Chrysalis

Fighting for several days down in the fifth is a truly unpleasant experience. The only thing that makes it bearable is seeing the gradual transformation taking place within the purified area.

Unable to survive without native, fifth stratum mana, the poisonous moulds, toxic flowers, slime and mucous strands that cover almost every surface here have died off. Even the mucus river, thick and disgusting as it is, can’t help but be somewhat purified by the time it’s made its way through the safe-zone.

If we were to remain here long enough, I wonder if we might see the original, natural environment of the fifth begin to return and flourish, but goodness knows how long that would take. In fact, I doubt it ever could, considering we would need to restore the mana that had persisted here before it had become corrupted. I doubt anyone on Pangera can remember what that was, except perhaps for the Ancients.

However, eventually we reach the end of the experiment, and it’s time to pack up and go home to the fourth.

“The more time we spend in the fifth, the more I want to conquer it,” I confess to Brendant.

The dutiful soldier has been in stellar form as the leader of our expedition. Her cool and collected leadership from the front has been the anchor holding this entire operation in place. Honestly, I’ve been impressed.

“I think I know what you mean, Eldest,” she confesses. “This place rejects any attempt to even live here with such ferocity, I can’t help but want to rise to the challenge.”

The Colony is in the process of removing all our temporary defences and earthworks. Naturally, we terraformed the safe-zone to be as convenient as possible, but since we’re leaving, there’s no reason to leave it behind and let the Krath go over everything.

I have no doubt that they’re watching us, but the damn slugs are so sneaky I can barely catch a whiff of them with any of my senses. Their mana, their appearance, their scent, everything about them blends into the fifth so perfectly they’re practically indistinguishable from a wall. Every time I think I’ve caught a glimpse of one, it vanishes just as quickly.

didn’t

the monsters we fought were only those naturally spawning in the area. We battled against way,

Krath will have waiting for us when

know basically nothing about them, but they don’t know

to assume Solant has a

a plan in every

have become at this point. The thought of hundreds of thousands of ants rigorously training for this upcoming war fills me with confidence. I’ve no doubt we will

supposed to get information on the Krath?

flicks her antennae

us, the more we will learn of their methods, capabilities and thoughts. So long as they don’t manage to overwhelm us, we will absorb their pressure and counter attack with double the

willingness to shift strategy and methods can be powerful. Heck, there’s nothing she won’t throw away or change in order to achieve

among the last to be taken up to the fourth, seeing as how the safe-zone must be maintained at all times. Eventually, the time comes, and the happily chuffing pets are gathered up from their place on the specially constructed pads and lifted up into the shaft above. Once this happens, there’s only a few minutes until

enchantment removed and then the ants themselves rush up

and I send the

I spy a pair of