“Is there a Skill associated with this ‘thought mesh’ that you keep referring to?”
“There’s a couple, actually. Sense Thought and Harmonic Thinking.”
A quick scan of my available Skills list reveals that they haven’t been offered to me.
“I’m guessing you need to engage in some group spellcasting or some such in order to unlock the Skill?” I ask.
“That’s right,” Propellant confirms. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you didn’t have it in your list.”
I’ve always preferred to go solo, I suppose. At least in terms of my offence. While we chat, the two teams continue their contest, wrestling at the Mana around them and flinging ice, fire, and whatever else they can manage as other members of the group focus on breaking down the incoming spells or utilising their Mana Manipulation to unravel their forms before they can land. It’s high-speed, high-octane training, and it’s a heck of a lot of fun to watch.
Especially for the hatchling.
“What’s this? It’s so cool!” she cries, hopping back and forth watching the dazzling display of magic.
“This is training for ant mages,” I tell her. “They’re practising to work better in groups and coordinate their thoughts with each other.”
“That sounds fun!” she cheers. “I bet I can do it the best!”
“No words without proof,” I scold her. “Alright, come on then, it’s time to get going.”
“Already?” she complains.
I drag her away from the ongoing training exercise with Propellant waving us off with one antenna.
Looks like the mages are still working hard, though I’m a little bothered that they’re sticking to the basic magic forms. I might have to have a word with Coolant if I run into her. Raising your rank in the basic elements is fine, but unless you plan to rely on them for a while, it’s better for the mages to move on to more advanced constructs. I suppose they might have stayed with basic elements when the majority were tier three. They just wouldn’t have had the needed stats to throw into harder spells, but now that the majority are tier four, they should be able to take it to the next level. I want to see lightning ants, dammit! That’ll be awesome!
Our next visit is the research and training domicile of the core shapers, and surprise, surprise, they are hard at work when we arrive. With the wave dying down, the thousands of core shapers they sent out to harvest resources have started to return, and the records are indicating it was a massive haul. Naturally, the ants aren’t actually returning with anything, all the cores and Biomass they harvested went straight into their pets, but when we consider the fighting strength the Colony has gained, with resources gathered outside our territory, it’s a massive windfall for the Colony over all.
“I’m impressed as hell,” I congratulate the two core shaper Council members, Bella and Ellie. “What your caste has managed to achieve is nothing short of amazing. We’ll have need of your people in the future, I’m sure.”
“We’ll be ready, Eldest!”
“I believe the core shapers are going to really show what they can do in the near future,” I tell them. “You’ve been working with pets that are too low tier and without reinforced cores and insufficient mutations. Now that you have those things in abundance, you’re going to shock the other castes, I guarantee it!”
They’re greatly cheered by my encouragement, and we leave their area on a high note. I truly believe what I told them. My pets are living proof of how effective reconstituting monsters can be. The primary issue that needs to be overcome is that of Biomass and cores. Even for myself, the requirements of getting to tier seven are enough to make me spit blood. I’m going to have to pay that price four times to get my full squad up to that level of strength. It’s exorbitant, to say the least.
The core shapers have been experiencing this problem as well, but on a far grander scale. Even if they only wanted to raise their pets up to tier four, the Colony would be forking out cores and Biomass for thousands and thousands of tier four monsters, taking food away from the mandibles of the young.
By seizing the moment, shouldering the risk, and sending their people out, the core shapers have braved the dangers of the wave and come back stronger for it. By sticking to the lower areas of the first stratum, they avoided the worst of the danger as well. It’ll be a laugh when I see that demon city overrun by an army of ten thousand monsters, not a single one of them ants!
102. Heading out
After visiting the core shapers, there isn’t too much left to do. I don’t want to take the hatchling in to visit Mother, since she’s likely to declare something rude like “I could be a way better Queen” and get her head thwacked in. By me. I abandon that idea and decide it’s time to begin doing the real work of the hatchling’ education. Combat!
Not to mention, I need to stuff her full of Biomass and cores in order to assure the best possible evolutions! Gwehehehehe.
“Alright then, hatchling, no more slacking around. Are you ready to be the best ant that you can be!”
“Of course!” she retorts. “I’m ready to be the best ant out of them all!”
“Oh-ho! I’m happy to hear that, because it’s time for full-on, no holds barred combat in the tunnels!”
“Yeah!” she punches the air in excitement.
“…For me and the others. All you get to do is eat.”
“What!” she sulks.
“Come on now. You’re a tiny little hatchling, whereas we are mighty tier six monsters, literally the highest tier of any monster in the Colony. You need to work your way up to this level if you want to match us someday, and this is the start of that process. We need to get Biomass and cores into you so you can start to evolve and get stronger. As part of that, we’ll teach you the basics of how to fight like an ant!”
The difference in power is hard to ignore. I’m so much larger than she is that she could walk underneath my carapace without me even having to raise myself up from my normal standing height. At tier one, she’s just food for whatever monster happens to look her way, and she’s smart enough to realise it.
[Which one of you is going to be on hatchling babysitting duty?] I ask my pets.
[I’m happy to do it, Master!] Crinis unsurprisingly volunteers, eagerly waving a tentacle.
[Hrrr.] Tiny also puts a hand up, offering to care for the little one.
Invidia is totally silent.
[Tiny,] I turn to the big ape. [Are you sick or something? You’re telling me you want to help look after the little one and not fight?]
He gives an almost offended look.
[Don’t give me that rubbish!] I wave my front legs at him. [You ALWAYS want to fight! You don’t get to look offended when I get shocked that you are actually asking to do something else!]
At least he has the good grace to appear a little embarrassed. I immediately feel bad for being so shocked.
[Hey, being honest? Good for you, big guy. You can guard the hatchling, alright? We need to secure Biomass, cores, and experience for her, so make sure she gets those last hits in and stays safe.]
The giant ape nods and takes a protective position over the little ant, keeping a keen eye on her every move. In this formation, we exit the nest and leave the Colony’s territory altogether, making our way into the Dungeon proper, beyond the defensive line. The wave has all but sputtered out. No longer are monsters leaping from the walls and floor every few seconds, claws desperately reaching for anything they can find to devour. Spawn rates are still high, though, so there’s plenty of prey to find in the tunnels.