Chrysalis

The first ambush had been a rousing success, even though fifteen of my family members had been lost in the fight. It was just a small taste of the carnage that was to come. I swallowed my sadness as best as I could. It didn't help anyone if I threw a tantrum and got upset that we'd lost fifteen soldiers in return for killing thousands of enemies. Hitting them from range, drawing them into a tunnel fight, where the ants had every advantage, then collapsing the tunnels on the enemy had been an elegant and clean strategy. I couldn't think of a way to improve it at all.

Every surviving ant had gained much in terms of experience and skill levels, strengthening the colony with every death we inflicted. The horde had been reduced as well, a win by all measures. Perhaps it was irrational of me, the other members of the colony were extremely pleased and I'm dead certain not a few of them actually envied the fallen, wishing that they themselves had had the unfortunate (fortunate?) luck to die in the battle.

I'd dealt out a few thwacks already to those I suspected of not valuing their lives as they should and I'd have to do it again before too long.

We had retreated with all haste through the escape tunnels and then back onto the surface. My pets and I had taken up a position in the rear guard, just in case of pursuit, but it didn't seem to matter. The enemy either didn't manage to find any of the exit tunnels in time or had not chased far enough over land to see us emerge. Whatever the case, we'd retreated at a solid pace to the second set of earthworks being prepared for the next ambush.

Luckily the enemy moved at such a casual pace, we'd have a few hours of rest and preparation time before they made it to us and the second fight began.

I'd checked in with a few scouts who told me that Victor and the other members of the twenty here on the front line were planning and I decided to leave them to it. I don't think I could contribute much that they wouldn't be able to come up with their own. Instead I decided to check in with my pets and count my own earnings. I hadn't listened to the pronouncements of the bearded one, may his facial hair ever flow like a mighty white river.

[How's the core looking Tiny? You burned a lot of juice up there.]

the longer hair on his arms, removing stones and twigs that had been caught as we fled. In response to my query he just grunted, seeming to indicate that yes, he had lost a lot

impressed with the

on my back wibbled a little at my strong praise and replied, her tone sounding rather pleased with herself, even

able to deploy, nor with how quickly I formed them. I believe I can get much faster. A few more skill levels and mutations and

[Sure, sure] I agreed.

was able to reap greater destruction in the limited time we had available. Unloading both barrels of his lightning on enemies who had been drenched by a super soaker resulted

Let's all rest up for the next fight] I told my pets before settling myself on

sub-brains were hard at work with external mana manipulation, trying to drag ambient mana towards the three us to keep our cores topped off. My skills had increased, but so has our consumption after Crinis' evolution. We had one more battle in us after our Mana Glands topped off from draining energy

skills to see what had levelled up during

Hmm.

need to be as careful with my mana as possible. Improved Acid shot hit level

Transformation, Condensed Mana, external mana manipulation all levelled up. Firing off those Gravity Bombs is serious business, in terms of the xp that's earned, especially when

up? Finally hit level five! That gets upgraded to … Distant Pet Communication? Range of communication has been improved? Seems good,

Severing Bite and Splintering Chomp, which is good. I need those two bites to hit rank four in a hurry. Hopefully the bite skill I can create from the fusion of