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!

VOICE IS LIKE MANNA FROM HEAVEN

system going

skill points. I haven’t even allowed myself to open the skill menu, lest I succumb and waste points that I

Now my time

the skills menu to advance

to control mana

I’ll upgrade that

at the complete list of available skills. I’m actually a bit nervous before

do finally open the menu, a flood of new

there but many others have

can hardly choose! Before I let myself get distracted I quickly hunt down any

significant amounts of mana in a shorter

Mana Manipulation, grants the capacity to control and manipulate mana outside of the

ability to sense bodies of concentrated mana using the

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

soon as I confirm my purchases the now familiar sensation like trickling water over my brain. New knowledge flows lightly into my mind, pooling into the cracks and crevices, filling up the places that

a single skill point remaining but there are still so many fantastic skills to choose

as I’m agonising over which skill to take a name in the list suddenly catches my attention. I think ... I know what this one is

structure

in this world. I remember when I reconstituted Tiny from a core, the system suggested

being unclear on exactly what this skill entails,

all of my amassed

but still satisfied I was able to take every mana

Tiny as he lies sleepily on the floor 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

during evolution they were able to develop an ability to naturally perform some actions with their