Chrysalis

The pressure continues to build within my throat, the small spherical mass of mana is becoming tighter and tighter, the dense energy fluctuating and spinning wildly as more and more mana is forced into it.

I’m reaching the limits of my tolerance, I have to act soon!

I can see the Queen advancing into the forest, her personal swarm of guards being forced to move with her. It’s clear that she intends to personally enter the battle and defend her colony against these large interlopers.

I think if these damned Croca beasts hadn’t shown up she would probably have been content to just release her healing spell and then retreat back into the nest, but with such a large portion of her workforce under threat she must feel compelled to act.

A caring mother, striding into battle for her children... It’s very moving Gandalf! And no I’m not crying! I can’t cry, I’m an ant, but within, I am deeply moved by this maternal devotion.

For the moment I’ll gloss over that this situation is entirely my fault...

On my back Tiny has continued to survey the battlefield, hooting aggressively at our foes and occasionally lashing out with his little fists whenever he could locate a target. I’m impressed the little fellow has managed to maintain his seat all this time, it couldn’t have been easy in the swirling melee.

I’m drawing closer and closer to the Titan-Croc even as they are drawing closer and closer to me. They’ve almost reached the ants now, just a few more meters and those claws will begin to reap a dark harvest of ant experience. I won’t let it happen!

Suddenly accelerating I charge forward out of the pack, brushing aside my fellow workers in my mad rush to reach the crocodiles before they are able to act. I want to draw their attention away from the colony as much as possible, I have to be fast!

Go!

My force mana sphere is as dense as I can make it, no matter how I try I can’t force any more energy into it. It is wildly spinning inside me, a tiny, ultra-dense, hot fog of mana just begging to be released.

As I reach the edge of the field I climb onto the back of a nearby worker and leap into the air. Directly before my face the Titan-Croc looms. Cruel eyes stare directly into mine. Massive jaws part to reveal a wealth of barbed teeth, ready to snap out my life.

Delivered to you fresh like the cold mountain winds, receive the shout of my people!

Opening my mouth I finally release the energy I’ve contained within . Like a bullet from a gun, like a directed explosion, the mana bursts out with irresistible force, as if I shot a cannonball from my mouth.

Time seems to slow down in this moment. Or perhaps my perception speeds up. The chaotic motion all around me stills and the small details become larger and larger in my eyes. I can see the huge bulk of the Titan-Croc in front of me as I float through the air, it’s maw opening wide, ropes of saliva clinging to each tooth, ready to crunch down on this meal that has delivered itself by airmail directly.

of ants with claws

continue to battle the centipedes, a ferocious melee of insect vs insect in all of its savage glory. Only a few workers have responded to the impending threat of Croca-beast, I can see their antennae slowly twitching in

magic is

the power of a battering ram. With my heightened senses in this moment I can see the very

the air so my blast doesn’t smash into the Titan-Croc’s mouth as I’d hoped but rather

change come over the monster’s face, an ever so slight flicker of surprise registering in the

the strange sensation of

catapults away into a tree

half as the enormous mass of monster crashes into it like a thunderbolt. The burst

Then silence.

Then Gandalf.

level

[You have gained experience]

reached

...

One hit.... KO?

Are you kidding me?!

if struck by a giant’s hammer. The two smaller Croca-Beasts are wearing an expression that could

land on my feet before them, looking up at their crocodile

look down at me, not seeming to quite

Then Mother arrives.

crashes into the Croca-Beast on my left. Her immense jaws immediately scissor the Croca-Beast across

heck Mother?! How much Biomass did you spend upgrading your mandibles? They look

in this place do not know the word retreat and the remaining Croca-Beast shows no sign of backing down. I don’t know if these creatures are incredibly brave

The Queen doesn’t even react, allowing the claws to rake into her carapace. The force of that impact would have sent

when the Croca draws back its arms do I see that the blow hasn’t even left a mark on the shiny dark carapace of Mother. Exactly

workers, constantly battling for food and returning as much of it as possible to the nest for the Queen to eat, not only giving her

the most highly mutated member of the colony, probably possessing many mutation advanced to boot. For whatever reason her advancements seem to be the less ostentatious kind as I can’t really see a visible difference in her carapace or mandibles yet

opens her jaws wide and plunges them down, all of her crushing weight behind the strike. Even the powerful Croca-Beast is no match for