Chrysalis

In this world.

All things.

Flow.

To the Colony.

• Spoken by Cobalt at the seizure of the lightning mines of Al'Razza.

The plan has to have a name, of course. What is it with these ants and their insistence on stupid names?! I shoot down a few of the more obnoxious ones, like "Omega Seed Shield" and "Phoenix Ant Flames". I mean… why?! What the heck does flames have to do with anything, even if there are phoenix flames? That's just stupid and I administer a phew THWACKS to drive the point home to these thickies.

In the end, I manage to sell them on "Slow Grow".

"There's a chance that through some unknown magical means, the enemy may be able to interpret our pheromones," I tell them, "so any reference to seeds or phoenixes may lead them to uncover the plot and immediately know what it means. From this point, Slow Grow will be used to refer to this concept, and any pheromone messaging related to it will be scrubbed as thoroughly as possible. Acid wash the whole room if you have to."

The council agreed immediately. No measure is too extreme when the survival of the Colony, and indeed, our entire species may be on the line.

"Make this a priority," I inform them, "for my part, I'm going to get myself back out into the tunnels, scouting and fighting. I'll make sure not to get too far away, and I'll keep a scout relay between me and the nest at all times. Vibrant, you should get your team back out into the field as well. Skills and levels are going to win us this war, we need to get 'em."

"Are you sure you don’t want to go with Vibrant again, Eldest?” Sloan asks, "your last expedition was very fruitful as I understand. The expanse you conquered is certainly one of the largest we've yet seen."

"Be careful in there," I warn her, "the big spider mother in there wasn't defeated and I get the feeling she holds a grudge. She's a sneaky so and so, don't take any risks. If she's still in there, we'll need an extensive digging project to get her out."

Leeroy looks like she's about to volunteer something, but her fellow Soldier, Brendant, puts a claw on her back and she quiets. Sending her and her squad after a large, powerful monster would be exactly the sort of thing she'd be looking for to enact her 'glorious sacrifice' plan. That's not happening.

work that Smithant has done for Leeroy and the group and after talking to her, it's become clear that she isn't getting the help that she needs. It seems that

in their seats, uncomfortable with

that we get naturally. If we want tougher defences, just mutate your carapace, if we need stronger weapons, mutate the mandibles. So far, our

seem

expand and we exist as a stable family for the next hundred years, that'll change, but for now, it's not. So if a soldier has maxed mutations for carapace, mandibles and whatever other organs they have which are combat related, they are no longer able to get stronger until they evolve, which may be a long time

be used in the meantime to shore up their carapace until

that, wearing the armour will help keep them alive until they can evolve. It's win-win. After my next evolution, I myself intend to order a set. I'll

few more crafters may be willing to

get Smithant the help that she needs. Asking her to produce enough sets to clad even a small force of ants on her

I have a think.

pay a visit to our prisoners before I leave," I announce, "from what I hear, we haven't gotten much out of them, so

you brought in, Eldest," Mendant tells me in her gentle,

just great. He'll be filling their heads with all sorts

back here as a matter of urgency. Until then, continue the expansion, continue to develop our defences and networks, and put Slow Grow into

are plenty of cities with one hundred thousand people in them who get by with a council, but geographically we are covering a huge amount of space. The two new nests are one thing, but the hunting territories around them, the various expanses that the Colony has conquered, the extensive mining operations, there's a whole lot

are going to be laid, we'll be up to a million strong Colony before too long! What an exciting and scary

of the impending invasion. A million things to do, but all of them will be dropped the instant one of those stone-skinned fools poke their

try my best to do my duty as the strongest ant in the colony. Get stronger, and allow my siblings to rise up alongside me. I'll act as their sword to drive away those that would bring them harm, and

end, we need

back out into the Dungeon, Master?]

Crinis. I just walk around assuming that you know

I next evolve, but when I checked the menu last time, it was unusually expensive. I think because I have none of the sensory receptors

I'll be

will do that, Master,] she sounds

the by, what level are you

Master,]

not so bad! Why