Chrysalis

Any person of sufficient courage, who has walked the Dungeon long enough to know its pain and glory, will come to hunger for the power that is buried at the root of this world.

Words attributed to Gaius Magnus, founding member of the Legionem Abyssi

We're moving in. It feels nice, in a way, to be boldly adventuring where no ant has gone before alongside my fellow Colony members. We creep toward the powerful flow of mana that Invidia has sensed, making short work of any monster that happens to pop up in our way. I almost feel sorry for the critters as they're set upon by dozens of ants before I even get my mandibles open. I could push my way to the front, but somehow I don't feel it's appropriate for me to hog all the experience for myself. The Colony is going to need other powerful members, that's why I brought Vibrant and her group here to begin with. Which reminds me…

"PROTECTANT!"

Vibrant and the other ants around me all twitch in surprise as I flood the tunnel with pheromones. Vibrant in particular has a quizzical tilt to her antennae as she looks at me. If I'm guessing correctly, she probably had nothing to do with the plan to put twenty baby sitters around me. Even if they discussed it in front of her, I doubt Vibrant would have been interested enough to follow along. This sort of scheming is completely not her style.

I wait for two minutes before I decide to call again.

"GET OUT HERE PROTECTANT OR I SWEAR I'LL GET THE COUNCIL TO REASSIGN YOU TO GUARDING LEEROY!"

It only takes a few seconds for her to appear over my head, clinging to the roof of the tunnel. She looks a little sulky and I feel a little bad for my threat.

"This isn't supposed to be part of how we operate, Eldest," she says.

She's lucky I can't roll my eyes.

Queen, are not the ones who tell you how to do this job. I do. If

as I speak and I can almost hear the gears turning in her head and she

protocol that you were taught where you pretend to cooperate with me but just keep doing things the way they told you, I'm going to be super

Twitch.

she's so used to not being seen at all? If nobody can see her, or doesn't notice her, what would be the point of learning to

all I want to say for now is that you need to be careful before you jump out of nowhere and take a hit for me. You're no use

looks at me steadily for

not really what we were trained

It's all super noble and everything, but

…

I dismiss her with a flick of my antenna. She gratefully fades away into the darkness to join her

[Problem, Crinis?]

the way these newcomers have tried to take your security as their

We may as well make sure they're useful, since they're here. Not to worry, I still consider you my real last

HRK!

the entrance of this new expanse. The pure, dark mana flows into our faces and wraps around us as the ground drops away beneath our feet. In front of us a vast space opens up, the shadow mana so thick that it swirls in

complains, her antennae twitching with disgust as she looks

of it’s poisoned as

except for with Tiny. The big ape is positively grinning,