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?]

the rights to expanses and other regions that produce this kind of thing fiercely. They are rare and incredibly useful! Not to mention valuable. In the past I dealt with some things like this that my husband managed to bring

losing my patience

Enid 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 a water wizard with materials that were imbued with water mana, any spell cast through the

[Ooo, that is handy.]

only that. You could make shields, swords,

elements in it] I pointed out, [water as well

my face, [is the most important thing! Double affinity! Double the offensive boost, double

any master enchanters hanging around the village currently, and

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, the cavernous halls under the earth where thousands of

Gweheheheh.

within my

it cool. The inevitable ant future will arrive in

strangely. Dammit Anthony, don't let the ambition be quite so

do have a few tradespeople, apprentices and, more importantly, we have Beyn to help guide us to unlocking the skills and

skills? Just how

She shook her head.

as you think. By accelerating level growth in the Dungeon and with expert knowledge to crack the unlock conditions, the only thing missing is materials to

me to bring more up. The question I have for you is, what's in it for the colony? The expanse is ours and we are the only ones able to go down there and collect

going to the colony of course. I was also able to extract a promise from a curious Enid to engage in a knowledge sharing arrangement, where the village would inform the

more painfully shifting my legs one by one as shooting beams of agony rippled through my body with each