Chrysalis

Seeing that unwilling flicker of eye movement I’m reminded of the mysterious heat I’d detected a few moments ago. I still can’t see anything occupying that space but even though one of my antennae is still in the process of regenerating, I can still detect that there is some random heat emanating from that space.

What the heck is it?!

In the heat of the moment I don’t have much time to decide my course of action. Any second that mage is going to start casting her spells again! I refuse to be diverted and continue using almost all of my mental energy on the construction of my Gravity Bolt. This one happens to be inverse. We’ll see how well this mage can cast spells when she’s one thousand feet up!

In order to throw her off balance I still lunge forward with my mandibles, activating my shattering bite skill as I do so! The ethereal mandibles that are manifestations of my stamina lash out through the air, closing rapidly on the mage. The warriors might be able to resist this attack but I highly doubt a mage can! Not without some sort of barrier at any rate.

The old woman shocks me by nimble rolling under my strike, expertly tucking her staff flat against her stomach to avoid it catching on anything as she completes the motion and stands ready to strike at me, staff extended!

Yikes!

I hastily leap forward and narrowly dodge a lance of ice that materialises from the tip of her staff and streaks through the air like an arrow, smashing into the ground just behind me.

Close!

I can’t help but note that when she made her dodge roll she managed to place herself in between me and the mysterious heat source. She is clearly trying to protect it! This only piques my interest. If she is willing to put herself in harm’s way for that thing then it may be able to swing the outcome of this battle!

With a start I realise that my own spell is prepared! Have a taste of this delicacy, mage!

Ducking low as if I were about to pounce I instead fire the Inverse Gravity Bolt directly at the mage’s torso. Caught by surprise she doesn’t have time to dodge and her eyes flicker with shock as, instead of the wild leap I’d threatened, this bolt of magic has been fired at her.

Twitching her wrist around with incredible speed she places the tip of her staff in the way of the bolt and manages to catch it somehow! The Inverse Gravity Bolt remains pushing against the staff as the mages face quickly becomes mask of concentration as she uses her staff and then her other hand to press back against my spell!

Is that even possible?!

I hadn’t sat on my behind just in case this spell wasn’t effective and I’m already on the move,

Shattering Bite!

too close in case she can do something ridiculous like rebound my own spell at me, I marshal my spirit and

a nearby tree that immediately starts to pull at

Now’s my chance!

I can feel recoiling back from me somewhat

my leg in her hand. As soon as she grabs me ice begins to form on my leg, rushing

You are too persistent!

Shattering Bite!

have slain level

[You have gained experience]

have gone up a level, one skill point

As I continue to move

that Tiny is gaining the upper hand. He still doesn’t have a full tank of

the warriors body and shocking him with every blow. The warrior appears to

managed to flash out like a striking snake between blocks. The difference between the two is that Tiny isn’t running out of strength, his huge frame is able to sustain this much

of this world but I’m beginning to suspect his Toughness is in the tank. If he doesn’t have much on the defensive side then the regeneration gland would really help him out in a situation like this where he isn’t able to defeat his opponent

me is the warriors against the Queen and the rest of the colony. The scene is so chaotic over there I can’t make out what is happening. I hope to heck they are ok over

this mysterious heat source is, it had better help resolve this situation. It has to be something good if that mage was willing to

clearly I can sense this heat source. It is starting to feel more and more like a person, on the

a single thing in front

tell me

Whoever this person is they are collapsed beneath me now, I can sense

person

to tickle the edges of my