Chrysalis

Leaving behind my three co-adventures I made my way back along our trail as quick as I could whilst keeping a low profile. I was on my own this time, I didn’t want to stumble into a fight that I couldn’t handle.

It felt unnerving to be exposed on the surface, I felt that lack of comfort pierce me right in the confidence now that I was here without any backup. In fact, no Tiny and no Crinis alongside me for the first time in how long?! Crinis had been with me since not long after we reached the surface during the wave, but Tiny had been with me long before that, since finding the colony almost!

That big lug-head. As much as his ... limited decision making capacity and hunger for a fight had been an inconvenience to say the least, it was fun having him around. He wasn’t much for conversation but things tended to never be boring when he was around. He didn’t exactly ’settle’ for the status quo, he pushed himself, he pushed the situation forward, never allowing himself to shy from a challenge. I had to admire that.

Or he was stupid and free from the sense of self preservation. Either way, it was fun to have him with me.

I will perform core surgery on him and buff his intellect though. Every time he charges forward into nigh mortal danger, I feel myself age internally another ten years. If he keeps going at the rate he’s going them I’m going to wither away to dust by the end of the year.

If they even have years here. Or rather, how long is each year in this world? It could be one of those places that orbits its star once every six thousand days. Presuming people grow at the same speed as they did on Earth, you’d be eighteen earth years by the time your first birthday rolled around.

Running through the fields I keep my antennae twitching here and there, making use of my range of vision to try and prevent anything from sneaking up on me. I engage in the stealthy patterns of behaviour that served me so well in the first weeks of my life in this world. Obviously I can’t attach myself to the ceiling up here, denying me the full experience of my youth, but I do my best to keep my profile hidden in the long grass, sticking my head up every now and again to take in the lay of the land.

I haven’t seen anything yet, but that doesn’t mean that I won’t.

I’m still gutted that I forgot to secure that core. Just when I thought I might be getting a little smarter, a little more wise, I go ahead and do something stupid like this. That core would mean so much for the colony if I could get it to the Queen, I’m sure of it. If she can evolve in an awesome way, who knows what she might be able to become?

Perhaps it’s my ant instincts in me, but I deeply want the Queen to be safe and secure in the colony. The thought of any harm coming to her just makes my little ant heart hurt. Personally, I don’t think it has much to do with my new body. Having a family, having a parent who cared and valued me, that’s something I’ve never had before. I don’t like to dwell on the negative much but my human life had been ... less than ideal.

care the Queen, my mother, had shown without expecting anything in return. It’s nice. I was desperate for this sense of belonging, I can see that now. Perhaps that was why I was so quick to accept my place within the colony. Now that I’ve

I want this

focus during my travel time exposed under

is nice. Splintering chomp made it to 10 and Advanced

Name: Anthony

Level: 30 (Special core)

Might: 41

Toughness: 29

Cunning: 44

Will: 35

HP: 58/58

MP: 180/230

8; Condensed Mana (III) Level 1; External Mana Manipulation (I) Level 2; Empowered Mana Sensing (II) Level 1; Core Surgery (III) Level 6; Expert Exo-Skeleton Defence (III) level 3; Pet Communication (I) Level 4; Rapid Dash (II) Level 4; Expert Water Magic Affinity (III) Level 1; Advanced Stamina (II) Level 7; Pet Growth Speed (I) Level 1; Mana Scrooge (II) Level 5;

Acid +10, Rapid Absorption Legs +15, Empowered Mandibles +15, True Diamond Carapace +15, Rapid Limb Regeneration Gland +10, Persuasive Pheromone

Mind Ant

Skill points: 19

Biomass: 212

need to take care of that soon. The other thing I need to think about is that I’ll be able to evolve again in ten levels. My strategy of absorbing a portion of the rare core and hoping my body would adapt seems to have worked. The pain and discomfort is still there, but it’s diminished over time.

grind up a few points whilst I’m up here on the surface. I have two sub-brains who are doing nothing