Chrysalis

[We need more of this. As soon as you can get it.]

…

[Uh, okay? Maybe take it out of my face a little so I can see it?]

An unusually forceful and intent Enid is waving something in my face with shaking hands. As soon as I waddled my way into the village someone had gone to fetch her and the normally dignified older lady had arrived at a dead run, her skirts hiked up with one hand and the other clutching this, object.

As she withdraws the object slightly I can see that it is, as suspected, the mana infused wood that I delivered to Beyn a day or so ago.

[Ah. Finally got your hands on that did you? So what is it?] I enquire.

[It's mana infused wood.]

[I can see that plain as day! What is it good for?!]

Enid huffed with her hands on her hips.

[Well that's a different question, isn't it?] she held the branch tenderly in her hands, like a newborn babe, [this wood has absorbed the plentiful mana of the Dungeon and taken on the attributes that surrounded it.]

[Yeah?]

produce this kind of thing fiercely. They are rare and

what?!] I'm losing my

sniffs before answering. [When making items designed to channel certain types of mana, materials like this will amplify the effect. For example, if a staff where made for

[Ooo, that is handy.]

at my growing enthusiasm. [Not only that. You could make shields, swords, armour, or artefacts that would add that element to their offense or

wood has double elements in it] I pointed out, [water as well as earth. Is

face, [is the most important thing! Double affinity! Double the offensive boost, double the defensive! This kind of material is extremely rare! In Liria, anything like

it? I doubt there are any master enchanters hanging around the village currently, and the colony

Yet.

the workers are, combined with their new smarts, who knows what they'll capable of in a few years? In my mind scenes of the great ant forges begin to appear,

Gweheheheh.

glorious within

it cool. The inevitable ant future

Dammit Anthony, don't let

you aren't wrong] the wily woman answered warily, [but we do have a few tradespeople, apprentices and, more importantly, we have Beyn

it take ages for someone to train up those skills? Just how much time

She shook her head.

By accelerating level growth in the Dungeon and with expert knowledge to crack the unlock conditions, the only

for you is, what's in it for

a bit of haggling and eventually worked out a distribution deal for the crafted materials, the lions share going to the colony of course. I was also able to extract a promise from a curious Enid to

to the nest and check in on my class of hatchlings. Once more painfully shifting my legs one by one as shooting beams of agony rippled through my body with each step, I made my way back to my chamber. The journey only took four times as long as