Chrysalis

With the heavy hitter taken out of the equation there isn't much left to the fight. Crinis and I quickly destroy the Titan Crocs and rush back to help support Tiny and Vibrant.

The giant ape and ant soldier are beaten and bruised but victorious as they lord over their fallen enemies. Tiny is beating his chest and roaring his challenge out to the world whilst Vibrant does a manic, high speed dance around his ankles.

[RAAAAARR] Tiny bellows.

"RAA HAHAHAHAHA!" Vibrant cackles.

…..

I was right to team these two up. They fit together like peas in a pod. The only problem is, who is the brains of the operation?

In the distance there are yet more crocs, huddling together in small posse's like leathery hoodlums. For the time being they aren't responding to our provocation but I'd rather not put their tolerance to the test.

For now there aren't any groups within two hundred metres, which is roughly how far we've advanced into the expanse.

["OK, hold off on the celebration already you two"] I snap, ["We've won the first skirmish but there are more to be had. Let's eat quickly and prepare our next move."]

I don't need to tell them twice. The gang quickly breaks up and we start stuffing our faces full whilst keeping a watchful eye on the surrounding monsters. I myself head directly for the Double Crocs. It's been some time since I've been able to eat a tier three monster of this size and I don't intent to let the opportunity go to waste!

OM NOM NOM.

think it's growing on me, to be honest. Particularly the tails. Now that I think of it, the double croc evolutionary choices are really making sense

the first croc but as I'm moving towards the second,

vibrations coming this way, lots

Oh snap!

back to the tunnels! Go Go

seems reluctant to move, still shoving huge fistfuls of food into

at him even

HEAVY!

that maw of hers she can eat ten times faster than the rest of us, she's so

his meal he grabs the body of the double croc he was eating and throws it over his shoulder before dashing and leaping his way

the very least I might have been able to grab

encounter a wave or two during our attack on the expanse and in my mind the worst case scenario would be if we were caught out in the open. The monsters in a wave are low level, without many mutations and generally tier one with a few having evolved, generally not much of a threat. But if they were to surround us in the middle of the marsh, where mobility is difficult and there are native monsters who could interfere

It could get nasty.

any monsters from reaching my family

support, make sure he doesn't get surrounded. Vibrant, stay behind Crinis and move up to support when you can, don't let yourself get caught. I'll stick to

monsters approaching through the tunnel entrance. They roll through the marsh as a dark mass

feasting on the native monsters in the expanse as they pass, leaving them undisturbed for the most part. I think I see the odd flower monster getting trampled but nothing seems to go out of

What hold does the creature controlling this expanse have on these monsters? Is it a skill? A mutation? Or something to do with their core? I just don't have the

Hopefully soon, I will.

long for the monsters to reach us. Tiny finally stops snaking on his croc and flings the remaining food behind us, saving it for later, before flexing his fingers as lightning begins to crackle

transformation construct to stockpile some condensed water mana in preparation for a forceful water cannon. That spell has proven to be the most effective so