Chrysalis

That's right dear readers! I ventured where so few have dared to tread! Within the heart of the nest itself! Of all the exotic locations I have plumbed over the years, all the dangers I have braved and risks I have taken, I have to say that this, this was not like those.

A part of me wants to say it was anti-climactic, in a sense, but another part of me wants to say that it was anything but. Here I was, on the brink of stepping deep within a nest of ravening monsters! How many thousands of them made war within the Dungeon just a few hundred metres beneath my feet? It was exhilarating to think about and my two guards were so tense their impressive muscles threatened to bulge right out of their armour.

On the other hand...

I was accompanied by a smiling tour guide who laughed and chatted with the townsfolk on their way to the Colony, on the road just as we were. We passed by a young mother and her small children on their way, the little ones running and cheering as their mother tried to keep them both in line as they dashed toward the impossible fortress that loomed ahead, bristling with monsters.

"What reason would this young lady have to take her children into the nest?" I leaned toward Emilia and whispered.

The old rumours came back to me in that moment. Where these children about to be sacrificed to slake the insect hunger for flesh!?

"The Colony runs a day care program for young children twice a week," she smiled gently, "mothers can come and spend time with each other as their children play with the hatchlings and take lessons from the brood tenders."

"Brood tenders?" my curiosity seized hold of my imagination before I had to process the idea of insect child care.

of ants specially bred to raise the young and teach. They are hyper-specialised in this field and provide heavy bonuses to anyone under their tutelage. Raising the young of the Colony makes them immensely busy, but for two days a week

how does this

we trade with them, they trade for us. There isn't an alliance or any such thing between the Colony and the survivors of the frontier kingdoms. Though they have never demanded anything from us, we are essentially one and the same. They have never failed to help us when we asked, and they help us constantly without us even having

understand me now, dear reader? A fearsome den of monsters this nest may be, but it

• the lands of the Colony' published

can outlast be, INSECT?!] Grokus gloats as he swept toward

me. All the massive city lord was doing was keeping me dodging and hopping out of his way whilst he waited for his insidious aura to eat me from the inside. Obviously, if he did manage to catch me and stuff me in

more difficult than you think, big

my gravity bomb as my main mind remains free to manoeuvre my body. The spell is growing within me at a tremendous pace, but I dare not release it half baked. I need this spell to turn the tides on Grokus and I've already seen how resistant he is to spells, shrugging off

Colony. Spells and waves of acid along with attacks

sure you don't stay close to him for any length of time. Use your lightning Tiny, and Crinis just try and chip away from range. If you get caught up in his area of effect

position to endure for a while but neither of them have the kind of reserves I do when it comes to healing. Tiny in particular has very little going for himself in this department, which means he won't be much use for the fight. Still, he does what he can and as I continue to dodge away from the demon, bolts of lightning come arcing over to stab into the city lord along with barbed limbs that emerge from the

much, but every