Chrysalis

With my inspection of the goings on of the colony complete I make my way back to my own quiet sleeping chamber and continue to practice my Mana Manipulation until all of my Mp is spent and then I once again rest.

I haven’t been able to be this lazy since my rebirth and it brings me a great deal of comfort to do so now. Perhaps my stress had been building up over this time? To be able to sleep and play without having to worry for a brief time seems like such a decadent luxury in this life.

If something isn’t trying to rip your face off in that moment then you are probably the one trying to rip something else’s face off. The never ending war for Biomass and experience rages throughout these caves, from the open spaces to the deepest, darkest tunnels. The monsters in this place are always hunting, hungering for more. Does it ever stop?

Where do all these monsters come from? And why? I still have so many questions about this world. For all of my success in surviving and growing to this stage, the thing I lack most is information. The kind of information a human society would have, history, geography, science. What in the name of all that is good is going on in this place?!

The things that seem so insane to me must make perfect sense to the civilisations that live here, if only I could find someone I could communicate with! Someone I can communicate with and that wouldn’t cut my head off the moment they saw me...

The Queen is about the most intelligent and friendly monster I’ve seen but I can’t exactly communicate with her. Perhaps if she evolves further or gains enough Biomass she will develop some capacity to convey information. Ant speak? Telepathy? Something like that.

Nothing I can do on that front except wait.

The cycle of rest continues for two more days. When I wake up I practice my Mana Manipulation until my MP runs dry and then bum around the colony until I get tired. By the end of the second day I could swear the Queen was throwing disapproving glances at me whenever I walked by, like a worried mother fretting about her useless child.

Dammit Mum! Just a few days off ok?!

The rest of the workforce never stops for a moment, endlessly running back and forth, venturing out to scout and find food then bringing it back, tending to the brood, cleaning up the nest, then entering torpor to rest before starting the whole process over again.

I honestly feel tired just watching them.

Tiny seems to be enjoying our vacation, lazing about on my back as we travel and sleeping at every opportunity. I can’t help but think he’ll get hungry if we keep slugging about much longer.

During my practice on the third day, the gruff voice of Gandalf finally comes through.

[Mana Manipulation has reached level 5, upgrade available]

AT LAST!

MANNA FROM HEAVEN TO ME

this stupid system

to open the skill menu, lest I succumb

my time has

open the skills menu

increases the ability to control mana into specific

promising, I’ll upgrade

available skills. I’m actually a bit nervous before I

menu, a flood of new options have

from the beginning are still there but many others

I let myself get distracted I quickly hunt down any magic related skills in

release significant amounts of mana in

Manipulation, grants the capacity to control

gives the ability to sense bodies of concentrated mana using the

mana in some way. Whilst I was hoping to be able to throw fireballs it looks like I’m still in the beginning stages. I’m a simple ant, when I see mana in the skill

my brain. New knowledge flows lightly into my mind, pooling into the cracks and

there are still so many fantastic skills to choose

a name in the list suddenly catches my attention. I think ... I know what this

to manipulate the structure of a monster core

this world. I remember when I reconstituted Tiny from a core, the system suggested that some skills would enable the ability to customise the process, probably in a similar way to how I could somewhat control

on exactly what this

amassed skill

somewhat disappointed that I can’t start using magic immediately but still satisfied I was able to take every mana

reminds me of his adult form and the Titan-Croc engaging in battle. They were able to channel lightning and spit fireballs but it didn’t seem as if they were using magic in any intellectual way when they

abilities? Perhaps during evolution they