Chrysalis

Wind blade! Tornado! Wind speed! Wind blast! GAH! I'm exhausted. Every inch of my mind is devoted towards creating gas mana and whipping it into spells. The target for the spells is naturally the stupid armoured forces, the Legionaries, I suppose.

The experience notifications finally unveiled just who this enemy is. I can only assume this is the Abyssal Legion that Morrelia and others have spoken about. Her father was a prominent member as I recall, which probably explains why she's here. What a mess she's gotten herself into, sent to kill the Colony. Traitor! Well, I haven't seen her on the battlefield since that first encounter in which she actually saved my life, so I won't be so fast to judge. Let Morrelia worry about Morrelia, she can handle herself, we ants have enough on our plate at the moment!

PA! PA!

My barrage of wind spells is little more than an irritation to the oncoming Legion. Their powerful armour and mages are more than enough to deflect my efforts. I mean, I could be throwing rocks, fire, spears of ice or even blobs of lava at them right now! Instead, I continue to attack them with a stiff breeze. And why, do you ask? Because I only need one more level! One more measly level!

Sitting there in my status menu: [Gas Magic Affinity (IV) Level 39], it's taunting me! I've been spamming these damn wind spells until my mind is an aching mess. All of my minds! An enormous amount of brain matter has been dedicated to blowing wind at these invaders, all for the sake of this precious rank up. And it's so close!

The Legion advances at a steady pace, as they always do. Their front rank of shields an impenetrable barrier to our attacks, even the barrage of acid failing to eat away at them. At least we haven't seen that axe wielding demon again for the time being. Even without that freakin' superhuman, they've been managing to push us back on all fronts. They've spread out, creating a wider and wider front, attempting to corral us back to our nests.

Still, time is being bought, the war of attrition continues! You think you can be more determined than ants?! You're out of your mind! Every day our numbers increase and our Skills improve! Except for this damn Gas magic!

Come on!

POW! POW! POW!

More blades, more balls of concentrated wind, more spinning dervishes of blade wind. My brains are on fire. Only the regeneration provided by the whispering vestibule has sustained me to this point. Without it, I'd be a quivering mess on the ground, unable to think or function from sheer mental fatigue.

doing basically what I'm doing already. Namely, throw everything and the kitchen sink at the invaders who dare to encroach on our

than a few ants in the Colony still harbour a secret desire to end themselves in glorious sacrifice. Apparently some 're-education'

Legion marches, several hundred of them in tight formation. They are methodical to an absurd degree when it comes to Dungeon combat, yet try to counter us at every turn. Once they push us out of a tunnel, they defend it to

I yell at the approaching wall of armour, "at

has reached level 40, rank up

AT LAST! AT LAST!

damn fusion for so long I can't even bear to think of it! At that moment, the approaching Legion break their ranks and begin to charge, weapons ablaze with

"Fall back!"

moment, our strategy isn't to engage these Legionaries in close combat, rather to try and wear them down as we give ground. I hear the fighting is far more

get out of

and I turn along with the rest of the Colony and make our way back down the tunnel. I'm more than happy to follow, I have a

purchase Advanced Gas magic (V), which sets me back one Skill point, not a big deal. The tickling feeling of knowledge spreading through my

to a safe location will I dare to engage in that fusion. There's a chance that the fusion might soak up

the defence go?" Vibrant pops up next

Vibrant, sheesh. You need to let people

too fast? I'm superfast. On the other mandible, I'm not fast enough! More speed is better, don't you think? I know I think so. When I evolve again, I'm considering more legs. Would that be weird? It'd be weird. Six legs is best. More muscle would be better. Speed muscle! That gave me an idea! I'm gonna go think about it!

Zoom! She's off!

my head