Antelligent Design

60. Stealth Ant Rides Forth, Status Update

Leaving behind my three co-adventurers, I make my way back along our trail as quick as I can whilst keeping a low profile. Seeing as I’m on my own, I don’t want to stumble into a fight I can’t handle.

It’s unnerving to be exposed on the surface. That lack of comfort pierces me right in the confidence now that I’m here without any backup. In fact, there’s no Tiny and no Crinis alongside me for the first time in how long? Crinis has been with me since not long after we reached the surface during the wave. But Tiny’s been with me long before that. Since finding the colony almost!

That big lug-head. As much as his… limited decision-making capacity and hunger for a fight has been an inconvenience to say the least, it’s fun having him around. He isn’t much for conversation, but things tend to never be boring when he’s present. He doesn’t exactly ‘settle’ for the status quo. Tiny pushes himself, pushes the situation forward, never allowing himself to shy from a challenge. I admire that.

Or he’s stupid and free from any sense of self-preservation. Either way, it’s fun to have him with me.

I will perform Core Surgery on him and buff his intellect, though. Every time he charges forward into nigh mortal danger, I feel myself internally age another ten years. If he keeps going at the rate he’s going, I’m going to wither away to dust by the end of the year.

If they even have years here. Rather, how long is each year in this world? It could be one of those places that orbits its star once every six thousand days. Presuming people grow at the same speed as they did on Earth, you’d be eighteen Earth years by the time your first birthday rolled around.

Running through the fields, I keep my antennae twitching here and there, making use of my range of vision to prevent anything from sneaking up on me. I engage in the stealthy patterns of behaviour that served me so well in the first weeks of my life in this world. Obviously, I can’t attach myself to the ceiling up here, denying me the full experience of my youth, but I do my best to keep my profile hidden in the long grass, sticking my head up every now and again to take in the lay of the land.

I haven’t seen anything yet, but that doesn’t mean I won’t.

I’m still gutted I forgot to secure that core. Just when I thought I might be getting a little smarter, a little wiser, I go ahead and do something stupid like this. That core would mean so much for the colony if I could get it to the queen, I’m sure of it. If she can evolve in an awesome way, who knows what she might be able to become?

Perhaps it’s my ant instincts in me, but I deeply want the queen to be safe and secure in the nest. The thought of any harm coming to her just makes my little ant heart hurt. Personally, I don’t think it has much to do with my new body. Having a family, having a parent who cared and valued me, that’s something I’ve never had before. I don’t like to dwell on the negative much, but my human life had been… less than ideal.

Even something simple like being accepted without question by my siblings, the trust and care the queen, my mother, showed without expecting anything in return. It’s nice. I was desperate for this sense of belonging. I can see that now. Perhaps that’s why I was so quick to accept my place within the colony. Now that I’ve invested so much into my new family, I want to ensure only the best for them.

Which is why I want this damn core!

It’s quite the journey to make it back to where we defeated the croca-commander. Remaining focused during my travel time exposed under the open sky, crouching low when I can, moving swiftly and carefully.

Even so, I get a chance to check my status and take in a few of the Skill Level ups I missed during the fight against the commander. Battling against tough foes can really net Levels at a quick pace.

Name: Anthony

Level: 30 (Special core)

Might: 41

Toughness: 29

Cunning: 44

Will: 35

HP: 58/58

MP: 180/240

Skills: Expert Excavation Level 3 (III); Improved Acid Shot Level 9 (II); Enhanced Grip Level 4 (II); Advanced Shattering Bite Level 14 (IV); Advanced Stealth Level 6 (II); Splintering Chomp Level 10 (III); Tunnel Map Level 7 (II); Mana Transformation Level 9 (III); Advanced Condensed Mana Level 1 (III); External Mana Manipulation Level 2 (I); Empowered Mana Sensing Level 1 (II); Core Surgery Level 6 (III); Expert Exo-Skeleton Defence Level 3 (III); Pet Communication Level 4 (I); Rapid Dash Level 4 (II); Expert Water Magic Affinity Level 1 (III); Advanced Stamina Level 7 (II); Pet Growth Speed Level 1 (I); Mana Scrooge Level 5 (II); Advanced Cerebral Endurance Level 9 (II); Profound Meditation Level 2 (III); Advanced Precise Shooting Level 2 (II); Shredding Bite Level 9 (II); Advanced Mind Magic Affinity Level 4 (II)

Mutations: Perimeter Eyes +15; Future Sight Infrared Antennae +15; Mana Eating Restrictive Acid +10; Rapid Osmotic Legs +15; Empowered Mandibles +15; True Diamond Carapace +15; Regrowth Regeneration Gland +15; Persuasive Pheromone Language Gland +10; Expansive Deep Gravity Magic Gland +15; Networked Coordination Cortex +15; Supportive Inner Carapace Plating +15; Gluttonous Stomach +15

Species: Dispersed Mind Ant (Formica Sapiens)

Skill Points: 14

Biomass: 212

I have a lot of Biomass to spend, I’ll need to take care of that soon. The other thing I need to think about is that I’ll be able to evolve again in ten Levels. My strategy of absorbing a portion of the rare core and hoping my body would adapt seems to have worked. The pain and discomfort are still there, but it’s diminished. There may be a shot that I’ll be able to take the rest of the core before I evolve. Claws crossed.

Speaking of Levelling Skills, I need to ensure I’m taking the time to grind up a few points whilst I’m up here on the surface. I have two sub-brains who are doing nothing but picking their noses right now, may as well set them a task!

I can almost feel the begrudging acceptance as I force my sub-brains to begin manipulating the thin Mana in the air. The lowest Skill I have regarding magic is my External Mana Manipulation. I may as well grind it up to the second rank at least.

My two brains grab hold of the Mana outside of my body and begin to move it. It’s a difficult task, far more difficult than grabbing hold of the pliable Mana within my core. I need to save that Mana as much as possible, so forget about using it to practice!

When I allow the brains to cooperate, they demonstrate much better progress, utilising their resources, they’re able to grab hold of more Mana and shift it around in lazy patterns in the air.

Ten minutes later, I was rewarded with the first Level up.

[External Mana Manipulation has reached Level 3.]

Nice! Keep at it, sub-brains. I’m counting on you!

It’s a strange sensation, having them work on something while my main mind dithers. It’s me working hard to control the Mana outside of my body, but at the same time, it wasn’t. As if my left hand were busy as hell with a task and my right hand was idle, but each hand had its own brain?

I continue on my way under the open sky and finally find the place where we battled the croca-commander. There’s signs of our fight to be found, the disturbed grass, the hemisphere of soil that had been consumed by my Gravity Bomb. The Mana here felt… odd. My sub-brains were still actively reaching out to the Mana in the air, but it was almost thin. As if there was less of it to take hold of in this place.

The body of the croca-commander is gone without a trace. In the soft earth near where we left it is a reptilian footprint. Large enough that I can stand in it, my entire body encompassed within.

That’s a big croc.