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?]

fine,] she sniffs. [The Mother Tree didn’t really want to move us, but she’s still in debt

a word when I get a chance. In the meantime,

[Who is Solant?]

new Colony champion. She’s an interesting one, tried to poison

[She WHAT?!]

to snap my antennae! Let go!

FILTH that

breathe, do you? It’s fine. She tried to poison me with… heh… sugar. It was funny more than anything

[... fine.]

I’ve got a few things to do, then I’ll chase down

I turn my attention to the twenty ants before me. They look a little overwhelmed at

mind of hers. I

some congratulations

“Congratulations?” Solant asks.

your early graduation from the

another ant pipes up. “Does that mean we

sense, 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

they

THWACK!

Solant, let’s have a quick chat. The rest of

Brilliant was kind enough to deposit us inside the chamber I evolved in. Spacious, and, it appears, quite abandoned for the moment, we are very much alone inside,

from the smashing defeat I

She glares at me.

“No.”

of burning anger to drive you forward. I’ve got high hopes for you, Solant. I see some qualities in you that are… rare, to say the least,

that unlike the previous two champions, this one 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

don’t really understand

I’m going to take an even more unusual approach,

you aware what a

“No.”

of them as exceptional, unique members of a 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