Chrysalis

[Most of our civilisation was lost when the blasted system changed us. No need for farmers, artists or poets when you're a monster. It was our ability to manipulate cores and create pets to fight for us that mattered, and over the years we've taken that skill as far as we can.]

The two of us were relaxing in Formo's house, carved into the wall around the outside of the forge. The inside was as simple as the outside, a small number of rooms, a crude bed and furniture which had been carved from the rock. Formo sat on a stone chair next to a small table whilst I stood just outside with my head through the door. This part of the town wasn't exactly made for monsters to move comfortably in, and the Sophos were quite small.

[I'm a bit surprised that you guys all seem to look pretty similar. Since you're monsters, shouldn't you have evolutions and all that? What tier are you anyway?]

Formo's snort rang in my mind for a moment before he spoke.

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[It's a touch rude to ask that sort of thing, old bean. But I don't mind I suppose. We deliberately don't evolve much in order to keep our settlements in the upper levels of the Dungeon. Most of us are tier five and a few of us are tier six. We use mana concentration enchantments to bring mana up from below in order to sustain us. If we kept on evolving, that'd become impractical and we'd have to move down. This settlement is already something of an oddity, since most of our communities are in the second strata. Better cores down there.]

[I can imagine. Any chance you would share those enchantments?]

[Nope.]

[Dammit.]

I think for a moment. I can feel that the mana in the air is more concentrated in here than it was in the tunnels outside, which is crazy considering there aren't any mana veins. Are they moving mana around with some sort of mana air conditioning system?!

[Your friend Tirimon seemed very interested in my pet Crinis. Any particular reason for that?]

that the

I nod.

clawed hand coming up to stroke his narrow chin. [That's quite the rare specimen you have there. Quite rare indeed. Very new species. We encountered them for the first

sure. Scared the heck out of

new species during events like a wave, see how they fare. Now that things are calming down, we're quite keen to send an expedition to the lower levels to see what we can

that they won't see much, due

her

Sophos

to get his hands

the tunnels unsupervised. If he wanted to test its performance then he should have done so here in the proving grounds. I'm sure he wanted to replace

his thin legs wobbling a little as his

well pop down to the pens if you're

stairs are so massive that I think even Garralosh would be able to navigate them! Makes sense I suppose, there would have to be somewhere the Sophos could move their

in the 'downstairs' area and my mandibles drop open reflexively. Had I really thought the Sophos would treat their pets poorly? I'm

only be described as the most luxurious stable I've ever seen. A trickling stream of mana infused water meanders between spacious pens with high walls and comfortable amenities. The pets have beds. BEDS! And they look so much better than what the Sophos themselves enjoy! In fact, from the entrance I can

They don't appear to be doing much physical labour, which is

people spend more time

most of their energy in their pets. They are the only children we'll ever have. Of course, not all pets are treated this way. Some are disposable soldiers, an unfortunate reality of living in the Dungeon, those who've been with us

try and find a way to free

to be compelled to follow you but do so from

[Right!]