Chrysalis

"This is our chance," Leeroy hissed. "We can't mess it up again."

"Shhh!" her second in command, Hamadant shushed, waving her antennae to dispense the scent faster. "We don't know who might be paying attention."

The two looked around surreptitiously, then paused, then inspected the shadows beneath their feet. Leeroy went as far as to prod her own shadow with an antenna.

"I think we're in the clear," she said, dubious.

"We don't have much time," Hamadant said. "Artaxant said the armour will be repaired in less than a day."

"The evolution might take longer than that," Leeroy fretted. "What if it's not finished in time?"

"We have to take this chance," Hamadant stated, emphatic. "It was your idea, and we all agreed."

"Mufasant was particularly keen," Leeroy muttered. "She trampled over all our doubts."

"If any of us evolve with supervision, they're going to demand we explain our options and choose them for us," Hamadant said. "Our only chance is for one of us to evolve in secret and find the right option for the rest of us to pick, and you're the only one who's reached max level. We're counting on you, Leeroy."

Member of the Council, among the oldest of all the ants in the Colony, leader of the Immortals and constant disappointment to the Eldest, Leeroy felt her heart swell with powerful emotions as her second in command placed a leg on her carapace and spoke so earnestly.

All they wanted to do was sacrifice themselves for the Colony. Was that so wrong? Was it such a bad thing to be so dedicated, to listen to what their instincts told them?

they'd made when evolving to tier six, they'd become trapped, too durable to be defeated, and even if they were, they would simply revive. The Phoenix Flame had been so detrimental to their goals it had almost pushed them entirely out of reach. Whenever

EVEN SO, Leeroy and her followers had not given up hope. Not at all. The search went

It was the best

nodding firmly as Leeroy took it in

then turned and scuttled out of the

was a chance; she was going to undo her mistake and find the evolution that would counteract their current evolution and its cursed Phoenix Flame Organ, giving them

the gem within her body swelling and pressing against her insides. The pain was good; she welcomed and embraced it. This pain was nothing compared to her burning will, her defining ambition. When weighed against her need for glorious sacrifice, what was pain?

Nothing.

first of the Immortals to rise to tier seven. This time, she couldn't afford to make any mistakes. She would read

the rest of the Immortals to follow in her footsteps if she made another error. This time, it

and focused her mind, quieting her spirit which cried out for selfless sacrifice, achieving a sort of mandible-clenched focus. As she engaged the evolution menu, she flicked through the notifications until the list of possible species appeared. She honed in on each item, reading each word as if her life

would digest

For her followers.

Evolution Options

Enduring SoldierUnending WarriorUndying Commander

something better in the special or rare options. She would check the details of each evolution, of course, the previous mistake couldn't be repeated. Yet she was hoping there would at

of Endless Rebirth (Special)Unquenchable Flame of the

exactly sure what unquenchable would entail, but she knew it wasn't good. She wanted to be quenched! Fully quenched! Every day she spent in a less than satisfactorily quenched state was

clapped her front legs together like

there HAS to be something

with a hope that refused