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!

they digest that Biomass and grow the sooner they’ll be off my back and working hard for the

to walk back to the anthill and things

faint sounds of battle attract my

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

two passengers awake. Tiny seems to detect my rising panic and rumbles

is rising in my head. Not

tears to my eyes. I mean, if I had tear ducts. Just let

the clearing, workers pour out of the top, mandibles clacking with rage, antennae twitching angrily, no doubt sensing the call to arms pheromones

insignia and embossed filigree. Two mages stand at the back, ornate staves in

they are

pushes the workers back, allowing the warriors to swing freely and unleash their sword skills, sending waves of sword light slashing through the ants.

center of my view is the most horrifying sight of all. The Queen has come out! Her huge frame is

My family is dying!

[TINY! KILL!]

to my companion before my mind goes totally red. My precious

off the two little ones and start sprinting at the enemy. They dare to attack my

any sort of plan, rushing directly forwards. Closer, closer, closer! When I’m just a few metres away one of the spell casters turns his head and

if an invisible barrier just rushed at

Not today Mr Mime!