Chrysalis

My first nap as a tier seven, a deep and satisfying torpor that I luxuriate in. Indeed, life is only complete when one gets their eight hours! I’ve been flat out for way too long, to the point I’ve started to worry that the Torpor Police might disappear me.

That would have caused quite a stir, I’ve no doubt.

They do an incredible job of hiding, those little ninjants, but ever since I picked up the Vestibule, it’s been impossible for them to conceal themselves from me.

Unlike my bodyguards. Whatever it is that they use to create the strange forgetful effect was powerful enough to give me trouble for a little while. Ever since my evolution, though….

I reach out with one leg and poke at the air.

….

I poke again.

….

Another poke, harder this time.

“... Is that really necessary, Eldest?” Protectant complains.

Gweheheheh.

“I just find it fun, how easily I can spot you now.”

The guard smells decidedly unhappy about it.

“We would like to know how you do it,” she grumbles, “out of professional courtesy.”

You’d just try and find a way around

me with Will. As long as the energy is flowing, they’ll be lit up like a christmas tree, regardless of

of interesting, actually. The organ that causes me to ‘forget’ or ‘ignore’ their presence still works on my other senses when they actively try to conceal themselves. I can’t see Protectant with my eyes, or even feel it when I poke her with my leg, or detect the scent when

achieved

so fun to prod at them. Poke.

stop it,” Guardiant

Heheheheheh.

six,” I tell the invisible squad of babysitters. “If I’m going to

if we evolve, we’ll be able to

whip around and poke her again, with both antennae

hide from already. You need to seriously bump up your stats and combat prowess. That concealment organ has soaked up way too much evolutionary energy, don’t waste the next

Just

just to drive home the point, then I turn to Crinis and the others

you, pronto. Hunting in the fourth stratum is likely to be our best bet, but at the same time, we need to be on standby in case they need us in the third. There’s some funky business going down up there, and we may need to elevate up

nod in unison. It’s rewarding

we’ll hunt and gather Biomass. I need a fair bit to get my mutations ticking along, but we should make sure to contribute to the Colony stockpile, since you three

I wipe that species from the Dungeon! As it turns out, we don’t even make our way out of the tunnels before someone finds us with

me and I stop to let her catch up. “Eldest. They want to see you down on the shoreline.

They’re my highest priority on this stratum, I won’t let them get a foothold. I rumble down to the

by a host of ants that watch their every move with preternatural stillness. The leader, a fairly burly-looking golgari, almost seems happy

radiate out around me like this.

and latch onto the mercenary, then I bring his two followers

them. [Excellent, excellent. I suppose your hunt was

I make a conscious effort to tone it down. I can’t be scaring away

to my question, the three of them begin unloading the cargo in their boat, depositing a

quickly, all things considered,] the leader grunted warily. [The Dungeon seems to be spitting them out at quite a rapid clip. We

this level of the Dungeon.