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.

No, these pieces are just for

walk over to her and give her a

we have to

she recalls the near disaster she experienced the

assures me, [I'll be

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

you old fogey!] I greet him jovially. [Torrina, looking

great

any way to talk to a future Ancient?] I

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 are you telling

trying to support my family and

that the three golgari give off much stronger 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

by, I've been playing around with a

mana into my mandibles and wave them threateningly in the shaper’s direction and to my surprise, he reacts,

hell is that!? My danger senses are

[You have danger senses?]

[Never mind that!]

but give him an odd

mandibles with stone mana. I tested it on the way over, helps me cut through rock like it's

He shivers.

Mantis. Except they infused the blades on their arms rather than their mandibles. We ended up driving them

mean to stress you out,] I apologise, [I just

Anthony,] Corun laughs, [It was plenty funny

them a dirty

this. How is

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

to be down here as a tier six. Tier seven demons are no joke, as