Chrysalis

After collecting a few choice cores and chowing down on Biomass, all we could really do was shrug and get back to business. Even so, I can't help but feel like this incident is going to come back and bite me in the backside somehow. At least this time I can proudly wave my antennae and declare that it wasn't my fault! How am I supposed to know some random pride demon is going to get it in his head to attack me? There was clearly no getting out of that situation.

Now, where were we?

[How far are these tunnels, Al? It's getting hot out here!]

That's a lie. It's constantly been hot out here.

[If you find the temperature disagreeable then it may be a good idea not to descend any further. The heat will only increase.]

[I'm guessing that you don't have an issue with it…]

[The portion of my body that extrudes into this dimension is comprised of 65.37 percent heat energy. It does not bother me.]

[Invidia, when you evolve, try not to become a floating eyeball of fire, alright? If you really want to pick an element, do earth or something.]

[Hisss flame isss powerful. I wantsssss it!]

[It literally doesn't matter what he has, you'd have wanted it anyway! Just consider, alright? I don't want to drag this kind of heat through the entire Dungeon! I can't even sweat!]

Ants aren't particularly good at temperature regulation internally. Although some colonies are incredible at utilising the flow of air within their nests to control the heat, basically building automated air conditioning systems to make sure the inside of the nest is never too hot or cold and ensuring the air doesn't become stale. Pretty clever for creatures with a brain the size of a pinhead!

Of course, our eternal foes the termites are the best at this sort of thing. Those blind little bugs create enormous mound nests that can bring fresh air all the way down to the heavily protected nesting chamber of their massive, chonky queen.

[Alright then, where to now?] I ask.

to the tunnels

to our right and so off in

come almost ten kilometres from Roklu already. Are entrances to the tunnels that rare? Seems like they might be more

of fire mana between the layers. The tunnel entrances are gaps in the flow

the ever-shifting

get out here and answer a

response comes to me as light

"Do I have to?"

to! I'm not going to talk to thin air when I know for a fact that you're

sight. I wonder if they bother to train their stealth skills at all, considering they rely on a powerful organ to hide most of the time. Similar to Al, the organ in question subtly affects the minds of those

was that back there? The 'take down protocol'? This a change in the stated policy or

She shifts uncomfortably.

we can end fights more quickly with a precision strike, and therefore cut down on the risk that

it helps you guys get some experience and Biomass on the job," I approve, "I

that we expose ourselves more often, which many of us are not happy

dismiss those concerns with a flick of my

have to expose yourselves at points in order to perform your role at all. It's just a question of working out when and how much. I think this is a sensible shift.

bit more proactive, having these twenty follow me around won't be as much of a pain. It's nice to have more ants to talk to, for a start, something I can't

Speaking of other ants.

Invidia, spit her out,] I

quick shake,

"Oo! What's all this?"

than five seconds, she's already spotted the carpet of demons crawling around our feet and pounced on one, holding down the struggling creature with her mandibles so she can inspect