[It’s unfortunate, so, so unfortunate, but you just happened to run into your natural enemy in this situation: my Gravity Bomb. Not only is the damage outrageous, but it sits in place for an uncomfortably long time. You were regenerating the entire time, weren’t you? That must have sucked. Like, that must have really sucked. The moment you healed, it was all ripped away just as fast. How much Biomass did you chew through in the duration of that spell? Must have been a lot. Must have been ALL of it, in fact, because as of right now, you aren’t healing the way you were before.]
I turn to face him head on.
[In fact, right now, you’re barely healing at all.]
Grokus doesn’t say anything for a long, heavy moment, flexing his massive claws as his jaw works, chewing over my words. Which is right when I take a massive hit of damage. I stagger to the side. It’s almost as if my stomach has ripped itself open, triggering an emergency release of regeneration fluid. Despite the added energy being provided through the Vestibule, my regeneration gland is still running close to empty after being used too close together. I heal, just not nearly enough.
[Perhaps you boast too soon, little insect!] Despite being rattled, the city lord manages to sound as pompous as ever. [You may have worn through my reserves with your magic, but I am still standing, and so long as I am, you will continue to suffer. Unless you can finish me off in the next few minutes, you will have no hope of being victorious in this battle! Without you to save them, I will rampage through your kind until I am once again stuffed with Biomass!]
I pick myself up and stiffen my legs to hold my body firm.
[I mean, yes, that would be the case if I was here by myself, but I’m not, am I?]
I turn to the Colony.
“GET HIM!”
Over ten thousand ants are within range of my pheromonal cry, and they do not hesitate.
“FOR THE COLONY!” floods the area as each and every one of them heroically rushes forward and a rain of acid and spells unleashes on Grokus.
Not to be left out, I Charge in, pushing my aching body to the limit to zig and zag left and right. Focusing my mind, listening to the hidden signals emanating from my antennae, I watch the now desperate city lord like an ant-hawk. When he swipes, I’m more than ready and dodge appropriately, closing the gap in an instant. Mandibles wide open, I lock my jaw and prepare to strike.
[It’s over, Grokus!] I bellow as I bite down onto his arm.
Weakened he may be, the massive demon still represents a great threat to my siblings, which means I want to keep his focus on me as much as possible whilst I remove his ability to harm them. Without the use of his arms, he has only his aura to rely on. Which will work, given enough time. I mean, we’re racing against the clock here.
[Come on, Tiny! Crinis! Pour it on! Give it everything you have!]
Not needing to be reminded, Tiny and Crinis leap into the fight with gusto, ripping and tearing, punching and smashing with all they can muster.
[I refuse to let it end like this!] Grokus bellows in my mind. [I have ruled for hundreds of years! I will not be brought down by an insect from above!]
DOOM CHOMP COMBO!
Mandibles pumping, I avoid the grasping claws of my weakening foe whilst outputting as much damage as I can.
[You’ve stagnated for hundreds of years,] I scoff. [Too scared to move forward and too blind to see it. Worry not, you’re only the first city lord who will fall to the Colony. I assure you, you won’t be the last!]
With a roar that flattens my antennae back against my head, the massive demon raises both hands high in the air and brings them down in a colossal smash that cracks the stone for metres in every direction, but the blow is so telegraphed, I didn’t even need my Future Sense to dodge it. Leaping over the top of his arms I run up the bulbous flesh of the demon and bare my mandibles once again.
With the help of thousands of ants, all attacking furiously and without fear, we bring the demon lord down, even as my insides tear themselves apart. With relief I feel the menacing aura effect finally fade away, and with joy I hear the voice of Gandalf ring within my mind.
[You have defeated a Level 53 Luxuria Daemonium (VII).]
[You have gained XP.]
[You have reached Level 10.]
[You have reached…]
GWEHEHEHEHEH! Gimme ’dem Levels!
144. Fallout
The immediate fallout from defeating the city was a little odd as an experience. The remaining demonic residents of Roklu were a little bewildered by the whole thing, and some were less than pleased at being ruled by monsters from so much higher in the Dungeon than they themselves, but those opinions were soon changed by the overwhelming numbers and might that the Colony brought to bear.
You might be a high and mighty tier six demon from the third stratum with nothing to fear from a tier five ant from the first, but you better believe you have something to fear from a hundred thousand of them! Demons are smart enough and capable of acting quite logically when not in the grip of their own particular obsession, so the writing was quite clear on the wall to the majority shortly after the conquest was finished.
Once Grokus had been defeated and I was sitting atop the resultant Biomass recovering, Invidia and Al made their way back to us. The two of them look particularly smug, especially for a pair of demons that ganged up on another to achieve their win.
[Everything went well on your side?] I ask them.
[Sssssatisssfactory,] Invidia purrs.
[Indeed. I am pleased with this outcome,] Al declares, his voice as flat as usual.
[You don’t really sound it. In fact, you sound completely bored.]
[With my mind now freed from the concern I have carried for decades, I am at last able to pursue my desire for knowledge to the utmost. I am ecstatic,] Al says, his voice totally devoid of emotion.
[I could almost believe you were making a joke. So, no issues with big Mongo?]
[Mongu’nin?]
[That’s the guy.]
[He was a difficult opponent. Thanks to the aid of… Invidia, we were able to overcome his defences at the final moment. Without any help, I fear I would have been unable to measure up to the task.]
[Well, you got what you want: the city has been liberated from the control of Grokus, and the demon who was trying to hunt you constantly is dead. What are your plans going forward? As you said, you’re totally free now.]
The eye of fire watches me for a brief moment.
[I believe I will continue to shadow you for a time longer. I have been able to harvest a great deal of fresh information from you in exchange for mere scraps of guidance. This is a transaction that pleases me. Delicious.]
[Thanks for asking for my opinion on the matter… Welcome aboard, I guess.]
Come to think of it, I don’t really have much of an idea as to what is going to happen in the near future. The Colony is likely to keep aggressively expanding, both within the third stratum and above. What role they expect me to play in that process, I’m not sure. I could probably just keep exploring, wandering around the tunnels and grinding for Levels and Biomass. The hunting down there was quite profitable. Someone should investigate the deeper layers of the third stratum for the family as well, just so we know what we’re going to run into.
I don’t think there’s any way that I’m going to be able to get out of having to call a Council meeting, not to mention attending it. Sigh. I really don’t like getting bogged down in the administrative details, it certainly isn’t my strength! I guess it wouldn’t hurt to check in with Granin and the crew, see how things are going about the place. We also need to work out how we’ll manage to keep the peace in a demon city that’s run by ants. Something tells me they won’t adapt to our rule quite as easily as Rylleh did.