Chrysalis

I’m not a huge fan of my insides turning into my outsides, or having my carapace replaced with candy floss, or indeed, of being flattened/expanded into less/more dimensions than I’m comfortable with.

Having said that, the moment when Brilliant drops me into the fourth stratum makes it more than worthwhile. Instantly, I feel a wave of relief wash over me as both my gasping core relaxes, and the insatiable gnawing of the Call fades away.

It’s still there, obviously, but no longer is it the maddening, mind-bendingly painful yanking on my soul, merely a comfy nail through the foot.

Nothing I can’t handle!

“Thanks, Brilliant,” I sigh in relief, “I appreciate the trip.”

“Are you feeling well, Eldest?” the little maniac says, prodding me in the side. “This is unlike you.”

“Pah. Don’t you have something you should be blowing up? Shoo.”

“Why yes! I do! If you find yourself in need of my services again, don’t hesitate to call my name! BRILLIANT!”

With a pop, she vanishes from sight and I allow myself to slump to the floor in relief.

Bliss.

It doesn’t last long, though.

[MASTER!]

Glomp!

From nowhere, an enormous blob of shadow flies from the crevices in the ceiling above me and latches onto my carapace. Crinis wastes no time expanding herself to wrap around my abdomen, poking and prodding as she goes.

[I’m fine. I’m fine. Nice to see you, Crinis. Stop poking! I haven’t been gone that long. I didn’t even do anything dangerous!]

[Then why did you leave us behind? We could have come too!]

[It’s not that easy for Brilliant to haul powerful monsters around. I thought it was better if you three waited for me down here. Did Tiny and Invidia make it alright?]

she sniffs. [The Mother Tree didn’t really want to move us, but she’s still in debt to the Colony, so she couldn’t

trying to weasel out of the deal? Lousy matchstick! I’ll go have a word when I get a chance. In the meantime,

[Who is Solant?]

champion. She’s an

[She WHAT?!]

snap my

this FILTH that dared to

breaths. I mean… you don’t breathe, do you? It’s fine. She tried to poison me with… heh… sugar. It was funny more than

[... fine.]

things to do, then I’ll chase down the other two and we

the moment, I turn my attention to the twenty ants before me. They look a little overwhelmed at the dramatic increase in mana concentration compared

for Solant. She’s studying everything with that restless, analytical mind of hers. I can practically hear the

I suppose some

“Congratulations?” Solant asks.

graduation from the

finished?” another ant pipes up. “Does that mean we can go serve the

yes. In another, more realistic sense, no. You’ve been enrolled in the Colony’s most prestigious and exclusive postgraduate program. You get to learn directly from the greatest and best teacher in

are they getting

THWACK!

the Eldest? Now, Solant, let’s have a quick chat. The rest

enough to deposit us inside the chamber I evolved in. Spacious, and, it appears, quite abandoned for the moment, we

smashing defeat I inflicted on you

She glares at me.

“No.”

for you, Solant. I see some qualities in you that are… rare, to say

wasn’t raised by me. She’s been taught and reared like every other ant, with the love and care of the best monster mums the Dungeon has ever seen: the Brood Tenders! My…

understand what you

moment, I decide I’m going to take an even more unusual approach, the direct

aware what a Champion

“No.”

particular monster type. It happens rarely, but sometimes a monster is simply born better, with an already formed core in some instances. But it’s more than just better, also different. In a species like ours, they go from rare to