Chrysalis

Overall we managed to harvest six cores from the wide section of tunnel, including two tasty looking ones from the Bone Lizards. All in all this has been an extremely profitable trip! It feels good to get levels and Biomass again so freely like this! Now that I don’t have to worry so much about the colony surviving the terror of the wave, I’ll be able to head down here with Tiny every now again in order to make sure my personal strength isn’t lagging too far behind!

I can already feel more heat readings from the walls growing with every passing second. A new wave of monsters is about to spawn and I’d rather not get tangled up with them. I collect my passengers and tell Tiny that it’s time to leave.

The big ape has mostly healed up after consuming all of that Biomass but his fist still looks like it’s in rough shape. Not too surprising considering what he punched! More importantly he looks relaxed and happy, something I haven’t seen for over a week now.

Being a little careful with ourselves we begin the long trek to the surface one more, clearing out the monsters who had spawned behind us as we’d descended. The two little ones are probably the members who gained the most from this trip. I’m not sure that eating more advanced Biomass expedites the growth of young monsters but it probably does, I’ll be interested to see how much Crinis has grown tomorrow. Since Vibrant is a fully grown monster, albeit a small one, she will have gained a truckload of Biomass from consuming a creature two evolution levels above her, perhaps as many as fifteen points!

Considering how limited her stomach capacity is, getting so many points from one meal is quite an amazing haul!

Eventually we make our way back to the surface. I climb out first in order to detect if there are any humans or other creatures around the opening to the tunnel. We need to be somewhat careful moving in and out of here as we aren’t too far from the human settlement. Some caution goes a long way in avoiding unnecessary complications!

Since we’ve cleaned out the lower tunnels twice there shouldn’t be too much there for the humans in the church to fight, just the very weakest monsters who spawned above where my new tunnel connects to the old one. Not only have I protected their lives, I’ve also robbed them of experience. Truly giving with hand and taking with the other. Gweheheh.

To be honest, I haven’t hurt them at all, and taking little steps like this to protect my colony, my family, is surely permissible right? Gandalf?

Eh. My conscious is clean.

The four of us begin the long trek back into the forest, well, two of us begin the long trek back into the forest. I’m fairly certain that Vibrant has fallen asleep on my head. Judging by the rhythmic expansion and contraction of the little ball on my back, Crinis has also!

Why I oughtta!

The faster they digest that Biomass and grow the sooner they’ll be off my back and working hard for the colony. Just

to the anthill and things are perfectly peaceful on the

are almost there, faint sounds of battle

chest as I recognise the sound of human voices shouting and the clash of

forward at top speed, not caring that my rapid movement has jolted my two passengers awake. Tiny seems to detect my rising panic

and a scream is rising in my

to my eyes.

rises like small mountain to my right, dominating the center of the clearing, workers pour out of the top, mandibles clacking with rage, antennae twitching angrily, no doubt sensing the call to arms pheromones that have

and embossed filigree. Two mages stand at the back, ornate staves in their hands and flowing robes running over their

they are massacring the

their home, but they cannot get close enough. The magicians have conjured some type of shield that pushes the workers back, allowing the warriors to swing freely and unleash their sword skills, sending waves of sword light slashing through the ants. The acid fired from

frame is

My family is dying!

[TINY! KILL!]

my companion before my mind goes totally red. My precious siblings are being killed, torn apart like paper, right before my

I vigorously shake off the two little ones and start sprinting at

closer! When I’m just a few metres away one of the spell casters turns

face, as if an invisible barrier just rushed at me,

Not today Mr Mime!