Chrysalis

I scramble to right myself just as Invidia drops down the tunnel and onto my back. Luckily that extra-dimensional heft of his doesn't translate to actual weight, otherwise he might've put a crack in my carapace.

[Which way?] I say to Jim.

[Um… Um… this way!]

[You don’t sound super confident.]

[It's going to be fine!]

There's an unusual note of panic in the worm's thoughts as he wriggles this way and that before throwing his head into a wall and chewing through it at a ridiculous pace. In a few moments his entire body is gone and all I have to do is squeeze into the tunnel he's dug.

[Just stay calm, Jim. Everything's going fine!] I try to soothe my associate.

He's wanted this for a long time but now that we come to it, he seems to be falling apart a little. As long as he can hold it together long enough for us to reach the outside tunnels we'll be alright.

Another mind stab comes my way, but significantly weaker than before and with Invidia's help I'm able to break it down before it strikes me. Perhaps we've managed to put enough distance between the Shaper's and ourselves to make manipulating mana more difficult for them? Whatever the case I'm glad for it!

With my demon pet following along behind, I start to use my earth mana to collapse the tunnel behind us as we dig. Don't want those nosy Shapers following too easily. I don't doubt they can shift the dirt using earth magic, same as I can, but every little bit helps. I'm not sure what the Shapers will do if they happen to catch us again, probably not anything too lethal, although I'd rather not put that thought to the test. They've been trying to tenderise my juicy flesh since the stupid tournament started after all.

The going is a bit slower now as we're well out of range of Jim's prepared micro tunnels. Still, if I had to have anyone on my side to chew through reinforced stone, it would be Jim. He's incredibly quick, using a combination of his own earth mana and raw chewing power to break down the stone and chow down on it.

At first I wasn't sure what was happening to the rock and I had to ask him.

[You actually eat the stone?]

[Heck yeah. Delicious!]

[I refuse to believe that rocks are delicious.]

break it down into

[You can what?!]

eating then he can keep churning out his earth magic. The dude turned himself into a literal digging machine in order to break out from the Shapers' control. That's the level of dedication he has and I respect the hell out of it. The two of us endure some tense moments as we tunnel our way out,

happen. For the next ten minutes, Jim works his magic and gobbles down stone as I trail

should be almost there!] Jim

followed us

they don't want to keep us

for freaking years, Jim! You really think they're just going

stone is getting softer. We shouldn't be far away from a Dungeon tunnel. I think we're beneath it, I'm gonna

they came close enough to recognise that there's an entire Golgari empire operating in this section of the Dungeon, then they'd be suicidal if

existential terror has been doing well without me around. She's a bit nervous at the

We out!]

[Seriously?!]

been waiting so long for this moment! Screw you, Shapers! I'm a

butt, Jim! Invidia and I want

take

[Damn right!]

[Alright, hold your carapace.]

only locked up for a period of weeks but that was long enough to know that

than I expected] I wonder out

you doubt my incredible powers?] Jim scoffs, still wriggling

hold on a

unusual degree, no debris or columns at all. It almost looks as if the outside of the tunnel has been shaped. In fact, not far from where we broke through

Jim, what's up with

are

all these… pictures and recesses

[What do you mean?]