Chrysalis

All work and no play makes Anthony, something, something.

Things have been way too busy! I need some rest!

Not to mention they're only going to get more busy from this point… I need to help the humans out a little, get them up and running so they can look after themselves, especially now it looks like there will be more attacks from those damnable crocodiles, over the surface this time. I need to train up my own skills and fill myself with Biomass to get to the point where I'm ready to evolve. Not to mention I need to prepare for my evolution and decide what to do with the rare core. Not to mention, all of this has to be taken care of before the next generation of workers arrives!

Almost makes me feel as if I wasted my time evicting the stupid Croca beasts from the expanse below, but I know that isn't true. If we had to worry about attacks across the surface as well as from underneath, I'd be too stressed to let the workers out to hunt.

So it's not all doom and gloom.

I've got a heap of Biomass to spend, I've got some skills that I can advance, and I'm sure the same is true for Crinis and Tiny. Vibrant is going to be super upset about missing the battle. All the action and food she missed out on? That's gonna sting.

Thinking of Vibrant, she's been unusually responsible and active around the colony since we got back. I might want to ask about that.

For now though, SLEEP.

With Tiny and Crinis in tow, I depart from the scene of the battle where the workers are still picking over the last scraps of Biomass, cutting it up and carrying it in their jaws back to the anthill. I spent some time helping out, as well as snacking, which earned me another ten Biomass. Even Tiny and Crinis were helping. Tiny can carry an awful lot and Crinis is exceptional at… separating the food into … more manageable sizes. I'll phrase it like that.

Hopefully none of the villagers were watching or they might have been put off their lunch.

Down we go, into the massive mound of earth that is our home, through the Queens chamber and into our own little nook at the very bottom of the colony. Underground where the mana is still strong enough to sustain us.

Crinis descends into the chamber as a mass of ink black tentacles that quickly withdraw until she appears as a tennis ball sitting atop a single stalk. Tiny just slumps into a corner, throwing himself onto the floor and I swear he was snoring before he hit the ground.

For my part, I find a comfy spot between them and grow very still, letting my thoughts slow until they too become frozen in place and my awareness stretches out to nothing…

HAGAH!

I'm up!

returns and my mind(s) snap into alertness with a suddenness that causes me to stumble slightly as my legs

No problem!

when I was

Wazzat?!

up a position on the wall near the entrance to our chamber. She probably noticed me awake and immediately asked what was on

to play

do you mean? I don't remember anything

The entire colony stinks of Biomass and the workforce is so fat they can barely move! Somethiiiiiiiiiing must have

that she's practically vibrating in place, her legs scritching and scrabbling against the wall so quickly she may as well be

mass monster attack but across the surface this

"Whaaaaaaaaat?!" she cries, appalled.

this

monsters, come to challenge the colony. The workers

"No way, no waaay!"

wall and starts slapping me with her antennae,

Gweheheheh.

her off with my own antennae and for a moment it feels like two ten year olds have a slap fight until she finally gives

She sighs, deeply.

of helping with hunting I would have got waaaaay more

Which reminds me.

decide to help out with the hunting. Usually you just stick around here but you actually went and helped

antennae drawing lazy circles in the

needed more food and the rest of

of air around her now that wasn't present immediately after she evolved. She seems a little more… grounded… and the workers

now there are two workers sticking their heads in here just to check up on what she's doing! What's

to check in on her core and see if something is