Chrysalis

The trail has been detected!

It looks the members of my colony have been to this lake after all! This is incredible news, I could possibly just wait here next to the lake for them to show up and follow them back to the nest!

Staying close to the lake I tip tap my antennae on the ground and follow the trail away from the water. It absolutely seems like a solid trail has been lain down here. The more often ants use a particular path the more they will reinforce the trail with pheromones, making the trail more and more solid.

I don’t think this path this path has been in particularly heavy use but members of the colony have certainly been here a few times.

I retreat back to the safety of the lake and can’t resist a small dance of happiness.

Nearby monsters are looking at me funny out of the corner of their eyes. It probably isn’t very often they are treated to some amateur ant freestyle tap.

My new family is with reach!

After being on my own in this Dungeon for days on end it’ll feel so nice just to see another entity that doesn’t want to eat me!

I’ll get to see my Mother in another world, the Queen. I wonder how big she is?

I really didn’t get to see my mother much back on earth, most of the time I’d been on my own. Hopefully this time I’ll be able to help out a bit more and we can work together!

Gah! I’m too excited!

Need to chill, need to calm down.

It’s important I don’t forget where I am, this environment is incredibly dangerous. If I run about whilst this distracted I’ll just get myself killed.

I scout around for a few minutes until I find a nice nest site and dig myself my now patented L chamber and close over the top.

Ensconced in total darkness I once again begin the exhausting process of training my Mana Manipulation.

*puff*

The chamber is briefly illuminated every time the small cloud of mana is released from my mouth.

*puff*

I exhaust my mana, once again failing at my last attempt, unsuccessfully directing the energy due to

ahead is

decide to rest, entering the state of torpor, the sleep equivalent of the insect. I’m getting more and more accustomed to this rest. Without closing my eyes, just

wake up feeling much more

Phew.

continue to take it

the added benefit now is that if I keep track of the lake

try and follow the trail back to the nest on my own but I’m reluctant to take that risk when it may

continue to train up

other skill I want to increase is Dig. It may not be the flashiest skill, the best use in combat

But I like it!

the fundamental skill of the ant is, it would be their incredible

do is dig about. With this in mind I start to make extensions to my small chamber, digging small, narrow tunnels in a few directions just a meter under the surface, diverting around, under or stopping a tunnel completely when I run into rock.

lake and it isn’t long before I encounter tree roots the buried stems of the giant

scope out what is happening

that I didn’t even notice when the notification for the skill reaching level came through. When I stop working and try to think about

Level five Dig!

only I had a skill point, I’d be super curious to see what this

it, I am getting a little hungry, it may be time to think about trying

if my colony has

I rush back to the lake hoping to see my own

wide variety of creatures drinking here

Ah well.

Hopefully next time!

me to do is to either try and go hunting or wait

Wait a sec...

the hell

a small hill overlooking the lake. At that distance I can’t see perfectly but I can see enough to think

And they aren’t monsters!

tunnel and start scurrying away from the lake and I don’t stop until I make it under

are

shapes over that hill. Have

came directly down a shaft, the most direct possible route, who knows