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?]

are rare and incredibly useful! Not to mention valuable. In the past I dealt

losing my

materials like this will amplify the effect. For example, if a staff where made for a water wizard with materials

[Ooo, that is handy.]

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

this wood has double elements in it] I pointed out, [water as well

again waving the stick with vigour in my 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 this was claimed directly

nice. But what exactly can we do with it? I doubt there are any master enchanters hanging around the village currently, and the colony certainly doesn't have the ability to make anything

Yet.

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.

glorious within my

inevitable ant future

me strangely. Dammit Anthony, don't let the

the wily woman answered warily, [but we do have a few tradespeople, apprentices and, more importantly, we have Beyn to help guide us to unlocking the skills and classes related to shaping mana infused materials

someone to train up those skills? Just how

She shook her head.

the Dungeon and with expert knowledge to crack the unlock conditions, the only thing missing is materials to use for

you want me to bring more up. The question I have for you is, what's in it for

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 engage in a knowledge sharing arrangement, where the village would inform the colony of anything they were

of agony rippled through my body with each step, I