Chrysalis

This stupid wave! Just how threatening does it have to get? I'm already a wrecked heap. A heap I say!

Now the veins are extending into the escape tunnel, which will surely cause monsters to spawn right under our feet!

An addition we have to deal with these unknown threats from below? It's enough to drive an ant crazy!

Ok.. Think Anthony, what are you going to do?

Stay and fight? Against what!? We have no idea what sort of horror is going to ascend up that tunnel, eager to eviscerate our most sensitive zones? There is absolutely no way we stay here and battle it out against whatever is coming up. One of the first things I learned about in this Dungeon is not to pick a fight you aren't sure you can win.

Run?

Run where? The tunnel isn't complete! All we can do is run up towards a dead end! They don't call 'em life ends for a reason!

Only one choice remains! Hide!

"Quick! We need to cover up the entrance and seal this tunnel!" I shout to the workers around me,

The workers respond to my call to action rapidly, as they usually do. This is a family that can be relied on in a pinch!

A hundred workers leap into action, hauling dirt up to close off the remaining open section of the tunnel entrance, quickly shovelling dirt with their mandibles.

From beneath us the sounds of bloodcurdling screams and the wild gnashing of teeth, grinding away at the bones of still living foes echo endlessly, certainly providing ample motivation to my own digging efforts.

down there? Actually, I'm not confident that I

existential terror that

investigate, to explore the deeper layers below just to know, just to see what it was like down there, what

below have somewhat cured me of that feeling, I have to say. To the surface my fellow ants (and Tiny), maybe find a mountain to climb

their baleful reach further into the escape tunnel. The speed is still slow, perhaps

are moving in

about it!

flies, ants crawling all over each other in their eagerness to complete the task

continue to grow louder we

motivation for me to continue stacking dirt against the entrance. I

fellow workers! Start bringing it from

of earth between us and the horrors that will

gradually extending tendrils of the mana veins on the wall have been covered over. Any monsters

themselves out into the tunnel they'll be easy pickings

a dirt cylinder. As the rest of

sure how much air monstrous ants require in this world, monster live up to 10000 km

a voracious appetite, the need for sustenance is constant. Without being able to

how long will Tiny

asleep for now, if I can

more muted until barely the slightest of vibrations can be felt I decide to head to the front of the tunnel to check on our

and rock the entire time Tiny and I have been occupied with the defence. A lot of progress has been made! According to my tunnel map, which has reached level two, the tunnel still has a long way to go before we

diligently digging, her massive mandibles ripping huge chunks out of the solid

tunnel are still vibrating with enthusiasm, fawning over their mother and, vigorously transporting the loose soil further back