Chrysalis

Sales have gone well, or so I’m told, and by the time the market has finished and everything is getting packed up, the ‘night’ of the fourth stratum is falling. Now, in a stratum filled with water and light mana, it’s rainbows and sunshine pretty much non-stop down here, but it does wax and wane slightly. The upshot is that half the time it’s brighter, half the time it’s a bit more dim.

Aka, ‘night time’.

Standing… or flopping… on my platform, I watch as all the ants around me deconstruct their stalls with pride. And a little bit of relief. It’s been fun, this trading adventure, getting to see all these different places and interacting with people that a monster such as myself wouldn’t normally get a chance to speak with. I’ve enjoyed the trip, but it’s time to go home. I want to feel the walls of the nest close in around me. Have my family members crawling over my carapace and feel the will of the Colony thundering through the Vestibule.

Let’s not forget the grub tickling also. I’ve gone far too long without grub tickling.

As much as all of this merchant business is going to benefit the family, there are other important things to do. The cleansing of the fifth stratum is my top priority at the moment, followed by trying to find a way to get the endlessly painful Call ripped out of my guts. Quite honestly, ripping it out would be less painful than what I’m feeling right now. I assume. I don’t know what it would be like to remove the darn thing.

“All ready to go?” I ask Tungstant.

“Just about, yes,” she replies. “We were able to get rid of almost all of our stock, so there isn’t nearly as much for us to pack. Even the raw materials like ingots and wood have been sold to builders and craftsmen. We’ll be bringing only a tenth of what we left with.”

“A resounding success!” I congratulate her. “Well done, Tungstant. You’ve done incredible work to keep this whole thing running smoothly. The carvers have done the Colony proud.”

“Thank you, Eldest,” she preens, clacking her mandibles happily. “They’ve been working diligently to master all of the trades in this world, and I’m confident our skill will only improve going forward.”

“I’ve got no doubt about that.”

I mean, that’s the nature of the System. The more you do something, the better you get at it, but I think she’s referring to more than that. To truly excel, experimentation, lateral thinking, and creative application are all required, alongside relentless grind. My siblings have the endless grind aspect down to a fine art, but still need practice thinking outside the box. Only a few individuals, such as Smithant or Solant, have shown a complete disregard to conventional ways of ant thinking. Honestly, I hope their way of going about things spreads to the rest of the family.

I find Eran Thouris and extend a mind bridge towards her.

hello. Are we heading straight to the

aware that it has been stolen from

than necessary. Despite some… unexpected calamities along the way, our mission has been a

by the look on her face, it went very

gold flowing into the coffers of the Conglomerate

than expected,] she smirks, then switches to a scowl with startling speed. [Don’t forget you’re getting a fat percentage of

barely adequate. We can

[I would rather not.]

[Thought so.]

way out of the city. Even now, people turn out to see us walk by, this

occurs

ever find

priest, or asking after him, since he ran off to the library. At the time, it seemed like a convenient way to get rid of him, but I think it would be poor form if we actually left

us during the market, Eldest. Did you want me to go and get

I just

we did a full headcount before we

“Good thinking.”

Eventually, we find our way down to the docks

ship waiting for me. The wide tub. Ol’ reliable. It’ll be a while

the dock itself as we line up and try to get ourselves onto the boats in good order. It takes a while, but we get loaded on, and I find myself in my customary position, flat out on my

I’ve missed the gang terribly. It’s been weird being out and about in the Dungeon without them. Really looking

about now except

my antennae flop forward as I prepare to go into torpor. I don’t doubt the brathian mages are keen to get home, and this ship is going to be absolutely flying through the water. Time