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.

the heck is going on down there? Actually, I'm not confident that

are experiencing a kind of existential terror that I wasn't sure the beasts I'd seen had a capacity

always had a urge to investigate, to explore the deeper layers below just to know,

from below have somewhat cured me of that feeling, I have to say. To the

gradual progress of the mana veins slowly extending their baleful reach further into the escape tunnel. The speed is still slow, perhaps

that why they are moving in this way? There is still

about it! Just

workers to move faster as the dirt flies, ants crawling all over

horrific noises from below continue to grow louder we quickly

are enough motivation for me to continue stacking dirt against the entrance.

fellow workers! Start bringing it from

entrance, trying to put an amount of earth between us and the horrors that will soon enter that chamber that I'll feel comfortable we

monstrous combat have receded and we've managed to pack the dirt far enough back that even the gradually extending tendrils of the mana veins on the

themselves out into the tunnel they'll

completely sealed within a dirt cylinder. As the rest of the Dungeon is plunged into blood and

ants require in this world,

Without being able to charge out and secure Biomass every few hours

how long will

now, if I can put off letting him know

the digging, with the sounds rippling out from the Queen's chamber growing more and more muted until barely the slightest of

with the defence. A lot of progress has been made! According to my tunnel

out of the solid ground in front of her as she cheerfully encourages the workers around her to

enthusiasm, fawning over their mother and, vigorously transporting