Chrysalis

When we returned to Roklu and made our way up the plate on which the city was built, the changes that had taken place were clear to see. Not ones to mess around, the Colony had clearly gotten to work to an extent that left the remaining local residents' heads spinning. Around the central pillar, the carvers had clearly decided 'forget this' and just gone ahead and built an ant hill circling the base. What had once been Grokus' compound was now an elegant tower of stone and dirt, already displaying elaborate carvings and intricate arrangements on the outside as the more artistic workers set to their business.

The rest of the city was rebuilt, sturdier and neater than before. No longer quite as tangled a mess as it had been, the Colony had imposed some degree of order on the demons without going all the way and tearing down their warrens completely. Thousands and thousands of ants are still in residence, watching in all directions, building, scouting, shifting resources from above and bringing them down into the city. The elevator they constructed is rather impressive, no doubt about that. The ingenuity of the Colony knows no bounds.

Of course, once we are settled it's time for Brilliant to evolve.

"Hop to it!" I tell her. "Make sure you think carefully about your choices, don't make any dumb decisions. You really can't afford to waste your evolutionary energy."

"I know that," she grumbles. "It's just that I'm so tempted to choose everything I see."

"That curiosity is likely to get you killed one of these days," I scold her. "Obviously you can't pick everything. Be sensible about it."

"Fine."

I carefully watch her until I'm convinced she's deep into the menus and thus too distracted by the System and the process of evolving to worry about what is happening in the real world.

[Chuck her in the mouth, Invidia, she can evolve in there while we go about our business. Mind you, if she gets too large for you to hold make sure you let me know and spit her out.]

[Very weellll.]

A few moments later the little ant is gone, vanished into a pocket dimension whilst the rest of us continue our tour of the city. It isn't long before we bump into some old friends.

[Sarah! I didn't expect to see you down here!]

We spot the big bear helping a few carvers by shifting some heavy stone blocks with not inconsiderable strength.

[Oh, Anthony! Welcome back! I thought I couldn't keep being lazy and should come down here and help. I might have thought twice if I'd realised how hot it would be.]

[I can see that Smithant got a hold of you too,] I flip an antenna toward the rings of metal that adorn her limbs.

She pulls a face.

pieces are just for helping keep me cool. It's not great

give her a pat on the back with one

be careful with yourself alright? You'll be a big help in the fighting against the tier seven and six opponents we have

her eyes as she recalls the near disaster she experienced the last time

worry,] she assures me, [I'll

remembers to tell me that Granin and crew had come down looking for me so I bid her farewell and let her get back to building, which in turn got the carvers to stop accusing us of being lazy, and went looking for the golgari. I eventually find them resting just outside the anthill in a small compound that appeared to have

fogey!] I greet him jovially. [Torrina, looking wonderful as always. Corun,

old shaper grunts. [It's great to see

that any way to talk to a

He peers at me.

Ancient is no laughing matter,] he says, [you're talking about becoming one of the most powerful entities on the entire planet. Or

and make it to my next evolution

gravitational waves than one would expect given their size. I suppose the ore they cover themselves in isn't just for show after all, but even taking that into account, I feel like their bodies underneath that rock and metal are more dense than I might have expected. The golgari are

the by, I've been playing around with a few new things. Check

in the shaper’s direction and to my surprise, he reacts, leaping back

that!? My danger senses are going

[You have danger senses?]

[Never mind that!]

give him an

infused my mandibles with stone mana. I tested it on the way over, helps me cut through rock like it's not even there,] I

He shivers.

like my skin was about to peel off. The golgari fought monsters with a similar power a long time ago. Stone Mantis. Except they infused the blades on their arms

out,] I apologise,

it Anthony,] Corun laughs, [It was plenty

them

How is progress toward your next

break! I only just evolved! You think experience rains down

here as a tier