Chrysalis

It was with no small amount of pride that Sloan watched the first shipment of Biomass and cores come in from the newly established farm around the nest. Thirty soldiers, each carrying a full mandible load, as well as being weighed down with bags slung over their backs. It was tiring and difficult work, one that the ants performed with joy and pride, especially this group. All the Biomass being hauled currently was destined for the academy, to allow the hatchlings to evolve with full upgrades.

"Finally, some results for all of that work," Cobalt looked exceptionally pleased as she stood next to the general watching the soldiers run by. "The carvers were pushed to the limits of their endurance, but it was worth it to see this happen. I've heard they're already starting to harvest some cores as well."

"Already?" Sloan was a little surprised. Monsters could only form cores when the concentration of mana within their bodies reached a certain point. She had expected it to take longer for the requisite mana to accrue within the farms, even if they had installed a carefully controlled irrigation system to ensure that infused water was available in each of the farming chambers.

"Yes," Cobalt confirmed, "I heard Bella gushing about it earlier, though I'm not sure how many of those cores she expects to see considering that Eldest wants the academy graduates to reach tier four."

Even now most hatchlings weren't able to evolve with full cores from the second to third tier. Getting enough cores to max every ant from third to fourth? A pipe dream. Even so, the Eldest was determined and despite everything that happened, they were usually right when they insisted on things like this.

"Bella and Ellie have approached me about another idea to get more cores," Sloan said, "they want to send small groups of core shapers outside of our territory to obtain resources."

"Is that safe?"

The general shrugged.

"Safer for them than for any other caste. Every one of them has two or three pets that they can use to fight, which means two of them pairing up actually brings four to six combatants who each need cores, Biomass and experience to be effective. They won't get any of those things if they hang around here, we need every scrap for the hatchlings. I approved the idea; they've already started heading out."

shook

now," she muttered, and Sloan had to

also building up their defences, holding off the wave, training an unprecedented number of hatchlings and ramping

of tasks that needed doing, enduring the occasional pheromone message of "Slackers!" or "Stop being lazy!". It was only when they saw a large scout blazing a trail through the many other ants on the trails that they perked up

you off to in such a rush?" Tungstant called

legs pumping hard to slow her

that the Eldest has been spotted on the way back. I was rushing to get word

the news, none more so than Sloan. She was the one to crack and tell the Eldest to get out of the nest and keep levelling, only for their mentor to up and disappear for five days! Rather than hang around just outside the defensive line like Sloan had assumed

Colony had been on edge as the days ticked by with no word about the fate of the Eldest. Sloan had noticed she'd been getting some none too friendly glares as she moved in the tunnels recently and she was more than pleased that particular ordeal would

far away they are?" Sloan asked. "Not too far I

off with amusement. "Shouldn't be more than ten minutes behind

far as they knew she was still rushing from one checkpoint to the next, lending a hand and then vanishing into the distance before anyone

was on their way back to the Colony and would be here shortly. Ants started to rush, trying to get through their work faster so they could come back and see the glorious return of the strongest member of the Colony, an odd sort of behaviour

the very oldest of their number simply become magnified. The number of ants who'd never met or seen the Eldest certainly increased day by day, increasing the aura of mystique around them, so to speak. She puzzled over this question as the hubbub grew and then, suddenly and without fanfare, a giant ant pushed through

great ape looked even worse, a

Sloan stepped forward to greet the Eldest