argument. �Or do you have time to waste blowing pheromones at each other?�

�Victor?�

The general bustled up to the two mages, her antennae twitching with irritation.

�We�re directing the mage battalions as they come through the gateway,� Coolant assured the general. �I was merely discussing how smoothly the deployment is going. The planning and preparation this time has been impeccable.�

�When we move hundreds of thousands of troops into the area over a single day, we better be organised, or everything would go to hell,� Victor grumped.

�You aren�t wrong,� Propellant replied. �I already know exactly where I�m going once the next wave is through. I can�t wait to put some fire into these termite scum.�

Coolant could practically feel the heat coming off the fire mage as she imagined setting the termite world ablaze.

�I�m being deployed on the west side,� Coolant told the general. �Do we know if water or ice are effective against the insects?�

�If you can harden it enough to punch through their carapace, ice spears are effective. Other than that, they don�t like the cold much, just like us. Cool them enough and they get sluggish. It might not seem like much at first, but it adds up over time.�

�Be better if you just set them alight,� Propellant gloated. �Fire is super effective against these punks.�

�Some elements work better against some foes than others. That�s nothing to get excited about,� Coolant responded� coolly.

�Here comes the next wave!� Victor pointed to prevent another argument. �You�d better get down there and direct them.�

A steady flow of mage ants marched into the staging grounds next to the bruan�chii village, and the two Council members rushed down to meet them. Thanks to the detailed planning, they could direct their fellow caste members with little effort, finally able to tag along behind them to the front lines.

�See you when the battle is won.� Propellant gave a jaunty wave of her antenna before turning and joining the back of the departing formation.

�Don�t get overexcited and set our own soldiers on fire,� Coolant replied.

�Hey! That happened one time!�

She ignored her sibling and turned back to the harried-looking Victor.

�I�ll be on my way as well,� she said.

�Good, I need to get back to Sloan once I�m done here. Directing this battle is proving to be extremely easy and absurdly difficult at the same time.�

�How so?� Coolant asked, intrigued.

�We are fighting on so many fronts at once, and managing such immense numbers. This is the largest battle the Colony has ever undertaken. The logistical work is a nightmare.�

�The easy part?�

The general clacked her mandibles in irritation.

�The Eldest has pulled so many termites down on their head that we�re punching straight through their lines as if they weren�t even there. As a diversion, we couldn�t possibly ask for better.�

�Sounds like the Eldest is doing great work, as usual.�

�I wish I knew if they planned it that way��

�You�ll never find an answer to that,� Coolant laughed, patting her sibling on the carapace before turning to catch up to her own battalion.

The ant troops were in extremely high spirits, their eagerness for the fight brimming over into constant bursts of �FOR THE COLONY!� that rose into a deafening chorus before fading. Into the twisting tunnels they marched, underneath the colossal roots of the Mother Tree and past the myriad defensive layers the ants deployed here had constructed.

All of that work would need to be done again once the termites were expelled from this mountain. The lines of walls and traps would have to be moved forward significantly, but that was an issue for the carvers.

Eventually, after numerous twists and turns, the column of ten thousand ants could finally hear the echoing din of battle. Immediately, their pace increased as orders began to be relayed down the line. Scouts must have come back to communicate the exact situation and relay orders from the general managing this theatre.

Coolant and her mages listened intently to their instructions. As soon as they knew their role, they began to make preparations, drawing out mana and shaping it to their needs.

The moment they burst into the open ground, they let their spells fly. A host of dense ice blocks arced through the air over the ants� heads before exploding above the termite lines. Shards of hardened ice pelted the bugs, lodging into their joints and melting over their carapaces.

�Freeze them all,� Coolant directed, her eyes cold.

I have no idea how many tons of material rained down, but it had to be a lot. Thankfully the integrity of things like soil and stone is more than a little �iffy� here on Pangera. By all rights, the planet should collapse in on itself given the fact it�s largely hollow, but when we add mana into the mix, things get weird.

Meaning, the whole mountain didn�t collapse on us, which is a plus, but we are still rather squished.

In fact, it�s Invidia that makes the save. Acting as fast as thought, the green-eyed demon applies his prodigious mental powers and creates an eight-layered barrier over our heads. They don�t hold, of course they wouldn�t, not against literal tons of material, but they do enough that we aren�t smooshed to paste, slowing the falling rock to the point we are pinned rather than dead.

[Nice save, Invidia!]

[Givessss more praisssse!]

Can�t be stingy considering he just saved our lives.

[You really made the five hundre�one thousa�let�s go with ten thousand IQ play! Great job!]

I keep revising my estimation of his brain power upward as I think about the sheer size of this dude�s brain. Invidia chuckles evilly with glee and I can feel his satisfaction radiating over our mental connection. You can have all the praise you want, champ. You do good work.

Alright, now what?

[Can anyone move?] I ask.

[I can, Master.]

[I suppose you can wriggle through the cracks�]

[A little. Be careful!]

No sooner does her cry hit my thoughts than I feel a sharp pain in one of my legs. What the heck? I wriggle furiously and kick until I give up and start pumping Earth Mana through the Omni-Elemental Construct. Once I have enough of the brown-tinged energy, I begin to create some room for myself.

Cautious of bringing down more rock on my own head, I soften some sections whilst hardening others, compressing the loose soil into rock pillars that can support the weight above me and creating a little room for me to look down.

And what do I find other than a damned termite clinging to my leg, its beady, near-blind eyes staring up at me hatefully. Why, you little pain in the foot! Get off me!

I somewhat awkwardly try and shift my position but end up just gnashing my mandibles in frustration as I fail to reach my opponent. Eyes now filled with savage joy, the termite continues to gnaw off my leg, its sickle-sharp jaws sawing away.

That hurts, dammit!

This is so annoying! I don�t want to make any large moves since I might bring down more rock on my own head. I�ll have to keep reinforcing the area around me and creating space bit by bit until I can chomp on this fool.

Just you wait, you damn termite! I�ll get to you soon, then you�ll get it!

[Be careful as you move,] I belatedly warn my pets. [You might make your situation worse. You hear me, Tiny?]

The ape grumbles at me and I get images of him lying flat under a mass of dirt. His bones are too solid to break, but his muscles are certainly a little squished.

[Invidia, see if you can Earth Magic your way over to Tiny. Heal him up and then try to solidify sections of stone to bear the weight. Eventually you�ll be able to get free.]

[Yessssss.]

[Master, I can sense the enemy all around us. There are thousands of them digging towards us.]

Not surprising. They don�t have any reason to give up, certainly not now that we�ve been pinned. I�m sure some termites were killed when it all came down, but bugs like them and me are designed for this sort of stuff, our carapaces can take a lot of punishment.

What follows is the most ungainly few minutes of my new life as I slowly and carefully wriggle my way around, eye locked with the hated foe who remains latched onto my leg with grim determination. Just give it up, will you? No matter how hard you try, you aren�t taking my leg!

I eventually manage to dispatch my foe, but I swear to Gandalf that even in death, that damned termite is laughing at me, its mandibles still clamped onto my leg. I manage to shake my limb free, applying a little Healing Magic to iron out the kinks, only to find the dirt beginning to shift around me.

I have a bad feeling about this�

Sure enough, several termite heads push through the soil and attempt to bite me! With extremely limited room, it�s hard to perform any sort of dodge, but I manage to contort myself enough that I avoid the worst of it before leaning forward to chomp with my own jaws. A horrifically stilted melee erupts as we grapple with each other whilst dirt rains down from above.

My brains spin furiously as I pump Earth Mana and rapidly weave it to create some sort of structure around me.

This is such a pain in the thorax! Thankfully I have the spare brainpower to do a lot of work. I�ve dropped the Gravity Domain�for obvious reasons�and my progress supporting the mess overhead is increasing. My issue is, the longer this all goes on, the more termites manage to dig their way to me.

This terrain is well-suited to insects like us, close quarters, covered in dirt, and biting each other in the face. In fact, the whole area rapidly devolves into a seething pile of dirt and stone as we try to get our jaws on each other, or Crinis slithers through paper-thin cracks hunting for victims. Tiny is forced to grapple and crush his foes, or use extremely short punches as he tries to get his feet back under him. Invidia is the hardest hit, the poor demon can�t even think about using an explosion.

Bit by bit, we manage to right the ship and create some space around us, but the wriggling, desperate fight continues as more and more termites force their way through the rubble. I swear I�m going to thwack that ape right on the scone when we get out of here!

Interesting�

[If you hear something weird, let me know. For now, we need to focus on not getting killed.]

[Yes,] the great bear shakes her head, [you�re right, of course.]

With the crew back together, we�re in a better position to resist, but the pressure rapidly begins to mount. Our opponents are digging constantly, creating tunnels to reach us under the rubble, and I can feel that they have us completely surrounded. Perhaps as many as a hundred thousand of the filthy, soul-sucking insects are all around us, ready to rend my precious, shiny carapace and extract the juicy Biomass within. There must be as many as ten ka�armodo in the area to control and direct this horde. They must be extremely confident to put themselves out on a limb like this. The thought occurs to me that one Gravity Bomb right now would cripple the entire termite force and ensure victory for the Colony.

But unlike Leeroy, I don�t think that way. I intend to win this war and live to mock every lizard I see. Even normal ones. If I see a gecko scurrying up the wall after this is all done, I�ll give it a serve.

My minds continue to churn, heating up under the constant pressure applied from being used so hyper-efficiently. Each brain is doing the work of three or four thanks to the mind constructs, and without the aid of the Vestibule, they�d be just about cooked already. It�s been worth it, we finally have some space in which to work, which is especially crucial for Tiny. Crinis and I are pretty happy fighting covered in dirt, we can handle it just fine, but without room to swing, the big ape is just a sitting duck. Invidia too can�t be his usual explosive self in such tight confines. Truth be told, he still doesn�t have enough room. If he starts letting the explosions go in here, he�ll hit us just as much as the enemy.

[Let�s form up,] I tell the others. [Tight formation, but we need to keep working our way toward the nearest tunnel. It�s about forty metres that way,] I point with an antenna. [It�s already swarming with termites, but we�ll have more room to work with.]

[I can sense more coming, Master!]

[Right, brace for impact, people, this is going to get ugly.]

Seconds later, the invasion begins in earnest as jaws scissor through the hardened earth I�d prepared and the hate-filled eyes of the enemy soon follow.

Void Chomp!

As a small pack bursts through the wall just in front of me, I�m ready to meet them. My most powerful bite obliterates them, but already more are dropping from above. Sarah rears up and swipes two straight out of the air, and Tiny combos with her, delivering a devastating upper before they hit the ground. A satisfied gleam appears in Tiny�s eyes as he lands his first clean punch for a while.

[Just don�t bring the roof down on us again,] I warn him.

I really want to bring more of my new spells into play, but the situation is making doing so difficult. If we can last long enough for me to manufacture the right situation, then there might be a chance to pull some shenanigans. We�ll just have to wait and see.

Tentacles erupt from the darkness as Crinis goes to work in the tiny tunnels the termites have dug. She does her best to limit the flow of reinforcements, but with literally thousands of bodies pushing their way in, there�s only so much she can do to stem the tide. It almost feels like it�s raining termites as they begin to burrow through all around us, leaping from the openings they create to dive down and attack us.

The fight disintegrates into a messy brawl. Even if we can dispatch the termites as quickly as they come to us, the Biomass has nowhere to go, and our little chamber is becoming choked with it. I keep tunnelling to one side with my minds, recruiting Invidia to try and speed the process up, but there�s only so much we can do. More and more termites flood in, gnashing and biting with mad glee. I�m beginning to get an idea of why it�s such a pain to fight against ants.

Putting up with this is a massive kick in the nards! The numbers are endless and there�s nowhere to go!

Biting, chomping, ramming, and butting heads directly with the enemy are all I can do in the compressed melee as I desperately try to escape being overwhelmed. Out of sheer necessity, I unleash multiple Void Chomps in close succession, clearing away space but dropping my stamina dangerously low. It�ll take time for those reserves to replenish, time we might not have.

At least I buy myself enough room that I can turn to the new tunnel we�re working on and start chomping my way through it with my jaws. When brainpower doesn�t meet the challenge, the only option that remains is to put my mandibles to the task!

[Everyone, this way!] I yell to the others and they pile in behind me, cramming into the small space.

Termites are already starting to chew through the rock to meet us from this new direction, but it doesn�t matter. If they tunnel through, that�ll just mean we get through all the faster. Which is eventually what happens. The termites dig to meet us as Tiny and Sarah fight a rear-guard against the enemies piling in behind.

The moment the tunnel wall breaks down in front of me, I�m ready. An enormous jet of Dragon�s Breath roars forth, roasting everything in my path and superheating the tunnel in an instant.

[Let�s go!] I call and Dash forward.

It�s so damn hot! My claws are burning, and I madly hop my way forward to avoid the burning sensation rocketing up my legs.

The walls glow with molten light as the Dragon�s Breath fades and we rocket through the narrow space. Tiny is growling behind me as his hands and fur get singed by the rocks, but we don�t have time to deal with it.

He thinks he has it rough. I�m the one at the front, shoving the still-boiling Biomass out of the way and trudging through flaming carapaces, breaking them underfoot. This is nasty! Fortunately, the tunnel isn�t that long. I can already see the next wave of termites rushing in to reinforce.

Well, we can�t have that!

My brains spin at incredible speed and mana churns inside me and in the air around. I�m pulling in a lot of juice right now, and have been for a while. I need to get my claws back into some regular tunnel so I can tap the mana veins there; don�t want my core to be approaching low on power.

Bolts of pure kinetic force fly forward like the fists of a truly angry ant and slam into the leading termites, knocking them off-balance. They emit an angry chitter and try to rush forward again, only to meet with another barrage, then another.

We�re coming through!

Force Mana flies as I literally pummel the insects backward while I continue to run toward them, the rest of the gang following up behind me. When I get close enough, I initiate a Spear Charge, dropping my head and digging in my claws for traction.

I can hear them sizzle as I do so, which is far from ideal, but I rocket forward like a magnificent, sparkling missile.

CRASH!

The light of the newly fused rank three Skill forms in front of and around me right before I hit the growing wall of termites with all the momentum I can summon, sending tons of monstrous insects flying. Good thing I got that Skill fusion. If I�d had to just Dash or Charge into that nearly solid mass of bodies instead of stabbing through the first bit with this oddly-shaped spear light, even my magnificent carapace may not have held up. Even with that, there�s still a heck of an impact. But I make it, and a moment later, I�m dropping into the tunnel proper, and I have to say, it�s not a welcome sight.

The entire thing is filled with the enemy. Completely.

The walls are covered. The floor is covered. The entire ceiling is covered in termites! The narrow opening I launched through was halfway up the wall on the right side, and right now I�m suspended in midair with gnashing mandibles literally surrounding me.

Fortunately, this doesn�t come as a surprise.

Look out below!

I tuck my legs in the traditional cannonball position and drop like a stone, but not before unleashing another blast of Dragon Breath. The flame rockets out as if fired from a jet engine: pure, hot, and unbelievably loud. In the brief time it takes for me to land, I clear a small zone and crash into the now smoking-hot rocks.

I unfold my legs right afterwards and bury them into the tunnel floor, immediately absorbing a jolt of mana. Gimme that juice! I push my brains to the limit, even the main mind pitching in to draw and shape as much mana as possible. The Omni-Elemental Construct spins and whirls as I supercharge it, pumping in all the raw energy I can, a myriad of elements coming out the other end.

Moments later, the others fall into the tunnel around me. Tiny crashing down with his surprising grace. Crinis, a dark mass of tentacles with no centre, squirms out of the small opening and lands beside me, quickly followed by Invidia�s slow descent, and Sarah dropping like a boulder.

[I need a little time,] I tell the others. [Tiny, unleash the lightning. Crinis, help Invidia keep them away for a few seconds!]

[Got it!] they reply, except for Tiny, who�s too busy whooping with joy as writhing bolts of lightning ignite all over his body.

His fur begins to rise and his wings unfurl as the ribbons of electricity flash faster and faster all over his body and down his arms. As his hands begin to glow with unbearably bright light, he thrusts one in each direction and bathes the termite horde in sizzling bolts of energy.

Shortly after, detonations begin to ring out and shields pop into place as Invidia follows up on his elder�s good work. With more room to work in, the two are able to deploy their devastating area of effect abilities to inflict maximal damage. Sarah and Crinis circle in close, making sure that no stray bugs slip through the cracks as I push my brains into overdrive.

I intend to unleash a barrage of spells unlike anything I�ve produced before, pushing my new Skills and the combined power of my brains to their limits.

My head is on fire. The collection of brains housed inside are working overtime, and I can feel the load wearing away at them. We�re in a slightly better spot now than when the roof fell down, but unless I find a way to get some separation between us and the termites so we can regroup, we aren�t going to be able to last as long as I�d like.

That means dumping everything I have into one glorious burst of power.

[I�m ready!] I shout to the others. [Get in close!]

They break off their offensive and rush to my side, then my work begins.

The moment the lightning and explosions stop, the termites rush in, near-blind eyes filled with hate. Fortunately, I won�t have to look at them for long. I weave magic deftly and a burst of mud erupts above my head, firing upwards and outwards before raining down, shielding us from view.

Now!

With a supreme effort of will, I finish shaping my second spell and unleash it with perfect timing. The mana flies out of me and soaks into the still-flowing mud, flash-hardening it in an instant. Hopefully I made it thick enough�

I grit my mandibles, my brains screaming in pain as I pour every last drop of mana I have into the constructs, taking the threads of elemental energy as they pass out the sides. Every mind exerts pressure to shape the final spells as best I can whilst the first termites reach my rock-hard mud dome and begin chomping on it.

There!

The last thread falls into place and I unleash the spells, directing them through the narrow gap above our heads and outward. Scorching-hot winds erupt above us as a storm of fire bursts into life, the flames licking down amongst us until Invidia slaps a shield across the opening.

The flash-hardened mud heats up, the air inside becoming stiflingly hot as the five of us huddle together whilst the spell rages outside. The tornadoes twist in opposite directions, heading down the tunnel and igniting everything in their path whilst I collapse inside the dome.

I don�t even pay attention to the stream of System announcements flowing into my mind. Instead, I sink down into myself, allowing the Meditation Skill to wall my emotions away as I concentrate on recovering.

I may have overdone it a bit casting two of those at once. I�m beat.

�Move quickly! Push! Don�t leave a single termite alive!� Advant blasted her surroundings with pheromones, not that the ants needed much motivating.

They�d been bottled up by the enemy for too long, unable to be aggressive as the termites frustrated them with seemingly endless hit-and-run attacks against their walls. Now, thanks to the Eldest, they were able to charge to their hearts� content. In fact, the largest problem the leadership was having during the offensive was holding their forces back.

Ahead of her, a clash was taking place as tens of thousands of ants rushed into battle. It was difficult to see what was happening as the soldiers of the Colony piled on top of each other at the front, creating a wall of carapace and eager mandibles that swarmed over the termite defenders, ripping and tearing. She might have felt sorry for a different enemy. This position had already been bombarded with acid and magic, softening the resistance for the final charge of soldiers, scouts, and generals, but termites deserved no less than this.

To think they would attempt to slay the Eldest. The presumption of it was more than insulting!

Every ant had fire burning in their core, flooding their limbs with strength. They knew the Eldest, the most powerful and revered member of their family, was fighting against impossible odds in order to create this opportunity. They wouldn�t let it go to waste! The harder they fought, and the faster they advanced, the sooner they could come to the rescue of the mighty ant.

�Mages forward!� she ordered and could scent the order being relayed down the line.

She watched the fight with a critical eye, relaying orders to the generals and taking reports as they came back from the thick of the fighting.

�WHOO! This is a blast and a half, isn�t it?� Propellant roared as she rushed forward ahead of her mage battalion. �Did you see us light them up? Haven�t seen that much flame since we left the third! What now? What do we burn?�

The eagerness of the Council member�s voice was more than a little distasteful to Advant, as was the wild and manic look in her compound eyes.

�Calm yourself,� she snapped. �I need you on sensing and recon, not burning. Get to it as fast as you can.�

The fire mage lost some of her energy.

�Not burning?� Her disappointment was total. She flicked her antennae miserably before she sighed. �Alright, fine. We get this done, then we can move on and burn more stuff.�

�What are we burning, senior?� the mage battalion demanded as they arrived.

�Nothing,� Propellant scowled. �Recon and sensing! Get to it, quickly!�

The mages grumbled but followed orders with alacrity, jumping to their task. Taking a lot of ground from a crafty enemy carried a great deal of risk, something which the Colony was deeply aware of. False tunnels, traps, fake trails, large pockets of enemies hidden in temporary caverns, ready to emerge behind Colony lines. The ka�armodo could have left any number of traps behind in their retreat, and it was the job of the scouts and mages to work together to minimise the risks. That meant using their advanced mana senses to cover as much ground as they could, trying to find anything out of the ordinary.

With the mages dealt with, Advant turned back to the battle, only to find Propellant on her left watching alongside.

�Surely they can finish them off faster than this?� the mage asked. �After the hell we rained down on them?�

Advant shifted irritably.

�Going face to face with the soul-devouring termites is no simple thing,� she informed her mage counterpart, �something that you wouldn�t know much about, Propellant. Show a little respect to your siblings on the front lines.�

�Oh, I wouldn�t dare dismiss the efforts of the soldiers,� Propellant waved an antenna, despite knowing full well that she frequently did just that. �I�m simply concerned that we won�t reach the Eldest in time.�

�We are all worried about the Eldest,� Advant snapped then calmed herself.

At that moment, the fighting appeared to die down, and word soon came back that the enemy had been defeated and subsequently consumed. Teams of healers rushed to administer to the wounded as the ants sorted themselves into their separate battalions. All along the field of battle, the soldiers, generals, and scouts rested while they cleaned their antennae, dragging them through the fine hairs in their elbows.

�The battle�s over,� she observed, �that means we can march to the next site as soon as your team is done.�

�They work quickly,� the mage assured her sibling. �They are positively burning with fighting spirit right now. It won�t be long.�

�Their spirit just wants to burn things, more like,� Advant muttered.

The battalion of dedicated fire mages had certainly proven their worth over the course of their rolling advance, it was just their eagerness that bordered on mania the soldier didn�t appreciate. Soon enough, it was time to continue, and Advant huddled with the generals and scouts, with Propellant peeking over her shoulder as they consulted on their exact path. With their destination identified, the column began to march.

It took mere moments for the ants to form their ranks, flowing into position with uncanny precision before they began to move at a steady pace. Advant watched her sisters march with pride, knowing how difficult it was for them to achieve. Each caste had to walk at their own cadence to achieve this even speed, given that their sizes varied so wildly. The smaller healers needed three or four steps for a soldier�s one, and tier six soldiers had a longer stride than a tier five. Despite all these complications, they moved like a single unit.

Tens of thousands of them continued on through the tunnels until they reached the next checkpoint, a small opening close to the mountain�s surface. The stink of termites covered their antennae, and the moment the column stopped, every single ant began to furiously clean them to wipe away the stink.

�Is this it?� Propellant leapt forward, her eyes shining with glee. �Are we ready to go?�

�Yes,� Advant rolled her antennae. �When you�re ready, you can begin the bomba⁠��

�COME ON, TEAM! LET�S GO!� the mage roared.

Quivering with excitement, the full complement of pyromaniacs raced ahead, whooping with joy in an un-antlike display of emotion. Even so, the line was formed in a timely manner, and shortly thereafter, the temperature began to rise precipitously.

�LET IT BURN!� Propellant cackled.

Condensed balls of potent Fire Mana rocketed through the air and detonated with calamitous force against the target. When an angry force of chittering termites erupted from the walls to defend their position, the mages� joy was only intensified. Advant watched as the steady flare of explosions continued. Every now and again, a truly large one would go off, the blast of hot air rushing down the tunnel and blowing her antennae back against her head.

When the target had been reduced to smouldering ruins, she ordered the mages back and they complied with visible reluctance. Then the soldiers were sent forward. Ordered ranks, thousands strong, stomped forward, Advant among them.

Eldest, we�re coming.

The heat continues to rise within the flash-hardened shell I�ve created, to the point I create some ice just to cool us off. As an ant, I don�t mind a bit of heat, but Sarah, even with her temperature-regulating enchantments, can�t handle this level. We are literally cooking as the twin Fire Tornadoes roar throughout the tunnel outside.

If we�re cooking in here, then I can only imagine what�s happening to the termites out there.

Actually� I don�t really want to imagine. That�s going to be gross, not that I feel any sympathy. With a little luck, I might even catch a ka�armodo who got too close, trying to lead the troops from the front, but as I listen to the notifications roll in from Gandalf, none come up.

A shame.

[Good job, Anthony!] Sarah congratulates me. [I can�t believe you can cast magic like that!]

[I can, but it nearly emptied me out,] I say. [I�m running on fumes over here, as far as MP goes. Not to mention the brain-strain. So don�t expect anything out of me for a while.]

[Oh. Is that so? Well, we should be able to hold them off until you recover, at least a little.]

My legs are buried in the floor of the tunnel, gathering up mana, but it�s a trickle compared to the flood I�ll need to be full. A mutation or two for absorbing mana isn�t going to cut it at the level of spells I�m playing with now, even this deep in the Dungeon.

[I�ll try and draw in as much ambient mana as I can. If you guys do your best, we�ll be able to hold them off long enough for the Colony to arrive.]

It�s seriously cramped inside this shell. It�s even more cramped when I think about the fact that Protectant and her squad are in here with us. Idly, I bump up against the wall, and even though I don�t actually reach the heated surface, my brain doesn�t seem to register it. We are bumping up against the guards all the time, but it�s like our minds refuse to acknowledge it.

With the benefit of the Vestibule, I know they�re in here, but without that insight, I�d have no idea. The stealth organs these siblings of mine have taken on are absolutely insane. If they reach tier six, they�ll be even harder to notice, I have no doubt.

[This spell is going to last another minute, I would say,] I tell the others. [When it fails, I�m going to dissolve the walls around us, and we can take our final stand within this tunnel.]

[Should we try and use this time to tunnel down, Master? We might be able to create a more favourable battleground?]

Independent thinking from Crinis? It brings a tear to my eye every time.

[It might be hard to tell with the storm of mana around us right now, but the termites are beneath us as well. Digging down won�t help us escape. We�re encircled.]

[S-Sorry, Master!] The blob that is Crinis tries to cover herself with tentacles to hide her shame. [I couldn�t see clearly enough, I shouldn�t have said anything!]

I reach out and give her a pat with one antenna.

[Not at all. It was a good idea, and how were you to know when it�s so hard for you to see at the moment? I like it when you speak your thoughts to us. Keep it up!]

[I-I-I will!]

They grow up so fast!

I try to act casually as I turn to Sarah.

[Have you heard anything strange again?] I ask.

The big bear tilts her head as if listening.

[No,] she answers. [Maybe I didn�t hear anything in the first place. It was such a faint thought.]

[No worries,] I shrug. [Let me know if anything comes up.]

We continue to wait a little longer, the walls glowing bright with intense heat. I wince. My guardians are going to have very sore feet. Eventually, the tornadoes begin to peter out and I can feel the massed termite horde begin to move once more.

[They�re coming!] I warn the others. [Seems like they�re going to try and just bury us beneath their mass. I�m taking down the walls, be ready!]

After a brief pause, the dome I crafted us crumbles away to nothing. It takes a second for my eyes to refocus, and when they do, what is revealed is a true wasteland. Crispy termite remains cover rocks that are blackened with soot and still glowing red. The flame tornadoes have ripped the place to shreds, but even the devastation I�ve wrought isn�t what captures my attention. To the left and right in the distance are masses of termites rushing forward like a cresting wave.

Seriously. They basically fill the tunnel on both sides from the floor to the ceiling. A heaving mass of cockroach descendants that writhes forward like an unstoppable tide.

[They aren�t mucking around this time. They intend to end it. We need to bring the noise. Invidia, you take the left. Tiny and Sarah, you take the right. Crinis and I will hold the middle.]

Invidia practically radiates demonic glee as his eye glows bright with baleful green light. In fact, it�s only getting brighter�

I take a tactical step to one side just before the hovering eyeball demon unleashes the full power of his mighty laser. The incandescent green beam lances through the air and plays across the mass of termites rushing toward us. The sheer power of the laser is incredible, and I�ve no doubt that hundreds of monsters are destroyed, yet it hardly seems to make a dent. There must be tens of thousands bearing down on us right now. There�d be even more, but the ka�armodo are limited by how many of their servant monsters will literally fit in the tunnel.

My brains are still on fire, even with the Vestibule soothing them, and the mana in my core still isn�t anything like what I�d like it to be. I�m pretty restricted in what I can do, basically only things that cost stamina. Going to be interesting when they get here, that�s for sure.

To the other side, Tiny and Sarah charge headlong into the foe. The big ape charges up what remains of his lightning and blasts it at the enemy, then begins to wind up his most impressive punch.

[Crinis, this is your time to shine.]

[I won�t let you down!] she assures me.

The blob of shadow goop that is Crinis inflates once more to reveal her full majesty, a towering creature of tentacles and fathomless maws. The light begins to fade as she releases her Shadow Mana, infusing the air around her. As the area beneath her thickens to a pure dark, she extends innumerable limbs and plunges them through the shadow gate.

I eye the dual waves of termites approaching�

For once, I think she�s not going to have enough tentacles.

Staring down the barrel of tens of thousands of monsters is quite the sight. I mean, I�ve seen some crazy things since I�ve been here. My first meeting with The Queen comes to mind. Seeing a bus-sized ant leaves an impression on you, after all. Laying eyes on Garralosh was quite something as well. A crocodile monster that�d grown to be bigger than a t-rex was absolutely terrifying. I still can�t believe I survived that encounter despite being outmatched in every way.

Grant, your sacrifice will never be forgotten.

Idly, I almost want to try and calculate how many tons of Biomass are throwing themselves at us right now. It must be in the thousands, surely. A tidal wave of carapace and mandibles, gnashing for my precious, diamond-coated self.

No matter how much more powerful than an individual termite we are, there�s no chance we can avoid getting buried under the weight of numbers. Almost like fighting against ants� at least now I can experience just how terrifying it is for our opponents�

�Protectant. I hate to do this to you all, but you have to get involved in this one. We need to buy as much time as we can for the Colony to get here.�

And of course her reply is nil.

�Really?� I sigh. �You think I have time to deal with your shyness right now?�

�I�m not shy!� comes the reply as my protector materialises out of thin air. �I�m trying to continue my mission! Exposing us to your enemies makes it harder for us to do our work!�

�Don�t be arrogant,� I warn her as I eye the approaching horde. �You aren�t even tier six monsters. I highly doubt the ka�armodo can�t sense you if they really try. Whatever stealth effect you have going on, it�s not omnipotent. I�m not sure what you can do to help in this situation, but anything at all is going to be useful.�

�This is certainly dire. We will do everything we can. You will not die while a single one of us lives.�

My antennae quiver, on the verge of delivering my justice, but I control myself. I can�t blame these twenty for their attitudes, they were basically brainwashed into it from the moment they were born. If only I�d gotten to them first and instilled my own brainwashing of self-preservation!

�As if I�d let you die first,� I mock. �Just watch, I�ll leap in slow motion to catch a bite that was meant for you. It�s going to be super dramatic, so wait for it.�

Tiny and Sarah have almost reached the front of the wave. Their charge is gaining momentum, and the two of them are positively crackling with energy. Tiny still has enough juice in the tank to raise his fur and coat his arms in writhing bolts of lightning. Wings unfurled, he almost floats as he bounds forward, his fists aglow with power. Sarah is a rather more intimidating sight. The great bear almost looks bigger than normal as glowing red energy burns in her eyes and coats her claws. In the back of her throat, the endless roar has begun to rumble out, growing in volume every second.

More than anything else, the roar tells me she�s thrown herself completely into the rage. She knows she can�t hold anything back. Even if she�s buried beneath a mountain of termites, in that condition, she�ll just keep fighting until she literally can�t move anymore.

Just before the two sides slam into each other, Tiny peels back his lips and unleashes his ear-splitting scream. The sound is deafening; like a lightning bolt, it shatters the air and overwhelms everything within range. Almost comically, the wall of termites rushing at them freezes for a split-second, the monsters stumbling over each other as they lose momentum at the last moment.

Similar to ants, termites don�t actually have much in the way of hearing. And just like us, they are very sensitive to vibrations. In fact, some breeds of termite are known to spread alarms by banging their heads into tunnel walls, alerting their nests to potential danger. Their fine-tuned sense is now turned against them as Tiny unleashes his rage.

The two giant monsters crash into the wall of termites like an avalanche. His fist drawn all the way back, Tiny steps gracefully forward, his body rotating in perfect harmony to deliver the biggest right-cross of his life. A fist of pure energy materialises and drives into the monsters like the fist of God, crushing hundreds in a single blow. For her part, Sarah acts much as one would expect an enraged berserker bear to act. She simply ploughs directly into the enemy, biting, roaring, and slashing with her claws. In moments, she is out of sight, literally buried under a mountain of termites.

We can still hear her, though. Even where she is, the roar she emits never ends. Not to mention the truly horrifying sound of her claws as they rend everything in her path.

[That�s the basic idea. Are you ready, Crinis?]

[I will unleash everything that I have. Wish me luck, Master.]

[Of course! Make us all proud.]

With a final ripple of joy, Crinis sends her main body into the shadow, vanishing from in front of me. Then the forest begins to emerge. Crinis has a limited amount of shadow flesh, and under normal circumstances she reserves it to replenish her tentacles as they are destroyed. After all, despite its many advantages, shadow flesh isn�t high on the Toughness scale. Normally it isn�t a benefit for her to use all of her reserves to manifest extra tentacles, but her dedication in learning tentacle-fu has paid dividends. Now that her control has reached rank six, she�s able to handle more than ever before!

From the shadows around us, an endless stream of writhing limbs emerges, twisting around each other before they extend directly at the onrushing termites! Despite Invidia�s best efforts, the left front is still looking grim. His laser has been expended and needs time to power up, and though his explosions are effective against the densely packed termites, there�s simply too many for him to handle alone.

The wave of monsters meets the forest of tentacles head-on, and the result is a grind-fest that only a horror enthusiast could enjoy. Tentacles grapple and grind as the termites bite and chew, neither side willing to give an inch. In the midst of it all, Crinis emerges with her real body, her three maws feasting on every ounce of Biomass they can reach.

With a constant supply of Biomass, she�ll be able to replenish her shadow flesh at a decent clip, though it�ll still take hours. Let�s hope we don�t have to hold out that long. I uproot my feet from the floor of the tunnel and shake out my legs.

�Time to get in there, gang,� I tell my defenders before I turn to observe the two fronts. �Now to pick which side needs my attention.�

My mana might be dry, but I�m packed full of stamina. Time to chomp!

To battle against so many is a difficult thing. Constantly on the move, even within such a tight space, I work my mandibles furiously. Chomp, chomp, chomp! Occasionally I mix in a Void Chomp to clear away space, each devastating bite enough to disintegrate a dozen termites at once, more if they pack close enough.

If I could commit and go closer, I might defeat a hundred with a single chomp, but I would risk being surrounded and overwhelmed. I�m not willing to bury myself under an infinite number of termites like Sarah is, I need to keep hitting and running.

Speaking of the Asura Bear, I can still hear her roar. It builds and builds, even though she�s literally covered in monsters. Not sure who I feel sorry for. I have no doubt she�s getting torn up in there, but all that does is make her madder. The crunch of her jaws when she bites and the slash of her claws when she swipes give me shivers. No matter how thick the termite swarm, the sounds just keep coming.

Every time I think I have a good grasp on just how strong she is, I realise I�ve underestimated her.

Just how much physical strength does she have? It�s insane! The sheer weight bearing down on her is beyond counting, yet she�s still fighting in there like nothing is happening? Hello? Sarah? Can you help me make sense of that for a minute?! I know it has something to do with her �Rage Engine� or whatever the hell organ turns on her berserk mode.

Despite how impressive it is, I keep in mind that she�s also taking damage. The longer this goes on, the more she�s going to get hurt and the closer she�ll come to death. I knew this would be a dangerous, all-or-nothing type of gamble, but it was never my intention to put Sarah into the deep end. I�d hoped to be the only one who had to do that.

I should have known that she was too brave to back out when the chance arose. Once the chips were down, she threw herself in at the first opportunity. With Tiny fighting on that side with her, she should be able to hold on for a while.

The giant ape is in his element. His feet flutter from step to step, his powerful wings beating in rhythm as he floats from place to place. If I focus only on his legs, I would think he was performing an elegant, graceful dance. Those giant fury feet shift and turn so smoothly I�m almost convinced he choreographed the whole thing in advance.

Yet when I take in the full picture, when I look at his hands, I know this is no slow ballad. Tiny�s hands move so fast I can�t see them, only the blur they leave behind. Over and over again, the giant fists of light slam into the wall of termites, slowing its progress and almost driving it back. He won�t be able to keep that insane level of output up for too long, though. Tiny has incredible stamina generation, which he needs to throw out the barrages of punches that he does, but even so, there�s a limit.

I�ll need to take action before things to get to that point

[I�m going to get cracking on a new spell. Try to buy me a little time!]

The others redouble their efforts as I begin to focus within myself, turning over control of my body to the sub-brains. The main mind dips into the well of power that still remains largely untapped during this extended battle: the Gravity Mana Gland. I used it for a domain a while back, but that�s far from enough to drain this thing. I gave it several mutations upgrading the capacity, and it holds a bum-load of mana. My core might be low on energy, but I still have this reserve to make use of.

My brains are largely fried, though. The extended period of concentration and effort required to weave those spells is migraine-inducing. Of all my brains, only the main one is in any state to cast. So, as I reach within and summon up the dark purple mana, I know I�m going to be running solo on this one.

My body continues to duck, weave, and fight as my other brains pick up the slack, which is an odd sensation, to say the least, but it�s a comfort. If I sat still, I�d be dead pretty damn quickly in this scenario.

There�s only a limited number of things I can do with Gravity Mana without the specific spell constructs gained from the dedicated Skill. Most of those won�t be useful, so I have no choice but to weave the only thing that will have an impact. Time for the Gravity Bomb.

Now, is that dangerous? Could it do more harm than good? Absolutely! But desperate times call for desperate measures.

Another thing to keep in mind is that I don�t have to dump all of my mana into a single Gravity Bomb. I was able to cast a much weaker version of the spell immediately after gaining the gland, after all. My mental powers and mana-handling Skills have grown in leaps and bounds since then. If I want to fire off a mini-bomb, I should be more than capable!

Under the potent guidance of my main mind, the mana leaps to my command, compressing and twisting in on itself as I begin to condense it over and over again. It doesn�t take long for the ball of mana to coalesce into the sphere that I now recognise as the weakest form of the Gravity Bomb. I pump a little more into it before I tie off the spell and prepare to launch it.

[Crinis! Invidia! Prepare for a blast!]

My two pets begin to retreat from that front, and after a beat, I let the bomb fly.

It howls into existence in a much-reduced form to what I�ve become used to. The sphere is so much smaller, its intimidating aura so much weaker, but it�s good enough for the job at hand. The bomb impacts against the leading termites and enlarges into the swirling mass of death I�ve come to know and love� and fear.

The termites are obviously less than happy with this development. Many are pulled into the black sphere, but the power of the bomb isn�t enough to crush them instantly. These monsters are tougher than the centipedes who were the first victim of the Gravity Bomb. Despite the bomb, the termites are still able to push on, creeping around the edges and hugging the walls to avoid the pull.

That�s fine. The second one is almost ready to go.

The Grove Keeper did not have a name, none of the bruan�chii did. Not in the sense of the sapient races, or even the Colony, it would seem. They lacked many things that others had. No first or family name, no gender, no homeland, or indeed, any real history. They possessed no spoken language, little industry or cultural artefacts, no religion or relics or anything outsiders might think was essential to bind them together.

And yet, no people on Pangera were more united than they. The reason for this was simple, and impossible for any other group to replicate: they were of one soul.

The Keeper could remember being born. A splinter of Mother Tree had broken away, not her physical form, but her very spirit, and been cupped in her loving hands. Embraced by the Mother, that shard had begun to grow. Ideas, thoughts, and emotions coalesced slowly inside that timeless realm within the Tree as the Keeper had been nurtured by its sole parent. Over time, that tiny shard had grown into a bright, burning spirit of its own, a fully grown entity, ready to be unleashed on the world.

Yet that had not been the way. Rather than being sent out into the world, the Keeper was kept close to the Mother, released from her hands and allowed to mingle with the other spirits she�d raised.

How to describe that world? The Keeper didn�t have the words to paint an accurate picture. There was warmth, and comfort, and safety. More than those things, there was community. Thousands upon thousands of bruan�chii frolicked there, held within the Soul Home. In that place, they experienced a wordless joy as they enjoyed the company of quite literal kindred spirits. Of one soul, they had no need to communicate, able to share thoughts and emotions on a primal level that transcended physical reality.

The Keeper had spent most of its life in the Soul Home, beyond time, beyond the individual, held in the embrace of the Mother.

Now, though, the Keeper felt the push.

It was not a command, or a directive. The Mother Tree did not interact with her children in that way. Instead, it was a gentle suggestion, but one that not a single bruan�chii had ever refused. As the Keeper�s spirit began to move, so too did many that were close, all of them shifting with increasing speed as they departed their home and entered the wider network that was the Mother and her roots.

Through twisting paths and coiled branches, they flew, each radiating happiness as they revelled in the journey and each other�s company. The Keeper felt a deep satisfaction. This was what it meant to be bruan�chii, this togetherness and unity of purpose that couldn�t be found anywhere else.

When they finally arrived at their destination, they found the Mother had prepared their vessels, as she always did, and they leapt into them like children into a burbling stream. It was always a strange shift of perspective, when they joined with a body. They transitioned from beings of pure light that existed only within the Mother to creatures of mundane reality, with senses and limbs. There was sadness in the loss of freedom, but also excitement of a different kind. In their physical bodies, they could effect change on behalf of the Mother, and lift each other up.

The Keeper experienced a quiet, dream-like state as the body prepared by the Mother continued to gestate. A steady flow of Life Mana poured in, and in response, the Keeper grew. Powerful, trunk-like arms swelled with strength as the bark-coating thickened and hardened.

On the edges of awareness, the Keeper could sense the others growing alongside them. So many� clearly the Mother had great plans for them.

In time, the process was complete, and the Keeper stirred for the first time in this new form. Wood creaked and snapped as the giant form broke free of the root on which it had been formed, the Keeper stretching their limbs and opening their eyes.

Nearby, thousands more emerged. Keepers and regular bruan�chii alike shook their new bodies as they connected with each other via their wordless bond.

As one, they felt the presence of their mother descend. Her mind, so enormous and powerful that it dwarfed their flickering selves, lay a gentle hand on them, and through that, they knew their purpose.

The Keeper turned to the others of its kind, and they quickly organised themselves, gathering together with their kindred and setting off through the tunnels. They had been formed close to the main roots, but their steps quickly ate up the ground as they proceeded through the winding tunnels.

There was an eagerness to the thousands-strong group, a fierce energy that radiated from them as they moved with purpose.

The Mother had held them back for so long, but at last they had been set free.

The Keeper�s wooden frame was alive with righteous anger. The enemy had tormented the Mother for too long, nibbling at her roots and consuming the spirits of their kin. The aid of the Colony had helped turned the tide, and for that, they would be eternally grateful, but it wouldn�t do for the conflict to end without striking with their own branches.

The bruan�chii should be the first to fall in the defence of their parent. And now she had at last allowed them to do as they pleased.

A deep hum rumbled out of the Keepers, a wordless exclamation of grim satisfaction as they strode forward. Giant hands of Iron Wood flexed their thick fingers. The Mother had granted them forms suitable for battle; she must have stockpiled these resources as the Colony fought.

Overflowing with strength, the bruan�chii marched relentlessly forward.

When they came upon the termites at last, they surged as one, the hum growing in volume until the air vibrated with the strength of their rage.

Too late, the termites turned to face the new threat, unable to form ranks or organise their numbers in time. The Keeper brought both hands down in an overhead smash, pulping the closest monster with a satisfying crunch. They slammed a foot down on the defeated foe as they trampled forward, savage joy alight in their soul.

A feeling that was shared amongst them all. As one, the bruan�chii advanced into battle, their spirits aligned and singing the same song.

The city of Ironwall gained its name in the days following its founding. The first lord had been a skilled earth mage, capable of shifting and compressing metals to a high degree. Having made his fortune delving and being paid handsomely for his skills in fortification, he decided the time had come to put his money to good use. Together with the extended family, he funded an expedition and found a location on the frontier to establish his own independent city.

The stone here was rich with minerals, particularly iron, and over a period of decades, the first lord excavated and compressed the outer shell of the city into an unbreakable wall. Surrounded by a sphere of almost pure, hardened metal, the city was renowned as an unbreakable fortress, a rare island of safety in the wild and undeveloped frontier. Combined with the prosperity gained from mining the rich Dungeon seams in the nearby expanse, the city grew to the relative powerhouse it had now become.

At least, that�s how the locals thought of it.

In Wallace�s eyes, the city was a fat calf just waiting to be slaughtered. The people had become complacent, confident that the work of the founder would keep them safe as wealth continued to accrue. Trade through the gate network might have made the people wealthy, but the lack of threat simultaneously made them indolent. The impregnable shell, the unbreachable gates, had complete faith amongst the citizens here. They could not imagine a world in which they would fall.

Thinking the only things that could exist in the Dungeon were those that they could imagine. That was their fatal sin.

�You want� my city?� Lord Korbell looked at him as if he were insane. �Is this some sort of joke?�

Yasmine glared at Wallace before she turned back to the lord with a more moderate tone.

�The Colony has sent us to inform you of their intentions. They conquered Rylleh some time ago, and they are now in the process of increasing their territory. It is unfortunate, but that includes your city.�

�Are you insulting me?� Korbell slammed a hand down on his desk. �You think you can just walk in here and tell me that some insects want to take my city from me?�

As if they are less dangerous because they�re insects. Isn�t the opposite true? Wallace thought to himself.

�We wouldn�t dream of insulting you,� Wallace drawled, �and I believe I can explain why this situation may seem so strange to you.�

The young lord settled back in his chair, anger still plain on his face.

�Speak,� he said curtly.

Wallace straightened himself in his chair before he went on.

�The Colony is quite young, in general terms. They�ve only been intelligent for around a year. Perhaps less, I don�t have the exact dates on hand. The point being, they are quite new to the idea of diplomacy and aren�t quite sure how to go about it.�

�These creatures are intelligent?�

�Of course they are. You can�t expect me to believe you haven�t had any scouting reports at all.�

�I lost several patrols trying to investigate what happened to Rylleh,� Korbell frowned. �I stopped trying and gave you up for dead.�

�I can�t say they aren�t competent,� Wallace nodded. �Well, I can more or less see how this has come as such a shock to you. The ants are trying to understand what you and I might consider �rules of war.� They believe it would be detrimental to their future dealings if they were to gain a reputation for unscrupulous actions. The idea of reputation is important to them. Were your city to be conquered without having offered you an opportunity to surrender, it would sully their reputation.�

It was quite odd how quickly the ants accepted the concept of reputation. Although on the one hand, they didn�t really care what humans thought of them, they also refused to give others a reason to speak poorly of them. They would keep their dealings scrupulously clean as they saw it. If some misinterpreted their actions, then so be it, but they would always follow the �rules.�

Lord Korbell�s face darkened.

�Wallace,� he said, �I had a great deal of respect for you. You�ve battled hard on behalf of your city against the Dungeon, and I have a deep regard for your years of service. But now, to think you came here to mock me on the orders of the monsters you once swore to kill. You�re a mockery of yourself.�

�Oh, I quite agree,� Wallace said, a slight smile on his face. �Some days, I feel as if I left my sanity behind some time ago.�

�You must have,� the lord said, �to think this city could possibly fall to monsters such as those. This is Ironwall. We will never be defeated by those ants. No matter if they bring a hundred thousand. They�ll never break through our walls and will die in droves before our gates.�

Yasmine stood from her seat and tugged on Wallace�s arm to pull him out of his chair. It was clear their audience was at an end.

�I�m sorry to cause you any distress,� she tried to cover for her fellow emissary.

He was always going to make this difficult. Stupid old man! He just couldn�t keep his mouth shut. Wallace allowed himself to be pulled to standing as he reached into his left pocket and thumbed a crystal he had there.

�Well, Lord Korbell. It has been nice to see you again. I�ll be sure to catch up with you tomorrow. It won�t be as bad as you think at first. You�ll find they�re pretty easy to get along with. Though, you might find a fair portion of your wealth will end up redistributed. They can�t abide inefficient hoarding.�

�Get out, Wallace. Neither you nor any ant will set foot inside these walls ever again.�

Wallace Dalton shrugged.

�Well, of course. They don�t have feet.�

Sounds of distant alarm were suddenly heard as crystal matrices around the office sparked to life. Garbled voices and panicked shouting began to echo throughout. Lord Korbell looked around in shock before pounding feet echoed through the door, followed by a host of finely dressed soldiers bursting into the room.

�My Lord!� one cried. �The city is under assault by monsters!�

Wallace sighed and rolled his shoulders. He flicked a glance at the others in the room, judging their mood before he decided to tactically return to his chair. His knees hurt these days.

�Is this your idea of honour?� the young lord demanded. �A surprise attack while you are still in the city to negotiate?�

Wallace raised one brow.

�What do you mean? I offered you a chance to surrender and you rejected it. Why wouldn�t they attack?�

�They aren�t afraid that I�ll take you hostage and execute you?�

�Honestly, I told them that such things never happened and they shouldn�t worry about it.�

Yasmine clapped a hand to her forehead. This lunatic had no regard for his own life, but at the least he could care a little about hers.

Korbell turned back to his soldiers.

�This is Ironwall! There is no need to panic, we have driven off stronger foes than this. Contact the gates, wake the reserves, and get every man and woman ready to fight. There is no chance they can break through as long as we commit to the defence.�

�Sure about that?� Wallace pointed out the nearby window.

The soldiers and their lord looked out to see streams of ants already climbing along the walls and ceiling of the great chamber in which the city stood. The much-vaunted shell that had defended them for hundreds of years had already been pierced in several places, holes the size of a small house having been punched through. Hundreds of ants had already entered, a number that soon ballooned into thousands.

�The gates are under heavy assault!�

�The garrison is being attacked from underneath!�

�There are reports of tunnelling beneath the castle, my Lord! This area isn�t secure.�

Lord Korbell couldn�t process the repeated shocks that came at him faster than he could comprehend. What in the world was happening?

�Rylleh lasted longer,� Wallace grunted with satisfaction. �I knew that wall was overrated.�

By repeatedly firing smaller, more manageable Gravity Bombs, I�ve been able to lock down one side of the assault so everyone else could concentrate on the other. Digging Sarah out is becoming a higher and higher priority at this point. Her roar, even buried under termites, is deafening. She must be causing absolute mayhem in there, but she can�t last forever.

Unfortunately, enough time has passed for the enemy to burrow their way to our current position, so once again, we are coming under fire from all directions. When they pop up directly beneath, above, and in front of me, it becomes impossible to keep them away with the bombs. The chances of drawing myself in and getting damaged by my own spell are way too high. Reluctantly, I�m forced to stop casting them.

The exercise has been incredibly valuable as a learning experience, however.

I�ve been blasting out Gravity Bombs at full strength, holding it back to unleash it only in the final moments as an all-or-nothing strike. It�s been my trump card against my strongest foes, and for that reason, I�ve been reluctant to spend my Gravity Mana, wanting to hold it back to pump into the mega-bombs I used against the termite nest or against Grokus.

The potential of multiple smaller bombs has been completely lost for all this time, and now I realise the incredible utility. With my current reservoir of Gravity Mana, I can probably cast as many as twenty bombs the same size as the first one I threw at the centipede nest. If I can master the ability to develop them rapidly and throw them out in controlled ways, it�ll be super useful!

Gravity Mana, roaring back into usefulness even before I get the specific Skill! I knew I wasn�t wrong to place my faith in it.

Even so, we are in trouble here now. With the enemy pouring in, we have no choice but to huddle up and fight in as dense a formation as we can. At the same time, we try to tunnel our way to Sarah, literally drilling into a seething wall of termites.

It�s not easy!

Surrounded on all sides, we fight desperately to hold our ground and prevent the never-ending waves of termites from overwhelming us. We are soon nearly buried under the Biomass left behind by the defeated foes, and we shovel in food when we get a second of time, but there�s no way we can keep up with it all. Crinis manages to pack away a stupid amount of food into her three maws, but even then, there�s just too much.

If only she could rapidly convert that Biomass into more flesh. That might be an idea for her next evolution. Getting whittled down over long battles is one of her key weaknesses, but that could be overcome so long as she has access to food if she can make that conversion quickly. As it is, it�ll take several hours for that food to replenish her store of shadow flesh.

In this sort of battle, Crinis is at her best. She�s unleashed as many limbs as possible in order to annihilate the termites quickly, and it�s working to a degree. Thousands of tentacles are out there, each one wriggling and writhing as it seeks to grip a termite and rend it to pieces, but this strategy isn�t without drawbacks. She can�t accurately control so many at once, despite the mutations and organs that expand her control. With everything that she�s poured into it, Crinis can probably utilise up to a hundred tentacles at once, which is insane when you think about it. I only have six limbs, and I still get them tangled on occasion.

With a thousand tentacles thrashing around, many are operating on complete auto pilot, which is far from useless, but massively inefficient. Although these �mindless� tentacles are still doing damage, they are also being destroyed faster than the limbs she manipulates at will. In short, Crinis� offensive capacity is rapidly getting thinned.

�GRAAAAA!�

Tiny, on the other hand, just keeps on punching. I know his stamina is flagging and he�ll have to stop being so liberal with his heavy punches, but for now, he is going all out. I�m honestly impressed he�s been able to keep going for this long! The number of termites he�s defeated must be close to my own total, which I didn�t expect. The increase in his Skills has really pushed him up to another echelon.

[Good work, Tiny! Keep hitting right to the end! It shouldn�t be long before we get relieved!]

[HARRRRR!]

I sure hope it isn�t long before we get relieved. The sooner the better! I didn�t expect it would be this hard to hold off the termites, another lapse in judgement. I�m confident the Colony are rolling up the enemy like a Persian rug right now, but if they don�t do it fast enough�

[The moment you get it charged up, you need to unleash your laser again, Invidia. Try to take as many out as you can.]

[I sssssshall havessss them alllll!]

[I mean, if you can, great. Have at it.]

I shift the focus of my mind elsewhere.

[Sarah? Can you hear me? How are you?]

I try to touch her mind, but all I get back is a wall of pain and rage. She�s in full berserk mode. Judging by the sounds I�m hearing, she has become a literal termite thrashing machine in there, but I don�t know how much longer she�s going to last.

[Guys, we need to get Sarah and we need to do it right now. I�m going to burn my stamina to punch a hole in the enemy, get ready to follow up.]

The others acknowledge my words and I waste no time. Diving forward, I lock my chompers back and unleash my most potent, stamina-annihilating combo!

VOID CHOMP! VOID CHOMP! VOID CHOMP!

Three massive bites in rapid succession rip a huge gap into the wall of termites, vapourising a large portion in front of us, and we dive into the gap. My stamina has plummeted, but there�s nothing for it, we need to go all out before Sarah�s situation becomes more dangerous. Surrounded on all sides by termites, we prepare to unleash hell before they can collapse on us, but I�m distracted by a faint sense of something I didn�t expect on the edges of my range.

Is that, bruan�chii?

Rassan�tep reached out with his mind to sense the situation as closely as he could before he relaxed a scale. He was careful to let nothing show to his fellow ka�armodo as they stood together, directing the termite assault. He�d nearly panicked, and feared he would need to intervene, when the prospective Ancient had sallied forth with such brazen confidence, rushing into the centre of their encirclement without support. It was an insane manoeuvre, and for a moment, he feared the monster had taken complete leave of its senses. After consulting with his attendants, they had quickly dismissed the idea and realised the true strategy at play.

Dangling such tasty bait in such a blatant way was crass tactics and would never work under normal circumstances. Any competent commander would understand it was bait and act accordingly, pull back, organise a staged defence without leaving any openings. This situation was anything but normal. The ka�armodo were working on incomplete information, they had less than perfect feedback from the termite troops, and it was difficult to get a clear picture of what was occurring at times. Even more to the point, the leadership here was in the hands of largely inexperienced juveniles. Expendable pawns who could safely be dismissed as �rogues� who�d acted without permission or support.

Their lack of patience and poor judgement irked Rassan�tep, though it played into his hands in this instance.

[How is that miserable creature still alive?] hissed Oolan�tep from beside him. [This is taking far too long!]

The irritated mage was so incensed she nearly raised a claw to scratch at her scales before her attendants leapt to prevent the shameful display of irritation. Under their careful ministrations, she was able to calm herself somewhat, though each of her peers kept an eye on her. They had not missed the near-slip.

The young these days. Rassan�tep shared a glance with his lead attendant, the two of them sympathising with each other at being forced to associate with the uncultured and wild youth. This too was noted by the gathered ka�armodo, and with his point made, he got back to focusing on his task.

With luck, he had been assigned as part of the group tasked with hunting down the fearsome tier six ant. He�d hoped he could fail at his task just enough to enable the creature to survive, though he expected that one or several of the pets would need to be sacrificed in order to appear convincing. It wasn�t to be. Despite being completely surrounded and made to endure a relentless assault for over an hour, the ant and his followers were yet to fall.

A remarkable achievement.

[I believe we must consider falling back to reserve the remaining creatures we have at our command,] he spoke gravely over the mental link. [We have expended much and gained nothing in this endeavour. If we become hot-blooded and make poor decisions, that which can still be salvaged will also be lost.]

Accusing those who disagreed of acting in an �un-ka�armodo� like fashion was a deliberate tactic, and one he was pleased with. Hot-blooded was almost a curse word to his people, and in this situation, the moniker stuck. Trying to hold the line and kill Anthony would only result in further losses at this point. The Colony had punched through their thinned lines with ease, eradicating everything they found in the way as they drove the termites out of the Mother Tree�s island. Only small pockets of resistance held now, but they wouldn�t last for long. The moment they fell, the ants would encircle what remained of this army, including the ka�armodo themselves.

Even the bruan�chii had marched out and were now mere minutes away from meeting up with the tier six ant. The moment they connected, there would be no chance of succeeding in their mission.

[How can a small group of tier six monsters be so difficult to exterminate?] Oolan�tep growled.

Growled!

[We have attacked with tens of thousands of termites. Our creatures aren�t as weak as this.]

[I think we have overestimated the strength of our design in this scenario,] mused Garap�tep. [Although we shifted the Soul Devouring termite design in the queens to a new anti-ant variety, that work was largely rushed. Especially when we compare it to the effort we put into the initial form, which found such success against the tree. When it comes to fighting high-quality monsters with extreme levels of compact strength, our soldiers are far from effective weapons.]

The lead mage of one of the design teams, Garap�tep was at least keeping his cool, as a proper member of their society should.

[Your analysis feels accurate to me,] Rassan�tep agreed with the promising young mage. [The termites are a poor tool for the job, an issue we tried to overcome by applying extreme numbers. However, only a dozen or so of our monsters can engage with the target at a time, and that simply hasn�t proven to be enough.]

Though, that surprised even him. Anthony and his pets, along with that powerful bear, had proven to be absolute powerhouses, capable of destroying huge numbers of weaker monsters without tiring.

It only further convinced him that Anthony was of interest to the Red Truth. A very promising prospect. Perhaps the most promising he�d seen in a hundred years.

[We will retreat,] Oolan�tep declared, much to the others� relief, though they hid it well. [We have suffered a grave defeat today, but we will not endure complete loss. If we regroup, we may still be able to succeed in our endeavour.]

The general mood across the mental bond was positive, though Rassan�tep wondered how much of that was simply a front. There was a general level of blind optimism about the young, and he could sense a little of that around him as they directed their army to abandon the fight and escape. They had to get out of the area themselves if they wanted to avoid a fight, so they wasted no time in mounting their entourages on their backs and setting off through the tunnels.

[How do you think this will play out, Master?] Ammon�sil asked over their bond. [Do you believe we can regroup and push the ants back once more?]

[Unlikely,] he sneered, though he kept his face perfectly still. [The losses today are a blow, but are not devastating. Even the loss of position helps our side somewhat. The ants have been drawn out of their heavily fortified territory and must now fight on fresh ground. They also have more surface area to protect, which makes them more vulnerable.]

[But?]

[But that is only true if the numbers remain relatively the same. We have more termites, and our numbers grow every day, but the Colony can bring reinforcements through the gate whenever they want. I have no idea how many of them there are, but what if a million were to walk through tomorrow? The nest would be overrun that day.]

[Do you really believe they have those sorts of numbers?]

[They may. In truth, I don�t think they would even need that many. Ultimately, we have shown that even with every advantage, the termites are unable to defeat the strongest ant and his pets at this stage. Unless we create more powerful soldiers, or shift their design in some way to be better suited to the task, the ant can do whatever he wants, and we can�t stop him.]

[That isn�t true if the ka�armodo take part in the fight directly.]

[Which is probably what he wants,] he mused. [If my people begin to expose themselves to danger, I think they�ll find that the ant is highly motivated to exploit that situation.]

Total, overwhelming victory. Nothing more, nothing less.

By the time the Colony swept in and around my solo attack, the bruan�chii had already broken through. It was simple to push the termites back, driving them out of the Mother Tree�s island entirely. All they had left were the deep tunnels that curved under the lake between the mountains, and it was there we needed to fortify. I spent a fair bit of time chatting to the Grove Keepers once the enemy began to withdraw, though I had to take a little time to calm Sarah down.

The giant bear was a complete mess when we finally got to her. Invidia started to pour in the Healing Magic straight away, though I suspect it�ll take a while before she fully recovers. After throwing herself into the termites the way she did� it�s little wonder she came out so poorly. I feel terribly guilty. I�d planned for the designated sacrifice-person who gets the heck bitten out of them to be me! Unfortunately, I underestimated just how willing she would be to embrace the rage and dive in. She�s a hell of a lot braver than she gives herself credit for.

Her fur is matted thick with ichor, a good chunk of it hers, and deep cuts can be seen all over her massive frame. When we approach, the deep red aura of bloodlust has already begun to wane, but we remain cautious. She breathes heavily, her maw heaving air into her giant lungs like a bellows. Faintly, that ear-splitting roar can still be heard rattling in the back of her throat.

[Hey there, Sarah,] I say gently, [are you okay in there?]

No reply, but I continue to talk in a soothing tone.

[You absolutely beat the hell out of some termites today. You held down the fort like an absolute boss. You saved the day.]

And she had. Her effort pinned down almost an entire flank and allowed Tiny to work his fancy footwork without being interfered with. In fact, the two who likely killed the most termites are Tiny and Sarah. Not that I didn�t take down an absolute boatload of them, but those two really went to town.

[Haaaa. Haaaaa.]

I can feel the thoughts of the giant bear start to congeal as she calms herself. This is honestly a great improvement for her. She raged for a long time and was pushed right to the edge of death, so to come out of it on her own is incredible progress.

I give her a few more words of encouragement before I leave her in Invidia�s care and go to greet the Grove Keepers. Before I do that, though�

�Protectant� how are you holding up?�

Again with the silent treatment, ugh!

�I mean� seriously? Just freaking answer when I speak to you, dammit! The whole charade is really grating on me.�

�We don�t wish to expose ourselves before the bruan�chii��

�They�re our allies!�

��For now.�

�You are a seriously suspicious lot. Fine. Fine! Don�t pop out, just answer my question.�

�Can�t you tell if we�re alright?� A hint of curiosity creeps into her tone.

�You think I�ll explain how I�m able to sense you? Keep dreaming.�

�We are fine. A few injuries have been sustained, but we are able to continue to perform our duties.�

�You did well,� I congratulate them.

And they did. It�s not easy to track just how successful they were due to their damned organ, but they fought hard on the edges of the conflict. Without them trimming numbers and jumping termites who got too close, I would have taken far more damage than I did.

Having got what I wanted from my guards, I go and have a chat with the Grove Keepers. Good to finally see them show up on the battlefield�

50 Years before Anthony is reborn�

Legionaries were known to obsess over the condition of their Abyssal Armour. Fussing over the plates, burnishing the living stone, polishing the enchanted metal. All of these were important, vital components that ensured the proper function of the suit, providing the all-important protection that allowed their soldiers to endure blows no other army could, and exert strength no sapient should possess.

Yet, in the eyes of Grand Marshal Cicera, they didn�t pay enough attention to the most fundamental and key piece.

Her worn hands moved with practiced ease as she felt along the inside of the armour. Even without looking, she could shift from strap to strap, her indelicate fingers sliding along each one with gentle grace as she checked for splitting and wear. Without the straps, the damn thing wouldn�t hold together, would fall off in battle, plates sliding out of place in the thick of the fight. Not on her watch.

The flickering torchlight was all the Grand Marshal needed to complete her check before she began to strap the armour on. Forearm plates were meticulously positioned and tightened, followed by shins and boots. Once that was done, her aides stepped forward to assist, holding the heavier and more cumbersome sections in place as they were buckled down and snapped into their interlocking folds.

The process was completed in silence, each aware of the import of doing every little task perfectly. Attention to detail, no mistakes, that was how Cicera ran her Legions. That was how the Legionem Abyssi won wars.

After the two attendants completed their final check, running their eyes and hands over every plate with focused care, they nodded and stepped back. The Grand Marshal picked up her helmet and placed it over her head, the heavy Abyssal Iron sliding into place with an audible click as it joined with the shoulder guards.

There was a world of difference between a complete set of armour and one missing even the slightest section. With her helmet in place, the full set of enchantments hummed to life, drawing deep on the mana that circulated through her body along with her blood. Every circuit vibrated with power, returning that strength back to her in turn.

Fully dressed, she acknowledged both her aides before she stepped out of her personal tent to greet those who awaited her there.

�Commanders,� she said as she stepped over the threshold.

�Grand Marshal,� they each saluted solemnly, fist to heart.

�Walk with me,� she directed and strode off at pace, her junior officers falling into stride behind her. �How goes the deployment of your Legions? Atticus, you first.�

�Of course, Grand Marshall. The eighth has deployed as requested along the southwest bank. Artillery has been established and fortified a kilometre behind the front.�

�Have your officers been properly inducted to the order chain?�

�They have.�

�Metorii.�

�The twenty-third is entrenched along the west bank as ordered, Grand Marshal. The mages have been condensing the Earth Mana for six hours, as directed.�

�Good. And the twenty-fifth?�

�We are alongside the twenty-third. In position and spoiling for the fight.�

�I hope that eagerness has been tempered with caution and reason, Commander.�

It didn�t sound like a rebuke, but each of the officers knew it was.

�The soldiers have completed all checks with due diligence,� the commander hastened to assure his leader. �No steps have been skipped.�

Cicera nodded.

�I am pleased your soldiers do not shy away from the challenge that awaits us, but victory comes to those who are prepared.�

She looked out now across the field and took in the sight for the first time.

Banners waved, metal gleamed, and the proud colours of the Abyssal Legions were on full display. Ten full legions, deployed and ready to fight. In the distance, across the water, loomed their target. Against the might of the Legion, it was sure to fall.

�We cannot afford failure today,� she said. �Monsters that grow powerful enough to shift the balance of power cannot be allowed to survive. You know as well as I do the blood that soaks the trunk of that tree. Too many have been killed already. We will end it today.�

�We will, Grand Marshall.�

�There will be sacrifices. No victory can be achieved without paying the price. Have you spoken to your soldiers?�

Each of the commanders nodded. They had moved through their own legions the previous night, speaking to each soldier in turn, shaking their hands and looking the people they would send to fight in the eye. Every Legionary was prepared to die in the defence of civilisation itself.

�Very well,� Cicera said, her voice flat and emotionless. �Send word to begin bombardment.�

�Begin bombardment!�

The call was repeated and echoed down the line and into the command tent, from which it was sent through the network of glyphs that relayed her words to the teams deployed across this vast battlefield. She watched in silence, though her keen ears could hear the work being done in the background as auxiliaries and mages prepared their deadly work.

With a rushing roar, it began. The first round flew through the air, propelled from the enchanted ballista the Legion had come to call the Death Monger. Trailing bright flames, the projectile reached almost a kilometre high as it whistled through the air before falling to strike with tremendous force and an explosion of fire some five kilometres distant. The first acted as a signal, as a second was fired, then another ten, then another hundred.

A thousand artillery pieces lit up the sky, the final shot landing just as the first reloaded, ready to shoot once again. Already, the flames had begun to spread around the base of the tree, the roots catching alight as the payload of alchemical flame spread across the wood.

�The mages may begin to cast,� Cicera ordered calmly, the words echoing out from within her helmet.

Again, her orders were relayed across the entire field in moments. As one, the reserve mages began to pool their mana. Ten great fireballs, each more than a dozen metres across, began to take form as hundreds of mages poured their energy into them, deepening the colour and intensifying the flames.

�Extend the bridges.�

The earth mages, after six hours of relentless preparation, finally let loose their condensed rock. From one island to the next, a great span began to form, pushing aside the mighty waters of the lakes and providing a way forward for the Legionaries.

The fireballs were unleashed, flying across the field to detonate with thunderous force against the enormous tree. Cicera could almost imagine she heard it groan in pain, though it might just be the wood shifting.

�Advance.�

Fifty thousand Legionaries and a hundred thousand auxiliaries made up the army under the Grand Marshal�s command. A mighty force that any in the Dungeon would fear to confront.

This level of commitment wouldn�t normally be needed, even to annihilate a powerful Mythic grade monster. But when a powerful Mythic grade monster began to populate the Dungeon with its own race of offspring? Such a thing could not be allowed to stand.

The Consul had spoken, and so the Legion moved. Supported from behind by the Alliance of Old Races, they had made a stand. The spawn of the Dungeon could not be allowed to proliferate out of control, lest the world fall into ruin.

Hundreds of Death Monger bolts arced through the air every moment, the distant explosions ringing out in a constant patter. The heat from the combined fireballs of the mages could be felt even in the command tent, and after just ten minutes of the barrage, large sections of the tree roots had already caught flame.

Rianus stood on the front line, watching the conflagration grow as the combined ordnance of the Legion flew over his head. His left hand bore his heavy assault shield, locked into position with the soldiers on his left and right, presenting an unbreakable wall to the enemy. He kept his right hand near the hilt of his gladius. The time would soon come when he would need it.

�Advance!� came the order from the centurion behind him, repeated down the line.

As one, the Legionaries stepped off the island and onto the great ramp that had been formed of mana only moments ago. In that moment, he felt invincible. His full suit of Abyssal Armour flooded his limbs with strength, and the thousands of brothers and sisters at his back assured him.

Only victory was possible this day. The Legion�s might was on the march; nothing could stand in their way.

Crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch.

The steady march of the massed ranks was precise as a drum beat, their metal boots slamming into the fresh stone in perfect sync.

�Shieeeeelds high!� roared the centurions.

�HAH!� bellowed the soldiers as the front ranks hoisted their shields higher, till the top edge sat just below their eye line.

It felt as if the world was ending over their heads. A rain of fire and death the likes of which these Legionaries may never see again.

In front of Rianus, the great tree loomed. Kilometres high, as thick as a castle, it was a monstrous thing to behold. Fitting, seeing as it was a monster. A living creature, born from mana to enact the Dungeon�s will. Today would be its last.

�BRACE!� the centurions shouted in unison.

Though he saw nothing, Rianus and every Legionary down the line acted instantly. They stopped the march, dug in their heels, and brought their free hands up to support the shields in front.

Not a moment too soon.

A tangle of roots erupted through the stone in front of them, vicious ropes of plant matter as strong as steel whipping at them, trying to curl over their shields and cut through their armour.

�ATTACK!� came the order.

Rianus dropped his right hand and snatched his gladius from its sheath. With reflexes beyond those of a mortal, he slashed out five times in under a second, the enchanted and hardened Abyssal steel of his blade slicing through the roots like butter. With a shout, he Dashed, hundreds of kilograms of Legionary killing machine launching forward, shield high and blade nothing more than a flicker of light.

Up and down the line, hundreds of Legionaries engaged with the plants, cutting them down as they appeared, but the tree wasn�t done.

Something pushed up the water on either side of the ramp, a vast presence rising from the depths. A tremendous amount of water bulged upward as enormous pods breached the surface, splitting open as they did so.

A wave of green gas emerged and swept over the Legionaries in an instant, but that didn�t sway them. With their modified physiology and the protections of their armour, they were nearly immune to poison. What took Rianus� focus was the many rows of serrated needles nestled within the flesh of the flowers.

�SHIELDS HIGH!�

He didn�t need to be told twice. The moment he got his shield up, he felt a rapid series of impacts that forced his arm up against his chest plate. With his view blocked, the vines emerged once more to curl around and try to slide inside his armour, but he was vigilant. The gladius slashed out, cutting away the seeking roots while he endured the barrage.

A moment later, the pods were struck by precise artillery fire, exploding in a burst of flame that caused hunks of smouldering plant matter to rain down over the bridge.

Once more, the Legionaries braced themselves and began to advance across the gap that separated them from the trunk of the tree. The monster clearly didn�t want them to approach, and Rianus was alert, expecting more tricks with every step.

Surprisingly, there wasn�t another attack until they had almost reached the other side. Rising from beneath the titanic roots came an unorganised mob of creatures that could only be described as gnarled trees come to life. Amongst them were enormous, lumbering figures, twice as tall as the others.

These must be the �children� the tree had been producing.

The new creatures strode forward, determination and rage brimming from every inch of their frames.

Rianus grinned as he advanced in lockstep with his brothers and sisters of the Legion, his hand tightening on the hilt of his blade.

This would be fun.

Breathe.

In. Hold. Release. Hold.

Breathe.

In. Hold. Release. Hold.

Slowly. Patience was required. The sharpest blade couldn�t be forged in a day. The metal had to be unearthed, refined, smelted, shaped, heated, and cooled over and over again until the final temper had been achieved. The perfect weapon was the work of a lifetime.

And so was Orrina.

She was the Legion�s weapon, its sharpest and most perfect. She had been forged over many years, placed in the fire, moulded, quenched, then thrown back into the heat once more.

Breathe.

In. Hold. Release. Hold.

As she repeated the mantra and controlled the air that flowed into her body, so too did she influence the mana around her. It pulsed, rising and falling along with her lungs. Vast quantities rushed into her body, were contained, and then released. Each time she drew it in, the energy within her grew that little bit more rich, more vibrant. It wouldn�t be long now.

Breathe.

In. Hold. Release. Hold.

Deeper and deeper she sank. Her worries fell away. Her past fell away. Her joy. Her sorrow. With each breath, more pieces of her heart and mind were released into the dark where they could not reach her. All that would remain was the pure core: her instincts, her training, and her unending warrior spirit. She honed her mind as the blade was honed, until it reached the perfect, razor�s edge.

The aura that rolled off her in dense waves felt as if it would cut the air. None dared to approach.

A final time.

Breathe.

In. Hold. Release. Hold.

The mana roared through her body now in a violent torrent. A storm of energy that begged for release. Her mind had been reduced to the point of a blade; nothing remained to cloud her judgement. It was time.

Slowly, she opened her eyes.

Thick, moulded plates of steel stood before her. An impossible construct of complexity and engineering so profound it was nothing short of a miracle. A fitting partner for her. She was the greatest the Legion could produce, an example of martial perfection. Her equipment should match.

In the distant parts of her mind, she knew her peers were engaged in the same ritual as she. Those thoughts were ignored, allowed to drift away without touching her singular focus. With measured steps, she moved to her armour, her balance effortlessly perfect. A ladder had been prepared, but she didn�t need it, she simply vaulted up to land on the wide pauldron and look down.

Blue. So blue it hurt to look at. A shimmering pool of intense light, so vibrant and filled with power it almost overwhelmed her senses.

Liquid mana.

One last time. Breathe.

In. Hold. Release. Hold.

Orrina placed her hands on either side of the opening and smoothly lowered herself in, plunging herself into the liquid in one motion.

Agony.

The concentrated mana flooded her pores, seeping into her body and threatening to rip her apart. But it didn�t happen. The vast rivers of magic that flowed through her came into contact with this new power source and found a delicate equilibrium. If she were any less saturated with mana, she would have died the moment she dropped in, but this was far from the first time for her.

With practiced ease, even submerged as she was, Orrina found the straps that bound her in place, tying them off expertly before she reached up to pull the opening shut above her, sealing herself in.

The armour hummed to life.

Pressed against the unspeakably detailed enchanted matrix, she could feel herself meld with the metal, her unique Skills, possessed only by the chosen few within the Legion, coming alive. The pain continued, but she didn�t feel it; these were the moments she lived for.

Her mind expanded and suddenly she could see through the thick plates of metal in front as if they weren�t even there. Her body moved, the armour moved, and Orrina was whole once more.

She couldn�t feel the fierce grin that split her face as she reached out to her right, the gauntlet closing around the hilt of her beloved sword. Blade in hand, she strode forward, perfectly balanced, as each step was announced with a resounding boom.

The same sound came from her left and right as her fellows emerged from their pens, ready to fight. This was a rare occasion, one that hadn�t happened in her entire career. Ten of them had been called up for this action. There was no chance of failure.

The battle was already well underway. Several kilometres distant, Legionaries tangled with strange wooden creatures large and small as artillery and mage fire rained down from overhead. The Tree looked to be fighting back; bulbs sprouted all over the place, rising from the water, drooping down from the absurdly thick boughs overhead to launch spores and bladed seeds.

She would need to cross the water using the land bridge the Legion had established in order to support the front line. It was quite a distance, and might take her as much as a minute.

[Simple mission: engage and eliminate. Once that tree is cut down, we can head home.]

Bruvae�s mind felt as cold and distant as Orrina�s own. She too had been divested of all that would impede her function as the perfect weapon.

[Engage as you see fit,] came the order.

The mental link was ended.

Let�s go.

Orrina took a step, followed by another, then another. Her momentum built with impossible speed; the size and weight of her armour should have made it impossible, yet it happened regardless. By the fifth step, she was flying across the ground, each bound carrying her an absurd distance as the scenery whipped past. In fifteen seconds, she reached the bridge and was still gaining speed.

Past the wreckage and broken stone. Past the dismembered and fallen roots. Past the fallen and dying soldiers who lay bleeding on the ground.

As the fighting drew closer, she leapt high, over the massed ranks of the Legionaries and down amongst the throng of tree people. She fell like an armoured star, her sword flashing, light from the blade sweeping out to carve through the wooden fighters like a scythe through wheat.

The faces of the soldiers lit with awe and pride as their finest members arrived on the battlefield like avenging gods. It was a privilege to fight alongside men and women such as these, and their efforts redoubled in the presence of the greatest warriors ever produced.

The Praetorians had arrived on the field.

Up amongst the roots of the Tree, the fighting grew ever more intense. This close to the trunk, the mighty monster could exert more of its strength. Twisted roots as thick as buildings rumbled as they rose from the ground to reveal gnashing teeth, barbed vines and poison-spitting flowers that regrew almost as quickly as they were destroyed. Mana thundered through the tree so thickly that every Legionary could practically taste it.

The damned monster must be sucking in energy from a wide area to be able to handle this level of output, but drawing that kind of power had drawbacks. Every Legionary knew the price of taking in more than one could handle.

Even monsters, born of mana, could be susceptible to it if they pushed beyond their capacity. Only time would tell if the tree was overdrawing itself.

Rianus had been fighting for an hour, and even his superhuman endurance was being pushed. His shoulders burned, his wrists ached, and his legs felt weak. This was when the real fight began. Any soldier could perform when they were fresh and rested, but the Legion didn�t care for warriors such as those. When exhaustion came, when arms trembled and knees shook, that was when the fight would hang in the balance.

The massive wooden creature in front of him glared, its eyes afire with righteous indignation as it brought one massive fist crashing down from overhead. The Legionary gritted his teeth and braced his shield overhead, almost buckling under the tremendous impact. Driven down to one knee, he snaked his blade around the edge of his shield and cut deep into the wooden hand, forcing the monster to retrieve its limb.

He forced himself to stand once more, his body on fire as he readied himself. His fellow soldiers pushed forward to take advantage of the slight opening he�d created, their weapons igniting with light as they prepared to deploy their Skills.

An explosion of soil erupted in front of them, showering the soldiers with clods of earth before a wall of slithering roots exploded outward. Several Legionaries were taken, dragged beneath the surface the moment they lost their footing, with thin tendrils sliding into the gaps in their armour.

�Get back!� Rianus growled as he slashed continuously, burning stamina to thin the attack and free his comrades.

A shadow flitted overhead before a figure arrived with a mighty crash. Towering over the soldiers, even larger than the bigger wooden creatures, the Praetorian swept an arm out, a broad halberd glowing impossibly bright. The vines evaporated when struck by that luminescence, slashed to nothing by the power of that single strike. Without saying a word, the mighty Legionary dashed away, ready to engage on another front.

�Reform the line!� Rianus bellowed.

He didn�t have time to be awed. The Praetorians had been racing all over the battlefield, putting themselves in harm�s way as much as possible to protect the Legionaries� lives and end the battle as fast as possible. It hadn�t been the first time he�d seen them, and it sure wouldn�t be the last.

As the Legion gathered themselves back into formation, he sized up their surroundings. Overhead, the explosions continued to ring out, a rain of fire constantly falling around them. Smoke billowed from the trunk of the tree as the flames spread, the sound of crackling wood almost overwhelming to the senses.

Once they had secured the ground here, they could focus their bombardment from close range and bring the thing down. If events proceeded as expected, it wouldn�t be long.

�Shields up!� Rianus ordered.