Chrysalis

Damn … I need some mana.

After running around the surface, we've managed to find a whole heap of nothin'. Ruined buildings, burned out farms and abandoned homes. All the while my core is leaking mana into the air. Checking my MP told me that I still had around half of my full tank, but I'm a little nervous about that. If we keep pushing forward then I'm going to reach the point that I'll need to find some Dungeon access in order to recharge my batteries since I won't be able to make it back to the nest before I run dry.

He's being stoic about it, but I can see the drain has taken a toll on my big ape associate as well. At the same stage of evolution as me, but with a smaller core, Tiny is nonetheless experiencing a bit of drain. He hasn't told me as such, but the expression on his face, tense but puzzled, as if pooping out an orifice that he didn't know existed and couldn't quite find, has given the game away.

No Tiny, that isn't a waste product, that is your literal life energy being sucked out of your core!

Gah! This whole thing has given me a headache. It wasn't long ago that I was a lifeform that didn't require a mana infused gem within their body in order to sustain themselves. Heck, when I was born onto Pangera, I didn't have a core at all! Now look at me, filled to the brim with mana and dependent on it like some sort of junky.

With great power comes great … addiction? I didn't think it would ever come to this, back when I was fresh and new to the Dungeon, staring at glowing blue veins on the wall and wondering what it was all about, but now I want my fix!

Gimme' dat mana!

Even my legs are providing precious little relief here on the surface. No matter how much I try to soak mana through my legs I'm getting vapour at best.

I sighed. All I can do is press forward, particularly now. A few hours ago we picked up the trail of a pack of monsters and since then Morrelia has been following them like a demon possessed crazy person. Her hands are tight around the hilts of her swords, only to let go when she realised what she'd done. A little later her hands were back on those swords, knuckles white.

That is one angry berserker.

I have a suspicion that things are going to get nasty soon. For the last hour we've been on the road, in a literal sense. After first coming across the tracks amongst the trees and farmland, we followed them, well, Morrelia followed them, the monsters in the group can't track for nards, until we hit a flat dirt road and have been following it since. The road had the appearance of being well maintained, so I expect that somewhere at the end of this is going to be a sizeable community, a town or small city, and considering a somewhat large force of monsters is heading that way (judging by the tracks), I feel something is about to go down.

It's going down for real!

anything up

far more limited in range that your eyesight. I think I will be much more useful

city you'd be much better off] I comforted her, [each of us had our strengths, not to

mentality radiating from the softball on my back.

there might be a fight

ape looked more cheerful in an instant. Damnable ape! I wanted you to be wary, and on your toes!

Argh.

embroiled in a brutal fight to the death, the more risk to himself the happier he gets. Only a miracle has kept him alive this long. I need to find a healer to join in my retinue of pets, otherwise I doubt he'll continue to survive. He doesn't have any built in healing and his toughness isn't as high

worry Tiny,

of my frustration continues to bounce on his heels as we walk, throwing compact punches at

is

and as we travelled it grew into a city wall when we were close enough for my ant eyes to make out the details. With haste I threw together a

a classic lead

[…]

second times the

[…]

this time, for

up!? I'm trying to

a bear… I should take the hint

to ask a

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know anything about the town

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