Magma crystals are far rarer. An infused form of quartz, these crystals are so dense with concentrated mana they can spew forth a flow of lava for hours at a time without needing to be recharged. It was the Legionem Abyssi who were the first to learn how to safely carve slivers off the gems and apply them to the tips of arrows, a trick that might have been better had it never been learned at all.
Ash shards. A grim material that skirts the edges of the forbidden. The power of ash is a breath away from that of disintegration and annihilation. Capable of dissolving a person whole, it is by far the deadliest substance that can be mined in this stratum.
Pyrestone is the one building material that allows a permanent structure to be formed in the land of fire and ash. Without it, putting one brick on top of another and expecting it to be there the next day would be all but impossible. Resistant to heat and seemingly immune to the degrading power of ash, even at the deeper layers where it becomes more potent, Pyrestone is the bedrock of civilised existence within the world of demons.
As the vast army of the Colony flowed into the area around Orpule, they set to work like a well-oiled machine. Soldiers peeled off the line and started to set up patrols and a perimeter even as the carvers began construction of a vast project. It was fascinating to watch it happen. Sitting up on my rock, it almost reminds me of looking at timelapse videos of ants at work. A flurry of activity, dirt getting moved around with thousands of little bodies rushing here and there. The main difference in this instance, of course, is that every being I see is a fully sapient creature. There’s no wasted movement, no back and forth, just a clean execution of a previously agreed on plan that was carefully considered.
In ten minutes, tons of rock have been shifted, clearing the ground for what is to come. The vast field of plains around the pillar that supports the ceiling so far above our heads is effectively surrounded, teams of ants having formed a living wall around the city. Still, the vast concentration of the army remains here, close to me, feverishly building in a long line that extends from my position all the way to the base of the pillar.
Fifty minutes later, even the demons should be able to work out what is happening. The beginnings of a vast rampart are taking shape, the likes of which this stratum may have never seen before. Several kilometres long, it will reach from the ground all the way up to the lip of the plate on which the demon city sits. A truly ludicrous undertaking, but one the Colony will attempt to execute even so. Huge trails of soldiers and scouts have formed in all directions, hauling hundreds of tons of stone every minute back to the construction site where mages and carvers break it down and fuse it into the ever-growing ramp.
It is glorious, it is mad, and it’s amazing all at once.
This is the power of the Colony when they bring their numbers to bear. This is what forty thousand of us can do when we work together in harmony. In a year, there might be a million of us, or even more. What wonders will we be able to accomplish at that time? I can’t help but get shivers as I think about it.
But now’s not the time for sitting around on my backside daydreaming! Eventually the city is going to start retaliating, firing spells and dropping rocks on us as we build! At that time, I need to be on the frontlines, ready for action, which means I need to be mutating and resting my mind to ensure peak performance when the battle is at its peak!
No longer willing to stuff around and watch others work—think of my reputation!—I rush down into the resting chamber in which my group is already slumbering and prepare to mutate. This mainly involves making sure that nobody can see me, and I’ll be protected during ‘itch time.’
With this job done, it’s time to weigh my gains. How many points do I have to work with?
Five hundred and forty-seven. Not bad for a week’s work, especially considering the fact I’ve been sharing the food with a host of tier sixes—and a seven. It’s enough for me to take three of my organs… aaaalmost four of them, from +25 to +30.
Which of the lucky body parts will it be?
28. Assault on Orpule, Part 4
Ah, mutating. The subtle joy of making some selections within your mind and then having your body literally transform into a better and more capable version of itself. Not only is it mega-convenient, it’s super addictive. The feeling of constant improvement is just fantastic.
So, it’s with a giddy joy in my heart that I start perusing the menus and looking over my status, trying to decide which of my many organs and body parts needs to be upgraded next. Obviously, it’s an important decision. We have a big fight coming up and multiple tier seven opponents will be present, so I’ll need to be at my combat peak.
Then again, what entails the combat peak? My carapace and mandibles are upgraded, that’s fantastic, obviously, but what comes next in terms of offensive and defensive priority? Is it my legs? Speed is always good, and they harden up a little when I mutate them, which reduces the chances of going without limbs, which has been a recurring issue. No wonder the way ants fight each other on Earth was to pull the legs off. It’s a low blow, but effective. The weakness was the legs all along.
Therefore, legs is an option. My regenerative plating is another strong contender. Tier seven demons are going to be able to put some serious hurt on my carapace, I’ve no doubt, so being able to absorb some of that impact and regrow my diamond covering that much faster would be a boon. Although, there’s the mental edge. I could upgrade my brains rather substantially with this Biomass or improve the coordination cortex and give each of my brains a small boost that way.
There’s always the gravitational mana gland as well, now that I think about it. A big ’ol Gravity Bomb is what got me out of the last fight against a tier seven alive, and if I’m being honest, it’s going to be my trump card going into this one as well. Having more Gravity Mana on hand to throw about sure couldn’t hurt.
Of course, improving my nervous system would also be a wise investment. I took my antennae all the way to +30 last time around, so it would make a lot of sense to go ahead and improve this now so I can keep up with what my future sense is telling me.
Gah! So many decisions!
All right, I only get three, so I might as well spread the love out rather than concentrate it in one place. I’ll improve my coordination cortex. That’ll give each of my brains a small yet noticeable boost and help me on the magical side of things. I’ll also improve the gravitational mana gland. Each improvement gives greater capacity, faster regeneration, and so on, but lately I’ve been mutating it to pre-condense the mana for me, and that has been a serious help in making the Gravity Bomb faster to cast. It might only be doing ten percent of the work I need, but it makes a huge difference in the heat of the moment. Finally, I’ll improve the inner carapace plating.
As good as my reflexes are, especially when combined with my future sense, Grokus showed me I can’t always rely on being able to dodge, even against foes as ponderous as he was. I fully expect to take some hits in this battle, and by improving the plating, I’m giving myself the best possible chance to survive.