Chrysalis

With the arrival of Vibrant and her crew, who’d made the difficult trek from the Mother Tree’s portal to arrive in the new mountain-nest, the situation below ground stabilised rapidly. Just like their leader, the ten thousand ants who follow in her footsteps specialise in speed, which isn’t the most useful thing down in the tunnels, but they find ways to make it work.

They want space to best employ their greatest advantage, which meant the wide open plains of the third stratum had been the perfect battle ground for them and Vibrant had been super busy. Rushing from one pillar to the next, putting out fires, joining sieges, roaming the plains and sweeping up huge numbers of evolving demons. Down here, they use whatever space they can find, rushing along the walls and ceilings in dizzying loops.

Watching them charge into a tunnel is almost like watching a horizontal ant-tornado.

“All right, it’s rest time!” I declare cheerfully to Solant and her crew.

The twenty of them are still standing, but only just. After hour upon hour of non-stop movement, fighting and eating, they are well and truly done for the day.

Hang on a sec….

“I said we’re going to go rest, so chill out already.”

The shadows, which had been steadily deepening around us, begin to recede once more. I swear I see an antenna pop out of the darkness and wave an apology.

Did they really think they could swoop in and grab my student right in front of me?! I appreciate the dedication, but I’m not going to let them get away with skipping torpor. That’s the only time I get a break!

“Go find yourselves a spot in a barrack somewhere. I’ll come and find you in eight hours. You better have some interesting strategies cooked up by then, Solant! I’m keen to hear what you’ve been churning over in that brain of yours!”

away, I turn

all the Biomass and cores you need, but you're still short on Levels. The sooner you three get to tier seven, the happier I’ll be. Down here in the fourth, there’s all sorts of crazy monsters… and sky-snakes… and whatever that

three of them split up and

about the waves, they only get worse until the moment

the most important work of all: snooze. I’ve been working hard, dammit! I deserve a

chamber, and in moments,

WACCAMEOW! I’m up!

the troops. It isn’t hard to locate Solant, thanks to the Vestibule. So far, she’s been the easiest of the champions to deal with. At least she isn’t trying to escape

second, have all the champions been fleeing from me

her crew, they are looking bright-eyed and

with gusto. “We’re heading back down into the tunnels today, but this time, Solant is going to be in charge of the

“I will?”

course! That’s your speciality, your raisin deet ray. Or whatever. When we get down there, I want you to lay out the plan of attack. Our objective is to hold a tunnel

a tight-knit and supportive group. As we march down into the bowels of the nest, the twenty of them constantly discuss and

absorbing every idea

rest of the generals in the command centre don’t react at all to the sudden abduction of their leader, but instead seamlessly flow into a