Chrysalis

I have high hopes for this upgrade. At the moment I can’t use my mana for anything other than practice, it serves no offensive purpose, and I can’t help but wonder if I’ll eventually be able to manipulate my mana into different elemental types eventually. If I’m right then this could be a massive advantage, even if it is a long way off.

For now, this upgrade will give me what I want most, which is a rounded offensive boost.

Choose Infused Mandibles!

ooooOOOOHHHHHHHH GOD!

MY FACE!

MY PRECIOUS FACE!

Once the mutation begins my entire face erupts with painful itching. It almost feels as if wires are tunnel through my head, connecting my mandibles and my inner body.

This is the WOOOOOOOOORST!

It takes a long time for the mutation to end. When it finally stops I feel like crying in relief and once again I’m forced to remember that ants have no tears.

But my heart, my heart is weeping.

Getting stronger is an amazing feeling but the process completely sucks. Having spent my mana and my Biomass it is time to rest up. I still have skill points to spend but I’ll keep holding them for skill upgrades and potential magic skills.

Time for a nap!

Without further ado I flop onto my side and begin to drift into the dreamless state of torpor. Tiny scratches around for a while before leaning himself against my back. Before my senses finally fade away I can hear him snoring softly behind me.

Aaaand UP!

With a jolt I shake myself awake, ready to take on another day of challenges! Since there isn’t really any hurry I make sure to spend the mana I accumulated whilst resting on more manipulation practice.

I try something different this time, inspired the Queen, that is to say, mother, passing on her healing spell through her antennae. Using my mind to control the flow of energy in my core I direct it out, into my body and up through my antennae. Eventually the mana is released as a brightly glowing wisp of smoke, drifting from the tip of each antennae.

me or is he a bit bigger today?) and wait for him to jump on my back before heading down to the nesting

started quickly today so I felt like taking some time

don’t’ have much going for them at this stage in their development, no eyes or ears of any kind. They are totally dependent on the workers to care for them until they

antennae and they start wriggling around happily, rolling away to escape. This starts a new game where Tiny and I take turns to roll the little guys back and forth as they wibble and wobble

Heheh.

to go and secure

Wait, I smell something...

rush out of the chamber and into the tunnel to see the workers rushing about, extremely agitated. It doesn’t take long for me to work out why. The scent I detect in the air is the pheromone for emergency,

heck is going on

my way forward, Tiny in his customary saddle on my back,

Queen pacing around agitatedly, as many as thirty workers clustered around her defensively. There is one other tunnel leading further down in this chamber and workers are streaming down it at the moment, that is the source of the

forward, bursting into the tunnel and

heck is going on guys? Tunnel collapse? Food located?

running down the tunnel I get my answer, the sounds of brutal impact and flesh being torn are ringing in

We are under attack!

Defend the colony!

the front line and smash our enemies to

I see. Broken and sliced bodies of my fellow workers litter the ground already but as soon as more arrive they throw themselves into the

seem to do much to deter

upper bodies are grotesquely bulked with muscle, with almost no head or face to speak of. From the center of their chest protrudes a hideous beak. Instead of arms, four glistening blades, made from

heck

further down below? They look

don’t have the luxury of waiting, workers are being slaughtered as I wait around. I have to throw myself into

the forefront of the reinforcements. It’s difficult to see how many of these insane creatures there are since the narrow tunnel only allows two of them to fight at a time but I can the tunnel is packed with the monsters behind the leading

to take Tiny into the middle of this. I quickly shake my body left and right, like a wet dog, until I dislodge the little guy. He cries

more for

on then you freaks, let’s

start climbing over me to reach their immediate death I charge, drawing the attention of our enemies directly to

Slash!

duck under the first strike but already there are more