Chrysalis

The fungus rattles around us and every member of the group stills themselves, casting our senses about to identify the source of the movement.

[Crinis? You got anything?]

[It's difficult for me to see,] the usually reserved Crinis sounds frustrated and irritated, [the fungus has a mana signature that blocks my sight.]

Dammit.

[What about shadows? Are you seeing anything around us?]

[I think there are tunnels beneath us, but it's hard to say.]

That's not unexpected, considering where we are, I have little doubt that the termites have tunnels beneath us and all over this mountain for that matter.

[Stay sharp everyone. I think we might have company soon.]

The fungus continues to rattle and shake as I eye it warily, my minds already spinning up the constructs necessary to fight. I decide to start pumping out fire mana, since it seems like it'll have the biggest effect on the mould around us as well as on whatever comes out to fight.

The rattling all around us continues to intensify before it suddenly grows still, the five of us left watching the field of white in perfect silence.

SNAP!

before the fungus begins to bulge

[Termites!] Crinis yells.

through, their jaws filled with more fungus and their antennae swivelling wildly. In truth, they seem

dash forwards hoping to catch the termite on

many are

sure! I still can't

let yourself get cornered! If things get too spicy we'll have to

ROAR!

fists tearing through the air to crunch into the chitin covered

CHOMP!

catching it across the head as it doesn't turn in time to get its jaws between itself and me. With a satisfying crunch the barbs on my mandibles punch through its shell, but without activating my skills, a single bite isn't enough to put one of these creatures down. Chittering with indignation, my opponent tries to pull back and snap onto my front left leg. In a normal fight between ants and other social insects, the battle for the legs is everything. With huge

the luxury of pinning this termite down for

corrects its balance, its jaws snapping shut on thin air, only to be met with my ferocious charge a second later. The impact of activating the skill is staggering and the termite's shell cracks

be born on the sixth stratum but even you can't handle my shiny glory! Unwilling to play with it any further, I spin up the mana I've kept in reserve and unleash a torrent of blue flame, roasting the termite where it stands. What I don't expect is for the flame to instantly spread to the mould, melting it like wax even as it catches fire. If it were only that, perhaps it wouldn't be much of an issue, but unfortunately for us, it seems as if this fungus likes to burn, because the blaze spreads in an

getting hot

heck did you do?!] Sarah wails as she bats away the termites who try to swarm

cry. [How was I supposed to know this stuff

fire

ready my mandibles for another chomp. [Let's