Chrysalis

In the back of my mind I worry that the king chubster himself, Grokus, might have seized the hatchling the moment she slipped away from us, to use as leverage, or just to eat, who knows? But from what I can tell, the trail leading to the little runaway doesn't lead back to the column in the centre of the plate, in fact, it seems as though it’s looping around the outside.

Stupid hatchling! You just wanted to go sightseeing that badly?! When I catch you, I'll dangle you over the edge for a week! See if that doesn't fulfill your need for a good view!

[Master! Do you sense her?] Crinis asks.

[I do! But the trail is weak. Can you see anything?]

[Her mana signature is so weak,] she frets, [it's almost impossible to find her when we're surrounded with so many tier six monsters.]

That's something else to remember, even if they didn't all evolve perfectly, each and every single monster around here is the same tier as us. If all of these demons decided to fight us at the same time… it wouldn't be pretty.

[This way!] I cry as the sense from my vestibule veers sharply one way.

[No! She's looping back! This way!]

A hard turn brings us smack into the middle of a pack of demons coming in the other direction, a variety of shapes and forms, all grotesque and deadly in their own fashion.

[Move it!] I bellow.

CHARGE!

of stamina explodes around me as I activate the Skill, sending the pack of monsters scattering like bowling pins. Thankfully they were all the more slender types of demons otherwise it might have been like headbutting a brick wall. Tiny bellows once more, the rock reverberating with his battle cry as he slams his way forward, both fists pounding into

level of attention is the last thing we need… Maybe we can

we'll try to lose them around that

claws to the limit, I divert my non-inconsiderable weight around a hairpin turn, dashing into an alleyway between two teetering buildings. A difficult manoeuvre that has strained my legs, but with any luck we've managed to break line of sight between us and our pursuers. Now quickly! Onto

BOOM!

into his rage by the

him and he shakes off the bricks and bounds to his feet, leaving a new

at the air, they make a perfect spotlight for the first pack of demons, who quickly follow after

you were supposed to have the fanciest feet?!] I yell at Tiny but he's too

it now though. Recapturing the hatchling is all that matters now! How many tens of thousands of new ants have been born between Vibrant and Brilliant! She might be a handful, and a massive pain in the abdomen, but Vibrant is one of the strongest and most dedicated ants in the entire Colony, with her own high-levelled army to help her protect our family. If Brilliant is even half as capable when she's done evolving and developing her Skills then she'll be an incredible asset to the Colony. An irreplaceable part of the collective that will help uplift all

the point that they aren't dependent on me to protect them?! They need to be able to stand on their own six legs! I can't guarantee that I'll be around to help pull the carapace out of the

an argument could be made that I'm the one who puts the carapace in the fire most of the time. Actually, to take that a step further, aren't I throwing myself into trouble and the Colony is the one pulling me out of it? Isn't that carapace

about it another time! Get. That.

an ant, dammit! I'm going over the top! As I speed toward another building, instead of going around it I simply raise my front legs up and dig in with my claws, racing up the side of the

BOOM!

as I continue running, followed by Tiny's bellow and the harsh impacts of

Wonderful.

get my mandibles

she is! From my position on the top of the building, a faint wisp of energy trickles into the vestibule, snapping my attention around just in time for my antennae to catch a whiff of the little ant. With one dashing leap I throw myself across a gap and onto a nearby building where, looking down into