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.

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

of existential terror

to investigate, to explore the deeper layers below just to know, just to

from 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 when we get

escape tunnel. The speed is

the mana concentration still growing?! Is that why they are moving in

think about it!

faster as the dirt flies, ants crawling

noises from below continue to grow louder we quickly

The muffles noises and vibrations that pass through the loosely packed soil are enough motivation for me to continue stacking dirt against the entrance. I

stacking that dirt, fellow workers! Start bringing it

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

to pack the dirt far enough back that even the gradually extending tendrils of the mana veins on the wall have been covered over. Any monsters that spawn in those walls will claw themselves

manage to actually dig themselves out into the tunnel they'll be easy pickings

the rest of the Dungeon is plunged into blood and madness these ants and I exist in

much air monstrous ants require in this world, monster live up to 10000 km under the surface here after

for sustenance is constant. Without

long will Tiny last without

for now, if I can put off letting him know then I

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

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

of the solid ground in front of her as she cheerfully

smaller workers at this end of the tunnel are still vibrating with enthusiasm, fawning over their mother and, vigorously transporting the loose