Chrysalis

Looking at the thick trunk of the large tree before me I flex my mandibles cautiously. Hopefully these infused mandibles are up to the challenge.

Ignoring the deafening noise of the little chimps above me I wander up to the base of the tree. The aggravation of the monsters only becomes more intense as I approach, the small creatures look almost comical with their faces twisted in incandescent rage, completely infuriated that a single enemy would dare approach their territory.

Turning my head I can see three workers have followed my trail to the area where I had finished it, about fifty meters away from the tree. Once they arrive there they muddle about, turning here and there, looking for the location of the food which the trail had indicated to them existed in this place.

Not to worry chaps, I'll be serving it up to you shortly!

Infused mandibles!

As soon as I activate it with a thought, mana begins to flood out of my core, rushing through my body and into my mandibles. The build of energy becomes more and more intense until I almost wonder if there is anything I can't bite through with all this power.

Combined with the strength generated by my active skills I can pack a tremendous force into every bite.

Under the bewildered and disbelieving eyes of an entire tree full of monstrous apes I rear back my head and then darting forward I unleash the full force of my might upon the tree trunk.

Piercing bite!

Crunch!

The sharp edges of my mandibles sink deep into the strange wood these trees are composed of, sending splinters flying into the air and bouncing off my carapace. After this bite I don't cut off the flow of mana, letting it continue to pour out of my core and fuse with my jaws, vastly increasing their strength.

Again, piercing bite!

Crunch!

And again!

Crunch!

My mana is depleting at a furious pace, the power of these mandibles does come at a steep cost. For a monster with a poorly developed core they would be almost completely useless but thankfully I've been able to reinforce my core a quite a few times and I'll only continue to improve it further in the future!

Crunch!

the mouth in their anger. I think they may have finally realised what I'm up to, some of them are starting to

But it's too late.

Crunch!

CREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAK!!!

Oh! Here we go!

away from the tree, moving across the path of descent and turning my head so I

huge tree, with all of its shocked occupants on board, slowly begins

horror as their world literally starts to fall around them, whilst they are

TIMMMBEEEERRRRR!

CRASH.

the ground with a tremendous boom, the sound of

howls of

pouring out of the wreckage of their tree

For the colony!

Tiny hooting and roaring on my back like an enraged knight, who is also an

creatures are scattered by my larger frame, literally bouncing

the ants immediately turn and sprint back towards the colony. I'm not shocked by this, they aren't running away in fear or anything like that, these workers know no fear,

into battle alongside me, latching onto the nearest ape with its jaws

is to delay and keep this one worker alive

to slay the would be attackers, punching and kicking at me, some of them even picking up improvised weapons like branches and rocks to try and

Muahahahaha!

Useless!

of your efforts are

far beneath my toughness to begin with, when the advancement of my carapaces against physical damage is also taken into consideration then there is

my mandibles. The anger and fury on the monsters faces only grows more intense as I play with them and they redouble their efforts, grouping up to leap through the air and bring their fists down on my head with all of the force they can

…

all you've

It barely tickles!