Chrysalis

Hah!

Felt like something just walked over my grave. Can ants even shiver? That's weird! Almost as weird as having bones on the inside. I can't imagine how I ever put up with it.

Holy moly, I feel a weird. I'm jazzed up. Got the shakes. I've got so much energy, I just don't know what to do with it.

This must be what it feels like to be Vibrant. I feel like standing still is taking all of my focus! I will point out that I can actually manage it, unlike her.

With hundreds of thousands of ants pouring into the area to prepare for the assault, the amount of energy flowing into the Vestibule has become a literal flood. I'm absolutely inundated with impressions, sensations and thoughts of half a million individuals. What makes it worse is that all of them are pumped full of energy and impatience. They're eager to start the fighting and tear into the foul termite nest, the primal hatred of our eternal insect enemy raging in their cores.

And I'm getting all of it!

The tunnels under the Roots of the Mother Tree are so packed full of family members that I feel like I'm in a nest. A huge nest! There are ants everywhere I go, jammed into resting chambers, hanging on the ceiling, piled on top of each other. Thankfully, they're only going to have to wait a few hours before the fighting starts, otherwise we'd have to feed them all!

Trying to picture the logistics of feeding half a million diligent soldiers of the Colony… ugh. That's enough to make my brains give up on life. In the second and third stratum, we are establishing the enormous infrastructure required to feed the Colony, but it's hard work. A vast network of tunnels and expanses have been cultivated for this sole purpose, not to mention the transportation hubs just for moving all that food around.

And only half of the Biomass gathered by the Colony goes into feeding it, the other half is delivered straight to the queens to keep the family growing. If we continue to accelerate our growth, then we're going to need to find more solutions for this problem than just hunting monsters.

The aphids have done a lot up in the first layer of the Dungeon, more than I expected, really. But the quality of the Biomass they extract isn't that high, only suitable for ants up to tier three. We could try them down here in the fourth on the abundant vegetation, perhaps they'll extract something better down here? It's a thought.

The other thing I'm considering is the fungus the termites have grown. Various types of ant live by the practice of farming. In fact, ants were probably the first farmers in the world back on Earth. Leafcutter ants in particular are famous for the practice, rushing out of the nest in huge columns and returning with jaws full of juicy leaves. Some people think they eat them, but no, they use those leaves as fertilizer and food for massive underground fungal gardens.

There's no reason the Colony couldn't do the same. If we can get hold of some of this fungus and work out ways to grow it, or alter it into something that better suits our needs… it could help alleviate our looming food crisis.

for the battle to start. I've no doubt the majority of the council is down here somewhere, but goodness knows where. There's so many of us, I can't reliably use the Vestibule to

tried diving into that raging torrent, but quickly became

their incredibly harmonised Will, is too much for

do find someone I recognise and reach out with a

heck are you

I immediately feel regret. The blazing fire in his eyes is almost enough to set me alight. This

in your presence once more!" he gushes

[What the -]

Hang on.

can speak in pheromones

have advanced along the path you and the Colony have

or something that let you communicate through

This is our

why not? This may as well

little closer and begins to extend a shaking hand toward my carapace, a

the carapace. It's not easy to get it this clean and I want it to stay

you want to put your

Beyn is clearly heated at the transgression, the

poor guy on the shoulder, "we ants can be very fussy about our

same extent as me. Then again, no other ants are quite as shiny

the offender change from disapproving anger to fawning jealousy, I can't help but try

suppose… I might just… be on my