Chrysalis

Turns out food gets scarce during a siege. I know for a fact that the Colony created a massive stockpile in preparation for this. Like, a mountain of Biomass, packed up and ready to go. Problem is that almost all of that is going to be delivered to the Queens in order to ensure that the Colony's brood production doesn't flinch from the daily maximum even during a period when we can't easily hunt. I get it. I do. The brood comes before all, obviously. We're ants after all. But dammit, I'm hungry!

I feel a nudge at the edge of my attention and I turn to see Tiny staring at me with wide, pitiful eyes.

I slowly shift my head side to side and two huge tears begin to well up within the ape's eyes.

[I know buddy. It's going to be rough for a little while, but we can survive. We're going to get through this together.]

Tiny reaches out to me with one shaking hand and places it against my carapace as if trying to draw strength through it.

[In times like this, we can only depend on each other. We've been together through the times of plenty, we can fight it out together in the lean times as well. If you don't believe in yourself, Tiny, believe in the me who believes in you. There is power in you yet. Your race is not yet run. Conquer the hunger!]

*Chomp*

What… What was that?

I look up at Tiny once again to find his hand has now grasped my leg which he has raised up to his mouth.

just try and bite

Silence.

me right now, I'm going to

He does.

got slobber all over it dammit! I can't believe I have to say this, but from this point forward you are ordered to never

Stupid ape!

are your

AH!

is happening here, Advant! Nothing! My dignity hasn't been impacted in the slightest! And

last part I raise my abdomen high to threaten the ceiling of our chamber with a judicious acid spray to ensure that Protectant and her squad get the message. Imagine the Colony finding out that one of my own pets tried to eat me as I

off, "I was just wondering how you were doing making your final preparations. The council meets in

at the gates! How many of these damn meetings are

will definitely be there," I lie, "just give me some time

"Of course, Eldest."

turns to leave me in peace for the time being and I immediately bring up my menu in order to rush through the mutation process. If I get it done quickly enough, I can vanish somewhere before the meeting starts. They're the council, dammit! I don't even technically have a seat, at least, that's my view and I'm sticking to it. Alright now, how much

have a grand total of two hundred and fifty one. More than I thought I might have at this point. Nice! So what lucky body part is going to get the upgrade this time? I can probably afford two here. Personally, I think it's time for legs. Legs are needed! My legs are absorbing all the mana I need. Especially down here in the second strata. Only heavy duty spell slinging can drain me. Especially once I get to draining mana using external mana manipulation. It may become a problem in the future, but for now, I'm solid. In the +20 upgrade I wanted to improve their ability to absorb

With my potent reflexes and foresight, I'm almost always able to move my legs out of harm's way, but sometimes it just isn't possible. During the grand melee after Tiny smashed the Legion shield I had absolutely no room to dodge and had to rely on natural toughness. Which is why I'm going straight to Hardened

the one I'm leaning towards the most is my musculature. So far I've poured all of my mutations into increasing the speed at which my muscles can fire, which has given me the superhuman reflexes of a radioactive spider, but I'm not certain that I want to keep pushing down this road exclusively. My reflexes are already super fast, especially when connected to my limited pre-cognition. My nervous system can probably carry the load of increasing my reflexes further, what I need