Chrysalis

[You look happy,] Granin rumbles over our link.

[Har, har. You’re a real comedian, you know that? In fact, why don’t you take your show on the road?]

[Don’t mind him,] Corun grins, [he’s just excited.]

[It’s not often you get to see a Mythic monster born,] Torrina adds.

I’m currently splayed out on the ground, my six legs stretched flat in all directions as I lay on my underside. The boredom has finally defeated me, and now I adopt the posture of surrender, unmoving and unthinking.

You can do an awful lot of not-thinking with this many brains, let me tell you. It’s like having static in stereo.

[There’s a lot of guards here…] Corun notes as he casts his gaze across the ranks of ants positioned around me. [Is there some kind of danger?]

[Not as such,] Wills, the guide for the trio, chips in. [The Eldest tried to break out yesterday, so we had to reinforce the garrison, significantly.]

I’ll get those damn centipedes if it's the last thing I do.

[Well, we’re here now, so you won’t have to wait much longer,] Granin sighs. [Once you’ve evolved, you’ll be free to move around again, from what I understand.]

[Oh, will I?] I say. [What about the Call, huh? Won’t the Ancients have an even bigger hook in my guts once I evolve? Seems like the opposite of being free to move around, if you ask me.]

Granin spreads his hands.

[Maybe yes, maybe no. It all depends on how strong they think your potential will be. It’s not ideal, I know, but at least you can take it as a sign that your evolutions are strong.]

[I don’t care. Am I clear on this, Granin? I. Don’t. Care. Whatever your precious Ancients want, I couldn’t give a single pip of Biomass. If it gets in the way of me protecting my family, I will go down there and kick them right in the teeth.]

Man, I’m grumpy. These past few days have piled insult on top of injury. Not only have I been locked here under constant supervision while hundreds of thousands of my own siblings wait on me hand and foot, building an entire fortress just so I can evolve in it, the idiot Dungeon even went and made a diamond centipede!

claw remained, I was prevented from doing so!

cuts deeper than any

one hand resting on the tip of my mandibles. [Let’s get started. The sooner we finish our discussion, the quicker you get evolving. I know you don’t care about the Ancients and any of that nonsense, that’s fine. You aren’t an experimental subject to me, Anthony, you’re a friend.

That’s actually touching.

second. Mana

rock-covered golgari rolls

on the fourth in decades. Torrina and Corun have never even been here. We’re acclimated to the third now, but it’ll take a week of careful exposure before we can move around

how long until you get

going to sulk or are you going to consult

[Sorry! Consult!]

better. Let’s get to

help me. It warms my little ant heart to know they care that much. It also scares me, I don’t want them to suffer because of me.

“Mythic” thing you mentioned.

right now, but after you push your core all the way, it

I

And we have a

steps forward, although “bounces” might be a better term. He's as

compensated for their weak starts with better and better evolutions as you proceed up the tree. This is due to the System presuming that almost none of you will ever

I say, [didn’t we kind

six, you were literally the only one to progress from worker all the

of you and the results are remarkable.] Even Torrina has an uncharacteristic gleam of enthusiasm in her eyes. [The Immortals

Heh. A hilarious example.

saying… what? I can expect

Granin smiles, actually smiles, [is that you can

coming from a people

actually think we might need

[What? Why?]