Chrysalis

The monsters came from the north. They swept south in a hungry pack, seeking, destroying and devouring everything in their path like a tide of beastly Vikings.

As the monsters drew closer their snarling and growls rang louder in the peoples ears and panic quickly raced across their faces. The fear spread so quickly from person to person around me, clouding their faces and twisting their expressions.

So quickly they lost the will to fight, these people.

I shouldn't be too surprised. These people had lost their homes and families to these creatures. Small and weak it may have been, but they had also lost their country. Against a foe that had taken apart something so much larger than themselves, it's only natural that they would be intimidated.

But I wouldn't sit idly by.

[Tiny bring Crinis to me. We need to fight.]

If those stupid monsters thought that they could get this close to my colony then they are outside their damn minds.

I loudly clack my mandibles several times in succession.

*CLACK* *CLACK* *CLACK*

The sharp, staccato noises ring out loudly, cutting through the rising fear. The circle of people turn back to me sharply.

[Priest. Tell the people to go hide and stay out of my way. I will defend my colony but if any monsters get through, the people will need to defend themselves.]

The priest nodded enthusiastically.

[Of course, Great One! The blessings of the System belong only to those who are prepared to earn them! Your wisdom is as deep as the Dungeon, as broad the Endless Sky expanse and as …]

[Just tell them already!]

[Oh! Right!]

the mouthy priest and turns to the people to explain what I've said. Gradually some life returns to the faces of the people around me, when I push my way out of the circle, they fall back respectfully to grant

And good thing too!

monsters are

the village, I can't

of my old friends

claw centipedes! So many damn centipedes! Like a carpet of pinchy death they slither and climb all over each

and their evolved versions are here as well, I think I spy an Earth Bear Tyrant stomping

little rabbits are here! Awww, the little fluff balls! Devilish, murdering little fluff

mention the Croca Beasts. The

monsters from the forest expanse area. Perhaps they

Dangit!

was finally

horde kicks up dust as they rush towards us. Only a hundred or

a Gravity Bomb. I'm going to

brains kick into gear, each one crafting a gravity spear as quickly as possible. I haven't had that much time to rest since battling

magic, layers flowing together as if in

Gravity Spear! Times three!

fly home, not that they could miss, slamming into the front line of the wave, snaring large clutches of monsters and binding them together, forcing them to

my gravity mana and empower the spells, letting them

is it me who crashes

the monsters and

I'm just going to sit here and

Shattering Bite!

through. Centipedes rise to clutch at me and I crush them with a single bite. When a fearsome bear smashes into me from the side, sending me sprawling, I channel mana

its defences, my stamina draining away along with

begins to pile up. A chip here and a chip here shave away at my health until I'm forced to trigger